Awake in Shadows

by Eve Langlais

  “Good thing. And you could add a thank you to that.”

  “Thank you for what? I didn’t ask you to help.”

  “Because you obviously didn’t need any assistance, snoring in the trunk of that car.”

  “What happened to the demons who attacked me?” Adara snatched some bacon from under a dome.

  Logan shrugged. “No idea. After the cops arrested them—”

  “Hold on, what did you say?” She stopped chewing.

  “Your boyfriend’s manservant saw you being accosted and called in a favor with some cops.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” she muttered, snaring another piece of salty goodness.

  “Whatever. Anyhow, while the cops kept the broads distracted, we got you to safety.”

  “I’m surprised it worked. Demons aren’t afraid of humans.”

  “Ah, but it appears they do live in fear of discovery. Turns out they have strict rules about keeping their existence secret. The penalty for showing themselves is death.”

  She wiggled until she was properly seated upright and proceeded to explore the domes on the tray. “They showed themselves to me.”

  “Because they obviously didn’t think you’d live long enough to tell anyone.”

  “Wrong. If they wanted me dead, they would have killed me in that bathroom.” Because as well as she’d fought, hands and feet were no match for those teeth and claws.

  “Given they had you stuffed in the trunk of a car, I don’t think they were putting much stock in your health.”

  “Says you.” They’d wanted her alive for a reason. “Thanks for ruining my plan.”

  He made a noise. “What plan? What part of being kidnapped did you miss?”

  “What part of they were taking me somewhere I might have gotten answers did you miss?” she said, turning his words on him. “Once again, you and Titus just had to ruin that for me.”

  Logan blinked. “You were outnumbered.”

  “I could have handled it.”

  “In your fucking sleep?” he snapped.

  “I would have woken up once the torture started.” She kept chewing, screwing with him a while longer. The snicker finally escaped her. “You should see your face.”

  He let out a breath. “That was an evil thing to do. For a moment, I thought you were serious.”

  “Come on, you didn’t really think I’d want to get captured, did you?” She’d rather die than be tortured again.

  “I don’t know what to think with you. I know you want to find out more about your past.”

  “I do, but the truth won’t do me any good if I’m dead.”

  “If you’re worried about dying, then what the hell were you doing in that place last night?”

  She was being stupid. For some reason, it had never occurred to her that demons might be hunting her. Nor would she have expected them to be armed with modern drugs.

  Taken down by a needle. She’d have to remember that the next time she got into a fight.

  She took a sip of juice. “I don’t suppose you found out where they were taking me before you let the cops arrest them?”

  He shook his head. “We don’t even know if it was intentional or just a coincidence they nabbed you. Maybe they just snagged you as a snack for someone else, or to sell you on the skin market.”

  “It was on purpose,” she divulged before gulping the rest of the fresh orange juice.

  “Shit, honey. That’s not good. If the demons are after you—”

  “Then I’ll handle it.” Tummy full, she set aside the tray before swinging her legs out of bed. Only to realize she wore a shirt, underpants, and nothing else. She glanced around for the rest of her clothes, but no surprise, everything else was gone.

  She sighed. “Where’s my stuff?”

  “Titus said there’s clothing in the closet and toiletries in the bathroom.”

  “Of course, there is.” The vampire had told her for a while now that he had a place for her to stay. The room, larger than anything she recalled, boasted luxuries that would spoil her if enjoyed for too long. A giant bed with a real mattress that left her body aching less than her sleeping bags on the floor. Soft sheets that smelled fresh rather than musty.

  Standing, her toes curled in the plush carpet underfoot. She tried to ignore the fact that Logan could see her bare legs and her butt—the panties she wore only just covering the cheeks.

  No point in modesty. He’d seen it all before. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to shower, then get on with my day. Without you,” she emphasized in case it wasn’t clear.

  Rather than wait—or argue his reply—she almost bolted to the bathroom. She shut the door, leaning on it for a moment, heart racing.

  It didn’t just race because of Logan.

  A tremble went through her, an indication of the stress that kept her taut. As Logan had explained what happened, she’d done her best not to panic.

  The demons had me in their clutches. What would they have done? She remembered enough of the last time to worry about it.

  A hot shower did much to revive and showcase the events of the previous night. She lathered the myriad bruises on her body. Most a yellow-green as if they’d been healing for days. By tomorrow, they’d be gone.

  Miraculous healing? Not a human trait.

  And was it her, or did the hair on her head and legs seem thicker?

  Did she crave more meat lately?

  How about long walks in the park?

  She whirled and put her face into the hot spray, letting it sluice over her. The bar of soap in her hand went for round two, once again covering her in suds, but less vigorously this time.

  As her hand skimmed under her breasts, Logan came to mind. Logan, who’d once tried to kiss her.

  But failed.

  Sometimes, she wished he’d managed to press his lips to hers. That he’d kissed her and given her something to recall. A better memory than those caught inside her mind.

  Those weren’t kisses, though. A true embrace didn’t involve blood or pain.

  She finished rinsing but stood under the hot spray a little longer. Letting it soothe her muscles. Relax her.

  Her eyes were closed.

  Her breathing even.

  For some reason, she could see the field of green.

  But this time, it held a blanket, the bright red rectangle of fabric flattening the stalks.

  A presence behind her had her whirling, but not to strike or gasp in fear. She felt her lips split into a wide smile, and her entire body ignite with heat as she was caught in an embrace. Her feet left the ground as she was swung, the sun in her eyes blinding her, but she heard the joyous laugh that erupted from her, stifled by the firm press of his lips—

  Bang. Bang. Bang. “Adara, you alive in there?”

  Her eyes snapped open, and for a moment, disorientation gripped her. The lingering feel of lips made hers tingle.

  Then it was gone.

  But it had happened. She was sure of it. A memory, and not of that fateful day.

  Bang. “Adara, answer me, or I’m gonna kick this door in.”

  “Would you go and find yourself a bone to chew on,” she yelled back. A slur she’d heard Titus use before.

  “I’m gonna chew on you if you keep sassing me,” Logan retorted.

  She didn’t worry he’d actually hurt her. She could hear the teasing humor in the threat.

  The walk-in closet off the bathroom held a plethora of clothes. From fancy evening gowns made of silky fabrics and sequins that wrinkled her nose, to the more comfortable athletic wear she usually preferred. She chose a cotton shirt, dark yoga pants, and a sweater as an ensemble. She tried not to think too hard about the fact that Titus had guessed the measurements for everything, including the bra, correctly.

  How many women had the vampire been with in his life that he could measure by sight alone?

  For some reason, her teeth ground together. What did she care about his past paramours?

  She had no i
nterest in him. Or Logan.

  Or anybody.

  She found some running shoes. Brand new. Size eight. She laced them on before exiting the bathroom. She noticed that Logan had left, taking the tray of food with him. Pity. She would have taken a few of those muffins with her.

  The hallway outside the bedroom was also empty and, unlike her room, devoid of sunlight. During the day, Titus kept the shades drawn. The automatic shutters descended before dawn and lifted only once twilight fell. A must-have for a vampire.

  Skipping down the stairs, she couldn’t help but notice the silence. No outside traffic noise or sirens. This part of town didn’t have the same issues with crime as the section she lived in. The joys of wealth.

  Having been here before, she took little note of the grand entrance. She’d already seen the polished marble floors, the grand chandelier that dangled crystals from a few stories overhead, and the majestic curve of the polished wooden staircase with the black metal finials.

  The front door loomed, a monstrous dual-paneled thing. Past its threshold lurked freedom and sunlight. Before she could reach for the handle, she heard a scuff, then a drawled, “Well, if it isn’t the master’s obsession.”

  Whirling, she beheld Stefan, Titus’s right-hand man. A guy who, for some reason, always roused her wary side.

  She eyed him. “I was just leaving.”

  “Good.”

  Rather than flee, she faced Stefan. “I hear I have you to thank for last night’s intervention.”

  “Don’t thank me. I did it for Titus, even if I’m of the opinion he’s better off without you.”

  “You don’t like me,” she stated.

  “Not particularly.” Which seemed odd. She’d had very little interaction with Stefan, and yet he’d made his dislike clear from the start.

  “Why?”

  “My master is obsessed with you, and I can’t understand why. You’re…” He paused and eyed her up and down, his lip curled. “Quite ordinary.”

  Probably the only person to ever say so.

  Still, it stung as the insult he’d meant it to be. Her chin angled. “I guess there’s no accounting for taste.” Her return jab was followed by a pointed look at his clashing attire. His yellow slacks and royal blue shirt were a little bold.

  “Why don’t you do us all a favor and stay away from my master?”

  “I keep trying. He’s the one who won’t let me go.”

  “Try harder. You’re a distraction he cannot afford.”

  “Don’t worry, Stefan,” said a deep voice. “I’ll make sure to keep her far away from Titus.” Logan appeared at the far end of the hall, and for once, she was glad to see him.

  “You would do well to sever your attachment to her, as well. She’s trouble.”

  “You don’t say,” was Logan’s reply. “Knew there was a reason she and I got along.”

  “You’ll regret it.” Menace lurked around the edges of Stefan’s words.

  “Only one who’ll be regretting shit is you if Titus hears you talking to Adara like a dick.”

  Stefan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I am loyal to my master.”

  “And yet you call me the dog?” Logan snorted. “Ready, honey?” Logan wrenched open the door, letting daylight spill inside.

  “Stop calling me honey.”

  “Would you prefer sugar?”

  “I’d prefer you used my name.”

  “I will once we find out what it is.”

  The reminder that Adara wasn’t hers clamped her lips shut. The nurses in the hospital had chosen it for her. It was a Greek name meaning beautiful. Rather optimistic of them. Most days, she felt very ugly inside.

  She stepped out into the sunshine, choosing to follow Logan rather than trade veiled barbs with Stefan. Besides, Logan’s pickup truck would be faster than walking. Taking the bus required money, and she’d woken up with none.

  Logan opened the door on the passenger side without asking, and she clambered in.

  Only once they had exited from the gated compound did Logan speak. “Where to, honey?”

  “You mean I get a choice? Thought for sure you’d bring me back to the doghouse.”

  His lips quirked. “If you’re hoping insults will get me to run away, you’ll have to try harder. I’ve heard them all.”

  She sighed. “I’m sorry.” A surprising set of words, but she realized she meant them.

  “Don’t be. You’ve had a rough go. I’d say you’re entitled to lash out once in a while.”

  “I’ve been doing more than lashing. I’m just so…” She paused, hands clenched in her lap.

  “Frustrated?”

  “That, plus angry, and—” She hesitated rather than say scared even if he was probably one of the few people she could admit that to. “Alone.”

  “You don’t have to be alone. You’ve got a lot of shit to handle. But here’s the thing, you have people who want to help you shoulder the burden.”

  “Like you.”

  “Yeah, like me. Even if I’m not doing a good job. Listen, I get it. You’re pissed I wasn’t there to save you in time last night—”

  She interrupted. “Hold on, you think I’m angry about last night?”

  He cast her a quick glance. “I know you are. I didn’t protect you.”

  “I didn’t ask you to. Or do you really think you should have come with me to hold my hand in the bathroom?”

  “I should have done better.”

  “You did the best thing you could by making sure they didn’t drive off with me.”

  “You should have never been stuffed in that car in the first place.” He slapped the steering wheel.

  He truly was upset, even if it wasn’t justified. “Listen and listen good. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. But let’s get one thing straight. I don’t expect you, or Titus for that matter, to be my bodyguards. I can take care of myself.”

  “I know you can. Have I interfered in your other fights? I didn’t do a damned thing when you played with that troll under the fish market.”

  “Troll? I thought he was a demon.”

  “Just because it’s ugly doesn’t make it a minion of Hell.”

  She sighed. “I know so little.”

  “Then let me be your teacher. I’d be more than happy to give you lessons on Paranormal Shit 101.”

  “You, a teacher?” She snorted.

  “I only failed the twelfth grade once.” He shot her a grin, and it drew an answering one from her.

  It felt good to smile. How long since she’d allowed herself?

  “I don’t know if I want you to teach me. I’m still mad at you.”

  “Is this about the blood thing again? Jesus, honey, get over it. I’m never gonna be sorry for saving your life.”

  And she knew he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Hard to hate a man who just wanted to care. “How’s the pack?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Same old shit. Kevin is nagging me. The boys are still fighting over Jessica. And Jeremy is head over tails for some guy in the pack next state over, which means his dad is grumpy because he doesn’t want his only son moving away.”

  “Sounds a lot like the real world.”

  “Because it is the real world. I don’t know what you think being a werewolf means, but for the most part, we just live the same as everyone else.”

  “And change into big hairy beasts whenever you want.”

  “Not whenever I want. Only if necessary and if safe to do so.”

  “Who made those rules?” she asked. Now that the spell making her forget things had faded, allowing her to accept the fact that weird stuff did exist, she was curious. There was so much she didn’t know. Or at least that she didn’t remember.

  “Because you need to forget.”

  The cobwebbed remains of the spell tried to stifle her thoughts. She brushed it aside.

  “Ain’t me making the rules, that’s for sure,” Logan drawled. “When it comes to certain things, like keeping ourselves
secret, we just know. From birth.”

  “Not doing a great job of it. There’s a ton of movies and books out there about your kind.”

  “Fiction,” he scoffed. “The humans don’t believe it.”

  “One day, someone will catch you on camera.”

  “It happens all the time. And then someone else debunks it and calls it fake. For every believer, you’ll find one or more disbelievers.”

  Her lips pursed. “So, if you fight the truth with lies, then how does anyone learn anything?”

  “By belonging somewhere.”

  Her breath sucked in sharply, and he cursed.

  “Sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to make it sound… Ah, fuck. I’m sure you belong somewhere, you just can’t remember it.”

  “Because I was forsaken.”

  “Fuck that forsaken crap. You know I’d make you a member of my pack in a second if you asked,” Logan stated.

  “I’m not a werewolf.”

  “Don’t care. Not everyone in the pack can change shapes. There are other ways we can be bound as family.”

  “By blood.” She stared at her wrist and the pulse in it. Tic. Tic. She turned her attention from it. “The rules. Are they the same for everyone?”

  “Yes, and no. We all follow the don’t-get-caught rule.”

  “Even vampires and demons?”

  “Even them.”

  Her curiosity had her asking more questions. “Who keeps everyone in line? What happens if someone breaks the rules?”

  “In the pack, it’s up to the alpha at the top to handle it.”

  “What if the alpha is the problem?”

  “Then he won’t be alpha for long.”

  “So it really is a dog-eat-dog world.”

  That brought forth a rumbling chuckle that tickled her down to her toes.

  “What about the vampires?”

  “Each Cabal has a leader. Titus in this case. He keeps the other vamps in line.”

  “But who keeps him in line?”

  He flashed her a grin. “Why that would be me.” He winked.

  “What’s to prevent you from just killing him because you don’t like him.”

  “Because me and the pack wouldn’t live long if we just killed vampires willy-nilly. I gotta apply for permission first and have evidence of wrongdoing.”

  “Sounds complicated.”