by Mara Leigh
My body slams back in the booth. “How can you say it like that, so casually, especially after…after all we…” My hurt turns into anger. “And how do you know that we aren’t meant to be mates? It’s not like a priest has mingled our blood to test it!”
His eyes widen. “Who told you about the mating ceremony?”
“No one needed to tell me.” I shake my head at him in disbelief. “I suffered through thirteen failed wedding ceremonies with Xavier, remember? Thirteen!”
“Xavier has a high priest in his court?” His brow furrows. “ A legitimate one?”
I slap the table in frustration. “How would I know the difference? You refuse to explain anything! He seemed legit to me. And since the ceremonies kept failing, the priest must have been doing something right. If that ceremony’s a test for true love, or compatibility, then I’d say the priest was pretty fucking legit! Thirteen times he mixed my blood with Xavier’s and nothing happened.”
Claiming that nothing happened as a result of those failed wedding ceremonies is far from accurate, though. Each one led to rape and torture that got worse and worse over time.
Rage rises inside me, wiping out my hurt at Gray’s rejection. And I’m grateful to the rage for that. Grateful and somewhat surprised that my go-to emotion when I think of Xavier is rage now, not fear.
Xavier no longer scares me, not as much, anyway, and I will not rest until he’s punished for what he did to me. I will not rest until Xavier’s dead.
“What is it?” Gray tips his head to the side.
“What is what?” I snap.
“Something changed in you just then.” He whistles low through his teeth. “I swear I just saw your power grow before my eyes. I can see it in your posture, in your skin, your eyes.”
“Really?” But he’s right. I do feel more powerful. I close my eyes for a moment, getting used to the feeling. “Can vampires get power from rage?”
“Not most vampires.” He leans toward me. “Are you that pissed at me, princess?”
“Maybe I am!” Looking down at the table, I shake my head. “No, my rage is all saved for Xavier.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
I raise my gaze and find him grinning, his expression back to normal—a lethal combination of teasing and lust.
Gray keeps saying I’m different, and I know he means it in a positive way, but to me my so-called differences are more things that set me apart and make me alone in the world.
My whole life I’ve either been homeless or living under the constant threat of danger, and as much as I love and appreciate Rock’s and Gray’s affection and protection, I still don’t have a place in the world where I truly belong.
The belonging I felt this morning was a sex-fueled illusion. Not real. I should have known better.
And it goes beyond not having somewhere I belong. No one can even explain why—or how—I even exist!
“Don’t be upset,” Gray says, clearly sensing my mood. “Some day you’ll understand why you’re special.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I lean forward. “Gray. If you know something more about me, you’ve got to tell me!”
The entrance door opens, and Colton walks through. Spotting me instantly, he waves and walks straight toward our booth.
Gray lets go of my hand and leans back.
“Hi, Colton.” I smile as the human reaches the table.
“Selina, I have news about—” He glances at Gray, then back to me, and the excitement in his green eyes dances between us.
Colton reminds me of an eager puppy, unable, not even wanting to contain his emotions. It’s like the idea of containing emotions has never occurred to him.
“Sounds like you two have things to talk about.” Gray slides toward the edge of the booth. “Guess that’s my exit cue.”
“Wait.” I reach over the table. “Colton, this is Gray. Gray this is Colton.”
As they nod toward each other, both men’s expressions change in a flash—not filling with animosity, exactly, but definitely with caution tinged in coldness.
“You don’t need to go,” I tell Gray, but as I say it, I realize I don’t mean it. If Colton has news about the serial killer case, I want to hear it, and he might not tell me in front of Grayson.
Gray unfolds his elegant form from the bench, and Colton steps out of the way as the vampire leans over to plant a soft kiss on my lips.
“If you’ll excuse me, princess, I have some business to take care of. Are you comfortable if I leave you alone here with Carlton?”
“Colton,” he corrects.
I swallow the laughter bubbling up inside me as I gaze into Gray’s mischievous eyes. He knows the right name.
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him. “Go.”
“She’s very safe with me,” Colton interjects. “I’m a police constable.”
“Goodness,” Gray says with obvious fake respect. “That is impressive.” He slides his arm across my shoulders and bends toward me again. “Seriously, princess. You okay alone with Coleman?”
I nod, not acknowledging that he got the name wrong again. He’s doing it for attention.
Gray kisses me again, this time more deeply than he should with someone else standing by.
“See you at home,” he says. Then without even acknowledging Colton, he strides away, out of the bar and into the night.
Colton takes a black backpack off one shoulder, slides into the spot vacated by Gray. “Is he always such an arrogant son-of-a…” He shakes his head. “Sorry…I hate to use foul language, but that man… Is he your boyfriend? Your roommate?” He glances back toward the bar where Rock’s serving customers.
“Gray is my housemate and my friend.” I’m not sure what Gray is. How can I possibly explain when I don’t understand myself? “But enough about him. You said you have news?”
“Yes… Which do you want first? Good news or bad news?”
“Bad news, I guess.”
He reaches across the table and takes my hands, his eyes filling with concern.
“What is it?” My insides twist, even though I can’t imagine what news Colton might have that could be that bad.
“It’s about your mother.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Oh.” A rush of joy flashes, quickly extinguished when I remember the bad news lead-in.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but she’s…dead.”
“Did he kill her?” I squeeze Colton’s hand so hard he winces, and I let up. “Is he in jail?”
He looks down, then back up. “He took his own life too.” His lips twist to the side for a second. “I’m not sure if I should tell you the details.”
“Tell me.” I swallow hard. “I need to know. Please.”
He nods slowly. “I’m so glad you ran away from that man.” He shakes his head and his expression grows colder. “He was clearly psychotic. The murder was brutal. I can’t…I won’t tell you the details but suffice to say it was horrific. He got the easy way out—self-inflicted gunshot through the temple. But he didn’t use the gun on your mother.”
I close my eyes as my mind and body absorb the information.
“Are you okay?” Colton asks. “I shouldn’t have told you.”
I look into his eyes, and squeeze his hands. “No, I’m glad that you told me.” And in some strange way I’m glad my mom isn’t suffering the abuse anymore, even if she suffered horribly when she died.
I mourned my mother years ago—mourned a mother and child relationship that barely ever existed in the first place.
I try not to imagine what the stepmonster did to her, or to wonder if I’d have been able to save her, convince her to leave…
I take a long cleansing breath. “You said there was good news too?”
“Yes.” He strokes my hands with his thick thumbs. “But it seems trivial after what I just told you.” He shakes his head. “I should have waited until a time when I could spend more time with you… I have to work…”
&nb
sp; “That’s okay.” I smile weakly. “Rock’s here if I need to talk.”
Colton swallows hard. “I’m glad you’ve got support.”
“Me too. So, what’s the other news? I could use the distraction.”
Colton glances around to make sure no one is eavesdropping, then leans across the table. “There was another bloodsucker slaying last night.”
“Really?” I gulp down the last of the whiskey in my glass.
He nods. “I was at the crime scene all day. Every cop in the city is out staking bloodsuckers tonight, so I can’t stay long. ”
Discomfort stirs inside me. And fear. Gray just walked out into a city filled with stake-wielding cops.
“How do the police identify someone as a vampire?” I ask, realizing that no one has ever even mentioned this to me. I can tell—vampires’ beauty and power waft off their bodies, but humans don’t seem to notice.
Colton leans back. “To be honest—and I don’t want to scare you—but sometimes it’s hard to tell. The bastards are masters of disguise.” He gestures around the room. “For all we know, one could be in here right now.”
I lift my glass, hoping to hide my reaction in whiskey, but my glass is empty.
“Don’t be frightened.” Colton takes my hand. “I shouldn’t have said that. If one of the monsters was in here, I’d know.”
“That’s a relief.” I do my best to smile. “But how would you know?”
“Scientists are working on solutions, but for now our biggest gets are when we find a nest.”
“A nest?”
He nods. “A group of the monsters sleeping the day away, out of the sunlight. I tell you, there’s nothing like opening a dark curtain or smashing a blacked-out window to guarantee a positive ID. The screams and burning flesh give it away.”
I shudder, then my body relaxes as I realize humans have zero idea how to spot vampires, which explains how our kind remained a myth for so long. “What about tonight?” I ask. “How will you know when you find one?”
“We follow suspects for several nights. Watch for a pattern of behavior. Are they extraordinarily strong? Do they avoid the sunlight? Avoid garlic, silver and crosses—known vampire repellants. Do they lurk in alleys waiting for prey?” He shrugs. “To be honest, we often rely on tips. Like the one we got about this bar.”
All the things he listed are true about vampires except the garlic and crosses—as far as I know, anyway. I’ve never had issues with either. And I still have no idea who called in that tip. Was it Chelle? A customer?
“You okay?” Colton asks. “I know you’re curious, but maybe I said too much?”
I shake my head. “I’m just thinking it through. Vampires sound really hard to spot. How often do you kill humans by mistake?”
Colton again glances around to see if anyone’s listening. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Of course.”
He pats the black backpack beside him. “I told you about scientific advances?”
I nod.
“Well, the VTF just got a prototype for advanced vampire detection.”
“What kind of prototype?” My heart beats faster. Has be been playing me all along?
Colton seems like the most transparent person I’ve ever encountered, fully incapable of subterfuge, but if he’s got a vampire-detecting machine sitting right beside him, then either it doesn’t work or he already knows the truth.
“Do you want me to show you?” Excitement beams from him. “I can take it out and demonstrate. Prove that there are no vampires in here.”
“That’s not necessary.” I shake my head, then lower my voice. “But how does it work?”
“They’re special goggles. They make vampires glow.”
“Glow?”
“It’s kind of an eerie blue color.” He frowns. “Actually, based on the training video I saw, it’s kind of beautiful—that is, if you ignore the evil exposed.”
My stomach tightens. “Why don’t all police have these goggles?” Or every human, for that matter. Not that I mean this as a suggestion.
“This baby here?” Colton pats his backpack. “The prototypes are rare and worth a small fortune. There are only two in the entire country right now. The Vancouver police have one set and we have the other.” His chest broadens. “And I get to use them tonight.”
“How come I’ve never heard of this?”
He leans across the table again. “That’s why you can’t tell anyone. Why I shouldn’t even have told you. We don’t want the vamps to know.”
“Why?”
“The inventor, a scientist in Europe—Switzerland, I think—anyway, she thinks that if vampires ever got their hands on a set of goggles, they could figure out a way to beat them.”
“If they figure out what creates the glow.”
“Exactly.” His grin widens.
His phone chirps and he looks down at his smartwatch. “I’ve gotta go. Can I see you tomorrow? Maybe lunch?”
“I’m busy during the day.”
“Not even time to eat lunch? It’ll be breakfast for me. I’m working most of the night.”
I shake my head. “But I’ll be here tomorrow night.”
“With your boyfriends?” His cheeks flush and he looks like he wishes he could kill them both. He actually does have a license to kill Gray, and certainly would if he ever pointed those goggles in Gray’s direction. Or mine.
“Rock and Gray, they’re both…” My mouth is dry again. “Our relationship is complicated, but they’re both…they’re both very important to me.”
“And yet you spend time with me? Hold my hand…” Colton leans over and entwines our fingers together. “They’re okay with that?”
“No one gets to dictate who I spend time with,” I tell him, “and I like spending time with you.” I like it a lot, in fact.
In spite of our scary discussion, I feel comfortable around Colton. It doesn’t make sense for me to trust him, but his prejudice is based on misinformation and underneath his bias he’s good and kind and warm, and so devastatingly handsome my stomach flutters every time he’s near.
“I like spending time with you, too,” he says, his voice deep and sincere. “I like you, Selina. I like you a lot.” A massive grin spreads across his face. “See you tomorrow night? Maybe we can look at the files again? At my place?” He’s back into puppy mode and the expectation in his eyes is adorable.
I nod. “Can we meet here?”
“Sure. I can’t wait.” His boyish charm is so attractive, bringing out the teenaged girl in me that I never got to be. Every part of me smiles and blushes and tingles and flutters at once.
He stands. “Off to the cemetery.”
“What?” My heart starts to thump a little harder. “Why a cemetery?” It’s just a strange coincidence. It has to be.
“Don’t worry.” He grins. “I haven’t switched to ghost busting or zombie hunting.” He chuckles at his joke. “Last night’s bloodsucker victim was attacked in a cemetery. Out in the east end.”
He bends and presses a chaste kiss against my cheek. Then he whispers, “I can’t wait to see you again.”
I try to smile, but I can’t breathe.
The latest victim was killed in a cemetery—just like in my dream.
Chapter 24
Pike
The one called Grayson leaves the bar, alone, no sign of Selina, and I walk to the edge of the condo-building roof where I’ve been keeping watch.
Why did he leave her alone in the bar? Frustration and fear rise inside me as I follow the filthy rich vampire’s path through the streets, but he tucks into an alley, and I lose my line of vision.
I jump across to another rooftop, then another, but I’ve lost him. Not that I was trying very hard. My priority is Selina. I return to my normal perch with its great view of the big man’s bar.
The night is full of sounds: honking car horns, shouting men, screeching commuter trains, and beneath it the low rumble of the subway beneath the earth. And ab
ove all that there are voices. So many voices.
It’s been torture since I stopped tuning in to Selina’s voice each time I found her at dusk, so I caved and did it tonight. But it’s a different kind of torture. Eavesdropping on her every conversation raises such a deep longing inside me I might implode from the pressure.
Fingering the razor in my pocket, I’m tempted to quash the desire rising inside me now.
“Nice view from up here,” a male says.
Ready to attack, I spin toward the speaker.
Grayson is leaning against a metal air conditioning unit.
Turning away from him, I cross my arms over my chest, pretending that I couldn’t give a shit that he managed not only to find me, but get up onto the roof without my noticing. I am slipping. Losing it.
But my focus must remain on Selina. When she leaves that bar tonight, I will protect her.
Gray steps up beside me. “You’re following her.”
“I need to be sure that she’s safe.”
“I keep her safe.”
“Safe?” I glare at the vampire in his fancy clothes. “You left her alone in that bar with a cop!”
His eyes narrow. “How do you know she’s with a cop?”
“The football player guy she went off with the other night. He’s a cop.” Gray is an idiot if he doesn’t realize this. “He’s in the bar. ”
I shake my head with disgust. Grayson claims he wants to keep Selina safe, yet he lets her wander around the city alone. He let her go into the home of a cop—a human sworn to kill vampires.
“Tell me I’m wrong.” I step toward him. “Tell me that cop didn’t approach her the second he went inside.”
Gray shrugs. “Bloke’s harmless.”
“Harmless? He carries fucking stakes! A crossbow!”
“Selina can handle herself with a human. She’s gotten stronger since you kidnapped her. Since you tortured her.”
It’s all I can do to keep my fist out of this asshole’s teeth.
“And that cop won’t hurt her,” the asshole continues. “He’s a smitten kitten.”
“Smitten what?” How can he be so flip about Selina’s safety? I want to throw him off the roof. To make it worse, his expression is a near smirk.