by Cynthia Eden
The shooter went down. He didn’t get up.
The guy’s partner aimed—
“Look out, Griffin!” Isabella yelled.
He turned at her shout. A bullet grazed his shoulder. It didn’t slow him down. He leapt at the shooter before the man could fire a second time. The human hit the ground.
Two dead bodies.
So much blood.
Then Griffin looked up at her. His eyes were glowing. His face was harsher, sharper than before. He appeared as a combination of man and beast, and fear clawed at Isabella’s insides. She whipped around and scrambled across that roof.
He’s too comfortable with death. He’s too dangerous. He’s…
In front of her. He was right in front of her, again. Griffin was standing right in front of her and his hands—tipped with razor sharp claws—were reaching for her.
Those same claws had just killed two men.
“I told you,” he said, “they’re dead.”
She gaped at him.
He frowned. “You’re welcome.”
He expected her to thank him for death? Was the guy straight-up crazy? Wait, yes, they’d already established that he was.
“You’ll come with me now,” Griffin said.
“No, I won’t.” He didn’t know her. Didn’t know about her strict no killing rule. And he didn’t know how close she was to a serious freak-out. “Go away, wolf. How many times…” Weakness weighed down her limbs. “Do I have to say…go away?”
“The humans in the bar heard the gunshots. Cops will be called. Do you want to be here when they swarm the scene?”
No, she wanted to be far away.
He pulled her into his arms. Held her. Seemed…oddly happy. “You fit me.”
Crazy werewolf. Her eyes were on his throat. One bite, just one…a few sips of blood and she’d be back to her normal power level. She’d be able to get away from him.
“I was told…it was wrong. Taboo. It’s not.” He turned his head. His glowing eyes met hers. “We’re not. I’ll fight anyone who challenges my right to you.”
Yes, well… “I’m sorry that you’re crazy.” His throat was just too close—and if she didn’t get blood soon, she’d be passing out. “May I bite you?”
He blinked. “You bite me, and we’re going to fuck. I want you too badly.”
Uh…
He leapt off the roof. Since she’d recently taken a fall that ended with broken bones, Isabella immediately closed her eyes. She wasn’t in the mood for more pain.
She didn’t get pain.
They didn’t crash into the ground. He landed on his feet, not even swaying a little bit. He held her easily in his arms. Her eyes opened as Griffin ran past the dead men, and then he was snaking through twists and turns in the city, stopping right next to a motorcycle. He put her on the seat and climbed on before her.
“Werewolves ride motorcycles?” Isabella shook her head.
“Hell, yeah, they do. But this one isn’t mine. So give me a second to get her going.”
Not…his? She realized he was hot-wiring the ride. The werewolf was a killer and a thief. And he’d saved her ass. The motorcycle growled to life.
“Hold on. Tight.”
She could barely stay upright. And he wanted her holding on? The motorcycle lurched forward, and her hands flew around him. She held him tight as the wind whipped against her body.
The bloodlust grew within her. She needed to drink. The weakness was getting worse. The buildings and the people all passed her in a blur. Her entire focus was on him. She could feel the beating of his heart. His body emitted a warmth that drew her in, and the werewolf smelled absolutely…delicious.
She leaned forward, pressing her body up against his. They weren’t wearing helmets, probably because he hadn’t been able to steal those. He braked at a red light. Her tongue slipped out and licked along the edge of his neck.
“Sweetheart…” The endearment came out as a warning. “You are playing with fire.”
Her head turned. There was a club just a few feet away, right past the curb. Fast, techno music blared from inside what was no doubt a hot-spot. She could see bodies gyrating inside. “I’ll get off here,” she whispered. “And just grab a quick drink.” And she did. She jumped off the bike, but nearly fell. She managed to stay upright, but he grabbed her wrist.
“You’re going to drink…from another?”
Hadn’t she just said that? Her eyes narrowed on him. Griffin had no idea how dangerous bloodlust could be for her. If she didn’t drink soon, she might lose her control. She might hurt her prey.
A car horn blared behind them.
Griffin ignored the driver. “You want to drink, then you drink from me.”
“The price is too high.” Because his words kept playing in her head, over and over. We’ll fuck. A werewolf lover would savage her. If only half of the stories she’d heard about his kind were true…
She fell. Her strength gave way even as her fangs slipped out completely. Before she could hit the ground, he’d scooped her up and put her on the motorcycle again. Only this time, she was in front of him, with the warmth of his body surrounding her. The motorcycle shot forward into the night.
“You’re weak.”
Ah, now he was catching on. “Must…have…blood…”
“You drank earlier.” His voice rose over the purr of that bike. “I saw you feed on that bastard in the alley.”
Her tongue slid over one fang. “That was before…broke bones…had to…heal, inside and out.” Because she’d had some fun, internal injuries after her fall, too.
He swore—using some truly, wickedly inventive words. Then his right wrist flew up. His left hand kept a steady hold on the handlebar. “I can’t believe I’m saying this shit, but take my blood.”
“No, I won’t—”
“We’re not fucking on the bike. The fucking will wait until I have you alone, not on a damn street.”
Uh…good to know?
“I won’t have you weak. Not while I can help you.” His voice seemed to vibrate behind her. “Consider it payback.”
His wrist was in front of her mouth, and Isabella didn’t have the willpower to stop herself. She needed blood, and she wasn’t going to be fool enough to turn him away.
She licked his skin.
He swore again. The guy had a tendency to cuss far too much.
Her fangs sank into him.
“Fucking hell.” Yet Griffin didn’t sound like he meant those words. His growled voice hadn’t contained pain. Only pleasure.
His blood slipped onto her tongue, and a white-hot desire exploded in her body.
Fucking hell, indeed.
Chapter Four
“This is kidnapping.”
The woman was too tempting. Just staring at her made him ache. She’d had his blood—a bite that had brought him to the brink of orgasm even as he’d been riding a damn motorcycle—and now she stood before him, no longer weak. Golden skin practically glowing, dark hair falling around her face all sexy and tousled-like because of their frantic ride through the city, lips red and full…
She waved her hand in front of his face. “Are you listening to me? You can’t keep me here. This. Is. Kidnapping.” She glanced around, frowning. “And it’s kidnapping by keeping me in a way shady place.”
His back teeth locked. “It’s my office.” And yeah, it was a bit shady. So he hadn’t exactly gotten a cleaning lady in the place in, oh, forever. He didn’t usually cater to high end clients. He liked the rougher jobs. The wilder ones. They satisfied his beast.
She moved to stand behind the desk. Her fingers slid over the old wood. “This is where you work? When you’re not, you know, plotting to kill helpless vamps?”
He looked down at his wrist. Her bite mark had already faded. No one had ever warned him that a vamp’s bite would feel so good. His kind healed incredibly fast, and he actually regretted that fact right then—he would have liked wearing her mark. Strange, though, because even
though the mark had faded, Griffin could have sworn he could still feel the heat of her bite…beneath his skin.
She jumped up on his desk. Sat on the damn thing like she owned it and started swaying her feet. Bare feet, by the way. He’d only noticed her lack of shoes when he’d braked in front of his office. He had no idea where the woman’s sexy high heels were. A rather unfortunate loss. He would have loved seeing her in those killer red heels and nothing else.
“Do you routinely try to stake vamps? Is that like…your job? Or just your hobby?”
He stalked toward her. As he closed in, Isabella stiffened. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, and her gaze darted over him. He didn’t stop walking until he was right in front of her, and then Griffin put his hands on either side of her body, trapping her there on his desk. “I was told you were a killer.”
She gave a quick, nervous laugh. “Total lie. You saw that I didn’t kill anyone tonight.”
He didn’t laugh. “The guy who came to me was certain that you were attacking men, and then I saw you myself in that alley. You acted as bait, right? Luring your prey to you. The fool thought you were vulnerable, and then you attacked him.”
Her delicate jaw hardened. “First of all, I don’t kill my donors.”
Donors?
“I try to target jerks who deserve to be bitten, and I leave them with a compulsion to never hurt another woman again. I try to change them, okay? I try to stop some of the badness in this world. I have to feed or I die. It’s not like I chose this life.”
“Right. You said you were born this way.” Talk about rare. Born vampires were usually the stuff of legends.
“Yes. I’m one hundred percent natural…” Isabella paused. “Vampire.”
Griffin only grunted. His fingers slid closer to her body. “Just how long ago were you born, Isabella?”
“I look good for my age.” Her response was curt.
He smiled. From where he was standing… “Damn good.”
Her gaze lowered.
His thumbs brushed over the outside of her thighs. “You don’t need to lie.”
And her gaze flew right back up to his.
“Vamps kill. You think I can’t handle that truth about you? You’re my mate. Not like I have a damn bit of say in this thing between us—”
“Whoa! Stop! Right there. Just stop.” Her hands flew up and slammed against his chest. “Back up. Did you just say I was your mate?”
He didn’t remember stuttering. “It’s done. No changing it, not for either of us. We’ll just have to deal with the fallout.”
Her lips parted. Then closed. Then parted again so that he could see the oddly sexy edge of her sharp, little fangs. “You wanted to kill me tonight. You had a stake.”
True. “So we didn’t have the most romantic start.”
“You’re a werewolf.”
“Guilty.”
“Werewolves might do the whole mating-until-death bit, but vamps don’t. Mostly because we don’t die. I’ll be running around long after you’re dust.”
No, she wouldn’t. “Mate.”
“Stop saying that!” And she shoved him, hard.
If she were dealing with a lesser paranormal, he would have stumbled back at her shove. Lucky for her, he wasn’t lesser. He’d be a strong, fit mate for her…forever. “There hasn’t been a pairing like ours for a very long time. But be warned. Some will come for us—some on your side, some on mine. They’ll probably try to kill us both.”
“Get away from me.”
“I won’t let them hurt you.” His voice deepened as he stared down at her. Her sweet scent filled his lungs. “I will fucking destroy anyone who tries to hurt you. Our lives are entwined now. There is no going back.”
But she shook her head. “Are you…crazy? I feared this before, and you’re just making me more convinced than ever.”
His gaze focused on her mouth. They’d exchanged bites—they’d mated, but he hadn’t kissed her yet. That seemed so wrong to him.
“Vampires and werewolves can’t mate.” Her words came out fast and angry. “We’re natural enemies, or did you miss that memo? I’ve spent my whole life being told to run when I saw a big, bad beast—”
“You can’t run from me.” Not now. “We’re linked by the bite. Anywhere you go, I’d follow.”
“Werewolves kill my kind.”
His hand lifted and curled under her chin. There had been fear in her voice. He couldn’t have that. “This werewolf wants to kiss you.”
And he did.
His head lowered slowly toward hers. His mouth brushed across her lips. It was a gentle kiss. Careful. Tentative.
He was damn well not the tentative type. But she was different. What they would have together would be different, and he didn’t want to screw things up more than he already had. So Griffin kept the kiss careful.
Then she licked his lower lip.
He jerked in surprise.
“Oh, jeez, I didn’t mean to do that—” Isabella told him, the words low and husky.
She didn’t get the chance to say more. His tongue was in her mouth. He was tasting her, he was freaking savoring her, and the desire that the mating bite had created for him—it exploded in a molten need that seemed to burn him from the inside out.
Isabella didn’t shove him away. Her arms wrapped around him as she yanked him closer. Her legs flew up and locked around his hips. His dick was long and rock hard, eager to plunge into her and claim the mate he’d never expected.
Vampires and werewolves…the bite had been taboo.
They’d broken the most sacred rule of his kind, and Griffin didn’t care. He just wanted her naked. He wanted in her. And he wanted—
He heard the thud of footsteps outside of his office door. He caught the wild scent of a wolf, and Griffin jerked away from Isabella as a snarl broke from his lips.
For a moment, she stared at him, appearing absolutely horrified. “What happened? Why the hell did I just do that—”
He whirled away from her.
His office door flew inward, propelled by one very hard kick.
“Vampire!” The roar came from the werewolf standing in Griffin’s doorway. A werewolf who was as tall and just as muscled as Griffin. The werewolf was still in human form, but his claws were out, and the light of a killing fury blazed in his eyes. He lunged forward, no doubt intending to follow Isabella’s scent and attack—
Griffin planted himself directly in his pack mate’s path. “Carter, stand the hell down.” His breath heaved in and out. Griffin’s claws were ready to rip and tear.
Carter Sinclair blinked at him. “The woman in here…” His words were guttural. “She’s a vamp.”
Isabella cleared her throat from behind Griffin. “Wonderful,” she announced. “Two of you.”
Carter leapt forward. Griffin slammed the guy back—only he slammed so hard that Carter hit the floor. “Stand down!”
Carter shoved his too-long, blond hair out of his face and jumped right back to his feet. “Are you insane? There’s a vamp behind you! I’m trying to save your ass!”
The guy had no clue. When the fool made another attempt to get at Isabella, Griffin drove his fist into Carter’s face. The werewolf’s nose broke and blood spattered.
The nose would heal, of course, eventually.
“What the fuck?” Carter swiped out with his claws.
Griffin easily avoided them. He was faster than Carter. And he didn’t want to have to knock out his friend, but—“You don’t hurt her. No one does.”
Carter stilled. His face went slack with shock. The blood dripped down from his nose. “What have you done?”
Before Griffin could answer, glass shattered. He spun around and saw that Isabella had just leapt from his window. He had one moment to be grateful that his office was on the second floor—not the seventh this time! Griffin rushed to the window and caught a glimpse of her running away. Running—and jumping on the motorcycle he’d stolen before. “Isabella!”
She paused and looked up at him. Even from a distance, he could see the fear on her face.
He started to leap after her.
“The hell you will!” Carter grabbed his arm and spun Griffin back around. “Want to tell me why you’re trying to protect a vamp? Why her scent is all over you? Why—”
The motorcycle’s engine growled to life. Dammit.
She was getting away.
Or trying to.
“Because she’s mine.” And that was all he had time to say. He jumped through that window, determined to get his mate back. He hurtled through the air and when he touched down on the cement, his knees didn’t even buckle. Then he ran after her.
***
Carter Sinclair swiped away the blood that was dripping onto his mouth. He stared out of the broken window, his stomach in knots. His friend was gone—rushing after the dark-haired vamp. Not even looking back. Griffin had shifted as he’d hunted her. The guy had just changed right in the street. That shit was against their laws.
But it seemed Griffin might be doing more than just breaking the old werewolf rule about not shifting when humans were near. It was possible…it was possible that Griffin had just broken one of the oldest laws their kind had…
Never mate a vampire.
Carter’s fingers were shaking as he pulled out his phone. He called his alpha, dialing quickly. Griffin was his friend. Hell, the guy was more like a brother most days, not just a pack mate. But the vamp’s scent had been all over Griffin. And he’d fought to protect the vamp, then gone freaking wild when she’d escaped him.
The phone was answered on the second ring. Jaw locking, Carter said, “Alpha, we have a very big problem.”
Chapter Five
A girl knew when she was being hunted, and Isabella was absolutely certain a predator had her in his sights. She drove until just before dawn, then she took refuge in a no-tell-motel in the middle of the desert. The light from the sun was just streaking across the sky—that little streak was all that she could ever see. Vamps and daylight definitely didn’t mix.
Because she was desperate for shelter, Isabella used her power and pushed a compulsion on the young, pimply check-in clerk…and he gave her a free room. Since she didn’t have a single dime on her, she’d needed that room, so Isabella only felt vaguely guilty for using her gift on the human. She tended not to use her power too much because of, well, unfortunate past experiences.