Blood Crave

by Jennifer Knight

  I saw Julian nodding adamantly.

  “Grant me permission,” Lucas urged. “I’ll guard Derek and continue at CSU.”

  For a moment, Rolf seemed cornered, but then he spat, “And what if the crave presents itself in the midst of one of his classes? Then what?”

  None of us spoke for a while. He had a good point there....

  “I’ll take his classes with him,” Katie said suddenly. All eyes turned to her, and a rather adorable blush crept into her cheeks.

  “What?” Rolf barked.

  “I—if it’s all right with you, pack master,” Katie stammered. “I’ll take Derek’s classes with him and guard him.”

  Rolf studied her for a long time with something close to how I might look at roadkill.

  Lucas cut her a crooked grin and turned to Rolf with victory in his eyes. “See? With me there too, there’s no reason he can’t continue his life at CSU. He’ll have to take night classes, but that’s not a problem.”

  “Yeah, I work during the day,” Katie chipped in. “Now I won’t be bored all night.”

  I beamed at her.

  A vein bulged in Rolf’s neck. “If I allow this,” he said stiffly. “I will want weekly reports, and he is to be brought to Gould at every full moon. I will not have him roaming the town during that time. We do not yet know the full extent of his capabilities.”

  Lucas nodded curtly.

  “And,” Rolf continued. “You will need to find him a place to sleep during the day. Some place lightless.”

  “Fine,” Lucas agreed.

  Everything was silent for a moment.

  “I will allow it,” Rolf said. “On a trial basis.”

  I let out a long breath and glanced up at Derek, who smiled back at me, relieved.

  “So we are in agreement?” Rolf asked. “You will keep Derek under control, and we shall not harm him.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Lucas said. He started to get up to leave, but I’d finally found my courage.

  “Wait,” I said. “How do I know you won’t just come around during the day when he’s asleep and kill him? You seemed pretty hell-bent on it up until just now. And Lucas said this truce thing is only good for one night. How can I believe you won’t hurt him after it’s over?”

  Rolf regarded me stonily. “The Council members have illuminated the error of my thinking, and I have changed my mind. They believe that destroying a life out of fear is dishonorable and wrong. As wary as I am of Derek’s potential for murder, he has not harmed anyone or proved himself malicious in anyway. He has committed no crime and cannot be condemned simply for existing.”

  He seemed truthful, but it was just so difficult to believe. Then Yvette’s gaze caught mine again, and a small, almost nonexistent smile was etched into the creases of her face. And then I realized: she’d done as she said and influenced Rolf. Whether she’d used her power, or simply spoken to him on my behalf, I couldn’t know. Either way, I was grateful.

  “I want some kind of insurance,” I said. “Sorry if that insults you or whatever, but you locked Lucas in the silver room and campaigned to kill Derek for three weeks straight. I just don’t believe you.”

  Suddenly, Rolf stood up, and I jumped, pressing myself into the couch as he walked toward us. But he turned on Lucas.

  “I will make a Blood Pact with you, son,” he said. “Hold out your hand.”

  Tony, Nora’s husband, spoke up at once. “Are you sure that’s wise, Rolf?” he asked. His deep, gravelly voice thundered through the room, startling me.

  But Rolf ignored him. “Your hand,” he said, eyes pinned on Lucas.

  Lucas stood without a word and obeyed. Rolf produced a slim silver knife from his pants pocket and pressed it into the center of his palm. Thick, rich blood gushed from the wound, and I glanced worriedly at Derek, but he shook his head.

  Oh, right. Werewolf blood smells like ass.

  I watched Rolf take the knife and puncture Lucas’s hand as well. Lucas didn’t even wince. I would have been screaming.

  Rolf held on to Lucas’s wrist as the dark blood dripped from their hands, pooling on the floor, spattering as it hit. It was sickening.

  “I, Rolf Farrow, swear with every drop of blood in my body, that I will not harm the hybrid creature, Derek Turner, unless he proves himself to be a danger to our territory.” He clasped his hand with Lucas’s. “I swear this in blood, the unbreakable bond.” He looked Lucas in the eye for a solid minute and then released his hand. By the time they let go, the wounds had healed. He turned to the room. “The Blood Pact has been made. You all bear witness to it. Hear this and spread it within the pack: No one is to touch this boy, Derek Turner. If he is thought to be a danger, I will call for him and I will be the one to dole the punishment. Is that clear?”

  Every head in the room nodded except mine and Derek’s.

  Then Rolf turned back to me. “Satisfied?” he asked.

  I felt my chin lift. “Yes. Very.”

  I couldn’t ask for more than that, could I? Sure there was still the chance that Rolf was lying, but with his pack watching and what Lucas had said about trust, I thought the odds were much lower. This would have to suffice.

  Rolf returned to his seat. “Find him a place to sleep for the day,” he said, waving his hand as if swatting a fly.

  Derek and I rose and followed Lucas to the door that led to the basement. I felt every eye on our backs as we crossed the room and filed into the ballroom. The door clicked shut behind us, and I let out a huge breath, sagging against the wall.

  “That was nerve-racking,” I gasped.

  “What happens if Rolf breaks the Blood Pact?” Derek asked Lucas.

  “I get to kill him,” he said flatly.

  Derek and I stared.

  “Don’t get excited,” Lucas grumbled. “Rolf is almost two hundred years older than me. Even if the Council allowed me to fight him, I’d never survive. It was all for show.”

  I deflated. So much for that.

  “What about everything you said?” I asked. “About trust binding the pack together? Everyone just saw him make the Blood Pact with you. If he breaks it, won’t it make him look bad?”

  “Yeah,” Lucas grunted. “He won’t break the Pact. But he wouldn’t have broken his word either. You didn’t need to make him do that.”

  I bit my tongue, unable to believe that Lucas was actually defending Rolf. But I let the issue drop.

  “What was all that business about getting permission to stay at CSU?” I asked. “Rolf acted like you were supposed to be here hunting or whatever.”

  Lucas leaned against the wall and said, “Pack members have to hunt vampires. It’s a duty we all swear to when we join. It’s like a job. If you don’t do it, you get fired—aka, kicked out of the pack. And nobody wants to get kicked out.”

  Derek was paying close attention to this and asked Lucas, “So you kill vampires?”

  “Yup.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’re evil. And they kill people. And if werewolves didn’t protect the humans, they’d turn into fodder.”

  “So why don’t you hunt?” I asked Lucas.

  “I do. Well—I did before I went to CSU.” At my blank look, Lucas continued. “Remember I told you I went to CSU to try and hide from Vincent?”

  I nodded.

  “Yeah, well, I was kind of on a special ... scholarship.”

  “Meaning?”

  “We can appeal to the Council for permission to live in the human world. So we can go to college or med school or get into politics—stuff like that. The scholarship only lasts about ten years and then you have to stop and come back to do your duty. It’s how pack members get connections for the pack, both legal and illegal.”

  “But you’d been to school before,” I said, recalling that he had several degrees. “Why’d Rolf let you go to CSU if you already have so many degrees?”

  “These were special circumstances. Rolf knew about the deal with Vincent and allowed me to
go incognito for a while to try and shake him off. He gave me a year. Normally, someone with as much school as me would have to wait until some of the younger ones were out. But, like I said. Special circumstances.”

  “So you have the rest of the year to be at CSU? And then what?”

  Lucas shook his head. “I killed Vincent before the year was up. I should be back with the pack now—that’s what Rolf was saying. He’s only letting me stay because of Derek. I’ll probably be there until he graduates and then have to come back.” He stifled a yawn behind his hand and cast a meaningful look up at the ceiling.

  Yeah, I was tired, too, but I wanted to make sure Derek was settled before I crashed. “Derek needs a bed,” I said. “And clothes and a shower.”

  “He doesn’t have time tonight,” Lucas said. “It’s getting close.”

  “Well, we can at least get him something to sleep on.”

  Lucas huffed as he trudged up the stairs. He returned in less than a minute bearing a sleeping bag and some food. He even brought some water like Derek had asked for earlier.

  “See you in the . . .” I stopped. I almost said see you in the morning. Derek just shrugged sadly. “See you tomorrow night,” I said finally.

  Way to rub salt in the wound.

  I went to Lucas, and he slung his arm over my shoulders as we exited. I knew he made the little possessive gesture to stake his claim over me in front of Derek and it ticked me off—nobody wants to feel like a tree that’s just been peed on—but I let Lucas do it. If this was how Lucas dealt with helping Derek, then I could deal with it.

  For now.

  8

  INFLAMED

  Lucas and I slept all day. It was becoming a nasty habit I’d have to break once class started up again. But for now, there were still five days left of winter break, and I was content to sleep the days away snuggled next to Lucas. He was great to sleep with, so warm and cuddly. Like my ideal teddy bear.

  Or teddy wolf ... or whatever.

  I awoke at dusk with a smile on my lips. I could feel Lucas all the way down to my toes, pressed up against my back, molded to my body perfectly.

  “Lucas?” I whispered, wondering if he was awake.

  “I’m up,” he said softly. “Hi.”

  I wriggled around to face him and watched his eyes grow lighter. I gave him a look, and a wry smile twisted his lips. “No fair,” he said. “I wasn’t ready.” He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. When he reopened them, they were a perfect dark brown. Beautiful.

  I tilted my face upward and brushed my lips against his, inhaling against his skin. The familiar scent of sweetness and pine needles reached my nose, sending warmth coursing through my body. I kissed his neck, feeling the stubble of his five o’clock shadow prick my lips. Lucas sighed, pulling me on top on him and sweeping my hair to the side. I let him kiss my throat, loving the goose bumps he raised on my skin.

  Tension built between us as we teased each other with kisses, touching everywhere but lips. Just when I thought I’d die if he didn’t kiss me, he took my face and pressed his lips to mine. Fire bloomed in my chest and I deepened the kiss, reveling in the warmth of his mouth.

  As we kissed, I let myself feel the happiness he brought me, and it bathed me in a warm beam of sunlight. All I wanted was more of it.

  My fingers found the bottom of Lucas’s shirt, and he let me pull it over his head. I felt the smoothness of his skin with my lips, tracing down his ribs. He pulled me back up with a lopsided smile on his face. I ate it up with my kisses, heart beating erratically. Lucas’s hands grazed the small of my back. I wanted him to go further, to take my shirt off—take everything off. But it was out of the question.

  Then I remembered that it might not be impossible anymore. I’d pretty much dismissed Lucas’s suggestion that I repress his change with my power while we made out because I’d been worried about Derek. But Derek was fine—for the moment—and well, Lucas and I hadn’t kissed like this in weeks. His suggestion was definitely starting to look good at the moment. Especially with everything Yvette had said about “matches” and whatnot. If Lucas and I had this superconnection or whatever, then I had more of a shot at calming his change than anybody else’s.

  Was I completely sure that I could suppress his triggers well enough and long enough for us to make love? Nope. But damn it, I was going to try.

  I pulled back, leaning on my elbows over him. I could feel that he was curious, but it was laced with the hunger of desire. A little crease puckered between his brows and I kissed it.

  “I have something to tell you,” I said.

  “Oh yeah?” His hands still ran up and down my hips, making it difficult to concentrate.

  “Mm-hmm,” I hummed. “I’m ready to try that whole suppress-your-trigger thing while we make out.”

  “Are you, now?” He grinned sleepily.

  I nodded. “I’ve recently acquired some new info about my power, and I think it’s time I test out the limits. What do you think?”

  He furrowed his brow. “What new info?”

  I smiled mischievously. “I’ll tell you later.” I bent in to kiss him, but he dodged and rolled over so I was below him. It happened so quickly, I was left a little disoriented.

  “Tell me now,” he said, and I could hear that stubborn edge to his voice. The one that told me he wasn’t about to drop this without an explanation.

  But I was probably the only person in the world who could make Lucas’s obstinacy melt away like snow at sunrise, and it was a power I liked to play with every once in a while. Especially at times like these when—amazingly—I knew something he didn’t. It wasn’t very often that I had the upper hand, but when I did, I didn’t give it up easily.

  “Tell you, or what?” I arched my hips into his and he groaned.

  “Or . . .”

  “Yeah?” I smiled innocently, a stark contrast to what I was doing with my hips.

  “Or . . . something ... bad . . .”

  “You’re very scary,” I said, pouting my lip out. “But I think you’re all bark and no bite.”

  “I’ll bite,” he said and hissed inwardly as I ran my fingernails lightly up his spine.

  Oh, this was much too easy. He wasn’t even putting up a decent fight. I smiled, smelling victory. I licked my bottom lip, giving him my best smoldering gaze. One leg wrapped around his waist, and that was all it took. He grumbled something that sounded like screw it and began kissing me. Only this time, I dodged.

  “Wasn’t there something you wanted me to tell you?” I asked between his lips.

  He made a deep throaty sound that was half arousal, half warning.

  It was all I could do not to make a fist-pump into the air. I loved winning when it came to us.

  “Are you sure?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice innocent while my body told a totally different story.

  “Shut up and kiss me back.”

  “But then I can’t tell you my news.”

  “To hell with your news.” He began pulling my shirt up.

  I laughed, pulling it back down. “You’re too easy.”

  “You’re too evil.”

  “I know. But seriously, I want to tell you what Yvette said.”

  “You brought this on yourself.” He pried my hand away from my shirt and brought it all the way past my chest.

  “Lucas!” I gasped, pulling it back down again.

  He growled at me.

  “Bad dog,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Don’t make me knee you in the crotch.”

  Defeated—for the moment anyway—he collapsed heavily on top of me, muttering swear words.

  “Lucas,” I panted. “Can’t. Breathe.”

  He rolled to the side, still fingering the hem of my shirt as though waiting for me to lose focus so he could whip it off.

  “Fine, fine,” he grumbled. “But make it quick. I have big plans for this trigger-stopper thing you can do.”

  “Maybe do,” I qualified.

  “You did it in th
e silver room,” he said.

  “That’s because ... well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” I gave him a brief recap of how I’d discovered that Yvette was like me, and that she and Rolf were like, link-mates or something. And that we were, too, or so it seemed.

  “Apparently each person with the sense has a werewolf match,” I said. “And with that werewolf, the connection is so strong that they can control them even when their human. That’s how I was able to save you in the silver room. Because you’re my match.” I beamed at him.

  Lucas’s face betrayed his amazement, and for a long while, he was silent. “Wow,” he muttered at last. “I—ah, I don’t know how to feel about that, exactly.”

  That hadn’t been the reaction I’d wanted. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I was already a little iffy about you controlling me when I’m changed. I was only okay with it because it protected you and it could keep me from doing some bad stuff. But controlling me when I’m human? That seems like a little much.”

  “But I’d never use it to make you do something you didn’t want.” I didn’t mention that I’d accidentally done it last night. Thankfully, he hadn’t even noticed. It had been a mistake. One I would never let happen again if I could manage to stop it.

  “I don’t know, Faith.”

  He looked so upset about this—so the opposite of what I’d wanted. Why wasn’t he seeing the positive side here? And then I remembered: “You can block it,” I said at once. “Yvette said it takes practice, but you can keep me out. So if you ever get ridiculously stubborn about something and don’t want me to try and sway you—not that I ever would—you can stop me.” Well, I wouldn’t use my power to sway him. I’d use my other charms, which, I was happy to say, were in excellent working condition. Go me.

  Lucas chewed on his bottom lip. “Well, I guess that’s okay. We’ll practice with it sometime.” He tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. “It’s not like you can stop it. I’ll just have to trust you.” He gave me an adorable half smile. “If you can trust me not to change around you, I can trust you not to abuse your power over me.”