Janelle gripped her glass between her palms, resting her forearms on the bar. She wanted answers, even if they didn’t come from Vlad. Kaleb seemed a bit more forthcoming. “Is this an everyday occurrence for a vampire?”
“Maybe not an everyday, but we do lead a colorful life.” He took a sip from his glass. “I would say not much different from your life of chasing criminals.”
“The DEA usually deals in investigating and preparing prosecution of drug-related criminals, drug gangs, drug trafficking. That sort of stuff. But when murderous crimes crossover into our territory, yes, I do then deal with violent offenders.”
“Like the cartel,” Kaleb added.
“Yes, like the cartel, not to mention some motorcycle clubs.”
Kaleb threw back the rest of his whiskey. “We don’t deal in drugs.”
“I didn’t mean your club, but our office has investigated some of your rival MCs, like The Devils.”
“You had quite the bust a while back.”
“Yes, thanks to one of your members, Rogue, for going undercover.”
“Glad he could help,” Kaleb said. “It was quite the ordeal since we had no knowledge he was working with the DEA.”
“I’m sure it was.” Janelle took a sip of her whiskey, not wanting to hash up old cases, especially since she had not been a part of that one. “Back to just how old Vlad is…”
Suzi laughed, leaning into Kaleb’s side as he draped a tattooed arm across her shoulders. “He’s lived five centuries.”
“He’s over 500-years-old?” She gasped. “I may need a paper bag.”
Kaleb’s brow creased. “What the hell for?”
“I think I’m going to hyperventilate.”
He chuckled. “Because you just had sex with a 500-year-old man?”
“I … that is…”
His humor increased. “We could scent the fact you had sex the minute you arrived back at the alley.”
“I … what?” He had to be joking.
“Maybe Grandpa should’ve told you.” Suzi grimaced. “Vampires can scent things like desire, sexual activity, other vampires.”
Well if that wasn’t a palm-to-head moment. “You mean this whole time Vlad could smell if I desired him?”
Suzi nodded before poking Kaleb in the side for his continued laughter. Wonderful. So now they all knew what she and Vlad had been doing before they arrived at the alleyway.
The toddler picked that moment to run across the wooden floor. “Daddy,” he yelled, reaching for his father’s arms and thankfully saving Janelle from further embarrassment.
Lord, just open a hole in the floor and swallow me.
Her face heated, likely turning a deep shade of red. Kaleb picked up his son and tossed him in the air, earning him a round of giggles.
“What’s his name?”
“Stefan,” Suzi told her.
“Vampires can reproduce?” Janelle quickly snapped her mouth closed. She supposed she should come with a filter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. He’s adorable.”
“We aren’t the undead like in the movies. We’re very much alive.” Suzi smiled. “But thank you. Stefan can be a handful, like any other toddler.”
“Is he a vampire too?”
“Not yet. He’ll grow into his genes. Feel free to ask whatever you want, Janelle. I was curious at one time too. Vampires can only reproduce with vampires.”
“Oh.” Well, that certainly answered the question of why Vlad hadn’t concerned himself with a condom. “You said you were curious … weren’t you always a vampire?”
“No. Women aren’t born into the life. Only men are born true bloods like Stefan. And not all men who are vampires are true bloods, some are simply turned like women. Once a vampire chooses his mate, he shares his blood with her and they’re mated for life.”
Suzi was a bundle of knowledge. Janelle couldn’t help but wonder what Vlad might think of her learning so much about his secret. 500-years-old? Janelle wasn’t sure what to think of that.
“So there are no women who became vampires without the aid of a man?” Janelle took another sip of the whiskey. At this point, she might need the whole damn bottle. “Definitely a chauvinistic society … I meant no offense.”
“None taken,” Kaleb said with a crooked grin. “The only time I’m aware of a female vampire who had turned a man was Brea Gotti. Her mate, Draven, took some of her blood and he was surprisingly turned. Turns out she’s a descendant of Vlad’s long-dead brother Radu. We figure her genetics made her able to do things a normal female couldn’t.”
“So you aren’t dead and sleep in coffins?”
“And we aren’t put off by crosses, holy water, or garlic either. Though we do tend to sunburn faster than a normal human, we don’t burn up when we’re out in the daylight. I have a king-sized bed I share with Suzi. We’re quite normal.” He tilted his head, his gaze going to her throat. Janelle raised her hand and self-consciously covered the area Vlad had bitten. “Vlad drank from you?”
Janelle worried her lower lip. “I’m not going to turn into a vampire, right?”
“As I said, you would’ve had to ingest some of his blood for that to happen.” Kaleb paused, his gaze hardening. “You didn’t, right?”
A shiver ran through her at the thought of drinking someone’s blood. “Absolutely not.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
Kaleb’s grin returned. “Because then you would have been mated to Grandfather for life and that would make you my grandmother.”
Suddenly, Janelle wasn’t feeling well at all. What parallel universe had she just stepped into? No wonder they chose hypnosis. She might’ve been better off not knowing about these vampires, no matter how sexy Vlad was.
Scratching her nape, she asked to use the bathroom. Janelle shut the restroom door behind her and stared at her reflection. The tiny twin holes, just beneath her ear, had vanished.
Just the thought of Vlad biting her and drawing her blood kicked up the heat in the restroom. She heard Kaleb say, “For the love of all that’s holy, quit thinking about the old man. We can scent your desire all the way—,” followed by a thud, likely Suzi elbowing him again, followed by a groan.
Janelle gripped the sink and bowed her head. There would be no secrets with this group, not when it came to her lust for a 500-year-old vampire.
* * *
Vlad followed Kane into the Sons of Sangue clubhouse, anger simmering beneath the surface. While they had come close to catching Mircea, his brother always seemed to be two steps ahead. It was as if he had anticipated their next gambit; it was a game at which Vlad was currently losing. And he fucking hated to lose. By the time they caught a whiff of his scent, it would dissipate quickly.
The chase had been for nothing. They hadn’t spotted any of Mircea’s minions either. Christ only knew how many he had already created and were currently running rampant in Eugene, not to mention all of Oregon.
One of Kaleb’s brows rose as he stood by the bar, several of the Sons also in attendance. “Any luck?”
A muscle ticked in Kane’s jaw, his gaze blazing with fury. “Mircea knew we were coming. He hid in the forest among the vegetation where there was no way to mask our scent. The son of a bitch might as well have been toying with us.”
Vlad shrugged, his palms turning to the ceiling. “Going in I suggested covering Kane in deer feces.”
“Listen to you.” Kane rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I didn’t hear you offering.”
“What the hell do you think I had you along for?”
Guffaws traveled through the crew along with a few off-color comments. Vlad’s attention shifted to the living area where the women congregated. His gaze stopped on the stunning brunette who had occupied far too much of his focus. Janelle sat cross-legged on the wood-planked floor next to a box of toys. Stefan pulled out a fire engine; his face animated as he proceeded to tell her a story. Though Janelle kept her fascination riveted on the boy, her scent ga
ve away her reaction to his proximity even if she refused to acknowledge him.
Janelle was likely still pissed he hadn’t permitted her to go on the vampire-hunt, but she was out of her league on this one. He couldn’t allow her anywhere near Mircea for fear of what his brother might do, should he manage to get his hands on her. Christ, the cold dead heart in her refrigerator said as much.
“I have that covered,” Grigore said, gathering back Vlad’s attention. He opened a bag, withdrew a spray bottle and set it on the wooden counter. The word Skunk Scent was printed in bold black letters across the white label. “With this, he won’t stand a chance of knowing we’re in the area.”
Kaleb’s nose turned up. “The scent alone will send him running.”
“Surely, the motherfucker isn’t scared of a little white-striped polecat,” Grigore argued.
Alexander picked up the bottle and read the ingredients. “One-hundred percent skunk urine. This shit stinks bad enough without having opened the seal.”
“Damn, Wolf.” Kane plugged his nose. “Take that shit outside. You’ll stink up the whole fucking clubhouse. You may not care about sleeping with the scent of skunk hanging in the air, but I’m sure Caitlyn would.”
“She left this morning, headed back to her place in Crescent City so she can begin working on her next release. I’ll be heading back in a few days, but I don’t suppose she’d be too welcoming if I smell like this shit.”
“You need to sell her place in California,” Ryder said. “There’s some prime real estate along the coast for sale, not far from us. You living in California ain’t right, bro. That’s Devil territory.”
“Yeah, well, Crescent City is closer to where her recording studio is. When we come back here, staying at the clubhouse is convenient and free.”
“Fucking tight ass.” Alexander cuffed him on the shoulder. “With her money, you guys could afford a mansion along the coast. I sure in the hell wouldn’t stay here with the prospects.”
Grigore chuckled. “Fucking prospects know it’s me she’s taking to bed. Besides, most of the prospects stay elsewhere when I’m in town. Only Lefty’s staying here now and he’s spending a good share of his time with Chad. He ain’t interested in what my old lady has. We’ll be looking to buy a second place in Oregon soon enough.”
Silence descended among the men as they realized Peter “Rocker” Vasile wouldn’t be returning to his room at the clubhouse.
“Jesus.” Grigore cleared his throat and scrubbed his face with his palms. “You know I’m going to kill the son of a bitch, Vlad, brother or no. For Rocker, man. He didn’t deserve what he got.”
Vlad laid a hand on Grigore’s shoulder. “Duly noted, son. One of us will surely get the job done.”
“Aye, aye,” Kaleb said raising a glass of whiskey. The men followed suit, toasting to the fallen Son. “We’ll send him off with a proper ashing, Grigore.”
“Thanks, Hawk,” he said, blinking the moisture from his gaze.
Suzi walked over, her hand covering her nose and lightening the mood. “Could you guys please take that stuff outside. It’s stinking the place up.”
A grin split Kaleb’s five o’clock shadow. “I know what cures that.”
Suzi groaned. “You think sex is a cure-all.”
“Isn’t it?” Grigore shared in the humor before grabbing the bottle from Alexander and placing it back into the baggie. “I’ll set it out on the porch, Miss Suzi.”
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his whiskered cheek. “You’re one of the good ones, Wolf.”
A blush traveled up his neck and reddened his cheeks. Rather than call more attention to his soft heart, Grigore walked over to the door and placed the bag on the stoop before returning. “It’ll do its job as long as he stays to the woods. We’ll need to come up with something else should he be hiding out in Eugene.”
“We chased his scent into the surrounding forest.” Vlad rubbed his short-cut, bearded jaw between his thumb and forefinger. “I don’t think he’s going into town unless it’s to feed. Mircea knows we’re looking for him, so he’ll want to stay off our radar. What better way than to hide amongst the critters?”
“Lefty and a couple of the other prospects stayed back in Eugene to keep an eye out for more of Mircea’s vampires,” Kane told the group. “Should they come across any more, they’ll call us.”
“What about Chad?” Kaleb asked. “He shouldn’t have knowledge of what’s going on, he’s not one of us.”
“I took care of that before we left. He’s been hypnotized.”
“Thanks, Xander,” Kane said. “Should Lefty become a Son,” Kane said, “we’ll deal with Chad and what he’s allowed to know then, that is unless Lefty chooses him as a mate. Otherwise, we handle him the way Xander did, same as any other human.”
The door to the clubhouse opened and Grayson strode in, followed by Tamera and Lucian. She placed the boy on the floor and he toddled over to Stefan and the box of toys. Janelle was no longer on the floor, but sitting on the sofa next to India and Cara. Tamera joined the women. Just before Vlad looked away, he caught Janelle’s side-glance. She might be trying damn hard to ignore him, but she wasn’t getting the job done. Vlad kept the smile from inching up his face, not wanting to have to answer for its origin.
The scent of skunk suddenly filled the air, sending some into a coughing fit while others gagged. Jesus, that shit was strong. Seconds later, Grayson laughed as he turned and headed for the door with Grigore fast on his heels. Thankfully, most of the smell followed the big guy out the door. Suzi and Tamera jumped to their feet, opening windows and the door trying to air out the lingering scent of skunk.
“Fuck, that stinks.” Kaleb pinched his nose. “If Wolf doesn’t beat Gypsy’s ass for that, I just might. No way Mircea will scent a vampire over that shit.”
Alexander smirked. “Wolf will handle Gypsy, no doubt in that.”
Ryder chuckled. “Better him than one of us. Well, at least now we can test Wolf’s theory. If we don’t scent him coming back into the clubhouse other than the smell of the skunk, we can call it a win.”
The sound of Grayson’s laughter continued as Grigore’s growl drifted through the opened windows. As fast as Grayson was, it might take Grigore a bit to catch up. Vlad couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled up through him. Apparently, Grayson was the prankster of the bunch. No one seemed a bit surprised by his antics.
Seconds later Grigore and Grayson entered the clubhouse, both stinking to high heaven. Vlad wrinkled his nose. This would be one time their vampire sense of smell was a bad thing, a very bad thing. The women quickly cleared the house with the toddlers in arms.
Kaleb plugged his nose. “Jesus! You two stink.”
Grigore laughed, trying to rub up against the VP. “Well, at least we proved it worked.”
“Don’t count me in on using that shit,” Alexander said. “It’s all I can do not to dry heave just standing next to you two idiots.”
Grigore grabbed hold of Alexander and wrapped him in a bear hug that he couldn’t get out of. “Just showing you some love.”
He finally dropped his hold and Alexander smacked him behind his head, only to cause a round of guffaws.
“Anyone know how to get rid of the smell?”
“You should have thought of that before you started spraying my ass, Gypsy.” Grigore shook his head and laughed. “Lemon-scented dish soap, lemon juice, and some peroxide should do the trick. I accidentally got sprayed years back when I used to hunt before coming out here.”
One of Grayson’s brows rose. “Do we have lemon-scented dish soap here?”
Kane rolled his eyes. “You guys stink to high heaven. I volunteer to go to the store to get the supplies. Next time, spray the forest vegetation when we track Mircea, not one of us.”
“I volunteer to douse the son of a bitch in it when we catch him,” Kaleb added.
“You boys won’t get the chance to get to him if I do first.” Vlad ran both hands through his hair
and let out a deep breath. “While you’re fucking around with this stinky ass shit, I’m going to be out there looking for him.”
“He’ll scent you coming.” Kane raised a brow. “You won’t catch him without cover.”
“Then I’ll send one of you fools in ahead of me. Keep that shit away from me. It’s burning my damn nostrils.” Vlad started backing for the door. He needed to get the hell out of there before that stench was all he could smell for days. “I’m taking Janelle back to my place for now. Kane, send someone over to her place to clean up. I don’t want her looking in that refrigerator.”
“What the hell is in the fridge?” Kaleb asked.
Kane’s eyes grew misty and he cleared his throat. “Rocker’s heart, bro.”
“Jesus,” Grigore growled. “I’m going to kill the motherfucker.”
“Get in line, Wolf,” Vlad said, before walking out the door, drawing in copious amounts of fresh air and looking for Janelle.
Chapter 13
Janelle stumbled over to the sofa and sat heavily onto it, framing her face between her palms and leaning forward. Vlad noted he’d need to stick to normal modes of transportation in the future as she didn’t seem to handle a high rate of speed very well.
“You aren’t going to get sick, are you?”
She groaned, not bothering to look at him. “No, but what would you care?”
“Because I’d rather you didn’t puke on the floor.”
She sat up, her gaze snapping to his. “Seriously? You, who snacks on humans, are afraid of a little bile?”
Vlad grumbled under his breath. A little gratitude for keeping her safe wouldn’t hurt. “It’s the sensitivity to the smell. I can scent things better than a human and the smell of bile is almost as unpleasant as the damn skunk urine.”
“Which brings up the fact you can smell when I desire you.”
He raised a brow. “And?”
“You could have warned me.” His chuckle followed. “Not funny, Vlad.”
She leaned forward again and groaned. It was obvious the poor woman had trouble with motion sickness. He couldn’t help but wonder if planes weren’t her thing either.
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