Immortals of New Orleans Box Set (Books 1-4)

by Kym Grosso

  Samantha’s head was spinning. He thought she should go work for supernaturals? Get real. So not happening, Alpha wolf. She rolled her eyes, and threw back her head, resting it on the sofa.

  “Thanks for the offer. But that isn’t happening any time soon. I took a leave of absence from my job, so I could get my head together. Heal. And that is exactly what I plan to do. Then I’m going back to my boring, so not magical life. And I can’t wait.” She placed her empty glass on the end table. She continued talking, determined not to let fear overcome her. “Listen, since there’s nothing I can really do at this point if someone breaks in, I’m taking your word that you’ll protect me. So here’s the plan. I’m going to go over to the kitchen, find a big knife and take it to bed with me. I’m overwhelmed, angry and generally unhappy right now.” She gestured to the sofa. “The sofa is all yours, Alpha. Talk to you in the morning.”

  With those words, she strode into the kitchen, selected the biggest sharpest chef knife she could find and walked down the hall towards her bedroom. Sure, she was afraid. But she was not about to get kidnapped again without a knockdown, drag-out fight. She undressed, throwing on a comfortable cami, and climbed into the freshly lined bed. Reaching over, she placed the knife carefully under her pillow, in easy reach if she needed it, and closed her eyes, praying the nightmares wouldn’t come.

  A loud knock resounded throughout the cabin’s wooden interior. Tristan strode over to the door, throw still around his hips, and opened it. From outside, Luca glared at Tristan, noticing he was wearing next to nothing.

  “What?” Tristan asked. He shrugged his shoulders, walked back over to the couch and stretched out, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

  Luca followed after him, shutting the door. “What? Really, wolf? I asked you to watch her, not give her a male review.”

  Tristan laughed. “Hey man, I can’t help it if the ladies like to see my goods. Besides, I’m a wolf. Can’t exactly carry clothes with me.”

  Luca sat down and let out a huge sigh. “Okay, just tell me now. Where is she? And why aren’t you furry?”

  “She was asleep outside on the porch. So I watched and waited. When she woke up, she heard something and flipped on the floodlights. Don’t worry, though. She’s handled the wolf fairly well. And I can’t lie, Luca, the woman gives a good rub,” he joked. He jerked his head towards the hallway. “Samantha’s sleeping.”

  “Well, I do appreciate you coming up here to guard her. Tomorrow, we’ll return to New Orleans. The jet is ready to go.” Luca would be relieved once they were back home.

  Tristan smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, about that. You know, you might want to wait a few days before taking her back. Maybe give her a day or two. Get to know her more, earn her trust.”

  “What the hell, Tristan? Are you kidding me?”

  “No, mon ami. I’m dead serious. Just listen. The girl’s been through a lot. I talked to her tonight, made her understand how she’s still in danger. But you’ve got to ease her into going back. She doesn’t even know you’re alive.”

  “Not happening. We’re going back tomorrow. She’ll have to deal with it. Look, I’m not a therapist or a babysitter. Do I feel a slight sense of responsibility for the witch? Yes, but only because Kade initially put her into my charge.” Luca knew that there might be another reason for why he felt he needed to keep the girl safe, but he wasn’t going to share.

  Tristan’s face tightened and his eyes narrowed. His friend did not seem to hear what he was saying. “Luca. Try to remember what happened to her and what that might’ve been like for her. I know it’s been a long time for you, but try to remember what it’s like to be human. The girl was drugged, bespelled, beaten, possibly raped, and to top off her shit sandwich, she can barely remember anything but lying naked in a prison cell. Oh, and let us not forget her being told she’s a witch, one who can’t seem to conjure up a clue, and whose entire life as she knows it is about to come to an end. Can’t you see? It's too damn much,” Tristan pleaded.

  Luca rubbed his eyes, thinking through Tristan’s argument. He didn’t want to stay here. This was supposed to be a simple trip. Fly up to Philadelphia, get witch, return to New Orleans. Easy peasy. Not. But Luca could not deny the empathy he felt for the little witch who tugged at his heartstrings. Aside from dragging her kicking and screaming back to the jet, it would be easier if he could get her to agree to go home with him. If that failed, kicking and screaming was always an option.

  “Okay. I’ll talk to her and stay here for one day…tops. She’ll be waking soon, and I should have all day to talk reason into the human.” He hated when Tristan was right, but knew he needed to go easy on her. “On our way back, I’ll stop at your club to feed. If I stay around her more than a day, I’m pretty sure I would be tempted to taste her. And that’s the very last thing I need or she needs. I very much doubt she’d willingly donate her blood.” He shook his head as he imagined asking her to let him bite her. She’d probably freak the hell out and try to escape yet again. No, he’d wait to feed at Tristan’s club to keep things nice and smooth. Complications were something he was trying very hard to avoid.

  “Yeah, I don’t think it would go over too well if you asked her to be your donor. Awkward.” Tristan laughed. He stood and removed the blanket, unaffected by his nudity, and walked over to the back door.

  Luca averted his eyes in an effort not to look at him. It was a good thing the naked wolf was leaving. The thought that Tristan had displayed his generously endowed body to Samantha flew in his head and caused his stomach to clench in anger. Did he just feel jealous? No, that couldn’t be possible. He quickly stifled his emotion, not wanting Tristan to sense his feelings.

  “Remember Luca, go easy on the female. She’ll come round. See you in a day or so.” As Tristan shut the sliding glass door, he appeared to seamlessly change into his black wolf, and loped out of sight.

  Chapter Five

  Luca paced the room. How was he going to stay here for even a day with the witch? Would she remember him? Would she fear him? Would she fight him? As self-composed as Luca normally was, being here in the cabin, knowing she was in the other room, spurred his curiosity. What did she wear to sleep? Was she cold? Scared? I should go check on her. He could hear her soft breathing from a distance. He knew she was just fine. But he wanted to see her again, not later, but now. What would it hurt to just take a peek at her?

  Walking down the hallway, he knew what he was about to do wasn’t right. He felt like some kind of a pervert, looking in on a woman that he barely knew. Yet he felt compelled to keep going. Once at her door, he laid his palm against it and took a deep breath. Looking at his watch, he confirmed that at five am, she’d still be asleep and not likely to wake. I really am going to do this. Slowly he turned the handle, and pushed open the door.

  Luca struggled to control his instinct to reach over and touch the lovely woman sprawled out on the bed. Immediately he was filled with desire; his breath caught as he stood frozen, watching her sleep. Samantha lay on her back, her skin exposed from pushing the covers off her body. Dressed only in a white cotton camisole and pink boyshorts, her pert breasts peeked out of the flimsy material. Her long, wavy strawberry hair fanned across her pillow; she almost appeared to smile in her sleep. She was even more beautiful than he’d remembered.

  Back at Kade’s mansion, after he’d rescued her, she’d appeared quite frail; her thin body marred by bruises and scratches. Her hair was straight and dyed neon red. He’d wondered at the time if that was the real color of her hair. She’d looked like a victim fighting to regain some semblance of normalcy, dignity. No, lying here before him this night was a healthy, resplendent woman who was enticing, alluring and very much human.

  His last thought jerked him back to reality. Human. No, he would never fall for any woman, let alone a human. Feed from them, try not to screw them and never, ever fall in love with them. It was simply not an option, no matter how much the rise of cock told him that he should
do otherwise. He refused to acknowledge that he had any feelings whatsoever for the mortal lying on the bed in front of him. Yet his body reacted as if he should take her right there. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Luca rolled his eyes and softly sighed. What was he going to do? He wasn’t here to fuck her; he was here to bring her back to the coven. Yet he felt the need to be near her, to protect her. He needed to be close to her, tonight.

  Spying a brown leather lounge chair in the corner of the room, he walked over, sat down and put his feet up on the ottoman. He decided that he wasn’t going to leave her unattended. He could just as easily guard her from the living room. Staying with her here was merely an excuse for him to fill his senses with her; he drank in the sight of her with his eyes, smelled her perfumed skin. He prayed whatever he was feeling would go away.

  He hadn’t had sex in a long time; well, not for a few weeks anyway. What had happened with Kade and Sydney earlier couldn’t exactly be called sex. He’d felt out of control with them. He still couldn’t believe Kade had let him feed from Sydney, let alone kiss her, touch her. She was a beautiful woman and a seriously toughened warrior, one whom he respected immensely, but she was not his. Nor did he want her. Sydney had been a means to health, no more, no less. And he was grateful to both of them for bringing him back from the brink.

  Samantha shifted on the bed, turning away from him. He inwardly groaned as he admired her perfectly shaped ass; she was killing him. Adjusting himself, he tried to relieve some of the strain of his erection. Repeat to self, ‘Samantha is human’. Luca was happy that he planned on stopping at Tristan’s club on the way back to the airport. He’d pick a donor who’d satisfy his appetite for blood and sex. If he got it out of his system, he’d be able to control himself around Samantha. He relaxed slightly, knowing he’d devised a plan to get the devilish little witch out of his system.

  Naked. Pounding music. Slapped across the face. Blinding pain. A pool of blood on a cold stone floor. Samantha gasped for air, jolting herself upright in bed. Another nightmare. She threw herself backward, focusing on the cedar ceiling beams. She was safe. Away from New Orleans and away from vampires. She closed her eyes, practicing the deep breathing she’d learned from Ilsbeth. Tense shoulders, breathe deeply, release breath, shoulders relax. By the time she got to her toes, her heartbeat had slowed, and she considered going back to sleep. Her thoughts began to race once again as she remembered the nightmare. She’d been naked in a nightclub and later had been imprisoned in a cell. What did I do in New Orleans? I want my life back.

  Thinking she’d go for a run and take a nap later, she decided to get up. Then she remembered that Tristan would be sitting in her living room. Why couldn’t they all just leave her alone? Why did they think someone was after her? The attack could have been meant for Ilsbeth, not her. She decided that no matter what Tristan had to say, she wasn’t going to agree to return to New Orleans with him. She’d taken a leave of absence from her job so she could get herself together and return to work and her life. And that was what she was going to do.

  As she sat up, her heart caught in her chest. A large male sat in the darkened corner of her bedroom. For a minute she relaxed, believing Tristan had come into her room, but then she noticed his hair wasn’t blonde. No, not Tristan. Someone was here for her already. Her heart beat wildly as the adrenaline pumped. She would not go without a fight.

  Silently, she reached under her pillow and curled her hands around the hilt of the knife she’d taken to bed with her for protection. The man wasn’t moving, his feet propped up on the ottoman. In the darkness of dawn, she couldn’t see his face. Samantha didn’t want to be a victim. No, this time she’d be the aggressor. She couldn’t survive being taken hostage again. She’d kill before being taken again. She dragged her legs across the bed in one smooth motion and leapt at the stranger with the knife.

  Luca had heard Samantha gasp, watching her sit straight up out of a dead sleep. He’d wanted to go to her, to calm her. But as she lay back again, he heard her heart slow. So he decided to watch and protect. He could not risk touching her while she was barely dressed and in bed. After his arousal earlier in the night, he didn’t trust himself to merely comfort her. Her sweet scent called to him like no other human’s blood ever had before, yet he swore to not get involved with the witch.

  As soon as he lay his head back on the chair, confident she was going back to sleep, he sensed movement. Samantha had spied him and was coming at him with a sharp knife. He grabbed both her wrists and pulled her towards him, so she straddled him. Gently, he applied pressure to her thumb and was relieved that she dropped the knife without incident. Smelling her fear, he sought to assure her of her safety. “Samantha, it’s me, Luca.”

  “Luca…you’re alive!” she exclaimed. Samantha was overcome with relief. That day at the coven, she was convinced she’d never see him again. Seeing him brought forth a rush of emotions. He’d been so caring and gentle with her at Kade’s house and then had fought valiantly to save her and Ilsbeth when they were attacked.

  Wide eyed and shaking, Samantha extended her fingertips and placed them on Luca’s cheeks. She couldn’t believe he was with her in the cabin and alive. As Samantha adjusted to the dim light, she was captivated by Luca’s piercing dark green eyes. His jet-black, shoulder-length hair hung loosely around his handsome, chiseled face. Feeling his strong jawline tense in her small hands, the stubble prickled her fingers.

  Luca froze as Samantha reached to touch him. Her hands burned his skin, and he felt as if he was on fire as desire built deep within him. As soon as her skin touched his, he instantly released her wrists, freeing her. Why was he having this visceral reaction to her? He’d hoped she’d jump away from him, and was regretting his action of pulling her onto him. His hands nearly crushed the arms of the chair as he held on for dear life. Blood rushed towards his groin. He breathed deeply, trying to control the rise of his erection. Christ, I have got to get back to New Orleans.

  “What are you doing here, Luca?” Samantha asked. Instead of releasing him, she moved closer and pressed her forehead to his.

  With her lips inches from his, he sucked in a breath and struggled to answer. “Samantha, I’ve come for you. You aren’t safe. I’ve come to take you home.”

  Samantha searched his eyes for truth in his statement. Sensing he was entirely serious, she leaned closer still, feathered his lips with a small kiss, then stood up and walked away. She turned to look at him as she entered the bathroom. “Luca, as much as I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, there is no way in hell I’m goin’ back to New Orleans.” With that, she shut the bathroom door.

  Stunned from her kiss, Luca threw his head back in frustration. He placed two fingers on his lips; how was he going to get her back to New Orleans without fucking her senseless? He cursed his erection and adjusted himself yet again as he pushed out of the chair and walked out of the room. He didn’t want to be there when Samantha was finished in the bathroom. His so-called ‘protecting’ her from her bedroom had officially ended. He could not trust himself. He’d wait for her in the safety of the living room and talk to her there.

  Samantha laid the back of her head against the bathroom door and sighed. After being beaten and imprisoned, she thought she’d never think about sex again. Yet seeing Luca right now, she’d kissed him and was most definitely thinking of sex. Maybe she was attracted to him because he’d rescued her from the mage and then again from the attack. Maybe she had some kind of hero complex? No, it was something else. He’d been kind to her on the night at the mansion and later at the coven, had valiantly fought their attackers. It was as if there was some small part of Luca that understood what she’d been through. She could tell he cared by his words and his touch. And even now, instead of waking her and dragging her out of the cabin, which she knew he was capable of doing, he silently waited, protecting her. It was obvious to her that he’d been watching her sleep, waiting for her to agree to go willingly.

  Looking
deep into his eyes, she’d sensed sadness, hesitation, but also lust. From the second she’d touched his face, she’d felt the chemistry and soon after, she’d felt him grow physically hard beneath her. But then he said he really just wanted her to return to New Orleans, and she just could not do that. She understood from Tristan that she was in danger, but she wanted time to figure out another way to escape it. Any way to do that would satisfy her, as long as she didn’t have to return to New Orleans.

  Samantha huffed and stared at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. She wondered if her nightmare would ever end. For a split second, she contemplated sneaking out of the cabin but knew her effort would be a futile attempt at freedom. She’d learned that vampires could sense the tiniest sound or scent. Even if she somehow managed to get out of the house without Luca hearing her, he’d soon realize her scent was gone and would just follow her.

  Samantha pulled on a pair of black spandex yoga pants, and topped it off with a royal-blue tank top. As she looked at herself in the mirror once again, she decided to stay and deal with Luca. She refused to run. Contrary to whatever he thought, he wasn’t the boss of her. She’d calmly explain that she was staying in Pennsylvania and convince him to leave her alone.

  Luca was staring at the lake when Samantha walked into the living room. He sensed her enter but chose not to look at her; what he needed to say would be better said if he wasn’t distracted.

  “Samantha, we need to have a serious talk. Perhaps when I told you we needed to return to New Orleans, you thought it was a request. However, I assure you it’s not. Quite the opposite, in fact.” Luca turned to face her; his face hardened. “It’s simply a matter of fact. We’ll leave tomorrow morning to return to New Orleans. You can come willingly or not, but you’ll be returning with me.”