On The Prowl

by Cynthia Eden

  “He had Rose on his table! Her blood was on his hands! You came to me, saying that some being called the Collector was after her. You said I had to protect her. You said I had to find him and stop him…so you could get your angel back.” Fury shook each word.

  Rayce moved closer to the angel. She hadn’t spoken. Her head was down. She seemed to be staring at the feathers on the floor around her.

  “You said you couldn’t see the Collector’s location.” Julian’s voice thundered out. “That he was using magic to block you.”

  “Maybe the witch was helping him,” Leo said flatly as he inclined his head toward the cells and the witch who watched the scene with wide eyes. “Now, last warning, let go of me.”

  Julian didn’t let him go. “I think Simon may have been getting a lot of help—”

  The witch immediately denied, “It wasn’t from me!” Then she shouted, “Assholes, will someone open the cell? He will come back. He got too much power from her wings.”

  They needed to get out of those cells. Rose bounded to the body. She grabbed the fallen knife—the same knife that Simon had shoved into her chest—and she cut off his index finger. Then she ran to the witch’s cell. She used the finger and she typed in the code. The door opened with a click.

  “Thank you,” the witch whispered. “I owe you.”

  “Get out of here,” Rose said back. “You don’t owe me a damn thing. Get to your family. Go.”

  The witch looked over at Simon’s body. “Fire.”

  Fire?

  “Burn that bastard to dust.”

  Then she was rushing past Rose and heading through the open doorway.

  “Uh, hello!” The muse’s voice rang out. “Don’t forget about me! Right here…a helpless muse. Not a bad girl, not really, just someone who wants the hell out!”

  Rose hurried toward her cell. She used the finger and typed in the code as fast as she could. When the cell sprang open, the muse grabbed her and held tight. “I adore you. We are officially best friends forever.” The muse squeezed her hard enough to take the breath from Rose. “But now I’m gone. And you’ll never see me again.” She turned and ran away.

  Rose dropped the finger. She backed away from the cells. Her gaze flew to Julian and Leo—they were still glaring at each other with a dark and twisted fury.

  “You helped Simon, didn’t you?” Julian blasted. “You made some kind of deal with him. Did you give him power? Why? Why the hell would you ever do that? Why—”

  Leo drove his fist into Julian’s jaw, but Julian didn’t let him go. Julian’s claws burst out and he raked them over Leo’s chest. Blood soaked the Lord of the Light.

  Julian’s face had gone feral with rage. “He was going to kill Rose! Why did you help him? Why did you lie to me? Why—”

  “You told him about the wings.” The angel’s voice was quiet, soft, and sad as it cut through Julian’s roar. “I know that you did, Leo. You told him about the power in the wings. That the feathers can give life, can give strength, can give magic. Because there is no other form of pure power that can match an angel’s wings.”

  Leo flinched. “Lila…”

  “You made a deal with him.” Her breath whispered out. “You gave him feathers, didn’t you? My feathers. And he wanted more and more so he took me.”

  Leo broke free of Julian and lunged toward her, but Rayce stepped into his path, blocking him before he could touch the angel. “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Then what was it like?” Julian demanded. “Explain it to me because I just don’t get it.”

  Rose risked a fast glance at Simon. Was it her imagination or was that terrible wound in his neck closing? “Julian…” The witch had said fire. And when she and Simon had gotten in that wreck, Simon had actually seemed panicked when he’d been trapped in the SUV. Because he’d feared burning? Flames had been erupting from the back of the vehicle.

  Where the hell was fire when she needed it?

  “His wife was murdered,” Leo said. “Killed by a shifter—sliced apart while Simon watched. He wanted justice. He begged for it every night and so I thought…I might give it to him.”

  Rose rocked back on her heels.

  “You made him your assassin,” Rayce said. His gaze darted to Julian, then away.

  But Leo had turned to fully face Julian. “Not so different from my brother after all, am I? I got tired of waiting for Luke to deliver justice. I had a human who wanted vengeance—vengeance he deserved. So, yes, maybe I gave him a few feathers. You don’t send a lamb out to slaughter wolves without giving the lamb some weapons.”

  “He wasn’t a lamb,” the angel whispered. “And you aren’t God. You don’t get to decide who lives and dies.”

  Leo’s face hardened. “He went after monsters—killers who tortured, raped and abused. He put them down but…problems arose. He wanted a new deal.” He laughed. “I’m like Luke, and you Julian…you’re just like Simon.”

  “No, he isn’t,” Rose snapped.

  “Simon wanted his beloved Helene back. He would do anything to get her. Just like you, Julian. Weren’t you ready to do anything to get Rose back?”

  Julian’s gaze jerked to her.

  “Love,” Leo spat. “It can make everyone weak.”

  Rose grabbed Julian’s hand. “Or it can make you stronger.”

  But Leo shook his head. “I didn’t agree to that particular deal, but Simon had learned too much already. He thought he could bring Helene back on his own…I told him it would be impossible to get the things he needed for a spell of that magnitude—”

  “But he got them,” the angel said, her voice a bit stronger. “He got me. I understand it all now.”

  Leo stiffened. “I came for you. I found you, Lila. You can go back to your old life now.” He reached for her. “We’re leaving this place, and you’ll forget everything soon.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She backed closer to Rayce.

  Rayce growled. “You heard the lady.”

  “No!” Leo shouted. “That isn’t part of the deal. The angel comes with me!” He glared at Rayce, then at Julian. “Panther, you want the deal we made finished, then you tell your wolf to back off. You want your happy ending—you give the angel to me now. If you make me fight you both, the deal is fucking off.”

  The angel—Lila—grabbed Rayce’s arm. “I can’t go back. I feel too much…it will…it will break me. I can’t go back to nothing.” Her body shuddered. “Please, don’t send me back.”

  Rayce’s face softened as he stared down at her.

  “Wolf, you do not want to get in my way,” Leo warned. “This fight isn’t yours.”

  Rayce’s head snapped up. He bared his teeth. “It is now.”

  Rose’s gaze flew back to Simon. Her breath whooshed out. “He’s coming back!” While they were dicking around and talking, the guy was regenerating right in front of them. “Where the hell can we get fire?”

  “Fire?” Julian repeated. “I’ll just take his fucking head. I won’t leave a damn tendon connecting him this time.”

  And he leapt on Simon.

  His claws flashed.

  Simon’s body jerked once more. His head rolled.

  Julian looked up, chest heaving. “Easy enough.” Blood dripped from his fingers.

  Leo sidled next to Rose. “See what he is? Not even in panther form, but he’s still a beast. A monster.”

  She bared her fangs. “So am I! Now get the hell out of here before you see just how evil I can be!”

  Leo stiffened. “I was going to give your life back to you. That was the deal he made. The angel for you. I can make you human again. I can make you—”

  “Keep your deal. I don’t want to be human. I want to be exactly what I am…” She straightened her shoulders and stood to her full height. “I’m the vampire in love with a beast. And you…you can go screw off.”

  He blinked. “What? You—”

  Rose heard the rush of the wind. She looked up and saw the d
ark shadow of wings…right before Luke Thorne flew through the hole that Leo had left in the ceiling.

  Luke landed right beside his twin. His gaze raked the scene, taking in everyone and everything, including the body that was missing a head. “Did someone have a party…” he murmured, his sly smile flashing, “and forget to invite me?”

  “Get Leo out of here,” Rose snapped at him. “He’s been helping that human over there—the one minus the head—your brother has been helping him take paranormals!”

  “No,” Leo denied. “I never helped Simon take them! He took them against my wishes—he stopped following my orders because he wanted his wife back! Why can’t anyone ever just let go? Why can’t—”

  “Love.” Luke had locked his hand over Leo’s shoulder. “That’s the shit you don’t get. You think you’re on the right side. Full of justice and might, but you don’t understand anything. And there’s about to be hell to pay for that crime.” His powerful wings stretched behind him. He was going to fly away, to take Leo—

  And hopefully drop him in an ocean or volcano or someplace where they wouldn’t ever see him again. Only…

  “Wait!” Rose yelled.

  She felt Julian stiffen beside her. “You changed your mind,” he muttered and there was pain in his voice. “You…want the deal?”

  Changed her… “Never,” she promised him. Her gaze met his, held. “Never.”

  The pain slid from his face.

  “Uh, yes, I’m waiting, vamp,” Luke pointed out.

  Her head whipped back toward him. “I need fire.” He could give her fire. “To kill Simon…” She pointed to the body. “I have to use fire.”

  Luke’s brows climbed. “He looks pretty dead to me.”

  “He isn’t!” Her breath heaved out. “He’s been using angel wings to gain supernatural power. He’s going to come back. I need to burn him—”

  “To ash,” Luke nodded. “Yes, you do…especially if he’s been powering up on angel wings.” He cast a pitying glance toward the angel. “Guessing my brother screwed you over, huh? Maybe Team Dark isn’t looking so bad right now.”

  “Luke…” Julian growled.

  He pointed at Rose. “Grab a board.”

  She bent down and picked up one of the boards that had broken down from the ceiling.

  Luke snapped the fingers on his left hand.

  Fire ignited on the end of her board, turning it into a torch.

  “I could have just lit him up,” Luke said as his gaze met hers. “But there are some things you like to do yourself, am I right?”

  Yes, there were.

  Her chest seemed to ache—her heart seemed to burn—as she walked toward Simon. She touched the torch to his shirt. His pants. The fire flared.

  He burned.

  The wind whipped as Luke flew up into the air, taking Leo away with him. And the whipping wind made the fire burn even faster, as if Luke had intentionally meant to stoke the flames.

  Maybe he had.

  Rayce picked the angel up into his arms and carried her out.

  Rose stood right there, not moving until she was sure that Simon was gone. She wasn’t going to look over her shoulder, always worried that he would reappear.

  He was one monster that she would end.

  When he was ash, she finally turned away from him. The torch still blazed in her hand even though the flames should have gone out long ago. Probably another bit of magic from Luke. When it came to fire, Luke always had total control.

  Still holding that torch, Rose made her way outside. Julian followed right behind her, not saying a word. When she stepped outside, she realized the day had turned to night. Stars glittered overhead. They were so bright in the darkness.

  She didn’t see Rayce or the angel. And there was no sign of the witch or the muse. Everyone had vanished. She didn’t blame them. She wanted to get away from that scene and forget the nightmare in the Everglades, too.

  “You could’ve…had your life back.”

  “I like the life I have.”

  “You hate drinking blood.”

  “Not your blood.” She loved the connection she felt when she bit him.

  His face was tormented in the torch light. “You never wanted this. You never wanted—”

  “I wanted you.” There would be no more hiding. Not from him and not from herself. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, and yes, after my change, I was scared…but I still wanted you. I used to dream about you at night. I ached for you.” She swallowed. “And I loved you.” No, not loved. “I love you. I love you, Julian.”

  He didn’t move. Why wasn’t he moving?

  “Ah, right, excuse me,” Luke suddenly said as he stepped from the shadows. The guy had come back far faster than she’d expected. Luckily, Luke appeared to have returned alone. She didn’t see Leo.

  The torch jerked in her hand.

  “I hate to interrupt sentimental moments, but we need to seal the deal.”

  Deal. She was coming to hate that word.

  “Burn the building down, Rose. I’ll make sure the fire doesn’t spread from the scene. End this now.”

  She looked back at the building. And then she went forward, touching the torch to different spots of wood. Flames flickered. They grew. They spread.

  She turned back to see Luke standing right beside Julian.

  “You know what he is?” Luke asked her carefully.

  She did. “The man I love.”

  “An assassin. A paranormal killer.” He paused. “That was what he became…for you. Because he wanted you to live so much.” Luke exhaled. “Can you live with that? Because if you can’t, then walk the hell away now. It will be kinder to him.” He waved his hand, and her torch sputtered out. “The fire won’t spread. What happens next, it’s up to you.” The he looked up into the sky. “I have a dumbass twin brother to finish dealing with.”

  He flew away.

  She dropped the chunk of wood and moved toward Julian.

  “Don’t.”

  She frowned. The flames crackled behind her.

  “You…shit…you don’t see it, do you? Leo was right. That bastard was right about one thing—I am like Simon.”

  “No.” She stepped toward him. “You’re not.”

  “I made a deal. I killed, for you. Simon killed—he killed because he thought he’d get his wife back.”

  Rose grabbed his arms. “Did you hurt innocents? Did you torture to steal power?”

  “I killed. That’s what I am. I’m a killer in my core and you…you have always deserved better. I knew it the first time I saw you. Beautiful Rose, with sunlight on your hair and sand between your toes. You deserved a life I could never give you.” He swallowed. “Then I took your life away.”

  “No, no, you fought to keep me! I can see that now—”

  His laugh was bitter and oddly broken. “What you need to see is that I’m a bastard. One who is so twisted inside he can’t get past his own desires. I knew you wouldn’t want to be a vampire, but I couldn’t let you go.”

  “Julian, let’s just…let’s get out of here, okay?” Because he was scaring her. She’d said she loved him—several times now—and he hadn’t mentioned love even once to her. Granted, it had been one hell of a day, so she was trying to cut the guy a little slack, but the fear still coiled inside of her. “Look, there’s a chopper right there. You’re the tough, do-anything-type, so my money says you can fly that bird—”

  “I can.”

  “Then get us out of here. Take us—take us some place where we can be alone. Where we can start over.”

  “There isn’t any going back.” Deep lines bracketed his mouth. “I learned that a long time ago.”

  “Julian…”

  But he caught her hand and pulled her toward the chopper. He lifted her up and made sure she was buckled in her seat. He took the pilot’s spot and pushed some buttons and soon they were lifting up into the air.

  She looked down and saw the smoke drifting up to them.
A line of blue light surrounded the outskirts of that burning building, and she knew she was staring down at Luke’s magic—containment for the fire.

  The blades whirred overhead as Julian flew them away.

  ***

  Julian landed the helicopter on Key West, on a private helipad that Luke owned. Sometimes, he felt like his buddy owned half of the damn world.

  Because he did.

  The blades stopped spinning, and his head turned so that he could stare at Rose. Beautiful fucking Rose. The woman he wanted more than anything.

  The woman who’d said she loved him.

  The deal was supposed to save her. It didn’t work out that way. I screwed things up. I have to make it right for her.

  “Why…why do I feel like you’re about to tell me good-bye?”

  Because he was. “Twenty-four, seven protection, remember? But only until—”

  “The threat is gone.”

  He nodded. “Considering you burned the Collector to ash, I don’t think we have to worry about him any longer.”

  “I told you I loved you.”

  He flinched.

  “Don’t you love me?”

  “I’m a fucking selfish bastard.”

  “Julian…”

  “I saw you on the beach…you were picking up sea shells. I saw you, I wanted you, and I didn’t care about the rules that said I was supposed to stay away from a human. I was arrogant and cocky. I thought I’d screw you and walk away and no one would know that I’d broken one of Luke’s famous laws.” His hands clenched. “Shifters are supposed to stay away from humans. We’re too rough. Too wild. I’ve known shifters who’ve killed human lovers.”

  “You didn’t hurt me and you sure didn’t walk away.”

  “Because I couldn’t. Once wasn’t nearly enough. I had you, and I wanted more.” He’d wanted forever. But forever had ended in a hail of gunfire.

  “I wanted more, too,” she whispered. Did the woman have any idea the damage she was doing to him? His heart was in pieces. She’d gutted him with her love.

  “You didn’t want to be a vampire, Rose. You wanted a husband. A home. Kids. Holidays and trips to Disney World. You didn’t want me. How could you? You didn’t even know me, not really.”

  She grabbed his hand, her fingers curling over his clenched fist. “I know you now. I know you as a beast. I know you as a man. And guess what? I still want you.” Her breath heaved out. “But what do you want, Julian? How do you feel about me?”