The secrets just got darker and darker, didn’t they? Emily couldn’t ignore the tug at her conscience. “He’s just a kid, Marcus.”
Degas’ eyes filled with regret. “Scott found him snooping around down by the road. He admitted to working for Starr.”
Riley’s gaze turned toward her, searching out his only advocate. His eyes widened with fear and uncertainty. “I wasn’t going to do anything, I swear!”
Marcus tossed a gruesome hunting knife onto the table. Its blade was at least five inches long with a gut hook at the end. The steel blade glinted in the kitchen’s light. “We found this on him. What do you think he planned to do with it? Trim your rose bushes?”
Emily swallowed hard. She stared at the wicked blade and tried to tamp down the sudden anger and fear that rose within her.
“They told me she had people watching her,” Riley defended. He spoke fast, his words slurring together in a rush to escape his mouth. “I brought it to protect myself.”
Degas’s joints creaked when he pulled himself up out of the chair. “What do you want done with him, Marcus?”
“Get this pathetic asshole out of my sight. Take him to his mother, let her know what he’s been up to. The shifter community and his parents should do what they want with him.”
Emily read between the lines. Marcus had wiped his hands clean of the kid. Perhaps being Marcus’s godchild had saved him after all. Degas seized the kid’s arm and hauled him out of the chair. He practically dragged him out of the house.
Marcus sank into the chair Riley had just vacated. Emily noticed the tension in his shoulders ease.
“Where did Scott and Corey go?”
His eyes had not yet faded back to light blue. “Why? Can’t stand to be around me?”
“Don’t be so melodramatic.” She remembered Beau’s warning that she shouldn’t argue with him, but she was finished being stepped on. “You used me too. You were trying to find out if I was part of Starr's coven. You thought my boss was running a disposal.”
“That isn't what this is about.”
She wished he'd leave, yet longed to be in his presence just a bit longer. It wasn't fair that he could twist her emotions like this. “You’re right, it isn’t.”
He stood and came around the end of the table. His movement was stiff and angry. “Why don’t you just come out and say it. You’re mad that I slept with you. Believe me, fucking some broken, needy piece of ass isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever done.”
Emily covered her mouth with a shaking hand. Tears sprang to her eyes. What had she expected from him—an apology? At some point he’d backed her against the sink. All the light had gone out of his eyes, swallowing them in midnight blue.
Emily held her ground. “Yeah, because screwing a nutcase you hate makes so much more sense.”
“What is it they say about keeping your enemies close?”
“I know you plan on overthrowing Isabella if you get the chance. I know what she’s done and how much you despise her. Only I didn’t say anything because I have feelings for you. I thought you cared too.”
He leaned closer.
“What are you doing?” Emily fought to keep her words even and steady. The frantic thud of her heart drowned out all other noise.
“Shut up, Freckles.” His hand tangled in her hair, and he leaned against her. His lips found her, and she no longer cared that the cabinet bit into her back.
Despite the warning bells going off in the back of her mind, Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. No wonder girls always went for the bad boys.
Marcus pulled away first. His eyes were dark and dangerous. “Drink from me.”
Emily pushed against his chest, but he refused to let her escape his embrace. “Holy crap, are you insane?”
“I think things are going to be disastrous in the next few days. Drink my blood so you’ll be stronger.”
“The Beltane?”
He nodded solemnly. “My blood will give you strength. It only lasts for a short while, but you just might live through this.”
Revulsion swam through her. The memory of his kiss tingled on her lips. “I should have known you were up to something.”
"Yeah." He rewarded her with another smirk. “I’m a monster, remember?”
Emily sighed, wishing she could just rewind the last few days and start over. Things had gotten too complicated in a short span of time. “What would Isabella say about it? I think we’ve gotten into enough trouble, don’t you?”
“I like being in trouble.” Marcus dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Do this for me, Emily.”
“I can't.” She shook her head. “I won’t.”
“I don’t want to turn you.”
“The answer is still no.” She remained wary. Something about this whole deal smacked of insincerity. Was he scheming something else or would he really respect her wishes?
“Oh. Should I leave the two of you alone while you get reacquainted?” Corey asked from the doorway.
“I was just leaving,” Marcus answered, but still didn’t take his gaze from hers.
Corey backed out of the room, seeming to realize he was unwanted at the moment. “I’ll be, uh, yeah…” His sneakers made quick steps into the other room.
Marcus turned away from her. He stopped, seeming to reconsider. She took a step toward him, thinking something was wrong. Instead of saying anything, he turned and pulled her into his embrace. His mouth sought hers out; the urgency of it startling.
She ran her fingers through his hair, wanting to confess her love. What she wanted was to forget about the deceit and lies. She wanted to ignore Isabella and Starr. Was it too much to ask for if they just forgot everything but each other?
His teeth sank into her left shoulder. Searing pain forced a surprised yelp from her throat, but she was unable to pull away. Her feet were no longer on the floor, and his arms felt like iron bands around her. For a moment, she relished the idea of sharing a part of herself with him. Emily's head fell back, and she groaned in pleasured pain before she fully regained her senses.
“Marcus, stop!”
He lifted his head, a droplet of blood glistening on his bottom lip.
She smacked him with an open hand.
His eyes darkened with danger. “Drink from me, Emily.”
The click-click of claws and boots raced closer. Scotty growled and launched himself at Marcus. Corey grabbed at him but missed.
Marcus caught the coyote by the scruff of the neck. Scotty yelped as he was slung across the floor. His body struck the refrigerator. Bottles and other items rattled inside. He slowly got to his feet, shaking his head.
Emily caught her reflection in the kitchen window. A dash of scarlet stained her shoulder, and the strap of her tank top was soiled. She touched the twin punctures and winced. “But we’re on the same side…”
Marcus lowered his gaze. “You’re not my enemy, Emily. You’re just…” He turned from her, moving toward the doorway. “Mine.”
Emily couldn’t help the sob that caught in her throat. “What does that make you?”
“I am nothing.” Without apology, her vampire left the house.
Scotty hurried after him. A yelp came from the yard, followed by a slamming door. The Corvette’s engine revved down the dirt road, and he was gone.
“That didn’t go so well.” Corey inched closer. His dark gaze locked on the blood glistening against her skin. “You should’ve taken his blood. Not only would you have inherited some of his strength, but also his ability to heal faster. He meant well.”
Emily stared at him. Her heartbeat still thundered in her ears, and her shoulder stung. Somehow, he’d managed to bite her in exactly the same spot he’d fed from before. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Corey's expression was thoughtful. “I've never tried it myself because it’s forbidden to share blood with a mortal without permission, but it's supposed to be very symbolic.”
Her fingers sought out the twin punct
ures again. “How do you mean?”
“It creates a bond.” He cast a meaningful glance at her. “A human would have to be very special to a vampire if he wanted to share blood with her.”
Remorse and heartache sang through her entire being. She swiped at the tears that ran down her cheeks. “Damn it.”
Scott still hadn’t changed back by the next morning. Quite honestly, Emily wanted his input on the situation. She needed answers that consisted of more than a tail wag or a whimper.
“You know I was just kidding about liking you better this way, right?” Emily drew her legs onto the couch and tucked them beneath her.
The coyote’s ears perked, tail held even with his body. Hazel eyes stared up at her and his velvety pink tongue flicked against her fingers. She patted the cushion next to her and his bushy tail swished across the floor. He scrambled onto the couch to rest his paws on her folded legs.
“I miss him, Scotty. I know you don’t approve, but I can’t help it.” Tears swam across her vision.
Scotty whined in answer.
Thunder rumbled outside, and lightning flashed across the sky. It looked like another dreary afternoon was in store.
Scotty laid his head on her lap and allowed her to scratch behind his long pointy ears. Everything outside was muddy from a short bout of sprinkles earlier. Emily had cautioned him about tracking mud into the house again, and he was most likely bored.
Later, Emily took a shower and redressed the bandage covering her shoulder. The perfectly spaced punctures were small and purple around the edges. She couldn't stop thinking about the reasons he wanted to share blood and what Corey had told her.
A car door banged shut, and Emily’s heart jumped into her throat. She wasn’t expecting company. Scotty emitted a low growl and used his body to steer her back inside. She forced her way past him and went into the living room.
“Emily?” Liz opened the door and invited herself inside. She tracked muddy prints on the rug in front of the door. Hahm was still outside, stomping mud from her shoes.
The coyote trotted past them into the yard with his nose low to the ground. His ears were forward, but his tail hadn’t bristled in warning. Perhaps he’d decided to search out the bunny again.
“Did you get a dog?” Liz scratched her nose. They'd never had one growing up because Liz was allergic.
Emily hoped her sister didn’t notice Scott’s folded clothing lying on the end table. Using her foot, she shoved his shoes beneath the couch. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We were told you needed looking after.” Liz smiled like there was no bad blood between them. “So here we are.”
“Where's Scott?” Hahm finally joined them.
Scotty nosed the door open and trotted inside. His fur was damp, and he smelled like wet dog. He sat on Emily's foot and stared up at them. Liz glanced down at him.
“What makes you think he's here?” Emily was nervous they'd figure it out.
Hahm smiled patiently. “Mr. Dane said he was and asked that I give him the news.”
Her heartbeat leaped into her throat. “You've spoken to Marcus?”
Scotty turned his hazel eyes up at her and flattened his ears. She wasn’t a dog whisperer, but she could tell he wasn’t pleased.
Hahm smiled and excitement glittered in her eyes. “Yeah, he hired me to help move things through the system if it regarded shifters or his kind.”
Emily glanced at her sister, eager to see how she was handling all this. Liz shrugged. “I was wrong. I'm sorry.”
“Okay, what does it have to do with Scott?”
Liz grinned. “You've had a crush on him ever since I can remember. And now that you're all grown up, I'm pretty sure he has one on you.”
She glanced down at the coyote that licked her shin. “So?”
“Mr. Dane decided to put him in charge of patching up his kind and their pets,” Hahm said, getting the conversation back on track.
Emily’s eyebrows rose and Scotty whined. “Claude was fired?”
Hahm shook her head. “He’s missing and the city already replaced him with some new guy. Mr. Dane said I should do what I can to make it look like Claude left town.”
She and the coyote exchanged a glance. There was no mention of Isabella and it sounded like Marcus was calling all the shots. “But Claude's a human, Hahm. He has a family somewhere.”
Hahm looked confused. She blinked and shook her head. “Mr. Dane says he left town.”
Emily didn’t like the suspicions that crawled around her mind. “Liz, have you spoken to Marcus too?”
“Yeah. He came to the house the other night.” A slow smile spread across her face. “He's so polite.”
“And cute,” Hahm piped in. Both she and Liz giggled.
“Mind control,” Emily murmured to the coyote who still sat at her feet. The tip of his tail swished in agreement.
A blaring car horn sounded nearby. Scotty bolted through the screen door and skidded into the yard. He sniffed the air and his lips pulled back to reveal sharp teeth. He scrambled out of sight.
“Where is your boyfriend?” There was no hint of revulsion in Liz’s voice.
Emily’s chest tightened with emotion. It just wasn’t fair. “We're not together anymore.”
“Oh Em, what did you do? Mr. Dane seems like such a great guy. You deserve a nice, stable guy like him.” Liz patted her shoulder. “He really cares about you.”
Emily swiped at her eyes. Next time she saw him, if she saw him, she'd give him a piece of her mind. He couldn't go around messing with people's heads like this. It just wasn't right.
Scotty’s clawed feet skidded across the porch. Instead of nosing the screen open, he tore right through it.
“What's wrong with your dog?” Hahm jumped out of the way as he streaked past.
He snapped at Emily, his teeth inches from her calf. She stumbled backward in an attempt to get away. “Hey!”
He ran down the hall to Corey's door. He yipped and stood on back legs to rake claws down its length. He seemed to be trying to dig a hole through the wood.
Emily grabbed the scruff of his neck. She whispered, “See, this is why you should change back. I have no idea what you want. You know he's asleep. He can't come out until dark.”
Hahm removed the gun from her hip and checked the safety. “I'll be right back. Both of you stay here.”
“Wait!” A sick sense of dread coursed through Emily, but it was too late. Hahm had already gone through the ruined front door.
Scott’s lips drew back again to expose sharp canine teeth. His ears laid flat against his head and his eyes narrowed in warning. He gave up on getting Corey's door open and trotted back down the hallway instead. Emily tried to follow, but he turned and snapped at her before scurrying away.
“Stay here.” Emily brushed past her sister to follow Scotty into the yard. He headed toward the back of the property.
“Like hell I will. What’s going on?” Liz struggled up the muddy hill alongside her. “Talk to me, Emily.”
“Now you want to talk?” Emily groaned, thinking they should probably shut up. Whatever—whoever—waited beyond those trees might already sense their presence.
Although they couldn't see through the dense trees, it sounded like a party was going on. Emily gazed up at the cloudy, grey sky and cringed. Lightning danced above them.
Emily lowered her voice, “It’ll be dark soon. Go back to the house and try to wake Corey. He’s sleeping in the spare bedroom.”
Liz’s face was pale and frightened. “Don’t go in there, Emily. Come back to the house with me. Let Scott and Denise deal with it.”
“You knew it was him?”
Liz's grim expression spoke volumes. “It's why we broke up. I just couldn’t handle the truth.”
Grasping her sister's hand, Emily gave it a squeeze. “Marcus left his bag under the spare bed. There’s a gun in it. Be careful.”
Emily moved past her, into the trees. She had to trust that her
sister would go for help.
Above her, the heavens opened up and let loose a burst of cold rain. Thunder shook the ground and the onslaught of rain continued.
She approached what could only be the end of her property. Voices drifted to her—soft chants and singing. She peered around a gigantic tree trunk and spotted about eight cars parked in a clearing.
Close to twenty cloaked people milled around in the mud.
Cauldrons filled with flowers sat all around. Lilac, roses and daisies spilled out of their containers and ribbons of red and white were strung about. A short pole, which had been painted bright green, stood erect in the middle of the field. Four people wearing only mud walked around the pole, weaving the ribbons together and singing.
She spotted Starr behind the small wooden alter. A naked man and woman stood nearby. Brenda stood beside the platinum haired witch, holding a spool of ribbon. Starr spoke and Brenda wrapped the ribbon around the couple’s clasped hands to mark their union.
Wren Peterson looked worse than hell. Her lips were cracked and dried blood crusted her chin. She watched people move around her with indifference. No one paid any attention to her. Wren stumbled against a bale of hay and appeared exhausted. Clearly, she wouldn't be much help at all.
The rain had diminished to a sprinkle, but thunder still rumbled overhead. Starr was jovial tonight. Now that she was done with the wedding, she laughed and clapped several of her follower’s backs. She spoke to Brenda who walked alongside her. “I feel my power growing now that I’m so close to the line. Today is a good day for the ritual. The line feels strong and stable. Once I have full control over it, there will be no stopping me.”
She caught sight of Evan being dragged between two men. They dumped him beside Wren. The men stood on either side of them, preventing any chance of escape.
“Where are your bloodsucking friends now?” Starr laughed and kicked at his legs. Evan curled in on himself and screamed. She kicked at him again and again.
Emily couldn’t bear to watch her harm him. She stepped away from the tree only to have her leg nipped by sharp canine teeth. Scotty stood at her right, a wary look on his furry face. His ears lay flat against his head, eyes bulging and teeth barred. He cowed her against the trunk, preventing her from moving further. His nose nudged her in the direction of the house.
Of A Darker Nature Page 30