E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  “Ready?” I asked as I strode purposefully to the back exit where we’d entered. “We need to find this leech lounge and pick some brains.” I pushed through the door without waiting for an answer but slowed down until he fell into pace beside me.

  Once we made it to the Meatpacking District, I opened my senses, and my hand strayed to my amulet that was safely tucked away again, seeking comfort. My magic was tossing little sparks at me, reminding me that it was there. “Like I could forget.” It rattled the cage, making it clear that it had been a subtle way of demanding to be set free. “Are you kidding? If there were ever a more dangerous time to be flaunting you all around, it would be now.”

  “You’re lucky we’re in New York City,” Jax said with a muted chuckle.

  “Pardon?” I glanced at him in confusion as his random comment.

  “New Yorkers are used to crazy people wandering around talking to themselves, so you go relatively unnoticed.”

  For the first time in…who the fuck knew, heat stole over my face and blood rushed to my cheeks. Mortified—not at being caught talking to myself, but because I blushed—I looked everywhere but at Jax under the pretense of making sure I hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention.

  “I suppose you’re right,” I conceded, still avoiding his face.

  Jax stopped and l finally peeked up at him to find him staring at me with a soft expression. His eyes strayed to the side and he swept the tip of one finger over my left cheekbone. Then he returned his gaze to mine and winked. “You’re adorable when you blush.”

  I fought back another one and furrowed my brow as my lips curled down. “First of all, I hope you got a good look because it won’t happen again. Second, describing me as ‘adorable’ is ludicrous.”

  His mouth stretched across his face in a wide smile. “Perhaps for other people. But to me, my sweet mate, you are often adorable.”

  I rolled my eyes and harrumphed, so he wouldn’t notice the way his words turned my insides to goo. This man was hell on my reputation.

  A woman with flawless, dark brown skin (that somehow still looked pale and translucent) and long, straight black hair, wearing a short green dress that left little to the imagination caught my attention from across the street and I stiffened, promptly returning to business. My magic and my senses were buzzing, telling me that I needed to stay with her, that she was the opening I’d been waiting for and I wanted to smack myself for letting Jax sidetrack me again. He’d been a good pup all night, keeping his word and staying out of my way, even though it was killing him. But he was still a distraction. My body was constantly yearning for his touch, and when our bodies did connect, I couldn’t think about anything but begging him to fuck me.

  I lifted my chin toward the woman, so Jax had a heads up that I was about to cross and follow her. She hadn’t gone far, only two blocks, when she turned off of the sidewalk to sashay up to the front entrance of a small, old cathedral, one that was clearly no longer used as a church. In the realm where E.V.I.E. existed, I’d been to this spot on several occasions. It had been repurposed into a fitness center. According to the sign hanging off to the side, it had also been converted into a gym here.

  I nearly let out a derisive snort. What female vampire—and I had known she was a vamp as soon I spotted her—wore a barely there dress to the gym with a heavily painted face and a cloud of perfume.

  I motioned for Jax to stay out of sight and wait by the corner of the building. Then I tucked my hair into my hood and moseyed up the walk behind her as though I had every right to be there.

  One of the heavy, ornate wooden doors was pulled open and someone who remained in the shadows greeted her. “Jacquie. Lucien didn’t mention you’d be here tonight.” The man’s voice was smooth as glass and held a distinct French accent.

  The woman, Jacquie, shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant. I didn’t buy it any more than the guy inside did.

  “He’s not available and you know it. So why are you here?”

  Jacquie began to natter on about something and I tuned her out as I moved closer, hoping to get a glimpse of the man inside. Unexpectedly, he stepped into the light and pinned his red eyes on me. “Run along, Jacquie. I don’t have time to deal with your games tonight.” His eyes never left my face as he spoke, completely ignoring the woman who was now pouting at the top of the steps.

  My hood was pulled down to cast a shadow over my eyes, but as he was staring right at them, it seemed he’d noticed anyway.

  “Hello, dove,” he greeted me. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  He was tall, though not like Jax. Perhaps a foot more than my height. His long, sleek, white-blond hair was gathered at the back of his neck and hung a couple of inches past his shoulders. He had an angular face with high, sharp cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips. He wasn’t classically handsome, but he was beautiful. If I’d had any hormones that weren’t panting after my sexy shifter, I might have been tempted not to slay the vampire.

  In black slacks and a white dress shirt—with French cuffs that sported diamond links—the regal way he carried himself, and the air of superiority that surrounded him, he was the epitome of class and style. He screamed aristocracy, which should have made me extremely nervous. I avoided vampiric royalty at all costs.

  There was also something about him that put me at ease. It took me thirty seconds to recognize that he was attempting to use compulsion on me. Like with the call of a siren, I felt the power probe my wards, but it was feeble and easily set aside. But I decided that allowing him to believe it was working might benefit my purpose, so I gazed up at him with a blank expression.

  “I’m Philippe. What is your name, dove?” he asked softly as he gently pushed my hood back to expose my face and hair. There was a flicker of surprise as his eyes roamed over my hair, but he seemed pleased rather than put off.

  “Roxy,” I answered with a diminutive smile. I could practically feel the dominant waves rolling off of Jax from a dozen feet away. He and his wolf were not happy with the current situation and I felt a little guilty knowing it had to be taking a great deal of effort to keep his promise. I mentally sighed, knowing that he was going to flip his shit if my plan worked.

  “Philippe,” Jacquie whined pathetically.

  Annoyance flashed in his clear, sky blue eyes, but his expression remained cool and detached when he turned to look at her. “Leave,” he commanded in a formidable voice.

  Jacquie didn’t say a word as she hurried down the steps and ran away.

  That was bad. Very, very bad… Compulsion usually persuaded and coaxed its target into obedience. A vampire had to be extremely powerful to instantly gain complete acquiescence. Shielding my magic was now of the utmost importance.

  One of the skills I had mastered since I was tossed into an alternate universe was to shield my magic. It was more than just locking it away and not using it, this was masking it almost completely so that to most people and creatures, I seemed to be a normal human. It was exhausting after a while, so I didn’t use if often, and when I did, it wasn’t for very long. The vampires in this realm—the daywalkers—they were much more powerful and harder to fool. I had hoped never to return, but just in case, I’d continued to hone this skill and now, it was most definitely paying off.

  Philippe’s attention returned to me and he descended the three steps in front of the entrance, coming to stand directly in front of me. His eyes roamed over my whole body, lingering on my breasts for a beat, but staring at my neck even longer.

  “You’re a human.” It was a statement, but I nodded submissively. He reached out and caught the end of my ponytail, winding it around his fist at the back of my head and yanking so that my chin lifted high and exposed the expanse of my naked throat. I tried not to think about how this looked to Jax and fervently hoped he would be able to keep his cool, or he was likely to get us both killed.

  “How did you find out about The Lodge?” he inquired as he bent his head and skimmed his nose along my
throat, inhaling deeply. His mouth brushed back over the same path and I felt the slightest pressure from one of his fangs.

  A deep, rumbling growl came from Jax’s direction and I swallowed hard. It was one thing to put myself in harm’s way, it was quite another to let a man touch me in a sensual way. I was starting to worry that this would push him too far.

  Philippe raised his head and glanced in the direction of the animalistic sound with narrowed eyes.

  “Dorian told me,” I hurried to answer, drawing his attention back to me. I dropped my eyes demurely and blushed, making him smile indulgently.

  He released my hair and took my hand, guiding me toward the entrance to the “gym.”

  “I’m not a fan of the man, to be honest,” he informed me with a killer smile. “But if he sent you here, dove, he certainly has excellent taste.”

  Thank the Goddess above. Philippe knew Dorian

  I blushed hard and whispered, “He’s never…um…”

  Philippe glanced down at me with his brow elevated. After a few seconds, his expression melted back into one of indulgence, looking at me as if he was thoroughly charmed. “He’s never fucked you?” he queried smoothly.

  I was seriously impressed. The man even managed to make crude language sound classy and sensual. Damn, if I hadn’t been so immersed in my attraction to Jax, I might have let Philippe use me for a sweet snack and hot fuck.

  Something off in the distance smashed and the menacing growl returned, sounding deadly this time. Gavno. I needed to get this shit moving before Jax’s wolf went feral and forced a shift. When Philippe’s eyes trailed in the direction of the sound, I tilted my head back as far as it would go as an offering, and placed my hand on his cheek to draw his gaze back to me.

  I shook my head and smiled shyly. “He’s never tasted my blood either.”

  His expression lit with delight. “You know what I am then?”

  Another shy dip of my chin.

  “And is that what you’ve come for, dove?” His lips curved into a wicked smile.

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent, little dove. I think your visit will be quite…satisfying.”

  I left my hand in his and let him guide me up the steps and through the large oak door. As it swung shut behind me, I spotted Jax standing at the bottom of the stairs, breathing heavily with eyes of melted gold. The predatory look in his wolf’s eyes sent a shiver racing down my back.

  Philippe obviously felt my reaction, because when the door clicked shut, he patted my hand. “No need to be nervous, dove.”

  Jax

  With what little control I possessed, I managed not to shift. I was worried that the level of rage radiating from my wolf would cause him to go feral. He was so close to the surface that I was more animal than man.

  I’d nearly said fuck it to my agreement with Rowan when that bastard had put his hands her. No one touched what was mine. The only thing that held me back was knowing an outburst from me could get her killed. But my little mate was going to get her ass spanked until she promised never to put herself in a situation as dangerous as this ever again.

  I glanced down at the mangled gate to the black, wrought iron fence that surrounded the building. In an effort to keep myself from charging over to the vamp and tearing his throat out, I’d gripped the metal in my fists with all of my strength. When he put his mouth so close to her beating pulse, my wolf had lunged so hard that I’d ripped it off of its hinges and tossed it on the ground. I had not one iota of regret at the destruction, but I kicked it out of the way to avoid any pedestrians tripping over it.

  I’d easily been able to eavesdrop on Rowan’s conversation with Philippe, and though I was minutely pleased that we were on the right trail, it wasn’t enough to cool my fury at my mate for being so reckless. I had to remind myself that Rowan had been a loner for a long fucking time, and she wasn’t experienced at having to consider another person when making decisions. I wasn’t even sure how much she knew about shifter culture, but it seemed she didn’t quite understand the inherent bond between true mates. It was nothing like the one we’d have once we mated, but it would still be painful to break it. Yet, it wasn’t the bond of true mates that I worried about. I hadn’t known Rowan long, but in the short time I’d spent with her, I’d come to care for her. I admired and respected her, enjoyed her company, and even if we weren’t mates, I would still have wanted her with a wild, ferocious passion.

  So, it stood to reason why I was mad as fuck that she had just walked into a lion’s den. My anger, and my wolf’s nearness, had my feet moving toward the entrance to the building. It was clearly fortified and sound-proofed, but it wasn’t enough to escape a shifter’s senses. I could smell the stench of blood, sweat, and arousal permeating the air from the inside and hear the beat of the music. The Lodge was clearly a club, one that likely housed a vampire nest through some sort of passage. If Philippe took Rowan to their den, it would require a hell of a lot more than just me to retrieve her, if I was even able to get to her before she was drained.

  Without regard to who might see me, I began to pace in front of the door, once again feeling my wolf clawing at me, trying to get out. Rowan was running out of time to get her information because I was fast losing control of him and he was out of patience.

  26

  Rowan

  The interior of the club was more opulent than one might expect, with rich, warm colors and posh furniture. If there hadn’t been a dance floor where couples were sensuously dancing to the music, or outright fucking, it would have seemed more like a gentlemen’s club where they sit around smoking cigars and drinking brandy.

  Philippe guided me around the outskirts of the main room and up a set of stairs leading to a room with glass walls that overlooked the dance floor. Once we were inside, he shut the door and all of the sound died away, leaving us in silence.

  “Wait here, dove,” he instructed me with a gentle pat on the back of my hand, clearly accepting that I was a weak-minded, naturally submissive young girl. Then again, that was what he expected of someone so easily compelled and it was my intention for him to believe that about me for now although It still grated on my nerves.

  I bit my lip, which would make me appear nervous and anticipating what came next. When really, I was trying to keep from suggesting he take his patronizing attitude and shove it up his ass. He smiled and gestured to a red velvet settee before leaving. Instead of doing as he encouraged, I padded across the thick, pristine white—who chose white for a den of blood drinkers? And how the hell was it so clean? —carpet and paced in front of the window.

  Wearing a path in the carpet wasn’t new to me, but the strange feeling in my chest was. Somehow, I knew that my time in there was severely limited because if I wasn’t out of there fast enough, Jax was going to lose it. I didn’t want his life to be in danger. The vow I’d made him give to me had been for my own protection, yes, but it had also given me comfort that he wouldn’t put himself in harm’s way. I needed a clear mind, not one clouded with worry for Jax’s safety. I hadn’t admitted it to myself before, but it was causing a tightness in my chest and a rock in the pit of my stomach. I could only remember a few other times when I’d felt similar sensations and each of them had involved Violet, Emerald, or Cam. People I cared about.

  I nearly tripped when the realization hit me. How could I possibly feel anything like that for Jax? I’d known my girls forever, and it had taken half a decade and a fling for me to even consider Cam a friend and give him a part of my trust. Jax had burst into my life twenty-four hours ago, claiming I was his mate and refusing to stop stalking me and driving me crazy with how much my body craved him. It was a deep, gnawing hunger to feel him wrapped possessively around my body while he pounded inside me until I catapulted into a violent orgasm.

  Gavno. This was absolutely the worst time to be fantasizing about the sexy as fuck shifter and ruining my underwear, which wasn’t in great shape after he’d rocked my world earlier. I didn’t want to think abo
ut how Jax got so good with his mouth, but I’d certainly been grateful to reap the benefits.

  My thoughts were interrupted when the door opened once again. A man who looked remarkably similar to Philippe strolled into the room. Arrogance and power emanated from him in a way that suggested he was used to being obeyed and didn’t fear anyone. I ceased my movements and inspected the man closely.

  Brothers. I was sure of it. The man who’d just entered shared the same height and muscular, but lean build as Philippe, as well as the same white hair and clear blue eyes. However, the angles of his face were sharper, his mouth a little fuller, and he wore his hair loose around his broad shoulders. His clothing was also more casual,—jeans and a white button down that was open at the collar. And while they both wore a cool confidence that suggested they knew how beautiful they were, his slightly less formal appearance suggested it wasn’t something he felt he needed to exploit. From their wardrobe, I might have assumed Philippe was the older, more mature brother, but there was no mistaking the dominance and power in the man standing before me.

  I had a feeling they were extremely old. The way Philippe had wielded his ability to compel was something that not only took a great deal of power, but the kind of focus and control that came with thousands of years of practice.

  His gaze roamed over me appreciatively and I expected it to creep me out, except there was nothing in his demeanor that hinted at sexual interest. It was almost boredom. When he finally spoke, his voice was like dark honey made sweeter by his French accent. “You are very beautiful, chérie.”

  “Merci,” I responded politely.

  He lifted an elegant brow and he observed me with a bit more interest. “Très bon, chérie. Your accent is nearly perfect, yet I sense you are not French.”