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

by Lexi C. Foss

  “Not on my watch.” She flipped her hand over and gave mine a squeeze. “So how about we get out of here and explore Pine Ridge some more.”

  Nodding, I wolfed down my pastry in a few bites and followed her out the door. We wandered into several more stores—and discovering another young woman who had been glamoured by the vampire—before crossing the street. Stopping in front of three elderly gentlemen sitting on a bench in front of the diner, Denica asked, “What do you recommend for lunch?”

  One of them tilted his hat at her and answered, “Stick with something fried, and you won’t be disappointed, miss.”

  “Not that you’ll find anything fresh on the menu,” the guy in the middle chortled.

  The third man wagged his finger and threatened, “I’m going to tell Mable you were warning visitors about her cooking.”

  “I didn’t say it was bad,” his friend grumbled.

  “Your secret is safe with us,” I assured him with a grin.

  “Thanks, guys. We better get some more walking in before we stop for lunch.” Denica waved goodbye at them, and we walked past the diner. We made it another block down the street, and then I felt as though someone was glaring a hole through my back. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted a guy across the street with the worst comb-over in the history of the world. He had a beer belly that was straining the buttons of his khaki button-up shirt to the edge of their limits and a star pinned to his chest.

  He marched over to me and stabbed his finger in my chest. “Who the hell do you think you are, coming into my town and questioning my citizens?”

  I’d never met the sheriff of Pine Ridge, but this man could only be him. “You’re going to want to back the fuck up, and fast.”

  “The only thing I want is for you to get your nosy ass out of Pine Ridge. This is my town, and I don’t take too kindly to strangers coming in here, asking about things that are my business,” he bellowed.

  I recognized Jake and Connor’s steps as they came up behind Denica and me. Connor stopped at my side, but Jake circled in front of us and explained, “He’s my chief.”

  “How was I supposed to know?” the sheriff sputtered, his face turning an alarming shade of red. “You’re not wearing a uniform, and I’ve had a good dozen people complain to me today about being questioned by a bunch of out-of-towners who wanted to know if they were involved in the recent animal attacks.”

  The citizens of Pine Ridge should seriously reconsider how they voted in the next election. Their sheriff seemed more concerned about us having casual conversations with people—where the recent killings only came up when someone warned us to stick to crowded places so we didn’t run into the rampaging bear—than the number of dead bodies dropping like flies in the town he was supposed to protect. He was an ass, but it would be easier to find the vampire with him on our side than if we were forced to work against him. Gritting my teeth, I bit back what I wanted to say in favor of being diplomatic. “Sorry, I don’t have to worry about a dress code in Tigerville because everyone in town knows my team.”

  His beady eyes darted back and forth between Jake and me. “You got more officers on your force?”

  “Why doesn’t he just whip it out so we can confirm what we already know. Your dick is a fuck of a lot bigger than his.” Denica’s voice was just loud enough for shifter ears to catch what she’d said, and I figured Connor and Jake were having as difficult of a time as I was not laughing my ass off.

  Although the sheriff hadn’t caught what she’d said, his attention shifted her way after I nodded. “Are you one of ’em?”

  “Yup, I’m with the chief,” she replied.

  I chuckled at her clever response since it was the truth, but not how the sheriff would assume she meant. Denica was absolutely with me in every way that mattered, but she didn’t have an official role in my streak yet other than as my mate. With her responsibilities as a slayer and mine as a head enforcer, we were bound to run into some complications in figuring out how to mesh our lives together, but I had no doubt that we would rise to the challenge after we took care of the vampire. We were meant to be together, so there wasn’t any other option.

  “Huh. Tigerville isn’t much bigger than Pine Ridge, but all I have are a couple of volunteers.” He eyed her up and down again and almost earned himself a broken nose from me. “None of ’em are women, though. Not too sure it’s a good idea.”

  “I guess we’re more progressive in Tigerville than I realized,” Connor muttered.

  The sheriff’s eyes narrowed, and his chest puffed out. “Who’re you?”

  “Connor Tigre, mayor of Tigerville.”

  “What’d you do, bring the entire town with you?” the sheriff grumbled, shaking his head. “There are already too many damn outsiders around here, messing up the investigation. They sent three wildlife officials to try to hunt down the damn bear that caused all this trouble in the first place, and now the four of you came into my town to interrogate my people—which doesn’t even make a lick of sense. What do you think? That someone is hiding a feral bear in their backyard or something?”

  “Stranger things have happened”—and currently were in Pine Ridge since there was a vampire who had a taste for draining young men and mesmerizing girls—“but we didn’t think we were going to stumble across a rampaging bear being protected by one of your citizens. Sorry, we didn’t mean to step on your toes.”

  The sheriff seemed taken aback by my apology and lost most of his bluster. Jake took the opportunity to step in and say, “I think I mentioned that Trey is an excellent tracker when I was in your office yesterday. Connor is too, which is why he came with us today even though he had plenty to do back in Tigerville. After we did the tourist thing, we planned to stop by your office to see if you wanted our help with trying to find the bear.”

  The sheriff eyed Connor and me up and down before giving us a jerky nod. “I guess I’d rather have you guys helping than the wildlife officials the state sent. They looked down their noses at me when I was filling them in on what I had so far and haven’t bothered to check in at all today. I can’t kick the bastards out of the investigation, but it sure would be nice to show ’em up by finding the damn bear before they do.”

  Our interaction with the sheriff hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but we accomplished our goal—we had his permission to go hunting in Pine Ridge. Our prey wasn’t what he thought, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him because we were going to take care of the problem for him.

  9

  Denica

  The relief I’d felt when Pine Ridge’s sheriff had accepted our help slowly ebbed away over the next few days. We’d kept a close eye on the two girls who the vampire had glamoured, but nothing had come from the hours spent watching them. The girls hadn’t done much more than go between work and home, with a quick trip to the grocery store. Their behavior was unusual for someone under the influence of a bloodsucker. Normally, there was a purpose behind the effort a nightwalker expended to control a human, but I hadn’t been able to figure out what he wanted from either of the girls yet.

  I clenched my fist and punched one of Trey’s pillows, trying to vent some of the frustration I felt over our lack of progress. During the years I’d spent as a slayer, I had many assignments that took a lot longer than I’d spent in Tigerville so far. Heck, one of my slayer sisters just wrapped up a case that took her more than three weeks. But since I’d taken the bounty, the nightwalker had managed to nab four more citizens of the tiny town and had drained each of them of all their blood. The pace of his kills was escalating, and he’d taken the last two lives back-to-back only three hours ago. Guilt over their deaths burned in my gut.

  Trey had quickly proven to be keyed in to my emotions, and tonight was no exception. Curving his strong body around mine, he slid his hand up my arm and wrapped his hand around my wrist. “It isn’t your fault.”

  Burying my face in the pillow, I mumbled, “I can’t help but wonder if our mating threw me off my game en
ough that it’s interfering with my ability to do my job.”

  Trey rolled me onto my back and kissed me until the tension left my body and I melted into the mattress. “Tell me one thing you would’ve done differently if you were hunting this vampire before we met.”

  Connor, Jake, Trey, and I had spent up to sixteen hours of each day in Pine Ridge trying to track the bloodsucker down. Four other members of their streak had rotated through on the watch over the glamoured girls, giving us time to search for other leads. We’d covered more than two hundred square miles of land in our hunt but hadn’t found where the vampire was spending his daylight hours. I couldn’t pin down anything specific that would’ve made a difference, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I should’ve done more to prevent the bloodsucker from taking more lives. “I’m just worried that I missed something because I was distracted by my feelings for you—someone else the vampire has glamoured or the perfect place for him to lay low during the daylight hours.”

  Trey brushed his lips against mine before staring into my eyes. “I think you need to cut yourself some slack. We wouldn’t have a single damn lead if it weren’t for you.”

  “Maybe I’m being harder on myself because this bounty seems more personal since the outcome could impact your streak.” I stroked my hands up his chest and twined my arms around his neck. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me, baby. I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured me.

  I hugged him close and warned, “You better not.”

  “And neither are you,” he added with a grin.

  “Crap, good point.” I pushed at his chest so I could reach over to grab my cell phone off the bedside table. “I should call Jason and make sure he went over to check on Cara.”

  “Who the hell is Jason?” Trey growled, tugging me back before I got my phone and pressing me into the mattress. His eyes flashed gold, a sure sign that his animal was close to the surface.

  Stroking my hands up his chest, I explained, “My eighty-year-old neighbor who looks after my cat when I’m out of town for more than two or three days. His wife passed away last year, and helping me gets him out of the house.”

  Most of the tension eased from his body, and he suggested, “Maybe we should go get Cara and bring her back here, along with more of your stuff.”

  “If we don’t make any more progress over the next few days, I’d really like that,” I agreed with a smile. I was curious to see how my cat reacted to living in a house with a tiger, and it would be a quick trip if I used the nearby portal. My family was going to think it was hilarious since they gave me a hard time when I got Cara. They thought it was funny that I was the only dragon in my hold who had a pet, and I’d picked a fluffy tabby instead of something ferocious.

  “Three days, that’s all I’m giving you,” he growled into my ear, nipping at the lobe.

  My focus was quickly moving from our conversation to what he was doing with his lips and teeth. “Uh-huh.”

  “My baby is so agreeable right now.” He licked the seam of my mouth, and I immediately opened for him, our tongues tangling. What probably started out as a gesture to soothe me quickly spiraled out of control. We devoured each other until we were breathless.

  When Trey finally lifted his head, there was only one thing on my mind—him. “I need you so much.”

  “You have me, baby. Always and forever,” he promised as he kissed his way down my neck to lick over my mating mark. I felt the swipe of his tongue deep in my womb and shivered. His lips curved and a knowing chuckle rumbled up his chest. He whipped my shirt over my head, leaving me naked since it was the only thing I’d put on after my shower. His hands glided up my torso to cup my tits, and the tips pebbled against his palms. Shifting lower, he trailed kisses across my chest until he sucked a stiff peak into his mouth. I delved my hands into his dark hair and dug my fingers into his scalp to press him closer when he switched to the other side. He bit down hard enough to leave a mark before letting my nipple go with a little pop.

  His scruff left a smattering of red abrasions decorating my chest. I traced the path he’d taken, his dark gaze following my hand. “I love seeing my marks all over your skin.”

  “Make more of them,” I urged, arching my back off the mattress.

  Fierce desire burned in his dark orbs at my encouragement. Keeping his gaze locked with mine, he pinned me in place with his hips and brought his hands back to my breasts. Palming them with a rough squeeze, he used his fingers to toy with my hardened nipples, twisting and plucking until I dropped my head back against the pillow.

  “One of these days, when we have all the time in the world, I’m going to leave my stamp on a fuck of a lot more of your body. But right now, I need your taste in my mouth.” His voice was a low purr, and goose bumps spread across my skin. His tongue traced along them as he made his way farther down my body. I writhed beneath him when he stroked over my pelvic bone and hips, and he finally moved to my pussy. Anchoring my thighs over his arms, he lifted me off the bed and circled around my clit. I tried to buck his hold to control where he licked, but he tightened his grip and continued to torture me.

  “Trey,” I moaned, clenching my fingers against his head as a fierce need for my mate coursed through my veins.

  Instead of working my clit, he trailed his tongue along my pussy lips, driving me even more wild. He teased me until my body trembled, and I cried out in relief when he finally parted me with his thumbs and flattened his tongue to lick up my center. “Mmm, delicious,” he hummed as he eased a finger into my wet heat. “You feel so tight and hot wrapped around my finger. I can barely wait to get my cock inside you again.”

  “Hell, yes, I want that, too,” I panted.

  “Then come for me, baby,” he ordered, thrusting his finger in and out. Then he sucked my clit into his mouth, and I flew apart. My cries of pleasure echoed around the room, and he rose to his knees to shove his athletic shorts down his thighs. His cock sprang free, and a bead of pre-come dripped from the tip.

  Deciding that my tiger wasn’t the only one who deserved a little cream around here, I wrapped my fingers around his hard length before he could nudge my entrance. “Not so fast.”

  10

  Trey

  The plan when we got home had been to catch as much sleep as possible since we were both beyond exhausted, but I couldn’t imagine stopping now before I slid into my gorgeous mate’s body. I would always want her, no matter what. My body recognized my soul mate just as much as my tiger and heart did. Anytime she was near, my dick was as hard as a fucking rock. And with her sweet taste in my mouth, it was more like a steel pipe. But I’d figure out a way to ignore my need for her if she wanted to stop. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “I want to taste you, too.” She made a come-hither motion with her index finger, and I climbed over her body until I was straddling her chest. Denica kept her eyes locked on mine as she flicked her tongue out to capture the pre-come at the tip before swirling it around the crown. “To have your come coating my throat before you sink inside my pussy and make me scream again.”

  It was a damn good thing I didn’t need any recovery time when it came to fucking my mate. I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to have her suck me off, but I also wanted to feel her pussy clench around mine afterward. I watched as she sucked the head of my cock into her mouth, thickening more when I felt the wet heat surrounding me. Craning her neck up to bob her head, she circled her tongue around the crown before deep throating me. “It feels so damn good,” I hissed, barely holding onto my control already.

  She picked up speed, her hand pumping my shaft, moving in time with her mouth. My hips started to thrust, and she somehow managed to grin up at me with a full mouth. That look of female satisfaction in her green orbs was enough to send me over the edge. “Gonna come,” I warned.

  Instead of pulling off, she swallowed me whole and hummed deep in her throat until I spilled into her
mouth. I cupped her cheek while she worked her tongue over me, and I didn’t drag my cock out until she’d devoured every drop of my come. Scooting down to claim her lips in a deep kiss, I trailed my fingers over her body to thrust them into her pussy. “You’re drenched, baby.”

  Denica licked her swollen lips, making my still-hard cock twitch. “Watching you come without being distracted by my own orgasm was insanely hot.”

  After pumping my fingers in and out of her a few times, I notched my crown at her entrance. I grinned down at her and offered, “Anytime you want a repeat performance, just let me know.”

  “That’s so generous of you.” She winked at me as she cupped my cheeks with her palms. “But the repeat performance I’m interested in right now is feeling you deep inside me again.”

  “Then that’s what you’ll get.” I punctuated my vow by giving her what she’d asked for—thrusting my hips until my balls slapped against her ass. She clenched her legs around my hips, and the walls of her pussy clamped down on my cock. My canines pushed against my gums, and my fur itched against my skin. My tiger wanted to leave another permanent mark on my gorgeous mate’s skin, but I was determined to make her come first.

  I grasped her ass and lifted her so I could drive deeper and increased the power of my thrusts. Her legs squeezed my waist, and her head fell back against the pillow, baring her neck. Dropping my head, I nipped at my mating mark and made her moan. She met me thrust for thrust, taking everything I had to give, but it still wasn’t enough. I needed to get deeper. “Tilt your pussy for me, baby.”

  She lifted her hips off the mattress, and I reached down to pull her thighs wider. The change in position allowed me to power into her, going harder with each frantic thrust of my hips. My mouth lowered to her generous tits, and I went back and forth, flicking the pebbled tips with my tongue.