by Cynthia Eden
“Kill or be killed,” Jordan said, the words cracking slightly. “I was ready to die.”
To protect Cammie.
The kid was gonna grow up into one fine man.
“I think we’re even,” she murmured, then pointed a claw at him. “But don’t ever so much as think about coming at me in wolf form with those teeth again.”
His lips hitched into a half-smile. “I-I won’t.”
“Good.” Now she looked back at Lucas. So he’d been tracking his brother. Good cause. But she still didn’t trust the asshole. “The first night, at Marie’s place, you should’ve just told me you were looking for the kid.”
“You didn’t give me a chance.”
Because the pack had been coming for her, fangs bared, talking and playing nice hadn’t exactly been on her mind.
He rubbed his shoulder. “But you sure as hell gave me something to remember you by.”
“I don’t like to be forgettable.”
“You aren’t.”
The floor squeaked just beyond the door. Hell, someone else? The room was getting too crowded as it was. She inhaled, expecting another wolf, but she caught the scent of—
Nothing.
No one.
The floor squeaked again and Adam strode inside. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the wolves.
“I-I should go,” Jordan muttered, ducking his head and then brushing quickly by Adam.
Lucas sighed. “You scare him,” he said to Adam.
“Smart kid.”
Adam’s eyes darted to Maya’s bare feet. Then back to the wolf. “Am I interrupting something?” A hard edge sharpened the words. A hint of anger.
She shrugged. “Just trying to figure out why wolfie here has been trying to kill me.”
“Um.” Adam was still staring at Lucas. “Damn good thing he didn’t succeed.”
Lucas held his gaze. “I told you what happened. I came here to clear things up with her.”
He’d been trying to find his brother. By tracking her. “What made you think I’d even know where your brother was?”
It was Adam who answered. “Because he heard you were working with me.”
Lucas nodded. “I knew the same vamps who’d taken his niece had also taken Jordan.”
Her breath expelled in a rush. “Shit. They were planning some kind of special feast for Nassor, weren’t they?” Two shifters. So much power.
They would have been drained dry.
What a great Welcome-Back-to-the-Undead-Life gift for Nassor.
“Once you started helping Brody, I figured you had to be blood linked to that bastard Nassor.”
Yeah, like she could help that.
“I knew you could lead me straight to him.” One brow lifted. “Then that fool demon sent me chasing shadows.”
Ah, Tim. She’d known to count on him to sell her out. “But then you smarted up, didn’t you? You went to the hospital, threatened Sean, and found out exactly where I’d gone.”
Adam’s head jerked toward her. “What?”
Maya pursed her lips at the surprise on the wolf shifter’s face. “What? Damn, give me some credit, would you? I knew you were there when I called him.”
“How?” Lucas looked pissed. Poor wolf. He’d probably thought he’d been so smart.
Not smart enough.
“Sean warned me.”
“No—I was there, I heard everything.”
“I heard his heart, beating too fast.” A deliberate tip, a method they’d used in the past. “I told him where I was, knowing that you’d come.” She’d just hoped to have a little more time—enough time to free Cammie and disappear. “You got here faster than I thought.” And her grand plan had gone to hell.
But at least she’d gotten the girl out.
The fact that Maya had nearly gotten herself killed, well, that had definitely not been in the master scheme.
“You should have told me,” Adam snapped, taking a step closer to her.
She winced. Yeah, she’d known he wouldn’t be too pleased about her keeping that fact secret. “We had to move, Adam. The fact that the pack was coming—it didn’t matter. We had to get into that feeding room.”
If the clock turned back and she had to do it all again, knowing she’d wind up in that alley—shit, did it always have to be an alley?—she’d do it.
“For the record,” she said, “I don’t appreciate it when my friends are threatened.” She smiled, showing her fangs. “I don’t appreciate it one damn bit.”
Lucas nodded. “Message understood.”
“When I get back to L.A., I expect to find Sean unharmed. He’d better be.”
“He is.”
She grunted. “Don’t ever threaten him again, wolf. Got it? Ever.” She didn’t trust the wolf. Not as far as she could throw his furry ass. And that would be about ten feet. She still wasn’t sure how she’d wound up in his house and as soon as he got his butt out of the room, she planned to grill Adam.
A vampire hiding with a pack of wolves. That just had bad news written all over it.
But, then again, any of Nassor’s goons who happened to be searching for her and Adam sure wouldn’t expect to find them rooming with the wolves.
“So I guess we have a truce, vampire,” Lucas said, voice soft. “For now.”
Maya’s head tilted back. “I guess we do.” Weak truce though it was.
She watched him stalk to the door. “Lucas.”
He glanced back at her.
“Tell me, when you were having a grand old time destroying Temptation, did you happen to kill a tall, too-pretty vampire with blond hair? He would have been hurt already, shot in the back.” She’d missed his heart, dammit. But there hadn’t been a choice when she’d fired.
The asshole had been between her and escape.
“Torrence.” Lucas spit out the name. Ah, so he knew about the vamp leader. “Bastard got away.”
Hell.
“I’ll find him,” the wolf shifter said. “He’s the one who took Jordan. I’ll find him—and I’ll peel the skin from his bones.”
Nice visual. Maya knew the guy meant every dark word. No empty threat from the wolf.
“Easy, wolf. That bastard is mine,” Adam said. “Keep your claws to yourself.”
Lucas just shook his head, then left the room with his shoulders tense and his back tight with tension.
Uh, oh. A pissing match for death rights.
She’d put her odds on the dragon.
Maya faced Adam fully and found him staring at her with narrowed eyes. “What?”
“He wants you.”
A choked laugh slipped past her lips. Damn. That had been the absolute last thing she’d expected him to say. “Uh, I think he wants to kill me.”
“No.” Definite. Angry. “I could smell his lust. He wants you.”
She hadn’t smelled a hint of arousal from the other guy, but—
Adam’s senses were sharper than hers.
She rubbed her temples, aware of a steady, dull throbbing. “Well, I doubt it was anything personal. I mean, show a guy a pair of breasts and he usually gets horny.”
“What?”
She looked at him then, really looked at him. The hard set of his jaw. The tight lips. The narrowed eyes. “Slick, are you jealous?” Of a hairy wolf?
He didn’t answer, just stared at her with glittering eyes.
Well, well. First worry, now jealousy. Wasn’t the dragon just full of surprises?
A smile began to tilt her lips.
Adam moved in a flash, his fingers clamping around her arms. “Don’t play with me, Maya. You don’t want to rouse the beast.”
Maybe she did. A heady excitement swept through her. Adam had been at the edge of his control with her before. What would it be like to see that power completely unleashed? To push him over the edge?
Oh, but she wanted to find out.
Maya lifted her hand, trailed a sharp nail down his cheek, and watched his eyes flare with arousal. �
��You didn’t finish what you started earlier,” she murmured.
His fingers tightened around her. “Maya…”
She liked the way he said her name. Liked the hunger she heard in his voice.
It was a pity that she’d have to leave him soon.
But maybe, just maybe, she could have one last, wild ride with her dragon.
She parted her lips, wanting to feel his mouth on hers, to taste his breath on her tongue.
He stepped back. Drew in a deep gulp of air. “There’s—I came in here—because Cammie wants to see you.”
“Cammie?” She felt like she’d just been doused by icy water. “Why does she want to see me?” As a rule, she wasn’t exactly good with the kiddies.
She’d saved the girl. Gotten her back with her uncle. End of story.
“She won’t talk to me,” Adam said, running a hand over his face. “She gets quiet every time I go near her.” His lips twisted. “She just talks to that boy, and she keeps asking about you.”
“Uh, what about me?” She’d probably scarred the kid for life. Dragging the girl through that hellhole, shooting a vampire in front of her—oh, yeah, not exactly scrapbook moments.
He shrugged and looked a bit helpless. “I-I don’t know. She just wants you.” His voice hardened. “So I told her I’d get you.”
Ah. Now this was the Adam she knew so well. The hardass. The do-what-I-say dragon.
Lucky for him, she was curious about the kid. Maya found her boots. Finished dressing. Her gaze scanned the room. “Where’s my gun? My knife?” She’d sure feel better if she were armed in this den of wolves.
“The wolves didn’t feel too safe leaving the gun and the silver bullets around you.”
Smart of them.
Adam bent down, drew her knife from his boot. “But I kept this for you.”
The blade had been cleaned. It glinted, beautiful and deadly. Her fingers closed around the hilt. “Thanks.” Who said the way to a girl’s heart was candy and flowers? She’d take weapons any day.
She tucked the knife away, already feeling better. Claws, teeth, and a blade. Yeah, she was getting back to her old self.
Which meant that, pretty soon, it would be time to hunt.
And time to leave the dragon behind.
Damn. Why did that thought make her ache?
Chapter 15
Adam watched Maya creep into Cammie’s room. His vampire looked nervous as hell and she kept glancing to the left and the right—like she expected to be attacked.
By a nine-year old.
Cammie sat on the bed, dressed in a pair of pale blue pajamas. When his guards had arrived—they’d flown in the minute he had Cammie safe—they’d brought Cammie’s clothes with them. And for an instant, the girl had smiled. An instant.
Cammie looked up at Maya’s approach and her eyes widened.
“Uh, hi, kid.” Maya rubbed her palms over the front of her jeans.
Cammie stared at her, swallowed, then cast a quick glance over at Adam.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, forcing a smile. Cammie talked to him, but only when she absolutely had to do so. He was worried about the tension he sensed in her, the fear that bubbled below the surface.
Adam eased back, moving to stand next to the wall. He tried to keep his body as still as possible, wanting to watch and see just why his niece seemed so fascinated by Maya.
Hell, maybe it was just a family addiction.
Because the vampire most definitely fascinated him.
The fucking wolf had better stay away from her.
Adam clenched his teeth, fought the burn of jealousy in his heart, and waited.
Maya eased onto the edge of the bed.
Cammie’s head cocked to the side. “Can I see your teeth?”
“Uh, sure.” Maya smiled, baring her fangs.
His niece jerked back.
“Hey, wow—it’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Maya rubbed her temples. “Look, your teeth get pretty sharp, too, right? I mean, I’ve seen your uncle’s—”
“I hurt someone.” Whispered words.
He saw Maya’s spine straighten. “You did? Well, if it makes you feel better, I’ve hurt lots of someones.”
He had to close his eyes a moment at that one. Not exactly what he’d been hoping she’d tell his young niece.
“I…b-burned her. She wanted t-to b-bite me…so I burned her.” Cammie’s chin jerked up. “I-I didn’t mean t-to, I just—”
“It’s all right, kid.” Maya’s hand reached across the bedding. Touched the tips of Cammie’s fingers. “You did what you had to do in order to protect yourself.”
She shook her head. “I hurt her, b-bad.”
“And she would have hurt you.” Maya obviously wasn’t trying to sugarcoat things. He wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or not, but now that Cammie was talking, he wasn’t about to interrupt.
“You did the right thing,” Maya continued, her voice firm. “Don’t let it eat you up inside. You saved yourself, that’s all that matters.”
“I see her wh-when I close my eyes. I see her.”
“You’ll probably keep seeing her,” Maya said matter-of-factly. “And you’ll hurt and you’ll cry and then you’ll realize that you’re alive, and you’re strong. Then one day, those images you see—they’ll just stop.”
“When?”
“When you’re not scared anymore.”
“Do you…ever s-see things that scare you?”
Not likely, Adam thought.
“Sometimes,” Maya said slowly.
“Like what?”
What would scare a fierce vampire who’d killed demons and shifters?
“Spiders.” Maya gave a quick shudder. “I hate those hairy eight-legged freaks.”
Cammie giggled. Giggled. But as fast as her lip had curved into a smile, the brief hint of humor faded and sadness flashed across her face.
“What about you, Cammie? What else scares you?”
Adam watched the little girl’s hands tremble. “Vampires.”
Maya didn’t so much as flinch. “Yeah, we can be pretty scary.” She lowered her head toward Cammie. “And you sure were introduced to the worst of our lot.”
A tear tracked down Cammie’s cheek. “Yes.”
“Those vamps—they’ll never hurt you again. You’ll never even so much as see them for the rest of your life.” The words sounded like a vow.
“P-promise?”
No hesitation. “I promise.”
The little girl’s breath pushed out in a rush. “You don’t—you don’t look like them. I mean, besides the teeth, you don’t.”
Adam inched forward, just enough to catch Maya’s smile. “What do I look like, then?”
“An angel.” A flush stained his niece’s cheeks.
His gaze shifted back to Maya.
She laughed, a quick deep laugh that filled the room—and hit him in the heart. “Oh, kid, trust me on this, I’m no angel.”
“I think you are.” Hushed. Cammie’s eyes were on her hands. On the fingers that Maya held. “You saved me. Took me away from th-those m-monsters.”
Silence. Maya stared at the girl’s bent head.
“I would have died without you,” Cammie whispered.
“Your uncle never would have let that happen.”
Damn right he wouldn’t.
A tear fell onto the bedspread. “My mom’s dead.”
Cammie was sure opening up to Maya. Adam couldn’t remember the last time the girl had talked so much. Even before the kidnapping, she’d never—
“Yeah, so is mine.” A pause. “Hard, isn’t it?”
A nod. Then. “M-my dad, he’s gone, too.” Cammie’s blond head tilted back as she gazed at Maya.
Adam rubbed his palm against the ache in his chest.
“Your uncle told me that,” Maya said, still not looking at him.
“I-is your dad gone? Or is he—”
“I never knew my dad. It was just me and my mom. The
n when she passed, well, it was just me.” She finally glanced back at Adam. “But you’re not alone like I was. You’ve got your uncle.”
Cammie turned her bright stare toward him, blinking away tears.
“You know what he did, Cammie?”
The girl shook her head.
“He came all the way to Los Angeles to find me—because he knew that I could find you.”
“He did?”
“Um. He was attacked by wolves, and vampires, but he just kept fighting—kept looking for you.”
The tears fell faster.
“You know why he did all that?” Maya squeezed Cammie’s hand.
The small blond head shook in a quick “no.”
“Because he loves you.” Maya motioned Adam toward the bed. “When you’ve got somebody like your uncle who loves you, you don’t ever need to worry about being alone or being scared—because he’ll always take care of you.”
As long as he had breath in his body.
Cammie’s lips trembled. She jumped out of the bed, ran to him, and threw her arms around his stomach.
Maya swallowed. Smiled faintly.
Then she stood and walked out of the room.
Adam held Cammie as tight as he could.
Thank you, Maya.
Shit. She was crying. Maya hurried past the guards at Cammie’s door—human guards that Adam had told her that he’d brought in for the kid’s protection—and nearly ran for the balcony doors at the end of the long hallway.
Crying. Her. She swiped away the tears and pushed open the glass door. All because a kid reminded her of—
A life long ago. A life she’d forgotten. Tried to forget.
Her temples pounded viciously now. A steady, aching drumbeat of pain.
She’d been like Cammie once. Scared to death. Terrified of being alone.
But she hadn’t been lucky like the kid. There’d been no Uncle Adam in her life.
What if there had been?
Maybe things would have been different.
Maybe she wouldn’t be a vampire.
Maybe she’d be living a normal life. With a husband, a kid of her own.
Or hell, maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe fate just had a plan for everyone, and the plan for her had been—
To become one of the monsters that little girls feared.
The terrible throbbing in her head stabbed at her, and Maya winced. Damn, what was happening? Why was—