“Duncan was feeding in the parking lot. I opened the back door of the bar and saw Adrian and the blond vampire take him. I rushed back inside and grabbed Mia so we could get out of there.”
“Coward. You didn’t even try to help him.” Reece seethed.
“Against Adrian the vampire hunter?” Collin asked.
“He’s right. He wouldn’t have stood a chance against Adrian,” Danika said, her tone resentful.
Danika changed her tone to sound pleased. “It was good that you came to us right away,” she told Collin.
Collin smiled, his confidence regained.
“I have a task for each of you.” Danika pulled several business cards from her jacket pocket and handed them to Reece. He took one and passed on the others.
“I want each of you to take a few companions with you and go to the place on the card. Wait for Adrian to show up. He will eventually, and when he does, I want you to follow him. Don’t get close. Watch him. See where he goes and who he spends his time with, then report back to me. We need to get Adrian out of our way, and I have a feeling the young woman I saw him swooning over just might be the tool we need.”
***
Kayci had just finished spreading the herbs and saying the incantation around the last window when she heard a knock at her door. She didn’t realize how immersed she had become in her task. The knock genuinely surprised her. Who would be visiting at this hour? She knew it wasn’t Elise. The knock sounded far too hard to be her. She quickly peered out the window to get a glimpse of her visitor. When she saw Adrian standing outside her door, she immediately suppressed the flutter of butterflies.
She stood on her side of the door, wondering if she should open it, and then realized she had been standing there for too long. Her hand impulsively turned the knob and pulled open the door.
“Adrian. What brings you by?”
“Sorry to come over unannounced. I wanted to make sure you had made it home safely last night and apologize for the way the evening ended.”
Kayci stepped out onto her porch to avoid inviting Adrian inside. She could tell he noticed by the expression on his face. She felt a pinch of guilt.
“Thank you for checking on me. Yeah, I made it home just fine. No worries about the evening being cut short. It was a good time for me to leave anyway.”
Adrian sensed Kayci’s unease, and it bothered him more than it should that she felt so uncomfortable around him.
“I imagine the events of the evening were a bit startling for you.”
“Startling,” Kayci muttered. “That’s a way to describe it. Let’s just say the events of the evening are not a habitual environment I’d like to be a part of. I owe you so much more than a thank-you for saving my life, and I wish there was a way I could repay you, which is why I feel awful saying this, but it is probably best for my own safety that our paths don’t cross again. Besides, it appeared that you already have your hands full with your lady friend that you were clearly waiting for.”
Adrian sensed a hint of jealousy among Kayci’s attempt to dismiss him. He smiled inwardly. She obviously had been more startled by the confrontation with Conan than he’d realized. She’d also seen the way Danika had addressed him when she arrived. It irritated him that was the impression she received. He couldn’t blame her for wanting to avoid him. To her he was a womanizer and a vampire with dangerous company. What a fool he’d been. She was human. Of course she wanted to steer clear of him. He shouldn’t have come to see her.
“You’re right, Kayci, about almost everything. The woman you saw is not a friend or partner. My business required I meet with her, and believe me when I say I wish it hadn’t.”
Adrian pushed back the sullen feeling developing in his gut.
Kayci didn’t know what to say. She stared up at his beautiful green eyes, and the only way to keep herself from saying I’m sorry I’m an ass—please stay was to look away and let him go.
When he turned, the familiar feeling of disappointment invaded, but she told herself it was the right thing to do, even though she already regretted it. She watched Adrian walk farther into the darkness until the streetlight no longer illuminated him. When he disappeared into the night, misery settled in.
She trudged to her garage and found a hammer and nail, and returned to the front door with gloves on and the tools and talisman in hand. She opened her front door and avoided looking in the direction Adrian had gone. She pounded the nail into the siding forcefully. With each strike of the hammer, some tension released. She reached up and looked above the talisman to help hang it without making direct eye contact with it. When finished, she returned the gloves and tools to the garage. As she headed back inside, she heard another knock at her door. For a second she hoped it was Adrian, but then she recognized the eager beats. Elise.
“Wow, you look like hell.”
“Thanks,” Kayci retorted. “So nice to see you too.”
Elise pushed through the door, with a duffel bag in hand. “I’m sleeping over. I thought we’d have a girl’s night. I have so much to tell you about Greg!” Elise squealed.
Kayci almost asked Greg who? but remembered the guy with glasses and disheveled hair. “Oh right, from Blue Moon.”
“Yes! He’s amazing! We spent the whole night talking. We have so much in common! He’s got a good job too. He’s an accountant. At first I thought he might be a little too dull and innocent for me, but then we made out, and wow, what a great kisser! We spent the day together today. We went out to lunch, to the beach, made out some more. It was amazing!”
Kayci wanted to be happy for Elise, but her budding romance was difficult to hear about when she still felt so miserable.
“Okay, why are you melancholy face over there?” Elise waved her index finger in a circle to outline Kayci’s face.
Kayci wandered into her kitchen. Elise dropped her duffel bag and followed. Kayci brought out two wineglasses and a bottle of Riesling from the refrigerator and poured some into each glass before plopping down at her kitchen table.
“I’m not sure where to begin. These last few days have been overwhelming.” Kayci took a couple swallows of the wine. “I admit I do like Adrian, but it can’t go anywhere. He leads a very different lifestyle than mine. He came to visit me just before you arrived, and I let him know that. After he left, I felt miserable.”
Elise looked at Kayci funny. “What kind of lifestyle does he have that is so different than yours? You obviously like him. I can tell you’re torn up about giving him the boot.”
“His job requires him to keep unscrupulous company, for starters.”
“Is he a criminal or something?”
Kayci chuckled. “No, it’s hard to explain.” She grabbed the bottle of wine and ambled to the living room. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Tell me more about Greg.”
Kayci sunk into the couch and pulled a blanket over her legs. Elise followed, setting her wineglass on the coffee table and snuggling under the other side.
“His name is Greg Owen. Like I said, he is an accountant, but in his free time he likes to go boating or paddle boarding or hang out at the beach. He has a condo that is walking distance to the beach. It’s really nice. He drives a nice car, has a clean house, and seems to have his shit together. I really like him. Is it too soon to call him my boyfriend?” Elise asked half jokingly.
Kayci grinned. “Yes, it is. Don’t scare him off. Sounds like he might be a keeper. So where is he from?”
“He’s from Ohio. Went to Ohio State. Was living up there and then took a job here in Naples a couple years ago as an accountant for a prominent law firm.”
“Wow, yeah, he is successful. So when are you two hanging out again?”
“We’re going out to dinner Monday night.”
Elise’s phone buzzed. She nearly jumped to get it. She looked at her phone and then at Kayci. “He just texted me!”
“What did he say?”
“That he had a great time today and is looking for
ward to dinner Monday.” Elise radiated delight. “I think I’m in love.”
Kayci smiled, happy for Elise, and for a little while she had been distracted by her friend’s giddiness, but as Elise texted Greg, Kayci’s thoughts drifted to Adrian, and the morose feeling returned.
***
Adrian stalked into the dance club Seracha’s, ignoring the liveliness of the crowd. His mood had grown increasingly somber, and his only thought was to feed and then hunt. He scanned the dance floor and made eye contact with a young blond woman in a short black dress. She and her friend eyed him sexually. His vampire energy ignited instantly. It radiated around him.
He took two steps down to the dance floor and made his way through the crowd to where the blonde stood on the edge of the dance floor. As he came near, he reached his hand out to her. She eagerly took it, oblivious to the fangs beneath his charming smile.
The lights were pulsing and slowly changing colors. The effect enhanced Adrian’s ability to charm his dance partner. She moved right into his body and began following his rhythmic movements. He reached down and cupped her face, bringing her nearer. As the lights pulsed and everyone drunkenly swayed against one another, he drank from her.
It wasn’t long before his hunger was satisfied, giving him the opportunity to abandon the woman on the dance floor. She continued to sway to the rhythm of the music, unaware of his departure. To anyone around her, she appeared heavily intoxicated. Her friend eventually joined her and helped her off the dance floor. She stumbled away with barely any evidence of a bite mark.
Adrian’s senses went off like a siren when he sensed another vampire approaching behind him.
“Do you miss it?” He heard the familiar snakelike voice and turned to face Danika with an expression of scorn.
“Miss what, Danika?”
She moved in closer, like a panther stalking its prey. She reminded him of the creature—sleek, wild, and predatory.
“What it was like to truly hunt. To find your kill and ravage it.”
“You tried to make me into a killer, but that’s not what I am.” His temper simmered.
Danika’s eyebrows furrowed in pretend puzzlement. “It’s not, is it? And what do you do for the Covenant exactly?”
“That’s different.”
“Is it? Why are the humans more valuable than the vampires you slaughter?”
Adrian’s lip curled in frustration. She was trying to get under his skin, and it was working.
“You’re bringing them to their death by creating them against the consent of the Covenant. Their deaths are on your hands, not mine.”
“Is that what you tell yourself to be able to live with your actions? You’re better off admitting you’re a killer. Life would be less depressing. It’s who you are, after all, Adrian. Don’t you remember how much you enjoyed the hunts and the kills?” Danika smirked.
He revealed the tips of his fangs. His nostrils flared. His lip curled. It took everything in his power not to kill her on the spot.
“This is not the time or place to provoke me, Danika. The Covenant has asked me to bring you to them alive. I can always ask for forgiveness later and tell them it was an accident that your head came back separate.”
Adrian grabbed her arm forcefully. He wasn’t letting her go this time.
Danika’s eyes lowered. She scowled at Adrian. She tried to pull her arm from his grasp, but his grip was deadlocked. Danika glanced at Adrian’s hand on her arm and then back at him.
“You think I came to see you without leverage?”
Adrian raised his head. She had his interest. He waited for her to continue.
“She tastes sweet, if you’re wondering.”
Adrian’s grip tightened. He leaned in closer. His fangs escaped his control.
“What are you talking about?” He knew she meant Kayci.
Danika smirked again.
“The little brunette you killed Conan over. Just wanted to let you know we have her. She’s very sweet, and so is the taste of her blood. Not sure how much longer she’ll last though. My boys have been a bit rough with her.”
Adrian’s face twisted into an expression of rage.
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
Danika jerked her arm from his grasp the moment he hesitated. “You’re obviously concerned for the pathetic human’s life.” She roughly pulled his face close to hers and whispered, “Good-bye, Adrian.”
Adrian looked around. Six of Danika’s minion vampires circled him, ensuring he didn’t follow Danika. He shoved the nearest one between him and Danika out of his way. All six moved in closer and took their stance. He either had to make a scene in public and potentially reveal what they were or back off. He grimaced in anger.
Danika strolled through the crowd of dancers, glancing back at Adrian only once. Her coven vampires were holding him back well. She could see the look of angst and rage on his face. She grinned. Her plan had worked. Now it was time to hunt and then wait for Adrian to be the foolish protector he was. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed.
“Follow him when he leaves,” she ordered, then disconnected.
The door she exited came out to a backstreet between buildings. She followed it while listening for voices. She heard a couple of young men some yards away. She quickly made her way to them. She found them drunk and laughing at each other’s ridiculous jokes. Danika scanned her surroundings. No one else was near.
“Hi, boys.” Her words were smooth as silk. She instantly had their attention. Her energy pulsed.
“Hell-o, beautiful.” The man’s arrogance made her grin. “Come to join the fun, have you?”
She flashed a smile at the tall yellow-haired guy.
“Oh yes, fun is exactly what I want.” Her teeth slipped out of her smile. Her eyes flashed gold. Both men stared at her with puzzled expressions.
“Too bad I’ll be the only one having a good time.”
She slammed her fist into the friend of the yellow-haired guy. The blow knocked him to the ground. He hit his head against a pile of haphazardly piled crates. He didn’t get up. The yellow-haired guy looked suddenly sober.
“What’d you do that for?” he asked with confusion and irritation in his voice.
Danika didn’t answer. She clutched him in her arms and bit viciously into his neck. She savored the rush of warm blood invigorating her own body. Minutes later she released him. He collapsed to the ground near his friend, his body unmoving and lifeless. She licked her lips clean of blood.
She thought of Adrian. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.
Chapter 6
Kayci and Elise abruptly stopped their laughing as a forceful and impatient knock banged on Kayci’s front door.
“Who is that?” Elise asked. Her eyes widened, clearly startled.
“Not sure. Stay here.” Kayci slowly headed for the door. She was fairly intoxicated and desperately tried to gather her wits.
As she moved closer to the door, she heard Adrian’s voice. His tone startled her.
“Kayci, open up.”
Kayci looked at Elise before opening the door. “It’s Adrian.”
Elise seemed to settle a bit but was blatantly curious at the unexpected late-night visit.
Kayci opened the door to see Adrian displaying his full vampire appearance—fangs bared, eyes sharp and bright gold. His cheeks unusually blushed. His posture tense. She stepped back in surprise and instinctively tried to hide him from Elise’s view.
“Has anyone been here since I left?”
Adrian was seriously disturbed by something. Kayci stared at him, bewildered. She glanced at Elise and then back at him.
He realized Elise’s presence and stepped back from the door to hide his appearance. He quickly tried to compose himself in an effort to conceal his fangs and golden eyes.
“Just Elise. Why?” Kayci asked.
“Dammit.” Adrian’s expression changed from concern to comprehension.
He peered into the darkness. He could sense them.
“She set me up,” he muttered.
Kayci looked in the direction Adrian stared. She saw nothing, but remembered the last time he behaved this way.
“Adrian, what is going on?!” Kayci demanded.
Adrian looked back at Kayci, his golden eyes filled with concern. “You’re not safe. We need to talk.”
“What do you mean I’m not safe?!”
Adrian looked up in frustration. He caught a glimmer of a bright light above his head and examined it more closely. When he focused on the charm dangling above the door, the bright light flashed boldly into his eyes. He squinted in pain. He recognized the heat rising on his skin. He stepped back instinctively as his hands began to smolder.
Kayci stared at Adrian. She had forgotten about the talisman.
She stepped out of the doorway and went to Adrian, who stared at his scorched hands.
“Adrian, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
Adrian tried to smile. His discomfort dissipated now that he had stepped away from the talisman. Luckily for him she hadn’t hung it on her door like she was supposed to have done.
“Are you a witch?”
“No. Met one today though. She gave me a few things to help keep unwanted guests from entering my home.”
“Like me?” Adrian asked, disappointed.
“No,” Kayci admitted. “Others. Like the one that attacked me and the one from outside Blue Moon.”
Relief flooded through Adrian.
“Luckily for me you didn’t hang it in the right place. Otherwise, I’d be in a lot more pain right now.”
Kayci stared up at Adrian and smiled. She reached out and touched his hands and rubbed them as they healed before her eyes. She was fascinated by how quickly his skin regenerated. She started to tell him how much slower hers regenerated, and quickly caught herself.
She looked up to see him attentively staring down at her. His golden eyes mesmerized her. They glistened under the bit of moonlight that illuminated her porch. She hadn’t realized before how bright and beautiful the golden color really was. She had been too distracted. Now she found herself entranced like a moth drawn to a flame. As he gazed down at her, the familiar butterflies returned. This time she didn’t push them away. Perhaps the alcohol influenced her. Either way, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. She wanted to be closer. And the humming sensation between them. What is it? Why does it feel so captivating?
Embrace The Dawning (The Covenant Series Book 1) Page 8