Exquisite Breath of Darkness

by Candice Stauffer

  “You’re worried about them?” His head slightly cocked to the side, he appeared confused.

  “I don’t like them.”

  “That makes two of us.” Smiling, he winked. “And they are not my friends. They won’t touch you.”

  “Tell them to leave.” She kept her gaze locked onto his.

  “Anything to make you happy.” Eli turned his back to her. “Get out of here!”

  It was definitely one of the biggest, most major WTF moments she’d ever experienced. She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to turn his back to her while she had the gun aimed at his head. The man was either incredibly stupid or suicidal.

  She glanced down at her gun, and then she glared at his head. No. He was arrogant. It was nearly impossible to fight the urge to use the gun to smack the back of his head. Wait—why hell wasn’t she using it to smack him upside the head?

  The other men started to argue with him, but Eli interrupted. “I told you to get the hell out of here.” This time, rather than shout the order, he growled it. Then the oddest thing happened: howling erupted. Wolves. Several of them. The sound was far off—in consequence it was barely audible—but it was unmistakably the sound wolves howling.

  The three men obviously heard it too. All at once they stopped and turned in the direction the sound seemed to be coming from. “This is our territory. You have no right to be here.”

  “Well then, I suggest you do something to make us leave,” Eli replied. Grumbling, the men turned and walked back toward their bikes, but they didn’t leave.

  Turning around, Eli smiled at Mia and bowed at waist. “No need to thank me.”

  “For what?” She rolled her eyes. “They’re still here.”

  “Yes, but they won’t bother you now.”

  Despite her best effort to remain mad, she almost laughed. She had to bite her bottom lip to stop from smiling. How the hell was he freely, easily getting into her head and disarming her? Well, it wasn’t happening again.

  “How much do want for returning my license?” It really pissed her off that he was able to hold the license above her head and just out of her reach. She truly hated being short sometimes.

  Gold flecks burned in his dark brown eyes as they openly explored her body, slowly moving his gaze from her feet up to her face. “I want it all.” His voice was a deep, sexy, throaty growl. “And I plan to have it all.” The sound of it was a perfected form of art designed to seduce women.

  “Huh?” The son of a bitch was going down. Yes, he was a shockingly good-looking man with a great voice and beautiful, mesmerizing eyes. He had thick black, shoulder-length hair. His strong, masculine features were shadowed with dark facial hair. She figured his looks had gotten him what he wanted from women all the time, but his looks weren’t going to get him anything except an ass kicking this time, because he was going to down, hard.

  She couldn’t help but wonder what he was. His mental patterns were very different from anyone she’d ever known. He wasn’t a vampire. He wasn’t a demon. As strange as it was, his mental patters were similar to a wild animal. More accurately, a wild predator.

  She thought of the howling. Could he be a werewolf? She’d heard of them but never gave them too much thought. Was it possible? Of course it was. She knew from firsthand experiences that demons and vampires existed. Oh, and nasty ghouls. The only question was whether or not Eli was truly evil. Ever since she’d discovered Joseph Payne, Haden Drake, and Nikolas Drake were demons, she’d learned many of the things she’d had pounded in her head about demons were false. Some were evil. Some were not. Just like humans.

  From out of nowhere, pain gripped her hard. It was deep in her bones. Her cancer. She felt her knees threaten to buckle. The gun was suddenly nearly too heavy to hold up. Biting back the pain, refusing to allow it to dictate her fate, she took a deep breath and let it out in a slow hiss. She wasn’t about to allow pain from cancer make her his helpless victim.

  She could see confusion in his eyes. She knew he sensed her struggle to remain in command of her body. She felt him try to probe her mind. She fought to keep her mind guarded so he couldn’t detect the pain.

  “Shooting me will not kill me,” he said, “but it might stop me from being able to stop them from killing you.”

  “I’m confident I will get them before they get me.” Normally, she would’ve been confident she could shoot them all before they had any chance of getting closer to her, but she knew she wasn’t up to it at the moment. “If you want the damn license, keep it. Just get the hell out of here.” She cocked the gun to let him know she meant business.

  Moving with supernatural speed, he’d taken the gun from her, crushed it in his fist, and tossed it at her feet before she realized he’d moved. “Sorry. I’m not willing to bet your life on it.” His voice was filled with just as much irritation as his eyes. “What’s wrong with you? You’re not well.”

  “I’m well enough to make you regret fucking around with me.” She glanced down at the gun. “And for destroying my gun.”

  “If you promise to behave I’ll get you another one to play with.” He seemed to be hesitating with a decision as he ran his hand through his hair, and then he grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him. “We’re leaving.” He wrapped one arm around her and started toward his motorcycle. “I’m not going to hurt you. Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

  She didn’t have any reason to believe he wouldn’t hurt her, but she did have every reason to believe he would. Why else would he force her to leave with him? She wasn’t about to allow him to take her anywhere. “Let go of me.” When he continued to drag her along, she reached into her jacket. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She pulled her knife out and stuck it into his side.

  Wincing, he clenched his jaw, but he didn’t let go of her as she’d expected. Instead, he turned her around and gripped her shoulders. “That was not nice at all.” Grunting, he pulled the knife out and tossed it onto the ground. What really shocked her, however, was that even though she knew he was mad, he didn’t retaliate. She would’ve had a chance to get away if he would’ve retaliated. He just held her close to body, his grip on her shoulders firm and yet gentle. “I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you. I just need to talk to you.”

  Just then, she heard the back door to her boutique open. She turned her head and saw Brianna walk out. “What’s happening? Mia, are you okay?”

  Mia’s heart stopped. “Go back inside!” From the corner of her eyes she saw movement and turned her head. The other men were moving toward Brianna. “Do it now, Brianna—go inside!”

  Mia’s stomach churned. Brianna’s sightless gaze was fixed on the three men, and she wasn’t moving to go back inside. She was actually moving further away from the building. Mia couldn’t allow Brianna to get any closer to the other men. She had to do something. She looked up at Eli. Like it or not, she needed his cooperation. “Please … she can’t see.”

  He glanced over at Brianna and then looked down at Mia. “What?”

  “She’s blind, you dumb son of a bitch. Just let me help her.”

  Lowering his eyebrows, Eli frowned. “Damn it.” Then his expression softened, and he nodded. “Fine. I’ll help her for you.” He turned his head toward the men. “Get the fuck away from her!”

  As if they hadn’t heard him, the men continued to move closer to Brianna. She felt Eli hesitate. She knew he planned to help Brianna, but at the same time he didn’t want to release her and risk her leaving. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, hoping it would convince him to help Brianna.

  Just then the sound of another Harley caught her attention. Eli turned his head. It appeared Brianna had also heard it because she turned her head toward the sound and smiled. Mia knew what her smile meant. It was Nikolas Drake.

  Eli turned away from Mia and went perfectly still. Mia knew he was searching for Nikolas’ identity. “I don’t think she will need my help.” Eli yanked Mia’s arm and pulled her to his side
. “We’re leaving.”

  Mia tried to pull her arm out of his grip, but it was useless. He was too strong. “There’s no way in hell I’m leaving her with them.”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. You know she’s fine. Her mate is coming for her.” He yanked her hard. “And he’s pissed.”

  The sudden explosion of sharp, bone-deep pain that shot through her entire body nearly brought her to her knees. “Shit.” It was so intense she actually felt lightheaded and nauseous. “Let go of me.” Digging in her heels to slow him down, she bit the pain back, refusing to allow him to see any sign of it.

  Eli stopped. “Damn it.”

  Mia followed Eli’s gaze. A dark, smoky shadow of a tall man with broad shoulders on a Harley took substance at the entrance of the alley. Mia released a sigh of relief. She knew beyond any doubt that Brianna was safe. At that moment it was the only thing that mattered.

  The atmosphere was charged with fury, as though electricity thrummed through the air. Mia sensed Nikolas was aware of Eli, but he gave no outward sign of it. Somehow the knowledge that he didn’t consider Eli a threat entered her mind. She didn’t hear Nikolas’ voice in her mind, but she knew it was him sharing the knowledge with her.

  Nothing about Nikolas’ powerful presence was subtle, and yet, he didn’t rush. He simply got off the bike and walked straight toward Brianna. “Don’t touch her,” he warned in a voice that was only slightly more than a whisper.

  One of the men, apparently stupid enough to think he could use Brianna as a shield, grabbed her from behind. Brianna didn’t seem to notice. She just continued to focus her sightless gaze on Nikolas, though the man had wrapped his arm around her neck and yanked her to him.

  Mia smiled. There was no fear in Brianna. None at all.

  “You wish to die.”

  Mia glanced at Nikolas when he spoke. It was definitely a statement rather than a question. Nikolas smiled, but there was no humor in it. It was cruel. Merciless. Murderous. “So be it.” Nikolas never stopped walking. Eyes burning red and power in the form of fire swirling around him, he lifted his hand and waved it toward the men.

  It happened fast. If Mia had blinked she would’ve missed everything. The man that had his arm around Brianna’s throat was thrown back several feet. Then, when he attempted to stand up, all three of the men screamed at once as they burst into smoke and flames.

  There was nothing left. No flesh. No bones. No ash. Nothing of them remained.

  Mia heard the deep, thundering sound of more motorcycles, this time several of them, and she felt Joseph’s familiar touch as he searched her mind to assess the situation. Why the hell do I have to find out from Nikolas that you’re in trouble?

  Trouble? What are you talking about? I’m just hanging out with a friend. But it’s good that Nikolas came to visit Brianna. She’s missed him.

  I will never hear the end of this. Do you even care a little tiny bit about my reputation?

  Nope. Not really.

  She felt something change in Joseph. He’d identified Eli, and it bothered him. Get away from him, Mia. His voice was perfectly calm, but she knew better. She felt what everyone else couldn’t. He was mad as hell and very close to losing control.

  I would rather not. He’s actually kind of cute.

  Eli yanked her arm again. This time the pain that surged through her body and her bones was too intense to hide. In fact, if he hadn’t immediately wrapped his arm around her to support her weight, she would’ve land flat on her ass.

  Stop screwing around, Mia. Get the hell away from him. He’s dangerous. Joseph’s voice was still perfectly calm, as if he didn’t have a care in the world, but she felt his anger and frustration boiling over.

  Really? I didn’t notice. What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do? Her pain was intolerable at times, especially if her body was jostled around before she had a chance to brace herself.

  “I’m sorry,” Eli said. Mia realized to her surprise that he really was. She saw guilt in his eyes. It was odd. She’d just stabbed him, and his friends were dead. Why the hell would he care if he’d hurt her? By the look on his face, she knew he was confused, since he hadn’t grabbed her hard enough to hurt her.

  “I am not angry at you for stabbing me. You were scared. And that was my fault. I followed you into an alley and cornered you. Honestly, I am proud you chose to fight rather than run. I hope in future, as long as it’s not me, you shoot before the man has a chance to take your gun.” Pausing, he smiled at her. Well, honestly, rather than a smile, it looked more as if he were baring his teeth. Not that the upward curve of his lip wasn’t sexy, because it was. “And I told you those men weren’t my friends. I do not care that they’re dead. I am actually quite pleased he killed them.”

  She hated that he was able to hear her thoughts, but what made her even more uncomfortable was his moving his massive, solid frame closer to her. Looking up him, feeling the heat of his body against hers, she felt utterly susceptible to him. He was pushing beyond Joseph’s presence to move more freely in her mind. To her shock, she couldn’t stop him, though she tried.

  “I didn’t know you were injured. I would’ve been gentler. Tell me how it happened,” he said.

  Part of her wanted to tell him anything he wanted to know. She opened her mouth, but luckily some other, stronger part of her refused to give him any information. To say she was confused was a serious understatement. He was a threat to her, and yet she actually sensed his need to shelter her, to protect her from the source of the pain. Deep down, though, what bothered her most was his ability to move freely in her mind when Joseph was merged with her.

  Then it happened. She knew he saw the truth a split second before he said, “It’s not an injury. You’re dying.” She saw pain in his eyes, genuine pain, for her, for him. She was swamped with his deep sadness. As a result, she felt her heart breaking for him. It didn’t make sense. All she knew about him was that he was dangerous. Knowing that, how could she feel any empathy for him?

  All of a sudden, she realized her mind was reaching out to fully merge with his. She tried to stop it, but she wasn’t strong enough. Then, to her horror, she moved closer to him, intimately pressing her body against his. She’d never encountered such a powerful compulsion.

  Joseph! In that instant, calling out to Joseph wasn’t a conscious decision. It was a reflex. She knew he was her only hope.

  Eli bent his head. His mouth was close enough to hers that she could feel the heat of his breath on her lips, and it ignited a flame of desire deep in her belly. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to kiss him, taste him. She knew he was creating the longing in her. But knowing it meant nothing when she couldn’t stop him from controlling her mind and body by flooding her with sexual longing for him.

  “This is a game you do not want to play,” she whispered between clenched teeth.

  “This is not a game,” he growled, his lips pressed against the corner of her mouth and his arms circling her.

  Just then, something enormous slammed into her and filled her. The inferno of lust Eli had created was extinguished, and it was replaced by strength. She felt Joseph’s power thrumming through her body and mind, freeing her from Eli’s compulsion.

  Shoving him, stepping back, she blinked up at Eli. She couldn’t believe she’d almost kissed him. She couldn’t believe that, even under a compulsion, she’d wanted to kiss him.

  For a second, everything, even her breathing, went still. Was Joseph angry at her? Don’t be silly. He was with her, in her mind and body, his calm presence comforting her. It was my fault. He had your mind and body under his control. The wind picked up, and then, pricking her skin, the atmosphere was charged with pulses of electricity. It will never happen again. She felt the words whispered against her ear even though he wasn’t there. She believed Joseph. He wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.

  Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance. Looking up at the sky, she took a breath and released it slowly. It thrilled
her that Joseph was coming for her. She’d never been happier to know he had her back. Normally, knowing he was rushing to defend her would’ve irritated her. She prided herself in being able to take care of herself. But it felt good to know he was ready and able to defend her when she just wasn’t strong to defeat the bad guy.

  Mia looked straight into Eli’s eyes. “You should get your ass out of here.” Why the hell was she warning him?

  “You will be disappointed if you expect me to run away from the demon.” He shook his head and reached out to touch her, but she moved to dodge his hand. “You don’t belong with him. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time. You’re a part of me. I am a part of you. You feel it. You know it’s true. And whether or not your demon likes it, I won’t give you up now that I’ve found you.”

  “He will kill you.” It was a fact. Joseph wasn’t about to play nice with a man attempting to stake some type of twisted claim on her. He would never share her with any man.

  “I look forward to him trying. The only reason you have anything to do with him is because he has been deceiving you. I’m disgusted but not surprised he has kept the truth from you. He wants to keep you to himself. For that, I can’t blame him.”

  Okay. Now she was really confused. She wanted to know more, but she knew it was only a matter of minutes before Joseph was there with them. With each passing second, she felt him getting closer. His power was unbelievable, but she knew it was his anger that fueled the storm raging all around and the tremors vibrating deep below the ground. “If he knew … I don’t even know you. Why would I listen to anything you say?”

  “You are like me. You are lycan. Search your soul for the truth. It’s there. You are not like Joseph Payne. You do not belong to him. You belong to me.”

  “A werewolf?” She was so shocked she didn’t bother to inform him that she didn’t belong to anyone. Normally, she would’ve been all over that one.

  When he nodded, Mia looked down at his side and followed the trail of blood leading to a pool of it at his feet. He was losing too much blood. He had to be getting weak from it. She’d seen how easily Nikolas had killed the other men. Surely, Joseph would kill Eli just as easily. Eli had to know it too. Why wasn’t he leaving? Oddly, she realized she wanted him to leave. She wanted him to live. She wanted to see him again.