by Honor James
“I can’t put you in that danger, Dr. C. You and I both know that your place is the first place that he would look for me at.” Mindy also couldn’t let Dr. Shaw in on the dangers that Mindy truly was in. The man that Mindy was engaged to was far more than a man. She knew it, but she knew that no one would believe her even if she told someone. Closing her eyes, Mindy shuddered and shook her head. “No, when I leave I have to go a very, very far way from here.” And she would have to do everything she could to cover her tracks so that the wolf that was her fiancé wouldn’t and couldn’t find her.
“You are awesome, Dr. Shaw.” She looked at her watch and sighed. “Crap, I have to leave. If Tommy comes home and I don’t have dinner ready then he’s going to…” Well, she didn’t’ want to talk about what he would do, but Chrissy knew what he would do.
“All right, be safe, honey.” Chrissy walked around the table and enveloped Mindy in a hug. “If you need anything at all, you call me. No matter what time or where, call me,” she told her friend.
“Thank you, Dr. Shaw, Chrissy,” Mindy put in with a smile. “Are you sure that you are going to be all right closing up on your own?” Mindy hated to leave Chrissy alone too long after dark because Mindy knew just what the hell lurked at night but Chrissy didn’t.
“I will be fine. Stop worrying,” she said with a smile and shook her head. “Now then, get out of here, darlin’. Get.” Because they both knew what happened if she was late.
Mindy didn’t need the reminder, but she nodded all the same. Taking in a deep breath, she said, “See you tomorrow.” No matter how broken she was, she would come in, mostly because Chrissy always put her back together again without police involvement. Mindy had made one vow though. She would never, ever again be pushed around by a man. No matter how beautiful, how perfect, she would never be told what to do again.
Chrissy watched Mindy out to her car and then turned back to the German shepherd. “All right, my friend, time to get you into one of the kennels so that you can sleep off the meds, and then tomorrow we will call your owner to come and get you.” She gave the animal another stroke before wheeling him to the dog kennels and putting him into one of the post-op recovery cubes.
* * * *
Closing up at night always made Chrissy antsy. She didn’t know why, but it truly bugged her to no end to walk outside to her car, which she always parked as far from the building as possible so that her paying customers could take the spots closest to the door. Chrissy frowned as she looked up. A light was out. She paused under the light and looked down. The glass was shattered around the base of the light. “Kids,” she muttered. It was only then that she realized just how dark it was. Moving to the next light, it was the same, light shattered out. The next light, and then the forth light as well. By now she was wishing that she was turning and hightailing it back to her office. She could sleep in there, right? Sure she could. No, she couldn’t deal with this. Clutching her purse tighter to herself, she fumbled with her keys and clicked the unlock button so that she could have at least a little light as she got into her car.
He came from the shadows. It was as if he was a living and breathing shadow. He was wrong though. Everything about him was just simply wrong. Chrissy couldn’t tell what it was that was wrong, but she knew that something was. Taking a step back, she gasped, the gasp bringing the scent of rotten flesh to her nostrils and making her gag. She didn’t bother to speak, because she knew that words would do her no good. This thing, this man, this whatever was an absolute monster.
Dropping her purse, she turned and ran, her keys in her hand, and she was trying to find the key to the office as she raced. Laughter followed behind her until she reached the door of the facility, and she tried to jam the key into the door but failed. The feeling of the slimy hand that touched her made her scream. She was twisted around and faced a nightmare of unbelievable proportions.
“Hello, darling Dr. Shaw. I have been looking for you for a very long time. I’ve just found you. How wonderful is that?” he asked her with a bit of a British accent and breath that literally smelled like rotting flesh, which made her gag. Chrissy noted the flesh between his teeth, the blood that dripped from his fangs as well as from his lips. Another scream tore from her when she realized that she was about to die. Chrissy knew that the monsters whom she had only dreamed about, read about, vampires, were real, and she was about to be killed by one.
Chapter Three
Turning his head at the scream, Tryggr cursed. “Target is on the move, and he’s got a victim,” he muttered into his comms as he broke cover as carefully as he could and stuck to the shadows. Racing full out as the others shifted their positions to cover him and ensure the target was solo, he left it in their hands. He knew they’d watch his back. Letting the Jaguar up closer to the surface, he put on another burst of speed and, ducking a shoulder, slammed the male to the side, hard. Grunting from the impact, Tryggr spun and barely kept his feet as he put himself between the……What the fuck!?
Chrissy was shaking. She was no weakling, but son of a biscuit, seriously?! She was shaking so badly she couldn’t get her brain working, and when she did, she shoved the keys into her door and tried to get it to open, but couldn’t figure out how to work the lock in her fear.
The attacker looked from Chrissy to the Jaguar and laughed. “I will see you again very, very soon, Dr. Shaw.” To the other, he said, “You will never catch me.” This was whispered before the being vanished in a puff of smoke.
She screamed. She couldn’t help it! Chrissy Shaw had always prided herself on being a very stable, very level-headed person, but this was too much.
Blinking, Tryggr growled low and tapped the comms. “Target vanished,” he said and rolled his eyes. “Vanished as in disappeared, no more, went poof, gone from vicinity without a sign,” he explained, relaxing his stance slightly and turning to the female. “Dude, if I knew where he went, don’t you think I’d be there waiting to rip his throat out? He literally disappeared from in front of me in a puff of smoke. Yes.” Tryg rubbed his brow. “Just like a magician, but without the cloying bad taste.”
Moving slowly closer to the woman, he bent to collect the keys she’d dropped, his eyes never leaving her face. “Are you all right, ma’am?” he asked gently, holding the key ring out to her by the end of a key.
Chrissy just looked at the man before her. “Am I?” She choked and shook her head, tears falling very freely. “Hell no, I’m not all right. Who the fucking hell would be all right when they were attacked by something”—she gulped—“something fictional? That thing had fangs and fucking meat”—she gagged—“hanging from its mouth. That was not human, and you are fucking asking me if I’m all right?” Good lord, she wanted to beat this man before her. “No! No I’m not all right!” she screamed and then began to truly lose her mind to hysteria.
Flinching at the volume she reached, Tryggr could see she was snapping. He had two choices. He could slap her, which went against his instincts, or he could kiss her. Both would bring her out of her hysteria, but he had a feeling option two, while it would be likely amazing, would probably get him slapped. The odds were not good on that one, but he could live with it. Stepping closer, he grabbed her shoulders and yanked her in close to kiss her hard and fast.
She was stiff at first, her spine a rigid line. Then she began to melt into the kiss, leaning into him, opening up to him, and wrapping her arms around him. In the next moment she was kissing him back with seemingly desperate need.
Growling softly as she leaned into him, her body molding to his, he slid his arms around her and drew her in closer. She was addictive, her taste was pure ambrosia and the Cat liked it. Nipping lightly at her lip, he drew back to give them both a second to catch their breath. Plus there was near screaming in his earpiece he should likely focus on. “Sorry,” he murmured, pressing a hand to his ear, “I didn’t catch that last, repeat.” Frowning, he turned his head sharply. “From where?!” he demanded and cursed. Snatching up her purse
, he smiled at her. “We’ll continue this later, darling,” he promised, throwing her over his shoulder as he took off for the secure vehicles with her in his arms.
Chrissy barely had time to process from him pulling back from that kiss that short circuited her brain to him promising to continue at a later time before she was captured in a fireman’s carry and sprinted toward several black SUVs. “What the—?” she demanded as soon as she was dumped into the backseat, her captor, savior, holy hell, kisser from heaven…no…thoughts couldn’t go there, dammit! “Who the hell are you?” she demanded. “And what the ever-loving hell was that thing?!”
“Tryggr,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Call me Tryg. It’s easier to pronounce,” he murmured, tucking her into the vehicle. “I have a lot to explain to you, but for now I need you to stay right here with the doors locked tight. No matter what, you do not open them for any reason. We have keys. We can get in just fine, so no matter what you see, hear, or otherwise, do not open the doors or windows, yes?”
He stared at her intently. “I know this is a lot to ask of you especially given everything that’s just happened. I would explain but my Team is in trouble and I need to go and assist. We mean you no harm and I’d throw myself in front of any harm that came your way. I know you don’t know me, don’t trust me, and I wish I had a couple minutes more but I don’t. I will explain everything I can when I get back. In the meantime there’s water and snacks in the cooler if you are hungry or thirsty.” He smiled and, leaning in, gave her another quick kiss before shutting and locking the SUV behind him. Licking his lips, he had to wonder if she tasted that delightful everywhere.
Chrissy heard the doors locking and tried to look out the windows, but wasn’t able to. The tinting on them was either too dark or there was something else triggered that made it where she wasn’t able to see outside. Moving to the center of the bench seat, she reached back where he told her and grabbed a bottle of water. Shaking, she opened it and tried to listen but heard nothing but silence, which was bugging the crap out of her.
Racing into the fight, he arched back and skidded, barely keeping his head in place. “Son of a monkey’s horny mother,” he bitched, swinging around. It was damned hard to fight something that wouldn’t stay in the same realm as they were. “What the ever-loving fuck are these things?” he asked no one in particular and lashed out instinctively when the Cat said to. He got lucky, sliced one of them up with his claws, and got, yep that’s right, DNA sampling, thank you very kindly.
The fight lasted another ten, maybe fifteen minutes when the other side just…vanished. Oddly, he felt vindicated as the others all spun around searching for where they’d gotten to. “And you all thought I was off my meds,” he snorted, moving to one of the field kits to get some of the blood and skin he’d scraped away sealed up. Holding up the packet, he frowned. He had a bad feeling about it but dropped it into an envelope. “Better get that to the labs, and carefully, too,” he murmured, passing it off to one of the guys. Washing his hands, he looked to the SUV. “I’m going to take the girl in and get her checked out. You guys cool here?” Not that he cared. He wanted to get close to her again. Getting nods though, he headed for the truck and climbed in behind the steering wheel. “Ready to get out of here?” he asked her curiously.
Chrissy looked to the man and nodded. “More than ready,” she whispered. “What”—she gulped—“what were those things, how did they know me, and why couldn’t I see outside of the windows?” Windows that she could see out of now that the vehicle was started. Very, very strange. To say the least. “And how did you know that I needed help? How was it that you and your team just suddenly were here when I needed help?”
“Not a clue,” he told her honestly as he pulled out of the lot and got them turned around. “But we have blood and skin samples we can test. Managed to get one of them out of pure luck,” he said, hating to admit that. “As to why they were after you”—Tryg shot her a look in the mirror—“we’re going to find that out and hopefully ensure they never get near you again.”
“I hope you are right,” she murmured and leaned back in the seat. “This feels totally weird. Being in the backseat and having someone driving me.” Undoing her belt, she said, “Slow down just a bit.” She then climbed from the backseat to the front seat and settled in at the passenger side. “There, much better. Sorry, I’m Chrissy Shaw, and you are?”
“Tryggr.” He grinned at her, unable to help himself. “Tryggr Jackson, or Tryg for those that have problems with all the consonants in one group there.” Shooting her a look, he turned his gaze back to the road. “You doing all right?” he asked quietly. “You’ve had a pretty rough night and all. Do you need a hospital or anything?” He couldn’t smell any blood, her fear was dissipating, and she seemed to be relaxing again, but he felt it was better to be safe than sorry.
“No, I really don’t need a hospital at all. I wasn’t hurt,” she told him. “Scared out of my fracking mind, but that was it. What was that thing.” With a shaky voice she asked, “Was that thing really a vampire?”
“Honestly?” He shrugged. “Good Gods, I hope not,” he muttered. “This damned world is weird enough without adding bloodsuckers to the mix.” He was a Jaguar. That was plenty weird enough given how folks reacted to his kind.
“I swear that’s what he looked like,”, Chrissy grumbled and fumbled with her seat belt. “He had fangs. Honest-to-freaking-God fangs. He even had meat hanging out of them.” She shuddered in revulsion. “Gross, I know.” She gagged again. “And he knew who I was. How could he have known me?”
Curling his lip in disgust, he shuddered in sympathy. “Hell if I know, sugar, but I intend to find out and keep you safe from cretins like him.” Shooting her another quick look, he tipped his head slightly. “You sure you’re all right? I tried to get to you as quick as I could, but I definitely can’t move as quick as he did.” Which quite frankly scared him. She could have been seriously hurt.
“I’m fine. I just…” She paused and sighed. “Scared out of my mind.” However, when she reached out and touched him, she felt safe. She felt relaxed. “I feel safe with you though.” Weird. “And I really would like it a great deal if you kept me safe by yourself as well. Please.”
Shooting her and her fingers on his arm a quick look, Tryg shrugged. “I can volunteer, sweet, but it will be my boss’s decision.” Taking her hand in his, he gave it a little squeeze. “Don’t worry, I will ensure he knows I really, really want to keep an eye on you.” Amongst other things.
“Well then I will just have to make sure that he knows that I want you to keep me safe as well,” she said with a nod. “Yep, I think that will be the best of the best of ideas, don’t you?” she asked.
“Probably not the ‘best’ of ideas, but it is a damned fine one,” he assured her with a quick wink her way. Chuckling, he drove along for a time. “Do we need to stop anywhere, get you some things, food, clothing, whatever?” he asked as he realized she wouldn’t exactly have access to such things for a time.
“Well since that place was my home, I would say that is a big fat no for there. Maybe when the sun comes up we can go shopping or maybe go to my home so I can get clothes? I really don’t think going back there tonight would be a good idea, do you?”
“Probably not.” He had to agree on that one. It would likely be bad. “We’ll hit up a store tomorrow so you can get a few things. Is your practice going to be okay?” he asked her and grinned at her suspicious look. “I saw a couple of your business cards in your bag when I scooped it up, but if we need to have someone swing past tomorrow, I should know so I can mention it to the big guy.”
“It would be best if someone could go by my office, get into the computers so that I can call and cancel all of my appointments and farm them out to other practices in the area. I also truly do need to get the animals that I do have there back to their families. Do you think that someone will be able to do that for me?” She grinned at him and shook her head. “I’m a vet
, not a people doctor, so it’s not as hard to close down my practice as you might think.”
“I know you’re a vet. I can smell the various little varmints on your skin,” he told her and grinned at her look. “You smell just fine, and it’s only the faintest of traces, Chrissy, so stop looking like you can’t decide between offended and horrified. And really it’s only in the confines of the car that I’m picking up anything at all, but I have a really sensitive sense of smell, so…”
“Ah, okay,” she said with a downturn of her lips and her eyebrows drawing together. “And they aren’t little varmints. They are beloved pets of people, companions where others don’t have them. Believe me, some people’s animals mean more to them than any other person does.”
“Oh, trust me, I know,” he told her honestly. “My sister raises and breeds dogs,” he said, turning toward the base. “Those little fur balls get fed better than some folks I know, and she knows every single one of them by heart, their quirks, tempers, everything. Course I think she went a little crazy when she gave them a wing of the house, but it’s her life, so as long as she’s happy, I’m happy.” After all she’d been through, she deserved happiness more than any other in life.
That had Chrissy grinning, and she said, “I think that I would like her.” Leaning back in her seat, the woman watched everything that they passed, and then the shadow of a frown turned her lips downward as she asked, “Where are you taking me, Tryggr?”
“To the base. We’ll get you cleaned up. Talon will want to debrief you,” he said and shot her a look. “My boss. And then, depending on how you’re still feeling about me, I’ll either take you to my place, a hotel, or one of the others can take you wherever you’d prefer to be.”