Shattered Restraint

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Shifters aren’t human or vampire,” Quinn explained. “While shifters like the privacy and protection walls provide, we prefer more contact with nature. Some homes have wood floors, but there are shifters who don’t like them.”

  “So, you’re like the wood nymphs,” Danny deduced.

  “You know about wood nymphs?” Max asked, clearly shocked.

  “I was practically raised by one,” Danny explained. “She spent most of her life in a human settlement after her mother was killed.”

  “That is very strange,” Max said, studying Danny. “Anyway, we aren’t like the wood nymphs because our desire to be close to nature is more of a way of life than a need. Many shifters live in communities similar to human settlements. In fact, many shifter communities are mistaken for human settlements.”

  Jase, Cam, and Zane rushed into Max’s home, all looking more than a little nervous. Danny had to admit that he was having trouble seeing Max as the scary tyrant the shifter brothers made him out to be. Then again, he was pretty sure Max could be plenty scary when he wanted to.

  “Danny?” Zane asked, sniffing the air, and then blushing when Danny caught him doing it.

  Cam said nothing, just looked down at his feet.

  Jase gave him a sympathetic smile.

  “He’s not dying, you morons,” Quinn snapped, which made Danny chuckle, something he hadn’t been sure he’d ever do again.

  Zane glared at her. “The last thing he ever wanted was to be a vampire, so he might wish he was dying,” he snapped.

  “Don’t talk to her that way,” Danny said softy, and his fangs throbbed. It wasn’t like he was hungry, but he wanted to sink his fangs into Zane’s throat for snapping at Quinn.

  Max ignored the tension. “How long have you been a vampire?” he asked.

  “A few days,” Danny said. “I’m not exactly sure how many.”

  “It must have been longer than that,” Max insisted.

  “It wasn’t,” Cam said from right by Danny’s side. He’d been edging closer to Danny since he’d walked into the room, as though pulled by an invisible force. “Danny was captured five days ago.”

  Max’s eyebrows lifted. “Now, I may not know much about vampires, but my understanding was that you don’t have nearly as much strength right after being infected. There aren’t many vampires who could take on four shifters, even with help from Quinn. Plus, Cord is a good fighter. You don’t become leader if you aren’t.”

  “Four?” Zane all but gasped. “And Cord was one of them?”

  Jase was eying Danny curiously.

  Danny hated talking about how they’d changed him, but he forced himself to answer Max anyway. “It probably has something to do with the shifter blood. I broke through some bonds designed to hold vampires, and that upset the guy who was helping me.”

  “Where the hell did you get shifter blood?” Max demanded, and Danny could kick himself for mentioning that. Max might know a lot of what his sons were up to, but not everything.

  “It was mine,” Cam admitted nervously.

  “That would explain the strange scent,” Max grumbled.

  Danny bit his tongue. While he wasn’t sure he liked having someone say he had a strange scent, he was pretty sure now wasn’t the time to complain about Max’s choice of words.

  “I understand your concerns regarding outsiders,” Zane began cautiously. “But Danny’s an okay guy. We can take him back to his settlement, and you won’t have to worry about him. He’s not the type to lead people back here.”

  “I won’t lead people back here, but I’m not ready to go back to my settlement,” Danny said before hastily adding. “I’m not asking to stay here or anything.”

  “You may not like what you’ve become, but people are worried about you,” Cam said somewhat angrily. “There are also people who risked their asses to keep you alive, and you want to go get yourself killed?”

  “I never said anything about wanting to get myself killed,” Danny ground out.

  “Enough!” Max shouted. “The vampire stays here until he’s ready to return to his own settlement.”

  Everyone in the room stared at Max like he was speaking some strange language none of them could understand, which Danny supposed he was. From what the shifter brothers had told him, Max wasn’t welcoming to any strangers, especially other species.

  “Are you okay?” Jase asked.

  Max chuckled. “Don’t act so surprised. This vampire saved your cousin earlier today. He has my gratitude and my protection for as long as he wants. That is, assuming he doesn’t betray my trust. I am curious about your acquaintance with my niece, who should not have been anywhere near your vampire settlement. Although, I’m guessing this explains her overnight disappearance earlier in the week.”

  Danny spared a quick glance at Quinn, whose cheeks had heated.

  “She was probably looking for me,” Zane blurted out.

  “Yet, she found the vampire,” Max said.

  “Is this the part where you get all macho and tell me I had better not have slept with your niece?” Danny asked in a bland tone.

  Max looked at him like he was an idiot. “Why would I care about something like that?”

  “Some humans are more reserved about sex,” Zane said. “I guess that attitude carries over to the vampires since they’re mostly human.”

  “Humans are strange creatures,” Max said thoughtfully. “We don’t worry much about unmated females having sex. Naturally, I insist they avoid other species when they’re in heat, but that’s not an issue with Quinn.”

  Danny didn’t miss Quinn’s flinch and wondered what that was about. “Then why is Zane sneaking around to go to the born vamp settlement?”

  “Because I take offense to the males intermingling that way,” Max said, leveling Zane with an angry glare. “I do not want to find out that one of my sons created a half-breed.”

  Quinn stormed out of the room, and Max caught Danny’s arm when he moved to follow her. “Let her go,” Max said. “She’s just sensitive about her heritage.”

  “What about her heritage?” Danny asked.

  “Her father wasn’t a shifter,” Cam explained, and Danny didn’t miss the way all the shifter brothers were looking at him funny. “Shifters generally only mate with other shifters, but her mom was a rebel. Anyway, the offspring of half-shifters can’t change into lynx. They still have our longevity and some extra strength, but they’re different. We’ve never met one who could shift.”

  Danny didn’t miss the fact that Cam didn’t want him to mention Layla.

  “Might help if people didn’t mention it all the time around Quinn,” Jase grumbled. “She’s not likely to forget, so why so many reminders?”

  Max’s eyes narrowed, and Danny suspected he was angry at Jase, but then he let out a tired breath. “You’re right.” His attention shifted to Danny. “Despite what you may think, my niece means the world to me, and I’m grateful to you for saving her.”

  “Why did those guys want her?” Danny asked, unsure if he was pushing his luck.

  “That’s our business,” Max said.

  Zane snorted. “I’d say it’s his business, since he risked his ass to save her.”

  “This is what I mean about his behavior,” Max said to Danny. “One would think he’d be afraid of me like his brothers are. Instead, he challenges me at every turn.”

  Danny was impatient to go after Quinn and make sure she was okay, so he kept his mouth shut, hoping the conversation would end soon.

  “How did you escape?” Cam asked, and Danny could practically feel the tension vibrating from the shifter’s body. Cam might be trying to sound calm, but he was pissed.

  “I went out there with Zane to create a distraction while some of the vampires snuck Danny out of the settlement,” Jase said.

  Cam’s head jerked in Jase’s direction. “Who asked you for help?” he demanded in a voice that sounded more like a guttural growl. Danny noticed the way Cam was working hard to
stay in one place rather than launching himself at his brother as he so obviously wanted to do.

  “Claire found me when I was out for a run,” Jase said softly.

  “And you didn’t tell me?” Cam demanded.

  “She asked me not to tell you,” Jase said, refusing to look at his brother.

  Cam reared back as if he’d been struck, and for a moment, Danny was sure he was going to attack Jase. Then, Cam spun around and stormed out of the house.

  “What the hell was that about?” Max demanded.

  “Cam acts like Claire is his mate,” Zane said, looking concerned.

  “Who is this Claire?” Max asked.

  “She’s a vampire,” Jase explained reluctantly.

  “It’s a long story, but Cam acts a little crazy around her,” Zane explained.

  “A vampire?” Max demanded.

  “It’s not like he consciously chose her,” Jase said defensively.

  “I am well aware of how the mating process works,” Max said hotly. “That is the very reason we try to avoid other species.”

  Danny wasn’t sure what he needed to do to get himself out of this conversation, but some instinct told him he needed to get to Quinn. What he could do for her, he had no idea, but she was upset, and he wanted to be there for her. He didn’t blame her for being upset. She’d nearly been kidnapped. Finding out he was a vampire didn’t seem to make her very happy either. Then she’d been reminded of her human father.

  The conversation continued to buzz around him. Actually, Danny realized he was starting to hear the conversation as a buzz around him.

  “You okay?” Zane asked with a hand on his shoulder.

  Without thinking, Danny bared his fangs and let out a hiss. Until that moment, he hadn’t noticed the horrible ache in his fangs. Craig had assured him that the shifter blood would tide him over longer, and he’d had blood that morning. Then again, he wasn’t sure how long he could go without blood. They’d been feeding him every five hours. Mitchell needed blood every three hours or he started to have problems.

  “You need blood,” Zane said, looping an arm around Danny’s waist.

  Danny shook his head because his mind still rebelled against the idea. So far, he’d had bagged blood, but something told him the shifters didn’t have very many bags of blood lying around.

  “Don’t be stubborn,” Jase added with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “You don’t eat, you’ll get confused, and then you might end up hurting someone.” His voice softened. “I get that this isn’t something you wanted, and it might seem like too much, but you’ll survive.”

  Danny looked down and nodded. “Fine,” he relented, his voice slurred.

  “I’m going to explain the situation with our vampire to the others,” Max said in a distracted voice. “You take care of his needs. We’ll figure out how we’re going to manage it in the future when I get back.” On those words, Max rushed out of the house.

  “I’ll feed him,” Zane said without being asked. “I’ve done it before.”

  Jase nodded, looking a little nervous about the whole thing. “I’ll take care of him next time.”

  “No,” Danny said to Jase. “You don’t want to.”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Jase said with a smile. “I’m just a little nervous and excited to try it.”

  Zane came out with a large sleeping pallet and some pillows, which he arranged on the ground. Funny how Danny hadn’t even noticed he’d left the room. Then again, he was having enough trouble staying on his feet.

  “Lie down,” Zane ordered, and Danny was surprised by the no-nonsense tone of his voice.

  There was a part of Danny that bristled at the command, even though he’d never been the alpha type who got worked up about being given orders before.

  “Just fight it,” Jase said, close to his side. “You’re not in any condition to challenge his dominance anyway.”

  “Why do I feel like fighting?” Danny asked as Jase helped him stumble toward the makeshift bed.

  “Vampires have instincts similar to shifters,” Zane said. “I’m guessing yours are stronger because you’ve had so much of Cam’s blood. Don’t worry. We can fight after you’ve had blood,” Zane added with a grin.

  Danny pushed Jase away when the shifter tried to help him lie down. That was probably a stupid move, since he almost dropped to his knees when Jase released him. It was insane how quickly he’d gone from fine to ready to collapse. Finally, lying on his side, Danny let out a shaky breath.

  Zane settled in front of him, reaching a hand forward to stroke Danny’s cheek. Lying there, with their chests touching and Zane stroking his cheek, it should have seemed oddly intimate. It didn’t because Danny sensed what it really was. Zane was touching him to offer comfort. The shifters felt more secure when they touched. Jase settled in behind him and wrapped an arm casually around his waist.

  “Drink,” Zane said, tilting his head back to offer his throat.

  “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do,” Danny admitted.

  “Just follow your instincts,” Jase said from behind. He’d leaned forward so his lips nearly brushed Danny’s ear.

  Zane brought his throat closer to Danny’s mouth, while Jase’s hand moved forward to stroke Danny’s jaw.

  “Open,” Jase murmured.

  Since Danny seemed frozen in place, Zane brought his throat even closer, until it brushed against Danny’s lips. Suddenly, his instincts kicked in, and he lunged forward, pushing Zane back as he loomed over him. His fangs sank into Zane’s throat, knowing just where to pierce his flesh. As the blood hit Danny’s system, he was amazed at how much better it tasted from a vein. It was warm and potent, driving the lethargy from his body. When Zane groaned and clutched at Danny’s shirt, another instinct kicked in, and Danny pushed the waves of lust through Zane’s body.

  With Zane’s hips rocking against him, Danny drank deeply until some other instinct told him he’d taken the right amount. How he knew the amount he could take without harming Zane, he had no clue. Pulling back, he rolled to his side, and stared at Zane for a moment.

  “That was incredible,” Zane said with a dreamy look on his face.

  Danny laughed and sat up.

  “You can skip the sex part when you feed from me,” Jase added.

  “Don’t be too quick to pass it up,” Zane said. “I’ve never had that done to me before. I get that you don’t do guys,” he said, giving Danny a shy smile. “Still, thanks for that. Feel free to do it any time you feed on me.”

  With a shake of his head, Danny was surprised that he wasn’t finding Zane more annoying. “I’m not even sure how I did that.”

  “Instinct,” Jase said. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

  Danny nodded because he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to get the hang of it.

  “I need to find Quinn,” he said. “She seemed really upset.”

  “My father can be pretty insensitive,” Zane said. “While he loves Quinn, he has no idea how to deal with her.”

  “Because she’s half-human?” Danny asked.

  “Because she’s only half shifter,” Jase corrected.

  Danny wanted to ask more, but he needed to find Quinn first. “Where do you think she went?”

  Jase shrugged. “It’s not a big settlement, so you should be able to find her.”

  Danny hoped that was the case.

  Chapter Twenty

  Cam knew the vampires’ sense of smell and hearing wasn’t as good as the shifters. Danny might be an exception to that rule, due to the amount of shifter blood he’d been given during the change, but it was still too early to tell. Even though her sense of smell wasn’t as good as his own, Cam knew damn well Claire had scented him nearly twenty minutes ago. He wasn’t about to pretend his female didn’t know he was following her in lynx form. Nope, she definitely realized the lynx was stalking her, and that it was him. That was part of the reason he was so pissed at her for ignoring him.

  In lynx form, it
was harder to control his impulse to claim Claire. There was no logical reason for his reaction to her. Claire was far from his type, and she wasn’t a shifter. Still, he’d wanted to sink his teeth into the back of her neck and fuck her senseless from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Sure, he’d played it off like innocent flirting, but it had been far from innocent.

  Claire had been trapped in a pit when he’d first seen her, completely at the mercy of an enemy she believed responsible for her parents’ deaths. She’d had every reason to be terrified, and she had been. He’d smelled her fear that day, but instead of looking scared, she’d looked pissed. Cam hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to get closer to her.

  At the time, he’d written it off as lust. She was sexy as hell, but what he felt went beyond simple attraction. The sound of her husky voice made him hard, and her attitude made his lynx crazy with the need to have her. Her scent practically stripped away his control. This woman did something to him no one else had in his two-hundred years of life. He’d heard about people finding their one true mate, but he’d written it off as a fanciful story told by old lovers. That is, until he’d met Claire and known almost instantly that she was his.

  Now, she was ignoring him, or trying to at least. He saw the nervous way she scanned her surroundings and how she tried to scent the air without the others in her group noticing. Luckily, she was out with humans, or she’d be forced to explain her arousal. That was one thing vampires didn’t usually miss.

  Stalking closer, Cam watched as his mate looked around uneasily. In human form, he didn’t always think of her as his mate, but in lynx form, there was no other word to describe her. Now, he was fighting the urge to go after her. Her skittishness blended with her arousal, creating a heady aphrodisiac. She must have given up on losing him because Claire made an excuse to separate from the group of humans. That was a smart move, since he was just about out of patience.

  “Why are you following me?” she demanded, glaring at the brush concealing his presence.

  Cam glided out of the brush, shifting as he moved toward her. He knew what she saw was his form becoming hazy as he changed. It happened so quickly that even other shifters couldn’t see the entire process. Within a minute, he was standing in front of her, and he was sure he looked like he was ready to devour her. For her part, Claire was doing her best to avoid looking at his erection.