Ion shifted into his wolf at the blink of an eye and Marnie shrieked when he sank his teeth into the vampire’s throat. Lucas’s startled eyes connected with hers, as he tried in vain to shake off Ion’s grip, his movements slower due to being out in the daylight. She watched in horror, as his hat fell off and the stench of burning flesh filled the air, as the men locked in combat rolled into the sun.
“No! Stop that now, damn you.”
Not caring about her own safety, Marnie flung herself on Ion’s wolf’s back, yanking his fur in a vain attempt to dislodge him off the fast-fading vampire. The surrounding wolves went wild, and Ion turned on her as he shook her off. Marnie went flying, the back of her head connecting painfully with a tree. She was dimly aware of Ion’s wolf on top of her, licking her face, before she passed out.
How long she had been out she didn’t know. Not long, she guessed, as she awoke still on the floor, surrounded by Ion’s pack. Louisa was pressing a cold flannel to the back of her head, as a steaming Lucas perched next to her. A naked and growling Ion was being restrained by Jenkins and a few other members of his pack.
“Easy, sugar, you took quite a hit to the back of your head.” Louisa’s worried voice broke through Marnie’s befuddled brain and she grimaced as she tried to straighten up.
“Is that why Lucas is doing an impression of a steam kettle?”
“No, sugar, he needs to get out of the sun, but the stubborn vamp wouldn’t move until you woke up. Now I fear we may have to carry him. He doesn’t look too good.”
Sure enough, Lucas’ injuries seemed worse by the minute, his throat (torn by Ion’s wolf) bleeding heavily, and his sunburned skin flaking off. The smell was nauseating.
Marnie struggled to her feet. Ignoring the pounding in her head and Louisa’s outstretched helping hand, she walked over to the injured vamp, whose eyes were clouded with pain.
“Can you walk, Lucas?”
At the barely visible shake of his head she held her wrist out to his lips. “You need this, then. Drink, so we can get you out of the sun. I have no wish to add your death to my conscience.”
“Marnie, you can’t.”
Louisa’s soft gasp behind her, coupled with Ion’s mournful howl, just made Marnie more determined and she simply smiled. “He needs this; just make sure he doesn’t get carried away.”
The sharp sting of his fangs sinking into her flesh brought tears to her eyes. Lucas wasn’t being gentle, and his grip on her arm was surprisingly strong as his eyes conveyed a silent thank-you.
Her own eyes connected with Ion’s and she steeled her heart against the anguish she saw in him. Damn him, now he was all concerned? And why, if she was nothing more than a roll in the hay to either man? As soon as Lucas was back on his feet, she would march out of here and forget she ever met the sorry lot of them.
“Marnie, I…”
“What, Ion, your wolf not like what he sees? Well, tough, I’m not yours––and even if I was, I wouldn’t just let you kill someone, vampire or not, because you don’t agree with what he says.”
She flinched again, when Lucas withdrew his fangs, before licking the tiny wounds and dropping a kiss to her palm. She snatched her hand away from him with a low growl of her own. ”I’m not yours either, Lucas, so don’t get any ideas. I simply stopped Ion, because letting him kill you would make him into one of those monsters people fear he is, and whatever he thinks, I know he isn’t one. Though why I should care is beyond me, really. Now let’s get the hell out of this sun, before you start flaking again.”
“Your wish is my every command, mon chere.”
****
Lucas enjoyed the sight of Marnie’s cute backside swaying in front of him during the short, tense walk back to the house. Her blood was zinging through his veins and with every step he felt stronger. She surprised the hell out of him by offering her wrist, and without knowing, she ensured his lifelong devotion. He owed her his life; without her blood, he would have died out there in the sun. Already his body had been shutting down, and had he not had her generous offer, he would be a goner. None of the shifters would have offered––and besides, it was human blood he needed. As it was he would have to find another willing donor to completely get back to full strength.
Ion’s growled anger and shimmering fury was another source of delight. It had been obvious from the minute she had chucked him out the bedroom in disgust four nights ago, that she had chosen Ion. Seeing them together again, before he’d interrupted them, had just confirmed his suspicion. Judging by the heated looks passing between the two of them now, this would be an amusing interlude. If only Ion wasn’t such a noble bastard, they would be mated already and that would be one problem solved. He could take care of the other one. He owed her that much, at least, and he would have fulfilled his promise to Ion’s mother. She’d known her son better than anyone. It was his destiny to be mated to a human. They’d just picked the wrong one last time. Marnie was strong and would deal with anything that life as Ion’s mate could throw at her.
Time to goad his old friend a bit more and get the wolf to bite, preferably not his neck this time. He ran a tentative hand over his throat. It still hurt like hell, but at least his skin was healing now. Fuck it, he had ruined one of his best designer suits. That wolf owed him, big time!
“Well, this is cozy.” Lucas’ amused drawl startled both Marnie and Ion out of their High Noon-stance of throwing dagger looks at each other and his smile deepened. Oui, this was turning out to be the best entertainment he’d had in the last three thousand years. Let the fun begin!
****
Every fibre in Ion’s body screamed at him to cross the room and take Marnie in his arms. When he realized it was she on his back stopping him from tearing Lucas’ throat out, it had been too late to stop his wolf’s instinctive reaction. His heart almost stopped, seeing her flying through the air and sliding to the floor, her whole body limp. His pack sprung into action like the well-oiled machine it was, seeing to her needs. He would have to thank Jenkins later. His quick thinking stopped him from tearing Lucas to shreds. That action would have sent Marnie screaming for the hills after she made him eat his own balls, no doubt. He had never seen her so furious, and if looks could kill, he’d be dead ten times over by now.
Damn it––Ion needed to touch her, to reassure his wolf that she was indeed okay. Her furious response to Lucas’s drawl of amusement had his wolf pounce.
“What is so damn funny, Lucas?”
“Oh, you two are, mon chere.” The vampire’s low laughter surrounded them, as Marnie spun around in his arms.
“Take your hands off me, wolf.”
“Please, little one, I need to make sure you’re okay. Just let me hold you.”
Her eyes sparked fire, but she held still, as his hands explored her head. Her low moan when his fingers found the rapidly forming lump
tore at his insides. He pulled her in closer and she sagged against him for an instant before pushing him away.
“Spare me, Ion, you’ve had your fun. I’m leaving in the morning.”
To hell she would. His wolf’s furious growl bounced around the room and the last of his pack scarpered, leaving the three of them alone in the dining room.
“You are not leaving, Marnie, I won’t let you.”
Marnie’s growl of exasperation matched his own and his wolf rejoiced at the sound, before the little human rounded on him. Eyes blazing, her whole body trembled with fury and her voice shook, as she carefully enunciated each word.
“You.Do.Not.Get.To.Tell.Me.What.To.Do!” Each syllable was accompanied by a finger-stab to his chest. “You’re not my alpha, you’re not my mate and I’m leaving. I don’t care two hoots what your wolf has to say about that. You should be relieved that you don’t have to take care of this silly little human anymore; after all, we are such a liability.”
Her voice broke on the last few words and the shimmer of tears he just about glimpsed coating her eyelashes had him grinding his jaw in frustrat
ion.
“I never said you were a liability, little one, but you can’t leave. There are things you don’t know.”
****
Marnie couldn’t take any more of this. She had to get away. When Ion had pulled her into his frame, all she’d wanted to do was lean in and let his warmth seep into her weary bones. It would have been so easy to do that, to give in to her body’s demands. Her brain knew that she had to leave, but her body wasn’t getting the memo. Seeing Lucas pull up a chair with a broad grin, as though he was at the local cinema watching the latest film, did little to improve her mood. Infuriating male, he was. What the hell was so funny about all this…and why would Ion not just leave her alone? His grey eyes were full of concern, and so much heat and simmering emotion, she had to force herself to look away.
“What things, Ion? More skeletons, rattling in your cupboard? What else could you possibly have to throw at me?”
She shut her eyes against the intense expression on Ion’s face, as he pulled her back into his body and his hands went into her hair. His scent called her home, like she knew it would. The murmured words in her ear sent his hot breath skittering across her neck, and she had to bite back a moan as her body reacted instantly. His hands tightened in her hair for an instant and she felt him inhale deeply. “No skeletons, little one, I just can’t let you go.”
“But you don’t want me here, either.” Her whispered reply did not receive an answer, just a deep growl from Ion’s wolf that she felt down to her toes.
“I’ll always want you, little one.” He punctuated each word with a butterfly kiss to her jawline, and when his mouth claimed hers in a tender kiss, she forgot all about Lucas and her objections and simply lost herself in the sensation of being held by Ion. When he finally broke the kiss they were both breathing heavily. Lucas’ accented drawl broke the spell.
“As touching as this is, it’s not achieving much. Bite the girl already and get it over with.”
“Shut the fuck up, Lucas.”
Ion’s gaze never left Marnie’s face and he tightened his hold on her further, his wolf’s growl low and insistent in her ear. But his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“I will, as soon as you tell the girl what she needs to know.”
A cold shiver went down her spine at Lucas’s clipped words and she wrenched herself out of Ion’s arms.
“What do I need to know? “
Neither man spoke, yet the air was filled with tension and Marnie’s heart slammed against her chest bone painfully.
“Ion, Lucas, will you quit the silent, macho act and tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Ion’s sigh increased that shiver to a full-blown avalanche.
“Do you remember giving permission for your DNA to be used, little one?”
Chapter Fifteen
Marnie’s confusion was evident in the way her brows furrowed in concentration, her eyes darting from Ion to Lucas and back again. He wanted to kiss those lines away, wrap her up and take her far away from everyone. The depths of feeling he had for the confused woman standing mere inches away, took his breath away and his gut clenched with the realisation that there never would be another one for him. He was well and truly fucked. He couldn’t keep her, but he couldn’t let her go either. Right now though, this wasn’t about him. It was about her. She had to know the danger she was facing, thanks to Lucas, and that both he and Lucas would do anything to keep her safe.
A quick glance towards the vampire, showed him to be as concerned about Marnie as he was himself. The sheer misery in his eyes soothed Ion’s wolf. This had to be hard on his old friend, if he hadn’t fucked up in the first place, she wouldn’t be in this mess. Hell, if he had listened to his own instincts, Marnie wouldn’t be facing this. Neither one of them was blameless. They had endangered her, and he had brought risk of discovery to his pack in the process. There were too many innocent lives in need of protection.
“I…I don’t understand, what about my DNA?”
Marnie’s voice was a mere whisper and Ion crossed the distance to steady her, as Lucas asked the next question.
“Have you ever had a DNA sample taken, could have been years ago, even, chere. Was probably a routine collection to build the police data base…?”
“Well, yes, first year of Uni, we all did. After all, I had nothing to hide…”
Ion felt the tremble go through her, as the truth dawned on her. The colour drained out of Marnie’s face and he pulled her closer into him. His wolf got a kick out the way she leaned into him and inhaled deeply, seeming to gather as much strength from the contact as he did. Hell, he loved this woman; why the fuck could she not be a wolf?
“So they made a match from…”
“The pig in the alley I failed to dispose of, in my concern to get you home…Oui, mon chere.” Lucas’s drawl lacked its usual polish, his accent much stronger than usual, as he ran one agitated hand through his hair. “Je suis désolé, je vous échoué, chere.”
Ion’s wolf grumbled his agreement, but Marnie’s head shot up, and her shoulders went back, some of her usual spunk returning.
“You shouldn’t have killed him in the first place, Lucas, but you didn’t fail me. You protected me and for that I am grateful, but I still don’t understand. I remember what you did to him,” another shudder went through her as she closed her eyes briefly, “how…I mean…how could…”
Ion dropped a kiss on her forehead to soften the next words. “They found some human DNA under his fingernails, little one. I assume, you struggled and he scratched you,” she interrupted him with a hand on his mouth, her eyes going wide when he couldn’t help but lick her.
“They matched the DNA to me?”
“Oui, chere, there is a warrant out for your arrest, which is why you cannot leave, not until I’ve had a chance to put it right.” Lucas voice broke through the spell binding them together, her hand still on his lips, her eyes clouding over with awareness, as he continued to lick those digits and pulled her closer into his lower body. His wolf positively purred at the instant sweet smell of her arousal.
“Damn it, Ion, let her go. Now is not the time, nor the place, for you to finally realise how much you need her. We have to sort this out and we haven’t got much time.”
Ion held Marnie’s gaze for one more second, savouring the feel of her soft curves, before glancing across at Lucas. For all the annoyance in his tone and posture there was a satisfied smile on the vamp’s face, as he stood watching them.
“You do what you have to do and I will keep her safe here, Lucas. She is not going anywhere and the cops don’t know about this place.”
“To hell I won’t.” Marnie straightened in his arms, her gaze focused on Lucas. “What exactly are you going to do?”
Lucas shot a glance to Ion, before smiling at Marnie, but she wasn’t fooled when he tried to kiss her.
“Let go of me, Ion, and stop distracting me. What are you going to do, Lucas?”
“What he should have done in the first place, little one. Dispose of the evidence and your sample. There are lots of vamps working the nightshift; it should be a simple matter, and if not…”
Her sharp intake of breath should have warned him, she was not going to take this lightly.
“And if not, what? You’re going to dispose of people next? I don’t know much about the ins and outs of a police station, but there will be records, right? People who will remember this case. Humans talk, it’s an annoying little thing we do, we have families, friends. This was all over the papers. How are you going to silence them all? Tell me that.”
Ion cursed inwardly at Lucas’s simple shrug, as his little human literally exploded.
“And don’t give me that mind control baloney, didn’t work too well on me now, did it Lucas.”
Lucas had the good grace to look chagrined at that hissed statement and Ion shook his head at him in a silent warning.
“Lucas will work it out, little one, and he will do what needs to be done. The pack will
help as much we can without exposing ourselves, you do not need to worry over this. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, my sweet.”
“How very noble of you, Ion. Shame neither one of you can extend the same courtesy to the rest of humankind.”
The words stung as though she’d slapped him in the face as she rounded on him.
“You’re not being fair, Marnie. I have to protect my pack and you…”
“I am not part of your pack, Ion, you made that perfectly clear, but for what it’s worth I would never do anything to harm the pack, or you.” Her voice softened at the last few words and his wolf whined at what he saw in her eyes. “But I cannot stand idly by and let the two of you plot to get me out of this mess, by killing god only knows how many innocent humans whose only misfortune was getting involved in my case. Human life may mean little to you, but…”
He had her back in his arms before she could finish that statement. He had to make her see sense. He didn’t want that either, but what other choice was there? If he had to choose between a thousand humans and her, he would choose her. The only thing he couldn’t do was to choose her over his pack.
“Damn it, Marnie, how could you think so little of me? I’m not a killer, but will not hesitate to kill for what’s mine. I’ve done so in the past and would do so again in a heartbeat, and damn the consequences. Humans have not exactly been friends to this pack over the years. For fuck’s sake, I still protect Louisa’s mum even though she…”
“She what, Ion? What did she do that was so terrible?”
“Never mind, it’s not relevant to this.”
Her furious growl would have done any female wolf proud as she stamped on his instep and whirled out of his arms with a speed he wouldn’t have thought her capable of.
“Fine, I’ll find Louisa and ask her, even if I have to torture her to get the truth out of her.”
Lure of the Blood Page 10