by Amy Cissell
I turned to the wolf holding our prisoner. “Jesus, please release Salem.”
He did, and she ran into Raj’s arms. I had a brief flare of jealousy and I squashed it quickly.
“Don’t worry, my sweet,” that insidious voice said. “She is a favored daughter of my clan, not a rival for my affection.”
“I am involved.”
“We’ll see…”
“The information?” I said.
He glided forward and handed me a card. “This is my contact information. I can be reached at that number. Call me next week, and we will talk. I should have more information about our wayward target by then.” One of his silent minions stepped forward and picked up Salem. Then, in perfect tandem, they turned and flew off into the rapidly darkening sky.
I took a shaky breath. “Could’ve been worse.”
“It was certainly interesting,” Rebecca said.
I turned back towards Isaac. “Hey, baby. Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Thank you for asking.”
“Thanks for not losing it and disemboweling anyone.”
He laughed as I’d intended him to. “I didn’t want to make a mess in Rebecca’s back yard.”
“What did you think, Finn?” I asked, turning towards…no one. “Motherfucker! Where did he go now?”
“And when?” Isaac added.
No one could remember when he’d disappeared.
“I am beyond sick of this shit,” I said. “He needs to get a grip—possibly a bell—or get the fuck out.”
Isaac tugged me into the circle of his arms.
“I’m sorry, Princess,” he whispered. “I know he’s been your best friend for years, and this must be hard. Would it help if you called him and the two of you spent some time together without me around?”
“No. We could’ve had quality BFF bonding time while you were off howling at the moon, and he took off because of his anger management issues. I can’t do this anymore. We were once more than friends, but that ended a while ago. Now, I’m not even sure I can be his friend.”
“Gotta make room for the new man anyway, right?” Rebecca asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Ha. Like the vamp wasn’t trying to seduce you out of your panties the entire time.”
“He’s a dirty old man.” Not my best retort ever.
“He was hot,” Rebecca said. “I wouldn’t mind taking him out for a spin, if we could get past the vamp/shifter arch-nemesis issue.”
I laughed. “It’d be very Romeo and Juliet.”
“I do have a thing for the classics.”
Chapter Twenty
I WOKE UP before Isaac the next morning. I propped myself up on one elbow and watched him sleep for a while. He never looked this peaceful when he was awake, and I was afraid the revelation Michelle wasn’t dead was going to erode his control even more. I didn’t want to lose this man when I’d only found him. His breathing changed slightly, and I knew he was awake, even though he didn’t open his eyes. I splayed my fingers over his chest and lightly ran my hands down under the covers. He stubbornly stayed still. So, that’s how it was going to be…
I leaned over and drew one of his nipples into my mouth, biting down gently. He twitched but didn’t make a sound. I straddled his stomach and slid down his body, lowering myself down until my breasts were pressed into his chest. His cock twitched against me, but I still hadn’t gotten the reaction I was going for. I slid down further, suppressing a moan as his cock slipped between my thighs and slid across my wet center. I was tempted to stop there, but I kept going. I was going to make him beg. Finally, my mouth poised between his legs, I flicked my tongue out and lightly licked the entire length of him from balls to tip. A muffled groan came from further up the bed, and I smiled before plunging down and taking him into my mouth.
The groan was louder this time. I started moving up and down, faster and faster, and when he tensed in my mouth, I moved back quickly, letting his hard cock pop out. I slid my body up next to his and curled up in the crook of his arm.
He moved, and I was beneath him. His eyes were open now. “You are a devil woman,” he growled.
“Good morning, lover.”
“I’ll show you a good morning.”
“Must we?” Finn asked. Isaac froze as he was about to plunge inside of me, and we both looked over at Finn. He was lounging in a chair in the corner of the room, one leg flung over the arm and swinging freely. Isaac rolled off me, and I sat up and glared.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Don’t stop on my account,” he said. “It’s not like you’re doing anything you’ve not done with me before. You’re at the good part.”
“If you’d wanted to watch, you wouldn’t have interrupted,” I said. “So, I’ll ask again…why the fuck are you here?”
“It’s Saturday morning and Florence is trying to get a hold of you. I thought you’d want to know.”
“Why are there so many bullshitters in my life?” I asked the ceiling.
“You know I can’t lie to you, Ellie,” he said.
“I absolutely believe you’ve told me part of the truth, but that’s not the only reason you’re here. If I had to guess—and apparently I do—I’d say you came in to interrupt us. I want to know why. I want to know if you’re going to get over yourself and be able to continue as part of this group and be my friend. And lastly, I want to know if you’re going to leave soon so I can get laid.” This was untenable, but I didn’t want to end my friendship with Finn while I was naked with another man. I knew it was over; there was no coming back from this violation.
Finn’s face got colder and more distant the longer I talked. Isaac snaked an arm around my mid-section and pulled me tight into his chest. I could feel his tension, and it woke something in me. Heat flared to the surface and the skin between my shoulder blades twitched with the need to shift.
Finn didn’t say anything, but he looked like he was about to bolt. “If you disappear from this conversation without a promise to knock this shit off, don’t ever come back.”
He didn’t disappear, but he didn’t say anything either. I sighed. “Talk to me. You have been my best friend for the past six years. I value that friendship and our history and don’t want to lose it.
“I know your feelings for me go beyond friendship, but mine don’t, and I’ve never said otherwise. At this point, as much as it hurts me, I need you to know that your jealousy and inability to accept that I will never love you is seriously jeopardizing our continued friendship.”
“You’re choosing that animal over me?” Finn asked.
I growled in frustration. “I am not choosing him over you. I choose to have a romantic relationship with him. I chose not to have that with you years ago. I still wanted us to be friends.”
“How long until you get tired of him and discard him the way you’ve tossed me aside?”
“Finn, I am not discarding you. We can still be friends. You need to let go of the idea that we’ll ever be more. Are you going to walk away from years of friendship because I’ve fallen for someone else?”
“You’re in love with him?” Finn’s voice cracked.
Isaac tightened his grip on my waist. “You can read my thoughts. You know how I feel about him.”
“I suppose you’re in love with that vampire you were lusting over last night, too?”
“What does Raj have to do with anything?”
“Oh, you’re on a first name basis with him? He’s nothing more than a slaver.”
“Wait, what?” I asked, having completely lost the thread of the conversation.
“He keeps Salem and all the others as slaves, completely in thrall to his whims.”
“She was pretty happy to see him last night,” I said. “Much more so than I would be if I were being held against my will.”
“Have you ever seen a Renfield who didn’t look thrilled to see their master? The vamps force those feelings on them.”
; “Actually,” Isaac interrupted. “That’s not true. Vamps can manipulate people’s actions but not their true feelings, and it’s bad form to enthrall an unwilling person. Most vampires will give the choice. Since Salem stayed in the clan after Raj took over, it means she probably wanted to.”
“Is that what’s got your panties in a bunch?” I asked. “Salem chose to stay with Raj, with whom she doesn’t have a romantic relationship, rather than escape with you? And now you think I’m choosing Isaac over you? This is all about rejection and your fragile male ego.”
Isaac pinched me lightly, but it was too late.
“You think you’ve got it all figured out? This isn’t over. You may prefer rutting with dogs over spending time with someone who could’ve given you everything you desired, but you’ll regret this. Enjoy your time with your mutt while you still can.”
I stood up on the bed and let the dragon rise close to the surface. “If you hurt Isaac or anyone I care about, I will end you. Our friendship was over the second you threatened him. You’ve already destroyed one of the men I cared about deeply, and I’ll mourn the loss of my best friend, but don’t think for a second that our history will save you. You need to leave and if I see you again, you’re the one who will have regrets.”
I released the dragon and felt the power and pain wash over me. It was pretty cramped in the small bedroom, and I didn’t want to cause too much damage, but I couldn’t help shooting flames at Finn. He disappeared a nanosecond before I scorched him, and I shifted back to my human self and collapsed on the bed. Isaac ran into the bathroom and was back a minute later with a bucket of water to douse the flames merrily burning on the chair.
“I could’ve put that out,” I said from my position on the bed.
“This works as well.” He set down the bucket and climbed onto the bed. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’ve lost my best friend.” I started crying, and Isaac held me until my sobs quieted. “I can’t lose you, too. I’ll kill him if he tries anything.”
“I’ll be okay, Princess,” Isaac said, smoothing down my hair. “I am a werewolf, after all. And as you can fight your own battles, so can I.”
“Thanks for letting me fight this one,” I sniffled.
“No problem, Eleanor. And thanks for having another fight while not wearing any clothes.”
“Jerk face.”
“Always.” He kissed me. “Wanna pick up where we left off?”
I sighed. “I probably should get a hold of Florence. We are supposed to get together to practice today.”
“So practical.”
“Well, we have the rest of our ridiculously long lives for the naked stuff, right?”
He kissed me again, and it left me aching. “Right. The rest of our lives.”
“Hey, Florence!” I called as I walked up the driveway towards her split-level. She opened the door and let me in. “Wow! This place is amazing!”
The warm wood floors were dotted with buffalo hide rugs and the furniture was draped in colorful, woven blankets. Beyond the simple western-style furnishings, it exuded an aura of welcome and home. I looked around, soaking up the interior decorating tips I wanted to remember, and then shook myself. I wasn’t interested in interior decorating.
Florence watched me shake off the last vestiges of the spell.
“A spell to relax intruders and make them let down their guard?”
She nodded. “Let’s go to the back yard.”
We spent the next few hours attempting to merge our energies. Once we were able to do that with relative ease and speed, I practiced dropping out of the weir she was building but leaving my magic pooled for her to access. The dropping out was easy; the staying alert enough to leave my magic, open a gate, and fend off any enemies was going to be harder.
By the time the sun was going down and my stomach was growling, we’d achieved mild proficiency. When Florence called a halt, I slumped on the ground, sweating and shaking. I was pleased to see that she looked as exhausted as I felt.
“Is it going to work?” I asked.
“We won’t know until we try it, but it feels good. You’ll need to come back every other day between now and the equinox so we can practice. I want to make sure you’re staying proficient with your battle magic, too. Bring your wolf next time, and he can play with us. I’m too old to fight you.”
“Too old? Ha! You could run circles around me twice before I even knew we were racing.”
“I am old enough that if I don’t want to play fight, I don’t have to. Bring your wolf.”
“You’re bowing out by signing up someone who’s got a couple hundred years on you? Slacker.” I hoped she knew I was teasing out of affection.
“I know,” she said.
“Dammit! Why are there so many fucking mind readers around?” I yelled.
“You met a vamp?” Florence asked.
“You’re not supposed to read my mind unless I’m actively projecting,” I complained.
“I wasn’t, and you are,” she said. “You’ll want to work on that if you’re going to keep spending time with psychics.”
“Well, at least I have one less in my life now.” I completely failed at not sounding bitter.
“Do you want to talk about Finn?”
I started to shake my head, but before I could even finish the gesture, the whole story came pouring out. I knew I was repeating things I’d already told her, but I couldn’t stop talking. From our first meeting, to finding out I was Fae, to the last few weeks when everything had fallen apart. “He’s a completely different person. How could someone who was comfortable sharing motel rooms with Isaac and speaking to him as a friend call him a filthy mongrel and threaten to kill him? How could he do this to me? To our friendship?”
At some point in my rant, Florence sat next to me. She put an arm around me and pulled me into her shoulder. “Child, I don’t know why he chose this path. Jealousy is an ugly emotion and can lead people to do idiotic things. He’s an old non-human. That tends to change a being’s reactions from weird, but understandable, to inexplicable. Keep an eye on your wolf and ask him, as a personal favor to you, to not wander off for the next couple weeks. I’m sure you can find a way to elicit such a promise.” Florence winked. “Speaking of your wolf, I believe he has returned for you.”
I stood up and stretched. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“I am glad I could help. Go eat something before that growling beast I hear escapes.”
I smiled and ran around the house, kissing Isaac through the open window of the vehicle before climbing in the backseat. “Any news?” I asked.
“The cops are baffled about the crime that left blood stains no lab can identify. There was one working camera across the street that captured a bit of the fight. No faces can be ID’d, but it does show someone apparently going up in flames. It shows that the fight started at our room and catches the Jeep fleeing the scene. The police believe the occupants of room 126—a black biker and his gay lover—are the victims, not the aggressors.”
I snorted. “No mention of me, then?”
“Nope.”
“I’m assuming you’re not going to go talk to the police?” I asked Isaac.
“Nope. Especially not now that I’ve misplaced my boyfriend.”
“Oh, well. I guess they’ll cold case it eventually,” I said.
The next morning, I pulled out the card Raj had given me and turned it over in my hands. I picked up the phone but then decided ten in the morning might not be the best time to reach a vamp, even one as old as Raj.
I made Isaac spar with me and then went for a run. As soon as the sun went down, I called Raj, and we arranged to meet for dinner at a steak house in two nights.
I went back to Florence’s the following afternoon and spent that day much like the first. When we wrapped up, I told her about the dinner the following night.
“Wanna come?” I asked. “You’re an integral part of this team and I need another person there to make sur
e I don’t succumb to his vampire wiles.”
“I can’t say I’d love to,” she replied, “but I will. I’d like to spend more time with your wolf, too, before we must spend all our time together.”
I was a nervous wreck. I kept going through my clothes, looking for something appropriate to wear. All I had were hiking and camping clothes. I hadn’t packed a single dress. Isaac watched, barely containing his amusement. “Seriously, Princess, I’m pretty sure you’ve never worried this much about what to wear for dinner before. Anyone would think you had a hot date.”
“Shut it,” I muttered. “I was all dressed up the night we went dancing.”
“Yeah, for your night out with Finn.”
“Whatever.” I put on the nicest jeans I had and grabbed a lacy bra.
“When this is over, I’m taking you out for a night on the town.”
“Deal. We don’t have to wait until it’s over, though. Let’s go out after the second gate. I’ll make Florence take me shopping so I can find something appropriate.”
I hooked the bra and pulled the cups up over my breasts. Isaac made a disappointed sound. I rolled my eyes and finished dressing. This was not a date.
I fidgeted all the way to the restaurant. Why was I letting this vamp affect me? Other than the fact that he was ridiculously hot, oozed sex appeal, and genuinely seemed helpful. I shook myself. He had obviously fucked with my mind.
“Are you okay?” Isaac asked after I shifted positions for the hundredth time.
“Yes. Maybe. Raj is throwing some sexual glamour at me, and I’m having trouble keeping my hormones in check.”
“Tell me more about these unruly hormones.” His voice had dropped a register and was wreaking all sorts of havoc.
“You’re not helping.”
“Sorry.” He wasn’t. I could tell.
“I don’t think my reaction to him was natural. I was afraid and angry, but all I could think about was naked things.”