Her Warrior for Eternity

by Susanna Shore

  “Absolutely. I don’t like cold, even in my leopard form.”

  “I’d like to see your leopard once.”

  “I don’t know. Might be too much for a puny human like you to handle.” It was the same answer he usually gave her, so she let the matter be.

  After a while, she was ready to bring up what troubled her. “I need a new job. Maybe something in a pub near where I live.”

  “Would you consider another club?”

  “I don’t know. I feel more comfortable in a pub, behind the bar. What did you have in mind?”

  “A cousin of mine works as an accountant in a club in Camden. It’s fashionable among two-natureds, so a different kind of clientele from the Nightingale. The staff is treated better too. It’s near our route, so we could take a look.”

  Sudden Death was located on a side street near the Camden Town tube station. It was an old brown brick building that had started its life as a factory, now crammed between residential buildings. Toby led her to a side door and was about to knock when Corynn hesitated.

  “Maybe we should try this another time. Like, when I’m showered and more decent.”

  Toby grinned. “So you could change your mind? Not a chance.” He knocked on the door.

  The door was opened so fast that the security must have been keeping an eye on them through the CCTV camera. A huge man stood on the threshold, tall and muscular. The jogging bottoms and a t-shirt he was wearing didn’t make him look cuddly at all, and his short silver hair was a sign of power, not age or weakness. She only got a glimpse of a pair of amazing eyes, black-rimmed blue like a husky’s, before she was compelled to avert her gaze. If she had wanted to leave earlier, she now wanted to flee.

  Had she been alone, she would have run away, but Toby halted her by wrapping an arm around her. He addressed the man, but he wasn’t feeling brave either, because his head was pressed down and he kept his pose non-threatening. “I’m Toby Horton, from the Greenwich clan. Is my cousin, Rihanna Horton, here this morning?”

  The man didn’t say anything, but his presence grew stronger. It was shifter power unlike anything she had felt before, violent and hot in its strength. She took an involuntary step back and the sensation eased.

  “She’s in the office.” His voice was deep and authoritative, truly the man in charge.

  He led them down a long corridor to a comfortable office where a middle-aged woman was sitting behind a desk. Or she looked middle-aged. If Toby was over seventy, she could be hundreds of years old. Otherwise, she could have been Toby’s sister or mother; they looked so alike with their golden eyes and sandy hair. She looked delighted to see him and got up to give him a hug.

  Toby introduced her. “This is my friend Corynn Sparks. We were running by and I thought to come and say hello.” Rihanna smiled at her, but she didn’t offer a hand; two-natured seldom did, Corynn had learned from Toby. “Cora needs a job. She’s good behind the bar, but she can wait tables too.”

  It embarrassed Corynn that he would just blurt it out like that, but the woman nodded. “We can always use another girl. Can you start today?”

  Chapter Five

  Jeremy was in a dismal mood, a rare occurrence in general, and unheard of when he was preparing for a night out. He was the outgoing one; Jas was the brother who grumbled when faced with the prospect of partying. Yet it was Jas prompting him to get ready tonight, dressed nicely for a change – voluntarily.

  “Maybe I should just stay home,” he said to Jas, discarding yet another shirt. They all chafed and looked ridiculously tight. What had he been thinking, buying those?

  His brother looked relived at first, but then he frowned. “Are you all right? You’ve been grumpy for days.”

  “I’m fine.” Then he sighed. Jas wouldn’t let it go unless he got an explanation. “It just buggers me that we’re no closer to finding who’s killing those women. We’ve been watching the Nightingale Club for two weeks without results, and the killings are escalating.” Five women had been killed since that night.

  The night he met Corynn.

  Jas nodded. He clearly wanted to say something, but held his tongue, for which Jeremy was glad. He didn’t want to explain even to his brother the other cause for his bad mood. The true cause. He felt bad for erasing Corynn’s mind and then abandoning her to her fate. The look of betrayal on her face haunted him in his sleep.

  He had driven by her hall every day to make sure she was all right. The lack of renegade presence there had calmed him only a little. And seeing her, even from a distance, had only served to remind him what he had done.

  He had almost followed her once, unwilling to let her go with another man, a tall and fit leopard-shifter. The two were clearly good friends; even the chap’s leopard aura was nudging her playfully, as if she could feel it. Only his ironclad sense of duty had prevented him from bolting after them and tearing the bastard’s head off when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

  But he couldn’t allow her to see him. She might remember otherwise. And what would he say to her anyway? Apologise? She didn’t remember him or what he had done. That was the point.

  He had never regretted the necessary actions he had taken during his centuries as a warrior. This time shouldn’t be any different, but it was and it made his mood worse.

  “Since I have to go, you’ll have to go too,” Jas stated.

  “We could both stay at home.” They could … watch TV or something.

  Jas gave him a slow look. “Tell that to Pippa if you’re brave enough. She has her mind set on a night out.”

  That at least made Jeremy smile. He found it amazing and wonderful that his brother had found love after all these centuries. And with such a marvellous woman too, a DI in the Metropolitan Police. She was tiny and fierce, a warrior in her own right.

  “Send her with Zach. He’ll look after her.”

  His cheeky suggestion only made Jas growl. A vampire protected his mate.

  Then why aren’t you?

  “Get in the car.” Laughing, Jeremy obeyed, ignoring the voice of his Rider.

  Sudden Death had been the warriors’ favourite club since it opened. The owner, Grant Campbell, was the alpha of the second largest wolf-shifter clan in London, a man they could respect. They liked the club because most of the clientele and the staff were their own kind, so they didn’t have to pretend to be human there.

  But favouring one club came with a downside. It made their actions predictable and allowed even humans to keep track of them. They had learned this the hard way a couple of months earlier, when an attempt was made against Zach’s life outside the club. Since then, they had cut back their visits and never hit the club on the same weeknight twice in a row.

  Inside, the place was a huge empty cube decorated with steel and rust. The music was edgy and metal instead of the latest dance tunes. The dance floor was on the entrance floor, and two tiers of galleries with bars and table groups bordered it on all four sides. The warriors had a booth on the upper gallery at the back. Its benches and tables were fashioned of old steel barrels, and the walls were made of corrugated steel plates.

  Zach sauntered through the dance floor to the stairs leading up like he owned the place, checking out the women, who all flustered, regardless of their availability and preferences. Jeremy would ordinarily have taken a look too, but he couldn’t be bothered tonight. He would stay only long enough to get a drink in and see if Pippa managed to drag Jas onto the dance floor.

  “I’ve my money on Philippa,” Nicholas Fortier said. He was Jas’s patrol partner, a vampire-born warrior a century younger than the brothers, well over six feet tall, and almost as large as Alexander’s progeny.

  “That’s a no-brainer. No one’s taking you on that.”

  They settled into their booth and a waitress came to take their orders, a sassy cat-shifter Jeremy had found attractive on his previous visit. Tonight she failed to impress. She wasn’t tall enough, or slender yet fit enough, or … Corynn.

&nb
sp; “What can I get for you boys? And Detective Audley, of course,” she added hastily when Pippa frowned. She was so small she went easily unnoticed next to the huge warriors, which annoyed her excessively. They placed their orders and received them swiftly. The hierarchy among the two-natureds was firmly in the warriors’ favour. They had kept a low profile for centuries, but the modern world had made it all but impossible. Everyone in the club knew who they were and no one liked to make them wait.

  Jeremy could sense Grant approaching their table half a floor away, even though the wolf-shifter kept his impact on Might subdued so as not to upset the clubbers who were sensitive to his presence. A man his size didn’t really need the additional presence Might gave him to make an impression. His aura wasn’t out – the rules of the club forbade it – but Jeremy knew his wolf had silver fur like Grant’s hair, and similarly exotic eyes.

  “Evening Philippa, gentlemen.” He was friendly with the warriors and had known Pippa for a long time, a fact that didn’t always sit well with Jas. Remembering his own reaction to the leopard-shifter with Corynn, Jeremy didn’t wonder about his brother.

  “Grant. Is there anything new we should know about?” Zach asked, rising to greet him.

  Grant’s lip quirked, practically a smile on his stoic face. “A couple of new girls. But one is human, so keep your hands off her.”

  “Will do,” Zach promised with an easy smile. Jeremy rolled his eyes, not believing him for a second.

  The evening crawled on. Beer didn’t taste like anything and women didn’t interest Jeremy at all. Only when Pippa managed to drag Jas onto the dance floor did his gloom temporarily lift. The warriors gathered by the railing on their gallery to cheer and jest. To Jas’s credit, he made a real effort to dance properly.

  “That’s not bad-looking at all,” Nick noted. “I may still acknowledge him.”

  Jeremy shook his head amazed, marvelling how after all these centuries his brother managed to surprise him. When had he learned to dance? The music changed to a slow, moody piece and Jeremy was sure Jas would flee. But he gathered Pippa in his arms and the pair swayed together, oblivious to their surroundings.

  The sudden emptiness inside Jeremy felt like a punch in the guts. He wasn’t jealous of his brother’s happiness, but he might be jealous of Jas. Jasper had been his only family for so long, but now he was on his way to starting a new one. As he saw his brother hold Pippa tighter in his arms, Jeremy wished the two of them happiness. The emptiness inside him couldn’t be filled with keeping his brother at his side. It would change only if he found his own love.

  Maybe you found it already, but are just too stupid to know it? his Rider said in a snide tone, but Jeremy ignored his second nature.

  A sense of being watched alerted him from his melancholy musing. Surreptitiously, he scanned the galleries for the source. Across the opening, on the lower gallery, a woman was staring straight at him, a puzzled look on her face. His heart missed a beat when he recognised her.

  Corynn.

  He was halfway down the stairs to the lower gallery when Zach spoke in his mind. That’s not a good idea.

  Relax. I wiped her mind.

  Leave her be. But Jeremy couldn’t do that.

  Corynn wasn’t where he had seen her, so he searched the crowd and found her at the bar, wearing the waiters’ uniform. How had she ended up working here?

  It didn’t matter. She was here and he needed to talk to her. He wouldn’t let her get away from him this time.

  Corynn watched mesmerised as the huge man approached her. Prowled to her more like, his attention on her unwavering. The primal part of her brain screamed for her to flee, but her legs wouldn’t obey.

  She shouldn’t have stared at him earlier, but he had instantly drawn her when she saw him across the dance floor. He was a handsome man in a stark, rugged way, but that wasn’t why she had stared. There had been a look on his face when he watched someone on the dance floor that had shot straight to her heart. It had been … wistful. It was an arresting look on such a strong face and she hadn’t been able to look away.

  Then he had looked straight at her and she had recognised him. She had no idea of who he was, had never met him. But she knew him.

  He reached her and it was too late to flee. “Hi.” He smiled and leaned towards her, invading her space. His presence electrified her whole being and her heart sped up. “I’m Jeremy Grayson.”

  She was having trouble breathing. Her brain barely functioned, but she knew this man was dangerous. “Hi. I’m … Tiffany.”

  His smile deepened, as if he knew she was lying. “Tiffany.” He said it like tasting each syllable, making her wish she had given him her real name after all. “You’re new.”

  “I’ve worked here for two weeks.” She had no idea why she told him that. “Have we met?”

  He lifted a hand to her face to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, the gesture so natural it was all she could do not to lean into it. Her insides tightened in helpless arousal. “Maybe in another life.”

  The world stopped. “Yes.” They stayed quiet, watching one another. Her heart was beating fast, but not because of fear anymore.

  Then someone bumped him in the throng, breaking the moment. “I’d like to learn more about our previous life.” She nodded, unable to trust her voice. He smiled, and her eyes fixed on his mouth that promised all sorts of wonderful. “I’ll wait for you at the end of your shift.” He brushed her cheek lightly, causing tiny sparkles to run down her skin. Then he left, not looking back. She followed his progress with her eyes until he disappeared to the upper gallery. Her entire body was shaking and she had to lean against the bar desk for support.

  “Don’t get involved with him.”

  She turned to Rick, who was tending the bar, surprised that the mundane world still existed. “Sorry?”

  “He’s a Circle warrior. They’re bad news for women.”

  Her heart sank a little. “I bet.” She believed him too, but she would still meet him after work.

  She had heard about the warriors of the Crimson Circle already on her first night here, her co-workers judging them to be the most interesting and exciting that the two-natured races had to offer. Earlier tonight a wave of excitement had washed over the club, and at least three different people had rushed in to inform her that the warriors were finally here. Having now met one of them in the flesh, she could understand their enthusiasm. She could barely contain hers as she went about her work that night.

  She liked working in Sudden Death. Her co-workers, humans and two-natureds alike, were great. Her uniform, black t-shirt and black trousers, wasn’t the least bit sexist, and she wasn’t expected to demean herself. No one had tried to grope her even once.

  “Humans are cautious, in case you’re a predatory shifter and bite their head off,” one of the waitresses had explained. “And the rest know that even if you won’t, the security will.” Corynn had a notion that the girl wasn’t even kidding.

  Toby had confirmed it. “Shifters are really protective of their own. At Sudden Death, that means everyone who works there.”

  She believed him. The staff had made her feel like she belonged from the beginning, and they were delighted with her ability to recognise the two-natured from humans. Everyone was nice and friendly, she wasn’t treated differently even though as a human she was in minority – the first time in her life – and the tips were shared. The club didn’t attract the City’s money-men, but some of the clientele came from the old money and were willing to tip well, provided they could do it discreetly.

  “New scions of old vampire families,” Andrew, a young vampire security guy, had explained to her.

  Corynn was fascinated with everything she learned. “So vampires are born?” She had a vague recollection of talking about this before, but she couldn’t remember who with.

  “Yes, but we need to be made too.” But he wouldn’t tell her how.

  The night flew by. She didn’t see Jeremy again, but she k
new he hadn’t left. Her work kept her busy and she had no reason to go to the upper gallery. She decided it was for the best. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate on her work if he was watching, and she would only make a fool of herself.

  She finished her duties swiftly at the end of the night, chiding herself for her eagerness, but unable to calm down either. She absolutely wanted to meet Jeremy. They were connected and she wanted to find out how.

  She changed her clothes fast, donning a leather jacket and a scarf too, against the early morning chill. She exited through the side door and looked around for him. When she didn’t immediately spot him, her heart sank. Then a shadow detached from the wall and he was there.

  “May I walk you home?”

  Chapter Six

  Meeting Corynn, and the prospect of walking her home, had completely transformed Jeremy’s mood. The night was wonderful and he couldn’t fathom how he hadn’t noticed it earlier. The beer was exactly how he liked it and the music only his favourites. Staying put and not following Corynn around wasn’t easy, his need to make sure she was really there pushing all other thoughts from his mind. If he had been allowed to, he would have maintained a scan that would have kept tabs on her. But it would have been difficult in the crowded club, not to mention it would have pissed off everyone sensitive to it.

  His fellows shook their heads. “It’s not like you to moon over a woman like that,” Nick had noted.

  “But if you have to lose your head over a woman, could you please choose one whose mind you haven’t wiped.”

  He frowned, annoyed for being reminded about that. “Relax, Zach. She doesn’t remember me. I did a good job.”

  “Then why not leave her be? Your presence might trigger her brain to remember anyway.”

  “Just because.” He had met, dated, and bedded women more beautiful than Corynn; had declared to be in love with one or two more enticing females over the centuries, always to lose interest sooner rather than later. This felt different. She was different. “I shouldn’t have wiped her mind.”