Knife still in my hand, I swung it backwards, the power behind the move pitiful. I couldn’t get enough momentum to stab deep. I might’ve torn skin, but his hold didn’t lessen.
The vampire in front of me screeched, like silverware sliding against a plate, high-pitched and foul. His fury wasn’t directed at me, though. He didn’t want to lose his tasty meal to the other guy. It would’ve been funny if I weren’t so concerned with my survival.
My death seemed inevitable as the one behind sank his teeth into my vulnerable flesh. Agony was soon replaced with bliss. All worries disappeared while I moaned in pleasure, indifferent to the battle waging around me. I slumped in the vampire’s arms, my head lolling to the side, and my eyes fluttered shut. The steady thud of my heart echoed in my ears.
A snarl broke though the hazy fog shrouding my mind, though I pushed the sound to the side. It had nothing to do with me and the sea of pleasure I floated upon.
Pain jolted me from my daze and I cried out, dropping to my knees. My legs couldn’t support my weight and dizziness assaulted me.
“Snap out of it.” I didn’t recognize the voice, and his cruelty swept aside the rest of the vampire’s feeding bliss. I nearly retched, my stomach roiling at how close I’d been to oblivion. Another minute or so . . .
Around me, the battle was no longer raging. Black ash coated the ground, a thick ring of death around me. The last decomposing body belonged to the one who’d snacked on my neck. I watched numbly as ash overtook his body until nothing humanoid remained.
“We won?” I asked, my voice wobbling. A cough racked my body and I braced my hands against my knees as my body expelled the fine powder from my lungs. I pretended the tears gathering in my eyes were from the coughing and not from an overload of emotion.
I’d almost died.
Cole sauntered towards me. He’d reclaimed his human form, though his footsteps remained impossibly quiet. Even without looking up, I knew it was him by the way he walked. No one else had his arrogance—the big, bad predator at the top of the food chain. I wanted to trip him just to see him lose some of his swagger.
“You will train with us. Several of my wolves were distracted trying to keep you alive. You’re a hindrance.” His cold words stung. He’d never treated me like I was useless, nor had he ever spoken to me in such a dismissive manner. I could always count on Cole to flirt with me and cajole me no matter what mood I presented him. Flirty Cole had just been an act?
Of course it had been an act. I’d known since our first meeting he wanted something from me. For most men, it was sex. For Cole, he wanted bait. Our banter over the years had lowered my guard without me realizing it.
“Look, I don’t want anything do to with your stupid war. I came here tonight because you threatened my job.” I pushed myself into a standing position and then tried like hell to keep my eyes on Cole’s face and not his naked body. He’d enjoy it too much if I ogled him. “I’m done.”
The rest of the pack prowled around me, a ring of teeth and claws that tightened until I felt like I was suffocating. Face as blank as I could make it, I stared Cole in the eyes. The werewolves wouldn’t intimidate me. I’d just survived—barely—a vampire sucking my life force from me. I could handle a few pissed-off wolves.
Cole placed his hand on my face, his thumb rubbing against my unharmed cheekbone. It wasn’t a sexual move, but a possessive one. He was stamping his ownership on me in front of his pack. Tempted as I was to bite his hand, I remained still.
He stepped closer, his body heat searing me. I was uncomfortably aware of his nakedness. His hand still cupped my face, though he tilted my head to the side, exposing the claw marks on my cheek and the throbbing puncture wounds on my neck. I could’ve fought against him, but curiosity kept me silent. Even as his face neared mine, I didn’t move, my breath trapped in my lungs while I waited.
Why? Why wasn’t I fighting him off? Cole held no interest for me beyond his ability to answer my questions. I wasn’t sexually attracted to him and I certainly didn’t want him kissing me. Yet I froze.
His lips bushed against my cheek, gentle as a butterfly, followed by the light rasp of his tongue as he licked each ragged wound.
Gross! The number of bacteria in his saliva worried me. Now I had dirty claws and spit to wash out of the gashes.
The absolute stillness of Cole’s pack while they watched the unfolding events worried me. Did this mean something I wasn’t aware of? The probability was high. And they could all go fuck themselves for their unwillingness to share information with me. If I screwed up, that was their issue, not mine.
Cole’s mouth travelled downwards, against my throat and the puncture holes. Again, his tongue licked my skin. I fought against the raw awareness of him as a man. A naked man, no less, but I remained rooted to the ground. My body was no longer my own.
A strange tingle flowed through me, like fingernails scraping against the underside of my skin. Unsettling, yet pleasant.
My eyes drifted shut. His fingers stroked my unmarred cheek before feathering across my neck. The urge to submit tugged at me. He’d take care of me, protect me from the vampires. I could trust him . . .
“You will comply and train with us. I own your life, since I saved it. Disobey me and your life is forfeit.” His voice sliced through the bliss, making me aware of how easily I’d succumbed to him. First the vampire and now the werewolf. Did he have something in his saliva, too?
Anger burst inside at how smoothly he’d manipulated me. A snappy comeback hovered on the tip of my tongue, but I held it back. If werewolf nature was anything like human nature, insulting the top dog would simply piss off his pack.
I personally didn’t care about their posturing, but I needed to stay on their good side. At least the werewolves didn’t want to feed on me. I hoped.
Head bowed, I said, “Yes, Cole. Let me know when and where, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my work.”
“Don’t worry about Doug. He’ll obey his alpha.” Amusement threaded through Cole’s words. His usual persona with me had slipped back into place.
My eyes widened when his words penetrated my brain. I squeaked out, “Doug? He’s a werewolf?”
Chapter Nine
Ho-ly shit. That’s why Doug had hired me. It wasn’t because I’d impressed him—which shouldn’t be such a surprise to me. Doug hated me. By the barest thread I remained employed by him and now I understood why. Cole had ordered him to hire me. Protecting me? Why? None of it made any sense. And Cole, tight-lipped bastard that he was, still wasn’t giving me any answers.
Coldness seeped into his eyes, chasing away the amusement. I’d never noticed the chill in his gaze before. Finally, I saw the real him, Alpha Cole hiding beneath his veneer of civility. I wanted to scream at him, smack him for the lies he’d told me, but I wasn’t stupid enough to act on those impulses. Low growls from the wolves raised the fine hairs on the back of my neck, reminding me we weren’t alone. I was an interloper, and he was their leader.
Any punishment I’d planned for Cole would be done in private. And punish him I would. All this time, he’d manipulated me, pushing and pulling me wherever he wanted me to go. I couldn’t trust anything in my life now. What else was because of him?
I was done with the crumbs he’d given me, enough to keep me alive but not enough so I could understand what the hell was going on.
He wanted me to train? Okay, I could train. I’d learn how to better kill vampires. Who knew, maybe they’d inadvertently teach me how to survive werewolves, too. If I remained alert, they’d slip up. I wouldn’t stay under Cole’s thumb forever. He wasn’t my alpha and never would be.
As a human, I had no business in their war. So, learn everything I could and then disappear.
I smiled at Cole, hopefully hiding my emotions. No need to rouse his suspicious about my plans. “Okay, yeah, I’ll train with your pack. Might as well, since you owe me.”
Cole chuckled, as if I hadn’t been rude to him. There was the
Cole I was used to, the one who didn’t care what I said or how I said it, as long as I obeyed him. Obedient like his pack. He’d soon find out I would never be obedient.
“Well, good news is, you’ll have a place to sleep tonight.” Warmth flooded his gaze as his eyes roved my body.
My eyebrows shot up. I didn’t like where this was headed. “Oh, and where am I sleeping tonight?”
Leaning over, mouth against my ear, he whispered, “My house, of course. You’re under my protection and I can’t let anything happen to you. The other vampires could find you, and my people are tired.”
His lips brushed my cheek and a shiver danced along my spine, not from sexual awareness, but because he’d sprung his trap on me. If I ended up at his place, it’d be harder to disappear when I needed to. He’d have a way to track me at all times, at work, at home. No time would be my own.
I shook my head, moving myself out of range of his mouth. “No, I can’t. I can’t stay at your place. It’d give people the wrong impression.”
His lips quirked upwards, more smug than pleased. “Other people’s opinions don’t matter when it comes to your safety. And I wouldn’t take advantage of the situation. What kind of man do you take me for?”
His words tightened the noose around my neck. With his pack listening to every word, I couldn’t state I didn’t trust him, or I’d insult them for all they’d done for me. And as much as I hated to admit it, the wolves had saved my life a few times over the years, though I hadn’t realized it at the time. The sound of howling surfaced from old memories, times I’d felt utterly alone. The mournful sounds had comforted me even when I’d waited in fear of another vampire attack.
“Some might believe you’ve taken an undue interest in me. That could cause . . . friction within your pack. Perhaps it’d be best to continue as we have. We’ll set a time and place for the training, okay?” I glanced over my shoulder, measuring the distance to freedom. Too far. I wouldn’t make it, not with wolves hunting me.
Cole brushed a strand of hair from my cheek, his fingers trailing along my neck. Again, his actions seemed weighted with a greater significance than what I understood. His eyes hardened and he curled his lip upwards, revealing his sharp canines. His smile had nothing to do with friendliness and everything to do with obedience.
“You’ll spend tonight at my place. After that, we’ll discuss where you’ll stay. As I said, my people are tired and need their rest. They can’t do that if they’re protecting you while you sleep.”
What else could I do besides nod? It was either that or he’d show me his ruthless side; I could see the options written plainly on his face. I’d pushed as far as he’d let me. He wouldn’t allow me to leave. Either willingly or unwillingly, I would be a guest at his home tonight.
Cole ushered me into his car, a little sporty thing I couldn’t identify. Vehicles didn’t hold much interest for me since I couldn’t afford one anyway. No sense pining over something I’d never have. But even I could tell his car was expensive. I slipped into the passenger seat, the leather cool and soft. Yep, expensive.
I was out of my depth. Nothing about me screamed high-end. The Dollar Store saw the bulk of my business and hell, I snuck in my showers at work when Doug was busy elsewhere. Cole’s car was sullied just by me sitting in it. And I didn’t give a shit. He’d bullied me into this position, so screw him.
He slid into the driver’s seat, now dressed in grey jogging pants and a light blue cotton T-shirt. He’d dressed in the moments it’d taken him to walk around the car. Where had he stashed his clothes? I hadn’t seen him move or adjust his course. That in itself worried me.
Smoothing my palms along the cheap cotton/spandex material of my pants—a thrift store find—I almost gagged when my hands turned pinkish-brown from drying blood. The black had concealed the gore. More clothes ruined because of vampires. I growled my displeasure, the sound vibrating my throat.
“An impressive sound for a human. Don’t worry, Lena is a dream at removing blood from clothes.”
Curiosity pricked at me, yet I refused to give in to it. The less I knew about him personally, the better. Vampires and werewolves in general piqued my interest, not Cole. Learn to evade or kill them. That’s it.
The engine purred as he downshifted and gravel crunched under the tires when he pulled into a long driveway that ended in a circle. A massive house, something out of a medieval fairy tale, stood before us. Grey brick, white trim, tall Greek columns, and a turret in the back added up to a beautiful home, one with a view of the lake.
I had to admit, the house impressed me, though I wasn’t surprised. After seeing his car, the logical assumption was he had a nice home. Of course, none of it matched the image I’d built up of him in my mind. I’d assumed—incorrectly—that he was homeless like me. He wandered the streets just before dusk, usually to harass me. I never gave it much thought when he asked me to come back to his place. What had I expected? A skeevy dive, at best.
It begged the question, what did Cole do during the day? How did he earn his money? A trust-fund kid or did his pack pay for him? Investments? Or was he smarter than he acted? An aggressive nature was a given or else he wouldn’t be alpha, so maybe he used that to his advantage.
My back stiffened as I stared at the house. I knew so little about the man next to me and I was going to spend the night at his place. He was stronger than me, fought better than me, and had a pack of vicious wolves at his disposal. Where the hell was my brain?
“Nothing will happen to you. You’re safe for as long as you’re under my roof.” Cole’s soft voice was at odds with his usual personality. Tonight was full of revelations regarding him. Gone was Flirty Cole, the swaggering lady’s man who always had a smile for me. This Cole had depths I didn’t want to explore.
“Yeah, sure,” I said with a quick nod, believing him. If he’d wanted to hurt me, he could’ve done so many times over. His actions proved he wanted to protect me, though I hadn’t the foggiest idea why. A tired refrain, my ignorance.
Opening the car door, I stood on wobbly legs. The night’s events had caught up with me, including my blood loss. I wanted a hot bath, a glass of orange juice, and a huge meal. I didn’t care which order or even if I had them all at once. Would Cole’s hospitality extend to food? Maybe if I casually reminded him of my body’s need to replenish the lost blood?
My stomach gurgled. Even a person without werewolf hearing could hear it plain as day. A little embarrassed, I ducked my head back into the car and grabbed my knapsack, uncomfortable with the thought of leaving it behind. My entire world was in there, as pitiful as it sounded.
Striding to the door with Cole at my side, I feigned confidence. Don’t show fear, right?
He motioned for me to enter after he opened the door. With a bright smile, I swept in before him like I was a queen entering my domain, ignoring the strong tug of the threshold. “So where am I sleeping tonight?”
Cole let out a low whistle, one that barely reached my ears, but must’ve sounded like a bullhorn to a werewolf. A pleasant-looking woman bustled along the hallway from the back of the house, a huge grin on her face. She gripped Cole’s shoulders, gaze sweeping over him, then strong-armed him into a hug.
He shrugged when he caught my eye, a sheepish grin on his face.
“You’re back! I was so worried. The others told me it was a large nest. Why didn’t you tell me?” The woman pulled back and smacked him on the arm. “Next time, tell me or—”
“Lena, we have a guest tonight,” Cole interrupted, ruining my fun. I enjoyed seeing him berated. He rubbed his knuckles along her throat, an affectionate gesture. “Please set Pearle up in the blue room.”
The blue room? He named his rooms by colour? I rolled my eyes. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised, although I should stop judging him based on the little information I had, especially since I’d already failed miserably so far. I wanted him in a neat box, though. It’d make my life easier when dealing with him because then I’d understan
d how to act around Cole. So far, he kept destroying my comfort zones with him and I hated it.
“Of course. Right away. And I’ll have the kitchen make you supper. You must be starving.” Lena turned, rushing back down the hallway. I assumed the kitchen was that way.
Glancing over my shoulder at the door, I mourned my lack of freedom. It’d been a long time since someone else had dictated my actions, notwithstanding my nightly worries with the vampires. At least with them, I could kill them and move on. With Cole, he had the stubborn look of someone who wanted to lord over me. He might get unquestioning obedience from his pack, but he wouldn’t get it from me.
With a slow, charming grin, he placed his hand at my elbow and guided me to the room to our right. I blinked in surprise. A bathroom? Admittedly a gorgeous bathroom with grey tiles on the floor, light blue walls, and an entire wall devoted to a Jacuzzi. On the opposite wall was an opaque shower stall. Towels of varying sizes hung on a rack between the tub and stall.
“Um, w-what?” I mumbled. Was this his weird way of seducing me? How many women did he take into his bathroom of looove? Yep, I was outta here.
Cole’s grip on my arm tightened. “You’re filthy and you stink of vampire blood. Clean up and then come out to the sitting room. It’s just across the hallway from here. Leave your clothes in the hamper. Lena’ll have them spotless for you in the morning. I’ll also have her bring you some fresh clothes to wear.” Cole’s matter-of-fact words cut across my horror-induced haze.
He didn’t have designs on my body. My stench probably offended his sensitive nose. Relief loosened my tense muscles; fighting off a horny werewolf wasn’t my idea of a fun night.
“Okay, yeah. Sounds good to me. I’ll find you when I’m done.” I dismissed him with a wave of my fingers, too busy fantasizing about how glorious hot water would feel sluicing over my weary body. I placed my knapsack on the floor next to the towels where I could keep an eye on it and began stripping. Now that I knew Cole wasn’t sexually interested in me, I didn’t care if he saw me naked or not.
Splintered Nights Page 6