by Karen Lynch
“Everything okay here?” he asked.
Sara smiled at him. “Peachy. My…cousin was worried that I might be drinking too much. He’s a lot older than me and way too uptight.”
I almost snorted at her description of me. Only a blind man would believe there was anything familial between the two of us, at least on my side. She felt something too; she just didn’t know it yet. Or she didn’t want to admit it.
Her friend wasn’t buying her explanation.
“Cousin, huh?”
“Distant cousins, practically unrelated,” I responded, and the look in his eyes told me he understood my meaning.
He looked between Sara and me. “Listen, if there is something going on between you two, I –”
She made a derisive sound. “Yeah, not in this lifetime.” Turning to him as if I wasn’t there, she said, “I think I’ll go see what Roland is up to. Maybe I’ll see you again later.”
She stalked off toward the beach. I wanted to go to her and make sure she was okay, but I decided it would be wise to give her a few minutes to cool down first. A smile curved my lips. She was beautiful even when she was furious.
“You’re not really her cousin, are you?”
I looked at the blond man, who was still standing nearby. “No.”
He nodded and stared after her. “She’s something else.”
“Yes, she is,” I said more to myself.
The man surprised me when he held out his hand. “Samson.”
I shook his hand. “Nikolas.”
“Can I ask what the deal is with you and her? She didn’t mention a boyfriend, and you don’t exactly seem like her type.”
“What type is that?”
He grinned. “I’m not sure, but I hope it’s blond drummers. No offense.”
“None taken.” I couldn’t help but like the guy, even if my Mori wanted me to hit him for touching Sara. “I’d better go check on her.”
Samson chuckled. “Good luck with that.”
I saw Chris as I approached the bluff overlooking the beach, and I knew Sara had never been out of his sight even when she was out of mine. He gave me a look that said “better you than me” and pointed at a lone figure down the beach away from the fire. Not that I needed to be told where she was; I could sense her from here.
I watched her from a distance for a few minutes before I joined her. She didn’t look up as I neared, but she knew I was there despite my quiet approach.
“Please go away,” she said quietly. “I promise I won’t have any fun or fall into the ocean in my drunken state if you’ll leave me alone.”
I hated the sadness in her voice and knowing I had put it there. She’d looked so happy and carefree with Samson, and it bothered me that she reacted the opposite way to me. She didn’t know what we were to each other, and it was clear she was still upset by the things I’d told her last week. I wished there was something I could say to take away her pain, but all I could do for now was try to reassure her.
I sat beside her, and my Mori almost purred with happiness at being so close to its mate. After watching her from a distance for so long, a feeling of contentment settled over me at her nearness.
“I’ve heard that some orphans take the transition to the Mohiri life well and others struggle to adapt. Eventually, they all come to love our way of life.”
She didn’t look at me. “Maybe that’s because their life before wasn’t that great. It’s got to suck being a little kid with a demon wreaking havoc in your head. But I’m not like them.”
“No you’re not.” If she only knew how different she was.
“Why?”
I thought about the best way to answer her. “You are very strong. I don’t mean physically. Like I told you before, you have amazing control over your Mori; it’s almost effortless.”
She shifted restlessly, and I wondered if her Mori was reacting to being so close to mine. If so, was she even aware of it?
“You don’t seem to have any trouble with yours,” she said.
“I’ve had many years to learn this much control, and it’s still not as good as yours.” If she only knew how much I’d struggled with my Mori as a boy, and how hard it was to restrain the demon when she was near. It would never harm her, but it couldn’t understand why we weren’t trying to claim our mate.
“Oh.” She rubbed her knees nervously. “But you do control it, right? You’re not going to go all Linda Blair on me, are you? Because I’ve had all the craziness I can handle for one year.”
I laughed at her ability to find humor in the situation. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
She turned her face toward me, allowing me to see the sadness that still lingered in her eyes. “How long is this going to go on? I just want to go back to some semblance of a normal life.”
“Sara –”
“I know what you’re going to say. How normal can it be when I’m immortal and everyone else is not? Why can’t I have it for now, at least until I have to leave?” she asked desperately.
I sighed softly, hating that I was going to crush her hopes of having a normal life. But if she was ever going to accept that she couldn’t go back to the way things were, I had to be honest with her. About the danger, at least.
“That might have been possible before the vampire found you. You don’t know what they’re like; once they decide they want something, it’s like a predator scenting their prey. And you are the one that got away.”
She trembled, and my arm ached to wrap itself around her shoulders. But I knew my touch would not be welcome.
“The werewolves don’t think the vampires will enter their territory,” she said.
“I hope they’re right, and I wish I could tell you this will all go away, but I won’t lie to you. I believe you are in danger here, and I won’t leave you unprotected as long as that danger exists.”
She stood. “Just do me a favor and don’t act like every person you see is out to get me. It is possible that some boys might actually like me.” She walked around me and headed back to the party.
“Ya znayu,” I said softly. I know.
She looked back at me. “Did you say something?”
“I said I’m sure they do.”
I stayed there for a few minutes after she’d left. Chris would keep an eye on her, and I didn’t want to upset her more. I wished I knew what to do or say to make her world right again, but I was at a loss.
When I returned to the party, I found a spot in the shadow of the lighthouse to stay out of sight. Sara was with her two werewolf friends and she wore a smile again, though it wasn’t as bright as the one she had before I’d made my presence known.
I knew I should probably go. She was safe here with her friends and Chris, and I only managed to distress her. But every time I thought of leaving, I couldn’t make myself walk away.
“She’s really gotten to you.”
I’d been so focused on Sara that I hadn’t even heard Chris approach. He stood beside me and watched her with her friends.
“I’ve never seen you look at a female the way you look at her.”
I glanced over at him. “What way is that?”
He smiled. “Like a blind man seeing for the first time.”
I scoffed, but I had no rebuke because I was afraid he might be right.
“How bad is it?” he asked with more seriousness. “I’m not going to have to restrain you if she goes near another male, am I?”
Sara laughed at something Roland said, and my chest warmed in response. “It’s stronger than I expected it would be this soon,” I admitted. “I don’t think I realized how strong until I saw her with the other guy.”
“I guess it’s true what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” His voice didn’t hold any of his usual humor. He laid a hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you should stay away for a while, until she’s more willing to accept you. The more you see her, the harder it will be to keep your distance from her.”
/> I nodded stiffly. “I know, but I can’t stay away with Eli stepping up his search for her.”
That was only part of the reason. Being near Sara eased the slowly tightening coil of tension inside me. I’d heard from bonded males that just touching their mates was enough to calm them when they were upset. It wasn’t as if I could walk up and take my mate’s hand. She’d probably break her fist on my nose.
Chris and I split up. He mingled with the crowd, while I stayed out of Sara’s sight. A few females came up to me and attempted to start a conversation, but I discouraged them as nicely as I could. I had eyes for only one female. My Mori wouldn’t have endured me being with someone else anyway now that it had found its mate.
It was around eleven when I felt the first drops of rain. I’d been watching the clouds move in for an hour, so I wasn’t surprised when the sky suddenly opened up and sent a torrent of rain down on us. Some of the females squealed, and everyone raced for their vehicles. As I watched Sara and her friends run to an old red pickup, I moved toward my bike, intending to follow them.
Chris met up with me in the parking lot. “She’s fine. Stop worrying. She’s safe with the werewolves, and I heard the boys talking about a party in the Knolls. It’s just a few miles from here, and it’s where the pack lives.”
He was right. As much as I wanted to make sure for myself that she got home safely, it would only invite trouble if we followed her into the pack’s home for no reason. Normally, I wouldn’t worry about upsetting a few wolves, but this pack cared for Sara, and her friends were protective of her. I didn’t want to change that.
But if I ever suspected she was in danger, I’d go through the entire pack to ensure her safety.
Chris shook out his wet hair and pulled on his helmet. “I found a pretty decent pub the other day. Let’s grab a beer and dry off.”
I agreed because there was nothing else for me to do in that moment. Chris led the way to a small bar near the waterfront. We grabbed a booth, paid for two beers, and talked in low voices about the situation in Portland. My eyes kept going to the clock on the wall, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Sara was doing. I was so used to her being at home where it was easier to watch over her, and I didn’t like not knowing where she was.
Chris groaned. “You’re killing me, Nikolas. If I ever find a bond mate, just shoot me right away and put me out of my misery.”
I smiled into my beer. “When this happens to you, I’m going to enjoy your suffering as much as you are enjoying mine. Maybe more.”
He let out a snort. “No way. I’ll stick to human women for the next hundred years or so, just to be safe.”
“For a guy who dates so many women, you’re going through a lot of trouble not to settle down.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble.” His eyebrows lifted suggestively. “I happen to love human women, and they’re less aggressive than our females.”
“Mohiri women aren’t that aggressive, unless you’re talking about someone like –”
“Celine?” he finished for me with a smirk. “Remind me again, how long ago did you and she hook up? And she still tries to rekindle your little romance whenever she sees you.”
I chuckled. “Celine is in a league of her own.”
I thought about the raven-haired beauty I’d met while on a job in New York City back in the twenties. Celine Moreau was a superb warrior and just as skilled as a lover. She’d made no secret of the fact she wanted me in her bed. It had been a pleasurable week for us both, and then we’d parted ways. I’d seen her many times since then, and we were on friendly terms, but I had no interest in picking up where we’d left off. Celine pursued me only because she was used to men adoring her and she couldn’t conceive of one not wanting her.
My thoughts turned back to Sara. I couldn’t have bonded with someone more opposite of Celine. Sara wasn’t afraid to express herself, yet she seemed to try to not be noticed. And unlike Celine, Sara had no interest in me.
The irony of the situation was not lost on me.
My phone vibrated on the table, and I frowned at Erik’s name on the screen. He wouldn’t call this late unless he’d found something important.
“Nikolas, we have trouble,” he said as soon as I picked up. “We got word of a strange animal spotted near the university in Gorham. Reese went to check it out. He says based on the tracks and the witnesses’ descriptions, it was a crocotta.”
My blood chilled. Crocotta were vicious creatures that resembled giant hyenas and always traveled in small packs. They were better than bloodhounds at picking up a scent and tracking it. If there were crocotta in or near Portland, they had been brought in to find someone specifically.
I immediately thought of Eli. The Attic had been full of college students the night we were there, and it made sense that Eli would assume Sara was also in college. So the first place he would look for her was the university.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I said with forced calm. “Keep me posted if you find anything else.”
“What’s wrong?” Chris asked as soon as I hung up.
“There was a crocotta spotted near Portland. You know there’s only one reason someone would bring those things here.”
“Jesus.”
“Chris, check the tracker you put on the truck. Where are they?”
He pulled out his tracking monitor. “I told you she’s in the…”
His brows drew together, and my chest tightened with dread. “It looks like the truck is stopped on Fell Road, about a mile from the Knolls.”
I was out of my chair and halfway to the door before he called after me. He caught up to me at the bikes.
“There are lots of reasons why they could be stopped on the road,” Chris said as I straddled my motorcycle.
“She’s in danger. I feel it in my gut, Chris.”
“Okay. But you have to think like a warrior now, not a mate. Crocotta are intelligent and they like to surround their prey. If we rush in there together, they’ll have the upper hand. We need to split up and go in from different directions.”
He held up the monitor that displayed a map of the town and a blinking yellow dot that was the truck. It didn’t take long for us to determine the fastest routes there. A minute later, I was speeding toward the Knolls and praying we were not too late.
It took eleven minutes to reach the turnoff to Fell Road. As I slowed for the sharp right turn, the unmistakable screams of crocotta reached my ears.
“Hold on, Sara.” I hit the gas and shot down the road toward the screams.
I let out the breath I was holding when I sensed her presence. It was faint, but she was nearby and alive. It grew stronger as I sped around a bend in the road and the truck came into view.
I sized up the situation as I raced forward. In front of the truck, Chris fought with two crocotta, and a few feet away, the werewolves battled one between them. A fourth crocotta stalked toward the truck. There was no sign of Sara, and I hoped she was safely locked inside the vehicle.
A growl rumbled in my chest as my eyes narrowed on the creature threatening my mate. I reached down, unbuckled my sword, and gripped the hilt without taking my eyes off my prey. Instead of slowing, I sped up, and my bike plowed into the crocotta with a satisfying crunch.
A second before impact, I leapt from the bike and spun in the air, landing on my feet with my sword in hand. I went after the creature trapped under the bike. It struggled frantically when it saw me, and it managed a weak scream before I severed its head.
Bloodlust filled me as I turned to Chris and the two crocotta he battled. I strode into the fray and brought my sword down across the flank of the closest creature. It cried out and spun around to face me. I didn’t give it a chance to attack. I drove my sword into its wide chest, killing it instantly.
Seconds later, Chris and the werewolves finished off the last two crocotta, and the night was silent except for the werewolves’ panting and the light rain.
I looked at the black werewolf. “You know
these woods?”
He nodded.
“Go make sure there are no more crocotta nearby.”
He hesitated and glanced at the truck.
“I’ll take care of her. I promise you.”
He nodded again, and he and his friend dashed off into the woods. I turned to the truck, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw what I hadn’t noticed at a distance. The hood and driver door were crumpled, the windshield looked ready to fall in, and the roof was shredded with jagged pieces of metal sticking up. Through the cracked window, I could make out someone sitting in the middle of the cab. Sara.
In three strides, I was at the truck and pulling on the handle of the driver’s side door. The damage to the door had wedged it, but nothing was going to stop me from getting inside that cab. I gripped the edges of the door, where it twisted away from the frame, and ripped it off the truck.
“Easy, man. You’ll frighten her,” Chris called as I threw the door away from me. His warning registered in my brain, but I almost lost it when I took in Sara’s ghostly pale face splattered with blood. Her green eyes were dazed, and the knife I had given her was coated with blood in her clenched hand. I could see no injuries, and I prayed the blood on her belonged to the creature she had fought.
My hand trembled from a mixture of relief and fury when I cupped her cold face and made her look at me. The pain and fear in her eyes made my heart constrict, and my words came out harsher than I meant them to.
“It’s okay, Sara. There’re all gone. Are you hurt anywhere?”
She didn’t answer, and I worried she was in shock. I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes, and they lost the glazed look.
“Sara, can you hear me?” I asked with more gentleness.
“Yes.” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
Relief coursed through me. I let go of her chin and covered the hand still clutching the knife so tightly that her knuckles were white.
“You’re safe now, moy malen'kiy voin. Let the knife go.” The endearment slipped off my tongue easily, though I’d never spoken that way to another person.
She relinquished the weapon to me, and I threw it on the floor before I took both of her hands in mine. I studied the blood-splattered interior of the cab, and anger surged in me again when I looked up at the shredded roof where the crocotta had tried to get to her.