by Eve Langlais
The line for the new club wrapped around the block. As if he would wait. Waiting was for mortals.
He strode up to the bouncer who, with a polite nod in his direction, ushered Titus straight in. Most people knew better than to screw with him, especially if they wanted to live.
Respect was taught. Sometimes by killing a few people. Funny how deference swiftly followed once folks realized you weren’t bluffing. That didn’t mean they knew what he was. Titus guarded his secret well, but he fed the belief that he was a crime lord, capable of anything. While not one to kill indiscriminately, he did find that a few well-timed executions went a long way to assuring that he didn’t run into trouble.
A wave of sound hit Titus before the heat of gyrating bodies did. The inner doors opened to pure chaos. The neon-lit room pulsed, the music thumping a hard beat, the people packed in tighter than shoppers for a Black Friday sale. The smell of sweat, perfume, and lust hung heavily in the air. It was a place of decadence and lowered inhibitions.
Women and men alike noticed him, desired him—they couldn’t help it—and tried to touch, which impeded his progress. Rubbing against him. Stroking hands over his body. Begging and pleading, “Take me.”
They meant sexually. These humans had no idea what they asked. What they offered.
Not his type of scene, but Stefan thrived in this kind of environment.
The hands got a little more intimate than Titus liked. He gave a small push with his mind, a broadcasted thought really. Nothing to see. Respect the bubble, people. Folks cleared out of the way, creating a path for him through the turmoil.
He strode through the parted sea of bodies and wondered, not for the first time, if Moses had forgotten to tell the writers of the Bible a certain something.
Reaching the bar, Titus leaned against it, his mental push keeping the area around him clear, a moat of calm. Gazing out over the dance floor, jam-packed with gyrating shapes, Titus easily located his minion’s blond locks. Stefan bumped and ground with several people at once. His eyes dark, his head tilted back. He was in his glory. It almost seemed a shame to disturb him.
Almost.
This is what I pay him for.
Titus whistled. A small sound that he caught with his hand. He brought his closed fist to his mouth and breathed on it. “Stefan.”
He opened his hand, and the sound flew off, a simple and sweet spell that popped beside Stefan’s ear. His servant jerked and looked over to the bar immediately.
Their eyes locked. Stefan mouthed something, probably along the lines of, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” as he left his spot amongst the gyrating bodies and joined Titus at the bar.
“Couldn’t it wait?” whined Stefan the moment he stepped into the bubble.
“It could have if someone had done a better job.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The wolf was better at gathering information than you,” said Titus sharply.
The rebuke made Stefan turn to face him with a frown. “What did that overgrown dog discover?”
“The fact that she was seeing a doctor.”
“How the fuck did he find that out? Her place didn’t have a single medical record in it. Not even a bill.
“He overheard a phone call.”
“That bastard,” hissed Stefan. “He held that back.”
Exactly what Titus had done. He knew a few extra tidbits he’d not shared with Logan, such as the fact that all the apartments in Adara’s building had their occupants suddenly evicted. The landlord didn’t care that they were empty because someone had sent him a large check to cover it. And it wasn’t Titus, which led to the question of who and why.
“Track down this doctor. I want to know who she was seeing and why.”
“So much for a multi-course dinner tonight.” Stefan sighed. “This is going to take a while.”
Titus smiled coldly. “It’s a good thing we’ll both live a long time, then. But you’re in luck. She called the doctor from the payphone in front of her building.”
“Which means, I can trace it.” Stefan smiled. “On it, boss.”
Excellent, and while his man was hunting down more clues, Titus had a date to rescue a damsel from a certain mannerless dog.
His pulse, almost nonexistent for so long, sped up at the prospect.
Chapter Thirteen
Not a single customer came in to break up the dull monotony of her shift. As a matter of fact, the only people she saw were the well-dressed guy and the construction hottie.
The sad part…the blond one spent a ton of money, and on comics they didn’t even take. Honesty said she should stash the books in case they returned for them.
Instead, she glanced at the dead, gray camera, and hoped, once again, that no one watched as she replaced all the comic books and pocketed the cash.
It made her feel a tad bit ill.
Stealing is wrong. But so was starving.
When ten fifty-five hit, she decided, screw it. Let the owner fire her for shutting up a few minutes early. She couldn’t stand around here anymore.
Gathering her meager things, she headed outside. With her back to the street—which she first checked up and down—she struggled to lock the door. It fought back. She wrestled it. Pulling. Wiggling. Jiggling the key.
Finally, she won, and someone said, “I am going to walk you home.”
Adara jumped when the voice spoke from behind her. A good thing she’d peed before leaving.
Spinning, one hand clutched to her chest over her rapidly beating heart, she stared with wide eyes at the dark-haired stranger from earlier. Logan O’Conaill, according to his business card, which, other than his name, contained only a phone number. She’d kept the card even though she had no intention of calling. That way, if he kills me, maybe the cops will find it and know whom to arrest.
“Excuse me?” she said, blinking at him.
“I said, I’m here to walk you home.”
He’s trying to get me alone. Immediately, Adara began to tremble, but the fear felt apart from her and at odds with the butterflies in her stomach. What does he want from me?
He wants to eat you… Just look at those big teeth. She stared at his mouth. His normal mouth. Certainly nothing wolfish about it, unless you counted his grin.
“Having a good look?”
She shook her head, cheeks flaming. “I didn’t mean to stare and, as to your offer, no thank you.” She wasn’t about to accept help from one of the people that frightened her.
He wouldn’t hurt you. Maybe make you scream.
The sarcasm was hers, yet she couldn’t grasp it. What was her subconscious trying to say?
“Listen,” he said, opening his hands wide in what she assumed was supposed to be a gesture of reassurance but which, instead, just drew attention to how large his hands and body were. Big enough to crush her beneath his frame.
She drew away from him.
He noticed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to protect. It’s not safe for you to walk here alone at night. Think of me as a bodyguard of sorts.”
But who will save me from you? she wanted to ask.
“I don’t need your help. Please just leave me alone.” Adara turned on her heel and scurried quickly away, knowing he could catch her.
He’ll chase me down, pin me, and kiss me. No…hurt me. No, try and—
Her mind shied. Head ducked, she ran blindly, straight into a brick wall. Staggering back, she glanced up as hands reached out to steady her.
“Calm down, dearest. You run as if pursued by the hounds of Hell. Are you all right?”
A hysterical giggle threatened to erupt as she looked up into the face of the well-dressed gentleman from earlier, Titus.
As if sensing her near hysteria, he let go of her arms and stepped back.
“Are you following me, too?” she asked.
Titus raised his hands. “You wound me, my lady. And if you recall, you ran into me.”
Adara blushed
. “Sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“You appear frightened. Is something the matter?”
“No.” Then she blurted. “Yes. That other guy was waiting for me when I was done with work and—”
“Do you mean Logan?” Titus curled his lip. “Not always the most couth of fellows, is he?”
“Yes, him.”
“Much as it pains me to admit, he would not have harmed you.”
She wasn’t so sure of that. There was something in that man’s eyes. Something primal and wild. “You seem to know each other.”
“Yes, we are acquainted. An unfortunate turn of events.” Titus made a face, and she laughed. “But let us not spoil this fair evening talking about Logan. You’ve just finished work and are surely exhausted. Allow me to walk with you a ways. The streets are not safe at night for a beautiful lady.”
Heat warmed her cheeks again. “Oh no, please don’t trouble yourself. I’m sure you have more important places to be.” Unless he was stalking her, then, in that case, he was in the right place.
“There is nothing more important than acting as a shield against the dark foes that stalk the night.”
“And what would you do if you ran into one?”
“I’d say, ‘boo.’” Titus smiled. “I shall scare them with my rapier wit.”
“It’s probably not on your way.” He surely lived in the good part of town.
“A walk is good for the heart, or so they say. Shall we?” The elegant gentleman swept her a half bow, and Adara started walking alongside him. “We were never properly introduced. Allow me to rectify that. My name is Titus, by the way. Titus Damnounus.”
“The damned one,” she whispered.
Titus tossed her a surprised look. “You know Latin?”
“No. I, uh, don’t think so,” Adara stammered. How did I know that?
“And you are Adara. A lovely name. Greek, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know,” she said. A small lie, but she still spun over her knowledge of Latin.
“Forgive me for prying, but I do not get the impression you’ve been in town long.”
“I have no idea how long I’ve been in this area. I have amnesia. I only remember things starting from a few months ago.” Adara clamped her mouth shut too late. I can’t believe I told him my secret.
His brows raised in interest. “How distressing for you. But at least you know your name, Adara.”
“Given to me by the nurses.” Adara couldn’t seem to stop her tongue. Titus had a compelling way about him, which made her suspicious. I don’t talk to anybody about what happened to me, so why a perfect stranger? What is it about him that makes me want to open up?
Maybe the fact that she’d not had anyone to speak to outside the hospital staff. She’d never seen other patients. Supposedly, they were kept on rotating schedules to avoid conflict. Still, during her time at the asylum, she’d never even heard anyone else.
The lack of exposure to other people was a lonely thing. Was it any wonder she’d reacted to this first act of kindness by spilling her guts?
“It must be hard not knowing who you are.”
“You have no idea.”
“Tell me.”
The words had a compelling quality to them. Adara glanced sideways at Titus, and he flashed her a smile with a lot of gleaming white teeth—all the better to bite me with. Far from reassuring her, it had the effect of making her huddle in on herself.
She retreated into her shell—the castle in her mind as Dr. Forrester liked to call it. Suddenly, walking with Titus didn’t seem like such a good idea, and neither did telling him her secrets. As soon as she made this decision, it was as if a veil had been lifted from her. Her mind suddenly felt remarkably clear, as if cleaned of the cobwebs that had hidden Titus and his true intent from her.
He’s no better than Logan, pumping me for information. Feeling manipulated, even as she knew he’d done nothing wrong except talk to her, she still decided to get rid of him.
“Thanks for walking with me. I’ll make it the rest of the way by myself, thank you.”
His brow creased as if suddenly perplexed. “No. I insist on seeing you safely home.”
Adara almost opened her mouth to say yes to his offer then clamped her lips shut and pushed the urge to accept away. And push was what it literally felt like. The idea refused to leave and warred with her survival instinct that told her to walk away from this stranger.
Titus might have argued further had her furry hero of the previous night not shown up. Funny how she’d forgotten all about him until he appeared.
To say that Adara was happy to see her wolf friend was an understatement. As soon as his big, hairy form appeared, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.
“Hey there, big boy,” she crooned, her body relaxing as if her furry friend were a safe haven.
She heard a choking sound and peered back to see Titus looking appalled. “You do realize you are hugging a wolf?” he said.
“Yes, and your point would be?” she asked bravely, arching a brow in what she hoped was a supercilious look. What made her even happier was knowing that Titus saw her furry friend, too. She wasn’t hallucinating.
“Wolves aren’t exactly known to make good house pets.”
“This one saved me. He won’t hurt me,” she said with assurance, scratching the big beast between the ears. It amused her to see Titus’s jaw drop when the wolf rubbed his head up against her, tongue lolling.
“You shouldn’t trust strays.”
“You’re right. And that also goes for strangers.” She shot him a pointed look. “Thanks for escorting me. I’ll go on by myself now.” She kept one hand on the furry beast.
Titus sighed. “This isn’t over.”
It was for tonight. She watched his dark form stride off into the shadows, disappearing quickly from sight as if he blended with them.
Only once he was gone did she begin walking toward home again, hand buried in fur. “Thanks for coming back,” she said to her silent companion. “I didn’t get the impression that he was going to hurt me, but then again, weird shit was happening. As in, I thought he might be making me do stuff. Sounds crazy, right?”
Green eyes peered up at her, and she could have sworn they said, “No, not impossible.”
Adara laughed to herself. I’ve really gone off the deep end. Not only did I befriend a wolf in the city, I believe men can control my mind. Apparently, I don’t just suffer from amnesia. There might be some delusions in there, too.
When she arrived at her building, she once again hugged the massive beast and tried to ignore the fact that his green eyes seemed so familiar. “Thanks.” She slipped into the dark building, looking back to see the wolf sitting on the sidewalk, watching her. Protecting her.
With a wave, she skipped up the stairs.
Less than sixty seconds later, she was screaming.
Chapter Fourteen
There was no time to think. No time to wonder. Logan crashed through the door to her building, still in wolf form. He whipped up the stairs, chiding himself for not seeing her to the door. He’d not smelled anything amiss. He saw her closed door when he hit the top of the stairs. Without pausing, he leaped at it.
Thump. He hit it hard enough to rattle it. Just not hard enough to open. Like fuck. He reared back and thundered again at it. And again.
The door, not meant to take that kind of abuse, popped open. Immediately, he saw Adara struggling in the grips of not one, but two corpses. The smell of them permeated the space. Chunks of them littered the floor.
These two weren’t as fresh as the previous one. They’d be easier to kill.
His lips peeled back, baring teeth as he snarled. One of the zombies released Adara to face him.
Big mistake.
No touch, roared his beast. With a spring of his heavily muscled legs, he landed on the undead thing, his sharp canines unerringly finding its neck and crushing it. Crunch. But the arms and legs still flailed
, still connected to the brain. He tore and twisted, severing that link. The body instantly went still.
One down.
“No. No. No,” Adara moaned in terror. She fought against the other dead one’s implacable grip to no avail. They were in a tight embrace, her body pinned, her hands barely keeping the snapping jaws from her flesh.
Dammit, he couldn’t attack the foul creature without possibly hurting Adara, at least not in wolf form. Drawing on his will, and with an ability that only the alpha of a pack seemed to possess, he called the beast back into himself. The whole process took only seconds. Human again—if naked—Logan sprang up from his crouch. He firmly wrapped his hands around the zombie’s neck and snapped it. Without the mind to control it, the corpse collapsed, releasing Adara. He tossed the body to the side, unpinning her, and Adara immediately shoved to her feet.
Only to trip on the first dead body. She fell, her bottom hitting the floor hard. She scuttled backwards until her body hit the wall, her large, violet eyes wide and unseeing. She shook her head violently from side to side, mumbling the word “no” over and over again.
Shit, she’s in shock. Logan looked around for a blanket to wrap her in. Or, even better, two of them so he could sarong one around himself before the shock wore off and she noticed him and his nakedness.
A raspy voice at his feet startled him from his visual search.
“S-s-s-stupid dog,” wheezed the zombie’s head, the gray lips barely moving. “I will hav-v-v-v-e her.”
Another talking zombie? How powerful is this necromancer? And a better question, what does he want with Adara? The threat, not to mention the whole creepiness of the dead, talking skull, made him see red.
“You can’t have her,” snarled Logan. He raised his foot and brought it down on the head, squashing it like a melon, decaying brain matter and bone fragments splattering in all directions. Try talking now, fucker. As satisfying as the stomping was, it caused two problems. One, he had dead goo all over his foot and two…