Savage Loss (Corona Pride Book 2)

by Liza Street

  Nothing—just air. The shadow had retreated already.

  He remembered this, now, from fighting vampires a few weeks ago in the woods with Dristan, Laura, and Nina. Leap at the first sight of movement. Don’t think, don’t plan.

  Brigitte took large, gasping breaths and pressed herself close to the wall. Rafe didn’t want to go far from her, but as a shadow moved, he had to act. He collided with it in the middle of the hallway. Time slowed and it felt like he was suspended in mid-air for seconds. He tried to sink his claws into the shadowy form, but he couldn’t get purchase.

  More slicing pain arced through his shoulder.

  He fell to the ground, and the shadow leaped away. Sticky blood flowed through his fur, and he caught its fresh, coppery scent.

  Brigitte inched along the wall, toward the front door. If she so much as got a sliver in her finger because of these vampires, he would tear out all their throats.

  He flipped back onto his feet. From what he could tell, there were only two vampires when he’d entered the building, but now more shadows had come into the hallway. He leaped and whirled, slashing at the shadows without thought, without plan. He collided with one and saw over its shoulder that another vampire was creeping toward Brigitte.

  There was no time. He tried to push away the vampire currently locked in his hold, but it was no use. Brigitte! She didn’t notice the vampire—she was focused on the door, on escaping.

  Suddenly a tawny streak of fur collided with Brigitte’s vampire, tumbling with it to the floor. Brigitte’s eyes went wide as she realized how close she’d been to getting hurt.

  Instead, it was Nina, in her lion form, who screamed. Darker red seeped into the red rug.

  Rafe snarled and ripped at the vampire in his arms with his jaws. It turned to dust and he raced toward Nina and Brigitte.

  The vampire with Nina was pulling back to strike again, teeth bared. Rafe was fast, but he knew he’d never reach her in time.

  Suddenly, the vampire disappeared into dust. Standing over it was Brigitte, who had been behind, holding a giant wood splinter that had come from the broken door.

  The hallway went still. Rafe’s ears were back as he looked around, wondering at the sudden cease in attacks.

  The blond vampire he’d seen in the woods now stepped into the room, her dark eyes cold and furious. She looked like she was in her late teens, tops, but the power pulsing from her made Rafe think she was much, much older. “Where’s Cosette?” she demanded.

  One of the shadows fell from the ceiling, forming into a lithe, auburn-haired woman.

  “And Chains?” the blond vampire asked.

  The auburn-haired woman, Cosette, jerked her chin toward the pile of dust in front of Brigitte.

  Rafe looked from one vampire to the other.

  “Who else is here?” the blond vampire asked.

  Two other shadows joined them, one from an adjacent doorway where he’d likely been waiting to strike, and another from behind Rafe.

  The blond vampire said, in her melodic voice, “Maslin made a treaty.”

  “What?” Cosette asked.

  “The Coronas go free. In the future, harm will be repaid with harm.”

  “What about our losses?” Cosette asked, looking at the dust piles that used to be vampires.

  “We let this one go.”

  “And the witch?” Cosette’s face changed from incredulous to hungry so fast that Rafe wasn’t sure when it happened.

  “She goes, too. She belongs to them.”

  “I don’t have to listen to you, Gracie Jane.” Cosette reached a long white finger toward Brigitte.

  Rafe growled low in his throat.

  “Cosette,” the blond vampire, Gracie Jane, said. “Back off. Maslin wills it.” Gracie Jane turned to look at Rafe. “Take your people and go.”

  He didn’t feel as if the situation were safe enough for him to shift back to human, so he walked as a lion over to Brigitte and Nina. Nina lay motionless on the floor, blood seeping from a wound on the nape of her neck. She looked up at Rafe with pain-filled eyes.

  Rafe looked to the door, signaling it was time to go. Nina’s eyes narrowed in resolve and she stood, shakily. Brigitte reached out to help steady her. Worried that Nina would lash out at his mate, Rafe stepped forward.

  Nina didn’t seem to mind, though, and Brigitte kept a hand on Nina’s shoulder as the three of them walked out of the red room that now smelled like blood and dust.

  Twenty-Seven

  “You ready to go?” Rafe called from the living room. “I bet everyone’s there already.”

  “Almost ready,” Brigitte said, fastening Nanny Mae’s rose necklace around her neck.

  A week had gone by, and Rafe had spent every free moment with her. It was astounding to her that she’d given so much to him in such a short space of time, but he’d given just as much of himself, if not more. She had slowly been moving more and more of her belongings into his cabin, although they were already looking to find something that they could buy together.

  Yesterday, when they had gone through Rafe’s closet, Brigitte had unearthed a gorgeous black and white photograph of a mountain lion. “Is that you?” she asked, admiring the thoughtful, intense expression on the lion’s face as it looked over a valley.

  “No. It’s my old friend, Mickey. You know, the one with the DVDs?”

  “He’s beautiful,” Brigitte said. “We should put the photo up. It would look great over the dining table.”

  Rafe had nodded. “You’re right. It’s time I stopped hiding him.”

  Brigitte felt warm all over when she thought about how vulnerable and free they were with each other. With each new shared vulnerability, they became stronger, not weaker. Brigitte had never felt so hopeful about the future.

  He stepped into the bedroom. “Damn, I was hoping you were naked.”

  She looked at the clock on her phone, then looked at him. “It doesn’t take so long to get dressed…or undressed.”

  The slow smile that spread across his face made her feel floaty and warm. He closed the distance between them, tilting Brigitte’s chin up so she could face him, and gave her a sweet kiss.

  Without moving his gaze from hers, he lifted her dress up. “I don’t think we need to get undressed at all.”

  Brigitte licked her lips. “I thought you were worried about everyone waiting for us.”

  “Not that worried,” he growled.

  With one quick motion, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, lightly spanking her ass. Brigitte yelped, and Rafe gave a dark chuckle.

  The world tilted crazily as he dumped her on the bed.

  “Don’t move,” he said, and placed her hands over her head.

  She kept still, watching to see what he’d do next. He lifted his shirt up a few inches, revealing the hard ridges of his abs and that faint trail of hair leading toward his waistband. She wanted to touch him so bad, but he’d firmly taken control, and it turned her on to allow it. Her breath came harder as he unfastened his jeans. He slid them down just enough to pull out his cock.

  Teasingly, he stroked it. Brigitte licked her lips.

  “Where do you want this?” he asked.

  “Inside me.”

  “Inside you where?” His voice got lower, rougher.

  She didn’t want to say. For so long she’d been ignoring her desires. Now she could easily act on them with Rafe, but to say these things out loud?

  He trailed a single finger along the inside of her knee. It felt like flame licking along her skin. “Where do you want it?” he said. “Come on, you can tell me.”

  “In my…in my pussy,” she finally whispered.

  “There’s my girl,” he said. “I knew you could tell me what you wanted.”

  He shoved her dress up, bunching it around her waist, and nudged her thighs apart with his knees. In one smooth motion, he was lined up at her entrance and slowly, agonizingly slowly, pushing his way in. She was wet enough to allow him an easy en
trance, but he was savoring it, making her wait, making her wriggle with need.

  “Stay still, or I’ll move away,” he warned.

  Brigitte bit her lip and tensed her legs so she wouldn’t move. But his thickness inside of her was creating unspeakable need. She moaned, low in her throat. A pleading sound.

  Rafe’s mouth crashed against hers in a violent kiss, and finally he began to drive himself in and out of her, their flesh slapping together with each thrust.

  Brigitte came with a wail, all of the pleasure scattering outward through her fingers and toes. A second later, Rafe’s body tensed and she felt him pulsing, emptying inside of her.

  With a lazy smile, he kissed her forehead. “Better get cleaned up. We’re definitely late now.”

  *

  When Rafe pushed open front door to Hart’s, Brigitte saw a crowd of Rafe’s pride sitting at a table in the corner, playing quarters. Mateo, Justine, Dristan, Laura, Nina, and Fraze. Brigitte smiled, glad especially to see Nina. Nina hadn’t showed up the last time the group got together—she had still been healing where Chains had slashed into her neck.

  Rafe, at her side, gave her a squeeze and a peck on the cheek. Even though she still felt rumpled after their recent lovemaking, she couldn’t wait to get him alone again.

  While Rafe went to get drinks at the bar, Nina got up and marched straight over to Brigitte.

  “I owe you a huge thank-you,” Nina said. “You saved my life.”

  “Of—of course,” Brigitte said. It was still strange to recognize that these were people—humans—but they also transformed into lions sometimes. Brigitte had saved a mountain lion shapeshifter from a vampire. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to it. “You saved mine, too.”

  “I was wondering if I could ask one more favor?” Nina asked.

  “Yes, of course,” Brigitte said.

  Nina looked half-guilty, half-determined. “Thanks. Can I talk to Rafe alone for a second?”

  “Oh—um, yes. Certainly.” What an odd request.

  “Thanks.” Nina walked over to the bar where Rafe stood. He turned, a frown on his face, then smiled at Brigitte and motioned that he’d be outside for a minute.

  Brigitte stared after them as they went through the front door, trying not to be too curious over what they could be discussing. Something to do with the pride, maybe. But then why just Rafe and Nina?

  A minute later, the door opened again as someone else left the bar, and Brigitte caught sight of Rafe leaning against the front porch railing—alone. She walked outside to stand next to him. The evening was warm and fragrant with spring, the earth feeling new and ripe with beginning.

  Brigitte took hold of Rafe’s hand. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine. I feel a little bad, is all.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Probably should,” he said with a self-deprecating smile. “Nina and I hooked up a long time ago, and it turns out all along she’s been hoping we’d be mates. I didn’t realize, and if I could go back and re-do everything I ever said to her, everything that might have given her hope or led her on, or anything that sounded mean, I’d do that. But I can’t re-do any of it, so I feel bad.”

  Brigitte rubbed his shoulder. She could feel jealous of Nina, but why? It sounded as if Nina and Rafe had worked things out, and in the end, Brigitte was with Rafe.

  “If you didn’t know,” Brigitte said, “you can’t really hold yourself responsible.”

  “I could have been nicer. I could have been more in touch with the people around me.”

  Brigitte nodded and pointed to a shiny old pick-up driving away, its red taillights glowing. “Is that her?”

  “She’s leaving the pride. She doesn’t have Marlana’s approval, but she wanted me to know it isn’t my fault.”

  “Is it a big deal to leave without Marlana’s approval?”

  “It means she’s not protected out there. She doesn’t have to check in, which is what she wants—a clean break. But it also means we can’t help her if something bad goes down.”

  “You’re worried.”

  Rafe nodded and squeezed Brigitte’s hand. His dark brown eyes met Brigitte’s, and they shone with an eerie, feline quality.

  “Well,” Brigitte said, “maybe it’s an adventure—and something that she needs. In fact, if I were Nanny Mae, I’d send a love blessing after her.”

  Rafe’s arms tightened around her, and she felt his scratchy stubble on her cheek. “Maybe you should do it anyway.”

  Smiling and feeling slightly foolish, Brigitte kissed the pad of her thumb and angled it toward Nina’s retreating taillights. “Love on you, Nina, wherever ye may go.”

  “I like that,” Rafe said. “It gave me chills.”

  “Me, too.” Brigitte snuggled closer to him, fighting the shivers. “Must have been a breeze.”

  He gave her an inscrutable look. “Yeah. A breeze.”

  They went inside to join the others, and drank and talked and laughed, and Brigitte had never felt more comfortable with anyone before. The only discomfort was that a part of her worried that Laura wouldn’t like her, because of what had happened with Rafe and Nina. Brigitte kept trying to see if Laura was treating her any differently, but she couldn’t tell.

  When it was time to go, Laura and Dristan were the only other two left. Dristan whispered something to Laura, and she blushed.

  “Get a room,” Rafe said with a grin.

  “That’s the plan,” Dristan answered. He held his hand out to Laura.

  “We should get going, too,” Brigitte said, and the four of them walked out onto the porch.

  Dristan walked to his Jeep, but Laura hung back. She said, “Be there in a sec, I want to talk to Brigitte.”

  Rafe stepped back to give them some privacy.

  Brigitte toed the edge of one of the porch rails, not sure what to expect.

  “I just wanna say I’m really happy for you and Rafe,” Laura said.

  “Really?” Brigitte asked, looking up at her.

  “Really. I started to come out earlier, and I overheard him telling you about the history with him and Nina. And I wanted to say, we’re all cool, okay?”

  “You don’t hate me?” Brigitte asked. “For stealing Rafe from your sister?”

  Laura hugged her. “Hell no. Rafe never belonged to her, and although I feel sad for her, I’m glad you’re here so she can move on.”

  Dristan pulled up near the porch and honked, trying to hurry Laura along. She turned around with a big smile on her face and flipped him off.

  Dristan rolled down the window. “If you don’t get that sexy ass in this car at once, I’m gonna show you a world of hurt.”

  Laughing, Laura said, “How do you know that’s not what I want anyway, old man?” But she climbed in the car and leaned out her window. “Speaking of getting it on,” she said conspiratorially to Brigitte, “how’s Rafe?”

  Brigitte smiled. “Rafe is great. Better than two guys at once.”

  Laura smiled automatically, then her eyes got huge as she understood Brigitte’s meaning. “Two guys?” she said. “Oh, B, you and I must talk. Girls’ night out, next week! I’m buying and you’re going to tell me everything.”

  Warm arms encircled Brigitte from behind, and she leaned into the embrace.

  “Better than two guys, huh?” Rafe said, his voice low and rumbly against her neck.

  “Mm-hmm. But don’t let it go to your head.”

  “Too late,” he said, pressing against her.

  She felt the double entendre lengthening against her backside and she squirmed against it. “Time to go home?” she asked. “Your place or mine?”

  “Either one is fine with me,” he whispered. “Love on you, Brigitte, wherever ye may be. That’s my home.”

  Preview of Savage Heartache

  Book 3 of the Corona Pride, Savage Heartache, will be released in May 2017!

  Chapter One

  As she cranked the steering w
heel of her old Chevy pickup to make it around the mountain road, Nina thought about happily-ever-afters. The HEA, a fundamental aspect of any good romance novel, could be achieved through many methods and plot twists. There would be trouble before it happened, obviously, because nothing was satisfying about the two main characters hooking up and declaring their forevers if they didn’t have to work for it. Usually there was a big misunderstanding involved, or maybe the guy was an alphahole and did something unforgivable to the heroine. Then he’d have to grovel, which Nina, especially, liked reading about. Then, finally, they’d overcome whatever obstacles stood in their way and achieve their HEA and kiss into the sunset.

  Bullshit.

  It didn’t happen that way in real life. Nina had endured multiple obstacles in the way of the HEA she had been expecting with Rafe Corona. They’d hooked up once in high school, and when nothing came of it, she thought, Okay, so this is a second chance romance. Then he’d put her firmly in the friend-zone, and she thought, Okay, it’s more of a friends-to-lovers plot.

  And then he’d started seeing someone else—his fated mate—and Nina had to admit defeat. She’d become the “other woman” in that story, and as the “other woman,” she didn’t get to find love. Nope, she’d been cast as an antagonist in her own love story, and fuck if she was going to stick around and watch some other heroine take her place.

  Which meant here she was, on the run, looking for somewhere to stay. For how long, she didn’t know—all she knew was that she couldn’t stay there in the Corona territory for any longer. Nina was free and wild, and her alpha, Marlana, could suck a big one, because Nina wasn’t going to answer any of her texts.

  As if someone out there could hear her thoughts, Nina’s phone chirped with a new text. She’d check it at the next gas station.

  Nina was going to be in a shitload of trouble when she returned to the Corona Pride. If she returned to the Corona Pride.

  As she rounded a curve in the highway, a gas station came into view. Dilapidated little roadside place, but it was tidy at least. Maybe the restroom wouldn’t suck.

  She pulled up to one of the pumps and parked, checked her phone. Another message from Laura.