HOT-BLOODED BREATH OF DARKNESS

by Candice Stauffer

  “You hijacked mine first,” he said as he rose to his feet.

  “You?” She shook her head. “Oh, hell no.”

  Clearly amused, he laughed. “Denial will not change the fact that I am Tobias Daniels any more than it will change the fact that you hijacked my mind.”

  “You think this is funny, don’t you?”

  “Only a little.”

  She glared at him. “Really?”

  “Okay.” He held his hands up in what she knew was mock surrender. “Not at all.” Then, really pissing her off, he had the nerve to throw his head back and laugh. A real gut busting laugh.

  “Oh, wow. Do you remember those warm and fuzzy feelings you tried sending me last night?”

  “I do.”

  “I’m just now starting to feel them over the thought of putting a bullet or ten in your skull.” She didn’t have time to worry about how he was able to find her. Somehow, without her knowing, he must have stayed connected to her. It didn’t make sense. She was certain the merge had been broken.

  “You don’t really want to shoot me.”

  “I sure as hell do.” Later, after she managed to get rid of him, to prevent it from ever happening again, she would figure out how he stayed connected to her after she’d given him the boot. For now, she needed to focus, she needed to figure out the best way to get away from him.

  She lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. “Why did you find it necessary to sneak up on me?” She remained mindful to leave enough space between them, so she could properly defend herself if he attacked.

  “I wasn’t sneaking.” Tobias shrugged his shoulders as if attempting to appear casual—any idiot could clearly see there was nothing casual about him. “I told you I would find you. And it’s okay to relax, I would never attack you.”

  “You’re in my head right now, aren’t you?” She gripped the gun a little tighter.

  “Not at all. I was judging your posture. I also haven’t failed to notice the fact that you’re holding a gun on me. You look like you’re planning to defend yourself.” He inclined his head toward the gun. “Are you truly thinking of shooting me?”

  “If you really want to know, I’m seriously considering it”

  Smiling, he winked. “You’ll need to take the safety off before you do it.”

  “The what?” She turned the gun around to look at it.

  He reached for the gun. She was prepared to fight for it but, rather than take it from her, he turned it away from her face and let go. “You don’t know much about guns, do you?”

  “Point and shoot.”

  He lifted his hat and pushed his hair back. “I suppose that’s enough for now as long as you don’t point it toward your face again.”

  “Any chance you’ll show me where the safety is?”

  He took a step toward her. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know about the safety after I’ve managed to convince you that you don’t want to shoot me.”

  “What? You don’t have anything to worry about. Everything is hunky-dory between us.” She gave him her sweetest, most innocent smile. “We’re great friends now. I wouldn’t consider shooting you.” Taking a step back, her foot came down on something sharp and she dropped the gun. “Oh, shit.” She took another step back and stumbled when the sharp pain deepened.

  The next thing she knew she was cradled in his arms. “What happened to your shoes?”

  “Put me down.”

  “I will.” He slowly, gently lowered her into a sitting position on the stone wall. “Let me take a look at your foot.” Then, he knelt in front of her and took her foot. She briefly considered kicking his face. But she knew she wouldn’t get very far if she tried to run.

  “Why do I suddenly feel the urge to shield my face?”

  She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. “How should I know?”

  The moment he touched her foot the pain vanished. The most incredible wave of warmth moved through her body. Even her side stopped hurting. She tried to pull her foot away. But his grip was firm. “You have a nasty sliver.”

  “Let me see it.” He released her foot when she yanked it away. She turned it to the side and lifted it to get a look at it. “A sliver? Holy shit. That’s a major understatement. I shish kabobbed my poor foot.” The pain returned to her foot and side. “It really hurts.”

  “Let me help you.” The instant he took her foot again, every bit of pain left her body.

  “Wait. I’m not ready. Don’t pull it out yet.”

  “Too late. It’s out.”

  “Already? I didn’t feel it at all.”

  “I wouldn’t be much of a healer if I hurt you. Hold still.”

  “You’re sure it’s out.” The heat radiating from his hand took the pain from her foot and her incision. But that wasn’t all. It was heating her blood, sending currents of the most wickedly hot sensations through her entire body and over every inch of her skin.

  “I’m positive.”

  “You should’ve counted to three.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” He looked up at her, his smile slow and incredibly sexy. “What happened to your shoes, Jessie?” Damn. He was hot as hell. When he said her name, his sexy southern drawl deepened.

  Her pulse quickened with a mixture of fear and excitement. Then, she realized she’d never revealed her name to him. “How do you know my name?”

  “I picked up on it when you merged with me last night. What about your shoes?”

  She figured it was possible he’d uncovered it while merged with her. “I don’t know.”

  “They didn’t walk off on their own.”

  “Gee. You think?”

  “Someone took them from you.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking.”

  “You know who took them.”

  She couldn’t stop staring at him. It was kind of hot having a cowboy sex god down on his knees in front of her with her foot in his hands. He had to be well over six feet tall. He had a fantastic build. His arms were huge. His shoulders were broad, and his chest and abdomen muscles seemed to bulge and ripple every time he moved. She’d never appreciated the worn fabric of a grey t-shirt more.

  “You might want to turn the volume down,” he said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Generally, you guard your mind very well. A few seconds ago, you were broadcasting your thoughts pretty loudly.”

  “Bummer.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “Now you know I don’t find you in the least bit attractive. I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings. It’s nothing personal. It’s a preference thing.”

  “Are you going to tell me who brought you out here and took your shoes?

  “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

  “I do.”

  “I’m fine. I just got lost.”

  “That’s not true. You’re obviously in some sort of trouble.”

  She wondered what kind of lover he would be if they ever got together. “Fine.” She was sure he had the right equipment. He looked like he was built for great sex. But that didn’t mean he was a generous lover. “I’m being hunted by a bounty hunter.” Pausing for a few seconds, she smiled. “He happens to have a deranged sense of humor.” She winked. “Much like yours.”

  “Are you a dangerous fugitive?”

  Jessie was in so much trouble. Her body reacted to Tobias in ways that were too wrong to feel so right. He was a dragon shifter. A dream and a nightmare all in one. Tall. Dark. A wickedly hot temptation. An expert charmer. Dangerous. Deadly. An all-powerful immortal with the ability to sustain or take her life with a thought. “I wouldn’t admit to that until after I tied you up.”

  “That’s a perfectly wonderful idea. I would love the opportunity to share my generosity with you. Would you like me to fetch some rope?”

  Clearly, she needed to work on shielding her thoughts around him. “Only if you fetch a shovel while you’re at it.”

  “You plan to bury me?”


  “After I force you to dig your grave.”

  “I’m very intrigued by your adventurous imagination and your violent tendencies.” And she was very intrigued by the way he looked as frightening as he looked sexy. It was completely nuts, but her pulse quickened with a mixture of fear and excitement.

  “That’s only because I haven’t actually unleashed them on you.”

  “Why are you being hunted?”

  “I pissed the wrong person off.”

  “Who?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “An ex?” His voice changed. It sounded like a deep, animalistic growl.

  “Hell no. I would never let that slimy bastard touch me.”

  “Tell me about him?”

  She felt his mind touch hers, a gentle surface exploration for facts, rather than an attempt to merge deeply. Giving him a firm mental shove, she shook her head. “Nice try.”

  “I’m impressed.” His lip lifting in a sexy as hell smile, he winked. “Your mind is guarded very well.”

  “You only touched the surface. You didn’t try to force your way deeper. After last night, I know you can do it easily.”

  “You would fight me again.”

  She smiled. “What’s wrong, are you afraid of confrontation?”

  “Not at all. I pushed too hard last night. I’m not proud of the fact that I panicked and caused you to endure pain. You were already experiencing pain. Your right side.”

  “My foot doesn’t hurt at all.”

  “It’s healed.”

  She lifted and bent her leg to look at her foot. It was totally healed. She didn’t see the faintest scratch. “How?”

  “It’s a gift I was born with.”

  “That’s awesome. Can you do other things?”

  “I can. Healing happens to be one of my strongest supernatural abilities.” He waved his hand, and a pair of sneakers materialized on her feet.

  “Not bad.”

  He nodded. “What happened to your side?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I can feel it.”

  “It’s nothing. I had my appendix removed.”

  “When?”

  “Sometime yesterday. I’m not exactly sure.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me right away? You shouldn’t be up and wandering around out here so soon after surgery. Let me see it.”

  “It’s bandaged.”

  “You’ve damaged the sutures.”

  “How would you know?”

  “I know.” He lifted her and turned her sideways, and then lowered her onto the wall. “I need you flat on your back.” He lifted her shirt and started to unbutton her pants.

  She grabbed his hands. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “The incision is below your waistband.”

  She shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s healing.”

  “It’s not healing. You’ve damaged the sutures. I can feel it. Let me help you.”

  “How can you feel it?” She released his hand. “This is weird.”

  “We have a connection. I’ve felt a pain in my side since yesterday. I didn’t realize it belonged to someone else until you merged with me last night. And, for your information, there’s nothing wrong with being weird. I’ve been told I’m weird plenty of times.” He smiled, keeping his eyes on hers as he carefully, gently unzipped her pants and pulled them down far enough to expose her bandage. “Among other things.”

  “I bet.” She lifted her head to look at the bandage. It was soaked with blood. He waved his hand over it and the bandage disappeared. The incision looked disgusting. It was open and oozing. “Oh, god.” Her stomach rolled, bile rising to her throat. “You should back away. I’m going to puke.”

  “Close your eyes. Looking at it is making you sick.”

  She closed her eyes. “And it’s not making you sick?”

  “Not at all. You’re going to feel a very warm sensation. You’ll feel it deeper than when I healed your foot.” He gently placed his palm over the incision. “It might get uncomfortably warm.”

  She opened her eyes to look at him. “The idea of you having to touch it makes me feel sicker.”

  “Touching your wound doesn’t bother me. The idea of you having it bothers me deeply. The pain should be gone now. Is it?”

  The warmth of his healing energy moved through her entire body. Heating things she was certain he didn’t mean to warm up. The pain had instantly vanished when he placed his hand on it, replaced by a soothing, tingling sensation. “I didn’t realize how much it hurt until you touched it.”

  His gaze locked onto hers. “I’m hurting you?”

  “Not at all. The pain is gone. Totally gone.”

  “That’s good.”

  Just then, she heard howling. “Do you hear that?”

  He nodded. “A few rogue lycans.”

  She lifted her head. “Werewolves?”

  “Yes.”

  “Surrounding us.” The sound was distant—it was barely audible—but it was unquestionably wolves howling from all around them.

  He shrugged. “They’re hunting us.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t worry.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If you truly didn’t want me to worry you shouldn’t have told me they are coming after us.”

  “I’ve been leading them to us.”

  She frowned. “You’re out of your mind.”

  “They’re killers.”

  “Yep.” She nodded. “You’re most definitely nuts.”

  “I won’t allow them to hurt you.”

  “We need to leave.”

  He waved his hand over her body. She looked down to see what he’d done. Her pants were pulled up, zipped, and buttoned. “Good. Now, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Don’t move just yet.” He held her down when she tried to sit up. “Why do you expect me to run from them?”

  “It beats the hell out of being mauled to death by a pack of ravenous wolves in a cemetery.”

  “You know me. I won’t allow them to touch you.” He bent down to whisper in her ear. “You were with me in my other form.”

  ~ SEVEN ~

  TOBIAS DESERVED A GOOD kick in the ass. By projecting himself as a weaker being, a more vulnerable human, he had given her a good reason to doubt his ability to protect her. He wanted to assure her that she was safe with him, but he couldn’t truly allow her to see and feel him for what he was unless she willingly merged with him.

  Are you done playing doctor with your little human mate? Otaktay asked.

  She’s healed. She had her appendix removed yesterday.

  Now we know why you were hobbling around and holding your right side. You have one headed your way.

  I know.

  Be careful. They’re all armed with guns. When the fuck did lycans start carrying guns?

  I’ve heard it has been happening frequently with rogue packs.

  I’ve taken out a few without alerting the others. I’m going after two circling a little further out. You have at least three moving towards you. Other than Wes and Amber I haven’t run across any sign of a demon yet.

  Wes and Amber are out here?

  I am assuming Wes is around. Your sister is out here giving the wolves hell.

  Damn it. Wes should be keeping a closer eye on her.

  Don’t worry. Don’t get your undies in a twist. From what I’ve witnessed, she knows how to take care of herself.

  “You’re talking to someone,” Jessie said.

  “A friend. His name is Otaktay. He’s hunting the wolves.”

  He helped her sit up and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You are safe with me. I am hiding my identity because they would run rather than have face to face encounters with me.”

  She turned to face him. “You’re serious.”

  “I am.”
>
  She rolled her eyes at him. “This is awesome.”

  “I will protect you.” The warmth of her sweet breath wisped across his face. Her mouth was as close as it could get to his without actually touching his. “I promise.”

  He reached for Otaktay. Can you get here before he graces us with his presence?

  I told you that you wouldn’t want to kill the dirty bastard in front of her. You’re stuck with him. I’m too far away. And I’ve my hands full.

  She grabbed the front of his shirt. “Something just moved in the trees behind you.”

  He winked. “I know. It’s watching us. Just remember I’m in control.”

  “I do believe I’ve seen this movie before.”

  “Really?”

  “It doesn’t end well.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Two unsuspecting lovers, one with a ginormous overly inflated ego, slaughtered in a cemetery.”

  “Lovers?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  Desire smoldered in him, consuming him. Fully. Completely. He’d never known such an urgent, desperate need to feel a woman’s touch, to feel a woman’s skin against his. He was so stunned that he couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything except stare at her. Finally, after several seconds of silence, he found his voice, “I’m not so proud I wouldn’t allow you to enlighten me.”

  She smiled, and moved her hand from his belly to his chest, keeping her gaze on his. “Allow?”

  Holy fuck! She was one hell of a vicious sparring partner. He loved it! “I’m not above getting down on my knees and begging.”

  “Get down and beg me for your life.” The son of a bitch wolf ruined a perfect moment.

  Tobias turned to face the damn thing. “You’re not my type.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll settle for your bitch. You can turn and walk away or die trying to be a hero.”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you. And, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ve no intention of keeling over any time soon.”

  “Move away from her.”