by T. S. Joyce
“Beast is a psychopath, and so is Logan,” Dustin muttered unhelpfully. “I have a submissive problem, Emma’s perfect, and Winter uses her claws too damn much when she fights her own fucking people.” He glared at Winter and pressed a hand to a deep set of bleeding claw marks across his chest.
“That was a rhetorical question!” Kane barked out.
“I use just the right amount of claws when you three are being territorial assholes,” Winter smarted off.
“Well, I hope you get scabies,” Dustin said. “Emma, woman, can you come stand behind me. I feel all crazy right now, and you’re too far away for me to protect. My eyes burn like I’ve stuck hot pokers in them, and thanks again Kane for the forced Change.”
“Are you done?” Kane bellowed.
“My dick hurts,” Dustin muttered, cupping himself. “I think someone kicked it in the fight.”
Kane arched one black eyebrow and looked terrifying.
“Now I’m done,” Dustin murmured, averting his gaze.
Emma pursed her lips because Rowan stood right behind Kane, biting her bottom lip like she was holding back her laughter. Her eyes were doing the laughing for her. The Second of the Blackwing Crew let off a soft peel of giggles.
“It’s not funny,” Kane said in an exasperated tone.
“I mean…it’s kind of funny,” Rowan said. “Look at them. They all look like they’re crying, their faces are all red, it smells like Mace, and you just know the story behind this is so dumb.”
“It was all my fault,” Emma said, womaning up. “Beast was choking Dustin, and he’s mine to protect, but I don’t have, you know, claws or teeth, so I meant to only pepper spray Beast, but I got all of us, and then I hit Beast in the face with a water bottle, and he turned into this…this…monster-lion. I mean…” Emma spread her arms as far as she could. “He was huge. And then Logan and Winter and Dustin all changed, and my eyes really burn, really bad, but it’s all my fault. All of it, but I might be going blind.” She blinked rapidly, tears of pain streaking down her cheeks.
But now Kane was fighting a smile. With a sigh, he hooked his hands on his hips and muttered, “You’re all a bunch of idiots.” But the sting was gone from his voice. He bent down and picked up a water, then handed it to Winter. “Rowan and I will fire up the grill. Get yourselves together, Crew.” And then shaking his head, Kane led Rowan toward the back of Logan and Winter’s trailer. Emma could’ve sworn Dark Kane muttered, “I need a drink,” as he passed, but he was speaking too softly so she could’ve been mistaken.
Emma turned back around to the others, who were now pouring water over their faces and scrubbing their eyes. “Are you mad at me?”
“Yes,” Logan and Beast said simultaneously.
Winter shook her head. “I’m not.”
“Hell no.” Dustin shook his wet hair like a dog. “The real shit-starter in all of this was Beast.”
“Me?” Beast growled.
“Yeah, none of this would’ve happened if you’d kept your hands to yourself and stopped trying to kill everyone all the time! Emma was protecting me. You started it.”
Beast lunged, but Dustin didn’t back down. Huh. Usually Dustin exposed his neck pretty quick after he got hurt, but he seemed in no mood to deal with Beast’s beastly mood. Logan could barely keep them separated since his hands kept slipping on their wet chests. Swinging dicks were everywhere. Emma was trying not to look, really she was, but it was like three super-models having a wet and naked party. Winter was staring, too, with her mouth hanging open.
“We should go,” Emma murmured as the boys started yelling at each other.
“So many abs,” Winter said.
“So many,” Emma agreed.
“My eyes still really burn.” Winter turned toward her, and Emma giggled sympathetically. Winter’s wet, dark hair was plastered to the sides of her face, and her eyes were red and swollen.
“Does my make-up still look okay?” Emma joked.
Winter blasted a laugh and shook her head. “Not at all.”
“Do you think I’ll still get laid tonight?” she teased.
“Yes!” Dustin called. “Yes, you will. Stop!” He wrenched his hand out of Beast’s grip and jogged over to her. He tilted her head back gently and winced at whatever it was he saw there. “Shortcake, never use pepper spray as a weapon again. Please.”
“Don’t worry. I learned my lesson. I think I bruised my butt when I fell.”
“Nooo, not your butt,” Dustin teased gently. “It was perfect, and it takes you humans years to heal.”
The redness and swelling on his face was already fading away, and the claw marks had already stopped bleeding. “Not fair,” she complained, frowning.
“Yeah, werewolf healing is some of the best in the game. We’re the fastest to recover. He threw a middle finger to the others who were still washing their faces. “Suck it, suckers.”
Emma pouted. She wanted healing powers. Her eyes felt like she’d just come out of a smoke-filled burning building. She was going to be the only one who looked like death warmed over tonight after the others had healed up.
Dustin pulled a plastic bin from the back of the truck to rest on the open tailgate, then popped the lid and dug through until he found a pair of jeans.
“You brought extra clothes?”
“We all did,” Dustin explained. “This fight isn’t a big shocker. Kane is building a crew of unstable nut-jobs.”
He gathered his shoes off the ground where they lay in a mess of tattered clothes. He flipped his damp hair to the side and dressed while she pulled out the biggest bin of supplies she could carry with her shrimpy human arms. Dustin stacked a bin on the cooler and carried them easily, his gait smooth like they weighed nothing. She, on the other hand, was trying to look tough as her arms were nearly pulled from their sockets.
Dustin had a really nice back, especially all flexed like this. Powerful legs were tucked into those sexy jeans, and his hair was mussed as though he’d just gotten out of the shower. When he turned around and walked backward in front of her, she thought he would joke with her, but his face was serious. His sandy-blond brows lowered thoughtfully. “Hey, Emma?”
“Yeah?”
He eased to a stop at the side of the trailer, then set down his supplies and took hers from her arms, too. He approached slowly and pulled her against his warm chest. The weather was chilly, but he felt like a furnace. “You aren’t a shifter, so you don’t realize how dangerous that was back there. You don’t feel how bad off Logan’s animal is, or Beasts, or mine. You’re safe with Winter, but that’s it.” He eased back and let her see his lips as he lowered his voice. “It was reckless to charge a group of warring animals like that. Next time it could be worse than a bruised butt. If I ever ask you to run, I need to know you’ll trust me and do it. Not because I’m trying to boss you around. I know you’re a strong woman who knows her mind, but because I need to know that when it comes down to it, you can help me keep you safe. Swear it.”
She waited for the punchline. Dustin was rarely serious like this, but his frown stayed in place, and he was leveling her with such an intense look, she had no choice but to give him the promise he wanted. “I swear I’ll listen. I forget sometimes that…you know.”
“No, tell me.”
“That I’m not one of you.”
She wanted him to tell her she was wrong. She wanted him to say, ‘No, Emma, you are just like us. You are Crew.’ But he didn’t.
Instead, he shook his head slowly and sighed. “You have to stay out of the animal fights. You don’t heal like us. One swipe from a paw, and you could bleed out before I can stop it. Or one accidental bite, and you’re Turned. Especially around Logan and Beast, Emma, especially them. They don’t have any control.”
He was pleading with her for understanding with such sincerity, she nodded and whispered, “Okay.”
Dustin stared down at her a moment longer, then kissed her lips. When he disengaged with a sweet smacking soun
d, he picked up both bins and the cooler, gave her one last worried glance over his shoulder, and then disappeared around the corner of the house.
For the first time in her life, Emma felt weak. She’d been raised with vampires in a strong and loyal coven. Her family had never made her feel different, even if she was human and hearing impaired. Sure, they could’ve drank her dry at any moment, but Emma had never felt at risk.
But here with the Blackwings, where fire-breathing dragons ruled the mountains and the titans of the crew lusted for blood and brawls, she was at the bottom of the food chain.
And her weakness wasn’t only a risk for her anymore.
It put the man she loved at risk, too.
Chapter Twelve
He’d hurt Emma.
Dustin flipped the steaks on the grill, took a swig of his beer, then cast her another sideways glance. Instinct wouldn’t let him take his eyes off her for long. Not when she smelled sad.
She was sitting in a purple bag chair between Winter and Rowan. The other two females were chattering happily over her, but his mate was staring off into the nothing. He missed her smile. That’s what he wanted to give her, not frowns and sad eyes.
He wouldn’t admit it, but he’d bought black bag chairs for all the other Blackwings but purple for her because it was the color she wore the most. He hoped it was her favorite color. The hair rose on the back of his neck, and when he looked over at Kane, the alpha was sitting in a chair, hand resting on his mate’s leg as he stared thoughtfully at Dustin. His wolf didn’t want to give the dragon his back, but Dustin forced his gaze away and paid attention to the steaks. There was no doubt in his mind the dark dragon knew exactly who Dustin was. He knew what he was—a traitor. It was beyond Dustin why Kane hadn’t killed him yet. It made no sense that he wasn’t a pile of ash right now sitting in the belly of the dragon.
God, she’d gone straight for Beast with that damn pepper spray. Dustin had been fine, wasn’t even close to being choked out, but his girl had gone protective immediately. She would make an amazing she-wolf. She had those instincts to jump in a fight and wreak havoc. Little hellion. He bet her wolf would be gorgeous. If he Turned her, would she be a black wolf like him? Would she be submissive like him? Would she be broken like him? Or would she be stronger? Didn’t matter. He would never bite her. She didn’t want that from him, and now a big part of him thought she was making the right choice. Werewolves were fucked up on a good day. Vampires, too, but they weren’t as unstable. She had a good head on her shoulders. Emma would make one hell of a vampire. And that was a good thing, because soon, he wouldn’t be around to protect her anymore. Either Kane or Axton was going to off him. He just didn’t know which one yet.
“Dude, cut it out,” Logan snarled from right beside him.
Dustin startled and swallowed down the growl that was rattling his throat. He hadn’t realized he was doing it. The steaks were medium rare and cooked enough, so Dustin shoved Logan to give himself some room and pulled all the steaks but one onto a plate. Emma was human. She wouldn’t like her meat bloody.
The bear shifter flashed him a frown as he made to take the plate to the table Winter had bought for the back porch. But before he left, Logan sighed an irritated sound, turned back around, and lowered his voice. “Are you okay, man?”
Dustin wanted to pop off, but he was so shocked the ex-mercenary cared, he couldn’t think of a single witty response. Instead he answered, “I’ll hold. Just working through some stuff.” Like betraying his damn pack. And not only his pack but his flesh-and-blood brother. Everything had gotten so messed up.
Looking uncomfortable, Logan shifted his gaze to the exposed beams of the porch ceiling. He cleared his throat once, twice. “If you ever need to talk, you can say words to me, and I will try not to kill you.”
It was the nicest thing Logan had ever said to him, but this bro-shit was strange, so Dustin grunted and nodded, and thankfully Logan understood because he spun and stomped off with the food. Holy shit, that was weird. Kind of cool, but weird.
Winter was looking at him all mushy, so Dustin flipped her off and then yanked the piles of asparagus off the foil and onto a giant plate with a pair of tongs.
Emma slipped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her cheek on his spine. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.
Dustin slid his hand over hers just to keep her in place. “Crazy girl, there is nothing to apologize for.”
She sighed. “I texted my mom. I told her it’s time to talk about the Turn. I don’t want to be the cause for anyone getting hurt. Not the crew, and especially not you.”
Dustin’s heart banged against his chest hard and fast. Now? Sure, he’d accepted she was going vamp, but this soon? He didn’t feel ready.
She tightened her grip on his waist, and he forced himself to move. He inhaled a steadying breath and took her steak off the grill. “What will happen when she Turns you?”
“She’ll drain me, I’ll die, and she’ll keep my body safe until I rise a few days later.”
Dustin swallowed bile. Sure, Emma would come back a supe, but to do so, she had to die first. He turned off the grill and spun slowly in her arms so she could read his lips when he murmured, “Does Kane know?”
“Yes. I was open with it in my first interview. He knows of my coven. They are some of the good ones. Quiet pillars in their community. They are helpers, not hurters.”
“How do they eat?” He couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice.
“They pay feeders. It’s all voluntary. It’s part of the reason I’ve been saving up. I want to afford to pay feeders so I don’t ever go into a feeding frenzy. I don’t want to hurt people.”
Dustin thought of her lips on someone else’s neck and gritted his teeth against the urge to bite her here and now and stop that from ever happening.
Selfish creature. This is what she wants.
With a sigh, Dustin brushed her hair behind her shoulders and told her, “I’ll be your feeder.” He leaned down, kissed her neck once, held her stunned gaze for a moment more, and then took the rest of the food to the table.
Kane was still watching him, but his eyes didn’t look quite as full of hatred right now.
“What?” Dustin gritted out. He was really fucking tired of everyone watching him like he was a time bomb. Granted, he was a time bomb, but still. Between Kane eavesdropping and Beast stalking him for funsies, this was all getting a little annoying.
“I thought I had you figured out, wolf,” Kane said, angling his head and relaxing back in his chair. “Now I’m not so sure.”
“Well, there was your first problem, Alpha.” Dustin offered him an empty smile. “No use trying to figure out a werewolf.”
“Hmm,” Kane rumbled noncommittally. His eyes were glowing that iridescent green with the long dragon pupils, but he wasn’t sneering. In fact, the End of Days was smiling ever so slightly at Dustin. A first. And creepy.
He was probably planning what seasoning to eat him with.
****
Gray Dog was a beggar. Emma loved him, especially after Rowan had given him a bath and made him smell like honeysuckle. He wore a black leather collar with silver spikes and a pink bow on a tuft of hair right on the top of his head, a testament to Roe and Kane’s disagreements behind the scenes on how to raise their fur baby. Gray Dog didn’t seem to mind, though, and didn’t even try to scratch the bow out. He was a mutt, but Emma would bet her britches he had a lot of Irish Wolfhound in him. Wiry, coarse gray fur, long, lanky legs, barrel chest but lean, and with a great smile. It was one of those doggy grins where his tongue always hung out to the side while he stared with his big brown eyes. Like he was doing now as he whined for Emma to sneak him a bite of her leftover steak.
Dustin didn’t hesitate, just flipped the dog a piece of his without a thought. Kane growled. Dustin shrugged. Rowan giggled. And Emma fell a little harder for the werewolf sitting beside her.
“So, tell me, Dustin,” Kane said around a bite of fru
it salad. “What did you do with my dog all that time you had him?”
Dustin tossed his now empty plate on the table and leaned back in his chair, pulled Emma’s feet into his lap, and leveled Kane with a look. “We watched TV every night, he ate table scraps and dog food, and I took him to the dog park three times a week until he banged this poodle and we got banned on account of you not neutering him, so now he probably has some ugly puppies somewhere.” Dustin gave another hollow smile. “Congrats, grandpa.”
Something was up with him and Kane. The tension had always been there, but lately it was thick as fog.
“I don’t know. We just did regular shit,” Dustin ended, linking his hands behind his head.
“But you let me think this entire time that my dog was murdered.”
“Yeah, well, he wasn’t. He was having a vacation. I even gave him a flea bath. Mostly because he gave my wolf fleas, and it sucked. His bow looks extra stupid, by the way.”
“Heeey,” Rowan drawled with a disapproving grimace. She leaned forward and covered Gray Dog’s ears. “He’s sensitive.”
“False, I called him Smelly Motherfucker the entire time he lived with me. He never got his feelings hurt, and he answers to it now. Come here, Smelly Motherfucker.”
Gray Dog gave Dustin a canine grin and scrabbled over to him. The dog licked under his chin while Dustin baby-talked him. God, Emma had never considered loving animals a sexy quality in a man, but it really was. Gray Dog was getting so worked up and happy his wagging tail was a blur, and he was whining between licks.
Dustin ripped the bow out of his hair and tossed it in Rowan’s lap. “Who’s a handsome tough guy now?” he asked, scratching under his spiked collar. Dustin sniffed him and grimaced. “Why does he smell like douche water?”
Logan was standing on a ladder wrapping the new porch beams in outdoor lights. “I don’t even want to ask how you know what douche water smells like.”
Emma and Winter snickered, Rowan twirled the bow in her hands and grinned proudly, Kane shook his head in annoyance, and Beast downed an entire beer in one long swig and looked like he hated everything. And all was right in her crew.