by Amber Kallyn
“What’s your name?”
Her smile dimmed. “Nicola DeVeraux. And you’re Shane.”
He startled. So, not only had she been watching, she’d been eavesdropping as well. “Why are you in Moss Creek, Miss DeVeraux?”
“Call me Niki, Sheriff. I don’t bite.” She grinned, the tips of her retracted canines visible.
He found it sexily distracting, so much so, his temper spiked higher. “You find death amusing?” he growled, annoyed at her teasing. Worse, he was hard with wanting this woman—a stranger, a suspect, a vampire.
Her eyes narrowed, thin bands of red encircling the green. “No. I don’t.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Old business.” Her gaze darted to the fence where the bodies had been strung up.
He stared at her, ready for any vampire tricks. “I’m not asking as sheriff.”
“I know.” Her voice, soft and tinged with sadness, slid through him silkily. “You’re obviously a Keeper for the Magic Council. But I don’t answer to you.”
Hackles rising, he was just about ready to slap the cuffs on her and take her in, the law be damned. Control was everything and right now, his was slipping. He bit his tongue, relishing the pain reining him in. “Then tell me who your sire is. I’ll bring up the matter with him.”
She met his gaze, scowling, her fangs extending to curve over her lower lip. “He wouldn’t claim me. Nor would I want him to, even if you were able to track him down.”
Shane watched her closely. “Do you have the clan’s permission to be in their territory?”
Emotion washed over her face. “If I don’t?”
His anger faded a little. She couldn’t completely hide her uneasiness. “It’s a dangerous game you play.”
Niki shrugged. She strode to the fence and laid her hand against the wood. “Look, you have a problem here. It isn’t me. And even as a Keeper, you may not be able to handle it. So why don’t I just get on with my business and you can get on with yours.”
“I have a Rogue vampire in my county and two murders, but I should just let you—the only Rogue I’ve seen—get on with it?”
“Explain how I could be in the forest, with you I might add, and here killing someone. We can’t teleport, or be in two places at once.”
“You could be working with a partner.”
She snorted. “I work alone.”
He clenched his jaw.
“Look, I’m not here to cause you trouble.”
“And yet, you already have.”
Niki met his gaze, holding her head high. “So arrest me.”
“If I had cause, I would.” He lifted an eyebrow. “I could always escort you to the territory’s vampire Master.”
* * *
Something akin to terror rolled down the back of Niki’s neck. There was danger in meeting with any local vampire. “You’ll have to take me by force.”
His hypnotizing golden eyes brightened in the moonlight, standing out above sharp, high cheekbones. Thrills shot through her, bringing a blossoming heat.
This man was dangerous. Being a Keeper and the sheriff had only a little to do with it.
She didn’t know what to make of the emotions he sparked. To avoid thinking about it—and to force herself to look from his commanding gaze—Niki turned and studied the knotted ropes still dangling from the top of the fence.
There was little warning as the air stirred. The sheriff slammed his hands on the fence, one on either side of her, trapping Niki between his body and the wood.
She glanced up at him, amused.
He practically bit out his words. “I have a dead shifter with vampire marks, a truce close to breaking, though hell if I can figure out all the whys, and a Rogue vampire in town.”
His scent overwhelmed her and Niki couldn’t resist playing with fire. Just a little. She leaned closer. “And I’m obviously guilty. After all, I’m a murderer merely because I’m a vampire.”
She bared her fangs.
He didn’t flinch. His face reddened and he glanced past her, to the wooden fence, before meeting her gaze once more. His voice softened the tiniest bit. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“Oh? It was pretty clear to me.”
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Niki continued to stare at him, wondering what he’d been about to say.
“Look,” Shane said, his voice soft and seductive now. She didn’t trust it. “I believe you didn’t do this. But if you know who’s behind the killings, I need to know too.”
“You can’t con me with sweet smiles and pretty words,” she replied, though her breath came just a little faster at his nearness. He smelled of soap and smoke and spice. It set her nerves on edge and she could barely think as his scent filled her.
His eyes widened as if he could read her thoughts. She licked her lips and his gaze drew lower, to her mouth. He swallowed loudly, drawing a tiny bit closer.
As if pulled by some magnetic field emanating from him, Niki leaned in.
She stared into his golden eyes, unable to break from his gaze, to move back from the hot energy rolling off his body.
“Niki,” he whispered huskily, need filling his voice. His shoulders tightened and his jaw clenched.
If she hadn’t been who she was, her body would have melted into a puddle, right then and there. She couldn’t bring herself to pull away.
Time stood still, the rest of the world fading into nothingness. Thoughts of her duty faded. All she could do was stand before him as her body came alive, reminding her she was a woman.
Shane growled, crossing the last hairsbreadth of distance between them. He pressed his lips to hers, firm and warm.
Gasping against his mouth, she drank in the feeling.
His touch was electrifying. Inside her, something long dormant and frozen for centuries began to wake. The short stubble on his chin scraped against her skin deliciously.
An unbidden desire to embrace him fully pushed at her. Her hands curled with the thought of what his skin, his flowing hair would feel like. The thought finally gave her a sliver of control. She broke away, slipping beneath his arm and backing up to the other side of the alley.
She stared at him, breathing fast and sharp.
He seemed shaken. As unsteady as she felt.
“I don’t...” he stopped, as if unsure what to say.
She remained mute, confusion fogging her mind. Then a survival instinct kicked in. She had to get away from this powerful man who could make her feel. She turned and raced into the night.
* * *
Shane stared after Niki as she all-too-quickly melded into the darkness. He blinked, searching for the impression of her aura, but all that remained was a vague shadow to prove she’d even been there. And it was already fading.
What the hell had he been thinking?
He let out a deep breath and wished for a long, ice-cold shower. That was the problem. He hadn’t been thinking. Only feeling.
He reached down and adjusted his jeans.
What was he? A deprived teenage youth? Sure he hadn’t had a relationship in a while, but that didn’t excuse letting his hormones dictate his actions.
Yet he could still smell her, soft and flowery.
Shane turned back to the fence. He’d told her the truth, he knew she hadn’t done this. She wasn’t a suspect... exactly. But she obviously had information he needed if he was going to protect the people of this town—protect the peace between Arcaine races.
If war broke out...
So why the hell was he so tuned into this woman?
Part of him wanted to believe it was some strange magic—her vampire powers controlling his lust. His gut told him otherwise.
It was just her. Niki.
He’d have to ignore it and get on with his job. With his duty.
Even though he was still hard and ready for action, Shane shook it off. He pulled out his pocket knife to take down the ropes, securing the first one in an evidence bag.
He reached for the next.
The air swirled behind him.
Shane spun and found himself facing two very angry vampires. Their canines extended over bottom lips, saliva making them shine.
“Where is she?” the short, gaunt one asked.
Shane recognized their faces. “You two were out near Henry’s bar earlier.”
He grabbed for his gun, but too slow for their unnatural speed. The taller one slapped Shane’s hand and wrenched the gun away, tossing it into the dark.
Shane slashed with his pocket knife, knowing it was too small to do any real damage. As they both jumped back, he drew his hands together and called on his magic.
“Uh, uh,” the short guy chortled as he barreled into Shane, making him lose the connection. “We know you’s a magic man.”
Shane rolled over the ground. He smiled up at the two circling vampires.
“What’s so funny?” the taller guy asked.
“This.” Shane drew the earth magic up through his body and sent it shooting at the vampires.
They flew back as power punched into them. Their cries filled the night air.
As a Fates’ chosen Keeper for the Council, Shane’s power wasn’t that of an ordinary shaman. Instead, his magic had a bite that could hurt any Arcaine, no matter their race.
The two vampires seemed to realize exactly who they were dealing with. They shot panicky glances at one another, and decided to run—in opposite directions.
Sighing, Shane settled on arresting just one. He sent magic rumbling after the short guy who seemed to be in charge.
Deep green vines erupted from the ground, waving wildly in the air before finding their target. Shane felt the connection to them as they tangled around the vampire’s ankles. He tripped and sprawled in the dirt.
The vines wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his sides so he couldn’t claw free. The vampire writhed on the ground as earth magic surrounded him.
Shane glanced at the other end of the alley, but the taller vampire was long gone. When he reached the short one, Shane pulled out a shiny pair of handcuffs, slapping them on the guy’s wrists.
“They’re from the Council,” Shane warned.
The vampire stilled, staring up with fright in his red gaze.
The air behind Shane whipped in a frenzy. He turned in time to see the taller vampire charge, almost faster than could be seen. Fangs fully extended, the guy was ready to rip Shane into shreds.
He called his magic and shot it at the vampire. The guy dodged. Shane drew on more power, but the vampire was almost on him.
The guy flew to the side, crashing into the wooden fence where the bodies had hung.
Shane stared at the sight, unable to comprehend what was in front of him. Niki stood over the second vampire, her face flushed, fangs fully extended.
Her eyes were no longer green, but blood red. She turned away, her silky black hair drawing a curtain in front of her.
“What are you doing back here?” he mumbled.
“Something seemed... off. Besides, I felt your power from halfway across town.”
He blinked. “Why’d you come back?”
She shrugged. “I guess not all vampires are only interested in killing.”
He flushed as she threw his words at him again. He’d forever regret saying something so stupid. “Look—”
“I’ll be by the sheriff’s station later to talk to these two. Will you let me in?”
“Sure,” he answered, knowing she’d probably just saved him from a lot of pain.
“Good.” Niki turned and disappeared back into the darkness.
Shane stared after her, wondering if this had been a trap, if he’d been bait. Turning to the vampires struggling on the ground, he got down to business and called his deputy back out.
He’d interview these two before she showed up, and they better hope they could tell him something. Yet, his thoughts lingered on Niki. She’d come back to help. That touched him in different, deeper places than she had before.
Chapter Four
The vampires claimed to know nothing, and in fact, assured him they’d done nothing wrong.
“We was just looking for—”
“A friend,” the smaller guy, Baal—real name simply Frank Smith—interjected.
His buddy, Twink AKA Hank, blinked his owlishly large eyes while his head bounced up and down. “Yeah. Yeah. A friend.”
“And who’s your friend?” Shane tapped his pen against the blank notebook.
“Well...” Frank leaned his elbows on the table. “See, we was supposed to meet her at the bar. But then we got into that little argument you saw. We didn’t know you, so we ran. Later, we tracked her down in the alley. How’s we supposed to know you were a cop?”
Shane glanced down at his khaki shirt, clearly emblazoned with the symbols of the job on the front pocket and both sleeves.
Hank stared at his friend as if he was hearing it all for the first time. But when he caught Shane watching, the tall, thin man nodded vigorously.
“And your friend’s name?” Shane’s suspicions were growing, he couldn’t stop them. Had Niki set him up?
The two vampires glanced at each other. “Um...”
Relief swamped Shane. “If she’s your friend, how come you don’t know her name?”
Frank’s eyes widened and tried to stand, but the chains jerked him back into the metal chair. “Look, you can’t arrest us for just walking along.”
Shane leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “I didn’t.” He smiled. “I arrested you for attacking a Keeper.”
Both men paled further. Hank stuttered, “We... we...”
“Attacked me.”
“Well, we didn’t know you were a Keeper,” Frank protested, eyes flickering as if he might find help somewhere in the room.
“Doesn’t matter. You saw I was a cop, and no more crap about you couldn’t see my shirt. Your vision is just as good in the dark as in the light.”
Frank shrugged. “Don’t mean nothing to us. We’re not bound by mortal laws.”
Shane grinned. Exactly what he wanted to hear. “Interesting. You’re the type of monsters I get to track down and send to the Council.”
Hank’s hands shook, rattling the chains. If he turned any whiter, the tall man would pass out. Frank just tapped his fingers on the metal table as if he didn’t care, but fear shone from his reddened eyes.
A knock came at the door and Shane stepped out of the tiny interview room. His deputy, Chase, stood there, hands tight on his belt.
“What?” Shane demanded.
“MacDougal found out you have two vampires in custody. He’s demanding they be turned over to him.”
Shane strode down the hall and into his office. Jordan MacDougal sat casually in one of the visitor’s chairs, his custom suit perfectly pressed, expensive leather shoes shining. Considering Jordan was asking for Shane’s prisoners meant this probably wasn’t a social call.
“What are you doing here?” Shane demanded of the Master vampire.
“My duty. I heard about the dead wolf, and the two Rogues you arrested. It’s my territory. I’m taking them in to be tried.”
Shane leaned against the side of his desk. “You can’t have them. I already called into the Council—”
“Yes. I know.” Jordan rose with a lazy grace. He smiled, flashing his fangs. “The Council turned those two over to me.”
“Damn it, Jordan. What do you think you’re doing?” Shane brushed his hands through his hair as he turned and moved to his seat. “These are my... whatever you want to call them. They know something about the murders tonight. I need whatever information they have.”
MacDougal’s eyes softened, the red receding to thin bands and allowing the normal deep blue to show. “I am sorry for, as you probably see it, butting in. But something is in the air. Something strange that whispers to me in a language I cannot understand.” He leaned over the desk. “Let’s face it. I will be able to get the informa
tion from them you need. You won’t.”
As much as Shane wanted to argue with that statement, he couldn’t. “Only because you’ll torture them.”
Jordan shrugged. “If you wish to call it that.”
Shane grumbled, “You know damn well that’s what it’s called.”
“That’s neither here nor there. I have my ways. And in the eyes of the Council, they’re perfectly acceptable. Leave it at that.”
“Blood-sucking barbarian,” Shane muttered.
Jordan laughed. “It’s good to see you too, old friend.”
The man walked out, heading in the direction of the holding cells. Shane didn’t bother to get up. Jordan would retrieve the vampires and be gone before any of the deputies could work up the courage to interfere with the territory’s Master vampire.
Shane sat at his desk the next two hours, filling out double sets of paperwork—one for the state which refused to officially admit they believed in the paranormal, the other for the Council, who made the laws for magical beings.
It was tedious, but his job.
He was just finishing up when a soft knock came at his open doorway. Shane glanced up, took a deep breath and laid his pen down. “Come in.”
Niki strode inside, glancing around the sparsely decorated room. “Nice place.”
“Serves its purpose.” His gut churned. Might as well get it over with. “They’re not here.”
Her eyes widened. “Where are they?”
He leaned back and pointed to one of his visitor’s chairs. Niki sniffed, turning her back, but not before he caught sight of her fists clenched at her sides.
“I had a visit from Jordan MacDougal, the local Master.”
Her back stiffened and she shot him a red-rimmed glance. “He took the two vampires?”
“Yes.”
“And you let him?”
Anger flared. “It wasn’t my choice. When the Council tells me to release one Arcaine to another, that’s what I do.”
Her eyes were wary. “I’m sure.”
“Will you sit down already?”
“No.”
“Fine.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not going to apologize. I don’t even know why you wanted to talk to them.” He watched her closely. “They claimed to be friends of yours.”