by Amber Kallyn
It howled in fury and pain. She hit another, stabbing its hindquarters. Then another, raking her blade along its side. She fought in a blur, striking out at wolf after wolf, not seeing anything but her next target.
The pack broke, wolves tucking their tails and racing down the street. Caught in the bloodlust, Niki started after the fleeing group. The wolves bayed and she was lost in the age-old chase of prey and predator.
She sped down streets and alleys, following the scent of cowardice and blood. It was heavenly.
* * *
Shane picked up his pace when he came to Jasper Lane and found blood splattered over the road. His heart shuddered, but he refused to consider Niki might be hurt... or worse.
He continued on, reaching the edge of the forest. Ahead, a wounded wolf’s growls turned into a howl, a cry for help.
“Asshole!” Niki screamed.
Shane slid her small dagger in his pocket and raced forward. When he broke through the trees, he stopped, stunned.
A huge wolf, far bigger than any found in the wild, lay on the ground. Niki bent over it, a dagger to the creature’s throat. Smoke rose as the silver blade pressed against the wolf’s skin.
She glared at three wolves, all ready to rip her to shreds. “Back off or I’ll cut his throat. I didn’t ask for this fight. Hell, I didn’t do a damn thing to any of yours. If you’ll think rationally, you’ll realize everyone I injured will heal.”
There was nothing human left in the glowing blue eyes. All three wolves had lost the thought of humanity and rationalism.
Shane moved, drawing the hungry gazes.
His magic wasn’t enough to pull these beasts back from the edge. Once more, he called on his animal spirit, though the pain of drawing on the bear twice in one night was going to be hell.
“Mother Earth. Father Sky. Brother Bear.”
The black ink covering his left side flared, heat spreading over his skin like wildfire. Shane gritted his teeth.
Niki gasped, her gaze on him. He knew what she saw. Shane was no shifter. But when he called on the bear spirit, others could sometimes see the superimposed image of the bear over his body.
Shane glared at the wolves, letting the bear’s power crackle on the air. “Listen to me, ba’chos. As your friend and as your Keeper. Do not shed any more blood tonight.”
The wolves shuddered, and the one in the middle, their leader, blinked. His eyes faded from ice-blue to stormy gray.
He howled in fury and pain. Then the three loped away. The wolf beneath Niki’s blade whimpered. She stood, drawing her dagger away.
In a flash, it was up and chasing after its pack mates.
Shane breathed a sigh of relief and released the energy he’d gathered, letting it seep back into the earth.
Niki stepped away from him, her eyes wide.
Shane raised a hand, but her shoulders stiffened and her fist tightened on the silver dagger.
“I won’t harm you.”
“What the hell are you?” she demanded.
He shrugged. “Sheriff and Keeper.”
Her gaze roamed the tattoos covering his left arm, and she tilted her head as if to follow them where they disappeared beneath his tank. “More than that. A lot more, I’d say.”
“And you are vampire. Your point?”
She finally put her dagger away, though her gaze remained wary. “A bear?”
“My totem animal and spirit guide.”
“You’re not a mage. You’re a shaman.” She nodded as if assimilating what she’d seen this night. “What are you doing here?”
“Tracking you,” he replied, trying not to reveal the worry cramping his guts as he looked her over.
She was blood splattered and scratched up, but he didn’t see anything that wouldn’t heal.
She rolled her neck, the bones softly popping. “I had it under control. They’d have either left, or died.”
Anger pierced him. “You kill a wolf and Jordan will bring the wrath of hell down on you. So will every shifter and vampire around for miles. No one wants another war.”
She glanced at him, her fangs still showing, eyes red. “And I don’t want to be the cause of it. But if a half-pack of wolves attack me and a boy for no reason, they made their choice.”
As Keeper he couldn’t quite argue with her. But he was also a man. It stunned him to realize that part of him wanted to track the wolves down and kill them for daring to touch her.
It was beyond bad. He had a job to do, and he couldn’t let anyone interfere. Trying not to think of it, he latched on to her other words. “What boy?”
“A young vampire. I found him in the diner. He’s scared and running from something. I sent him to my motel room.” She glanced around the trees. “Wonder if he actually went.”
Shane didn’t know how to respond. “You sent a strange vampire to your motel room when you know everyone is looking for rogues?”
She raised a dark brow, her cheeks flushed from the fight. “That’s exactly why I sent him there. He’s not strong enough to have killed the wolf. But he smelled like Thomas.”
Shane walked closer. “What do you mean?”
“The boy’s been around the man I’m looking for. Hopefully, he can lead me to him.”
Niki strode toward town. Shane took advantage of the silence as they left the forest. “We need to work together.”
She grimaced. “He’s a step ahead. But I’ll damn well get him.” Her hands fisted at her thighs.
Shane grabbed her shoulder and spun her to face him. “I will get him.”
Her eyes flashed, irises rimmed with red. “You are going to stay out of my way.”
He matched her angry stare. “It’s either work with me or go to jail. You’re not going to be running around on your own.”
In silence, he led her toward town, and his truck waiting at the station. The walk was filled with tension, from his demands and the sensuality permeating the air. This close to her, he remembered exactly how soft and giving her lips had been. It wasn’t a thought he should have. Only, he couldn’t seem to give a damn.
There was something between them, and he’d not stop until he figured out exactly what.
Chapter Seven
Niki followed Shane through the outskirts of town. She couldn’t bring herself to agree with his demand for cooperation. Yet, thinking about his display of power back in the forest, she began to wonder if there might be benefits to working with him.
He’d harnessed the spirit power of a damn grizzly bear. It wasn’t like the werewolves—they were one, animal and man together. Shane had been so much more.
And it was damn sexy.
Even now, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the muscles his sheriff’s uniform had hid. This was a man who could go up against just about anything. And win.
He glanced back, as if to make sure she was actually following. His eyes drifted over her. Niki’s breasts tingled from the brush of his glance. Lower, a deep ache throbbed. She clenched her fists, trying to ignore the desire flooding through her.
He was a Keeper. She had to remember that. All that beautiful, exciting power went into his job—hunting down the Arcaine like her. In fact, once she killed Thomas, he’d probably be the one the Council called to carry out her execution.
She stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. Shane was at her side, grasping her arm and helping her keep to her feet. Not that she needed it, but the gesture was kind of nice. He continued to walk beside her, the heat of his hand blazing through the thin blouse where his palm rested on her lower back.
They reached the sheriff’s station and Shane led her to his truck. “Let’s go see this boy you found.”
She didn’t want to go with him. She needed some time alone with these strange thoughts running through her mind. “I’ll meet you there.”
He raised a brow, scowling. “Yeah, right.”
Grasping any excuse she could find, she waved at her clothes. “I’ll get blood all over your truck.”
&
nbsp; “I don’t care.” He bit out each word.
“I do.” She crossed her arms, staring him down.
He sighed. “Fine. You can change here.”
The unexpected offer made her jerk back. “What?”
His eyes glowed as if he knew she was trying to get away. “Change in the locker room. There are plenty of spare clothes.”
Her mind went blank, unable to think of another excuse. Mumbling under her breath at being trapped by her own doing, she followed him up the steps and into the station. A deputy stood at their approach. His eyes grew wide as he looked from her to Shane. Niki recognized him from both the bar and the murder scene in the alley.
“Boss?”
“It’s all right, Chase.”
Shane led her down a dim hall and into a locker room. He opened a locker in the middle, and drew out a towel and some sweats. Turning, he slowly eyed her up and down.
She shivered. The air sparked with heat, and his hands dropped to his sides. The clothed dangled limp and forgotten.
Shane took a step toward her. His magnetism called and she edged closer. She couldn’t look away from his golden gaze. Those eyes pulled her deeper into an abyss she wasn’t sure she could get out of. Wasn’t sure she wanted to just yet.
The image of him in all his powerful glory flashed through her mind. It made her burn. Because now he stood before her as a man and nothing else.
One who wanted her.
The distance between them rapidly diminished, until she stood in front of Shane, staring up into his face, feeling unaccustomedly vulnerable.
Part of her wanted to run. She should. This thing between them was impossible. His eyes darkened as if he read her mind yet again. He stepped even closer. She shook at the delicious thought that if she ran, he would only catch her.
Her heart thumped, blood pulsed from head to toe.
Shane let the clothing drop to the floor and reached to brush a lock of hair from her face. Niki gasped as heat blazed where he touched her.
He leaned closer, pressing his lips against hers. Hot, smooth.
Shane licked the corner of her mouth, then delved inside. He tasted of smoky spice. She flicked her tongue against his.
He groaned, wrapping his arms around her and pulled her against his hard, muscled body. Niki ran her hands up his sides, over his back.
His fist clenched in her long hair and he tipped her head back. Shane nipped along her jaw. He traced a hot, wet line down her pulse, her collar bone. The scruff on his face rasped against the swell of her breast and Niki nearly jumped as need flared.
She moaned, pressing against him as he eased his hardness between her thighs.
He slid his palm over her shoulder, to her side, cupped her breast. Her nipples pebbled, throbbing for his touch. He flicked a thumb over one and she nearly cried out at the shooting pleasure. She leaned into his touch as his breath caressed the valley between her breasts.
Heat and need were driving her crazy.
“Boss?” a voice called.
Shane slowly drew back, gazing at her with hooded eyes. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he replied, his voice rough.
The guy cleared his throat and the door clicked shut.
“We can’t do this,” Niki whispered through the desire clouding her mind.
“Not here, anyway.” He grinned. “Unless you need help changing?” His voice was so hopeful, she was able to relax a bit, though he kept her tight against him.
“Is this your way of talking me into working with you?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Good. Because if we can’t keep our hands off each other, I’ll have to say no.”
He slowly let her go and stepped back. Grabbing the clothes from the floor, he held them out. “Well, now, Ma’am. I think I can behave myself. Can you?”
Shane whistled a light tune as he walked out of the locker room.
Confused, dazed, and slightly afraid of how he made her feel, Niki took a quick shower, then dressed.
Pain lingered from the deep scratches, but overriding it was a heaviness in her breasts and between her thighs that craved the sheriff. Maybe it was the fight, the lingering adrenaline. Otherwise, she would have been able to resist him.
That had to be it.
She needed to eat to finish healing. That was making her feel a bit lightheaded and weak. It was just this set of circumstances that made her lust so uncontrollable. She’d make sure it didn’t happen again. But first, she had to face the damnable, confusing sheriff again.
She headed down the hall to the front area, slowing when she heard Shane and his deputy talking.
“... the wolves?” Chase asked.
“I’ll be talking to Beider later today.”
“I don’t envy you that. The Alpha’s an ass.”
Shane chuckled. “You’re coming with me.”
Chase groaned.
Niki stepped from the hall. Both men’s gazes jerked to her. “What?”
“Nothing,” Shane softly said. “Ready?”
Niki shrugged and left the station. She didn’t even have the chance to think about running off, Shane stayed close.
He opened the passenger door and waited until she got in, then strode around to the driver’s side.
The drive was short, but by the time they reached the Inn, Niki was vibrating from the thick tension in the air. Shane parked and she jumped out, hurrying to her room. He was right behind her. The door was unlocked, so someone had been there. She strode in, only to find the room empty.
Then she smelled the kid.
* * *
Shane stared at the young vampire curled up beneath Niki’s bed and sleeping deeply. He was just a boy, not even old enough to drive. Shane concentrated, and blinked. The kid became a shadow.
He didn’t have a vampire’s natural aura. Shane glanced at Niki. Her aura was normal, a crimson glow, covered with flecks of the deepest black.
The boy’s was almost fully black, only small patches here and there of reddish gray. Something was seriously wrong.
He let his vision return to normal. “How old of a vampire do you think he is?”
Niki shrugged. “He’s a newbie. Maybe three or four, based on the power he emanates. And he’s inexperienced. He doesn’t know how to use it.”
She glanced at Shane warily.
He rubbed the back of his neck, heading to the window and staring out at the beginnings of sunrise. Maybe he’d been too harsh with her, demanding she cooperate. They needed to work together, but he probably could have put it more delicately. And then, grabbing her like that at the station... Shane turned back ready to apologize.
Niki knelt on the floor, peering beneath the bed. “Close the curtains.”
After Shane did, she yanked the boy out.
He woke, eyes blazing red, fangs extended as he hissed at Niki. Shane stepped forward, but she already had it under control.
She smacked the back of the kid’s head. “Knock it off.”
The boy’s eyes faded to a washed out blue-gray, fangs receding.
She pushed him down onto the bed before walking to the small closet. She drew out a black leather suitcase. From a hidden compartment, she pulled out two plastic medical bags of sloshing blood that set Shane’s stomach roiling. Niki tossed one to the boy.
The kid attacked it like he was starving.
“Hey.” Niki snapped her fingers. The boy’s frantic movements slowed. She stood in front of him, unscrewing the lid. The kid followed her example, though he still gulped down the contents.
She turned to Shane, holding his gaze as she lifted her bag and drank the blood.
Her eyes flashed, as if daring him to see her fully. Vampire.
He wanted to turn away, but refused to back down from the challenge. He knew what she was, watching her drink blood didn’t change that. And he still wanted, needed to work with her. Wanted, needed... her.
When she was done, she slid the two empty bags back into the case and put it away. Nik
i sat near the headboard, watching the boy. Her face was a study of politeness, no emotion, no fear.
The boy didn’t mask his emotions at all. He stared at them both as if afraid they might start beating him.
“Ready to tell me your name yet?” Niki asked.
The boy whipped his head around, keeping them both in his view. “Who’s he?”
“The sheriff,” she replied softly.
The kid looked even more frightened.
“Look, I saved your life tonight. I think it’s obvious by now I’m not planning to hurt you. The sheriff is here to help. Just tell us your story.”
Shane nodded, trying to assure the boy he wasn’t in trouble.
The kid sat a little straighter. “And if I don’t wanna tell you anything?”
Having dealt with stubborn teens too many times to count, Shane knew when he was seeing real fear rather than just bravado.
“Do you want our help?” he asked, keeping his voice even but unyielding.
The boy flinched.
Shane pulled a chair from the small table in front of the window, spun it backwards, and sat facing the bed. “We can’t help if we don’t know what you’re running from.”
The kid sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.
Shane’s pity stirred for this lost boy.
* * *
Niki watched the kid, remembering how she’d been after her own turning. She’d felt like everything was over, with nothing to live for. Then the ghosts had come, and she’d realized why she’d survived.
She didn’t know why she was so concerned for this kid. His situation wasn’t anything like hers. Yet, she felt some strange kinship to him. The urge to help him find his reason, help him get through it all, struck her. But first, she needed to know why he was here.
“Robby. Robby Jackson,” he said, just above a hoarse whisper. He reached up and tugged at the hair behind his ear.
“Where are you from, Robby?” she asked almost as quietly.
“Alabama.”
“How long have you been a vampire?”
He shook his head, tugging the hair harder. “I don’t know. It’s hard to track time passing when...”
“When what, son?” Shane asked.
Robby glanced at Niki. She nodded, encouraging.