by Amber Kallyn
Recognition hit and she blinked. “What are you doing here?”
Shane glared up at her. “Since you didn’t wait for me,” he growled, “I had to track you down. Again.”
She leaned back, still straddling him. “You’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Why?”
“Because.” She felt as inane as her answer sounded.
They realized their position at the same time. His body tensed. Slowly, his hands came to her waist.
Her breathing caught, then came faster as he hardened beneath her.
His eyes brightened with that strange golden glow. “Niki,” he whispered. “You want to move before I lose it.”
She scrambled away, trying to resist the urge to let him put his hands back on her. This time, on bare skin.
Shane shook himself as he sat up, fists curling against his thighs. His erection strained at his jeans. Niki flushed, yanking her gaze away.
“Business,” he ground out. After a long moment he met her gaze. “Where’s the boy?”
“I took him to MacDougal. The King can keep him safe.”
“Good.” He glanced around the room. “Did you find anything?”
She jerked her chin toward the broken recorder.
“Temper much?”
“You didn’t hear it.”
Standing, Shane held out a hand. She stared at him for a long moment before allowing him to help her up. As soon as she was on her feet, she released his burning touch.
“Thomas was here, but he’s long gone now,” she said. “I don’t know where to start looking.”
He leaned close, until their breath mingled. “That’s where I can help.”
“How?” she whispered, trying to swallow as her throat closed up.
“It’s my job to know what’s going on in this town, if you’ve forgotten.”
“No.” How could she forget who, what, he was.
“I know this place.”
“So where is Thomas?”
“First, we head to the bar.”
“I’m not up for a drink and dancing.”
Shane headed up the stairs. When she didn’t move, he turned around. “Coming?” His gaze was hard, daring her to say no.
Considering she didn’t really have a choice, she followed.
At the top of the stairs, Shane added, “Ever heard the saying ‘use all your resources’?”
“Is that what you are? A resource?”
He stopped and faced her. “I don’t know what I am to you.”
She fidgeted under the intensity of his stare.
“No smartass comment to that?”
“No.” What could she say? She was confused and uncertain. Niki didn’t even want to admit such a thing to herself.
He sighed and shook his head. “Let’s go.”
She stepped out onto the porch, Shane behind her. The sun had set while they were in the farmhouse and now only the last hints of day lit the sky.
Around them, the forest was unnaturally quiet.
Niki sniffed the air and caught the distinct scent of one of the vampires from the motel.
Shots rang out.
* * *
A boom startled Shane. He shoved Niki behind him. Fiery pain slammed into his shoulder, flinging him against the wall.
Niki dragged him to the wooden floor and crouched by his side, searching the shadows of the forest. Her eyes blazed pure red.
She sniffed the air. “Two vampires.”
“Who?” The pain in his shoulder cooled into a freezing ache.
Her gaze turned to him and he had to brace himself against the power in her eyes. “The guys from the Inn today.”
Another shot rang out and splinters rained down from the wall. Blood welled on Niki’s cheek, but she didn’t flinch.
Anger filled him, rage pounding his temples at the thought of her being hurt. He surged to his feet and grabbed her hand, racing down the stairs.
A voice rang with laughter. “You won’t get away so easily.”
Shots came, one after another. Niki pushed forward, covering his back as they ran, so fast he nearly couldn’t keep up. He tried to pull her forward, to shield her instead, but she hissed.
“I’ll live through it. You won’t.”
It pissed him off further to have her acting as a shield. More shots thundered in the night. Then came the twang of a bow string let loose. Behind him, Niki cried out.
She was hit. Shane yelled, “Stop.”
He stepped between her and the shooters, and slammed his hands on the ground. A protective sphere rose around them. Arrows and bullets pinged against the shield, letting off small flashes where they hit.
Niki blinked and began to grin.
Her smile slowly faded. She reached behind her and when she drew her hand back, it was covered in blood. “I don’t think he was using ordinary arrows.”
Her knees buckled and she pitched forward. Shane caught her, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He helped her to the ground and turned her on her side so he could see the damage.
Blood rapidly stained her shirt, surrounding the wooden shaft of an arrow. He didn’t dare try to pull it out, not knowing how barbed the arrow head might be or what concoction was in the damn thing to weaken her.
She mewled in pain. Her body began to shake and her eyes rolled up, showing only white.
“I have to cut the shaft. It’s going to hurt.”
“Do it,” she whispered through gritted teeth.
The pings against his shield slowed as Shane took his pocket knife. He held the shaft tightly. It looked like Rowan wood, which would make sense. Rowan was poison to vampires, one of the few old woods that still retained fey magic.
He took a deep breath, calling on his magic and spoke to the wood. With a quick slice, the shaft neatly severed in two. Just a short stump projected from her pale, bloodstained skin.
Her only response was a sharp breath.
“Honey, I need you to get up. Can you do that?”
She nodded, pushed at the ground.
“Let me help.” He grasped her arms, trying to lift her. His shoulder screamed in agony, but he ignored it.
He got her to her feet, but she swayed.
“Come on. We need to walk.” He glanced around, not sensing the shooters. The vampires had fled.
Niki’s face was too pale. She swayed again, staying on her feet only because he refused to let her fall.
He had to get her away, figure out what was in the tip. Few things could hurt a vampire this bad, so quickly. He strained to lift her into his arms, but the bullet in his shoulder limited his mobility. She cried out, head thrashing back and forth as pain spread.
The poison was hitting harder.
Shane could only think of one thing to do.
He cupped the back of her head, taking only a split second to hesitate. Was he really going to do this? Never before had a vampire tasted him.
She screamed, the sound hoarse and raw.
Decision made, Shane drew her mouth to his neck. “Drink.”
She shuddered, but managed to pull back. “Are you sure?” Her voice was weak.
“Drink,” he repeated, pressing her lips to his skin.
The pain was immediate as her sharp fangs punctured his skin. Then it numbed. A delicious, fever-like need spread through him.
Desire made him hard. His skin flushed, his groin ached, pulsing with the primal need to take this woman without mercy.
She moaned, pressing closer. Her breasts pushed against his chest seductively.
She continued to drink and images flashed in Shane’s mind.
Ripping off her shirt, her bra. Cupping her breasts in his palms. Taking her puckered nipple in his mouth and sucking deeply.
Her hands on him, soft fingers curling around his length, cupping his balls.
Shane groaned, trying to keep his wits.
She retracted her teeth, licked up his neck. He shivered from the raging impulse to slam her to the ground.
&
nbsp; Niki kissed along his jaw. Their lips met and he took her mouth, delving into wet heat. This woman was driving him mad.
Slowly, she drew back, blinking.
“Better?” he hoarsely asked.
“You taste so... good. Different.” Her face was flushed, cheeks rosy, eyes unfocused.
He felt weak, from the wound, loss of blood, and uncontrollable desires he couldn’t give in to.
They were in danger, damn it. He had to get her to safety.
Calling to the Earth and Brother bear, Shane drew on their energy. Together, Shane and Niki stumbled to their feet. He pulled her deeper into the darkness of the forest.
Chapter Ten
Niki woke in a strange place. White surrounded her. The walls, curtains, bedding, everything was colorless. She groaned and tried to sit up, but pain raced through her back.
She glanced down at the only splash of color—a too-small, frilly blue robe baring far more of her breasts than she was comfortable with.
A soft hand pushed her back onto the bed. Niki looked up into a dark, lined face framed by hair as white as the room. The old woman smiled kindly, black eyes sparkling.
“I told my grandson I wanted to meet you. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
Niki blinked, trying to make sense of the words.
“I removed all of the wood splinters and put a special paste on your wound. You’re already healing, though you should take it easy for a few days.” The old woman raised an eyebrow. “You probably won’t follow that advice.”
Before Niki could say a word, the door opened and Shane walked in. He was stripped to the waist, a white bandage on his right shoulder.
Niki stared at his left side.
The tats on his arm spread over half his chest. Black lines and swirls mesmerized her. Some formed the shapes of animals, others symbols of magic and power. As he turned to shut the door, she realized the tattoos covered his entire left half—chest, shoulder, back.
Pain simmered inside her, but a growing heat from his presence overlaid it. “Where am I?”
“Safe,” the old woman replied.
“I brought you to my grandmother’s home,” Shane added. “This is Morning Dove.”
The old woman reached for the tray he carried and lifted the porcelain cup. She leaned over Niki and pressed it to her lips.
Niki pulled back, though it sent more pain shooting down her spine. “What is it?”
Morning Dove smiled. “It’s a special blend of herbs that will help you heal.”
Niki didn’t have to be told what the spices were steeped in. The scent of blood rising from the cup made her stomach clench in hunger. She greedily drank down the mixture.
The old woman watched approvingly, then rose and headed for the door. She reached up on tiptoe and patted Shane on the cheek as she passed him. “Take care of her.”
He nodded, his gaze never wavering from Niki. Morning Dove shut the door behind her, leaving them alone.
Niki shifted on the bed, uncomfortable at the growing awareness of Shane’s half-naked body in the tiny room.
It worsened when he sat on the side of the bed. His weight made the mattress dip, tilting her toward him. The heat of his body caressed her skin, making her all too aware of her body sparking to life.
Her voice was husky when she said, “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “It was close.”
Her mind flashed with the memory of kissing him, taking his blood into her. It had been a rush, almost as if he were a drug.
Swallowing, she asked, “What was he shooting?”
“The arrows were tipped with Rowan wood, with yew seed inside.”
“Wow. He really was trying to kill me.”
Shane rubbed his bandaged shoulder. Her gaze was drawn to the two small pinpricks on his neck, just above his collarbone. She wanted to lick them, to drink him again.
“Not just you,” he said, his golden eyes darkening.
She jerked her gaze from his throat. “No. I guess not.”
Shane snorted. “You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking, covering my back like that?”
“You’re mortal.”
“So? It’s my job to protect you.” It was almost a growl.
Niki read between his words. He didn’t mean Keeper, he meant ‘man’. His ego had been irked having a woman protect him.
“Would you like me to apologize?” She tried to keep the humor out of her voice.
He blinked, scratching his chin. “We’ll just say we saved each other.”
“All right.”
He took her hand. The air filled with tension, wiping her amusement away. Her pulse beat faster. She reached up and softly touched the bandage over his shoulder. The thought of him being hurt made something ferocious burn inside her. She wanted to go back to the farmhouse, track down the vampire who’d dared hurt Shane.
He trailed his fingers down the side of her face. Startled, Niki met his hot gaze.
“You can’t keep me out.”
She didn’t think he was only talking of tracking Thomas down.
Niki shivered as his fingers teased down the side of her neck. Her skin tingled and her breasts grew heavy as she imagined the feel of his hands on them.
The heat turned to flames burning along her skin. His eyes flickered with emotions she couldn’t bring herself to examine.
He leaned over, cradling the back of her head in his hand. Niki froze. She watched him draw nearer, never breaking from his magnetic gaze.
He stopped, so unbearably close. Niki gasped, drawing in his exhaled breath. He touched his lips to hers. Soft, yet firm. Warm.
She sighed, fear and panic melting in the overriding sensations of their contact.
She couldn’t pull away. Wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Shane drew her against him, dragging her deeper beneath his spell. He nuzzled her mouth, slipped his tongue along her bottom lip.
The touch was electrifying. She gasped and he invaded. He tasted of spice, sweeping inside and devouring her with such passion she could smell it, taste it. Feel it zinging along every nerve, every inch of her skin.
Her hands rose. His long hair was as silky as she’d imagined. His shoulders tightened as she explored them, then trailed her hands down his back.
He moaned softly. Her fangs extended as desire swamped her. She tightened her hold on his back, trying hard to resist pulling him on top of her. She needed to feel his body over hers. God, how she wanted it.
But she shouldn’t.
The thought was fleeting, the passion between them almost too much to handle, sending rational thought scampering away.
As if he felt her conflict, he nipped her lower lip, then drew back. Shane stared into her eyes for a long moment.
His words were husky. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you properly.”
Considering she could barely breathe, her heart was galloping and her body was alive with need, she replied, “I’m fairly certain you accomplished that.”
He took a deep breath and sat up.
She felt the loss of his touch acutely and wanted it back more than she could remember wanting much of anything. Behind Shane, the ghostly wisps of her family rose in the corner of the room. She closed her eyes and turned away.
Shane stiffened. “Perhaps I owe you an apology.”
She swallowed the pain in her chest. “I’ll let you know when I require one.”
She couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss, even though her ghosts had come to remind her they needed justice. She hadn’t met a man who could make her feel such things in centuries. It confused her. She wasn’t good at such emotions.
She certainly couldn’t afford the complications. She was finally close to Thomas. Too close to let anything interfere.
Resolved, she glanced at Shane, relieved the ghostly wisps had gone. “I need to get back to the Inn.”
His jaw tensed, but he only said, “I’ll get your clothes.”
He strode from the room,
the lines of his body stiff. When the door opened again, his grandmother shuffled in with a pile of clothes in her arms.
The old woman laid them at the foot of the bed. “You shouldn’t move yet.”
Niki blinked. “I’ll recover. Been hurt worse than this.”
“You’re welcome to stay here, you know. The sun will be up soon. I know how the day eats at your strength.”
“Thank you,” she replied, uncomfortable at the woman’s kindness. “But I really must go.”
After the old woman left, Niki gingerly pulled on her clothing. Not only were her clothes clean and mended, but her blades were sharpened and oiled.
She left the room, rolling her shoulders to try to work out the stiffness in her back. Shane waited by the front door, also dressed, his look gloomy. He led her to his truck and opened the passenger door, slamming it after she’d gotten in.
In the driver’s seat, he started the truck, gunned the engine, then tore down the gravel drive.
The air was thick and silent as he drove.
When he parked, Niki glanced at the three-story architect’s dream in front of them. The sweeping wrap-around porch reached nearly to the drive. “Where are we?”
“My house,” he tersely replied.
“I need to go to the Inn.”
His eyes blazed. “Look, Miss Stubborn. I don’t know what kind of man you think I am, but I’ll be damned if I send an injured woman, alone, to a place where those trying to kill her know where she’s staying.”
With each word, he grew louder, until the last bit was shouted.
Her first instinct was to ask what had crawled up his ass, her second was to argue. But he made sense, even if being with him might be more dangerous than the vampires hunting her.
Slowly, she nodded. “All right.”
His mouth snapped shut at her agreement and some of the tension left his shoulders.
She followed him inside, surprised at the hominess of the place. Their shoes tapped on wood floors, through the entryway and up the stairs. He led her to a bedroom, obviously rarely used.
On the bed were her bags.
She shot him a look.
“What?” he asked.
Shaking her head, she pushed them over and sat down.
“Sleep.” Shane turned and walked away.