by Kym Grosso
“No. Just get the damn blood,” she told him, confused, hurt. “Jake. He can go with me.”
Dimitri’s jaw tightened at the slight. He understood her anger. It tasted bitter but was justified. Swearing he’d fix this, he nodded at Jake to go ahead.
Dimitri, disgusted with the evening’s events, shook his head. He watched as Jake ushered her off the dance floor through the crowd. Gillian, who was of a smaller stature, was swallowed up into the horde of people. He glanced up to Léopold who caught his gaze, but was soon distracted by Lacey, who impatiently tapped on his shoulder.
“What?” he growled. “Where is it?”
“Here,” she said, slamming a vial of blood into his hand.
“Thanks.” He took a deep breath. His mama had taught him manners, but he was finding it difficult to appear grateful after the antics she’d pulled. “Listen, I’m sorry, but you knew the deal. I’d never try to hurt you on purpose.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m a vampire. I don’t have feelings.” Lacey flipped her hair and crossed her arms across her chest.
“Tell yourself whatever you need to, but that’s bullshit in my book. Look at Leo. You just haven’t found that special person yet. It’s just not me.”
“Tigers don’t mate with wolves.”
“I already explained it. It’s rare but she’s my mate. You’ve gotta let it go.”
“I’m not the one who has to let it go. I feel sorry for you,” she said cryptically. Cupping her breasts, she adjusted them, making her cleavage more visible.
“Okay, well, thanks again.” He turned to leave, giving a small wave with the vial in his hand.
“Just remember, I’m always here, wolf,” she laughed. “If you ever wanna go vamp, look me up.”
Dimitri shook his head, stroking his beard. His instincts told him that Lacey had more to tell him, but he’d had enough of her antics and wanted to get Gillian home. Eyeing the crimson gift, he slid the glass tube into his back pocket. He nodded to Léopold, who appeared deep in conversation with Lady Charlotte. He pointed in the direction of the restrooms, and set off to find Gillian.
By the time he’d made his way across the dance floor, he spotted Jake leaning against the wall, looking at his cell phone. Dimitri’s eyes caught his as he approached.
“How bad is it?” Dimitri inquired, knowing full well that Gillian was beyond pissed about his past sexual transgressions.
“She’s been crying,” Jake responded.
“I’d better go in there,” Dimitri told him, waiting for him to move out of the way.
“It’s died down. She’ll be okay. She just needs time.”
“You clear the bathroom?”
“What? You think I’m an amateur? Give me some credit, bro,” Jake said, patting his jacket, indicating he’d brought a concealed weapon with him.
“Noticed you enjoying your dance,” Dimitri commented with a smile. He’d hoped that Gillian would get along with his closest friends. Eventually she’d get to know everyone in the pack a little better. All they knew so far was that she was his mate and that they’d gone at it hard in the courtyard. The thought brought a smile to his face.
“What’s not to enjoy? She’s a sweet little thing. I give her credit hanging in there. This place…it’s not for the faint of heart.”
“True dat. This place is hard core. I can remember my first time, coming here with Logan, watching Leo do his thing right out there in the bar.”
“No one can ever accuse Léopold of being understated. Although considering you just fucked your mate at the ball, well, glass houses and all that. Just sayin’,” he joked.
“Yeah, what happened…it’s not like a full moon where everyone’s just getting’ their freak on whenever and wherever. This mate thing…it’s driving my wolf, making me a little crazy. Now that she’s accepted my mark, it’s taken the edge off a little. You notice I didn’t go berserk when you had your hands all over her?”
“I noticed,” Jake smiled. “I do like her, by the way.”
“I like her, too,” Dimitri responded. I like her way too much. Falling for her is more like it.
“I’m sure you’ve been ‘liking’ her a lot lately.” Jake waggled his eyebrows at Dimitri.
“All night and all day long, my friend. Say, I get she was mad at me but what do you suppose is taking her so long?” The hair on Dimitri’s neck stood up as soon as he asked. A high-pitched scream, belonging to his mate, tore through his gut.
Gillian sat on the closed toilet seat, her face in her palms. I can’t do this. I just want to go back to New York. She regretted the way she’d lost her cool. Yet her emotions felt out of control. One minute she was a lust-filled vixen, the next, she was ready to stake a vampire. She closed her eyes, trying to get in touch with her beast. A flicker of recognition registered, but her connection was weakened.
Unable to take the stress of losing her tiger, and wondering if her mate was capable of being faithful, the tears began to fall. Dimitri had given her no reason to doubt his fidelity but she couldn’t help but wonder why the witch and vampire were so attached. They treated their impending mating with as much respect as a bag of soggy diapers.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, taking a deep breath. Trying to put things in perspective, she told herself that she was just over reacting. She’d never seen a vampire try to bite someone before. Perhaps the shock of seeing fangs was the factor that had thrown her into a fit of rage. But that wasn’t enough to explain the sheer jealousy that had coursed through her. Her tiger needed to mark her mate, she knew.
As she concentrated on breathing, deeply inhaling and exhaling, she heard a distant noise…a howl. Gillian jumped to her feet, her heart racing. Again it sounded, and she realized the noise was coming from inside her. What the hell? No freakin’ way. Do I have a wolf inside me?
Gillian grabbed a wad of tissue off the roll, blowing her nose. Panicked, she fumbled with the lock. She had to tell Dimitri what she’d heard. Before she had a chance to open the stall door, a creaking sound caught her attention. Confused, she wondered if Jake was coming into the ladies’ room. He’d insisted on not letting anyone in with her while she was in there, telling her that she wasn’t safe. She hadn’t argued and waited until he’d cleared the area.
“Jake? Dimitri?” she called, slowly sneaking a peek through a crack.
“Sorry, doll. No boys, only girls.”
“How did you get in here?” Shocked, Gillian flung the stall open, and stared at Lacey, who admired her own reflection in the mirror, carefully checking her hair.
“Ah…it’s a secret. But that’s what girls do…we tell secrets.” She reached into a sparkly heart-shaped purse and took out a small tube. Popping off the top and twisting it upward, she applied the lipstick to her already heavily made-up lips. “I’ve got a couple of secrets for you. You’ll keep it just between us, right?”
“Are you crazy?” Gillian carefully navigated to the sink furthest away from the vampire and turned on the spigot, washing her hands. “If you’re referring to the fact that you dated Dimitri, I got that.”
“Fucked, sweetie. We fucked. He let me bite him, too. And we did it all out in public. He’s a wild one, all right. But then again, most people who come here are.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Gillian thought she’d be sick as Lacey told her details about her relationship with her mate. She couldn’t erase his past but she sure as hell didn’t need to relive Dimitri’s greatest hits.
“Because your mating may not take, you know?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but it’s already taking. Hence, his mark.” Gillian dried her hands and sighed. “You know, I haven’t been around very many vampires, but I always imagined they’d be a bit brighter than you.”
“No need to be nasty.” Lacey used a fingernail to wipe a stray smudge of red from her mouth. “Personally, I enjoy a fine wolf. He’s wrong, though. It’s not as though I’m expecting any sort of commitment. I’ve
been recently turned and am very much enjoying the height of my sexual prowess. But the witch…well, she wasn’t quite as happy. Wolves mate. No matter what you do, there’s no way around that…unless you find a way to make someone a wolf no longer. Tricky business I suppose, but who says it can’t be done? Dimitri is in a bit of a pinch, isn’t he?”
Gillian closed her eyes briefly and blew out a breath, taking in Lacey’s enigmatic rant. Is she seriously telling me what I think she’s telling me? Is Ilsbeth responsible for Dimitri losing his wolf?
“What are you trying to say?” Gillian asked.
“It’s rumored that they’d broken up months before the incident with the demon, that she demanded more of a relationship. Just saying that it’s awfully convenient that the witch was in the vicinity right around the same time Dimitri starting having trouble shifting. If he’d lost his wolf completely, even sooner, he wouldn’t have been able to detect you as his mate, now would he?”
“Why do you care anyway? I still don’t get why you’re telling me this.” Gillian moved toward the door. Pity for the pathetic vampire rolled in her belly. Despite Lacey’s words to the contrary, she must have crushed hard over her one night with Dimitri.
“My other secret is even better. Are you ready for it?” Lacey asked, taking a small key from her purse. She located a raised fleur-de-lis on the wall, and slid it open, revealing a keyhole.
“You’ve really lost it, haven’t you? I’m done here. If you have anything else to say, sorry, I’m not interested. Go tell Léopold. I’m sure he can help you with whatever your issue is. Insecurity? Jealousy?”
“You’re wrong. I could care less what bitch that mutt chooses to mate with. I do take pleasure in watching him squirm, however. But money? That I could use. Lady Charlotte hardly pays me enough to stay in this damn job but every now and then I run into someone who makes it worth my while.”
Gillian set her hand on the locked door, reaching for the small chain that Jake had told her to lock. As if she’d submerged her fingers in ice water, they clumsily picked at the small metal hook. Gillian swore, watching Lacey turn the key, aware that whatever she was about to reveal was dangerous. A secret panel along the side wall of the restroom slowly slid open as Gillian yanked at the chain. Her heart seized in her chest as she caught sight of a man and a wolf. Chaz’s wolves had come for her.
“No hard feelings, doll. Money’s money,” Lacey sang as she slipped into the clandestine compartment, leaving Gillian alone with her attackers.
“You,” Gillian gasped, recognizing one of the men who’d been at Chaz’s home. The upside down cross tattoo on his forearm led to a hunting knife clutched in his left hand. In the other, his gloved fist held silver cuffs. A bulky fellow, he walked with a slight limp. But if she remembered correctly, it hadn’t kept him from holding her down for Chaz when he’d bitten deep into her flesh.
“Alpha’s gonna be happy we caught you,” the menacing grey wolf who flanked him replied with a growl. “We got lucky. Stopped in here to ask around and lookie, lookie. Who knew vamps were so easy to bribe? You’d think you’d want to lay low, but no, here ya are, out partying.”
“You’ll never get away with this,” Gillian began. She kicked off her shoes and tore off her dress as fast as she could.
“Should be an easy grab. Whadya think, Rex?” The animal offered no response as he plodded toward her. “You go ahead and strip down, bitch. Once we silver ya, you ain’t gonna shift again. Maybe we’ll give you a go in the car.”
The wolf snarled.
“I didn’t say we’d fuck her. No, the Alpha wants that pussy all to himself. But ya still got a mouth. I’ll teach you how to open wide on the way over to the airport,” he taunted. Flicking open the cuffs, he approached. “Look at those lips on ya. Bet you like a big dick. You’re gonna have one real soon.”
Gillian didn’t stop to remark on his crude comments. Hoping that Jake had his ear pressed to the door, she screamed at the top of her lungs, right as she shifted into her tiger. The transformation was rough, painful like she’d never known. A hot slice tore through every cell. It’d never been such agony to shift, but she kept telling herself that she was changing, her great cat dying, her wolf emerging. If she didn’t concentrate, she’d die. She’d cry later. It’s normal, she told herself. I’ll get through this.
Transformed, she lunged at the thug, her powerful jaws ripping at the man’s arm. His whiskey-soaked blood gushed into her mouth as her head thrashed from side to side. If it weren’t for the adrenaline pumping, she’d have noticed the razor-sharp wolf canines carving into her hide. It didn’t deter her. Anger at Chaz and his pack fueled her attack. She registered the horrified cry of the man as she crushed through his bones, ripping his forearm from its socket.
As she spat out the appendage, she turned to the wolf, that had lodged its teeth deep into the back of her neck. Her own blood spurted from her wounds, distracting her from her initial attacker. She whimpered as he slapped a silver cuff around her right paw; the excruciating burn flashed through her body. Her naked human form slammed into the floor with a thud, her head splitting open on the red-stained tiles. The wolf continued to shred her throat, growling and scratching as he did so. The last thing she heard was gunshots, before darkness claimed her.
Dimitri shoved at the door, breaking the metal chain off its hinges. The stench of sweat and blood smacked at his senses as he plowed forward into the bathroom. He cried out as he caught sight of the armless man, pinning Gillian to the floor. As she lay face down naked, a feral wolf locked his jaws deep into her flesh and had begun shaking his head furiously.
Enraged, Dimitri stripped off his shirt, calling his wolf, yet only a whimper registered in his mind. He cursed, realizing that once again, he was losing the ability to shift.
“Gun,” he called to Jake, who’d begun taking off his jacket.
Jake tossed the weapon to Dimitri, and commenced shifting.
“Get the fuck off of her,” Dimitri ordered, taking care to aim so that he wouldn’t hit Gillian.
“Piss off, buddy,” the stranger replied with a grunt. Ignoring Dimitri, he began to try to undress so he could shift and heal. He pushed up so that he sat on Gillian’s legs.
Dimitri had had enough. He fired off a pop and the bullet traveled straight through the asshole’s head. Dimitri winced as blood sprayed against the walls. Eyes wide open, the man fell dead against the pedestal sink.
Jake had leapt upon the grey wolf, but it refused to release Gillian from its bite. Without hesitation, Dimitri advanced toward it. Pressing the muzzle into its fur, he pulled the trigger. With a whimper, the wolf stumbled backwards, a breathy rattle coming from its throat. As it shifted, a blonde male, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, came into sight.
“Get him,” Dimitri called to Jake as he knelt down next to Gillian. She lay motionless, despite no longer being mauled about by the wolf. The smell of burnt flesh drew him to the cuff on her ankle. Dimitri tugged at the locked silver, singeing his fingers. “Fuck.”
Figuring that one of them had brought the keys, Dimitri crawled to the large man, who still wore clothes. He dug through his jeans, locating the metal chain that was jammed deep into his pocket. Dimitri pinched it with his fingers, quickly yanking it free of the fabric. Wasting no time, he unlocked the shackle from her leg.
“Gilly, can you hear me?” he cried to her.
When she didn’t respond, Dimitri gently rolled her over onto her back, supporting her head in his lap. Although she was breathing, he immediately noticed the two-inch gash on her forehead as well as her bloodied swollen eyes. He curled her up against his chest, hoping she’d regain consciousness. The wounds on her neck had already begun to heal, but he knew the poisonous metal had injured her tiger, making it more difficult to shift.
Dimitri took a deep breath and fought back the rage that threatened to overtake reason. He glanced across the room, at the detached arm that lay in a puddle of blood. She’d defended herself. What he coul
dn’t figure out was how they’d gotten into the room. However, as he lifted Gillian into his arms, he took note of the open secret panel.
“Gilly. Please, Goddess,” he said, brushing the hair from her eyes. “Jake, leave that fucker. Give me your shirt.”
“Here you go.” Jake threw it to him and then leaned over to scoop up the weapon that his beta had tossed aside. He toed at the guy who was laid out cold. “I gotta make sure this douchebag isn’t going anywhere. He’s going to be out for a while. Lucky he’s not dead with the plug you pumped into him. Looks like it went straight through. How the hell did they get in here?”
“There.” Dimitri nodded to the open door. “They didn’t just get in here on their own. Someone did this on purpose.”
“Jesus, is she okay? Why isn’t she shifting?” Jake asked. Using his jacket, he snatched the handcuffs up off the floor. “Goddamned silver.”
Dimitri only heard half of what Jake was telling him as he held his mate. Gillian coughed; her mouth twitched but no words came. Her eyelids slowly opened, and he breathed in relief.
“Darlin’, say something,” he pleaded. His lips mere inches from hers, he cradled her head, stroking her hair.
“Dimitri,” she whispered.
“You’re safe now. I’m sorry. I’m so damned sorry.” Dimitri looked to Jake. “Grab my phone. Text Leo. I want him here now.”
“I think the whole bar probably knows,” Jake commented, looking up to the crowd that had gathered around the door. Léopold pushed through with Lady Charlotte following close behind.
“What the hell happened here?” Lady Charlotte began but Léopold unceremoniously cut her off.
“Tais toi.” Léopold held up his hand, shushing her. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in response, but didn’t make a move to disobey his command. “Wolves, no? But how did they get in?”
“I’d cleared the restroom. But apparently vamp lady has secret doors…doors that I’m sure only she knows about,” Jake stated, his eyes pinned on Lady Charlotte.