“What do you need?” Serena asked, trying to keep her voice even. “Do I just need to be with them on their hunts or do they need help finding him?”
“There’s no problem finding him but that’s not going to matter. I don’t think you’re going to be able to help. This is a rogue we’re after. He won’t hesitate to rip your throat open and watch you die.” Marcus shook his head.
“I’ve dealt with rogues before. You can do the hunting. I’ll stay back and just keep him from hurting you with the magic.” She didn’t get as offended as she normally would have. If he really wanted to find another witch for the job, he could try. She really didn’t want to talk him out of it. If it were possible, she’d run away from this job as fast and far as her little car would take her.
“No offense, I think we really need someone who’s a little larger, stronger.” Marcus tilted his head and ran his eyes over her.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He probably thought she’d be an easy target.
“None taken. Well, there’s a family of werewolves who know enough battle magic to help you. They wouldn’t be too weak for your fight. I don’t know how big they are because I only know them by reputation. The unaffiliated witch who works for the Protectorate doesn’t know any, plus there’s the small female thing.” She gave him an easy smile and relaxed back in the seat.
“The Council doesn’t want to include anyone who doesn’t have to be included.” Marcus shook his head decisively.
“Do you think that there are that many witches who work with the Protectorate in this city? There aren’t any wizards in Dallas who do that. I know of one in Portland, Oregon, if you want to import him.” She swiveled the chair a bit to face Marcus. She was enjoying this right now. It was probably the only enjoyment she’d be able to take until the rogue was caught. She just wished she could offer him another option. Relaxing would be impossible, having to cope with vampires every day.
“I don’t have time to find someone willing to come down here. The rogue is killing people and drawing too much attention now. You’ll have to do.” He sent a scowl toward her.
“I’m honored.” She didn’t try to hide her sarcasm.
“You’ll need to be guarded once we start the hunt.” His lips were pulled into a straight line and it was obvious he wasn’t happy.
Now that he’d seen that there really wasn’t a horde of witches and wizards trained in higher magic and willing to work with the Protectorate, he seemed all business. He could toss orders all he wanted, she wasn’t going to obey. She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath. No way was he putting a guard on her. She wasn’t having some vamp following her around wherever she went every day. Not now. She had too much to lose.
“No, I can take care of myself. If there comes a time when there’s an actual threat, then we’ll deal with it, but now I don’t see any reason for it.” She shook her head decisively.
Marcus tilted his head. He didn’t know what it was but she was hiding something. Her reaction was too…guarded. Everything about her screamed control. Her long black hair was confined in a tight braid. Not even a hair seemed out of place. Her pink lips were pulled into a straight line and her eyes gave almost nothing away. Interest and a little fear shimmered in those witchy green orbs. He wondered what it would take to crack that shell. That tight control and perfect appearance almost seemed like a challenge. He wanted to muss her a little, wrinkle that cream-colored shirt. Or maybe take it off and see if that golden tan covered her entire body.
He wasn’t going to argue with her over the guard. She’d get one whether she wanted one or not. The rogue was too dangerous to take chances with anyone’s life. He wasn’t going to confront her with that just yet. He didn’t want her to suspect she was being watched. With luck, he’d discover what she was hiding. The only thing he was certain of was that it couldn’t have anything to do with him. They’d just met. Since she worked with the Protectorate when most witches chose not do anything to help other paranormals, she wasn’t afraid to take chances. The possibilities were endless. She had to be hiding it from Steven and the Protectorate and probably thought he’d tell them anything he learned.
“How much experience have you had catching vamps and with battle spell work?” He tilted his head and looked at her. He wanted her to think he doubted her abilities.
“More than enough to catch your little friend.” She folded her arms across her chest and scowled at him.
“He favors the club scenes as his hunting grounds. Usually picks young victims in a small group and always kills at least one of them. He scares the hell out of the rest while drawing as much attention as possible.” Marcus ran through the major details quickly.
She’d need to know the information but he wanted to get back to important matters. Like finding out what made her tick or scream. Either one would be great. He’d never before met a woman he wanted to get all hot and sweaty just to see if she looked as controlled and neat then as she did when she was sitting beside him. That and the fact that the attraction was undeniable and the obvious secret she was hiding ensured she had all of his attention.
“So on top of liking to kill, he wants to push the balance of power between humans and paranormals, maybe even start some kind of battle between the two groups.” She grimaced and looked at him with a weary sigh. “A real prize. Did he just suddenly go crazy or has your Council known about him for a while?”
“He had been brought to the attention of the Council for a few minor offenses but had never killed anyone.” Marcus knew just how frustrated she felt.
Not many vampires killed. There just wasn’t the need to do so unless they were threatened. When vampires did go rogue, there were usually signs. Unfortunately, just knowing the signs were there wasn’t enough to act. A crime had to actually be committed before anyone could do anything.
“And of course no one knows where he is now or where he might go except those clubs. Wonderful.” She looked over at Steven. “So will this operation be run by the vamps or by the Protectorate?”
“It will be cooperative. We’ll have people at as many of the clubs as possible. If he’s spotted, we’ll go after him. You’ll need to be ready to go at…” Steven’s voice trailed off as he noticed Marcus shaking his head.
“No, she’ll be going out with us. If he’s spotted, we’ll get her over to him. That will be faster than her coming from her home whenever we find him.” Marcus glanced at Serena. He wanted her where he could find her.
She shrugged. “Will we be going out tonight? And will we actually be going into the clubs?”
“Yes to both. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? It’s probably going to be a long night because Daniel doesn’t always favor the legal bars,” he suggested in a neutral tone just to push her temper.
She tensed and slowly stood. “Steven, call me when I’m needed. I’ll meet the team here.”
“I will.” Steven stood and walked her to the door, closing it after she’d left. He turned around to face Marcus. “Do you want to spend a few weeks as a stone statue? She’s more than capable of it, you know.”
“I don’t doubt that she is. Is she from the Blackwell witches who’ve been on the Witches’ Council for generations?” Marcus waved away Steven’s concern. He hadn’t even made a dent in the woman’s control yet. But he would. He wanted to see the passion in her burning out of control.
“Yes, the youngest daughter. She may look like an easy mark but I’ve personally seen her take down a man twice her size. And she wasn’t using magic. If it wasn’t against policy to have an affiliated witch directly working for the Protectorate, I’d have recruited her years ago.” Steven leaned against the edge of his desk.
“That’s one rule I’d like to see changed myself. The Protectorate needs more than human operatives.” Marcus stood. He meant for far more than witches but wasn’t going to elaborate. Now that they’d found a witch, he needed to get his team together for tonight and arrange guards for Serena.
> “You know that’s not going to happen. It would defeat the purpose of the organization.” Steven folded his arms across his chest.
Marcus leveled a look at the man but didn’t bother saying anything. It was an old argument and they both knew each other’s opinion. Things were changing and the need for an integrated organization grew with every day. There were just some things that required more cooperation than was possible as it was now. If the groups even shared information reliably, the rogue wouldn’t have gone undetected as long as he had.
“I’ll get my team together and we’ll meet here. By the way, don’t bother to call Serena. I’ll pick her up and bring her with me,” Marcus said as he walked to the door.
“You don’t know where she lives.” Steven looked a little stunned.
“I will by the time we’re ready to leave.” He smiled with easy assurance. He wanted to know everything about the cool little witch.
Chapter Two
Serena stepped out of the shower and used a bit of magic to dry her wet hair. She had no idea how much time she’d have before Steven called. Better to use it now than later when she was rushing. She didn’t want the aura of magic to hang heavily around her if they found their vamp tonight. He probably wouldn’t be able to sense it but if he could, it would give him advance warning of her presence. She didn’t want that to happen. If possible, she’d like this to be the last night of the hunt. She didn’t know how long she’d be able to walk the edge without being discovered.
Strolling into her bedroom, she looked at the outfit she’d decided on for the clubs. A very low-cut, sleeveless black and green shirt rested on the bed just above a black skirt. With stockings, a garter belt and high heels, it was a striking, sexy outfit. She always felt hot and slinky when she wore it. It was so very different from her office wear that she almost felt like a different person in it.
She put on a robe and went to find something to eat. She had to do that before she took some of those pills. She wasn’t going to miss even one. Especially now that she had to work with vampires. She wasn’t going to chance becoming a full vix around them. Hopefully this hunt wouldn’t take long and she could put some distance between herself and any vampires. She had some adjusting to do before she made any permanent decisions.
Just as she finished dressing the doorbell pealed, once and then again almost before the ring had finished. She sighed. Who is this? She really needed time to think. There was so much she had to work through on this infected thing. That was long-term but first she needed to keep the vampires from discovering her secret.
Walking over to the door, she felt her stomach tighten as a shiver rippled up her back. She stopped and frowned. What was that? She’d felt it at the Protectorate and now here. The doorbell pealed again. She stepped up to the door and peered at the screen beside it. A groan escaped as she recognized the harsh features of Marcus Castillo standing in the hallway outside her apartment. Why in hell was he there? She hadn’t even heard from Steven, so she knew she wasn’t late.
“You can open the door. I’m not going away.” Marcus’ deep voice sounded from the small speaker.
She took a deep breath and lowered her head. Maybe if she opened the door he’d say what he wanted and leave. Straightening, she unlocked the door and opened it. He stood there smiling, looking thoroughly satisfied. He wore the same clothes he’d been wearing when she’d last seen him but she couldn’t resist trailing her eyes over his broad shoulders and those muscled thighs.
“You look wonderful, very sexy.” He tilted his head and his eyes traced the length of her legs.
“What are you doing here?” she asked bluntly. She didn’t release her grip on the doorhandle or step back. He could just wait out in the hall. She hadn’t invited him to her apartment and she wasn’t letting him into it.
“I came to get you for the mission.” He folded his arms across his chest and looked ready to stand there for hours if that’s what it took.
“Steven’s going to call me and I’ll meet you there. I don’t need a ride.” She wasn’t fooled by his easy calm attitude. She hadn’t made a mistake. The man was on the hunt. She wasn’t going to let him view her as prey.
“Steven’s not going to call you. I told him I’d get you.” Marcus grinned. “Are you ready to leave?”
She sighed heavily. She hated his type of man. A take-charge attitude was good but she didn’t need arrogant and overbearing. Short of physically throwing him out of the building, she wasn’t getting rid of him. As much as she wanted to do that, lifting him was beyond her physical abilities. She might as well get this finished quickly, he wasn’t going to disappear. Not without some help and she was tempted to give him just that with a bit of magic. At this point, he wouldn’t be worth the resulting trouble. The Witches’ Council tended to frown on that sort of thing.
“Let me get my purse and a light coat and I’ll be ready.” She rolled her eyes. Walking over to the closet, she pulled out an ankle-length black coat. She grabbed her purse off the table, only checking to make sure she had keys, money and ID before turning back to the door.
He stood there, waiting patiently. She closed the door behind her, pressing her hand to the panel at the side to lock the deadbolt. He stepped back and walked at her side down the hallway. She was surprised when she felt a warm palm press against her back. She stiffened and took a step to the side but he just followed.
“Did I ask for a guiding hand? I’m not feeble.” She slashed a glance over at him. It was irrational but that solicitous attitude was getting on her already-frayed nerves.
“I want to touch you.” He smiled. His hand didn’t move.
“You’re not my type.” She didn’t look at him but kept her tone even and hopefully convincing.
The man was almost every woman’s type. He had a tough appearance but that only made her want to see what was under the rough exterior. It was impossible though. He was a vampire and she couldn’t take the chance. She wanted her life in order before her transformation completed, much less became public knowledge.
“The scent of your arousal says differently.” He didn’t sound arrogant but his matter-of-fact statement still infuriated her.
She didn’t respond to that, just kept looking straight ahead. She was aroused and she couldn’t deny it. That didn’t mean that she’d be acting on it. He urged her out of the apartment building to a black car in the parking lot. He opened the door for her before she could get to it. She slanted her eyes up at him and dropped into the seat.
The ride to the Protectorate headquarters was conducted in silence. She was too wrapped up in her thoughts to make idle conversation and he seemed to know that. By the time Marcus parked the car, her nerves were stretched taut. She opened the door and started toward the building. After they entered, they were buzzed through the entrance without delay and led to a conference room. People sat in the rows of chairs. Judging by the clear delineation between the two groups dressed in street clothes, she knew that some must be the Protectorate operatives and the others vampires brought in for the search.
Marcus moved forward to talk to some of the men. Serena slipped into a seat on the opposite side of the room. With luck, she could get into a different group from him. She didn’t need to tempt fate. If there was any way to do it she’d back out of this now but that was impossible. He would be too suspicious about why and there wasn’t any good reason she could give.
A few minutes later, a small group of people came into the room. She was surprised when moments later, after only a few words, the group began to break up without the briefing she’d expected. She blinked, not really believing what she was seeing. She sat in her chair as they began to file out the door. This was wrong and she had no idea where she was supposed to be or what the plan was.
“Come on. You’re with me.” Marcus stepped into the aisle and wrapped his hand around her wrist.
She stood and frowned at him. “And how are we supposed to know where to go?”
“All of
that was worked out in a conference before I picked you up. The only reason I brought you here was that we needed to pick up Jason.” Marcus gestured to a man walking toward them.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I stayed in a central location until your man is found? Then I can go to him without having to make my way out of one club and maybe even across the city.” She pulled back, resisting his light tug.
“No, we’ll get you there but you’ll be coming to the club. I want to watch over you. Now that we have a witch with us, I’m not going to chance you getting hurt,” he said with utter calm as he led her through the halls and out to the car.
His entire attitude screamed arrogance. He wasn’t about to listen or acknowledge that he just might be wrong. She didn’t need him to watch over her. The rogue wasn’t going to get to her. She gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to use her magic on him. She could put a stop to Marcus’ high-handed attitude fairly effectively but the use would mark her. While she was hunting for this vamp, she couldn’t lose sight of the fact that the rogue vampire did know magic and might feel even a trace of it. But after the mission was completed, she’d certainly think about it and whether he was worth a censure from the Witches’ Council.
She slipped into the backseat and buckled the seat belt, leaving Marcus and Jason to take the front seats. After a single glance back at her, Marcus started the car. As they approached the first club, Serena could feel the beat of the music pulsing through her body. It was loud to her. She knew it probably sounded almost deafening to them.
Entering the large open club, Serena looked around at all the people. It was a typical upper-scale bar. People danced to the thumping beat and the glossy black surface of the bar gleamed in the light, although she couldn’t see much through the mass of people in the room. She abruptly realized that she didn’t even know what the rogue looked like. If he was here, she couldn’t identify him. She’d never even seen a picture of the man. She frowned and tossed a scowl over her shoulder as she waited for Marcus and his friend. That was an oversight that would be corrected if this search lasted longer than tonight. She didn’t want to walk into situations blind.
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