by Lauren Wood
“Call me Micah,” the alpha said easily. “And I’ll have what he’s having.”
She turned to Brent. He was the only one who didn’t have a friendly glint in his eyes. For some reason, the dangerous scowl on his face turned her on. She struggled to gain control of her senses. It was ridiculous that she would find the man sexy. All he wanted to do was torture her. And not in the good way. “Mr. Jenson.”
“Brent,” he grunted. “And I’m fine. This isn’t a social call,” he said glaring at his two companions.
“Fine. Two cheeseburgers, rare, with extra bacon and fries coming up. And just to let you know, I’m going to have to take out the trash soon. If you could let your friends know so no one attacks me when I try to leave, that would be great.” She turned her back.
“Tara.”
She stopped when Brent spoke to her. “Change your mind?” she asked as she turned around.
“We ran the phone number that this so-called Matthew was texting you from. It’s a burner phone. If you could send your co-workers over, I’d like to get a description of him.”
“I gave you a description,” she said as she narrowed her eyes.
Brent nodded. “Yes. And now we want a description from them.”
Tara struggled not to let her anger show. “Look, I won’t have you tarnishing my reputation here,” she said softly. “You promised you’d keep a low profile tonight.”
“Consider yourself lucky that I allowed you to be here at all,’ Brent threw back.
Jackson immediately threw up his hands. “We’ll be discreet. If they ask, we’ll just mention that he’s a suspect in something and we’re trying to get more information about him.”
“And if he’s innocent?” Tara asked.
“Afraid he won’t want to date you anymore?” Brent asked softly.
She glared at him and whirled around before stalking back to the bar. It was bad enough that she was in this mess, but it was even worse to find out that he had so much control over her. It drove her insane to know that just a few words could both infuriate her and turn her on.
What was wrong with her?
“Sandra,” she called out. “Can you stop by table two? They’ve got some questions for you. I’m going to take out the trash.”
“The three hunky men in the corner have questions?” Sandra fluffed her blonde hair. “I don’t suppose it’s to ask me if I have plans tonight, is it?”
Tara felt a streak of jealousy, and she immediately clenched her jaw. “No. I’ll be back.” She grabbed the trash from the can and headed to the back.
As she opened the door, she yelled cautiously. “It’s me. I’m taking out the trash. Please don’t attack me.”
There was no answer. She stuck her head out and saw the blood. As her gaze trailed closer to the trash bin, she saw the two men lying still on the concrete.
She screamed.
Chapter Four
The shadows were moving. She pressed herself against the wall as fear engulfed her. It felt like hours, but it probably only seconds before the three bear shifters were racing through the door and into the parking lot. Each one of them was growling as they prepared for a fight.
But there was nothing except the blood and the two unconscious men in the parking lot. The shadows were nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
Brent leaned over and grabbed her, and she immediately fought him. In her fear, she kicked out and screamed, but he only circled his arms around her and held her until she calmed down. Finally, the darkness receded from her brain, and she fell against him. “Easy,” he whispered. “I have you.”
Micah and Jackson were kneeling down to check the bodies. They nodded grimly. “They’re alive. Call the emergency team and get them back to Gratsky,” Micah ordered. He looked at Tara. “What the hell happened?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t do that. I swear. They were like that when I came out.”
“Of course you didn’t do it,” he said in disgust. “No human could take down two bear shifters. Did you see anything?”
She shook her head, and Brent released. Almost immediately, her knees buckled, and she nearly fell. The shifter caught her.
“Tara?”
“What have you pulled me into to?” she said as she gritted her teeth. “This is where I work, for Christ sake. This is all your fault.”
For the first time since she met him, she saw uncertainty in his eyes. She pulled out of his grasp and stared at him. “Am I in danger?”
He swept a hand through his hair. “Tara, you’re still a suspect.”
“And by the time you realize that I’m not guilty, I’ll probably be dead.” She turned away in bitterness and stared at the two bodies. “Are you calling the police?”
“No. We police our own.”
“Of course you do,” she said. “Excuse me. I think I’m going to be sick.”
He took a step towards her, and she sighed. “Of course. Can’t let me out of your sight, can you?” She hesitated. “Are they going to be all right?”
“We heal quickly,” he muttered.
She turned from him and headed for the bathroom. She knew that he was behind her, like a shadow, and she hated him for it. Her life was shitty before, but it was simple.
Now she seemed to be a pawn in someone’s deadly game.
***
Brent personally made sure that Tara was tucked safely away in his home before standing guards at both the entrance to his condo, the elevator, and at each entrance to the building. He also had someone man the security cameras. He didn’t want anything reaching her.
The waning moon lit their path as they crossed over the neutral territory that separated the pack from the vampire clan. Deep in the Woodland forest, there was a pack of wolf shifters that roamed, and even further beyond the vampires, a small clan of lion shifters lived. Woodland was home to all kinds of species, and Brent hated to think what would happen if the peace between them ever ended.
The war would, no doubt, spill over into the human territories.
Three vampires met them at the border, and there was no hostility as they led them onto the sanctuary grounds just outside the fence. De’Massier, a young and handsome vampire stood immediately and offered his hand. Once again, Brent felt no tension, but he suddenly wished they had brought Natalie along. As an empathy witch, Natalie had a way of sensing the truth behind the façade.
“Gentlemen,” de’Massier said in a low voice. “This is a momentous night.”
Micah nodded. “It is. And yet it’s marked with blood.” Immediately, the air thickened. The alpha held up his hand. “I’m not making accusations, but I wanted to forthcoming about the recent events. Someone has found a way to break into the territory. It could have happened months ago, and it could have happened weeks ago. But tonight, two of our own were attacked. I would like to point out that it does not seem like they were attacked by vampires. But the timing gives us pause.”
De’Massier nodded. “I understand. And, in light of your honesty, I also have information. One of my men is missing. The investigation leads right to your doorstep.”
“We don’t have your vampire,” Brent said instantly.
“I believe you,” he said smoothly. “But I believe that someone is trying to place a wedge between us.”
“Who?” Jackson demanded. “Are you seeking to update the treaties for all the territories? All the shifters? The witches? The humans?”
De’Massier cocked his head. “We have not extended the same courtesy to the witches. We’ve never had an issue with them. And of course, the federal government upholds the peace with humans. And yes, we’re updating the treaties for all the shifters. I want my people to feel safe. I want others to feel safe around my clan.”
“We’ll contact the other packs in Woodland and see if anyone else is having any problems. In the meantime, I think we should postpone the signing of the treaty. It’s not that I don’t want to sign it, but I want to get to bottom of this first,
” Micah said sternly. “I hope you understand.”
The vampire nodded his head. “I do. Please keep me informed. I will do the same.”
Brent hesitated. “De’Massier. How old is the vampire that’s missing?”
“He’s been a vampire for nearly seventy years,” de’Massier said after a moment. “He’s the youngest in the clan.”
“Did you father him?”
The vampire leader shook his head. “It is forbidden to continue to create vampires.”
Brent nodded, satisfied. “We’ll be in touch.”
As they were escorted to the neutral territory in the woods, Micah passed a questioning look to Brent. When they were alone, his two friends stared at him. “Why did you ask him his age?”
“Most clans of vampires are connected by blood. Whether they share direct blood or they share meals, their blood ties them together. If one goes missing, someone in that clan should be able to track him. The only reason they wouldn’t is if the vampire is too young. And even though seventy years isn’t a long time to a vampire, it’s enough to create a bond,” Brent explained.
“You think de’Massier is lying.” It wasn’t a question. Jackson was trying to figure out the implications.
“He has to be. Either the man isn’t missing at all, or the vampire is too young. And that would break all kinds of laws.” He cocked his head. “Jackson, didn’t Gratsky mention that Natalie’s ex was injecting witch’s blood in his veins?”
Jackson nodded. “It gave him a temporary boost of power, but it didn’t last long. Why?”
“What would shifter blood do to a vampire?”
Micah shook his head. “Why go through the charade of a treaty and put yourself right under our noses?” he demanded. “If de’Massier is behind it, he has to know that we would suspect him just because he’s always around.”
“You’re not wrong. But it doesn’t make his story any less believable.”
They pondered in silence as they walked through the woods. “Does that mean that Tara is off the hook?” Jackson finally asked.
“No,” Brent said harshly. “I don’t know what her connection is, but I do know that there is one.”
Was she guilty? It seemed less and less likely, but Brent was willing to let her go just yet.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know if it was to watch her or to protect her.
Or maybe it was simply because he liked having her around.
***
She heard the door open and shut. For a split second, she considered closing her eyes and pretending to sleep. But she had some words she needed to say to him. She hadn’t slept since the moment he left the condo, and the few hours that he was gone only built up the anxiety inside her. Tara needed to clear the air.
She pulled her sweatpants on and tiptoed to the door. He was already stripping out of his suit, and for a moment, she was tempted to just watch. Just his act of undressing was already making her wet. She stifled a moan and flung the door open. This was not the time to get all hot and bothered.
His head swiveled around, and his hands froze at the second button of his shirt. “Tara?”
“I can’t sleep,” she said as she crept along the wall. As his intense eyes focused on her, she suddenly wondered if confronting him was the best idea in the world.
“I have guards at every entrance. You’re safe,” he said as his arms dropped to his side. She was almost disappointed that he didn’t continue to unbutton his shirt.
“That’s not the point,” she said harshly. “I shouldn’t be here, and I think you know that.”
“I’m not completely willing to discount your innocence,” he muttered finally.
“Discount my innocence?” she laughed at the absurdity of the idea. “Look at you. You can’t admit that you made a mistake. You can’t admit that you dragged me into this mess.”
“I didn’t drag you into this mess. Your ex-boyfriend did,” Brent pointed out.
She reddened. “He’s not my ex-boyfriend,” she snapped.
“Oh. So you still plan on dating him once you find him? Nice. Real nice,” he growled.
“No.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I mean. I barely knew Matthew. Actually, I didn’t know him at all, but the information I thought was true was fairly sparse. I had a last name and a number. I met him in the bar, and we went out a few times. That’s pretty much it. I can’t tell you anything about him family or his career or hobbies.”
“So it was just sex?”
She growled at him. “There was no sex.” She shrugged. “Although it wasn’t for want of him trying. But we never went to his place and he never came to mine. We always met in public. I wanted to break things off with him long before now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. When I was with him, he was mesmerizing. And I thought that we’d be good. But as soon as he was gone, the chemistry was no longer there. When I thought back to our dates, I found him flat and boring.”
Brent cocked his head. “But when you were with him, you found him dynamic and interesting?”
Tara flushed. “Yes. And before you start thinking that I’m strange, I’ll have you know that it’s not always the case. It just happened to be the case with Matthew.”
“I don’t think that’s strange at all,” he said slowly. He bent down and picked up his phone. “Callie? Do you have any photos of the vampire member? Great. Can you send them to me.”
Tara paled. “Vampire?” she squeaked. “No. There’s no way that Matthew was a vampire.” She froze when she thought back. “No,” she muttered as she shook her head. “No, no, no.”
Brent crossed the room and grabbed her arms. “Think. Did you ever see him in daylight?”
“No. We always met when I got off work.”
“Off work? Tara, you don’t get off until midnight. Why would he wait that late to see you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I asked him about it once, and he said he worked odd hours too. It worked for him.
“Where did he work?”
She struggled to remember. “Christ, I don’t know. I’m sure I asked him, but I can’t seem to remember. It’s not a big deal. I obviously didn’t find it strange, or I would remember.”
“Did you ever see him eat or drink anything?”
“Of course, He was in the bar, so he must have been eating or drinking.” She thought back. She had served him, right?
Except that she hadn’t. Although he came in and flirted, she never remembered seeing a drink or a plate of food in front of him. She never served him anything.
“Okay, maybe not at the bar. But we went out. And I ate…” her voice trailed off. She always went straight to one of the late bars after she got off work because she was famished and tired of Dave’s food. But Matthew had claimed that he’d already eaten.
She started to feel dizzy, and she reached out to support the wall. “Okay, but vampires are cold and pale. I touched him. I kissed him. I would have known if he was a vampire,” she whispered.
Brent regarded her grimly. “Vampires can glamour themselves. Not enough to change the way they look, but enough to change the way you perceive them. That explain why you were attracted to him when you were together but not when you were apart.” He ran his hands through his hair. “But why? Why trick you?”
“Maybe he thought I was sexy?” she asked tentatively.
He laughed hoarsely. “Baby, you are sexy. But there’s more to it than that. He lured you there. He planted your scent near the tunnel. So what part do you have to play?”
His phone beeped, and he looked down. He presented it to her. “Swipe through the pictures. Let me know if any of them look like Matthew.”
Tara took a deep breath and began to swipe through the photos. One by one, she grew colder and colder. It was obvious that the photos depicted soulless creatures, but none of them were Matthew. She almost sighed with relief. “He’s not on here.”
Brent frowned. “Damn. I th
ought we had the answer.”
“But you believe that I’m innocent?” she asked in a small voice.
He nodded his head. “You are a part of this, but I don’t think you’ve done anything purposely malicious.”
“Can I go?’ she asked finally.
“Do you want to?” he whispered. And just like that, the atmosphere in the room changed.
Chapter Five
The air sizzled. Brent tried to keep his breaths even as he watched her. He needed her to walk away from him. He needed her to leave right now so he could focus on the investigation.
He needed her in his arms so her could finally taste her.
“Is it safe?” she whispered.
He smirked. He couldn’t help it. “Are you asking if it’s safe for you in here or if it’s safe for you out there?”
“Both.”
He clenched his fists. “I don’t think it’s safe for you out there. I still don’t know who is manipulating you or what they’ll do to you.”
“And here?” He nearly moaned as the words curled around him. God, he could smell her heat. Her wetness. Her arousal.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do,” he managed.
“Brent,” she whispered.
It was the first time she had ever said his first name. With it came a question. A promise. A desperate need. He crossed the room in four steps and hooked her wrists. As he pushed her up against the wall, he pulled her hands up so she couldn’t touch him.
“Are you hoping to seduce me?” he whispered just inches from her face. “Do you think I’ll believe that you’re innocent if you fuck me?”
Her lips parted, and he instantly hardened. Christ, what he wanted to do to her. But at his words, she immediately grew angry. “How dare you,” she hissed. “First you think I’m innocent, and then you think I’m seducing you. What the hell do you want from me?”
He closed his eyes. To take her now would be the most unprofessional thing he’d ever done, but he couldn’t keep ignoring his desire for her. “I want to be inside you,” he said hoarsely. “I want to taste you. I want to make you scream.”
She stilled at his confession. “Then why are you pushing me away?”