“So it’s three on one, is it? I thought werewolves were more honorable than that. Though I expect as much from you.” Harley’s eyes shot daggers at Arys who snickered in response.
“No, not three on one. Just me and you.” Shaz took a step toward Harley, and my inner voice cried out in protest.
“Don’t be a fool, kid,” Arys hissed, his eyes darting between the other two men. “You don’t know what kind of monster you’re dealing with.”
Kale groaned and sat up, a hand holding his head. I wondered what Harley had done to him with that shot of power. He gazed up at us, confusion dancing in his brown and blue eyes.
“I’m touched by your heartfelt words … lover.” This from Harley who added a suggestive inflection to his tone. It must have had the desired effect because he grinned when Arys swore. “But seriously, if the kid thinks he can take me…”
“No.” My voice was low, but they all heard it. Shaz’s silence was as good as ignoring me.
“Would you prefer to turn this back into a private party?” Harley smiled widely at me so that his sharp fangs glinted in the dim lighting. “I only want you anyway.”
Shaz stiffened behind me, bracing for action. Knowing it was his only chance, Shaz launched himself at Harley before I could stop him. A sound came from me that was a combination of a cry and a growl.
Harley was poised, ready to meet him. As Shaz sunk claws deep into the vampire’s upper arm, he grappled for the opportunity to use his vicious fangs. With the other hand, he delivered blows so hard and fast I couldn’t keep up. But, Harley had been in tighter spots, and he easily lifted Shaz off his feet, slamming him against the wall.
The bedside lamp shook from the impact and toppled to the cushion of the carpeted floor. The blows never stopped coming from Shaz, and I flinched when one of them connected dead on with the vampire’s lower jaw. The resulting crunch sent a shiver down my spine.
Arys wasted no time leaping into the fight. He tried to get between them, but they were so intent on each other that it was impossible. Harley barely glanced at Arys as he threw power into him. My dark vampire was on his ass across the room in an instant.
Kale was suddenly behind me, a hand on my elbow as he held me back. “Don’t jump in there, Alexa. It will only make things worse.” I stared at him, wanting to ignore him but knowing that he was right.
Shaz’s enraged wolf sounds filled the room. Blood ran from a slash in Harley’s throat. Shaz was fighting full out. No sign of human thought flickered in his enraged eyes as he fought for his kill.
I watched in horror as everything seemed to slow down like a sports replay. Despite the illusion, it all happened so fast. The power in the room rode us all, but it drove those that embraced it.
The two of them were face to face, locked into a violent embrace. As close as lovers, Harley and Shaz were engaged in a battle for the other’s blood. They each struggled to gain a stronghold.
Blood sprayed as Shaz took a hit when Harley had caught him off guard. Red rivulets ran down his chin from his split lip. It seemed to fuel him, and he unleashed on the vampire with a flurry of shots that had Harley on the defense.
It only took one flaw in Shaz’s attack for Harley to gain that split second edge he was seeking. I saw it coming, and I was powerless to stop it.
Harley feinted left, lingering long enough for Shaz to make a counter move. The moment he did, Harley attacked from the right and scored a clear shot on Shaz’s unguarded throat.
I didn’t breathe as I watched his fangs pierce the creamy white flesh of my mate. The wolf in me cried out in a savage roar, rising up to break free. Shaz struggled against him, but it was too late now that the vampire had sunk fangs.
As he sucked the lifeblood from my white wolf, I focused hard and tapped the waiting power in my core. It came forth in a mad rush, victorious as I set it free and relinquished my hold. The sensations had me gasping as my veins burned with a heat that grew hotter. It quickly became painful, but once I directed it, the pain was pleasure.
From deep inside a memory came, playing behind my eyes. I simply drew on the pained memories Arys had of Harley to inflict pain on him. It was a matter of projecting the thought through the power.
I pushed that sensation into him with everything I had in me. My concentration was easy to maintain, taking far less effort than the last time I did something this extreme.
He let out a noise of pain and frustration but did not release his hold on Shaz. He tried to shield against me, a resistance forming that had me struggling to call more power.
Arys stood nearby calling my name, clearly unwilling to touch me and feed my fire. That was fine. I could do this without physically touching him. I had all I needed inside me.
I was moving before I knew what I was doing. The force behind my action sent me hurdling into Harley. I could do nothing that would physically move him. One wrong move would turn those punctures into a gaping hole. So, even though my wolf side wanted to take Harley apart in little bits, instead I grasped his hand tightly. The physical contact connected me to him in a deeper way, and I punched through his shield without a problem. It was like putting my mental hand through an open window.
I knew I was smiling as I pushed everything I had inside me into Harley. It burned as it rushed through my fingertips, out of me and through his cool, undead form. I groaned from the exertion and fought to stay on my feet as the power swirled and roared all around me.
With a loud wail, Harley released his hold on Shaz and jerked away from me so hard I stumbled. His head in his hands, he went to his knees a few feet away. I made as if to pursue him to continue my assault. Arys was suddenly there, sweeping me off my feet with an arm around my waist, pulling me away.
“Alexa, no. I can’t let you kill him. See to your wolf.” He gave me a push towards Shaz who was slumped against the wall with a hand pressed to his bleeding neck.
Though I was ticked at my vampire’s interference, it wasn’t hard to turn my attention to Shaz. I dropped to my knees before him and pulled his hand from the bloody punctures. He didn’t resist me, letting his hand fall away. The bite was deep, as bad as it could be.
Shaz fixed me with a brilliant green stare. “I could taste his death. It was mine.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I stared at the wound, careful not to let my feelings show on my face. It was nasty, pumping the blood out in accordance with the beat of his heart. “You’ve got to calm down, babe. Please. There’s a lot of blood.”
It wouldn’t take much to heal a wound like that, but if he didn’t calm down, it was going to bleed out.
“I’m not going to die on you. I promise.” He reached to touch my face, streaking blood along my cheek in the process. “It will never be that easy to leave you.”
“Don’t talk about leaving me. We’re going home. You need to shift.” I tugged at what remained of his clothing. Shifting would speed the healing process, and near the full moon, that would be even more effective.
He didn’t fight my attempt to unclothe him. His eyes rolled from me to where Arys stood over Harley who continued to howl like a wounded animal. I wrapped my hand around Shaz’s forearm and pulled him to his feet.
“You know I love you, right?” He tried to give me his amazing grin, but it was pained and said more to me than he would ever admit.
“Is that why you dared to get yourself slaughtered? He isn’t worth it. I need you. Alive.”
Shaz was so far gone already. It was eating him alive to resist the natural pull to be wolf. His eyes shone with pain that echoed inside me.
“Shift dammit! You need to. I’m getting us out of here.”
I turned to find Arys hovering over his injured sire. To my utter surprise, he held Harley’s face cupped tenderly in his hands. As I stared in wonder at the two vampires, Shaz was a burst of white fur beside me. I really hoped I wouldn’t have to restrain him. In that form, he had a very distinct weight advantage over me.
A long, angry growl rum
bled from his chest, but he didn’t move. I reached a tentative hand out to touch his resilient yet impossibly soft fur. His cold, wet nose nuzzled my palm as if assuring me that he was calm enough, but the low growl never ceased.
A small bloodstain stood out on his shaggy white coat but already the flow from the vampire bite eased. Without doubt, he would be fine.
“Arys?” I spoke softly, aware that his focus was elsewhere.
With Arys gazing deep into his eyes, Harley grew calm. His cries stopped, and I knew Arys was doing that soothing thing that he did so well with me on occasion. In addition to the rush of power enveloping us, the calm emotion was somehow lulling.
I watched, curiosity silencing me, as Arys leaned in so close I thought he was going to kiss the other vampire. Inches away, his lips moved. He spoke so low that even with my enhanced hearing I had to strain to make out the words.
“Never again will I stop her. Next time, you die. And, though a part of me loves you still in some perverse way, I will have no regrets.” And then, he did kiss Harley. The barest brush of lips so brief I had to question if it had been imagined.
Kale stood a few feet away, watching silently. He was an amazing friend. It’s too bad that Kylarai hadn’t been able to love him the way he needed.
When Arys rose to his full height, there was no missing the red tears that filled his blue eyes. I realized more had just passed between them than I was really aware of. Harley never budged from where he knelt. His head bowed and hands clasped, he seemed to be awaiting our exit.
In just a matter of mere moments, the entire dynamic had shifted. When a crimson tear hit the carpet, I took an involuntary step backwards, into Shaz. Ignoring Shaz’s noise of protest, I grabbed my purse and pushed him toward the door. Kale followed with soundless footsteps. The hallway beyond remained eerily quiet.
Of all of the things I wanted to bear witness to right then, Harley Kayson in emotional distress was not one of them. I was simply too sensitive tonight, and I hated him. I couldn’t allow myself to be swayed by his much deserved personal torment. I wanted him to suffer.
When I stood framed in the doorway, I looked back over my shoulder. Each vampire remained as I’d left him.
A strange energy tickled along the back of my neck. The feeling was unexplainable, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I want her, Sindarys.” There was a noticeable tremor in Harley’s low voice. “And, you owe me. What’s one werewolf to you?” His words ignited the fire in Shaz, and I had to throw my arms around his neck to keep him from barreling back in there.
The chill that ran through me at Harley’s calmly spoken words almost hurt. I didn’t like being spoken of like a possession. An object. A power source.
“You never learn, do you my friend?” Arys’s reaction was nothing like Shaz’s. He merely regarded Harley with a look filled with scorn and pity. “I’m sorry it always has to be this way.”
He wanted to say something else. I could feel it. With a glance at Shaz and me in the doorway, he shrugged his wide shoulders and turned his back on the vampire that made him.
Chapter Eighteen
The sound of water running upstairs was the only noise in the large house. Shaz had gone to clean up, leaving me alone with Arys. We sat on the bed in the guest room downstairs. After calling Kylarai and Jez to tell them I was alive and at Raoul’s with the guys, I had gratefully kicked off my painful boots.
Worry nagged at the forefront of my mind. The entire trip home, I had been plagued with anxiety and questions. So many questions. What was I supposed to do now? I was a vulnerable, tasty power source with no true protection from a vampire powerful enough to force me into submission. Harley was that powerful. And, how many others?
If he didn’t come for me again, which I knew he would, then who would be next? A chill shot down my spine, painful in its intensity. I had to make a choice. One that would enable me the protection that I currently lacked. It was just so huge. It was my whole life. I didn’t know what to do. I’d never felt so lost.
I didn’t have any clothes at Raoul’s so I had been forced to settle for one of his robes. Arys had fetched it from the bedroom closet. I still wasn’t comfortable going into his bedroom. The robe smelled faintly of Raoul, but it was soft and cozy so I snuggled into it anyway. After leaving The Wicked Kiss, I had just wanted to be here, in this house. It felt right.
Arys sat close but not quite close enough to touch. He was kicking himself, guilt riding him hard as he blamed himself for what Harley had done tonight. Try as I might, I could do nothing to console him.
“I wish you would stop being so hard on yourself,” I said, reaching to touch a bruise near his eye. “None of this is your fault.”
He gave me a studious look, long and hard. “And, I wish that you would start being a little harder on me. When did you get so soft, Alexa? You’re usually such a hard ass.”
I frowned and pursed my lips. “Thanks, I think. But, I’m serious.”
“Yeah, so am I. He hurt you and your wolf. Because of me.”
A sound in the hallway caught our attention as Shaz rounded the corner. He paused in the entry, an anxious look on his beautiful face. I hadn’t noticed the water in the shower had turned off.
He was clad in only a pair of grey track pants from a stash in Raoul’s bottom dresser drawer. His skin was exceptionally white, making the vampire bite stand out starkly red in contrast along with the facial cuts and bruises from fighting. The mess of white hair on his head stood up in every direction. I found it as endearing as it was sexy.
I held a hand out to him, beckoning him to come to me. After a fleeting look at each of us, he slowly made his way across the room. Going down on his knees before us, he threw his arms around my waist and put his head in my lap.
A glance at Arys revealed a mask of guilt where his enticing grin should have been. His eyes were fixated on Shaz, and for once, there was no animosity behind them. Call me crazy, but I got the strangest feeling then that the vampire had the urge to touch the head of soft platinum hair resting on my thighs.
The moment should have been awkward, and I kept expecting it to be. Yet, it wasn’t. It felt strangely peaceful despite the fact that we all seemed to be waiting for the weirdness.
I stroked the side of Shaz’s face as I scrutinized the cuts and bruises from his round with Harley. It could have been much worse, but he still looked pretty damn rough. Arys sat tensely beside me. Arys broke the silence first.
“I should have let you kill him, Alexa.” Regret, so much regret, filled Arys, and there was nothing I could do to ease that ache.
“No, you shouldn’t have. You have your reasons, and you don’t owe me any explanations.”
“He’s right, Lex,” Shaz’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible. “He shouldn’t have stopped you.”
I opened my mouth to protest but was interrupted by Arys’s velvet smooth chuckle. “This is one time I agree with you whole heartedly, wolf. Let’s make a note of it. It may be the only time.”
To my surprise, Shaz laughed lightly, and there was a strange sense of camaraderie between them. I was reminded that they’d obviously had their time alone together lately while saving my ass … twice.
Arys shifted closer on the bed so that he could slip an arm around me. The touch of both my wolf and my vampire brought forth a flurry of memories as I flashed back to the sensation of both of their hands on me in the same moment. I flushed with heat and prayed neither of them would notice.
“I’m sorry,” Arys said before daring to briefly lay his free hand on Shaz’s bare shoulder. “I know it’s my fault for what he did to each of you. There is no excuse for what happened tonight.”
At first, Shaz was silent, and I assumed he was trying to keep quiet because he had nothing nice to say to that. I leaned into Arys, resting my head against his.
“Nobody is blaming you for Harley’s actions, Arys. He is his own person. Albeit, a disgusting and pathetic excuse for
one.”
“It’s over,” Shaz said then, lifting his head to meet the vampire’s gaze. “Let’s just call it water under the bridge.”
Something passed between them, and I started to feel like I was the odd one out. Then Arys simply gave a nod of his dark head, and that was that.
“If I don’t get out of here, I’m never going to beat the sun.” His arm tightened around my waist as I ran my fingers through Shaz’s tousled hair. “But, I don’t want to leave your side.”
I didn’t want him to go either. The tightness in my gut made me never want to allow either of them out of my sight again. How unfortunately unrealistic.
“Then stay.” The words just kind of fell out of me before I could censor them. “I mean, you don’t have to go. You’re safe here.”
He seemed to consider this while I felt awkward and silly. Shaz remained expressionless, waiting for Arys’s reply. They stared at one another, and I realized Arys was awaiting the white wolf’s permission. Uncanny.
My throat was dry, and it hurt when I swallowed. I didn’t notice that I was holding my breath until Shaz spoke.
“You’re more than welcome to stay with us.”
As I exhaled, I was awash with relief. I’d been worried Shaz would leave if Arys stayed. I didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but I couldn’t choose between them, either.
The sudden change in their behavior had me on edge. It wasn’t normal. I think I preferred them to be at one another’s throats. At least it was expected.
Needing a moment alone, I excused myself to the washroom to step into a hot shower. I needed to wash the remnants of Harley from my skin. The shower was heavenly. I easily got caught up in the relaxing sensations as the hot water beat against me. However, there was no forgetting that my two lovers both awaited my return.
Upon exiting the shower, I took a moment to scrutinize my injuries in the mirror. Arys’s was perfectly formed and not too deep. It barely hurt. The one Harley had left on me burned. It wouldn’t take long to heal, but in the meantime, it hurt.
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