Clearing my mind of all thoughts, I sat down on the floor a few feet from the black wolf. I envisioned her as I remembered her, the last time I saw her as human. I tapped the waiting power in my core, letting it flow through me. It grew in strength, encompassing me in a heady rush that pushed the boundaries of my control.
Zoey stared at me expectantly. She was patient though, allowing me the time I needed to concentrate. The vampire and werewolf power flowed into one sensational stream of energy, growing fast until it was bigger than I was. I reached for Zoey, placing a hand on her forehead. Her fur was soft and smelled musky, like wolf. Looking at that coal black fur beneath my hand flashed me back to a different time and place, with Raoul.
I shook the memory away. Not now. I closed my eyes, blocking out all sight. A roar like thunder filled my ears, a crash like ocean waves on the shore. My body vibrated with the power that flowed through me, and I fed it into Zoey with only one thought in mind: human.
The energy was stronger than anything I’d ever felt. It ran through me like I was no longer in control. I was merely a vessel transferring it as it sought its purpose. Please, I prayed. Don’t let this go wrong.
A surge shook me, a backlash as the power found its destination. It hit me hard, throwing me back across the kitchen. My back hit the cupboard doors below the sink hard enough to rattle dishes on the counter above. A yelp came from Zoey and then nothing. The breath was crushed from me, and I opened my eyes to find my vision blurred as everything grew dark.
Before the darkness claimed me, I saw Zoey’s crumpled form on the floor where she’d sat. She was naked, bruised and unconscious, but she was human.
Chapter Twenty
A hand continuously slapped my face. It wasn’t painful, just annoying. I swiped at it, realizing as I did that I was cradled in Shaz’s arms. I blinked a few times, peering up at him with confusion fogging my head.
“Lex? Are you alright?” Shaz furrowed his brow and helped me sit up. My head spun, and I felt weak, but otherwise, I was fine.
“Yeah … where’s Zoey?” A glance around the kitchen revealed that she was nowhere to be seen. I started to panic, fearing the worst.
“Upstairs with Kylarai. Ky took her to get cleaned up. She seems fine, but she’s kind of out of it. Not speaking or really acknowledging what’s around her. I guess that’s understandable, all things considered.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I did it. I freaking did it! Zoey was human, and I had done it all on my own. I wasn’t such a bad student after all. It had taken a hell of a lot out of me though. No sooner had I focused on my exhaustion than the blood hunger rose up with a vengeance. My eyes went to the pulse in Shaz’s neck.
“Easy now, babe,” he chuckled, knowing me so well. “I’ll gladly donate a little red for the cause, but don’t go all vamp shit crazy on me.”
“Sorry,” I murmured. I could hear the beat of his heart. My senses were amplified. Even the scent of him was so much stronger, like the scent of a fresh steak to a starving wolf.
I was grateful for Shaz. He frequently gave blood to ease my cravings. I didn’t require much, just enough to take the edge off. Sometimes I feared that when the day came that I did rise as a vampire, human blood wouldn’t satisfy me after having his heady werewolf blood.
I watched as Shaz held up a finger, a claw protruding from its tip. In one swift motion, he sliced a clean cut a few inches long down the inside of his forearm. He clearly hadn’t trusted me to do it. What kind of hunger was he seeing in my eyes?
I didn’t know how bad I wanted it until it oozed to the surface of his skin. Licking my lips, I eagerly reached for his arm, gliding my tongue over the rich, crimson nectar slowly, to savor the pleasurable shock as it hit my system.
Shaz moaned, and I smiled to myself as I sucked lightly on the small wound. He never came right out and said so, but I knew part of him got off on this. Bloodletting was never a part of sex with us like it was with Arys. However, the scent of his arousal and the obvious erection straining beneath his jeans said more than the words he refused to say. I wasn’t going to push it. Shaz would come around in his own time.
There was a roar in my ears as the powerful Were blood quenched the vampire’s hunger dwelling deep within me. I wanted more than Shaz’s blood. I drew on his energy, pulling it into my core, careful not to drain him. It was like taking a deep breath of fresh air. When I raised my head from his bleeding arm, everything seemed crisp and clear.
I kissed him then, a delightful press of lips. He opened up to me, tasting his blood in my mouth. If Ky and Zoey hadn’t been right upstairs, I would have climbed on top of him and made love to him right there on the kitchen floor. As it was, I had to cut it short and deal with the matter at hand.
Shaz lingered downstairs, not wanting to make Zoey more uncomfortable than she already must be. I ascended to stairs to the bathroom, hesitating at the door. I could hear the soft sound of Kylarai’s voice inside, soothing and calm. I knocked lightly, waiting until she told me to enter.
Zoey sat on the closed toilet wearing one of my robes. Her hair hung long and wet. Kylarai stood beside her, carefully brushing her tangled locks.
Kylarai turned to me with a small smile. “Her arms hurt too much to lift this high. The shift really did a number on her physically. Do you have any Tylenol or anything? That may ease some of the aches.”
“Yeah.” I nodded absently. “I’ll dig some up.” I didn’t want to talk about Zoey as if she weren’t in the room so meeting her cerulean eyes I said, “Are you ok? Is there anything I can get you?”
Zoey opened her mouth to speak, coughing before she managed to reply in a hoarse voice. “Some water, please.”
I felt extremely awkward so I turned to go. Her raspy voice stopped me before I’d made it out the door.
“Alexa?”
I looked at her, waiting with breath held. I didn’t know what to expect from her. She’d been a total lunatic last time I dealt with her. I was nervous, unsure of her mental state.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For helping me.”
“No problem. I’m glad I was able to.”
After I delivered the painkillers and water to Zoey, I waited impatiently for her to feel well enough to come downstairs. The only bedroom up there was Raoul’s, the same room where Zoey had murdered Belle, a pack member that boned Raoul on a regular basis. Zoey had been after any woman that Raoul felt for, feeling the need for vengeance against the womanizing man she’d felt abandoned her. I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to stay in that room.
In the end, it was decided that Zoey would go home with Ky and stay in the room that had previously been mine. It seemed to be the best idea. Though very soon Zoey and I would have to sit down and really talk. We’d never done so, and I felt there was much we had to share. We were linked to the same man, regardless of the difference in how.
I sent Zoey off with Ky, equipped with a change of clothing and a promise that we’d talk soon. We had many things to discuss from legal and financial to personal. I hoped it went well.
If anything, Kylarai was a better person for Zoey to stay with than I was. They too had had their own physical face off, but Ky was the type that could sweep that under the rug and blame it on circumstance. She was a special person with a beautiful soul. I owed her much.
The door closed behind them, and Shaz turned to me with a grin. “Go get ready. I’m taking you out tonight.”
* * * *
I hated movie theatres. They were crowded, sticky and filled with strangers coughing, eating and talking on their cell phones. Being there with Shaz made it easy to ignore all of that. I felt like a teenager again when he reached over our shared popcorn to take my hand. It sent a fun tingle through me, and I was tempted to make out as if we were in high school. We’d both been robbed of the high school dating experience. Why the hell not?
The movie was less than stellar, typical Hollywood drivel. Being there with Shaz made it great. I couldn�
�t remember the last time I’d gone out and done something so normal. I loved every moment of our attempted normalcy, and though I couldn’t help but wonder where Arys was tonight, I didn’t dare breathe a word of that to Shaz.
Dinner and a movie was classic date material. I embraced every moment. It was a far cry from my regular evening entertainment. During a love scene on the big screen, Shaz brushed my hair aside and nuzzled my neck. I giggled when I heard the teenage girls sitting behind us whisper in low tones. I hadn’t missed the way they’d been eyeing Shaz. Hell, I couldn’t blame them.
When the movie let out, I could barely remember the storyline. Sitting in the dark with Shaz had dominated my attention. Back in his little blue Cobalt, I was all over him.
Shaz laughed, a low sound that stroked me in intimate places. His hands were lost in my hair, and he pulled me close, dipping his tongue into my mouth. We hadn’t even left the parking lot. I sighed, lost in the taste of him. My wolf longed for him, for the two of us to be lost amid the scent of earth and pine.
I’d lost myself in him every night for the last couple weeks. Shaz was my mate, my other half. He was my comfort in all things. I adored him like nothing else on this planet. Arys’s recent absence had left me sleepless many times, wondering how much worse the pain would be had it been Shaz to disappear. It was a thought I couldn’t bear to entertain.
Love was weakness. This was something I’d believed since I’d fallen in love with Raoul. Now … I didn’t feel quite the same way. Love hurt; there was no doubt about that. The bottom line was whether or not that hurt was worth the love itself. This was something I was still trying to determine. So far, yes. It was worth it. Win or lose.
I pulled back quickly when a lady and her two young kids got into the car next to us. She gave us a dirty look anyway. Oops.
Shaz shrugged it off and started the car. “It’s still early. What do you want to do? Go for drinks? Go for a run? Go home?”
“All of the above?”
Apparently, it was frowned upon to get it on in a public parking lot with families coming and going. It had been several weeks since I’d been to Lucy’s Lounge. Shaz would actually be able to enjoy it with me for once. A cocktail and a game of pool sounded like a nice way to unwind before heading home for some naked fun.
Lucy’s Lounge always felt like home. It was welcoming, a warm yet not at all high-class atmosphere, and Lucy’s served the strongest drinks in town. It was worlds apart from a place like The Wicked Kiss.
After Shaz kicked my ass at pool the second time, I let loose with my favorite swear words. “Care to make it interesting?” I taunted Shaz with a seductive smile.
He raised a brow and ran a hand through his near white hair. “You know I do.”
I was about to make Shaz a sexy bet he couldn’t refuse when I sensed another Were in the building. It was instinct to look for the newcomer. When I sensed Julian’s presence, I grimaced.
I expected to see him emerge from the doorway with his buddy Zak or even Kylarai, though I assumed she’d be at home working or keeping Zoey company. When he sauntered in with a bleached blonde that I didn’t recognize, my jaw dropped. What in the fuck was he doing?
I could only guess that with my absence from Lucy’s and Shaz quitting his job there, Julian had stupidly assumed he could cheat on my best friend in public and not get caught. Really? He was either cocky and careless or a complete moron.
I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions. Maybe the blonde was his sister or a friend. I was hoping he would prove my first suspicion wrong. Shaz followed my gaze, his green eyes narrowing as he analyzed Julian and his companion.
“Is this guy for real?” Shaz dropped his pool cue on the table, and I froze when I saw the fury blazing in his eyes.
“Just keep playing. It might not be what it looks like. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Are you kidding?” Shaz’s tone was incredulous. “Don’t give him that much credit.”
“What are you going to do? Kick his ass for cheating on Ky?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“Shaz…” I was about to tell him to stay out of it, but the look on his face shut me up. He was Alpha wolf and Kylarai was our beta and best friend. “Just, take it outside. Ok?”
Julian was searching the bar, feeling our eyes on him. When his gaze met mine, he pursed his lips and shrugged. Son of a bitch. Kylarai didn’t deserve this shit. She was too good for that pathetic excuse for a man.
Shaz was already making his way across the crowded bar. I shook my head and followed behind. At the very least, I had to make sure he didn’t kill Julian. He was a dirtbag, but he wasn’t worth it.
Julian’s blonde friend was hanging off his arm, leaning in to whisper in his ear. She wasn’t his sister. That was wishful thinking on my part. Julian looked up at Shaz’s approach, greeting him with an arrogant smirk. I saw them exchange words, catching only the tail end of Julian’s angry, “None of your goddamn business.”
“Kylarai is like a sister to me,” I heard Shaz snarl. “If you don’t want to be with her, don’t. You will not treat her as if she’s around for your convenience.”
“Fuck off, Shaz!”
Julian reacted first, shoving Shaz into me. I almost went down, catching myself on a nearby table. I almost regretted our choice to come here tonight. Ky deserved to know her man was scum but not like this. Shaz was easy going, but when something set him off, there was no stopping him.
He grabbed Julian by the collar of his jacket and literally dragged him toward the exit. Julian struggled to free himself but went along willingly, indicating to me he was ready to rumble with Shaz again. This crap had to stop.
The blonde appeared uncertain, playing with her long curls. I ignored her and chased after the two male wolves, hoping to stop the coming bloodshed. Men!
I lost them momentarily in the crowd. When I emerged into the parking lot, I followed their scent around the building to find them already engaged in blows. Each of them snarled with a mouthful of fangs and eyes that were pure wolf. I sighed in exasperation. These two had already faced off, more than once. If I had anything to say about it, this would be the last time.
I hated watching others fight. I preferred to be one of the participants. Watching was painful. They were going at each other with fists and more curses than I’d heard used at one time. I watched them carefully, and when I saw that neither of them seemed inclined to let their wolf loose, I let them go at it a bit longer.
It was stupid really. Yet I understood that there was something ingrained in men that made it natural for them to settle problems with their fists. Beating Julian bloody may make Shaz feel better, but I doubted it would do much to ease Kylarai’s pain. I felt horrid for her.
For the most part, they were each throwing and taking solid punches but nothing worth freaking out about. A nice right hook by Shaz caught Julian’s nose just right, and the blood poured forth. He growled and returned the blow. Shaz easily blocked it, but the next one caught him above the eye. His eyebrow split open fast, blood gushing.
“Alright,” I interrupted, throwing an energy wall between them. “You’re both bleeding, and I hope you both feel good about yourselves for acting like juvenile idiots.” I paused, waiting until they both looked at me and away from each other. “This is the last time you will lay hands on each other. Got it? And Julian, you better tell Kylarai before I do. She deserves better than that, better than you. If you stay in this town, don’t expect us to have your back. You’re now on your own.”
I was so mad I couldn’t stand to look at either one of them a moment longer. Spinning on my heel, I stormed away, dropping my energy wall as I went. Shaz was right behind me, grabbing for my arm. I didn’t slow down. I didn’t know if I was so pissed off because of his rash actions or if it was because he’d gotten to Julian first.
“Lex, wait up. What’s your problem? Don’t tell you me didn’t want to pound him yourself. Wait, did you w
ant to pound him yourself?”
“That’s not the point, Shaz. I just feel bad for Ky. She doesn’t deserve this. And, I meant what I said. You and Julian, never again.”
“Fine,” he huffed, keeping pace beside me. “I can’t help it though. I just want to kill the guy. Nobody had made me feel the need for the kill the way he does.”
“Oh?” I managed a slight grin. “Not even Arys?”
“He runs a close second.”
I guess I had to be relieved that Shaz wasn’t always scrapping with Arys. The one time they’d fought it out had been more than enough for me. Part of me was insanely turned on by the way Shaz had rushed to protect Kylarai. He was fearless, and in his own way, he had done what an Alpha wolf was supposed to do. He’d defended one of his own.
Despite the male immaturity of the sudden way the two of them had gone at it, I had to be grateful they hadn’t been trying to tear each other’s throats out. Julian was a done deal as far as our pack was concerned. Unfortunately, Kylarai had become attached to the egotistical asshole. I’d always known he was scum. She had given him the benefit of the doubt. Now, I couldn’t do anything but be there when her world fell.
Chapter Twenty-One
The scent of vanilla bubbles was soothing, and I savored the hot water with appreciation. I reclined against Shaz, reaching to sip from a glass of champagne. It wasn’t often that I took the time to enjoy such simple luxuries. I had to change that.
The gash above Shaz’s eye was ugly but already healing. His arms came around me from behind, and he trailed his hands down my body to my thighs and back up again. Setting my glass on the edge of the tub, I arched my back when he caressed my breasts.
“You know,” I said, my voice lazy. “We can probably never show our faces in Lucy’s Lounge again. How many brawls have you been in at that place now?”
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