Vampire Vendetta

by Alexis Morgan

  When he didn’t sense any movement in the immediate vicinity, he left the cover of the trees and continued on a straight line directly toward the infirmary. He was glad for the lack of windows in the building. If Megan was up, it would’ve been hard for her to resist watching for him, not to mention it would’ve been far easier for Banan to spy on her. At the entrance to the clinic, he stared up at the stars overhead for a minute before unlocking the door to underscore his statement regarding his desire to enjoy the night.

  The air stirred behind him, just the merest ripple, hardly a breath. Someone was out there, lurking out of sight. Was it Banan? The predator in Seamus demanded to go hunting for blood. As with most vampires, especially the males, the veneer of civilization wore damn thin at times. Right now, his fangs burned with the need to rip into his enemy, and Seamus’s instincts screamed for him to charge out into the darkness and rip into the living flesh of his prey. It had been a long time since he’d feasted off another vampire and he missed it.

  Banan deserved to bleed for attacking Megan and in such a cowardly way. She had no male to defend her, no family who cared enough to see justice was done. Seamus had been unable to save his sister. Maybe this was his chance at redemption.

  And if by destroying the heir to a formidable clan, he would also bring disaster raining down on Rafferty at the same time, so much the better. He stepped into the deepest shadows, slowing his pulse, pacing his breathing until he became at one with the darkness. His stalker stood motionless a short distance away, doing little to disguise his presence.

  Seamus smiled, his fangs at full extension, his fingers flexing as he prepared to attack. Between one breath and the next, he transitioned from quiet to killer, traversing the distance to his target in a blur of motion. A twig snapping was the only warning his intended victim got as Seamus launched himself forward to drag the other vampire to the ground. They slammed into each other and came up fighting.

  Seamus recognized Banan by both scent and sound. Images flashed through his mind: Megan close to death, dragging herself step by step to get her daughter to safety; Phoebe, so pretty and sweet, almost an orphan; Banan’s snooping through the infirmary, looking for the two females. Hatred, pure and clean, sent Seamus’s aggression level skyrocketing.

  He landed a solid punch to Banan’s jaw and another to his gut. Fist fighting was the stupidest thing a surgeon could do with his hands, but right now Seamus wasn’t thinking as a doctor. No, the potent blood of his ancestors, predators all, overrode both caution and rational thought. The world narrowed down to a blinding rage that demanded the blood of a fool who’d tried to destroy the precious gifts that life had given him, who yet continued to threaten the two females.

  “You don’t know who you’re messing with,” Banan hissed, his fangs bared, his hands scrambling for purchase as he tried to ward off Seamus’s furious attack. “Let go of me.”

  “Hell, no! I’d rather make you bleed or, better yet, die.”

  Banan danced back out of reach. “What did I do to you?”

  Seamus circled to the left, trying to trap Banan back against the wall of the clinic. Before his maneuver had a chance to work, he was blindsided by another male and sent sprawling to the ground. Banan didn’t hesitate to bolt, immediately disappearing into the darkness. Meanwhile, Seamus ended up flat on his back with Banan’s unexpected ally’s hands wrapped around his neck and choking off his breath.

  “Damn it, Seamus! It’s me, Conlan. Knock it off before I hurt you.”

  “Not going to happen.” Seamus pitched and rolled, trying to break free. “Get your hands off me!”

  “Stop fighting me, and I will.”

  Slowly Conlan’s words got through to Seamus, but that didn’t keep him from struggling to break free from the chancellor’s hold. He finally managed to drag Conlan’s hands off his throat and shoved against the chancellor’s chest, tossing him backward to land hard some distance away.

  Seamus immediately surged back to his feet before Conlan quit bouncing. He fought an uphill battle for control while every synapse in his body fired hot and screamed for blood—Banan’s, first and foremost, but with Banan out of the picture, Conlan’s would do. Hell, better yet, Rafferty’s. It didn’t matter as long as somebody bled.

  At least Conlan had the good sense to lie still. By going totally passive instead of aggressive, he gave Seamus the chance to regain control. Gradually, when some of the adrenaline burst had worn off, he stepped forward and offered Conlan a hand up off the ground.

  “Didn’t anybody ever tell you not to break up a fight between vampires?” His voice sounded as if he’d been chewing glass. The bruises from Conlan’s choke hold would fade by morning, but right now they hurt like a bitch.

  Conlan rubbed his shoulder and tested the mobility in his arm. “Normally I know better, but what the hell were you doing fighting with Banan, anyway?”

  “At first, I didn’t realize it was him sneaking around.” Okay, so that was a lie. Better to derail that line of conversation. “Are you all right? Lucky you, the infirmary takes emergency patients.”

  Conlan laughed. “I’m fine. Besides, I deserve a few bruises for not getting to you sooner.”

  “So what were you doing lurking outside my clinic?”

  “I was walking back to my transport from Joss’s house when I spotted someone sneaking around in the woods. Figuring as security was my job description, I followed him, especially considering what Joss told us about him and Megan after the two of you left.”

  “That was me you saw.”

  “No, it wasn’t because I saw you go by first. It was that bastard Delaney. I waited to see what he was up to, but he caught wind of me and took off running. By the time I caught up with him again, you two were already swinging fists.”

  Seamus froze, listening to make sure they were alone. If Banan was still lurking in the area, the young vampire was far better than he should be at hiding his presence. It was almost a shame he was gone. Between Seamus and Conlan, they could have done a bang-up job of convincing the vampire that he was unwelcome.

  “He’s definitely gone.”

  Conlan waited until Seamus once again focused his attention on him. “I’m pretty sure he’ll hightail it back to Joss’s house, and Rafferty will make sure he stays there. I don’t trust that punk vampire and can’t wait to see the last of him. If I had hardcore proof he was the one to poison Megan, I’d execute the bastard myself and damn the consequences. He’s leaving tomorrow whether he wants to or not because I made his turbo reservations myself. Sending him back to his family all bruised up may cause a few ripples, but too bad.”

  “Tell Rafferty I’m sorry.”

  “But not Delaney himself?”

  Seamus flexed his hands, wishing he had them wrapped around Banan’s neck. “Hell, no. I defend what’s mine. He had no business sneaking around the infirmary. If he was here to see me, he should’ve announced himself rather than hiding.”

  Conlan gave a noncommittal grunt, leaving Seamus unsure how much trouble he was in. On the other hand, his fighting instincts were still running high. Once his energy burn was gone, exhaustion might kick in. Right now he was ready to defend his actions, with his fists if necessary. It was definitely time to get inside. Rafferty might forgive an attack on an unpopular guest; trading punches with his security officer not so much.

  “If you’re sure you don’t need pain medicine or an X-ray, I’m way overdue for some downtime.”

  Conlan tested his shoulder again. “No, I’m good. I was going to drive back out to my quarters, but I’ll hang around until tomorrow night to escort Delaney off the property myself with a warning not to return anytime soon. If you want me for anything, give me a call.”

  “Thanks, I will. Good night.”

  “Same to you. And, Seamus—”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for watching over our two friends. We’ll all sleep better knowing they’re not alone right now.” He rubbed his shoulder one last time. �
��Especially now that I know what kind of punch you’re packing.”

  Seamus didn’t know how to respond. He settled for a mumbled, “It’s nothing. Anybody would do the same.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Most people wouldn’t. See you around.”

  Then the chancellor disappeared back into the darkness, leaving Seamus staring after him. Feeling out of sync by the whole encounter, he pulled out his keys and let himself inside the clinic.

  Although there was no reason to think Banan had broken into the infirmary, Seamus wouldn’t sleep easy until he checked all the rooms. Normally, he would’ve also spent time writing up the last few reports on the patients he’d seen, but he was still too revved by the fight to concentrate. He’d never get to sleep if he didn’t find a way to burn off this excess energy.

  Which brought Megan Perez to mind. Somehow he doubted she’d be interested in helping him out with that particular problem. Even if she thought she owed him for saving her life, he didn’t want to bed her only because she felt grateful. With that unsettling thought, he turned the lights off in the clinic before retiring to his own quarters.

  He’d hoped Megan was already asleep. Instead, she was curled up on his couch pretending to read when he walked through the door. He couldn’t imagine she’d find a treatise on the blood disorders of ancient vampires riveting enough to keep her up this late, which meant she’d been waiting up for him but didn’t want him to know.

  He dropped his keys on the table and gave the book a pointed glance. “So which treatment would you recommend? Transfusions?”

  “Leeches, I think.”

  Okay, he hadn’t expected that. “You actually read it?”

  “No, not really.” She closed the book and tossed it aside. “Mainly I looked at the pictures. Nothing like close-ups of blood cells to stir the imagination.”

  He couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t have anything better around for you to read. I’m still trying to organize the medical books Rafferty bought for the infirmary.”

  “That’s okay. You weren’t exactly expecting to have overnight company.”

  She studied her hands. “So, how did dinner go? Was Banan as charming as ever?”

  “Not particularly. He’d invited me specifically to talk about the clinic, but yet didn’t ask a single relevant question. Conlan was there, too, but didn’t particularly want to be. Rafferty was quiet, too, so poor Joss had to do most of the talking.”

  Talking about Megan’s former lover did little to further calm Seamus’s fight-or-flight instincts.

  Megan toyed with a loose thread on his couch. “So now that your dinner party is over and the sun will be up soon, can I go home?”

  He might not want to have this discussion, but didn’t see how to avoid it. “I won’t stop you, but I wish you wouldn’t because Banan could still be out there somewhere. Right before I came in, I could feel somebody watching me and jumped him. Conlan broke up the fight before I could corner Banan long enough to learn why he was hanging around in the dark.”

  To lighten the moment, he added, “I thought Conlan was on Banan’s side and tangled with him, too. Fangs all look alike at night, you know.”

  His attempt at humor fell flat. Megan sounded fierce when she asked, “Banan’s not going to give up on finding us, is he?”

  Seamus shrugged. “I’d say not, but the good news is he’s leaving the estate tomorrow night. Conlan made the turbo reservations himself, but right now he’s on the loose. Banan has failed to endear himself to anyone around here, but without proof of anything, all they can do is shove him out the gate.”

  Megan sighed. “I should have told Rafferty and Joss myself, so you didn’t have to. Obviously ignoring the problem didn’t make it go away.”

  “So you will stay tonight.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact. He really didn’t want to force the issue, but if he had to, he would.

  “Okay, but I’ll take the couch.” Again that stubborn chin came up.

  “It’ll be crowded with both of us sleeping on it. Last time I looked, Phoebe was hogging the middle of my bed.” He flashed Megan a teasing look. “Let me get you something to sleep in and dig out an extra toothbrush for you. I’m sorry, I should’ve thought to do that before I left.”

  “That’s okay. Do you have a drawer I can borrow for Phoebe to sleep in? That worked great when we were at Conlan’s.”

  “Not a problem.”

  He dumped out his sock drawer and carried it out into the living room along with one of his undershirts and a pair of running shorts for Megan. He stood back and watched as Megan gently carried in her sleeping daughter and settled her into the padded drawer.

  As Megan leaned down to adjust Phoebe’s blankets, her hair fell forward over her shoulders and hid her face. Damn, he wanted to kiss the back of Megan’s neck, to taste her sweet-smelling skin with his tongue and then with his fangs. And the rounded curves of her backside would be exactly perfect to cushion a lover’s thrusts when he took her.

  He had to get away from her before he acted on the fantasies playing out in his head. It had to be the leftover aggression from his fight with Conlan driving his libido. He knew better than to get involved with anyone right now, but especially Megan. She’d already suffered enough at the hands of one of his kind who wouldn’t share his future with her. Even if Seamus wanted to, he had no future to offer.

  When she started to look up, he ducked into the sanctuary of the bathroom to give them both some space. As he started up the shower, it occurred to him that it had been years since he’d shared living quarters with anyone. He would’ve expected it to make him feel crowded, especially in a small apartment. But instead, it felt…right somehow. As if Megan belonged not only in his home, but in his bed, and maybe even in his heart.

  Now that was a scary thought.

  Megan stared at the bathroom door wondering why Seamus had suddenly bolted from the room. Just before he’d disappeared, she’d sensed a change in his mood. What was up with him, anyway? She hoped he wasn’t hiding an injury from his altercation with Banan. Neither man seemed like the type to do their talking with their fists, but then they were vampires. Their species hadn’t developed all that physical strength for nothing. All she knew was that she always felt safe when Seamus was around, perhaps for the first time in months.

  While he was out of sight, she quickly changed into the shirt and shorts he’d brought her. Their size swamped her, but they’d be more comfortable than sleeping in her own clothes. While she waited for her chance at the bathroom, the muffled noises Seamus made in there as he got ready for bed sounded homey and surprisingly soothing. Despite her intimate relationship with Banan, he’d never slept at her place nor had he invited her to stay over at his. Maybe that should have told her something, but she’d been blind to anything but his charm.

  Seamus might lack some of that high-gloss surface polish that Banan took such pride in, but she found that reassuring. With him, what you saw was what you got. He had his own secrets, she had no doubt. But inside, where it counted, he was honorable. It was there in the way he approached his patients, as if each and every one deserved his full attention and the best care he could offer.

  As much as it frightened her to admit it, she would have been dead without his intervention. She owed him far more than she could ever repay.

  The bathroom door opened and Seamus stepped out in a cloud of steam from the shower he’d taken. Bare-chested and wearing flannel pajama bottoms, he looked ready for bed—and she didn’t mean as in going to sleep. Without his lab coat and stethoscope to hide behind, he looked more approachable, more powerful and masculine. She noticed the shower had left his smooth skin damp. What would he think if he realized how badly she wanted to lap up those small droplets of water, to taste his essence with her tongue?

  But, no, she shouldn’t be having these thoughts. Not about a vampire. Not again.

  But what she should do and what she wanted to do were two very diff
erent things. Her eyes traced the well-defined muscles of his chest down and down until she saw exactly what kind of effect her scrutiny was having on her host. As her own powerful mating instincts kicked in, her fangs dropped down. She licked her lips, the tip of her tongue tracing the point of one of her canines.

  Seamus’s gaze locked on her mouth. “Megan?”

  She rose to her feet. “Seamus?”

  Despite the distance between them, the sizzling heat in his eyes caressed her body as if he held her in his arms. Instead, he hovered in the doorway across the room as he waited…for what? Then they both took a step forward at the same moment, forever shattering the last bit of control she had.

  This might not be about love. It definitely wasn’t about happily ever after. It was about trust. She could lose herself in his arms for a few hours, taste his passion, share hers with him and know that he would shelter her from the world outside. It had been so long since she’d last felt safe and cared for. Seamus had given that back to her with his fierce determination to save her life and to protect her daughter.

  His arms wrapped around her, holding her secure against the warm wall of his chest. Her head tucked in under his chin, his erection pressing against her belly. She shimmied against its hard length, wanting nothing more than to be skin-to-skin, to brace herself for the power he’d bring to their lovemaking. Tension coiled deep within her, leaving her hovering on the precipice with just his embrace.

  His breath teased her skin as he whispered near her ear, “Megan, God knows I want this, I want you, but are you sure?”

  Even as he asked, his hands were already roaming, learning the curves of her body and how sweetly she fit against him. He closed his eyes and awaited her answer, his conscience hoping she’d back away and his soul praying that she wouldn’t.