by Lisa Sanchez
The local news was already having a field day, broadcasting regular news clips about the deadly Arcane Slasher. Time was of the essence. Athena preferred her warriors to kill swiftly and silently, and that was what he’d intended to do. That was, at least until he’d crossed paths with Danika. By the gods! What was it about the blond minx that drove him to forget himself, to falter?
Crisp night air bit into Ty’s skin as he stormed onto the narrow sidewalk and down the empty street. “Goddamn idiot! You really stepped in it this time. Fuck!” Disgusted with himself, he hauled off and punched the side of a nearby building, his fist gliding through the aging brick as if it were made of butter.
No doubt the Hirudo demon was enjoying the vacation of a lifetime as it took a thrill ride in some poor shmuck’s body. Until it made a move, until its thirst for blood forced it to harm someone, Ty had no way of knowing where the demon was. Focus was of the utmost importance in this matter, and instead of tracking and bagging the wayward killer, Ty had gone and lost his fucking head over a woman. Idiot! Thank fuck his brothers were scouring the city along with him. If they found out he’d lost his head over a woman, he’d never hear the end of it.
He’d let his emotions get the better of him, and the result had been disastrous. Not only had his violent episode put a wrench in his mission, but it had cost Danika her job as well. Shit. How did things go south so quickly? He’d been certain the Hirudo would show, make a move in the club. Now that he’d been booted, he was forced to skulk around outside in the shadows, lying in wait, but for who, he’d no clue. He’d have preferred to catch the demon before it found someone else to prey upon, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. He’d no hope of finding the parasite now unless another innocent died. Fucking parasitic bottom-feeder.
Turning into a nearby alleyway, Ty was hit with a foul, acrid stench that burned his eyes and singed the insides of his nose. It was the smell of death, a scent he knew all too well. Ty hauled ass down the alley, ready to tear his demon mark limb from bloody limb, only to stop short a few feet from a rusted out Dumpster. Every muscle in his body tensed.
“Great Zeus above,” he mumbled. The trampy server he’d seen plastered across Alexei Karpos’ lap earlier lay dead on the dirty pavement, chest cavity torn open, mermaid costume torn to shreds. Rage burned beneath Ty’s skin. No more distractions. An innocent had died tonight because he’d listened to his dick instead of his brain. No more! The Hirudo was going down. The reign of terror would end tonight.
A terror-filled scream filled the cool night air. “No!”
One simple word. That’s all it took to send Ty into a blind rage the likes of which he’d never known.
It was Danika.
Her frightened voice had pierced his soul. She was in danger.
CHAPTER 7
Brushing warm tears from her cheeks, Danika stepped outside into the cool night air, the oppressive weight of defeat crushing her already heavy heart. Without the added income her job at the club provided, there was no way she’d be able to pay off her mountain of debt. She swallowed back a sob and hurried up the dimly lit street toward the bus stop.
The thought of being financially tied to James for another minute sent her emotions into a tailspin, her sanity threatening to take a swan dive straight into the flusher.
“No,” Danika whispered to herself. She wiped away the last of her tears and straightened her posture. “I won’t let this get me down. I won’t…” She’d simply have to find another job. That’s all there was to it. Hell, she’d work the nightshift at the local gas station cleaning toilets if she thought it would help free her from James.
Red heels clacking against the grimy pavement, her thoughts drifted back to the nightmare scene at the bar. Good Lord. No one, man or woman, had ever come to her rescue before. Despite the end result, she couldn’t stay angry with Mr. No Name. Having been on the opposite end of James’ fist on more than one occasion, it was nice to see him get the ass-whooping he so richly deserved. For once, it seemed, the cosmos had been on her side.
A cutting breeze swooped down off the side of the large brick building to her left, chilling her from the bone out. Numb, both from the cold and the nightmare scene she’d endured back at the club, Danika picked up her pace, a heaping case of paranoia worming its way through her gut. It felt like someone was watching her, but she couldn’t be sure. And really, after her colossal error misreading Mr. No Name’s attraction to her, she couldn’t trust her instincts.
Her car, a 2010 Mustang, had recently been repossessed, as she’d been unable to make the payments. She shook her head, thinking back on that fateful day. So embarrassing. Given the choice again, she’d make the same decision and relinquish the vehicle in a heartbeat. She’d much rather keep a roof over her head than hold on to a fancy car. Public transportation, though scary at times, was at the very least reliable.
The unease plaguing her kicked up a notch, her heart now thrumming a rapid, staccato beat, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention. Mouth dry, she fought to swallow back the large lump in her throat as she scanned the area. Dim street. Dark buildings. Pitch-black alleyways. Great. All three were the perfect setting for a made-for TV horror flick. Oh, God. She didn’t have much time for television and wasn’t a huge fan of the news, but she was fairly certain she’d heard something about a serial slasher terrorizing the city. Dammit! She should have called a cab.
With her pulse thrumming in her ears, she checked her surroundings once more before quickening her pace. She hadn’t seen anyone, but that didn’t mean anything. There were plenty of hiding places deep within the shadows of the tall buildings and dark alleyways. Plenty of places for a knife-wielding maniac to lie in wait.
Whimpering in fear, her breath coming in short, rapid pants, Danika broke into a full on sprint, running as fast as her red heels would carry her. Worn, tired and afraid, she wanted to get home, where it was safe and warm, and put her horrible day behind her. Just as the well-lit bus stop came into view, a large, steely hand came out of nowhere and covered her mouth, while another yanked her sideways and back into a pitch black alleyway.
No! The slasher! Terrified, and certain her life was about to end, Danika fought against her captor. Struggling to free herself, she kicked, hit, scratched, and even bit the ice-cold hand that covered her mouth. Freedom was her only objective, and she’d use any means possible to get away from the crazed maniac holding her captive.
With a savage yelp, her attacker cried out in pain and wrenched his hand away from her mouth, giving her just enough time to let out one piercing scream.
“No!” She lurched sideways, but the single hand that gripped her around the waist was strong, preventing her escape.
“Stupid bitch! You’re gonna pay for that!” With a powerful backhand blow, her attacker sent her tumbling backward, her head and back smashing into the hard, unforgiving brick of the nearby wall.
Everything went black.
CHAPTER 8
Fury the likes of which he’d never known flooded Ty’s body the moment he entered the dark alleyway. Soft light from the moon filtered down into the narrow space, illuminating Danika’s unconscious body.
Great goddess above! “Shit!” The leech was none other than the pot-bellied POS that had tried to purchase a lap dance from Danika back at the club. Skin ashen, eyes a stygian black, the leech hovered over Danika, its dark, smoky essence preparing to make the jump from its quickly deteriorating host into her. No!
Time was of the essence. If he killed the host body while the demon still resided within, the entire mess would be over. Demon dead—Danika safe. What the hell was he waiting for?
In a blind rage, Ty shot forward and unleashed a powerful blow to the human host’s chest, launching him a good fifty feet down the alleyway. The demon let out a mangled scream as he hit the deck, falling momentarily silent as he skidded into a chain link fence.
Ty’s heart raced and his vision tunneled. Shit. The change
was coming on. His beast was rising from within, fighting to surface. A soft groan to his right caught his attention. Fuck! Danika was coming to.
Nausea racked his gut, and he let out an agonized groan. Too late. No time to get her to safety. The transformation had already begun. Ty closed his eyes and prayed he’d been right about the angelic beauty being his life mate. Zeus help her if she wasn’t because the moment his beast emerged, no creature, human or otherwise, was safe.
***
Danika wasn’t sure how long she’d been out when a loud, vicious growl filled her ears, reverberating off the walls of the alleyway as she came to. Dizzy, she glanced up through heavy lids, panic seizing her as a dark figure lurched above her. Is that…oh my God. Alexei!
No doubt enraged she’d managed to sidestep his proposed sexual advances, he’d followed her from the club and was going to make her pay, and pay dearly. So much for dodging that bullet. Fate, it seemed, was hell bent on beating the crap out of her.
“Hungry…so hungry.” Skin deathly pale and cold, eyes black as pitch, Alexei opened his mouth, releasing a long stream of ebony smoke that coiled toward her like a snake ready to attack.
What the… Paralyzed with fear, she slammed her lids shut and braced herself against what was sure to be a painful end, anger and sorrow the last emotions she’d ever experience. What is that thing? Oh, God! Please, let it be over fast!
Her mind wept for the mistakes of her past, and her heart ached for what would never be. True, unconditional love, the one thing she craved more than anything, had eluded her, dancing just out of reach, always just a hair’s breadth away. Regret coursed through her veins, chilling her further. She’d never find her soulmate; she’d never find the one person who would complete her in every way. Her life was going to end before it really had a chance to begin.
Heartbroken and terrified, Danika braced herself for the killing blow…a blow that never came.
She wasn’t sure if it was bravery or just plain stupidity that prompted her to open her eyes. Either way, she watched in stunned silence as Alexei was yanked from where he knelt and thrown a good fifty feet down the alleyway by—oh, my God! Mr. No Name!
Bathed in brilliant white light, her handsome champion illuminated the narrow passage, a deep rumble echoing past a set of snarling lips.
Vision impaired by the blinding light, she raised her arms to shield her eyes and winced as the sickly sound of bones snapping and cracking bounced off the brick walls of the surrounding buildings.
The sound of her rescuer’s agonized screaming tore at her heart, shredding what little sanity she had left. Too afraid to look up, she cowered in place, wondering what could possibly be causing the poor man so much pain. She hadn’t seen anyone else enter the alley, but she supposed it was possible. It sounded as though the man was being torn apart, limb from limb!
Suddenly, a loud, animal-like roar erupted from her rescuer. Wait…what? That couldn’t possibly be what I think…
Disbelief overpowering her fear, she dropped her arm. Shocked silent, she sat immobile and unable to comprehend the possibility of what she saw. Then, as if it had been on hiatus and was eager to get back to work, her fight-or-flight response returned with a rush of adrenaline. She opened her mouth to scream, but all that came out was a garbled yelp. She scrambled backward, away from the enormous and hungry looking lion occupying the space Mr. No Name once stood.
“Im-impossible.”
Dammit all to hell! It was as she’d feared. On top of losing her job, on top of being saddled with an abusive, dead-beat ex, she’d gone and lost her damn mind. Great! Just great!
The enormous cat looked to the sky and unleashed a powerful roar, the heat from its enormous muzzle stirring up a cloud of dust as it blasted over her. Her time was up. The crazy monster man with the bizarre smoke mouth hadn’t killed her, but the lion surely would. Where the hell had it come from? The nearest zoo was over an hour away. And where had Mr. No Name gone? He couldn’t possibly have morphed into the giant predatory cat looming over her. Could he?
With its burnished gold mane illuminated by the waxing moon, the great beast regarded her for several moments, its large eyes boring into her with a heated stare. With a loud grumble, the giant cat turned and bounded down the alley toward her now conscious attacker.
Holy… Had the lion read her mind? Could the handsome guy from the club really have morphed into the King of the Jungle? No way. Danika whimpered and shook her head, convinced she was crazy. It was obvious her little rendezvous with the nearby pile of bricks had saddled her with a heavy amount of brain damage and vivid hallucinations.
The lion’s thunderous roar carried across the night air, chilling Danika’s already frazzled nerves. She covered her ears and drew her knees into her chest to shield herself from the gruesome sight and sounds of Alexei Karpos’ untimely demise. His high-pitched keening combined with the sound of tearing flesh burned itself deep into her psyche, never to be forgotten.
Insane. She’d gone insane—lost her flippin’ mind. There was no way to explain, no making sense of what she’d seen. That black smoke that had slithered out of Alexei’s mouth was not of this earth. A chill shot up the length of her spine. Inhuman. Evil. Alexei was most definitely evil.
It wasn’t until she felt a warm, wet nose nudge her arm that she dared to look up. Lost in thought, or more realistically, lost in shock, she’d failed to notice the lion had finished doling out its grisly justice. It towered over her, with the distinct, coppery smell of blood evident on its warm breath.
Frozen in place, and positive she was about to become dessert for the hungry beast, Danika watched with terror filled eyes as the great cat lowered its enormous head and licked her arm. Its tongue was rough, like sandpaper, and nearly as big as her arm. Holy…whoa! Is it…sniffing me?
Apparently done breathing in her scent, the cat blew out a deep breath, as if sighing, and lay down, placing its head on its enormous paws. With another brilliant flash of light, Mr. No Name reappeared in the lion’s place, his naked body lying motionless on the cool pavement.
“Holy hell,” she mumbled.
Yep. I was right. I’m a nutter.
Breathless and mute, Danika sat openmouthed and silent as her very naked helper sat up and slowly met her gaze.
The silence between them was deafening.
Watching her intently as if he were afraid she’d bolt, No Name raised a cautious brow. “I’m, uh…I’m guessing you have a few questions right about now.”
A few questions? Dumbfounded, Danika opened her mouth, a thousand thoughts racing through her head, but too flabbergasted to speak. Try a million questions, Cat Man. You can start by telling me what exactly the hell you are.
No doubt sensing her shock, he cast her a gentle smile. “I can see you’re a bit shell shocked. Let me introduce myself. Name’s Tydeus of Calydon, but you can call me Ty.”
CHAPTER 9
Danika sat shivering on the cold, hard pavement, eyeballing Ty with what looked like a heaping mixture of disbelief and wonder. “Tydeus of…what? Who…no, wait…What? What exactly…are you?” Her voice was shaky, weak, and her body shook, no doubt from the trauma she’d endured. She glanced down the alley toward the shredded remains of what was once Alexei Karpos for a brief moment before regarding him again. “And what was that thing that attacked me? It looked like Alexei, but…I’m not so sure.”
Warmth radiated from Ty’s chest, spreading throughout his limbs. Danika was tough, a fighter. More than that, she was going to be okay. Most mortals would up and run at the first sight of hinky, underworld business. But not Danika. She was afraid, yes, but she didn’t let that fear keep her from asking questions. Baby girl was tenacious—magnificent.
Despite her fear, despite all that had gone down this evening, beneath her frightened exterior Ty sensed Danika’s trust in him. She’d witnessed his inner beast roar to life, sat by while his monster tore that murderous, demon POS limb from bloody limb, and despite it all, she’d re
mained.
Sweet, Blessed Aphrodite! She remained! Which meant only one thing…fuck.
Danika was his life mate.
His pulse skyrocketed, his head swimming with questions. He had no memory of his time as a lion. But the mere fact that she sat in front of him now, alive and whole and breathing, meant she was his true mate, the one woman capable of taming his savage beast.
Even now, as she sat quiet and still, eyeing him with equal amounts of curiosity and trepidation, he sensed the same electrical spark, the same intense pull he’d noticed earlier at the club. Great Zeus above! The timing was all wrong, but…shit…he’d found his mate, his fated female.
Silence permeated the air as she stared at his naked form with wide, spooked eyes.
Ty closed his eyes and groaned. Athena be damned! Naked. His ass was as naked as a two-dollar hooker on a busy night. And dammit, as much as he enjoyed the way her hungry eyes drank him in, he didn’t enjoy watching her shiver in fear amidst a sea of garbage in a rank, filthy alleyway. Hell no. His mate deserved to hear the truth about what they were to each other in a clean, safe environment. He also needed to make sure no harm came to her beyond the shock and terror of what she’d experienced.
Afraid of spooking her further, Ty held up a finger and addressed her cautiously. “One second, sweetness.” He looked to the heavens and held up a hand. “A little help here, boss?”
A loud crack pierced the silence, and with a brilliant flash of light, Ty found himself sitting atop the black silk sheets of his Cal King bed.
He glanced down and frowned. He was still completely nude. Great. The goddess had teleported him halfway across town, but couldn’t see fit to drum up a pair of sweats? Would it really have been that difficult to manifest him some clothes? He gnashed his teeth and groaned. Athena was a proud goddess. This was obviously payback for his constant cursing of her name.
Danika’s quick intake of breath drew him from his irritated stupor. She sat across from him, wide-eyed, hands clutching her chest as she gasped for air. “Holy snot rockets! Did we just…”