His Dark Embrace

by Verika Sloane

  He took a step back as if she suddenly reeked. “Yeah. I think it’s a good idea I take you home.”

  The last thing she wanted to do was spend more time with him. “I’ll get an Uber.”

  All she could think of was Shain. How, whenever they dared to be in public together, all of his focus was on her. Even if a shifter had been in the room, he would’ve never confronted one without cause. Especially if Kimber was with him.

  When she turned to walk away, he suddenly came around. The bitter expression on his face changed to one of regret.

  “Wait.” His shoulders dropped slightly. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For pissin’ you off. Wasn’t my intention. You’re right. There we were, havin’ a good time, and I ruined it. Thing is, Kimber,” Jackson continued, lifting his hand for her and dropping it. “I really like you. And I fucked up. I knew you were different from most shiyas, but I didn’t know you were straight-up fearless. It caught me off guard. Look, I apologize for scarin’ you over there. As alpha, my leadership and fearlessness are constantly questioned. I’m just used to shiyas wanting a little proof of why I’m in charge of the pack.”

  So, it’d been a show to pound his chest like an ape? “I never asked for proof.”

  “I know.” He bent his knees slightly, trying to catch her averted gaze with his puppy-dog eyes. “Forgiven?”

  Despite her annoyance, Jackson’s sincerity—and his reason, albeit a stupid one—didn’t feel false. “Forgiven.”

  His sexy smile returned. “Good.”

  “If you don’t mind, I still want to go home. It’s late.” And Nya and I need to shift or I’ll scream.

  While evidently disappointed, he didn’t argue. “Sure. Will you give me another chance? Let me take you out again?” At her hesitation, he added, “Pretty please?”

  No, her wolf replied in her mind. Say no.

  But… Everyone deserved a second chance. Jackson was a leader, a good man, attractive, roguishly charming, an alpha adored among his community…why wasn’t she more flattered that he was into her? Why didn’t she feel anything for him, other than basic respect?

  One reason. The obvious one.

  Shain.

  He’d ruined other men for her. And that was just pathetic.

  Jackson had immediately apologized when so many alphas would rather have ripped off their right arm before saying sorry to a shiya. Shiefs were notoriously proud. Sure, it wasn’t the best first date of all time, but perhaps the next one would be.

  Did she really want to try again with Jackson when her instincts told her she was wasting her time?

  Yes. Because her instincts? They sucked.

  Very rarely did Shain disconnect from his immediate surroundings. As strictly a creature of the night, it was imperative to practice constant alertness when one ventured to the outside world, away from their sanctuaries.

  While his friends gossiped, laughed, drank, fed, and networked with others of their kind in the exclusive lounge, Shain sat in his booth, alone, seemingly boorish on the outside, but undeniably boiling on the inside.

  Of course Kimber would be at the one bar he brought his friends to, encouraging them to “think outside the box” by trying a new bar that wasn’t all velvet and chandeliers. Of course she’d appear to prove to him the only woman he wanted was the one he couldn’t have. Of course she would not only be there on the same night at the same hour, but with an alpha, her hand in his. The way she’d looked up at the man with a husk in her voice as she’d told him she wanted to go…it had nearly ripped Shain in half.

  A host set down a complimentary shot of blood. Shain snatched it, swallowed the contents, and sagged back in the plush booth, gripping the glass. Funny, now that he had more money than ever available to him, he got almost everything for free.

  Had Shain been a shifter, confronted by Jackson who was hand-in-hand with a woman he longed for, a challenge would’ve been expected, even appropriate. Shifters weren’t known for owning much restraint. They reacted, unleashed their emotions, keen to start a fight. Whoever came out on top was right, damn the reason. It was an archaic system of managing conflict.

  And yet, Shain envied them for it. If he’d been a shifter, allowed to bump chests with the alpha, they would’ve fought over who got to stay at the bar—and who got to take the shiya home—and Shain would’ve fucking won.

  But no, he was a vampire, and that was not their way. Negotiate. Charm. Bribe. Seduce. Blackmail. Anything but a brawl. Violence was a waste of energy, distasteful, and could bring unforeseen consequences. To fight should be the final answer, not the first. Defense, not offense. In the name of honor, not pride.

  For the most part, that kind of tactic served well. Though, there were plenty of vampires who didn’t follow that code. Murdered shifters were evidence of that.

  Yet all Shain had wanted to do as he’d gazed upon Kimber was fight. Fight for her. Fight so hard. Fight the alpha, his own friends, fight them all and take Kimber away with him. Instead, he’d affected indifference. Kind of an achievement in its own right. Considering.

  He fixed his gaze ahead with a glower. Friends and strangers moved back and forth across his view in blurs, the music and voices nothing but hums.

  Who was the alpha she was with?

  How had she been able to move on when he hadn’t?

  Because he was fooling himself. The dream that if he was constantly moving, socializing, celebrating in excess would get her out of his system had failed. Miserably. He’d been putting on one hell of an act for weeks now, making him question if he’d ever been himself with his coven or if it’d always been an act.

  Fuck. He didn’t know, afraid to ponder that existential quandary.

  It was arrogant of him to be surprised she was with someone else. He should be happy for her. Not only had she moved on with one of her own kind, but an alpha, no less. Side by side, she and this Jackson looked like a perfect match. Like they belonged together.

  He squeezed the shot glass.

  Obviously the man wasn’t her true, but being with a leader of a pack was the next best thing. Had they been a destined shifter pair, they would’ve given off the alpha’s scent alone, as one, but her scent had been very distinct from her date’s. Because Shain had literally buried his nose in her skin on multiple occasions, the nearness of her didn’t matter; her scent radiated like a beautifully unique perfume now. No other vampire could claim that, he was sure.

  Were Jackson and Kimber lovers? God, they had to be.

  The alpha had certainly behaved like they were.

  The shot glass shattered, cutting Shain’s hand.

  With the maddening question consuming his thoughts, he let the broken pieces drop on the table before he grabbed a black napkin to wipe his bleeding palm. The cuts healed, one by one, as the pain continued to throb. He opened and closed his hand in a daze.

  “Trevyn.”

  He didn’t look up. “What?”

  “Thinking about that scene at The Golden Tankard?”

  The word “no” was on the tip of his tongue. Yet, he could spin this, and make it appear he wanted some made-up retribution, in order to get information on Kimber’s date. “Who was he?”

  Vince leaned an elbow on the wall, but didn’t reply.

  Shain eventually met his gaze. “Well?”

  “A local alpha. Newly alpha. No one to worry about.”

  Shain dragged his gaze away. “I never worry about shifters.”

  “Are you itching for vengeance?”

  Normally, he would scoff. It took more than an alpha puffing his chest to incite petty revenge. But he still needed details. “Maybe. Know his last name?”

  “Jackson Crawford of the…hell, I can’t remember the pack name.”

  “They’re irrelevant.”

  “All I know is, he’s kind of a shyster, for lack of a better word. A snake in the grass. Among his kind, he’s mostly respected and liked and whatnot, but he’s not the most no
ble of the lot. I heard he betrayed a shief or two to get his alpha position. Including his own kin.”

  “That’s not exactly uncommon. Nor frowned upon.”

  “But the way he went about it—all dirty and dishonest—was. A Jekyll and Hyde. His brother was up for the title, but he strangely went missing. The man isn’t smart, but cunning as shit.” He added, “Well, if you think he’s worth seeking out, I can get more on him.”

  He had all he needed. Plus, the less he inquired about Crawford with his inner circle, the better. Back to pretending he didn’t care. “Forget it. He’s a waste of time. Not worth the effort.”

  “Agreed. The shiya, though...”

  His heart pumped a hard beat. “What about her?”

  Vince’s dark brow rose. “Lovely, no? If anything’s wasted, it’s her on him.”

  A vision of her on him made Shain’s teeth lengthen. He pulled out his phone and put his chin down to hide them. “Was she? I barely noticed.”

  His friend chuckled. “Of course you did. She, uh, was different.”

  More than you will ever know. “How so?” He dimmed the display on his phone, pretending to scroll through his texts.

  “I don’t know. Usually when one of them gets that close to our kind, they spit and growl and call us a variety pack of vulgar names. She didn’t.”

  “And that was what made her different?”

  “No,” he drew out, as if lost in the memory. “It was something else. I was physically closest to her and found her whole sensa wasn’t electric with the customary hatred. It was charged, but not in the way I’m used to. She wasn’t afraid of us. How novel.” His mouth quirked as he brought his ring-laden hand holding bourbon to his mouth. “There was arousal in her. Desperation, even, but no fear. And she couldn’t take her eyes off you, my friend.”

  Hm. Shain had been too distracted containing his cataclysmic response to the nearness of her to note her energies.

  Had that arousal been for him? Or for the obnoxious shief?

  Shain had felt Kimber’s gaze on him, but hadn’t been keen to see the plea in her eyes not to hurt the alpha, hadn’t been confident enough to look at her and not, well, react. “Perhaps you came close to the one shiya on earth who isn’t disgusted by our kind.”

  “Ha! Damn it to hell. I should’ve taken a selfie with such a rare creature—”

  “Vince, darling. There you are,” exclaimed a pretty woman in a glittering black dress.

  Vince turned with a knowing smile. The redhead was easy prey. And sometimes, even to a vampire, easy prey would do. “Holly. I was just thinking about you,” he lied.

  The two left to bloodshare and screw in the first available room.

  Shain used the moment alone to send a text message to Brooks.

  Need a background on a Jackson Crawford. Alpha Shifter. Use discreet sources.

  Quick as ever, his assistant responded that he was on it.

  By the time he arrived at the loft at four in the morning, Brooks was there, ready to give him a briefing. Ever since Shain aligned with Tanaka, his assistant had been more eager to please than usual, lacking his standard stoic style. Perhaps he thought Shain would trade up for a new Brooks, now that he could afford assistants of the Vesser or even Nine caliber. But Shain had no such intention.

  He tossed his wallet on the foyer table and tugged on his tie. “You didn’t need to come in person, Brooks.”

  “It was no trouble.”

  Brooks followed him to the bedroom, iPad in hand, tapping his finger on the screen to activate Shain’s electronic shutters. “Ms. Amara contacted me. She’s eager to schedule time with you. I emphasized your very full calendar. But her impatience grows. So, frankly, does her temper. Do you want to make a reservation for dinner, perhaps? For when she returns?”

  Pacify her for a bit? was the unspoken question.

  Why she thought his answer would be different through his assistant, Shain hadn’t the faintest. Three times she’d texted him telling him to make time for her when she came back to Atlanta, but he hadn’t the energy or desire for a face to face. “No. If I want to make arrangements with Amara, I will let you know.”

  “Of course.” His skinny finger moved from the bottom screen up. “Investment meeting at six tomorrow. Dinner with the Chamberlain’s. Covenant ball at midnight. Ally gathering at three. Sasha arrives at five-thirty.”

  Not much had actually changed since the alliance.

  “Thank you, Brooks. Have a good day.”

  “Lastly,” his assistant said, reading his iPad. “I have a report on Jackson Crawford.”

  Shain paused from unbuttoning his cufflinks and turned around. “Already?”

  Brooks chuckled with a shrug. “Yes, well, our resources have tripled, including the kind of underworld detectives only the elites like you can hire.”

  Good to know. “Nice.”

  “Shall I read you the report or just email it?”

  “Email it, and then you can go. Thank you.”

  Brooks clicked his heels, bowed his head, and left.

  The second Shain heard the front door close, he whipped out his cell phone and opened the email, sitting on the edge of his bed.

  First listed was the alpha’s full name, city, hospital, and date of birth. A strangely detailed physical description, his parent’s names, his siblings’ info, and assets. It read like a standard background check. Then came the detective’s personal notes, which read like a psychologist’s report:

  From a young age, Mr. Crawford gave his parents and the pack he grew up with concern. He lied about minor things. Learned to manipulate the weakest. Stole toys from stores when his parents couldn’t afford, etc. His pack was known for their overall passive attitudes. A trait he despised and made known. He had looks, charm, fighting skills, intellect, feeling he was smarter than them. Only beautiful women appealed and he became known as a womanizer, uninterested in finding a mate. His brother, Thomas, conformed better and was therefore loved / adored more / eager to find his mate / start a life.

  Thomas fell for a young shifter from a nearby pack. It’s rumored Jackson was jealous of his brother. He seduced her. Claimed to family he did it to prove she wasn’t worthy to be Tom’s bride. His parents were ashamed / brother unforgiving. Thomas fled to Georgia to start over.

  Jackson abandoned the shiya straight away and came to Atlanta. Months later, Thomas disappeared before he could claim alpha to the Ironclaws. Jackson was crowned. Property he wants currently pending. Issues with approval. His means to achieve the purchase is questionable. His bank account fluctuates swiftly. Possible gambling, arms dealing, or other means…

  There was more, but Shain had read enough.

  Everyone had dirty laundry, but nothing about Crawford said he was good enough for Kimber. Was Shain a saint? By no means. He’d done shady things in the past to achieve his goals, but he’d never betrayed his kin, touched firearms or drugs, or seduced young women solely to appease his ego.

  He had to warn Kimber. She deserved to know. Would she believe him? If he left a note in the park, no doubt it’d go unread. He could hire the detective to find out where the shiyas were staying, go straight to her, but couldn’t risk anyone discovering he was inquiring about a house full of female shifters.

  The only way to find her was through the alpha.

  He emailed the detective, asking if it was possible to get Crawford’s schedule. His routine. Maybe even have him followed for a few days.

  The response was immediate.

  Yes, sir. How much detail do you require?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Date number two started off better than the first.

  Instead of one of his regular spots, Jackson chose a restaurant where no one cheered his arrival, an Italian chain with all-you-can-eat spaghetti on the menu.

  They talked about pack gossip, pack life, pack politics, the standard shief and shiya kind of conversation. A little boring, but what she expected. Jackson wasn’t the type to talk abou
t himself much, very uncommon for an alpha, but he was more engaging than any she’d met.

  “Know how to cook?” he asked, once the plates were cleared.

  Cooking was taught practically once a shiya was out of the crib. “Sure. I’m no master chef, but I’m pretty good at making a mean hot dish.”

  “What about the books? Cook those, too?”

  Her wine glass stopped halfway to her mouth. “What?”

  His smile didn’t quite meet his eyes. “You can trust me. My omega says you guys sit on ten-thousand acres. That’s insane. You’re small in number, but report a healthy bottom line to other leaders.”

  What was he getting at? “That land has been ours for generations. I’d never do anything illegal with our money, let alone inflate our earnings,” she felt compelled to say. “My pack’s ways may be old-fashioned, but I’d never compromise our integrity. Or mine. I know there are pack accountants who do it, but I don’t. And I never will.”

  “Of course! Of course not, no. But do they appreciate you, Kimber? What you do for them? I ask because they don’t speak very highly of you. Your pack sisters. Especially Lucinda.”

  It hurt to hear, even though she wasn’t altogether surprised. “I don’t fit into the mold, that’s why. Never have. It bothers Lucinda that I ask questions instead of blindly following orders. And that I’m not taking the typical shiya path footprint by footprint.”

  He leaned in, folding his hands. “Can I tell you something? My original pack didn’t appreciate progressive thinking. We were losin’ our turf left and right, and they just kept movin’ away instead of fighting for the land. Drove me crazy. It’s one of the reasons I left them to lead my own. I want thinkers. Doers.” He picked up his beer and winked at her. “I want a shiya with model looks and a sharp mind.”

  What was she supposed to say to that? “Can’t always get what you want.”

  “Nothing’s stopped me yet.”

  “Come on. You hardly know me.”

  “I know enough.”

  “I hardly know you,” she pointed out.