“That’s why she’s presently chained down.”
“Get information and eliminate her.”
“Easier said than done, Kelzeb. She was a fucking sweetheart as a human. What if some part of her still exists? It sure seemed that way to me.”
“She works for the council. Was she sent to take out the nest killing the pups?”
“No. They sent her after me.”
“That says it all. The council is fucked up. They would have destroyed what humanity she had left after the turn. She kills for them, Glacier. For all you know, they sacrificed the Vamp she killed to gain your trust. They’re probably wondering why we got involved and how many of our clan are there. Don’t fall for that bullshit. I actually like you and want you to keep your head.”
“I hear you.”
“Should I send one of your brothers as backup?”
“No. I’ve got this.”
“The council will probably send more assholes after you.”
“I look forward to it. She’s waking up. I need to go.”
“Ask her questions and get rid of her, Glacier. That’s an order.”
He disconnected the call and slid his phone back into his pocket.
Mandy remained still, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. It was possible she’d be out until the next night after she day slept. He just hadn’t wanted to listen to Kelzeb anymore. He knew his job but currently didn’t like it much. The idea of killing Mandy twisted up his guts.
Chapter Two
Mandy woke to darkness. Huh. She should be dead. Ice hadn’t removed her head but instead clocked her in the side of the face with his fist. He’d withdrawn the claws first, or she’d still be in a world of pain. The enforcer had an iron punch though, so as it was, her cheek throbbed a little.
She lifted her head and peered around. Her eyesight was pretty good in the dark but no light came into the room at all. She sniffed and regretted it. Death clung to her in the form of dried blood down her body. It had begun to decay. She tried to ignore that though and figure out where she was. The scent of chemicals hung in the air, a lot of dust, and mold. Ice smelled like leather and sandalwood, but it was faint, as if it had been a while since he’d been near her.
She strained to hear anything. Traffic in the distance helped her figure out she remained in the city. Ice wasn’t in the room. That was for certain, since she couldn’t pick up his heartbeat or the sound of breathing besides her own. She tried to sit up but realized fast that her wrists were restrained above her head and her ankles somehow shackled to keep her legs straight on a flat surface. Her thigh hurt like a son of a bitch too. That stupid Vamp she’d taken out had probably fractured her leg and it would be badly bruised. A quick wiggle of her toes revealed her boots had been removed but she still wore clothing. They were currently stuck to the front of her body where she’d been covered in blood.
“Ice?”
No response. It was daytime though. She could tell by the way her body felt lethargic and heavy. Maybe he thought she’d be out for the day. Most Vampires were unless they were far older than her. Ice wouldn’t know that the council had made certain their assassins retained as few weaknesses as possible.
She took deep breaths and tested the restraints. They wouldn’t give way. Whatever he’d used were Vamp-strength resistant. She lowered her head, wiggling her body. The surface she lay on felt hard and unforgiving. Cold too.
The question she wanted to ask most was why he hadn’t killed her. His alpha would be furious. That was the last thing she wanted.
Hours passed as she napped on and off, trying to ignore how her body ached from being uncomfortable and from her injuries. They weren’t healing as fast as normal. She needed to feed.
The floor creaked above her head and she opened her eyes, alert. Every footstep she was able to track by sound. A door to her left squeaked open and the person came closer. She could make out a big form and inhaled. Ice had returned.
The lights he flipped on blinded her for a few seconds. Two large industrial ones were hung above her. She blinked a few times and then openly gawked at Ice. His hair was mussed, as if he’d just woken from bed. Her gaze lowered to his exposed chest. He was perfect, muscular and tan. The dark gray sweats he sported hung low on his hips, revealing those little side muscles just above the waistband. He was all man and incredibly sexy. Her gums throbbed and it embarrassed her when her fangs slid down.
He moved with the full grace of a sleek predator. A sexy one as he approached her. “It’s still day. You’re awake.”
Her nipples beaded and she squirmed a little. His deep, raspy tone turned her on more. Great, he wasn’t only eye porn, but his voice got to her too. She broke eye contact, knowing her eyes would respond to him as well by blazing brighter. Full-on bloodlust hit, and she knew he’d smell her arousal soon. He was a Werewolf with a super sniffer.
It sucked waking up starving since she hadn’t fed in a few days, but it was made ten times worse by her fantasy dream guy in that state of undress while she was injured. Her response to him would come to his attention and there would be no hiding it. She might as well get ahead of it.
“I’m hungry and hurt,” she admitted. “Sorry. My body is going to do some Vampy things until I drink blood. Try to ignore it.”
He frowned, staring at her. “How are you awake?”
“We’re fed council member blood to make us stronger. Assassins would be too easy to kill if anyone could just break into our hotel rooms during the day and we couldn’t defend ourselves.” She avoided looking at him at all costs. As a human, she’d been really attracted to him, but as a blood-starved Vamp, it was a hundred times stronger. “You need to know that the council will have activated my tracker and will send Olivia here as soon as the sun goes down.”
“I removed it and ditched your phone. I left them with that ashed Vamp, hoping they’ll think it’s you. You’re not going to be found.”
That surprised her enough to meet his gaze as he stood next to her. It also made her slightly relieved. He would be safe.
“Don’t even try to break into my head.”
Her eyes still glowed. She turned her head, looking at anything but him. “I told you. I’m hungry and hurt. I’m not attempting to control you. It’s also why my fangs are out. You should put on a shirt. You know…show me less skin.”
“You’re strong enough to resist becoming comatose during the day but you wake starving like a newbie?” He sounded amused and his voice turned huskier. “Interesting.”
“Yeah. That’s me. Interesting.” She swallowed. “Why am I still alive, Ice?”
“My name is Glacier. I just went by Ice as a nickname.”
“Did you used to belong to a pack in California? That’s weird. Most packs don’t move territories.”
Unless he’s taken a mate.
That was a horrible thought. Had he mated to someone and transferred packs? She sniffed the air but didn’t pick up the scent of another woman.
“I’m not mated, if that’s what you’re checking for, and I don’t belong to the local pack. You could say I’m on assignment from somewhere else. I travel around.”
She bit her lip, resisting the urge to look at him, not wanting him to see her as a threat.
“But you’re a Were. I smell it on you.”
“What else do you pick up?”
She stared at the brick walls. “This place is old. Is it abandoned? Nobody has cleaned it for years with this much dust in the air. And there’s mold. A lot. Some wood rot, too. I reek of death, since I’ve got dried blood on me.” She lifted her head and saw broken computers on the floor. “That accounts for the plastic and metallic scents I’m picking up.” Her gaze scanned the room, seeing old cleaning supplies on a shelf. “And there’s the chemicals I smell.”
He regarded her with narrowed eyes. “Anything else?”
“Just you. I like sandalwood. You smell nice.” She let her head fall back and cringed when she hit it a little too har
d. “Not to be a pain, but I need to use the bathroom if there is one, to get clean. A hose would work too. I skipped eating for a few days and the dried blood is making it worse. You know what that means.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about. Go ahead and look at me. I’ll know if you attempt to trespass into my head.”
She really didn’t want to stare into his eyes. Or see his handsome face. To be in the room with an attractive man while hunger played hell on her body. The fact that it was the guy she’d thought about, envisioned in her head every time she’d masturbated over the years, wasn’t helping. Especially with him half naked. But she turned her head and held his gaze.
“Do you know why I didn’t kill you?”
Such enthralling eyes. Holy hotness. I could totally worship him. Way better than I remembered.
“Answer me.”
What was the question? Oh yeah. “I assume I’m still alive because you want to know more about the local nest. I don’t have a lot of answers but I’ll tell you what I can. Either ask fast or let me wash the blood off. My control will slip, and that could become kind of traumatic.”
“Traumatic?”
“I’d planned to find a donor last night after hunting my target. I never got a chance to feed. Between the fight I had with that other Vamp—where I think he fractured my leg—the punch to my face, and being sprayed with blood, it’s all a bad combo. I’m borderline on losing my shit. I’ll start hissing and snapping at you soon. It’ll get harder for me to think beyond the hunger. I can buy some time to stay in control if I wash off the dried blood. A shower would give me a few more hours of sanity.”
“You’re going to try to escape if I unchain you to use the bathroom.”
“Where would I go? You removed my tracker. I’m possibly enemy number one to the council right now. They’ll think I ran from them if they don’t believe the ashes are mine. I’ll answer any questions you have, but I’d just like to take a shower first.”
He leaned over her and peered into her eyes.
The scent of him hit her and her body went a little crazy. She wanted him so bad it hurt. It was just confusing at that point whether she craved his blood or sex.
“I don’t trust you.”
“You shouldn’t. I’m a Vampire. We’re mostly bad guys. I have no plans to attack you or run though. I’ll let you know when I hit the danger zone on my bloodlust. It’s not here yet. I wasn’t lying about everyone coming after me when the tracker alarm went off. I’m already dead, Ice.”
“Glacier,” he corrected.
“Sorry. It’s going to take some time getting used to the new name. You never did say why you were working at Bucket.”
“I was hunting a crazy master who thought it would be a good idea to have humans treat him as though he were a god. He actually had them believing he was one. They’re probably still in therapy after how badly he’d fucked with their heads.”
She curled her lip in disgust. “Did you find him?”
He nodded. “It wasn’t gang members who came into the club that night you went missing. It was him and his four nest members searching for new humans to add to their cult. His name was Byron—and he sobbed while I killed him.”
The irony wasn’t lost on her. “You asked me to leave that night to keep me safe…but I got grabbed in the back parking lot by one of Cain’s harem hunters. It’s like I was totally screwed on the staying-human front, wasn’t it?”
“Byron wouldn’t have targeted you. He was only into men. I didn’t want you there in case they felt cornered and used human shields.”
“Did they?”
“No. I took them out one by one without them even realizing I was there until I was down to Byron and his bodyguard. They went into the men’s room, following a victim they’d chosen. I started a brawl so the humans would flee and then ashed their asses once we were alone.”
Her fangs ached and the smell coming off her own body was driving her mad. “I really need to get this blood off me. I’m weaker than normal this morning because it’s tough on my body to go this long without blood, especially while I need to heal. You could easily take me down, even if I’m lying about not planning to escape.” She stared into his eyes, searching for any signs of the caring person he used to be. “Please? I might not be a Were but I have a sensitive nose. It’s probably getting to you too. Wouldn’t you like to question me when I don’t reek?”
He clenched his teeth. “Fine. The only bathroom is on the third floor. It’s still daylight outside though, and I’m not covering all the windows. I’ll put a blanket over you and escort you to the bathroom. There’s a tiny window in there but it doesn’t let in direct sunlight. That room is located against an outside wall. If you try to punch through, all you’ll do is burn. The buildings around us are locked up tight. I don’t care how fast you can run, you won’t find sanctuary from the sun before you’re ashed.”
“I’m not going to run, Glacier.” It was odd saying that name. “Can I ask you something?”
He reached into the sweatpants pocket and withdrew a ring with two small keys. “I’m not telling you who I work for or how many of us there are.”
“I just wanted to know what your real name is.”
“Why would you think Glacier isn’t?”
“Well, cold seems to be a theme you go by. Ice. Glacier. I was thinking on your next job you might be Hail or Sleet.” She couldn’t help but smile. “Frost sounds pretty cool too.”
He moved down to her feet. “You always did have a sense of humor and a quick mind. My mother named me Glacier. I told Mike my name, but he refused to call me that. He dubbed me Ice and it stuck.”
She decided to believe him. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He removed the chunky cuff-like restraints from her ankles.
“It just matters to me that I know your actual name. It’s silly but there it is.”
He walked up the side of the table to her head. “I’d hate to have to knock you out again. I don’t enjoy hitting women. That doesn’t mean I won’t if you attack me, Mandy. Understand? Behave and I won’t have to hurt you.”
She held very still as he released her wrists. “I’m not going to fight you. I get not believing me. I honestly do, and I wouldn’t be so trusting in your shoes either. Vampires tend to lie. Thank you. Can I sit up now? I’ll move slow.”
He backed away and shoved the keys into his pocket. “Do it.”
She bit back a groan as she sat upright and stretched a little, the kinks in her body making themselves known. The countertop had felt as hard as marble, despite it being metal. “I don’t know how they used to do it when Vampires had to hide out in burial crypts and sleep on stone. I’m such a wimp. I bought a pillow-top mattress for my room that feels like a cloud of softness.” She carefully swung her legs over the side and slipped off the edge, standing there in her bare feet. Her leg held her weight but it hurt. She avoided stepping on broken computer pieces as she made her way closer to him. “I appreciate you showing me some mercy.” She stared deeply into his eyes.
“Walk in front of me to the stairs.”
He didn’t want to give her his back. Smart. She made no sudden movements and picked her way around the debris to the stairs, only stopping when she reached the bottom. Glacier stepped to her side and reached under the staircase, withdrawing what looked like an old canvas tarp.
“That’s not a blanket.” She wrinkled her nose. “And it’s layered in dust.”
“It’s all I’ve got down here. Yes or no? You could return to the workbench.”
She closed her eyes, tucked her chin down, and hugged her waist. “Do it. I hope this bathroom has warm water. I can dream, right?”
The sound of him chuckling surprised her. She almost peeked to see his face but then he opened the tarp, wrapping it around her as if she were a person burrito. His shoulder dug into her hips a moment later and he hoisted her off her feet. She gasped, unable to even grab at him. Then she got to hang draped over hi
m when he began to climb the stairs.
“I feel like a sack of potatoes over your shoulder, dirt and all.”
He ran his hand over her leg all the way to her feet but she couldn’t feel more than the weight of it since the tarp covered her. “Tell me if part of you starts to burn.”
“I will. Promise. You’ll know when I begin screaming.”
He came to an abrupt stop.
“That was a joke. Kind of. It hurts like hell when I’m exposed to sunlight.”
He began to walk again and she heard the floor creaking under their combined weight. They were on the first floor now. “Does that happen often?”
“No. I’m smart enough to avoid it but training was a bitch. They threw us outside a few times to show us how it felt to be exposed to the sun, and to make sure we could run back inside fast enough not to die. Burns are the worst to heal from.”
“Why in the hell would they do that?”
“To make sure we don’t freeze up while terrified and in pain.”
“What if you couldn’t make it back to cover?”
“Only the fittest survive training. We were considered too weak to live if we failed a test. They’d get new recruits to replace the ones who died.”
“Cold.” He started up more stairs.
“That’s the council for you. They aren’t exactly the compassionate types.”
“I’m sorry they got their hands on you, Mandy.”
“Thank you. Life sometimes sucks, and now so do I. That Vampire joke never gets old.”
He paused, brushed her body against a wall, and then she heard the sound of a door opening. “How can you keep your sense of humor about this shit?”
“Laugh or cry. Want to guess which I prefer?”
The door slammed closed and a soft click sounded. He bent, setting her on her feet. She held still as he unwrapped the canvas and then she reached up, brushing her face with both hands in case dust covered her skin. Ice didn’t say a word. She opened her eyes, glancing around the room.
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