Burning Both Ends

by Ally Shields

“OK, the hand only.” Ari felt the blood from the leg injuries oozing down her calves. “But you’re not licking my legs.” Entirely too creepy.

  “But that would have been the fun part,” Andreas said, a smile tugging at his mouth. He’d clearly decided to be amused by her discomfort.

  In spite of Ari’s doubts, his temporary first aid to her hand wasn’t at all nasty. Andreas touched his lips to the injured area, and his tongue slowly traced the wound. She thought he prolonged the process longer than necessary, but the sensation was kind of sexy, sending shivers down her spine. Disturbed by her reaction, Ari jerked her hand away, and he let go. What was she thinking? She’d insisted on a strict agreement between them about no bloodletting. And now a vampire had his teeth next to her skin, tasting her blood, and she thought it was sexy? No way. Not going there.

  “Now what is wrong?” Andreas asked, frowning again. “Do not try to tell me that hurt.”

  “No, not at all. But does the blood… I mean, does it tempt you?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Are you asking if I am going to drain your blood in my uncontrollable bloodlust?”

  “Well, no, I didn’t mean exactly that.” Tongue-tied, Ari bit her lip. Despite all the Guardianship training and their current dating status, she didn’t know much about what vampires felt or thought, except what she’d been told or read in textbooks. None of those accounts had been from a vampire’s point of view. She was still stumbling along in the dark about rather ordinary things. It was disconcerting, embarrassing at times like this. “Does it make you uncomfortable?” She finally added bluntly, “Is it hard not to bite me?”

  Andreas sighed. “I apologize for my annoyance, little witch.” He reached out, briefly touching her cheek, as he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind one ear. “Too often, I forget how young you are. No, you are quite safe. I have lived a long time as a vampire. The smell of your blood is pleasant, but it does not tempt me to feed from you. Of course,” he added, with a devilish gleam, “there are certain times when even an experienced vampire is tempted to bite. It is very pleasurable for my kind. Enhances other enjoyments. The state of your unbroken skin should be testimony enough of my control.”

  “You could have stopped with ‘it does not tempt me,’” Ari said. “The rest isn’t very reassuring.” He was still holding her injured hand, and she pulled it away. “I better get home and clean up.”

  “Not tonight, cara mia. It should be obvious even to you that your apartment is not safe. If this is the same wolf pack we’ve dealt with before, they already know where you live.” When she started to shake her head, he interrupted. “Why do you always have to argue?”

  The bloody scene of her mentor’s death outside her apartment building flashed through Ari’s head, cutting off further protest. She raised her chin. “If I can’t go home, then what do you suggest?”

  “The Chantilly Suite is always available.”

  She should have known he’d say that. Hadn’t she tried hard to avoid that trap? The beautiful guest suite in his Victorian home was both tempting and forbidden. Blue and white. And frilly. It was decorated with genuine Queen Anne antiques and equipped with every modern convenience. Kind of like the ultimate spa. But agreeing to sleep in his home—not just falling asleep on the couch—seemed like a bigger commitment than she was ready to make. It was an argument they’d had before. At least twice.

  Before she could defend her position one more time, Lilith and Russell, husband and wife werelions employed as security at Andreas’s supper club, burst onto the scene in a full run.

  “What the hell happened?” Lilith’s voice was brusque as she caught her breath.

  “How did you know to come here?” Ari looked at them bewildered.

  “I phoned for reinforcements,” Andreas explained. “Your magic warned me. I was already on the way when I heard your scream.”

  She shot him a troubled look. Not again. “You heard me? Saw the fight?” Her magic seemed to have a mind of its own when one of them was in trouble by sharing mental images of the danger involved.

  He nodded. “Yes. Almost as if I was here.”

  Ari turned her face away, her mouth suddenly dry. This telepathic thing had worked to their advantage twice before, once by design. Always when one of them was at risk. So far, Andreas had been the receiver of the magical warnings. But she couldn’t shake her fear of having the magic go the other direction, of having a vampire capable of mental manipulation inside her head. Über creepy.

  “Are you all right?” Russell demanded, looking at his boss.

  Andreas shifted his attention, and Ari was glad for the diversion. “Yes, I am fine, but Arianna’s hand needs attention.” He glanced at the motionless wolf on the ground. “I will take care of her injury, if you and Lilith will transport the wolf back to the house.” He glanced at Russell’s angry face. “Keep him alive, Russell. I have a few questions I want answered as soon as he wakes. Once you have him secured, send Lilith to assist Arianna in the Chantilly Suite.”

  “Sure. No problem.” Grinning, Lilith stepped forward, her golden-brown eyes flashing. “I’d love to babysit.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter,” Ari snapped. Inwardly she groaned in frustration, fuming at Andreas’s easy assumption she would give in and stay in his house. She bit her tongue and swallowed her protest. It would only give Lilith and Russell entertainment at her expense. Lilith had unabashedly promoted a permanent “togetherness” with Andreas for more than a year, claiming they were dynamite together. Ari took that to mean the lioness enjoyed the fireworks that often flared between two such dominant personalities. Lilith was very aware Ari had doubts about the match and took delight in Ari’s every defeat. Until she could get Andreas alone, Ari satisfied herself with a fierce glare at Lilith. Predictably, the lioness laughed.

  Ari wheeled and stalked up the street. The claw marks on her calves had tightened the muscles so much she limped, making her departure less than impressive. Andreas caught up and offered to help, but she curtly declined. At the moment, she didn’t want him to touch her, didn’t want to be babied. Enough was enough.

  Andreas put up with the slow, limping pace for about a block, then he simply scooped her into his arms.

  “Hey, put me down, dammit! I’m not helpless.” She pounded on his chest, but he acted like he didn’t feel the impact.

  “I know you are not, but we do not have time for this,” he said. “If the wolves have friends, I do not want them to find us out in the open.”

  After those sobering words, Ari stopped struggling but continued to sulk over the undignified treatment. He ignored her irritation and talked with Russell until they arrived at the house. To Ari’s increasing embarrassment, two members of his home security force met them at the door. About to reissue her demands to be put down, she was distracted when Andreas ordered them to take the wolf to the secure room in the basement. Secure room? She hadn’t known he had such a place. Exactly what he was hiding down there? A full-fledged dungeon? A medieval torture chamber?

  When they arrived at the Chantilly Suite, Andreas finally dumped her on her feet. She backed away and glared at him. “About time.”

  “You’re covered with blood,” he observed matter-of-factly. “Into the shower. Unless you want me to do that too?”

  “Don’t you wish,” she retorted. “Out.”

  “Your hand and legs need treatment as soon as you have showered.”

  “Fine. Send someone back in fifteen minutes.”

  “I will be here in ten,” was his parting shot as he pulled the bedroom door closed behind him. “I still have other work to do.”

  “So who’s keeping you?”

  “Nine,” she heard from the hallway.

  Ari scurried into the shower and turned the water to hot. It stung her hand and legs, but otherwise felt like heaven. When finished, she wrapped a hand towel around the bite wound, and slipped on a fluffy white bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. She was thankful to see the hem was high en
ough to avoid the bloody lacerations on her legs. It would be a shame to stain the fancy cover-up. Taking two more towels to wipe the oozing blood and to stand on, she opened the bathroom door. Andreas sat on the edge of the bed with gauze and tape and ointments spread out around him.

  Her hand was throbbing by now, her legs tight and raw.

  He frowned at her. “You have a bruised eye.”

  “Do I?” She lifted her good hand to her forehead. “It’ll be gone by morning.”

  “I do not like seeing you injured.” Andreas released a heavy sigh, opening a jar of ointment. “Turn around and stand still. This will stop the bleeding.” He knelt on one knee behind her and smeared a jelly-like substance over the backs of her legs. The stinging stopped immediately. Ari craned her neck for a look at the jar. It had no label.

  No longer concerned she would leave blood all over the furniture, Ari dropped into one of the armchairs while Andreas gave his attention to her hand. The bite had gone deep enough to reach the bone. His long fingers gently massaged the area, forcing the ointment into the wound and bringing instant pain relief.

  “Is this a vampire home remedy of some kind?” she asked.

  “You could say that.” He set the jar aside and began to wrap her hand with gauze.

  “You should market the stuff. Make a fortune.” Ari was making small talk to alleviate her discomfort with the situation. She wasn’t used to being the helpless one.

  “It would be difficult to mass produce,” Andreas said dryly. “The main ingredient is saliva from a master level vampire.”

  “From you?”

  “In this case, yes. Does that bother you?”

  “No.” Somehow a saliva ointment out of a jar didn’t have the same ick factor as licking. Mind tricks again. This time her own brain, not vampiric manipulation. “Does it work on vampires too?”

  “Yes. It would, if needed. How quickly do you heal?”

  “Not as fast as you do, but a few hours’ sleep will probably do it.”

  “Good. Depending on what the prisoner has to say, we may need to respond to this attack swiftly. If this is Sebastian’s doing…” His jaw clenched.

  “I’ll be ready. When are we going to question the wolf?”

  Finished with the bandage, he swiped a little of the ointment on her facial and arm scratches, set the supplies aside, and finally answered her question. “I am going to question him now. You are going to bed.”

  “No, I’m not. He tried to kill me. I have a right to be there.” Ari started to get up, but Andreas firmly pushed her back into the chair cushions and rose. She glowered up at him.

  “Bad temper will not win this argument for you. You are injured and need to heal. Besides, it would be best if you were not present during his questioning.”

  “You don’t get to make those decisions for me,” she snapped, pushing him away and standing. “Why shouldn’t I be there? What are you going to do?” Ari was annoyed by his high-handed attitude, but she was even more upset at herself. How could she have let the wolves catch her off guard? Not wanting to think about what could have happened, she concentrated on being angry with Andreas. “You’re obviously planning something you think I wouldn’t like.”

  He looked at her, his expression unreadable.

  “What kind of torture are you planning?”

  “Does it matter?” His look hardened. “I will do what is necessary.” Coldness edged into his voice. “A concept you do not always understand, except when it suits you to break the rules.”

  Ari blinked. She’d definitely gotten past his armor.

  “I will lock you in, if necessary.”

  They glowered at each other, and this time Ari backed down.

  Even in her present sour mood, she wasn’t stupid. They were on the verge of an all out fight, a fight she couldn’t and maybe shouldn’t win. He was wrong in thinking she didn’t understand the practical side, but she was a cop. It made times like this one very complicated. She sat down and crossed her arms.

  “Lilith will be outside if you need anything,” he said. “I will not be back tonight.”

  Holy crap! He was angrier than she’d thought. “Then how am I to know what the wolf says? Or what needs to be done tomorrow while you’re snoozing away?”

  “Lilith will tell you in the morning.” With those words, he left, closing the door more firmly than required. One irritated vampire. Not a good sign for the werewolf below.

  * * *

  In spite of her determination to stay awake until somebody told her what was happening, Ari woke with the sun streaming through the window. She flexed her fingers on the injured hand. A little stiff, but otherwise strong. She’d slept soundly, thanks to Andreas’s ointment and she suspected a little something in the bedtime hot chocolate from Lilith. Their assumption she needed to be taken care of was annoying, but she felt too good to complain. Ari stretched and sat up, suppressing a startled gasp when she saw the lioness lounging in a chair, watching her. As usual, Lilith’s short, black hair stood on end, and she had a bored expression on her face.

  “Have you been here all night?” Ari demanded.

  “No. Just the last hour. I came to see if you were going to sleep all day.” Lilith yawned and flexed her shoulders.

  “I don’t snore, do I?”

  “More like heavy breathing.” Lilith gave her a sly look. “If you’re worried, no doubt Andreas would think it was cute.”

  “Oh, please.” Ari grimaced. “I’m not sure he thinks anything about me is cute right now.”

  “Lover’s spat? I thought he was feeling murderous because of the wolf attack.”

  Oh, no. Ari’s gaze flew to Lilith’s face. Had her bad temper been responsible for the captive’s death? She didn’t need that on her conscience. “Is the wolf dead?”

  Lilith shook her head. “No, but he spilled his guts, figuratively speaking. Your Lt. Foster is picking him up this morning.”

  “Really?” Ari sat up straighter. “When was that arranged? How’d Ryan get involved in this?”

  “Something had to be done with the prisoner and the dead bodies in the park. Andreas talked with Foster and with Steffan last night. Several times, I think.”

  Ari took that all in, relieved the wolf was still alive, but annoyed she’d missed so much while she’d slept. “Tell me what the wolf said.”

  Lilith smiled without humor. “It takes only one word—Sebastian. That vamp freak doesn’t know when to quit. He lied to the wolves to get them to come after you. Some cock-and-bull story about you and Andreas ambushing their leaders in an unprovoked attack last year. And that you mutilated and tortured the she-wolf before killing her. Andreas was furious when he heard that one.” The lioness paused and snorted in disgust. “Sebastian’s not only after Prince Daron now. He’s targeting you and Andreas, maybe all of us.”

  Ari ran a finger over the edge of the silken comforter. Damn. She should have anticipated Sebastian would use the wolves again. After the pack killed her mentor and attacked the vampire compound, Ari and Andreas had cornered and killed one of the wolf leaders; the other had died at Sebastian’s hands because Ari had discovered their partnership in drug trafficking. Even if Sebastian hadn’t skewed those facts, the surviving wolves would have blamed them, and avenging fallen packmates was instinctive to most lycanthrope clans.

  Still, Sebastian might have overplayed his hand this time. By sending them back so soon, scarcely a year since the pack was decimated, they had been weak with only five adult leaders. They had caught Ari by surprise—which was her own damned fault—but thanks to Andreas, the pack had now suffered a second major defeat. It might take years this time for the wolves to adequately fill such a power loss. Due to his haste, Sebastian had lost one of his most effective weapons.

  “So what’s the plan?” she demanded. Andreas would be plotting a response. He wouldn’t let this incident go unchallenged.

  Lilith cleared her throat. “Andreas spent much of the night conferring with Prince Daron a
nd the vampire court. They decided Andreas should go to Toronto with a formal warning from this court to Sebastian’s.” Lilith dropped her eyes. “Russell and two vamp guards are going with him.”

  “That’s it? Just a warning? No way! And while we wait here? Like that’s going to happen.” Scowling, Ari hopped out of bed. “I’m going to Toronto to confront that nasty toad. Give him a warning of my own. He’s gone too far this time.”

  “Thought that’s what you’d say.” Lilith smirked. “I’ve brought the essentials.” She stood and picked up several items that had been laying unseen behind her chair. She slipped a plastic bottle of holy water into a waist holder, grasped a pistol in one hand, and tucked a second handgun into her shoulder holster. Lilith and her semi-automatics were notorious. The holy water was a nice addition.

  Ari slowly smiled. Now that was her idea of appropriate luggage.

  “You’ll have to tell Samuel to add us to the air and hotel reservations,” Lilith added. “I tried, but he won’t take my word for it.”

  Even at Ari's urging, Samuel, the weretiger in charge of household security, hesitated. He knew his boss wouldn’t like it but finally gave in when she said she’d deal with the fallout. Samuel couldn’t quite hide a mischievous grin. It made her stop and think about how she should approach Andreas. Maybe confrontation wasn’t the best way.

  * * *

  As soon as Andreas appeared that afternoon, Ari told him her travel plans. She kept her voice matter-of-fact. If the staff had hoped for ringside seats at a big blow up, they were doomed to disappointment. Andreas’s only reaction to the news was a small quirk of his mouth, followed by a brief nod.

  “You don’t seem surprised,” she said. It might have been smarter to leave it alone, but if he was still pissed with her, she wanted to deal with it now. If left to fester, grievances between them tended to erupt at the most inconvenient times and places.

  His dark eyes studied her with amusement. “I assumed I had done all the masterful pushing you were going to tolerate.”

  “Damn straight. This is my fight, too.”