Don't Tempt Me (Nora Jacobs Book 4)

by Jackie May

  “Me?” I cry. “What about you?”

  He’s sweating, and his chest is still riddled with bleeding bullet holes. I know he’s a dragon mythic, and that he’s tough and doesn’t have the reaction to silver that Rook does. But still.

  “I’m fine,” he grunts. He looks down at Rook and takes the blade from my hand. “We have to get the bullets out of him. Hold him down, Nora. This is going to hurt.”

  Another loud roar shakes the club. “Is Terrance okay?”

  “He’s lost to his rage, and guarding Wulf. We’ll deal with him in a minute.”

  I wrap my arms around Rook’s neck and hold him down. “Is Wulf…” I can’t ask.

  “He’s alive,” Nick murmurs, and digs my small blade into the hole in Rook’s chest.

  Rook howls and thrashes. I have to sink all of my weight onto him to keep him from getting up. “Just a minute, friend,” Nick says with a grunt. “Almost…got it!”

  He drops a small, silver bullet to the floor and goes straight to work on the next one. “Just the two of them?” he asks me.

  I nod. “I’m pretty sure he was only shot twice.”

  “Hold your hands over that wound. Try to stop the bleeding. It’ll heal now, but it’ll take a minute.”

  I push my hands against Rook’s chest. Warm liquid flows over my fingers. So much blood. Tears well in my eyes at the sound of his pained whimper. “Hang on, Rook. It’s almost over.”

  He whines again, and then he stiffens and let’s out a startled yelp. I can’t stand the pain he’s in. I lean forward and kiss his snout. “Listen to me, to my voice. Nick’s almost done. You’ll be fine.”

  “Got it.”

  Immediately, Rook relaxes and his body goes limp beneath me. He lets out a breath and closes his eyes.

  Nick, hands pressed against Rook’s other wound, gives me a small smile. “You make an excellent nurse.”

  I let out a strangled bark of laughter. “I really wish I didn’t have to.” I’ve spent too much time in life or death situations lately. I’m getting used to it. “He’ll be okay now?”

  Nick nods. “It’ll take him a little longer to heal than normal, but he’ll be all right.”

  “And Wulf’s okay?”

  Nick nods. “He got lucky. The bullet barely missed his heart, and Terrance got to him quickly. What about you? You’re not hurt at all?”

  “Me? Nick, you were shot. A lot! Your whole chest is riddled with bullets right now.”

  “Not gold.”

  “So? That can’t feel good.”

  I know it hurts because he’s still sweating.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Stubborn man. “I know you’ll be fine. What do we do to help you feel better faster?”

  He sighs. “I need to shift. The bullets will dissolve, and the wounds will heal with the shift.”

  “Then shift!”

  He quirks an eyebrow at me, then looks around the room and up at the ceiling. The dance hall is a pretty big room, but, then again, Nick’s an awfully big dragon. I give him a sheepish smile. “Okay, maybe go out to the parking lot first.”

  “I will, when he stops bleeding.”

  As we sit there, putting pressure on Rook’s wounds, Nick looks over at the staked vampire. “I’m sorry I took so long to get to you.”

  I snort. “It was barely a minute, and you have a chest full of silver. Besides, I managed well enough.”

  I can’t help feeling a little proud. I’m getting a lot less useless. I’m still taking Rook’s self-defense classes, and Illren has been giving me weapons training, too. I’m no expert, but I’ve come a long way from that frightened, helpless woman who got kidnapped by her human neighbor.

  Nick eyes the vampire again and chuckles. “You sure did, partner. Nice aim.”

  I grin. “Good thing. I’m being trained by the Winter Queen’s former assassin. He’d jump all over my ass if I’d missed. He’s not exactly a merciful teacher.”

  Nick throws his head back and laughs, but then he groans and coughs up a bit of blood. That wipes the smile from my face. “Nick. Go outside and shift right now.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone with an unconscious wolf.”

  I roll my eyes. “So leave us with the raging troll. He’ll keep us safe.”

  Nick smirks. “Only you would ever say you’re safe with a raging troll.”

  I crack another smile and shrug casually. “I’m probably the only person who is.”

  “Very true, little spitfire.” Nick scoops up Rook’s wolf into his arms and carries him across the club toward Terrance and Wulf. His slow pace and a slight wince is the only indication that he’s hurt. Nick really is an incredible creature.

  Nick approaches Terrance slowly. Terrance roars, standing over Wulf’s unconscious body, and Nick stops. “Easy, Terrance,” Nick murmurs.

  Terrance roars again, so I quickly step between him and Nick. “Hey, T-man,” I say gently. “It’s me. Nora.”

  Terrance’s all-black eyes turn my direction. I take a small, slow step toward him. He stiffens, but he doesn’t roar. “Nick’s just going to lay Rook down, okay? He’s hurt, and he needs to go outside to heal himself.”

  I step closer as I talk until I can touch him. I place my hand on his forearm. He shocks me by scooping me into his arms and cradling me possessively like I’m a prized toy. I pat his chest but don’t ask him to set me down. I know he needs this right now. “I’m okay, Terrance. I promise.”

  He ducks his head and inhales my scent. His chest rumbles with displeasure. I know what’s got him upset. “It’s not my blood. I’m okay. Not hurt at all. And I’m safe now. The shooter is dead. I killed him.”

  This earns me a grunt. I take it as a compliment.

  “Doing great Nora, just keep talking to him,” Nick says, slowly setting Rook down a good ten feet from us, careful to not make any sudden movements. “You’re probably one of the only people who could talk him down right now. Wulf is his best friend.”

  Nick looks hesitant to leave me, so I wave him off. “I’ve got this, partner. Go heal yourself and call the others. Also, I hate to say this, but you might want to call Henry. He’s going to be pissed that one of his vampires attacked me.”

  Nick winces. “We’ll call Parker and Director West first. Let them inform Henry after we get you out of here.”

  Rook and Wulf are both still unconscious, and Terrance is still in rage mode when the other members of our clan arrive at the club. As soon as Nick went outside to shift, Terrance set me down and started destroying things. The club looks as bad as it did the first time I saw him go into a rage—the time a female troll from his home clan was kidnapped. Booths are torn. Stools are smashed. Couches are overturned. Holes have been punched through walls. Liquor bottles are broken. It’s a disaster.

  So far, Terrance hasn’t let me move from my spot on the floor in front of the bar. Any time I stand up, he hurries over and blocks me from going anywhere. He doesn’t stop destroying things until Parker, Oliver, and Director West come inside with Nick. Then he’s back to playing bodyguard for Rook, Wulf, and me.

  Oliver comes straight over to us, and I’m not surprised when Terrance lets him. Oliver is his clan as much as I am. Oliver looks exhausted. “How are you?” I ask.

  “Tired,” he admits. “I was going to call it quits and go home before we got your call. Are you okay?” He glances at the blood covering me. “Were you hurt at all?”

  I shake my head. “Not my blood.” My gaze falls on Rook and Wulf.

  Oliver pulls me into his arms. “They’ll be okay.”

  “Why are they still unconscious? They should be healed by now.”

  Oliver sits down with me and pulls me onto his lap. I want to protest because he’s still weak, but it feels too good to be in his arms. “It’s the silver,” he says. “It slows the healing process. But don’t worry. They got the silver out before it could kill them. They’ll be all right.”

  I sigh and reach out to run my fingers th
rough Rook’s fur. My chest aches as if it can tell Rook is weak. It’s almost unbearable. Oliver squeezes me in a tight hug. “We’ll get everyone home as soon as we can get Terrance calmed enough to let us leave.”

  I look at the troll in question. He’s getting better. He’s watching Oliver and me carefully. He’s coherent enough to recognize Oliver as family.

  Unfortunately, Henry shows up then, and that sends Terrance into another tizzy. I cross my fingers that T-man rips the vamp apart limb from limb, but Henry wisely doesn’t come anywhere near us. He gives me a long look but heads for Director West, Parker, Nick, and the vampire I killed.

  Enzo is the next person to show up, and I let out a breath of relief. Wulf and Rook may both be out of death’s grip, but I’ve never seen them look so bad. Terrance stiffens when Enzo comes near, so I get to my feet and place my hand on his arm again. My touch always seems to calm him down. “Hey, Terrance, it’s just Enzo. He wants to help us. He can help heal Rook and Wulf. Will you let him help?”

  Enzo moves slowly, looking as nonthreatening as possible and making eye contact with Terrance the whole time. Terrance watches him like a hawk, but he stays beside me. I don’t release my grip on his arm. He needs the physical contact.

  Enzo gets to work without a word, starting with Wulf. My heart wishes he’d start with my mate, but my head knows that Wulf is probably worse off. One of the bullets that hit him nearly pierced his heart. We almost lost him.

  Wulf, still in human form, finally wakes up with a low groan. “Wulf!” I cry and scramble toward him. I take his hand in mine and let out a sob of relief. He looks my direction, but I don’t think he recognizes me.

  Enzo swipes his hand over Wulf’s forehead and murmurs, “Shift, my friend. You will be more comfortable, and you will heal faster.” He presses his hand once more to the wounds in Wulf’s chest. “Shift.”

  Wulf obeys and lets the shift take him. It’s slower than normal, but once he’s in his wolf form, his body relaxes. His eyes close, but I think he’s just resting this time as opposed to actual unconsciousness.

  Enzo moves to Rook next. “How are you, Miss Nora?” he asks me as he presses his hands to the wounds on Rook. “Are you feeling any effects through your mate bond?”

  I watch Rook again and run my fingers through his thick fur. “My chest hurts like it’s being squeezed, but it’s not as bad as it was. That’s from the mate bond?”

  Enzo nods. “Your souls are linked. You will feel it when your mate’s soul is in peril.”

  I blink, and my heart flutters with anxiety. Rook’s soul was in peril? Had I come that close to losing him? I’ve been surprisingly calm and collected through this whole ordeal, but that truth makes tears fall from my eyes.

  “He’ll be okay, Miss Nora. I can feel him getting stronger already. Wulf is all right, too. You have my word they will both be fine by tomorrow.”

  I wipe at my eyes and suck in a deep breath. “I’m so sick of people trying to kill my men!” Anger wells up inside me with startling force. “When I find out who it is, I’m going to make them wish they’d never messed with what’s mine.”

  Rook whines and suddenly shifts form back to human. He coughs and cracks a smile. “Am I the only one who finds Nora’s possessiveness sexy?” he croaks, pulling an incredulous bark of laughter from me.

  “Rook!”

  I nearly fall on top of him and kiss him. He puckers his lips, but that’s about all he can do to return the kiss. “You should shift back,” I tell him, raking his sweaty hair back. “Enzo says it will make you feel better and heal faster.”

  Rook sighs and clasps my hand. He holds it to his face and lets out a sigh. His thoughts are focused on my touch. He sends me a specific one. But your touch feels so much better in human form. The memory that flashes through his mind makes me blush, and I pull my hand away.

  Enzo sits back, looking nearly as pale and sweaty as Rook. “I’ve done all that I can,” he says. “They will need a day to rest, but they are as healed as my skills can make them.”

  I surprise Enzo when I throw my arms around him. He startles, but then lightly returns the hug, chuckling softly. He’s blushing when I pull back. He’s so shy. It’s cute. I give him my most grateful smile. “Thank you, Enzo. I know that’s not nearly enough to make up for all the times you’ve helped this clan, but thank you. If you ever need anything—anything at all—you just let us know. We’re in your debt.”

  Terrance’s deep, gruff voice startles me. “Nora has requested we invite you to join our clan. There were no objections. If you are interested, we would be honored to have you join us.”

  I’m glad to see his eyes are no longer all black. He must be feeling better now that both Rook and Wulf have woken up. Well, Wulf’s still asleep, but he woke up and shifted. He’ll be all right.

  Surprise washes over Enzo’s face as Terrance’s words register in his head. He sits there staring at me, unable to do or say anything. I squeeze his hand and give him a welcoming smile. His thoughts are a whirlwind so jumbled he might actually be in shock.

  Why would she do that? She has so many men already. She couldn’t need any more. Her clan is so close. Closer than most clans who are formed by blood. They’re more than a clan. They’re a family. They can’t possibly want me to be part of that family. They must be kidding. They’re all so strong, so powerful. Why would they let me in? Is this a dream? I’ve been alone for so long. Could I really be accepted as one of them?

  I squeeze his hand again. “Of course you’re one of us. Like Rook said the other night, you’re basically family already. I just wanted to make it official. Everyone agreed. We’d love to have you join us.”

  Enzo looks around our group and only finds encouraging smiles. He swallows hard, then brings the back of my hand to his forehead and bows low over it. “It would be my honor,” he murmurs, voice thick with emotion. “I thank you.”

  I wait until he raises his head again and then give him a crooked smile. “No thanks necessary. Consider us even.”

  “As a member of this clan,” Terrance says, sounding official still, “you are entitled to a room in the den amongst your family. Though, if you choose to stay in your own home, we will not be offended.”

  Enzo blinks again and stares at Terrance. “You wish me to join you?” he asks in awe. “In your home?”

  “Family is family,” I say quietly.

  His gaze sweeps to me and he bows again, first to me, then to Terrance, Oliver, and Rook. “I would very much like that.”

  My chest warms with happiness. Something about having Enzo with us fills a void in my heart. My family is more complete with him in it. But then a thought crosses my mind, and I wince. “Our clan is in danger right now,” I warn him. “Joining us will put a giant target on your back.”

  He pulls his shoulders back, and a look of fierce determination sweeps across his face. “And I will fight with all of you as best as I can. Your burdens are mine.”

  My face is not the only one that softens. My guys are all as touched by the gentle shaman’s bold declaration as I am.

  Parker walks over just in time to hear Enzo’s promise. He must have heard more of our conversation with his excellent hearing, because he clasps Enzo’s shoulder and says, “Welcome to the clan, brother.”

  Enzo’s eyes gloss over.

  “Wulf accepted the invite, too!” I blurt out, my heart bursting with happiness despite our troubling times. “He wants to stay at his place, but he said yes to joining the clan.”

  The guys all smile at that, but after a beat of silence, Parker gets down to business. “The assailant was not one of Henry’s vampires. According to his ID, he was from St. Louis.”

  So far away.

  Rook snorts, then groans like it hurt. “I guess Illren’s reputation has its limits after all.”

  “Speaking of the fey assassin,” Parker says, “Did anyone call him and Charlie? Do we know if they’re safe?”

  Wondering where Illren and Charlie are,
I decided to test the theory that I could find Charlie through my link to him. I concentrate inside myself where I always feel his emotions. He’s anxious right now. I send him waves of reassurance, trying to let him know that everything is okay. I feel relief return to me and then a feeling of joy as if he’s happy that I reached out to him through our mate bond.

  “They’re safe,” I answer.

  Closing my eyes in concentration, I feel for him just as he and Illren come bursting through the door. Charlie gapes at the destruction all around us with a sense of shock and awe. I guess he’s never seen an angry troll before. Illren’s eyes are on his clan members. He studies Rook, Wulf, and Nick, and finally his gaze falls on me. In two strides he’s in front of me, cradling my face in his hands. “Is any of this blood yours?” he asks, unable, for once, to conceal his rage.

  “No.”

  I only get the one word out before Illren smashes his lips on mine. The kiss is rough, passionate. Full of anger and relief. When he pulls back, he doesn’t let go of my face, and his eyes blaze at me with a fire that promises certain death to the person pulling the strings behind this hit on our clan. I understand the sentiment completely, and seeing his anger brings back my own. “We will end this collector,” Illren promises.

  “Yes. We will.”

  “The problem is finding him,” Oliver says. “He’s covered his tracks too well.”

  “Then we give him what he wants,” I say, intuition sparking. “We tempt him out of hiding.”

  My men erupt into a chorus of refusals.

  “We are not giving you to him,” Terrance growls. “I’m sick and tired of using you as bait.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t mean just me.” Eyes narrow around the group and lips purse, but they stop objecting and give me a chance to explain. “He wants all of us, so we’ll call him out. Have Illren respond to the post on the darknet, saying if you want us, come and get us. We name the time and place, like a shootout in the Old West.”