Red lingered after he turned off the water, trying to dry in the tight space. He usually stepped into the bedroom area to do that but he didn’t think his guest would appreciate seeing him naked. He wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door.
The light in the kitchen had been turned on and the bed was empty. He stared at it, stunned.
Emma had made his bed.
It was kind of nice that she’d done that.
The smell of coffee teased his nose, and he was in for another surprise. Movement had him turning his head to find her peering at him from near the fridge. She’d exchanged her T-shirt and panties for a long-sleeved sweatshirt and jeans. Disappointment hit—and he hated it. Because he’d wanted to look at her bare legs.
“Do you mind if I cook us breakfast? You have cans of corned-beef hash and ketchup.”
His eyebrows rose. “For breakfast?”
She shrugged. “It’s good.”
“I usually have it for lunch.”
A cute little frown curved her mouth, drawing his attention to it. “You don’t have eggs and the only fresh thing you seem to have in the fridge is half a dozen steaks. Were you expecting company?”
He shook his head. “I spend my weekends here in the warm months. I restock every time I come for the next week. I put them in frozen and they slowly thaw inside the fridge. I’m going to have to hit town for more supplies soon.”
Another thought struck, and he winced.
“Are you okay?”
She’d noticed. He cleared his throat, holding her gaze. “Do you need any female stuff? You know…woman things? Is that time of the month coming?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have periods.”
He gaped. “What? You said you were only forty. Humans don’t hit that thing until they’re older.”
“You mean menopause?” Amusement flashed in her blue eyes.
“Yeah. That.”
“I live with a Vampire. Bleeding for days every month isn’t exactly a smart thing to do. I took care of it some years ago.”
Red was horrified. “You had yourself sterilized?”
“No!” She shook her head. “I take a shot every three months instead. I have some, but don’t worry. I don’t plan to be here that long. I always keep them with me since once a location is blown, we can’t ever go back.”
“You don’t need a doctor to give them to you?”
“Not with my grandpa and his ability to compel people into doing what he wants. He, um, talks doctors into giving me a supply of the shots to go, then wipes their memories. I get a two-year supply when we do it. It’s safer that way, rather than having to go through all the paperwork and creating new medical files every few months. I try to leave as little information about myself as possible. I told you…we were being hunted by Eduardo and the other Vampires from his nest.”
She couldn’t get pregnant.
He felt his dick respond and changed the subject quickly, to prevent the towel wrapped around his waist from rising. There would be no hiding his reaction if he didn’t think of something else. “How many Vampires are in this nest?”
She shrugged. “We don’t know how many Eduardo is in control of these days. There used to be six in the nest when my grandpa ran things. They can be as small as three Vamps up to dozens. It depends on where they’re located, who their master is, and if they’re able to support themselves without drawing notice.”
“You said they showed up at your home and your grandfather stayed behind? How many did you see?”
She thought back. “At least ten were there. He did tell me through our link that Eduardo hadn’t created those Vamps. They were sent from the council. I’m assuming Eduardo just followed them.”
“Your link?”
“Um…it’s a Vampire thing. I was young when I began living with Grandpa. My mind didn’t have any natural defenses yet, and he trained me to pick up and send thoughts.”
“You can mentally communicate with him?” The concept stunned him. “Only mates can do that.”
“Mates?” Her lips parted. “Ewww! I’m not mated to my grandpa.”
“VampLycan mates can do that,” he corrected. “Can you talk to him now?”
“No. It only works in close proximity.”
“How close?”
“I don’t know. We can talk to each other in the house but he can’t send me a thought if I’m at the store, like he forgot to add trash bags to the list or something.”
“It’s similar to a mated pair on distances. Can you feel what he does?”
“Not really, unless it’s a super-strong emotion. I knew he was afraid for a split second before I fled the house, but then it was gone.”
“I meant physical sensations. If he’s hurt, do you feel the injury?”
“No. Just strong emotions like if he’s pissed or scared.”
He smiled. “Mates have strong connections. They can send feelings through their bond but also physical responses.”
“Really?” She looked surprised.
“Mates are special. They have attributes that humans never will.”
“Great,” she muttered, turning away. Her voice lowered further. “Another one.”
“Another what?”
She softly cursed before turning to face him again. “I forgot your hearing would be as good as my grandfather’s. It’s just that I’m tired of being treated as if I’m deficient because I’m so normal. At least I can enjoy sunny days without dying and I don’t have a tail.”
Her feelings were hurt. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in her defensive tone. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Sure.” She shrugged. “Whatever. Do you want corned-beef hash or not? Can I cook? I’m always starving when I wake.”
“Go ahead. Or give me a few minutes to dress and I’ll cook.”
“I’ve got it, Redson.” She disappeared out of his sight. “I’m not totally useless,” she mumbled.
He knew women were emotional, and he’d somehow just triggered her anger. He softly growled and decided to get dressed. There wasn’t a lot of privacy, but she would either watch or not. He turned his back, dropped his towel, and put on his jeans.
Emma refused to slam the pan onto his little cooktop burner, despite her anger. It was a mystery why she’d expected Redson not to view her as a weaker species. Her grandfather had reminded her of that very thing at every opportunity, intentionally or not.
It could be her attraction to Redson, causing that disappointment she suffered. He was massively hot, and taboo on top of it.
She turned around to ask him where he kept his can opener. The sight of him bent, tugging up pants, and his muscular, beefy bare butt muted her.
She spun, moving before she was caught gawking.
Nice ass…and he doesn’t wear underwear. She also noted he was tan all over. That led to picturing him sunbathing nude. Stop, she ordered her imagination. He’s taken. Off limits. It’s a bad idea. Somewhere there was some VampLycan woman who’d probably claw her eyes out if she didn’t stop drooling over the tall hunk.
It was a sobering possibility. She was part VampLycan, but she didn’t have their kick-ass abilities. As strong as she was, it wouldn’t be anywhere near equal to a full-blooded one. The fight would be a painful joke, not in her favor.
She felt curiosity over the kind of woman Redson would be attracted to. She glanced around surreptitiously, searching for a photo. None were displayed.
The can opener was nowhere to be found. Frustration rose. “Redson?” She turned, hoping he had finished dressing.
She nearly smacked her face against his bare chest.
“What?”
She raised her chin. He was super tall, something she’d forgotten until he was inches away. “Where’s the can opener? It’s hard to cook anything if I can’t get the lids off.”
He held out one of those big hands of his. Sharp claws grew from the nail beds as she watched in opened-mouth wonder.
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�Right here. Pass them to me.”
“That’s, um…handy.” She took a step back and held up the first can.
He made easy work of it, running the tip of his thumbnail around the rim.
“I hope you washed your hands really good—and your nails, while you were at it.”
He arched his eyebrows. “I just showered and washed my hair.”
“I’ll pretend that was a solid yes.” She took it, giving him the second one, and used a fork to scrape out the contents of the can. “I love this stuff.”
“Me too.”
He stepped closer—and she froze in place when his arms came around her to pour out the second can by roughly tapping the bottom of it. She was trapped between him and the mini stove. Emma turned her head, peering up at him.
“Do you know what personal space is?”
“Do you know that this is my den?”
“Fair enough.”
She was grateful for his protection. His father had died; therefore, he technically could have told her she was shit out of luck. Klackan Redwolf had sworn a blood oath to her grandfather. The son didn’t have to honor that promise. She didn’t want him to regret it by complaining too much.
He grabbed a wooden spoon, stirring the hash as he used his other hand to dump in ketchup. She remained still, watching as he cooked, unsure how to extricate herself from where she stood. She glanced up at him again, noticing he’d shaved. Redson wore some delicious aftershave that was masculine but faint, urging her to get closer to appreciate the smell. She resisted.
“You got rid of the facial hair.”
He shrugged. “It grows fast. I remove it every week to avoid growing a long beard. It will look the same as it did within days.”
“Do you want me to get plates?” Good excuse to let me go.
“You’re fine.”
That wasn’t exactly true. He was so big that she felt a little dwarfed in the circle of his arms. He had no problem looking over her to see the pan. She bit her lip and decided to just be blunt. He’d stated he was considering living with some woman but he was acting as if he were single. Definite “I’m hitting on you” vibes were being sent her way.
“What are you doing?”
“Cooking.”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. I can’t move without touching you, and you’re doing the cooking after I already offered.”
He peered down at her.
“What are you doing?” She spoke softer the second time.
“Cooking.”
“You’re totally playing stupid, yet I know you’re not. What is this?” She glanced at his arms trapping her before looking into his pretty eyes.
That drew a frown from him. “You were in my way, and I didn’t want to pick you up. You might have gotten mad since you didn’t seem to enjoy that yesterday.”
“You could have asked me to step aside, you know.”
He shrugged. “I can see and reach around you.”
“Redson—”
“Call me Red,” he rasped, his voice lowering enough to resemble a sexy growl.
Her heart skipped a beat. A soft click sounded, signaling he’d turned off the flame from under the pan. “Is it done?”
He suddenly surprised her by gripping her hips. She grabbed at his arms for something to cling to and keep her balance but he spun as he lifted her right off her feet. Solid wood bumped her back as he pinned her against the wall.
Red had beautiful eyes. The brown had golden flecks in the irises, their shape exotic, and then the gold turned more yellow, nearly glowing. It continued until the brown was almost entirely overtaken by the brighter color. Emma couldn’t look away for anything. It was amazing and enthralling at the same time.
There was also something alarming about it…something familiar.
“Shit. Don’t!” Her mind started working again. “You’re going to try to do that thing Vampires do with their eyes.” She forced her gaze to his full lips. “I didn’t know VampLycans had that ability.”
“Look at me.”
She shook her head, her hands getting a good grip on his biceps. Red had really hot skin, maybe a trait of his Lycan blood, since Vamps ran a little cool to the touch unless they’d just fed. He had such kissable lips…they looked soft yet firm. She bet he’d be a good kisser if his fangs weren’t extended. Then it might get tricky to avoid accidental blood loss if he nicked her with them.
“Emma.”
“I don’t want to be hypnotized or ordered to do whatever it is you want. That’s rude.”
“Look at me.”
“No way.” She continued to stare at his mouth. “Just tell me what you want and don’t try to use your special gifts on me.”
“I’m not trying to influence you.”
“I’m not naïve! I know what happens when eyes glow. My grandpa is a Vamp, remember? I’ve watched him do it thousands of times, and you wouldn’t enjoy my reaction.”
“What does that mean?”
“I get killer headaches and might throw up afterward. Grandpa had to sometimes control me, and he thinks I’ve built a resistance. He can still get in but I pay for it later. I’m sure you don’t want me losing whatever’s left of last night’s dinner on your floor.”
Red’s lips parted and he growled. “He controlled you? I thought you said he treated you well.”
“He does! Sometimes I’d get scared when I was younger, and he’d have to kind of take over for me. I mentioned we lived in the city around other Vamps at one point. Have you ever met a blood slave?”
She glanced up into his gaze, happy to see his eyes no longer glowed golden. A lot of the brown had bled back into them. She felt safe enough to keep eye contact.
“Yes. They’re brainless creatures.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. You’re making it sound as if they’re zombies. Okay,” she quickly amended. “Maybe I see your point. They aren’t exactly emotional or independent. They just do as they’re told without resistance. Sometimes the local nest would get nosey and spy on us. Grandpa made sure they believed I was his slave.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to keep me alive.”
“Why would they have cared if you were his blood slave or not?”
“Humans aren’t allowed to know about Vampires! It’s a death sentence. He’d get inside my head and shut me down when they started watching us too closely. He had to make them think I was his blood slave. But after a while, I started getting sick. We moved to a remote area without other Vamps around because he feared for my health.”
Suspicion tensed his features. “You don’t know if he fed from you or not when he took away your will.”
“It’s called trust—and I know without a doubt he wouldn’t have taken advantage of me. I’m not food. I’m his heart. He couldn’t exactly tell them I was his granddaughter. Vamps can tell that he’s old and I’m not. Or they might have guessed I’m part VampLycan—and again with the death sentence, since I’m weaker.”
“City Vampires still hate VampLycans?”
“I think it’s more of a fifty/fifty split between fear and hatred. They know your kind will come after them if they ever try to repeat the past by using Lycans as breeders. But they don’t like anyone telling them what they can or can’t do, either. They want to avoid another war, but I don’t belong to a VampLycan clan. Which means killing me would mean no blowback on them.”
“Who said the war ended?”
Her eyebrows arched, studying him. “You’re still fighting Vampires in Alaska?”
He hesitated but then shrugged. “We tend to avoid Vampires, but there have been some incidents lately involving another clan being attacked by them. Lycan packs fear us.”
“Why do Lycans fear you?”
“Do you remember what your mother looked like when shifted?”
“No.”
“We don’t resemble wolves. Lycans can pass for a wolf from a distance, but up close they’re larger. We’re different. The Vamp
ire blood gives us a more humanoid shape. We’ve got less fur, more mass, and we’re stronger.” He paused. “Faster. It’s a hell of a lot harder to kill us since we heal at a rate they can’t, especially if we sink our fangs into whoever we’re fighting. Then the Vampire side of us is revealed. A wound will close within seconds while we’re feeding. And all VampLycans are alphas, unlike Lycans. Packs are built to follow one person or a pair, but not a large group. It confuses their instincts.”
She let that information sink in. Another question popped into her head. “You mentioned these GarLycans. What’s their story? You don’t seem to trust them. Why?”
“How much did your grandfather share with you about our history?”
She thought back. “Vampires and Lycans used to work and live together. He said it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, since Vampires could wipe the memories of any humans who started to look cross-eyed at a Lycan. Lycans could keep Vampires safe while they slept during the day. Life had never been better and everyone was friendly as could be. Grandpa told me each race used to live in tiny groups but once they combined forces, Lycans and Vampires had numbers equal to the humans who lived near them. Mixed-species relationships began, and it was all good…until a Lycan ended up pregnant by a Vampire. Then shit hit the fan. Grandpa said a lot of his people tried to slaughter all the Lycan men, to force the women to becoming baby-makers.”
Red smiled. “The way you say things.” He sobered. “That’s how it went down, though. Vampires attacked the race they’d called friends and allies. Do you know how Lycans fight?”
“I imagine with claws and lots of biting involved.”
“They send their breeding-age women and all the children away, with the mated men to protect them. The single men and older members will stand and fight to the death to give them time to flee. Over half the pack stayed to fight to give the rest a chance.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Red nodded. “It’s all about protecting future generations and making certain their race survives. The Vampires didn’t attack right away. And there wasn’t just one woman who was pregnant by a Vampire. There were dozens of them by the time the Lycans realized the Vampires had turned against them. Lycans got away and fled to this area. They figured Vampires wouldn’t chase them this far into the wilderness since there were almost no humans to feed from. Gargoyles were already here, due to that same reason. They’d come over here from Europe to escape attacks by both Vampires and humans. They also had problems from time to time with other Gargoyle clans attacking.”
Redson Page 6