by Trina M. Lee
Stepping out of the room, I gently closed the door behind me. The sitting nook that led to the balcony was inviting, but I was more interested in discovering what exactly went on around here. So I followed the banister to the stairs that led down to the second floor. From over the railing, I peered right down to the main floor. Nobody coming up. So I headed down.
On the second floor one of the doors that had been closed on our way up was now cracked open. I had to pass it to reach the next set of stairs. Not wanting to draw the attention of whoever might be inside, I took slow, deliberate steps.
Could it be the naked hottie from the pool?
As I snuck along with stealth, I studied the décor. With Nova herding me along like a sheep on the way up, I hadn’t had the chance to take in the artwork. Old paintings stared back at me from the walls, portraits of unfamiliar faces. In one corner a statue portrayed a woman with wings, knees tucked up under her arms as tears streaked down her face. I had to stop in front of her. The artist had brought the emotion bleeding through the stone. Gazing into her eyes, I felt her pain.
Now knowing where I was going, I continued past the open bedroom door. As I tiptoed by I caught the faintest trace of a man’s voice speaking in a hush too low to decipher. I didn’t want to risk being caught lurking outside his door, so I quickened my pace and skipped down the next flight of stairs.
Once on the main floor I found the fork in the hall. The house branched off into two separate sprawling wings. From the right came the scent of food and a lot of it. So I opted to go left.
Past a washroom near the staircase, an open door led me to a large living room filled with overstuffed leather furniture. The large L-shaped sectional couch with fluffy pillows sat across from a large screen TV. A recliner and a small love seat completed the seating. Coffee tables were positioned within reach of each piece of furniture. The room curved around to where a pool table sat with a wet bar tucked against the wall behind it. Double patio doors opened to the backyard.
Even though the room was empty I caught the distinct scent of werewolf.
“Finding everything ok?”
I whirled around to find the guy from the pool behind me. In low slung gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, his damp hair had been pushed back haphazardly. Though surprised by his sudden appearance, his gold-amber eyes held me captive. Here was the werewolf.
“Yeah, I think so. I just got here. I was waiting for Nova, but he didn’t come back so…” I flashed a guilty yet unapologetic smile and shrugged. What more could I say? I’d disobeyed the demon, but to be fair he had failed to tell me anything about what I was doing here.
“Sorry about that.” He jerked a thumb toward the patio door. “Didn’t mean to give you an eyeful. The house is mostly empty at this time of night. I didn’t think anyone would see.”
Did he think I minded an attractive man swimming nude beneath my window? If that was one of the perks that came with being here, then it couldn’t be all bad. Then again, though I didn’t hate men, most men anyway, I didn’t trust them. I had my reasons.
But that didn’t make me sexless and stupid. A woman had many needs. A vampire had even more.
Before I could stop myself, my gaze found the crescent moon tattoo on his neck, where his pulse beat beneath the ink, second nature when in the presence of anyone with a heartbeat. Feeding the bloodlust always came with a high, but the intoxication of potent shifter blood had gotten many a vampire in trouble.
“No worries. I saw nothing.” I waved a hand, brushing the awkward incident aside. He could swim naked outside my window any time.
The werewolf winced. “Ouch. That hurts the ego a bit. I’d rather you have seen something. Preferably a big something. Anyway, I’m Rayne.”
When he extended a hand, I didn’t hesitate to accept. Forearm to wrist swirled with thick black tribal tattoos, all ending in jagged points. The rich and intoxicating scent of his blood hit me, and despite being sated, I couldn’t help but wonder how he tasted.
As a new vampire such alluring smells had severely tested my control. Now I could hold my desires back like a rebellious dog straining on the end of the leash, as long as nothing happened to trip my control, such as going too long between feedings or being dangerously weakened.
Rayne’s handshake was firm, his grasp strong but not crushing. Those golden eyes were so animalistic even in human form. Enchanting really.
“Blaze,” I said with a laugh. “Maybe you can tell me what I’m doing here.”
Nova appeared right next to us, so close that I jerked my hand from Rayne’s and leaped back, defenses up. “I thought I told you to wait upstairs.” He narrowed his eyes.
The demon squinted like he didn’t know what to make of me. To him I must have seemed like a fearless rulebreaker tempting punishment. By no means fearless, Nova simply didn’t know what frightened me.
Yet.
“And I thought you planned to come back.” I waved both hands dramatically between us. “I got bored so I decided to look around. You can’t just leave me sitting there waiting to find out what the hell is going on here.”
His jaw twitched and lips waivered, like he tried not to laugh. So I had a tendency to talk with my hands. Sue me. Nova nodded in agreement. “Apparently.” Glancing at Rayne he said, “You’re back early. Everything go well?”
“As well as it could, all things considered.” Rubbing a hand over his faintly stubbled jaw, Rayne watched Nova with a werewolf’s wariness. No trust.
“Good. Guess I can’t ask for more than that.” Either not noticing or not caring that Rayne was uneasy around him, the smarmy demon gestured to the hallway. “If you would both accompany me to the dining room, we can get started.”
A little spark of adrenaline jolted me. Now we were getting somewhere. Once I knew what I was dealing with, I could plan my next move.
Both curious and guarded, I followed Rayne down the hall with Nova at my back. I watched the werewolf’s long strides. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, drawing my eye to the flash of a paw print tattoo low on his side when he stretched an arm over his head, making his shirt rise up. Hot for sure but that didn’t mean shit in the grand scheme of things. Could I trust him not to try to kill me? That’s the kind of shit that mattered.
We crossed through the front entry. A smaller door was tucked under the stairs, and I surmised it led to the basement. Rayne walked past it into a large kitchen stacked with white glass-front cupboards and a massive central island with a granite top. We continued to the attached dining room. I marveled at how the elaborate interior contradicted the weathered exterior, a clever ruse to ensure greater privacy.
A long table with seating for twelve took up the bulk of the dining room. A stunning chandelier sparkled in its own light. Candles burned on the hearth of a fireplace on one wall. A double doorway on the far wall opened into another sitting area. Smaller than the living room, it lacked a TV. I noted a hard leather sofa with matching chair, a dressing table, and another fireplace completed the snug room.
I had no time for compiling further details, too busy staring at the food-laden table and the people seated around it. Or more specifically, just one person. A vampire, to be precise. Ghost.
I’d had a one-night stand with Ghost. We’d shared a kill and a little extra. Then we’d gone our separate ways. I hadn’t seen him since.
Whatever Ghost’s real name was, I didn’t know it. He earned his nickname from the way he hunted like a panther, slinking unseen and unheard through the night. I barely knew Ghost, but I knew he had to have been hard to catch, even for a demon. It was a surprise to see him here.
His dark gaze followed me, and he winked as I took an empty seat across from him. An American with Mexican ancestry, Ghost had made his way north to Canada sometime in the last decade. Deep brown hair just long enough to grab and mischief-filled eyes so dark they were almost black, he was incredibly handsome. But his sexy, smoky voice murmuring dirty commands in my ear burst into mind as soon as I lai
d eyes on him.
Ah, memories.
Rayne sat next to me. He wasted no time piling his plate with food. Us vampy types couldn’t indulge in human food and drink. Blood only.
Nine of us sat at the table: four shifters, three vampires including me, and two humans. My gaze swept over my companions, noting only two other women present: a cute platinum blonde who could have stepped out of Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle” video and a striking black woman with a side shave in her shoulder length hair and a deeply etched scowl. A werewolf. Thick winged eyeliner added to her badass look. When our eyes met her expression remained unchanged.
Nova stood at the head of the table, surveying the lot of us. If the hard set of his mouth was any indication, he wasn’t impressed with what he saw. Maybe he hated his job, and he too was here against his will.
“Alright, so here’s the situation.” He gripped the back of his chair but made no move to sit in it. “You’re all here because you’ve drawn The Circle’s attention. Each of you was chosen for the same purpose: to make life hell for the FPA.”
The FPA, or the Federal Para-Intelligence Agency, was a human-run government organization created to watch, trap, and kill supernaturals. They also recruited us, the ones who hated what we were and hated the rest of us as well, using them as foot soldiers against their own kind. Word on the street said the Feds had gone so far as to experiment on the supes they brought in.
The very thought made me sick.
Nova allowed us a moment to process before continuing, “You will be tested, trained, and sent on various jobs from surveillance to interrogation to straight up assassination. Some of you may even be promoted to double agent. If you survive that long. You are all on probation. During this time you will stay here in the house and follow the rules laid out for you. Failure to do that will result in an automatic death sentence. Any questions?”
A strained silence fell over the table. I waited to see if anyone else would speak up. When they didn’t, I asked, “Am I correct in assuming that should we choose not to accept this role, it’s also an automatic death sentence?”
“Yes,” Nova confirmed. “Every one of you has been caught making a public kill, multiples in some cases. However, The Circle is confident you’re more than capable of what’s expected of you. Otherwise we’d have already sent the hunters to take you out.”
“What kind of training?” asked a soft-spoken werewolf at the end of the table. His cool gray-blue eyes locked on Nova, calm and thoughtful. With the hood of his sweater pulled up, just a tuft of ash-blond hair peeked out. Though I wouldn’t have pegged him for any older than his mid-twenties, he had this haunted glow that came with time and experience.
Jaded as fuck. Didn’t take long in our world.
“You will train to maximize your magical skills and master physical combat as well as various forms of interrogation, giving and receiving. The Feds have installed a special ops facility here in Edmonton with agents specially trained for supernatural targets. So you will remind them that this is our world, and we will not be policed by humans. Everybody on board?” Nova’s black wings rustled, stretching slightly before settling back against him.
Anyone more than human quickly learned about the FPA. Almost as fast as they learned about The Circle of the Veil, in a manner of speaking. Not everyone knew The Circle’s name but we all came to know the hunters they employed.
Two opposing entities, human versus supernatural, each with the ability to make our lives hell. Talk about a rock and a hard place.
Nova’s mention of interrogation testing sent a shiver through me. Being forced to do The Circle’s bidding didn’t sit well with me. I was nobody’s bitch. I’d rather be dead than be a prisoner. History had taught me that. I hadn’t escaped a life of hell to end up trapped by anyone.
Otherwise, it didn’t sound so bad. The opportunity to give the FPA hell had its appeal.
“What’s the deal with the probation period?” The question drew everyone’s attention to the fierce female werewolf.
Nova released the chair and crossed his arms, peering down his nose at her. “If you prove yourselves to be a trustworthy asset, you’ll leave the house, live wherever you wish, do what you want. As long as you are always accessible to us.”
His use of us gave me the creeps. It made The Circle sound like an all-powerful entity speaking directly through Nova.
He continued, “In the meantime, do what you’re told and only what you’re told. As you earn more freedoms, you all will still be expected to treat this house as your home base. If any of you are not here by sunrise every day, you’ll be hunted the following sunset.”
“And the rules after probation?” Ghost’s sexy voice gave me a shiver.
Every person at the table waited for Nova to shovel on more bad news.
“Those rules haven’t changed: No public kills. No public attention. Vampires should make use of The Wicked Kiss. If any of you feel the need to kill, don’t get caught. I promise you’ll regret it. For the few seconds it takes me to end you.” Nova paused, tapping a finger against his lip in thought. “You’ll be spending a lot of time together. Don’t get attached. It’s easier for everyone that way. Most of you won’t survive as long as you think you will.” For just a moment the demon’s red gaze lingered on me before darting away. “You answer to Rayne, my second in command, and to me. Your training starts tomorrow night.”
We were nothing but an expendable task force, recruited against our will to serve The Circle of the Veil. Or die. I wanted very much to survive. I also wanted to do it on my own terms. Quite the predicament.
CHAPTER FOUR
Sunrise was close now. As high and mighty as Nova might want us to think he was, he too had weaknesses. Demons couldn’t manifest on the physical plane during daylight hours; they were forced back to the other side. Where they ultimately belonged. I wondered if maintaining a physical form for an extended period took a toll on their strength. Perhaps enough time training with Nova would teach me more about his kind.
If I stayed.
Nova’s claim to be able to track me anywhere could’ve been a lie. Demons weren’t known for being morally upstanding members of the underworld. Although, were any of us?
I’d screwed up. I had to admit it to myself. Too many times I’d taken it too far. It had to catch up to me sometime.
The others had spread out through the house. So many people created a cocktail of scents that hung on the air. Mixed with the food aromas, the strong odor had me wrinkling my nose. My hunger for human food and drink had died along with me.
I glanced into the adjoined sitting room before leaving. The wolf with the blond hair sat in the stiff-backed leather chair reading a book. I couldn’t see the title from where I stood. Before he could look up and make this awkward, I slipped from the dining room and headed back upstairs. Every room in the house so far sported heavy blackout window coverings, a must for us vampy types.
On my way up the stairs I paused on the second-floor landing. I ventured onto the balcony to check out the view, same as above but a little lower. I might have been able to make out Rayne’s tattoos if my room were on this floor.
By the time I realized Ghost was behind me, he already filled the balcony doorway, trapping me. Damn him. People seldom managed to sneak up on me. I suspected he was more powerful than he let on. He didn’t seem like the type to show his whole hand early in the game.
A lazy half grin tugged at his lips. Hands crammed in his jacket pockets, he ambled toward me. “What are you doing here, baby girl?” he asked in that smoldering bedroom voice. “What nasty, naughty deed got you busted by The Circle of the Veil?”
“Who knew that draining a lady-killer in a strip club would be frowned upon? Oops.” My cheeks warmed and I smiled. “What about you? How did they ever catch up to the elusive Ghost?”
Pulling a pack of cigarettes from a pocket, Ghost sparked one up and came to stand next to me, leaning on the balcony railing. Though it
seemed to be more structurally sound than it looked, I didn’t trust it that much.
“I got careless.” Smoke billowed from between his lips. “Bled a guy in the Venom parking lot. Security cameras got me. Took The Circle just two nights to find me. These fuckers aren’t messing around.”
Venom was a strip club owned and operated by a duo from the vampire mafia. If they were also under The Circle’s thumb, we were all screwed. Just how huge was this secret society?
Below fairy lights twinkled, and somewhere in the distance a coyote yipped. They tended to lurk around the city, especially the less populated areas.
The surface of the pool rippled, calm and undisturbed, and I gazed at the tranquil water. “Guess it’s better than the FPA grabbing us though.”
“Is it?” Ghost lifted a dark brow and took another long drag on the cigarette. “We’ll see. Are you going to stick it out? Play their game?”
“For now,” I said softly, aware that the night had eyes and ears. “If death is the alternative, then I guess I’m here for a while. Although I have to admit, I’m kind of curious. I mean, this could be fun.”
Ghost’s smoldering gaze drifted over me, taking in every inch of my five-foot seven form. Much to my father’s dismay I’d been an active teen, tending to the horses on our estate instead of learning how to be a proper lady whom some wealthy, respectable man would want to marry. My body was lean and muscular but also soft with the feminine curves of my breasts and rear end. But Ghost knew the curves of my body already. His hands had been all over me. With him standing so close, watching me like prey, I couldn’t help but be flushed with the heat of the memory.
In a dark alley we’d run into one another. The man trapped between us had panicked. Minutes later he lay dead. With the taste of his blood in our mouths Ghost had taken me up against the staff door of what might have been a restaurant, closed for the night. I hadn’t paid much attention to those details. Not with his tongue tickling the edge of my ear and his hands pinning mine above my head against the door.