Fanged Desire (Leyore Coven #3)

Chapter 14

Addison

The bass thrummed beneath my feet, the lights strobing in time with the beat as bodies moved across the dance floor like they did every night inside the walls of Micere. It was a cacophony I never thought I’d get used to, but the hustle and bustle of the nightclub had finally settled into my bones. All things considered, the chaos was somewhat less stressful than the tense urgency of surgery rooms. I slipped through the crowd, another night at the club, same as every other, except for the knot of tension coiling tighter in my chest.

Ethan found me between sets, lurking near the back bar like always, his arms folded across his chest and a cigarette tucked behind one ear. “Hey. You got a minute?”

I glanced toward the stage, making sure my boss wasn’t watching, then pulled up a stool. Ever since the incident out back, the man had been breathing down my neck, scrutinizing every move I made. He hadn’t fired me yet, perks of being one of Micere’s biggest earners, but I knew I was on thin ice. One more misstep and I'd be out.

“What’s up?” I leaned against the counter next to Ethan, catching the bartender’s eye and pointing to the fridge full of cider behind him.

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, looking uneasy and somewhat stifled in an all-leather getup. “I’ve been thinking about something... about Penelope.”

My stomach twisted at the mention of her name and I promptly changed my mind about ordering that drink. “What about her?”

Ethan shifted his weight, avoiding my gaze. “There was this one night. She was... well, high as a damn kite, to be honest.” He gave me a rueful look, like he was embarrassed on her behalf. Or guilty for his complacency as his friend spiraled further and further out of reach. “I didn’t think much of what she said at the time, but now... I dunno. It’s been bugging me.”

I straightened up, suddenly alert, ignoring the cider placed at my elbow. “What did she say?”

“She kept talking about that woman – the one who was always hanging around her.” Ethan’s voice lowered, and I had to lean forward to catch his next words. “Said the lady was asking her a bunch of personal questions. Stuff about her family. Her life before she started working here.”

He shook his head, frown lines wrinkling his usually youthful face. “At the time, I thought she was just rambling, you know? But... could that mean something?”

A cold, clammy sweat descended out of the blue, though I should have come to expect it by then. Penelope still haunted my dreams, hovered in my peripheral wherever I walked. Ethan’s insight only added to the unanswered questions already swirling in the back of my mind.

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but my mind was already racing.

“Actually...” I hesitated, then decided it was time to let Ethan in on part of what I knew. “We think her name might be Catherine. Catherine Raine.”

Ethan’s brows cinched, lips curling into a mirthless smile. “And who exactly is we ?”

The way he said it made it clear he already knew the answer.

I exhaled slowly, bracing for his reaction. “Hunter.”

Ethan’s smile quickly dissolved into a conspicuous frown, his jaw tightening. “I don’t like her.”

“You don’t even know her,” I countered, though part of me understood his concern. I didn’t exactly know Hunter either, not really.

“I know enough,” Ethan muttered, folding his arms tighter across his chest. “She gives me bad vibes.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, I pulled out my phone and tapped on the stolen footage Hunter had given me, turning the screen toward Ethan. “Look, this is what we found. See for yourself.”

He leaned closer, watching as Penelope flickered to life on the screen, moving through the club like a ghost. I swiped through the clips, showing him the moments where Penelope was working, dancing, and – most importantly – where the mystery woman was always lurking nearby, just out of focus.

“That’s her,” I said softly, pointing to the woman lingering at the bar, bulky sunglasses aimed toward Penelope. “That’s Catherine – I think. We’re still figuring it out.”

Ethan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “So she was stalking your sister.”

“Maybe. Or... something worse.” I shook my head, feeling the familiar frustration welling up inside me. “We don’t know for sure yet.”

He straightened up, brow raised, gaze flicking between me and the screen. “And you really think this Hunter woman is gonna help you figure it out?”

I tucked my phone back into my pocket. “She’s already helped. She got us this footage, didn’t she?”

“And what did she want in return?” Ethan drawled, reaching over to snag my discarded cider and gulping it down himself.

“Nothing,” I said, though even I knew how ridiculous that sounded. “She just... helped.”

Ethan downed the cider in a matter of moments and pounded a fist against his chest, perturbed frown growing ever sharper. “And how exactly did she take down those guys outside the club, huh? You said she handled them like it was nothing. What is she, some kind of superhuman?”

I hesitated, the memory of that night still vivid behind my eyes. The way Hunter moved like no human could.

“Honestly? I have no idea what she is.” I said it more to myself than to Ethan. “Maybe she’s my guardian angel.”

Ethan gave me a dubious look, one brow arched. “She sounds more like a monster.”

The thought hit me harder than I expected. It was something I hadn’t considered, something that now seemed alarmingly plausible. Sure, I’d been trying and failing to guess her identity, but I hadn’t given much to whether or not she was actually dangerous – to me .

I shook the thought away, not willing to dwell on it for the time being. I was doing a lot of brushing off lately. Brushing off my worries, my fears… and my feelings towards my enigmatic partner in crime. “Whatever she is, she’s the only one helping us right now.”

Ethan didn’t look convinced, but he was at least willing to drop the subject for the moment. “Just... be careful, all right? We’ve already lost Penelope. I don’t want to lose you too.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut, but I swallowed and nodded. “I’m always careful. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Ethan sighed and gave me a tired smile, slipping the empty cider bottle into my hands. “I gotta get back to work. Try not to piss off the boss, yeah?”

As Ethan slipped back into the crowd, I lingered behind for a moment, rolling the empty bottle between my palms. My thoughts kept circling back to Hunter, her impossible strength, her ease under pressure, and the way she kept showing up just when I needed her most.

Demon or angel, guardian or something else entirely... whatever she was, I knew one thing: I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And that, more than anything, might have been the most dangerous part.

Hunter showed up later that night, following a brief text insinuating that she’d be very appreciative of another private session if I could only find the time. I had a backlog of eager clients rearing for a private session, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to give my new companion the VIP treatment.

She wanted my time? She could have it – she was helping me out after all.

I was midway through a set when I saw her leaning against the bar, dark eyes flickering in the strobe lights. She didn’t wave or try to get my attention; she didn’t need to. Just knowing she was watching was enough to make my skin tingle, a cold thrill shivering down my spine.

When my set ended, I slipped off stage and out of the showgirl persona, brushing glitter from my hair and glancing around the club floor. My manager was still on the prowl, but it was Ethan I was looking out for. If he saw me slipping off with Hunter again, I’d never hear the end of it.

It wasn’t hard to spot the blond, he was on the far stage, bright and lively under the spotlight, and dressed head-to-toe in that sleek, shiny leather outfit that looked like it had been painted onto his body. How the hell he was even able to move in that getup was beyond me.

I breathed a small sigh of relief and made my way over to Hunter. As long as Ethan was busy seducing half the club with his routine, he’d be too preoccupied to keep tabs on me.

Through the crowd I caught Hunter’s gaze and gave her a subtle nod, gesturing for her to follow me. She grinned that lazy, knowing smirk and pushed off the bar. I led her through the corridors and the thrum of bass followed us as we slipped into one of the private rooms, the door clicking shut behind us, sealing us away from the chaos outside.

As Hunter lounged against the door I finally noticed the cigarette dangling from her lips, and stared at her, aghast.

“Seriously?” My tone was more squeaky than stern, so I folded my arms to get the point across. “You know that stuff will kill you, right?”

Hunter gave a half-hearted laugh, taking a long, slow drag as her gaze traveled over me.

“Not likely,” she said through the exhale, tendrils of smoke curling from her mouth. “But if it bothers you that much…” She plucked it from her lips and crushed it against the wall, dark eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’ll quit. Just for you.”

The nonchalance in her voice, the way she said it like my happiness was the only thing that mattered – it threw me off balance. I rolled my eyes, veiling my astonishment under mild irritation. “You’re ridiculous.”

Hunter just grinned, stepping closer, the scent of smoke and something distinctly her lingering between us. “So, how are things going tonight?”

I shrugged, leaning against the back of the velvet sofa. “Busy. Boozy. The usual.”

Hunter’s gaze lingered on me, hungry and enthralling as always, but her expression softened just slightly. “I meant with Penelope. Any progress?”

I nodded, settling down on the sofa and patting the seat beside me, an invitation she didn’t hesitate to take.

“Ethan remembered something,” I said as she sat down, close enough that our legs touched and I could feel muscle rippling through the fabric of her suit pants. “He said that woman who was hanging around – Catherine, most likely – was asking Penelope personal questions. About our family, her past. Weird stuff.”

Hunter’s expression darkened. “Well, that’s… concerning. But not necessarily damning. I’m sure a lot of clients want to get to know their dancers to some degree.”

“Still.” I shrugged, and then promptly shuddered when my shoulder brushed hers. “Considering what we saw in the footage, I think this woman was after more than just voyeuristic pleasure. Have you had any luck finding intel on Catherine Raine?”

Hunter sighed and draped an arm over the back of the sofa. “Not really. Tracking her down has been a pain in the ass. I found her lab, but her secretary claims she’s out of the country and unavailable. No appointments, no calls. Nothing.”

“Great,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “So what’s the plan now?”

Hunter cocked her head to the side, closing her eyes and cinching her brow like this detective work was giving her a headache. “We wait. Keep an eye on the club and the spa. If she shows up, we follow her.”

I nodded, though the frustration gnawed at me. All of my pent-up anxiety clawed its way back to the surface, drowning out the thrill of Hunter’s presence.

Every second I spent waiting, every moment that passed without progress, felt like a second wasted. Every second drove Penelope further and further away from me; she was slipping through my fingers like smoke. It was like trying to hold onto a dream, one that faded more and more each day until I wasn’t sure if it had been real to begin with.

What if it was already too late? What if I did find her, but the gap between us had grown so wide, so vast, that I’d never be able to cross it? The more I searched, the more impossible it felt, like the world was conspiring to keep her just out of reach. The guilt gnawed at me, sharp and relentless.

When I tilted my head, Hunter was looking at me again, those sharp eyes noticeably softer than usual. “You’ll find her, Addison.”

The way she said my name, low and certain, had something warm and welcoming unfurling in my chest. Hunter didn’t say anything else. She didn’t push or try to comfort me with empty words, and for that, I was grateful. Her presence was enough to subdue the storm inside my head.

After a beat I shook my head, lightening the mood with a twirl as I got to my feet. “You came here for a dance and I’ve given you a pity party. Let me make it up to you.”

Hunter sank into the sofa and tilted her head back, her expression turning playful. “I came here for you , Addison. Like I said before, I enjoy the company – sad girl or seductress.”

My pulse quickened just from the way her eyes lingered on me.

The way she looked at me was different from anyone else – she saw me, like she appreciated the effort I put into everything, from the way I danced to the tumultuous thoughts in my head. It was unsettling... and yet, being around her felt like slipping into warm water after a freezing day. I didn’t have to perform with her. I could just be .

But that was dangerous – because no matter how good it felt, I couldn’t afford distractions. I had to find Penelope. Everything else, including the attraction that simmered between us, had to wait.

With a shake of my head, I slipped into the role I was supposed to play and began my dance, moving to the slow rhythm of the music. I turned slowly, arching my back in a way that always got clients' attention – not that Hunter needed coaxing to keep her eyes on me. Something about the way she looked at me made the room feel smaller, hotter.

But my mind was already wandering back to my next problem. “I’ve got that presentation at the spa soon. I need to impress Esmerelde if I want to stick around long enough to cross paths with Catherine, but... I have no clue how to give a massage.”

Hunter chuckled, a low, pleasant sound that did dangerous things to my insides. “Aren’t you supposed to be a doctor?”

“It’s not the same!” I turned quickly, timing my temperamental stomp with the music. “I know how to cut and stitch muscles, not... knead them into submission. Massage therapy is way out of my wheelhouse.”

“Oh please, it’s easy.” Hunter’s grin turned playful and she sat up slowly, her dark eyes gleaming with something mischievous. “Just come up with some elaborate pressure point jargon, poke some muscles, and Esmerelde will be eating out of your hand.”

“Or she’ll kick me out the door when she realizes I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You’re way too in your head about this. But if it worries you that much–” Hunter pushed herself off the couch, stalking toward me with a silky smile. “I could teach you.”

My pulse quickened as she moved closer, and I cursed the way my breath hitched when she stood right in front of me, close enough that I could trace the subtle curve of her lips.

“Come on,” she murmured, gesturing at the sofa behind her. “Take a seat.”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding, but I did as she asked, lowering myself onto the sofa. It felt strange – like we were switching roles, with her seizing control and leaving me waiting for whatever came next. But it was also... thrilling.

Hunter moved behind me, her fingers brushing my shoulder lightly as she gathered my hair and draped it over one side. The casual intimacy of the gesture sent my heart into spasms.

“Now,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin, “relax.”

Her hands found my shoulders, and the moment she began to knead the tension from my muscles, my whole body melted beneath her touch. Heat bloomed low in my belly, spreading through me in waves as she worked her way down my back, her fingers firm but impossibly gentle. I’d seen the violence those hands could accomplish, I’d never expected them to be soft.

“See?” Hunter murmured and I stiffened as her breath brushed my neck, her voice smooth and teasing. “Easy.”

I closed my eyes, biting down on my lip to keep a soft, traitorous sound from escaping. Every touch was careful, deliberate, designed to drive me to something treacherous. My skin buzzed beneath her fingertips, and my thoughts grew hazy, slipping away under the pressure of her hands.

“Is this... supposed to feel this good?” I asked breathlessly, tilting my head back slightly to look at her.

Hunter only laughed, the sound low and dangerously seductive in my ear. “You tell me.”

Her hands traveled lower, brushing just beneath the line of my ribs, and the tension in the room shifted – thicker, heavier, the kind of tension that begged to be broken.

And then, I couldn’t help myself. I twisted slightly, meeting her gaze, my heart racing. Her eyes were darker now, hooded, and I knew – without a doubt – exactly what she wanted.

From the way my body responded to her touch, she was well aware that I wanted it too.

Maybe it was the consequences of too many lonely nights, my touch-starved solitude finally catching up to me. Maybe it was because she’d had my back, time and time again when I thought I had no one in my corner. Maybe it was just the way she was looking at me, like I was the only thing in the world she’d ever want to look at – like she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

I leaned in first.

My breath mingled with hers for all of a second before her mouth crashed against mine. The kiss was slow and searing, every inch of contact sending sparks through my electrified body.

Hunter wasted no time in closing the distance between us. She was over the back of the sofa and melding against me in a matter of moments, one hand holding fast to my jaw, refusing to break the kiss – not even for a breath of air.

I grasped for the self-control I so often brandished like a weapon, reaching for the reasons I had to keep my distance from the woman before me. But that part of me was distant, tired, and the rest of me thoroughly enthralled by the taste of her lips. Common sense was still there, somewhere. But it didn't quell the burning heat that tore through my body like a forest fire. It didn't inspire the same kind of restraint.

Hunter’s free hand alighted on my waist and then tightened its grip, pulling me closer as the world narrowed to the two of us. I melted in her grasp, and Hunter held me steady, gripping the nape of my neck as her lips traveled along my jawline and I seized the opportunity to suck in a ragged breath.

I hadn’t realized how lonely I was until that moment – until I felt Hunter’s hands on me, her tongue trailing fire down my neck. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and exactly what I needed. She tilted my head to capture my lips again and I was falling, tumbling into her as her tongue probed my mouth with inquisitive, hungry intent.

When we finally pulled back, both of us breathless, I could only stare at her.

“Are you... a god or something?”

Hunter laughed, tousled hair falling over her eyes, brushing her thumb along my bottom lip.

“Not even close.”