Chapter Two
Chase descended the apartment building stairs quickly, his arm throbbing where the vampire’s teeth had pierced his skin.
Blood trickled down his forearm, dripping red like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumb trail.
With each step, anger surged through him.
He’d found his mate, only to discover a vampire had already marked him as prey.
It was the same vampire from that alley, the one who’d delivered a kidney shot to Chase, forcing him to shift, the one Chase had gutted, but the vampire had still gotten away.
Even though Chase had healed, his side hurt just thinking about the bastard and the damage he’d caused.
As he reached the bottom of the stairwell, shouts erupted from outside. Through the glass door, he spotted the vampire thrashing wildly, his face contorted with rage, fangs fully extended as he tried to bite Deputy Caleb Santi.
“Shit,” Chase muttered, bursting through the door into the humid night air.
He sprinted toward the patrol car, where both deputies wrestled with the vampire.
Which spoke volumes since Deputy Santi was a lion shifter and Leverton was a cheetah shifter.
Both men were strong enough to subdue one vampire.
So why couldn’t they?
Somehow the bloodsucker had broken free of his handcuffs, the metal links dangling from one wrist as he fought against the officers. Without hesitation, Chase lunged into the fray, grabbing the vampire from behind and yanking him backward.
“We meet again, mutt,” the vampire sneered, his breath hot against Chase’s face. “Still playing hero?”
Chase tightened his grip, his claws threatening to emerge. “And look who didn’t learn his lesson the first time.”
The vampire’s lips curled into a smile that never reached his eyes. “You taste delicious, by the way. I can still feel you running through my veins.”
Chase growled, tightening his grip around the vampire’s throat.
The son of a bitch laughed, the sound unnaturally musical despite the violence of their struggle. “Your little human up there smells incredible. Sweet blood. I can almost taste it.”
Red clouded Chase’s vision. His control slipped, canines descending as a growl rumbled from deep in his chest. “You won’t get anywhere near him again.”
Chase didn’t want this monster locked in a cell. He wanted him dead, his head separated from his body. The thought of this thing hunting his mate, stalking Jalen through the darkness, filled him with murderous rage.
Deputy Santi moved in with another set of reinforced cuffs, but Chase knew what needed to happen. This creature wouldn’t stop hunting Jalen. Arrest wasn’t enough. He needed to end this threat permanently.
Before Chase could act, the vampire twisted with inhuman speed, breaking free of his grip.
“I’ll be seeing you both again,” he taunted, dancing backward. His gaze flicked upward toward Jalen’s apartment.
With that, the vampire blurred into motion, vanishing into the darkness beyond the parking lot lights. Chase started after him, but Deputy Leverton grabbed his arm.
The cheetah shifter holstered his weapon, which Chase hadn’t even noticed him draw. “He’s long gone now.”
Chase knew that, but he hated letting the bastard get away a second time.
“Sorry about the formalities upstairs,” Deputy Santi, brushing dirt from his uniform. “Had to keep it professional in front of the human.”
“Standard procedure,” Leverton added with a nod. “Can’t exactly explain the whole supernatural situation to civilians.”
Like Jalen hadn’t already figured it out. Fangs. Blood. Canines and claws. Superhuman strength. Their subterfuge had been unnecessary and probably confused Jalen more than it helped.
Chase turned back to face them, his heart still hammering from the confrontation. “The human. Jalen. He’s my mate.”
The words felt strange on his tongue. Chase had spent 240 years assuming he’d never find his mate. Most preternatural never did. Yet tonight, standing in that doorway, looking at Jalen for the first time... the bond had hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest.
“No shit?” Santi’s eyebrows shot up. “Congratulations, man.”
“Does he know?” Leverton asked, more pragmatic.
Chase shook his head. “Just met him tonight. Caught the vampire’s scent while patrolling and followed it to the apartment. Got there just as the vampire was breaking in.”
If he’d been just a minute longer, that bloodsucker would’ve sank his fangs into Jalen. Chase would’ve lost his mate before he’d had a chance to get to know him.
“Good timing,” Santi said. “That bloodsucker’s one of the three that’s been causing trouble, right?”
“Yeah. Same one that jumped me in the alley by the bakery a few weeks back.” Chase rolled his shoulder, remembering how close that fight had been. “They’re getting bolder.”
“We’ll call this in to Sheriff Owen,” Leverton said, pulling out his radio. “Get a patrol car to watch your mate’s apartment tonight. We’ll cruise around, see if we can track the vamp.”
“Doubt we’ll find him tonight,” Leverton added. “But at least we can make sure he doesn't circle back here.”
Chase rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension knotted there. “Thanks for the backup,” he said, genuinely grateful. Crimson Hollow’s sheriff’s department was comprised of nothing but shifters. Made things a lot easier when shit like this went down. “Appreciate it, Caleb. You, too, Carmine.”
“No problem,” Santi replied. “We protect our own in Crimson Hollow.”
Leverton clapped Chase on the shoulder. “And mates definitely count as our own.”
The deputies nodded before heading to their cruiser. Chase watched them drive away then pulled out his phone. His alpha needed to know.
The display showed 2:47 a.m., a hell of a time to be calling anyone, but this couldn’t wait. He dialed Zeppelin’s number, knowing his alpha would be awake regardless of the hour.
Zeppelin answered on the second ring. “What’s up, Chase?”
“Found my mate,” he said without preamble.
A pause. “You serious?”
“Dead serious. Human. Name’s Jalen.” Chase leaned against his pickup, eyes fixed on the apartment building’s entrance. “But there’s a problem. One of the vampires found him too.”
Zeppelin cursed softly. “Bring your mate home. He’ll be safer here.”
“He’s too freaked out.” He ran a hand through his hair, watching Jalen’s window. “Can’t blame him. He just watched me sprout claws and canines while fighting a vampire in his living room.”
“Not the ideal first impression.”
“No shit,” Chase snorted. “I’m staying in the parking lot tonight. Making sure that bloodsucker doesn’t come back.”
“I’m sending backup your way,” Zeppelin replied. “Send me your location.”
After sending his location, Chase hung up then settled into his pickup truck, adjusting the seat to keep a clear view of the apartment building’s entrance.
The night air carried a mix of scents through his cracked window—pine from the nearby forest, exhaust from passing cars, and, faintly, Jalen’s scent, which lingered on his own clothes from their brief encounter.
He hadn’t expected to find his mate tonight. Hadn’t expected to find a mate ever, if he was being honest. The universe had a sick sense of humor, dropping Jalen into his life at the exact same moment a vampire decided to make him dinner.
Chase kept his senses alert, scanning the darkness for any sign of the vampire’s return.
His wolf paced restlessly inside him, anxious to be closer to their newly discovered mate.
He still couldn't believe that vampire had gotten away.
Again. That fucked with Chase. There was more than just him now.
The bloodsucker liked playing games, though.
He could be telling the truth or simply taunting Chase.
Either way, he wanted that vamp to greet the sun.
Chase watched as Vaughn passed the parking lot, gave a small wave, and circled around to the back of the building.
Twenty minutes later, movement at the building’s entrance caught his attention. Jalen emerged, his lean frame silhouetted against the lobby lights. Even from a distance, Chase could see the rigid set of his shoulders and the purposeful stride of someone who was well and truly pissed off.
He straightened in his seat, caught between the urge to meet Jalen halfway and the instinct to brace for whatever storm was coming. His mate’s expression promised thunder, and Chase had the distinct feeling he was about to get struck by lightning.
* * * *
The absurdity of Jalen’s situation hit him with each step. His apartment was trashed, his security deposit was definitely gone, and now he was marching toward the pickup truck where Chase sat watching his building like some kind of supernatural Uber driver.
Great. Just great. The cherry on top of this disaster sundae. Chase had decided to camp out like some kind of muscled bodyguard. Because tonight wasn’t stressful enough already.
Jalen headed across the lot, gripping the strap of his hastily packed overnight bag until his knuckles turned white.
“Going somewhere?” Chase asked, getting out of his truck.
“Motel,” Jalen replied, keeping a careful distance between them.
The night air felt thick with humidity, clinging to his skin like an unwelcome second layer. Or maybe that was just the nervous sweat trickling down his back. Hard to tell when his worldview had been obliterated in a single night.
Chase’s nostrils flared slightly, almost like he was... smelling him? Jalen fought the urge to sniff his own armpits. Instead, he shifted his weight, hyperaware of the man’s intense focus.
“You don’t need a motel,” Chase said, his voice rumbling in the quiet parking lot. “I can take you somewhere safe.”
“Safe?” Jalen laughed, the sound hollow and slightly hysterical. “My apartment looks like a war zone, I just watched a vampire try to drink your blood, and you grew claws. Actual claws. Safety sailed right past concerning and straight into what-the-actual-hell territory about an hour ago.”
Something that might have been hurt flickered across Chase’s face before his expression hardened again. “You’re in danger.”
“No shit.” Jalen ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends in frustration. “There was a vampire in my bedroom. My freaking second-floor bedroom. He used you as his Kibbles snack. I’m fully aware of how much danger I’m in.” He patted the strap of his bag. “Hence, the motel.”
Chase took a step forward, and Jalen instinctively backed up, hating that he’d shown such vulnerability. The man stopped, raising his hands in a placating gesture that would’ve been more effective if Jalen hadn’t seen those same hands sprout razor-sharp claws.
“Look,” Jalen continued, exhaustion making his voice crack, “I appreciate you saving me from becoming a midnight snack. Really. But I just need some space to process... whatever the hell is happening.”
“The vampire knows your scent now.” A muscle twitched in Chase’s jaw. “He’ll come back.”
A cold weight settled in Jalen’s stomach. Of course he would. Because why would anything in this nightmare be simple?
“And you know this... how?”
“Because I’m a wolf shifter,” Chase answered without hesitation. “And because that leech has been hunting in our territory for weeks.”
Wolf shifter. No build-up, no softening it, just laid the truth down like a grenade. Jalen filed that distinction away for later, when his thoughts weren’t scattered like dropped marbles.
“ Our territory…” Jalen repeated, a small, strangled sound escaping. “There are more of you?”
Chase nodded. “My pack. We protect Crimson Hollow.”
“From vampires.” Jalen wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. “Next you’ll tell me the barista at the coffee shop is a mermaid.”
“Sasha? He’s human,” Chase said with complete seriousness. “But his boss is a Bengal tiger shifter.”
Jalen pressed his palms against his eyes, wondering if he could physically push the madness out of his head.
If that was possible, you would’ve pushed something else out of there a long time ago.
When he looked up again, Chase was still there, solid and real in the dim parking lot light.