Chapter 5 Battling Bloodsuckers
Josh
If someone told me I’d be getting a private ride in Bane Blackwood’s convertible late at night, I would have asked them to share whatever they were smoking.
Yet here we are.
The white lines on the road rush past the window, blurring into streaks in the dark. Going by fast. Too fast.
“Slow down!”
“Relax, Josh.”
“I will if you slow down.”
How is this my life? Countless men and women have probably been in my seat, treated to a private ride with this gorgeous wolf, and they loved every second.
For romantic evenings, the alpha probably cranks up his date music playlist, drops the top on the car, and flashes that irresistible smile.
I can picture the exact flirty grin he employs to melt his dates and lead them to abandon their better judgment, even though I’ve never witnessed that smile firsthand.
Instead of charming smiles, we’re much closer to killing each other than kissing.
“Slow. Down.”
“No,” he grunts. “Finishing this is the only way to get rid of you.”
Well, when he puts it that way… “What are you waiting for? Drive faster!”
The alpha jams his foot on the gas with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.
Yeah, not a date at all.
Which is good! Dating Bane Blackwood is the last thing I want. This is a mission. When Alpha Elias Blackwood gives an order, there is no refusing him, not even for his son or for a wolf from another pack.
The neon glow of a bar sign flickers up ahead. Restless Spirits. Bingo. That’s the spot Dante supposedly frequents. Rumors say liquor isn’t the only kind of ‘spirits’ available.
Bane parks the car and turns to me. “Alright, here’s the plan. Stay back and let me do the work.”
“No, you’ve done enough,” I complain. “This whole thing is your fault.”
“Hey, it takes two to fight and fuck.”
“Oh my god.” It’s messed up that his brain puts fighting and fucking together. Maybe he’s just saying it to startle me, which works. Unfortunately. He’s already hopped out and charged into the bar before I get myself together.
Any spirits besides the liquor bottles on the shelves behind the bar aren’t immediately visible upon entering. Raised voices reach my ears from deeper inside. There’s Bane.
The back room is dimly lit, mostly empty of people with some long tables and dartboards. I weave between the few patrons who are rushing away just as I’m rushing in.
Bane is with a tall man who must be Dante. He’s played up some classic vampire traits with his long black hair, ivory skin, and his sharp smile.
“—total bullshit,” Bane growls. Great. They’ve already gotten off on the wrong foot.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the vampire replies nonchalantly.
Bane lunges forward, forcing Dante back and nearly cornering him against the wall. The vampire evades him at the last second, twisting away with a mocking laugh.
“Don’t bother pretending,” the wolf snarls. “I smell my cousin on you.”
“Okay, I do know what you’re talking about. But why should I tell you anything?” The vampire puts a table between him and the pursuing wolf. “You Iron wolves are so uptight. You should really learn to relax. Wynn certainly did when he was in my bed.”
“Watch your mouth, bloodsucker.”
“Ah, ah, ah.” Dante wags a finger as Bane begins to move. “Stay over there. If you bore me or irritate me, I’ll simply transform into a bat and fly away.”
Only some vampires possess the ability to transform into bats. Is he one of them, or is this just a bluff?
“I’ve never hunted a bat before, but it sounds fun.” Bane snaps his teeth at Dante.
I stand at the alpha’s side, ready to pull him back if he tries vaulting over the table. “Hey guys, let’s all calm down and—”
They disregard me, still sizing each other up across the table. Bane seethes and Dante looks like he’s having a grand old time.
“Oh, you want me in your mouth, wolfie?” purrs the vampire with a seductive grin.
“You think you’re clever, don’t you?” Bane grits out.
“And you think you’re ferocious.” He winks and whispers loudly, “You’re really just a big puppy.”
“You son of a—”
I grab Bane with both hands and struggle to keep him in place. The staff and clientele here may be staying out of the conflict in the back, but I doubt it will last if we start making a mess.
“Let me go!” He bucks against me and glares at the vampire. “Gonna rip you apart.”
“Yes, you’re such a tough puppy,” he coos with glee.
“Calm down,” I hiss, still struggling to hold the shifter back.
Dante nods. “Sit. Stay. Bad puppy.”
I join Bane in glaring across the table. “You really aren’t helping.”
“Why would I? This is much more fun,” he says, laughing.
“Sit down,” I order. Bane just glares, not acknowledging me at all. “Both of you sit down and shut up.”
Dante surprisingly does what I ask. He performs a low bow, as if he’s some grand gentleman, before he sits, placing his hands neatly on the table and pretending to be the picture of innocence. Bane has to follow suit, like listening to me is a weird dare and he doesn’t want to be shown up.
Whatever. At least this vaguely resembles a civilized conversation by the time I join them at the table, taking a seat next to Bane.
“Look, we’re just here for some answers,” I tell Dante. “Let’s talk.”
“What’s in it for me if I provide those answers?”
“How about I don’t kick your ass?” offers my partner in crime.
“Quiet, puppy. The adults are talking.”
Since he hasn’t been able to resist the provocation yet, I reach out and dig my fingers into Bane’s thigh under the table before he can explode.
He stops glaring at Dante, mostly because he starts glaring at me instead.
The small action feels suicidal, but I need to keep his short fuse in check until we find out what we need to know.
Speaking of short fuses, touching him feels like touching a live wire, dangerous and electric.
His thigh is firm under my fingers, warm, and—I slam the door on that train of thought before it derails my brain completely.
“How long have you been in town for?” I ask Dante. “A month, two? And you’re stirring up trouble with one of Concordia’s established, respected packs. The covens hate it when tourists and newcomers start making waves, so it’s best if you just cooperate.”
The covens hate when the wolves who actually live here cause trouble even more. They expect us to help keep the peace, but I don’t mention that part.
“Fine,” the vampire agrees with a huff. “Ask your questions.”
“Are you taking advantage of my cousin?” Bane demands immediately.
Dante throws his hands up in the air. “Subtlety isn’t your strong suit, is it?”
As if the vampire knows anything about that himself.
His style is somewhere between old-fashioned and modern, a loose white tunic-style top with an open collar paired with sinfully tight black pants.
It’s his own spin on vampire chic, completed with a deep burgundy trench coat and dark designer sunglasses.
“How did you and Wynn meet?” I ask.
“Hmm, we met at a bar, though I really can’t remember which one.” He shrugs. “Nothing too interesting, really.”
“Was it love at first sight?”
The vampire laughs, long and loud, enough that Bane’s eye twitches. “Love isn’t the word I’d use. And he’s certainly not my destined one and only, if you believe in those fairy tales.”
“Then what drew you to him?”
Dante opens his mouth, then cuts his eyes to the man next to me. “Puppy might get upset if I start going into graphic detail about my favorite parts of his cousin’s body.”
“What I mean is,” I jump in hurriedly before puppy—uh, Bane—does indeed go berserk again. “Werewolves and vampires don’t get along too well, do they?”
“Honestly, the whole ‘natural enemies’ legend was part of the appeal,” Dante confides. “Forbidden trysts are thrilling and dangerous.” His eyes slide over Bane and me intimately, a lewd expression on his face. “You two must know what that’s like.”
My heart skips a beat at his insinuation, heat creeping up my neck. I try to say something and only manage a wheezing sound. Given what I saw about Bane earlier, it’s hard to laugh off the comment.
“Oh yes,” the vampire laughs. “I bet you two could tell me a thing or two about hate sex. We could trade stories.”
Bane completely loses his cool, roaring and slamming his palms down on the table.
“Shut your damn mouth,” he orders in a voice that might make me cower if it were directed at me. His eyes flash in a warning.
The vampire flinches, shaking his head with an airy laugh and trying to play it off as his hand reaches toward his collar and the sunglasses resting there.
“Is there something wrong?” I ask.
He tenses for just a second, and his hand falls down to the table as he heaves a mighty sigh. “Your puppy is exhausting. Do you keep him on a leash at home?”
Bane lunges across the table with a fierce growl. I barely react in time, scrambling to grab his arm.
Dante’s quick on his feet, springing sideways like a cat. And Bane, being a hotheaded wolf, just has to give chase.
“Bane, stop! Don’t do this!”
But he isn’t listening. He stands and leaps over the table, his claws outstretched.
Dante reacts quickly, putting more distance between them. Bane lands where the vampire had been just a moment ago. He wheels around and slams his fist into the wooden tabletop hard enough to crack it to vent his frustrations.
“Bane, stop!” I shout, rushing around the table as he strides toward the vampire.
The wolf stops in front of me, still glaring daggers at the vampire.
“Listen to your master, puppy.” Dante sounds close, right behind me.
“You really aren’t helping!” I holler over my shoulder.
“I’m not trying to.”
The vampire is seriously overestimating me if he thinks I can keep the larger shifter at bay. I’m blocking him, but he could easily push me aside.
No, he must stay put. There’s a message I need to deliver, and my partner in crime better hear me out.