CHAPTER 13
KathanI have to give it to the witch. She’s braver than I expected, but it doesn’t negate the timing of her arrival. There must be more to it.
It’s as if she was sent by the universe—or more likely the Witches Council—to taunt me. Everything about her is suspicious. They’re ruthless and conniving. Many supernaturals have gotten caught in their wicked webs and destroyed because of it and I won’t fall prey to another one of them.
Even if there’s a certain innocence and so much depth in her blue eyes that I want to tumble into them and get lost.
That right there is what scares the absolute hell out of me.
Rhys and Caylix left right after lunch to track a feral they’ve been hunting, and since Rue’s napping, still trying to regain her strength, I figure I should question the vampire in our shed. Swinging the door open, he hisses when the sunlight filters inside and recoils from it.
The sun isn’t lethal to them, especially when they drink blood regularly, but they do have sensitivities to it. He hasn’t fed since Rue, and he doesn’t seem all that powerful, so he’s more sensitive than someone like Slade would be. That bloodsucking fanger. The vampire leader is another variable that has me on edge. Just the thought of how much interest he showed the witch has me grinding my teeth. I shouldn’t care, she’s nothing but trouble, but I still feel uneasy. Especially because we’ll have to deal with him again. Soon.
Other than the vampire’s disheveled clothes and appearance, he seems lucid and animated. Nothing like the feral fuckers normally are. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s a normal vamp off the street.
I toss him a vial of random blood, stashed for emergencies since we’re working with vampires now, and he snatches it, the heavy iron chains clinking as he does so, and downs it in one gulp, licking his lips to get every drop. He watches me warily once he’s finished. “Thank you.”
I grunt by way of response.
“Why am I here?” There’s a slight accent to his cadence I can’t quite place. He sniffs the air, taking in my scent and his eyes widen. “What do shifters want with me?”
I don’t answer his questions. I don’t know how much he knows or remembers, and I don’t want to accidentally give something away. First, I need to figure out who he is. “What’s your name?” I ask instead.
“David Anders.”
“And what’s the last thing you remember, David?”
He tilts his head as if trying to remember and eventually shrugs. “I don’t really know. I remember floating through darkness for what felt like an eternity, then there was this beautiful bright light shining like a beacon, and I ran to it. After that, I remember waking up here, in chains.”
Surprisingly, his scent doesn’t change. There’s no hint or vibe of a lie, but there isn’t with Rue either, so I’m doubting my ability to read them correctly lately. To my knowledge, there’s never been anyone who’s come back from being feral, so I have nothing to base his experience off. Normally, the only end for them is to put them out of their misery before they decimate anything and anyone in their path. That’s why they’re so dangerous. They kill without regard for any life, completely lost to their bloodlust. As shifters, it’s our duty to stand up and be the protectors, which is why we’ve teamed up with Slade.
“What clan are you a part of?” The vamp’s eyes snap to the other vial of blood in my hands. I toss it to him to keep him pliant and answering questions. When he’s finished, I ask again, “What clan are you a part of?”
His jaw clenches and he glances away, scent turning sour. It sets me on edge, but I don’t show any outward signs. I’ve learned the best way to unnerve people is to be silent and let them do all the talking. “I was a part of the Stephen clan, but I roamed by myself for a while.”
If I remember correctly, the Stephen clan is based out of Chicago. “What brought you all the way down to New Orleans?”
“I heard Slade is a gracious ruler and takes in all angles of a story before making a decision. I was seeking to join his clan.”
Again, no trace of a lie in his scent, but it still feels like a half-truth. “Why? What made you leave your old clan?”
The vampire pales if that’s even possible. “I-I was exiled.”
“And you think Slade would pick up an exiled vampire?” I snort. “He’d as soon kill you.”
“It wasn’t my fault—“ he begins in protest, but I cut him off.
“I don’t care. What I do care about is getting you out of our hair.” I unlock the iron chains around his wrist, and he stands, glancing at the door. There’s no way I’ll kill a man trapped, defenseless, but I can’t let him live either.
Like I expect, the fucker bolts, phasing away from me before anything else can be said and a grin curls my lips. I’m seconds behind him, right on his heels, my wolf instincts kicking in and unable to resist a hunt. He immediately heads for the swamps, thinking that will be his best shot of escaping, but I have news for him. I know these woods like the back of my hand.
Suddenly, he jerks to a stop, sniffing the air. “The beacon,” he murmurs in confusion. “It’s here.” I don’t have time to decipher his meaning because he darts toward the door like a man crazed, eyes wide, fangs descended, and I regret my decision not to kill him instantly. Fuck. This is why I shouldn’t have a fucking conscience.
I take off after him, but he slips through my grasp at the last second, ripping the door off its hinges and phasing inside. Shock tumbles through me because he should have been stopped at the threshold. A vampire can’t enter without permission from the owner, and we certainly didn’t give him permission. What the fuck? My heartbeat accelerates as I chase him through our cabin. I’m faster as a wolf, but I can better defend Rue in human form. Shit, he’s fast—way faster than he should be. If something happens to Rue, I’ll never forgive myself for it, let alone live it down from the others.
“Rue, incoming!” I shout out, trying to rouse her and warn her at the same time. I put another stake on the dresser, especially after seeing her whip one out and go for Slade, so hopefully she sees it. The witch has balls, even if her form is terrible, and she doesn’t have the strength behind it. Yet. She’ll need to get stronger if she’s going to spend so much time with us and vampires. “On the dresser!”
The vampire enters my room where Rue’s clamoring for the stake. I’m a step behind him, calling on my wolf to aid my speed. Rue screams when she sees him and the sound tears at my heart. I grip the fucker’s shoulder and rip him away before he touches her, throwing him into the hallway. The vampire lands in a heap, hissing at me as he jumps to his feet and attacks, leaping on me with surprising strength. We trade blows all the way down the hall, eventually coming out in the living room. God damn, it’s as if I’m fighting a smarter version of a feral.
The fucker goes for my throat, but I toss him off me, and he ends up landing on our wooden side table, breaking it into pieces, but I don’t care. It’s only furniture and one of the legs will make a mighty fine stake.
“Kathan!” Rue comes barreling out of my room, dressed only in one of my T-shirts and long socks. The sight distracts me for a second and my gaze snags on her gorgeous figure in my clothes. Her scent hits me hard and I have to blink through the wave of lust that strikes me. The diversion is exactly what the vampire needs to escape. He phases out of the cabin, and I curse, following him after grabbing the table leg, but it’s no use. He’s gone. Vanished into thin air.
Indecision wars within me as I contemplate shifting and following his scent. The problem is if he decides to double back, I’d be leaving Rue wide open for an attack, and he can get inside. Fuck. How did this go so monumentally bad so fast? The only thing settling my wolf is the fact this fucker seems like a squirrelly bastard. Surely, he won’t be stupid enough to return here. Either way, we’ll need to track him and properly dispose of him. I need to call the others.
Rue sprints after me, shocked and shaking. “Oh, my bubbling brews, Kathan! What’s going on?” Her eyes scan the yard, but she must come to the same conclusion about the vampire being gone because she wraps her arms around herself and turns to face me. She reaches a hand toward my temple, lightly brushing it with her fingertips. I wince and she pulls them away, tinted with blood. “Are you okay?”
I grunt, not even feeling any pain, the wound already healing itself. “I’m fine. The vampire must’ve got me in our scuffle. Why are you in my shirt?” I want to kick myself. Of all the things I could ask out loud, this is what I focus on?
Her eyes widen comically and dart to her attire. Her cheeks flush and it makes me want to turn other parts of her that color too. “My clothes weren’t exactly comfortable,” she responds. “I didn’t realize I was in your room or that these were yours… I’m sorry for borrowing your clothes.” This witch… she’d look amazing in anything, but a part of me wants to see her in nothing at all. Fuck, is she even wearing panties right now?
As if she senses the direction of my thoughts, she pulls the hem of my shirt down. One wrong move and she’d be flashing me everything. Hell, that damn fanged fucker probably got a full view in her haste to get up. If him being a liability wasn’t enough to kill him, that would certainly tip the scale into murder territory. Rue stares at me and I can scent her desire. For me?
Shit. It’s enough to make me harden, straining against my zipper. There’s no way I’m adjusting myself in front of her though, so I settle for responding to her question while stalking back inside. “Don’t be. It looks better on you. Come on, I need to alert the others and clean up. Something tells me I unleashed a bigger mess than I meant to.”