Chapter 11
Rafe’s body relaxed against hers as she slept quietly in his arms. Though his conscience warned him he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life, his wolf howled in triumph.
His body thrummed with her sweet blood, every cell in his body alert, humming with awareness.
Her scent surrounded him, sweet like honeysuckle on a warm summer day.
“Hmm.” She stirred, wriggling toward him.
Rafe’s heart tightened in his chest. What did I do?
He’d bitten her. He’d attempted to resist her, but the temptation had been too great. The taste of her lingered in his thoughts. Though he didn’t class himself a vampire, no blood had sated him, the hunger ever present…until tonight.
Why did this human connect with him on a level no other woman had? He didn’t even know her well. One dance in New Orleans and now days later he couldn’t imagine his life without her. The reality of saying goodbye taunted him.
They’d justified their indulgence with a promise. Just friends. One night. Skylar had soothed his battered soul. Reality would set in later but for now, he’d steal a few peaceful moments. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and it would all be over. They’d go their separate ways…just friends.
Creak. Rafe instantly sprung from the bed and stilled, his senses on alert. Someone or something had entered the house. The ancient energy sent a chill over his skin. It was powerful. Supernatural.
Rafe’s heart pounded in his chest. He glanced at Skylar, who remained deep in slumber, and tugged the blanket over her shoulder.
He resisted the temptation to wake her. But there was no way in hell he was about to bring her into another bloody battle. Whatever this was, he’d deal with it himself.
Rafe sniffed, a familiar cologne drifted in the air. Rafe guessed Clive Christian. There weren’t too many people who wore such an expensive scent. Viktor?
Concerned the intruder had likely detected his presence, Rafe locked the bedroom door from the inside and closed it behind him.
He transformed into his wolf, and stilled, listening.
Another creak on the hardwood floor told him the intruder was still inside the house.
The stealth animal loped down the hallway and peered down the wooden steps.
Rafe inhaled the heady cologne. His prey within reach, his heart pounded in his chest. Crouched, he listened, waiting for it to come to him. One footstep after another grew louder, closer and closer.
The magick in the air grew thick and Rafe readied to attack. No one would hurt Skylar. Not ever.
The cadence of the steps slowed. Silence lingered, but through it, Rafe heard the pulse. Without warning Rafe ran down the steps and lunged at the man standing in the family room. Instantly he disappeared and reappeared next to the fireplace.
“I see why my brother finds you entertaining,” said the blond stranger.
Rafe growled and approached with caution as he stalked toward him. He didn’t recognize this vampire, but there was no mistaking the ancient energy.
“I mean her no harm,” he said, arrogance in his tone. “You should be thanking me.”
The wolf growled as he observed the stranger. Refined, cultured, he reminded Rafe of Viktor. Why was he in Skylar’s home? Was he tied to New Orleans? Or Las Vegas? Zyaire?
“You need to keep a better eye on her, my friend. They will find her here.”
Rafe snarled, readying to attack.
“My brothers. Ah, they never learn how dangerous it’s become. It’s a cold, cold world. Thankfully, I was there.”
Rafe released a low growl. He knows Viktor? Greyson?
“Humans are like butterflies. So fragile. Such a shame really.” He sat on the end of the leather sofa and shot Rafe a cool smile. “Your beautiful human upstairs simply trusted me to take her to the airport. Serendipitous.”
Rafe’s wolf urged him to attack, to tear open the throat of the creature in front of him. Though the ancient was stronger, he’d underestimate the wolf’s ability to kill him. Arrogance would be his downfall. Patient, Rafe waited for his opportunity, for the ancient to display a slip in judgement.
“How can you not believe in fate? A lovely human delivered to me because a wolf and my brother duped her. To be fair, I was a good Samaritan. A gentleman. As always. But if I wanted, I could’ve clipped her wings, bitten her. I was tempted. Still am.”
Crouched low, a low growl rumbled from his throat as Rafe readied to attack.
“She’s here.” He sniffed with a slow exaggerated inhalation. His smile flattened as he glared at the wolf. “I can smell her…on you.”
Rafe kept his focus on the vampire. He heard the metal lock click open upstairs. Skylar.
The vampire looked up to the ceiling. “She awakes.”
Rafe launched his attack. One second of distraction had been all he needed. He pounced onto the vampire. Though he sensed the ancient’s power, Rafe discharged his own in opposition, directing his energy into the vampire’s chest.
“Get off,” he yelled at the wolf, his fangs bared.
Enraged, Rafe’s jaws clamped onto the vampire’s throat. The wolf snarled, pinning him onto the floor.
“Rafe!” Skylar cried. She looked to the stranger. “Sebastian. Sebastian, is that you? What are you doing here?”
Rafe froze as her hand brushed over his fur, shaking him from his attack. Guilt twisted through him as reality of his actions set in. Determined not to spill blood in her family home, he called on his old friend. Greyson.
“Rafe. It’s okay. Let him go. I, ugh, I know him. Really. It’s okay.” Please.
He did as she asked and released the vampire, shifting back to his human form. He accepted a robe Skylar offered and donned it. “What are you doing here?”
“I knew I could get you to come at me.” Sebastian laughed as he recovered and pushed up to sit on the floor. “Feral beasts.”
“Do you think this is a game?” Rafe tied his warm black robe closed. Hints of lavender drifted into his nose and he glanced to Skylar. She tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at him.
“I don’t see it as a game at all, I’m afraid. But my brother was sloppy with the human. He should have never left her.”
“You need to get out,” Rafe told him.
Skylar glared at Sebastian. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
“It was quite easy, love.” Sebastian smiled and shrugged. “You have a particular scent.”
“What the hell are you doing inside my house?” She pulled her phone from her robe pocket and began to tap at its screen.
“It’s okay. He’s leaving. Now.” Rafe glared at Sabastian.
“I’m calling the police.” Skylar held up her phone.
“No. Don’t,” Rafe told her.
“What?” Her eyes widened in annoyance. “He’s stalking me.”
She looked to Sebastian who shrugged. “She’s not wrong.”
“The human police are no match for him,” Rafe told her.
“Interesting how protective she is of you. Hmm.” Sebastian’s eyes lit with amusement.
“Why are you here? Why are you after Skylar?” My human. Rafe couldn’t deny the jealousy that ripped through him. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind and glared at the arrogant vampire.
Sebastian rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, remaining silent as he shot a flirty smile at Skylar. She returned his gesture by turning her back to him.
“You didn’t just meet by chance though, did you? No, you’re a sneaky little fucker. You were watching her. But again, why Skylar? You stalked her. Or you stalked me? Greyson?”
Sebastian gave a supercilious shrug.
“Greyson.” Rafe closed his eyes and shook his head as the realization struck. “He called you?”
“Ah, my dear brother didn’t call me. Though I am here to see him.”
“Why Skylar?” Rafe’s pulse raced in anger as he pinned him with a stare.
“Your human just happened to get mixed up with the wrong group of vampires.” The smile fell from his face.
“Las Vegas has been a bit of a hot spot for trouble for some time. Indeed, darkness has been proliferating. The night in the desert, though? I was there for other reasons. Very good that you and my brother came to her rescue.”
“Wait. So you were there in the desert when she was attacked?”
“But you didn’t help.” Skylar turned to him, her voice cold. “You let them kill my friend.”
“I do apologize. But your life at that moment wasn’t my concern. I’m tracking something far more dangerous than the vampire.”
“You were going to let a human die?” Rafe pressed.
With a reserved demeanor, Sebastian replied. “There are far greater dangers to humans. I was on a hunt for a far more elusive creature. The human wasn’t of consequence. I considered intervening but it was unnecessary.”
“But you didn’t know we’d be there,” Rafe shot back at him.
“I know my brother far better than you, wolf. I knew Greyson was in town. Or should I say I could feel he was here.”
“Why Skylar? Why take her?”
“You make it seem so nefarious.” Sebastian waved him off.
“You were stalking her.”
“I was planning on surprising my brother.”
“This is ridiculous. I want you out of here,” Skylar told him.
“Truly, it was my greatest surprise seeing your human alone that day.”
“I’m not his human,” Skylar insisted.
“She’s mine,” Rafe growled, unable to restrain his wolf nor his beast.
“Ha! I knew it.” Sebastian pointed and laughed, turning to Skylar, wearing a sly smile.
Her eyes narrowed onto the vampire. “Get out. Isn’t there some kind of rule that if I revoke your access to my house you’ll be sucked out at lightning speed?”
“Only in movies, I’m afraid. I leave when I choose to do so. And to think I gave you a ride, and this is how you thank me?” He turned to Rafe. “How does she not understand how this works? Surely you’ve explained this to her, the way of the vampire. Clearly he appears bonded in some manner.”
“I’m not entertaining this.” Rafe struggled to conceal his reaction to the ancient’s statement. There was no way he could mate or bond with a human. Impossible.