Alpha Trio 3: A Special Taste (2 page)

Kall froze above him, wet mouth pressed to his jaw. Grig gritted his teeth, fingers digging into her firm ass cheeks as he struggled to maintain control.

Outside, there was the distinct crack of breaking bones and then a meaty ripping noise. Then splat. For a long moment after that, there was nothing. The thick, clotted voice chuckled.

“Don’t think I won’t find you. I’ll always find you. You’re
mine
.”

*****

They waited another ten minutes, barely breathing, after the footsteps faded. Grig gritted his teeth, trying to will the rampant desire boiling through his blood away. But it refused to go. Despite the danger, the dark, the fact that he didn’t know who this woman was, how she knew what she knew or had done what she’d done, or what she even looked like, his cock remained hard as steel. He fought the urge to thrust up against her heat. His fingers dug into the worn leather of her pants.

Kall, apparently satisfied their enemies were no longer lurking about, sprang out of his grasp. “Well, that was interesting, but I think it’s time for me to go. So, you’re welcome for saving your life. See you around.”

He heard the squeak of her heel as she turned and acted instinctively, pushing to a crouch and leaping for her. His leg and side protested, not fully healed, and a wave of dizziness swamped him. Still, he managed to catch her wrist.

“Not so fast, sweetheart. You need to come with me.”

She snorted. “I don’t think so, wolfie. I’ve got shit to do and it doesn’t involve you.” Grig felt a hot flare of anger. He gritted his teeth and tightened his hand around her arm.

“No? Because that vamp said ‘You lost the girl’. Which I’m thinking meant you. So obviously our shit is very much involved.”

“You wish.” Kall tried to tug free of him. She was strong, stronger than she had any right to be, but even injured Grig was stronger. To her credit, she only tried once and then subsided with a frustrated sigh. “Fine. Where are we going?”

“Ever been to 5tM?”

He felt her stiffen in his grip. Interesting. “The club?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Grig began shuffling slowly forward, free hand out to keep from bumping anything, looking for the exit. “That’s where my brothers are.”

“Your brothers?” Her soft, raspy voice was puzzled, but only for a moment. Then she inhaled sharply. “You’re a Lupei!”

Grig chuckled. Their reputation preceded them. It wasn’t the first time. He had to admit, if only to himself, hearing the awed excitement on Kall’s tongue as she said the name made him puff a bit with pride. “Grigore Lupei, at your service, milady.” Not releasing her wrist, he sketched a quick bow, brushing his mouth over the back of her hand in the dark. Her fingers twitched.

Kall sighed, the sound a strange mixture of relief and trepidation. “Then you’re right. Our shit is very much involved.”

“Oh?” Her sudden change of tune surprised him. Despite their short and strange acquaintance, Kall didn’t seem like the kind of woman who vacillated. She reached around him then. He heard a distinct click and the rusted screech of metal as the door swung open, yellow light from the streetlamps pouring into their sanctuary and momentarily blinding him.

“I’ve actually been looking for you.”

Grig blinked away the sting as his eyes adjusted, grimacing. The blank concrete room around them jumped into sharp focus, as did the iron stairs in front of him. He was surprised not to see splotches of his blood along the floor from where she’d dragged him in. “Why were you –”

His mouth dropped open, question forgotten, as his roaming gaze finally rested on Kall. Standing, she was tiny, barely 5’5” he guessed, and slender as a sapling. Her arms were muscular and toned, and he’d felt the ridges of her abdomen, but there was no way in hell this slip of a chick dragged him anywhere.

She was dressed like a bad-ass, in black leather pants, a black t-shirt and heavy motorcycle boots, but she couldn’t weigh more than 125 pounds. And two or three of that was boot.

But that wasn’t what had stopped him mid-sentence. No. The impossibility of her only began with the slight, slender frame. Then there was the pale luminescence of her skin, which seemed to glow white in the dim basement. Her hair was glossy and black, cut asymmetrically around her thin, high cheekboned face. Her lips were plump and red, her eyes slightly slanted, the irises as black as her hair. If there was any delineation between them and her pupils, he couldn’t see it.

And then, of course, there was the sword strapped to her back. ‘
Decapitated the last one
’, she’d said. She’d cut off a vampire’s head. With a sword.

“Who
are
you?”

She licked her lips and her gaze slid from his. “I’d rather only tell the story once, if you don’t mind. Didn’t you want to find your brothers?” She didn’t wait for an answer, taking the steps two at a time, her boots clanging noisily on the metal.

Grig followed, brain whirling with a million questions. Not too many to ignore the fabulous sight of her tight ass incased in leather as she leapt up the stairs in front of him. His palms itched to touch her again and his cock gave a sympathetic throb, eager to be pressed against her scorching heat.

He watched her as they sped through deserted alleys back toward the club where his brothers and their Mates waited. They were over a block away, the music a dull thump in the distance, when Grig jerked his chin at the sword. “Might want to tuck that someplace safe. No way the bouncer will let you by packing a weapon like that.”

Kall’s shoulders hunched slightly forward, the gleaming black scabbard winking in the light of a nearby sign. “I’ll take care of it.”

He expected her to stow it, or maybe disguise it as a walking stick or
something
. She did neither. As they drew closer to the club’s front door, she simply glided past the burly bouncer. Grig followed, brow furrowing. Neither the muscle-bound Hispanic guarding the door nor any of the decked-out punks in line cast them so much as a glance.

He, Drei, and Em normally sailed past the lines, of course. The bouncers knew better than to try and fuck with the Lupei brothers, for one. And for another, by now the all knew Drei was Cass’s main squeeze. But they usually got at least a nod of the head, and even some indignant shouts from the people still waiting to get in.

“Kall.” He caught her arm and jerked her to a stop. She spun on him with a hiss, lips peeling back from her teeth.

Her long, sharp, pointy teeth.

Grig froze as if she’d zapped him with some sort of Medusa glare. But it wasn’t her eyes that held him immobile. It was her fangs.

She stiffened in his grip, her eyes squeezing shut. Her mouth clamped close, those lush, red lips pursing in a hard line. She took several long, deep breaths, in and out, through her narrow nose. It curved slightly upward at the end, he noticed idly.

“You’re a bloodsucker?” Grig’s stomach slid down into his shoes. Confusion and anger formed twin, burning coils in his chest. He shook his head, dropping her arm and taking a step back. Kall’s eyes flew open.

“Not...” She trailed off, licked her lips, lifted her chin, and began again. “Not like
them
.” She said ‘them’ like a curse word. Grig frowned. She closed the distance between them, her face starkly defiant. “I need your help. Yours, and your brothers’.”

He inhaled, catching that soft, rose petal aroma from her again. She didn’t smell like a vamp. How the hell come? “Why should we help a vamp? We kill them. That’s kind of our job.”

“I thought it was your job to protect the Norms, and our little secret. You know, the one where we exist?”

“It is.” Grig’s shoulders stiffened at her accusatory tone.

Kall fisted her hands on her hips. “Well, I can help you with that. Because if Seren has his way, we’re all screwed. Norms and Supes alike.” A shudder twisted through Grig at her words.

“Who’s Seren?”

“Tall, skinny, bald, fucking feral. Ironically looks a bit like one of the Gentleman from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only with huge ass fangs? Ringing any bells?” She cocked one thin, black brow.

It rang a lot of bells. All of them, in fact. She was describing the vampire who’d tried, on two separate occasions, to kidnap Cat, his brother Em’s human Mate. He stared into the glittering black of Kall’s eyes for a long moment before making a decision.

“Come on.” Grig grabbed her hand and began plowing through the noisy, thrashing crowd, towing her in his wake. She didn’t struggle, but he heard a small snort of amusement.

“Gee, taking me to meet the family already, wolfie? I think things are moving a little fast.”

She was joking, but Grig had a feeling she wasn’t wrong. Something was hurtling toward them at a rapid pace. Something bad. He only hoped he was making the right decision.

*****

Em, Cat, Drei, and Cassandra were sitting at their usual table in the VIP area. The music was thumping, the floor beneath their feet vibrating with the heavy bass. Cassandra, long red hair loose around her shoulders, was shaking her head. Her face was scrunched into a scowl, but her lips were quirked upward.

“It’s pathetic. Tonight’s my night off and yet here I am at –” She stopped abruptly, her head whipping around. Her mouth fell open and her bottle green eyes tracked quickly between Grig and Kall, widening.

Em, one long arm wrapped around Cat’s curvy waist, raised his head from her chestnut locks and grinned. “Well, hey, little brother! I thought you were done for the night.”

Cat tipped her head to the side and bit her lip, studying Grig’s face before sliding to Kall.  He saw her start in surprise.

“Who’s your friend?” Drei’s scowl was thunderous as he rubbed one large hand over Cassandra’s rigid spine. Grig ignored the question, eyes locking with Cassandra’s instead.

“We need somewhere to talk. Somewhere
private
. Your office?”

Em hadn’t caught either of the women’s reactions yet. He chuckled. “Talk? Since when do you talk to pretty women, Grig?”

Cassandra bit her lips, eyes scanning the table. “Might be a bit tight for all of us, but I think we can manage.”

He whirled, pulling Kall with him, and made a beeline for the back hallway and the door to Cassandra’s office. Behind him, he heard Cat’s soft voice ask, “Is that a sword?”

Grig was reaching out to pop the flimsy lock on the office door when Cassandra slid in front of him.

“I got this, little brother.”

Technically, he was actually older than Cass by several years. But it still made him smile when she called him that. She slid her key into the lock and pushed the door open, ushering them inside. Grig watched Cass watch Kall. The human mind reader’s green eyes were intent and wary.

Kall, for her part, seemed rather relaxed now. She crossed to the file cabinet on the far side of the room and hopped up on it with acrobatic grace, perching on the edge and kicking her feet slightly. She leaned back on her hands, elbows turned out, and Grig caught the edge of a tattoo disappearing beneath her t-shirt sleeve on her right arm.

He had the sudden urge to go over to her, tug up the sleeve and follow the thin tendril he glimpsed on her pale, perfect skin with his lips. Maybe peel those snug leather pants down her lean legs and step between her thighs. Finish what they’d started in the darkened basement.

“Ahem.” Cassandra cleared her throat loudly, one ruddy brow curved upward. Grig grimaced and shrugged in apology. When he turned back to Kall, her lush lips were curved in a smile and her dark eyes glittered as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking. Was she a mind reader too? Some of the vamps, like this Seren asshole, had extra abilities. Maybe that was one of hers. That, and not smelling right.

He didn’t have any more time to dwell on what special abilities Kall might or might not possess. Em, Cat, and Drei all piled into the room them. His brothers wore matching scowls and were staring at him. Cat’s pretty, round cheeked face was intent, her odd purple-blue eyes fixed on Kall. As were Cassandra’s, though her expression, brow slightly furrowed, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, was more puzzled.

Drei leaned his back against the closed office door, crossing his arms across his broad chest. “Alright, brother. Care to tell us what the fuck is going on?”

“And who your new friend is?” Em added, his pose mirroring their older brother’s. Grig opened his mouth to answer, but Cat spoke first, her voice firm and low, eyes still on Kall.

“You’re Kalla Entragian.”

Kall flinched as if Cat had slapped her. Grig was sure she would have paled if her skin was already the lightest shade of alabaster. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Where did you hear that name?”

“Babe?” Em said at the same time, reaching out a hand to touch Cat’s shoulder. Cat reached up and took his hand, but her eyes never left Kall’s face.

“The night we met, Em, do you remember what I was doing?”

Grig saw a flicker of lust cross his brother’s face. Cat must have seen it too, though how she had when she wasn’t facing Em was a mystery to Grig. Cat squeezed Em’s hand and chuckled. “Before that.”

“You mean meeting up with a psycho v –” Em’s mouth closed briefly, his gaze flicking from his Mate to Kall. “Meeting up with a psycho in a dark alley?”

Cat nodded. “I told you I was doing research into a string of deaths. I was meeting a source. At least, that’s what I thought.”

Everyone was watching Cat now. Everyone but Kall. She turned her face away from them, ostensibly studying the row of small green and brown bottles arranged along a low shelf behind Cassandra’s desk. But Grig watched her and saw the tightening of her jaw muscle. “You’re the reporter.” Kall didn’t phrase is as a question, but Cat answered anyway.

“Yes.” Cat extended her hand. “Cat Dennis.” When Kall ignored the proffered handshake, Cat dropped her hand and tipped her head to the side. “What happened to you Kalla? You’ve been missing for nearly a year.”

“It’s just Kall.” She turned back, but her eyes slid over Cat and met Grig’s. “And Seren happened to me.” Now she did look at Cat, her eyes black fire. “He’s going to happen to you too, if we don’t stop him.”

“Is that a threat?” Em’s voice was arctic.

Grig punched his brother in the shoulder. “Listen, idiot. Seren? Is Skeletor.” Skeletor was the name they’d been using to refer to the cadaverous vampire who’d twice tried to kidnap Cat. Em stiffened, his arm snaking around Cat’s waist and tugging her against him as if for protection. The muscle in Kall’s jaw ticked again. Grig shifted closer to her, leaning against the side of the filing cabinet, pressing his shoulder into her knee. Some of the anxiety that was sparking through him subsided at the touch.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” Cassandra asked, sliding into her chair.

Kall’s fingers gripped the edge of the filing cabinet so hard Grig heard the metal dimple in protest. By the door, Drei straightened, nostrils flaring, a low growl beginning in his throat.

“Cassandra, get away from her. Now.” His words were barely out before Cass slid to his side. Drei pushed her behind him. Em did the same with Cat. Both his brothers were bristling, their wolves clearly just beneath the surface of their twitching skin.

Grig slid himself in front of Kall, lip lifting in a silent snarl. He’d moved without even thinking. From behind Em, Cat gave a long, low sigh.

“While all the macho posturing is really interesting, and I am enjoying the view, we’re not really getting to the bottom of this, are we? Emilian, Grig brought her here for a reason. Maybe you want to listen before you go all grr on her?”

“Your family’s not nearly as welcoming as you, wolfie,” Kall breathed in his ear. Remembering the few brief minutes in the concrete basement with her on his lap, Grig growled.

“They better not be.”

She’d spoken softly, her tone ironic, but he knew both his brothers had heard their exchange. He saw the flare of yellow in Drei’s dark eyes when Kall called him ‘wolfie’.

“Alright,” Grig sighed. “Maybe you two could ratchet down the antagonism a little? Kall saved my life tonight. That earns her a bit of slack, I would think.”

His words had about the impact he’d expected. Drei’s eyes narrowed on Kall. Em’s eyes narrowed on him. Both Cat and Cassandra peeked out from behind their respective Mates with wide, shocked eyes.

“Are you okay?” they asked simultaneously.

“Saved your life from who?” Em demanded.

Drei’s gaze crawled up Kall’s petite form. “How?”

“Only a bit of slack?” Kall asked, an edge of laughter in her voice.

Grig answered her first. He threw a wink over his shoulder. “With them. With me, it earns the whole rope. I’m fine, by the way.” He directed this last to the group huddled by the door with a grin. “And as for who and how? Well, ironically, the answer to both those questions is the same. Vampires.”

“Well, technically, the answer to how is just ‘vampire’.” Kall nudged him with her knee. Grig shrugged. Somehow, in the moment Drei and Em had begun acting antagonistic toward Kall, his own ambivalence toward the idea of her being a vampire disappeared.

“You brought a fucking bloodsucker in here?” Drei snarled.

Em wasn’t nearly as loud. His voice was cold and deadly. “What the fuck is going on, Grig?”

“Seren is hunting your Mate,” Kall said to Em, ignoring Drei’s palpable anger. “Do you know why?”

“Because –” Cat began, but Em slid his hand over her mouth.

“You tell us.”

Kall ran her fingers through the black satin of her hair, flicking the short bob back from her face. “Originally, he just wanted to shut her up. She was asking too many questions about things and he was worried his little pet project would be discovered. Then, he tasted her blood.” She rubbed her right wrist idly, staring at the thin, pale skin there. “Some humans have a little something extra. He doesn’t know why, or what it is... yet. What he does know is that when those humans turn,
if
they turn, they always possess extraordinary Gifts. Especially the women.” There was a tone in her voice that made Grig’s spine stiffen. He turned toward her.

“Women like you?”

She ignored him, peering straight over his head at Drei and Em. Em frowned. “What do you mean ‘if’ they turn? Humans get bit, swap a little blood, die, turn into vampires. There’s no ‘if’ about it. That’s just how it works.”

“And Shifters never Mate with humans, right?
That’s just how it works
.” Kall quirked a thin brow. Grig’s lips twitched at her mimicry of Em’s tone. “You’re talking about normal humans... I’m talking about something... else.”

“Other,” Cassandra replied softly, stepping out from behind Drei and returning to her seat at her desk. Drei scowled at her, but didn’t try to stop her. “Cat is... we are... something Other. Not quite human.”

Surprise flickered across Kall’s face so quickly Grig wondered if anyone but him caught it. Then her expression smoothed, her red lips straightening into a straight line. “You too?”

Cassandra nodded. “So this Seren... he doesn’t know about me?”

“No. Though that doesn’t mean you’re safe. He’s got a major hate on for your boys here.”

“And why are we trusting this vampire again? We don’t even know if she has any way of knowing any of this, or if she’s just guessing.” The lines of Drei’s furrowed brow were deep.

Grig swept a hand down his shirtfront, drawing his brother’s attention to the torn, dirty, bloodied garment. “We’re trusting her because she killed the vampires that were about to kidnap me.” Heat stung his cheeks as he met Drei’s gaze. “I was stupid, and way too drunk to fight. Five of them jumped me a few blocks from here.”

Cat gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Cassandra sucked in her breath and Grig knew she was reading more than he was saying in his thoughts. For once, he didn’t care. “I managed to kill one, but at a high cost. They had me. And I think they were going to use me to force you guys to hand over Cat. If Kall hadn’t come along...” He didn’t have to finish. He saw the knowledge on his brothers’ faces.

If Kall hadn’t come along, the vamps would have had him, and Em and Drei would have been faced with an impossible decision. Em especially. Betray his brother, or the woman he loved?

The sudden silence in the room was heavy with unspoken emotion. Kall’s husky voice slid softly into the space. “And I know what he’s planning to do to Cat, because he’s done it before. He did it to me. A year ago, I was human. Or, ‘Other’, I guess. Seren attacked me outside of a club. He meant to kill me, but when he tasted my blood...” She shrugged, a smile twitching her lips. “I guess we taste different.”