Dark War Chronicles Box Set One (22 page)

He pulled her out of the truck cab and into his arms with ease and walked up the porch. Shouldering the door open he paused at the sight of his roommate, Orion, and a female playing chess at the kitchen table. Both of them froze and stared at Coran. Orion’s eyebrows jumped up in question, his gaze going from the woman in Coran's arms back to Coran's face. The woman started giggling.

"Both of you, shut up." He snapped, moving further in and heading towards the stairs.

Renee stirred in his arms and her eyes fluttered open. Coran gazed into her still-glazed eyes before she turned them to Orion and Tegan. Renee gave the two a little wave and a sleepy grin. “Hi, I’m Renee and I’m a little drunk right now.”

“Okay, now is not the time for—”

Renee cut Coran off. “And who are you? You’re quite a handsome man.” She reached a hand out for Orion. “Very handsome, and...” She titled her head to the side and then started giggling before laying her head against Coran’s chest again and falling asleep.

Orion shook his head and turned back to Tegan. "Drink up, Princess, you're getting your ass kicked."

Coran rolled his eyes and carried the sleeping Renee up the stairs and to his room on the left. Kicking the dirty laundry out of the way, he made his way to the bed. After laying her down he took a step back to study her. His wolf howled in his mind, wanting to comfort and protect the weak human on the bed. He fought to think of her just as a human and not be attracted to her. He couldn’t think straight with her so close and knew it was a stupid and rash decision to bring her here and put her in his bed. He reached out to stroke her cheek, but stopped himself. She turned to her side and snuggled into his bed, pulling the blankets around her as if to protect herself. Coran bit his lip as he wondered what this human would have to worry about that scared her enough to seek protection in blankets even in her dreams. He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, you’re not mine to worry about, nor mine to keep." He left, leaving the door cracked behind him to allow a thin stream of the hall light into the room.

He clattered down the stairs and back into the dining room. "Tegan, what are you even doing here?"

She didn't glance away from the chessboard. Her sunglasses covered her eyes, shading them from anyone who looked at her. "I got bored at Lucius' place and I was off tonight. Orion wanted a rematch."

"No, Orion wanted to get you drunk and see if he could get you into bed." Coran glared at the Fae, who returned the look with a wolfish grin.

Tegan shrugged and made her move. "He knows the consequences if it happens."

"Glad you care so much for my testicles, Princess." As Orion glanced back to the board, his black hair seemed to shift to green and even now a faint shadow of wings moved behind him. The Fae Prince had been banished by the Queen of Blood and Darkness and now he worked for Lucius. The hint of wings was like looking between two worlds, real but not tangible.

Tegan, on the other hand, was owned by the vampire and considered untouchable. Lucius ran the territory with a tight fist and controlled everyone within it. "Sorry Prince, you're the determined one."

"Thousands of years without sex, and you don't complain?" Orion laughed and shook his head. "I don't believe it. I've seen how sex starved girls act in the strip club—" He paused to make his move on the board.

Tegan blushed. "I've had sex within the last hundred years."

"I don't want to hear this." Coran went to the fridge to get a beer. "In fact, why are we even talking about this?"

"You gonna get laid tonight, bro?" Orion turned to Coran.

Coran choked on his beer. "Are you kidding me, she's in a drunken sleep and she’s human."

"Shame, at least one of us should get some tonight." Orion grumbled and turned back to study the game.

A grin spread over Tegan's face as she moved her piece into place. "Checkmate."

"Fuck." Orion downed his drink. "So what happens with her tomorrow?"

Coran shrugged. "She's a normal, so act normal, don't mention anything supernatural. I'll make sure she's okay and then send her on her way." For the sake of his sanity he hoped it would be that easy, but with two attacks he doubted it.

"Normal? It's not like you to bring a normal home. Or really anyone for that matter." Orion lifted his empty glass, his eyes moving back to Tegan. "I demand a rematch."

Tegan rolled her eyes and began resetting her pieces. Coran pulled up a chair. "She was being attacked, some of them were shifters. I saw them making their way towards the party, so I followed them and they led me to Renee. I caught their scent on her when I picked her up. They aren’t any of our shifters."

Both Tegan and Orion stared at him.

"Yeah, that's my thought. I was too busy making sure she was okay so I couldn't catch one and interrogate." He glanced at Tegan. "Have there been problems with rouge shifters in the territory?"

She took a moment to think then shook her head. "The newest shifter in our territory is Jaxon, Kassity’s mate."

Coran knew that but was hoping for a different answer. "Interesting, shifters attacking a normal. I'll talk to her in the morning, discreetly, to see if she knows why she was attacked."

"I'm betting she has no idea, and she's oblivious to anything supernatural." Orion said, moving a pawn forward.

Tegan snorted. Her hand poised over her pieces, she contemplated a move. "I'm betting she knows something, but isn't willing to admit to it."

"I'm betting you both are crazy and she has nothing to do with whatever the shifters want." Coran grinned. "A night worth of tips? Tegan I assume you're ungrounded, which means you're back at work."

She growled at him. "I don't get grounded, but yes, I'm free to come and go as I like from the property now. Deal, jackass."

"I'm in." Orion stood and went to pour some another drink.

Coran stood and stretched. "Then we'll find out who the winner is in the morning. I'm gonna crash, I have a feeling this human is a daytime creature."

Tegan waved. "Night night pup."

Coran gave a bark of laughter and went back up the stairs. When he entered the room, he watched the steady rise and fall of Renee's chest as she slept. He took a deep breath and smelled the sweet scent unique to her, not an artificial perfume. His cock strained against his jeans; sleeping in the bed with her was not an option. “Fuck, the floor it is then.”

Chapter Three

Renee rolled over and snuggled into a pillow, letting out a sigh of contentment. Thanks to the amount she drank, she’d slept like a rock. When her eyes landed on the dark forest green walls she knew something was wrong. She shot up in bed and blinked a few times.
Oh no, oh no, oh no, where the hell am I?
A noise drew her attention to a man sleeping on the floor. Her eyes swept over his form. Curled on his side, his rhythmic breathing told her he was sleeping. He faced the bed still dressed in wrinkled clothes. Panic rose in her as she studied him.

She frowned when she recognized the messy reddish brown hair and muscular body. Coran...memories from the night flooded her mind and she blushed when she remembered quoting movie lines to him. Embarrassment swiftly took the place of panic. Rubbing her eyes, she got off the bed and tiptoed around the sleeping man, pausing only to see if she could still see a shadow of a wolf behind him. Lying at his back, also curled up sleeping was the shadow, its breathing in rhythm with Coran’s. She shook her head and continued out the door, then down the stairs.

In the middle of the living room lay the woman from last night, her white hair spread over her back, allowing a glimpse of a bra and bare skin which disappeared into a pair of black pants. Her head rested on one arm and her other clutched a pair of sunglasses. The woman's back suddenly bowed, her mind captured in a nightmare. Renee backed up in silence, not wanting to wake the half-naked woman. She turned around and ran back up the stairs into Coran's room, tripping over him and landing on her hands and knees.

"Careful there, hum—" He rubbed his eyes, stopping mid-sentence. "Renee. Calm down, you're not in any danger here."

She spun around and sat against the bed. "There's a half naked girl on your floor that looks like she's passed out, I was attacked last night, again, and you just happened to be there. I’m here with you and not at home. Now what the hell is going on?" Trying to squash the bubbling panic down, she put a hand to her stomach. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the nausea overtaking her as she recalled the events.

"I just happened to be on my way home from work when I came across you drunk and being attacked. It's kind of cute that you quote nothing but movies when you've been drinking."

Renee stared at him, confused and embarrassed. She’d wanted to go back to the bar and get his number, but she never imagined she’d spend the night with him. “Did we, um...?” She tried to find the words.

Coran raised a brow and then shook his head, “No, no we didn’t. Don’t worry.” He paused. “Do you want a shower? I’ll um... go downstairs and make Tegan get dressed.”

Judging by the look on his face, Renee figured the situation was just as awkward for him. "Tegan?" She raised a brow.

He nodded. "The woman downstairs that's half-dressed and sleeping on my floor."

"Oh, right, and yes, a shower would be a good idea." She didn't know why, but the idea of Coran joining the half-naked woman downstairs bothered her. Standing up, she sighed. "Which way to the bathroom?"

After showing Renee to the bathroom and apologizing multiple times for the situation she’d woken up to, Coran made his way downstairs to get Tegan off the floor, as promised. To his relief he found her awake and searching for something. "Orion hide your shirt again?"

"Yes." She blew out a huff of air. "That damn Fae better not have flashed it to his realm again. Stupid jerk."

"That's what you get for drinking with him. You'd think you would have learned better by now." He chuckled and glanced around the room, spotting Tegan’s shirt. "It's by the TV."

She grabbed it and grumbled while wiggling into it. "I needed a relaxing night."

"Does Lucius even know you're here?" She froze and he continued. "And without your sunglasses?" He studied her blood-red eyes as she avoided his gaze.

"No, he thinks I'm at my apartment. You and Orion are the only two I've seen this morning. I'll put them back on before your human gets down here." She slumped down in one of the recliners in front of the TV.

Her shoulders slouched and her gaze went to the floor. Gone was the confident girl who bantered with him and Orion. "Tegan, what's up?" He moved in front of her to meet her eyes, but she kept her gaze down.

"Lucius is still upset with me. For losing the stone." She played with the tips of her hair. Her usual confidence faded when she spoke. "He only started letting me out of his sight again a couple months ago. He knows someone forced me, but he doesn't know who."

"Do you?" He swallowed. If Renee did have the stone, like Kassity believed, having Tegan here put the human in more danger. Either that or Kassity had said something to Lucius and he sent Tegan to spy; but with the lack of signs of lying, he doubted that theory.

She didn't answer right away, her gaze trained on the carpet. "It felt like Markus."

Markus. The name of the vampire struck a cord in him. He clenched his fists at the name. "Markus is still in Europe."

"I know, but that's who it felt like."

"Have you told Lucius?" Things would get more complicated with Markus involved. The stairs creaking brought him out of his thoughts and he glanced at the stairs.

She shook her head. "He never asked, and you know what happens when I bring him up." She visibly shivered.

Her head snapped up and focused on something behind Coran.

Tegan rushed to put her sunglasses on and Renee frowned, but pushed the questions out of her mind. "Glad to see you have a shirt on."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Tegan grinned. "It happens sometimes when I drink and play chess."

Renee laughed. "Strip chess, and you were only missing your shirt? That's pretty good."

Coran’s gaze slid between the two and he shook his head. "You want breakfast?"

"Yes." Renee broke out into a grin when she and Tegan responded at the same time. Taking a few steps to close the gap between them she held a hand out to the woman, still grinning. "I'm Renee."

"Tegan." She took Renee's hand and shook it. "So, heard you were attacked last night." The two of them moved to the dining nook and sat at the small table there.

"It was the strangest thing. The other day on my way to the clubs downtown I was attacked and they took my purse.” Renee swallowed as a fine tremor started through her body. “This time it was like they were actually after me." She shook her head when she remembered a guy grabbing at her arm last night. Nothing made sense and there was no way she was going to mention seeing the visions of animals behind them. "And then boom, Coran was there and the guys ran off."

"Do you know why they were after you?" Tegan sat up straighter in her chair.

Renee wanted to see the woman's eyes while they talked, the lack of eye contact added to the panic residing in her stomach. "No. It was probably just random."

Tegan chuckled and pushed her hair away from her shoulders. "Attacks like that aren't random."

"Don't scare her, Tegan." Coran walked back in with a plate piled high with fruit. "Though I still think it might be a good idea if you lay low for a little bit, Renee. You're welcome to stay here if you'd like. If it is random I doubt they would think to look for you here."

Renee shook her head. "I can't. I have a job and school that I have to worry about. I can't just drop off the face of the Earth." She didn't like change and no matter how hot he was, nor the fact that he saved her life, she wasn’t going to up and move in with him.

"It'd be safer." Tegan said and picked up a slice of honeydew. "And trust me, safe is everything."

Renee grabbed a strawberry and examined it. "I shouldn't have to worry about safe. It's finals week and the only thing I have time for is getting my papers done and passing my exams."