The Wicked Kiss (17 page)

Shaz scoffed but didn’t spit out the retort that I knew he had. “Stay put. I’m going to get you a warm cloth or something.” His hand lingered, tracing the outline of a bruise on my jaw.

“He got me good, right down my back. I’m not sure how bad it is.” I turned so that he could lift my torn hoodie and shirt to examine the wounds. He swore softly, and a second later, his gentle touch against the stinging claw marks made me jump in sudden pain.

“Sorry,” he murmured, carefully replacing my clothing. “It’s deep, but you’ll be fine.

I’ll get you some ice.”

When he’d disappeared from sight, I leaned back against the wall near the staff hall.

It gave me a clear view of the door and my vampire, should he walk in. His hunger didn’t dominate my focus as it had earlier, but it did continue to gnaw at me.

I didn’t have to wait long. My dark lover strode into the Lounge with a cool energy that reached out to touch me before our eyes met. He didn’t look anywhere but straight at me, and my heart raced for an entirely new reason. The hunger dissipated, and a cool wave swept the heat of it away. Unable to deny the need, I reached for him.

Arys swept me off my feet, pulling me close in a possessive embrace. “What happened to you, my wolf? Your car looks like it’s been side swiped.”

“Shit! I just ran for my life from the mate of a wolf Kale and I killed. I should have seen it coming.” I enjoyed the feelings that ignited in me at his touch. The heightened power within me reached out to him, entwining so that I felt like I was falling into him.

The illusion was shattered when he began to look me over. “I’m fine, really. He just caught me off guard.”

“And what does the wolf pup say about this?” Arys’ eyes narrowed, and I knew what he was thinking.

“Don’t you dare start with him. I do not need that shit right now.” I glanced around for Shaz, expecting his return at any moment.

He gave me a look that said I was being ridiculous. “I mean, that I’m sure he has no intention of allowing this werewolf to get away with an attempt on your life. Simmer down, Alexa. I fed an hour ago. Why are your eyes so blue?”

“I begged Shaz not to go after him. That wolf was out of his friggin’ mind. It was Kale and I who caused this, and we will have to deal with it.” I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned, confused. “They’ve been blue for awhile now.”

If I hadn’t sensed Shaz’ approach, I would have known it by the look Arys instantly wore. He looked as if he had the taste of something bitter in his mouth. I rolled my eyes and ignored him when he muttered, “I bet he just loves my eyes on you.” Men, I so did not understand them.

I accepted the warm towel Shaz held out to me with a smile and turned so that he could place a cloth filled with ice against the wounds on my back. I sighed with relief as it eased the burning. Shaz’ energy grew to mirror the aggressiveness that Arys was putting out, but he didn’t so much as antagonize the vampire.

Arys seemed to avoid my gaze purposefully, and I knew why when he blurted out,

“So, are we going to go hunt down this son of a bitch or what?”

My mouth dropped open, and I stared in shock at Shaz when he met the other man’s eyes and said, “You read my mind.”

They stared at each other because neither of them had the balls to look at me.

Swiping the ice-packed cloth from Shaz, I spun around to confront him. “Excuse me?”

“Well come on, Lex, you have to be serious here. Independence is one thing, but this is my place as your mate. You can’t handle everything yourself.” Shaz shrugged and a glimmer of pain passed over him. “You don’t have to.”

I made a noise of disbelief and wiped my neck wounds with the warm towel. “You two, together? You’re more likely to kill one another than that werewolf.”

Arys snorted and chuckled. I ignored him and stared at Shaz. He looked incredibly uneasy, and by the way his eyes darted around, I knew it was because of my eerie blue eyes. Sighing, I turned to wipe the bloodstained skin of my back. I was unable to reach, and Shaz took the towel from me, cleansing my tender skin with a loving touch.

“I wish you wouldn’t be so uptight all the time,” he admonished. Arys met my eyes and gave me a wink and a nod, as if in agreement with Shaz. I wanted to pout and stomp my feet over the fact that he was saying this stuff in front of the cocky vamp, but I huffed and puffed in silence as he continued. “If we don’t take him out now, he’s just going to keep coming after you.”

I hated that he was right on that count, but it wasn’t worth it to me to risk him for anything. However, I also knew that he was right about one thing. I couldn’t keep treating him like the kid that he used to be. Shaz was nothing if not a man. I just couldn’t help but be protective of him.

“I know that. I just don’t like it.” I scowled when I caught Arys smirking like a cat with a mouse. “And, I don’t like the idea of the two of you running around in the dark together.”

“What are you afraid of, Alexa? That we might actually get along just fine? I think that would scare you more than if we were trying to tear each other apart.” Arys ran his tongue lightly along the metal ring in his lip, drawing my eyes to it. I had the sudden urge to tug on it with my teeth.

What really sucked was that I couldn’t deny that he was right. A part of me didn’t much enjoy the idea of my two men alone together without me. I guess I didn’t trust them, or rather, I didn’t trust Arys. I didn’t think he would hurt Shaz, but I didn’t trust him to keep his opinions to himself, either.

Shaz looked frustrated. “I just want to get this guy before he makes it out of town. I can get Tawnie to take over the bar for awhile. Let us do this, Lex.”

The thought of him going out there without me turned my stomach. “Not without me.”

“Out of the question,” Arys piped up. “You smell wounded, like prey. You will only endanger yourself if you go looking for him.” When I stared hard at him, willing him to shut up, he shrugged and said softer, “We’ll have each other’s back, alright? No harm will come to your wolf.”

“You can’t go back out there.” Shaz nodded, but I could see in his eyes that he hated agreeing with Arys. “We’ll be fine. I promise. Why don’t you head home?”

I gritted my teeth, fighting back the urge to lose my temper with both of them. I didn’t want to feel like the wounded female, dammit. I was the Alpha in this town.

“Julian and Kylarai are there. I could have torn his face off earlier.”

Shaz immediately perked up. “Julian is there?”

“Don’t even think it.”

Arys watched our little exchange with mild amusement. I think it intrigued him, the aggressive side of Shaz that rarely surfaced. I seemed to be seeing a lot of it lately. But, what could I really do? Put up a fight and tell him he wasn’t going? That wouldn’t end in my favor.

I sighed, the exasperation authentic. “I don’t want you going after that wolf. But, I won’t try to stop you. You’re both big boys.”

Relief washed over Shaz, and it was so obvious he’d been expecting a fight that I felt foolish. Arys glanced between us, turning toward the exit. “Shall we then?”

A lock of platinum hair fell in Shaz’ eyes as he pulled me close. With a quick kiss, he whispered, “I love you.” Before I could reply, he had turned to follow the vampire, striding smoothly for the door.

I watched them go, wishing I could call him back. Why was this so hard? I wasn’t used to having someone willing to step in on my behalf, let alone two of them. As long as they refrained from turning on each other, maybe, just maybe, they would be ok.

Pouting made me feel like a child, yet I felt justified in doing so. It greatly wounded both my pride and my ego to have my two lovers hunt down the werewolf that had attacked me. I should have been able to handle it myself. And, the fact that they had gone together, united in a cause, had me beside myself with discomfort.

The midday sun beat down through my window, warming my toes where it fell upon them. I was waking up to the local lunchtime news with a coffee in hand and worry at the forefront of my mind. Tonight was the night of the full moon. Shaz and Julian were going to fight it out, and Kylarai and I would have to watch. The thought froze me with fear.

It hadn’t taken Arys and Shaz long to find the Were that attacked me. Within an hour, I’d gotten a call from Shaz telling me to come out to the parking lot. He had been too blood covered to risk walking inside.

They’d found the wolf alright, still near the park. He had been smart enough to stay where there was little light and zero human activity. Perhaps he had simply been regrouping before he came after me again. I didn’t get a lot of details. All I knew was that Shaz wore a loopy grin from ear to ear, and Arys looked sated, like a dog with a bone.

Perhaps what threw me the most was the relaxed atmosphere between the two of them. They weren’t being friendly in any way, but they showed less of the animosity I had seen recently. Killing together had somehow united them. Was I supposed to be reassured by that?

Though neither of them had wanted to leave my side, I had insisted on going home alone. I was shaken and uneasy and greatly in need of some alone time. I knew Arys well enough to know that no matter what, he was still feeling the need to be a bigger bad than my white wolf. And, Shaz, if anything, was playing nice because it was easier than constantly bickering. Despite killing together, their casual complacency was somehow more worrisome than when they’d been throwing punches.

The weather forecast called for a surprisingly warm day for this time of year. This close to Halloween, there were rarely soaring temperatures. It would make for a nice night.

Sighing, I set my coffee mug down and stretched thoroughly before hitting the bathroom. Thankfully, Julian’s SUV had been gone by the time I’d gotten home. I’d almost cried upon getting a detailed view of my damaged driver’s door. That nasty wolf had smacked it good, denting it in so that it crumpled beneath his weight. I would likely need a whole new door. Shit!

I kept my clothing simple, knowing I’d be shedding it later in favor of fur and four feet. Tight black leggings and a plain white tank top were both comfortable and practical.

As usual, I left my long hair down so that it fell past my elbows and abandoned the idea of makeup. It wouldn’t be necessary tonight.

The sound of Kylarai shuffling around in the kitchen reached me, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I should tell her about Kale. It seemed irrelevant, but it also seemed wrong to hide it. Was not telling the same thing as hiding? After all, she had decided that she couldn’t share her life with him. He was my friend, and what we’d shared was ours, regardless of how messed up it was.

Shoving the thought aside, I retrieved my mug and went to the kitchen for more caffeine. I was completely expecting Ky’s apologetic smile, which she turned on me at full blast. I waved it off before she could even speak.

“Don’t apologize for having Julian here, Ky. This is your house, too.” Grabbing the coffee pot, I pulled it out of the machine too hard, and a few drops fell to sizzle on the burner. I beamed a smile at her so that she wouldn’t feel guilty.

She shrugged and looked guilty anyway. “I know, Lex, but it’s a bad situation. I never considered the possible outcome of him being here. And, tonight is going to be a gong show.”

I noted the way her face fell when she said that. Apparently, Julian hadn’t changed his mind either. “I know. I didn’t sleep worth a damn last night. Of course, the attempt on my life in the park may have had something to do with that.”

Tossing two slices of whole wheat bread into the toaster, I pulled the strawberry jam out of the refrigerator. Turning to the cutlery drawer, I was disappointed to find that there were no clean butter knives.

“What are you talking about?” Ky whirled around to fix me with a mothering look.

“What happened?”

I began to wash a knife off in the sink since the dishwasher was still stacked with dirty dishes from the previous day. “Kale and I took out a she-wolf a couple of nights ago. Her mate came looking for me, and somehow managed to find me last night. He totally lynched me and destroyed the door to my car … but Arys and Shaz went after him, and he is no longer a problem.”

“Wow,” Kylarai remarked, her warm grey eyes watching my movements as I dried the knife and tapped my fingers on the counter in front of the toaster. “That’s outrageous.

You always have the craziest nights.”

I had to do a double take when I heard the longing in her voice. Was sweet, good girl Kylarai getting tired of the same old day to day?

“Yeah well, now, I have to pay for door repairs and somehow accept the fact that Shaz and Arys teamed up to save me.” I made a quotation sign on the words “save me” in the air with my fingers, though the butter knife in my hand messed it up.

She nodded and watched me thoughtfully. I could almost guess what was running through her mind. Her features were drawn, and if I didn’t know her so well, I would say that she was closed off. I could see through that. She was afraid.

“Are you worried?” She asked me suddenly, confirming my suspicions. “I mean, about tonight. Do you think it’s going to get out of hand?”

I didn’t know what she wanted to hear so I told her the truth. “Oh yeah. I can’t remember the last time I dreaded something as much as I dread tonight.”

“I tried to talk Julian out of it, but he wouldn’t even let me finish an entire sentence.

He can’t wait to fight it out with Shaz. It turns my stomach to think about it.”

My toast popped, and I turned away to spread jam on it, glad that she couldn’t see the frown I wore. “I know. It kills me that I have to accept Shaz as the man that he is and not the boy that he was when I first met him. So much has changed.” There was a forlorn note to my voice that I hadn’t anticipated. It felt all wrong.

Kylarai surprised me by laughing. “That boy you speak of has been a man a lot longer than you give him credit for. If anything, what he did for you last night should prove that.”

My cheeks warmed as I bit into a piece of warm, strawberry toast. I thought of the previous evening, how he had gently cleansed my wounds, willing to heed my pleas as I begged him not to go after that wolf. It had been against his instinct to ignore that urge, and he was willing to do it for me. Until Arys came along…

Whether I liked it or not, Shaz was the most dominant male wolf in this town. He had to prove it, and I had to play my role as his mate and back him.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m just not sure how far I should let it go before I stop it. If we let them determine that, it won’t end until somebody’s dead.”

Ky made a noise of disgust. “Men! Can’t live with them, and you just can’t kill them.”

“Says who?” I winked and munched away on my toast. I paused, just then noticing her dressy attire. “Are you working today? On the full moon?”

“I have some papers that have to be delivered in person for a client. I won’t be gone long.” She began to put away some of the coffee accessories, a nervous habit on her part, one she could do without. “And don’t tell me that I work too much. If I don’t keep busy, I’ll be a nervous wreck all day.”

I smiled in response, keeping my opinion to myself. I was nobody to talk about work. At least her job wasn’t going to get her killed. There was a likely chance that mine could, if my personal life didn’t catch up to me first.

I glanced at the clock. Shaz would be coming by later. We would be heading out to the forest behind my house together. In the meantime, I had a few mundane tasks to take care of. The large H on the kitchen calendar caught my eye, a reminder that Halloween was just days away. If we all made it to the party at Lucy’s Lounge intact, it would be a miracle. I was actually looking forward to getting out and having some fun.

After Kylarai left, I gathered my laundry together and threw it in the machine.

Whenever I wanted to do chores, I knew my anxiety level was up. I had to give both Kale and Jez a call before it got dark. Jez didn’t run with us wolves often, but she would tonight. I’d asked her to come and back me up. I didn’t entirely trust either myself or some of my fellow wolves.

Kale wouldn’t be up for hours yet. I wanted to bust his chops for not knowing our target had a mate. The gashes down my back had scabbed over nicely but still pulled and stung as I moved. Shifting later would be less than pleasant but would aid the healing process.

Picking up the phone, I punched in Jez’ number and waited. I hung up when it went to voicemail. She would see that I’d called. Wishing that I could stop time and knowing it would never happen, I turned my attention to my jewelry box for costume accessories.

Hopefully, forcing myself to show interest in what I was going to wear for Halloween would take my mind off the fast approach of nightfall.

I stared into my closet, eyeing the Little Red Riding Hood outfit that Jez had found for me. Whereas a few days ago, I wasn’t feeling all that confident about wearing it, now I just hoped that I would still get the chance. Everything that could go wrong lately had.

And, I could only wonder what else lay ahead. I couldn’t escape the feeling that the worst was yet to come.