VampireMine (3 page)

“Where is she?” Trey sounded panicked but resolute. “Take me
to her.”

Peering around her protector, she looked at the man who’d
caused so much harm yet hadn’t known it. It was time to reveal her hand. She
removed the pair of earrings she’d stolen from Sadie’s bedroom from her pocket.
“I can do that but if she’s in trouble—and I think she is—I’ll need help.”

Approaching footsteps drew the attention of everyone in the
room. Nathan thrust her behind him, hiding her with his much larger frame. She caught
a glimpse of Trey rushing from the room, instructing over his shoulder, “Get
her outside. I’ll come around and meet you. It’s not safe to talk here.”

Nathan didn’t argue, taking her by the elbow to guide her
around a couch. She hadn’t noticed the door in the corner, too transfixed by
Nathan and then Trey as they’d come at her like Mack trucks. As she stepped
outside and breathed in the morning air, she said a small prayer of thanks.

Despite it all.

Even at her worst.

She managed not to cave to her thirst.

Thank heaven for small favors.

Her gaze swept over Nathan’s sublime body. There wasn’t a
single inch of him covered in fat. Beneath the layers of clothing was a body
gods would envy. Another tidal wave of lust surged through her, heating her in
ways she’d thought she’d never experience after losing her mortality.

And she’d thought denying bloodlust was hard? So much for
that.

Every minute in the man’s presence was going to be sheer
torture.

* * * * *

Trey intercepted Cade before he could make it into the
living room. His stomach had formed into a hard knot, anxiety making all of his
senses sharp. His heart pounded in his chest, his skin itching as he restrained
the animal inside him. The wolf had risen to the surface a long time ago,
trying to fight its way free. The beast knew its mate was in trouble and wanted
to bring its female home. It felt it alone could protect her, shelter her.

Nourish her.

The disgrace that swamped him made it difficult to breathe.
He hadn’t seen Sadie for months. And in all that time she hadn’t been able to
do the one thing that would give her life—the poor thing couldn’t fucking
eat
.
As a male it was his duty to see to the needs of his mate and he’d failed at
the most basic level.

Images from his dreams were like a sucker punch to the face.

Now he knew they weren’t dreams but memories. Everything
that had happened—her fangs at his throat, the tiny pulls at his skin as she
fed—had been real. He’d given her what she needed most only to rip it from her
hands. Why hadn’t she come to him? Had her pride gotten in her way? Had facing
starvation been preferable to coming face-to-face with him again?

He winced. It must have been.

He was aware he hadn’t been easy on her. He’d practically
taken the gift she’d given him and thrown in back in her face. Vampires were
dangerous to shifters, able to turn them into familiars with no free will.
Despite that, he still wanted her.

Hell, how could he not?

The night he’d finally gotten hold of her, trapping her
lithe body between his and the ground, he’d known they’d be perfect together.
She’d been so hot, her pussy weeping for his touch. One kiss had set them on
fire, turning the world upside down. He wanted to hammer into the softness of
her cunt and hear her cries of pleasure. She’d been right there with him too,
as caught up in the moment as he was.

Then he’d opened his mouth and fucked it all up.

After tonight, you’ll never see me again. You have my
word.

He was so deep in thought he barreled right into Cade. The
human grunted and shoved Trey to the side. “What the fuck? I thought you were
leaving.”

Trey hurried to make an excuse—any excuse. Even if Caden
wasn’t a shifter he had spot-on instincts. The man had been an investigator
once upon a time. Years had honed his intuition, allowing him to detect
skeletons in anyone’s closet.

“I forgot my wallet.”

“Uh-huh,” Cade responded and leaned against the closest
wall. “Since when do you explain yourself to me?”

Fuck.
“Since you’re playing secretary, it’s the least
I can do.”

Cade brought a hand to his chin and stroked the scar marring
his skin. His steely eyes saw far more than Trey liked. “Why do I smell
bullshit?”

“Maybe you’ve been kissing too much ass?” The Alpha in him
wouldn’t allow Trey to sever eye contact but he did move away from Cade,
putting as much distance between them as possible. “Members of the pack could
start arriving at any time. I suggest you get things ready.”

“What the fuck are you up to?”

That was typical Cade—brash, ballsy and arrogant as hell.
Trey found the man’s bluntness refreshing, even if he’d never admit it to
anyone in the pack. As an Alpha, it was rare that anyone would go tit for tat
with him. However, Cade tended to overestimate his worth in the pack. While he
was worth having around and had managed to get in the good graces of Diskant
Black—the Omega and head of all the shifters of New York—he wasn’t above the
rules.

This time Trey didn’t ask, he ordered, “Get ready to greet
the pack.”

Even if Cade liked to push buttons, he’d been around long
enough to know he’d have to answer to Diskant if he stepped out of line. And it
wasn’t good to bother Diskant right now. His mate, Ava, was in the early stages
of pregnancy but had finally started to show. Anything that tore the Omega’s
focus from his female wasn’t welcomed.

“Whatever you say,” Cade drawled, each word laced with
sarcasm. Despite his apparent annoyance he was smart enough to lower his gaze
as he moved away from the wall and started walking toward the garage. “I live
to serve.”

Trey waited for Cade to exit the residence, listening as the
back door opened and slammed closed before he rushed from the hallway. Nathan
couldn’t leave the property with Leigh on his arm. The guards would ask him too
many questions. He wondered where he might find his Beta and unexpected guest
as he ran to the small door that led to the back of the property. To his relief
he spotted them as soon as he stepped outside. Nathan had taken Leigh to the
side of the building, keeping her hidden among the bushes. The man had boxed
her in the cage of his arms, standing protectively over her.

“Would you stop?” Leigh’s soft reprimand drifted to Trey’s
ears. “I told you I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie,” Nathan growled. “Not to me.”

“Children,” Trey interrupted the two before their argument
escalated and drew unwanted attention, keeping his voice low, “stop fighting.”

The instant Nathan lowered his guard, Leigh took advantage.
She ducked under his arm, gaining her freedom. “It’s about time you joined us,”
she hissed, tossing strands of her long, dark hair over her shoulder. “I was
starting to think you’d changed your mind.”

He had to force the wolf back, struggling to whisper instead
of howl. “No way in hell.” Looking past her, he started working out an exit
strategy. His motorcycle only allowed room for two. They needed a vehicle.
Unfortunately he wasn’t in a position to retrieve his keys and get to his car.
“How did you get here?”

“I drove,” Leigh snapped, her blue eyes shooting daggers in
his direction. “The car’s parked one street over.”

His gaze drifted to Nathan. “I’m going to distract the
guards while you two slip out.”

Nathan nodded and wrapped his hand around Leigh’s wrist.
“Hurry.”

Trey didn’t have to be told twice.

They were lucky to have gone undetected for as long as they
had.

He strode purposefully toward the line of trees along the
back of the property. Members of the pack rotated keeping guard, taking shifts
that lasted anywhere from eight to twelve hours. Trey approved the schedule but
didn’t go so far as to make it. As long as he had eyes on the place he didn’t
care how the pecking order was decided. Movement caught his eye, a subtle shift
of color that would go unrecognized by the human eye.

Bingo.

“It’s me,” he called out. “Reveal yourselves.”

One by one, they did.

He held his head high, approaching the wolves with total
confidence.

Any display of weakness could create total chaos.

He stopped several feet away and called on his wolf. The
beast responded, revealing as much of its power as Trey would allow it to. As
he anticipated, the members of his pack immediately backed down. They lowered
their gazes, taking on subservient stances.

This was it.

Showtime.

Sadie fought the welcoming arms of sleep and struggled
through the heavy fog keeping her from complete awareness. Her head slowly cleared,
thoughts no longer splintered. Opening her heavy lids, she blinked rapidly and
willed her eyes to focus. Shapes and colors bled together, making her head
spin. She ignored the dry tickle at the back of her throat, drawing a steadying
breath as she fixed her gaze on tiny crack in the ceiling.

How long had she been under?

Days? Weeks?

Months?

She resented the fear that slammed into her. After all, she
was responsible for her current predicament. She hadn’t been captured. No sir.
She’d walked willingly into the devil’s arms, moronically believing she’d
finally meet her end and find some semblance of peace in the afterlife.

Stop. Pull yourself together, damn it.

Despite her weakened state, she managed to shift her arms
and legs. A white-hot stab shot up her back. Her cold and tired muscles
protested the movement, stinging as they stretched and flexed. She relied on
years of training to push through, willing her body to ignore the pain. She
didn’t know what Aldon wanted with her but it couldn’t be good. If she’d
learned anything over the last few months it was that the man had a plan—even
if she didn’t know what that plan might be—for everything. Her captivity wasn’t
random. She served some sort of purpose.

And you handed yourself over to the bastard like a
dessert on a dainty platter.

Moron.

Aldon was far more powerful than she’d thought, staving her
hunger and using her weakened state to keep her incapacitated by sleep. Each
time she’d woken he’d appeared and handed her back to the Sandman. There hadn’t
been time to question his motives. One minute she’d been aware of her
surroundings—groggy but aware—the next her eyes had slammed closed and she’d
gone nighty-night.

Which is why you should stop wasting time. Get your shit
in check.

Pay attention. Right now.

She held her breath and gritted her teeth, trying to block
out the fire that slithered up her torso as she rolled onto her belly.
Decimated muscles groaned in protest, burning with the effort. Each panted
breath tore through her chest, her lungs feeling as though they might burst as
she attempted to remain quiet. At first she thought the pounding in her ears
was due to adrenaline and the slow thudding of her heart. Then she realized it
was actual sound resonating from beneath her. She closed her eyes, relying on
her astute sense of hearing to listen.

A lock unlatched—the snick loud and crisp in her ears—and a
door protested as it creaked open. Judging by the distinct sound and the
clarity of her hearing, she realized she was only a floor or so away from the
entrance to Aldon’s lair.

Good news if she could get to her feet and find an
alternative exit.

“Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” Aldon’s deep voice drifted
to her ears as he welcomed his visitor.

“Pleasant surprise, my ass.”

Her heart skipped a beat and then lodged in her throat when
she heard the corresponding acknowledgement. She screwed her eyes shut,
fighting back tears. She knew that voice, had thought about it so often she
wondered if perhaps she hadn’t woken at all but remained snared in the land of
dreams.

It couldn’t be. How could it?

Trey.

A stupid, inflated belief in romance tried to influence her
thoughts, tempting her to believe he’d come to rescue her. He’d barge in, order
Aldon to hand her over and she’d find safety in his arms. He’d lift her to his
chest, kiss her, promise to protect her, take her to his family and home and
never let her go.

As-fucking-if.

Painful memories from the past suffocated hope.

Trey wasn’t her lover. Hell, he wasn’t even her friend. He
might be willing to fuck her silly but that was it. No strings attached. No
permanency. Her body attracted him but her nature disgusted him. At best he
might text her for booty calls on the down-low. If she played her cards right
he might even be willing to offer her the one thing she desperately needed to
survive—his blood—in exchange for a bit of pussy.

Her self-loathing didn’t last long, not when she heard Trey
snarl, “You just fucked with the wrong bull.” She jerked as the sound of a fist
connecting with bone resonated from below, followed by an enormous thump as
someone landed on the floor.

A cold chill shot down her spine when Aldon laughed. “Is
that the best you’ve got?”

“Not even close,” Trey growled, his voice shaky, indicating
he was already in motion and prepared to dish out some serious damage. “That’s
my version of a bitch-slap.”

What the hell was going on? Why was Trey here? And why was
he fighting Aldon?

Last time she checked the two were on speaking terms.

They shared common interests…or so she thought.

She knew the moment they engaged in combat. Even though she
couldn’t see what was taking place, she knew how the fight would go. Vampires
were fast but werewolves were strong. Aldon would try to wear Trey down while
Trey tried to rip out his opponent’s throat as quickly as possible. Assuming
Trey wanted to kill Aldon. If not he’d be lucky if he could put a dent in the
vampire. Aldon was too powerful. She’d only glimpsed a portion of his strength
but she knew he wasn’t a normal black mage vamp.

He had a secret, one that made him lethal.

A sharp creak ripped her attention from the ruckus
downstairs. She turned her head, ashamed that something so simple took effort.
She watched, shocked, as Leigh opened the door to the room. The poor girl
looked like death warmed over. Her skin, while always pale, was now ghastly
white. Dark shadows decorated the area beneath her eyes. She’d pulled her hair
from her face, securing it at her nape with an elastic band. Sadie opened her
mouth to speak but remained silent when Leigh’s eyes bulged and she shook her
head.

“
Quiet
,” Leigh instructed telepathically. “
You can
ask questions later.
” Advancing forward, she questioned, “
What did he do
to you? How bad are you hurt?
”

“
He didn’t do anything.
” Sadie’s pride rankled at the
confession. “
He knew I had been tracking him. When he confronted me I lost
consciousness from hunger. He brought me here.
” Speaking of which. “
Where
is here, by the way? How did you find me?
”

Why is Trey with you?

The last thought wasn’t meant for Leigh but the young
vampire heard it anyway. Sympathy smoothed her tired features as she reached
Sadie’s side and placed a comforting hand on her arm. Leigh felt so cold, her
body in desperate need of blood. Sadie cringed. Leigh shouldn’t have come here.
The girl was newly changed and unable to defend herself. She needed to learn to
harness her magic in order to face the world.

“
Don’t worry about that right now. We’re going to get you
out,
” Leigh thought. Lifting her head she whispered, “I’m going to need
some help. She can’t move.”

A large form stepped through the door. Even though Leigh
blocked most of him from view Sadie recognized his voice when he murmured, “I’m
here.”

Nathan. Trey’s Beta.

Sadie didn’t know much about the male, although their paths
had crossed in the not-so-distant past—after she’d killed off a few Shepherds
and saved Diskant’s mate, Ava Brisbane. Nathan had been there too, injured
himself but trying to defend the mortal woman. They’d formed an unlikely truce,
agreeing to work together to save Ava’s life.

The prism of confusion shined brighter, becoming dizzying.

First Trey appeared. Now Nathan was with him.

What were they doing? Didn’t they know better?

Nathan slid his arms beneath Sadie’s stomach and rolled her
over as he lifted her to his chest. Her head fell back, one arm tucked against
the man holding her, the other hanging like a broken branch at her side. She
must have looked like a tattered china doll, hanging together by fraying pieces
of thread. The last time she’d seen Nathan he’d been bleeding at her feet.

Humiliation tore through her, the most unwanted and damning
of sentiments.

Somehow things always came full circle. It was almost poetic
in a sickening and perverse kind of way. She was supposed to be the strong one,
defending the weak. Never had she imagined herself like this. Cradled in a
werewolf’s arms, unable to stand or walk. The roles had been reversed. Now
Nathan was the one watching over her, keeping her from harm.

Leigh led the way to the door. Once she’d peeked outside,
she exited the room.

Nathan followed, staying close, allowing Sadie to get a
glimpse of her surroundings.

She was definitely in a home, not a condemned building or
bunker as vampires were known to use when they wanted to capture and cage prey.
Framed pictures adorned neatly painted and papered walls with expensive
crown-molded ceilings. They were on the top floor of the residence, a place
that was old but well restored. Pristine wooden slats sped by as Nathan
quickened his pace.

The delicious aroma of blood assailed her nose, thick and
hot, coming fresh from the source. She knew that smell, could identify it
anywhere. She should have been worried about Trey’s wounds—he was quick to heal
but had been injured severely enough to bleed freely—but she felt her fangs
drop. The need to feed became her sudden and primary focus. Even in her current
state she felt her muscles tense in preparation for attack. Her nature was
ready to give it all one last hurrah in order to survive.

“Fuck!” Trey bellowed, so close she could not only smell his
blood but also hear the steady beating of his heart. “Nathan, heads-up! He’s on
the move!”

“Leigh,” Nathan snarled. “Behind me. Now.”

Leigh did as she was told, darting past Nathan and vanishing
from Sadie’s line of sight. Aldon appeared, standing only a few feet away from
them with an arrogant smirk on his blood-splattered face. His nose had been
busted but he’d already started healing. The world spun and Sadie’s stomach
plummeted when Nathan dropped her and charged the vampire. She hit the ground,
her head cracking against the hard floor. Through pained eyes, she watched
Nathan sprint toward his enemy.

Aldon disappeared and Nathan rushed through empty air. The
male staggered, trying to stop. Trey appeared at the top of the stairs and
Nathan barreled directly into him. Watching the enormous men crash to the
ground would have been comical if the situation wasn’t so dire. She felt
nauseous, wanting to vomit.

The men couldn’t see what was right in front of them.

Aldon wasn’t trying to kill Trey or Nathan.

He’d been luring them.

Clarity didn’t always come easy. Sometimes a person
discovered things they should have seen long before—things that could change or
alter someone’s life—often when it was too late. She didn’t like having her
moment then and there, lying on the floor, useless and forgotten.

“Stubborn creature.”
Aldon’s observant words were no
longer cynical but disturbing as they echoed through her head.
“So certain
of yourself. So arrogant. So predictable. You wear your pride like a shield. I
suppose I should thank you for simplifying things.”

Damn her to hell. She deserved to burn.

She hadn’t been smart when she’d tracked Aldon. She’d been
stupid.

If the coven had been spying on him, likely he’d been spying
on them as well. It wouldn’t have taken much. Their defenses were solid but he
wasn’t like any vampire she’d ever seen. He could have spied on the house from
a safe distance, collecting all the information he needed. He’d known she’d
been following him. That much was clear. The conceited prick had probably encouraged
it. She’d walked right into his trap, caught in his web, giving him an
advantage.

She remembered the way he’d bitten her—the way he’d sighed
in contentment—drinking what little blood she had to offer. Yet he hadn’t taken
more. It hadn’t been enough to sustain or nourish him because he hadn’t meant
it to be. He’d taken her blood to access her memories, confirming whatever
suspicions he must have had.

He wanted something…or someone.

But who? There wasn’t anyone of notice in the coven. Not
really. The strongest of them was a newborn who didn’t know how to cast a
spell. And Leigh hated using magic…

A veil lifted, giving her free sight.

Leigh.

It all made sense.

One mouthful of Sadie’s blood and Aldon had seen what Leigh
could do. With the fledgling’s help he’d be able to locate people with simple
objects and influence the minds of others. And that was just the tip of the
iceberg. Leigh detested blood but once she accepted what she was and embraced
her full potential she’d be as formidable as a demigod.

Goddess, save us.

With Leigh’s powers, Aldon would be unstoppable.

Terrified and unable to do anything more than witness what
was to come, she shouted out to Leigh with her mind, putting as much warning
into the thought as possible.

“Run.”

Trey didn’t stop to see if Nathan had been harmed during
their collision. As soon as his feet were steady he rushed for Sadie. Fuck, she
was pale. So damn lifeless it terrified him. Right then he didn’t care about
anything but getting to her. Something warned him if he didn’t he might not get
a second chance.

The yards that separated them felt like miles.

Leigh plunged to her knees, sinking to Sadie’s side. She
gripped Sadie’s torso, babbling words that made no sense. The moment she had a
decent grip on his mate she fell on her ass and tugged Sadie closer. Aldon
appeared behind them and snagged Leigh by the back of her neck. The frail
female struggled, screaming in fear, holding on to Sadie for dear life.
Nathan’s outraged bray carried through the hallway, informing Trey his Beta was
right on his ass.