Vampires Never Cry Wolf (28 page)

Steven picked up the tablet on his desk and entered information as he continued speaking.

“I guess you Tiger Clan boys are as tough as they say you are. Some say the tigers are the fiercest of all ten clans, and after treating you, I'd have to agree. However, you can't avoid the inevitable outcome if you don't connect with your mate.”

Frustration flared, and despite Dominic's best efforts, his sharp brown eyes flickered and shifted into the glowing amber eyes of his tiger. He breathed deeply as he struggled for self-control and willed them back to their human state.

“A mate is irrelevant,” Dominic said evenly. “As Guardian, my loyalties and responsibilities lie with the prince and his family. Wounded or not, I will continue as Guardian and keep our prince, and everyone else on the ranch, safe.”

“Right.” Steven ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair and shook his head. “I get it, dude. You are not one to fuck with. You more than proved it when you killed that Caedo assassin and ripped his head off like he was made of tissue paper.”

“I would've done the same with the other one if I'd found him, but Eric's wound looked severe and—”

“And you did what anyone would do. You stopped to help your friend and fellow Guardian. Eric healed as quickly as you did, by the way. It's too bad we can't figure out what's making the horses sick, but from what I hear, they've got someone in mind to help.”

“Yes.” Dominic's mouth set in a tight line. “One mare died this morning, and given the recent Caedo activity and the continued animosity with lingering Purists, Richard is reluctant to bring in the local veterinarian.”

“You're pretty good at changing the subject, Dominic.”

Dominic swore and hopped off the bed. He snatched his black T-shirt off the chair before quickly pulling it on. “Why do you feel the need to bring up the issue of a mate, or more to the point, my lack of one?”

Dominic knew he sounded like a defensive asshole, but he couldn't help it. Steven was right. He still hadn't found his mate, and if he didn't find her soon, his Amoveo abilities would vanish, leaving him to live the rest of his existence as a human.

That was the fate of any Amoveo who didn't bond with a life mate by the age of thirty, and it wasn't one he was interested in participating in. However, with his thirtieth birthday just a year away, he knew the reality of what awaited him.

No shapeshifting, minimal strength, no powers of visualization.

How would he effectively serve as Guardian if he was void of his Amoveo abilities? Dominic shoved the dark thoughts from his mind, refusing to believe that it was actually a possibility. His military training brought him to this place, and he would be damned if some bullshit legend of fated mates would take that away. Mate or no mate, he would stay the course and fulfill his duties.

Even if it meant dying in the process.

“Hey, man.” Steven raised his hands in surrender. “I'm just stating a fact, and it's only out of concern for you as a healer and a friend.”

Dominic nodded and tucked his dog tags beneath his shirt. Even though he hadn't been in the human military for four years, it was still a part of who he was, and he'd feel naked without that cool stainless steel pressing against his skin. It was where he learned his combat skills and intense focus, both of which were crucial to his position.

“Have you connected with her at all?” he asked. “Any sign of her in the dream realm?”

“Not exactly,” Dominic bit out, unable to look Steven in the eye.

All Amoveo connected with their mates in the dream realm before the physical plane. It was a crucial part of the mating process and one he hadn't experienced yet.

“I don't see her, but sometimes I can feel her there in the shadows and mists. I can sense her energy signature, and just when I think I have it, it slips away. It's frustrating as hell, and if I didn't know better, I'd think she was intentionally avoiding me.”

“I see.” Steven went to his desk and connected the tablet to his computer.

“And vanilla.” Dominic crossed his arms over his broad chest and breathed deeply as the memory of the scent filled his head. “Sometimes I catch the scent of vanilla and cherries.”

“Interesting.” Steven shucked his white lab coat and draped it over the back of the desk chair, revealing an Iron Maiden T-shirt and torn jeans. Without his lab coat he looked more like a roadie than a doctor. “I never saw Courtney in the dream realm either, not clearly at least, and if I hadn't stumbled on her at that blasted Purist compound, I may never have found her. Don't use us as an example though, our mating has been… unorthodox.”

“How do you mean?”

“Never mind.” Steven waved him off. “As far as your mate avoiding you, that is certainly a possibility, and if you're concerned, I would suggest having a chat with my boy, Willie.”

“Layla avoided him?” Dominic's brow knit in confusion. “That doesn't make any sense. Why would our mates avoid us?”

“Dude, are you serious?” Steven smiled and punched a few buttons on his computer before looking back at Dominic. “If she's a hybrid and has been raised away from our people, God only knows what she
knows
or
doesn't know
about us.
If
she knows what she is, she may think all Amoveo are like the Purists and want her dead for being a hybrid.
Maybe
she thinks we're all a bunch of chauvinistic pigs looking to drag our women into servitude. Hell, she may be a human and not even
know
that the Amoveo exist.”

Dominic was quiet as Steven's words settled over him, and he felt like a dope for not thinking of these things sooner. This whole mate business was far more complicated than anyone ever let on.

“Or—” Steven sighed. “She could think you're butt-ass ugly and be running in the other direction.”

Dominic cracked a smile in spite of himself and ran a hand over his cropped black hair.

“My point is,” Steven said solemnly, “avoiding your mate or ignoring it isn't doing you any good, my friend. Your mate is out there somewhere, and if you don't find her soon, then you'll have to face the music one way or another.”

Dominic clenched his jaw and strapped the leather weapons belt securely around his waist. He pulled the massive hunting knife from its sheath and briefly inspected it. Seeing that shiny blade instantly put his anxious heart at ease, but the reality of what Steven said still weighed heavily.

“I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you that finding, or not finding my mate, will not impact my ability to protect the prince. I would give my life to protect our people from anyone who threatens our existence.”

“Yeah, I'm getting that,” Steven said through a laugh. “Listen, I don't want to sound like an ungrateful ass. Courtney and I live here too, so your quick actions with those Caedo assassins protected her and the baby. She's already been through so much and still isn't fully recovered emotionally. The pregnancy is making it so much worse.”

Steven's face darkened at the memories. Dominic heard about what some of the women were put through as involuntary participants in the Purist breeding program. He couldn't imagine the helplessness and rage that Steven must have felt knowing his mate had suffered. Whatever it was, it must've been bad, because he never talked about it.

“It's good to know that you and Eric have our backs.” Steven stuck his hand out, and Dominic promptly accepted. “Thank you.”

Dominic shook his hand quickly and gave him a brief nod of understanding before opening the door.

“Hey,” Steven called. “Catch.”

Dominic turned around and caught a lollipop as it came flying in his direction. He gave Steven a friendly smile as he stuck the lollipop in the pocket of his camo pants and headed out the door.

It's not that he didn't appreciate Steven's gratitude, but it made him uncomfortable to be thanked for doing his job. Hell. He hadn't even done it that well. One assassin got away, and as far as Dominic was concerned, that was a failure.

However, it was not one that would be repeated.

As Dominic headed up the steps from the medical facility to the main floor of the house, he couldn't stop thinking about what Steven had said. Perhaps he was right. What if his mate had been avoiding him all along out of fear or ignorance?

Dominic swung the door open at the top of the stairs and instantly sensed familiar energy signatures, the spiritual fingerprints made by all Amoveo. Then an unfamiliar ripple in the air sent his protective instincts on high alert. He detected fear and apprehension flickering through the enormous house, and it was coming from an unknown Amoveo… and a human.

Caedo? That was all he could think. Another Caedo assassin or a Purist had infiltrated the property.

Dominic cut through the grand entry hall and in a blur of speed, he went immediately to the lavish living room to the left of the main hall. The scent of vanilla swamped him as he came to a halt in the doorway, ready for battle with glowing eyes and his knife drawn. The room was empty, but movement to his left captured his attention.

Without thinking, moving only on gut instinct, he spun to the left and grabbed the intruder, throwing them to the ground. In a matter of seconds, he straddled the small body and pinned the stranger easily beneath him. His knees held struggling arms to the floor, one hand curled over a slim shoulder, as the other held his knife poised high in the air, ready to strike.

As the haze of rage receded and the imminent danger was stifled, Dominic found himself staring into a pair of beautiful, furious golden eyes. A stunning hybrid Amoveo woman who smelled of cherries and vanilla glared at him, and if looks could kill, he'd be toast.

Shoulder-length dark hair framed a heart-shaped face stamped with anger, but through it all he detected a hauntingly familiar energy signature. It was the same one that slipped in and out of the dream realm and eluded him night after night.

Layla's voice drifted over his shoulder.

“Do you think you could get off my sister?”

Sister? Dominic blinked in surprise and sheathed his knife as he stared at the woman still trapped beneath him. Her eyes burned brightly in their clan form as her intoxicating scent filled his head.

As he remembered those nights in the dream realm, his body tightened and responded to her on an instinctual level. She wiggled, attempting to get out from under him, but he kept her there as the pieces fell into place.

Mate.
That one word ran through his head over and over like an ancient mantra. This woman, the one he just tackled, as if she were a Caedo or Purist assassin, was his mate.
Son
of
a
bitch
.

Thank you for reading
!

At Sourcebooks we are always working on something new and exciting, and we don't want you to miss out.

So sign up now to receive exclusive offers, bonus content, and always be the first to get the scoop on what's new!

SIGN UP NOW!

Vampire Trouble

Dead in the City Series

by Sara Humphreys

A fledgling vampire ignites a war

Maya Robertson remembers the last moments of her life as a human with haunting clarity‚ and every man she meets pays the price…until Shane. Finding herself in the middle of a bloody fight between vampires and werewolves‚ Maya has no choice but to let the devastatingly sexy vampire guard get close to her.

And that's not all that heats up

Shane Quesada‚ a four-century-old vampire sentry, is known for his cold‚ unemotional precision‚ but once Maya begins to invade his dreams, his world is changed forever. His job to protect her is swiftly replaced by the all-consuming need to claim her as his own.

“Humphreys is undoubtedly a rising star in the genre… The sparks that fly between the leading couple are totally irresistible!” —
RT Book Reviews
, a July Top Pick for Paranormal Romance

“A powerful love story that proves that while our past is inescapable, it is the core of our strength.” —
Washington Post

For more Sara Humphreys, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com

Tall, Dark, and Vampire

Dead in the City Series

by Sara Humphreys

She always knew Fate was cruel…

The last person Olivia expected to turn up at her club was her one true love. It would normally be great to see him‚
except he's been dead for centuries
. Olivia really thought she had moved on with her immortal life‚ but as soon as she sees Doug Paxton‚ she knows she'd rather die than lose him again. And that's a real problem…

But this is beyond the pale…

Doug is a no-nonsense cop by day‚ but his nights are tormented by dreams of a gorgeous redhead who's so much a part of him‚ she seems to be in his blood. When he meets Olivia face-to-face‚ long-buried memories begin to surface. She might be the answer to his prayers…or she might be the death of him.

“Shines with fascinating new characters… Readers will not want to wait for more from the very talented Humphreys!” —
RT Book Reviews
Top Pick of the Month, 4.5 Stars

For more Sara Humphreys, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com

Unclaimed

The Amoveo Legend Series

by Sara Humphreys

She works hard to be normal…

Tatiana Winters loves the freedom of her life as a veterinarian in Oregon. It's only reluctantly that she agrees to help cure a mysterious illness among the horses on a Montana ranch—the ranch of the Amoveo Prince. Tatiana is no ordinary vet—she's a hybrid from the Timber Wolf Clan, but she wants nothing to do with the world of the Amoveo shifters.

But there's no escaping destiny

Dominic Trejada serves as a Guardian, one of the elite protectors of the Prince's Montana ranch. As a dedicated Amoveo warrior, he is desperate to find his mate, and time is running out. He knows Tatiana is the one—but if he can't convince her, he may not be able to protect her from the evil that's rapidly closing in…

“The world that she has created is so fascinating, and the characters so engaging, that each new book is like catching up with old friends.” —
RT Book Reviews
Top Pick, 4.5 Stars

For more Sara Humphreys, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com