Crimson Sunrise (3 page)

“I’m glad you came.” Haven stared at us through a thin cloud of gray-white and leaned forward on his elbows.

“We owe you,” Caleb responded, his hand tightening possessively on my thigh. “It was the least we could do.”

“You don’t owe me, bro.” Haven laughed loudly. “I enjoyed myself. Trueblood vampires don’t venture to my neck of the woods. Watching one in action getting his ass kicked...that was worth the trip.”

I smiled, remembering all too well. Haven, Sam, Sarah, Derek, and Billy flew to Scotland to bring me home when the vampire prince, Decimus Watts, attempted to abuse his authority and place me in his fold. The prince believed my yet to be unlocked vampiric ability—necromancy—would overpower his. He wasn’t willing to take that risk.

Recalling the snarling and vicious teeth when they arrived, eager to devour and destroy, I was positive Haven meant exactly what he said. They wanted to rip Decimus’s throat out that night.

“Still.” Caleb turned to me, blue eyes dark and adoring, squeezing my thigh gently this time. “I’m grateful to you all.”

“Stop it, bro. You’re making me blush.” Haven shook his hand, scattering cigar ashes. He pointed at me and said, “She’s pack now, and we bleed for our own.”

Sammie shifted anxiously beside me, a newfound energy wafting off her in humming waves. She was excited, and I instinctively knew why. She was hopeful I’d decided to officially join the werewolf fold. Caleb and I had discussed it, but it was a tough decision for him. He didn’t want to be responsible for a change I might hate.

Sammie grasped my arm and trickles of her power ran past my skin, delving into my muscles and bloodstream. I absorbed it, pulling the power inside my body instead of forcing it outward.

“You’ve made up your mind?”

“Not here.” I leaned over to her and whispered quietly, “Your brother and I have to finish discussing it. When we know, you’ll know.”

“So this”—Haven threw a small wrapped package onto the table—“is why I had you come here.”

Caleb handed the bundle over to me, allowing me the honors. I glanced around, blushing with embarrassment at all the inquisitive stares and smiles. I was never good at accepting gifts, especially when others weren’t opening them as well.

The purple paper was neatly taped down and I pulled it apart carefully, revealing a little white rectangular box. I cast the paper onto the table and lifted the lid. A credit card and key rested just inside. I handed the box to Caleb and glanced at Haven curiously.

“When you came back to the Pit, we made a killing, no pun intended,” Haven explained, looking past me to Caleb. “I put some of it back for you. The key is to my private place in Colorado. You haven’t decided where you are going yet, right?”

Caleb shook his head. “We’re still deciding.”

“Then there you go. The cabin isn’t stocked. You’ll have to stop for things before you arrive. And you’ll need to use that card for clothes. It’s cold as all hell this time of year.”

“Thank you,” I said, amazed. Haven was always generous when it came to Caleb.

“Don’t sweat it, chica. You two just hurry back. Christmas is big business here. Maybe you can come by.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything. The decision to return would ultimately come from Caleb. He both loved and loathed the place.

“Oh shit, almost forgot!” Haven lifted his hips and dug into his pocket. “You’ll need the keys to Big Red when you get there.”

“Big Red?” I echoed questioningly.

“Big Red is the only way to get around in the hills up there. The tires are already set for snow.” As he spoke, the image of the huge red monster truck with enormous wheels hidden in the barn at his cabin in Tennessee came to mind. “I had someone drive her to the other cabin a month ago, in case I decided to go to Colorado this year.”

The waitress returned with our drinks and placed them in front of everyone before scuttling away. Derek and Caleb guzzled their mugs down, but Sarah and Haven took their time, sipping on their drinks before placing the glasses onto the black marble table. Sammie started to squirm around again, and I turned to her. She smiled uncomfortably and leaned closer.

“I really need to use the restroom. Where is it?”

Lifting a finger, I turned to Caleb, missing the long layers that once fell so softly against his face as I whispered in his ear, “Where’s the restroom?”

“It’s past the bar, on the left.” He stared down at me, brows furrowing. “I’ll take you.”

“Actually, Sammie needs to go. I’ll go with her.”

“I don’t know, Emma.” He tried to argue, shaking his head and gripping my knee. “I think I should go with you.”

“Caleb.” I locked eyes with him, frowning. “You have to stop. We’re just going to the bathroom.”

His face was immobile for several seconds, and I thought he was about to argue further. Instead he shifted to the right, allowing us to slide along the leather and stand beside him. He kissed my head, pulling me close for a moment, and I knew it was because he didn’t like me being out of his sight. Not that I could blame him. I had a penchant for attracting trouble.

“If you’re gone longer than a few minutes I’m coming for you.”

“Okay, Daddy,” I mimicked Sammie’s earlier remark and rolled my eyes.

Derek laughed under his breath and Caleb grinned, lips lifting wryly at the corners.

I grabbed Sammie’s hand and looked for the narrow hallway past the bar. We wound past the people encased in the smoke from cigars and cigarettes. I pulled her behind me and entered the brown door with a picture of a woman and the word
Chica
painted just below.

The bathroom was surprisingly clean, lit from above by dual florescent lights. Two sinks were mounted on the beige wall, the metal piping beneath vanishing into the tile. Sammie dropped my hand and hurried into one of the three stalls. I stifled my laughter. Sammie never did anything half-heartedly.

The door opened behind me and I turned. Blonde hair caught my gaze before I looked into an all too familiar face. Her big blue eyes would have been pretty if they weren’t trapped inside such a hateful visage.

“How are you enjoying my sloppy seconds?” Bridgette asked haughtily.

“Oh God.” I groaned. The last time we met was bad enough. Caleb didn’t want the renowned werewolf hussy, and she didn’t want to let the rejection go.

“Who do you think kept Caleb happy those months you were gone? Did you even think about that? I can promise you, he’s not one to spend time alone.”

Her smile broadened and she stepped forward. Her black leather pants were unbelievably tight across her stomach and legs. The white lace top barely covering her torso plunged dangerously low, helping her generous breasts press outward. One false move would bare her to the world.

My temper ignited, even though I knew she was lying, and I snapped, “Derek’s right. You
are
a crazy bitch.”

“Hit a nerve, did I?” She put her hands on her hips, delighted I’d taken the bait. “Do you want to know how to keep someone like him satisfied? I’ll give you a hint, but I have to warn you, it doesn’t involve being human.”

Sammie flew from the stall, her face no longer happy-go-lucky or youthful. Her hair moved around her shoulders, the large curls bouncing wildly with each deliberate step. Her eyes were shifting, changing colors along the iris. Like her brother, they shifted from indigo to a vivid ice blue. And like her brother, she was equally protective.

“Who is this?” Sammie demanded.

“No one. Are you finished?” I asked quietly, grasping Sammie’s arm to keep her from moving forward. She was angry. I could feel it all around her. The air was charged. The energy surging off her slammed into me.

A solid punch to my chin sent me reeling and threw me back into the wall where my head smacked the rough plaster. I slowly crumpled to the floor. It wasn’t as powerful a blow as it could have been, but I still saw stars.

Sammie launched herself at Bridgette as I tried to shake my head clear. Struggling to stand on watery legs, I watched as they went at each other. They collided with the bathroom door and it burst off the hinges, sending them barreling into the hall. I chased after them as they shoved and pushed. Bouncing each other off the hallway walls, they blasted into the open bar.

Sammie was strong, but Bridgette had spent years in the Pit, which gave the bitch the advantage. She lifted Sammie by her turtleneck, bringing her feet off the ground, and pushed her to the floor. People crowded them, cheering and urging them on. Energy erupted around me and I took it in. I couldn’t fight like werewolves, but I did have my own unique ability. I was fairly certain I was going to need it.

My skin tingled at first, growing into a burn before pricking painfully. Absorbing energy from werewolves was different than vampires. The power was more animalistic, positively primal.

“Stop,” I thundered and shoved through all the people in my path. I pushed into the middle of the fray, snagged a handful of blonde hair and tried to wrench Bridgette off Sammie. Bridgette knocked me loose. I staggered back and bumped into the crowd forming a circle around us.

“I said to stop, you stupid bitch!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “No wonder no one wants your worthless ass!”

Bridgette dropped Sammie and turned, bright blue eyes homed in on me. She propelled herself and knocked me back into the wall against the bar.

“I’ll show you bitch,” she threatened, lips pulling back.

I grasped her arm and forced all the energy inside my body out and directly into her. It burned, licking like a flame against my hand and through my fingers. Her eyes widened and she tried to pull away, but the current passing between our bodies kept us locked together.

Bridgette shuddered and fell back. As we were fused together, my body landed on top. I couldn’t break the contact, even as I tried to pull my hand free. I felt her body contracting beneath me and watched in horror as her face shifted. Her nose extended and her bones cracked. The veins under her skin distorted as fur appeared and sprouted all over her body. Her clothes ripped in several places, and her human scream changed to an animalistic whine of agony.

When the last of the energy trickled from my hand, I let go and jumped over her still changing body. I ran to Sammie who stood watching. Her mouth dangled open in shock and disbelief. Bridgette finished her shift. Her wolf form was covered in torn leather and lace. She was breathing heavily with her eyes closed.

“What the fuck was that?” someone close by snarled and I looked around.

Everyone was watching, their eyes intent on me. I stepped back instinctively and gasped when I bumped into something solid.

“Next time,” Caleb growled, wrapped an arm around my stomach, and pulled me against him. “I’m escorting you to the bathroom.”

“What the fuck is she?” someone else yelled. The crowd murmured an agreement and voices rose in anger.

Caleb’s body came over mine as he began to shift, his bones and muscles stretching and expanding. Sarah and Derek appeared and I reached for Sammie. I tugged her close as Caleb’s growling became louder.

“Chill,” Haven shouted over everyone, parting the crowd. “Emma’s my personal guest here. In case any of you numnuts have a problem with that, she’s also Caleb’s bonded mate. If you want a piece of that action, feel free. I’ll happily referee your match in the pit. Otherwise, back the fuck off!”

Caleb was tense as he prepared to protect me if necessary. I watched Derek who smugly lifted his hands, indicating he was ready to wrangle if someone wanted to take a go. The seconds ticked by, agonizingly slow, until everyone stepped away from the circle around Bridgette. Bridgette lifted her head and shook it, attempting to get to her feet.

“I’m pretty sure I know who started this shit,” Haven said, glowering down at her. “And I suggest she go home for the night. You feel me?”

Bridgette made it to wobbly paws. Her blonde coat was lovely in the hazy lighting. She was large, her shoulders extending past my waist. She didn’t make a sound and kept her muzzle down as she slowly sauntered toward the bar. Her body was quickly shielded behind the legs and feet of everyone around her.

“You mind telling me what I just saw?” Haven asked, but it wasn’t a request.

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. Clearing my throat, I answered truthfully, “I can shift energy around objects. I didn’t think it would do that.”

Haven motioned us back toward the table. Sammie went first, then me and Caleb. Haven slid in next, followed by Derek and Sarah. Sarah watched me closely, worry marring her expressive face. I had explained a bit of how my ability worked to her and Derek, but they’d left Scotland before they understood things clearly.

“Shift energy?” Haven reached for his drink. “Does that have something to do with the fairy thing?”

I nodded and shrugged. My blood was devised from the oldest mythical creatures; the result of a Fae woman who fell in love with a mortal man centuries before. Her blood trickled down through the years courtesy of her descendants. Discovered accidentally after a vampire changed one, the bloodlines formed the first trueblood vampire houses, giving them special talents and traits. Those who remained human, like me, didn’t have spectacular powers. But we could manipulate borrowed metaphysical energy.

“How does that work?” Haven asked, genuinely curious.

I glanced at Caleb and reached for his hand. After he’d come for me in Scotland, I’d asked him to loan me his energy to practice. He knew what I wanted, and I felt the strength rise through his skin as his wolf came to the surface. The energy hummed past his flesh and into mine. I released his hand and put it on top of the marble table.

“Put your keys on the table,” I told Haven quietly and watched as he rose in his seat and rummaged inside his pocket. He slapped a set of keys on the tabletop and waited, gazing at me quizzically.

I glanced toward the bar. If anyone was watching, I couldn’t see them. I focused on the keys, lifted my hand, and concentrated. Projecting energy around the keys, I focused on where I wanted them to go. The object was light, meaning it would be easy to lift. The keys flew off the table and into my open hand. My fingers closed around the metal as the plastic protectors made contact with my palm.