Sanibel Alpha Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book 5.5) (7 page)

Determined, Bren stomped forward, not satisfied with her answer.  When she made to run, he blocked her exit.  
“
Why did you choose him over me?  What can he give you that I can
’
t?
”

“You
’
re crazy, Bren,
”
she hissed.
“
Are you wasted? You have no right to ask about Troy!
”
As the moon shifted, an odd glow veiled Bren
’
s face. The same one she
’
d witnessed at the store, though she had dismissed it as her imagination.  His growl, soft in the night, frightened her.  Tatum backed away and slowly shook her head.  Jayce
’
s hand went around her.  
“
Wasted or crazy, which is it, Bren?
”

She fought to escape, but Jayce wouldn
’
t let her go.  His hands firmed the span of her arms and held her tight against his chest.  Another guy was lingering deep in the shadows
.  When he stepped out and clasped her elbow, his black claws dug into her arm.

“Come with me,
”
his breath touched her ear, warm and sweet. He hadn
’
t been drinking.

Tatum shivered with the contact.
“
I can
’
t.
”
She turned and watched the bluest eyes diffuse and blink away in disappointment.  Without another word, Jill
’
s Motorcycle Man misted into the night, disappearing into an unnatural fog. 

“Mike!
”
Jayce called after him.
“
Get back here! Jill
’
s brothers are still after you.
”

Rumbling laughter hit Tatum from all sides before she heard,
“
Not tonight.
”
Rannan Holm stepped from the marsh, Xhaiden, Padg, and Mabon marching behind him.  
“
First, we have matters to settle with you, Alpha Boy.
”

Over the past week, Mike had been misting
.  He stared down at his retracted claws, the ones that had scared Tatum, and realized the only way he could take her out of this situation would be if he were to go into mid-transformation.  

Mike felt his claws protract, his canines lower, and his muscles expand as his body moved into mid-transformation.  In a half-mist, he took Tatum from a surprised Jayce and growled his disapproval at the way she
’
d been treated by Jayce and Bren.  They were half-pissed, drinking too much of their homemade brew, and had gone too far.  Horribly frightening her when she deserved nothing short of tender pampering was inexcusable.  Not to mention, they
’
d basically exposed their species to a mixed blood who knew nothing of their world, whose family wanted her ignorance of immortals to remain in check .  

Tatum spun in his arms, pushing at his chest, but he refused to release her.  Mike stared at her blue eyes, the color distinctive of werewolf blood, and said,
“
I
’
m taking your home.
”

As fighting broke out, Mike
’
s altered appearance seemed the least of her concerns and she nodded her agreement.
“
Please. Please. I
…
I must be drunk.
”

This he would allow her to believe.
“
I
’
ll sneak you through your bedroom window, okay?
”
He lifted her high in his arms and took off in a dead run, distancing them from the marsh.  If Jayce kept the fight going, the Beta would be notified and Mike wanted Tatum far from there.  

“How do you know
…
where I live?
”
She closed her eyes against the blurring of trees and foliage.  His speed making her nauseous but he couldn
’
t slow his pace, not until she was safely tucked inside her house.  The only thing Mike couldn
’
t do was wash his scent from her.  

As he turned right before the causeway, a rush of wind blew across his face, a gust of wings, stirring Tatum
’
s blonde locks over his shoulder.  Tightening his arms around Tatum, he looked up to find a flicker of midnight wings absorbing the darkness of the night.  
“
Fuck off, Gryph!
”
he snarled, picking up his pace. Tatum raised her head from his chest and searched Mike with questioning eyes, her shaky hand moving to cup his face, before she fell into a sudden, deep sleep.  When her heart slowed to a steady rhythm, his pounded until he thought it would break apart.

This was a nightmare come to life.

“What the hell did you do to her?
”
Adjusting his grip on Tatum, he reached for the hilt of his only knife tucked inside his waistband.  He threw it high with startling accuracy.

A snap of wings sounded directly above before the weight of the creature hit the ground.  Just like a cat, the Gryph stood upright.  Mike stopped before he smacked into its chest, still maintaining his white-knuckled hold on Tatum.  In complete silence, the Gryph reached the tip of its right wing and inched out Mike
’
s blade, spinning it between his fingertips.

“Impressive shot, Mike Carter, you needn
’
t your eyes in order to aim. A rare find in any creature, particularly a werewolf.
”

Mike was only looking for a shortcut to get around the thing, buying him some time to get Tatum home.  He knew these creatures, knew he couldn
’
t kill one while in his Youngling status and probably not even when he reached adulthood.  
“
Why are you interested in me, a Youngling Beast is nothing to your kind?
”
His blood grew cold in his veins, chugging through his heart at his subsequent thought.
“
Or is it her?  If you insist on feeding, take every drop I have.  Don
’
t touch her.
”

“Aye, Beast, your father forgot to teach you the most important rule a male in our world should know when protecting a female.  Never show your weakness.
”
He tilted his head at Tatum.
“
In your case, she would be at risk.
”
He stepped closer, curling his wings around Mike and Tatum, filling the air with a peculiar yet reassuring warmth.
“
If you were to have enemies, that is.
”

Mike realized the Gryph was messing with his head.  His Youngling mind wasn
’
t strong enough to fight off a vampire from the Dynasty
’
s Royal Guard.
“
Go
…
away.
”
In the distance, he heard pounding boots, followed by shouts from their Pack
’
s angry Beta.

“You will give her to me. Then, I will do my best to muddle her mind from remembering your part in whatever happened due to the carelessness of your youthful Species
.
”

Mike
’
s arms grew lax as the vampire took Tatum, but he could do nothing to stop him, his mind unable to control his will.  
“
Please. Don
’
t take her. Please.  She
…
is innocent.
”

“She will stay that way while she
’
s with me.
”
The Gryph promised, adjusting his hold on Tatum and then curling his free arm around Mike
’
s waist before they went airborne, flying low and swift between the palm trees.
“
You will tell no one of this.  Ever.
”

“Why would I trust you?
”

The Gryph stared down at Mike, his black wings gliding through the salty air with lush pride.
“
I never asked you to trust me.
”

He stepped into the bathroom, splashed his face, loaded up his toothbrush, and went to work on his
…
canines.  
“
Oh, shit,
”
he mumbled through a mouth of white foam, spitting it in the sink.  Glancing down, he sucked in a sharp breath.  His be-spelled tattoos were completely missing.

A rap sounded on Mike
’
s door, an adult werewolf standing on the other side.  The Headmaster had come to call. Mike rubbed his eyes as flashes of the prior night sped through his mind.  Bits and pieces he hadn
’
t the time to puzzle together. But there was one thing he certainly remembered: Tatum Shirley had been with him. Then nothing, he remembered only slivers.  Fear made its way through Mike
’
s body, icing his bones. Whenever he pushed inside his head, he stumbled against block after block.  This only meant one thing.

Vampire.

“You do realize that by my knocking I
’
m giving you respect that you haven
’
t yet earned,
”
The Headmaster said so softly that Mike
’
s hair stood on his arms.  

“Was
…
in the bathroom.
”
He threw on a long-sleeved T-shirt to cover his missing tattoos, stepped into his jeans, and laced up his boots. Nothing about his ensemble was up to school code, but he knew he didn
’
t need his uniform where he was headed.  Mike opened the door to meet his doom.  But he didn
’
t care about what was going to happen to him, he only cared about what had happened to his bonny Tatum.  If he didn
’
t find out in the next five minutes, he was leaving the Academy and hunting her.  It was his job to protect the one he thought could be potentially his, his honor to do so, and something had gone terribly wrong.  
“
Good morning, Headmaster,
”
he greeted in a nondescript voice.

The Headmaster never smiled, but, on this particular morning, his grimace was overstated.
“
Not today, it isn
’
t.
”

In heavy silence, they crossed the corridor to reach the second landing.  As they descended the main staircase, Mike
’
s heart skipped with each press of his boots, sensing the awareness of eyes watching him from every open floor circling the rotunda. When they passed the main dining hall, all forks seemed to stop, not even the clearing of a throat was heard.  When would he ever not be a spectacle? Second thoughts pressed him. He should have stayed with Ciaran, hidden in the Everglades where he could run free and avoid this place.

But then he wouldn
’
t have met Tatum.

God, what had happened to Tatum?

He couldn
’
t wait any longer, his werewolf stirring inside and growling restlessly.
“
Headmaster, if you will, please tell me -
”

“Silence,
”
he snarled quietly from behind, herding Mike to his office.

When they turned the last corner, Mike was instantly aware of what perplexed the Headmaster. At first sight, he caught a glimpse of Alpha Jordan in his most human form, though his eyes were flaring a startling blue.  Anger singed the air, the Alpha
’
s rage stifling, smelling of burning sulfur. Nevertheless, the stench was nothing comparable to what Mike had encountered daily living under his supposed father
’
s roof, a home filled with such hatred it stifled the scraps of love his mother randomly gifted him.

“Inside, Carter,
”
Ardan
’
s rumbling voice demanded, shaking a nearby painting hanging on the wall.
“
Join us.
”
His head canted, his eyes resting on Jayce and Bren kneeling on bended knees. Behind them, Jill
’
s four brothers kneeled as well.   
“
I insist.
”

“Yes, My Alpha.
”
Mike kneeled.