Sanibel Surrender Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book Five) (7 page)

He leaned down and whispered against her ear. “Allow me to rephrase that. I was about to get laid in double time, when you called Bane for help, effectively cock-blocking me.”

“I feel guilty about that.” She didn’t feel guilty in the least.

“Well, there’s only one cure for a guilty conscious.”

Molly narrowed her eyes. “The sooner you turn around, the sooner you’ll get back to what’s her face.”

“Faces, actually,
they
were…forget it,” he muttered. “You could just pretend I’m a doctor. Considering I see naked women on a daily basis, it’s logical.”

“Impressive, the doctor part, I mean, because if you’re a day over twenty...”

“I’m a twenty year old prodigy, then,” he argued as he circled her. When he slowly made his way to the front of her body, his eyes widened. Molly lifted her hands to cover what skin her tiny underwear exposed. In blurring speed, Ail manacled her wrists with his strong fingers.

“What are you doing?” she asked, startled.

“There’s paint on your arms, your hands.” He swallowed roughly, visibly struggling to keep his eyes above her shoulders. “You didn’t want to ruin the bra and panties, right?”

“Right.”

“Fun’s over, Molly,” he said quietly. “I’ll turn around.”

And before he did, she could have sworn Ail’s navy blue eyes actually glowed.
You’re seeing things again.
Molly shucked her undies and jumped into the freezing pool with a strangled yelp. Then she glanced over her shoulder at the river, watching the moonbeams dance across the ripples. Trick of the light, she thought. The moon simply illuminated his irises in the same way it lit the river. After all, no one’s eyes actually glowed, especially
like that
.

***

“Why am I following your
blood trail
? So that you will not bring any further disgrace to the Dynasty Empire, of course,” the Old One spat at Extol. “Months I have spent cleaning up after you! Do I not bear enough burdens on my shoulders? You must add to my weariness?”

Walking to the roof’s edge, Extol stared down, eyeing humans mingling with immortals on the sidewalk. All waited to enter the Goth club for the depraved. Yet, two doors over was a cellar far more interesting than anything happening inside Six Feet Under. “Blood trail? Old One, the security guard is not dead,” he said with a great big helping of sarcasm. “However, feel free to check.”

“Check? You mean, get my Gryphs back on cleanup detail.” The Old One hissed in the way of vampires, his rage heating the already sweltering air. “How can I cover up this
murder
when the Vojaks are already on property, swarming the scene alongside the werewolves? This time is different from the others. This time, you
really
screwed up for killing next to your obsession. You know very well that the human male will not survive your bite! Yet you had no mercy to drain him completely. Did you?”

He sure hadn’t. Extol had smelled the human guard’s lust, how he wanted
his
Molly. For that reason, the human had to die slowly and painfully. Extol’s only regret was that he couldn’t stick around and watch him suffer. “A vampire is always possessive regarding property. At least, that is what you always told me.”

“So you keep saying Molly Shirley is your property.”

“You keep refuting my claim before the Dynasty Empire, hiding my proclamations.” Therefore, he had to take matters into his own hands.

As usual, The Old One ignored him, instead, explaining in placating tones Extol found extremely annoying. “Extol, there is a difference between possession and obsession. Come with me and make your meal with my Donors.”

“I feed from
my
Donors daily.” Extol waved a negating hand in the air. After months of preparation, he had
finally
misted Molly a short distance from a bar to the beachside, and miraculously, she had survived it. He wanted to scream his success from the rooftops! And tonight, for the first time since they’d met, Extol had chosen not to wipe Molly’s memories of him. What was the point when things were starting to come along rather nicely?
Yes, remember my kiss, my Molly, dream of nothing but me.
“I want…”

“You want what? You have anything you can possibly desire handed to you anytime and anywhere.” The Old One lifted his head to the night sky, his hands curling at his sides. “Still, none of what you are blessed with matters. You have left a blood trail everywhere, since you arrived in North America, since you encountered this female mixed blood. You care not that I have my Gryphs cleaning up after you nonstop. You do not care that it is only a matter of time before word of your twisted antics gets around the Dynasty Empire! They forgave you once, centuries ago, when they did not care about humans as they do now. Times have changed.”

Extol sighed. “Regarding Molly, I will be more discreet.”

“Discreet? How can you backpedal from what you have already done, unless you leave this continent and her behind? Might I remind you that you sent a Gryph to collect her from the Alpha of North America! The werewolves are probing nonstop. I’ve shut down any possible leads, any possible gossip within the North American Coven, but Jayce Jordan will not be assuaged until he gets his answers. He is insulted this happened to his sister by mating, insulted that he deigned to
speak
with one of our Gryphs! I cannot blame him. Can you?” The Old One took in a fortifying breath. “Stop,” he pleaded. “Stop it now! Other than these most recent screw-ups, it’s been centuries since you killed in this manner. With my help, you pulled out of your bloodlust then. You can once more.” He uncurled his hand, stretching it outward. “Listen to what I am saying. Come with me.”

Bloodlust was not entirely Extol’s problem. Only in regards to Molly, did he suffer
any
bloodlust. And if he truly fed from her… “I will be leaving North America. Soon.”

“Extol, do not make a fool of me. Just so you will understand the gravity of what happened tonight. The
Beta
of North America and Heath Faden, a renowned Tracker from Ciaran of Scotland’s
clan
were the first two who found the dying human. If you did not cover your scent well, it is only a matter of time. Quit playing games.”

“Ah, a Pack Tracker and the imperious Bane Ruyter,” he breathed. “I am trembling.”

“Arrogance will not help you out of this mess.”

This was probably true, but he had a good idea of what would. “We all know that vampires are born of arrogant creatures. It is the human adage, is it not? The apple not falling far from the tree,” he said bitterly. “This should remind you that I left my youngling status centuries ago, so stop your attempts at coddling. I said I would leave soon.” With his decadent property in tow. “Take my word and go.”

He tried not to stare at Molly as she quietly walked beside him. After she had jumped into the pool, he’d pitched her ruined dress far across the Caloosahatchee River. If it were up to him, she’d still be wearing nothing. Yet the fact that she was now dressed in something of his, with her prized underwear gripped in one hand and her shoes dangling from the other, made Ail’s Beast roar for full transform. Wearing his thin shirt, Molly trembled with each step, the cotton sticking to every crevice of her damp body, her nipples puckering beautifully. He wanted nothing more than to slide his arm over her dainty shoulders, pull her close, and warm her in the way a virile werewolf warms his female. Considering she was married to a human that would never happen.

Figuring he was close enough to Bane’s proximity, Ail reached out to Bane’s mind.
Did I stall her long enough?

Yeah, Heath and I checked everything in Were speed. Unfortunately or fortunately, whichever way you look at it, Molly’s mystery vampire bolted, though Heath knows his scent.

Apart from you, Heath’s the best Tracker I know.
Ail decided to get it over with and admit to his brother that he’d broken Youngling Law.
I had to invade Molly’s head, calm her down, and weave a time spell.

The Beta growled.
You, of all werewolves, know better than that! You are far too young…you could have…

Ail interrupted,
When I first found Molly, she was going into shock. Go all official on my ass and punish me if you have to, but, if given the same situation, I’d do it all over again. Isn’t it you, who gets preachy about how protecting and comforting females go hand in hand?

Ail, you know the rules.

Ail fought not to laugh.
Rules, you say. I’m born of the Beta’s blood. By law, I am the epitome of werewolf warriors. Yet those same laws weigh down my Beast with so many useless regulations that I’m surprised I don’t vomit Were Tomes on a daily basis. Let me remind you that you know firsthand what I am capable of, which is more than most males who are centuries older. Blame yourself, Beta. I should have been checking the property alongside you, while Heath be-spelled Molly. So next time, I suggest you set an older Beast on your female nurturing tasks, Bro, and then we won’t have a need for such waste-of-my-time, legalistic conversation.

A beat of lethal silence and then,
Are you still calming her?

I’m tapering off, figured I would get her to sleep before completely dropping my compulsion.

Not a word of your compulsion to anyone, Ail,
he warned.

Bane, I am practiced in hiding my true nature.

A weary laugh left Bane.
Not as practiced as you would like to think. Anyway,
did you pick up on that trail of stench?

Molly doesn’t smell that bad
, he shot back. A fallen leaf drifted to the ground, and Ail raised his chin, studying its path back to the tree branch, only to find a harmless, scampering squirrel.

Funny
.
Vampires are misting all over the place
, Bane replied, clearly annoyed.
What’s mixing with Molly’s scent, turpentine?

Old paint, hence the pit stop we made at the pool.
Ail pressed his hand against the small of Molly’s back, guiding her to the left.

Amongst the stench, I felt a distinctive power when we first arrived, unfathomable power.

Me, too, Bro.

Bane continued with marked concern,
We found that security guard stashed in the corner of Edison’s laboratory, nearly drained of blood.

Gluttonous leeches!
Ail kicked a stick from Molly’s path a little too roughly, her brows popped but she kept quiet.
Yeah, this will complicate things for our dear Molly, particularly since this guard’s disappearance will spark a human, police investigation.

Bane replied,
The guard hasn’t yet disappeared. He’s holding on to life, barely, mind you, but he’s trying. Bite’s strange, though, one I’ve never before seen. It’s not from a Species Vampire or an Undead.
Hell, I don't think it's from a mixed blood, either.

Ail knew what that meant.
Sounds like you’re gonna have to deal with the vampire experts. And since they piss me off by their mere presence, I’m going to be out of here before they arrive. Heath can drive Molly wherever.
Minute by minute, Molly was making him edgy, and he needed to find another willing female or three to let off some steam. Strange part? He wanted to bite Molly something fierce, and considering he’d never wanted to bite a female in his entire life, Ail was beyond freaked.

Mason drove your car from Six Feet Under. I’ll meet you in the parking lot. You’re to drive Molly straight to the Sanibel Island compound. I’ll be along after I meet with Heath and the investigating vampires. This whole thing has a sick vibe to it. Stay on Molly nice and tight.

Presently, nice and tight were two very sensitive words. Particularly while suffering blue balls in the proximity of a gorgeous mixed blood, during a walk beneath the pull of a strong moon
. Times were tough.
He could scarcely endure the escalating need to position himself behind her lovely ass, where he would then pin her with his canines and grip her mightily, thrusting inside her all night long until the sun rose high over the horizon. From there he would start all over again, watching as her riot of blond curls bounced with the force of his lust.
Dream on, Ail.
No matter how much Ail teased Molly, throwing out innuendo after innuendo; he would never touch any woman claimed by another male, human or otherwise. Yeah, he refused to lose himself that way.

“Here’s Molly’s keys,” he said when he spotted Bane in the parking lot.

“And here are yours,” Bane said in an inscrutable tone as they exchanged key rings. To Molly, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“More than okay,” she lied and both werewolves could smell it. “I’m sorry about phoning you over… nothing.”

“You can always call us. Anytime and for anything, okay?” Bane cupped her elbow and guided her in the passenger’s side of Ail’s new, super silver GT-R. “Relax, Ail’s gonna give you a lift while I lock up for you. We’ll have your car at The Blue Pelican in a few. Sound good?”

Glancing at her trembling hands, she admitted, “Yeah, I’m pretty, uh, tired…so I appreciate that.” She dropped her undies and shoes on the floorboard. “This will be my last day working here, if I don’t somehow get that mess in the main house cleaned up.”

“Paint?” Bane asked with a gentle smile.

“It’s probably dried by now,” Molly whispered, her fingertips nervously tapping her lips. “They’ll sue me.”