Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2) (50 page)

“Sleep.” She stroked his cheek, hoping the crack in her voice wouldn’t reveal the tears she fought to hold back.

“Stay with me, Calla.” His voice arrived as a slur. Either the drug was taking over, or sleep had come to claim him.

If she could just stay in that moment forever—with him—his arms wrapped around her, his weight to remind her of his presence even in sleep. She kissed the top of his head, and hunger twisted in her stomach.

No.

Calla could cry. The more she tried to ignore it, the more it called to her.
Feed. Kill
. An unsated, angry beast inside of her.

“So hungry,” she whispered.

She closed her eyes. A blast of warmth passed through her, and when she reopened her eyes, she was back in the lavender bedroom.

Draven still lay on the floor, a pearly white pallor replacing the color in his skin, the rims of his eyes shadowed by black circles.

Without removing her focus from him, she dressed quickly.

“Calla,” he said in a raspy voice. “Please … don’t … leave me like this.”

“How do you feed it? This … monster you’ve created inside of me? How can it be fed without hurting others?”

“You need … blood to … survive.”

Anger stirred inside of her. The hatred she’d felt before for Draven lashed out and twisted in her stomach. “Then I’ll finish you off and kill myself.”

“I’m … sorry, Calla.” A shine glistened in his eyes. “For everything I’ve … ever done to you. And for Jacob. I never … meant to hurt you.”

She knelt beside him. “I could kill you. Tear each of your limbs off and have you watch as I consume them. I’m stronger than you, Draven. I’ve always been stronger.”

“I know.”

“Should I spare your life tonight and leave you to whatever fate awaits, you will never come for me again. You will forget about me.”

A tear spilled onto his cheek. He nodded.

A flaming hole stretched inside her stomach.
Feed
.

Calla rose from her crouch and closed her eyes. The image in her head transported her to a place she’d still find others up this hour. If it had to be fed, she’d give it a sustenance that would ease her guilt.

She opened her eyes and stared up at the sign atop the dark building.

Moonshines
.

CHAPTER 39

Logan jerked awake, his arms curling around the nothingness beside him.

A dream.

Which meant Calla was still missing, whether she’d taken off or been kidnapped—a thought that had acids creeping up the back of his throat. It also meant the night before, as much as it’d left him content and sated, had been nothing more than an illusion.

Fucking drugs.
Felt so real.
The scent of arousal even still carried thick in the air. He must’ve jacked off all night.

Logan stumbled his way to the bathroom, desperate for the shower, anything to wash away the disappointment of waking alone.

At the sink, he brushed his teeth and eyed his white hand towel—stained with blood.

What did you do last night, asshole?

Logan shook his head and blinked away the film blurring his vision. “Gonna have to tie myself down the next time I do that shit.”

He stepped inside the hot spray of the shower. With hands flat against the wall, he braced himself and allowed the water to trickle down his hair and face. Soothing his muscles.

Finished, he exited the shower, wrapping a towel around his lower half, and made his way back into his bedroom. A white button-down and dark pants hung from a rack inside his armoire.

After dressing his lower half, he stood buttoning up the white shirt and his eyes narrowed on something lying on the floor across the room. He strode forward until standing over it.
A bike lock?
Tiny splashes of red had dried over the dirty black.
Blood?
Bending forward, he lifted it closer, his eyes zeroing in on the pale strands tangled around and floating outward from the link. With a sudden urgency encouraging him, he tugged the blonde wisps free and brought them to his nose. As he caught the faint hint of familiar scent, a rush of adrenaline moved through him.

Had Calla actually been there? He drew in another dose of the lingering citrus, to be sure. New resolve slammed through him at the confirmation. He
had
to find her.

After ramming on his boots, he bolted out of the bedroom, leaving them untied as he jogged down the stairs to Gavin’s office, and found his brother sat with his feet kicked up on the desk.

“I’m going to need someone to cover the casino today.” As he spoke, Gavin’s eyes, red and bloodshot, as if he’d not slept all night, trailed upward, and he frowned as they landed on Logan. “What’s going on?”

“Calla. She was here last night.”

“Calla?” He sat forward. “Are you sure?”

“She came to me.” He glanced away, as he added, “We uh …” When he turned back, Gavin’s eyes narrowed on him.

“You look like you’ve been to the bottom and back.”

“Zayne … I couldn’t sleep …”

“You shot up Abyzz?” Gavin’s frown carried the same disappointment as that of a father pissed off at his unruly son.

“Yeah. What’s the big deal?”

“That what you saw last night probably wasn’t real.”

“It was real. I’ve got blood all over my bathroom to prove it.” Logan diverted his gaze to the floor. “Not that I … hurt her. I don’t know where the blood came from.”

Gavin’s eyes turned suspicious. “Well, this story just keeps getting better. Maybe you should stay away from that shit. It screws with your head.”

“Fuck, man, I’m not strung out. I mean, I was, but it’s out of me now. She was here. Really here. And I want to look for her. She might be in trouble. Or hurt. I don’t know whose blood that was. And check this out.” Logan held up the bike lock.

“A chain?”

“I know she was here. I smell her.
Feel
her. Everywhere.”

“Her touch? That only happens after you’ve …” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Logan, the Council will never honor a bonding between the two of you until you rectify your past
bond
. At some point you’re going to have to acknowledge and separate.”

“It’s wrong. Why should I honor her for that? Why should I give her the benefit and satisfaction of thinking she was my bonded mate? I was tricked. That wasn’t bonding.”

“I understand. But you—”

“I know what I did, Gavin. I don’t need a fucking recap. That shit wasn’t bonding. That was … messed up.”

Gavin stared silent for a moment. “You respect the Eradis.” He scratched his jaw. “In spite of what happened, you still believe in it, don’t you?”

“I believe in the bonding of souls. Souls that
should
be together.”

“I’m not going to sway you one way or the other. But if Calla is alive and it’s her you truly want to be with, you’re going to have to find a way, Brother.” He glanced away. “You know they won’t allow me to be your Brozszius twice in Obsidius.”

Logan’s brows furrowed. “You think I’d ask you to do that? I didn’t ask you the first time.”

“And know that I
would
do it. I can’t watch you suffer that way again, Logan. A part of my soul still rests on that table where our blood was spilled.”

“I’ll figure this out.”

Gavin stood up from the chair. “Go. Find her. I’ll cover Sanctuary.”

* * *

Calla dropped the man’s lifeless body to the floor of the bathroom stall.

She didn’t even have to feel for a pulse. His pale, sickly face and doll’s eyes told her everything. Drained. By her.

Tucking her breast back inside the bra, her lip curled at the memory of him feeling her up as she sucked him dry. Sure, she was a killer, trained to slay without remorse. Not humans, though. So what that she’d caught him pushing around one of the waitresses? That his blood tasted of violence and lust. That she could smell his intent the moment she’d invited him into the men’s restroom.

Did that warrant his death?

What have I done?

She slid down the graffiti-scribbled wall. A dirty bathroom stall to where she’d followed the guy to give him the blowjob of his life, or so he thought, anyway.

Tears rolled down her cheek. It had to be the lowest she’d sunk yet. For the first time, she truly felt alone.

The restroom door swung open.

Panic swelled inside of her.

She wiped the tears away, sniffed and quickly lifted the body onto the toilet, holding him there silently as she peered through the crack in the stall door. A tall, dark-haired man had his back turned to her, fussing in front of the mirror.

He cocked his head to the side. “Come out, little one.”

Calla’s breath hitched.

He isn’t talking to me
.

She avoided swallowing past the lump in her throat, certain he’d hear it. Her victim’s body slid from her grasp and she scrambled to hold him up.

The stranger chuckled. “Suit yourself. Perhaps you’d prefer to have someone else find you and your … cargo. I can help you dispose of him. No one would be the wiser.”

God, that’s all she’d need … end up hunted down by cops and investigators. Supes were bad enough, but at least the cops had little knowledge of them.

Who was this man and how did he know?

“I’ve watched you all night. Thought about buying you a drink earlier this evening.” He glanced back at the stall. “Glad I didn’t.”

He’d seen her go in there with him?

Stupid Calla
.
Criminy, you must be the worst predator to walk the planet.

“You’ll need to feed again. Humans don’t offer much to keep you going. And its daylight now. One step outside and you’ll singe to ash.”

“How … how do you know?” Her voice echoed from the stall.

The man finally turned around. Through the crack, Calla’s gaze took in his black hair and the most beautiful sapphire eyes she’d ever seen, his skin perfect, as if carved from marble. “Let’s just say, I’m somewhat of an expert on your type.”

“Are you … one?”

“No.” He smiled, his teeth a striking shade of white. “Your kind intrigues me.”

“I’m not … I was recently bitten.”

“By whom?”

She looked down. “No one. Some jerk who almost drained me.”

“Well, he must have thought highly of you. The Sang can choose to turn a victim, or not.”

Choose? Panic tightened her throat
.
Had biting Logan changed him?

“I can show you many things.” He beckoned her out of the stall with a finger. “Come with me.”

In spite of her urgency to split the scene, something tugged at her gut. “Who are you?”

“My name is Ryke. No worries, little one, I’ve no intentions of hurting you.”

“You’re … you’re the one who took Zeke. You beat your sister.”

“If you’re referring to the Wrath Brother, Zeke, his brothers found him at the hands of a fallen angel. And my sister is about as conniving as they come. She has a mental condition.”

No doubt.

“I’m not professing to be your knight in shining armor. I’m simply offering an alternative to your …” He shifted and peered through the crack of the door. “… situation. There’s another way. You
can
feed without killing.”

“How?”

“Come. I’ll show you.”

What was the alternative? Not like she could grab a pamphlet about Sangexzha from the local health department.

Ryke seemed to be the only one with answers.

Calla took a deep breath and exited the stall.

* * *

Standing beside the table inside his room, Logan shoved daggers in the holsters at his hips, and inside his boot. He slipped the Glocks into their holsters at either side of his chest.

An ache beat inside his ribs, presumably where he had a heart, as if the cold bastard suddenly felt something.
Calla
. His whole body mourned for her.
Gotta find her.

With a tug of his hood over his head, he spun and headed toward the door.

The buzz of his cell phone broke his stride.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Might want to get your ass up here.” Gavin’s toneless voice had his senses on alert. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“Unless it’s Calla, tell whoever it is to piss off. I’m out.”

A beat of silence followed before Gavin spoke again. “They’re here about Calla.”