The Dark-Hunters (222 page)

The last thing he could tell her was that he did in fact fear just that.

If Stefan or the others ever tracked him down …

He didn’t want to think about the consequences.

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into closing your store for a couple of weeks and taking off to some exotic island with me, could I?”

She laughed at him. “Good one.”

Yeah. Little did she know, he was quite serious. Part of him was tempted to kidnap her, but after what had happened between his parents, he knew better than to chance it.

Four hundred years later, his mother was still emotionally scarred over his father’s kidnapping her against her will. He didn’t want to destroy Bride’s kindness. Her open smile. God help her, she trusted people, and that was so rare that he would do anything to keep her that way.

She opened the door to her yard and led him to her apartment where Fury was waiting for them.

Rushing toward them, Fury went straight for Vane’s groin to rack him in typical dog fashion. “Get down,” he snapped, brushing the wolf aside.

“He likes you.”

Likes annoying me.
“Yeah, I noticed.”

Bride frowned as she walked over to the stereo, which was blasting the old Troggs song “Wild Thing.”

“How strange,” she said, turning it off. “I didn’t leave the stereo on.”

Vane tightened his grip on Fury’s neck.

“That hurts, Vane. Let go.”

He did so reluctantly.
“What else did you do?”

“Nothing, really. I just watched some TV, went through her CDs … she has some really good shit … and made some coffee.”

“Fury, you weren’t supposed to move in!”

“You said watch her, that implies moving in.”

He reached for Fury, who darted over to Bride.

“Maybe you have a ghost,” Vane said. “It is New Orleans, after all.”

“You’re not funny,” she said.

She took the wine from him and headed to the small kitchenette where she set it by her two-cup coffeepot. She pulled the carafe out and looked at it. “What on earth is going on here?”

“What?”

She met Vane’s gaze. “Did you make coffee this morning?”

“Oops,”
Fury said.
“I kind of poofed that in. I probably should have poofed it out once I was finished.”

“You think?”

“Be nice to me, man. I don’t have to stay here.”

“And I don’t really have to let you live, either.”

“Are you okay?” Bride asked as she replaced the carafe.

Vane smiled and forced his stern expression to relax. “I’m fine.”

“This coffee is fresh.” She looked down at Fury, then shook her head. “No way. That’s just stupid.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I won’t even say it for fear of being put away for the rest of my life.”

She put the wine in the freezer to stay cold while she opened the cabinets and pulled out a saucepan and boiler.

Without thinking, Vane went to the tiny pantry to get the spaghetti sauce. For some reason, she loved putting it on everything.

“How did you know to go there?” she asked.

Vane cringed. Damn, he shouldn’t have known where she kept it. “It seemed the most likely place.”

She appeared to accept that.

Fury jumped up and pushed him into Bride. Vane sucked his breath in sharply as their bodies collided and he felt her lush curves against him.

She looked up, her lips parted from her gasp of surprise.

“Sorry,” he said, his heart pounding. “The dog hit me.”

“I’m not a dog.”

“You’re going to be dog food if you don’t stop.”

“Oh c’mon, you idiot. She’s your mate. Move on her.”

“I can’t force her. Believe me, it’s something I will not do.”

To his surprise, Fury cocked his head and stared up at him.
“You know, I think I just learned to respect you for that. You’re a good wolf, Vane. Now hand me your shirt and let me outside.”

“Do what?” Vane was so stunned that he spoke out loud.

“What?” Bride asked.

“Nothing,” he said, wondering at what point tonight she was going to decide he was completely mental.

“Trust me,”
Fury said.
“I’ll use your scent to lead the others far away from here. Hell, by the time I get through with Stefan, he’ll be chasing his tail in circles.”

Vane was impressed. It was a good thought.
“Can I trust you not to lead him here?”

“Yeah, you can.”

What an uncharacteristic response for Fury. Vane looked at him as he debated whether or not he could trust him.

In the end, he had no choice.

Fury went to scratch at the door.

“I’ll let him out,” Vane said, heading to the wolf.

“Thanks,” Bride said as she pulled out the leftover angel hair pasta.

Vane followed the wolf into the back courtyard. He pulled off his shirt, then conjured up a fresh one while Fury flashed into human form to take it.

“Put some clothes on, Fury. I’m going blind here.”

“Shut up,” Fury snapped. “I’m not as talented as you are with my powers and I’m not staying human long enough to care. I just wanted to tell you to be careful. She seems like a nice enough woman, for a human. Be a damned shame to see something happen to her.”

“I know.”

A car pulled up to the gate.

Fury stepped into the shadows and vanished. Vane didn’t move as he watched the car pull in. It was the stripper who lived in one of the upstairs apartments.

Relieved it was a friendly car, he went back inside to find Bride spooning the sauce into her pan.

He had to find some way to get her to agree to leave with him until they could safely part company.

Vane watched her and felt something very peculiar. In his world no one cooked for him. He either ate it raw or bought it in human form, then cooked it himself.

No one had ever made food for him before except when he paid them to do it. This was almost homey. Not that he understood what homey was.

Maybe it was this strange feeling in his stomach. The pull inside that urged him to touch her even when he shouldn’t.

“Bride?” he asked, moving closer to her. “Do you believe in the impossible?”

She pulled a bag of salad from her fridge. “Impossible how?”

“I don’t know. Fairies? Leprechauns? Wolves who can turn into humans?”

She laughed. “Ahh, the loup-garou. You’re not buying into local legends, are you?”

He shrugged as his heart shrank. It was too much to hope that she would be anything other than a typical human.

“Although,” she said, making his heart lighten. “I do have a friend who chases vampires after dark. She’s nuts, but we love her.”

Damn.

“Yeah,” he breathed. “Tabitha is a bit out there, isn’t she?”

Bride stood stock-still. “How did you know she—”

“Everyone in New Orleans knows the resident vampire slayer,” he said quickly. “Tabitha Devereaux has been around a long time.”

Bride laughed. “I’ll have to tell her she’s a legend. It’ll please her to no end.”

Vane turned back toward her. “But what about you? You don’t believe in weird things, do you?”

“Not really. The scariest thing I’ve ever seen is my accountant in April.”

Outwardly, he smiled at that, inwardly he shriveled. She would never be open to his world. To the reality that sometimes the people she passed on the street weren’t really people at all. That they were the worst sort of predators.

Let her have her delusions. It would be cruel to take them away from her. And for what purpose? So that he could show her a world where the two of them would be perpetually hunted?

Where their children would be outcasts?

No, that wouldn’t be fair to her. He didn’t need a mate, and he damned sure didn’t need children.

“You okay?” she asked as she set out two plates.

“Yeah, fine.”

He just hoped they both stayed fine until the mark vanished from their hands.

*   *   *

It didn’t take Fury long to find Stefan and the others who were in human form on Bourbon Street while they tried to recapture Vane’s scent.

The three of them were outside a bar, sniffing patrons who came and went.

As always, he was struck by the beauty of his people, but then, it was to be expected. In their world, ugly or different was quickly rejected or killed—usually the latter. Animals had no mercy on anyone or anything.

Not even the animals who fooled themselves into believing they were mostly human. He’d been with Arcadians long enough to see for himself that when they said they were human, they were deluding themselves.

Just as humans did.

There was nothing humane about humanity. At the end of the day, they were all animals with only survival instincts.

It was dog-eat-dog. And Fury knew more about that principle than he cared to recall.

Stefan whirled about as he caught Fury’s scent.

“Well, well,” Fury said, gifting him with a smirk. “I’ve been standing here long enough that I could have killed all of you before you even sensed me. You’re getting old, Stefan.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Fury raked him with an amused stare. He fully intended to challenge the older wolf and kill him one day.

Right now, however, he wasn’t in the mood.

“Don’t make me hurt you, Stefan. You can prance around like an alpha all you want, but we both know who holds your leash.”

Stefan grabbed for him, but Fury twirled out of his grasp.

“Don’t, old wolf. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“What do you want, Fury?” Petra snapped.

Fury gave her a full-fledged grin. Out of the group, she was the one who hated Vane the most. For years the she-wolf had wanted to mate with him, and when he had refused, she had moved on to Fang. She had stalked Vane to distraction. Since he was the oldest of their leader’s children, the natural assumption would be that Vane would one day inherit the pack. Even though his father hated him, Vane was without a doubt the strongest of them all.

Only Fury knew why. Vane wasn’t Katagaria and the rest of them were too stupid to realize it.

He had smelled it on Vane the moment they met. That twang that came only from human genes. A so-called human heart. More than that, the scent came from the most elite of the Arcadians. Vane wasn’t just an Arcadian. He wasn’t just a Sentinel.

He was an Aristos. A rare breed who had the ability to wield magic effortlessly. In the Arcadian realm, the Aristi were considered gods and were guarded zealously by werewolves who would gladly die for them.

It was why he, himself, hated Vane.

But patience was a virtue. Not just to humans, but especially to animals.

Petra sniffed, then frowned. She came closer until she buried her nose against Fury’s shirt.

“Vane,” she breathed. “You caught him?”

“Where’s his hide?” Stefan asked immediately.

Fury gave Stefan a hooded glare. “You’re all pathetic. Haven’t any of you ever learned that half the fun of the kill is running it to ground?”

Petra cocked her head. “Meaning?”

“I know where Vane is. But it’s not enough to kill your enemy. First you screw with his head.”

Chapter 7

Bride pushed the salad around on her plate as she tried not to stare at Vane. There was something so compelling about him. It was also disconcerting to be around someone so lean and muscular. At least with Taylor, he’d been skinnier than her, but he didn’t work out, and had love handles of his own.

There wasn’t an ounce of excess on Vane’s entire body. Her face flamed as she remembered just how great that man looked naked.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine.”

“Why aren’t you eating?”

She shrugged. “I guess I’m not hungry after all.”

He took the fork from her hand and twirled the spaghetti around the tines, then held it up for her.

“I’m not a baby, Vane.”

“I know.” His hot look scorched her. “Eat for me, Bride,” he said in a low, commanding tone. “I don’t want you to go hungry. There’s nothing good about starving.”

From the tone of his voice, she could tell he spoke from experience. “You’ve been hungry?”

“Take a bite and I’ll answer.”

“I’m not a child.”

“Believe me, I know.” He wagged the fork for her.

She shook her head at his serious play, then opened her mouth.

He carefully placed the fork inside so that she could close her mouth around it before he slid the fork back out.

Bride chewed while he twirled the fork in her pasta. “Yes, I’ve gone hungry. My parents weren’t nurturing or caring like yours. As soon as a male is old enough, they throw him out and he either learns to … to survive or he dies.”

Vane’s heart twisted as he remembered his youth. The pain and constant hunger. He’d almost died more times than he could count that first year on his own. Until he hit puberty, he’d been a wolf cub. Virtually overnight, he had become human. His magical powers had been new to him and he’d been stuck in human form when he needed to be a wolf.

Unused to being human, he couldn’t track or kill prey. He’d been blitzed with unfamiliar feelings and emotions that wolves didn’t have. Worst of all, his senses were dulled in human form. Humans might see better in daylight, but they couldn’t hear as clearly, move as quickly, or smell their enemies around them. They didn’t have the physical strength to fight bare-handed against other predators and animals for food and protection.

Nor could they kill as easily. They were consumed by guilt, horrified by bloodshed.

But like Darwin had written, it was survival of the fittest, and so Vane had learned how to survive. Eventually. He’d learned to take his blows and bites without surrendering to the agony of his wounds.

At the end of the first year of his adulthood, he had returned to his pack angry and controlled. A human who knew what it meant to be a wolf. A human who was determined to control the part of himself that he loathed.

He’d also returned home with more power than any of them had dared dream.