She could testify to that. He’d taunted her for several weeks, like a cat with a mouse, making her feel helpless and afraid in her own home. He’d stripped away her sense of security before destroying her life. No, she wouldn’t underestimate the vampire for one moment.
“Let’s go.” Craig eased them out of the shadows and propelled them both down the sidewalk. “They’re waiting for us.”
Evie wished she shared his sense of excitement. She could sense his growing anticipation, and with each step closer they came to Haven the tenser she grew.
But no way was she letting Craig face down those people on his own.
He wouldn’t be alone, a small voice in the back of her head reminded her.
His family would be there. He didn’t really need her.
But she owed it to him to protect him. She had his back.
She really didn’t see how any kind of relationship could work between them in the long run. Even if they defeated Vladimir and she survived, she would always be the one who’d turned Craig’s life upside down. His family would never accept what she’d done to him, and she couldn’t blame them for that.
Craig was special. She knew that, had sensed it the first time she’d laid eyes on him. It had momentarily cut through her bloodlust until she’d lost it and taken him to the point of no return.
Now that she knew him better, she knew just how special he was.
She loved him. That was both her saving grace and her punishment.
For once in her life, someone else was more important. She’d spent her entire life looking out for herself, mostly out of necessity. But now Craig’s safety and happiness was more important than her own, and not just because she owed him.
No, she’d done the supremely stupid thing of falling in love with him.
And because she did love him, she’d protect him with her life. And, if they both survived Vladimir’s wrath, she’d set him free to have the life he deserved without the shadows of the past, of her, separating him from his family and friends.
Maybe it could work between them, the little voice whispered. Maybe his friends and family would accept her.
Maybe Craig could love her back.
But that voice was drowned out by the one she’d heard for years, the one that screamed loudest in her ears. That voice reminded her that she wasn’t good enough for Craig. That he was smarter than she was. That he had a family who loved him where she had no one.
No, better to leave when this was done rather than risk her heart any more than she already had. The longer she stayed the more it would hurt when it was time for her to leave. Craig would always have a piece of her, but it was worth it to have this time with him.
“Are you ready?”
While she’d been lost in her own thoughts, they’d reached Haven. She looked up at Craig and swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw the concern in his gaze. No one in her entire life, no one, had ever worried about her like he did.
“I’m ready.” She grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. She’d already scanned the room, a talent that was becoming as natural as breathing. There were no humans inside, just half-breed and full-blooded werewolves. She stepped inside and Craig followed.
The door shut heavily behind them.
From two blocks down the road, a man watched the couple enter the small bar. He noted the name before removing his phone from his pocket. He called the one and only number programmed into his phone. It rang until it went to voicemail.
The man frowned but left a message.
“She’s here. At Haven.” He gave the address. “And there is another with her.
He is vampire as well.” He’d seen the way the male had looked at the woman.
Seen his eyes flash red for a brief moment.
He ended the call and moved a little closer to the club. It was his job to watch and wait. And until he received further orders, that’s exactly what he planned to do.
Craig followed Evie into Haven, wishing he knew what was going through her mind. He sensed that her emotions had run the gamut from sad to fearful to determined. He knew she was worried and had a right to be. He was a little nervous himself even though he was doing his best to pretend otherwise.
Quinn, Chrissten, Hank and Bethany were sitting at a table near the door.
They all rose when he and Evie walked in. He nodded but kept his attention on the two people who mattered most right now. Meredith stood in the center of the room with Isaiah beside her. Behind them, the rest of their pack waited for their alphas to make the first move.
Craig took a step toward them. “Hey, Meredith.”
The older woman took a step toward him and then suddenly she was practically running. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Not that the others couldn’t hear. They were all paranormal creatures with preternatural senses. “I reacted badly. We all did.”
He smiled down at her. “Totally understandable.”
Meredith shook her head. “No, it isn’t. But there’s nothing to be done about that now. All we can do is move forward.”
Craig felt the shift in power and knew Isaiah was moving toward him. He released Meredith and stared at the alpha werewolf who’d helped Craig reunite his family all those years ago, who’d offered all of them a home and a pack to belong to.
The alpha male towered over Craig, but whereas he’d once been human and weaker, now he was vampire and much stronger. But physical strength wasn’t everything. He respected Isaiah very much. The werewolf would hate him for saying it or even thinking it for that matter, but Craig thought he was a lot like Damek.
Both of them were dominant males, ready to do whatever it took to protect their mates and families.
Craig glanced at Evie, standing so proudly beside him, the scowl on her face daring anyone to say a cross word to him. Love swelled in his heart and practically robbed him of breath.
Suddenly, the pounding of heartbeats filled his ears and echoed in his veins.
Hunger poured through him, a raging beast demanding to be fed and appeased.
Evie grabbed his hand and squeezed tight. The contact allowed him to gain control of the bloodlust once again. This time it was quicker, but it was still difficult. He built a cage in his mind and shoved the beast inside. He’d feed it later when it was safe to do so.
The scene before him was a frozen tableau with no one moving, barely breathing. Everyone had felt the surge of power. Evie had immediately reached out to him, helping calm and center him.
Craig half expected the males to jump in front of their females, but they hadn’t.
All were waiting to see how he could handle himself. They were offering him their gift of trust. He blinked several times and then offered his hand to Isaiah.
The big male took it and then pulled him into a bear hug. “You are doing well, my friend. Control is not easy to master.”
Craig gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“I know that well.” He took a step back and pulled Evie closer to his side. “You all remember Evie.”
“Welcome to Haven.” Meredith took Evie’s hand and led her to a table. Evie glanced over her shoulder and Craig could read the panic in her eyes. He was behind her in a blink of an eye, his hand on her arm.
Meredith’s eyes widened. “You’re very fast.”
Craig shrugged. “I’m still figuring out what I can and can’t do. It’s a steep learning curve.”
Behind him, Quinn laughed.
“Sparring with you is going to be fun now that I no longer have to hold back to keep from crushing you into the mat.”
His brother’s good-natured taunt made Craig smile. “No, now it’s you who need to be worried I’ll crush you.”