“I won’t ask twice.” The urge to kill the hunter was overwhelming. He was a threat to Sonia. But that wouldn’t be smart. A missing hunter would bring more of their kind to his city.
“I’m alone and I report to Luther Kostas.” Beads of sweat rolled down John’s face.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Damek stepped so close he was nose to nose with the man. He pulled on more power, took total control of John’s mind and began to manipulate his memories. “You followed Ms. Agostino back to her hotel and saw nothing out of the ordinary. She stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant.” Damek named one nowhere near his club. “She is no threat to you or your group. This is nothing more than a research trip. The good professor only studies myths and legends and knows nothing of reality.” He pushed hard, drilling this into John’s mind until his real memory was gone, replaced with this new reality.
“And, John,” Damek continued. “You are alone in this alley. You’re feeling as though you might be coming down with a stomach virus. You’re not well and need to return to your hotel.”
The urge to kill the man, to eliminate the threat was pushing Damek hard. He wanted to dig his fangs into the human’s jugular and drain him dry, but he overrode his primitive instincts and listened to his brain. The death of this man would only bring more trouble, and that was the last thing he wanted. “Now go.”
Damek released John’s mind and faded into the shadows, pulling his power around him. The sounds and sights from the street came back into view as the shadows faded from around them. The man swayed and stumbled, leaning against the wall.
“Fuck. I must have eaten something funny.” He swiped a hand over his damp forehead. “Or maybe I’m coming down with something. This is a shit assignment. Stupid bitch didn’t do anything but stop for dinner.”
John rolled his shoulders and made his way to the top of the alley. He turned and looked back, shook his head and headed down the sidewalk. Damek followed, watching until the threat disappeared from sight.
“Now to find Sonia.” He flowed down the sidewalk, moving with the mass of humanity. Unlike many paranormal creatures, including some of his brethren, Damek liked humans. He enjoyed their ingenuity, their passion and zest for life, their resilience. Plus, he couldn’t survive without them. It made sense to him to protect his food source and keep it close.
He didn’t think Sonia had gone much farther after she’d bolted. He’d tracked her racing heartbeat as best he could under the circumstances, but the strength of the hunter had made that more difficult.
Here. He slowed and stopped in front of a midrange hotel and sniffed. He could scent the slightest bit of her natural essence, along with a heavy dose of fear. He didn’t like that. She should never have to be afraid of anything.
Damek strode across the lobby, using his power to disrupt the security cameras. When he reached the reception desk, he smiled at the woman behind the counter. “I am looking for one of your guests, Sonia Agostino.”
The woman was older, her dark hair slightly silvered and she wore a professional smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t give out information on our guests. I can call up to her room for you if you’d like and let her know you’re here.”
He appreciated the good security here, but it existed to keep others out, not him. “That is fine.” He gave a gentle push to her mind as she looked down at the computer screen to find Sonia’s room number—604. As soon as he had it, he withdrew from her mind and offered her another smile. “On second thought, it’s late. I’ll check in with her tomorrow.”
“If you’re sure.” She was watching him now, her gaze worried.
“Absolutely.” Damek turned and walked out the front door. He ducked into the shadows and watched until another customer distracted the woman behind the reception desk. Then he cloaked his presence and flowed toward the elevators, stepping in the one that opened as he approached. He pressed the number for the right floor and watched as the numbers lit one by one until he reached the sixth floor.
He easily found Sonia’s room and used the power of his mind to silently unlock the door. He slid inside the room and shut the door behind him.
The light in the bathroom was on but the rest of the room was in darkness. Her suitcase sat on a small bench with her purse on top of it. He could hear a slow plink from the bathroom as water dripped from the showerhead.
Damek inhaled and caught the fresh scent of soap and woman. He eased over to the bed and looked down at Sonia. Her hair was loose and flowed over her pillow in a profusion of black curls. He leaned down and touched one inky lock. It was soft and silky and he barely resisted threading his fingers through the entire mass.
She frowned, her brow creasing as she muttered something unintelligible. Damek let the curl slide over his finger, sucked in a deep breath and took a step back to sit in a chair in the corner of the room where the shadows surrounded him.
Sonia had the covers shoved down to her waist, exposing long, toned arms. The thin white T-shirt she wore did little to disguise her womanly curves. To put it quite bluntly, Sonia was stacked. Her breasts were firm and full beneath the soft cotton. She gave a little snort and turned onto her side, tucking a hand beneath her head.
Her thick lashes rested on her high cheekbones and her brows were dark slashes, framing her eyes. Her creamy skin was flawless, her cheeks tinged with pink. Even asleep, she pulsed with life and energy.
Up this close, he could see the resemblance to the long-lost Elizabetta, but there were enough differences that there was no mistaking the two for each other. Sonia’s cheekbones were sharper, her skin finer. Her nose was longer and her lips fuller. He wanted to taste those sweet lips, feel them against his mouth and on other parts of his body.
Damek closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Her blood pumped through her veins, calling to him like a siren calls a sailor to his death. The whoosh echoed in his ears until it was all he could hear. He licked his lips, his fangs sharp in his mouth. He could almost taste her on his tongue. She would be so sweet.
He’d leaned forward without realizing it and swore under his breath. He was not a monster to take what was not freely given to him. His needs were met easily these days. Owning a blood bank gave him more than an ample supply of sustenance. But there was nothing quite like the taste of fresh blood, still hot, still pulsing from the vein.
He groaned and ignored the heavy throbbing of his cock. He’d thought the organ all but dead until a short time ago. Sonia had revived more than one hunger within him. He knew he should leave, but he didn’t. Couldn’t. Not yet. The night was long and he wanted to watch her sleep, watch over her and protect her.
Hunger beat at him, a result of using so much energy with the hunter when he already needed to feed. Damek was usually careful to ingest blood on a regular schedule, but he’d gotten busy today and had ignored the growing gnawing in his gut, assuming he’d have plenty of time to feed later.
It was always a drain when he was forced to enter the mind of another. Memories carried emotions, and the power of them often took their toll on him, which was why he didn’t do it often. But it was a skill he’d honed to a sharp edge over the years and wouldn’t hesitate to use it to defend himself or those under his protection.
Sonia rolled, ending up on her back once again. She kicked at the covers restlessly, shoving them down until they were at the foot of the bed. He smiled when he saw what she was wearing. No silk and satin nightgown for his Sonia. No, she wore a pair of cotton sleep pants in a pale shade of blue with wooly white sheep all over them.