A lock unlatched—the snick loud and crisp in her ears—and a door protested as it creaked open. Judging by the distinct sound and the clarity of her hearing, she realized she was only a floor or so away from the entrance to Aldon’s lair.
Good news if she could get to her feet and find an alternative exit.
“Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” Aldon’s deep voice drifted to her ears as he welcomed his visitor.
“Pleasant surprise, my ass.”
Her heart skipped a beat and then lodged in her throat when she heard the corresponding acknowledgement. She screwed her eyes shut, fighting back tears. She knew that voice, had thought about it so often she wondered if perhaps she hadn’t woken at all but remained snared in the land of dreams.
It couldn’t be. How could it?
Trey.
A stupid, inflated belief in romance tried to influence her thoughts, tempting her to believe he’d come to rescue her. He’d barge in, order Aldon to hand her over and she’d find safety in his arms. He’d lift her to his chest, kiss her, promise to protect her, take her to his family and home and never let her go.
As-fucking-if.
Painful memories from the past suffocated hope.
Trey wasn’t her lover. Hell, he wasn’t even her friend. He might be willing to fuck her silly but that was it. No strings attached. No permanency. Her body attracted him but her nature disgusted him. At best he might text her for booty calls on the down-low. If she played her cards right he might even be willing to offer her the one thing she desperately needed to survive—his blood—in exchange for a bit of pussy.
Her self-loathing didn’t last long, not when she heard Trey snarl, “You just fucked with the wrong bull.” She jerked as the sound of a fist connecting with bone resonated from below, followed by an enormous thump as someone landed on the floor.
A cold chill shot down her spine when Aldon laughed. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
“Not even close,” Trey growled, his voice shaky, indicating he was already in motion and prepared to dish out some serious damage. “That’s my version of a bitch-slap.”
What the hell was going on? Why was Trey here? And why was he fighting Aldon?
Last time she checked the two were on speaking terms.
They shared common interests…or so she thought.
She knew the moment they engaged in combat. Even though she couldn’t see what was taking place, she knew how the fight would go. Vampires were fast but werewolves were strong. Aldon would try to wear Trey down while Trey tried to rip out his opponent’s throat as quickly as possible. Assuming Trey wanted to kill Aldon. If not he’d be lucky if he could put a dent in the vampire. Aldon was too powerful. She’d only glimpsed a portion of his strength but she knew he wasn’t a normal black mage vamp.
He had a secret, one that made him lethal.
A sharp creak ripped her attention from the ruckus downstairs. She turned her head, ashamed that something so simple took effort. She watched, shocked, as Leigh opened the door to the room. The poor girl looked like death warmed over. Her skin, while always pale, was now ghastly white. Dark shadows decorated the area beneath her eyes. She’d pulled her hair from her face, securing it at her nape with an elastic band. Sadie opened her mouth to speak but remained silent when Leigh’s eyes bulged and she shook her head.
“Quiet,” Leigh instructed telepathically. “You can ask questions later.” Advancing forward, she questioned, “What did he do to you? How bad are you hurt?”
“He didn’t do anything.” Sadie’s pride rankled at the confession. “He knew I had been tracking him. When he confronted me I lost consciousness from hunger. He brought me here.” Speaking of which. “Where is here, by the way? How did you find me?”
Why is Trey with you?
The last thought wasn’t meant for Leigh but the young vampire heard it anyway. Sympathy smoothed her tired features as she reached Sadie’s side and placed a comforting hand on her arm. Leigh felt so cold, her body in desperate need of blood. Sadie cringed. Leigh shouldn’t have come here. The girl was newly changed and unable to defend herself. She needed to learn to harness her magic in order to face the world.
“Don’t worry about that right now. We’re going to get you out,” Leigh thought. Lifting her head she whispered, “I’m going to need some help. She can’t move.”
A large form stepped through the door. Even though Leigh blocked most of him from view Sadie recognized his voice when he murmured, “I’m here.”
Nathan. Trey’s Beta.
Sadie didn’t know much about the male, although their paths had crossed in the not-so-distant past—after she’d killed off a few Shepherds and saved Diskant’s mate, Ava Brisbane. Nathan had been there too, injured himself but trying to defend the mortal woman. They’d formed an unlikely truce, agreeing to work together to save Ava’s life.
The prism of confusion shined brighter, becoming dizzying.
First Trey appeared. Now Nathan was with him.
What were they doing? Didn’t they know better?
Nathan slid his arms beneath Sadie’s stomach and rolled her over as he lifted her to his chest. Her head fell back, one arm tucked against the man holding her, the other hanging like a broken branch at her side. She must have looked like a tattered china doll, hanging together by fraying pieces of thread. The last time she’d seen Nathan he’d been bleeding at her feet.
Humiliation tore through her, the most unwanted and damning of sentiments.
Somehow things always came full circle. It was almost poetic in a sickening and perverse kind of way. She was supposed to be the strong one, defending the weak. Never had she imagined herself like this. Cradled in a werewolf’s arms, unable to stand or walk. The roles had been reversed. Now Nathan was the one watching over her, keeping her from harm.
Leigh led the way to the door. Once she’d peeked outside, she exited the room.
Nathan followed, staying close, allowing Sadie to get a glimpse of her surroundings.
She was definitely in a home, not a condemned building or bunker as vampires were known to use when they wanted to capture and cage prey. Framed pictures adorned neatly painted and papered walls with expensive crown-molded ceilings. They were on the top floor of the residence, a place that was old but well restored. Pristine wooden slats sped by as Nathan quickened his pace.
The delicious aroma of blood assailed her nose, thick and hot, coming fresh from the source. She knew that smell, could identify it anywhere. She should have been worried about Trey’s wounds—he was quick to heal but had been injured severely enough to bleed freely—but she felt her fangs drop. The need to feed became her sudden and primary focus. Even in her current state she felt her muscles tense in preparation for attack. Her nature was ready to give it all one last hurrah in order to survive.
“Fuck!” Trey bellowed, so close she could not only smell his blood but also hear the steady beating of his heart. “Nathan, heads-up! He’s on the move!”
“Leigh,” Nathan snarled. “Behind me. Now.”
Leigh did as she was told, darting past Nathan and vanishing from Sadie’s line of sight. Aldon appeared, standing only a few feet away from them with an arrogant smirk on his blood-splattered face. His nose had been busted but he’d already started healing. The world spun and Sadie’s stomach plummeted when Nathan dropped her and charged the vampire. She hit the ground, her head cracking against the hard floor. Through pained eyes, she watched Nathan sprint toward his enemy.