I fell against him, and our sweat-soaked bodies panted against one another. David wrapped his arms around me and chuckled.
"You bring the animal out of me more than the full moon," he teased.
I snuggled my face into the crook of his neck and closed my eyes. "What can I say? It's just a gift."
He petted my hair. I felt myself drifting off to sleep in the safety of his strong arms.
11
My awakening was a furious knock on the front door to our suite. I creaked open my eyes and saw I lay in the bed. David jumped from the bed, robed himself in a robe from the closet, and swept out of the room. I wrapped a sheet around me and hurried to the partially open doorway in time to watch David open the front door.
Blake stood in the doorway. A deep frown covered his lips. "She's escaped."
David raised an eyebrow. "Asena?"
Blake nodded. "Yes. I wasn't aware she had cast a controlling spell on Al, and he helped her escape from her holding cell in the basement."
My eyes widened. "You kept her down there?"
Blake looked past David at me. "Yes, but in one of the newer cells that has no haunting."
"Where did she go?" David asked him.
Blake closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know. As is still missing, and with his assistance she can enter any part of the castle."
Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Famul appeared by Blake's side. He bowed to the vampire before he started into some sort of game of charades with his hands. I would have joined in the fun if the situation hadn't been so deadly, and I had been wearing more clothes.
Blake watched the zombie's pantomime for a moment before he pursed his lips and nodded. "I see. Return him to the castle." Famul bowed and hurried off.
David raised an eyebrow. "Mind translating that clown show?"
Blake's eyes flickered to David. "It seems your old acquaintance has fled the island via one of the emergency boats. Al was found nearby in a stupor, and I have ordered Famul to return him to the castle."
David frowned. "Aren't you going to try to follow her?"
Blake shook his head. "No. The boat has been gone too long, and we're not even sure which direction it headed. There are many beaches along the cliffs where someone may hide a small craft as what she stole. We would never find her if she chose not to be found."
I shoved open the door and marched over to him in all my sheet-covered rage. "So you're just going to let an attempted-murderer go free?"
The vampire narrowed his cool eyes at me. "I am not without an alternative. I will have Madam Bentley cast a spell over the island that will prevent her ever touching the shores. If she causes you any more problems, it will not be through me."
I snorted. "That makes me feel-" David placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
He smiled at Blake. "Thanks. I doubt you'll get anything out of Al or your nephew, so we'll take our leave of the island as soon as you can get your boat ready."
Blake stiffly bowed his head. "As you wish."
He cast one flickering glance at me and strode down the hall. David shut the door.
I shrugged off his hand and glared at him. "What was that for? That stupid vampire just let that crazy woman get away!"
He turned to me with a frown on his lips. "That 'crazy vampire' was about to make a withdraw from your blood bank."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "It's not him I'm worried about, it's your ex-girlfriend. She's the only one who's actually tried to kill us. Both of us."
He leaned down and pecked a kiss on my lips. A brush of that familiar, pleasant haze slipped over me before I shook myself and glared at his smiling face. He chuckled. "I don't think she'll be trying anything for a while."
I arched an eyebrow. "Why?"
He stepped past me towards the bedroom. "It took her father and her this long to try to attack me. I suspect they don't have a Plan B for their revenge against me."
I followed after him and leaned against the frame to watch him dress himself. It was a disappointing sight. "Why are they so mad at you? I mean, all you did was not pay them, right?"
He stooped to pick up a pillow, but paused at my question. A sigh escaped his lips before he straightened. "That isn't entirely the truth."
My face drooped and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then what is?"
He turned to me with a goofy grin. "When they told me what they did to me I kind of scratched up Asena's father."
"How bad?"
"He was still bedridden when I left them a week later."
"That sounds like more than a scratching."
"Well, they weren't sure he was going to be able to walk, either."
My eyes widened and I pushed off the door frame. "Okay, that's a little more than a scratching."
He turned away and glanced down at the pillow in his hands. His eyes were lidded and his face downcast. "I wasn't in complete control of myself at the time. The new werewolf inside of me didn't help." I walked over to him and set a hand on his arm. He turned to me and managed a small smile. "But here I am moaning about the past when you're the one who's in the worst trouble. Asena is a formidable foe, and you're not even a werewolf."
I grinned and shrugged. "I think I handled her well enough. Anyway, let's get out of this creepy place before I get tempted to raid the fridge and find myself in a bottomless moat full of alligators."
"Crocodiles," he corrected me.
I rolled my eyes, spun him around, and pushed him towards the bathroom. "Let's just get cleaned up and go."
We were ready in a few minutes, and with bags in hand we tromped down the stairs to the lobby. Blake waited for us at the front door. A small smile graced his lips as he glanced from one of us to the other.
"Can I not convince you to stay for a short time and enjoy the wonders of my castle and island?" he asked us.
I looped my arm through one of David's and shook my head. "Not for all the wealth in the world."
"Any news on Asena?" David asked him.
Blake shook his head. "Nothing. She has disappeared, and my employee doesn't recall in which direction she traveled." His eyes flickered from David to me and back to my mate. "Under the circumstances, you are of course free to visit the island whenever you wish. It will give you some piece of mind."
David smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but there's no place like home."
Blake closed his eyes and bowed his head to us. "Very well. Until we meet again."
"Later," David returned.
We strode out the doors and out of that adventure, but more awaited us in the great mystery of future days.
* * *
>>>
Phantom Pain
Alpha Mated, Book 4
1
Today would be the day. I would do it. I would go out into the world a free woman and chain myself to the shackles of office work.
Today was Tuesday. And it would be gloriously boring and free from paranormal stuff.
"But why?" David persisted as he followed me down the stairs like a lost puppy.
He was robed in his-well, robe and some fuzzy bunny slippers I don't ever recall seeing before. A predator dressed in the stuffed imitation of their kill had a certain hilarious irony to it, but this morning I wasn't laughing. No, this morning I was dressed to kill a day's worth of office work.
We reached the front doors. I spun around to face him with a frown. "I told you I've missed a day of work already, so I'm going today." I set my hand on the knob. A jolt of something cold flowed over me. I shuddered.
David frowned. "Is something wrong?"
I shook my head and smiled at him. "No. I just-" I pursed my lips and furrowed my brow. "I don't know. It felt like somebody splashed cold water on my soul."
David frowned and set his hands on my shoulders. "I'd much rather you stay here with me."
I snorted and removed his hands. "And grow fat and have twelve children?"
He grinned and leaned down to peck a kiss on my lips. "Is that so ba
d?"
I pushed him away and smiled softly at him. "Babies later, work now. I'll see you after five."
I hurried on my way to work in my ancient machine that was once called a car. Now it was more like several thousand pieces of metal that were kept together with rust and might take me from Point A to Point B.
I didn't remember the tracking device issue until I stopped at the same intersection where Latro had kidnapped me. I swept my eyes over the area, but didn't spot anything out of the ordinary. Puer had probably put it in the gas tank or some other place I couldn't get to. Sneaky butler.
This day I made it safely to work and plopped myself down in my chair. I leaned back and breathed a sigh. The cold jolt from that morning still lingered with me, but I took solace in the normalcy of the office building. There were no vampire vexations, no witch worries, no paranormal problems here. Just me and my paperwork.
And Ruth.
Her head popped over our dividing wall and she had a big grin on her face. "Hey!"
I started and nearly fell out of my chair. The only thing that kept me in my seat was the desk which my knees hit on their way to the stratosphere.
"Damn it!" I hissed as I clutched at my throbbing knobs of sinew and bone.
Ruth winced and half hid herself behind the wall. "Sorry."
I sighed and shook my head. "It's fine. The pain will wear off sometime next year."
She slunk further down. "I really am sorry."
My eyes flickered to her and I arched an eyebrow. Ruth never apologized twice, at least not in a row. "Something up?"
Her head disappeared out of sight and her muffled voice floated through the wall. "It's fine. I'm just a little tired."
I frowned and stood. A quick peek around the corner of the shared wall showed my friend seated in her chair with her back turned to the doorway. She slouched. Ruth didn't slouch except when she was disappointed.
I walked over to stand beside her. Her face was a little pale and she clutched her hand on her chest over where her heart lay. I knelt beside her and set my hand on her free hand.
Ruth gave me a ghost of a smile. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not dying. I just haven't really felt that well since Friday."
"When you had your date with whats-his-name?" I asked her.
Her smile widened and she sighed. "Mr. Douglas Gardi, but he says to call him Doug."
I patted her hand. "That's nice, but about you looking like you're death warmed over. Did you catch something at a restaurant? Have you see a doctor?"
She laughed and waved her hand at me. "I'm not that bad, silly, and we didn't go to a restaurant. We went clubbing all night long."
I pursed my lips as I studied her face. There were circles under her eyes and her skin felt clammy. I smiled up at her. "Must be a hell of a guy."
She nodded and gazed off into the distance of her flying-toaster screen saver. "Yeah. I only get to see him at night because he works all day, but he's handsome, strong, and a good kisser."
"You'll have to introduce us some time, but during the day how about I treat you to a nice, hot lunch?" I suggested.
Ruth's eyes widened and sparkled. I cringed. I'd seen that look just before she gave me her work last Friday. "That'd be great! We could get somebody for you and have a double-date!"
I cringed. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
She jumped to her feet. "Of course it is! We can get together tomorrow night!"
"That sounds like a great idea." My eyes widened. That voice. I whipped my head around and looked over my shoulder.
David's head popped into the doorway of Ruth's cubicle. The mischievous twinkle in his eyes and the sly grin on his delicious lips made me want to kiss him and kill him.
Ruth's eyes widened and a squeal escaped her trembling lips. "Mr. Dives!"
He chuckled at her exuberance and my scowl, and stepped into Ruth's square. "A double-date would be great."
Ruth blinked at him. "Y-you want to go on a date with one of us?"
He nodded. "I'd be honored to take one of you lovely ladies on a date." His eyes fell on me and his smile widened. "You seem to be the odd-woman out in this match, lovely young woman. Would you care to accompany this old man on a date?"
I tried to block out images of throttling my mate. It didn't work. Instead I slapped a tense smile on my lips and nodded. "I guess I can go for that."
David smiled and bowed his head. "Then it's a date, Miss-?"
I held out my hand. "Miss Dakota Combes. And you are?"
Ruth rattled my shoulders with her hands and leaned close to my ear. "You know who he is!"
I shrugged. "Actually, no. He looks like a hobo in a suit."
Ruth's face grew paler and her words were more tense. "He's-"
"David Dives, professional hobo," David finished for her. He took my hand and gave it a good shake that left my fingers ringing. "At your service."
I stood and looped my arm through his. "Actually, I was looking to get advice on tramping. If you could step this way we can talk."
Ruth's jaw dropped open and her eyes widened as she watched us stride from the cubicle. I directed David not to my own little square sphere but to the supply closet in one corner of the floor. I tossed him in, shut the door, flicked on the light, and glared at him.
"What are you doing here?" I growled.
He sat atop a couple of boxes of printing paper and shrugged. "Only inspecting my company. A billionaire playboy can do that."
I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow. "After ignoring your company for so long you're now interested in visiting it more than once a year?"
"I had some encouragement," he admitted.
My face fell and I narrowed my eyes. "You followed me here to stalk me, didn't you?"
He wagged his eyebrows. "Perhaps."
I pulled David from his ream seat, spun him so he faced the door, and gave him a good shove. "Out."
He stumbled to the door and set his hand on the knob before he turned to me with that mischievous grin. "Of the closet or the building?"
I snapped a finger at the door. "Both, and we'll talk about this later."
He chuckled and bowed his head. "I look forward to it."
2
David left, and I returned to my cubicle. I found Ruth seated in my chair with her arms folded across her chest.
I stopped in the doorway and frowned. "What?"
She arched an eyebrow and tapped the floor with the toe of one shoe. "You know what."
I plopped down in my spare chair and frowned. "No, what?"
She stopped her tapping and leaned forward towards me. Her narrowed eyes studied my face. "Where were you yesterday?"
"On my death bed, why?"
"Was the doctor who revived you cute?"
I closed my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "And annoying."
"He didn't happen to be a certain billionaire we both know, would he?"
I dropped my hand to my side and sighed. "Fine, you've got me. I've been dating the guy since Friday."
Her eyes widened. "As in last Friday? When I asked you to take care of my stuff for me?"
I nodded. "That's how we met, on the elevator going down."
Ruth squealed and clapped her hands. "Cupid wins again!"
I blinked at her. "Come again?"
She gestured to herself. "Me as matchmaker, silly! I wanted to get you a guy, and I did! And what a catch!"
I glanced at my watch and frowned. "And do I have a few choice words for my choice catch."
I spent the rest of the long, not-relaxing day alternating between fending off questions from my friend and worrying about same said friend. Her perky attitude belied some darker problem that she either wouldn't admit or wasn't aware of.
That night we left together and rode the elevator down to the garage. We were the only ones on that trip down. My eyes flickered over to her. She was pale again.
Ruth winked back at me. "You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone about your
sugar daddy."
"I'm worried about you," I told her.
She grinned and shrugged. "I'll be okay. It's probably just a cold or something. That time of year, you know."
The elevator reached the subterranean garage. We stepped out and Ruth spun around to face me.
That's when she collapsed.
"Ruth!" I yelled.
I caught her before she hit the ground and lowered her to the cool pavement. Her body felt cold and her eyes were rolled back so I could see the whites.
I shook my friend. "Ruth? Ruth, can you hear me?"
Her jaw dropped open. A faint white mist floated out of her mouth. I started back and watched the bulbous body of the mist curl up a foot while its tapering tail lingered deep within Ruth.
I nearly choked on my words. "What the hell?"
Ruth shifted in my arms. The white mist drew itself back into her body through her mouth. Ruth's eyes rolled back to their rightful position, but she didn't respond to me.
I leaned down and shook her. "Ruth? Ruth, can you hear me?"
It was just after five so there were dozens of people still in the garage. Many rushed over to us, and some of them pulled out their phones. It was a few minutes later that the ambulance arrived. I grabbed her dropped purse and climbed into the back of the vehicle for the trip to the hospital. The doctor had me sit in the hall outside the emergency room. That was where I received the call.
I glanced down at my phone and read the name. I pursed my lips and put the phone to my ear. "I didn't put your number in my phone."
"I had Puer do it while you weren't looking, but where are you?" David questioned me.
My eyes flickered to the white doors of the emergency room. "At the hospital."
His panicked voice made me cringe. "What? Are you hurt? What happened?"
"I'm not the one in the hospital, my friend Ruth is," I told him. "She collapsed in the garage. I think you might want to come down here and look at her."
I could just imagine his cute furrowed brow. "Me? Why?"
"Because-" One of the swinging doors to the emergency room opened. The doctor stepped out. His eyes fell on me and he gestured to me. "I gotta go."
"Wait-" I canceled the call and stood.
My heart skipped several beats. I felt my lips dry out. "Is she all right?"
The doctor smiled and nodded. "She'll be fine. It was only a slight attack of anemia."