“Hunt? As in animals? You don’t have bagged blood?” The woman sounded irritated.
“No, I do not. I keep under the radar of humans. Buying blood would draw too much attention. I’m also over four hundred years old. Bagged blood is for you modern children.”
The woman and two men lifted from the floor. Paula turned her head to peer at Emma. A low growl came from one of them.
It gave her the willies to be studied that way but she refused to look up. She knew how a rat must feel, cornered by three hungry cats. She concentrated on her breathing and heart rate to stifle her fear.
“Not her. She’s mine,” Her grandfather announced in a cold tone. “She’s a rare type I just acquired, and I don’t share.”
Paula turned away. “Where are your other slaves?”
“Dead. I haven’t replaced them yet. She supplies all my needs. You will find some large animals nearby.” He snorted. “Be happy I’m offering that. Next time, send a letter of intent to lodge here if you expect warm meals at your disposal. Perhaps you’ve spent too much time hunting rogues and have forgotten proper manners.”
Paula tried to protest but her grandfather cut her off. “Slave, go to my room now. Undress and get into my bed. I have other needs besides your blood.”
Emma fled, ignoring the “ewww” factor of his implied intent. He wanted her away from the Vamps—now. She quickly walked out of sight upstairs but paused around the corner to listen.
“We need human blood,” Paula protested.
“You should have brought your own then. I killed the four slaves I had. They were too weakened and frail to use anymore. One of them nearly burned down my kitchen.”
Emma winced at the reminder. She’d been the one who’d done that…but the damage hadn’t been too bad. She’d been baking and used too much yeast in her cake mix. The batter had spilled over into the oven, catching fire. She had managed to clean most of the smoke stains from the walls and ceiling.
“You could share the girl.” It was one of the male Vamps who spoke.
“I could but I won’t. She’s my only source at the moment. I haven’t tired of her enough to allow you to bleed her to death. I wouldn’t lend you my clothes, so I certainly wouldn’t allow you to share my slave.” His voice deepened. “Who else approaches?”
Paula hesitated. “No one.”
“You lie,” her grandfather accused.
“Emma?” His voice filled her head. “Get to the roof. It’s a trap. Eduardo coming. He’s with them. This changes everything. Avoid our safe house. Last resort.”
Terror gripped her as the memory surfaced from her childhood. Eduardo was the monster who had taken her mother away, attacked the small town where she’d lived, and changed her life forever. It also meant that she wasn’t going to hide in the same state. She’d have to take off on her own—and Grandpa wouldn’t be joining her right away.
“Emma! Answer me. Grab your bag and get on the damn roof. You know what to do. The sun will rise soon and they’re young enough to need shelter before dawn breaks. They won’t have time to chase you down the mountain.”
She forced the fear back and concentrated. “I don’t want to go without you! We should leave together. I’m not abandoning you to face that asshole alone.”
“It’s too late. Six more of them entered the house and two of them are eyeing the stairs. Go. I love you.”
“He’ll kill you!”
“He could try but he’d fail. I’m his master. You’re a weakness to me if it comes down to a battle. He also knows he’d break our laws by attempting to kill me in front of Vampires not under his control. The council frowns upon youths killing the ones who made them. They fear the same fate will befall them. These children aren’t ones Eduardo made. They smell different. Move your ass and remember what I always told you. Reach safety and remind my old friend that it’s a blood oath he swore. Tell him the truth about who you are and the entire situation. Go! They’re inching closer to the stairs.”
“I love you. You better come for me soon.”
“It’s a promise. You look just like your mother. Eduardo can’t see you. He’d kill you just to hurt me. Hurry! Love you too, my little one.”
Emma opened her eyes and crept down the hallway to the wall. She pushed on two spots with her index finger and thumb, then passed through the doorway that silently opened. The door closed behind her. Automatic lights came on and she hoisted her bag, laying on the floor where her grandfather had placed it. Instead of moving to the ladder that ran to the basement, she took the one up to the roof. Fear made her cautious but it also urged her to hurry.
“Tell me when you’re ready. I’m going to distract them.” Her grandfather’s voice in her head had a soothing effect on her panic.
She climbed faster, scared of what might happen to him if he fought all those Vamps by himself. It tempted her to turn around but he was right. She’d only be a weakness. They were too fast and strong for her to fight. They’d capture her, and her grandfather would be at their mercy to keep her alive. It sucked but it was also reality.
She reached the top, unlocked the bolt to the access hatch, and pushed. The section above her opened and she climbed out onto the roof. Two large chimneys hid her from the ground. She closed the hatch, turned, and put on her backpack.
The moon shone from above, making it a clear night. It was a blessing and a curse. She could see better but so could anyone on the ground, once she left the safety of the chimneys. City lights of the town nestled in the valley far below beckoned. Their home sat in the woods, high on a hill, and the view had always been spectacular. Tonight, it sent her into a near panic attack.
“Are you ready?”
She closed her eyes, pushing her thoughts at her grandpa. “Give me two minutes and I’m out of here.”
“Be careful.”
“I hate this, by the way.”
“I know.”
“I’d have real wings if I were meant to fly. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“I swear. They wouldn’t dare kill me. I’m too strong. I need you gone, honey. You’re a distraction.”
“I know. Promise me that you’ll be okay?”
“I do. Get a move on. Two minutes and counting. Ignore the noises you hear. Eduardo is speaking to someone in the front yard and about to enter the house. Safe landing.”
She grabbed the device hooked to the chimney on her right and softly cursed as she ripped off the protective plastic. Once it was freed, she opened the horrible contraption. The wind instantly tried to tear it from her fingers but she managed to clip on the straps and step into the harness. They’d practiced it a thousand times.
“Fly, angel. I love you. He’s here.”
She picked up more than his thoughts. She felt his fear through the link…and she paused. “Grandpa?”
He didn’t answer.
“Grandpa?”
Still no answer. Faint shouts sounded from below. Terror made her stumble forward. The wind caught the wide wings of the glider and it propelled her forward. She staggered along to prevent herself from being dragged.
Then her feet skidded off the edge of the roof.
She dropped and swung crazily, but the wind caught the glider. It jerked her along. She sailed over trees on the way down the mountain. Fear motivated her to steer, aiming toward the city lights.
* * * * *
“Miss?”
A hand jerked Emma awake from her nightmare and she stared at the bus driver with wide eyes.
“We’re here.”
Not a nightmare, she thought, sitting up from where she’d slumped on the seat against her bag. She met the man’s gaze with a forced smile.
“Thank you.”
He turned away, moving toward the front. She gripped her bag and peered out the dirty windows of the bus. The place looked small. It appeared more of a tourist trap than a real town. She sighed, dreading whatever she’d face.
“Great. Up note, how hard can it be to find
this guy in a town this small?”
No one answered, since she was alone on the bus. A bad sign that nobody wanted to visit such a remote area. The bus only came there because she’d paid hundreds of dollars for the driver to go off the normal route. The tiny town wasn’t on the normal schedule. Some begging, pleading, and a sob story—and lots of money—had done the trick though.
She made her way off the bus with her bag slung on her shoulder. The driver talked to the gas station attendant while she headed for the only gift shop in town. It seemed the logical place to go, since the gas station might be part of a chain. She needed to find a resident.
A tall, beautiful, black-haired woman stood behind the counter, cleaning the glass countertop near the register. The shop didn’t have any other customers. Emma approached with a yawn. She’d had to take three flights, a train, and had spent over nineteen hours total on half a dozen bus rides to reach the town named Howl. Hunger and exhaustion had taken its toll.
“May I help you?” The woman peered at her with dark, intense eyes.
“I hope so.” She took a deep breath. “I’m looking for a man named Redwolf.”
The woman tensed and the fingers holding the cloth tightened. “Who?”
“Klackan Redwolf. Do you know him?”
“Who are you?” The woman’s voice seemed to deepen.
A tinge of alarm shot through Emma, and she took a step back. Danger radiated from the other woman. Emma could feel it as though it were a blast of frigid air. Every instinct told her to flee. She held her ground instead.
She swallowed hard. “I’m the granddaughter of a friend of his. I was sent here.”
The woman’s eyes turned black and the whites of them mostly disappeared.
Emma knew without a doubt she’d found one of the town’s true residents.
“Who is your grandfather?”
“I’m only supposed to talk to Mr. Redwolf.” She backed up another step and darted a glance around the shop to make sure they were still alone. She met the other woman’s terrifying gaze. “Klackan Redwolf and my grandfather really are friends. He sent me here to relay a message. It’s not threatening or anything.”
“Talk,” the other woman snarled.
“I’m in danger, and Mr. Redwolf owes my grandfather a favor,” she blurted. “He sent me here to be protected.”
The woman rounded the counter, her movements way too swift and fluid to be mistaken for those of a human. “From who? What kind of danger follows you?”
Emma bumped into a rack of dresses and froze. “Vampires. They didn’t follow me but they found my grandfather.”
“Fuck!” The woman spun away. She grabbed the phone but kept her attention on Emma as she blindly punched in numbers. “Don’t move. Are you sure they didn’t follow you? Who knows you came here?”
“Just my grandfather. I was very careful.”
“Your kind are stupid. You make mistakes.”
“It was my grandpa’s plan. He’s the smartest person I know.”
“All of you are stupid.” She spoke into the phone. “A human woman is in my shop looking for Klackan. She claims her grandfather was a friend of his and she’s been sent here for protection from him.” She paused. “Vampires.” She hung up and glared at Emma. “Those bloodsuckers will be coming for you if you rate a high enough threat to them. What did you do?”
“Nothing. I don’t deserve to be hunted. They won’t be able to track me here. I was careful and followed my grandpa’s plan to the letter.”
“Humans don’t know the minds of those bastards.”
She hesitated. “He does.”
“Bullshit! What makes him an expert?”
Emma didn’t want to answer. The woman really seemed to hate Vampires.
“That’s what I thought. Stupid humans think they know about us. This is why it’s forbidden to tell your kind about others.”
They had a stare down that Emma lost. The woman scared her. A low growl came from the woman. Maybe the truth was needed.
“My grandfather is a Vampire,” she admitted. “He’s been hiding me from them since I was a young girl.”
Shock widened the other woman’s eyes. “That’s impossible. Vampires don’t breed.”
“We both know that’s not entirely true. You’re proof of that, aren’t you? So am I.”
Surprise stamped the woman’s features. “Just stand there and wait.” The woman glared at her as time seemed to crawl by.
The door finally opened to the shop and a tall, scary man stormed inside. The sight of the towering, muscled mass of masculinity with shaggy light brown hair made Emma gasp. He had huge arms, as if he lifted weights all day, and a chest so thick he could have been a breathing tree trunk. His dark brown gaze fixed on her when he came to a halt. She also noticed his facial hair. It wasn’t something she usually liked but it looked sexy on him.
“Klackan Redwolf?” Hope sounded in Emma’s shaky voice.
His full lips twisted downward at the corners to reveal his unhappiness. A soft growl rumbled from him next. “I’m his son. My father is dead. Start talking fast. Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want with my father?”
“Oh no! That can’t be!” Despair hit, followed closely by dread. She realized her response had probably been a bit rude. “I’m…I’m sorry for your loss.”
The man snarled again and took a threatening step forward. “Who are you and what do you want?”
She wanted to flee, maybe cry, or perhaps do both at the same time. “I’m Emma.” She hesitated. “My grandfather is Malachi. He’s technically known as Master Malachi. He’s a Vampire,” she added, in case that wasn’t enough to clue him in. “Your father owed him a blood oath and I came to collect. I needed his protection.”
His harsh features slightly softened, the darkness of his eyes lightened, and his mouth relaxed. He glanced at the woman. “It’s okay, Peva. I’ve got this.”
“Should I call a meeting? Maybe have someone dig a hole to bury her in?”
Emma’s entire body quaked but she tried to hide it. She really hoped they didn’t plan to kill her. She wanted to protest but kept her lips sealed. Nothing she could say would save her life if they decided to take her out. She might as well just bend over and kiss her ass goodbye.
He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length mane of hair. “Stop joking around to amuse yourself by terrorizing a human, Peva. It’s my duty to protect her.”
“You know what she’s talking about?”
“Yes.” The guy didn’t sound thrilled as he focused on Emma again. “Her grandfather has a history with my father. They really were friends. His debts are now mine, which means the blood oath has been called in.” He narrowed his gaze and studied Emma slowly from head to toe. “Great. Just what I needed. Trouble.”
Emma opened her mouth but the guy lunged her way. He reached out a bear-sized paw, grabbed her waist, and bent as he yanked her forward. Her bag was torn from her grasp as the world turned upside down when her feet were jerked off the floor. He straightened with her hanging over one of his broad shoulders and fisted her bag in his other hand.
“She was never here, Peva. Make sure everyone knows that if anyone comes looking for her. The Vampires might send a human to snoop, since I doubt they’d have the balls to step into Howl unless they’re certain she’s here. I’ll be heading to my den—but keep that between us.” He spun, stomping toward the back of the shop. “Fucking bloodsuckers. I hate those bastards.”
Chapter Two
Emma kept silent for as long as possible. The guy wasn’t even breathing hard despite lugging her through the woods for at least a few miles. They’d traveled up a narrow dirt trail and even sloshed through a shallow stream. They’d entered thickly grown woods with no sign of civilization after exiting the water.
“Um…Mr. Tall and Grim? Can you put me down? I know how to walk.”
“Shut up,” he growled. “Do you know what I am?”
“Irritated?”
> He adjusted his arm over the back of her thighs but didn’t stop walking. “Very. That wasn’t my question though, and I think you know it. I’m in no mood for jokes.”
“I’m sorry.”
He kept walking.
“You’re a VampLycan. Half Vampire and Lycanthrope.”
That slightly slowed his pace. “And irritated.”
“Do you have a name?” She stared at his jean-clad ass. It was a beefy one, filling a pair of faded jeans nicely, and his back was broad. She had become very familiar with it since she’d bumped into it at least a thousand times. “I’m Emma.”
“It doesn’t matter what your name is. You’re just my problem. How long do I have to protect you?”
“I’m not sure.”
He grumbled something under his breath.
“What? I didn’t catch that.”
“Good. My mother taught me not to swear in front of women.”
“I’m starting to feel dizzy.” She tried to lift her head but failed. He was moving too fast. “Plus, I’m getting a headache from having all the blood rush to my brain. Please put me down.”
He kept walking.
“Pretty please with sugar on top?”
He stopped so fast her face smashed into his back and he bent, really making her dizzy as he set her on her feet. He backed up as she straightened. The world spun and she nearly fell on her ass. He dropped her bag and clamped two big hands on her hips to hold her steady. She had to blink a few times to be able to see anything besides spots.
The guy looked really put out as he glared at her from his superior height. He said nothing, just expressing his bad temper on his features while keeping ahold of her.
“Thanks.”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
She studied him. Seeing someone that deeply tan was rare after living with her grandfather for so long. His features were a bit savage but overall attractive. He parted his lips and she saw sharp fangs. She was also certain he’d shown those to her on purpose, just to appear more frightening.