Thaddeus returned to the place where Roderick had met his demise. He didn't have any problem finding it, especially given he'd volunteered to gather the remains when the death was confirmed, remains he'd managed to steal and bring with him when Morpheus betrayed him. Morpheus probably had a hissy fit when he discovered the box in his possession was a decoy, filled with the useless ash of a campfire. As if Thaddeus would give the real, precious ash to that idiot. He wasn't stupid. Thaddeus knew his enemies would use it against him. Paranoia ever was his best friend. After his unproductive phone call with the alpha leader, Thaddeus wasn't sure why he'd decided to revisit the parking lot. Despite his claim to Nathan he'd find the missing rogues, it wasn't as if Thaddeus expected to spot any of them milling around waiting for a collar, nor did he intend to put his nose to the ground in hot pursuit. However, where Roderick went to his final destination-probably an express elevat
As if a spectral presence, Marc watched from above, a floating, bodiless entity as a dark-haired man snorted from a box that seemed familiar. Probably because I saw some vamp dude sweeping Roderick's ashes into it. With a detached interest, he noted the man's reaction, the way he fell to his knees and struggled to compose himself, as if fighting an inner battle. Probably allergies given the snort of dust. Or was it something else? A part of Marc understood he dreamed, yet it didn't detract from the realness of the moment nor the sense of connection he felt toward the vampire who stood and surveyed the area around him, in full control of himself once again and appearing predatory with a glint of red shining in his eyes. The male stripped himself of unneeded items and locked the box in his car before loping off into the woods in search of prey. Marc's wolf grew agitated. The hunter is on his way. Evil comes. Danger hunts us. Run. Run now! Marc bolted upright
The sound of a skirmish wouldn't have usually drawn his attention, not when he hunted other prey. However, Thaddeus noted that at least one of his targets coincided with the noise. He hurried to intercept. He came across an odd tableaux. To one side stood a lovely Latina, utterly nude, eyes vacant, hair an unbound mess and her easily read mind utterly horrified at having so readily succumbed to a vampire. Across from her, a vampire, a young one by Thaddeus's reckoning, held a wolf by the scruff of his human neck. Feet dangled. Cheeks turned purple. Eyes bulged. The male was in dire need of assistance before he asphyxiated. Not being the altruistic kind, Thaddeus could have easily grabbed the girl and ignored the others but for a few facts. One, he didn't recognize the vampire. And two, something about the wolf niggled at his mind or, more accurately, niggled the hazy memories he'd acquired from Roderick's ashes. Bloody hell. He'd have to play the part of rescuer. How
Despite Toni's feelings on the matter, Marc chose to trust the domineering vampire. Personally, Toni would have liked to kick him in the shin just to see him dance around looking like an idiot. Or, at the very least, slap the condescending smirk off his face, a good-looking face that went well with his obviously fit body. Things she really shouldn't have noticed but couldn't seem to ignore, especially once the vampire swept her into his arms. Carried like a princess, his command to stay quiet held, and with nothing better to do, she couldn't help but reflect on the next fucked-up episode of her life. Am I delirious? Perhaps she'd not really escaped her cell at all. Maybe she languished in a coma-like state, experiencing realistic illusions as her body waited for death to claim her. What else but a dream could explain the craziness that kept multiplying? As if events until that point weren't nuts enough, now she could add attacked by a vampire who, in turn, was killed
Arriving at the hotel didn't bring him any relief. Something bothered Thaddeus, and it wasn't the comatose vampire in his trunk or the naked werewolf in his backseat or even the impending sunrise. It centered around the conversation he'd had with his passengers and their allusion they were both thralls to Roderick. And yet only the girl succumbed to my persuasion. Why? The male, Marc, was a beta. No doubt about it. Yes, he did bear some strength of spirit and mind, especially when it came to the girl, but when it all boiled down, he wasn't the commanding type. So, if he'd been one of Roderick's minions, how did he manage to fight Thaddeus's compulsion? What made him special? And could Thaddeus use it to foil Morpheus's plot to use the wolves to start a war? I must find out how Marc has protected his mind from compulsion. But first, he needed to get them behind closed doors and thick drapes before the sun's irritatingly bright rays made their appearance over the horizo
From naked in the woods to partially clothed in luxury. Once again, her fucked-up life had taken another twist. How much more could she take? Antonia stood in her borrowed coat amidst the lavish decor and felt the energy ebb from her. Her limbs trembled. Her lip quivered. She blinked back tears. Marc noticed her slow-motion breakdown and moved quickly to grasp her hands, attempting to reassure her. "Hey now. What's this? No crying. Not now. You're safe." "Or not. You heard the vampire. More shit is about to rain down on us because of our association with Roderick. Will I never be free? Am I forever damned to get passed from one vampire to the next?" Although at least this one I can stomach. For now. How attractive will he seem if he starts to abuse me? "You don't have to stay here if you don't feel safe. We can leave." "And go where?" was her almost hysterical reply. "Should I go back home and possibly put my family in jeopardy if these vampires deci
If ever Marc wanted to kill somebody, now was the time. Getting interrupted while embracing the most intriguing and beautiful woman he'd ever met, a woman who gave him hope for a future, brought out the savage in him and the jealous beast, especially when he noted Toni's interest in the vampire, an interest he wanted all for his own. As if sensing the male testosterone levels rising, Toni fled the scene, leaving behind a sexually frustrated wolf. "I thought you were going to sleep," Marc snarled. "It occurred to me that I didn't warn you not to let anyone into the room. Visitors should be treated as possible enemies." "Bullshit. You didn't come out to tell me that. You wanted to interrupt my kiss with Toni." Dark eyes met his. "And if I did? The woman is vulnerable. You were taking advantage of it. Cajoling her into accepting you as a mate to protect her from your outdated Pack laws? Really?" The vamp shook his head as he tsked. "How rakish of you."
The stone block walls of the cell taunted her. No. How did I get back here? I escaped. Or had she? Had her meeting with Marc and the vampire only been a dream? Dammit. No. It couldn't be. She remembered things too clearly. Even she didn't have the imagination to conjure them up in such vivid dreaming color. Not to mention, she refused to lose hope, a hope that blossomed, especially after Marc's kiss. A real kiss or a mirage? How could she tell? The last thing she remembered was showering, the scalding-hot water sluicing the filth of her ordeal from her skin. The hotel soap, and its fresh scent, cleansed her, leaving her lightly perfumed. With a towel wrapped around her hair and another around her body, she recalled peeking into the living room. Marc snored lightly on the couch, his splayed, nude body a temptation she almost gave in to. She wouldn't have minded someone to hold her as she slept, to whisper everything would be all right. But she didn't give i