“Looks quiet here, Nikolas.”
I glanced at Chris and went back to studying the occupants of the club. He was right. This crowd was mostly college students who were more interested in dancing and hooking up than doing something nefarious. But Intel had identified this club as a place of interest because it was close to where the teenage girl had disappeared last Saturday. And our guys were rarely wrong.
“Let’s give it another ten minutes, and then we’ll head out.”
Chris nodded and turned away to do another slow circuit of the room. “I’ll meet you back here in ten.”
I leaned against the wall, ignoring the restlessness plaguing me since we’d arrived at the club an hour ago. Five days in Portland without a lead on the vampires who’d taken those four girls. The vampires were still in the city; of that I was certain. There’d been several other deaths since we’d arrived in town, vagrants who did not make the five o’clock news. These vampires were good at staying out of sight even as they made their presence known. What I wanted to know was what had brought them to Portland, and why were they still here?
My thoughts were interrupted by an attractive blonde who approached me wearing an inviting smile.
“Hi. Want to dance?”
I stared at the girl, not because of her question, but because my demon suddenly stirred as it detected the presence of another Mori. Chris was too far away for it to be him, so that left the blonde girl. But she was young, and there was no way a Mohiri teenager would be out alone in a club. Plus, we had no strongholds in Maine.
The sensation began to fade, and my eyes were drawn instead to a dark-haired girl passing behind the blonde. I could only see the other girl’s back before she entered the ladies’ restroom, but she looked young. I watched the door, waiting for her to reappear.
The blonde girl made a sound, reminding me of her invitation to dance. I declined and went back to watching the restroom, not wanting to miss the dark-haired girl when she came out. As far as I knew, there were no female warriors working in Portland at the moment. So why would one of them be here, partying with human college students? And why was she here without her team, especially with all the vampire activity in the area?
A few minutes later, I frowned when the restroom door opened and the girl came out. She was younger than I’d expected, and pretty. She wore little makeup, and there was something about her expression, a wary innocence that made her look out of place here. She was too young to be a warrior and too old to be an orphan. Obviously human.
Behind the girl, two blondes left the restroom arguing loudly. The brunette shook her head and gave an eye roll that made the corner of my mouth twitch. I was curious about her even though she was not Mohiri as I’d suspected, and I watched her stop to let the other women pass her.
One of the blondes screamed an obscenity and gave her companion a shove just as they moved past the girl. Her friend stumbled backward, flailing her arms and colliding with the dark-haired girl. I took a step away from the wall as the two of them fell. The girl hit the floor hard, and I heard her grunt in pain as the heavier blonde landed on top of her.
I started toward them as a man grabbed the blonde’s arms and lifted her off the girl.
“Is she all right?” someone asked when I reached the girl and looked down at her dazed expression.
I bent and waved a hand in front of her face. “Are you okay?”
She blinked and tried to sit up. “Um, I think so,” she replied in a low, husky voice that made my breath catch.
I reached for her hand to help her up, and as soon as our fingers touched, a warm tingle shot through mine. My Mori quivered with recognition and…excitement? There was no doubt in my mind that the girl was Mohiri. But how was that possible? How was I able to sense her one minute and not in the next? And how could I have gotten this close to her and not sensed anything until we touched? Most importantly, what was she doing here instead of living in a stronghold?
The girl dropped my hand and looked up at me, her cheeks pink and her full lips parted in a timid smile. Her eyes met mine, and I sucked in a sharp breath as I stared into beautiful green eyes framed by long dark lashes. If the eyes truly are the windows to the soul then I knew I was looking at one of the purest souls I had ever seen. I was only dimly aware of my Mori pressing forward and the strange fluttering sensation coming from the demon. All I could focus on was the feeling that I’d somehow met this girl before, even though I knew it was impossible. I never would have forgotten those eyes or that face.
Realizing we were only inches apart, I took a step back. She looked away, and I felt strangely bereft and more than a little confused by my reaction to her. I’d seen thousands of beautiful women in my life, and not one of them had drawn me in the way this slip of a girl did.
Her eyes lifted to mine again, and she smiled. “Sorry, I must have banged my head harder than I thought.”
The wave of emotions that slammed into me nearly drove me to my knees. Something base and primal welled up inside my chest, and I was gripped by an almost uncontrollable need to touch the girl.
What the hell? I clenched my teeth as I fought the insane urge as well as my agitated Mori. I hadn’t lost control of my demon since I was a child, and it shocked me to my core that I was fighting it now.
It took me several seconds to realize the girl had left, and I looked around in time to see her disappearing into the crowd.
Who is she? Mohiri, obviously, but what was she doing here alone? She was at least seventeen or eighteen – too old to be an orphan. More importantly, why were my Mori and I so damn affected by her?
Something caught the light at my feet, and I bent to pick it up. As soon as I touched the warm silver cross, I knew it was hers. The cross was old, and something told me she would be upset if she lost it.
It wasn’t hard to guess where she’d gone, and when I stepped out onto the deck, I found her alone at the rail, staring out into the night. She rubbed her temple, and I wondered if she had hurt herself when she fell.
The sight of her brought on another disturbing jumble of emotions – want, protectiveness, desire, fear – and I started to turn around and go back inside. I couldn’t deal with this now – whatever this was. I’d find Chris, have him talk to her and find out her story.
A soft sigh drew my attention back to the girl, and my gut clenched at how small and vulnerable she looked out here alone. Something about her tugged at me in a way I could not comprehend, and I found myself walking toward her.
“I believe this is yours.”
She gasped and spun, staring at the broken necklace hanging from my fingers. Her hand went to her neck, and then she reached for the necklace cautiously as if she half expected me to grab her.
“Thank you,” she said softly as she tucked it away in her pocket.
I studied her face, confused by what I was sensing and feeling. She was definitely Mohiri, of that I had no doubt, but her Mori was so quiet it seemed to be asleep. When two Mohiri get within a few feet of each other, our demons sense each other. My Mori was desperately trying to reach out to the girl’s Mori, but it wasn’t getting a response. I was mystified by my demon’s strong need to connect with this particular Mori, and by my own attraction to the girl.
“Are you done?”
Her blunt question shook me from my musings, and I stared at her in surprise. Tonight I had been approached and flirted with by more women than I could count, but this girl plainly wanted nothing to do with me. For some reason that thought did not sit well with me.
“You’re a bit young for this place,” I said sorely.
Her chin lifted. “I’m sorry but I don’t think that is any of your business.”
“You can’t be more than seventeen or eighteen,” I countered, intrigued by the emerald fire in her eyes. “You shouldn’t be here alone.”
“You’re not much older than me. And I’m not here alone.”
“I’m older than I look,” I replied, unsure if I was annoyed with her or myself for feeling this unreasonable swell of jealousy at her words. I didn’t know a thing about this girl; why should I care if she was here with another male?
I ran my hand through my hair and gave a silent groan of frustration. What the hell is wrong with me tonight?
“Nikolas,” called Chris, and I turned to see him in the doorway wearing an amused expression. “Ready to move out?”
“No,” I almost said, because I was suddenly reluctant to leave this mysterious girl who drew me like a moth to a flame. I didn’t even know her name, for Christ’s sake.
But I would. She was a young Mohiri out in a part of the city where vampires prowled. It was my duty to protect her and to discover who she was and what had brought her here. The glint in her eyes told me she was not going to be forthcoming with me if I asked her straight out. There was a wariness about her that said she did not trust easily.
“Be out shortly, Chris,” I told him, though I’d already decided we were not leaving. We were going to stick around and watch the girl to make sure she was safe here. Then I was going to follow her home and find out who she was. It had nothing to do with the strange protective instinct she stirred in me. I was a warrior, and she was my responsibility.
My mind made up, I strode to the door, turning to her before I reentered the club. “Stay with your friends. This part of town is not safe for a girl alone at night.” Not that she needed to worry. Chris and I would make sure she and her friends got home safely.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said quietly.
Chris grinned at me when I joined him inside. “You sure you’re ready to leave, my friend?”
“Not quite.” His grin grew, and I scowled at him. “It’s not what you think. She’s Mohiri.”
“What?” His eyes widened. “She can’t be more than eighteen. What is she doing here?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” I scanned the crowded club for anyone who looked like they could be with the girl, but no one stood out. “She said she’s not here alone. I plan to watch her and her friends, and make sure she gets home before I start asking questions.”
Chris looked behind me at the girl still standing on the deck. “You know, she reminds me of someone, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“I know what you mean. It feels like I’ve met her before, but I’d remember her if I had.”
He gave me a sly look. “Memorable, is she?”
“She is different,” I admitted. Then I got down to business. “Let’s split up. I’ll watch the girl, and you keep an eye out for trouble.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He melted away into the crowd, and I settled back into the same shadowy corner I’d inhabited before the girl caught my eye.
Less than a minute later, she entered the club and passed by me without looking in my direction. My eyes followed her as she crossed the room and joined two teenage boys at the edge of the dance floor. The tall, dark-haired one grinned affectionately at her when she stood beside him, and she gave him a sweet smile in return.
Something dark and savage reared up inside me, making my entire body stiffen and my hands clench into fists at my sides. My Mori growled, and a fierce possessiveness roared through me.
Mine!
Mine? What the –? I forgot how to breathe as the truth slowly filtered through the turmoil of my emotions. It can’t be.
Solmi, my Mori insisted angrily.
“Khristu!” I sagged against the wall as my strength deserted me.
She was my mate.
Mate. The word sounded foreign, alien, as it repeated in my head. How was this possible? In my almost two hundred years, I must have met a thousand Mohiri women, with not a single potential mate among them. What were the odds of me finding one in a night club, in a city I hadn’t been to in fifty years? I wouldn’t even be here now if I hadn’t been doing a favor for Tristan.
My gaze travelled across the club, drawn to the girl. As soon as I found her, my heart thudded against my ribs, and I felt the swell of raw emotions again. Mate.
I tore my eyes away from her. I knew males who had bonded – Tristan was one of them – but I’d never asked them what it felt like. I hadn’t wanted to know. We were taught about bonding when we were children, but nothing in my education had prepared me for this barrage of emotions for someone I hadn’t known existed thirty minutes ago. I’d talked to her for all of five minutes, yet every detail of her face from her emerald green eyes to her full pink lips was etched in my memory.
Pushing away from the wall, I moved through the crowded club until I found a spot closer to her and her friends, but out of sight. This close, I could hear her laugh when her dark-haired friend said something to her. The sound was warm and rich, and it sent heat straight to my groin. Jesus. I took a deep breath and released it slowly. I was behaving like a goddamn teenager.
Stop it, demon, I commanded, and then I realized I was actually talking to my Mori. Who the hell did that? But from the moment I touched the girl, the damn demon had been straining against me and flooding me with irrational emotions.
I set my jaw and pushed all those thoughts aside. No matter what was going on with me, the girl was a young Mohiri who should be in a stronghold, not out here in a club. She had to be an orphan; that was the only explanation for her presence here. But why hadn’t she shown any sign of recognition when we were together, and why was her Mori so quiet? If she was an orphan as I suspected, how was she in control of her demon at all? I had too many questions, and she was the only one who could answer them.
My phone vibrated, and Chris’s name flashed on the screen.
“Find something?” I asked him.
“Just got word that someone reported a body in the parking deck down the street. Thought we should check it out before the police arrive. I can go if you want to stay and watch the girl.”
I looked at her again. She was dancing with her friends, and they didn’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.
Suddenly, fresh air and distance from her sounded like an excellent idea.
“She’ll be okay here for a few minutes. I’ll meet you outside.”
Chris was waiting for me when I got to our bikes parked behind the club in the employee lot. He was quiet as I donned my harness and sword. When I looked up, I found him watching me.
“What?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. You seem distracted.”
“I’m fine.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push it. That was one of the things I liked about Chris. He knew when to let something go and move on.
Normally, we’d walk the short distance to the parking garage, but we needed to be in and out before the police got there. We used our Mori speed to get us there in less than thirty seconds. The body was on the second level, between two cars, and thankfully, whoever had reported it hadn’t stuck around to wait for the authorities.
Chris went to examine the body. It was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a college letterman jacket. I could smell the blood before Chris rolled the body over to expose the neck wounds.
“Body’s still warm. He hasn’t been dead long.” Chris stood. “Definitely vampire. Looks like our guys were right about… Where are you going?”
“Back to the club for the girl.” I cursed myself for leaving her unprotected. Hadn’t I been the one to tell her this place wasn’t safe for her? I should have stayed with her and let Chris investigate the body. But I’d let emotion overrule my common sense and left her alone. Now that I knew there was a vampire in the vicinity, all I could think about was getting back to my orphan and keeping her safe.
My orphan? I shook my head. Jesus. I was already feeling possessive, and I didn’t even know her name.
“Nikolas.” Chris’s voice was laced with amusement. “Are you planning to enter the club looking like that?”
I glanced down at my leather harness, and my jaw clenched. Chris was right; I was distracted.
“I’m going to scout the area while you cover the girl,” Chris said before he headed off in another direction, no doubt having a good laugh over my odd behavior. Wait until he heard the girl was my mate. He’d probably fall on his sword from laughing so hard.
Potential mate, I reminded myself. Discovering you had a bond with someone didn’t mean you had to take it further. People had been known to walk away from bonds before they had a chance to grow. I liked my life the way it was, and I had no desire to add a mate to it.
Hell, maybe I was wrong about the whole thing anyway. A bond was a two-way thing, so the girl should have felt something. But she hadn’t shown a hint of recognition.
Then what the hell is wrong with me?
A muffled sound from the alley beside the club pulled me from my thoughts as I reached my bike. It was probably nothing, but with a vampire in the area, I had to check it out.
I stepped into the alley just as a terrified female voice floated toward me.
“No!”
That single word made ice form in my veins. My first instinct was to run to her, but almost two centuries of hunting made me move slowly into the alley to assess the situation before I acted on it.
I almost forgot every one of my years of experience when I saw her. The vampire had her pressed against the building with his mouth at her throat. Her eyes were closed, but the terror coming from her was almost palpable.
Red tinged my vision, and I had to force myself to think clearly and weigh my options. I could reach them in a second, but if the vampire was mature, he would rip her throat out before I got him away from her. If she was going to make it out of this alive, I had to approach this like it was just another job.
The vampire murmured something. Then his head jerked up, and he stared at the girl. It was time to make my entrance.
“Now, that is no way to treat a young lady.” The thought of any young Mohiri in the hands of a vampire angered me, but seeing this vampire touch her awakened something feral and dark inside me.
The vampire spun until he was backed against the wall with her body shielding him. “You are very brave, my friend, but you will move on if you know what’s good for you.”
“I have been told that I don’t heed orders well.” I walked into the light so the vampire could see me. Few vampires would stay and face an armed Mohiri warrior. If this one had any sense of self-preservation, he would release the girl and run.
The vampire let out a frightened hiss. “Mohiri!”
One of my rules was to never take my attention away from a vampire, but it required all of my self-control not to look at her. I could not afford to lose my focus now.
I laughed, feigning a calm I didn’t feel. “I see there is no need for introductions. Good. I hate to waste time on formalities.”
The vampire’s clawed hand went to her throat. “Stay back or I will rip her apart.”
I couldn’t stop myself, and my gaze flicked to her face. The fear and pleading in her eyes made my Mori push closer to the surface. It wanted out, but I had to play it cool. The moment the vampire realized the girl was more than a job to me, he would use that to his advantage.
“A bit melodramatic, don’t you think?” I said lightly as I took a step toward them.
His voice rose. “Her death will be on your hands, Mohiri.” He closed his eyes briefly, and my body coiled to attack when I saw a thin rivulet of blood trail down her throat. The smell of her blood was stirring his bloodlust, and the look on his face made it clear how much he wanted her.
My Mori saw it too, and it seethed beneath my skin, its voice melding with mine. “Do it and it will be your last act, vampire.”
“Brother, how like you to sneak off and sample the sweets by yourself. And look at the trouble it has brought you.”
I looked up at the second vampire standing on the fire escape. Damn it. I should have known he wouldn’t be alone. Sloppy, Nikolas. I flexed my jaw. I hadn’t been thinking straight ever since I’d met this girl. If I didn’t get it together, I’d get us both killed. Fortunately, two vampires was nothing I hadn’t faced before. My fear was the risk to her.
“Come now, Joel,” said the vampire holding her. His voice grew cocky with the arrival of his friend. “You know I always save some for you.”
Joel laughed. “I think I deserve a little more than a nibble this time. Mmm…she looks like a tasty little bit.”
“This one is mine,” said the one holding her.
Over my dead body.
“No!” She jerked away from him, and her eyes found mine.
Before I could move in, the vampire yanked her back against him, and his friend landed beside them. It looked like they were going to try to fight their way out of this. Worry for her safety ate at me as I drew my sword, but I kept my face impassive.
The first vampire sneered at me and voiced my fears. “You can’t take us both and save her. She will die, and your efforts will be for naught.”
I met his challenging stare. “Then I will have to settle for killing only you.”
His smile faltered. “Bold words for one outnumbered.”
“Sara?” called a male voice, and all four of us looked toward the alley entrance. I sniffed the air and smiled as my Mori picked up a new and unexpected scent. Werewolves.
“Sara, where are you?” yelled a second male.
The recognition on her face told me she was the Sara they were calling for. My sense of smell was stronger when my Mori was near the surface, which must be why I hadn’t scented them in the club. It seemed my orphan was full of surprises.
I laughed at the shock on the vampires’ faces. “Do you smell that, my friends? I believe the odds just changed.”
Joel nudged his friend. “Come, brother. There are sweeter meals to be had.”
“No. I want this one.”
I bit back a growl at the possessiveness in his voice. “Release her or die, your choice. And you’d better make up your mind soon.”
“Sara, damn it, where are you?” her friend called, closer this time.
The vampires shifted nervously. Sara cried out, and I tensed to spring.
One of the boys shouted. Then a loud growl echoed down the alley.
I waited for the vampires to release Sara and run. No prize – even a young Mohiri – was worth staying and facing an armed warrior and two werewolves. As soon as the vampire let her go, I’d grab her and pull her to safety.
A werewolf pounded into the alley. He was huge for a young wolf, and his sights were on Sara.
The vampires cried out, and the one holding Sara jumped for the fire escape, his arm still locked around her waist.
No! I lunged for them, but the second vampire, the one named Joel, used the distraction to swing at me with his claws. He nicked my side and jumped back out of the range of my sword. He was old and fast, and the arrogant smirk on his face said he thought he could take me alone.
Any other time, it would have been my pleasure to fight him, but my only thought now was getting to Sara. If that vampire got away with her…
I tightened my grip on my sword. No. I wouldn’t let that happen.
Joel snarled and came at me again in a blur of movement. I spun away from his attack and brought my sword up, laying open his shirt and scoring his chest. He grunted and danced away again.
Sara’s scream tore my eyes away from him. I looked to my right to see the other vampire halfway up the ladder to the first landing. He was kicking frantically at the werewolf latched on to his leg. Sara fought the vampire wildly, but he was determined to hold on to her. A few feet away from them, the second werewolf stood watching his friends and looking unsure of what to do.
Joel came at me again, and I parried his attack just in time. He stumbled back, holding his hand over his bleeding shoulder.
“You’re good, Mohiri, but you aren’t good enough to save her,” Joel taunted as he darted back and forth out of my reach. “Eli is going to have so much fun with her. He loves pretty young things, especially brunettes, and I’ve never seen him this hot for one. He’ll make her scream.”
Enraged, I struck at him again. This time my blade sliced through muscle and bone, severing his left arm just below the shoulder. He screamed and grabbed his stump.
I risked another look over my shoulder, and my heart lodged into my throat. Eli had escaped the werewolf, and he was halfway up the fire escape with Sara still in his clutches. The werewolf was climbing after them, but he was too slow. He’d never catch them in time.
My Mori needed no urging, and it sent fresh waves of strength through me. I moved and my blade was at the vampire’s throat before he knew what had hit him. His head flew into the brick wall as his body crumpled.
I spun to the fire escape before the body hit the pavement.
God, no.
Eli and Sara were only feet from the roof, with the werewolf too far below to catch them. In another second, Eli would reach for the roof, taking her with him.
Without thinking, I pulled a knife from my harness and threw it at the vampire.
Eli screamed and stopped climbing. He reached for the silver knife buried deep in his side, but he couldn’t get to it while holding Sara and the ladder.
I drew out a second blade, prepared to throw it.
The vampire’s eyes fell on me and moved to the werewolf advancing on him. Determination crossed his face as he abandoned the knife and grabbed the ladder rung above his head.
I pulled back my arm, but stopped mid-throw when Sara reached down and yanked the knife from the vampire’s side. What is she doing? I thought, a second before she plunged the blade into his shoulder.
Pride surged in me. She was a fighter.
The vampire screamed and almost lost his grip on her. She dangled precariously three stories above the ground.
I’ve got you. I raised my throwing arm again and stopped. Sara’s body was shielding most of Eli’s, and with them struggling, I could too easily hit her instead.
Her eyes met mine, and I saw the raw fear and resolve on her face.
“Do it!” she screamed. Her voice broke. “Nikolas…please.”
Hearing her speak my name felt like she had reached her hand into my chest and squeezed my heart. I couldn’t look away from her as I released the knife.
The vampire cried out as the blade found its mark in his other shoulder. Struggling frantically, he snarled at Sara.
Then he released her.
