15 Paranormal Romance Collection Boxset- Billionaire Bad Boy (38 page)

I stayed put on the couch, not wanting to be near the thing at the door. The monster that wanted my wanted my blood had come a knocking and interrupted our rocking. Therefore, I really did doubly hate the leech.

Out of sight, I could still hear Damon’s gruff tone as he answered the door.

“What?” he asked.

“I’ve come to reason with you Damon. She is not yours to save.”

Yuck.

“She is not yours to have Edgar. You have broken the rules set down by our elders. I was only stopping your mistake. There is nothing you can say to change that.”

“That is for your Alpha to decide. It may have broken a rule, but honestly I the punishment is light I will take it if only I can taste what I crave. It is what I need. You know as well as I there is a good chance she will be mine. Your Alpha is known to lenient. He understands the call of the flesh.”

“You know nothing of him. He will do what is right.”

“She has seen us. Her people will think she has either lost her mind or they will investigate her inevitable tales. She must be disposed of one way or another.”

The door slammed shut. A cackling laughter broke through the silence following Damon’s footsteps as he returned to me. The old man’s wicked guffaws were chilling. Again, I was contemplating escape, only this time not because of Damon.

“Don’t let his feeble attempt frighten you.”

“You said yourself there’s a chance the Alpha wouldn’t see my side of things.”

Damon shook his head, “Let’s not worry until tomorrow. Please, I was enjoying my time with you.”

He reached for me and pulled me close as if I were as light as the blanket thrown across the backside of the couch. And like that blanket he wanted me for warmth and comfort.

“We’re talking about my life here Damon. Whether I live or die. It isn’t time to play tonsil hockey. I need a plan. I can’t wait around wondering until daylight. There’s hours between now and then.”

Again, it seemed as if I had hurt his feelings. I always figured werewolves would be made of tougher stuff but it looks like I was bound to a man that cared.

“I guess you do not wish to stay here as mine then?”

Yes. No. Maybe. It was enticing. I knew immediately I didn’t want to be near the vampires. Every night leaving out this same scenario. I wanted a normal relationship. I wanted dinner dates and movies and a normal progression of things. Not to live next to killers.

“I can’t Damon. Those freaks will get me one way or another. I don’t want to leave either but it seems like my only real option now. Look, let’s not get all caught up in lust.”

“I understand. I am not what you want.”

I laughed at that. “No, you’re just about what any woman would want.”

He looked at me blankly. It didn’t register that I was complimenting him.

“Ya know. Because you’re well, hot, you’ve got a nice house. Probably some hobbies. You seem pretty levelheaded. Although you could work on the sense of humor department.”

His smile flashed again. Within hours of knowing the guy I’d come to really enjoy his toothy grin. It made my insides feel like butter. In a good way that is.

“Glad to hear I am to be desired. I must admit, I’m not much for jokes. I get them, they make me laugh, but I am just no good with finding witty things to say for other people to laugh at. Of course if you stay here with me, that could be your end of the deal. I’ll be the brawn you be the brain.”

Well, he proved me wrong. Damon did have jokes. I laughed but stopped abruptly as a snort escaped my nose, which then only caused him to laugh as well. In the midst of my horror-filled night, I would’ve never expected there would be so much to laugh at.

It ended though. A crashing sound broke up our goodtime. Damon launched from the couch before it even registered to me that I should be afraid. I caught a glimpse of his movement, that crouched stance that reminded me of wolverine. If he had long slashing metal claws he basically would be. Well, minus the sideburns.

I ducked down on the couch. Lying flat so that maybe the vampires wouldn’t realize I was right in front of them. The window they’d broken into was across the way but the speed in which they moved didn’t give me enough time to run and hide.

I heard the growls again and knew that Damon once again had sprouted claws and fangs in my defense. I heard the thumps and crashes as the two of them slammed into walls and knocked over fragile things. And the it was quiet.

Waiting for Damon to give me the clear, I didn’t dare move. I listened for footfalls but none came. I was snatched up from my place and jerked to a standing position. Damon’s face was bloody. Trickles of red leaked from his scalp and down his cheeks, dribbling onto his naked shoulder.

“We must go. Now. I’ve killed Benjamin. I’ve committed a serious offense and soon there will be more here. It is time to run.”

There was no time to question it. Damon’s teeth hadn’t yet returned to normal, his ears were pointed and furry and his eyes gleamed a furious yellow. It was nothing like I’d seen in movies. He could still be mistaken for human from far off. Up close, his animalistic traits were apparent though. He got the weapons of the wolves. The teeth, the claws, the heightened hearing and sense of smell coupled with fast reflexes. His bone structure even seemed to be off, bigger and broader.

It scared me, but I went with him anyway. There was nothing else I could do other than sit and wait for death.

Damon convinced me to ride piggyback. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds. At first, I said no, but when he growled I squeaked a bit and jumped on. He moved like I wasn’t even there. So all in all, he was right again.

We were down the street and out of the neighborhood in only a few minutes. The big houses far behind us until we came upon woods. Unorganized bunches of trees that had been standing longer than I had been alive.

The smell of damp leaves and earth got stronger as he zigzagged around tree trunks and through underbrush. I kept thinking he would tire soon, but it didn’t happen. The night was broken up with the crashing sounds as we broke through denser and denser foliage.

Finally he stopped. I hopped off his back, uncrossing my legs from around his waist and wearily standing on the solid ground. He lifted his face upward and his eyes closed.

“What are you doing?”

“Scenting. I don’t know if they followed.”

“Isn’t it just Edgar now? I mean, you killed Benjamin. Fouled up with that one. Why not just kill Edgar too?”

“There are more. It was my duty to keep tabs on their nest.”

Nest. I should’ve figured we wouldn’t get away easily. It’s not like this entire thing hadn’t been bad luck on top of bad luck.

“How many?”

“There are seven others besides Edgar. They will be attempting to track us to exact revenge.”

“Are they not afraid of the rest of your pack?”

“It doesn’t matter. They will want justice for Benjamin. He was favored among them.”

So, Damon had killed their favorite. Things just got better and better. He was still as he listened and smelled around. I noticed that his face was back to normal. It was odd how it went back and forth between human and beast.

I tried to do the same, listening for anything, but all I could hear was the hum of nocturnal insects singing their late night tune. I tried to focus, but mosquitos began to bite at my skin. I swatted and grumbled and listened, waiting for Damon to do something.

Growing tired of fighting off the bug bites, I groaned. “Waiting here isn’t doing any good. Is there nowhere else we can go?”

Damon’s eyes were still closed. Focusing. “I plan to take you to my brethren’s place. He is my pack mate and lives not far from here. I just don’t want any followers. Two against that many is would not go well.”

I should’ve left it at that, but again I received bite after bite. No matter where I went, something was trying to suck my blood. After waiting a few more minutes, I lost my cool.

“Damon! I don’t know about you but I’m going to be drained dry anyway if we stay here any longer.”

He opened his eyes then and looked down at me. I was at a disadvantage in the height department but I put on my stern face to show how serious I was. It worked. He motioned for me to follow him.

We hiked for a good half hour before breaking through the trees and onto a road. A car passed us but didn’t stop, the headlights freaked me out and I jolted back into the trees until they passed. The driver must have seen that and thought I was some late night weirdo.

Houses appeared in the distance. Darkened windows showing that the inhabitants were  long asleep or maybe not even home. Again, they lined the neighborhood, looming over the land like castles. Elaborate expansive homes with many doored garages and in ground pools.

Maybe all supernatural beings had loads of cash.

Damon led me to the last house of the main road. A large modern looking house with too many windows and manicured bushes. He knocked on the door and I looked up and down the street expecting something to jump out of the shadows.

A middle-aged man opened the door.

“Brother. What’s the reason for this late night visit?” The guy asked.

“Rick. I need cover. We need cover. Fast. The Blue Haven nest is after us.”

Rick looked past Damon. His eyes flitting down my figure, taking in what it was that Damon was dragging in. He moved aside. Still watching me as a slinked into his house.

Damon explained everything. From when he figured out, they’d captured me and were dragging me into Benjamin’s house to running through the trees to get as much distance between us and them. Rick listened. No emotion crossing his face.

“Harrison will not be pleased. Has he been notified?”

“Yes. He was supposed to arrive in the morning to set things straight. I haven’t gotten a chance to speak with him since.”

Rick looked at me again. A deadpan face. Things weren’t looking good so far.

“I’ll call him and tell him to meet you here.”

Damon nodded and Rick left the room.

“He doesn’t like me.” I whispered. Which probably did no good. Their sense of hearing was absolutely superb.

“You don’t know that.”

We waited. Standing side by side as if we were soldiers coming in from the war zone. Both of us looked bedraggled. Blood had dried on Damon’s face and crusted off onto his chest leaving flecks of dark marks.

I shivered and Damon reached out his hand, grasping at mine. I took it but didn’t look at him. The ground was where my eyes were set. It was the only place in the room where my eyes could rest and my mind could wander over everything that had happened over and over again.

The soft padding of feet against hardwood finally broke my ptsd-like trance. Rick had come back.

“He’ll be here within the hour.”

So it all came down to this.

Rick didn’t warm up to me while we waited. He did invite us inside though and let us wait in his living room. Like Damon’s place, it was huge. A stone fireplace was the centerpiece. Along the mantel were pictures of his family. The ceiling was high and arched and positioned on the wall were mounted heads of various animals.

Despite having been through quite an ordeal, the heads still creeped me out. Their lifeless eyes staring at nothing. I don’t know why it bothered me. Of all the things to creep me out stuffed heads were the bottom of the list.

Damon looked at me confused. I must have been making a face, so I put on a quick smile and squeezed his hand for reassurance. Rick left the room. I guess he’d heard everything he needed to hear and didn’t want to be involved further.

“I still don’t think he likes me. Either that or something is up.”

“Nonsense. He is simply staying out of the situation.”

“Are you sure? I think your opinion is a little biased.”

“What do you mean?”

I bit at my lip. I wasn’t even sure what I was saying.

“Well, you’ve saved me a few times now. I think you might like me. Have feelings. Whatever. So, you might not realize when someone thinks differently.”

He snorted. As if, it was preposterous. I wasn’t quite sure which part he was snorting at though. I didn’t get any clarification either because a knock came at the door. Damon let go of my hand and went to answer it.

I heard their greetings and in walked who we’d been waiting for. Harrison looked like a retired general. Buzzed graying hair, buttoned up collared shirt, sharp face set into a grim line.

“So this is the human girl?”

“Yes sir.”

“The one you’ve broken our peace treaty for.”

It’s the first time I’d seen Damon looked shocked. It was like Harrison had slapped him across the face. All along, I had been expecting as such and this merely confirmed it.

“Sir, they attacked her. They were planning to feed off of her right down the street knowing that it was against our rules. They broke the treaty first.”

Harrison had yet to meet my gaze. I was left to watch as the two men faced each other. My fate left in their hands.

“The treaty is between our kind and theirs. The humans that inhabit the rest of the world are simply a sub clause. You have broken a much more important rule. We do not kill the others. They do not kill us. It is broken and now many will die because of this. The only resolve is to hand her over.”

I knew it. I knew it had been coming. Despite feeling at ease with Damon, underneath everything else they were still something else entirely. It was like the feeling I get for poaching. I felt bad, I didn’t want the animals to be slaughtered, but it did not affect me directly. It was a minor inconvenience that called for minor anger. People still hunted for sport, ad vampires would be doing the same. The tables were turned and I was the prey.

I tried to formulate a plan. The instinct to live was still there but it was like being backed into a corner.

“I will not hand her over. She is mine.”

I had forgotten about that card. Damon had pulled it without my approval but either way if it kept from dying. Besides, I was growing fond of the idea. If everything had gone better and I was allowed to just leave, I would’ve stayed in contact with him. I wanted to see where things went outside of the whole getting hunted down thing.

“Did this happen before or after the attack?”

Damon shook his head. “It does not matter. I am claiming her now.”

It was Harrison’s turn to disapprove. I didn’t think his face could look any meaner but if he had the ability to shoot fire from his eyes, Damon would be nothing but a pile of ash. Good thing werewolves don’t have that.

“You will do no such thing.”

Harrison stepped around Damon and towards me. Finally, his hard stare met mine as he reached for my arm. I don’t get why everyone wants to yank me around by the same arm. Before that happed though, Damon caught his hand and wrenched it back.

A deep growl escaped his throat. “She is mine.”

Harrison growled back. It was an eerie sight watching visibly human mouths make such a noise.

“I am your Alpha and you will stand down. Claim or not, she will be the death of many our kind. She must go.”

I heard a snap and watched as Harrison wrenched to the ground in pain. Damon had flexed the old man’s arm back so far it had cracked. A sickening bulge pulsed along his forearm. Really, I’d like to say I was strong and it didn’t bother me because the guy had no problem with throwing me to the vampires, but it really did gross me out.

Damon reached out his hand to me.

“Come with me.”

I could’ve said no, but I didn’t want to. To have someone break the rules for you, to save you from things that go bump in the night, that freaking ran around with me riding piggyback. Yeah, I went with Damon.

I took his hand and we stepped over Harrison who was cradling his arm against his chest and growling. He knew he’d been taken down.  I jumped onto Damon’s back, straddled him close and wrapped my arms around his neck.

It still probably looked ridiculous but honestly, it was the safest and quickest way to travel. He ran for a long while, away from neighborhoods and people and vampires and the other wolves until we were out I the middle of the countryside with nothing but a herd of cattle to keep us company.

The sun had finally surfaced and blanketed everything with its warm glow.

“They’re gonna come after us you know.” I had to say it.

“I know.” He answered as he lay down in overgrown field. I sat beside him.

“What do we do then?”

“Let’s figure that out then.”

“Why did you do all this for me Damon?” I felt guilty. It seems crazy to feel guilty for wanting to live but he’d just given up a lot for me. The guy had everything.

“I told you. You smell good. I couldn’t let them befoul that and end something. My brethren, they were wrong to want to allow it. Will you stay with me now?”

“Yes.”

The End