BloodSworn (5 page)

When she started walking, he fell into step beside her, his
fingers twitching to touch her again. Not wanting to upset her, half-afraid
she’d bolt when he wasn’t watching, he restrained himself.

“You’re a witch.” He saw her wince and grimaced at his lack
of finesse. He was so used to demanding answers that small talk felt awkward. The
desire to know everything about her was more of a physical need. He clenched
his jaw, trying to think of something to say that didn’t sound like a command.

“Doctor,” she corrected again.

“Why were those guys after you?”

This time, she just shrugged. She stole a glance at him from
the corner of her eye then went back to surveying the streets like someone who
had been on the run for a while. She didn’t elaborate.

“They wanted you for something. They were going to take you
and do whatever necessary to find that scepter.” He didn’t know why he
persisted when it would only push her further away, but he had to know what he
faced. Now that he’d touched her and had seen her fight, his fascination with
her increased.

If she attempted to leave, he would find her and follow. She
desired him as well. Even now, he smelled her scent. It was part of what calmed
him down enough not push for more. Just a brush of her fingers made him hard.

Beast rose beneath his skin as if as curious as him, the
movement painful after so long. He found his hand reaching up to tug at her
cap. Only to have her pull it firmly back into place. She threw a glance over
her shoulder at him, and he raised an eyebrow in question.

She turned around with a cute little frown between her eyes
that he wanted to smooth away. He’d bedded his share of women in the past, but none
he’d ever wanted to take his time and learn what made them tick. All the other
women in his life had been selected mistresses for the Leo. Women deemed
appropriate to be his lover and expect nothing more from him than enjoyment.

Trina was different.

This witch, though she desired him, wouldn’t willingly
consign herself to that role. She asked for his protection, but she clearly
didn’t know that providing protection gave him certain rights. And until he had
her safe at the Den, he had no intention of enlightening her.

They would come to an honest agreement.

Then he would seduce her.

He found himself walking a step behind her. He’d intended to
watch her back in case they were being followed. Instead, he was fascinated by
the liquid way she moved. Even in those bulky clothes, her curves couldn’t be
hidden. They stole his focus when he should be watching for danger.

As he inhaled, her light scent of wild flowers wrapped
around him, leaving him trailing her like a lost pup, inching closer until he’d
bump into her if she stopped.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t ignore the tantalizing scent. It
wasn’t that his body hardened at the slightest whiff that interested him at the
moment. No, it was that it faded in and out. One second there, then gone the
next, like she’d vanished.

She made no sound as she moved. If she weren’t walking a
pace in front of him where he was able to see her, he would never had known she
was there. No wonder she slid past his guards so easily.

“Where did you train?”

“What?” She stopped short, sending him plowing into her. He caught
her around the waist before she went sprawling. Though her body was slight, the
muscles were well defined. His hand automatically sought the hem of her shirt,
only to curse as he found another layer of clothing underneath. He brushed his
fingers against her stomach, enjoying the way the muscles tightened and trembled
under his touch.

Some of his disgruntlement faded at her telling reaction.

He released her the instant she gained her balance, unwilling
to risk getting sucked under her spell again or frightening her off with his
hunger.

Once on her feet, Trina watched Merrick retreat, very
conscious that she’d caught him blatantly staring at her ass. Instead of
embarrassment, he gazed at her like catnip. His question about where she
trained faded into the background until he asked again.

She bit her lip, debating how to answer him without revealing
more about her past. “I spend a lot of time at the gym.”

He narrowed his eyes as if he sensed that though it wasn’t a
lie, it wasn’t the complete truth either. Thankfully, they neared the Den, and
he didn’t pry further.

When they rounded the corner, the Den remained silent and
still. That wasn’t necessarily unusual as shifters were stealthy buggers, but
the absolute nothingness surrounding the place didn’t feel natural. The haunted
feel she so loved about the house had turned menacing.

Trusting her instinct, she halted, trying to pin down what
set off her radar.

“Wait.” She was absurdly grateful he stopped.

A half-smile touched his lips as he gazed at her with those
green eyes that saw too much. “You don’t have to be afraid. No one here will
bother you.”

Her brows furrowed at his odd comment, but she waved it
away. Then she pinned down what bothered her. No sound. The insects she fell
asleep to nightly had vanished. The pungent scent of lilacs that surrounded the
Den was smothered, leaving behind no scent at all. “There’s something wrong
with the house.”

Even before she finished speaking, shapes shot over the fifteen-foot
wall surrounding the house. Burly humans armed with knives, only no human could
jump that high or move that fast.

Merrick tossed her bag over the wall, shifting positions to
keep her protected. Three shapes torpedoed toward Merrick with terrifying speed.
She’d been so centered on watching Merrick that she nearly missed the shape that
launched out of the darkness aimed at her.

Training kicked in. She dropped to her back and thrust her
legs into her attacker’s gut. The momentum propelled her attacker over her head.
Blades flew toward her face. She twisted away and barely missed having her
right cheek cleaved down to bone. The body beamed into a parked car with a
sickening thud. Cursing at the gravel gouging into her shoulder blades, Trina
wasted no time rolling to her feet and drawing her own blade.

The image of a hulking human shimmered as her attacker
struggled to stand, and Trina caught a glimpse of the true form beneath. Dressed
in black, the slight build suggested a female or a youth. Gone were the knives.
In their place were teeth and claws that, if they got close enough, would kill
her just the same. A shifter, though she couldn’t distinguish what breed. The
image wavered again, blurred and a gleam of gold around her attacker’s throat
caught her attention. An amulet.

“You’re spelled.” Magic splashed along her skin, and she
resisted the urge to brush away the annoyance.

It was the amulet. Not only did it mess with her vision but
also left her magical senses distorted. She wasn’t able to get a clear picture
of her attacker. Something only high-end money and a powerful witch could
perform.

Trina narrowed her eyes, fighting the instinct to break the
illusion. It wouldn’t save her. Instead, she brandished her amathe. “The blade’s
pure silver.”

Though concerned at the near silent scuffle behind her, she
trusted Merrick to protect her back, and focused on her opponent, not on Merrick
or his injuries.

The shifter lunged too quickly to block. Trina threw herself
sideways and lashed out with her knife. Resistance met her blade, confirming
that she’d hit something. The same instant, the left side of her body erupted
with fire. Four sets of claws shredded her clothes and raked through flesh. The
blow glanced off her ribs instead of eviscerating her.

As they parted, Trina tangled her hands in the necklace and
yanked. The chain bit into her fingers. The metal seemed to stretch before
finally snapping, and a gray dust exploding as the spell broke.

Trina stared at the shifter before her, knowing that if they
came together again she wouldn’t survive without the use of her blood. Remnants
of the spell made identification difficult, but the hazy image of her attacker resembled
a wolf.

The woman groped at her throat, her gaze on the chain. Fury
darkened her face before she took off running.

Trina followed a few steps before halting. Even if she
caught up with the shifter, which was unlikely, what could she hope to gain but
a painful death? She didn’t have the physical strength to take her out.

Pain struck hard when she straightened. Rivulets of blood saturated
the side of her shirt, plastering the material to her body. Her blood burned as
it came exposed to air like a thousand fire ants burrowing under her skin, nipping
and biting, as her magic worked to heal her.

Grunts behind her caught her attention.

Merrick!

By the time she pivoted, seven more shapes leapt over the
wall. Her gut dropped. She tightened her grip on the knife as they advanced, and
she cursed herself for not running.

Now it was too late.

If she wanted to get out of this alive, she needed to use
her magic and cast. But anything more intricate than a simple spell and she’d
be useless, if not outright unconscious. She had to get this right. She pressed
her palms to her ribs, sucking in a sharp breath when it felt like her whole
side had been filleted.

Merrick slammed one of his attackers to the ground hard
enough for her to feel the impact through her legs. His shirt was in shreds,
wounds littered his body, but he held his own. She didn’t know how he’d managed
to hold them off for so long.  

She lifted her bloody hand then hesitated. The demand that
she never cast had been beaten into her so many times that part of her rebelled
at the coming pain.

She berated herself for her selfishness. It didn’t matter if
the vampires caught her if Merrick and she didn’t survive the attack. It wasn’t
like the vampires didn’t know she was already in the city. Using the magic
would only confirm it.

They still had to find her.

She’d just have to be more careful.

With her fingers dripping blood, she pointed it toward the
three attackers lunging for Merrick and waved her hand. A gust of wind picked
them off their feet, throwing them twenty feet through the air. They crashed to
the road, the pavement splintered on contact.

A vise immediately wrapped around her like a boa constrictor
as her binding kicked in with a vengeance. The action left her lightheaded. Her
knees wobbled, and she locked her legs to prevent herself from dropping to her
knees. Instead of staying down, the three lumbered to their feet like some
zombies in a horror flick.

They hesitated for a second then sprinted in the same
direction as the woman. Dread tightened Trina’s gut when she turned to face the
new arrivals. She had one, maybe two spells left in her before she crashed.

She had to cast wisely if she wanted to save Merrick’s life.

 
Chapter Six

T
he
first thing she noticed when she turned was everyone staring at her. No one fought.
No one so much as twitched an eyelash. Biting her lips, her gaze swung
unerringly toward Merrick. Part of her relaxed to see him still standing.

Then she narrowed her eyes, noticing the formation of the
men. It almost appeared like they had him surrounded.

Protecting him.

Something inside her trembled and gave a deep
‘Oh, shit’
.

She thought of bolting, leaving all her work behind, but Merrick’s
expression said that if she so much as breathed wrong, the pack would be on
her. She curled her fingers around the necklace, the chain gouging deeper into
the nicks scattered over her hand.

Not wanting to lose her only evidence, she shoved the whole
lot into her pocket. Once the irritant was removed, thousands of needles prickled
her skin as if someone had slammed their foot down on her hand and twisted
their boot heel.