EnemyMine (8 page)

“I understand.”

She didn’t stop him when he rose from the bed, retrieved her
shirt and handed it to her and walked to the door. He paused as he gripped the
knob, waiting to see if she’d say anything. The silence was so profound it was
deafening, an empty wail in his ears that was only interrupted by the sound of
her sliding into the garment he’d given her. His mate was so close yet so far
away. He knew the moment she pulled away from him, sensed the way she put up a
wall between them.

“You’re safe here,” he finally said, unable to leave without
saying something—
anything
. He glanced over his shoulder and saw she was
staring at the hands she’d placed in her lap, her fingers wrapped together to
form one large fist. “I’ll come back later with Doc so he can make sure you’re
okay.”

She nodded but didn’t look at him. The rejection hit him
square in the chest. Of everything he’d considered, the one thing he hadn’t
counted on was how vulnerable he’d feel if she turned him away, how lost. His
life had no meaning until he met Mary. Without her there would be no reason to
exist, no light in the darkness that was his world.

Despite the wolf’s agonized howl in his head, he stepped
from the room and closed the door—but he didn’t leave. Instead he waited
outside, protecting her in the only way he could, and gave his mate the space
she asked for.

Chapter Four

Sadie Dumus remained in the shadows as she studied the
object of her obsession. Trey reclined in a lounge chair on the back patio of
the fire station, drowning his sorrows with a bottle of Jack Daniels. He was
delectable even when he looked like shit, his dark hair a mess on his head, the
heavy growth on his face almost thick enough to be considered a beard. The last
time she’d seen him he’d taken more care with his appearance.

Now it seemed he no longer cared.

She reached out to him with her telepathy, listening to his
thoughts. The fury that assailed her almost broke her veil—the only thing that
prevented the shifters all around her from detecting her presence. She tamped
down the fury that consumed her, separating her feelings from Trey’s. He was an
absolute mess, full of self-loathing and misery. The alcohol helped, dulling
some of his grief. But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. Long gone was the
proud male who could be powerful one minute and playful the next. In his place
was a man who recognized only revenge, death and retribution.

Guilt slammed into her, the impact hard and direct.

This was her fault, the blame settling directly on her
shoulders.

If only she’d known he would deteriorate to this state, she
could have made different decisions. Such as entrusting her coven to protect
the city, handing over the reins for once. But no. Instead she’d focused on
Aldon Frost—the power-hungry vampire who was a threat to all of humanity—and
allowed her responsibilities to overcome her emotions. Making things worse was
the fact she hadn’t learned a damn thing about Aldon. He’d covered his tracks
too well, making his actions impossible to predict.

The human male who had recently been accepted into the pack
approached Trey, his movements almost as smooth as a shifter’s. Sadie knew to
avoid his thoughts, recalling only too well the heartache and loss the man had
suffered. The deaths of his wife and unborn child had changed him, leaving his
heart as hard and cold as ice. She’d always been told you could see death in
some people, and Caden Stone was the personification of a mortal grim reaper,
as likely to kill you as look at you. The man would cut someone’s throat, leave
their body where it dropped and sleep like a baby when he went to bed hours
later.

“Good evening, Cade.” Trey acknowledged his guest with the
dip of his chin, his words slightly slurred.

“Is it? I didn’t notice,” Cade responded and took a seat
across from Trey, resting the beer bottle in his hand on his knee. “Not in the
mood for a family reunion, I take it.”

“Nope,” Trey retorted and took another swig of Jack.

“Can’t say I blame you.” He glanced at the bottle in Trey’s
grasp. “But I’m not sure drinking is the solution to your problems.”

“Is that right? Funny, I don’t recall asking for your
opinion.”

Cade smirked. “When has that ever stopped me?”

Trey shrugged and gazed into the trees lined along the
property. “It was worth a shot.”

“Want to discuss what happened upstairs?” Cade inquired
casually and nursed his beer.

“A dispute between siblings,” Trey muttered, shifting his
weight in his chair. “It happens.”

“My understanding is you threatened the girl we brought
here.” Cade’s voice changed, becoming deep, a warning evident. “Scared the hell
out of her, so I’m told.”

“Then your understanding is shit and you need better
snitches to keep you informed.” Trey snorted. “I only wanted to ask a few
questions.”

“She’s got enough to deal with without pressure from you.”
Cade leaned forward and rested his elbows on the arms of his chair. “You’re
going to have to get past who her family is and think about what she means to
Emory.”

“A Shepherd in the fucking pack.” Trey laughed, the sound
cynical. “A constant reminder of what we’ll never get back. That’ll be real
easy to get past.”

“Everyone is going to take cues from you on how to treat
her,” Cade said quietly. “If you turn your back on her, they will too.”

“What the fuck would you know about it?”

“Enough.”

“Don’t worry so much.” Trey waved absently toward the house.
“Diskant and Ava have already welcomed her to the fold. She’s officially a
member of our big happy family. None of the pack would dare fuck with that
female. Not if they know what’s good for them.”

“Maybe not,” Cade agreed, nodding slowly, “but just because
they’re polite doesn’t mean they’ll accept her or make the transition any
easier.”

Trey whipped his head around and studied Cade, grinning in a
smug manner that Sadie detested. “Just look at you, protective and pissed-off
over a female. I didn’t think you had it in you. Maybe I should warn my brother
that he’s got competition. Shifter rule number one: never trust a human male
around your mate. They don’t understand the concept of keep your hands to your
fucking self.”

Cade’s gray eyes narrowed. “She’s human, one of my kind. If
you think I’ll let you shit on her because you’re holding a grudge against the
world, you’ve got another think coming.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Do you want it to be?”

Sadie’s heart sped up. She watched the men, feeling the
tension intensifying between them. Although Trey was a shifter, Caden had years
of extensive physical training under his belt. The glimpses she’d gained from
the mortal’s head warned her he would be a danger, someone who wouldn’t go down
easily. With the way Trey was behaving, as well as his current state of
intoxication, it could go from a brawl to a bloodbath in minutes.

Trey threw the bottle of Jack into nearby bushes and rose
from his chair. “That’s it. Put away the beer. Let’s see if your pussy ass can
cash the checks your mouth writes.”

Cade didn’t move. “I’m not going to fight you. You don’t
deserve the satisfaction of getting your ass kicked.”

“You? Kick my ass? I’m going to enjoy making you eat those
words.” Trey cracked his neck and swayed from side to side, his equilibrium
obviously affected by the alcohol he’d consumed. “I’m going to rack your balls
so hard you won’t be able to walk for days. You’ll be lucky to bust a nut
without crying like a girl when I’m done.”

“You’re so wasted you’d be lucky if you touched me at all.”
Cade lifted his head, meeting Trey’s gaze. “Go find a room and sleep it off.
You don’t want your family to see you like this.”

Trey snarled and had stepped toward the human when feminine
giggles brought him short. He lifted his gaze, nostrils flaring, and studied
the small group of shifters who approached—all of them female.

“Why don’t you put that energy to better use?” One of the
woman tottered forward in skimpy leather pants, a matching corset and boots
with spiked heels. The drink in her hand sloshed around the rim of the glass as
the red liquid swayed from side to side.

“I’m out.” Cade stood, avoiding eye contact with the women
as he started walking toward the house.

“Not so fast.” Another woman stepped in front of Cade, this
one tramped out in her best slut gear. Her blonde hair was smooth and slick
down her back, her face caked with makeup. She placed her hand on his chest,
batting her lashes, and gazed up at him. “How about we go somewhere private?”

Sadie was at a perfect vantage to see Cade’s face harden
when he wrapped his large fingers around the woman’s wrist, forced her hand
away and let her go. He took a step back, eyes hard. His disinterest was
apparent when he replied, “How about we don’t?”

“Fuck you,” the shifter female snapped.

“I don’t think so. Why don’t you go inside and find someone
else to scratch your itch?”

“You think you’re better than me?”

“I don’t think anything, Andrea. I know.” When she flicked
him off, Cade cracked a grin and glanced at Trey. “You coming?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Trey’s gaze traveled up and down the
frame of the female who’d stopped in front of him. The gesture was the rudest
thing Sadie had even seen and she felt her temper surface when he asked, “Am I
coming, sweetcakes?”

“Definitely,” the female whispered, smiling. “More than once
if you’re lucky.”

Cade shook his head, muttered, “To hell with this shit,” and
stepped around Andrea. He walked away and didn’t look back, his leather coat
shifting with each step, displaying the hard muscles beneath. Andrea stared at
Cade’s back, her blue eyes shifting to a dazzling aqua color. She fisted her
hands, arms trembling, and started to growl.

The female in front of Trey moved closer until they were
nearly touching. “Let’s get out of here.”

Trey grinned, staring at the shifter’s breasts. “Lead the
way.”

Hell no.

Anger and jealousy colored everyone in a hazy shade of red,
removing rational thought. Sadie didn’t realize she had moved until she slapped
the drink in the shifter’s hand and sent the contents all over the woman’s
corset. Red liquid splashed on tanned skin, spreading down to join the mess
dripping down the female’s chest.

Take that, bitch.

The shifter gasped, stunned and outraged as she gawked
open-mouthed at Trey. “What do you think you’re doing, asshole?” she snarled,
swiping at the stained white lace above the black leather. “This is vintage!”

“It was coming off anyway.” Trey shrugged and combed his
fingers through his hair, giving her an unsympathetic grin. “Buy another one.”

“I don’t
want
another one.” The shifter stopped
running her hand over her chest and nailed Trey with a hateful sneer. “On
second thought, this isn’t your lucky night. If you want to get lucky, you’re
going to have to do the five-knuckle shuffle.” She turned and looked at Andrea.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Andrea glanced at Trey
with open disgust. “The males here are all talk and no action.”

Sadie remained where she was beside Trey—watching as Andrea
led the women away—deliriously gratified by what she’d done. Jealousy and a
bitter sense of victory evaporated when Trey’s scent hit her nose. Despite the
whiskey on his breath, the woodsy smell of him was enough to make her knees
weak. Goddess, he smelled good. Unlike any male she’d ever encountered. It was
hard to remain angry when all she could think about was having one look—one
small touch—of the man next to her.

“Fucking tramps. Good riddance,” Trey grumbled and spun on
his heel to return to his chair. A gust of wind rolled off him, bringing that
luscious fragrance of pine and leather, man and wolf, rushing to her. The
fragrance ventured from her head to her toes, surrounding her in a sexual
cocoon, making her warm and tingly in all the right places.

Oh Goddess.

He’d taste so good. She knew he would. All the power he
possessed would be evident in his life’s blood, something that would transfer
to her. Sugary and sweet, spicy and masculine.

Perfection.

She closed her eyes and imagined licking his throat, bathing
the area clean with her tongue, creating a winding path along his jugular. He’d
grasp her hips and settle his leg between her thighs so that the pressure he
placed on her pussy would rev up her sexual hunger. She’d lap at his skin,
teasing him, drawing the moment out for as long as possible. When her gums
burned from denying herself, she’d let her fangs drop, carefully so that they
didn’t pierce his flesh. He’d tell her to drink, to take him into her body, to
nourish her life with his. Then she’d give him what he asked for, taking them
both to the bliss that only the bite of a vampire could bring. They’d climax
together without ever joining their bodies but there would be other times,
other opportunities.

Another fantasy replaced the first, a recurring visual that
left her breathless, forcing her to greet each day with a reminder of what she
had long denied herself.

This time they were nude on the bed with Trey’s hands
grasping at the sheets, his muscles flexing beneath her, his skin flushed with
desire. Right after she’d sucked his cock dry, taking every last drop, she
tapped the vein on his thigh, claiming him entirely as hers. In her dreams she
always left a scar behind, a permanent mark so he would always remember who
gave it to him—forcing him to think of the woman responsible for the twin
punctures. Trey was a male who would ruin her for all others, so it was only
fair she returned the favor.

She licked her lips, wondering exactly how he would taste,
knowing the discovery would change her entire life. Once she’d sampled the
sweetness of his blood, no one else’s would do.

The reminder set her back, ripping through her arousing
daydream, bringing her slamming down to reality. A shocking sensation—as though
ice water had been dumped over her head—removed any traces of desire as cold,
hard reality took its place. What the hell was she thinking? Trey had only been
home one night and she was already thinking about biting him, about what their
sex life would be like. She’d forgotten why something like that could never
happen.

Damn it, you know better than this! Do you want to die
slowly? Is one taste worth the risk of slowly starving to death? Would you
sacrifice everything you know for a man who won’t want you when he learns what
you are?

Damn, it hurt, knowing she could never have what she wanted
most. The ache of emptiness was something she’d told herself she’d get used to,
but she knew that despite her best efforts she never would. After all, vampires
mated too, although it was in a different fashion than shifters. Once they
found the one person meant for them, that was it. Deep down, something in them
changed. The person a vampire linked with became their entire purpose. They
could deny it, turn from it and run from it—but they could never escape it.

I’m so fucked.

She stumbled as she stepped backward, tripping over the
shallow brick barrier into the grassy lawn. Gawking at Trey, she held her
breath, forcing back panic as she focused on her veil. He lifted his head and
his radiant amber-colored eyes stopped on her, despite the fact she was
invisible. His nostrils flared and he froze, going eerily still.