Fanged Fury (The Adventures of Sydney Sedrick Book 3)

FANGED FURY

MANDI CASEY

SOUL MATE PUBLISHING

New York

FANGED FURY

Copyright©2013

MANDI CASEY

Cover Design by Rae Monet, Inc.

This book is a work of fiction.  The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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Published in the United States of America by

Soul Mate Publishing

P.O. Box 24

Macedon, New York, 14502

ISBN-13: 978-1-61935-
213-1

www.SoulMatePublishing.com

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

To all of the women in the world

who must fight adversity, brush off criticism,

and make sacrifices to makes their dreams come alive,

I dedicate this novel to you.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank my amazing critique partner and incredible author, Marian Lanouette, for all of her encouragement and ideas. I’d also like to thank Deborah Gilbert and Soul Mate Publishing for believing in my writing projects and making them sparkle.

Chapter 1

“Sydney, oh my goddess, please, Sydney, you have to wake up!”

Aunt Judith’s apprehensive voice broke through to my sleepy subconscious. I felt her soft hand on my shoulder through my favorite purple comforter. Obviously I needed to get up, but I didn’t want to face yet another day in the bizarre life I called my own.

I opened my eyes, rubbing the sleep from them with a groan. “What time is it?”

My aunt’s aging, wrinkled face smiled at me with loving kindness. “It’s time to get up, dear. The store opens in half an hour. You said you’d be okay to open it? I have some appointments today so I won’t be available.”

“Yes, of course I’ll open Morning Sun, Aunt Judith.”

She looked at me with concern on her brow as she brought her hand up to my forehead to inspect the cut brimming my hairline from the injury I’d sustained the night before at the Blood Rites Ball.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can cancel.”

“No, no, don’t do that. I’m fine.” I brushed her hand away in an attempt to dismiss the cuts and bruises. She didn’t need to know about the purple and black blossoms of color decorating my back from being thrown against a wall in the coat room at the local vampire’s masquerade ball held in honor of the vampire Elder, Uphir.

I sat up with fake bravado, adding a smile for good measure.

She stared at me with suspicion and left my bedroom.

I flopped back onto the bed and felt the other side. The warmth from Blake’s body heat was still emanating from the sheets and pillow. I rolled over and snuggled deep under the covers, surrounding myself in Blake’s essence.

Without warning, a surge of responsibility struck me. I shot out of bed, scrambled to grab my clothes, and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. Nothing was going to keep me away from Aunt Judith’s store. It was mine now, too, and she had entrusted me to take care of it.

In front of the bathroom mirror, I turned to see how bad the injuries were. I knew there would be bruises, but the extent and depth of the black and dark purple blotches lining either side of my spine and down toward my backside and hips were more than I’d anticipated. Muscles all over my body ached with every movement. I was glad the cut on my forehead, the only visible evidence from the fight, was easy to conceal with two layers of cover-up.

I checked in the mirror one last time before racing downstairs and decided I’d done the best I could in making myself semi-presentable to the general public.

Aunt Judith, as always, had my favorite breakfast waiting. A girl couldn’t say no to cinnamon-blueberry pancakes. The scrumptious aroma wafted through the air as I pushed the kitchen door open and sat in front of a plate with three stacked pancakes emanating steam, making my mouth water in anticipation.

Aunt Judith cleaned up while I inhaled my breakfast. I couldn’t help but notice the way her clothes hung from her thin body even though she’d never been on the heavy side.

“Sydney, I know what I said before, but I really wanted to talk to you about last night. The store can wait for a bit, dear. You don’t look like you’re feeling well. Maybe I should just go ahead and cancel my appointment for today.”

Before she could continue, I put my hand up in the air and garbled my words around a mouthful of pancake. “Nope, not having that happen.”

After I swallowed the last scrumptious bite, I jumped up from my chair and grabbed my bag. Bringing over my dirty plate, I handed it to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Aunt Judith, I said I wouldn’t let you down when you let me take over the store, and I meant it. Now, I have to go, and you have appointments you have to get to yourself.” I gave her an extra big smile and a wink. “I love you. Have a great day!” I sprinted through the kitchen door, letting myself out through the front door, making sure to lock it once I stood on the patio.

Closing my eyes, I let my Selected senses take over and threw out feelers for any bad guys lurking around the property. Nothing. Not a twinge of pain, well, besides the bruises all over my back.

I focused my senses down toward my abdomen and it didn’t feel like my breakfast wanted to make its way back up. That’s what usually happened when rogue vampires or werewolves were anywhere near me. My Selected abilities were growing. I was even starting to be able to sense rogues on their approach before they entered the same building that I was in. One catch to my powers was that demons didn’t trigger any of my senses, not yet.

A few blocks away, standing in front of Morning Sun, I lifted the cell phone that Blake had given me and checked the time. I had twelve minutes before the store had to be opened. Without hesitation, I turned and started jogging down the street. I needed caffeine. My favorite coffee shop was right down the block. The lure of freshly brewed coffee floated in the cold air drawing me closer. I came to a stop in front of Mountain Bean, the best coffee shop of all time.

Six minutes later, I strolled down the block with my ultimate favorite cup of black coffee with caramel drizzled on top. All the aches and stinging pains from the fight last night couldn’t keep me from indulging in a great cup of java. The way I saw it, I kind of deserved it. Enjoying the good things in life was what made all the bad things, well, not so bad.

Inside Morning Sun, I turned the OPEN sign on and stowed my purse under the counter that also held my laptop and telephone. Taking a big swallow of coffee, reveling in the burn as the hot liquid traveled down my throat, I headed toward the storeroom.

The jingle of the front door’s overhead bells sounded, alerting me to a guest. As I stood up, I knew the visitor wasn’t a customer. The temperature of the room rose a good ten degrees. Whoever it was had a serious relationship with the moon, meaning they were a werewolf.

Blake.

I couldn’t help but smile. Even though he’d spent the night in my bed last night, he didn’t try to take advantage of the situation. He just held me, giving me the comfort I needed to finally fall asleep after such a whirlwind night.

“Sydney, I brought you some healing cream my mother gave me for your bruises.” His voice came closer and closer to the door of the storeroom while I searched the boxes for stock that needed to be put on the shelves. Blake’s protectiveness and deep respect for his mother endeared him even more to me.

I smiled up at his handsome face when he peered through the doorway. “I’ll just be a minute, Blake.”

He tipped his head in acknowledgement before walking back into the store. The weight of the box full of spell books strained against my sore muscles, but I had work to do, and I couldn’t let aches and pains get in the way. Aunt Judith had taken such pride in her store for so long, I wouldn’t let the store fall apart since she was generous enough to give me a chance to be in charge, full time.

I carried the box out into the main part of the store and set it on the counter by the register. Blake sat on the couch by the fireplace and smiled. I went and sat next to him, examining his face and arms for any trace of last night’s battle.

Nothing.

Blake smiled and said, “Sydney, you look tired,” and brought up his index finger and traced my hairline to assess the damage.

I winced from the sharp sting of pain that shot along the nerve in my face when the tip of his finger touched the long cut running along my hairline. I might be able to hide the cut from the customers, but Blake knew it was there. He’d seen the blood dripping down my forehead, around the bridge of my nose, staining the beautiful purple material of the ball-gown Kieran had purchased for me to wear at the Blood Rites Ball.

I nodded. “I am a bit tired, but otherwise I feel alright. Don’t worry about me, I’m the great Selected that everyone wants as their best friend, remember?” I laughed, but Blake clearly wasn’t buying the lie.

I wasn’t fine.

Inside, I felt empty and abused. I wanted to spend the next day, heck, maybe the next week, hiding from the word while I snuggled under cover of my favorite purple and black comforter. But I wouldn’t. I had work to do and I had to deal with vampires and werewolves that weren’t going to let me run from my Other responsibilities.

Blake’s dark brow shot up. I couldn’t help but giggle. “Yeah, that might work on someone who doesn’t know you very well, but your half-butt attempt is not going to work on me. Now, turn around and lift up your shirt.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

“I don’t think so, Mister.” There was no way I was going to expose myself in the middle of my store, again. What if a customer, a money paying, stock purchasing, customer came in? I’d never live it down, and I’m sure Aunt Judith would hear all about it.

Blake placed his large, warm hand on my knee and for a second I didn’t realize he was talking. The heat from his skin and the tingling sensation running from my knee upwards was an overwhelming distraction from anything else going on in the room.

I shook my head to clear the memories of Blake and me having sex in the storeroom up against the far wall and then again on top of the store’s hip-level safe.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Blake searched my eyes. He had a concerned expression on his face, and he must have taken my distracted state as if I was feeling worse than I was letting on. Little did he know, yes, I was having a hard time following what he was saying, but he was the cause, and not in a bad way.

“Since you seem to have other, more important items on your mind than my scintillating conversation, I’ll repeat myself. I said that my mother gave me this healing cream and I’d be happy to put it on you if you’d like.” He didn’t wiggle his brows this time.

I scooted to the front of the couch cushion, making his hand fall away. Wincing from the effort and the sharp twang of pain running through my back, I said, “You know what? I’m willing to try anything that would make these bruises go away faster, but no funny business.” I put my finger up and waved it back and forth. “I mean it. I have too much work to do.”

Blake put his hands up in the air, looking insulted. “Sydney, the things you think of me sometimes just hurts.” He smiled a toothy grin, making that irresistible dimple wink at me. Nope, I couldn’t trust him not to make a move.

“Uh huh. Sure. Let’s go in the back, no repeats of the other night, either. I’m serious about having work to do.”

Once we were both in the storeroom with the door closed, there wasn’t much room to move around. Blake was a large man. As he shifted around to get under the light, the muscles bulging against his tight T-shirt didn’t help my wanting to stay on task and get some work done.

I licked my lips, remembering what those arms were capable of. He’d had no problem lifting me and holding me against the wall while he pivoted in and out of me in the heat of the moment.

Heat flushed my cheeks with such lustful memories. I sidestepped away from that particular wall, not wanting him to be reminded of us being together as vivid memories were flashing through my mind’s eye.

I dragged the only chair in the room from the wall and placed it in the center. Taking a seat, I put my hands on each side of my hooded sweatshirt and tugged upward. Blake must have noticed when I flinched with the movement because his warm hands gently pushed mine away and he slowly lifted the sweatshirt up and over my head.

Sitting there in the storeroom in just my jeans and pink lacey tank-top was a bit unnerving, but the pain kept me sitting in that chair, ready to try just about anything to ease the pain.

“Okay, sit still while I put the cream on your skin. My mom said I’d have to rub it in until it’s completely absorbed.” His booted feet shuffled against the carpeted floor while he caught the bottom of my tank top and slowly brought the hem up to my shoulders.

My hands flew up to make sure he didn’t leave me sitting there in just my bra.

A low rumble erupted from his chest. His knee hit the shelving unit he leaned against while he bent over. “Sydney, you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to try and have my way with you until you are physically capable of handling it. From the sight of these bruises, I’d say you’re safe, for now.”

I turned and glanced up into his face over my shoulder. “Blake, you and I both know that was something that happened between us in the heat of the moment. That can’t happen again and you know darn well why.”

Blake opened the jar of cream and dipped three fingers in. He let the heat of his fingers warm the cream before applying it to my back. I loved his heat, and I loved it when he touched me. And he knew it. Blake was stubborn as a mule, but his kindness toward his pack members and thoughtfulness when he interacted with me endeared him to me more every day.

Blake could smell my arousal, and the warm pads of his fingers working the cream into my skin didn’t help my resolve to keep him at bay.

He took a deep breath in and inhaled.

Even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was grinning as he said, “Sydney, you make behaving myself very difficult.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I caught a groan before it escaped my lips. His massaging my sore muscles was a blissful mix between pleasure and pain.

“Yes, you do. Your scent is driving me insane. Maybe later, after you’re done here for the night I could come to your house and spend the night with you.”

“Blake, I don’t need you to babysit me again, I’ll be fine.” Okay, so I was diverting the line of conversation. I knew what he was talking about, and it wasn’t holding me in his tender arms while I fell asleep like last night. I figured he had given me a reprieve from the constant talking of us being fated as life-mates because of what we went through with the vampires. He usually didn’t speak of much else, but last night he had been kind and didn’t push the subject, and there was no one I’d rather have been with after such an emotional and physically painful fight.

He finished smearing and rubbing the cream into my skin. Blake’s mom was right. The pain from the bruises wasn’t as sharp as before he started. He slid the hem of my tank top back into place with gentle care, and then I stood up. Blake leaned over the counter, grabbing my sweatshirt and holding it out to help me re-dress.