Night's Master (15 page)

As if my thoughts had conjured him, he suddenly appeared in Travis’s chair.

I pressed a hand to my heart, wondering if I was going to survive the night. One more unexpected surprise just might do me in.

“Rafe, what are you doing here?”

“You’re here,” he said in that seductively masculine voice that sent tendrils of longing shooting through me. “Where else should I be?”

“Not here!” I glanced toward the bar where Travis seemed to be in deep conversation with another man. “Not now.”

He reached for my hand and covered it with his own. “Why not now?”

“Because I’m…” I started to say “on a date,” but I didn’t like the sound of that. Besides, this wasn’t a date, it was just a drink with a casual acquaintance. “Because there’s a hunter here.”

His eyes narrowed as he turned to survey the crowd.

Did Rafe have an ability similar to Travis Jackson’s? Could hunter and prey recognize each other the way lions recognized zebras and coyotes recognized rabbits?

“Come on,” I said, “let’s go.”

Rafe’s gaze met mine. “You haven’t had your drink yet.”

I cringed at the accusation I read in the depths of his eyes. He knew why I was here, and whom I was with. I wondered if he had done that little turn-to-mist trick of his and followed me.

“Rafe, it doesn’t mean anything. He invited me for a drink, that’s all, and I…I didn’t see any harm in it.”

He didn’t say anything, just continued to look at me.

“I’m sorry,” I said, though I wasn’t sure what I was sorry for.

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for,” he replied. “Enjoy your evening.”

Before I could say anything else, he was gone.

Moments later, Travis returned to the table. “Where’d he go?”

“Where did who go?”

“The Vampire that was here.” Travis put our drinks on the table, his narrow-eyed gaze scanning the crowd.

I widened my eyes in what I hoped was a look of innocence. “There was a Vampire here? Really? Where?”

“Here,” Travis said, his voice tight. “You were talking to him.”

“Oh, him,” I said lightly. “He was just a guy who asked me to dance, that’s all. Was he really a Vampire?” I glanced around the room, as if I was afraid. “Is he still here?”

Travis looked at me suspiciously for stretched seconds before he sat down. “No, he’s long gone by now.”

“Good.” I reached for my drink, wishing I had ordered something stronger than a Coke.

I was thoroughly depressed by the time I got home, by turns angry with Rafe for being so possessive and for checking up on me, and then angry with myself for apologizing for what was a perfectly innocent evening, and then feeling blue because it seemed like the fabric of our relationship was slowly unraveling.

I was too upset to eat dinner; instead, I curled up on the sofa, a pillow clutched to my chest, and thought about Rafe.

I wasn’t sure what had drawn us together other than great chemistry and the inability to keep our hands off each other. I told myself yet again that there was no future in dating a Vampire, even one as mouthwatering as Rafe Cordova. At best, we might have had a few years together. At worst, I might have become one of the Undead.

With a sigh, I hugged the pillow closer, thinking that a few years with Rafe would have been better than a lifetime with anyone else, even though I knew that staying with him wasn’t a good idea. Sooner or later, we would have made love. Given his effect on my senses and the way I felt about him, it was inevitable, only I wasn’t sure I wanted to give my virginity to a Vampire, even a gorgeous, sexy Vampire.

More depressed than ever, I brushed my teeth and went to bed.

There, alone in the dark, I buried my face in my pillow and let the tears flow.

Feeling out of sorts after his meeting with Kathy, Rafe went to Susie McGee’s house to see his grandparents, who were standing watch. He found them sitting on the grass in the side yard, playing gin rummy by the light of the moon.

“Raphael, what brings you here?” his grandmother asked. “Is something wrong?”

He dropped down beside her. “No, I was just…bored.”

His grandfather grunted softly. “Sometimes the nights can be long.”

“But beautiful,” Brenna remarked. “Just look at that sky.”

Rafe looked up. Mortal eyesight was limited, but he could see millions of stars scattered across the heavens. For all the years that he had been a Vampire, he had rarely taken notice of the skies.

“How is that lovely girl?” Brenna asked. “What was her name? Kathy?”

“She’s fine,” Rafe replied flatly.

“Oh, dear,” Brenna said. “You’ve had a fight, haven’t you?”

“Not exactly.” He blew out a sigh.

“What, exactly?”

“She doesn’t want me.”

“Is it you she doesn’t want?” Roshan asked. “Or what you are?”

“She doesn’t want to be a Vampire.”

Brenna made a soft, thoughtful sound. “Did you ask her to become one?”

“No, I asked her if she wanted to marry me. She said she loved me, but…” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter one way or the other. “Not enough, I guess.”

“It’s not an easy decision to make,” Roshan said. “Maybe she just needs more time. After all, you’ve only known her a few weeks.”

“Your grandfather’s right, as always,” Brenna said. “Did you tell her she doesn’t have to become one of us?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to see her again?” Roshan asked.

“I don’t know. She wants us to go on like before, but…” Rafe dragged a hand over his jaw. “I don’t know. It might be best for both of us to end it now, before things get any more complicated.”

“You love her, don’t you?” Brenna asked, though it was more a statement than a question.

“Yeah, dammit.”

Roshan laughed softly. “Love makes fools of us all.”

“Listen!” Brenna said. “What’s that?”

Rafe stood, his senses probing the night. And then he heard it: footsteps, followed by the sound of the McGees’ garage door opening. Moving toward the corner of the house, he saw Rick McGee get into his car and back out of the driveway.

“I thought he moved out,” Rafe remarked.

“He came by a few hours ago. Brought the kids for a visit,” Roshan said, coming up behind Rafe.

“Where do you suppose he’s going this time of night?”

“I don’t know,” Roshan said. “He doesn’t have the kids with him. What do you say we go find out? Brenna, you stay here and keep an eye on the girl and her mother.”

Brenna rose, her hands fisted on her hips. “I always have to stay behind.”

Roshan kissed her on the forehead. “It’s a good thing, too. You never know when I might need rescuing again.”

Rafe grinned. Years ago, his grandmother and his father had rescued Roshan from a witch who had been determined to resurrect Anthony Loken, her deceased lover. To do so, she had needed the blood of an enemy, and his grandfather had fit the bill nicely, having been instrumental in taking Loken’s life.

Brenna laughed softly, as if she, too, was remembering that time, and then she kissed her husband and patted Rafe’s cheek. “Be careful, you two.”

Rick McGee’s car was easy to follow. Because Roshan felt like running, Rafe ran alongside him. The exercise eased some of his tension, and Rafe wondered if that had been his grandfather’s intent.

They stayed back far enough that McGee couldn’t see them, then fell back even farther when the man made a sharp left on Oak Tree Road and pulled up in front of an abandoned meat-packing plant. McGee got out of the car and, after glancing around, he knocked on the door, knocked again, and then a third time, before a tall man in dark clothing opened it.

“You’re late,” the tall man said.

Rafe frowned, thinking the man looked familiar, and then he realized it was the man Kathy had been with at Sugar Babe’s.

“Yeah, well,” McGee was saying, “one of my kids got sick. He wanted me to sit with him until he fell asleep.”

With a look of disdain, the tall man stepped back. McGee went inside, and the tall man closed the door. And not just an ordinary door, Rafe noted. It was reinforced with heavy steel.

“Guess we’d better go see what’s going on,” Roshan said cheerfully, and dissolving into mist, he drifted toward the building.

Grinning, Rafe did the same. Slipping under the door, he rose in the air and hovered near the ceiling. From the outside, the place looked like it hadn’t been used in years, but the inside had been spruced up some. The room was empty save for a dozen or so metal folding chairs pushed up against the walls, a long wooden table, and a beat-up old wooden chest with some mystical symbols painted on the top and sides.

There was what looked like an old meat locker in one corner of the room. Curious, Rafe drifted into the other area. There were no windows. The heavy iron door had been reinforced on the outside; the inside panel had been plated with a thin coat of silver, as had the floor, walls, and ceiling. He didn’t need three guesses to figure out why. All that silver must have cost them a fortune, he mused. The faint coppery scent of blood hung in the air. He wondered how many of the missing Vampires had been imprisoned in that room before they were destroyed.

Muttering an oath, he turned his attention back to the two men. They were sitting at the end of the table, across from each other.

“So,” the tall man was saying, “can you do it or not?”

McGee shook his head. “I don’t think so. Dammit, Jackson, she’s the mother of my kids.”

“You can’t trust her with your kids, not anymore,” Jackson said, and though his words were cruel, his voice was kind. “If you want me to take care of it, I will.”

Rick McGee buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know. Dammit, I just don’t know.”

“You don’t have to decide tonight, but don’t wait too long.”

“Are you sure it’s the only way?”

“What do you think? She’s no longer the woman you married. I know it’s hard, but you’ll all be better off once it’s done. Besides, it’s what she wants, isn’t it?” Jackson reached over and squeezed McGee’s shoulder. “She already tried to kill herself once.”

McGee nodded, though he looked none too happy.

Jackson slammed both hands on the table. “All right, on to new business. We’re meeting at Barney’s early next Saturday morning. One of the hunters over in River’s Edge has discovered a Vampire’s lair, and he wants some backup. I’ll pick you up around six.”

“Six, right.”

“Another thing. There’s a Vampire here in town.”

“Yeah, Cordova. He’s supposed to keep the peace.”

“Cordova,” Jackson said. “I’ve heard of him.”

“Are you planning to take him out, too?”

“All in good time,” Jackson said, smiling. “All in good time.” Rising, he slapped McGee on the back. “I’ll see you next Saturday. And remember what I said about the missus. Don’t wait too long. The closer it gets to the full moon, the harder it will be on her, and on you.”

Looking miserable, McGee rose from the table and left the building.

Still hovering near the ceiling, Rafe was tempted to materialize and put one Vampire hunter permanently out of commission, and then he smiled inwardly.
All in good time,
he thought, mimicking Travis Jackson’s words.
All in good time.

But first, he had to warn the River’s Edge Vampire community that their lair had been discovered.

I went to church Sunday morning, but I was so lost in my own misery, I didn’t hear a word of Reverend Paul’s sermon. Staring up at the stained glass window over the altar, all I could think about was Rafe. Would I see him later? If he came over, would things be the same between us, or had I ruined everything?

At home, the hours dragged by. Determined to put Rafe out of my mind, I called my mom and dad, and then I called a cousin I hadn’t talked to in months, and then I called Susie’s house, but no one answered the phone. I didn’t know whether to be worried about that or not. Her mother could have taken her out to lunch, or maybe Rick had taken the boys back to his mother’s house and Susie had gone to visit them.

I wandered through the house and then, feeling thoroughly depressed, I curled up on my bed and took a nap.

It was late afternoon when I woke. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I blew out a sigh and then, on the spur of the moment, I decided to get out of the house. I’d been spending too much time alone. I’d go for a short walk, and then drive over to Carrie’s Café for an early dinner.

I hadn’t realized how cool and cloudy it was until I stepped outside. I considered going back inside for a jacket, then decided a brisk walk in the chill air was just what I needed to clear my head.

Shoulders hunched against the cold, I set out with no particular destination in mind. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when I ended up in front of Susie’s house. She was my friend, and it still bothered me that she hadn’t answered the phone.

I paused on the sidewalk. The house looked closed up tight. I was trying to decide what to do when I felt a sudden chill that had nothing to do with the cold slither down my spine.

“What are you doing here?”

I practically jumped out of my skin as Cagin’s voice whispered in my ear. Before I could reply, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me behind the tall hedge that separated Susie’s house from her neighbor’s.

I pressed a hand over my heart. “What are
you
doing here? I thought all the Vampires and Weres had been ordered to leave town.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t feel like leaving.”

“Won’t you get in trouble for staying?”

“I’ve been in trouble before.”

Shivering, I folded my arms across my chest. “Why are you watching Susie’s house?”

“Because two Vampires have also been watching her.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Why would Vampires be watching a Werewolf?”

“Beats the hell out of me,” he replied, his gaze sliding away from mine. “That’s why I’m here.”

While I was trying to make sense of Cagin’s answer, Susie’s garage door opened. In the overhead light, I saw that Rick was behind the wheel. Susie sat beside him. There was no sign of the boys. I wondered if they were at her mother-in-law’s, or if her mother was watching them.

Cagin swore under his breath as the car backed out of the driveway and onto the street.

A moment later, a tall, dark shadow emerged from the side of the house and then, in the twinkling of an eye, it was gone.

Cagin’s hand tightened on my arm. “DeLongpre! Dammit!”

I frowned. Were Rafe’s grandparents the Vampires Cagin had referred to? Why would they be watching Susie? Was Rafe’s grandmother here, too? Time to worry about that later, I thought. Right now I feared Cagin was going to rip my arm from its socket.

“Let me go; you’re hurting me,” I said, and then, seeing the feral light in his eyes, I wished I had kept my mouth shut. Staring into those yellow eyes, I felt like one of the three little pigs confronting the big bad wolf.

His eyes changed, until they were no longer human. His lips peeled back in a silent snarl, baring his teeth.

I stared at him, suddenly fearing for my life. Surely he wouldn’t transform and devour me here, in a public place! Even as that thought crossed my mind, I realized that the thick shrub would prevent anyone from seeing us.

I opened my mouth to scream for help, but all that emerged from my throat was a pathetic sob.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Rafe was there.

“Let her go.” His voice was mild, but there was nothing the least bit passive in his expression or the taut line of his body. His eyes glowed red, and when Cagin didn’t release me immediately, Rafe’s lips peeled back, displaying his fangs.

Feeling like a rabbit trapped between two predators, I glanced from Rafe to Cagin and back again. Would Cagin let me go, or would I be caught in the middle of a fight between two Supernatural creatures, either one of which could destroy me in a heartbeat?

“I said let her go,” Rafe repeated, and though his voice was still soft, I heard the steel underneath.

Apparently, Cagin did, too. With a growl, he shoved me aside.

I fell hard, scraping my knee against a decorative rock, but I was hardly aware of the pain as I stared at the battle being silently waged in front of me.

I told myself to hightail it out of Dodge while the getting was good, but I couldn’t move. I could only huddle there in morbid fascination as Cagin transformed into a beast. It was an awesome thing to see. He shook off his clothing and kicked off his sandals as he changed. Fear tore at my heart. Surely Rafe didn’t stand a chance against a Were-tiger! But even as the thought crossed my mind, Rafe’s body was also changing shape. Somewhere in the back of my mind I registered the fact that his clothing simply disappeared. An instant later, a large panther stood in Rafe’s place, its coat sleek and black.

The two creatures came together in a rush, teeth and claws rending fur and flesh as they rolled on the ground.

I scrambled out of the way, my heart pounding with dread.

It was a fearsome sight, mesmerizing in its intensity; frightening, yet beautiful, like a savage ballet. I backed up another step and realized I wasn’t alone. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Rafe’s grandmother standing behind me, her eyes glowing red as she watched the battle.

“Do something!” I cried. “Can’t you do something?”

“I could,” she replied, “but Rafe would never forgive me for interfering.”

I wondered how she could be so calm when her grandson’s life was in danger.

The creatures parted for a moment. Panting heavily, they stared at each other. Blood smeared their mouths and dripped from the numerous bites and scratches that appeared on both of them. Cagin seemed to be favoring his right foreleg.

I held my breath, hoping the fight was over. Both were injured. Both were bleeding.

Rafe took a step toward Cagin, his lips peeled back in a silent snarl.

He froze, as did Cagin, at the sound of voices coming toward us.

Between one heartbeat and the next, Cagin and Rafe resumed their own forms. Cagin turned and disappeared into the darkness between the two houses. Rafe vanished in a swirl of silver mist, as did his grandmother. If Cagin’s clothing hadn’t been scattered on the ground, I might have thought I imagined the whole thing.

Tossing Cagin’s clothing under a bush, I quickly made my way up to Susie’s front porch and knocked on the door as if nothing untoward had happened and I was merely stopping by for a visit.

On the sidewalk, a man and a woman strolled by, completely unaware of the life-and-death struggle their presence had interrupted. I wished I could thank them.

As soon as they were out of sight, I ran down the street and didn’t stop running until I was at home behind a locked door.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the wood.

“Kathy.”

Rafe’s voice, so soft I thought I had imagined it. And then I heard it again, louder. Opening my eyes, I turned around, and he was there, his clothing stained with blood, his face, neck, arms, and no doubt the rest of him, covered with nasty-looking bites and deep scratches. Even as I watched, the smaller wounds were healing, fading, until only a deep laceration across his left forearm remained.

I stared at him, at the faint red glow that lingered in his eyes, and knew what he wanted. I waited for him to ask, and as the seconds ticked by, I realized he wasn’t going to. I was going to have to offer.

My legs were shaky as I walked to the sofa and sat down. I was acutely aware of his gaze on my face. Leaning my head back against the sofa, I closed my eyes.

“Just don’t take too much,” I said, and my voice was every bit as shaky as my legs had been. He had bitten me before, but his desire then had been fueled by passion, not physical need. I wondered if there would be a difference. Would his bite still bring me pleasure? Did he see me now not as a lover, but as prey?

My hands clenched as he sat beside me. His knuckles stroked my cheek, the length of my neck. Kisses followed in the wake of his touch, and then I felt the prick of his fangs at my throat. Pleasure flowed through me. I felt lighter than air, felt as though I could soar through the heavens. I wondered what he was feeling, and no sooner had I done so, then it was as if I was walking in his mind. There was pleasure there, too, mingled with an easing of physical pain. I felt his strength returning, and with it, his desire.

I opened my eyes to find him staring down at me. His eyes were no longer red; the wounds that I had seen had healed, leaving no trace of a scar.
Amazing,
I thought. He looked strong and fit while I felt light-headed and a little disoriented.

Muttering “stay here,” he went into the kitchen.

I closed my eyes, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep, though I was certain to have nightmares after what I had seen.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Rafe was shaking my shoulder, pressing a glass of orange juice to my lips, insisting I drink. When I emptied the glass, he filled it again and coaxed me to drink that, too.

“I’m all right,” I said. “Don’t look so worried.”

He stroked my cheek. “What am I to do with you?”

“Anything you want,” I murmured.

I closed my eyes. Had I imagined it, or had I heard Rafe whisper, “No bad dreams tonight” before I slid into welcome oblivion?

That night, I dreamed a wonderful dream. In it, Rafe and I were holding hands as we walked along a sandy beach. A full moon cast silver highlights on the surface of the water. The sand was warm beneath my bare feet, the air tangy with the scent of salt and surf, but it wasn’t the ocean or the night that held me in its spell, it was the man beside me. He wore nothing but a pair of black trunks, and I couldn’t stop looking at him, couldn’t stop admiring his well-muscled physique. I was jealous of the moonlight that danced in his midnight black hair and caressed his tawny skin.

A wave washed up on the shore, and I gasped as the icy water splashed over my legs. In an instant, Rafe had me in his arms, cradled against his chest.

“Better?” he asked.

Locking my arms around his neck, I murmured, “Oh, yes,” thinking that nothing could be better than being held in his embrace.

He proved me wrong by showering me with kisses, one deeply erotic kiss after another, until I was on fire for him. “Rafe.”

Just his name, but he knew what I wanted. He carried me across the sand to a sheltered cove. Miraculously, a blanket sprinkled with bloodred rose petals awaited us there. The light from a dozen candles cast flickering shadows on the rocks and sand.

He lowered me onto the blanket; then, stretching out beside me, he drew me into his arms and kissed me again. Whether it was one kiss or many, I didn’t know. His hands played lightly over my oh-so-willing flesh, making my body sing a new song. He was the master and I his eager student, anxious to discover the secrets behind his fathomless black eyes, willing to follow wherever he led. His body was taut beneath my questing fingertips, his skin smooth, cool to my eager touch, exhilarating to my senses. He let me explore to my heart’s content, let me touch and taste whatsoever I desired.

Ah, desire…it hummed through my veins, sizzled over my skin. The prick of his fangs only heightened each sensation, carrying me to dizzying heights, yet I climbed them unafraid because I knew Rafe was waiting for me there, just as I knew that he would never let me fall….

I woke to the sound of my alarm, amazed that I had slept so late. I set the alarm clock every night as a precaution, but I always woke before it went off.

Sitting up, I realized I was wearing a pair of pink bikini briefs and a T-shirt and nothing else. Funny, I didn’t remember undressing or getting into bed.

Rafe,
I thought,
he must have undressed me and put me to bed.
I glanced at the other side of the mattress, frowned when I saw a faint indentation in the other pillow, as though someone had been there only moments ago. I ran my fingertips over the pillowcase, smiling as I realized that Rafe had spent the night beside me.

The dream I’d had flashed through my mind. Had it been a dream? It had seemed so real, the smell of the ocean, the feel of the sand and the sea beneath my feet, the taste of salt water on my tongue…the taste of Rafe on my lips, the heat of his body intimately pressed to mine.

I shook my head. Of course it had been a dream. What else could it have been? We were nowhere near the ocean.

Brushing away my confusion, I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, only then remembering my visit to Susie’s house and the fight that had ensued between Rafe and Cagin. Thinking of it now made me shiver. I had never seen such a bloody battle before, nor realized the extent of Rafe’s ability to heal. And my blood had helped. It pleased me that he had come to me instead of going to a stranger. Everything about him pleased me, I thought, smiling.

Ten minutes later, wrapped in a towel, I went to the phone and dialed Susie’s number, felt a surge of relief when she answered on the second ring.

“Susie! How are you?”

“Hi, Kathy, I’m fine, why?”

“Nothing. I mean, I called you last night and you didn’t answer and…and I was worried.” I decided not to mention that I had gone by her house, or that a Were-tiger and a pair of Vampires had been lurking in the dark.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I heard the phone, but Rick and I were on our way out. I’m surprised the machine didn’t pick up.”