SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (267 page)

A bright swarm of lights and sirens rushed in from behind.
Finally
. Relief flooded her as three SUVs and a handful of cars swooped in. Guys came streaming out, ready to clean up.

Her relief didn’t last long. When she turned back to the clearing, Agent Fowler had been cuffed and put on his knees. Blood dripped from his snarling mouth.

Ash lay in a tight ball on the ground in human form. The flesh on his neck and side was torn. Blood shone on his skin in the light of the nearly full moon.

He wasn’t moving.

Ash. No.

Sherri ran over. “Ash. Come on.” She was afraid to even check for a pulse. Blood ran
everywhere.
She pulled off her shirt and pressed it to the wound at his neck, hoping to stop some of the blood. “Come on, honey. You need to hang in there. I can’t lose you. I just found you.”

A younger version of Ash in a uniform dropped to one knee. This must be the brother. “Shit. We had trouble with surveillance or we would’ve been here sooner. Fucking budget. We need emergency services,” he said into his radio. He glanced at Sherri. “He shifted rapidly?”

“Twice. I couldn’t even follow him, he was so fast.”

The man muttered a tired-sounding “fuck,” and spoke into the radio again. “Tell them to bring adrenaline shots. Be prepared for a crash. We’ve also got unidentified bites and significant blood loss.”

Sherri looked down at Ash and back up, waiting for an explanation. “The transition is hard on our bodies. Doing it so fast, especially for those of us who are more human…” He shook his head.

No.
“He made it sound like it was only about stress to his joints.”

“We’re rearranging everything when we shift, organs and all. Trying to force it at the snap of our fingers can cause shock to the system.”

Sherri shook her head. Squeezing Ash’s hand, she whispered, “You have to get through this. You promised me a date, okay?”

Ash’s brother smiled, moving back for the paramedics who had arrived to take Ash away. “Hang in there. He’s tough.”

Sherri pressed her lips together. “Jojo said something about Ash killing his mother. I know Jojo’s nuts, but I can’t help but wonder what he meant.”

The brother turned, frowning. “You should talk to Ash about our mom. When he’s able.”

Something squeezed tight in her chest. Whatever it was, she refused to believe it would be a deal-breaker.
Please don’t let it be a deal-breaker.
Wondering would make her crazy, she knew that much.

Her heart jammed in her throat as she looked as Ash, bleeding there on the ground. Right now, she needed to know he could pull through this. Without that, there was nothing more to say.

In the hubbub of emergency workers and officers interviewing witnesses, a shot boomed. Everyone turned to see a nude Zoe standing over Jojo, who now had one very large hole in his forehead.

Zoe dropped the gun. Tears streamed down her face. “You idiots, he wasn’t dead yet. You gotta be damned sure about these things.”

What the hell? Where did she even come from?

“Ash is in good hands. I’d better see about Zoe.”

As Ash’s brother ran off, Zoe shifted into something large and catlike, and disappeared into the dark. Holy crap, how many nonhuman things were out here in this desert?

Sherri stood as they took Ash to the ambulance, hoping she’d had her last new experience for a long while.

* * *

Ash groaned at the nurse who brought him lunch. “Do I look like I eat broth and Jell-O?”

Jett flicked at his arm. “Suck it up. You’re lucky to be alive. Be grateful. And if you don’t want your Jell-O, give it to me.”

“Yeah, buddy. Quit your bitching. Nobody else on this ward wants to serve you before the full moon. I’m what you’ve got, or you get no food until you’re released.” Ash’s nurse was a burly lone
were
who’d amazingly been kicked out of his pack for being the runt of the litter. The male stood nose-to-nose with Ash at six-two. Or he would, if Ash was allowed out of bed.

Ash blew hot air through his nostrils. Being in bed and unable to run, pace, or otherwise work out his frustrations with a full moon due that night was making him crazy. “Listen, I feel fine. I need to get out of here.”

“If you’re antsy I can sedate you.”

“No fucking drugs. I’ll behave.” He’d rather fidget than get knocked out.

Jett looked over the top of his GQ magazine. “Don’t believe him. Better give him the drugs. Give him the good stuff.”

Ash motioned to his brother. “Come here, I have something to tell you.”

“Hell no, I’m not buying that trick. I’m not twelve anymore.”

Ash’s nurse gave him the “I’m watching you” gesture and slipped out the door.

They raised their heads for a knock at the door. Kyle appeared with one of those clear hospital bags of his belongings clutched in his hands.

“Hey, Eagle Eye. Glad to see you’re still kicking.” Word was, Kyle had taken a bullet to the arm in all of the confusion. Ash appreciated the kid’s sacrifice. “They springing you?”

Kyle shrugged. “I’m springing myself. Insurance, you know? Just thought I’d say goodbye.”

“Knock, knock, motherfuckers.” Tiny Joe, Ash’s not-too-tiny night manager, strutted in, followed by Cleia, Sasha, and Danielle, three members of Ash’s evening staff, bearing flowers, a gift basket, and some ridiculous rainbow bear dressed in a One Direction T-shirt. He handed the bear to Kyle.

“Nice, man. Real nice.” Kyle handed the bear to Jett.

Jett stuck the bear back on Ash’s bed. “No way, brother. You’ll need this for when you’re crying yourself to sleep at night.”

“What’s this about crying?” Jett’s partner stuck his head in the door.

Ash groaned. “Really, guys?” If the room got any more crowded he was going to get another lecture from the floor nurse.

The guy shrugged. “They said you were awake. Thought I’d see if we could get a better description of this creature. Man, real fucked-up. Also, your sister-in-law still won’t eat, drink, or speak to anyone.”

“Let me see what I can work out with her,” Jett said.

Turned out Agent Fowler, whether he’d been a real-life Chupacabra or some other hybrid species of
were
, his motive hadn’t been illegal prostitution after all. Not that it wouldn’t have been bad enough. But he’d been trying to turn unwilling young women into whatever the fuck one of him was, selecting ones who he thought had the mythical latent gene, and biting them during the rising full moon. Ash hated to think how many had died, how many more had their lives irrevocably changed.

That was
if
turning humans into
weres
could even be more than legend. According to Jett, the evil fucker had been beaten to a pulp in the back of a transport van after capture, so it looked like they’d never know.

Detective Parker tapped his pen on a little notebook in his hand. “Well I should get back. Ash, if you think of anything more you can tell us about the weird monster guy you chose to tussle with, let us know.”

“Actually…” Ash’s head flopped against the pillow. Sherri. She’d known this guy somehow. Had faced him so fearlessly with a gun. She’d be the person to ask.

He thought about that date he’d promised her and wondered if he’d see her again. When he gazed up at the ceiling, her smell—that gorgeous scent Ash couldn’t erase from his memory—assailed his nostrils.

“Oh-kay, well it sure is a crowded house in here. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” Sherri. Holy fuck, he wasn’t imagining things.

The object of Ash’s thoughts stood in the doorway. All the gawkers in the room had clammed up, staring at her like she was a circus act. “And apparently my showing up here is some kind of surprise…?” She waved her fingers like jazz-hands, showing a bandaged wrist that made Ash’s chest ache.

Damn, though, he liked it when she was funny. “Uh, everyone, this is Sherri. Sherri, this is everyone. You met my brother Jett, next to him is Kyle, who you also met before. They kinda helped save our asses.” He gave Jett—who’d always had some issue with Kyle beyond Ash’s garden-variety distaste of pack-groupies—a meaningful look. “Then we have Tiny Joe, who’s my manager at Howlers. These three lovely ladies help keep the customers happy, and that guy right next to you is looking for information about the weird-assed thing that mauled me.”

“I… can probably help you there.” She looked around again, still seeming uncomfortable with entering the room.

“All right everyone, I’m gonna need a few minutes to talk to Sherri.”

Jett stood. “Aaand that’s our cue.” With that, he herded all the muttering and shuffling folks toward the door.

“Hey. Kyle.” Ash whistled, and waited for the kid to turn.

“Sir?”

“You ever need anything, a place to stay or whatever, you let me know. Okay?”

Kyle bowed his head and headed out of the door.

Ash pointed a finger at his brother, the last to leave. “Be nice.”

“I’m always nice.”

Ash threw a wadded up napkin, but it hit the closing door.

The click of Sherri’s heels on the floor sounded like the slowest thing ever while he waited for her to be by his side.

“So,” she said. She pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, but didn’t elaborate on her thoughts.

“So.” He agreed on the awkwardness, anyway.

She smoothed a hand over her lap and then reached over the bed rail to put the other hand on his. Her touch felt careful. After everything they’d been through, her hesitation didn’t sit right. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” she said. “I was worried.”

He tried to give her his biggest carefree grin, but the wounds on his face and neck pulled painfully. “Hey. It’s gonna take more than a little mythical psycho-beast to keep me down.”

She bit her lips together, but a hint of smile graced the corners of her mouth.

“Something’s got you worried. You do that thing where you bite your lips when you’re worried.”

She smiled for real this time. “A couple of crazy days together, and you know all my tells?”

“And nights.” He reached for her chin, urging her to look in his eyes. “Tell me.”

She dropped her shoulders. “When Jojo was dying, he croaked out this insane story that I shouldn’t trust you because you killed your mother. You’ve been above board with me as far as I know, but we also haven’t known each other long. I’ve had trouble getting what he said off my mind.”

He closed his eyes. “Yeah. Jett told me you’d asked. It’s a hard thing to speak about because part of me loves my father, but he wasn’t a good man. I told you my mom was human. She got ill and was in a world of pain, I think in part because of his neglect. Living so far away from other humans didn’t work out well for her, and then he broke pack law by leaving her for Jojo’s mother. Made her an outcast.

“She was hurting, Sherri. Miserable. It reached the point that no treatment worked, and nobody would associate with her. She couldn’t leave the house and she begged me to help her end things. Not Jett, because of his job. Had to be me.”

Sherri’s hand went over her mouth.

Ash drew a painful breath. “I’m not in that life anymore, but I had friends. I got her some strong pain meds. She went in her sleep.” He swiped at the moisture on his face. “I’m not proud, but I’m grateful her suffering ended.”

Sherri squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”

He managed to shrug. “The decision was hers. She took the pills herself, but I made it possible. If you’d seen her… I feel like I did what I had to.” He looked toward the stark, white wall, his heart breaking over the memory. “Listen, I understand now if you can’t see me again. I’d appreciate it if you could maybe not share what I said with anyone. Although, if you need to, I understand that, too.

A mighty
Kaboom
echoed in his ears while he waited for her reply.

Sherri shrugged her shoulders high up around her ears. “It’s in your past. I have no reason to tell anybody, even if I wanted to.” She leaned up closer to him. “As of this morning, I’m out of a job.”

Ash coughed. “They fired you?”

“I quit.” She smiled. “Sent in my resignation. It has come to my attention that my interests and those of the bureau are no longer aligned.” Her head went from one side to the other. “Well, that was the gist, anyway. I didn’t have a polite way to say ‘I’ve run into too many nut jobs.’”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I thought I might talk to your brother. See if I can get in with local PD.” She looked around. “I don’t know for sure. I have time to think. First, I think I’m going to go ahead and take that vacation time I’d planned. I need to de-stress.”

She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. “Besides, someone here owes me a date. I was thinking dinner. Maybe mini golf. I’ve never actually played.”

This time, he did grin. Discomfort be damned. “You still want to go out?”

Sherri smiled. “Hey, we almost got fake wolf-married. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

He chuckled. “I’m stuck in here a couple more days. I hope you’ll wait for me.” He threaded his fingers through hers. Glory fucking hallelujah. She was staying. She’d come back for him. She wanted to be with him more, even after everything they’d been through together. Or maybe even because of it. Could he still blame the rising full moon on the storm of hope and excitement inside him?

She grinned. “You better heal fast. That brother of yours is very handsome.”

“You’re not at all his type, I’m afraid.”

She rolled her eyes. “Then I suppose I’ll have to hold out for the top dog.”

“You’re very generous,” Ash growled.

“Well, you did rescue me from my crazy fake in-laws.”

“I know how to go the extra mile for my woman’s needs.”

That one made her cheeks get all red. “You certainly do.” Her face took on a serious expression. The heat of her palm caressed his cheek. “I really was afraid I’d lost you. I’m so relieved you’re going to be okay.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” He managed to get his hand behind her neck. She had her hair up again today, clipped back in an elegant twist. It made her neck look long and even more graceful. He pulled her forward, touching his lips to her forehead and nose. “Is it wrong that I’m already looking forward to getting you naked again?”