Shadowed (Dark Protectors) (28 page)

L
ily Sotheby settled back into the worn leather of the booth, her fingers around the stem of a wineglass. “This cabernet is, um . . .”

“Piss.” Hilde Freebird pulled the label off her longneck beer as Garth Brooks crooned from the jukebox. “You don’t order wine at a honky-tonk, Prophet.”

“Shhh.” Janie Kayrs, the other accomplice, said, eyeing the peanut shells lining the tavern’s floor. “Don’t call her that.”

“Oh yeah. My bad.” Hilde pushed her glasses farther up her nose and nodded at a group of men playing pool. Fit and hard, several wore handmade silk suits. They seemed out of place, as well. “Have you chosen?”

This was such an incredibly bad idea. “No.” Lily tracked the distance from the booth to the door. “If the king discovers we’re at a bar, he’s going to kill me.” What in the heck was she thinking bringing the vampire king’s niece to a public bar? Half of the immortal species wanted to kidnap Janie, the other half wanted her dead.

Janie snorted. “I know. We’re safe because nobody in the world would expect to find us here. But I’m twenty-five, and I’ve always wanted a real night out with the girls—without vampires or bodyguards.”

Hilde nodded. “That is important for a human woman, which you are. And getting the prophet laid is an admirable goal.”

On all that was holy. Lily’s face heated. “I’m sure I don’t remember how to, ah, copulate.” She’d mated a vampire three centuries ago, and he’d died shortly thereafter. Once mated, a vampire or mate could never become intimate with another being . . . until now.

“Well, first you need to stop using the word
copulate
.” Jane took a swig of beer. “How odd is it that a virus created by our enemies now allows you a second chance at love?”

Forget love. Lily just wanted an orgasm with somebody else in the room. “Virus-27 is designed to unravel our chromosomes until we become bacteria . . . no doubt we’ll die before that happens.” But, for now, the virus took away the mating ties, and she could actually touch a man again without inflicting a horrible allergic reaction upon them both. If she found a man. She smoothed down her long skirt.

“Speaking of copulation”—Hilde clucked her tongue—“did you have to dress like a puritan?”

Lily examined her flowering gown. “This is how I dress.”

“Well, at least ditch the sweater.” Without waiting for agreement, Hilde grasped the sweater’s hem and yanked it over Lily’s head. “Oh my.”

Lily glanced down at her breasts rising above the bustier. “This is to be worn
underneath
the sweater.”

“Not if you want nookie.” Hilde shoved the sweater in her bulky purse. “Come on. Unlike you, I’m a widow who hasn’t contracted the virus and can’t touch a male without an allergic reaction. You must
get some
for both of us.”

Lily tried to relax and smile at her friend. Hilde had moved in with the vampires when her granddaughter had mated one of the king’s brothers, and she’d become a friend to Lily and a pain in the butt to the vampires. “This top is indecent,” Lily murmured.

Janie smiled, pretty blue eyes lightening. “You look hot.” She leaned forward. “In a couple of days, you’re going to be so busy brokering the end of the war, you won’t have time for fun. You deserve this. Now pick a man.”

Lily cleared her throat. “As one of three Realm prophets, I feel the need to caution you about strange men and pre-matehood sex.”

“Shut up.” Hilde grinned as the waitress set down shots of tequila. Waiting until the woman had bustled away, Hilde pushed glasses toward the other two women. “Here’s to ending the vampire war.”

Lily took her glass. “To peace.” Tipping back her head, she allowed the liquor to slide down her throat with instant heat. Her eyes watered.

Janie played with the label on her beer. “So, ah, Caleb Donovan is supposed to arrive at headquarters in a few days.”

The mere mention of the vampire’s name sent heat spiraling through Lily’s body to pool in her abdomen. “All three of us prophets will be involved in negotiations.”

Hilde rolled her eyes. “Come on. Even though I’ve only been at headquarters a short time, I’ve noticed how you blush whenever the Realm rebel is mentioned.”

Lily sighed. “We dated briefly centuries ago, but my parents arranged a marriage to somebody else. Caleb was angry, but duty called.” She’d always wondered if she’d made a mistake in choosing duty.

Janie sighed. “Screw duty. Caleb is hot. Maybe you should scratch an old itch and forget finding a human male for the night.”

“No.” Lily straightened her shoulders. “Caleb was kicked out of the Realm and only returned because your uncle needed allies in the war. Then, when fate made Caleb a prophet, our chance for anything ended. He’s so angry, and he hates being a prophet.”

“That’s because he’s a vampire and a soldier. The soft approach doesn’t work for him.” Janie frowned. “Sometimes fate gets it wrong. Trust me.”

Enough talk about fate and the mistakes of the past. Lily glanced around the tavern. “The bartender is handsome.”

Her friends instantly swiveled to check out the blond behind the bar. Green eyes, broad chest, hard-earned tan.

Hilde blew out air. “A twenty-five-year-old human male in that good of shape? I bet he could go all night.”

Lily coughed out the scent of peanuts, dust, and tequila. “For goodness’ sake. I can’t do this.” Especially with a human only on earth a quarter of a century. He was just a kid.

Janie nodded. “Yeah, I agree. You need a guy with some mileage . . . experience matters.”

Lily turned in slow motion to eye the psychic. “You’re much too young to be so wise. Tell me you haven’t been dabbling with some guy with mileage.”

Janie grinned. “Don’t ask questions if you don’t want the answers.”

Yeah, right. The poor woman never had a moment to herself. “Someday you’ll find your bliss, Janie.” Lily straightened her shoulders. “Now, let’s finish our drinks and go catch a movie.”

Hilde frowned. “No sex?”

“No. I’m a prophet, for Pete’s sake. I can’t sleep with one of these boys under thirty years old.” Lily sighed. Dignity was her middle name, darn it.

Hilde pushed her beer way. “Seriously. No sex?”

“Now, that would be a shame.” One of the men from the pool area slid around the corner, his wide shoulders blocking the nearest light. “Sex with strangers can be exhilarating.”

Hilde’s smile lit up her green eyes. “Exactly.” Scooting from the booth, she all but shoved the man in. “This is Lily, and she’s trying to ‘get back out there’ after ending a relationship a long time ago.”

The man held out a hand. “Peter Dunphy, and I know what you mean.”

Janie slid from the booth and gave Lily a look. “We’ll go play darts. I expect to see his license if you decide to leave with him.” The woman followed Hilde.

Lily’s mouth dropped open. She shook her head, “I, ah—”

Peter captured her hand and shook. “It’s all right, Lily. No judgment here.” He yanked on his silk tie and loosened the top. “I like your bar.”

“This is my first time here.” If Peter didn’t stop ogling her chest, she might have to kick him. “This doesn’t seem like your kind of place.”

“We finished signing a deal around the corner, and this seemed like a good place to let off some steam. I’m a financial broker.” His voice lowered on the last as if the statement should impress her.

“That’s nice.” Lily tried to signal her friends. Time to leave.

“What do you do?” Peter asked her breasts.

“Well, they just sit there mainly.” Lily waited until his gaze rose to her face. “I, on the other hand, am a counselor.” Which was true. “But I have an early morning tomorrow and need to get going.”

“Early morning? What are you, twenty-five?” Peter leaned in close, charm in his smile.

Three-hundred and twenty-five, actually. “I feel much older.”

He frowned and brushed her hair from her face. “You look like a princess with those blue eyes and white-blond hair. And you smell like . . . what is that?”

Strawberries, or so she’d been told. She allowed her empathic abilities to open just a bit and then drew away from the darkness in her new companion. Kindness lived nowhere in the man.

“Strawberries,” he mused. His eyes darkened. “I’d love to taste you. How about we get out of here?”

Caution straightened her shoulders, and she plastered on her smoothest smile. “I appreciate your offer, but I must be going.” She moved to scoot from the booth.

His hand wrapped around her wrist. “Don’t tease. I heard you earlier—and I know what you want. A girl like you from a place like this? You could even earn some money if you make me really happy. You gave the token refusal, and now we’re going to leave.”

Lily centered her mind. This was so bad.

Janie Kayrs instantly appeared at the table. “Is everything all right?” She glanced pointedly at Peter’s restraining hand.

“Just fine.” Lily shook loose. “Though I’m ready to go.”

Peter grabbed her upper arm. “You’re not leaving.” He glared at Janie. “Get out of the way, or you’re going to get hurt.”

Janie slid one leg back. “Let go of my friend. Now.”

Lily’s heart roared into gear. God. This was going to be disastrous. She bunched her free hand into a fist and nailed Peter in the Adam’s apple. His eyes widened, he released her, and then he grabbed his throat.

Janie tugged her from the booth. “Let’s go.”

They turned and ran into Peter’s friends. The closest one glanced at his choking buddy and then frowned at Lily. “You hit him?”

“She sure did.” Janie instantly side-kicked one guy, following up with a punch to the gut.

Lily went for the groin shot, knocking the guy down.

A third man ran from the pool area, and Hilde smacked a beer bottle down on his head. “Whoo-hoo,” she yelped as he fell.

Oh, things just couldn’t get worse. Lily grabbed Janie’s arm. “Run, now.”

Peter launched from the booth and captured Lily from behind. Bugger that. She’d trained for three hundred years and might accidentally hurt the guy.

The front door opened, and the situation went from disastrous to pure hell. Lily stiffened, her eyes widening as two men stalked into the bar. Tension spiraled through the room, and furious multicolored eyes met hers.

“Caleb,” she whispered.

He was even bigger than she remembered. Well over six feet, broad, and dangerous as hell, the Realm rebel filled the doorway. His blond hair hung to his shoulders, and those odd eyes promised death.

He took in the scene with one glance, focusing on the male currently holding Lily against her will. He stepped forward, only to have the king grab his arm.

“They’re human,” Dage muttered.

“I don’t give a shit.” Three steps into the room, and Caleb focused on the guy behind her. “Let go, or I’ll take your head off.”

Peter released Lily and paused, as if trying to decide whether or not to take him on. Good sense apparently took over, and he angled to the side to haul his buddies up. “She said she wanted to get laid—I was just trying to help. Let’s go.” They scurried from the tavern.

Caleb didn’t move, yet somehow his gaze landed on her. “What in the hell are you wearing?”

“None of your business.” She’d give anything to retrieve her sweater from Hilde.

The king sighed, his focus on his niece. “What are you doing in a bar without bodyguards?”

Janie pressed both hands against her hips. “You
tracked
me? I mean, you have a tracker on me?” Fury flashed red through the woman’s face.

“No.” Dage shuffled his feet in the peanut shells. “We have a tracker on Hilde.” He winced and glanced at the forty-something woman. “Sorry, but we figured you’d venture out at some point.”

Hilde pursed her lips, thought, and then shrugged. “Yes. Good call.”

Lily lifted her chin and tried to find some dignity. “I believe it’s time we went on our way.”

Caleb pivoted and blocked her path. The scent of male and wildness washed over her along with his heat. She’d forgotten his heat.

“Dage, we’ll be along later. Prophet business and all of that.” Caleb didn’t move as he spoke. His eyes dared her to contradict him.

“You sure?” Dage asked, reaching for Hilde’s arm.

“Yes.” Caleb gestured Lily back into the booth. “We need to talk.”

She thought about protesting, but truly, she’d caused enough of a scene for one night. So she retook her seat.

Dage escorted Hilde and Janie out of the tavern. Anybody who’d watched the scuffle went back to their business.

Caleb’s gaze raked Lily’s top, her breasts, and rose to her face, effectively pinning her in place. Red spiraled across his rugged cheekbones, and his nostrils flared. “So. Rumor has it you want to get laid.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R
EBECCA
Z
ANETTI
has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner—only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She is a member of RWA, has won awards for her works throughout the industry, and has a journalism degree with a poli-sci emphasis from Pepperdine University as well as a Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho.

 

Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family, who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.

 

Please visit Rebecca at
www.rebeccazanetti.com
.