“Sit down and finish your food.” He shrugged. “I fed before I left Hannibal.”
She grudgingly sat back down and reached for the chocolate cake.
“I hope they gave you indigestion.”
“Actually she was a tasty morsel.” He leaned forward, allowing the scent of spring rain to wrap around him. “A pity I couldn’t linger. She was eager to offer more than dinner.”
“Feel free to rush back and finish your meal and whatever else you want. Take your time.” She took a large bite of cake, a dab of icing clinging to her lower lip. “In fact, take an eternity.”
Unable to resist temptation, Tane swooped forward, licking the icing off her lip before returning to snare a kiss of pure, unrestrained desire.
He swore as hunger slammed into him with a shocking force. He hadn’t lied when he said he’d fed before entering the cabin in Hannibal, but just having this female near was enough to stir a dangerous craving.
For blood and so much more.
“I could release you, Laylah,” he whispered against her lips.
With enough force to crack a rib she shoved him away, rising to her feet with an expression of panic.
Not that he entirely blamed her.
He wasn’t sure that he shouldn’t be doing his own share of panicking.
He never let his c**k rule his head. Not anymore.
But he was beginning to suspect that with the proper incentive this woman could make him sacrifice his own sanity to complete what he just started.
“Great, then I’ll be on my way. Don’t bother to write …”
He flowed to his feet, wrapping his arms around her slender body to prevent her escape.
“And where would you go?”
“Anywhere that’s not here.”
He cupped her chin, forcing her face up to meet his searching gaze. “Caine’s lair is now in the hands of Salvatore.”
She bit her lip, attempting to pretend that she wasn’t shaken by his words.
“You don’t know that for sure.”
He didn’t, of course. But, when he’d left Salvatore in the tunnel with his curs and the aggravating gargoyle, the King of Weres was foaming at the mouth to get his claws into Caine so he could rip out his heart.
And when a furious Were decided to rip out a heart, there were few things that could stop him.
“A cur is no match for a full-blooded Were. Especially when that Were happens to be the King. By now Caine is dead and the rest of the curs are being punished for their treachery.” His hands instinctively skimmed down her back, lingering on the tantalizing curve of her hips. “The moment you try to get near the lair you’ll be captured.”
Distracted by his acute pleasure in having her pressed so tightly against him, Tane was unprepared when she sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darkening with horror.
Shoving out of his arms, she dropped to her knees, her hands pressed together in the universal sign of pleading.
“Please, I beg of you,” she whispered. “Let me go.”
Chapter 2
It wasn’t the first time that Laylah had been on her knees. She had turned begging into an art form during her time in Sergei Krakov’s brutal care.
What the hell did pride matter when the safety of a helpless child was at stake?
“Tane …”
He brought an abrupt end to her plea as he grabbed her arms and jerked her upright, pressing her tight against his body as he whispered directly in her ear.
“Ssh, my sweet. We are no longer alone.”
Laylah stiffened. She’d been so distracted by Tane she’d failed to notice the unmistakable scent that filled the air.
“Vampires.” Her eyes narrowed. “Friends of yours?”
His impossibly beautiful face tightened, a cruel smile curving his lips.
“I don’t have friends.”
“Jeez,” she muttered, pretending that a pang of sympathy didn’t slice through her heart. She was painfully familiar how it felt to go through the world without a soul to care if she was alive or dead. It sucked. “I can’t imagine why not.”
“Stay here.” Releasing her, Tane stepped back to stab her with a warning glare. “And Laylah, when I say stay here I mean stay here. Most of my brethren aren’t interested in your pedigree or turning you over to the Commission.” The honey gaze slid down her slender body exposed by her shorts and tiny, tiny top. “They’ll see you as a beautiful female who can sate more than one of their hungers.”
With fluid grace he had the large dagger in his hand and was gliding silently into the tunnel.
Left alone, Laylah scrubbed her hand through her hair and tried to concentrate.
The food helped her to regain a portion of her strength, but she was still weary. Which meant her powers would be unpredictable.
A very bad thing since they weren’t exactly stable under the best of circumstances.
Did she dare shadow walk?
The talent of moving between dimensions had been a gift from her Jinn ancestors, although she’d discovered the ability quite by accident. She would never forget her terror of suddenly being surrounded in the mists that hovered between worlds. And her even greater terror when she’d managed to free herself from the strange fog to discover she’d traveled halfway around the world.
Over the years she’d trained herself to use her rare skill, but she avoided using it unless absolutely necessary.
Not only was there danger of accidentally slipping into another dimension, many of which were the worse hells imaginable. But she had nightmares of being trapped in the misty corridors.
Still debating, Laylah abruptly darted behind a stalagmite as the scent of vampire filled the air.
“Here, kitty, kitty, kitty,” a low voice called.
Laylah shifted to catch a glimpse of the approaching vampire, her nose wrinkling at the sight of his filthy jeans and bare chest. His long blond hair hung in tangled clumps, and his gaunt face was twisted with an expression of malevolent anticipation.
Most vampires used their unearthly beauty to lure their victims. But this one … yow. He’d obviously let himself go downhill.
Really, could an occasional dip in a hot bath be that hard?
She swore as he continued forward, clearly aware she was cowering behind the stalagmite.
She didn’t want to hurt anyone. Hell, she would give anything to find a place where she could hide away with her child in absolute peace.
Yeah, as if such a place actually existed.
Grimly she stepped toward the center of the cavern, her hands held out in warning.
“Stay back or I’ll hurt you.”