Authors: Trina M Lee
I didn’t think I could possibly be any more afraid than I already was. However, when I approached The Kiss and spotted Kale’s Camaro parked haphazardly in the club’s “no parking” zone, my stomach dropped. The anger that coursed through me came sudden and unbidden. I was smart enough to fear Kale, but I was also beyond pissed for what he’d done to Jez.
I parked my car so that it blocked his in. I didn’t want him getting away that easily, although I had a feeling that he wouldn’t try to run when he saw me. Fear fled me when I got out of my car and surveyed the parking lot. It was much too quiet. The noise from inside was muffled. I paused, listening for telltale screams.
I dropped my shields, knowing Kale would feel me regardless. I reached out for his honey sweet energy, sensing him immediately. His energy was buzzing with the bloodlust that drove him. Kale was on a bender, and he wasn’t likely to stop any time soon. His energy led me through the parking lot, past the rear exit to the small alley that ran behind the building. How perfectly creepy.
Kale had carelessly tossed aside the bodies of two guys who had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of them was still alive, barely. His heartbeat echoed in my ears, and I tried to shut it out. I could do nothing for him now. I forced myself to walk past him without a second look. Unlike Jez, he felt like food.
I hesitated, unwilling to walk into a trap. Kale hadn’t already gone inside to terrorize the club patrons for a reason. He was waiting for me. That realization should have frightened me, but I was numb, slipping into survival mode.
The scent of blood and fear was strong. I gazed into the darkness, my wolf eyes re-adjusting to the absence of light. I saw nothing other than a garbage dumpster and some old abandoned furniture some lazy ass had ditched. Wherever Kale was, he was blending into the shadows with ease.
The sounds of the dying man behind me were especially loud. I swallowed hard, struggling to tune it out. Kale could have at least put the guy out of his misery. I couldn’t do it. I knew the moment I drew close enough to see his bloody throat, I’d be a goner.
“Don’t do this, Kale.” I stared into the darkness ahead, willing him to make this easy on both of us.
I could feel him, lying in wait. As each moment dragged by, my trepidation grew. This was a game to him, and I didn’t want to play.
I grew frustrated quickly. I didn’t appreciate being treated like the mouse in this game. “Here kitty kitty.” The taunt sounded like a challenge, and I regretted it as soon as it left my lips. “You don’t want to play with me, Kale. You could have killed Jez!”
Thunder crashed overhead, followed moments later by a streak of lightning. The brief illumination lit up my surroundings. If I hadn’t been able to feel Kale, I would have believed I was alone out there. Well, me and what was left of his victims.
The air around me never rippled. Not a sound betrayed Kale’s movement. He was just suddenly there, right in front of me. I jumped, choking on a shriek, stumbling as I backed away.
The rain came down harder, and I shoved my damp hair out of my face, peering at Kale like it was my first time laying eyes on him. I barely recognized him. His face was stained with the blood of his victims and his hair was matted with it. The solid black of his eyes revealed how far gone he was. Too late, I second-guessed coming here alone, but I wasn’t going back now.
Clad in his usual stylish attire, pinstriped pants, a dark shirt and his leather duster, Kale looked like my dreams and nightmares united in one painfully beautiful form. He smelled like blood and death and wore the devilish grin of one mad with bloodlust. His blood-soaked power beckoned to me.
I was instantly defensive, gathering my power tight to me. “Kale, I-,”
I was airborne before I realized he’d metaphysically bitch-slapped me. I hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop next to Kale’s forgotten victim. I was on my feet immediately, determined not to let on how much that had hurt. My back and legs stung from scraping along the hard, wet pavement. I prayed that the impact hadn’t drawn blood.
Kale advanced on me but made no further move. I stared into his eyes, rife with madness, and I felt despair. I didn’t want this to become a violent confrontation, not if I could help it.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to hurt me.” Appealing to his softer side was my first choice, but I was ready to hurt him if he refused to back down. I knew I could do it.
“I believe I said I didn’t want to kill you.” Kale regarded me thoughtfully, an amused smile dancing about his lips. “I definitely want to hurt you.”
The unspoken promises in his words brought forth my wolf with a snarl. I was all fangs and claws, ready to make him regret whatever he was thinking. Kale reacted with a laugh that shook me to the core. It was pure evil.
“This isn’t you, Kale. Let’s be reasonable here. You hurt Jez. She’s your friend. I’m your friend.”
He scoffed, pushing a lock of wet hair back from his forehead. “This is me, Alexa. This is the side you’ve always hoped you’d never see again, but just looking at you brings it out of me. We both knew this would happen. You can’t save me from myself. You know this. You can’t even save yourself. Once it’s in you, it is you.”
“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “That’s bullshit. It doesn’t have to be this way. You know it doesn’t.”
“Who are you trying to convince? I get it. You’re young and still so new to this. You want to believe there is another way. Try telling that to this poor sap.” Kale nudged the body next to us with a booted foot. The man had finally expired. “There is only blood and death. Either that or insanity.”
“I guess you’d know, huh?” I was scrambling to put the right words together. Anything to get through to him. “Blood and death doesn’t mean hurting the people that care about you. We love you, Kale. We can help you.”
I gasped when he stepped in close and laid a finger over my lips to silence me. I battled against the urge to jerk away.
“Be careful what you say, my love. Words can so easily be taken out of context.” He smiled down at me, revealing fangs.
My stomach tightened as he pulled at my energy. I pushed back against him, a warning. “So can actions. Don’t do something we’ll both regret, Kale.”
His laughter stoked the fire that always burned between us. “Not to worry. I don’t plan to regret anything.”
So being rational wasn’t going to work. Good to know. What did I have left? Brute force? He’d like that; he wanted it.
“I’m not going to face off with you. Not like this.” I steeled myself against the call of his power to mine. He was encouraging it, and though I resisted, my will was weak. It was Kale; I’d always wanted him.
“Then why did you come?” He challenged, his smile vanishing. “You want it as bad as I do. The rush of the power, the struggle of your prey as you give in to the thrill of the bloodlust that you try so hard to deny. Did you come to stop me, pretty wolf? Or, was it to join me?”
“Back off, Kale!” The force that accompanied my shout shoved him back a few feet. I didn’t want this to be a clash of metaphysical ability but instinct was guiding my action.
“Too close to the truth for comfort. I understand.” His head came up suddenly, and he listened keenly to the night. I listened, too, straining to pick out sounds beyond the rain and thunder.
The faint sound of high heels clicking quickly on the concrete was distant. It grew increasingly louder as the woman drew closer. We were just fifty feet or so from the club’s rear entry. I crossed my fingers, hoping that whoever she was, she would go in through the front. Kale braced himself in anticipation, and I held my breath.
She rounded the corner of the building, heading right for us. Clutching a thin jacket and a purse, she hurried to escape the rain. With her head down and her attention on her destination, she didn’t even look our way.
“Kale, don’t.”
We both sprang into motion, but he was faster. She let out a surprised scream when he grabbed her. With a hand over her mouth, Kale leaned in close and breathed deeply of her scent. Her eyes were wide, and she struggled in his grasp. He smiled.
“This is what you came for, Alexa.” He met my gaze with delight dancing in his eyes.
I shivered as the rain soaked through my jeans and thin t-shirt. At least I told myself it was from the chill of the rain and not the spark of excitement in my belly. I watched Kale bare her neck and run his tongue over her flesh. She fought to get away, but he easily overpowered her.
“Don’t do this,” I pleaded. “Let her go. This is between you and me.”
“She smells good. Like apples.” Kale bit deep into her without warning. I gave a small cry and begged him to stop. There was nothing I could do.
The scent of fresh blood struck me. Kale held my gaze as he drank from her, watching the effect it was having on me. I didn’t have the strength to fight the bloodlust. Despite the way I pleaded with him, I enjoyed what I saw. I responded to the scene before me with hunger and intrigue. I wanted to taste her.
I backed away from Kale, forcing my feet to do the opposite of what the bloodlust demanded. I was at a loss, unsure of what to do. A battle waged inside me, one I had to win.
His victim’s struggles ceased as she slipped into unconsciousness. Kale raised his head so I could see the blood spilling from the wound. In a dramatic gesture, he swept his tongue over the punctures in a languorous motion that almost brought me to my knees.
His tone was deadly wicked when he murmured, “Tell me you don’t want just a taste.”
“I want you to stop this fucking nonsense before you drive us both crazy. You’re being an idiot.” I spat the words through a mouthful of fangs. My fury was growing, and the urge to tear a strip out of Kale was strong.
Letting the woman fall to the ground without a second thought, Kale advanced on me. Panicking, I lashed out with a warning shot, just enough to let him know I was ready to defend myself. He continued forward, unfazed. This was going to get physical.
“And, you’re being the challenge that I’d hoped you’d be.” Moving inhumanly fast, Kale grabbed me in a vice-like grip and kissed me before I could form a protest.
The passion in his kiss momentarily left me stunned. The blood in his mouth was delicious and tempting. My resistance quickly came undone as the bloodlust found victory. Kale’s tongue was persistent against mine, and I caught myself kissing him back before common sense took hold.
Pulling away, I hauled off and punched him right in the face. It knocked him back a foot or two but otherwise resulted in nothing but a smirk and a cut lip. Spilling Kale’s blood could never be a good thing, not when I wanted him the way I did. Still, I found some gratification in hitting him with my fist instead of my power. It gave me so much more satisfaction.
My wolf was ready to kick his ass, and I followed up with a kick intended to take his legs out from under him. However, his undead reflexes were stellar, and he caught my leg and gave it a twist. I yelped in pain, fearing the worst. He didn’t really hurt me though, not like he could have. Instead he gave me a shove that sat me down hard on my ass.
I glared up at him, a growl rumbling in my throat. He stood over me, waiting for me to get up. “Come on, Alexa. You need the violence to justify your feelings. So if it makes you feel better to throw punches, I’m happy to take them. You can beat me black and blue, but it won’t change the way you feel.”
I came up off the ground snarling and swinging. It wasn’t the knowing look in his eyes that unleashed my fury but the truth in his words. Kale was more than happy to give as much as he was taking. I ate more than a few hits that would have knocked any human out. It would hurt later, but I was running on adrenaline and lupine wrath.
In a move that both surprised and satisfied me, I flipped him over my body so he landed hard on the ground next to me. Maybe you couldn’t wind a vampire, but that had to hurt. If only it had knocked some sense into him. All it seemed to do was encourage him. Holding tight to my forearm, he followed through with my momentum, using it to pull me off balance while getting to his feet. Since I was the one with functioning lungs, I had the breath crushed from me.
Kale pulled me to my feet. His touch stirred my power, encouraging it to devour him. “Have you had enough yet, my love? I can do this dance with you all night.”
Despite gasping for air, I bared my fangs at him. “You’re sick, Kale.”
Stroking a hand down the side of my battered face, he smiled, almost sadly. “And, you are my disease.”
“What do you want from me? Really.” I drew a shaky breath and slapped his hand away.
Looking into Kale’s drowning orbs was like falling into an abyss, so deep and so endless. He leaned in too close for my comfort, inhaling my scent.