“I know their patterns. I used to be one of them, remember?” He smirked.
“Keep out of sight; we don’t want to tip our hand just yet. It’s better they believe you’re dead,” Caiaphas replied.
“That’s never been a problem.”
“Hurry, and don’t fail me.”
* * * * *
Harris traced from Caiaphas’ office to an alley across the street from the girl’s apartment building. He decided to wait until right before the sun rose, when it was more likely Hunters would not be present, before going inside.
He thought about his reasons for changing sides. It had been difficult to live like the others and abstain from feeding on humans. Once he started the slow descent by crossing the line, he preferred it over drinking blood from a bag. He’d never believed the bloodlust would consume him, but it did.
He scanned his surroundings. It was probably a waste of time coming here. Dane was smart and would cover his trail if he did not want to be found. He hypothesized that Dane probably took the girl to a remote location where there was very minimal connection to the outside world. He had traveled in the same circles with Dane and had even patrolled with him a few times. However, Dane was a loner, much like Ta’breyian. They were both smart. No attachments meant no way to get hurt. It surprised him that Dane would be so foolish after all this time.
He noticed the subtle changes in the color of the sky. It would be morning soon.
It’s time.
He traced across the street and entered the stairwell. He looked around to make sure it was clear before he traced to her floor. None of his kind were present, as he suspected, so he traced inside her apartment. He had been sent there after the Rogues failed to capture her. Traces of the female’s scent still lingered. Dane’s scent was also present.
“Mm—mouthwatering. No wonder he’s attracted to this one,” he whispered.
He checked her dresser and desk to see if he could find any clues. On the desk, he found an address book. But it didn’t list any information about her family. He found a cell phone stuffed inside a sock.
Bingo.
He switched it on and noticed there were several messages so he pressed voicemail. Luckily, there was no pass code preventing access.
“Hey, Jenny, it’s Marley. I’m back from vacation and I have some great news to share. Call me…”
“Hey, it’s me again. Where the hell are you and why haven’t you returned any of my calls? Do you ever check your messages? What gives? Call me back…”
“Okay, I’m freaking out. Where are you? I guess I’ll have to leave my surprise on your voicemail and hope you get it. I’ll be in New York on Thursday. I’m staying at the Trump Towers because I have a job interview in Manhattan. Can you believe it? Call me, okay, bye.”
End of messages.
He picked up Jenny’s address book and flipped through the pages until he found Marley’s phone number.
Perfect. I’ll intercept her friend when she gets to New York.
He’d have to wait a few more days but at least he had something solid to report back to Caiaphas.
There was a picture on the nightstand of the two women. He had heard Jenny was a strawberry blonde so the other girl could be Marley.
She’s pretty.
He took the picture out of the frame and flipped it over. On the back it had the girls’ names. He stuffed the picture in his jacket and traced from the room.
Harris wasn’t sure why he was wasting his time with Caiaphas. He hadn’t decided to switch sides until Marcus said he was going to throw him into a deep, dark hole for breaking his vows. It was wrong to switch sides and turn Rogue but what choice did he have? Once you’ve broken down and given in to bloodlust, sometimes there’s no going back.
He hadn’t planned for things to go so badly but there it was. He’d changed. Drinking from a human was exciting. He loved the adrenaline rush, the hunt and the takedown. Life had become mundane and drinking from a bag wasn’t the same as taking it from a living host. Caiaphas was a means to an end. For now he would do his job, find this Marley and report back to his new master.
* * * * *
Dane traced back to the cabin. He’d been edgy the whole time he was gone because his thoughts were consumed by Jenny. He had made several trips throughout the day, storing most of the supplies outside so she wouldn’t see him come and go. He also checked in with his office, went to her apartment to get her things and spoke with Marcus to see what was going on in his absence.
Marcus informed him that everything was strangely quiet. Ta’breyian had not reported any activity near Jenny’s building, his office or in the parks. It was as if the Rogues had gone underground to hunt. Something was brewing, he sensed it. They would not remain in the shadows for long.
He wanted to go after Caiaphas and destroy him. But leaving Jenny in the protection of the pack didn’t seem like such a good idea after one of Dmitri’s males showed interest in her. What if he claimed her while Dane was away?
She didn’t need to be involved in his world. A human partner was a better choice for her. Not him and certainly not a shifter. He’d have to remain in hiding with her for now, even though it would be difficult.
I’ll let her go once it’s safe.
He growled low in his throat without realizing it. His carnal side and his growing attraction to the girl obviously disagreed with that plan. He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes in the hopes it would somehow relieve his stress. It was an impossible situation, with no easy solution in sight for him.
He picked up her things and traced inside. She was sitting on the couch, cross-legged, talking with Ivanna and two other women. They were laughing and carrying on as if she’d been friends with them forever. His heart squeezed at the sight of her at peace in his world.
“Dane, you’re back!” Her eyes lit up like he was the most important thing in her world and he couldn’t help but smile back at her. She jumped off the couch and went to him.
When he caught her scent it nearly brought him to his knees. His heart started racing in his chest and blood rushed to his groin. He tried breathing through his mouth but that only made it worse because he could taste her feminine scent in the air. His instincts took over and all he could think about was ripping the clothes from her to bury his cock deep inside her heat. His fangs extended and he knew he was losing ground fast.
“Stay away from me!” he snarled viciously.
“Dane, what’s wrong with you?” She took a step back. “Are you mad at me?”
Ivanna and the other women jumped off the couch and grabbed Jenny, placing her behind them.
Dane took a step forward. “Give me my mate!” he growled at them with menace in his voice. Their move to keep her from him brought his carnal side to the forefront.
“No, Dane! You’ll hurt her, go!” Ivanna snapped at him.
“She’s mine, give her to me!” he roared, clenching his fists.
“If you intend to change her, don’t do it this way. Not like this. I know you don’t want to hurt her.”
“I won’t hurt her. Release her to me or I’m going to come through you and the others to get what’s
mine
.”
“Maybe you should let me go to him, he won’t hurt me.” Jenny tried to step around them.
“Jenny, he is in a highly agitated state. You don’t want to be with him when he’s like this. See the feral light in his eyes? He could kill you.”
Dane took another step toward her powerful scent, drawing him closer to a mindless state of aggression.
“You don’t understand—I want to go to him. Please, he won’t hurt me,” Jenny begged. Her words somehow snapped him out of his aggressive state long enough to put some distance between them. He jerked back.
“Don’t let her come near me, Ivanna,” he gritted out between clenched teeth as he stumbled backward and out the door. He reached the snow and collapsed, threw his head back and roared. His cries echoed through the surrounding forest. He quickly traced to Dmitri’s den before he did something he would truly regret.
* * * * *
Jenny stood there in shock. A lick of pain ate at her. “What happened to him? Why was he acting so crazed?”
“Come, sit down.” Ivanna led her back to the couch.
“He can have me. I want to be with him. You should’ve let me go to him.” A wave of nausea crashed over her.
“You don’t want him like this, not when he is in a full state of aggression. The goal is to have him change you, not kill you.”
“Dane wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Jenny, you don’t understand. He has pushed himself to the limit with you. He doesn’t have the capacity to control his carnal side when you’re in heat. I am surprised he backed off when he did. I thought for sure I was going to have to transform and fight him off until Dmitri got here and took control of the situation.”
“Will he eventually come back here?” A lump of dread continued swirling inside her stomach, each wave bringing her closer to retching.
“He’ll be back when your cycle has passed.”
That, at least, gave her some hope. “How long before I’m over it?” She wanted to talk and swallowed hard against the bitter taste of bile in her mouth.
“I’m not sure, a few days perhaps.”
“I don’t want him to go away for a few days. He can have me right now, damn it. God, I hate this.”
Ivanna’s response chafed her. She wasn’t a child and could make her own decisions and knew her own mind.
“Dmitri needs to speak with him. Dane won’t last like this and neither will you. He needs to claim you and be done with it.”
“I want to go lie down. I’m tired.” She needed to be alone. This was all too much to deal with.
Maybe he’s right. This isn’t going to work.
The pain in her heart was palpable. Sleep, that’s what she needed, to escape into oblivion and forget this madness.
“Go. I’ll be down here if you need anything. Inga, Mischa, go outside and keep watch,” Ivanna ordered.
“Yes, Ivanna,” Inga replied. The two women shifted into their wolf forms and went outside to guard the cabin.
“Tomorrow we’ll go do something. Getting you outside for some fresh air might do you some good, all right?”
“That would be nice.” Anything was better than being cooped up inside a cabin all day with nothing to do but dwell on her problems.
“I’m glad you’d like to come. Now go get some sleep.”
“Okay.” She slowly trudged up the stairs. Her feet felt like lead weights and she was still in shock over what had transpired between her and Dane. All she could concentrate on was how much she ached to be near him again. There had to be some way she could convince him to change her. Seduction was an option.
No, he has to want this. I’m not going to trick him into it. That would be wrong.
She lay on the bed and curled into a ball as hot tears fell on her pillow.
It’s better if I keep my distance from now on. Then it won’t hurt as much when he finally does leave me for good.
Her heart broke as she cried herself to sleep.
* * * * *
Dane approached Dmitri’s den and noticed the pack leader standing at the door of his cabin, waiting for him. “I need to stay here tonight if that’s all right with you,” he said as he stepped onto the porch.
“My mate told me you were on your way here.” Dmitri’s concern was evident.
Shifters were connected to their mates telepathically. It was a convenient gift, to say the least. “Please tell Ivanna I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I meant no disrespect to her.” Dane lowered his eyes.
“I’m sure she will probably bite you the next time she sees you. My mate has a bit of a temper and doesn’t like to be challenged.” He chuckled.
“I deserve it.”
“Come inside, let me pour you a drink and we’ll talk before you retire.” He patted Dane on the back.
Dane nodded and followed his friend inside the large cabin. He was glad he hadn’t hurt anyone. Dmitri wouldn’t have taken it so lightly had Dane attacked his mate. A fight might’ve ensued and could Dane blame him?
“You have quite a dangerous dilemma on your hands, my friend. One that needs a quick resolution before someone gets hurt. Here, drink this,” Dmitri said as he poured vodka mixed with blood in a tall glass.
“Thanks.” Dane picked up the glass and took a long drink. The concoction warmed his insides and some of his aggression faded as he finally started to relax.
“You should leave,” Dmitri began.
“I can’t leave, not until the threat has been eliminated.” Dane muttered a few obscenities under his breath and took another sip.
“I don’t doubt you’ll do what you need to do to protect her but at what price? If you don’t want her in danger then put someone else in charge of her safety and go after Caiaphas yourself.”
“I’ll not saddle anyone with my problems.” He seriously didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“You can’t or won’t? Which one is it—hmm?” Dmitri raised his eyebrow.
“No one’s going to want to take over this situation. It’s my responsibility,” he said. Making more excuses was easier than admitting the truth.