The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson Guardian 6)

"The bitch isn't going to get close enough to bite, trust me on that." I gave him a confident smile, then turned and walked away - even though my legs felt like jelly and every step away from him had my hormones screaming in rage.

The glittery room seemed a whole lot noisier away from the quiet oasis that had seemed to surround Quinn and me, and I suddenly wondered if he'd been using his vampire wiles again. Not on me, but on the others in this room. There were a lot of people here, but he was a whole lot of vampire, and it wouldn't have surprised me if he had been keeping the noise and the people at bay while we talked.

Enna and her friend hadn't moved that far from the main entrance, their gazes scanning the room as if they were searching for someone. Or perhaps they were checking out the talent.

I skirted the room, coming up to them from the left and slightly behind. I was one table away when Enna suddenly swung around, her nostrils flaring as she sucked in air. I hadn't thought she'd gotten close enough to me to catch my scent when we were chasing her earlier, but obviously I'd been wrong. Her gaze zoomed to mine, and an anger that was both derisive and alien flared deep in the blue depths. She bared her teeth and made an odd sort of hissing sound, then turned and ran for the door.

Chapter 8

For a cat who'd only been wearing stilettos for a few weeks, she was damned fast.

I ran after her, dodging tables and people. Some fool in a suit saw her running and gallantly opened the door, then walked away and let it shut, making me waste precious seconds flinging it back open again.

Thankfully, the hallway beyond was relatively clear of people. Enna had already gone through the main entrance doors and swung right, heading toward the river.

I raced after her, startling the doorman by thumping my hand against the door as he began to close it.

"Sorry," he said, but by then I was almost out of earshot.

The night was cold, filled with the scent of eucalyptus and the slightly muddy aroma that was the Yarra River. But the scent of cat rode the night sharply and it was easy to follow. I raced along the footpath, my stilettos creating a sharp tattoo of sound that echoed across the moonlit gardens that surrounded us. Up ahead, Enna's vivid orange form ran on, her arms pumping as fast as her feet. It almost looked as if she was so used to running on four legs that she couldn't quite adjust her motion to two. But it wasn't helping, because slowly but surely I was reeling her in.

Beyond her, the footpath curved around to the left and disappeared behind some trees. I reached for more speed, wanting to grab her before she got to the corner and went out of my sight, however briefly. She was obviously thinking along similar lines, because her speed increased and her arms and legs became little more than a blur.

She could fucking run, I'll give her that. Hell, I had the speed of a damn vampire behind me, and I was only making up little bits of ground.

The corner loomed and she disappeared around it. I was maybe two seconds behind her, but it was enough for her to disappear. I cursed and stopped, my nostrils flaring as I sucked in air, trying to catch both my breath and her scent.

It was there, but not as strong. And lower.

She'd shifted shape.

I did the same and, with my nose to the ground, ran on. The grass was damp under my paws and the scents of the nearby eucalyptus and rosebushes were sharp against the night. Her trail went off the footpath, twining through trees and flowers.

Given the meandering line she was taking, I wouldn't be surprised if she were trying to mingle her scent with the other aromas, thereby making it harder for me to follow. Obviously, a cat had no understanding just how sensitive a wolf's nose could be.

Her scent was getting stronger, not weaker. I trotted on until I came to the thick, gnarled trunk of a tree and the scent of cat was so strong I was practically drowning in it. I stopped and looked up. Up in the higher branches of the big old elm, two blue eyes glinted back at me.

I shifted shape and said, "Come down, Enna. Or whatever your name really is."

She snarled in reply, white teeth gleaming.

"Climb down, or I'll fucking shoot you out of the tree."

She snarled again, and this time it was a deeper, angrier sound.

Well, the bitch couldn't say I didn't warn her. I opened my purse to grab my laser, intending to shoot the damn tree limb out from underneath her, but at that moment, magic caressed the night. I looked up quickly, had a brief glimpse of a cat the size of a tiger, and then she was leaping down, straight at me.

I swore and dove sideways, hitting the ground with a grunt, tearing the side of my dress and sending my purse flying. I had no idea where the laser went, but it wasn't in my hand when I rolled to my feet. My stilettos chose that particular moment to get stuck in the dirt, so I stumbled a little before I got my balance. From behind came a heavy thump, then footsteps. I swung around in time to see her leap. God, she was big. Bigger than a tiger and with paws as large as dinner plates.

I kicked off my shoes, grabbed one in each hand, and ducked away from her leap. She twisted in midair, lashing out with those thick, sharp claws. Several caught my dress, snagging the flimsy material and tearing into skin.

Pain flared as blood began to run down my arm. I hissed and lashed out with a stiletto. The specially hardened wooden tip of the heel scraped down her side, cutting into her flesh and sending blood splattering across the nearby trees and rosebushes.

She growled - a sound so deep it seemed to vibrate through the earth. I shifted my weight, digging my toes into the dirt a little, getting balance and grip as she hit the ground then launched back at me again.

Her lips were drawn back into a snarl, white teeth gleaming. I waited until the last possible moment, until her claws were almost on me, then dropped low and thrust up with the heel of a stiletto, driving it deep into her belly.

It wouldn't kill her, but a four-inch heel shoved in her gut wasn't going to feel real good, either.