Vampire Wardens (Vampire Wardens 1)

She wanted nothing more than to spend the next twelve days, as he’d suggested, holed up in a plush hotel room while he drove her crazy with passion. It was a chance to explore why this vampire male felt so right – as if she’d known him a lifetime, a chance to think through how she’d take this new spin on life by the horns. She would leave an imprint this time, she’d do more, be more.

“I have no money and no job,” she said.

“All newly created vampires are given a dowry,” he said. “And if you do as we have, and invest it well, it’ll last you an eternity as it should.”

This was all wonderful, this solution that wiped away all the bad, and left only good. There was an optimistic future, one where they both survived, one where maybe – just maybe – she and Evan were more than lovers. She told herself to be happy, to be relieved. Only, she could still feel the wolf inside her. Still feel its hatred of Evan, its own desire to survive. The wolf cared only about its own happiness, and it wouldn’t be happy until Evan was dead.

Chapter Thirteen

Ten days later, Evan stood on the porch of the Lake Austin cabin he’d taken Marissa too, with both Troy and Aiden. “Tell me you have a lead on the wolf?”

Both his brothers grimaced then shook their heads. “It’s like he just disappeared,” Troy said.

“And we could chase random leads all over the country and get nowhere,” Aiden said.

Troy motioned to the house. “Where is Marissa?” Troy asked.

“Shower,” Evan said. “Her skin keeps getting hot. Nothing helps but ice cold water.”

“I guess that answers my question,” Aiden said. “Which was going to be – how is she?”

“She was great when we first got here. Running in the woods helped the adrenaline spikes she keeps having. But she has two days left before she turns into a monster. She’s pretty upset. And all Marcus keeps saying is – one more blood sample. If the mutation we suspected hasn’t shown up by now, it’s not going to. We had to be wrong.”

“At the risk of being called cynical,” Troy started.

“You,” Aiden asked mockingly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Cynical? Never.”

Troy ignored him. “The council could easily send in an assassin to kill you both before she turns.”

“Why not now,” Aiden said. ”Why not ten days ago?”

“Maybe,” Troy said tightly. “They really are waiting out her blood samples, looking for a mutation. There’s got to be a reason this wolf could partially shift when we’ve never seen that in any other wolf. They know that.”

“Or maybe they don’t want to kill her at all,” Evan said softly, voicing the worry in his mind. “Maybe they want her to change so they can study her.” The expression on his brother’s faces, said they’d thought the same thing.

“If you care about her as much as we think you do,” Troy said. “You can’t let her shift.”

He more than cared about her. He loved her, everything about her. From her odd habit of eating mustard with French fries, to her ability to coax him into watching Wesley Snipes in a Blade marathon, when he didn’t watch vampire movies. But he hadn’t told her. He knew what she’d say. He knew she’d say he didn’t know her long enough to love her, or he felt sorry for her, or responsible for her because of the wolf attack. He’d gladly spend a lifetime proving her wrong on all those points. But he needed to be sure he had a life, she had a life, to start with.

He arched a brow at Troy. “Are you suggesting I change her now?”

“That puts them on the run,” Aiden said. “That’s not the life they want.”

“I’m suggesting you take precautions,” Troy said. “Change locations and quickly, we’ll stay here and wait for action. If Marcus delivers your sign, sealed and approved petition, we’ll let you know. If not -- you change her before the full moon.”

Aiden scrubbed his day old beard. “I hate to admit it, but he makes sense. Do it Evan. Move her. Move her now.”

“And what about Marcus,” Evan asked. “He’s going to be pissed.”

“If Marcus is plotting with the council against you then piss on him,” Troy said. “And if he’s not – then he’ll get behind us on this.”

“You don’t want to fuck with Marcus, Troy,” Evan warned tightly.

“We’ll deal with Marcus,” Aiden assured him, apparently confident he could smooth things over with him. And truth be told, he probably could. That’s why he was so willing to call him before, why he was willing now. Something had happened between Aiden and Marcus some twenty years back, and oddly, for brothers who shared everything, neither Evan nor Troy, had ever coaxed details out of him. Aiden motioned to the cabin, “You just get Marissa the hell out of here. Leave the rest to us.”

Evan hesitated, “Both of you stay alive.”

“That goes for you too,” Aiden said.