Hurt (Alexa O'Brien Huntress) Read online

  Twisting a long lock of her ash blonde hair around my finger, I leaned in to press my face to her temple, breathing in the wolfy scent of her. “Let me help. I want to.”

  She leaned into my nuzzle with a soft sigh. That sound reached right into me and grabbed me by the balls, in a good way. “You know how that makes me feel. I love you for being so willing, so giving, but I don’t want to rely on you for such things. It shouldn’t be that way.” Lex grasped my wrist, running a finger over the pulse beating there.

  I loved that woman like crazy, but she was one of the most stubborn people I knew. No wonder she and Arys butted heads so much. They both shared that trait.

  “It should be exactly that way. I’m not your victim, Lex. I’m your lover. Your wolf.” I kissed the side of her face before nibbling her ear lobe. “And you know I want it too.”

  A small smile crossed her face. “You’re so damn sexy. It’s too easy to get lost in you. I don’t want to do that here. We both need to be clear headed and alert.”

  “Well, that’s almost impossible sitting next to you.”

  I could stare at her forever. From her deep, encompassing eyes to her cute little nose and full, kissable lips, Lex was a beauty. Vampirehood had enhanced her best features, sculpting her into a flawless specimen of femininity. However, it wasn’t just her physical appearance that made me stare with such adoration.

  It was the sound of her laugh. The way she reached for me in her sleep. The heart of gold that broke for those kids she helped through Brinley. She was a gentle soul who yearned to be more than the hand life had dealt her. She rose to the challenges thrown at her, refusing to let circumstance change who she was. She was the strongest person I’d ever known.

  I hoped like hell that strength would reign when she faced whatever it was Shya’s curse held for her. We still didn’t know what exactly that would be. The possibilities terrified me. If Lex were scared she did a great job of hiding it. And there wasn’t much she could hide from me. It wouldn’t be long now until the next full moon, then we would know for sure what he’d done to her.

  Lifting my wrist to her lips, Lex inhaled the scent of the blood pumping beneath the surface of my skin. So close. “Goddamn, you smell good. I could get high on you forever and never be bored.”

  “Hey now,” I teased. “Arys has already claimed the role of wolf-junkie vampire. Don’t get too carried away, Lex.”

  “I don’t want wolves. I just want you.” She kissed my wrist. Her lips were soft, bringing to mind other places those lips had been. When her tongue darted out to caress my vein, I sucked in a breath, my instant erection straining against my jeans.

  “Then have me,” I said, my voice weak as I succumbed to the power that was a little bit succubus and a lot Alexa. “I’m yours.”

  The scrape of a sharp fang made my lungs freeze. I held my breath, waiting. My heart sped up until I could hear it in my ears.

  Shouts from the lobby destroyed the moment. We both snapped to attention. Alexa launched out of the booth before Justin had even called her name. By the time he did, we were both in motion.

  A swarm of people rushed inside, trying to escape whatever was going on outside. I followed Alexa as she shoved her way through the onslaught of bodies. We found Justin outside, herding parking lot dwellers inside. When I saw what they fled from, I skidded to a stop.

  Fuck.

  Wolves. At least twenty of them. With Bastian leading the charge.

  They weren’t doing anything. Not really. Not yet. The vampire they had gagged and bound in chains on his knees in the parking lot indicated that would soon change. I recognized him as one of the guys Echo had brought to Doghead.

  “What in the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Alexa wasted no time going on the defensive. Or was it offensive? Hard to tell with her at times.

  The static charge coming off her intensified until the hairs on my arms stood on end. Standing as close as I was to her, it was impossible not to be affected by the power she called. A breeze whipped around her, flinging her hair about. It was isolated to Alexa though. No wind touched anyone else.

  Bastian spoke for the group. “I think we’re making a point. That vampire bitch made the wrong move last night. If retaliation is what you’re looking for, you’ll get it. And then some.”

  “Do you not realize I could crush every one of you without moving?” Lex asked, her tone taking on a strange, sinister note.

  “Does Hanna know about this?” I took a step forward, trying to draw their attention from Lex to me. “As far as I know she’s firmly against this shit. She wants to work with Alexa.”

  Bastian looked at me like I was the biggest idiot he’d ever had to talk down to. “In case you haven’t noticed, Hanna isn’t doing the best job of handling shit without Dayne. Someone has to step up and look out for the pack. Sure don’t see you doing it. I mean, come on, Shaz. You’re fucking this crazy broad.” He jerked a thumb toward Alexa. “Don’t expect me to think you really give a shit about Doghead.”

  Lex sighed. “If only I had a dollar for every time someone called me crazy.”

  “Of course I give a shit about Doghead. I joined the pack to help unite the vampires and the wolves. Something Hanna wants too. So don’t fucking tell me where I stand, Bastian. You don’t know shit.” I was getting fired up now.

  There were a lot of things I could put up with. Having someone tell me what my own motives were was not one of them. I knew who I was, and anyone who questioned that was not worthy of my time or respect.

  “Hanna is desperate and naïve,” Bastian continued. “Dayne knew an alliance with vampires wouldn’t work. All the vampires have done is prove him right. They started this shit, Shaz.”

  The vampire on his knees had his hands tied behind his back. He’d taken a good beating. One wolf held him by a thick chain wrapped around his neck. Whatever display they had planned, it was going to end in a dusted vampire. Bastian was going to turn this into something it didn’t have to be.

  “Are you serious?” Alexa scoffed, pinning Bastian with a withering glare. “You’re willing to risk the loss of more lives? I may not know Dayne well, but I can’t imagine he’d be too pleased to come home to find more dead wolves because of some stunt you pulled in his absence. How do you think he might react to that? That is, if he even makes it home at all. Without my help, the odds of that are slim to none.”

  Maybe it was the push of power that accompanied her words, or perhaps the fact that she was right began to sink in, but a few wolves exchanged uncertain glances.

  Bastian was not one of them. “It’s just more vampire bullshit,” he announced, raising his voice in an attempt to rally the wolves at his back. “Don’t bother. We didn’t come here to chat.”

  Justin stood near Alexa, ready to have her back if needed. A few vampires had made their way outside to check out the commotion. Seeing as it was still relatively early by vampire standards, there weren’t many of them. Of course there were probably several of them locked away in back rooms ravaging victims, completely oblivious and uncaring as to what was going on out here.

  Bastian waited only long enough to ensure he had our full attention. Producing a stake from within his jacket, he plunged it into the heart of the helpless vampire. A strangled cry was cut off as the vampire dissolved into dust. The chains that held him hit the ground with a clank.

  All at once every vampire present exploded forward. They rushed the wolves who welcomed the fight. Four vampires on twenty wolves made for interesting odds. It was a lot of fists and fangs. I grabbed hold of Alexa before she could join the fray.

  She snapped. From trying to negotiate with the wolves to ready to kill them in seconds. Bloodlust and rage made her almost unrecognizable. “They’re so fucking dead,” she said, eyes flashing with sudden fury.

  “Lex, don’t. Destroying them all won’t help anything.” I held tight to her arm, but she didn’t make it easy for me. The woman was ridiculously strong.

  “They thi
nk they can come here and threaten me on my fucking property? They’re about to find out who they’re dealing with. This hybrid bitch is done playing nice. Now get off me.” With her free hand she slapped me with a power hit that threw me down on the cold, hard ground. Without hesitation, she turned to the fight with both hands raised.

  My teeth smacked together but I was unhurt. Shoving to my feet I went after her, certain she would do something she could never take back. In the excitement of the moment, there was no stopping the wolf from surfacing. Fangs and claws sprouted as the wolf inside pushed for freedom.

  I started to go for Alexa, stopped by the sight of six wolves tackling one vampire to the ground. With their additional strength and in some cases, metaphysical power, vampires could hold their own in many situations. A gang attack was not always one of them.

  Knowing this was just what Bastian expected of me, I did it anyway, and jumped in to throw wolves aside. My interference caused enough confusion that the vampire was able to recover.

  Another was not so lucky. As I turned to look for Alexa I saw another go down in a pile of dust. It was quickly followed by a wolf’s yelp.

  Vampires and werewolves started to fly, tossed about like ragdolls as Alexa targeted them each in turn. Though it did break up the fight, it didn’t stop them from getting up and going right back at it. Idiots.

  Bastian broke away from the throng and came at me with fangs bared. “Shaz, do you know what we do to wolves who betray the pack?”

  Oh geez. “Really? We have to do this?”

  “We start by removing their tattoo, because they’re no longer worthy of it,” he went on as if I hadn’t spoken. “Any idea how we do that?” Bastian pointed a claw tipped finger at me.

  My pulse pounded in anticipation. I wasn’t afraid of him; I was afraid of what I might do to him.

  Two other wolves joined him.

  Lex and Justin were occupied with the rest of the ongoing fight. The more Lex tossed wolves around, the harder they came back at her. If she wanted to stop them, she was going to have to take it up a notch. I needed to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “Dayne and Hanna made me part of the pack. Only they can change that.” My words ended on a growl. I knew now why Hanna had asked me, a newbie, to take on an enforcer role. With jackasses like Bastian running rogue, enforcement was needed.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  The claw he slashed at me was expected. I dodged it while swinging a right hook that clipped his jaw. The other two jumped in so I was throwing and dodging hits in every direction. A kick found the midsection of one guy. Two punches, one to the throat and another to the nose, drove Bastian back but didn’t keep him from coming again. It seemed to encourage him.

  All around me a similar fight took place. Wolves swarmed, coming back after every hit they took, determined to do what they’d come here for. The vampires were putting them down though. Despite the numbers, the wolves didn’t have what it took to stand against vampires, especially Alexa.

  When a lucky punch in the back of my head dazed me, they got the jump on me. That was all it really took: just one good shot. Then it was all over. They moved fast. Hands on my shoulders forced me to my knees. A few more fists crashed into the sides of my head, slamming it from side to side.

  Bastian twisted one of my arms up behind my back so hard I yelped. It was a wolf sound, one that broke through the violence and chaos driving Alexa. Unable to ignore the sound of me in pain, she turned to find Bastian’s goons holding me while he stuck a claw into my neck.

  Her blue eyes widened. Just a flick of her wrist and Bastian was down on the ground clutching his throat. Unable to breathe, his face turned a mottled purple, as she squeezed the life out of him without laying a finger on him. Blood dripped from his nose. Seconds later it filled his eyes. She was killing him.

  It didn’t stop there. The wave of dark energy flowed from her, jumping from Bastian to those holding me. From there it hit every wolf in succession. A domino effect.

  I had seen her do this before. Although that time it had been my fault. Lex saw me with Bianca. She lost it and almost took out every vampire in the building.

  Despite the crazed expression on her face and murderous intentions in her eyes, her control had improved. Her attack was well executed, targeting only the wolves and sparing the vampires as well as myself, a distinct improvement in precision. Good for her.

  As much as I wanted to watch Bastian die the slow, horrible death he deserved, I couldn’t let Alexa do the very thing she was trying to prevent. “Alexa, stop.” To keep the peace, I lunged toward her and grabbed her shoulders, trying to break her focus. “Don’t do this. You’re better than this and you know it.”

  She tried to shove me away. “Stay out of the way, Shaz. I’m just giving them what they want.”

  “No, you’re not. You’ll just prove Dayne right about you. And he isn’t right about you. You have to stop.” I gave her a shake, forcing her to meet my gaze.

  That intense vampire stare fixed on me, sliding to the puncture near my tattoo from Bastian’s claw. As she watched the blood trickle down the side of my neck, I became all too aware of the warm, wet sensation. Inside I was wary. On the outside I was braced and ready. Lex had that look. That playful but deadly, about to lunge for my throat kind of look.

  I’d captured her attention though, and that was enough to break her hold on the wolves. They lay on the ground rolling around and groaning. Bastian gasped for air, making these awful lung-rattling noises.

  Alexa slid a hand into my hair and jerked me closer so she could capture the trickle of blood with her tongue. I shuddered, leaning into her, wanting more. Needing to feel her fangs buried in my flesh. It was so hard to keep my head about me, but one of us had to.

  “God, you taste good,” she growled, clutching me aggressively.

  “Let me get rid of them,” I said, nodding to Bastian who coughed hoarsely. “I should go to Doghead and speak with Hanna. You two need to arrange a meeting. Tell me where and when. I’ll set it up.”

  Lex licked her lips, still tasting me while shooting an appraising glance Bastian’s way. “Alright. Just give me a sec with him.”

  “Lex,” I said, a warning in my tone.

  She just grinned, an evil slip of fangs, before pushing by me and crouching down beside Bastian. Grabbing his jaw in her hand, she held his face tight. It looked painful. Leaning in close, she took a deep sniff of his scent.

  “Listen, you furry piece of shit,” she began with a wicked smile. “We’re done here. For now. Take your friends and get the fuck off my property. Come back and I bleed you. Over and over again until I tire of you. Then you die. Got it?”

  Bastian lay sprawled on the snow and ice covered asphalt, gaping up at her in manipulated wonder. The loud-mouth jackass fell under her spell. Seeing that moment of realization as he experienced her power firsthand, it gave me a rush. I loved to watch my girl at work.

  He nodded, unable to do anything but agree. His breath came easier but it was labored. She released him with a shove that knocked his head against the ground. Without a glance back, she dismissed him.

  Justin and the other vamps seemed reluctant to let the wolves go, but they followed Alexa’s lead. Gradually they all drifted back inside, leaving the wolves to gather their fallen comrades. No wolves were dead but several had some serious injuries.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” Alexa added from the door. “Fuck with Shaz and you fuck with me. And trust me, fucking with me is only fun for me.”

  Lex was so damn sexy when she took charge. In no way did it diminish my masculinity or threaten my manhood to have her speak on my behalf. If anything, it made me want to take her in the back and screw her until I couldn’t walk a straight line.

  “Tell Hanna tomorrow night at midnight,” she said, much calmer now. “At a neutral location. The twenty-four hour coffee shop a few blocks from here.”

  I marveled to myself at how fast she’d come out of killer
mode. I was willing to bet that wouldn’t have happened had I not been here. The more I turned this all over in my mind, the more my curiosity grew.

  “Are you ok if I take off?” I asked, meaning her mental state. There was no doubt that she could take care of herself.

  “Yeah. I’m going to ask around about Echo and wait for Arys to come back.” She pulled me in for a steamy kiss that had the blood vacating my head, heading south. “Come by my house later?”

  “I’ll be there.” I held onto her until she kissed me again. I didn’t want to leave but knew I had to get to Hanna. Bastian had done considerable damage for the pack tonight.

  After the wolves had cleared out and business was back to usual at The Wicked Kiss, I pried myself away from Lex and headed for my car. After a quick inspection of the gash in my neck, I determined that it was little more than a bad scratch. Bastian, that pussy. He’d gone for the outside of the tattoo, like he meant to carve it out of my skin. It would heal, likely without a scar.

  While the car warmed up, I pondered the stabilizing effect I had on Alexa. Curious, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through the contact list. When I found Brogan’s number, I took a deep breath and called.

  “Sorry to bother you so late,” I said. “Is there any chance you can meet me?”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Brogan was waiting for me when I arrived at the little magic shop she’d inherited from her mom. It was a cute little shop loaded with magic trinkets and various knickknacks I didn’t recognize, but it gave me the creeps. Something about the mysteries of magic got under my skin and made me uneasy.

  “Hey, Shaz, how’s it going?” She greeted me with a tired smile. It was easy to forget that normal people slept at night.

  “Sorry if I woke you. I would have called earlier, but I didn’t really know I’d need your expertise tonight.” While she locked the front door, I stood awkwardly in the entryway, afraid I’d touch something by accident.