Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) (2 page)

She had thought she was ready for death, even her own. As a were-tiger, she had nine lives, and advancing on to her second life would give her a much-needed strategic advantage. It would allow her to shift any time and anywhere. If she’d been able to shift tonight, she could have easily defeated her foe.

But once the soldiers had charged after her, the prospect of dying at their hands had terrified her. What if they chopped up her dead body, so she couldn’t come back? That was what Han had done to her parents and brother.

A vision of her mutilated family swept across her mind, followed by the memory of the two soldiers she’d killed tonight. With a shudder, she shoved the images aside. She needed to get a hold of herself and focus on her current situation.

Location unknown. Vampire captor unknown.

She flexed her hand on the knife handle. “Who are you?”

He didn’t answer.

Since she couldn’t see, she used her other heightened senses to detect her location. A strong, earthy smell surrounded her. The air was warm and humid, similar to the Yunnan province where Tiger Town was located. Water was moving nearby, the trickling sound pleasant to her ears. She picked up the warbling call of a bird, muffled and distant. Outdoors, but no sky overhead. A cave?

Why had the vampire brought her here?

Two months ago, when the good Vamps had gone to battle to defend the valley of Beyul-La, they had all traveled through Tiger Town, and they had returned there each day to do their death-sleep. Her cousin Rajiv, the Grand Tiger, had gone to battle, too, along with her uncles Rinzen and Tenzen. She’d been left behind to rule in her cousin’s stead, so while she’d played princess of Tiger Town, she’d met dozens of good Vamps.

This vampire had not been with them.

“Who are you?” Jia asked again, taking another step back.

“Don’t move,” he repeated. A flame appeared at the end of a pistol-looking device, and then the wick of a camping-style oil lamp lit up.

A golden circle of light shone around the lamp, illuminating the profile of the man leaning over it. Whoever this vampire was, he was certainly handsome. She’d noticed that before in the forest. Strong features, strong body. All the good Vamps she’d met were strong and good looking, but this man was different. The good Vamps were usually well dressed, well groomed, and well behaved. Polite, friendly, and respectful. She doubted any of them would kidnap a young woman and take her to a dark cave.

This vampire had a rough, primitive look about him. His khaki pants were torn in a few places. His knee-length brown coat was old and shabby. Dark stubble shaded his square jaw. Some of his hair had come loose from his short ponytail, and he’d hooked the strands behind his ears. At first, his hair appeared brown, but the longer she stared, the more she detected light copper streaks that gleamed in the golden lamplight. American, maybe? Or British?

Why was he in China? What did he want from her? Was he hungry and expected to feed from her? She lifted her knife and took another step back.

“Don’t—”

Kerplunk.
Her foot plopped into cool water up to her shin. She quickly regained her balance and moved her foot back onto dry land. Unfortunately, some water had seeped into her ankle-high hiking boot. Damn, she hated wet socks.

“Told you not to move,” he muttered.

She glared at him. “You could have warned me about the lake.”

“It’s not a lake. And I don’t explain myself.” He gave her an annoyed look that made her blink at the intensity of it.

He was angry with her? More than angry. His brown eyes seethed with controlled rage. Great. She’d been kidnapped by a pissed-off vampire.

He moved away from the light, and soon, he’d lit two more lamps.

She pivoted to look around, her sodden leather boot squishing as she moved. They were definitely underground. The walls were solid rock, and part of the ceiling high overhead was stone. The rest of the ceiling was a tangled mass of earth and tree roots. In places, long strands of green ivy dangled down into the cave.

As far as she could tell, they were just below the surface. Tiny cracks here and there let in damp, fresh air, and brilliant green moss clung to the tree roots and rock ceiling.

She was standing on the sandy shore of an underground stream. On the far side of the stream, she spotted a narrow strand of sand, then a smooth wall of rock. No exit there. The cave was narrow and long, following the path of the stream. It was a beautiful place, what with the green moss and tendrils of ivy overhead, and the soothing sound of moving water.

To the right, where the cave’s ceiling was solid rock, she spotted a dark alcove. Inside were some wooden crates, set side by side to form a rectangle. Stacked on top were several open sleeping bags and a blanket. His bed.

This was his home. She glanced back at him. He was levitating up to a tree root with gnarly stems that protruded like fingers. There, he hooked the leather slings of his crossbow and quiver of arrows. He dropped neatly to the ground, then walked a few steps to a foldout camp table.

He emptied the deep pockets of his coat, placing four knives, a phone, two handguns, and extra ammunition on the table. Then he unbuckled a sword belt and set his sheathed sword on the table. Apparently he wasn’t worried about her attacking, for he was completely disarming himself.

She pivoted once more to examine his home. He had quite a collection of camping gear: oil lanterns, two ice chests, two foldout tables. He’d built a makeshift bookcase with cinder blocks and planks of wood. Neatly folded clothing was stacked on the bottom two shelves. The top shelf held an assortment of books and electronic gadgets. How did he power them? A thick wire snaked up the rock wall and disappeared among some tree roots. Interesting. His cave might not be as primitive as she’d first thought.

Far to the right, past his bedroom, the underground stream disappeared into a rock tunnel. He’d situated an old-fashioned tin bathtub on the sandy shore with a spigot that extended over the water. Hanging from a hook rammed into the rock ceiling was a large bucket with a long chain. His version of a shower, she assumed. Close by there was a foldout wooden rack where he’d stretched out his laundry to dry. For a guy who lived in a cave, he appeared to be rather neat and tidy.

“Who are you?” His deep voice rumbled behind her, tingling the skin at the back of her neck.

She turned and her jaw dropped. He’d taken off his bulky coat and tossed it on the table. That one move had transformed him from an anonymous hobo into a gorgeous superhero. His dark green T-shirt stretched over incredibly wide shoulders. The worn, faded material clung to every contour of his muscled chest and abdomen before tapering to his narrow hips. He folded his arms over his chest, and she thought his sleeves might rip from failing to accommodate the size of his biceps.

The tingle on her neck skittered down her spine. It wasn’t just his muscles that were affecting her. It was something more. His presence. It seemed to fill the cave and, worse, fill her senses, leaving her with no doubt that this man was powerful, intelligent, and perhaps even dangerous.

She swallowed hard. “Who are you?”

“You know what I am.”

“A vampire, yes. But I haven’t figured out yet if you’re one of the good ones.”

“Neither have I.” His mouth twisted with a wry look. “I take it you’ve met the good ones?”

She nodded. “Jin Long, Dou Gal, Angus, and some others. Do you know them?”

“Yes. How do you know them?”

She ignored his question. “Then you’re on their side?”

“Only when it suits me.” He pulled a bottle of blood from an ice chest and opened it. “I won’t feed from you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He took a long drink.

That was good news. She sheathed her knife.

He set the bottle down and frowned at her. “You pissed me off.”

Her hand shot back to the handle of her knife.

He snorted. “I’m not going to hurt you. Not after going to the trouble of saving your pretty ass.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I have excellent aim, so I suggest you rephrase that.”

He finished his bottle, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’re right. ‘Pretty’ was an insult. I’d say your ass is damned beautiful—” When she pulled her knife from its sheath, he scoffed. “I rescued you, and you’re going to kill me? You should be thanking me.”

She pointed the weapon at him. “You brought me here against my will.”

“Would you prefer I take you back? I could drop you off at Han’s camp and let them capture you.” He took a step toward her, his scowl deepening. “What the hell were you thinking, taking on a dozen supersoldiers single-handedly? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don’t you have family somewhere worried about you?”

The vision of her mutilated family flitted through her mind once more. With an inward groan, she lowered her arm. “Just tell me where the exit is, and I’ll be on my way.”

“There is no exit. I teleport you in or out.”

And he would control where they went? She motioned to the stream. “I’ll follow the water. I’m sure it surfaces at some point.”

“Yes, after going through a rock tunnel for a mile or so. Your body would emerge eventually. Dead.”

Jia bit her lip, her gaze wandering to the stream where it disappeared into the tunnel. If she drowned, she wouldn’t have to worry about being hacked to pieces. Her skin pebbled with goose bumps as she imagined those last terrifying moments when she would run out of air—

“What the hell?” he whispered, and she turned to face him. “You’re considering it, aren’t you? You’re suicidal.” He strode toward her.

She lifted her knife. “Stay back!”

He vanished. Before she could even react, he grabbed her from behind. His left arm encircled her rib cage and pulled her hard against his chest. His right hand wrenched the knife from her hand and tossed it aside.

So incredibly fast. And strong. Self-doubt crept into her mind once again, reminding her how difficult it was going to be to kill Master Han on her own. As a vampire, Han was just as strong and fast as this one who was pinning her against his rock-hard chest.

“Release me.” Her breath caught as his hand groped along her belted waist.

“Any more knives? Do I need to frisk you?”

“Let me go!”

“I will. Eventually.” His chin grazed the top of her head. “I haven’t decided yet what to do with you.”

She swallowed hard. There was no way she could overpower this man. And even if she did, where could she go? The only way out of this cave was the stream. And death.

His cheek slid along her hair till she felt his breath, hot against her ear. Hot? Shouldn’t a vampire be cold? His whiskered jaw scraped across her cheek. She tilted her head away from him, but that only served to give him better access to her throat. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck, and she shuddered.

“You have the scent of a shifter.” With his right hand, he took hold of her jaw and turned her face toward him. “And the golden eyes of a tiger.”

Her gaze met his, and for a few seconds she forgot to breathe. His stare was bold and fierce, as if he was trying to look into her soul. His eyes were not solid brown, as she’d thought, but hazel, with shards of gold and green shimmering among the brown.

There was something so . . . sincere about his eyes and expression. Instinctively, she felt he was solid and honest. A man who said and did what he felt was right and never apologized for it.

His gaze lowered to her mouth, then returned to her eyes. “Shall I teleport you back to Tiger Town?”

“No!” She pulled away, surprised for a second that he let her go. “I can’t go back there. Anywhere but there.”

He smirked. “So you admit that is your home.”

“Yes, but I can’t go back before my mission is done.”

“Your family must be worried sick—”

“My family is
dead
! My parents and brother, hacked to pieces by Master Han. I won’t stop until I’ve killed him.”

The vampire stiffened. “You will not kill Han.”

“I will! I swore I would avenge my family—”

“You’re not killing Han!” the vampire yelled. “
I am!
”

Jia paused a moment, stunned by the vampire’s words and the ferocious look on his face. “Why do you want—”

“I don’t explain myself,” he growled and took a step toward her. “I was so close to killing Han tonight. I had a clear shot at his neck, and you ruined it.”

She stepped back. “You—”

“Two years of tracking that bastard, and you screwed it up!”

She winced. No wonder he was pissed. “I didn’t know.”

“You know nothing about warfare! You can’t attack his guards first. He just teleports away.”

“I realize that now. I’ll do better next—”

“There is no next time for you. Killing Han is
my
job, and
you
will stay out of it!”

Jia’s breath caught when she realized who this vampire must be. How many times had she heard Jin Long and her cousin complain about him? Angus kept sending them on missions to find him, and somehow, he always eluded them.

What was his name? He seemed like a legend, the way people gossiped about him. Some said he was dangerous; others called him a hero. According to her cousin, he’d cut the tracking chip out of his arm and disappeared two years ago, vowing to kill Master Han. A few times, when Rajiv and Jin Long had found themselves surrounded by Han’s soldiers, this vampire had miraculously appeared and rescued them.

Just like he’d rescued her tonight. “I know who you are. You’re the—the—”

“The deserter?” he growled. “Do they say I’m crazy?”

“No! Of course not.” She winced inwardly. This was not the time to admit that Rajiv called him “The Crazy One.” And Jin Long claimed he was a loose cannon. She searched her mind for something good they’d said about him. “They say you’re the best tracker in the world.”

He stared at her a moment, then looked away, shifting his weight as if he didn’t know how to respond.

He’s not used to compliments,
she thought, and her heart softened. What a lonesome man he had to be. But so wonderfully dedicated to his cause. She inhaled sharply as an idea popped into her mind. “I know what to do. We’ll work together!”