Darkness Clashes
Darkness
Clashes
by Susan Illene
Darkness Clashes
Copyright © 2014 by Susan Illene
All right reserved.
This book, whole or in part, may not be copied, scanned, or reproduced by electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying or the implementation of any type of storage or retrieval system) without the express written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. Please do not participate or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials. Purchase only authorized editions.
ISBN- 0991155688
ISBN- 978-0-9911556-8-2
Images obtained for the creation of this novel’s cover were licensed for use from shutterstock.com and Teresa Yeh photography. Design by Phat Puppy Art.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events portrayed within its pages are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not meant to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead, undead, or mostly dead is purely coincidental.
Dedication
To Lynne Mazynski, a huge supporter of the Sensor Series and a true friend. From the beginning, you encouraged me and never let me doubt myself. I feel your passing deeply in my heart. Some people flit in and out of our lives with little fanfare. You came barging in while yelling obscenities and jokes that simultaneously shocked me and made me laugh. I will miss you more than you can imagine.
Sensor Series Reading Order:
Darkness Haunts
Darkness Taunts
Chained by Darkness (novella)
Darkness Divides
Playing with Darkness (novella)
Darkness Clashes
Chapter One
The werewolf had been staring at me for the last twenty minutes. His relentless gaze sent chills along my spine and made it hard for me not to turn and face him. Even from twenty feet away I could sense his growing desire. What was he waiting for? The right moment to pounce?
The dozens of humans surrounding us might have had something to do with it. This was Spokane, Washington. Not a lot of vampires around to compel the mortals into forgetting if the werewolf made a big scene. With the full moon just passed, he’d still be on edge and have to watch himself.
People from one end of the rectangular bar to the other drank, danced, and played pool games as they enjoyed their Saturday night. Music blared from the nearby speakers and it didn’t take a sensitive nose to catch the conflicting scents of sweat, stale beer, and cheap perfume. It was the picture of normalcy and proved how utterly oblivious these people were to the dark underbelly of the supernatural world rubbing shoulders with them.
A world I’d once avoided and pretended not to see.
The werewolf couldn’t know I wasn’t human—at least not anymore—but some sixth sense must have registered that I wasn’t easy prey. Not even close. I was more like a spider weaving an alluring web and waiting for him to step into it. The one enigmatic smile I’d given him when I arrived started the game. My loose auburn hair and blue halter dress with its short skirt kept it going.
Playing the role of a shy and vulnerable woman wore on me, but I wanted him to make the first move. For him to think he was in control—until he wasn’t. I didn’t get away from Fairbanks, Alaska that often. I had to get my kicks when I could.
I took a sip of my fruity drink. A husband and wife sat on the left side of me, drinking beer and complaining about their kids. I’d adopted a teenager myself and understood their difficulties. The barstool on my right side was empty, but an older man with a long gray beard sat just beyond it. He studied his beer bottle as if the answers to the universe might be revealed on the label. I’d tried that once. The words turn cryptic if you stare too long.
Toward the back of the place, a chair scraped against the tile floor. The werewolf had finally decided to make his move. My unique abilities as a sensor allowed me to track his movements without looking, but I also had the mirror behind the bar to help. He had to weave around a handful of high tables filled with patrons before he could reach me.
My belly churned at the thought of him getting close, but I had to do this. He was the first potential contact I’d found in Spokane and I only had one night to get what I needed. Lucas wouldn’t care for my methods, but I was doing this for his brother—who’d been missing for four months. We had to do whatever it took to find him.
The werewolf put a hand against the bar to my right, filling my peripheral vision. His tanned arm was covered with curly dark hair. My gaze trailed up to a bulging bicep and farther, to a thick chest covered loosely with a white t-shirt. It had a Coors Light logo on it.
He leaned down until his face couldn’t have been more than a foot from mine. His hair was shaved off, emphasizing a round head and full cheeks. A day’s growth of beard dusted his chin and jaw.
“Hey, sweetheart. What’s a pretty lady like you doin’ here all alone?” he asked, letting out a whiff of beer breath.
Take one for the team, Melena
.
You need this guy
.
I gave him a guileless smile. “Waiting for the right man to come along. You?”
“Maybe I’ve been lookin’ for the right woman.” He flashed his teeth. “Think I might have found her.”
Not in a million years. I took a sip of my drink, buying myself a moment so I wouldn’t do something rash. Like poke his eyes out so I’d never have to see them again.
“That depends,” I said, setting my glass down.
“On what?”
I leaned in and whispered in his ear. “On whether you can direct me to your alpha.”
He stiffened and pulled back enough to meet my eyes.
“What do ya know about that?”
I gave him a level look. “I know enough.”
It was too bad the woman who’d given me the tip hadn’t had any contact information for the pack. They’d gotten a new alpha recently and he’d been making sweeping changes to their structure. Maybe even reining them in since I’d had to drive around to three different bars before I found one with a werewolf inside.
“How do ya know I’m not him?”
I cocked my head and gave him a disparaging look.
“You’ve been a werewolf for what, five years?” I kept my voice low, letting his enhanced hearing filter out the music in the background. “The vibe coming off you tells me you aren’t strong enough to be an alpha and probably never will be.”
My abilities as a sensor didn’t just identify his race, but also his strength and age. It was useful in times like these.
His eyes narrowed. “You can’t be sure of that.”
“Yes, I can.” And if he was a little smarter he would have figured out who I was by now. “So where’s your alpha?”
“Not here,” he growled.
I rolled my eyes. “I know that. Just give me a phone number or location to find him.”
“I ain’t tellin’ you shit.” He jerked me off the stool. “But I’ll take you to him.”
I tripped on my heels as he pulled me forward and almost fell. If he hadn’t had such a strong grip on my arm I would have crashed into the floor. Regaining my balance, I straightened my body. He wasn’t the only one who could resort to violence and now I had witnesses that he’d started it first.
Taking hold of his wrist, I yanked his hand off of me. When he reached out again I grabbed his arm and swung him into the bar. He crashed into a row of stools headfirst, sending nearby patrons scrambling back. I gripped the back of his neck and smashed his face into the bar. Blood gushed from his nose when I pulled him back up.
I leaned in close to his ear. “You’ve got three seconds to change your mind before I break something else.”
“Who…are you?” he whispered out.
“Just a woman who wants her questions answered,” I hissed.
My heart was beating hard against my chest and all I wanted was to get out of there. Someone would be calling the cops soon if we didn’t resolve this fast.
“The alpha…he’s supposed to be at Crusaders tonight.”
My senses told me he spoke the truth. I let him go. Looking up, I found everyone in the bar had stopped what they were doing and were staring at us. Music still played in the background, but it was a lonely melody.
“It’s okay, everyone.” I put my hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “He’s had too much to drink and didn’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer.”
People started whispering among themselves. The werewolf grabbed a napkin off the bar and started wiping his face clean, shooting me dirty looks as he got the worst of the blood off. As if he hadn’t asked for it.
I was paying my tab with the bartender when a spark hit my senses, alerting me to a new arrival in the parking lot. This was about to get a whole lot more interesting. I stuffed my wallet back into my purse and zipped it up just before the front door crashed open.
Everyone’s gaze swung toward it. A man with shoulders wide enough that they nearly filled the doorway stepped inside. His blond hair was about two inches long and his face freshly shaven. He had strong features like you’d expect from an ancient warrior, with a square jaw and a Roman nose. The golden tint of his skin hinted at his half-angel heritage.
A nephilim—one of only four dozen left on earth where once there were hundreds. This one was about two and a half thousand years old. Power rolled off of him in thick waves that pushed against my senses and ignited my inborn instinct to run as far and fast as I could.
His golden eyes zoomed in on me and it was as if we were the only two people in the room. In half a dozen strides, he was nearly on top of me. Staring up at him, I suddenly felt really small.
“Did you get the information we need?” he asked.
The bastard. He was supposed to let me take care of this without his help.
I gave him an annoyed look. “Of course.”
“Did you have any trouble?”
The werewolf next to me started inching away. A few others in the bar were doing the same, but most of them kept staring. It was sort of awkward having them watch us, but Lucas would take care of the witnesses soon enough.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I replied.
His gaze dropped to my arm. Ever since we’d bonded he’d had an uncanny way of knowing exactly where I was injured. Lucas ran his thumb over the bruises on my bicep where the werewolf had gripped me too tightly. Tenderness reflected in his eyes for a brief moment before it turned to fury.
“And this?”
I sighed. “It will heal in thirty minutes and you know it.”