Northern Bites (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 2) (10 page)

“What does he know about us?” Henry asked, watching me with a stony expression.

“Nothing.”

“But he knows where to find us.”

“This isn’t his scene,” I said quickly. “He came looking for me.”

“What’s to stop him from looking again?”

“I told him not to.” Sheesh, what was with the third degree?

Henry narrowed his eyes.
“Where’s Fane?”

“Upstairs.”

“He left you unchaperoned?”

A gagging noise gurgled in the back of my throat before I could speak. “This is the
twenty-first century, Henry. I don’t require a chaperone.”

Henry looked me up and down. “That’s debatable.”

“Well, he wanted me to fetch him another drink. How does that sound?” Henry probably had no problem seeing me as a serving wench. Who knew how old, or more importantly,
old-fashioned,
he was. I nearly knocked over my wine glass reaching for a shot of blood. Having a vampire watch my every move was unnerving. Wine in one hand, shot in the other, I marched out of the kitchen without a second glance.

Marcus shot me a wicked grin as I made my way through the living room to the spiral staircase. Upstairs, the door to the October room remained open, but there wasn’t any sign of Fane. I d
idn’t know what I’d been expecting, and I didn’t know where he’d gone. I hadn’t seen him in the living room, and he couldn’t have left without running into me. Not through the front door, anyway.

I glanced at the window. Doubtful.

I tried to convince myself that the only reason I felt disappointed was he’d gotten away with only the finger for that Trojan remark. What did Fane think? Because I’d fucked up once I’d do it again?

I took a quick glance around then downed the shot of blood. One
gulp. I felt shaken, and I needed something to calm me.

Calm wasn’t exactly the right word. The blood excited me. I felt like I’d taken a hit of adrenaline. I wanted to dance. Why didn’t Marcus have dancing at his parties? Everyone stood around yapping and sipping cocktails. What a bunch of old fogies. Literally.

I took a large sip of wine to wash down any trace of blood on my teeth.

I felt like
walking home but I wasn’t dressed for it and I wasn’t about to disappear on Noel again.

Where was Noel, anyway? Probably shut off in a room with Gavin. I hadn’t seen him in the living room when I passed through.

Guess there wasn’t much else to do besides sip my wine in a corner downstairs and not talk to strangers. As I retreated down the hall, I found a tray with empty glasses and stashed the shot glass there before descending into the living room. Noel sat in a corner by the window staring out at the dark inlet. Her frown reflected in the glass.

“Noel?
” I said, taking a seat on a cushy chair beside her. Marcus and his partner, Richard Stanton of Stanton’s Fine Art Gallery, kept the rooms filled with so many antiques and art objects that there wasn’t much legroom. My knees bumped into Noel’s legs.

“Oh, hi.”
She sighed.

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know what’s going on. Gavin is being so cold to me tonight.”

I raised a brow.
“He’s a vampire.”

“
Ha, ha,” Noel replied. “What about Fane? Is it true he broke up with Valerie?”

“He says they were only together a day.” I slump
ed forward. “He was rather cold, too.”

Noel
sighed. “Why can’t we like normal guys?”

“Because
we’re not normal girls.” I followed Noel’s gaze to the window. From that vantage there were no city lights, no buildings, no land. Just ocean.

During the day, Cook Inlet looked
about as gray as the overcast sky. At night it was as black as oil. Anchorage didn’t have beaches. We had mudflats. The fine glacial silt turned to quicksand any time an unwary victim ventured too far and became stuck in the mud. Last summer, the Anchorage Fire Department had to rescue two teenagers who got stuck before the tide swallowed them whole.

“Ready to get out of here?” I asked Noel.

“Sure.”

All I wanted to do was collapse into bed
, but as Noel’s Volvo chugged up the hill, I saw my entire house lit up from within as though it were radioactive.

“That’s odd,” I said, when
we pulled up.

“Is everything okay?” Noel asked.

“I don’t know. Guess I’ll find out.”

The moment I walked in I heard the kind of sobbing that could only mean one thing. So
meone had died. And that someone could only be my dad.

“Mom?”

My heart constricted, and I fought for breath. My vision swam. I tried to think back to my last memory of Dad—his last words. What I remembered was Mom begging him not to leave. Great last memory to take with me the rest of my life.

I found Mom in the kitchen, plates broken at her feet. She’d stopped sobbing as soon as I called out her name, but her face was a red blotchy horror.

“Aurora, I wasn’t expecting you home this early,” she said in a voice that was freakishly normal.

She’d lost it all right.

“It’s Dad, isn’t it?”

Mom’s eyes confirmed
that it was.

“Oh
, God.” Without warning, I collapsed against the counter and made a choking sound. “I was such a snot the last time I saw him. And now…” I started sobbing uncontrollably.

Dad hadn’t been especially nice after my accident, but in his defense, he’d been out of the country and had no idea how close I’d come to dying or of the deal Mom had made with the agents.

It came back to me then, his last words.
“I’m not sure I like this new attitude of yours.”
I sobbed harder. If only he’d known what really happened. I couldn’t imagine him sitting idly by, allowing a secret government agency to dictate the rest of my life. He would have fought for me.

“M
y poor girl,” Mom said, taking me into her arms. She stroked my back as I cried into her bathrobe.

I leaned back and looked
her in the eyes. “How did it happen?”

Her
hand stilled on my back and her lips pinched the way they did whenever she didn’t want to talk about something. “I don’t want to worry you with it,” she said.

“That bad?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

I took her hand in mine and squeezed gently. “Mom, I have to know.”

Please don’t let it be a vampire or a car accident. The truth couldn’t be as gruesome as what my brain was throwing at me.

Mom sighed. She pulled her hand out of mine and went to the far side of the dining room, coming to a rest in front of a stack of papers. She took a deep breath. Her eyes didn’t seem capable of meeting mine.

“He’s been having an affair for two years
,” she started.

“Affair?!” My jaw went slack.

She met my eyes now and squinted as though trying to read the expression on my face. “I didn’t want to shock you with this. We don’t have to talk about it.”

“Mom, I thought Dad was dead!
”

“Dead?”
she repeated. “No, your father wants a divorce.” She visibly shuddered as though divorce was worse than death. “He had the papers delivered earlier this evening.” She looked down.

I stormed to the table, raking my eyes over the stack.

“That dick!”

I could say that now that I knew he was alive and dicking arou
nd with another woman. His long absences suddenly made sense.

“I’ll clean up the kitchen,” I said, wanting to distract myself with something.

“Don’t worry about that,” she said.

I got out the dustpan and broom anyway, and began
sweeping up the broken bits of plate.

“What does this mean?” I asked, crouched on the floor. “Do we have to move out of the house?”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Mom said in a voice that brokered no argument.

She was understandably angry. I should have left it at that, but I didn’t.

“Maybe this would be a good time to sell the house. I plan on moving into an apartment after I graduate. This is an awfully big house for one person. You could spend time with Grandma.” Like many retired Alaskans, Gran divided her time between Alaska and Florida. I swept the last of the pieces of broken plate into the dustpan and stood up.

Mom had been deathly silent as I spoke. When I ventured a glance her
way she looked ready to snarl. “I am not running off to hide in Florida. If Bill thinks he can run me out of the state and out of my home, he has another thing coming!”

“Okay, Mom. Calm down. What do you want
to do?”

She
took the kind of breath that lifted her shoulders halfway to her ears and released. “I want Bill to come home. We could work this out if only he’d try.”

“You
…want him…back?” I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Spare me your judgment, Aurora.”

Now I really didn’t believe my ears. Mom never said stuff like that to me.

“I’m not judging,” I said defensively. “But he cheated on you
—for two years!”

“And we’ve been together for twenty. You don’t just walk away from something like that. He’s going through a
phase is all. How much do you want to bet that woman put him up to this? Of course she did. Bill has a wife, a daughter, a home. He wouldn’t just walk away from that.”

I doubt
Mom was in the right frame of mind to be reminded that he had walked away from all that. He wasn’t coming back. She might not be able to see that, but I did.

7

I didn’t take my usual seat up front in history on Monday. I chose a desk with seats occupied on either side. I wasn’t in the mood for Mike’s antics. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

I really needed to put on my big girl panties and lay down the law.
If I could fight vampires, I could let a boy down gently.

First I had to return his jacket
.

I gave silent thanks when the final bell rang with no sign of Mike.

Homework was the furthest thing from my mind when lunch rolled around. Maybe I could convince Noel to leave the love nest and go out for a bite. I needed to tell someone about my dad.

I took my wallet out of my backpack before stuffing the
bag inside my locker. Hopefully Noel would let me steal her away.

I made tracks for the cafeteria. If we left within the next five minutes we might still have time to order our food at one of the nearby fast food chains and eat it.

A giggling freshman collided into me while joking around with a friend. I nearly pushed him aside.

“Sorry,” he said quickly.

I took a breath.
Be nice, Aurora.
“That’s okay.”

Four girls sat around Henry and Gavin today
—none of whom were Noel. Henry watched me wearily. Probably still bent out of shape after being IDed at the palace by Mike.

“Where’s Noel?” I asked.

Henry lifted his chin. “Library.”

“Thanks.” I
turned abruptly and walked out.

I found Noel slouched over a table top in a back corner of the library. My lips lifted as I approached her.
When she sat up I noticed her hair. She’d cut it short! Although Noel and I looked nothing alike, we’d had almost identical long black hair and bangs. Now it barely reached her shoulder blades. Like Valerie, Noel had a way of wearing red lipstick as though it were a natural eye color. She looked good without the hoodie and with her hair styled in an attractive bob.

“I love your hair,” I said immediately.

Noel didn’t so much as crack a smile. “Thanks.”

“What are you doing in the library? Get hit by a case of nostalgia?” Noel and her friends Whitney and Hope used to hang out in t
he school library at Denali High all the time.

“What’s the matter?”
I asked when she didn’t respond.

“Valerie
,” Noel said, anger rising in her voice.

I slipped into the seat beside
her. “No argument there. What’s the vixen done now?”

Noel glared at the tabletop. “She h
ooked up with Gavin.”

“When? How?” I sputtered. “They don’t even go to the same school.”
And just when Noel had gone and gotten a makeover. What rotten timing. Or maybe this was Noel’s way of showing Gavin what he was missing.

“After I dropped you off
Friday night I went back to the party and there they were making out on the couch.” Noel’s lip curled back. “One of Marcus’s guests told them to take it upstairs…and they did.”

Noel’s head dove forward into her arms.

“I’m so sorry, Noel.” I patted her back gently. Maybe not the best time to bring up my philandering father.

“Wa
nt to grab a sandwich with me?”

“I’m not hungry, but I’ll come with you. I just want to get out of here.”
She pushed away from the table.

As we headed down the hall, the intercom crackled.

“Aurora Sky and Noel Harper, please report to the front office immediately.”

Noel and I looked at each other. I imagine I looked every bit as a
larmed as she did. My hands instantly balled into fists. Noel and I headed to the office without a word. I didn’t know about Noel, but I could do without any more surprises.

Noel stepped up to the front desk. “I’m Noel Harper and this is Aurora Sky.”

The secretary handed us each a slip of paper. “You’ve been excused from your afternoon classes,” she said.

Noel and I
huddled together with our matching notes.

I need you on base now. – Melcher

“So much for taking the rest of the month off,” I muttered.

“Duty calls,” Noel said, sou
nding pretty sarcastic herself. “Do you need anything out of your locker?”

“Yeah, can I grab my books? I have a history test to study for tonight.”

“Meet you out front,” Noel said.

My phone rang on the way to my locker. It was Dante.

“Have you been called in?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Need a ride?”

“
I’m coming in with Noel.”

“I’ll save you a seat,”
he said, abruptly ending the call.

“It’s not a race,” I muttered under my breath.

I certainly wasn’t in any hurry to get on base.

It took me a moment to remember my new locker combo. Once I had the door unlatched I sifted through my pack, leaving behind the textbooks I knew I wouldn’t touch that night. I eyed Mike’s coat in the back of my locker
—one more thing that needed taking care of.

I dialed my mom as I walked down the hall and told her the agents had called me in
, and I’d catch a ride home with Dante. For once she didn’t ask if everything was okay. Probably too hung up on her own problems.

Noel had her car idling in the pick-up lane when I walked out.
She had the black hoodie back on with the hood pulled over her head. I’d grabbed my red scarf that morning and wrapped it around my neck. Old habits die hard.

“Valerie is the
absolute last person I feel like seeing right now,” Noel grumbled after I got in.

“Sorry.”

“Melcher better not try to pair her up with me.”

“Nor me.
Once was enough.” I scrunched up my face. “How did you and Dante get along, by the way?”

“Fine, even though he would have rather been with you or Valerie.”

Now she was really pouting.

I kept my eyes on the road because Noel looked spaced
out. At least we were driving on snow, not ice.

Noel and I didn’t speak the rest of the way.
My thoughts drifted back to the divorce. I wished I could tell Fane about my dad. Could we ever be friends again?

I handed my ID badge to Noel at the gated checkpoint leading on base. The military man at the window took both badges with his
standard frown then handed them back.

“About time,” Dante said when Noel and I walked into Melcher and Crist’s office.

I rolled my eyes before taking a seat. “I’m surprised the agents left you alone in their office.”

Dante leaned against the wall and grinned
. “I tried to get into the file cabinets, but they’re locked.”

Noel fell into a chair and pulled her hood further down her face.

Dante’s eyes flicked from Noel to me. “How’s school?”

“School.”

“Really? Tell me more.”

I started to chuckle when Valerie strode in, tall brown boots pulled over skinny jeans, a fire engine red cowl
-necked sweater on top. She sighed dramatically.

“Don’t tell me I’ve been called in to babysit Aurora again.”

“Good thing you came,” Dante said smoothly. “A call girl’s gone missing, and Melcher needs you to work through her clients until you find the culprit.”

I laughed then choked trying to hold it back.

Valerie chose to direct her anger at me. “Something funny?” she demanded, leaning toward me.

Dante tsked. “Careful, Red. I’ve seen Aurora in action.”

“So have I. By action, I assume you mean getting her ass whipped.”

Dante grinned. “You have my attention now.”

I pushed myself out of my chair, prepared to yell at them both when Melcher walked into the room.

“Oh good, you’re all here.”

I hardly noticed the man who walked in behind Melcher. He pushed the door closed forcefully, hanging at the back as though guarding our only exit. Melcher stood behind his desk.

“Team, I have bad news.”

Since when did Melcher ever call us in to share good news? Something was definitely up, though. For the first time he wasn’t smiling. He looked us each in the face. “Agent Crist was found dead over the weekend.”

“What?”

I’m not sure who said it—maybe all four of us. Noel’s head shot up. Dante lowered his foot to the ground. Valerie’s jaw dropped.

Melcher nodded
grimly before taking a seat. “One of our own…gone.”

Crist and I were never close, but I never wished her ill
—and certainly not dead.

Melcher cleared
his throat. “Agent Crist served her country well, and while the community might not know it, her sacrifice will never be forgotten. Not in our unit. She put duty before her personal life. Honor before pride. Loyalty above self-interest.”

I slouched
in my seat. At least Melcher’s rambling served the purpose of numbing my initial shock, though I was waiting like everyone else to find out exactly what had happened.

“Agent Crist
worked tirelessly by my side for over three years. She understood our mission better than anyone I’ve ever worked with.”

The guy behind me yawned.

As much as I wanted to turn in my seat and get a better look at him, it didn’t feel appropriate with Melcher talking about the former Agent Crist.

“Did a vamp get her?” Dante demanded the minute Melcher concluded his tribute to Crist.

“I’m afraid so.” Melcher’s speech had loosened his lips, relaxing his frown into something more Melcher-like.

“Do you think he
, or whoever, was aware of her involvement in this organization?” I asked.

That’s what had gotten me into trouble with Renard and his cronies. What if Crist had talked? Shared names? I gripped the armrests o
f my seat.

“From what the autopsy showed it appears this was a rush job. We believe Crist was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

What were the odds of that happening? I actually felt sorry for the poor woman no matter how prickly she’d been. No one deserved death by vampire, especially not someone who’d dedicated her life to stopping the creatures from harming human citizens.

Dante smacked his fist against his
hand. “Any leads?”

Melcher glanced over our shoulders to the man in back. Mr. Mysterious made his way to the front, taking a seat on the edge of Crist’s desk.

“That is what Jared is here to help us with,” Melcher said in answer to Dante’s question.

“Agent
?” Dante asked, raising a brow.

“Just Jared,” the man said.

I thought Melcher was smug. This guy exuded conceit. He looked around the room as though he owned the space and everyone in it. His chest looked rock solid under a thin ribbed t-shirt with long sleeves. He didn’t wear a suit like Melcher, and he couldn’t be much older than thirty, though he held himself up like some kind of Fortune 500 CEO.

Melcher cleared his throat. “Jared is our top recruiter. He’s taking time out to help us find Agent Crist’s killer.”

“Where do we start?” Dante asked, looking between Melcher and “Just Jared.”

“We found another body beside
s Crist,” Melcher said. “We believe the second body will lead us to the culprit.”

“Who was it?” Dante asked.

Melcher formed a steeple with his fingers and looked directly at me. “It was a boy named Michael Peterson. He went to West High School.”

For one glorious second I d
idn’t recognize the name. Then I stopped breathing. It wasn’t until Melcher’s gaze turned to Noel that I was able to get oxygen to my brain.

Mike!

How was that even possible? Melcher must be mistaken. There was absolutely no link between Mike and Crist—no reason for their lives, and deaths, to collide. Mike couldn’t be dead. I had his coat. I still needed to return it.

“Aurora, did yo
u know this boy?” Melcher asked, studying me carefully.

I could see a question forming on Dante’s lips. Both men stared at me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jared stifle a yawn. I knew in our line of work we had to desensitize ourselves to a certain degree, but he didn’t have to act so bored by the death of an agent and a high school boy.

“We both did,”
Noel spoke up. “He followed us to Marcus’s party Friday night. The moment Aurora noticed him at the party she escorted him out to his car. That’s the last we saw of him.”

I felt torn between awe and appreciation at Noel’s succinct account of Mike’s appearance Friday night
, and a pain of betrayal that she’d reported my after-hours activities. Well, what could I expect from an informant?