Something Wicked This Way Comes (2 page)

Everything came back in startling clarity. There had been a vampire— no, he was something else, something more dangerous. He’d had glowing eyes, and when he’d pulled her to him, bit her neck to feed on her, she’d felt not only fear but also something else. It was like she felt remembrance from long ago, that she knew his touch, yearned for it like she’d been missing it her entire life. But even that feeling hadn’t numbed the pleasure his bite had caused, or the fact he’d murmured she was his mate.

Living in a world where otherworldly beings walked alongside humans had Abbi knowing all about their kind and what it meant to be a mate to one.

He’d bit her, and that had her lifting her hand to the side of her neck, touching the wound she knew was there but didn’t hurt. She got out of the tub so fast she slipped on the cracked linoleum floor, one leg going to the left and her right knee going out on her. She landed on the floor hard, a gasp of pain leaving her, but her mind on the fact she’d been bitten by a vampire and apparently been mated to one.

When she was standing and had her hands braced on the chipped, stained sink, she ran a hand over the foggy mirror and stared in horror at herself. Tilting her head to the side, she stared at the twin marks on her neck, sealed shut but still very noticeable. She knew they’d never heal, that it was a mate’s mark, one that would show everyone she was tied to a vampire for all time.

“Oh, God.”

He’d tried to use compulsion to have her forget about what happened, but she assumed because they were mates it hadn’t lasted.

Closing her eyes and breathing out, she suddenly felt sick. Her belly clenched, her heart raced, and the world tilted. And before she knew what was happening, the floor was rushing up to greet her. There was a flash of pain as her head hit the ground, but then everything went dark.

****

Lathan had no shame, and felt no remorse over the fact he stood outside his mate’s home. It wasn’t because he couldn’t leave her, that his body and mind screamed that he stay with her, make sure she was safe, but also because she fascinated him. Yes, being mated came with this undeniable and inexplicable need to always be with the other, but it was more than that, too. Lathan wanted to look at the mark he gave her, let that pleasure and possessive need slam into him over the fact he’d been the one to give it to her. No paranormal or human would dare touch her now, not unless they wanted the wrath of his vampire and wolf alike.

He’d rip throats out, break bones, and bathe in their blood if they even thought they could touch her.

But he’d left her alone after she went upstairs, knew he didn’t want to scare her, and having her see him watching her, invading her privacy like this, would most certainly have her even more afraid of him than she might be. Although with the compulsion she wouldn’t know it was
him
she feared, just something bad altogether.

Lathan went deeper into the city, his hunger not sated because he hadn’t fed fully. He wouldn’t feed from Abbi, wouldn’t drink from her if it wasn’t in the throes of passion. When he finally claimed her in all ways—had her in a bed, under him, submitting to him—then he’d bite her neck, drink from her until she came around his cock.

Fuck, he was getting hard now, needing her like he needed to feed. But Lathan was a patient male. He’d wait for her to realize that she was his, and no amount of time and distance would stop him from making her his.

Lathan moved through the park in the center of the city, made his way deeper into the trees that were situated in the middle of the walkway that made its way around the perimeter of the park. He waited in the darkness for his next victim.

The night was still, the air cool. The sound of footsteps coming closer surrounded Lathan, followed by the distinct yapping of a dog.

A young man walked by, closer and closer, the scent of his blood filling Lathan’s nose, the sound of it pumping through his veins, moving throughout his entire body, making the animals in him rise like violent beasts. He stepped further into the shadows, watched with his acute, heightened eyesight, inhaled the scent of the young man deeply, and knew if he wasn’t careful he could drain him dry.

Lathan preferred draining from females, preferred to have their soft bodies pressed to him, but the very thought of touching another woman anymore was abhorrent. He’d found his mate, his body and mind knew that, and nothing—not even himself and his preferences—would allow him to touch another woman, even if in feeding. He’d only had that one moment with her, that one mistake of not recognizing her right away, of drinking from her in an act of hunger, but that was all he needed to only want her from this point on.

The man stopped, pulled a cigarette out of his coat pocket, and proceeded to light the end. He inhaled deeply from it twice, let the dog walk around his feet for several minutes, and Lathan knew he couldn’t wait any longer.

Stepping out from the shadows, the man looked up at him, and for one moment they just stood there, facing each other, no fear coming from the human. But as Lathan felt his wolf rise, felt his wolf start to show itself in the form of his glowing eyes and lengthening fangs, he saw fear morph the human’s face.

He turned, about to run, but he was no match for Lathan. He was in front of the man before the human even took a step—had his hand on his throat, and had them back in the shadows a second later. The little dog started barking, but Lathan turned and looked at it over his shoulder. He made a low growl, his wolf flashing forward enough that the dog whimpered and ran off, the leash trailing behind.

Lathan turned back to the man, stared into his eyes, and willed the compulsion to flow from him freely.

“You’ll relax, let this happen, and once it’s done you’ll go home, eat a big meal, drink plenty of water, and go to sleep, remembering nothing.”

The guy slowly nodded, his pupils fully dilated as the compulsion seeped into his mind, wrapped around him and took hold. He tilted the human’s neck back, bared the side of throat, and saw his jugular pumping. Lathan’s mouth watered, his fangs descended even more, and the vampire side of him pushed back his wolf, taking dominance.

Opening his mouth and piercing the human’s throat, Lathan felt the rush of warm blood pour into his mouth. The human tasted foul, like nicotine, alcohol, and prescription medication. But what was in the blood wouldn’t affect Lathan. All he got from it was the sustenance. But when he drank Abbi’s blood it was so much more. It wasn’t just about the sustenance, wasn’t just about the need to feed, to survive. It was about so much more.

He took all he needed, sealed the wound with his saliva, and backed away.

“Go, do as I’ve said.”

The human pushed away from the tree, stumbling a little bit. The dog was huddled across the park, the scent of his submission and fear clear. It knew Lathan was the dominant one, knew he was a dangerous creature.

He watched the human leave. He’d be fine, would survive another night, and yet despite controlling his need to feed Lathan didn’t feel like he’d been sated. What he wanted, needed, was his mate, but he knew he’d have to be patient with her. He could very easily scare her to the point she’d never accept the mating, and even if he couldn’t let her go, wouldn’t, Lathan also wanted her to come to him on her own. He needed her to.

Abbi finished putting her paperwork in the files, cleaned off her desk, and grabbed her purse. The office was still packed with her co-workers, but she was heading out early, wanted to run some errands while it was still light out. The memory of the vampire that had attacked her… no, not attacked her, drank from her, tried to make her forget what had happened… it was like he’d tried to protect her.

She shook her head, feeling like she was losing her mind. The fact remained, even if he really hadn’t hurt her, he had mated with her. That was clear by the mark on her neck and the fact he’d said so. She knew enough about the paranormal world to understand when someone was mated they were no longer alone. That otherworldly entity would do whatever was in their power to claim them as theirs. And although he was a vampire, and she knew that his kind couldn’t go out in the sunlight, she also knew he was something more… something much more.

She left the office and did the errands she had while the sun was still out. When she finally got back home, bags in hand, her heart started to race; the sun was starting to set. The fear was in her, strong, potent, but there was something else. It was like this pull, this need, yet she couldn’t understand it, couldn’t place why she felt like that.

Abbi knew that if she was going to survive this she needed to accept the reality of her situation. She couldn’t run, not from an otherworldly being, and certainly not one that mated with her.

Closing her eyes, she pictured him in that alleyway, imagined him right before her again. Her pulse beat hard and fast, frantic, and anticipation rushed through her. She felt those emotions, held onto them, and let them wash over her. His hair had been so dark, short and brushing along his forehead. And his face… God, his face was like a mixture of an angel and devil, a demon that used itself for temptation, to bring people to their knees and have them do its bidding.

It seemed like a ludicrous thought, but she knew he wasn’t just a vampire. Maybe he was half demon, half shifter? Maybe he was something altogether different, a creature she’d never heard of before?

The feeling on the back of her neck intensified again, the hair standing on end, and she turned. Facing the front door, staring at the scarred wood, a feeling inside of her rose. It might be closed, but she
knew
someone or something was on the other side. It was a feeling that had her body going into the flight or fight mode instantly.

She wasn’t stupid enough to go to the door and open it, but then she found herself moving toward it, as if her body and mind were at war. It was like she couldn’t control herself, couldn’t stop herself from moving forward, gripping the handle, and just holding it for a second.

She swore she heard his heart beating on the other side of the wood, knew it was the creature, the man that had mated with her, right on the other side. She was afraid, but the more explosive emotion inside of her was the anticipation, the need that she
had
to see him,
had
to look at his face because he was her mate. This feeling was so damn intense, so unstoppable, that Abbi couldn’t stop herself from turning the handle and opening the door.

There he stood, his dark jacket moving along the top of his black pant-covered thighs from the wind blowing. His head was slightly downcast, his eyes trained on her. They glowed for a moment, the tingling in her body intensifying from that fact.

They didn’t speak for what seemed like forever, but then he took a step toward her. Abbi knew she should run, slam the door in his face at least. But no door would keep him out, and she knew no amount of distance would have him leaving her alone. She was surprised because, despite the whole mate situation, she was attracted to this male. He was dangerous; she knew that just by looking at him. The male potency left him in hard waves, slamming into her, leaving her breathless. She feared him, feared what he was, but she also grew warm having him so close, smelling the wild, spicy scent of him, and knowing he could control her with just a command.

“Will you let me in?” he asked in a deep voice, one that held this slight European accent.

She should have said no, should have used common sense in this matter, but right now she wasn’t thinking clearly, wasn’t acting like her normal, safe self. Instead she moved back a step, went to the side, and pulled the door open wider. He didn’t need an actual invite to come in, not like how movies portrayed.

In fact, nothing about the movies that told of vampires, shifters, demons, or any other supernatural creature was particularly correct. Of course some things were true: blood, sunlight, immortality. Stakes through the heart didn’t kill them, crucifixes didn’t faze them, and they weren’t these evil creatures that lived in a cellar.

He moved into her home, and she found herself shutting the door, closing herself in with him.

“You remember,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“Yes,” Abbi said softly, her throat feeling tight, her lips dry.

He turned and faced her then, eyeing her up and down, making her feel nude, bared for him. “I assumed since you’re my mate.” He took a step closer to her, and she moved one back. The door stopped her retreat, and she placed her hand on the smooth, cold wood behind her.

“What do you want from me?” she asked, even though it was a question she knew the answer to.

He didn’t answer right away, just continued to stare at her. “You know the answer to that question,” he stated matter-of-factly, and a shiver worked its way up her spine.

She nodded slowly. Yes, she did know the answer to that.

“You fear me.”

“Yes,” she said in a soft voice, not about to lie to him, because even if she did she knew he would be able to tell.

“You know about mates?”

She nodded again.

“And what do you know?”

She swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. God, her throat was so dry, so tight. She felt like she was suffocating, or maybe being strangled. “I know that you won’t stop until you have me completely.” A chill consumed her after she spoke, the truth of those words heating her body, making her confused but aroused at the same time.

He moved another inch closer to her. Although his body temperature was colder than hers, she swore a blast of heat left him and slammed into her. The scent of him—wild, dangerous, all male—filled her nose, had her wet between her thighs, and had her nipples hard. She knew this arousal wasn’t just because she’d never had a man look at her the way this hybrid was staring at her, knew that because they were mates she wouldn’t be able to deny herself the desire she felt for this stranger.

“What’s your name?” she asked so softly she didn’t even know if she’d spoken at all. Why she cared about his name, why she cared about anything that had to do with him was beyond her, but she’d asked the question and wanted the answer.