On the Prowl (Bad Things #2)(19)

Or had he been something more?

A big, spiral staircase led up to the next level of the house. She paced toward it and her hand reached out to slide against the smooth banister. The house felt massive. It also felt cold. Empty. Hardly a home—more like a fortress. But, really, what else would she expect from Luke? He wasn’t exactly Mr. Warmth.

“The human is safe for the night.”

She jumped. Rose had supernatural senses, but the wolf had just snuck up on her. She whirled around, heart racing, and found him standing just a few feet away.

“All snug and safe,” Rayce continued dryly. “I even gave the kid some food.” His brows lifted. “And people say werewolves are heartless.”

“Who…who says that?”

He tapped his chin. “Wait. Maybe the saying is that we take out hearts. Just slice them right out of our prey’s chests.” He shrugged. “I always get that one confused.”

She blinked.

He smiled. A dimple flashed in his cheek. He looked friendly. Harmless. Like some All-American athlete-type who should be on a cereal box.

Only he’d just talked about cutting the heart from a person’s body.

Not so All-American.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “When will…when will Julian be back?”

“Miss him already?”

Her eyes narrowed at his mocking tone.

But Rayce just smiled. “Why don’t you go get some rest?” He pointed to the side, down another snaking hallway. “Take the third door to the right. Use that room. When dawn comes, Julian should be back to his normal self. Sometimes, you just need to let your beast out.”

She didn’t move. “And that’s what he’s doing…letting his beast out?”

“I think it was more that his beast took over. Happens, you know. The primitive side wins.”

Rose bit her lip and glanced toward the front door. “I think I’ll wait out there for him to come back.”

Rayce laughed—a deep, booming sound. She didn’t like his laugh.

Her gaze swung back toward him.

His laughter slowly faded, but he was still smiling as he said, “Julian’s little vampire…”

Rose stiffened. “I’m not his anything.”

Rayce stalked toward her.

She backed up. A habit. When an unknown paranormal approached, she had a tendency to flee. She retreated until her back hit the table that was against the foyer wall. A vase wobbled behind her, and Rayce’s hands flew out, catching it before the vase could crash. Catching it—and trapping her with his body.

“Don’t want to piss off Luke,” he murmured. “That is a seriously bad mistake.” He put the vase back into position. His hands slid back to his sides, but he didn’t move away from her. “Getting on the Lord of the Dark’s bad side is never a good plan.”

“I shouldn’t be here.” She should be living a nice, safe, normal life far away from this madness. She shouldn’t have spent months being tortured and starved. She shouldn’t always be so afraid.

“Where should you be, little vamp?” His voice had changed, gone soothing.

And that just scared her even more.

“I don’t want to be like this. I want to go back to the way things were before.”

“Before?”

“Before Luke Thorne changed me.”

He absorbed that but still stared at her quizzically. “Would it be better to go back before you met Julian?”

In the distance, she could have sworn that she heard a roar. Rose jumped.

Rayce sighed. “You’re a vamp now. There is no going back. And instead of being afraid, you need to make all of the other paranormals fear you. That’s the way it is in our world. Strength is prized. Weakness is used.” His expression hardened. “You don’t want to be used.”

She wanted out of there. Her gaze darted toward the front door once more.

“Julian isn’t the only beast running wild on the island. Plenty of others are out there. You don’t want to tangle with them. Very, very bad mistake.”

She swallowed. “Who else is here?”

He took a step back. “Oh, you know, the worst of the worst. The dark paranormals that only Luke can keep in check. You make a deal with him, he owns your soul for a time…basic shit.”

“I never made a deal with him.” She’d never asked for any of this. She’d never—

“You didn’t need to. Julian traded for you. Blood and death and pain…so that you wouldn’t die.”

His words made her heart ache. Rose shook her head.

He growled. Anger thickened that guttural sound.

She stopped shaking her head.

“I don’t have many friends,” he said, his voice still deep and rumbling. “And don’t f*cking tell Julian that I consider him to be one.”

Uh, okay.

“But he has walked through hell for you. And you are still afraid of him.” His lips twisted in disgust. “I don’t get it. He’s always held himself back when he’s with you. You’re probably the safest person on earth when he’s near. You’re the only one he’ll never turn his claws on. Don’t you get that? Don’t you see?”

“You don’t understand…”