On the Prowl (Bad Things #2)(20)

“No, you don’t. You’re still clinging to your human hope. Let that shit go. Vamp up. Get your undead life together and throw the guy a bone.” He raked a hand over his face. “Do you have any clue how many people he has killed, for you?”

Her heart nearly stopped. “What?”

The front door flew open and slammed against the wall. She didn’t scream—good for her. She did whirl toward the door and she saw a naked Julian standing there. His muscles bulged, his golden eyes blazed, and his claws were currently gripping the door frame.

“Shut…up…wolf,” he gritted out, each word sounding like a struggle.

Rayce let out a long sigh. “Here we go…”

Julian shoved away from the door frame. “Your scent…is…on her.”

“Right. I can explain that. She nearly broke a vase. I reached around her and—” He broke off. “Look, I think you need to run some more. I can still see your beast.”

So could she.

Julian appeared…bigger…than before. Stronger. His face seemed carved from stone, his muscles heaved and his whole body shuddered as he stood there.

The man was fighting the beast. She could practically see it. Only…why? Why was he there? Why wasn’t he still out running? He needed that. She might not fully understand the shifter life, but it was obvious his panther was fighting for freedom.

“Heard you…” His breath rasped out. “Stop…scaring her…”

And her breath caught in her lungs. He’d come back, transformed, because he thought Rayce was frightening her?

Okay, truth time. The wolf did scare me. I don’t want Julian killing for me. I don’t want anyone killing for me. She’d had enough death to last several lifetimes.

But Rose found herself sliding away from Rayce and creeping toward the door—toward Julian.

“Uh, wait, maybe don’t do that right now—” Rayce very, very loudly whispered.

She shot him an irritated glare. “You just told me I was safe with him.”

“He is going to change again any second. Let’s not tempt fate—”

She hated fate. Fate was mean and cruel. Fate could screw off. Rose inched closer to Julian. His chest heaved as her fingers reached up, hovering over his skin. She would not look down at the lower part of his body.

Her gaze dipped down.

Okay, maybe she would.

Damn. Some things are even better than you remember.

Her fingers skimmed over his chest. “You said I’d be safe here.”

He gave a jerky nod.

“Then I won’t be afraid tonight.” A little lie, but one he seemed to need.

His nostrils flared.

“Go run. Do what you need to do.” Then come back to me. She wanted to say those words so badly, but she managed to hold them back.

His head lowered and he…he did that little nuzzle thing again. Where he rubbed his head against her neck. It was odd but sensual. She liked it. She found herself putting her arms on his shoulders. Holding him. And, surprisingly, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not of the sharp teeth or the enhanced strength—not of anything about him.

She just wanted to keep holding him.

But Rayce cleared his throat. “So, yeah, you’re naked and about to go all beast mode. This is the time when you need to step back.”

She felt the rumble of Julian’s growl.

Only…he stepped back. He stared at her a moment more, then he whirled and ran back into the night. She took a step after him, but stopped when she heard the crunch of bones. Her stomach twisted. So much pain.

She didn’t like for Julian to feel pain.

“Told you,” Rayce murmured, sounding pleased as hell with himself. “He can’t hurt you. If anyone else had gone up to him right then, Julian would have sliced them right open.”

Her hand lifted and her fingers trailed along the doorframe. His claws had left deep gouge marks along the wood. She traced them and her heart grew heavier in her chest. “How many people has he killed?”

“That’s a question for him, not me. I already did my over-sharing part for the night.” Then his hands were on her waist and he pulled her back from the doorway.

She frowned at him.

But he just gave her his slow smile. The dimple winked again. “Told you, there are plenty of other bad things out there. Let’s not go drawing them in by dangling bait in front of their faces.”

“So I’m bait now?”

“No, you’re Julian’s vamp. Thought we went over that. So if someone comes at you, he’ll freak and there will be a battle I’m not in the mood to stop tonight.” He nudged her toward the hallway. “Go that way. Get changed. Sleep. When you wake up, Julian will be back. Minus his more beastly side.”

She took a few steps toward that hallway. Then, unable to help herself, Rose glanced back at him. “He’s…talked to you? About me?”

Rayce laughed. “He’s told me as little as possible.”

Oh.

“But sometimes, you don’t need words to see the truth. And I see how he looks at you.”

Her throat went dry. “How is that?”

“Like someone who has been in hell…and just had a glimpse of paradise.”

No, he was wrong. Julian did not look at her like that.