Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(46)

The tires on Devon’s Range Rover crunched to a stop at the corner of a long, wide driveway. Up ahead, light spilled from every window in the large house, illuminating the porch and rooftop. College kids lingered in clusters, holding beers or cups, jeering and laughing. Occasional screams of mirth pierced the night.

By the look of it, this party had been in full swing for a while, most of the attendees half lit and pushing harder for oblivion. The sweet smell of weed mixed with the sting of tobacco, masking other, more important, scents. Devon would take it; drunk and high was better than suspicious and nosey. These kids wouldn’t care what happened in their midst, as long as their indiscretions didn’t go public.

They’d taken three cars, and once they’d all parked, he gathered the crew near the trees in a loose circle. The distance they were from the house should ensure none of the partygoers could see them, but if someone drove up or left, at least the crew could quickly find cover. They each held a red plastic cup in case someone wandered past. The interior lights from the cars showered everyone’s faces, all confident and ready, except one.

Charity stared off at the house with a fearful expression, picking at her sweater. If Devon wasn’t mistaken, she regretted coming along. Her fear would hinder her decision-making, possibly getting her—and everyone else—into more danger.

He kept from blowing out a breath in annoyance. Roger usually had unassailable judgment, but in this, Devon couldn’t help but wonder if the alpha had missed the mark.

The other new member of their team, Yasmine, stood poised and ready—eager, almost. Her eyes shone with the excitement of the hunt, her posture firm and fearless. She met his gaze, and he felt the mutual fire of arousal. His insides sparked and his groin tightened in anticipation, both for her and the hunt.

“All right,” he said, taking a step closer to her. “This should be a simple extraction. For the new people, our plan of attack is usually to use someone as bait. He or she will lure the subject into a dark corner somewhere in the yard, and then we’ll attack. Our subject was a straight male—vamps usually hang on to their human sexual orientation for a few decades, so we’ll send in a woman. Yasmine, think you can handle it?”

Yasmine gave him a smile that singed his boxers. “Yes, alpha.”

“Good. The rest of us will be in wolf form, waiting in the shadows,” Devon went on. “Lure him out to us, Yasmine. Keep up the act until you see us running.”

“Easy,” Yasmine answered with a smug smile. She wasn’t a novice, he could see that. Better and better.

“What do I do?” Charity asked with a tremble in her voice.

“Hang out for now,” he said as he met her velvet-brown eyes. “There’s only one, and Yasmine should lure him out easily. I think we’ll be good. You’ll be safer out here. If something happens and you get in trouble, use the gun.”

She sagged against the car, clearly relieved. “Cool.”

Rod changed first, a flux of bone and blur of skin, a quick but painful process. A burst of magic flowered, bright green, until his body sank down into his wolf form. The rest of them followed suit, fur and teeth ripping out of human skin.

Smells and colors whirled around Devon as he completed the change, the thrill of the night singing in his blood. He gave a few excited huffs, calling to the others. Even Yasmine, in human form, smiled in elation, sensing the thrill of her new pack.

He gave a soft growl, taking a step toward his intended destination. Picking up on the subtle nuances of his body language and sounds, the rest of the pack filed in quickly, ready to follow. Yasmine started off toward the house, sultry and sensual, rocking her body erotically. Devon watched her for a moment, half wishing she was in wolf form so they could run and hunt together, but that had to wait for later. It was time for business.

A glance back at Charity had him hesitating for a moment. The light glow he’d noticed the other night when she’d run from the mansion had intensified to a soft golden halo. It fell off her in lazy waves, shimmering and moving as if it were alive. Its radiance matched the pulse of power he could feel pumping in her middle.

Too bad that power couldn’t translate to something useful in this hunt.

He gave a low, deep growl, yanking the others’ attention away from the nervous girl and back to him. Ready for battle.

“All right, then. Good luck. Or whatever,” Charity said with tremors in her voice.

Devon took off at a lope. Charity would be fine out here, tucked away from the action. If any humans meandered her way, she could take care of them herself. It was just vampires she had to worry about, and the pack would handle the newbie without a problem.





Chapter Twenty





An hour later, Charity had nearly picked her nail down to the nub waiting for the others. Nothing at all had happened. No cars had come or left. No one had stumbled down the driveway, lost and needing to pee. Still, Charity couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was coming, drifting ever closer, like a black cloud on a sunny day.

She glanced at the discarded clothes that she’d folded and stacked in neat piles on the hood of Devon’s SUV. Atop each was a weapon—a bunch of knives and one nine-millimeter.

Heat pulsed through her chest suddenly, surging up like a fountain of lava. She gasped, sucking in the sweet night air. Electricity filled her limbs and tingled her fingertips.