Once Bitten (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #1)(50)

“Alexa!” She was all too happy to see me. “I thought I sensed your presence. Good. Now I can kill the both of you, which only seems fitting considering the circumstances.”

“Cat, please. We can discuss this rationally.” I kicked myself for the remaining humanity that enabled me to feel compassion for a vampire that I seriously suspected of mental illness. “It’s not what you think.”

Her dark eyes narrowed on me, and I felt my chest tighten under the pressure of her fury. How I became “the other woman” was beyond me. I studied Catherine’s absolutely evil stare and felt ashamed. I’d worn a similar expression no more than an hour previous. A shiver tore down my spine.

“Don’t try reasoning with her,” Arys said as he grabbed my hand. He yanked me behind him, away from the crazed vampiress.

His touch caused a visible spark of sudden power between us. It looked like an extreme static zap but much brighter and stronger.

“Whoa,” I gasped, jerking my hand out of his grasp. Was he absolutely insane? This wasn’t getting any better.

I couldn’t tell if Catherine had even seen the spark. She was now staring so hard at Arys that I was glad to be the other woman rather than him.

“Cat, honey,” Arys purred, and I couldn’t help but look at him in surprise. “Let’s not be irrational, my dear. We are in public.”

Her glare grew in its intensity, and it took all I had to keep my eyes on her. Only a woman truly in love could exude so much pure venom. Either that or she was insanely obsessed.

I wanted to just let fly with a good smack up side Arys’s head, but that wasn’t going to discourage Catherine. Though, it might have changed me from foe to friend in her eyes.

“Don’t waste your pathetic charm on me. I’ve come a long way since I was your play thing.” A slow grin played about her ruby red lips.

“We’re going outside, Catherine. Whatever you want to do, you can do there. I won’t let you endanger innocent people in here.” Arys’s voice was low and firm, but she heard him as well as I did.

If looks could kill, he would have fallen into ash at my feet. She glared daggers that even made me want to squirm.

“How dare you speak to me as if you place such value on life? You’re the devil who taught me to take it, ruthless and without mercy.”

“That was a long time ago.” Arys’s voice was soft, persuasive. He was full of shit, and all three of us knew it, yet the pull to believe him was strong. The bastard was good. “Things have changed since those days. It’s time to move on.”

That was clearly the wrong line. Catherine’s eyes seemed to sparkle suddenly, and she was alive with power, but not her natural vampire power. No, this was foreign magic, borrowed rather than owned. Where was she getting it?

“This has been a long time coming, my dear Sindarys.” I saw him visibly flinch at her use of the name. “I cannot wait to watch you turn to dust.”

Every part of me braced for the vampiress’s blow, knowing it was coming. We had to get outside. I began inching away from the bottom of the staircase, toward the rear exit.

Instinctively, I wanted to lock eyes with Shaz across the bar but didn’t dare. Like any supernatural, Catherine would be aware of every Were in the building. She had no beef with him, and I had no good reason to involve him.

“You don’t think you’re going to get away, do you?” Catherine turned on me. “You, who let me confess my heartbreak to you about the very man you, yourself, are bedding,” she declared dramatically before holding a dainty hand to her mouth.

Passersby glanced briefly at the love triangle gone wrong. As a regular patron of the club, I was embarrassed to be involved in the dramatics. Of course, if I could escape the obsessive, manic vampiress unscathed, I could handle the judgmental humans.

“Hold on a minute, lady.” I held my hands up defensively and took an involuntary step forward. Damn my indignant nature. “Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions. I never had any intention of taking the job, and I tried to refuse your money.”

“But, you already had my man. Why ever would you also need my money?” She crossed her arms and tossed her layered locks. “Tell me, Alexa, what would a magically enhanced wolf like yourself want with a womanizing pig like him?”

Catherine didn’t wait for me to answer. Instead, she sauntered down the remaining stairs until she stood directly in front of Arys. I was slightly envious of the five inches she had on me.

“I’ll go outside with you, lover, but don’t try anything funny. I’m not as unprepared as you might think.” Her black eyes scanned the both of us. “Underestimating me would be a big mistake.”

Arys looked pointedly at me, and I realized that he expected me to lead the way. That meant trusting him at my back with Catherine. In that moment, my worry kicked into overdrive, and I wondered if the two vampires weren’t in cahoots against little, old, mortal me. Did I really think that little of Arys? Well, kind of, yeah. But, considering the scenario at play, I had no choice but to turn and head for the exit.

I took in as much of the freely exuded energy in the bar as I could. It felt warm and reassuring. I knew that she had an unnatural boost, but I couldn’t be sure how psychically in tune she was. It wasn’t the same for all vampires. Arys felt me absorb the energy in the room, but I had a feeling that she couldn’t. Whatever was feeding her power, it wasn’t good.