Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(22)

I raised my hand, palm up, a psi ball burning in the center. Only those with a sixth sense could visibly see it, but any supernatural could feel it. I blew on it ever so slightly, and the psi ball burst into flame. I smiled wickedly when I sensed the fear that rolled off the two wolves backing their Alpha. Success.

The Alpha glaring daggers at me took a cautious step back. His brown eyes bled to wolf, obliterating the whites completely. He bared fangs at me but wasn't stupid enough to do much else. He didn't have a clue who he was dealing with.

“You think I'm a complete idiot, don't you? I know who you are … Alexa O'Brien. I don't think there's a creature in this city that doesn't. Stay the hell out of my way, or I won't hesitate to take you out. Even if that means starting with the rest of your pack.”

The door slammed in my face before I could process what I'd just heard. My instinctive reaction was to blow the door off its hinges, to slaughter all of them. Ok, so they did know who they were dealing with. Now, I just had to prove that I was a threat.

It was Shaz' hand on my arm that stayed me. “Come on, Lex. Acting out right now won't do us any good. It's a public place. It's not safe.”

He led me to the car, and I went along willingly, keeping an eye on the motel room door. Nobody reappeared. They were counting on us having to leave in order to keep the peace. We had little choice. The last thing I wanted to do was draw public attention but leaving didn't sit well with me.

“So who the hell is that guy?” Shaz asked once we were headed for home. “I got the impression that he was pretty familiar with both Zoey and Raoul.”

I sighed impatiently, waiting for a traffic light to change. Now that I was in the safe confines of the car, I was vibrating with rage, wishing I'd snapped the f**ker's neck.

“He's from the pack that raised Zoey, from what I can tell. Raoul entrusted her to the women of the pack. He didn't think he could raise her alone. Apparently, they couldn't handle her either.”

“Your energy is crazy hot. But, it's better that you didn't slaughter him. I know you wanted to.” He reached to brush my hair back, stroking the side of my face. His hands felt cool against my warm skin. Even though we'd been standing in the cold, I was on fire.

“Hell yeah I wanted to. It's not worth it. Not yet.” I leaned into his touch, finding comfort in the raw essence of his wolf. I wanted nothing more than to get home and wrap myself around him. The night had been painfully surprising.

Shaz' light stroking of my cheek and jaw line was reassuring. “I know this is serious because it's personal. We're going to deal with it though. Don't let it get to you.”

This man was beyond amazing. To think that I'd been worried about having him by my side as Alpha. If anything, he was far more controlled than I was and would likely do much better under pressure. The entire scenario continued to replay in my head as I drove. Talking to Shaz made me realize that I didn't have to do this alone. After the past several months, that felt really good.

I definitely needed some time to think this over. I had to decide if I was going to try to find Zoey before our visitors did, or if I was going to sit back and let nature take its course. I was emotionally involved as far as Zoey Roberts was concerned. I'd watched her kill the man that I'd loved as much as I'd hated. Did that blur my judgment? I was betting everyone close to me would say yes.

When we pulled onto my street, a cold wave swept over me. The icy chill of the grave struck me with the intensity of an aching hunger. The bloodlust quickly grew until my fangs filled my mouth as every part of me responded to my dark vampire. I felt him as if he were inside of me. I wasn't at all surprised to find Arys leaning casually against the front door of the house, an expectant expression on his beautiful face.

Chapter Six

“Kill him.”

Arys' opinion on the new werewolf in town was fully expected. Still, I shook my head in mild amusement. He appeared to be authentically surprised that Shaz and I hadn't wiped the guy out.

I ran my pinky finger along the top of my wine glass until it began to hum. When Arys' midnight blue eyes narrowed in annoyance, I stopped and smiled at him before taking a large swallow of the deep red wine. It was my third glass already, but I felt that I had an excuse.

“I wish it was that simple.” I sat in the easy chair near the living room fireplace, facing Arys and Shaz who each sat on opposite ends of the couch across from me. “I have to think about this. I don't know if I should try to find Zoey or not.”

Arys scowled. “That one should have been dead long ago. She should have been mine.” His jaw clenched as he gazed off, out the window into the night.

I didn't have to get inside his mind to know what he was thinking. I'd told him to kill Zoey, and he'd tried. If she hadn't shifted to wolf form, he would have succeeded. She was the one that got away, and he hated that.

“Not every problem can be solved by killing someone, Arys, though I can't say that it's a bad outlook for the most part.” Another swig of wine. I was tempted to start drinking straight out of the bottle.

“You know what your problem is? Both of you?” Arys looked pointedly at Shaz and then me. “This little thing called humanity. Too much talk and fuss, not enough getting the job done and moving on.”

Shaz nodded thoughtfully, drawing my eyes to him. He'd been quiet since we sat down and told Arys about our little outing. I didn't really have a clue how he felt. He slouched in the corner of the couch, sipping a cold drink. His energy was calm, and he watched us attentively.