Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(15)

“But you know where this will lead and I’m not ready for that either.” She looked away, partly out of embarrassment, and partly because she thought she heard something in the woods.

He touched the side of her face and made her look back at him. “Look, I enjoy kissing you, and if that’s all I can get, then that’s what I’ll take. At least until you’re ready for more.”

“What if I’m never ready and you’re just wasting your time?” she said.

He pulled her against him again. “I think I can persuade you to change your mind.”

“You think you’re that good?”

“I know I am,” he said, and chuckled. “A little birdie told me,” he teased.

She punched him in the ribs.

And right then she heard that noise again. She swung around, lifted her nose up, and got a whiff of another vampire. A vampire and fresh blood. Lots of blood.

Chapter Five

“What is it?” Steve asked, obviously sensing her quick turn to mean trouble.

“Vampire?” she muttered, and took another deep breath, half expecting it to be Chase, the panty perv.

But nope. This scent was different, and she could tell that even with the tangy, fresh aroma of blood mixed in. Human blood. B negative and … another type.

Della felt her eyes grow brighter.

She stared up and barely made out the bloody vampire passing overhead. She half considered going after him or her.

Before she could decide, another vampire scent hit, and this one she recognized. Della pulled away from Steve.

Burnett dropped beside them. He wore only his jeans, and his hair looked sleep-mussed. The man was all muscle and brawn. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” Della and Steve said at the time.

“Someone jumped the north fence,” Burnett said, giving them a suspicious look.

“I know,” Della said, trying hard not to notice the man’s chest. The camp leader might be old, or at least too old for her, but he could do Diet Coke commercials. “I heard and smelled them. They flew past. I think they’re gone.”

“Yeah,” Burnett said.

“Did you catch the scent?”

“Yes,” she said. “With blood. Two different types.”

Burnett’s jaw muscles tightened. “Human?”

She nodded.

He growled. “What are you two doing out at this time of night?”

Della internally flinched. “I couldn’t sleep,” she said, and since it was the truth, her heart didn’t race.

Burnett glanced at Steve. “I was…” Steve’s heart fluttered with a lie. He glanced at Della and said, “I was hoping she couldn’t sleep.”

Della cut him a cold look, but Steve shrugged. Burnett sighed.

Right then Burnett’s phone rang. He yanked it out of his jeans pocket. “Shit,” he said when he looked at the number. He turned around and took the call. “Agent James.”

The way he answered told Della it was official. She tuned her hearing to listen to the caller.

“We’ve got two bodies right outside Fallen city limits. Looks as if our killer is vampire.”

“Damn it,” Burnett spouted out. “They passed by here. What’s your exact location?” Burnett got the address. “I’ll be right there.” He hung up and faced Della and Steve.

“Do you want me to come?” The possibility of going on a live mission sent a shot of adrenaline through her. This was what she wanted to do, what she felt she was meant to do.

“No. Stay here and keep an eye out. Call Lucas, Derek, Perry, and Kylie and have them join you and Steve, and all of you be on guard. Call me first thing if anyone passes by again.”

Disappointment spiraled through Della. “But I caught the scent, and only I’ll know if it was the same person.”

Burnett sighed. “It’s not pretty, Della.”

“I never was fond of pretty.”

“Fine.” He turned to Steve. “Call the others and you guys patrol the grounds.”

Steve nodded.

“Meet me at the gate, I need to go grab a shirt.” Burnett took off.

Della started to take flight behind him, but Steve caught her arm.

“Be safe,” he said. Della could see the worry in his gaze. Before she knew his intent, he’d leaned down and kissed her again. She kept it brief. As good as it felt to know he cared, it was just another reminder that this thing between them had gone too far.

Nodding, she took off. She’d only gotten a few feet when she caught another scent. A familiar one—Chase. Glancing down, she spotted him in the trees. How long had he been there? Had he been spying on her and Steve? She almost went down to give him hell but knew Burnett wouldn’t tolerate her being late. So she passed Chase by and went to meet Burnett by the front gate.

But later, she and the panty perv would have a chat, and she didn’t expect it to go nicely.

Della told herself she could handle it. She wasn’t a kid. Blood didn’t bother her, it made her hungry. The second time she threw up, she wondered how she could have been so wrong.

But blood wasn’t food when it came with dead bodies. It was ugly. It was emotional. It was death and murder. And that was so wrong.

She felt a touch on her shoulder. Her hearing must be going on the fritz again. Growling, she swung around, angry and embarrassed that someone had witnessed her weakness. Her growl came to a quick halt when her gaze landed on Burnett.