Steel Titans MC Collection: Books 1-3 (Motorcycle Club Romance) Franca Storm
https://ebookmass.com/product/steel-titans-mc-collectionbooks-1-3-motorcycle-club-romance-franca-storm/ Hillbilly (The Devil's House MC) West Virginia: Motorcycle Club Romance Mhairi O'Reilly
At Entangled, we want our readers to be well-informed If you would like to know if this book contains any elements that might be of concern for you, please check the book’s webpage for details.
Meara lockedher bedroomdoor before she floppeddownonher bednexttoher beautiful,newlyrescuedcat,Cleopatra,to settleinforaseriouscuddleandpurringsession.Cleopatrawasdoingthepurring,mostly,buttheybothpreferredtodotheir cuddlinginprivate Cleo,becauseshewasregaland withothers aloof,andMeara,becauseshedidn’twantherreputation asthemostbadassofthebadassvampiresinthehousetotakeahit.
Thehistoricmansion,formerlyaquiethavenofpeace,solitude,andmelancholy,hadrecentlyexplodedwithnewresidents and visitors, all of whomMeara liked Cared deeplyabout, even Some of themhad smashed throughthe loneliness she’d alwaysdeniedhavingwithjoyandlaughter.Thosesheloved.
“Enoughofthat,” she told Cleo, kissingthe top ofthe cat’s silkyhead and jumpingup. She needed to getdressed for an eveningoutbefore anybodycame bangingonher door to find her. She walked into her closet, whichhad probablybeenthe maid’s roomback in the day, to find something to wear And sighed Even with the professionally installed shelving and drawers and the marble-topped bureau and chandelier, the room felt claustrophobic because of the sheer mass of her belongings Or,as her brother’s new fiancée,Ryan,hadonce said,“How canone womanownsomanypairs ofshoes? You onlyhavetwofeet!”
Shewrinkledhernose.Noteattheminasexual way.Mostofthedrunkenmenshewaslikelytoencounterwouldn’tknow howtofindtheclitoriseveniftheSavannahvisitor’scentergavethemamap Shecertainlywouldn’tbegifting them withher favors.
No,shemeant eat them inan“I’mathree-hundred-year-oldvampire,andI’mgoingtodrainyoudry”sortofway.Notthat she ever drained themcompletelydry Bane had so many rules Probablymostmaster vampires were like that Except, she, too, was a master vampire bothofthemwere more thanthree hundred years old now and she’d never dreamofmaking anybodyfollowsomanyarbitraryrules
Don’t let people know vampires exist.
Don’t stay out past dawn
Don’t accidentally murder any tourists. So boring.
Anyway, she hadn’tbeenable to bringherselfto have anyencounters ofthe intimate kind withanyone since Edge had joined their little family. Sebastian Edgington, brilliant scientist, formerly leading a hush-hush research program. Formerly human,nowvampire AndherbrotherBane,heronlyfamilywho’dknownherbefore,hadnearlydiedtryingtoTurnbothEdge andhislittlebrothertovampiretosavetheirlives.
Dr. RyanSt. Cloud, all curves, ocean-blue eyes, and gorgeous long, chestnut-brownhair, sauntered into the room, looking
adorably rumpled and glowing. Literally glowing, which was what happened when a part-human, part-angel got excited, aroused, or emotional, as they’d all recentlydiscovered. Ryanand Bane musthave beendoingthe wild thingagain. Meara triednottobeenvious,but,damnit,wherewas her happyending?
Ryanhad believed she was entirelyhumanuntil she’d metBane, who’d seenwithhis heightened senses thatshe literally glowed.Andthen,afteraviciousattackbytheChamberhadputherinthehospital,neardeath,Ryan’sactualfather Ramiel, one ofthe Fallen had manifested and healed her. Since then, he’d onlyshownup onrare occasions, whichwas fine with Meara Badassvampireornot,shewasn’tparticularlycalmwhenoneofthehigherpowersshowedupinherbackyard,even whenhehelpedwithzombiedisposal.
ThezombieattackandtheexplosionatRyan’sformerhousewerebothcourtesyoftheChamber anancientandstill-active organization of blood magic practitioners that wielded immense power in Europe. That wasn’t the problem, though. The problemwasthatthesociopathicleader,LordNeville,hadsethisevilsightsonSavannah Theirhome.
And after Savannah? No doubt the East Coast and thenthe entire United States. Maybe all of NorthAmerica. Bane and Mearaweredeterminedtostophim,nomatterthecost Savannahwastheirs.Nowaywasshelettingnecromancersharmherpeople.
Mearaflinched,rememberingatimethatshehadharmedSavannah Killedpeople Butthensheshookitoff Neveragain Ryanrolledhereyes,bringingMearabacktothepresent.“Thezombiedisposalwasaonetimething.Andwe’renotquiteto the place where I’d call my father daddy. He’s more of a yes, sir kind of person. Being. Whatever. Is that what you’re wearing?”
Mearaglanceddown.“What’swrongwithit?”
Ryansighed and leaned againstthe doorway “Nothing There’s nothingwrongwithit, as usual Youlooklike a dresseddown,golden-hairedsupermodelgoingtodoasegmentonEntertainmentTonight.Ilooklikeatiredcollegestudentonlaundry day”
Meara studied her friend’s jeans and T-shirt. “Youhave a point. And isn’twearinga shirtthatsays AS YOU CAN SEE,THE ASSASSINS FAILED a little onthe nose? I mean, we’ve had too manyactual assassins around here latelyfor that to be funny anymore.”
Ryanglanceddownathershirtandsighed.“Honestly,Ididn’tevenlookatitwhenIpullediton.Ineedtogetyoutoteach me how todress better Ican’tcompete withall that” She wavedher hands inMeara’s direction “ButIcanatleastlooka littlemoreglamorous,forBane’ssake.”
Ryangiggled Meara blinked inshock;the formerlyso-serious doctor had actually giggled and leaned backinto Meara’s brother,tiltingherfaceupforakiss.
“Yes, Bane, reasonable and gentle are the adjectives Imostuse to describe you,” Ryansaid, shakingher head. “Butalso dangerous,insanelypowerful,andridiculouslyoverprotective”
Meara rolled her eyes at the manwho’d become her brother more thanthree hundred years ago. Sixfeet, four inches of deadlymastervampiredisguisedbyblond-haired,blue-eyedsurfergoodlooks “Getaroom No,wait Stayawayfromyour room,orwe’llnevergetoutofhere.Ryan,takethisdressandputiton.Thenwe’lltryoutsomeofthisnewmakeupthatjust arrived”
Ryan’shugeblueeyesfocusedonMeara’sface,withfartoomuchperception.“Edgestillgone?” “Merde!WilleveryonestopaskingmeaboutEdge?He’shere,he’sgone.WhatdoIknow?Orcare?He’sabigboyandcan takecareofhimself”SheyankedthesilkyreddressoffthehangerandtossedittoRyan “Enoughalready” “That kiss between the two of you, though. Right before you pinned himagainst the wall and left himthere,” Ryan said doubtfully “Thatdidn’tlooklikeindifferencetome”
MearasnappedherfangsdownintoplaceandsnarledatRyan,whodidnotrunorscreamordoanythingelsepeoplewere supposed to do when they encountered an angry vampire Stupid modern-day humans She’d quite liked the running and screamingbackintheday.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re so scary,” Ryan said, changing into the dress, which looked much better on her than it ever had on Meara “Eek,even”
ThehardestpartofgettingoverhisobsessionwithMearawasthattoomanyofhisthoughtswereabouther.Howshelooked. How she smelled How she moved like a mixed martial arts champion crossed with a prima ballerina All grace and deadlinesswrappedupinaglowing,golden,sexy-as-hellpackage.
And there he went again. Stupid brain. He was a scientist, damn it. And this obsession? It wasn’t logical. He had no objectiveneedforherinhislife Shewasanonessentialvariable Lustwasfungible hecouldeasilyturnhisdesirestoward anotherwoman.
He should beabletoturnhisdesirestoanotherwoman Damn it.
The solutionwas obvious: he had to move out. Out of the mansion. Out of Savannah, a cityhe loved. Maybe out of the country,thoughhedidn’tknowwhere.TheNorthPole?Thatwouldbefarenoughawaytohelphimquitthinkingabouther.
The hell it would.
Itdidn’tmake sense Itclearlywasn’tanemotional connection Edge didn’thave emotional connections Beyondthe two he’dformedinhischildhood,tohismotherandbrother,he’dneveroncefeltanythingapproachinganemotionalattachmentto anotherperson
That’s whythe covert agencythat had hired himhad also used him, before he’d tried to run. Before the torture. Before, finally,thesuccessfulescape.
The mad scientist okay, not that Edge wasn’t a mad scientist of a sort, too who’d headed up the biological warfare divisionhadtargetedEdge,specifically.
“Your brainoperates ata higher level thananythingwe’ve ever seen,” he’dsaid,all butrubbinghis hands together like a villaininamovie.“Ihypothesizethatyourlackoftheemotionalnonsensethatcloudsotherpeople’sbrainscontributestothat. We’regoingtorunsometests”
“Love” wasn’t real, of course It was the label illogical people used whenincreased levels of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocincausedfeelingsofeuphoria.Thebioprogramusedthatknowledgeasthebasisforwhatthey’ddonenext:implanting ahighlysophisticatedbitofnanotechdeepwithinthesubjects’brains IncludingEdge’sbrain.
Now, and for the rest of their lives, if any of the five of themstill alive achieved high levels of those so-called “love hormones,”theirbrainswouldexplode Severemigraineswouldsignaltheonset Thewarningtobackoff,backaway,cutoff
thesourceofthefeelings.
There had been twelve in the study originally. Three died during implantation, three died from the tech operating in acceptablelimits doingexactlywhatthemonstershadprogrammedittodo Andonemankilledhimself.
EdgeappreciatedBaneforwhathe’ddonetosavehimandCole HewasfondofRyanandadmiredher Herespectedand evenlikedHunterandLuke,thetwoothervampiresintheirsmallfamily.Andhewasfond,again,ofAlice,Hunter’sfiancée. Butreal emotions? The kind thatsongs and poetryblathered onabout? No There was no pointto them He’d realized that whenhis father had walked outonthemwhenEdge was so young. Emotions caused pain. Paincaused aninabilityto work. Therefore,emotionswereuseless.
Evenifhe’dsomehowretainedtheslightestabilitytofeelemotions,evenifthetorturehadn’tburnedthatabilityoutofhim, theincentiveto not havehisbrainexplodewasquitehighenoughtoensurehenevereventriedtofallinlove.Hewasfinewith that Emotionswereuseless,barringone
Lust?Lustwasmerelyaphysiologicalreaction.Inthiscase,apowerful,unendingphysiologicalreactionthatrefusedtogo away Ifanything,ithadintensified DrivenhimtowanttoprotectMeara,whohadnoneedofhisprotection Towanttobein herpresencewhenshehadnoneedofhim.Thatwassimplyavampire’sprotectivenatureassertingitself,hewassure.Nothing he couldn’t control Certainlynot love He was inno danger Except she was just so damn alluring Inthe whole of his lifetime,he’dneverfeltsuchapulltoasingleperson.Wasn’tthathowlovestarted?Withlonging?
Maybehe should movetotheNorthPole.Excepthecouldn’tabandonhisbrotherlikethat.ColewantedEdgetorelocateto SaintAugustinetobenearhisschool asecretacademyforexceptionalstudentswithsupernaturalabilities butEdgewasn’t sure Floridawasbothtoocloseandyettoofarfromhere Fromhome Fromher Hiscalm,logicalexistencewouldbebackto anevenkeel whenhe forgot about her. Well, calmand logical once he helped destroythe Chamber and finallygained the bloody,deadlyvengeancehe’dsworntotakeagainstthosewho’dtrappedhim,torturedhim And mostofall againstthose who’ddaredtotouchhisbrother.
Afamiliarvoicerumbledoutofthedarkness.“Areyougoingtocomeinsideorjustsitoutherebroodingallnight?” Edgesnorted.He’dheardBaneapproach,buthisbrainhadclassifiedhimas“notathreat.”Whichwasbullshit.Banewas thebiggestthreataround justnottoEdgeoranyoftheothersthemastervampireconsideredtobefamily.BanehadTurned himtovampirewhenEdgeescapedhiscaptorsanddraggedhimselfandhisbrother,bothneardeathfromthetorture,hereto Savannah. To this verymansion. To Bane, the vampire he’d onlyseeninsurveillance videos, withsome fainthope ofbeing resurrectedintosomeonefarmorepowerfulthanhe’dbeen Someonewhocouldandwouldonedaytakerevenge “Brooding,”hefinallyresponded.
“Noworries,”Edgesaid,clenchinghisjaw.HehadnointentionoftalkingtoMearaatall.“TheproblemisthattheChamber isn’tjusta super-secret, ancientsocietyofblood magic users determined to conquer the world like some overblownJames Bondvillain They’resmart,organized,andrichenoughtohirecomputergeniusesasgoodasmeorbetter Wefoundthatout whentheytriedtokidnapRyanandAlice.”
Another of the few emotions he safely could feel grim satisfaction filled Edge at the thought that the doctor and his sadistichenchmanwerebothdead.Theinstitutionwasclosed,forever.AndAlice,whosemagicallowedhertocommunicate withanimalsandghosts,wassafeatheranimalshelterwithHunter,theformerfiremanandnewestvampireintheirfamily Bane’seyesshoneredinthemoonlight,andhegrowled.“I’llkillanybodywhotriestotakeorhurtRyanorAlice.”
Ina bizarre development, the ghost of a former pirate had haunted Alice’s house and shelter until she’d discovered and
talkedtohim.Thenhe’dledhertohishiddentroveoftreasure,whichhadlainhiddeninamausoleumforcenturies.Aliceand the pirate’s descendants were now ridiculouslyrich. “They’re doinggreat. Gettingto know eachother. It’s funnyto watch Hunterrunaroundstarry-eyedandheadoverheels” Edgeslantedalookathisfriend.“Uh-huh.” “What?”
“YoushouldseeyourfacewheneveryoulookatRyan.”
“Idon’t know what you’re talkingabout,” Bane said loftily Thenhe launched himselfinto the air, headingfor the large, open,second-storywindow ofthesuiteofroomshesharedwithRyan.Buthepaused,levitatingjustoverEdge’shead.“And hurryandgetinsideandcleanup.IfIhavetogotothisbirthdayparty,I’mdraggingyoualong.” “Whosebirthday?”
“Oneofthewolves.”
Edgecouldn’thelpthegrinthatescapedatthenews Drinkingwithwerewolveswasalwaysagoodtime Somehow,almost despitethemselves,heandCarterReynolds,thepresidentoftheWolfPackMotorcycleClubandalphaofthewerewolfpack, had become friends Shifters and vampires usuallydidn’t mix, so it was a new and encouragingdevelopment Better to be alliesagainstthewarlocks,necromancers,demons,andvariousotherChambermembersthannot.
Notto mentionthe ordinary, run-of-the-mill threats fromanybodywho wanted to muscle into their territory. Amajor drug dealer human hadfoundoutthehardwaywhenBanehadcapturedhim,flownhimoutover theocean,andtossedhimin Edge,Meara,andthewolveshadenjoyedgivingthedealer’sunderlingsthechoicetoleaveandnevercomebackorfacethem inafairfight
Edge caught himself smiling even though his face muscles weren’t used to forming the expression. Ryan, Bane’s human doctor actually,humanandangel,orNephilim,doctor hadburstintotheirgrimliveslikeabreathoffreshair Fresh,funny, kind,warmair.She’dbecomethesisterEdgehadneverknownhe’dwanted.“Onmyway,”hecalledback.“Whosebirthday?I don’thaveagiftsinceI’vebeenontheroad”
SheandBanevanishedfromthewindowbeforeEdgecouldaskquestions,buthefelthisspiritslifting.MaxineWashington was the beta wolfofthe WolfPackMC,andshe andCarter were relativelynewlyina relationship.Despite the momentary spearofdarknessinhisgutovertheideaofspendinghiseveningwithallthesedamnlovey-doveycouples,hewashappyfor MaxandCarter.Theyweretwoofthebestpeoplehe’dmetinalongtime,eveniftheyturnedfurrysometimes.Hesuddenly rememberedthedocumentationhe’ddoneforRyanbeforeheleftandgrinned Maxwasabouttogetabigsurprise
Hepulledhisbikeintotheenormousgaragethathadroomforeveryone’scarsandallthemotorcyclesplusalargespacefor toolsandaworkbench,tookaquickglanceathisFerraritobesurenobodyhadtakenitforajoyrideandbangeditup Luke haddoneitbefore andblewoutanexplosivebreath
Debussy Meara only played Debussy when she was feeling especially melancholy, and he didn’t like that he knew her moodssowell.Didn’tlikethatherecognizedtheacheofthesadnesspouringoutthroughherfingertipsontotheSteinwaybaby grandBanehadgivenheryearsbefore.
Hetriedtobesilentwhenheopenedthedoor,butMrs.Cheardhimandbustleddownthecorridorfromthekitchen,beaming athim MaryJo Cassidy, their housekeeper, was a sweetwomanwho mothered themall Her familyhad served Meara and BanesincethetwovampiresarrivedinAmerica,andMrs.ChadcalledthemUncleBaneandAuntieMearawhenwasalittle girl.Nowinherlatesixties,sheandherhusbandTommytookcareofthehouseandgroundsand,mostofall,tookwonderful careofthevampireswholivedthere Shelovedtobake Homemadesoupwashercureforallills,andshewasasIrishasthe BlarneyStoneherancestorshadoncelivednear.
Shewastalkativewhereherhusbandwasquiet,buttheywereawonderfulmatch They’dtoldhimitwasloveatfirstsight forthem,almostfiftyyearsago,andhehadheroicallyrefrainedfrompointingoutthefactthattheirsystemshadinfactsimply released large amounts ofthe neurotransmitters oxytocinand dopamine. Dopamine caused a state ofeuphoria, and oxytocin causedafeelingoftrustthathadnobasisinreality.
Years ofisolationas a researchscientist, governmentscientist, and thenprisoner, had notprepared himfor this Hugging, physical affectionofanykind.Butshe’dlefthimnochancetoresistherfromthefirstdayhe’dwokenupasavampire.And now heevenknew enoughtohugher back For amoment Thenhesteppedback,awkwardlypattingher shoulder “Yes,I’m back.Andlate,evidently.Ishould ”
“Aren’t yougoingto come out dancingwithus?” Caught byanimpulse that surprised him, perhaps fromthinkingof his mother,who’ddancedwhileshecooked,hecaughtherhandinhisandtwirledheraround,rewardedbyherpealoflaughter “Youcharmer!IfIdidn’thavemyTommyandwasfortyyearsyounger…”
Edgesmiled “You’dstillbetoomuchwomanforme,Mrs C Youareajewel” Sheblushedarosypinkandmadeshooingmotionswithherhands.“Areyousureyou’renotIrish,too?You’vegotthegiftof Blarney,andthat’sthetruth Nowgetonwithyou HaveyouseenMearayet?”
The music fromthe piano, which had shifted to Mozart when he’d walked into the house, paused almost imperceptibly beforecontinuing.
He’d reached the door to his rooms all the wayatone end ofthe longsecond-floor corridor whenhe heard Meara inhis mind,withthetelepathiccommunicationallthevampiresshared:COWARD.
“No No,hedidnot,”shegrowled,slammingherhandsdownonthekeysandthentransitioningto Dance of the Knights by Prokofiev,whichfitherpresentmood.Dramatic,loud,andharsh atleasthowshewasplayingit. “Whoa,”Ryansaid,standinginthedoorway “IguessyouheardEdgeisback” Mearascowledatthekeysshe’djustbashedandthenfeltlikeachild.Sheofferedsilentapologiestoherbeautifulpiano.It wasn’ttheinstrument’sfaultshe’dsuddenlycrashedfromacontemplativeintoafoulmood He’drunawayfromher Ignored her.
Dared to ignore her Damnhim. “He’s nothingto me,” she said lightly, answeringthe questionRyanhadn’t asked. “Ifhe doesn’twanttogreetmeafterbeinggoneforsolong ” “Threedays,”Ryansaidmildly.
“After so long, thenIcertainlydon’tcare Inthe slightest” Meara narrowed her eyes “And Idon’twantto talkaboutit Let’s gonow,soIcanstrikeupanacquaintancewiththathotwerewolfwhojustcametotownfromupnorthandjoinedthe pack Hehas delicious shoulders”
She lightlysteppeddownfromthe piano,careful tolandonthe other side ofitfromhim.He was sodamngorgeous.And evensexierthanusualwhenhewastryingsohardtopretendhewasn’tangry.Heclaimednottohaveemotions,andpartofher wantedtopokeathimuntilheexploded.Mostofher thesmartpartofher wantedtocarefullybackawayandstayoutofhis range.Hemightbeagenius,butsherecognizedanapexpredatorwhenonefacedheracrossthetopofherpiano.
Soshetookadeepbreathandstudiedhimbeforespeaking Hislong,lean,hard-muscledbody,cladinblackjeans,shirt,and boots,wastheperfectfoil fortheshoulder-length,silkyhair thathadturnedfromdarkbrowntoprematurely,perfectlywhite after whatever the cochons who’d captured himhad done to him She knew it had beenvicious torture and, she suspected, somethingelse: something worse he’d barelybeenalive whentheyfound himand his brother ontheir doorstep buthe’d neverdiscussedthedetailswithanyofthem.
Now healedandTurnedintoanimmortalvampire,hewasaportraitinblackandwhite,astudyinicepaintedbyamaster artist.Shewantedhimmorethanshewantedhernextbreath.Andshecouldnever,everlethimknow that.She’dbeenonthe cuspofloveonlyonceinthemorethanthreehundredyearsofherexistence,andhe’dnearlyrippedherheartoutwhenhe’d betrayedher.She’dnever ever letsomeonecloseenoughtoriskthatpainagain.
Shesuspected,she knew,thatifshelethimin,Edgecoulddestroyher She’donlybeabletocrashherheartagainstthewall ofhis logical,emotionless existencefor solongbeforeitwouldbreakher.Andshewas amonster,far deadlier thananyone kneworevensuspected.HermagicalgiftsincludedoneonlyBaneknewabout.Shewould never lettherestofthemdiscover howtrulydeadlyshecouldbe Neverletthemknowabouther gift Agiftthatcalleddeathfromtheskyitself
She’ddestroyedthecityin1796,whenherrageandheartbreakhadfreedhergift.She’dcalledlightningfromtheskyandset Savannahonfire. People innocentpeople had died. She could never riskthatagain, especiallysince she was now even morepowerful thanever She’dbeenunabletomanagethepower becausehe’dhurther somuch Her mindcouldn’tmanage whather heartwas too brokento control, no matter thatshe’d tried so veryhard. So she wouldn’triskheartbreakwiththis brilliant, beautiful, dangerous man If she allowed herself to love himand then lost him The city of Savannah wouldn’t survive.Tensofthousandscoulddie.
Hetookasteptowardher,roundingthepiano,andhisuniquescentofleatherandforestandsomethingindefinablethatwas purelymasculine purelyEdge threatened to overwhelmher. She involuntarilytooka step back. His eyes litup. Mocking her?Imagininghersurrender?
He was immune had to be immune to feelings. So althoughscience had proventhatsexwas importantfor reasons far beyond procreation, and healthyphysical relationships contributed to improved mental acuity, whichwas always a plus, he wasfinewithoutit
No matter that the most fascinating, brilliant, beautiful, dangerous woman he’d ever met was not even the tiniest bit indifferenttohim Theexactopposite,ifhe’dreadherright,andheknewhehad Nope Didn’tmatteratall
Ryan, lovelyina red dress he hadn’tevennoticed whenhe’d brushed pasther, his entire beinglaser-focused onMeara, poppedherheadaroundthecorner “Isitsafe?”
She blinked and thensmiled Butthenher smile faded, and she walked into the roomand toward him “Edge? Ithinktoo manypeopleinMeara’slifehavetreatedherlikeaprincess.Wantatip?Maybetreatherasawoman.”Withthat,sheroseup onhertiptoesandkissedhischeek Thenshegrabbedhishandanddraggedhimoutoftheroom “Wehavetogonow Wecan’t belatetoMax’sparty!”
Ryanlaughed at him. “Oh, hush. Now take me to the party, yousexyhunkofvampire. Ineed to shake mybootyto some music”
Bane’sfocusintensified,rubysparksdancinginhiseyes.“Wecouldstayhomeand ” “Nope Dancing Party Now”RyanreleasedEdge’shandandgrabbedBane’sarm “Areyoudriving,orshouldItrytofly there?”
BothEdge and Bane groaned. Since she’d found outabouther angel powers, Ryanhad beentryingto learnto fly. So far, much to Bane’s dismay if furiously ranting at her to “quit risking your life before you break your damn neck” could be classified as dismay she’d jumped off the roof over and over again, never quite flyingbut at least successfullyusingher powerstokeepfromsmashingintotheground
Data andalgorithms.These were his touchstones.Nomessy feelings to ruinhis calculations ofexactlyhow to proceed in anygivensituation.He’dignoreMearacompletely.Thethreatofeither braindeathor actual deathbynanotechnologywas a significantdeterrent, after all. So he’d take Ryan’s advice, ina way. NottreatMeara like a princess. Go further, even, and pretendshewasn’tthere Howhardcoulditbe? …
could kill her waythrougha field filled withwarlocks and zombies, and another side could use the financial power ofher millionstoinvestinanimalshelters,freeclinics,andmorecharitiesthanhecouldcount.
Andkillerbirthdayparties,apparently Thebandwasfantastic,eventoEdge’skeenear,whichalreadyhadbeendiscerningbeforehebecameavampire.Withhis newlyheightened senses, off-pitchsingingwas like fingernails downa chalkboard to himnow Some of themwere talking aboutdoingkaraoke later, though, so he’d slip outa door and escape before a drunkwerewolfor two started inon“Total EclipseoftheHeart”andEdgehadtokillthem Nobodywouldblamehim.Itwouldbeamercykilling,really.
She threw her hands inthe air. “I do like it. It’s sucha prettyshade ofblue. And Ihad no idea you’d spend a ridiculous amountofmoneyonsomethingIjustdrive around townand dingup inparkinggarages!Anyway, myPrius is fine, and it’s Max’sbirthday.”
Ryan’s smile vanished. “Are you really insulting me by refusing to accept my gift? You know that this violates ancient werewolfandNephilimtreaties,right?”
Max,whowasgorgeousinabronzedress allgoldenskin,darkcurls,anddarkbrowneyes frozeandstaredaroundatthe group “Um Really?Imean,I’msosorry Ididn’tknowtherewereancienttreaties”
Carter Reynolds, dressed casually in jeans, boots, and a white button-down shirt that glowed against his brown skin, frowned “Hey,Ryan,wedon’t ”
Ryanburped and thensmacked her hand across her mouth, giggling. Whenshe could speakagain, she looked atthe mated alphapairandsmiled,hereyessparkling.“Gotcha.Ofcourse,there may beancienttreaties.ButIjustmadetheseup!”
Alice Darlington, her greeneyes sparklingand her pale white skinflushed withexcitementand alcohol Alice had been isolatedinthatinstitutionforalongtimeandwasnewtoparties,drinking,and,well,prettymucheverything leanedforward andshookherhead,herwildredcurlsflying.“Listen.Theygavemeavanand anSUVand acheckforahundredgrandforthe animal rescue all inthe firstweekIknew them, and itwasn’tevenmybirthday!Youcan’tstop the forces ofnature thatare Ryan,Meara,andthegang”
Hunter,sittingnexttoAlicewithhisarmaroundher,sighedandnodded.“Nokidding.Justgowithit.Takethecaralready.” Meara,who’dstoppeddancingandjoinedthegroup,carefully not standingnear Edge,rolledher eyes “Thatvanwas for youranimals,Alice,becauseyourvehiclewasabouttodiehorribly.Max,shutupandtakethecar.Yoursisapieceofshitthat willprobablyfallapartanyminuteinthemiddleoftheroad”
“But ”
Ryanwaggled her finger atMax. “You’re a children’s librarian. There isn’ta more importantjob, is there? How canyou preventmefrommakingyourcommutetoworksafer?”
Alot ofsquealingensued, withringcompliments and hugs and words like “wedding” and “dresses” and “florists,” until Edge’sbrainmelted HecaughtHunter’seyeandnoddedtowardthebar Hunternodded,huggedAlice,andthenhoppedover thebackofthecouch.Asaformerfirefighter,HunterhadbeeningreatshapeevenbeforetheTurnhadrampeduphisphysical abilitiestoaneleven He’dalmostdiedrescuingachildfromafirethenightBanehadrescuedhimfromthehospital Thesame nightBanemetRyan.HunterandBanehadbeenfriendsbeforethat,though.AnincidentwithMeara recklessMeara caught outaftersunrise,andHunterhadsavedher,fromwhatEdgehadheard “You’regoingtoletmedriveit,right?”Carteraskedhisfiancée.
“Anyway, have youtalked to Meara? Alice said she talked aboutyoua lotwhile youwere gone. A lot. Youknow Ilove Mearalikeasister,right?”HunterturnedtofullyfaceEdge,hisdarkblueeyesuncharacteristicallyserious.Hunterhadbeen theniceguynextdoorasahuman,andlikedtojokeandlaugh,buthe’dalsogainedadarksidewhenhe’dnearlyturnedferal afterbecomingavampire.Alicehadbeenmostofthereasonhe’dcomebackfromthebrinkoftheabyss.
Edgestill hadn’tentirelyforgivenhimforbreakingMeara’sneckwhenHunterhadbeenoutofhismindinthemiddleofa horriblydifficultconversiontovampire.Butthatwasinthepast,andMearahadhealedwithinmoments.Shewasapowerful vampire, after all Edge’s mind stuttered fromthe memorybackto the presentand whatHunter had justsaid “Meara talked aboutme?”
“Trustme,”Edgesaiddrily “That’snotaproblem”Astrangecramptwingedinhischest Damnthatindigestion Mustneed to eat somethingor find some blood to drink. Vampires should never get too thirsty, he’d found. Bad things could happen. “Anyway,noworries Beer?”
“Okay,settledownandlistenup!”Mearahoppedupintotheair andlevitatedinplaceuntil shegoteveryone’sattention,the new volleyball inher hands “I’ve redesigned the ball for tonight’s game since, as we all saw last time, the Kevlar alone wasn’tquitestrongenough.”
Whenthe players tooktheir positions, Meara counted down “Three, two, one!” Thenshe threw the ball up into the air, directlyoverthecenterofthenet,andthenflewdownandtookherplaceonthevampiresideofthenet.
Vampire, angel, and ghost whisperer side, she amended silently, grinning at the excitement on Alice’s face and Ryan’s resignation.
“Youdo realize thatwe ordinaryhumans have no chance withthis, right?” Alice laughed and ducked whenthe ball came towardher.“Howmuchdoesthatthingweigh,Meara?Ican’taffordbrokenhands.Who’dfeedtheanimals?”
Alice threw her hands up and, laughing, backed offthe field. “Thanks, butIthinkI’ll be more useful ifIorder pizzas for everyone”
The werewolf side of the field cheered so heartilyat this that Alice tooka bow before she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
The game proceeded fastand furiouslyafter that, withthe arguments over whether the ball was inbounds or notbeingas intenselyfoughtoverasthepointsthemselves.Mearaspentmoretimethanshewantedtoadmitsimplykeepingtrackofwhere Edgewasonthecourtsoshecouldbesomewhereelse Heaffectedher inwaysshedidn’twanttothinkabout Inwaysshe couldn’t allow into her life. The best plan was clearly to ignore him as much as possible, work with him calmly and professionally,andnever,everlethimputhishands orhismouth anywhereonherbody
The impact smashed the air out of her lungs, and her visionwent wonkyfor a few seconds Whenshe blinked awaythe sparklesfloatingaroundherheadandcaughtherbreath,shelookedupintoEdge’samusedsilvereyes.
“Are youokay?” he murmured, his huskyvoice sendingtingles to parts ofher bodythat hadn’t felt tinglyina long, long while
“We should getaroom,”Edgesaid,movingclosertoherratherthanaway,hissmilewickedlydelighted “Weshouldgeta roomnow.OrmaybeIshouldquitdrinkingwhiskey.”
Itsounded like a wonderful idea The room, notthe whiskey No!No rooms No havingsexor possiblyfallingfor Edge “Definitelyquitwiththewhiskey.AndyoushouldgetoffmebeforeIpunchyou,”shewhispered,smilingwhenhereactedto thefeelofherbreathinhisearwithapassionategroan.
Three games, a few friendlyfistfights, twentypizzas, and anuntold number ofbottles ofbeer for everyone else (plus the whiskeyshe’d downed and Edge had walked awayfrom) later, Meara was forced to name the champions, and itwasn’tthe vampireswiththewinthistime.
Shestoodnexttothepicnictablethatheldtheemptypizzaboxes,tookMax’sandCarter’shandsinhers,andswungthemup into the air. “The winners and undisputed okay, highly disputed but inarguable champions tonight are the wolves of the SavannahWolfPack!”
“Recount!”Hunteryelled,grinningandholdingupabeer.
“We’ll getthemnexttime,” Bane said, his eyes glowingwitha lightness and laughter she never thoughtshe’d see inhim again
“IftheChamberisheadingforus,andweabsolutelybelieveNevillewilltryforusagain,themoretrainingthebetter Now thatwe’reallies,weshouldformajointplantodefendthiscity.”
“And pay.” Training, drinking, and dancing. She’d have plenty to do to help keep her mind off Edge. It would be easy.
Across the field, she saw Ava saunter over to him, and she had to clenchher teethagainst the urge to throw the gorgeous werewolfintoatree.PreferablyoneahundredyardsawayfromEdge.
Edgehadimmediatelyseenthetruthofthat Vampires wereonTVandinmovies Atdress-upparties andinfiction They couldpostactualvideosofthemselvesdrinkingbloodfromalivedonor,andnobodywouldbelieveitwasanythingbutastunt. Technologywastoogood thesedays,alienscouldflyaspaceshiprightintodowntownManhattan,andnobodywouldbelieve itwasanythingbutapublicitystuntforanewmovie.
Anyway,Mrs Chadbeencookingandbakingallday,andEdgecouldn’tbeartoseethedisappointmentonherfacewhenhe couldn’tforcedownabiteofit.Itwasn’tjustthathedidn’tseemtohavemuchofanappetiteforfoodthesedays.Itwasalso thathecouldn’tmakehimselfeatit.Hisgutfeltlikesomebodyhadtwisteditintoapretzelmostdaysnow,anditwaseasierto avoid food altogether But the wonderful housekeeper didn’t understand and kept trying to come up with new and better delicaciestotempthimwith.Easierjustnottobethereatall.Hedidn’tunderstandwhyhekeptgettingindigestion.Hedidn’t eatanydifferentlythanhehadbeforebecomingavampire,exceptforthelargerportions Hisnewmetabolismburnedalotof fuel.Well,andtheneedforbloodwasnew.Butthebloodwasnecessarytohisnewphysiology,asthedoctorhadexplainedto him,andhadn’tgivenhimanystomachproblemsbefore.
He’d researched the issue, of course he had, but there was nothing in medical literature about thwarted lust causing gastrointestinaldistress He’devenmutteredsomethingtoBane,askindofalastresort,andBanehadglaredathimandstalked off.
Edge still had no idea whatthathad beenabout He did notice, however, thatthe paininhis gutseemed to worsenwhen Mearawasaround.Thelogicalconclusion,therefore,basedonallavailableevidence,wasthatMearagavehimindigestion. Whichdidn’tmakeadamnbitofsense.
That exalted authorityof all things medical, the Mayo Clinic, listed the causes of indigestiononthe website. None of it applied.Hedidn’tovereatorindulgeintoomuchcaffeine,alcohol,orchocolate.Hehadneversmoked.Andhesureashell wasn’tonantibiotics,painrelievers,orironsupplements
Theideaofavampireonironsupplementsamusedhim.
Anxiety,okay,theyallhadsomemeasureofanxietysincetheChamberhadgoneintohiding,sincethey’dhadtobevigilant againsttheexpectedattack24-7.Infact,forthepasttwoweeks,sincethevolleyballgame,they’dall wolvesandvampires been on red alert defensively while also doing everything in their collective power to try to find any sign of what Lord NecromancerNevillewasuptoandwherehe’dgone
Buttherewasnothing.HeandhislackeyshadvanishedfromthefaceoftheearthasfarasEdgeknew.Ifonlytheycouldget proofofthat Maybe aneyewitness accountor multiple videos ofthe entire horrible organizationdisappearinginto a black holewhentheytriedtoopenaportaltosummonthosedemonstheylikedtoenslave.
Ormaybethedemonswouldgetluckyandeatthemallbeforereturningtotheirowndimension MaybetheChamberwasup to somethingthat possiblydid not involve Savannah, and Edge was extremely happy about that possibility. Happy but not optimistic.Thedemondinnerideahadahigherprobabilityofbeingaccurate.Nevilleheldagrudge,fromallaccounts,andhe hadaviciousgrudgeagainstBane
He immediatelybackedaway,tryingnottotripover his ownfeet,whichdidn’tseemtobe workingall thatwell.He was stilloffbalancefromthecrash Whenhe’dfinallyregainedconsciousness,he’dhadtohitcharidewithafriendlytruckdriver Thebikewastoast.Thedriverhadbeenbothfriendlyandobviouslytiredandweakafterarecentillness,soEdgedidn’teven consider drinking from her. He’d mentally pushed enough compulsion to erase the woman’s memory of meeting him and bringinghimtotownandaddedasuggestionthatshegohomeandgetsomerestassoonaspossible.
She narrowed her eyes. Even in simple workout clothes, even glaring at him, she was magnificent. The most beautiful womanhe’d ever seeninhis life The strongest, the smartest, the mostfascinating, the He swallowed whenanother damn paintwistedinhisgut.Evidentlyhisdreamwomancausedhisstomachtoactup.Maybehewasallergictoher.
Hislife,whichhadbeenfilledwithabroadrangeofinterestsandlearningandexperimentation he’dalmostaccidentally inventedandthenpurposelydestroyedwhatwouldhavebeenthemostdangerousweaponintheworld,theonethey’dtortured himalmostto deathto learnthe secrets to his life was suddenlynarrowed downto a single point: how inthe hell was he goingtotasteMeara’sbloodonceandneveragain?
Thethingaboutdrinkingbloodshe’dlearnedinherverylongexistenceasavampirewasthatitcouldbesomanydifferent things, dependingonthe situation. The act itself could be simplytransactional, like eatinga burger froma fast food place. Enthrallarandomhuman,drinkjustenoughtobegoingonwith,andneverthinkofthatpersonagain Evendrinkingbloodfrom thebloodbanks,whichwaseasyenoughduetoherclinicalthoughnastyintaste,wasasimpleaction.Meetinganeed. Butwhensomeone youcared abouttrusted youenoughto offer their blood, like whenRyan, earlyintheir friendship, had offeredherveinstoMearainatimeofcrisis,thatwasagiftoftrust.Ofcaring,ofadeeperfriendshipthanmaybeavampire hadknownwasdeveloping
Finally, there was the exchange of blood during lovemaking, which enhanced every sensation. Set every nerve tingling. Turnedher entirebodyintoawhirlwindofneed,anddesire,anddriving,almost-insatiablepassion.She’donlyexperienced sex with another vampire once, and he hadn’t even been someone she particularly liked Curiosity, rather than desire, had driventhatnight.
Still,evenwithoutanyemotionalconnection,thesexhadbeenintense AstheAmericanslikedtosay,theearthhadindeed moved. Nota lot, maybe enoughto shake a window or two. Butthe bitinghad definitelybeenfunand added anelementof dangerandspice
Hisheadjerkedup “Nottrue!Mylabassistantsaidmyexperimentationnotesweretheclearestshe’deverread” She couldn’t help it she was delighted withhim. She leaned forward and tookhis face inher hands, pretendingnot to noticehissharplyindrawnbreath “Okay,genius Let’sgetonwiththis” Beforehecouldanswer,shebitintoherwristandhelditouttohim.Hiseyeswidened;hetookherarmwithgentlehands andbenthishead.Butbeforehedrank,hesmiledather.“Iacceptandappreciateyourhelp.Isthatbetter?” Heramusementturnedtosomethingdarkandheatedatthefirstpullofhismouthonherwrist “Better Definitelybetter,”she managed.Butwhenhecarefullyswepthistongueacrossthewoundtohealit,everynerveinherbodystoodupandcheered. “Nowwetrain,”hesaideasily,standingandpullingherupwithhim “Besttwooutofthreeonthetrainingmats” “Bringiton.”Shewhirledandracedoutoftheroom,herheartthuddinginherchest.Onceshewipedthefloorwithhimon themats,surelyherlibidowouldcalmthehelldown?
Lessthantwominuteslater,whenherbackhitthemat,shediscoveredtheflawinherplan.Andnowshewantedhimeven more.
“OnEdge?”Mearashotanarrow-eyedglareatthealphawolf “MaybeafterIkickhisass,I’llbecomingforyou” Edge hit her like a freight train fromthe side, but she’d been ready for him, so she flipped himover her shoulder and slammedhimintothemat
“Two to one?” She nudged himwithher foot. “We canhold offtill another time ifyouneed a break. After all, youwere injured,andyou’re ”
“Thisisgettingtobeahabit,”Cartersaidwithadisgustedsnort.“Let’sgo,folks.Weneedtogetsomesleeptofacetheday and for the party tomorrow night Actually, it’s tonight Keeping vampire hours is exhausting Anyway, have a good day, everybody,andrememberthatDelacourtandthevampiresarepayingduetooursuperiorvolleyballskills.”
Beforeshecouldmove,hestartedtospeak,hisvoicelowandhusky “Youliketoputmoresyrupandbutter butonlyreal CanadianmaplesyrupandIrishbutter onyourpancakesthananyoneI’veevermet.Andwhenyoutakethatfirstbiteofyour syrupy, buttery, drowningpancake, your beautiful goldeneyes close and youmake a small hummingsound thatgoes straight throughmeandmakesmethinkofhowincrediblyluckyamanwouldneedtobetohearyoumakethatnoiseinhisbed.Whydo IknowthesethingswhenIhaveeveryintentionofstayingawayfromyou?”
Sheblinked,havingabsolutelyzeroideawhattodowiththat,buthestoodandheldoutahand “Shouldwe gohome? You’re hostingtonight,after all,and dawnis near,” he said, anexpressiononhis face she couldn’t decipher
She ignored his hand, jumped up, and headed for the door. Whenshe didn’thear his footsteps, she turned. “Let’s go. You needaride,right?”
Edge, who was holdingone hand across his stomach, stared ather for a moment, his expressiongoingblank. “Oh. Right. Yes.”
The party at the Club would distract her. There was nothing like a party filled with raucous werewolves and rowdy vampirestogetawoman’smindoffaperplexingman.Butafteradayofsleepandfriendsandfamilyandlaughter afteraday ofwonderingwhyitwouldbesobadtohaveaone-nightstandwithEdge Mearawalkedintothepartyalittlelate,whenit wasinfullroar.
She grinned and called outto Max, who waved her over, answeringsomethingthatMeara couldn’thear over the crowd Everyonewasalreadythere,ofcourse.BaneandRyan,HunterandAlice,MaxandCarter,plusalotoftheirfriendsandfellow clubmembers Lukehadgoneoffonsomemysteriousmissionthatevenshedidn’tknowabout,butshewouldbesuretogetthe scoopoutofBanebeforethenightwasup.
Ifonly…Butthenthenightexploded.
ChapterNine
The Chamber Supreme Leader: Lord Henry Neville Mayor’s residence, Atlanta, Georgia
Lord Neville, who enjoyed collectingrare things priceless art, historical artifacts, and weakmagic users whose power he could devour smiled atthe pocketwatchthathad once belonged to the firstDuke ofBuckinghaminthe 1400s. “It’s done. Theyshouldall bedeadnow Savannahand,soon,theEastCoastoftheUnitedStates will beours Andall as easilyas we tookover this city.” He looked outthe window atthe Atlanta skyline. Ofcourse, there hadn’tbeenanymaster vampires to worryabouthere,butstill.
