Heaving for breath, she wrapped her bloody fingers around the iron bars that led down a dark alley and shook them. Locked? No, she just needed to open the rusted latch. She fumbled with it as she heard the footsteps growing closer. Her eyes darted down the street and she caught a glimpse of an approaching vampire. Swiftly, she turned her attention back to the door. She grunted, pushing at the bar with her thumb.
Open, dammit, open.
Finally, the latch slid aside. It was at that very second she realized she’d run out of time. A bloodcurdling scream tore from her lips as familiar claws dug into her neck, spinning her around.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The vampire sneered, holding her by the throat against the wall.
She choked for air, but didn’t waste time answering him. In one hand, she held onto the stake and with the other, she continued to flick open the latch.
“I’ve got her,” he called over to the second thug whose fangs openly wept with saliva.
Wynter’s eyes teared. This couldn’t be the end. Even though she started to feel the tunnel of unconsciousness closing in, she kicked and gasped in defiance.
Never give up.
They could take her but not without a fight.
“No,” she croaked softly. He slammed her wrist against the plastered wall. The stake she’d been carrying slipped from her fingers.
Logan sprinted out of the club after the two vampires just in time to see the larger one holding the human against the wall by her neck.
Why the hell are vampires attacking a human? In the wide open where anyone could see? Where the hell is Kade?
Kade Issacson, the head of the vampires in New Orleans, would kill these idiots for merely chasing after a human, let alone harming one. With no time to call him, Logan came up behind the vampire, reached around his neck and snapped his spine. He took in the sight of the wide-eyed girl, dressed in a lab coat, who coughed for air. Protectively, he pulled her into his arms, while glancing over to Dimitri, who’d slit open the throat of the other vamp.
“It’s okay, you’re safe,” Logan assured her.
Wynter began to struggle, kicking and beating the stranger with her fists. Lost in panic, she didn’t hear his words. Fear surged as she immediately sensed he was wolf.
Trust no one.
“No, let me go! Please don’t hurt me…I can’t…” she began. She didn’t feel good, her mind and body were beginning to shut down. If she lost consciousness, they’d take her again.
“Easy, sweetheart. Now listen,” Logan said softly, refusing to release her. “I’m not goin’ to hurt you.”
What the hell was it with humans? Didn’t she get he was helping her?
Now that Logan had the woman from his vision in his arms, he wasn’t going to let her simply walk away. He couldn’t believe that she was actually here in New Orleans. Curiosity got the best of him as he let his eyes wander over her. She wore a dirty white coat that was missing buttons. Shoeless, her bare feet were blackened and bloodied.
What had happened to her?
Logan could feel the heat rising from her skin. She felt warm, too warm for a human. Notwithstanding her panicked state, she appeared physically ill.
“Please, just let me go. I swear I won’t tell anyone. Please,” she cried, fighting back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her.
Wynter looked up at the attractive wolf who offered her help. Over six-four, with shoulder length dark brown hair, he towered over her small stature. Dressed in worn jeans and a black t-shirt, his well-defined biceps gave her an idea of the incredible body that was under his clothes. A distinctive power rolled off of him as he gently ran a finger down her cheek.
Alpha.
She thought she’d hyperventilate at the thought. Oh my God, she needed to get away from him. She couldn’t be certain if he was an enemy of hers or not. And if he was, she knew he’d kill her. Wynter knew that packs had rules. And some packs killed intruders and asked questions later. Seeing no other way to escape, perhaps she could convince him she was simply a wayward tourist being chased by vampires.
“I’m a tourist,” she stammered. “I just got lost. If you let me go, I’ll just get back to the hotel.”
A tourist? Is she crazy?
Logan could smell her lie and her fear.
Perhaps she’s not crazy but frightened out of her right mind,
he thought.
“Okay, well, let’s try this again, because I don’t see many tourists on the run from vamps, dressed like you are. Seriously, you’re safe with me. You need to calm down, though,” he suggested, with a low, reassuring voice. “Things will be fine. We’ll get you cleaned up and then we’re going to have a little chat.”
He didn’t want to stress her further but if she thought she was going to up and leave without telling him what was going on, she had another think coming. He glanced over to the ashes of the two vampires they’d killed. He was going to have to have a serious conversation with Kade.
“Please, sir,” she continued to beg.
Logan grew irritated. Why was he trying to talk sense into the human in the middle of a dirty alley? It would be much easier if he could just command her like he could do with the wolves. He let a small bit of his power flow out toward her until she stilled in acknowledgement. He cocked an eyebrow at her in surprise that it appeared to work. Not all humans could sense the supernatural force he wielded.
Intriguing.
“Listen to me, Miss. I’m going to say it one last time; you are safe. I’m sorry but you do realize that I can’t just let you go? I’ve got some questions about what the hell just happened here, and you’re in shock. We’re going to go home now. Let’s get out of this alley.”
“No, no, no. Please just let me go. I’ll go home. I’ll…” She was about to tell him she’d go to the police, when she saw the vampires coming for her. Her heart caught in her throat. It wasn’t just any vampire stalking toward them. It was him. The one who had repeatedly fed on her; he’d enjoyed it. Endorphins flooded her weakened system.
Logan shook his head. Much to his chagrin, she obviously didn’t understand that she had no choice in the matter.
“More…more vampires,” she whispered, unable to look away. Pointing down the street, she grabbed the wall in an effort to remain upright.
“Stay here,” Logan commanded.
Wynter silently nodded, fully intending to run.
“Hey D, looks like a few more partygoers want to dance.” Logan spun on his heels, taking off down the street to head off their attackers.
“What can I say, Alpha? You’re a good-lookin’ guy. Real popular tonight,” Dimitri joked as he followed.
Logan grabbed the vampire, smashing him up against the wooden shutters of a townhome. Splinters flew as the wood cracked into several pieces. Tearing a shard off the structure, Logan staked him in his back. “Sorry, pal. Dance card’s full.”
As the second vampire attempted to bite Dimitri, he flipped him onto his back, driving the wood straight through the bloodsucker until he hit the pavement. He shoved up onto his feet and brushed the debris from his jeans.
“Fuck me. What the hell is happening tonight?” Dimitri huffed. “This is some kind of crazy shit.”
“Goddamn vampires.” Logan stood, scanning the street and was met with silence. “They’re out of control.”
“Kade must be going soft if he’s letting his skeeters buzz the humans. Not good for tourism, ya know.” Dimitri laughed.
“Yeah, I get the feeling that our girl’s not a random human either. Shit. Where is she?” Logan asked, realizing she must’ve taken off down into one of the courtyards. Logan sniffed into the air. Humans were so naïve. It was just a matter of time before he found her. “Did you see which direction she ran?”
“No. But I’m guessing from her little tantrum that she doesn’t want our help,” Dimitri surmised.
“Well, she doesn’t have a choice. I want to know exactly what went down before we saved her pretty little ass. Something’s not right, and I’m going to find out what it is.” Logan continued, deep in thought. “And she’s not getting away from me either. Listen, I’m goin’ wolf.”
“You need me to go with?”
“No, go back to the party. Fi’s waiting.” Now that Logan had held the woman from his visions in his arms, he needed to know who she was more than ever. What was she doing in New Orleans? Why did the vampires want her?
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. But do me a favor, will ya? Put a call into Kade’s office and report our little scuffle. They can call me tomorrow. I’ve got a bad feeling this isn’t over.”
“You got it.”
“Uh…one more thing…my clothes?” Logan grinned.
“Yeah, okay. You sure you want to do this, man?”
Logan laughed without answering. He ducked into an alleyway, away from prying eyes and threw his clothes and boots over to Dimitri. Not that he had a problem with nudity. Quite the contrary; he enjoyed being naked whenever he got the chance. But it was unusual for Logan to go wolf in the city, preferring to run wild in the country. Tonight, however, the woman gave him little choice.
Remembering her lack of clothing and shoes, he reasoned she couldn’t have gone far. Where would a human run to in the middle of the night in the French Quarter? Bourbon Street would be the logical place for her to go. Since they were on the other side of the French Quarter, nearly at the river, she’d have quite a ways to walk in order to get there. At two in the morning, most shops would be closed. Even though she didn’t seem to be of a criminal nature, she could try to break into a business or home. But that didn’t seem likely given her frightened state, not to mention that she’d soon crash from exhaustion. Against the gate, she’d struggled to remain on her own feet. She’d shown signs of illness, trauma and malnutrition. She wouldn’t get far.
Letting go of his human thoughts, Logan let the beast take over and do what it did best: hunt. The sweet smell of her remained strong in his memory. Running hard, he zipped down streets and walkways. As her scent grew stronger, the wolf grew excited. Having the capacity to run for miles if necessary, he was unyielding in his search. Soon, the prey would be his.
Wynter sank into the shadows, contemplating her next move. Exhaustion racked her body. The lack of food and sleep combined with ongoing stress had taken its toll. She wished she could convince herself otherwise, but her mind was unclear; confusion blanketed her thoughts.
A creaking gate alerted her to a maid leaving one of the homes via a courtyard alley. She watched as the older woman looked around, as if to make sure no one was watching, then typed a code into a security pad. As the worker walked down the street, she swiveled her head, still checking for strangers, while the gate slowly closed behind her. Wynter’s heart pounded.
A human? Help?
She closed her eyes for what seemed only a second, but by the time she looked again, the woman had strangely disappeared. The gate, however, was slightly ajar as if it was broken. The motorized hinges roared in protest, finally puttering into silence. Wynter leapt at the opportunity to get off the streets, within the safety of a gated house. Decision made, she stealthily slipped through the iron bars.
Wynter pressed her back against the arched stone wall, praying no one had seen her enter. Panting for breath, she reflected on what had happened near the bar and cursed her indecisiveness. For a minute, she’d actually considered giving herself over to the warm, strong Alpha who’d held her. With her cheek at his chest, she’d allowed herself the small indulgence of smelling his clean, spicy scented cologne. As his strong arms and low voice enveloped her, she wanted nothing more than to give herself to him. He was a stranger, yet the familiar strength of an Alpha reminded her of home.
But there was nothing about him that was like her Alpha. No, something about his presence incited an awareness that she’d thought was long gone; perhaps something she was not capable of experiencing. Raised by an Alpha, dates weren’t exactly breaking down her door. Her guardian had seen to that. In high school, no one had had the guts to even ask her out, let alone try to kiss her. It wasn’t until college that she’d dated humans, had sex. But once she graduated, she was too focused on work to make men a priority. An occasional fling was all she allowed herself, given the high stakes of her research.
In truth, she’d never been intimate with a wolf. She knew all too well that mating with one didn’t always turn out well; her guardian had warned her off that idea. But the Alpha who’d just saved her jolted something within her libido; that brief encounter left her wondering if she’d made the right decision by running. His warmth, coupled with his caring words, aroused her. Maybe if she got out alive and her guardian approved, she could contact him later, she thought.
Wynter blew out a breath, realizing how ridiculous it was that she was even thinking of the stranger. Given her dire situation, she’d be lucky if she made it out of the city alive.
Focus, Wynter.
Silently, she inched her body into the archway until she reached a large courtyard. She stilled, listening for signs of people. Moments passed and she heard nothing but the trickling water bubbling out of the three-layered fountain that had greeted her arrival. Intrepidly, she padded out onto the red herringboned brick patio. Dim ground lighting illuminated a large rectangular swimming pool. Despite the old woman’s temporary presence, no lights were on in the adjoining mansion or its rear cottage.
Wynter wondered if anyone even lived there. Obviously if the owners kept on late night help, the house was being used by someone. Or perhaps the property was a vacation home? Either way, she had to try to get help. But after knocking on both the main home and cottage’s door, she quickly came to the conclusion that it was vacant. She sighed in disappointment, deciding to wait until daylight to keep searching for help. Even if no one was home, she was grateful to be off the street, inside the safety of a quiet yard. In the morning, she could search around the exterior for a hidden key or see if she could get in the garage. If not, she’d try another house. She could more easily travel during the day as it was a much safer time for humans. All she needed was a phone, so she could make contact. Then she’d be home within hours.