“Two words for you, Glacier. Two fucking words. Joint effort. How many times are you going to make me say it? That means working with the pack, not pissing them off.”
Glacier closed his eyes, listening to Kelzeb rant. He deserved it. His boss finally stopped talking.
“In my defense, Kevin is an asshole.”
“He said you sucker punched him while shelled.”
“He’s lying. I didn’t shell until after I decked him in the face, and I only knocked him out because he was drunk as shit, trying to fight me. He couldn’t even walk straight. I told you the facts. Should I have allowed his drunken ass to attack me and just…what? Bowed down to take it until he wore himself out? The pack could have been attacked while they watched that bullshit. I needed to act fast. Was I wrong?”
Kelzeb growled. “No. But he says his pack has lost all respect for him and he’s received two official challenge requests from his enforcers because of your actions. He’s pissed, and has threatened to reach out to other packs to let them know you tried to overtake his.”
“He needs to be challenged. Those Lycans deserve a better alpha. That’s utter bullshit about me trying to steal his job, though. You know I don’t want to lead a pack. Besides, we both know if I wanted his job, he’d be dead instead of bitching at you on the phone. What else do you want me to say? I’m not sorry. I handled the Vamp situation. This was about saving Lycan kids to me, not soothing that asshole’s pride. End of threat. Job done.”
Kelzeb sighed. “Understood. God knows I’ve wanted to punch a few alphas. Aveoth has sent me to visit packs to cement the agreements when they request a guardian. I have to represent him a few times a year, and I fucking hate it. He says I need to leave the cliffs occasionally. Bullshit. But I get why you didn’t want to dick around with Kevin. I’m not fond of him after listening to him repeatedly whine. You should leave the territory though.”
“I’ll leave first thing tonight. It’s sunrise in less than an hour.”
“Right. Because you have a Vampire to think about. Traveling during the day is too risky. Fuck. I can just imagine getting pulled over by human authorities and them checking your trunk, where you’d have to stash her to keep her alive.”
“I drive a motorcycle.”
Kelzeb chuckled.
Glacier relaxed. He couldn’t be in too much trouble for the stunt he’d pulled with drunk Kevin if his boss had retained his sense of humor.
“You’re sure about taking her on your next mission then? You think she’ll follow the rules you set?”
“Yes.” He waited to see what response he’d get.
Kelzeb sighed again. “Fine. You’re responsible though. You’re also going to need to keep her away from other Vampires, from what you’ve told me. That’s going to limit where I can send you.” He hesitated. “Are you willing to do that for her? I’m talking wilderness shit. Maybe even assigning you to be a guardian to a Lycan pack. You’d have to keep her in their territory and out of cities.”
His chest tightened. “I know.”
“Damn, Glacier. Are you thinking about mating her?”
“It’s too soon. I don’t know yet.”
“Alright. I know you hate snow and request places to avoid it, but you’re shit out of luck. We have a family-association pack in Wyoming. Hawk’s brother-in-law is alpha there. Chaz and Fray visit their uncle whenever they have some down time. The pack hasn’t asked for a guardian, but they might accept you into their territory with Mandy. There’s also Colorado. One of the VampLycans clan leaders, Trayis, has a half-brother alpha there. They would probably be open to having a Vampire in their territory, since I’ll make it clear you’re responsible for her. I’ll reach out to both alphas today. Hopefully one of them agrees. They’re two packs we can trust not to betray that she’s there.”
“Thank you.”
“The down side is, they’ll expect guardian duties provided. That means you’ll be scouting at night. I guess you could have her fly patrols with you. Otherwise, you’ll be working while she’s awake. You’re also going to have to find a way to feed her.”
“She can control human minds. That’s going to be a bonus when I must deal with poachers. Frankly, I hope they have a bunch of them. She’ll have a source of food.”
“True.” Kelzeb hesitated. “I know you hate being stuck in one location for more than a few months. As long as you’re with this Mandy…”
“I know. My wandering days are over.”
“You thought this out?”
“I have. I’m prepared to stay in one location for as long as needed to keep Mandy safe.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later today. It would be rude to wake up alphas this early to ask a favor.” He chuckled. “You’ll hear from me around noon your time. I’ll find you a place to live.”
“Thanks.”
“Good luck.”
Glacier hung up and entered the shop from the alley he’d used for privacy. Pest waited inside. “What’s the verdict?”
“Kelzeb is cool. He’s going to find me a Lycan pack to become guardian to. That way, I can keep Mandy off council radar. No Vamps can report her if they don’t see her. I’ll just keep her deep in Lycan territory. I should know where we’re going around noon today.”
“I’ll get you a cargo van as soon as the rental places open. I figure that will be good to transport her and your motorcycle in.” He lifted his phone, tapping at it.
“I’ll just wait until tonight and drive my motorcycle with her. She’s going to need clothes though, and I don’t have a second helmet. I’ll go shopping today while you watch over her.”
“I’d rather shop, bro. No offense, but do you even know what size she wears?”
“No, but I’ll just ask her.”
Pest snorted. “I’ve got this. Unlike you, I have girlfriends from time to time. Not just one-night stands. I don’t have to risk my balls by asking a woman her sizes. Some get weird about it or embarrassed. Save yourself the headache. I’ve learned to size them up accurately. Have you ever bought a woman clothes before?”
Glacier shook his head.
“Yeah. I didn’t think so. I’ll go. I didn’t get a good look at her breasts though, since she’s been wearing your shirts. Then again, I’d be doing you a favor if she didn’t wear bras.”
“Hers is upstairs. I’ll take a peek.”
Pest snickered. “Don’t get caught, pervert.”
Glacier flipped him off. “Then I’ll just ask her.”
“Don’t.” Pest turned toward the stairs and raised his voice. “Hey, short stack? Can you come down here for a minute?”
Mandy joined them right away. She’d showered recently, and sported another borrowed shirt and a pair of boxers. Her gaze went to Glacier. “You want to talk down here?”
“I actually had a few questions for you about this council.” Pest motioned to Glacier. “You go up and wait for her. Text me what I wanted to know.
Glacier nodded. “Remember the helmet. I want something with tinting to keep anyone from seeing her face tonight while we’re traveling. Hair dye, too. One of those quick spray-in deals. The reek from that will help mask her scent too, and we’ll only need her hair color changed while traveling. Those wash right out. Black. I want to change her appearance. Maybe some makeup to hide how pale she is, since we’ll be making stops for gas. Can you handle all that?”
“Easy. I’ll leave soon. There’s one of those twenty-four-hour superstores not too far from here. I won’t have to wait for anything to open by shopping there.”
“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he said to Mandy, rushing up the stairs to dig up her bra size. He found it quickly and texted it to his brother, then took a seat on the bed.
“Do you have a phone number for the council?”
Mandy shook her head at Pest. “I had Corski’s number on my cell phone and an emergency contact number in case I couldn’t reach him, but your brother tossed my phone. It had a tracker in it.”
“Understood. My brother said there’s a second assassin in town. Would she have those same numbers?”
Mandy’s heart raced. The question implied that Olivia still lived. She had been too afraid to ask Glacier if her friend had found him yet, or if he’d gone after her. Part of her didn’t want to know the answer. “Yes.”
“Do you know what full name Corski is going by?”
“Joseph Corski.” She spelled it. “New York City. I doubt he’d be listed in a phone directory, though.”
“Probably not.”
“Can I ask why you want phone numbers? Are you planning to let the council know what went down here? It’s a good idea, but I can’t tell you with certainty that Corski can be trusted. He might be the one who covered for Marco. Corski is the one who gives us our orders.”
“Fair enough.” His phone beeped. He smiled. “That was it. Go talk to my brother.”
Mandy found Glacier sitting on the bed. He’d removed his boots. She closed the door to give them some privacy and leaned against it. He looked sexy but then, he always did. The bed seemed small with his big body sitting on the side of it. The hole in his jeans by his hip bothered her. She couldn’t pick up any blood but something had happened. It hadn’t been there when he’d left.
His pale blue eyes were beautiful as they locked with hers. “My boss is going to assign me to watch over a Lycan pack on my next assignment. I’ll find out where we’re going later today. The pack will keep Vampires out of their territory. You’ll be stuck inside their perimeter, but no one will be able to see you to tell the council you’re alive. I asked Pest to buy stuff to help change your appearance while we ride my bike tonight.”
“I heard that part. Black hair like you, huh?”
He smiled. “You look good as a blonde, but I liked the black hair with blue streaks you used to sport, too. We’re going to either Colorado or Wyoming. It means we might be on the road for a few nights.”
“Day travel is out. I’m sorry about that. You’re probably not used to having your movements restricted.”
He shrugged. “No biggie. The nice thing is, I might need your mental abilities. Packs deal with poachers more than you’d think. You can make them forget our encounters and embed them with the urge to never return to the area.”
“We’re going to be work partners then?”
He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. His gaze slowly lowered down her body before he stared into her eyes again. “I’m attracted to you, Mandy.”
She hadn’t expected him to admit that, but still she tensed. “But?”
“No but. I just want to be clear. I’m not saying you have to become my lover, but it’s on the table.” His voice turned husky. “I want you, baby. You can’t imagine how much.”
She was glad to be leaning against the door. “You don’t do the same woman twice. I remember. And I wouldn’t be okay with you bed hopping.”
He stood and walked closer, stopping inches away from her. “I couldn’t allow you to get close to me when we worked together at Bucket. You know what it’s like to pretend to be human. Always having to watch your every word and action, to not give something away that could make them suspicious. I knew there was no damn way I could hide my true nature from you if we dated, or hell, moved in together. But I definitely had the urge to take you home with me. There was just something about you that drew me, Mandy. And you know what happens to humans who learn the truth. They are seen as dangerous. I couldn’t risk your life.”
She resisted the urge to touch him. “I understand that. I felt the same way toward you. Still do.”
“I’d like to be more than work partners. Lovers…” He reached out and rested his open palms on the door inches from her arms. “I don’t want you to feel forced into it though. I’d take you with me and keep you safe even if you don’t want to see where a relationship goes with us. No pressure.”
“Would this be a monogamous relationship?”
“Yes.”
“I’m in.” She reached up and touched his shirt, loving the heat coming off his skin through the thin material. He had such a hard body, and she wanted to explore all of it. Her gums began to ache. “We’re going to have a few problems to deal with though.”
“You can’t bite me.”
“That.” She nodded. “My fangs already want to drop because you’re so close.”
“Do you need blood to be able to climax?”
She felt embarrassed to answer. “No. I mean, I masturbate often. I sure don’t bite myself. I’ve only had sex a few times as a Vampire…” She paused. “No. We should be completely honest with each other. I want that kind of relationship with you.” She inhaled deeply. “I’ve only had sex once since I was turned.”
Surprise registered on his face.
“It didn’t go well. That’s why it only happened the one time. I’ve had a ton of male Vamps hit on me but I wasn’t attracted to them. I live with a group of males. You’d understand if you knew them. They tend to brag about their conquests. It was a huge turn off. It’s the ultra-superiority complexes most of them display. I’m a god, worship me. Blah, blah, blah.”
He grinned.
“It’s true. Some of them brought women home. I’ve got excellent hearing. It took every ounce of control not to break into their rooms at times to castrate them. It was like some game to do things to women they didn’t enjoy but force them to think they did. I wasn’t allowed to interfere though, as long as they didn’t kill or do something to leave lasting damage on the women. They came willingly. They left with altered memories.”
His amusement died and anger glinted in his eyes. “Like?”
“They tend to use mind control and push into any woman’s head they’re with. It’s a dominance thing that I’m not into. They like sex the way they like it. There’s no give and take. Olivia has done a few Vamps over the years. Let’s just say they aren’t much different in bed with Vampire women. She swore them off.”
“Is that what happened to the Vampire you were with? Did he try to break into your mind? Force you to do things you weren’t comfortable with?”
She shook her head. “He was human. It was after I’d finished my training by the council and assigned to the assassin house. I was lonely and sad. I thought I’d take myself shopping to cheer up, you know? The mall was open. I had bought myself a few outfits and then hit the food court just to watch people. To feel a part of being alive.”
Glacier pulled her away from the door and led her to the bed, sat her on it, and took a seat next to her. “Go on.”
“This guy came up to ask if he could sit with me. Said I looked sad. He was funny, nice, and cute. I’d never had a one-night stand before but there it is. I thought I had my urges mastered, but I was still worried I might take too much blood or mess up taking over his mind in bed. I took him home with me. Olivia promised that she’d make sure I didn’t hurt him, and she had more experience with altering memories. Our rooms are next to each other.” Tears filled her eyes. “It turned out he was immune.”
“Shit.”
“He flipped out after we had sex. I didn’t bite him until the end. Olivia rushed in and tried to get control of him. She couldn’t. By then, two other Vamps in the house had heard the commotion. They rushed into my room…one of them killed him. It happened faster than I could stop it. Not that I would have been allowed to just let him go free. He realized I was a Vampire and he knew where we lived.”
“He posed too much of a danger.”
She nodded. “Olivia said the same to comfort me. It didn’t work. I never tried again. He died because he had sex with me. Out of all the men I finally chose to bring home, it had to be someone immune.”
“Oh, baby.” Glacier reached out and took her hand.
She pulled herself together. “I didn’t want to be with a Vampire for the reasons I mentioned. Werewolves tend to hate us. I couldn’t trust that one wouldn’t kill me after. I wasn’t risking a human a second time.” She held his gaze. “I’m glad you can overlook that I’m a Vamp. I will want to bite you, but I’ll resist. I just might get the urge to feed after. Worst case, to be honest.”
He nodded. “We’ll have to figure it out together. First thing, though…I am not half human.”
“But your brother said you’re a half-breed. Was he messing with me? You’re all Werewolf?”
He tightened his hold on her hand. “I’m a GarLycan.”
She heard his words. They sank in slowly. Then shock hit—hard.
He smiled. “We do leave Alaska.”
Her mouth parted but she couldn’t speak; she was too stunned.
“My father was a Gargoyle who mated my Lycan mother. They had four sons together. We took after our father on traits. I use body wash to mask the Gargoyle scent. Mine’s faint enough to do that. I don’t shift into a Wolf. I grow wings and can shell my body.”
GarLycan. He can fly. Shit.
She hadn’t seen that coming.
“It’s why you can’t bite me. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Really bad shit would happen if you took my blood because I’m mostly Gargoyle. I belong to Lord Aveoth’s clan in Alaska. My job is often as a troubleshooter, dealing with idiots who risk exposing humans to the truth that our races exist. Kelzeb is my boss. He’s second-in-command to Lord Aveoth and assigns my missions.
“Sometimes Lycan packs ask for our help, and if Lord Aveoth agrees, he sends someone like me. There are also situations where we form long-term alliances with an alpha and his pack is given a guardian. They watch over the pack, literally. My youngest brother is a pack guardian. Creed scouts their territory at night by flying over it to keep Vampires and poachers from preying on them. He lives with that pack year-round with his mate. That’s what I’m going to do next. We’ll live with the pack I’m assigned to protect. Any questions?”
She still reeled from his news. “So many.”
He smiled. “Go ahead.”
“You really fly? That’s true?”
He released her hand. “I can. Do you want to see me in Gargoyle form?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted, wondering how frightening he would be. “Yes.” She couldn’t resist the curiosity. “Please.”
He removed his shirt, baring his muscled upper body. Seconds ticked by…and then she heard soft pops. Black wing tips began to peek out from behind his torso and they grew larger, until they filled the space from one wall to the other. She had to close her mouth again. His coloring changed from tan to light gray, then even darker. The texture of his skin also transformed.
She managed to stand, getting closer to him. Her hand trembled as she reached out, brushing her fingertips along his stomach.
“Holy crap.” He felt like a statue. She snapped her head up, staring into his eyes. They looked alert but his features had been frozen with the stiffening of his now dark gray skin.
The color began to lighten until his lips curved. By the time he grinned at her enough to flash teeth, she got a glimpse of his fangs. They weren’t quite Vampire style, but close. His were wider with a slight curve at the end. They weren’t made to siphon blood…but instead to tear something apart.
He reached up and gently cupped her upper arms. “Are you okay? I’m putting away the wings.”
She watched them shrink, heard the slight sounds as they shifted back inside his body. It was tempting to jerk free of his hold and walk around him to see where they disappeared into. She could guess it had to be somewhere near his shoulder blades. “Wow.”
“You’re paler than usual, Mandy. Maybe you should sit.”
“I’m good. It’s just so surprised. I heard repeatedly that GarLycans never leave Alaska. The council…well, Corski…said we didn’t have to worry about your kind.”
“They are idiots. We leave Alaska frequently. VampLycans have had more skirmishes with Vampires though. It might be why your council is more familiar with them than us. That nest in Alaska that was taken out? They breached VampLycan territory to kidnap one of their men. Veso got away, and our clans went after the nest in a joint effort. That master was bat-shit crazy. He wanted to breed a VampLycan with a human relative he’d kidnapped in hopes they’d have a daughter, who he could crown as his queen or some such shit. Then one of his Vamps fled and made a soldier, who he left behind. It attacked a small town, wiping out every human it came into contact with. Hell, it even made a few other soldiers before they were stopped.”
“That’s not possible. Soldiers can’t create others.”
“Nobody told the soldier that. Hate to break it to you, but they can. He did. Those are facts.”
“Shit!”
“Let’s sit.”
Good idea. She turned the second he released her and sat heavily on the bed.
Glacier crouched in front of her. “What other questions do you have?”
“My mind is in a spin.”
“It’s a lot of information to dump on you. I want you to know what you’re getting into before you say yes to sharing a bed with me.”
“It doesn’t change how I feel, Glacier. I still want to be with you.”
“Good. We’ll live with the Lycan pack, being their guardian. You can help me do that. We’ll work nights. How does that sound?”
“Good. I mean, if they don’t attack me. Some Werewolves hate Vampires.”
“They wouldn’t dare hurt you. You’ll be there with me.” He stood. “We should get some sleep. Tonight, we’ll be heading to wherever Kelzeb sends us.”
Her gaze snagged on the hole in his jeans and she reached out, fingering it. “What really happened?”
“One of the Vamps shot me but I’d shelled. Bullets bounce off.”
She lifted her head, peering up at him. “Show me.”
“You want me to take off my pants?”
“Yes.”
He crouched again, gripping the mattress on either side of her hip. “I’ll do more than show you where the bullet hit, if I strip. My brother is gone right now, but the sun is going to come up at any minute. I want to take my time with you when we have sex.”
“I don’t drift off, remember? I’ll be slightly weaker but that’s it. It might even help with my urge to bite. Dull it a bit.”
“Mandy, I want you… But are you sure?”
“Yes.”