I sprang from slumber to fully conscious in a fiery rush. My wolf jolted forward before I could stop the beast and the centering wave of adrenaline that had my mind focusing filled me.

Thank you, Dads, one and five.

Hellfire from my mother lurked, anxious to consume me as well, but until I knew what’d brought me from sleep, I needed to keep it under wraps. Fire in a hotel was never a good thing.

I remained in place, forcing my breathing to remain slow and even despite my sudden awareness. The rush of cars rolling down the streets below reached me. There was no squealing race of tires on asphalt and no horns honking in annoyance. No alarms blared and shattered the quiet. No shouts filled the air from other tenants.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Sam’s scent didn’t reach me, the sweet and sulfur not coming to me with the cool air. So, it wasn’t him.

There was no telltale stench of rotting corpses that came with zombies.

But there was something… A sluggish heartbeat. Not the healthy thump of a living being which meant…

Vamps.

God, I hated vamps. Their dust got everywhere. Everywhere. Their ashes were worse than beach sand.

Keeping my eyes closed, I listened and focused on the sounds filling the suite. Had Sam heard them yet? I doubted it. Yells would have woken me, right?

Right.

I hoped. I’d been exhausted when I finally fell asleep and what if they killed him while I snoozed. I didn’t want to fuck him—not yet—but that didn’t mean I wanted the guy dead. If angels could die. I wasn’t sure.

“What the fuck?” Sam’s shout told me he was alive. The snarls that came on the heels of his words told me more than a few vamps were visiting.

I exploded from the couch, shoving the blanket aside, swords in hand and the blades ready to take on a few intruders.

Or rather, six vamps in the living room and who knew how many in the bedroom.

And funny thing… They all had green eyes.

“What the fucking fuck?”

I didn’t have too much time to consider the green-eyed assholes. Not when three rushed me, and I was forced to dodge the sharpened claws of fangy guy one and two. Fang bearer three managed to slice into my bicep, exposing my muscle to the air.

Asshole. I kicked the guy, catching him in the center of his chest, sending him stumbling backward. That split-second reprieve gave me a shot at decapitating one and two so when three came forward once again, I could let him get close. Close enough to feel his putrid breath on my face.

Of course, slicing off a vamp’s head was a quick and easy trip to Hell. Just about any tween died when I gave them a nice cut along the neck. Quick and easy.

But for this one… I had other plans. The fucker thought it was a good idea to cut me?

Screw that.

Dropping my blades, I gripped one of his shoulders, shoved my free hand into his chest past his breast bone, shattered the cage protecting his heart, and tugged it free. I squeezed and yanked and held it in my palm, the muscle still throbbing.

“Hungry? Eat this, fuckhole.” I shoved the pulsating chunk of meat into his mouth, ensuring I thrust it deeply until he could do nothing but swallow his own heart’s blood.

Now his body would crave it, would cannibalize itself until he was nothing but a starving, deteriorating mass of disgusting vampire. He’d be gone in an hour. Tops. Already his strength left him, retreating as his nature hunted more of what it craved. I shoved and he tumbled backward, crushing the coffee table when his bulk collided with the wood.

I slowly bent, gaze still on the other three vampires, and grasped the handle of my blades. “Who’s next?”

I was more than ready to play. These guys thought it was okay to wake me? Yeah, not so much. I’d been having the best, sex-filled dream that featured Sam and that bed and—

A deep, masculine groan, one without a hint of vamp, reached me.

Sam.

The snap of wood and a thud of something heavy striking a wall filled my ears.

Sam? Or did he toss a vamp?

“Look, I don’t have time for this,” I snapped and pointed at the vamps standing near me. The dumb asses didn’t have sense enough to run. “One, two, three. That’s the order of your deaths unless you run now.”

I got three wide smiles, their white fangs gleaming in the low light.

I shrugged. “Suit yourselves.”

It took two seconds and another deep groan from Sam to kill my opponents just as I’d said. Piles of ash decorated the carpet and marred the gleaming black leather that encased me.

I kicked the bedroom doors in, sending the two panels banging against the wall and the echoing boom had the room’s occupants focusing on me.

Ten vamps and three piles of ash. Thirteen. Apparently these fuckers really wanted us dead. Or, at least, wanted to make sure I died.

Not happening.

Three stood over Sam, his face bloodied and bruised, while another three waited to jump into the fray.

That left four facing off against me.

One step and a single swing took out the first. A flying arc took out the second. The third was a dick and disappeared on me, blinking out of sight. Then I was frozen as thick arms encircled me and captured my arms.

I hated vamps and their whole teleporting thing. That was the only way they could have gained access, and now they used that ability against me. I still held my swords, but they were useless while I was captive.

The fourth opponent closed in on me, giving me a menacing smile that widened the closer he got. The one at my back lowered his head, stinking breath fanning over my skin.

When vamp four was within range, I kicked out, striking him in his stomach. The male instinctively bent forward, arms clutching his middle. I jerked my knees up, the vamp at my back holding my weight, and wrapped my legs around the neck of the male in front of me.

Lightning fast, over before either male realized, I squeezed, tightened, and yanked. My thighs might jiggle, but beneath the fluff were muscles that could tear a man’s head from his body. Or, at least this bloodsucker’s head.

With the vamp holding me falling off balance, it took one backward head butt to get him to release me. Then another spin, slice, and that guy was dust.

“Two for one,” I murmured. I shifted my attention to Sam and the six closing in on him.

My mother’s molten fury filled me until I bubbled with rage. My wolf’s howl echoed through my mind and Papa Leth’s battle cry escaped my lips. In two steps I was on them, blades cutting through air and ash. They’d gone after Sam. Fuckers.

With the distraction of my yell, Sam was able to gain his feet and then we battled side by side, arms, legs, and blades working in unison to defeat the green-eyed vamps. One after another fell, and at some point one of my swords ended up in Sam’s hand, telling me more than words could that I trusted the gel.

Which was… weird. I didn’t trust men. Ever. And yet…

Yet Sam swung the blade in a massive arc and cut down the final vamp, ending their bloody conflict as the creature floated to the carpet in a flutter of dust.

I wiped my forehead, brushing aside sweat, and I knew I left a streak of gray in my wake. I hated fighting vamps.

I leaned over and shook my head, shaking free ashes that invaded my hair. “I need another shower.”

Sam huffed and released a low chuckle. “That’s all you have to say?”

“I hate the color green?” Boy, did I ever.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I’ll be happy when we figure out where they’re coming from.”

“Zombies and then vamps. Notice an undead theme here?”

Sam nodded and I fought the whimper that threatened to break free. He was sexy even covered in dead vamp. I was so fucked. Eventually. “Yes, I do. Makes me wonder what else we’re going to be faced with.”

I straightened my back and leaned from side to side. I only had six hundred years on me and I felt as if I’d hit my millennial. “If whoever it is sticks with undead, we’re gonna be fine. I mean, what? Maybe they have stronger zombies? Or vamps?” My back cracked and I sighed. “At worst, I might need a few extra Band-Aids.”

Sam quirked a single brow. “You think vamps and zombies are the only undead?”

I frowned. “What else is there?”

“Oh, amica,” he murmured and suddenly a demanding mouth was plastered to mine, tongue delving past my lips and I sank into the searing kiss.

His scent replaced the vamps’, filling my lungs with delicious aromas until my world revolved around Sam. I leaned against him, letting him take my weight as we explored each other. Green-eyed tweens forgotten, I focused on the gel, on the sensations and desire he stoked inside me. My wolf hadn’t fully retreated and now it pushed at me even harder.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

I was so very close to giving in.

Then, as quickly as he’d stolen my lips, he released me, leaving us both panting and heaving for breath. “I have so much to teach you,” he whispered.

I coughed and pulled from his embrace, pushing until he finally released me. “I think we’ve shared enough.”

“Hmm…”

“We, uh, need to leave.” I moved farther away. I needed space, time to think. His nearness was not conducive to my “no sex with Sam” campaign.

“Agreed. I know of a—”

“Oh, no. You picked this place. The next hideout is my decision. Besides, I know someone who can help.”

“Help us more than your uncle? You know someone more powerful than the High Lord of Hell who left us with ghosts to notify us if anyone sneaked in?” His cocky smirk annoyed me and I had half a mind to carve it from his face. Then I remembered how lovely those lips were and settled for glaring at him.

“Uncle Luc gave us a quick and dirty alarm system. He’s not technically supposed to interfere. Same as On High. Everybody’s minions are autonomous, but the bosses aren’t allowed to dick with things.”

“Such respect.”

I strode toward the door. I needed to grab my bags and then snare a cab. “C’mon. We need to get a move on. If we hurry, we might get muffins fresh from the oven.”

“Muffins?” Confusion filled his voice. “Where the hell are we going that’ll give us protection, answers, and muffins?”

“Jezebeth’s.”

“The bar witch?”

I paused in the doorway and looked back at Sam. Damn, he was sexy, and I wished we didn’t have green-eyed whatevers on our tail because I felt my control wavering. And I couldn’t think of anything better than stripping naked and showering. Together. With all the wetness and slick and mouths and—

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, a witch and a bitch in one. Plus, there’s her mother.”

“Who are you talking about, Caith?”

It was my turn to smirk. “Haven’t you ever heard of Helene Renard?”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

Oh was right. From On High to Hell and back, everyone knew Helene Renard. And feared her whether they wanted to admit it or not. On High and Uncle Luc never wanted to see a Renard in their realms, which meant the family continued to grow and strengthen and I got to keep my best friend. BFF had a whole other meaning when neither woman died.

“Exactly. Grab your stuff, gel. We’ve got a date with the scariest woman in the tween and her homemade muffins. Hopefully she made blueberry.”