Chapter Twenty-Four
The bang on the door rattled Trixie’s teeth, jarring her awake to sit up straight in bed, blanket pooling around her hips. She pressed her hands to her ears. “I’m awake, I’m awake.” She blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings and recalled yesterday’s werewolf adventures.
The knocking stopped.
Viktor sat in front of the television but his attention was focused on her. Or should she say, her naked breasts. “Not an evening person?” Amusement pulled at his lips as if he’d discovered a special secret.
“No.” She pulled on her discarded shirt and it fell to her knees. Oh, not hers. Viktor’s. He was bare chested.
He abandoned the television and opened the unlocked door.
In the hallway, holding bagged blood stood a large tattooed man. Burly, like an older bike gang member. His glare could have melted plastic. “Not again. Trixie.” He growled her name and she squeaked like a dog toy he’d just bit.
Betty’s dad.
Viktor tossed her a concerned glance over his shoulder. Grown women shouldn’t make those kinds of noises. She knew this, but she felt like she’d been caught…with no pants on, which was the truth.
She shut the door closed in his face before he could say anything else. Pulling off Viktor’s shirt, she tossed it at him. “Get dressed.” She fell to her knees, looking for her clothes under the bed.
Chuck shoved the door open, but Viktor blocked it with one hand. She heard an oomph as Chuck collided with the unmoving object that was her sire.
She mouthed a silent thank you as she dressed at hurricane speed, shirt backwards and jeans inside out, but all the important bits were covered.
Viktor dropped his shirt on the floor, before letting Chuck in. “I assume you know each other? I am Viktor Petrov.” He held up his hand.
Chuck stared at it as if Viktor’s touch was contagious. His glare darted to her. “So, the rumors are true. I thought the alpha was mistaken when he called me. You really allowed him to turn you into a vampire.
“Hey, Chuck.” She gave a halfhearted wave, feeling eight years old all over again. Betty’s parents had decided that since she and Ruby didn’t have any, they would fill in that role.
It was a shifter thing neither she nor Ruby understood, but Betty’s parents were awesome, so bonus. They got the occasional check-in phone call and obligatory dinner invite when they were in town visiting.
Trixie had never been on the receiving end of the dad glare. It was awful.
“I thought you had a better head on your shoulders.” Chuck’s ears were red as he held up the blood he carried. “You’re going to have to live off this for the rest of your life. You’ll have to hunt humans. What do you know about hunting?”
Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. It was like her vocal cords had short-circuited. She had never seen him so upset. Heat coated her limbs as her skin flushed.
Betty’s dad turned on Viktor. “And you.” He jabbed his finger into Viktor’s chest. “I’m going to personally skin you alive and use you as a throw rug if I find out you hurt her.”
Viktor’s eyes went dead. His skin felt cold to Trixie’s touch. “What did you accuse me of?” He bared his saber tooth fangs.
She had to give Chuck credit. He didn’t give Viktor an inch. “I want to speak with her alone.”
“Why? I’m sworn to protect her and I don’t know you from shit. What assurance do I have you will not hurt her?”
“That’s enough.” She held her hands, inserting herself between the pissed off supernatural creatures. She was tired of being fought over. All her life she’d had to take care of herself. It was wonderful both these men cared about her, but she was a big girl wearing vampire pants now. She thought she could handle an upset werewolf daddy. “Chuck is Betty’s father. And sort of my adopted one.”
“Sort of? We’ll discuss that another day.” Chuck set his hand on her shoulder and pulled her behind him. “And Trixie’s well-being is also my concern.”
She pleaded with Viktor, over the werewolf’s shoulder, to calm down. “I trust Chuck with my life. He’d never hurt me. Look, he brought breakfast.” She pointed to the bag blood.
“Let Trixie feed first.” Viktor crossed his arms, those pecks flexing in the most inviting way.
Chuck passed her a bag over her shoulder. “Go for it, kid.” He didn’t move.
She sighed and wondered how Betty had survived being a teenager with such a protective father. “Why did Chris call you?” Eyeing the bag, she tried to figure out how to drink it without freaking Chuck out. She was hungry and her stomach cramped.
Viktor retrieved a glass from the bathroom. He gestured for her breakfast. With a sharp fingernail, he punctured the plastic and helped her pour the contents inside.
Betty’s father frowned with thin lips. “You’re Betty’s best friend. You’re family! Of course, he called me. We’re pack.”
Technically, she wasn’t pack, but he didn’t use the term literally. He meant he cared.
“No, she’s not pack.” Viktor discarded the empty blood bag and pushed the full glass back in her hands. “She belongs to me.”
She could all but see Chuck’s fur stand up on his spine. He growled. Viktor couldn’t have said anything worse to an overprotective old werewolf. She’d been reading a lot on shifters ever since Betty’s mating.
“You need to be quiet now.” She pointed at Viktor. “I don’t want to have to pick pieces of you out of Chuck’s teeth.”
Both men snorted and ignored their mutual reaction.
Trixie wiped her mouth and handed Viktor her empty glass.
Chuck eyed Viktor. “Interesting tats. Didn’t know vampires’ skin could be tattooed.”
“Viktor’s a tattoo artist. He seems to be well known. He was featured in tattoo news magazine for the work he did on New Port dragon.” She bit the inside of her cheek before she continued.
Viktor poked at his skin where the densest patch of names existed. “It’s a process to tattoo my kind. Not many would tolerate it.”
Chuck leaned forward, inspecting the writing. “What do all those names mean?”
She elbowed Chuck in the side. “I thought you wanted to talk to me?” Betty’s dad didn’t need to know how many people Viktor had killed. That would give them another thing to fight over. She pushed between them. “Let’s go. The night won’t last forever and Viktor has somewhere to go.”
Chuck exchanged nods with the guards in the hallway. He led her to another safe room at the end of the hall. She glanced over her shoulder at the two shifters quietly talking with her sire. “They’re nervous about him.”
“They have a reason to be.” He held the door open for her.
She sat on a bed identical to the one they slept on. “How many safe rooms does your pack need?”
“Can’t have too many. It’s rough on the teenagers, especially the dominant males. Rumors are Chris spent almost a year down here.” Chuck pulled the chair around to face her and set down. “When did this happen?” He gestured with his hand up and down her body.
She assumed he meant her vampirism. “A couple days ago.”
“Does Betty know?”
“No, what kind of friend do you think I am?” Betty should be howling at the moon or hunting buffalo or whatever wolf shifters did to be romantic.
“One who is in over her head.” Chuck went down on his knees in front of her and grasped her hands in his big rough palms. “Did Viktor force this on you? I can help you get away from him. Arrange a ride back to New Port. The pack will make sure you never see Viktor again.”
She sat speechless for a second. He was being more than overprotective. He was frightened.
For her.
Nobody seemed to understand her sire like she did. He hadn’t done anything but take care of her since she’d woken up a vampire. “I’d be dead if Viktor hadn’t turned me into a vampire.” Sure, her choices had been limited, become a vampire or die. But it had been her choice. She explained to Chuck about the fall down the stairs and Viktor’s offer. “He didn’t have to do it. From what I understand, I’m the first vampire he’s ever made. Give him a little slack. For me.”
“The dragon was involved.” Chuck shook his head. “I should have retrieved those kennels the night he adopted those cats.”
“Hush. Shoulda, coulda, woulda won’t change the present. It was fate.” Or karma. “Viktor has been kind to me.” Boy, had he ever been last night. “Anyways, I doubt your alpha would allow me to leave.”
If Chuck wanted a bad guy to blame, she’d point him to his overbearing alpha.
“Why wouldn’t he let you go home with me?” He rose to his feet and returned with a chair.
The door swung open. No knock. Chris strode in with a very angry looking Viktor in tow. The alpha held a lovely, long black gown in his arms. “Change of plans.” His gaze landed on Chuck. “Why are you still here?”
She jumped to her feet, followed by Betty’s dad. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?”
“I never had a mother.” He stared at Chuck until Betty’s dad left the room.
“You’re not a very nice man.” Trixie folded her arms.
He tilted his head in a very wolf manner. “I’m not a man. I’m an alpha. He’s mid-level pack. It’s for his own safety.” He handed her the dress. “Change. We’re all going to the nest tonight.”
She examined the gown she was given. “Won’t I be a little overdressed for a hostile takeover?” The black number was silky and soft. It flowed like water over her hands and she’d never worn anything so beautiful.
Viktor had changed while she had been talking to Chuck. He wore a black on black suit with no tie. He held up what looked like a card. “An invitation. Seems as if Sybil knows I am in the city and a guest of the pack. She is upset that I did not stop at the nest first. She is holding a party in my honor this evening as retribution.”
“Retribution?” she whispered. “In my experience, parties are supposed to be fun.”
“Not vampire ones.” Chris frowned.
Her heart plummeted. “I’m no genius, and I’m out of my league here, but this smells like a trap.”
“Of course, it is.” That’s when she noticed the alpha didn’t look like a sandwich shop owner. He wore a navy power suit that set off his eyes. It made him look more dangerous. “That’s why I’m coming. To protect my investment.” He stared pointedly at her.
And why Viktor look like he could chew nails.
“Why are you taking me? I can’t be of much help.” She wasn’t a fool. There was bad blood between all three leaders. Putting them in the same room seemed like playing with dynamite while juggling matches. Last time she checked, bombs killed baby vamps and she liked living.
Viktor handed her the invitation.
Her name was listed under his. “This can’t be good.”