Mating Bite by Cynthia Eden (8)

“I feel like the vampires are closing in on me.” Lauren kept her gaze directed out the passenger window, at the dark night. “How many vampires are even in the world?” She had no clue. “I mean, are they everywhere? Because I feel like they are. I feel like they’re all coming after me.”

“We have to get you to a safe place—a place the vamps won’t ever think of breaching.”

She turned her head and glanced over at Carter. His profile was so hard and fierce. “Another werewolf safe house?”

“More like a werewolf pack.”

Okay, that was scary. She was still wrapping her mind around the whole werewolf bit. The idea of just waltzing straight into a werewolf pack terrified her.

“My pack,” he added quickly as if he sensed her fear. “It’s back in Vegas. My friend Griffin is the alpha there, and his mate Isabella is the vamp I told you about before. They can give us sanctuary. They’ll keep you safe while I take care of Antoine.”

“While you kill him, you mean.”

He nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean. Once he’s dead, the other vamps will back the hell away from you. Then you can get your life back.”

Not really, no, she couldn’t. Because she’d died and that old life was gone. “I wanted to be human again,” she told him softly. “That’s what I was fighting so hard for. That’s why I hunted down the Dealer. Why I fought with every single bit of my control not to drink from humans, and when I did give in and drink…I didn’t kill. I didn’t want that on me when I turned back.”

He drove in silence.

“But there is no going back.” It was a truth she’d been forced to accept. The Dealer had shattered that hope. Her hands fisted in her lap. “There’s only going forward. Antoine did this to me. And I am not going to run and hide while you fight my battles. If we’re taking Antoine down, then we are doing it. Together.”

“That’s not the deal.”

“It is now.” She was definite. “I’m tired of everything spiraling away from me. Antoine did this, and I’m going to give him payback.”

“He’s a born vampire. He’s been around for centuries. And, unlike you, he doesn’t hesitate to gorge on his prey. So he’s stronger than you, far stronger, and in a fight, he will take you out.”

Carter’s words had been brutal, but she wasn’t giving up. “No. He won’t.” And this she was sure of. “Don’t you see? He wants me back—alive. Or, well, at least undead. He’ll let me get close to him, and when I do, I’ll kill him.”

He turned off the road, and the tires spun in loose gravel as they slid into what looked like an abandoned gas station. Then Carter turned toward her.

She swallowed down her fear. “You’ll teach me what to do. You’ll show me how to end him.”

His eyes gleamed in the darkness. “You think I’m going to put you in his path? You’re my mate and—”

“I don’t know what that means.” The very idea of being his mate terrified her. “You say it like it’s…it’s everything, but I’m not a werewolf. I’m barely making it as a vamp, and I can’t handle some forever mate thing right now.” Her words burst out too fast, but she needed him to understand… “I want you, Carter. And the way I want you? That out-of-control need? It scares me. Because I don’t want to make another mistake.”

“I won’t hurt you. I won’t ever hurt you.”

She ran her tongue over the edge of her teeth. Her canines were sharpening. “If we have sex, I’m afraid the desire I feel will only get worse.”

“What if it gets better?”

Wasn’t that the same thing? Her eyes closed. “I need to feed.” A few drops of blood would work wonders for her right then. “Drive the truck, okay? Get us to a bar, let me find some drunk guy who won’t remember my bite—”

His fingers curled under her chin. He tipped her face toward him, and she opened her eyes. The faint gold in his stare was even brighter now as he rasped, “You really think I’ll let you waltz into a bar and put your mouth on another man? That I’ll just watch that shit go down?”

“Carter…”

“Drink from me.” His hand slid away from her chin. His arm turned and he offered his wrist to her. “Go ahead.”

Her breath hitched. “When I take your blood, the desire just gets worse.” The dark lust that she felt for him. The stark need that told her to damn the consequences and just take what she wanted.

What she wanted was him.

“Worried you can’t keep your control with me?”

She stared into his eyes. “Yes.”

“Fuck.” There was a savage hunger in that curse.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Carter. I’ve never lied to you.”

His gaze cut away from hers.

“If I bite you, I don’t know what will happen. That’s why I need a stranger. I need someone who doesn’t make me feel this way.” This much. “A stranger doesn’t matter. You do.”

“Take my blood.”

She wanted to bite. She— “When I bite you, when you bite me, I feel the connection getting stronger between us. I can’t handle that right now.” She pushed his wrist away. “Get us moving again, okay? I-I can wait.” Maybe.

“Lauren…”

“Drive.”

With a brutal jerk, he yanked the truck into gear and they sped away from the lot. And she tried not to think about just how very desperately she wanted him. Not just his blood. But his body.

His…heart?

***

Jealousy was ripping Carter apart. It was an angry, snarling bastard. One that wanted to claw and tear everyone around him into pieces.

She doesn’t want my blood. And Carter knew why—Lauren was scared. He’d terrified her with his mate talk. He’d moved too fucking fast, too soon, and now he was in danger of losing her.

And she wants to drink from another.

They were in a club. Some loud, packed place that he’d found after he’d hauled ass away from the mountains. Lights flashed overhead. Music blared. He’d stopped on the drive just long enough to pick up new clothes for himself and for Lauren.

She wore jeans that hugged her body like a second skin, a cheap t-shirt that cupped her breasts, and ten-dollar shoes that somehow made her look like a million bucks. The black heels clicked on the floor as she maneuvered through the crowd.

He stalked behind her, unable to hold back the tide of jealousy. He couldn’t believe he was doing this shit. Actually helping her to find new prey. They should still be on the road. He should be getting her to safety—back to Vegas.

They should not be stopping for a bite. Literally. Shit. He jerked at his t-shirt, the damn thing was too tight across his biceps. Like Lauren, he also wore jeans, and he’d grabbed some shoes at their pit stop.

The others in the club were dressed in a range of clothes—some elegant, some casual. No matter what they wore, every other woman in that place paled next to Lauren.

She went to the bar. Her fingers tapped on the surface, and Carter could practically feel the nervous energy pouring off her.

“Want a drink?” The bartender had turned Lauren’s way.

Carter saw her gaze immediately dart to the guy’s throat. And, in instinctive response, Carter growled.

“Or not.” The bartender lifted his hands in an I-Surrender gesture aimed at Carter as the fellow backed away. “Easy, buddy. I was just getting the lady’s order.”

Lauren turned toward Carter. Her body brushed his. “Didn’t we cover this in the truck? You agreed I could drink.”

He’d broken down and agreed because he felt like shit over the lies he’d told her. She’d stared at him with her beautiful eyes and told him that she’d never lie to him, and she’d savaged his heart. He owed her this, and even though the jealousy was already burning him like a wildfire, he’d see this through.

“You have to back away,” Lauren added as her gaze slipped away from his. “No one will approach me with you this close.”

“I’m not walking away, baby. Other vamps are hunting you, remember?”

Her lips curved down. “Like I could forget.” Her hand rose to press against his chest, seemingly an unconscious move on her part. “But can’t you—I don’t know—like, smell them or something?” She leaned closer to him, lowering her voice. “You’re a werewolf, and I’m assuming that means you have better senses than a human, right? Like…a wolf’s senses? You knew when that other werewolf was coming for us, I saw you respond, I saw—”

“It would be harder to sniff out a vamp in a crowd this size, especially if the vamp tried to mask his scent.”

She peered up at him.

“So, no, sweetness, I’m not going to vanish while you feed. I’m going to be watching you every second.” And if the human she chose got too handsy with her, Carter would be stepping in. “So find a human.” Now he leaned into her, and his lips brushed over the shell of her ear as he whispered, “And get that drink. Before my beast breaks loose and goes wild in this place.”

“It’s not that easy.” A shiver slid over her body. Maybe because he’d just licked her. “I’m not so good at compulsions. That’s why I get men from bars. Men who’ve been drinking a bit. It makes them easier to handle.”

Carter pulled in her scent, and he shoved back the jealousy as he took a few steps away from her. “Plenty of drunk fools here. Pick one.” He nodded toward her. “I will be watching.”

“Carter?”

He slipped away, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. As soon as he put five feet between him and Lauren, the sharks circled in, just as he’d known they would. Fools who were eager to be close to her. Fools who wanted to touch her.

A blond, a redhead, and a guy with a buzz cut.

“Ready for some new company?” The blond had been the bold one to ask that question, his voice too bright.

Carter had taken up a position at the end of the long bar. His hands curled around the bar’s wooden top. His claws scraped into it.

“You…uh…want anything?”

Carter yanked his hands back before the bartender could glimpse his claws. His eyes were on Lauren. She was talking to the blond. The other men had backed away.

I’m staring at what I want.

Only Lauren was smiling at another man.

“Right.” The bartender cleared his throat. “You’re one of those guys who likes to watch, I guess? Damn, man, I don’t know how you do it. Not with a woman like—”

Carter’s hand flew up. In an instant, he’d locked his fingers around the bartender’s throat. “You don’t know me. You don’t know her. So keep your comments to yourself.”

The bartender’s eyes were about to bug out of his head.

And Lauren had taken the blond’s hand. She was leading him toward the back of the bar. Eyes narrowing, Carter let go of the bartender and he followed in Lauren’s wake.

No one got in Carter’s way. Folks took one look at him, and they backed the hell away.

Lauren stopped near the back exit of that bar. She turned around and pressed her body against the blond male’s.

Carter’s back teeth clenched.

She pushed the blond against the wall. She stared into his eyes. She whispered to him. The jerk put his hands on her shoulders. The idiot smiled at her. The sonofabitch offered his neck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Carter did not want to watch this. His gaze cut away from Lauren and her prey because if he stared for another second, he’d be killing the blond.

For a moment, everything around Carter seemed to go red. His beast was howling inside of him. Carter tried to pull the beast back but…

His bones began to snap.

Hell, no. He’d been able to control his shifts since he’d been fifteen years old. He’d never lost control before.

And I’ve never watched my mate tempt another man before.

“No.” Lauren’s voice rose above all of the other noise in the bar—or maybe he was just tuned to her voice. Carter spun back toward her just as Lauren said, “I can’t do this.” She jumped away from the blond, putting her hand over her mouth. “You…you need to get away from me.”

The blond blinked at her. A drop of blood slid down his throat. “You are…so sexy…”

Lauren grabbed for the rear exit door. She shoved it open—

The human stepped to follow her, but in an instant, Carter was there. He grabbed the guy’s shoulder and shoved him toward the packed dance floor. “You heard her. Stay the fuck away.” His voice was guttural, and his muscles had thickened. His body was transforming, and he was trying—so fucking hard—to pull the beast back.

Lauren had vanished, rushing outside. She knew she was being hunted. The woman should have stayed inside the club. She should have come back…to me. He kicked that door open. It bounced back against the bricks, and Carter bounded outside. He stopped cold when he saw Lauren. Her back was to him. Her shoulders were hunched, as if she were in pain. “Lauren?”

“What did you do to me?”

He reached for her, but his claws were out—wicked sharp and deadly. His hand froze in mid-air.

She looked back at him and her stare widened. “Carter?”

Had his face started to change? “I…can’t…”

She retreated one step, then stopped. “No, I can’t.”

What?

“I can’t feed. At least, not on that guy.” She shook her head. “I tasted his blood, and it was wrong. It was wrong because he wasn’t you.” Then she was surging forward and grabbing his arms, not seeming to care that the man she was touching was part beast. “What did you do? Why is it only your blood that I crave? You that I want? I could drink from others before, but this time, the blood was bitter. I only wanted you.” Her fangs peeked from behind her lips. “I need blood, but I need you more.”

The last thread of his control broke. He lifted her up against him, holding her tight, and Carter offered his throat to her. Her legs locked around his hips, and her mouth opened over his racing pulse. Her teeth pierced his skin and pleasure flooded through him.

He spun around, putting her back against the brick wall, but holding her tightly while she fed. His cock shoved against the front of his jeans, and he pressed his erection against her, rubbing hard at the juncture of her thighs. But that wasn’t enough. Not even close. She was drinking and moaning against him—his mate, who’d tried to taste another—and Carter wanted to burn his mark into her very soul.

His right hand slid between them. He jerked open the snap of her jeans. Then he shoved his hand down those jeans, and his fingers pushed between her thighs. She was wearing a scrap of underwear—panties he didn’t even remember buying at their pit stop. He shoved the cotton to the side. His fingers dipped into her sex. She was wet and hot. Lauren bit him harder while he stroked her, and the feel of her teeth was fucking fantastic.

Hell, no, he didn’t want some other guy to ever know what it was like when her mouth was on him, when she was drinking. Hell, no, Carter didn’t want some other man to experience the pleasure of her bite. He didn’t want any other men so much as looking at her.

His fingers stroked her harder, strumming over her clit. Her sex rocked against his hand. She was trapped against the wall, pinned by his body. He’d yanked her jeans open, but only enough to get his hand inside, only enough so that he could find the soft, sweet flesh that was his.

If another man touched her this way, he’d rip the bastard apart.

She pulled her mouth from his throat. “Carter!”

He didn’t stop stroking her. He worked her clit, worked her sex, and she choked out a moan as she came for him. Right fucking there. In the alley. Behind the club. With his hand in her jeans and his blood in her.

She came for him.

And she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Her ragged breath filled the night. Her scent was driving him wild. But he had to get her out of there. Because he needed to fuck her. And it wasn’t going to be some easy fuck. It was going to be a werewolf claiming, and he wanted a bed. He wanted privacy. He. Wanted. Her.

He pulled his fingers from her. Righted her clothes. Lowered her so that her heels—sexy as fuck—touched the ground.

She put out a hand to steady herself, curling her fingers over his arm. “That was…”

Her words drifted away. That was okay, he knew how to finish her sentence. “The start.”

He kissed her. Deep. Hard. Hungry.

“And we’re gonna finish,” Carter promised against her mouth, “or I will go insane.”

***

Carter Sinclair had broken their deal.

Antoine had been sure the wolf was so desperate that he’d fall in line. A wolf addicted to vamp blood should have been only too eager to accept the deal Antoine had offered.

Find a runaway vamp, bring her back…and gorge on a never-ending supply of vamp blood. How could a beast resist that offer?

But fucking Carter Sinclair had turned on him.

And now Antoine had every vamp he knew searching for the wolf. Searching, with the goal of killing him. Two million dollars for the werewolf’s body. He’d gladly pay double that amount, if Carter would be brought down.

But every moment that passed, every moment of silence…made the rage within Antoine grow.

He’d tried calling Carter, again and again, but the calls weren’t answered. He knew that Carter had been in Georgia with Lauren, but they’d vanished. None of the vamps in that area could find them now.

Where would you go? Antoine stared out into the night. Carter was trying to take his vamp, but where would the wolf go with her? Where would they hide?

Carter had turned his back on the Vegas pack because he hadn’t wanted them to know about his addiction. Would he reach out to them now?

Or is the fucker feeding on my vamp? That was Antoine’s fear. That Carter had taken Lauren to be his own personal blood source. If that were the case, then Carter would be running with her. He’d go to ground, and it would be hard—damn near impossible—to find the werewolf.

At least, it would be hard for a vamp to find him.

But werewolves are the best hunters out there. That was the whole reason he’d made a deal with Carter in the first place.

Antoine smiled. Perhaps there was someone who could help him in his hunt, after all. Someone much better suited for the task than the vamps who kept failing him.

Carter abandoned his pack. It’s time they learned why. And it’s time they hunted him.