Enemy Mine

Chapter Four

Sadie Dumus remained in the shadows as she studied the object of her obsession. Trey reclined in a lounge chair on the back patio of the fire station, drowning his sorrows with a bottle of Jack Daniels. He was delectable even when he looked like shit, his dark hair a mess on his head, the heavy growth on his face almost thick enough to be considered a beard. The last time she’d seen him he’d taken more care with his appearance.

Now it seemed he no longer cared.

She reached out to him with her telepathy, listening to his thoughts. The fury that assailed her almost broke her veil—the only thing that prevented the shifters all around her from detecting her presence. She tamped down the fury that consumed her, separating her feelings from Trey’s. He was an absolute mess, full of self-loathing and misery. The alcohol helped, dulling some of his grief. But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. Long gone was the proud male who could be powerful one minute and playful the next. In his place was a man who recognized only revenge, death and retribution.

Guilt slammed into her, the impact hard and direct.

This was her fault, the blame settling directly on her shoulders.

If only she’d known he would deteriorate to this state, she could have made different decisions. Such as entrusting her coven to protect the city, handing over the reins for once. But no. Instead she’d focused on Aldon Frost—the power-hungry vampire who was a threat to all of humanity—and allowed her responsibilities to overcome her emotions. Making things worse was the fact she hadn’t learned a damn thing about Aldon. He’d covered his tracks too well, making his actions impossible to predict.

The human male who had recently been accepted into the pack approached Trey, his movements almost as smooth as a shifter’s. Sadie knew to avoid his thoughts, recalling only too well the heartache and loss the man had suffered. The deaths of his wife and unborn child had changed him, leaving his heart as hard and cold as ice. She’d always been told you could see death in some people, and Caden Stone was the personification of a mortal grim reaper, as likely to kill you as look at you. The man would cut someone’s throat, leave their body where it dropped and sleep like a baby when he went to bed hours later.

“Good evening, Cade.” Trey acknowledged his guest with the dip of his chin, his words slightly slurred.

“Is it? I didn’t notice,” Cade responded and took a seat across from Trey, resting the beer bottle in his hand on his knee. “Not in the mood for a family reunion, I take it.”

“Nope,” Trey retorted and took another swig of Jack.

“Can’t say I blame you.” He glanced at the bottle in Trey’s grasp. “But I’m not sure drinking is the solution to your problems.”

“Is that right? Funny, I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”

Cade smirked. “When has that ever stopped me?”

Trey shrugged and gazed into the trees lined along the property. “It was worth a shot.”

“Want to discuss what happened upstairs?” Cade inquired casually and nursed his beer.

“A dispute between siblings,” Trey muttered, shifting his weight in his chair. “It happens.”

“My understanding is you threatened the girl we brought here.” Cade’s voice changed, becoming deep, a warning evident. “Scared the hell out of her, so I’m told.”

“Then your understanding is shit and you need better snitches to keep you informed.” Trey snorted. “I only wanted to ask a few questions.”

“She’s got enough to deal with without pressure from you.” Cade leaned forward and rested his elbows on the arms of his chair. “You’re going to have to get past who her family is and think about what she means to Emory.”

“A Shepherd in the fucking pack.” Trey laughed, the sound cynical. “A constant reminder of what we’ll never get back. That’ll be real easy to get past.”

“Everyone is going to take cues from you on how to treat her,” Cade said quietly. “If you turn your back on her, they will too.”

“What the fuck would you know about it?”

“Enough.”

“Don’t worry so much.” Trey waved absently toward the house. “Diskant and Ava have already welcomed her to the fold. She’s officially a member of our big happy family. None of the pack would dare fuck with that female. Not if they know what’s good for them.”

“Maybe not,” Cade agreed, nodding slowly, “but just because they’re polite doesn’t mean they’ll accept her or make the transition any easier.”

Trey whipped his head around and studied Cade, grinning in a smug manner that Sadie detested. “Just look at you, protective and pissed-off over a female. I didn’t think you had it in you. Maybe I should warn my brother that he’s got competition. Shifter rule number one: never trust a human male around your mate. They don’t understand the concept of keep your hands to your fucking self.”

Cade’s gray eyes narrowed. “She’s human, one of my kind. If you think I’ll let you shit on her because you’re holding a grudge against the world, you’ve got another think coming.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Do you want it to be?”

Sadie’s heart sped up. She watched the men, feeling the tension intensifying between them. Although Trey was a shifter, Caden had years of extensive physical training under his belt. The glimpses she’d gained from the mortal’s head warned her he would be a danger, someone who wouldn’t go down easily. With the way Trey was behaving, as well as his current state of intoxication, it could go from a brawl to a bloodbath in minutes.

Trey threw the bottle of Jack into nearby bushes and rose from his chair. “That’s it. Put away the beer. Let’s see if your pussy ass can cash the checks your mouth writes.”

Cade didn’t move. “I’m not going to fight you. You don’t deserve the satisfaction of getting your ass kicked.”

“You? Kick my ass? I’m going to enjoy making you eat those words.” Trey cracked his neck and swayed from side to side, his equilibrium obviously affected by the alcohol he’d consumed. “I’m going to rack your balls so hard you won’t be able to walk for days. You’ll be lucky to bust a nut without crying like a girl when I’m done.”

“You’re so wasted you’d be lucky if you touched me at all.” Cade lifted his head, meeting Trey’s gaze. “Go find a room and sleep it off. You don’t want your family to see you like this.”

Trey snarled and had stepped toward the human when feminine giggles brought him short. He lifted his gaze, nostrils flaring, and studied the small group of shifters who approached—all of them female.

“Why don’t you put that energy to better use?” One of the woman tottered forward in skimpy leather pants, a matching corset and boots with spiked heels. The drink in her hand sloshed around the rim of the glass as the red liquid swayed from side to side.

“I’m out.” Cade stood, avoiding eye contact with the women as he started walking toward the house.

“Not so fast.” Another woman stepped in front of Cade, this one tramped out in her best slut gear. Her blonde hair was smooth and slick down her back, her face caked with makeup. She placed her hand on his chest, batting her lashes, and gazed up at him. “How about we go somewhere private?”

Sadie was at a perfect vantage to see Cade’s face harden when he wrapped his large fingers around the woman’s wrist, forced her hand away and let her go. He took a step back, eyes hard. His disinterest was apparent when he replied, “How about we don’t?”

“Fuck you,” the shifter female snapped.

“I don’t think so. Why don’t you go inside and find someone else to scratch your itch?”

“You think you’re better than me?”

“I don’t think anything, Andrea. I know.” When she flicked him off, Cade cracked a grin and glanced at Trey. “You coming?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Trey’s gaze traveled up and down the frame of the female who’d stopped in front of him. The gesture was the rudest thing Sadie had even seen and she felt her temper surface when he asked, “Am I coming, sweetcakes?”

“Definitely,” the female whispered, smiling. “More than once if you’re lucky.”

Cade shook his head, muttered, “To hell with this shit,” and stepped around Andrea. He walked away and didn’t look back, his leather coat shifting with each step, displaying the hard muscles beneath. Andrea stared at Cade’s back, her blue eyes shifting to a dazzling aqua color. She fisted her hands, arms trembling, and started to growl.

The female in front of Trey moved closer until they were nearly touching. “Let’s get out of here.”

Trey grinned, staring at the shifter’s breasts. “Lead the way.”

Hell no.

Anger and jealousy colored everyone in a hazy shade of red, removing rational thought. Sadie didn’t realize she had moved until she slapped the drink in the shifter’s hand and sent the contents all over the woman’s corset. Red liquid splashed on tanned skin, spreading down to join the mess dripping down the female’s chest.

Take that, bitch.

The shifter gasped, stunned and outraged as she gawked open-mouthed at Trey. “What do you think you’re doing, asshole?” she snarled, swiping at the stained white lace above the black leather. “This is vintage!”

“It was coming off anyway.” Trey shrugged and combed his fingers through his hair, giving her an unsympathetic grin. “Buy another one.”

“I don’t want another one.” The shifter stopped running her hand over her chest and nailed Trey with a hateful sneer. “On second thought, this isn’t your lucky night. If you want to get lucky, you’re going to have to do the five-knuckle shuffle.” She turned and looked at Andrea. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Andrea glanced at Trey with open disgust. “The males here are all talk and no action.”

Sadie remained where she was beside Trey—watching as Andrea led the women away—deliriously gratified by what she’d done. Jealousy and a bitter sense of victory evaporated when Trey’s scent hit her nose. Despite the whiskey on his breath, the woodsy smell of him was enough to make her knees weak. Goddess, he smelled good. Unlike any male she’d ever encountered. It was hard to remain angry when all she could think about was having one look—one small touch—of the man next to her.

“Fucking tramps. Good riddance,” Trey grumbled and spun on his heel to return to his chair. A gust of wind rolled off him, bringing that luscious fragrance of pine and leather, man and wolf, rushing to her. The fragrance ventured from her head to her toes, surrounding her in a sexual cocoon, making her warm and tingly in all the right places.

Oh Goddess.

He’d taste so good. She knew he would. All the power he possessed would be evident in his life’s blood, something that would transfer to her. Sugary and sweet, spicy and masculine.

Perfection.

She closed her eyes and imagined licking his throat, bathing the area clean with her tongue, creating a winding path along his jugular. He’d grasp her hips and settle his leg between her thighs so that the pressure he placed on her pussy would rev up her sexual hunger. She’d lap at his skin, teasing him, drawing the moment out for as long as possible. When her gums burned from denying herself, she’d let her fangs drop, carefully so that they didn’t pierce his flesh. He’d tell her to drink, to take him into her body, to nourish her life with his. Then she’d give him what he asked for, taking them both to the bliss that only the bite of a vampire could bring. They’d climax together without ever joining their bodies but there would be other times, other opportunities.

Another fantasy replaced the first, a recurring visual that left her breathless, forcing her to greet each day with a reminder of what she had long denied herself.

This time they were nude on the bed with Trey’s hands grasping at the sheets, his muscles flexing beneath her, his skin flushed with desire. Right after she’d sucked his cock dry, taking every last drop, she tapped the vein on his thigh, claiming him entirely as hers. In her dreams she always left a scar behind, a permanent mark so he would always remember who gave it to him—forcing him to think of the woman responsible for the twin punctures. Trey was a male who would ruin her for all others, so it was only fair she returned the favor.

She licked her lips, wondering exactly how he would taste, knowing the discovery would change her entire life. Once she’d sampled the sweetness of his blood, no one else’s would do.

The reminder set her back, ripping through her arousing daydream, bringing her slamming down to reality. A shocking sensation—as though ice water had been dumped over her head—removed any traces of desire as cold, hard reality took its place. What the hell was she thinking? Trey had only been home one night and she was already thinking about biting him, about what their sex life would be like. She’d forgotten why something like that could never happen.

Damn it, you know better than this! Do you want to die slowly? Is one taste worth the risk of slowly starving to death? Would you sacrifice everything you know for a man who won’t want you when he learns what you are?

Damn, it hurt, knowing she could never have what she wanted most. The ache of emptiness was something she’d told herself she’d get used to, but she knew that despite her best efforts she never would. After all, vampires mated too, although it was in a different fashion than shifters. Once they found the one person meant for them, that was it. Deep down, something in them changed. The person a vampire linked with became their entire purpose. They could deny it, turn from it and run from it—but they could never escape it.

I’m so fucked.

She stumbled as she stepped backward, tripping over the shallow brick barrier into the grassy lawn. Gawking at Trey, she held her breath, forcing back panic as she focused on her veil. He lifted his head and his radiant amber-colored eyes stopped on her, despite the fact she was invisible. His nostrils flared and he froze, going eerily still.

“It’s you,” he whispered and rose from his seat, hands gripping the arms of the chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. This was the danger of coming to Trey, of watching him from the shadows. Each time she risked exposure, and tonight she’d taken the game too far.

Shit.

He had to have caught the scent of her fear. The smell was all over the place, swamping the air. She had been so swept up in the moment she had only worried about her physical form, not that Trey would be able to track her with his nose. Movement was impossible. He might figure out exactly where she was. The only thing she could do was phase to a location he couldn’t follow, putting distance between them.

Please, let me think clearly. I only have one chance at this. If he gets his hands on me…

She shuddered at the thought, terrified of provoking his fury. He needed an outlet for his rage, craved it. In his current state there was no telling what he’d do. If he didn’t hurt her and took things in the direction she’d been fantasizing about, she’d experience the ultimate lesson of why shifters and vampires didn’t mate firsthand.

It might very well kill her.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared to flee, picturing the home of her coven. Her eyes flew open when Trey growled and appeared to look her straight in the eye as he said, “Don’t try to run. I can fucking smell you,” and lunged for her.

She was here—his phantom. A figment of his imagination he’d thought had vanished, abandoning him in his darkest hour and forcing him to endure everything alone when he left New York. So many nights he longed for her touch, for the soothing sensation of her fingertips brushing over his temples before winding down to his throat. When those caresses never came he accepted he’d finally lost his mind, having jumped into the deep end without a life vest. His thoughts were always chaotic now. Perhaps he didn’t have the stability left to form a coherent figment of his mind—a make-believe woman who cared for him, calmed him and gave him something more than anger to live for—any longer. He’d actually started to believe he’d made it all up.

Until now.

Her scent was one he’d never forget—wildflowers, incense and a dash of something that jarred a memory. Something from his past would reveal his phantom’s identity, if only he could remember it. Throughout the months, all he’d experienced were fleeting touches and not the key element a shifter needed to bring things together. That was no longer the case. Now he had her scent, could call upon it whenever and wherever he wanted. Which meant that if she was near, he would find her. There would be no escape.

The moment in time when he’d first scented the enigma tried to claw its way free, to break through the barrier that prevented him from remembering. Unfortunately he couldn’t dwell on that. He could see the imprint of his phantom in the grass, the plush indention of her ass and hands clearly visible. The alcohol he’d guzzled in such a short period of time made him slower than he’d have liked but he was fast enough to snare his prey. Despite his inability to see the female, his hands made contact with the fragile bones of a rib cage. As he manipulated his hold he trapped her arms at her sides.

Another first assailed him—the sound of her voice—when she ordered, “Let me go.”

And it hit, an instinctive tidal wave, like the first ray of sun across the morning sky bringing the world to life. In that instant something inside him changed. His wolf woke and rose to the surface of his skin, brushing fur against flesh from the inside, but there was no fury to go along with its appearance. Sexual hungers he’d never known—had never thought existed—consumed him. He wanted the woman in his arms beneath him, trapped by his body as he claimed her from behind, fucking her madly as he buried his teeth in her shoulder. He wanted to taste her blood as he came, to leave behind his absolute claim for the pack to see, smell and recognize.

He’d found her, after all this time, when he had nothing to offer.

My mate.

The bundle in his arms thrashed and fought, using a strength he wouldn’t have thought possible. He cursed under his breath and attempted to wrestle the female to the ground. To his stunned amazement, he saw a flicker, as if the form of the woman trapped in his arms was starting to lose whatever it was that allowed her to shield herself from him. Then she was there, gazing up at him with the most exquisite ice-blue eyes the color of the most sought-after aquamarine. Long dark lashes framed the stunning orbs, intensifying the shade.

Oh fuck.

Flashes from a night months before hit like an electronic transmission, allowing him to recall everything with vivid clarity.

Club Liminality.

The memory he’d tried so hard to remember returned, complete with the memory of the breathtaking beauty beneath him standing across the room—a vision in black leather, knee-high boots and a fuck-with-me-and-you’ll-regret-it look on her face. He remembered her flowing, light blonde hair. The way the lush strands had wrapped around her shoulders and fallen in a thick sheet down her back. He’d had no choice but to approach her, drawn to her in a manner he hadn’t fully grasped. As he’d neared it had been as if a portion of him that had been long dormant had come to life, sparking a fire in his blood.

But then she had done the unexpected and vanished before his eyes. There one moment and gone the next. Only one creature could do such a thing, a race that fed off the lives of others. Now that she was in his arms, what he hadn’t wanted to believe slapped him firmly across the face. His mind rebelled, a horrifying bray of fury and heartache even as his wolf growled in contentment.

It couldn’t be. Fate couldn’t possibly be that cruel.

“A goddamn vampire?” he snarled, caught off guard by the realization, repulsed that his cock was stiff as a baseball bat.

Unexpectedly the color on her cheeks vanished, leaving her pale—too pale. It was as though something vital had been torn from her grasp, her shield ripped away, leaving her raw, open and exposed. Her eyes widened, full and kissable cherry-red lips parting. There was surprise, then acceptance, followed by visible hurt on her angelic face when his words registered.

“That’s right, shifter,” she hissed, meeting his gaze with one of equal detestation. “A goddamn vampire.”

“It can’t be.” He buried his fingers into the arms of her leather jacket, using enough strength that she inhaled sharply in pain. Aware that he was causing her harm, he lessened his grip but didn’t let go. “It’s not possible.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Her arched brows came together as she glowered at him. “I suggest you get off me.” She stared into his eyes, looking at him with a seething hostility that seared his soul. “Don’t make me do something we’ll both regret.”

He lowered his eyes so that his attention rested on her nose and mouth. It was a trick. It had to be. “Don’t try your mind games on me. They won’t work.”

Her corresponding laugh was bitter. “You think I need a mind game to fuck you over? Oh shifter,” she purred. “You have no idea.”

In a blink her expression changed, becoming seductive, eyelids lowering to reveal less of her irises. She bucked beneath him, the softness of her belly rubbing against his cock. He wanted to be strong, to deny her. Instead he groaned, worried he might come in his pants like an eager male with his first woman. She might be strong and thin but she was also soft in all the right places.

She rolled her pelvis, increasing the contact with his dick, and opened her mouth. Tiny fangs—far smaller than his in wolf form—were visible. The visual should have sickened him but instead his balls went taut and his leathers became slippery when a trickle of pre-cum escaped the head of his cock.

“See what I mean?” She stopped moving, the enticing allure of her raspy voice gone, replaced with a haughty tone he didn’t care for. “Now, I suggest you get off me. Let’s part ways and forget tonight ever happened.”

“Forget?” He hated repeating the words, cursing the female in his arms for even considering them. “You think I can forget this?”

“Why not? I certainly will.” He couldn’t read her, was unable to determine if she meant what she said or if she was bluffing. “Don’t worry,” she continued, this time with an edge of panic, her words shaky. “After tonight, you’ll never see me again. You have my word.”

The thought of her leaving tore an open wound in his chest. He’d survived without her and nearly managed to forget her existence during his time away from New York. During that time he’d lost a part of himself he’d never hoped to get back. The grip he had on his humanity was quickly slipping from his fingers like fine grains of sand.

No more.

“Is that so?” he murmured and looked at her mouth, knowing he was eternally damned. She might be a blood drinker—a fucking leech—but damn if he gave a shit. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, darlin’. You’re going to come back to me again and again, and we both know it.”

Her beautiful eyes changed color, going from ice-blue to an almost bluish-white when he lowered his head and kissed her hard. A few seconds passed and she relaxed, opening her lips, granting him entry. He wasn’t sure what he expected—perhaps the metallic burst of blood on his tongue since she drank from others to survive, or maybe some strange flavor that came from her being vampire—but it certainly wasn’t the sweetness he experienced when he slid his tongue past her lips, exploring the warm cavern of her mouth.

The tentative touch of her tongue against his nearly did him in. He released her arms, running his fingers down her torso, skimming his fingers over her ample breasts. More softness, the round mounds a perfect fit for his hands. He created circles with his tongue, a teasing game she struggled to follow while he squeezed and manipulated the nipples that hardened under his thumbs. It wasn’t until he felt a diminutive sting that he realized she’d slid her arms under his jacket and was digging her tiny claws into his shoulders.

He ripped his lips from hers, determined to know one thing before they started. “Your name. Tell me your name.”

“Sadie,” she responded without pause, her breathing shallow, her face flushed once more.

Sadie. It suited the sultry minx. Unique, lovely—her.

Lifting his head, he glanced at Diskant’s house. It took a few seconds to focus, his vision shoddy thanks to his friend Mr. Daniels.

Ain’t that some shit? Fuckedy, fuck, fuck.

He couldn’t take this female inside to a guest bedroom. The pack already thought he was mad, talking about his instability behind his back when they thought he wasn’t listening. Bringing a vampire into their midst would be like hammering a nail into his coffin. He’d wouldn’t just be shunned, he’d be cast from the pack entirely. They’d send him off with a sincere fuck you and never come back.

Take her somewhere else, dumbass. Somewhere you won’t be seen.

“I might not be able to claim her in front of the pack,” he mumbled to himself, unaware he was talking aloud, “but I sure as hell can fuck her in the privacy of my own goddamn home.”

He went to his knees, starting to wrap his arms around her back and legs, when a blow sent him back several yards. He landed on his ass, disoriented and confused, staring up at the sky. A form appeared, casting a shadow over him. Long blonde strands whipped around Sadie’s face—her very pissed-off face.

“I knew you wouldn’t be any better,” she said, sounding hollow, her words carrying on the windy winter air. “Goddess help you, Trey Veznor. I’d hoped…I thought…” She shook her head, her plush lower lip trembling. “In the end, you will stand alone. When it’s time to face your demons, I hope you’re strong enough to survive.”

He reached out for her, attempting to grab hold of her jacket, but it was too late. The only thing that greeted him was a handful of nothing. Staring at the space she once inhabited, he wondered if she was just a dream, something he’d created to make it out of bed each morning. Maybe he was sliding into insanity. Perhaps he’d finally lost his mind. He ran his tongue along his lips, finding one final taste of the woman as he did. Then he knew she wasn’t a figment of his imagination.

Sadie.

The wolf inside of him threatened to break free, clawing at his insides, heartbroken by what he’d just done. It snarled at him, furious at his behavior. If it were possible, he was certain his bestial half would have ripped his human form a new asshole. She was gone, just like before. There one second, gone the next. All because he was drunk, reckless and wanted to maintain his pride.

Pride, he thought angrily. What pride?

Any dignity he’d had was long gone. He was a lone wolf now. On the outside. An anomaly among his kind. But he didn’t have to be. Something—be it fate, luck or serendipity—had brought his female to him, and he’d treated her no better than a common one-night stand.

“After tonight, you’ll never see me again,” she had said. “You have my word.”

Her warning created an enduring firebrand in his mind, reminding him of what it felt like to truly fear something, to know that some things weren’t in his power to control. As he rose to his feet and headed toward the house, he knew it was time to get his shit straight. The last couple of months he’d basked in loss and had allowed it to consume him.

Those days were over.

“Sadie, darlin’, I warned you,” he whispered, striding toward his future with a newfound purpose and a bounce in his step. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”