Sigma

Chapter 6

Clementine’s faith splashed him like a bucket of cold water. Nodding, he raced around the motel room gathering the remaining shreds of his clothes. He couldn’t remember anyone ever trusting him so completely. What had he done to deserve it? Sam wished he knew so he could continue.

“I can’t wear any of my clothes.” She held up the shirt he’d torn in half and gave him a shy smile.

A wash of heat burned his face at the reminder of how hungry he’d been for her. Hell, how hungry he was growing for her again. The sheet covering her body didn’t pose much of a barrier between them. Clementine’s combination of sweetness and strength was like nothing he’d encountered before in a woman. Shifter females were strong but those he’d encountered had a feral edge. This delicate vampire’s blush had a strong affect on him. How had she stayed so adorable?

Sam pushed those thoughts away.

It wouldn’t be long before she lost interest. It was best to keep things simple so he wouldn’t get hurt. “You can wear this, and we’ll tie the sheet around your waist for now.” He handed her his shirt and busied his mind with the directions Daedalus had left.

Scratching his head, he read over them twice, not believing what the fucker had done. He hated to admit it, but it was an excellent location. No one would ever think to look there.

“Are they not clear?” Clementine leaned against his arm to peer at the paper.

He stared at where they touched and took a shaky breath. His gaze traveled to her face, tracing over her delicate nose and her soft, short curls. She looked so innocent, yet she’d had no trouble pinning him to the bed and doing as she’d pleased to his body.

Her stare met his and her scent resembled prey’s.

Sam’s beast roared inside his head, almost shattering his skull. Apparently, the rest of him agreed with it as he crushed her against the wall and sought her soft, small mouth.

She made tender moaning noises in her throat as he parted her lips and entered her mouth, tasting his blood upon her tongue. His beast was so close to the surface. If he didn’t get his shit together he’d shift on her, and he doubted she’d be into that sort of thing.

He pushed away, digging his nails into the wall over her head. “We have to get you to the safe house. It’s almost dawn.” Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The way she sized him up with her doe-like eyes begged him to claim her. If she wasn’t careful, he just might accept her unspoken offer. There weren’t any rules about not taking a vampire into a pack. The Vasi tolerated Daedalus, so they would accept her. He shook his head and stepped away from Clementine before any more stupid ideas came to his mind. “Let’s go.” He grabbed her arm, not risking her hand. Boyfriends held hands. He wouldn’t fall into that trap, he had to stay strong. She’d be gone in a day and he’d only be a fond memory at best. The shifter she fucked after being shot kind of remembrance. Not very romantic.

“Sam? What’s wrong?” She yanked her arm out of his grasp. “Why are you so angry?”

“I’m not.” He just about yelled at her. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and shoved his beast back in his corner. “I’m not,” he repeated a little calmer, a little saner. “I just want to make you safe, and we’re running out of time.” He pointed to the sky.

She nodded and took his hand. “Okay, lead on.”

He should tug away instead of grasping her fingers, and enjoying the way her tiny hand fit so well in his, but it had been so long since any female had seemed willing to be with him other than in his bed. He didn’t want to let go.

“There’s the car.” Daedalus had left them a rental in the parking lot. The description had been with the directions. The vampire was nothing if not thorough. They belted in and he backed out, driving without needing to look at the directions again. He’d been to Daedalus’s safe house many times in his past, just not in the last few years. The sentimental asshole. “Exactly how did you get mixed up with Daedalus?” He squeezed the steering wheel tight while trying to keep his voice nonchalant.

“My master saved me from my maker not long after I’d been turned vampire.”

That title again, it grated on his nerves. “Do you have to call him that? It’s not like he’s around to hear you.”

“It’s a sign of respect. He’s done a lot for me over the decades and I appreciate all his efforts, enough to risk my existence.” She crossed her arms and glared out the passenger window.

“Were you lovers?” He groaned inside. He couldn’t believe he’d asked that. From her expression, neither could she. “Sorry, none of my business.” But the way she groveled for the Nosferatu ate at Sam. The chances that Daedalus had fucked her were pretty high. Let it go, dude.

They drove in silence, his autopilot on since he’d driven this route so many times. What was wrong with him? Maybe he’d hit his noggin when he slammed into those vampires with his car. Sure, Clementine turned his head and had his cock doing the one-man salute, but so had a lot of other females. However, none of them had twisted him in knots.

He glanced at her as she faced away from him. She’d stolen information from Pal Robi. That took balls. The tight security wouldn’t have been easy to breech. That kind of stunt required a warrior’s heart. However, she claimed to not be one. “What did you do at Pal Robi?”

She turned in her seat to face him, a new hurt in her eyes. “Accounting. I crunch numbers for a living.”

Shaking his head, he gazed up at the sky, asking for divine guidance. “Daedalus should never have involved you in this.” He eased his grip on the wheel before he bent it.

“He didn’t have a choice. I’m the only one he could really trust in the company who nobody would expect to betray them.”

Sam ground his teeth and grunted, since he couldn’t trust his mouth. They’d been lovers, he knew it.

“I owe him. He’d saved me. More than once. I couldn’t let him down. I only wish I could have gotten away clean, but I always refused training.” She slumped in her seat as if defeated.

“Hey.” He groped with his hand until it found hers and squeezed. “You did better than most. You got him the information. I think you did great.”

She contemplated their hands in her lap. “Sam?” She met his gaze. “I never slept with him. He’s too dominating for my taste.”

He barked out a laugh. “And I’m not?”

To his surprise, she laughed too. “You should be, but it’s different with you.” She shrugged and looked back out the window.

“Now, wait a second, you can’t say that to me and not elaborate. You don’t want me trying to read your mind. I’ll get it wrong every time.” He tried to make it a joke, but he was dead serious.

She gave him a shy peek, a blush on her cheeks. “His personality dominates everything around him, but yours doesn’t drown me out. You seem more laid back and easy going than an alpha-jerk.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean that.”

“About your master? Yes, you did.” He parked the car in front of a familiar building and leaned toward her until she was pressed against her door. “And I’m glad you like me better, because I don’t share.” He couldn’t resist brushing a curl from her forehead. “Come on, let’s go inside before you get a sunburn.”

He stepped out of the car and stared at the apartment building. Shaking his head, he led Clementine inside. The dead silence that greeted them set him on edge. He pressed his ear to the nearest door, only to have it swing open to an empty apartment. Had Daedalus bought the whole building?

They climbed to the third floor. Memories of carrying an empty coffin up this staircase flashed inside his head. He took a deep breath and shook off his ghosts.

A light touch on his arm almost sent him into the ceiling.

“What’s wrong?” She pressed against him while trying to look in three directions at the same time.

He paused in front of the only locked door they’d come across, and unlocked it. “Welcome to Sugar’s old apartment.”

Clementine kept from rolling her eyes at Sam’s announcement. Ever since they’d entered the building, it seemed like he’d been lost in his thoughts. Now she knew that it was ghosts from his past plaguing him. She’d heard of the Omegas and their story awhile ago when Daedalus left Pal Robi for Sugar. How her master had saved the small pack by teaching their alpha to fight. They’d all been living in this building.

Stepping into the apartment, she blinked at the over-stuffed comfy furniture in the living room, then gazed at the French doors leading out to a balcony.

“There used to be a garden out there.” Sam closed and locked the door behind them. “We had a lot of good times here. Let me check out the other rooms.”

She sighed and meandered around the area. Besides the furniture and rugs, there was little else in the room. No television or radio, not even any books. What would they do to fill the time? She smiled to herself while listening to Sam’s movements. There were a few things she’d still like to do with him. Her lower abdomen grew warm and fuzzy. The longer she stayed around the shifter, the longer her list grew.

He stalked back into the room, his brow low and a frown on his lush lips. “I found some spare clothes in the bedroom, but there’s only one bed.”

The warmth vanished at his annoyed tone. “You don’t want to share my bed?” The nerve of him making her feel wanted and then–

“Sure I do.” He shot her a cocky grin. “But Sugar and Spice are supposed to arrive soon. We’ll have to sleep in shifts.”

“Oh.” She did her best to hide her chagrin by inspecting the empty shelves. The way he said Sugar’s name, as if in reverence, made her want to bite something. Hard. Maybe she’d finally find out what the human held over her master and this shifter. “You’re her sigma, right?”

He nodded.

“So you must be close.” God, where was she going with this? She knew Sam wouldn’t sleep with her master’s fiance, but something was there. All her instincts cried out each time he spoke about her.

“She’s my best friend.” He stepped closer and sniffed.

“What are you doing?” She shoved him away.

“I swear I could smell…” His grin grew wider. “You’re jealous?”

“No.”

“Now you’re lying.” He laughed.

“Stop it.” She pushed him aside. “For someone who claims to be bad at reading minds, you seem pretty sure of yourself.”

He tapped his nose. “Certain emotions have a scent.”

She spun to enter the bedroom, intent on slamming the door on him, but his arms snaked around her and held her tight. “You don’t have any reason to be jealous. Sugar belongs to Daedalus and I don’t belong to anyone.”

Until now. Jerking in his arms, she glanced at him over her shoulder almost afraid he could smell that thought. She swallowed as their gazes met and a surge of attraction snapped in the air. Nothing would have pleased her more than to peel him out of those jeans, but dawn was drawing closer and her body grew heavy.

He guided her to the large bed, taking most of the space in the bedroom, and tucked her under the covers. The window was already covered in thick, black plastic to prevent sunlight from entering the room. Was that what he’d been doing in here?

She brushed her fingertips along his jaw. “Thank you.”

He jerked from her touch. “For what?”

“Taking care of me.” She tilted her head at the glimpse of pain she’d just witness hidden behind his cocky attitude. It tugged at her heart. Didn’t anyone in the pack appreciate him?

“That’s my job.”

“You’re not my sigma, Sam.” But it would be nice if he were. Her eyelids slid closed and she sank into the pillows.

He bent and kissed her. It wasn’t heated and passionate like before, but gentle and caressing. He took his time to explore her lips before nipping her bottom one. “You’re welcome,” he whispered.