Blood was another thing he deprived himself of lately. He had stopped feeding from vampires months ago, surviving only on the occasional human. Vampires were sustenance. They gave him more power and strength than feeding from a human, and the older their blood, the more power he obtained. But only Arcuro was ancient enough to sate him now, and Jared refused to succumb to his master.
“I am content,” Jared said, and he was surprised when those words rang true.
Nora had been an extraordinary diversion. On Deagan’s urging, he had been eyeing the vein of a brunette at the bar when he had scented her blood in the air. He had been compelled to find its source, and when he observed her sitting at the table with her friends, he had instantly known who she was: Nora Lehr, the naturally born daughter of Octavian Lehr, alpha of the Appalachian pack and his master’s adversary.
Deagan inhaled when Jared reached the door, undoubtedly scenting werewolf and sex.
“I see,” Deagan said, his tone much more upbeat than before. Instead of prying into Jared’s evening though, he wisely changed the subject, launching into a description of his own night, embellished of course, to see if he could get a reaction from his master.
Jared tried to listen as they walked down the lamplit street, but his thoughts circled back to Nora, to the way she felt when she was beneath him, then when she was on top of him, taking what she needed. His partners always focused on his needs. They watched him, trying to discern whether he wanted compliance, resistance, or something else. Nora had not cared what he wanted.
“…rips throughout my coat.” Deagan sounded affronted. “That was one of my favorites, but I must admit it may have been worth it. When the women rescued me, they were very generous with their ministrations…”
Toying with Nora was dangerous. She was lethal on her own, but with the full pack behind her, they would try to rip him and his vampires apart.
And he had told her his name. That had not been wise. If Lehr discovered Jared had bedded his daughter, he would link the violation to Arcuro, using it as an excuse to go after the master vampire.
Jared lingered on that thought.
“The car is this way, my lord,” Deagan said from behind him.
Jared turned. His scion was frowning again, standing in the street and waiting for Jared to cross with him.
“I am okay, Deagan,” he assured his friend. Deagan and Jared’s other vampires were one reason he still lived. Breaking a bond with one’s master, whether by death or another means, was incredibly painful. Not all vampires survived it. Plus, Arcuro had detailed what would be done to Jared’s people should he decide to greet the sun.
“Of course, my lord,” Deagan said.
But if Jared was attacked, if he was killed supposedly defending his master, Arcuro would only see his loyalty and sacrifice. He might take in Jared’s vampires, or better yet, he might release them, allowing them to become an independent clan with either Deagan or another of Jared’s vampires as the new master.
His plan solidified as he crossed the street and sank into the comfortable passenger seat of Deagan’s Tesla. He felt more alive than he had in ages. He would have Nora underneath him again, her nails raking down his chest, his mouth filling with her blood. Eventually, Lehr would find out, and he was not a forgiving alpha. He would go to war over his daughter.
Jared stared out at the long road ahead. He would have to be careful not to let any conflict spill over into the human world. Nora was strong-willed. It would take some maneuvering, some manipulation, but yes. He would make it work. She would be the means to an end, either his end or his master’s.
3
Nora reapplied her lipstick in the rearview mirror. She’d used darker eye shadow today. It contrasted with her amber eyes, making them appear harder than usual, more don’t-fuck-with-me. With her long hair pulled back into a slick ponytail, she looked severe, which was exactly what she wanted. She needed a shield between her and the rest of the damn world if she was going to endure this going-away party.
“Well, that’s different,” Jennifer said from the passenger seat.
Nora returned the mirror to its proper position, then followed her friend’s line of sight to Swirl’s front door. More specifically, to the tall man standing behind a red-roped barrier outside it.
“When did Swirl hire a bouncer?” Tasha asked from the back seat.
Eyes narrowing, Nora opened the car door. The wind blew just right, bringing the unmistakable scent of vampire to her nose.
Son of a bitch.
She stood, slammed shut her door, then strode toward the wine bar, ignoring the calls of her friends to wait. The vampire let in a small group of humans, then rehooked the rope and faced her.
“We are full,” he said.
“Step aside,” she ordered.
The bouncer crossed his arms. She would kill him. Then she would go inside and kill his master…
Only that wouldn’t go over well. Jared wasn’t just an old vampire; he was the scion, the right-hand man, of Arcuro, a vampire so ancient he might be next in line to be the king of the bloodsuckers should the current one turn to dust. Killing him would have consequences just like sleeping with him would if the wrong people found out.
“We come here all the time,” Jennifer said, out of breath from rushing after her.
