Aphrodite looked between the handsome bear shifter and Artie. “Okay,” she cleared her throat and turned to Tucker, “what are you looking for in a mate?”
“I really don’t need a woman,” he argued.
She nodded. “So you’re looking for a man?”
“No, I’m not looking for anyone.” Already he was feeling like he was in an interrogation. Why did he have to anger Artemis? He should’ve left well enough alone and done as he was told.
Aphrodite glared at Artemis. “I don’t have time for games, sis. If he isn’t looking for love, I can’t help him.” She closed her pink and white striped notebook.
“He has no choice. If he doesn’t find a mate, I am going to remove him from his alpha seat.”
Tucker stood up, angry. “You never said anything about losing my alpha claim.”
“I don’t answer to you, bear. Besides, it was pretty obvious when I told you that you have no choice.”
Aphrodite turned her gaze back to Tucker. “Well?”
Tucker’s green eyes bounced back and forth between the two goddesses like a ping pong ball in mid volley. The silence stretched tight like a rubber band. After what seemed like forever, he sat down in the chair, defeated. “Fine.” He knew Artemis well enough. She wouldn’t relent once she set her mind to it.
“Great, what are you looking for in a mate?”
“I really don’t know. Someone who isn’t going to distract me from my responsibilities. She needs to like the outdoors. She’ll need to relocate to the mountains and live with us in seclusion.”
“So perhaps an earth witch?”
“I am not big on other supernatural creatures,” he admitted. It wasn’t that they were out of the question, it was that they complicated matters. He didn’t need more complications. But then again, a human would make him weaker, so it was really a toss-up.
“So you are looking for an enlightened human that is accepting that her mate turns into a bear multiple nights of the month? One that has no problem living with a camp full of bears?” Aphrodite raised a blonde eyebrow, her doubt obvious.
“Preferably.”
“But he is open to witches and shifters as well,” Artemis interjected.
“There aren’t many female bear shifters. Actually, I don’t have many male bear shifters.”
“We’re a dying breed,” Tucker conceded. It was why he was so focused on the survival of his pack and less focused on finding a mate.
Artemis crossed her arms over her chest defensively when Aphrodite tossed her a compassionate look. “My bears are fierce warriors. Unfortunately, that means many of them died off over the years without focusing on procreation. Daddy has forbidden us to make more supernatural creatures so their survival lies in breeding,” she explained.
“Which is why it is so important for the alpha to take a mate, lead by example and all that jazz.” Aphrodite nodded. “How about Amazons? Or demons?”
“It isn’t just that. Tucker here is so focused on the survival of his pack, he needs to soften his edges before his pack leaves him and they are left to fend on their own, or worse, create war between two packs and kill off more of their species. I believe love, real love, will turn this pile of coal into a diamond.” Artemis brushed Tucker’s plaid clad shoulder, removing a cloud of dust which made him cough involuntarily.
“Pile of coal?” Tucker was offended. “I am one of your best warriors!”
“And I respect that, which is why I am giving you this chance. But mark my words, bear, if you don’t settle down with a mate in the next month, I’ll be forced to make some leadership changes.”
“A month?” Tucker gulped. That was an impossible timeline.
Artemis nodded, crossed her arms over her ample chest, and raised an eyebrow along with her chin, daring him to defy her.
He knew better. She was serious.
“So you’re a top priority case. No problem. Why don’t we start with the mixer tomorrow night?”
“Mixer?”
“A get to know you party. Who knows, you may meet the love of your life right away or it will give me and Eros a chance to see where your preferences really lie.” She handed him a card. “We love a challenge, and something tells me you’re going to be a challenge.”
***
Tucker watched from the corner of the room as humans and supernatural creatures weaved in and out of the elegant ballroom. Laughter and chatter filtered through the crowd. As far as he could tell, the party was going well. People were mingling, pairing up, Aphrodite and her son, Eros, seemed pleased with the mixer.
He couldn’t remember a time when he felt more out of place. It didn’t help that he wasn’t happy about being here. He knew his responsibility to Artemis and her expectations. She expected him to find a mate. He’d do just that, but he was looking for one that didn’t strike his fancy. He didn’t need a distraction, and he knew all too well that a woman, a mate, was a terrible distraction. If she was a true mate, she’d tear his energy in two or worse, if she was weaker than him, she’d become a problem. He didn’t have time to protect someone while he tried to rebuild his flailing pack.
He’d met suitable potential mates at the party. Josette seemed like a good option at first. Her red hair and lightly freckled skin made her pretty enough. She was a little too skinny for his tastes, but that could always be rectified. The problem was her day job, she was a dominatrix and enjoyed her power over men. She was the last thing he needed in his den. A little whipping wasn’t the issue; it was that she’d be far more interesting than dealing with the fight he had over property with the neighboring wolf pack. Not to mention, he wasn’t the kind of man that could share his woman. She’d have to quit her job.
Mariah also sparked his interest, a witch with dark, exotic looks. Not only could she protect herself, but she’d offer more strength to their dwindling numbers rather than becoming a hindrance. The problem was that she had no intention of living in the forest. To be fair, even if she wanted to, she couldn’t. She came from a powerful witch family, and had responsibilities on the council.
He was beginning to think that was the case with most of these women. For him, nature was his sanctuary, but they seemed to run from it like it was the plague. It was a deal breaker for him. His mate would need to live in his den with him while he rebuilt his pack and strengthened his borders. He knew these objections wouldn’t appease Artemis. She wanted him to find a mate and would not accept excuses.
A pretty blonde woman, who had been eyeing him across the crowd, caught his interest for a moment, until a scent drew his attention to the door. Two women entered; one tall and skinny, and the other, shorter and far curvier. They were both very attractive. The taller woman had brown curls and sun-kissed skin, and the lovelier woman was blonde and beautiful. It wasn’t their looks that caught his attention initially. He thought it was the witch, or maybe it was the human friend. Whichever scent drew his attention, it was something strong, distinctive, and completely intoxicating.
He watched them enter the room. The tall one seemed confident and exuded a strong aura. If he ventured a guess, she was the witch, but he needed to get closer to be sure. The blonde girl with sexy curves that went for miles seemed like she felt out of place. She was uncomfortable even though she was hot as hell. The way she fiddled with the hem of her black dress and adjusted her low cut neck line made him smile. The other women here were refined and polished, but this pretty, petite blonde was obviously a fish out of water, and as refreshing as a cool breeze.
Before he knew what he was doing, his feet were heading across the room toward the two girlfriends. Just as he was about to intercept their steps to the open bar, a male vampire stepped in front of him and steered them in the opposite direction.
His interest was obviously in the curvy blonde human, since vampires and witches rarely got along thanks to a century’s-old feud between the two supernatural races. No one really knew what sparked this quarrel, except maybe elders of the two groups. If they
did know, they weren’t sharing, and they weren’t doing anything to alleviate the tension between both species either.
Tucker’s only real question was if his interest was in food or romance. Either option didn’t sit well with him. Something about the blonde intrigued him. He hadn’t intended to follow, but something told him to go. His bear was driven to protect, despite his desire to walk away. He didn’t need to involve himself in other people’s affairs. He had enough on his plate.
If the human and witch were dense enough to accompany the vampire outside, away from the safety of this event, then so be it. His actions didn’t follow his thoughts which irritated him further, and he pursued them toward the exit.
The curvy blonde allowed the vampire to lead her outside. Her friend tagged along, which he found himself grateful for. At least the human had some form of protection, but he had no idea how strong the witch was, a thought that was unsettling. The nagging voice in his head said to stay out of it, but the bear wouldn’t hear it. Reluctantly, he followed.
“And where are you off to in such a hurry?” Josette stepped in his path and seductively pressed a toothpick into his nipple. The slight prick was meant to be stimulating, but her interruption was nothing more than a gnat circling his head. His lip curled, but he managed to hold in the snarl that was erupting in his chest. He needed to find the girls.
A satisfied smile spread across her pretty face. “I was right, you do like it rough.” She pressed the toothpick in deeper.
He twisted her wrist back as he pulled her hand away and crushed her body against his. His voice was harsher than intended when he whispered, “I’m not interested in playing games, Josette.” He rushed out the door and sniffed the air, seeking a whiff of cinnamon and pine which he recognized as the human’s scent.
Chapter Three
Ashlee
I COULDN’T HELP THE SCREAM that tumbled from my lips when the tall, dark, and handsome stranger, who introduced himself as Andre, knocked Callie across the face and sent her flying diagonally into the wall on the other side of the alley. Terror snaked up my spine, and adrenaline coursed through my body. I had to ignore my first instinct to run. Callie was in danger. I had to stay and protect her. Andre turned his dark eyes toward me. My fingers quickly foraged in my purse. A flush of relief hit me when I wrapped my fingers around the cylinder-shaped canister. The other items were inconsequential at the moment; survival was all that mattered.
“Please don’t hurt us,” I begged as I managed to step in front of Callie’s unconscious body. I prayed she was still breathing. She hit the wall with such force I knew she had to have suffered massive injuries.
“Hurt you? My dear, I plan to give you an amazing amount of pleasure as I suck your blood from your neck.” His voice, smooth as silk, almost made me miss the red eyes as he moved in closer.
“Very funny. Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m not into those role playing games.” I twisted the cap to the ON position. The glowing eyes were a good trick, but Callie’s and my life were in danger and I wasn’t falling for it. This man was as human as they were and pepper spray worked well in a pinch against a human.
He took a step closer and reached a hand toward my face.
“I’m warning you, if you take one step further I’ll be forced to protect myself.” How I managed to keep the tremor out of my voice was an amazing feat. Fear was what predators fed off of, it was one of the things my father taught me before he died.
The dangerous looking man laughed. His pointy teeth were just as impressive as the glowing eyes. His makeup artist was phenomenal. I couldn’t help but think how much my ex-husband would’ve loved this man’s costume.
“I’m not afraid of a puny human.”
“Puny? Yeah, I’ve never been called puny before.” I pulled out the pepper spray and took aim. “Leave us alone or I’ll shoot.”
“Your spray bottle isn’t going to do a damn bit of good—”
I didn’t think when he grabbed my arms and pulled me against him. I pressed the button. The response was nothing like what I expected. I was hoping he’d release my arms so I could escape. Instead, his grip tightened. His eyes glowed a deeper crimson. Menace took hold of his good looks and made him scarier than my worst nightmare. Maybe that was what this was, a nightmare. Wake up, Ashlee!
The vice grip of his fingers pressed harder, to the point his fingernails were drawing blood. “Your blood smells like sweet nectar. I knew you’d taste wonderful the moment I laid eyes on you.” He licked his fingertips that were coated in my blood and stared coldly into my eyes. There was nothing there, just emptiness. The man looked soulless, and I moved straight past fear to terrified.
“Please, don’t.” I could feel my heartbeat race. My vision blurred as I tried desperately to find a way to maneuver myself out of this trap. Panic seized me, paralyzed me. He just chuckled at my terror and moved his lips to my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut and found myself praying for help. His breath was cold on my skin; and in that moment, I knew my life was over. Even if this wasn’t a vampire, he was crazy enough to play through with the ruse. There was no doubt in my mind he would kill me when he was done having fun.
His teeth sank into my neck and a scream left my lips just as his large hand stifled the sound. I fought. I swear I did, kicking and hitting, but the man’s lips and teeth were locked like a vice grip against my neck, and with each disgusting suck I found myself getting weaker. This insane bastard was draining my blood and I was unable to fight him off, was the last thought I had before falling into the dark abyss.
Chapter Four
Tucker
BY THE TIME TUCKER MADE it to the alley, he found the blonde girl limp in the vampire’s arms and he saw red. There was nothing that could stop the rage that flooded his veins. He attacked, throwing the vampire across the alley and using his quick reflexes to catch the blonde before she slammed into the ground. He laid her head on her friend’s stomach and turned to finish his assault just as the dark-haired vamp was charging him.
Tucker roared as he charged back. The two large men slammed into each other midair and crashed into the brick wall with a thud. “What in all that is holy are you doing feasting on a human in the streets?” He snapped.
“I can’t help myself. She is a succulent piece of meat,” the vampire spat as he punched Tucker in the face.
“There is a treaty! You have no right to risk all of our lives with your foolhardy actions.” Tucker adjusted his jaw and wiped the blood that fell from his split lip.
“Fuck the treaty!”
Tucker’s fist slammed into his enemy’s face. “That treaty keeps us all safe, you arrogant bastard.”
The vampire twisted and body slammed Tucker into the ground. “Bastard is one name for me, but if I am going to kill you I suppose you should know who I am. Andre’s the name.” He jumped in the air and took aim at Tucker’s head.
Tucker moved out of the way at the last minute, causing Andre to hit the ground harder than expected. Bones crunched, but it didn’t slow the monster down.
Tucker swiped his leg under the vampire’s feet and watched as he crashed to the ground. He’d be far more effective in fighting the vampire in his bear form, but that would expose them to the humans, and that wasn’t allowed. “I don’t care who you are! I care that you fall in line with the rules of our world.” He started punching Andre over and over again. “Humans are off limits. Say it!”
Andre laughed as each hit bruised his face.
“She is off limits.” He pulled Andre up by the scruff of his well-tailored collar. “You hear me? She is off limits!”
“That’s not how it works, friend. I’ve tasted her blood and she is delicious.” Andre’s words were muffled from all the swelling, but he wasn’t fighting back. Instead, he simply laughed, a wicked laugh that chilled Tucker to the bone.
Tucker saw red and started wailing on Andre, punching blindly. He didn’t care if he killed the man. The idea of Andre chasing the blonde for her
blood had his own blood boiling.
“Enough!”
Both men froze, unable to move.
“What the hell?” Tucker couldn’t turn his head to see the source of who paralyzed their bodies.
“This is a mixer, meant for people to meet possible mates, not spread hate,” Aphrodite snapped. “Can someone please explain to me why you’re here brawling like two school boys?” She stepped out of the shadows and into their view, anger clear on her face, hands on her hips, and high-heeled foot tapping out a steady beat of irritation.
“Andre decided he wanted to snack on one of your guests.”
“Did she agree to this snacking affair?” Aphrodite asked, coldness in her snippy tone.
“Is that allowed?” Tucker asked confused. “Last I checked, keeping our secret from the humans was our first priority.”
“Vampires find drinking blood stimulating...sexually.” Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “What happens between two potential mates is none of our business.”
“I hardly doubt she was into being bitten.”
“And what gave you that impression?” Aphrodite asked.
“I don’t know, maybe it was the screaming, or how about the passed out body with the bloody neck over there.”
“Andre?” Aphrodite waited for his response.
“Some of us like it rough,” was all Andre said in his defense.
“And her unconscious friend? Did the witch like it rough too?” Tucker asked.
Aphrodite approached Callie and Ashlee’s unconscious bodies. After a quick inspection she snapped her fingers and Tucker was able to move. Andre was still frozen in place. “Eros, please help Tucker take these two to safety. I’ll deal with Andre.”
Chapter Five
Ashlee
MY EYES FELT LIKE SANDPAPER as I attempted to open them.
“Be still, Ashlee. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal.” Callie’s tender voice spoke as she wiped a cool washcloth against my hot forehead. Was I running a fever? Did I get sick?