“Hmm, that smell. You will, my sweet. You will.”
“Vampires are really bad at pick-up lines.” Charity shivered.
“Upper mid-level,” Devon said in a growl.
“The lovely thing about wolf pups…” The vampire stood slowly from the bench as they passed, her movements languid. She lifted her heel to take a step, and suddenly she was standing in front of them, blocking their way. Someone behind them gasped. “…is that they love the secluded wilderness. Tell me, little pup—how well can you drive those windy roads to your protective ward? Can you maintain speed?”
They planned to ambush the pack where no one could witness the fight.
“Move, or I will move you,” Charity said, doing everything she could not to push to the front of the pack. Devon would flip out if she did, and it would jeopardize their whole setup. But man, she wanted to. She wanted to wrangle this fire and direct it at that vamp standing in their way, threatening them. She wanted to light up the sky and burn that creature alive.
“Hold,” Devon commanded her, clearly sensing the electricity stretching her skin, begging to be released.
With a lovely laugh, the woman sauntered out of the way, her hips swaying erotically. A younger man off to the side shivered and then bent at the waist before shuffling away in embarrassment. She’d provoked climax without even touching him.
“There’s our ride, bro,” Andy said, taking a knife out of his belt as they approached the road.
Dillon stood beside the open rear door of a black Suburban in a handicap zone, the only space he could have pulled into that wouldn’t block traffic. The front passenger door was open, too, Rod at the wheel with the engine running.
Twenty feet away, lying across a bench like it was a chaise longue, was Charity’s BFF.
Cars slowed down as they passed. People around him gawked.
They’d probably never seen anyone so handsome. They had no idea that a monster lurked on the inside.
When he caught her eye, he smirked and winked.
Electricity rolled through her fingertips. Light fizzled along her palms. Fire boiled her blood.
“My own personal stalker,” Charity said. The pack pushed in closer. Her butt had gone numb. She had no idea why. “I had such a quiet life. You have no idea how much I miss it.”
“I don’t mean to take any chances until daylight,” Devon said in a rough voice. “We’ll go to Rod’s. It’s well warded and still within town.”
“Where’s Roger?” Andy asked, helping Charity into the back seat next to Dillon, his eyes never leaving her BFF.
Devon waited until they were all in and the doors closed to answer. “He’s getting people together,” he murmured, clearly taking no chances with the vampires’ hearing. “He’s going to try to take down the mid-levelers so the elder doesn’t have as many minions in the Brink.”
“What a mess,” Rod muttered from the driver’s seat. “What is it about you, Charity? Do they know you’re a good cook?”
“That’s it, yes,” Charity replied. “They realized I make a mean lasagna.”
“You do? When do we get to sample that?” Rod stepped on the gas, cutting off another car.
“I forgot all the food is at my house,” Devon said miserably, and she belatedly noticed he was clutching a gun.
“So, how did class go, everyone? Learn anything useful?” Andy asked pleasantly, leaning his arm against her seat. It was like the intense scene outside had never happened.
Charity couldn’t help but laugh. She loved the craziness of Devon’s pack.
Dillon shook his head. “Rod, you got enough beds at your house for everyone? We should stick together until Roger tells us what’s next. If I were that elder, I’d pick us off if I could.”
“I got a couple air mattresses, but we probably have to double a couple of people up,” Rod replied.
“I call Macy,” Andy yelled quickly.
Dillon reached over the seat and flicked him in the head.
“He did call me,” Macy said. Charity could hear the strains of humor in her voice. This crew would joke through anything. It was strangely reassuring.
They arrived at a modest three-bedroom house that looked almost exactly the same as the modest three-bedroom houses to either side of it. Also to those across the street.
“Not a lot of originality in this part of the world, huh?” Charity mumbled to Dillon. He snorted.
“I hear better than humans, Charity,” Rod said darkly.
Rod pulled into the garage and looked back at Devon. The lights from the dash were reflected in his somber eyes. “If they pool all those vamps together, they might be able to break through this ward.”
“They won’t chance it in the middle of suburbia. That’s why we’re here.” Devon stepped out and helped Charity after him. “If they were going to make a scene, they would’ve done it already.”
“What were they after, then? Showmanship?” Rod jabbed a button on his visor. The garage door roared to life.