Hidden by Blood

A Sweetblood Novella

Laurie London

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy—Guardians who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who will stop at nothing to satisfy their craving for the sweetest of human blood.

Now, former Army Ranger Finn McKentry finds himself imprisoned as a blood slave, forced to submit to an enemy more powerful than any he’s encountered before. Only Brenna Stewart, the woman he’d loved and lost, can set him free—but the secret she harbors might lead them down the most dangerous path of all…

“Dark and sinfully sexy.”

—New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair on Bonded by Blood

A graduate of Western Washington University and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London writes from her home near Seattle, where she lives with her husband and two children.

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America®, Greater Seattle Area RWA, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and two book clubs.

When she’s not writing or reading, she can be found running, volunteering at school, taking care of a multitude of animals or riding and showing her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show—that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

Laurie loves to hear from readers. Please visit her online at

www.LaurieLondonBooks.com

www.Facebook.com/LaurieLondonAuthor

www.Twitter.com/LaurieBLondon

or email her at Laurie@LaurieLondonBooks.com.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Prologue

Two weeks ago

“This shouldn’t hurt. Well, maybe just a little.”

Finn McKentry clenched his fists and arched his back off the squalid mattress. The metal cuffs around his wrists and ankles dug painfully into his skin as heavy chains clanked against the cold stone floor. With a groan, he struggled, twisted and pulled against his restraints. As usual, nothing gave way, but that never stopped him from trying.

His captor arranged the supplies neatly on the metal tray and pulled on a pair of latex gloves. “Come now. You must relax, or you’ll create unnecessary bruising on the skin. And we don’t want that, do we?”

The man filled a syringe with a small amount of clear liquid, held it up to the light filtering into the room, and flicked it with one finger.

The alcohol-dipped cotton ball was cold on the inside of Finn’s arm and he turned his head away. He knew what was coming next but was powerless to stop it from happening. Frustrated by his helplessness, Finn tensed every muscle. Beads of sweat trickled down from his hair despite the cool air. He hadn’t entirely given up hope that he’d figure a way out of here, but with each passing day, that hope was quickly diminishing.

“Calm down, please. If this vein collapses like the other, I’ll be forced to use the one behind your knee, which I understand is a very tender area. Either that or your groin. And that wouldn’t be pleasant for either of us, I’m afraid.”

Finn sucked in a loud hiss of air as the needle went in. That damn anticoagulant stung like a sonofabitch every single time. With a deadly efficiency, the man attached vial after vial to the needle, carefully capping each one after it was filled.

Finn tried to distance himself from his emotions, focusing instead on every individual detail with a detached curiosity. It was a technique from Army Ranger SERE training, where they were taught survival, evasion, resistance and escape tactics. Little had he known at the time that he would end up using those skills not as a prisoner in Afghanistan or Iraq, but stateside, after retiring from active duty to run his own helicopter sightseeing business.

It had been after dark when he’d met the man at the small regional airport last week. The guy had seemed sincere enough on the phone when he made an appointment to see the city lights by helicopter. He’d said something about a wealthy employer. However, when he’d stepped out of the Bentley and Finn had walked up to shake his hand, everything had changed.

The man’s pleasant, cordial expression had suddenly disappeared as he’d hurriedly pulled out a white handkerchief and touched it to his upper lip. At the time, Finn had assumed it was nerves—many people were anxious the first time they flew in a helicopter. The man had glanced around and steered Finn to the back of the car using some flimsy excuse about needing to change his shoes. Before Finn knew what was happening, he’d been overpowered and shoved into the trunk. During the bumpy ride here, the knots on his restraints had proved to be so tight that even his survival school trainer would’ve been stumped.

He scrutinized his captor now. With his neatly trimmed dark hair and country-club clothes, he seemed laughably out of place in this hell-hole. At no more than five-foot-seven, the guy was almost feminine in stature, with narrow shoulders and small hands. Finn could easily picture a gust of wind buffeting him on a city sidewalk. His back would be hunched against the rain; he’d have a newspaper in one hand and the collar of his GQ wool trench coat clutched tightly in the other.

But as Finn had learned all too well, fancy clothes and a Fifth Avenue haircut couldn’t hide the monster underneath.

“That’s a good patient.” The man smiled without looking up from his task, the tips of his fangs making small indentions on his lower lip. His pupils had expanded as they always did the minute Finn’s blood started filling those vials, leaving just a narrow ring of his pale-green irises visible. “When you give in and stop fighting, it makes it so much easier for both of us.”

Anger boosted Finn’s resolve. “Bloody sonofabitch, I’ll kill you.”

If the guy were human, Finn would’ve kicked his ass. He might have spent the last few months running San Juan Aviation, and visiting relatives in Scotland before that, but taking down an enemy combatant wasn’t something a Ranger forgot how to do.

Yeah, he’d have snapped the little fucker like a toothpick if he’d been human.

But considering the guy was a vampire, Finn knew he didn’t stand a chance.

Chapter One

Brenna Stewart couldn’t wait for the evening to end. She refolded the curled scrap of paper in her lap and turned to the friend seated next to her.

“Thanks, Lil, for road-tripping it down here with me. I don’t know if I could get through this without you.”

“An hour or so southeast of Seattle is hardly a road trip. Besides, I wouldn’t have missed it.” Although Lily DeGraff smiled, the absent look in her eyes didn’t fade. Brenna thought about poking Lily with the toe of her shoe or flashing her a goofy smile, but she didn’t do either quickly enough, and now the master of ceremonies was getting ready to announce another name.

She sat up stiffly, hoping it wasn’t her turn yet. Lily reached over and gave her a reassuring pat on the hand.

The two of them had met shortly after Lily was assigned to the Seattle field office. Although they had very different backgrounds, they shared a lot of the same interests and could talk for hours about books and the latest documentary on PBS. Lately, their lives had gotten so busy that they didn’t get together as often as they used to. But when they did, it was as if no time had passed at all, and they easily slipped into the banter of old friends.

Brenna lowered her voice. “Are you sure I don’t have lipstick on my teeth?”

“For the hundredth time, no,” Lily said with a dramatic sigh. “You look great, Bren. You’re well prepared for this. It’s not every day you get awarded a full-ride scholarship that allows you to attend medico school. Focus on your goal, not this current unpleasantness.”

Brenna had been working as a vampire medic, the equivalent of a human EMT, but her dream was to continue her medical training with the goal of becoming a physician. She wanted to treat and solve injuries and illnesses, not just put bandages on them.

“I’m a creature of habit, Lil. I don’t handle new and different very well.”

“Then I’d say you’re hosed, love.”

Brenna found her friend’s exasperated tone mildly reassuring, yet it did nothing to stop her racing pulse. No matter how many times she told herself she was ready for this speech, she was still a bundle of nerves. Was this what Jung had meant when he’d talked about dynamic opposition, two opposing forces colliding? Glancing around the elegant ballroom, she recognized a few faces from Seattle’s small vampire population, including several Council elders, and her heart thundered even louder in her ears.

“Gee, thanks, but—”

“Shush. You can put up with a little—” Lily hesitated as a dark-haired man rose from a nearby table when his name was called. He dodged the tables and chairs with the grace of a jungle cat. But just as quickly, she finished her thought. “—discomfort.”

It’d be good for Lily to hook up with someone, Brenna decided. Get her mind off things. As the man sauntered past their table, he touched the back of Lily’s chair, his gaze lingering on her bare shoulders. There was a time when a look like that would’ve meant the two of them would be hooking up before the night was over. But tonight Brenna wasn’t so sure.

Like most of their kind, her friend regarded her voracious sexual appetite as a natural way to channel excess aggression. Hunting humans for bloodsport was considered barbaric today—only Darkbloods, rogue vampires who lived on the fringe of their civilized society, believed otherwise.

Centuries ago, when the elders realized they could survive on only the occasional sip of blood combined with regular absorption of human energy, vampires had begun to live peacefully and in secret among the human population. But because vampires had learned to contain their need for blood, this excess aggression had to go somewhere, so their need for sex increased. Vampire-owned establishments often had private rooms where their patrons could engage in sexual activity. This elegant old estate was probably no exception, Brenna thought, remembering a bank of doors in the vestibule.

“He was totally checking you out,” she whispered.

“What?”

“That guy up there. Mr. Handsome. He was checking you out.”

Lily didn’t even look at the stage, just picked at her red-tipped nails. “Bren, I’m not ready for that. Not now.”

“I think it’d be good for you. I’m not talking commitment or anything. Just, you know, a distraction.” God knows she could use one.

Just over a year ago, Lily’s significant other had been presumed killed in a massive explosion when Guardians stormed a Darkblood facility where macabre experiments were being done on sweetbloods, humans with a rare blood type that was extremely addictive to vampires. He had worked undercover in the Darkblood Alliance for years, with Lily as his Agency contact. A few months later, Lily had discovered he hadn’t died after all. He just hadn’t wanted to be with her any longer. She’d taken his betrayal pretty hard and hadn’t fully been herself since.

“What about you, eh?” Lily’s Canadian accent seemed more noticeable when she was about to say something snarky. “Maybe you should sweep him into a dark corner and feel his…assets.”

“Ha. I’m too busy to be involved with someone right now.” The minute she said it, Brenna wished she could take the words back. Those were the exact words she’d used when she’d broken things off with the man she’d once loved. Though she’d been lying when she’d spoken them.

Before Lily could reply, Phillip Creighton, assistant to Mr. Westfalen, tapped a finger on the microphone. Westfalen himself sat on the stage in his wheelchair, a wool blanket covering his legs, and stared absently into space. A wealthy philanthropist who donated money to various vampire causes as well as a few human ones, he seemed nothing but a shell today, oblivious to the fanfare going on around him.

Brenna sighed wistfully, recalling how an elderly patient had once told her that living for centuries wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

“And our next scholarship recipient is Miss Brenna Stewart.”

She swallowed hard and stood, smoothing down the crimson silk of her evening gown.

“Knock ’em dead, Bren.”

“Thanks.” She managed to approach the stage as Mr. Creighton continued the introduction.

“Mr. Westfalen is pleased to bestow upon Miss Stewart the Westfalen Award of Excellence in order for her to begin medico training. Her goal is to open her own clinic here in the area in order to help Guardians who suffer regeneration setbacks like her father, Dutch Stewart—who, as we all know, was a very great man indeed.”

The room erupted in applause and Mr. Creighton held out his hand to her in gracious welcome. His words echoed in her mind as she moved toward the stage. Her father’s reputation was legendary in the community. One of the first Guardians to work out of the Seattle field office, he’d helped establish many of the policies and procedures still in use today. But during a raid on a Darkblood cell, he’d been stabbed with an unusual blade made from highly potent Mexican silver. Severely injured, he’d been unable to return to work and had died a few years later from his wounds. Knowing that the clapping was primarily because of him made things a bit more bearable.

She climbed the five steps to the stage, careful not to step on the hem of her gown. Although grateful for the award, she wished it didn’t involve all this attention. Working one on one with patients was much easier.

After limping through her acceptance speech without too many blunders, Brenna was relieved when it was finally over and everyone turned their attention to the next award recipient. When the last speaker had wrapped up and all the pictures were taken, she exited the ballroom, stepping through the French doors onto the terrace. Away from everyone, she was finally able to catch her breath again. She pulled out her cell phone. Her mom would be eager to hear how the ceremony had gone.

Great. No signal. She shoved the cell into her handbag. She’d have to make the call after they got back on the road.

“You’re welcome to use the house phone, Miss Stewart.”

Brenna jumped. She hadn’t heard Mr. Creighton approaching. His tone reminded her of the way people spoke in old Hollywood movies, their voices vaguely condescending and their accents quasi-British.

“Unfortunately, out here in the wilds at the base of the Cascade Mountains, cellular service is terribly lacking.”

“That’s okay, sir. I can make the call later.”

“Very well.” He turned and left.

How much longer should she stay? What was the protocol for these things? She had smiled for dozens of pictures and thanked old Mr. Westfalen even though she couldn’t be certain he’d understood her. She’d watched tonight as others had spoken to him; each time, he’d given the same blank smile while continually patting the head of a large German Shepherd guide dog who never left the side of his wheelchair. A former Council member from the old days, when the vampire governing body had still been called the Night Brethren, he had many esteemed guests in attendance tonight, which had only heightened Brenna’s discomfort. Small talk with socialites wasn’t her forte any more than public speaking was. And neither was dressing up, she reflected as she looked at her gown. More comfortable in scrubs, she couldn’t wait to get home and change. Even in these low kitten heels, her feet were killing her.

She peered through the windows into the ballroom, hoping to catch Lily’s attention. During her brief acceptance speech, Lily had nodded and smiled, greatly boosting Brenna’s confidence, but she hadn’t seen her friend in a while. While posing for pictures with the other award recipients, Brenna had lost track of her. Maybe Lily had hooked up with Mr. Handsome after all.

Turning her attention to the impressive English gardens and a large, stately equestrian facility just beyond it, Brenna noticed several people on their cell phones.

Good. There must be coverage down there.

She’d call her mom and wander through the barn, away from all the small talk. Hopefully, that’d give Lily enough time to finish up with that guy so they could leave.

The change in temperature was noticeable as Brenna strolled down the path toward the barn, so she pulled her thin wrap up to cover her shoulders. A few minutes later, she slid open the double doors and was greeted by a chorus of nickers.

“Sorry, guys. I’m not here to feed you.” She felt more relaxed already as she stepped inside, the tension from the evening slipping away.

She wasn’t generally impressed with fancy houses or cars, but she’d never seen anything like this barn in her life. Above the walkways, crystal chandeliers hung from the beams, casting prisms of lights on the rubber pavers underfoot. She heard the faint sound of classical music, obviously piped in through hidden speakers, a departure from the country-and-western normally heard in barns. Heat lamps shone down on the stalls where each horse’s registered name was handwritten in flowing script on gold placards. There wasn’t a Mo, a Dandy or a Flicka in the bunch.

She checked her phone again. Still no coverage. The people back in the gardens were obviously not using the same cell provider that she was.

“Guess I’ll call Mom when I get home,” she said to a chestnut mare and her foal in the first stall.

After petting at least a dozen velvet noses, she emerged on the far side of the barn, slid the doors shut behind her, and headed for the other aisleway.

If everything went as planned, she’d attend school and begin interning at Lily’s mother’s clinic in British Columbia. Through her father’s example, Brenna had been inspired to contribute to their society and this scholarship would help her do so. He wouldn’t have been happy that she was taking what amounted to a handout in order to achieve her dreams—he was a proud man and so damned stubborn. But he was gone now and so was their family’s money.

A movement through a gap in the hedges caught her attention. A horse perhaps? She glanced around but didn’t see any horse fencing in this part of the estate. Could it have been a deer?

It wasn’t as if she was in any hurry to get back, so she decided to investigate. Crickets chirped in the darkness as she passed through the narrow opening in the thick hedge. Just beyond it, moonlight illuminated a small field, but no deer or horse came into view. She was about to turn back to the barn when a faint breeze brought a familiar scent to her nostrils.

She hesitated.

That can’t be right.

She sniffed again, and a knot of panic tightened like a noose around her internal organs.

It was a tantalizing scent. One very familiar to vampires.

Her gums ached as the tips of her fangs emerged. She twisted a strand of her hair and took a few deep yoga breaths. In through her nose and out through her mouth.

It was human blood she smelled. But not just any human blood. Sweet.

And a lot of it.

Bloody hell. He’s back.

Finn had to be delirious. Either that, or he couldn’t count. In the flickering light of a lone candle, he glanced at the series of hash marks he’d made on the stone wall over the past month. Fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven. Unless he’d miscounted, his captor wasn’t due for another three days.

The sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel path outside grew louder. He held his breath and willed himself to think clearly.

Did I lose track of time?

After a week or so, the days had all seemed to blend together into one continuous nightmare. The guy would draw blood and leave, wait a few days to allow Finn’s body to replenish itself, then he’d be back to harvest more. He referred to Finn’s blood as Sweet, but he never said what he was using it for.

“So you’re like a vampire drug dealer or something?” Finn had asked him once. “Is that what this is?”

“Hardly,” was the flat reply. “Sweet is rare and very addictive to our kind, and therefore valuable, but I am not selling it.”

The footsteps got louder, jolting Finn back to the present. For the thousandth time, he searched the tiny room, hoping that somehow he’d missed something—a hidden object, a regular item that could be used as a weapon—but as always, it was a useless waste of energy. There was nothing. Only this crappy stained mattress in the corner, a tiny commode, a cardboard box that held the week’s ration of food and a plastic water jug. His heart thudded in his chest as he stared at the half-full container. Something was wrong. If it was time for the freak to come back, shouldn’t he be almost out of food and water by now?

In a fit of rage early in his captivity, Finn had demanded to know why the asshole used needles instead of fangs, since he clearly had a set of nasty-looking ones. Was the guy suffering from a vampire version of erectile dysfunction?

Even as he’d had the thought, Finn had been tempted to pinch himself yet again to make sure this wasn’t all some sick nightmare. Before that night at the airport, he’d had no idea vampires actually existed, that they were more than just fictional villains in books and movies. Hell, when he’d gotten an e-reader from his aunt last Christmas, he’d actually downloaded Dracula, thinking it’d be interesting to reread the old classic.

Fiction? My ass.

With an unnerving calmness, his captor had merely smiled, waiting a moment before replying as if he were choosing his words carefully. When he spoke, his voice had been thin, tight.

“Although I crave it beyond measure, I will not chance partaking of your blood. At least not now.”

Finn had known the day would eventually come when the bastard changed his mind. And he had a pretty good idea that when it did, it’d be his own last day.

The change in schedule could only mean one thing.

Today was that day.

An icy calm replaced his growing apprehension, crystallizing his thoughts into one single goal. To stay alive.

With his legs positioned shoulder-width apart, he wrapped his forearm around the chain hooked to his ankle shackle. At any moment, it would be pulled tight, the slack disappearing through a small hole in the wall and locked, immobilizing him in the corner of the room. Then the guy would enter the cabin, replace heavy work gloves with latex ones and get to work. Finn braced himself. There was no way he was going down without a fight.

Footsteps shuffled outside, then stopped, and the door inched open a crack. A surge of adrenaline shot through Finn’s veins—his captor had forgotten to tether the chain. This was the chance he’d been waiting for—the little freak had finally let down his guard.

Finn was going to take advantage of the lapse even if it killed him. Trying not to rattle the chain, he moved as close to the door as he could. He reached for the water jug, silently cursing the fact that he felt so goddamned weak. There was a reason those blood-donation places only let you donate every couple of weeks, he thought, as he hefted the container over his head and tried to control his dizziness.

He’d stun the guy, wrap the excess chain around his pencil neck, then choke the hell out of him.

Slowly, the door swung open and a small hand closed around the edge.

’Tis now or never, baby.

Mustering all his strength, he threw the gallon jug. As it left his hands, he caught a glimpse of one sparkly shoe.

“What the—”

The container bashed against the wall, water spraying everywhere, and Finn felt his knees give way.

The last thing he remembered before hitting the ground was the sound of a female voice…calling out his name.

Chapter Two

There was something familiar about that deep masculine groan.

Brenna’s eyes quickly adapted to the almost pitch-black darkness inside what had clearly once been a hunting cabin, its stone walls stained with grime.

On all fours, the man swayed, biceps straining and flexing as he tried to keep from falling the rest of the way to the ground.

Broad, powerful shoulders. Flaxen hair only a little darker than her own. The man lifted his head and his eyes met hers, right before he went down. Hard.

It couldn’t be. No, it simply wasn’t possible.

“Finn? Oh, my God.” She rushed to his side, barely aware that a seam in her tight gown ripped as she knelt beside him.

She pressed three fingers to the inside of his wrist. His radial pulse was steady, but not as strong as it should’ve been. Patting his cheek, she tried to revive him.

“What happened? Who did this to you?” she asked, though he was in no shape to answer her. Besides, she was terribly afraid she knew damn well what was going on.

This man she’d once dated, whom she’d loved and lied to, was being held captive as someone’s blood slave.

Just looking at him brought the memories rushing back. The sound of his laughter. The way his chestnut brown eyes glinted with mischief just before he proposed something outlandish. His enthusiastic support of her dream to practice medicine even though he’d had no idea she was a vampire. She’d hidden so many secrets from him, while he’d held nothing back from her.

As their relationship had progressed, so had her feelings for him. No longer had he been just a romp between the sheets, and she’d felt herself falling for the last person on earth she should. He was a sweetblood, for godsake, and she doubted whether she could trust herself around him long-term. Six months ago she’d broken things off with him, not giving him much of an explanation. Just that she was too busy for a relationship after all.

Seeing him here like this made her realize what a fool she’d been, thinking that she was his only threat. He could be in danger from any unscrupulous member of the vampire race. The problem was, she’d never considered him weak. Just herself.

“Come on, Finn, answer me.”

“Brenna?” Finn pushed himself up on one elbow and blinked as if he didn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “What…what are you doing here?”

Unruly pieces of hair hung over his face, giving him a half-crazed look. He clearly hadn’t shaved in days because a thick layer of stubble covered his chiseled jaw.

“I’ll explain later. Come on.”

“You…you need to get out of here. Go for help.”

“I’m leaving, all right, and you’re coming with me.”

“No. I’ll slow you down. I’m too weak. Who knows what he’ll do if he catches you here.”

He had to be the vampire blood master. And Finn was right. No telling what would happen if the bastard found them here like this. The Council had no tolerance for the barbaric practice of keeping human blood slaves, which had been outlawed back in the Middle Ages. It was an offense punishable by death. The one responsible for this would be desperate to cover it up.

Whose property was this anyway? She’d left the grounds of the Westfalen estate when she crossed through that tall hedge, hadn’t she? Was this state-owned land?

There’d be time for speculation later, but first, she needed to get him out of here.

Putting Finn’s arm over her shoulder, she tried to haul him up, but it was like tugging on a lead-filled rag doll. At six foot three, he was two hundred and forty pounds of pure muscle. Even though she was stronger than a human woman her size, he was still too much for her to handle on her own. He’d have to leave under his own power.

“On your feet, soldier. Move!”

Using her for support, Finn pulled himself up. “I’m not going to get far with this, Brenna.” He rattled a long chain affixed to his ankle.

Hoping she could break a link, she grabbed it with both hands. A searing-hot pain shot through her palms.

“Holy crap!”

She let go and the chain clattered to the ground.

“What’s wrong? What’d you do?”

She stared at her hands. “It’s…it’s silver.”

Although she had touched the chain for only a split second, faint burn marks already marred her skin. She staggered backward, feeling noticeably weaker already. Why would a vampire use a silver chain to hold a blood slave? It didn’t make sense unless…

She swallowed hard as she came to the only logical conclusion.

Unless his captor held more than just humans here.

“Easy there,” he said, grabbing her elbow. “What are you talking about? Let me see.”

She hesitated a moment before she held out her clenched fists. The whole time they’d been together, she’d never told him what she was, and she wasn’t about to do so now. Especially after what he’d been through. “I’m…highly allergic to silver. My skin immediately reacts when I touch it.”

His hands were warm as they slid to her wrists and gently uncurled her fingers. “I wouldn’t look at your hands, if I were you. Wounds hurt worse when you see them.” Something he undoubtedly knew all too well thanks to his time here.

She was careful not to pull in any of his energies, but with the hand-to-hand contact, the urge was difficult to ignore. Instead, she focused on the fact that his accent, normally so faint, seemed thicker than it had when last she’d seen him. He must’ve visited his Scottish cousins recently. Or maybe pain and exhaustion simply made it more pronounced.

“Aye, there’s a little redness, but—” The cool air he blew onto her palms was soothing. “—it doesn’t look too bad.”

She was touched by his concern for her in the face of his own suffering. “I’ll be fine. I heal quickly.” She pulled her hands away from him and glanced around the sparse room. “Is there anything we can cut the chain with?”

“Believe me. If there was something I could’ve used within reach, I’d have found it. I know every square inch of this luxury suite and there’s nothing.” He paused, took a fortifying breath. “Look, Bren. You need to go for help. I’ll be fine a little longer.”

There was no way in hell she was leaving him here. “Let me see if I can find something outside to break this.”

Clutching the back of her torn gown with one hand, Brenna exited the cabin and spotted a small woodpile between two saplings about twenty feet away. Maybe she’d find a hatchet there.

She stepped sideways over a small downed tree and thought about Lily back at the estate. A Guardian operative with the Governing Council’s enforcement agency, her friend investigated these sorts of crimes.

“Damn cell phone.” She’d have to get Finn away from this place and hope for cell coverage along the way. Given that he was a sweetblood, she didn’t dare take him back to the estate. Even good vampires were known to make mistakes.

The high-pitched screech of a bat caused her to jump, and she quickened her pace.

Sure enough, an ax was buried in a piece of split wood. Because she was still a little weak from the silver, it took her several tries to loosen it. She returned to the cabin to find Finn leaning against the wall, a worried look plastered on his face.

“Find something we can use?”

She showed him what she’d found. “This should work, don’t you think?” He went to take it from her but she pulled it away. “I’ll do it. You need to conserve your strength. No overexertion.”

He frowned, clearly not thrilled with the idea of letting her do the hard work—but given his condition, they both knew he had no choice. He stretched out the links to form a straight line on the stone floor and turned away slightly. She lifted the ax haltingly over one shoulder and swung down.

It bounced out of her hand when the blade hit the floor, and she heard that telltale rip again. Damn. She’d completely missed the chain, tearing her gown further.

“Jesus, Bren.” He let out a wheezy laugh. “That had about as much finesse as Hulk Hogan in a tutu.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve never used an ax before?”

“That bad, huh?”

“Pathetic.” A spark of amusement flickered in his eyes as he retrieved the tool from the ground. Brenna was relieved to see he hadn’t lost his wry wit along with all that blood. “Now, stand back.” Using momentum, he tried to raise it above his head, but he could barely lift it to shoulder level. He was too weak.

“Here, let me.” She stepped in front of him. “Put your hands over mine. I’ll hold it, and you guide it down, all right?”

He didn’t argue, just positioned himself behind her like a golf instructor, his legs straddling hers. Heat from his body warmed her backside and she dimly realized it must be because of the torn seam. Pushing that embarrassing realization from her thoughts, she lifted the ax and he held it straight and steady over their heads.

“One. Two. Three.” With a quick downward chop, the blade cleaved through one of the links. Except for about three feet of chain hanging from his ankle, he was a free man.

The moment Finn straightened to his full height again, he felt dizzy, lightheaded. Screw that. He’d muscle through any physical shortcoming despite what his body was telling him.

With the chain dragging behind him, he paused at the door. He stuck an arm out, blocking Bren behind him, his soldier’s instincts kicking in. Even though she’d just been out here, he was in charge now. Noise from the crickets surrounded them. Good. That meant no one had disturbed the insects recently. He took a quick survey of the area and saw nothing but pitch-black woods. His eyes would acclimate soon enough.

“Gimme the ax.”

“Why? What’s out there? Do you see something?” She moved closer and gripped his forearm.

“I need a weapon. I’m not going to be caught unaware again.” He wasn’t about to tell Brenna that his captor was a vampire. Not only did he not want to freak her out, but she’d just think he was crazy anyway. He’d deal with that later. It was best to get out of here first.

They made their way through the thick undergrowth, branches snapping loudly against their legs. Their pace wasn’t anywhere near what it should be. His chain kept getting caught in brambles and he had to stop every now and then to catch his breath.

He leaned a hand on a tree trunk. “So, when are you going to tell me what you’re doing clear out here? Especially since you’re not wearing hiking attire.”

“About a half mile that way—” She pointed to the left. “—is the Westfalen estate. I was at an awards ceremony and stepped out for some fresh air.”

“And?” He had the distinct feeling she wasn’t telling him everything.

“And I decided to take a walk.”

“Dressed like that? Alone?” Was she nuts? Didn’t she know how appealing she looked, how hard it would be for any human man who saw her to keep his hands to himself? Not to mention what a non-human predator could do. He shuddered at the thought.

He’d had a lot of time to reflect on his life these past few weeks. And the person he’d thought about most was Brenna. He’d dreamed about her, endlessly pictured her face. Her easy smile. The lovely curve of her jaw. The silky feel of her hair. The breathless sounds she made as he moved inside of her.

One of his biggest regrets was ever letting her go in the first place. He loved how she made him feel, asking his opinion on matters she knew far more about than he did. Around her, he felt strong, powerful. Invincible. Looking back on it now, he’d given in to her too easily, accepting her reasons for breaking up without putting up much of a fight. People fell in love all the time while pursuing their professional goals. He should’ve protested, but instead, he’d let her walk away. Maybe this was his second chance to get her back for good.

“They have this pretty amazing horse barn that I wanted to check out.” She rubbed her nose, then twisted a piece of her flaxen hair around her index finger.

Clearly, she was lying to him—though maybe not about the horses—but she was doing a terrible job of evading his questions convincingly.

“So why aren’t we going that way?” he prodded.

“Can we just—” Her cell phone vibrated and she looked more than a little relieved as she retrieved it from her handbag. “Finally, I’ve got coverage.” The pale-blue glow from the screen illuminated her face as she read the text.

He moved toward her, but she turned slightly away from him and quickly fired back a response. When the phone buzzed with an answering message a moment later, Brenna gasped.

“What?” he demanded, trying to get a look at her phone, but she held it away from him.

“We’ve gotta go.” She glanced furtively into the woods behind them.

“Brenna, what the hell is going on?”

“My…my friend, Lily, says something’s really wrong at the party. Security is running around and guests are being asked to leave. When I told her about you, she told me to get you the hell out of here.”

Instinctively, he scanned the darkness again, but he saw nothing, heard only the drone of crickets.

He suddenly realized how strange it was that Brenna hadn’t asked him any details about how he had gotten here and why he was being held prisoner. If the situation had been reversed and it was he who had found her, those would’ve been some of the first questions he’d have asked her. Normally, she was one of those calm, take-charge-in-a-crisis types, asking questions methodically and taking down notes. You had to be if you wanted to work in emergency medicine—a specialty like that wasn’t for those who were high-strung and easily excitable. But she hadn’t asked anything of the sort.

“She’s meeting us out on the main road with her car. Evidently, it’s just over the next hill.” She tucked the phone back into her handbag, but it took her two tries to close it.

Seeing the terror reflected in her gold-flecked eyes, he wrapped his arm around her and searched the night again. Nothing. He changed his grip on the hatchet anyway in case he needed to throw it or use it as a weapon.

“Come on. Lily said she’ll be there as soon as she can. Lean on me if you need to.” Brenna led him through the forest, moving a little faster this time.

Something niggled at the back of his mind as they stepped over a downed tree. He wanted to pause again to catch his breath, but Brenna urged him on. Then it dawned on him. The night had grown noticeably quieter—even the crickets had fallen silent.

The hairs on his forearm prickled and he gripped the handle of the ax tighter. He had the distinct feeling that they were no longer alone.

And he was pretty certain Brenna knew it as well.

Chapter Three

“He’s shadow-moving,” Brenna hissed as her short nails dug into Finn’s arm. “Over there.”

Shadow-moving? What did that even mean? He couldn’t see anything, but he readied the ax as best he could anyway.

Movement flashed to the left. He shoved Brenna behind him just before something struck him hard, knocking him to the ground and sending the ax flying from his hand.

A weight fell on top of him—a man—and hands with the strength of iron grips closed around his wrists. Finn arched his back, thrust his weight to one side. Like hell would he let himself go down without a fight again. Especially not with Brenna’s safety on the line now, too.

Normally, he’d have grabbed his attacker’s left arm to knock him off-balance, then he’d hook his leg over and put him in a chokehold. But his reflexes and strength were shot. It felt as if he were swimming through mud.

“Run, Bren. Go for help.” She had to get away from this guy. Maybe Finn could keep him occupied while she ran down to where they were meeting her friend.

The man angled his head up and the moonlight glinted off his—

Fangs.

Just like his captor had.

Jesus! How many of these parasites are there?

“Get off him.” Brenna’s voice came from somewhere above him.

Goddamn it, she hadn’t listened. He needed to protect her from this monster.

But before Finn could react, the guy shifted toward the sound of her voice and struck her with what sounded like a closed fist. Brenna screamed and fell to the ground.

Anger instantly congealed in Finn’s veins, pinpointing his focus and infusing him with a surge of hidden strength. No one, not even a vampire, was going to get away with touching her like that.

With every ounce of energy he had left, he rolled sideways and kicked. He’d be damned if he’d let this vampire motherfucker do to Brenna what that sadistic monster had done to him back at the cabin.

But his foot didn’t connect with anything. Not only was he lightheaded from the blood loss, his depth perception was totally off and the chain weighted down his leg too much. It snapped around, merely glancing off his attacker.

On a good day, he’d have beaten the man senseless with his bare fists. Vampire or not. Kicked him into tomorrow with the heel of his combat boots. Sliced his kidney in half with a jagged-edged blade just as he’d done to that assassin in Kabul.

But not tonight. The prolonged blood loss over the past few weeks was a game-changer.

The edges of his vision started to darken, but he could’ve sworn he saw their attacker, his hands pressed to his forehead, fall backward onto the ground.

“What the—?”

Finn felt around blindly on the damp forest floor, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon before the guy attacked him again. All the while, his head continued to throb and spin, as if he had one wicked hangover.

“It’s the chain, Finn,” Brenna gasped, her voice seeming to come from right above him. “You got him with the chain.”

The chain? Through sheer force of will, Finn dragged himself up on one elbow. Wearing black military gear, his attacker struggled to push himself to all fours but wasn’t having much luck. Fangs, dual points that seemed to glow in the dark, hung from his gaping mouth, and blood dripped from his ear. Guess he’d nailed the guy after all.

“Wrap it around his neck or something.”

Finn fumbled for the end of the chain coiled around his leg.

“Just touch it anywhere on his skin.” Brenna’s voice was hollow.

Did she say to touch the guy with the chain? If he did anything with this chain, it’d be to wrap it around the guy’s neck all right, then jerk it tight till it snapped. If only he wasn’t so—

Movement above him drew his attention and a blurry Brenna came into view.

Blinking a few times, he saw that her lip was split open and a thin trickle of blood ran from her temple to her chin. He wanted to reach up and brush it away with his thumb, but his arms felt like stone. He had overexerted himself and had no more energy to expend.

Sliding over his torso, she straddled him backward. Like a masseuse, she bent his leg without any help from him and he was vaguely aware that the links of the chain jangled. Her dress was torn up the back, revealing lacy black panties and that small butterfly tattoo on her lower back, just to the left of her spine. He recalled how he’d often placed his thumb on the ink and—

Their attacker groaned loudly.

Finn turned toward the sound but couldn’t see much. Just the guy’s lower half, his heels digging into the forest floor for traction. Brenna was blocking the rest of him. Another groan, then silence.

“What’s happening, Bren?” he managed to ask. “I…I can’t see.”

She swung her leg back over Finn as if dismounting a horse. “We’ve got to get out of here. He’s weak and he’ll attack you if we don’t leave. Are you hurt? Can you move?”

Attack me? Not us?

Finn tried to push himself up, but it was no use. He had nothing left. Falling backward, he heard the leaves crackle beneath him.

“Go on without me.”

“Not a chance. Come on, Finn,” she urged.

He wasn’t sure if he was moving or not. He wanted to, but he couldn’t tell if the message was getting through to his arms and legs.

“This is the only way,” he thought he heard her say.

He didn’t have time to consider what that meant before she cupped his face in her hands and her lips came down over his. She tasted spicy, as if she’d just chewed a piece of cinnamon gum. With no strength to slide his hands around her, he lay there, unmoving, just experiencing this kiss of hers as if the past month had never happened. Thank God for tiny miracles; his captor had allowed him the use of a toothbrush. Her mouth was soft against his, and—

That cinnamony, slightly coppery taste seemed to numb the back of his tongue. No, actually it tingled—not unlike how his mouth felt when eating kiwi fruit. But that had been a slight allergic reaction. This was…heaven.

He wrapped his arms around her, and when his hand touched the bare skin of her back, he slipped his fingers inside the tear in her dress. If the hole were any bigger, he’d have shoved his hand completely inside to cup her bottom and massage her curves. Not breaking the kiss, he found the strength to roll her over, automatically slipping a knee between her legs.

“Finn, stop,” she said against his lips, pushing on his chest with her hands.

He blinked, clearing the remaining haze from his brain. What the hell was he doing? He had to get them out of here.

Jumping up—how did he have the energy to jump when he’d felt half dead mere moments earlier?—he pulled her to her feet. “Are you okay, Bren? Does it hurt where he hit you?”

He gently pushed the hair from her face and pulled out a twig. An angry red mark had sprung up on her cheekbone where the bastard had clocked her, the blood on her lips now smeared from the kiss.

Absently, he licked his lip again and tasted cinnamon. Oddly enough, he wasn’t lightheaded any longer. The weakness in his muscles—gone. Good, because he was going to beat the shit out of the guy who’d done this to Brenna. In fact…

He looked around for the ax, confident that he’d be able to wield it just fine. If the guy got up and took one step toward her, Finn would swing and—

“We can’t waste any more time. I have no idea how long he’ll be out.”

She had a point. He’d get her out of here first, then come back to deal with Fangs later.

He glanced back at the guy curled in a fetal position a few feet away. A surge of pride licked up his spine. Somehow Brenna had done that to him. Sweet, kind-hearted Brenna. Who’d shoo houseflies out the open window rather than swat them dead with a newspaper. Who’d once captured a mouse in a live trap down in Finn’s basement and insisted he drive it out to the country to release it. He hadn’t realized she had such fight in her.

“What did you do to him? Clearly, he’s hurting way more than you or me. Got lead in your fist?”

Odder still, something was a little strange about the way their attacker was touching—or rather, not touching his neck. With his eyes pinched shut, his fingers trembled a few inches above his collar as if he wanted to claw at his throat, and he was making a weird choking sound.

“I took care of him, but it’s only temporary. Lily is waiting.”

Finn took a step closer to get a better look, then stopped dead.

The vampire had red marks on his neck from the chain. His skin was reacting to the silver just like Brenna’s had.

Finn turned and stared at Brenna through disbelieving eyes, his thoughts whirling.

Things suddenly seemed to get a whole lot clearer, niggling questions falling into place like metal filings on a magnet. Yes, everything was making sense now.

“Okay, but when we get on the road, you’ve got a helluva lot of explaining to do.”

Chapter Four

After they crested a slight rise, the land angled down to the road. Lily stood waiting for them next to her red Porsche, hands on her hips, legs shoulder-width apart. She’d gone from glam to kick-ass, Brenna noted, having ditched the cocktail dress for black cargo pants, a flak jacket and lace-up military boots. The only visual remnants of the evening were her updo and her dramatic cat’s-eye makeup.

Lily stayed only long enough to hand Brenna the car keys and to give Finn a quick but thorough once-over. She explained that another Guardian team was on its way. Lily would wait for them and they’d investigate just what was going on around the Westfalen estate.

Grabbing a heavy duty wire cutter from the trunk of her car, Lily explained that when she’d introduced herself to Mr. Westfalen, her Tracker senses had picked up a faint smell of Sweet on his breath. His personal assistant must have noticed something was amiss, because he quickly ushered her away from the old man and nervously changed the subject. Before she could ask him what was going on, one of his security men pulled him away and whispered into his ear.

Lily cut the shackle from Finn’s leg with a snap.

“Next thing I know, Creighton is wheeling Mr. Westfalen away and guests are being asked to leave. I tried calling and texting you, but you didn’t pick up.”

“My…my cell coverage isn’t good…out here.” Westfalen and his staff had done this to Finn? They kept blood slaves? It…just didn’t seem possible.

“Don’t go to your place or to his,” Lily cautioned. “We can’t be sure how big this operation is or what they know. They may be expecting that. Go straight to the field office—just hit the navigation button on the dash. I’ve called ahead so they know you’re coming. I’ll see you there when I return.”

Brenna and Finn climbed into the Porsche, Brenna behind the wheel. She maneuvered the car onto the quiet two-lane highway, careful not to kick up any gravel on Lily’s new car. They rode in silence for what seemed like an eternity. She still couldn’t believe that Westfalen and his cohorts had almost killed Finn. However, the evidence couldn’t be denied—he’d been imprisoned not far from the estate and Lily had smelled Sweet on the old man’s breath. Finn finally spoke, interrupting her thoughts.

“So you’re a vampire, too.” It was a statement, not a question. “And so is your friend.”

She wanted to deny it, but he’d seen too much. “Last time I checked, yes.”

“But not all of you are like those guys.” He wasn’t asking for an answer so she didn’t give him one. She was more like those men than she cared to admit.

“And have you always been one?”

“You mean, was I changed into a vampire at some point?”

“Yeah.”

“They’re called changelings and, no, I was born this way.”

“No shit?” He ran a hand through his hair. “How have vampires been able to live secretly among the human population? It’s not as if you’re holed up in some Transylvanian castle, only coming out at night to feed. Hell, you and I met in the produce aisle of a blasted grocery store. Surely someone would’ve figured out the truth by now.”

She smiled at the memory. He’d used the most ridiculous pick-up line ever that day.

While he examined the heads of lettuce two aisles away, she’d detected his scent and realized he was a sweetblood. Thanks to the medical training that had taught her to remain objective in all situations, she hadn’t found his blood nearly as tempting as she would’ve expected—her gums had merely tingled—but she hadn’t wanted to press her luck. She’d grab what she’d come for then quickly leave.

“So you like apples, huh?”

She must’ve been deep in thought because she hadn’t noticed he’d come up behind her. His flaxen hair had been short then—Army short—and mischief had sparkled in his eyes.

“Very observant,” she’d answered, selecting another from the large pyramid of apples and moving away from him.

He’d skirted a bin of potatoes and followed her. “I prefer oranges.”

“I’m happy for you.” Her tone was much more playful than she had intended and she’d scowled. “They’re two very different fruits.”

Before she knew what he was doing, he’d grabbed an apple from her cart and along with two of his oranges, he tossed them in the air, juggled them once, then put the apple back. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“As different as apples and oranges may be, they’re similar enough to work.”

Several hours later, her apples sat next to his oranges on the kitchen counter as they made love in his bed.

From day one, she hadn’t been able to resist his charms. Glancing at him now from the corner of her eye, she realized she still couldn’t.

She took a deep breath. “Humans have discovered our existence from time to time, and when that happens, their memories get wiped.”

A hand to the temple, a few whispered words. She could never do that to Finn, though. What a violation that would be. Oh sure, she’d done it to other humans on the rare occasions she’d taken their blood—they all did—but that was it. That was far less intrusive than clearing out memories that spanned weeks or months. Not only wasn’t she skilled enough, but it just didn’t seem right.

“Is that why you lied to me, Bren?”

She adjusted the rearview mirror, not wanting to make eye contact with him just yet. “You mean about not taking you back to the estate? I couldn’t—”

“No. I’m talking about when you told me you didn’t have time for a serious relationship. That your medical training came first.”

She hesitated. “Well, my training is really important to me.”

“Bullshit. You broke things off with me because I am who I am—a human. And you are who you are—a vampire.”

Her breath caught in her throat. It was true, but she’d never violated her people’s laws before, telling a human about the existence of their kind. Protecting the truth was a deeply ingrained habit.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. For obvious reasons, relationships between vampires and humans don’t make sense. Especially when one of them is—”

“A sweetblood?”

She nodded. He knew everything, then. About her. About him.

As the realization seeped in, she felt her shoulders relaxing, the grips around her insides loosening. She’d become so accustomed to keeping herself knotted up around him that it was a relief for him to finally knew the truth.

“Don’t look shocked, Bren. I know about Sweet. It’s an extremely rare human blood type that’s addictive to vampires because they find it extremely tasty. Like me with a rib-eye steak, only in this case, I’m the steak.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked broodingly out the passenger window. “That’s why you called things off between us, isn’t it? It wasn’t because you didn’t have time for a relationship, it was because you didn’t think we belonged together. Because you thought you might be dangerous to me.”

What more could she add to that? He’d seen the ugly truth about her kind, experienced the horrors they were capable of inflicting upon humans. And now he knew about her and why it had been so wrong—so perilous—for them to have continued their relationship.

“So why did you get involved with me in the first place if you couldn’t trust yourself not to kill me? Living life on the edge, Bren? Was that it? Did you want to see how close you could get to the fire without getting burned?”

“I wasn’t attracted to you because you’re a sweetblood.”

“Bollocks. Apparently, people like you—” He said the word like a curse. “—find me very attractive.”

“I don’t want to find you attractive in that way.” The road in front of them suddenly became blurry and she angrily brushed back a tear. “I would never do something like that to you. Ever.”

She wasn’t sure whom she was trying to convince. Circumstances being what they were, her developing a craving for his blood wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities.

“I was attracted to you as a woman is to a man, Finn. That’s all. I liked how I felt around you. You saw things in me that I hadn’t considered before. My applying for that scholarship was a direct result of your influence. Ironically, if it hadn’t been for you, I might not have been here tonight. I wouldn’t have known you were in trouble.” She blinked another tear away. “Believe me, I tried to ignore the fact that you were a sweetblood. Never once did I try taking your blood. But the last time we were together…” The words hung in the air between them.

On the way back from a romantic dinner at a small Italian restaurant, they’d gotten carried away in his car. She’d unzipped his jeans, planning only to touch him until they got back to his place, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself from taking things further right then. He was there and he was so…magnificent. And straitlaced Brenna had taken Finn into her mouth while he drove.

“Dear God, woman,” he’d said in that deep, sexy-as-hell voice. “What are you doing to me?” Then he’d pulled the car to the shoulder, torn off her panties and made love to her in the backseat.

“You mean the night you gave me a roadie?”

Laughter burst from her throat, shattering the solemn mood inside the car. “Finn!”

“What do you expect? That’s a dream for teenage boys, not grown men. You rocked my world that night.”

“Yeah, well, it was the closest I’d come to losing all sense of what’s normal and reasonable. I could’ve killed you.”

Sensible women like her didn’t do things like that. A suggestive hand on his knee or a knowing glance over the top of a wineglass—maybe. But not taking him into her mouth while they idled at a stop light. The horn that had sounded from the truck next to them wasn’t because the light had changed to green.

“I can think of worse ways to die. Seriously, Bren, who the hell wants to be sensible and reasonable all the time? Life is for living. It’s not to be tiptoed around.”

“When it involves someone like me and someone like you, losing control is a recipe for disaster. Thank God I figured that out before it was too late. I came this close—” She held up two fingers, “—to taking your blood. And if I had, I doubt I’d have been able to stop.”

What was it about him that seemed to bring out her wild nature? Given her conservative upbringing and her desire to go into a serious field of study like medicine, she wasn’t used to letting her emotions take control. Her life was planned out and logical. You did X and then Y happened as a direct result.

But even now, she found Finn desperately attractive. The way he’d protected her against their attacker despite being held captive for so long was just plain crazy and insane. The experience hadn’t frightened or broken him. Although human, and a very vulnerable one at that, he was the epitome of raw, unbridled masculinity, undeterred by danger even when it stared him in the face. He seemed just as cocky and sure of himself now as he ever was.

On the one hand, that was what attracted her to him. His unpredictability. His actions that defied logic. On the other hand, those very traits scared the crap out of her.

“The blood on your lips…it did something to me when you kissed me, didn’t it?”

She nodded solemnly. “I hoped it would give you the strength you needed to make it out of the forest, and it did.” And she knew there could be dire consequences for her actions.

Blood-sharing with a human was just not done. Time and again, the Council had made that perfectly clear. But she was willing to take whatever punishment they doled out. Finn wouldn’t have had the strength to get away from their attacker without it. She shuddered, thinking how close that vampire had come to ripping out Finn’s throat. His fangs had been—

No, she wouldn’t let herself imagine what had almost happened. Finn was alive, he was safe, and that was all that mattered.

She stole another glance at him. He was touching his lip with the tip of his tongue. A little thrill ran through her and seemed to concentrate low in her belly. Her blood in his body. The thought had her insides twisting with pleasure.

Stop. She couldn’t let herself think that way either. It was too dangerous.

Instead, she focused on the fact that his hair was much longer than she’d ever seen it. Tucked behind his ears now, the flaxen strands angled under the edge of his square jaw. Having been in the Army, he’d always worn it short. She liked it both ways, but this was so…rugged. With her knees bent, it would give her something to hold onto when he—

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, she jerked her eyes forward and stared out the windshield into the darkness beyond the headlights. She couldn’t think about him doing that to her. Just because he knew the truth about what she was didn’t mean anything had changed.

As he’d made love to her that night in the backseat of his car, his eyes steeped with passion, she had felt the tips of her fangs breaking through her gums. Biting her lips closed, she’d arched her head back and forced herself to think of medical charts, prescription drug interactions and the sterile smell of the medic van, instead of the mouthwateringly gorgeous man inside her.

She recalled thinking his sweet blood pulsed just millimeters away from her lips. One little bite was all it would take for it to be flowing into her mouth. She’d have felt that little pop as her fangs pierced his vein and it’d all have been over.

Knowing that rational thought had a way of disappearing when an orgasm was imminent, she’d somehow managed not to climax with him that time. With her senses on overload, she’d have been like an animal acting on instinct alone. It would’ve been the opportunity her dark nature had been seeking. And if she had, she wouldn’t have been able to stop, for the taste of Sweet was much too potent.

Like Darkbloods, those rogue vampires who scoffed at the laws of their kind, she’d have drained him of his lifeblood then been left to wonder what to do with his chilling body. She could never have lived with herself.

The realization of how close she’d come that night had caused her to break things off with him a short time later.

Nothing had changed since then. He was still a sweetblood and she was still a vampire. The only difference was, now they both knew that a relationship between them was impossible.

Chapter Five

An hour later, they arrived downtown at the field office. After going through many layers of security, Xian, the office manager, led them down a corridor that seemed to stretch out forever before they stopped in front of a set of ornately carved doors.

“I’m sorry, but with such short notice, these are the only living quarters I have available at the moment. I trust you two don’t mind sharing a room? It is fully stocked with toiletries and various clothing items that might be useful. I hope you find everything to your liking.”

Unlike an impersonal hotel room, the suite Finn stepped into was warm and inviting. The walls were painted a rich caramel-brown, with a mahogany desk and leather loveseat on one side of the room and a massive, well-appointed bed on the other. But then, anything would seem luxurious after where he’d been.

As he took a much-longed-for shower to wash away the grime from his ordeal, he replayed Brenna’s earlier words. When humans discovered the existence of vampires, their minds were wiped to prevent word from spreading. Was that what Brenna and her fellow vampires had planned for him—erasing his recollection of the past month? The idea pissed him off. They were shitty memories, but they belonged to him. What would they replace them with? A month was a lot of time to make up. A trip to the mental ward? Being lost in the wilderness? Amnesia? Memories of an alien abduction?

Now that he knew the truth about Brenna, he didn’t want to lose her again. If it hadn’t been for her—both in the cabin and out in the woods with that vampire—he’d very likely be dead right now. He couldn’t believe that the only thing he’d talked about on the way here was how she’d lied to him.

God, he could be such an ass sometimes.

After he finished in the bathroom, he jerked open the door and reentered the bedroom.

Brenna sat cross-legged on the leather loveseat, wearing an oversized T-shirt, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She glanced up from her phone as he approached, but her eyes instantly dropped to the towel wrapped around his waist.

Without hesitation, he strode over and pulled her into his arms before she had a chance to protest. Her hair had a slight woodsy scent to it, he noticed as he removed the elastic. It reminded him of the danger she’d put herself into on account of him. He didn’t give a shit whether it unsettled her to be this close. And he sure as hell wasn’t scared of the outcome if it did.

“Thank you for saving my life. Twice.”

She started to say something but he lowered his mouth to hers, forcing her lips even wider. They were soft, luscious. Although he didn’t think he was actually tasting cinnamon now, the memory was so fresh in his mind that he couldn’t be certain. She slipped her arms around his neck.

He wasn’t sure what made him do it, but he ran the tip of his tongue over the edges of her teeth. Her body tensed.

But they were smooth and even, no points to be found.

Brenna might be afraid of what she could do to him, but he wasn’t. In fact, quite the opposite. He rather liked the idea that she had a wild side to her. Imagining her sharp little fangs piercing his skin sent a surge of adrenaline through his system. How often did she feed from other humans? Often enough, he supposed. He gripped her tighter and kissed her deeper. The thought of her being intimate like that with another man, having someone else’s blood in her system, infuriated Finn. He wanted her to get what she needed from him, not from some other bloke.

His erection angled out unabashedly from the gap in the towel now. His balls, loose from the warm water, felt heavier than normal.

What would it feel like? he wondered. La petite mort?

A protest rumbled in her throat, but her arms stayed around his neck. He almost laughed—it was just like it used to be. She was trying to be good and he was trying not to let her.

Grabbing her bottom, he pulled her closer, the feel of her hip against his erection nearly driving him insane with desire. Those thin little panties of hers could easily be removed. He could get her up against the wall, lift her up slightly, then settle her down and he’d be inside her. Just like that.

But no, he had other plans right now.

“You don’t scare me, Bren,” he whispered against her lips.

“I don’t?”

“No, and in the interest of full disclosure and because you say that not being prepared can be dangerous, I think it’s only fair that I let you know what I am about to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s simple. I’m going to make love to you exactly five minutes from now.”

“No. Seriously, Finn, we can’t.”

“Really?” He lifted the T-shirt over her head, flinging it to the ground, leaving her naked except for her panties. Instead of stepping away, she put her arms right back around his neck, her breasts warm against his bare chest. The disconnect between what she said and what she did only confirmed he was on the right track, so he pressed on.

“In about thirty seconds I’m going to put my mouth right here.” He slid his hand to her breast and gently twisted the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She sucked in a quick breath and arched herself a little closer. “Or maybe I’ll do this one instead.” He switched to the other breast, lifting it slightly and brushing his thumb over the tip.

“I plan to move my tongue around it first, then I’ll suckle it…gently…until it peaks even further than it is right now.”

Another tiny moan rumbled deep in her throat.

“After that, I’m going to slip one finger, maybe two inside you to see if you’re ready for me yet. My guess is that you will be, but if not, I might prop this leg—” He slid his hand down her hip and gave it a little pat. “—up onto the sofa. That will give me a little better access, but you’ll have to hold yourself steady. Then, I’ll kneel down right here, place my hands on your gorgeous arse and put my mouth on you.”

“Finn, please.” She ran her hands up and down his arms. She was shaking now.

“Depending on how that goes, maybe a minute or two later, I’ll carry you to that bed—the one right there—and pull back the comforter. Then I’ll—”

“Oh for godsake, Finn!” She pushed on his chest, forcing him back, and she moved with him.

The towel dropped to the floor as the edge of the bed came up behind him.

When he fell back onto the mattress, she hurriedly slipped off her panties and was on him in an instant, not waiting for him to pull back the comforter or do it herself.

“Brenna, a condom.” Where was his wallet anyway? Did he still have one tucked in behind his military ID? Or had that freak—

“Unnecessary. An unchanged human can’t get a vampire pregnant.”

At some point, he’d want to know more, but now those details were unimportant. All that mattered was that his body was going to be inside hers in T-minus two seconds. And he planned to show her exactly how much he’d missed her since she’d left him.

She straddled him, her breasts bouncing in his face. But before he could kiss her again or pull a nipple into his mouth, she grabbed the base of his erection, positioned it quickly and promptly eased herself down.

He lifted his hips to meet her as her warmth slid over him. Sighs and moans filled the room, along with a few choice curse words.

Oh God, this was every bit as amazing as it used to be.

Her body. The friction.

So. Damn. Perfect.

He’d been with several women since they’d broken up, mostly during his trip to Scotland. At the weekend pub crawls, he’d never been without female companionship, but now their faces and names all seemed to meld together. Merely placeholders. He’d been hoping they’d help him forget Brenna, but being with them only seemed to emphasize what he no longer had.

Holding on to her hips, he angled himself even deeper, feeling her internal muscles tighten around him. She arched her head back and her hair fell freely about her shoulders now that the hair band was gone.

“Are you having one, Bren?” He didn’t need to ask, he already knew she was climaxing. He just wanted to hear her say it.

“Y-yes,” she said breathlessly, her voice low and sultry.

“You are?”

“Oh my God, yes.”

He lightly slapped her bottom, making more sound than sting. As she cried out and her nails dug into his forearms, a deep sense of pride surged in his chest. Blood type aside, he loved that she found him so pleasurable.

To keep her from seeing the satisfied, know-it-all grin creasing his face, he lifted his head and pulled her nipple into his mouth.

“Finn!” A half laugh, half protest.

He couldn’t tell if she’d seen his smile or not. No matter. He was done playing games.

She was too tight. The pressure too intense. Every nerve ending too sensitive. He’d waited long enough.

He thrust deeper and let himself go.

The sounds that filled the room were his this time.

But unlike hers, no one within earshot would think they were delicate.

“So all those times we made love using condoms, it was unnecessary?” He propped himself up on one elbow.

Brenna stifled a smile. Men hated condoms, but that was just too bad.

“Technically, yes. But that was when you thought I was…like you. I had to play the part of a responsible human woman. Not only is pregnancy not an issue, but germs and viruses that affect your kind generally don’t affect us, and vice versa.”

“What do you mean by generally?”

She explained to him that prior to the Middle Ages, vampires did feed from and kill their human hosts. When the Black Plague infected the human population with blood fever, vampires contracted it from their blood. Unlike humans, who had a chance to survive it, the disease was always fatal to vampires, and it wiped out much of their small population. As a survival mechanism, they stretched out the times between feedings and were surprised to learn they could go for longer periods by absorbing the necessary energy through physical touch.

“Just as humans’ eating habits have changed since the Middle Ages, so have ours.”

Finn was shaking his head.

“What? Don’t you believe me?”

“I can’t believe you made me wear a condom.”

She laughed, slapped him playfully on the arm before she realized she’d slipped so easily back in to a comfortable rapport with him.

Nothing had changed, though. Things still couldn’t work between the two of them. In fact, their time together was winding to an end, because as soon as Lily debriefed him, Brenna had no doubt that the field office would insist that his memory of everything be wiped from his mind. And that included the time they were spending together right now.

She grabbed the silky edge of the blanket and rubbed it between her fingers, a self-soothing habit left over from childhood. She wasn’t sure how or if she should tell Finn. If she didn’t tell him, he’d never feel the pain that she was feeling right now at the thought of losing him. One moment he’d have these memories and the next moment he wouldn’t. You couldn’t miss something you didn’t remember. And yet, wiping such a substantial amount of memories didn’t seem right either.

He’d been absently stroking her hip with the back of his hand. But he looked at her now as if he wanted to experience the pleasure all over again.

When his hands gently urged her, she acquiesced and rolled to her back. Even though they’d just made love, an all-new thunderstorm of excitement pounded in her head, electrifying her body. He positioned himself on top of her this time. Bending her knees, she wrapped a leg over his hip, and the tip of his erection easily found her center.

In one purposeful, fluid movement that made her gasp then cry out in pleasure, he pushed his way inside.

Chapter Six

The next morning, Finn waited for Brenna to step into the shower before he left the suite. He’d spent too many days cooped up inside that damn cabin, and like hell was he going from one confined space to another. He was pretty sure she’d insist on coming with him, but there was no way he’d let her continue thinking she had to protect him.

He recalled passing a large workout facility on the way to their room last night. What he needed was a good sweat to help clear his mind. He’d be lucky if his muscles weren’t completely atrophied by now. He also wanted to talk to one of the Guardians and demand to know what they’d discovered about the man who’d held him prisoner.

Coiling the silver chain around his hand, he thrust it into the pocket of the nylon jacket he wore. Knowing he might be surrounded by vampires who thought he’d make a good snack, he’d brought it from Lily’s car just in case. He could protect himself. He didn’t need Bren to do it for him.

He imagined being in an interrogation room with the little freak tethered to the wall this time. Just the two of them. He’d watch the bastard’s dead fish eyes go wide in horror when Finn took out the silver chain. See how he felt being tortured and at the mercy of someone he’d thought he could control.

The passageway was longer and more confusing than Finn had remembered. As he entered each new section, his movements caused the lights to turn on ahead of him and to click off in his wake.

Where was the gym anyway? He could’ve sworn he’d caught a glimpse of weight machines and mats as they’d been ushered to their room. Should he have turned to the right back there?

“Mr. McKentry, what can I help you with?”

Finn stopped and took a few steps backward, peering down the corridor he’d just passed. Xian, the field office manager, approached. He wore a chef’s apron and carried a tray of food. Did the guy do everything around here?

“Are you looking for me? I was just bringing you and Miss Stewart something to eat. I would’ve brought it sooner but…” Xian dropped his gaze to the tray and realigned the tiny salt and pepper shakers.

“Don’t worry,” Finn said, flashing a grin. “We’ve been a tad occupied back there anyway.” No doubt Xian had tried to bring the food but had heard them through the door.

They’d made love several times last night and once again this morning. What a beautiful way to start the day. A man could totally get used to that.

Finn glanced at the tray, suddenly hungry. “I’m headed for a quick workout. Do you mind?”

“Help yourself.” Xian set the tray on the edge of a side table.

“Oh, and call me Finn. Mr. McKentry sounds like my father or grandfather.” They’d both passed away long ago, but it still sounded strange.

He grabbed a piece of bacon and studied Xian. The man was a good three or four inches shorter than Finn, with short black hair and a wiry but athletic build. Either a bicyclist or into martial arts. He had a very…normal vibe. “You’re human, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

Finn chewed thoughtfully and reached for a glass of orange juice. “How is that possible? I mean, why didn’t they wipe your memory?”

“I’ve worked here in the Seattle field office ever since Guardians saved my life. Although I do not have the sweet blood myself, several members of my family do, which made us targets. I work here now and manage all the day-to-day affairs of the field office.”

“Are there other humans here at the field office, too? Humans who know about vampires?”

“There are a few, yes. Like the blood mate of our field-team leader, Dominic Serrano. In fact, she has the sweet blood too. You just missed her. She was at target practice in our shooting range.”

The leader of this whole compound was in love with a sweetblood woman? Finn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “And this is…allowed? Humans can know?”

Xian shrugged his shoulders. “Circumstances warrant it sometimes. While I understand that wiping a human’s memory is often necessary, I am glad that it didn’t happen to Mackenzie and equally glad it didn’t happen to me.”

Surprised that his muscles weren’t weaker, Finn finished up a short workout in the large but very empty gym. He placed the dumbbells back onto the rack, grabbed a white towel from the stack on the edge of the weight bench and wiped his forehead. God, it felt good to sweat. He was almost back to his old self again.

Which meant what? he wondered. Would he have any clients left after having been gone for so long with no explanation? Since his helicopter-tour business was still so new, people had probably thought he was a total flake when he didn’t return their calls and emails.

Tossing the towel over his shoulder, he left the gym and headed back to the suite, mulling over Xian’s words as he walked.

So it was possible for humans to know about vampires and keep their memories intact. Why hadn’t Brenna told him that? Surely she had to know about Serrano and Mackenzie. Did she not deem him trustworthy? Was she not as serious about him as he was about her?

A knot formed in his throat. He swallowed, but it remained. Maybe she didn’t feel the same way about him. He considered that possibility.

Given everything that had happened, maybe the universe was trying to tell him something. Was it time to leave Seattle? He had no family here. His Scottish cousins had been encouraging him to move back there anyway. Hell, he could probably run a helicopter-tour service just as easily in Scotland as he did here. He didn’t believe in signs or karma, but in this case, maybe everything pointed to the fact that he wasn’t meant to stay.

As he reached for the handle of the suite’s door, his heart rate sped up and a vague sense of unease fell over him. He knew that strange, out-of-the-blue sensations were common symptoms of PTSD. Shortly before the end of his deployment, his CO had brought in a shrink who had sat them all down and apprised them of the warning signs. Was that what this was—stress brought on by the trauma of captivity?

The sound of a man’s voice on the other side of the door snapped him back to attention. And then he heard a woman crying.

It was Brenna.

He barged through the door to find her on the loveseat with her face in her hands and Lily sitting next to her. A menacing bloke with a ponytail stood nearby, arms folded across his chest and a frown plastered on his face.

“What the hell is going on?” Finn brushed past the man, knelt at Brenna’s feet and drew her hands into his. “Are you okay, Bren? What happened?” Her eyes were red and teary.

“We came to tell you we caught the man who held you captive,” Lily said.

She introduced the man behind him as Dominic Serrano, the field-team leader of the Seattle office. Finn nodded curtly.

Lily continued. “Philip Creighton was the longtime personal assistant to Mr. Westfalen. He got the old man addicted to Sweet so that he could control the vast Westfalen holdings. You’re not the first sweetblood he held captive there.”

“And it wasn’t only humans,” Serrano said. “He’s held vampires as well.”

“Yes, poor Mr. Westfalen.” Lily shook her head.

“Where is he now?” Brenna asked.

“We’re having him transported up to Region headquarters,” Lily explained. “My mom and her staff will be trying to rehabilitate him.”

“And what about Creighton?” Finn interjected. “I want to see that little bastard. Make him suffer. What I wouldn’t do to put a silver chain around his neck and—”

“Too late,” Serrano growled. “Staked himself before we could bring him in.”

Finn cursed, pounded a fist on the coffee table. He hoped to hell the bastard had suffered. “And the guy who attacked us in the woods—he looked military. Did you catch him, too?”

“He was on the Westfalen security detail and, yes, I got him,” Lily said with a smirk. “He was the first casualty of the night as I waited for the rest of the team to arrive.”

Finn turned his attention back to Brenna, who clearly didn’t seem relieved by this news. “So what’s wrong?” He rubbed her hand between his, wishing he could erase her sadness. Then it dawned on him. Was it her scholarship? Were they putting a freeze on the Westfalen assets? If so, then her hopes of attending medical school had just been dashed. She had been counting on that money. “There must be other ways to pay for tuition. Let me help. I’ve got money from—”

“Finn, it’s not about the money.” She rubbed her fingers on the nylon cuff of his track suit. “I couldn’t care less about the damn money.”

“Then what? Bren, look at me.” When she didn’t, he lifted her chin. The pain he saw in her blue-gray eyes twisted his gut. He’d do anything to ease her suffering.

“We’re here to escort you back to your old life,” Serrano answered, evidently sensing that Brenna couldn’t.

A sob escaped Bren’s lips, jabbing a huge, gaping hole in Finn’s chest. She wasn’t crying about the scholarship. She was upset because she didn’t want him to have his memory taken away—which was surely what Serrano had been implying would happen. She wasn’t ready to let him go. Maybe she did love him after all.

He drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply, not giving a rat’s ass that they had company. Her lips, salty from tears, matched his fervor and her fingers raked his scalp. Elated by her reaction, he felt strangely empowered. He loved this woman and would fight tooth and nail to keep her. Together, they’d figure something out. If others could do it, so could they.

Serrano cleared his throat.

“I love you, Finn,” she murmured against his lips. “I will never, ever forget you.”

She was letting him go? He pulled back, first staring at her then glaring at Serrano. The vampire stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, his expression inscrutable.

It wasn’t her, it was Serrano. He was forcing her to agree to this. Bloody bastard.

Finn jumped to his feet and faced Serrano squarely. “You mean to wipe my memory of all that happened, of the truth about all of this. Vampires? Guardians? Bren?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“You are such a goddamn hypocrite.”

Serrano’s eyes narrowed and the muscle in his jaw tensed, but Finn continued. “I know all about you and your—what do you call her?—your blood-mate?”

The vampire drew himself up to his full height, a good three inches taller than Finn. “You’d better shut that trap of yours, soldier-boy, or you’ll be wishing you hadn’t said a word.”

Finn wasn’t intimidated. Instead, he pulled the silver chain from his pocket, wrapped it around his hand like a back-alley brawler and advanced toward Serrano.

“I love that woman more than life itself and I’m not about to go peacefully.” He thought he heard Brenna gasp, but his attention was on Serrano. “If you want to erase my memory, you’ll have to deal with this first.” With his right hand, he swung at the bastard and followed it up with a quick left hook. Only the hand without the chain made contact.

Little good that did, because in a flash, the vampire had him pinned against the wall, his hands immobilized.

“You’re reckless and foolhardy,” Serrano said, baring his fangs. “Two dangerous characteristics for a sweetblood.”

“Yeah, so bite me.”

“Stop!” Brenna yelled.

Finn gritted his teeth. Serrano’s grip on his wrists felt like two iron vises getting tighter and tighter, and his pupils had taken over his irises. Finn was pretty sure that meant he was pissed. “Tell him that.”

“Doesn’t look like you have a choice, soldier-boy.”

“Oh for godsake. You’re acting like children,” Lily said, putting a hand between them. “Let’s talk this out rationally. We’re adults here, eh? Like it or not, Dom, Finn does have a point.”

Serrano’s nostrils flared, his black gaze unwavering. “So I’m outnumbered here, is that what you’re saying?”

“Impressive,” Finn said through clenched teeth. “The vampire can count.”

A low rumble came from Serrano’s throat.

“That’s precisely what I’m saying,” Lily answered, ignoring Finn’s jab.

Serrano glared at Finn one last time before he released him and wheeled away. Without pocketing the chain, Finn rubbed his wrists as the two woman talked in hushed tones. Serrano stormed over to a cabinet, wrenched open the door and poured a couple of fingers of amber liquid into a highball glass.

So this guy was the leader of the whole facility? Finn wondered how many people reported to him. He strode to the center of the room and pocketed the chain.

Without looking up, Serrano held out a glass to him.

Finn took it and downed the contents in one gulp, trying to determine if it was whiskey or bourbon burning his throat right now. He inhaled the fumes from the empty glass. Scotch, he decided.

Neither said a word for a full minute. Serrano seemed to be particularly interested in lining up the glassware in the cabinet perfectly. The women stayed quiet.

“You’ve been through shit,” Serrano finally said.

“Aye.” Finn plunked down the glass and Serrano splashed another inch or so of Scotch into it. “And with the blood loss, I’m gonna be blootered in a minute.”

Serrano capped the crystal decanter. “So…you former military?”

“Ten years, with two tours in Iraq. Flew supplies in and dropped troops behind enemy lines.”

“That’s intense.”

Finn thought about the times he’d almost been shot down and shrugged. “Sometimes.”

A knock sounded on the door. It was Xian, with a tray full of cheeses and meats. “Thought you could use a little protein.” He set it on the coffee table and left.

A half hour later, over baked brie and Italian sausage, they learned all about Serrano and his blood-mate, Mackenzie.

“Being with a sweetblood isn’t easy, but it can be done,” Serrano said to Brenna as he spread hot mustard on a slice of meat. “That is, if you’re serious about him.”

Brenna turned to Finn, her eyelashes still damp. She reached up and stroked his jaw. “I love him, and I’d do anything if we could stay together.”

“But it’s not without its risks.” Lily pulled out the pimento from a green olive and popped it into her mouth. “Right, Dom?”

“Yes, but some risks are worth the price,” Serrano said, staring pointedly at Finn.

“Listen,” Finn said. He kissed the palm of Brenna’s hand then turned to face Serrano. “I have a proposition for you.”

Serrano raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“Because you owe me, I was thinking—”

“I owe you?”

“If you were held captive by some puny little bugger, wouldn’t you want revenge?”

Serrano’s jaw muscle flexed. Bingo. The guy was a warrior and knew exactly what Finn was talking about.

Finn continued. “I dreamed for weeks about what I’d do to him if he made one little slip-up, but now he’s gone. And I didn’t get the satisfaction of seeing his face when he realized I had escaped him. Besides, killers like him are out there and if you wipe my memory of them, I’ll be defenseless again. I won’t know to be wary, to watch my back.”

Serrano looked at Finn, sizing him up, and slowly nodded his head. “And what do you think I owe you?”

“I want to come to work for the Agency. And before you give me some song and dance again, I’ll remind you that you do employ humans here in the field office. I want to do my part in preventing what Creighton did to me from happening to other humans.” Finn told him about his qualifications, the various kinds of birds he was certified to fly.

“A human as a Guardian? I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Serrano brushed nonexistent crumbs from his pant leg.

“Consider me a member of the support staff.”

“He’s got an excellent point, Dom,” Lily said. “Just think how much easier it’d be for us to get out to the islands or over the mountains. No more waiting for ferries or driving over the passes. And if we ever needed any air support, we’d have it.”

Serrano looked first at Brenna, then Finn, his jaw muscle twitching. Finally he said, “I’m not making any promises, but I like you, McKentry. I’ll consider it.”

Chapter Seven

For the next hour, Dom and Finn discussed the particulars of Finn coming on board with the Agency. Finn would research what it would take to put a helipad on one of the buildings and find a bird that would suit the Agency’s needs.

He and Brenna were welcome to stay at the field office or move into one of the adjacent high-rise condo units.

“I’ll let Brenna decide what’s best for her given her work and school schedules,” Finn said. “I’m easy. I can live anywhere as long as it’s with her.”

Brenna’s heart swelled. She had to be the luckiest woman on earth to have a man like Finn love her.

“We could be neighbors,” Lily said hopefully.

While Dom and Finn continued talking logistics out in the hallway and Xian cleared the empty tray, Brenna hugged Lily. “I cannot thank you enough for all your support. Without it, I’m not sure Dom could’ve been swayed.”

“It’s nothing. You’d have done the same for me. Dom is stubborn, but he’ll eventually make the right decision regardless of how difficult it will be.”

Brenna watched as Lily smoothed her blond hair into a high ponytail. She hoped her friend would soon find the same happiness that she and Finn had. God knew Lily deserved it.

After everyone left, Brenna heard Finn running water into the tub. She entered the bathroom, planning to sit on the counter and talk to him while he soaked. He had to still be sore and aching after his long ordeal. But Finn evidently had other ideas in mind.

“Come on in,” he said, reaching for her hand. “The water’s fine.”

She laughed at the sight of this fierce warrior—her man—sitting up to his neck in a tub full of fragrant white bubbles. Surrounding the tub were equally fragrant candles. Would he ever stop surprising her? She hurriedly stripped and stepped into the tub, but instead of her sitting across from him as she had planned, Finn pulled her into his lap, slopping eucalyptus-scented bubbles over the side and extinguishing one of the pillar candles on the tile ledge.

“This way, you’re up a little higher and can get used to the water temperature. Besides, this gives me something to play with.” His large hands came out from the water, traveled over her waist and caressed her breasts. His palms were warm on her skin, and she wanted to arch her back like a cat. When he rubbed his thumbs simultaneously over her nipples, a chill of pleasure snaked down her spine. Although she couldn’t see through the bubbles, she was pretty sure he was aroused under there. So she repositioned herself a little closer. Yep, he was.

“So, what were you and Dom talking about so intently out in the corridor after the two of you finally worked out the helipad details and made nice?”

“Oh, nothing.”

She splashed him with water. “I can totally tell when two guys are talking about sex.”

Finn went all wide-eyed and innocent. “What do you mean?”

“He elbowed you and the two of you laughed like teenage boys with a secret.”

“Okay, fine. No secrets. You want to know what he said?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Evidently, having sex with a sweetblood—and I’m talking a lot of sex—actually can make the scent of that blood less potent to other vampires.”

She splashed him again. “You are such a liar. You’re making that up to ensure you’re always getting it from me. ‘Woman, I’m in danger. Ye must make love to me,’” she drawled in an exaggerated burr.

He threw his head back and laughed. “Oh my God, I love it. You sound just like my cousin.”

“I’m serious, Finn. I still need to be careful. This is nothing to—”

“Not if I become a changeling. Dom told me all about it.”

Was he serious? She sank deeper into the water and looked over her shoulder to scrutinize his face. Becoming a changeling was a procedure that involved blood-draining and the transfer of blood from two born vampires. “That’s a big commitment, Finn. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not the one asking. I am. Besides, I know approval from the Council takes a long time. And until then—” He slid his hands down her waist, resting them on her hips “—it’s called conditioning. Like an athlete. You get exposed to something over and over until it becomes a habit. Pretty soon, it’s not a big deal.”

“Yeah? So what if I slip up? All it takes is one time, Finn.”

“That won’t happen.”

“And how can you be so sure?”

“A couple of the guys agreed to stand guard outside our door when we…you know…make love.” Her mouth dropped open, but he kept going. “And I let you take my blood.”

“Excuse me? A bunch of oversexed vampires are going to be listening to us? As we— You and me— Finn McKentry! I won’t agree to it.”

“I was afraid you’d say that. Guess that means we’ll need to go with plan B.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. “And what is plan B?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll tie you to the bed so you can’t attack me. Dom has some strong rope that he said will work.”

“You’re going to tie me up?”

“The choice is yours. I’m just preparing you ahead of time so that you’re not surprised at what I’m planning to do.”

“Some choice.” She’d never been tied up during sex before—never even considered it. She ran her hands over the bubbles clinging to his muscular chest and a warmth that had nothing to do with the water pooled low in her belly. He could have his way with her and she’d be powerless. At his mercy. The thought was definitely intriguing.

“Our relationship will be give and take,” he said teasingly, his eyes glittering with that mischievous expression she’d always loved. “I’ll give you a taste and then I’ll take you. Just think. I’ll be your own personal blood slave.”

“You will?”

“Yeah, but only if you promise to love me forever.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. “Now that I can do.”

Don’t miss Lily’s story,

EMBRACED BY BLOOD,

coming in July 2011 from HQN Books.

And be sure to check out BONDED BY BLOOD,

the Sweetblood adventure that started it all,

available now!

ISBN: 978-1-4592-0593-2

Hidden by Blood

Copyright © 2011 by Laurie Thompson

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