Nyx is so powerful he scares other vampires. One little hunter should be no challenge. However, Pagan is different, and as soon as he sees her, he will do anything to keep her. But she’s ever a stubborn woman. She refuses to let someone else control her.
But when a powerful enemy comes to town she’s forced to trust Nyx with her life. Who is the larger threat? The man out to destroy humankind? Or the vampire determined to own her heart?
I thrust the knife straight into the vampire’s heart. He didn’t make a sound. He looked shocked as he slid slowly down the wall. I knelt beside him and twisted the knife viciously. I needed to make sure I completely dissected the heart. He was young, so he probably couldn’t heal the first wound. However, there was no need to take chances.
I check for a pulse and found none. If he had been older I would have cut off his head for good measure, but he was too young to survive a blow to the heart. I pulled out the knife, wiped the blood off on the vamp’s pants and stood.
The hair on the back of my neck rose. Shit, just what I needed, a vampire catching me killing one of it’s own.
“If we weren’t old friends I’d kill your for that, Pagan.” The tip of something sharp pressed into my back, probably one of Archer’s swords. “Now turn around nice and slow.”
My lips twitched as I tried to hold in a smile. I hadn’t seen Archer in a long time. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a vampire hunter to be seen being friendly with her prey now, would it?
I dropped the knife and lifted my hands. “Old friend? I didn’t know you considered me a friend these days, Archer.” The last time we’d spent any time together he’d ordered me out of his house after I went for his brother Aden with a knife. The youngest of the family, Aaron, had threatened to kill me if he ever saw me again.
I missed them every damned day.
“Yeah, don’t tell the other vampires we’re friends. I’ll be ostracized.”
I couldn’t contain my smile as I turned to face him.
“Definitely.”
He rolled his eyes and slowly lowered his sword. “What are we going to do with your friend there? Can’t you kill at someone else’s parties? I’m tempted to let the vampires downstairs have at your ass.”
“Look, he was a mark. I can’t help where he happens to party. I got paid for it. You want a percentage or something?”
“Yep, sure do.”
“Well you’ve got it then, stop bitching.”
Archer glanced down at him and gave a low whistle. “What did he do? He’s not that old.”
“He was the child of a vampire named Nyx. Nyx’s death is the real goal, but I’ve been given permission to take out any of his spawn if they won’t give me information on him. For every one I kill I get a little bonus. Someone hates his ass. I plan on killing a lot of Nyx’s fledglings before I get to him.
Archer’s face went completely blank and he backed away from the body.
“What?” I’d never seen Archer react like that. He almost looked scared. Nah.
“I won’t have anything to do with this, Pagan. Get rid of this fucking body and don’t try to take down Nyx. I’m warning you, you don’t want what’ll come your way if you go after him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Rage flared in his eyes. “It means, you stupid child, that Nyx is ancient. The longer the vampire has been around the more power they gain and I couldn’t even guess at how long he’s been alive. He’ll gut you like a fish, and me for that matter if I’m involved in the murder of one of his fledglings. He’s incredibly protective of what’s his.”
He threw up his hands and backed away shaking his head. “I didn’t see you and you didn’t see me. Drop this job.”
He pivoted with military precision and stalked off down the hallway. I hurried after him and grabbed his arm.
“Come on, Archer. Talk to me. You’ve clearly got information I need. I’ve gone after powerful vamps before. You never flipped out.”
He gripped the bridge of his nose like I was giving him a headache. Could vampires get headaches? I didn’t think so.
“You don’t understand. He’s the second oldest known vampire. The first is somewhat of a recluse. Even our king wouldn’t fuck with Nyx. He’s got incredible powers. There are some that say that even a beheading won’t kill him.”
He shrugged. “Personally I think that’s bullshit. We aren’t truly immortal, but maybe his powers allow him to regenerate even that. You can’t beat him. You’ve only been fighting for ten years compared to his thousands.”
“I’m the best out there. You know the kind of money I get paid to do my job?”
“It doesn’t matter, Pagan. You’ve been hurt before by the old ones you’ve taken down, and they are nothing in comparison. Don’t get cocky.”
“What if I took back up?”
“And risk other people? That’s not your style.”
He was right. The only people I ever took in hunts were my brother and my lover, Billy. Both could handle themselves in a fight. “Good point. Don’t worry about me. If the job looks that dangerous after a fight with him I’ll back out.”
“If you get the chance.”
I frowned at him. “So, if he’s invincible surely you won’t mind telling me where to find him?”
His lost all emotion. “I know we’ve had our differences lately, but I don’t want you dead. You’re a nuisance, but when I look at you all I see is the little ten-year-old girl I saved from some bad vampires way back when. No, I won’t tell you where to find him. I’m tempted to use some vampire powers on you to make you forget this whole venture, but your own powers are too strong for that.”
He turned and walked away again. “Now get out of my house.”
***
I stood outside Nyx’s bar four hours later. In spite of Archer trying to keep me away from Nyx, I had found him. My old enemies had no problem telling me where to locate him. They wanted me dead, and everyone thought Nyx was a good way of achieving that.
The magic hiding Of the Night rushed over my skin. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I almost didn’t want to go in. Fortunately, I knew it was the magic influencing me. It compelled humans to stay away, and kept the club hidden from the authorities.
I was dressed from head to toe in black. A tank top and ultra short shorts. People who went into vampire clubs usually favored bare skin and a gothic appearance. A short black wig and brown contacts completed my attire.
The outfit was also designed to be the opposite of what I usually wore. I dressed very sedately when I wasn’t hunting. It was important not to be identified if you wanted to survive.
With vampires it was a little more difficult. They could distinguish the faintest of scents. To their incredible noses everyone had a different scent that was all their own, but you could mask it, usually enough to save your life.
They had observational skills like a security camera. They caught, and remembered everything. I had to try not to be noticed before I made my move. Things like the way I walked, spoke, or carried myself would all be recognizable if I didn’t kill him.
I took a final drag of my cigarette. Something that would help cover my scent. I tossed the butt on the ground and walked in through Of the Night’s double doors.
I walked through the dark, smoky bar. I could feel the bass of the heavy metal in my chest. The rotating and flashing lights were disorienting. The dance floor was packed with undulating bodies. A few dimly lit alcoves had couches and were occupied by couples engaged in kissing and various acts of foreplay.
I passed by the niche nearest to the door in time to see a woman snort a line of coke. Wow, the police would have a field day in here.
I shook my head and started shoving my way through the crowd. There was no way to move without being brushed by heaving bodies. I took a deep breath and tried not the freak out. I wasn’t a fan of being enclosed, or having people touch me.
I felt some of the auras of the ‘people’ as they brushed me. Almost no one in here was human. Most were vampires. There were a few wereanimals. I started shoving against the bodies, trying to hurry through them.
I slid onto a sleek, black bar stool with a sigh of relief. A shirtless vampire was buffing the countertop in front of me. He was built like a god. Every muscle toned to perfection. He had probably been a big, chiseled guy before, but vampire blood washed away all flaws. His hair was raven black. He was the perfect thing to bring in young women for a bite on the neck.
I sighed in pure feminine pleasure. Just because he was a vampire didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the view. He would have been “jump-his-bones” if his power didn’t creep over my skin like spiders. A black aura and raw vampiric strength bled from him. I suppressed a shudder. No matter how enticing their form, vampires always made my skin crawl.
His eyes met mine and I drew in a breath. He had the most gorgeous violet eyes. They were filled with an ancient intelligence. The bartender’s lips curled into an amused half smile, as if he knew I was ogling his body.
I frowned at him. It annoyed me that he read me so easily. I stopped eyeing him.
The smile widened and he raised his voice over the music. “What can I get you?”
His voice was a deep growling bass. He had a subtle accent I couldn’t identify.
I cleared my throat and leaned closer to him. “I’d like to see the owner.”
The smile turned wicked and suggestive. “I’m Nyx. I’m the owner.” He scanned my body, eyes finally resting on my throat before flicking back to my eyes. He obviously hadn’t fed yet. “Again, what can I get you?”
I cursed under my breath. I had been hoping to meet with him in private. Fighting to the death in the middle of his bar was a bad idea. Particularly since it was filled with supernatural beings that would come to his aid.
I guess I would have to use my incredibly inept flirting to lure him away. God, this was not going to go well.
“Do you mind if we speak alone?” I glanced up at him from under my eyelashes.
He raised an eyebrow, but his flirtatious smile remained in place. “Sure thing.”
He leapt across the counter with the fluidity only a vampire could have. I noticed his bare feet and couldn’t quite suppress my smile as I slid off the bar stool and grabbed my purse. A vampire who didn’t wear shoes? It seemed so odd. He placed a cool hand on my lower back, sliding it under my shirt. I managed not to flinch as my psychic senses rioted at the contact.
Everyone stumbled out of his way as he guided me to a door on the right side of the bar and into a hallway. As the door shut the sound of the music was instantly deadened. I took a deep breath, feeling more at ease, even with the vamp touching me.
He led me toward another door at the end of the corridor. It swung open before we reached it and I hesitated. He smiled down at me as we stepped into his office. I’d never seen a vampire open a door with his mind. I wondered how powerful his telekinesis was. The most I could do was float a feather off my desk and that took an incredible amount of effort.
He rounded the huge, antique oak desk and sank into a red leather chair. His face went cold, losing all pretense of friendly flirting. “Worried yet, vampire hunter?”
I stopped smiling and forced my face not to show the surprise I felt. “How did you know?”
“I knew as soon as you stepped through the doors of the bar. You’re too powerful not to be sensed. Besides, even in that outfit you don’t fit in here. It’s the way you carry yourself, and the fact that you aren’t strung out. Then you asked to see me alone. Too chicken shit to face me in front of other supernatural beings?”
“Yes. If I did manage to kill you, I wouldn’t make it out the door. I’m good, but I’m not good enough to fend off fifty or more preternatural creatures.”
“Well, I’m warning you now, you won’t win. I’ve gone up against better than you, honey. And my employees won’t interfere. I’ve told them that if someone manages to kill me they’re cunning enough to deserve life. As for the customers, challenging you.” He gave a harsh bark of laughter. “Most of them would like to see me dead anyway.”
“Wow, so when I kill you I can just walk out of here?”
He laughed. This time it was a rich, lovely sound, like really good chocolate. “You won’t kill me. Where are your weapons anyway?”
He scanned my body. “That outfit doesn’t leave many places to hide a weapon. Not that I don’t appreciate the view.”
“I have my knives in my purse. It’s not the best place for them, but acceptable clothing here doesn’t leave many places to hide a blade.”
“Well, you’ll need more than a little knife to kill me. Hasn’t anyone told you that you have to sever my head?”
“Yes. I figured a knife to the heart has got to hurt though, and while you’re stunned by that I can cut off your head. The knives I have really aren’t that small.”
He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk. His hands came to rest on his stomach. “Oh, a vicious and bloody death. I figured you wouldn’t want to get your hands that dirty. Pretty manicure, by the way. You’re nails are a very practical length.”
I smiled sweetly. “You really shouldn’t be concerned with my nails at this moment.”
He shrugged. “At any rate, it doesn’t really matter what knives you’re using. I’m still going to end up owning you.”
I glowered at him. That was a strange way to put it. I was about to ask him what the hell he meant when he rose smoothly to his incredibly height.
I pulled my knives from my purse.
He braced his hands on the desk and loomed over me. “You sure you want to fight in here, honey? It’s cramped. You might have a better chance if you had some more space. There’s also a better opportunity to escape when you decide you need to run. But be warned, I’ll hunt you to the edge of the Earth.”
I leapt across the desk but he was gone before I landed. Shit, this was not going to be easy. I spun around to see the door to the office wide open. Nyx stood at the end of the hall, beckoning me, grinning from ear to ear. It seemed he wasn’t going to give me a choice as to where we fought. Of course not. Reluctantly, I went after him.
The music in the club had been turned off and most of the clientele had cleared out. It must be near closing time. The remaining creatures were lounging on the couches and booths.
I stepped cautiously back into the bar, prepared for an attack. Wereanimals looked up from their drinks. One vampire drew back from the neck of a woman he’d been sucking on. She tried to pull him back to her throat. He kissed her, whispered in her ear and then led her hands into his pants before going back to watching me.
“Hey, Markus, take that in the back room. You know the rules,” Nyx shouted.
I arched an eyebrow and glanced at him. “Oh, so there are rules here?”
“Vampires don’t have a lot of inhibitions. Public sex isn’t a big deal to them, but it freaks out the wereanimals. It also freaks out the few shapeshifters who come through here, but they’re raised to be uptight.”
“So, are you going to arm yourself, vampire?”
He held up his hands and flashed a wicked set of fangs. “I’m well equipped, child. I could rip you to pieces with my bare hands.”
I stared at him as he advanced, looking for a good place to strike. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the customers form a circle around us, like vultures waiting for the kill.
“I thought you weren’t going to let people interfere. Are you a lying, chicken shit, Nyx?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “They won’t interfere, they just want a good view. An excellent bar fight is always entertaining. Our little floor show will get my bar some good publicity.”
I darted forward and slashed at his stomach. He danced back with ease, not even bothering to use the vampiric speed he was capable of.
Because of their speed, it was always easier to take a vampire by surprise. The fact that he could dance away with the skill of a prizefighter and not rely on his supernatural lightness of foot was not encouraging.
Most of the newer vampires had little or no battle training. They depended on their powers and that’s how a lot of them were killed.
I watched his muscles coil as he readied to spring. I rolled out of the way as he disappeared from view. I came to my feet and spun around. He stood where I had been seconds ago. He disappeared and I was left staring at where he had been
.
A hand wrapped in my hair and yanked my head back. His fangs sunk into my neck as his arm snaked around my waist.
I screamed, blinded by the pain. I fought him mindlessly, flailing. But panicking wouldn’t do me any good. I took a deep breath and made myself focus before slamming my foot down on his instep. I bashed my elbow back into his solar plexus, throwing all my weight into it.
He released my throat and tumbled to the ground with a grunt. I scrambled for my knives, which I had dropped when he bit me. I seized one, rolled over, and planted it in his chest. I twisted it viciously and he cried out in pain.
I almost felt regret. He had such a great sense of humor and he really was gorgeous.
“Bitch!” So much for regret.
His hand flew up, gripped mine around the knife and started to squeeze. My knuckles cracked and I shrieked. This fucker was going to crush my hand into pulp. I spun and went for the knife at his feet. He kicked out and it went spinning away toward the wall of people.
I screamed as I felt one of the bones in my hand break. Black spots blurred my vision as another bone gave under the pressure. I started trying to pull away but he wouldn’t let me go. I stood to get more leverage and threw all my weight back, but still couldn’t break free.
He coughed and blood splattered his lips. I started kicking his side frantically. He released me and I stumbled back into the crowd. They shoved me toward Nyx and I fell on my face. I sat up, cradling my hand. Faintly, I wondered if I’d ever be able to use it again. I glanced at my palm. The sacred spells carved on my knives where indented in my hand.
Excited murmurs broke through the crowd and my gaze swung back to Nyx. He was sitting up now, my knife still sticking out of his chest. His hands gripped the hilt. His face contorted in pain as he drew the blade out.
I watched in horror. I had hoped Archer was wrong about his ability to survive a knife to the heart.
The knife clattered to the ground. Nyx’s body sagged forward. As if in slow motion, he stood. He swayed, but didn’t fall down. Blood seeped down his torso. He took a shaky step toward me.
I screamed, unable to stop myself. I scrambled through the legs of the onlookers to get to my other knife. My hand closed around the hilt just as arms surrounded my waist and I was lifted into the air.
Nyx set me on my feet, turned me around and backhanded me hard. I spun, hitting the ground on my stomach. All the air rushed out of me. Nyx grabbed my shoulder and flipped me over.
He jerked my knife from my hand. By some miracle I’d managed to hold onto it. He straddled my waist and sliced just under his collarbone. Wrapping his arms around me, he drew me up, and pressed my mouth to the cut. I panicked. He was trying to turn me! I tried to rear away, but he pressed my head to the cut. I raked my nails down his back, drawing blood. He hissed and increased the pressure on the back of my head.
The smell of his blood filled my nose. His mind crashed over mine in a blinding wave of agony.
“Stop fighting me and the pain will stop.” I wasn’t sure if he’d spoken out loud or in my head.
I licked over the wound tentatively before I latched on, my hands wrapping around his neck. His hands gentled and he stroked my hair.
“Good girl,” he whispered in my ear. “Told you, you wouldn’t win.”
I leaned back from the wound and stared up at him. He rose to his feet with me. Vaguely, I heard cheering in the background, but his eyes hypnotized me. I couldn’t look away.
I blinked and tore my eyes from his. I was supposed to be doing something. Something important.
He turned my face back to him. “Let me feed, Pagan.”
Obediently, I tilted my head, even as a shudder worked its way down my spine. I didn’t want him to drink from me. He would kill me. My heart pounded. I snapped my head forward and covered his mouth. His forehead crinkled as he frowned. The confused look on his face was too cute for words.
Let me feed. His voice seemed to come from inside my head. I shook my head and pushed myself away from him. He reluctantly let go. His eyes narrowed, and I could feel him trying to pressure me. Pain detonated behind my eyes.
“Stop that!” I shouted as I glanced around. My eyes fell to the knife on the ground covered in his heart’s blood.
His hold over me suddenly snapped and I dove for the knife. My left hand closed around it as Nyx grabbed my right arm. He flipped me over and I threw my left hand up and slashed his throat. Blood poured over me and I scrambled to my feet, backing away from him as he clutched his neck.
He rushed me and slammed his fist into my jaw. Agony tore through my head as I went flying. The crowd jostled to get out of the way. I smashed into the wooden door. The hinges snapped and the door fell outward. I finally came to rest in front of two startled female wereanimals. I laid there for a moment and the women skirted around me, disappearing inside the club.
“Thanks a lot.” I shouted weakly after them before rolling to my feet. I stumbled and caught myself against the wall, then staggered down the street. I had to get to my car and get the fuck out of here before Nyx managed to come after me.
I limped into the parking lot a block away from the club and found my car. I unclipped my keys from my belt loop and unlocked the car.
Everything in my body ached. I gingerly touched the bruise blossoming on my cheek. My whole body would be covered in them tomorrow. I was coated in blood. Luckily most of it wasn’t mine. I collapsed into the driver’s seat and locked the doors behind me.
My eyes drifted closed, about to give into the need for sleep, or rather, passing out. I popped them open. I couldn’t afford to rest here. Driving was going to be interesting without the use of my right hand. I started the car and turned on the air conditioning to keep myself awake.
I backed out of the parking space and started out of town. My hand ached, but not as badly as it should have. Either I was in shock or his blood had healed me. He hadn’t turned me into a vampire. I would have been in too much pain to get away from him if he had, but what had he done?
I planned to drive straight to Archer’s and ask him. I leaned back, and prepared myself for the long drive. My eyelids drooped.
I probably should have stopped then, but my stubbornness kept me going. My eyes slipped closed and I was back in my house, sitting on the stairs, listening to my parents berate me for skipping school. Oh, how I missed their voices.