Wolf Bane (The Anthology Novella Series Book 3), Page 3

  “Melinda…Jesus, how do I even say this? You were adopted. You were given up right after you were born for your own protection.”

  Melinda heard a strange buzzing in her ears as her heart slammed against her ribs as once again her entire world imploded around her and the realization hit her hard. She had always wondered why she looked so different from either one of her parents. She was fair, blonde, and tall; whereas, both of her parents were olive skinned with darker eyes and features.

  She remembered making a comment to that effect at her mom’s funeral, and her dad seeming so upset by it. Oh, God. This just couldn’t be happening! What had she ever done to deserve this? And, what the hell was coming next?

  “How…how do you know all of this?” she choked out, her voice no more than a husky whisper as her eyes filled with tears. Tears for a life that she was swiftly losing. A life that it seemed, if this all was true, had all been a lie.

  “I’m here to protect you,” he rasped, and she could hear the guilt in his voice... but guilt for what? “Your blood holds some very strong magic,” he explained, and she swiped at the tears on her cheeks with the backs of her hands. No! She wouldn’t break! She was stronger than this. “Your blood allows creatures like Roland to temporarily walk in the sun. We have no idea for how long, but he’s desperate to get his hands on you and find out.”

  She gasped as she felt her body begin to shake, but he went on, and a small part of her wanted to scream at him to stop…to just make this entire nightmare end.

  Colin pushed forward, although he wanted nothing more at that moment in time than to pull her into his arms and hold her tight. To tell her that everything would be all right. She seemed so damned fragile and he knew that this was all a whole hell of a lot to swallow all at once, but there was no other choice. They didn’t have a lot of time. His need to protect her was fierce, and it was growing stronger with each moment that he spent with this incredible creature.

  “Melinda, we need to keep you safe,” he reiterated. “To be frank, those fowl creatures want your blood. And they won’t give up easily.”

  “They?” she stammered, her glorious eyes growing larger as she watched him. “As in…more than just that one who attacked me last night?”

  Colin nodded grimly, wanting so much to shield her from all of this. More than he ever would have expected. How much more was she supposed to take? But, he knew that he couldn’t shield her from the truth. He had a job to do and a promise to keep; he didn’t need to get involved, but with her…

  It was one thing if you were born into this world and were aware of the beings around you. But to suddenly have everything that you have ever believed blown right out of the water in a single moment was overwhelming.

  “Roland is the leader of a small family of vampires,” he explained, his eyes traveling over her face. “They are very old and very entitled. They believe they are the chosen ones to lead others, and the ability to walk in the sun would give them a rather large advantage.”

  “Why don’t they just find some other witch?” she asked with a small grunt of disgust.

  Against his better judgment, Colin once again took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “Because, Melinda. You’re one of a kind. Your bloodline is the only one that has the power to do what it can do.”

  Melinda swallowed the lump forming in her throat as she fought to take in everything he was telling her. Her head was swimming with a million different questions all at once, but she needed a moment or two to gather her thoughts. She needed a little time to digest all of this. She needed to put just a little distance between herself and this man. This man, who was changing her entire universe in a heartbeat. This man who she wasn’t even completely sure she could trust. This man, who was distracting as hell.

  “Listen, I need a minute or two to get a grip on all of this if you don’t mind. I mean…I’m far from having all of my questions answered, but I need to get my thoughts together.” She glanced down and realized with a deep sinking feeling in her gut that she was wearing her night clothes. Her ratty old I live for Coffee t-shirt and baggy shorts. Oh good grief! Had the man seen her naked on top of everything else? Why not add to her humiliation?

  “I understand. I’ll give you some time. I’ll just go clean up the kitchen.” He stood and headed for the door.

  “Hey!” she called and he turned toward her, his expression soft…thoughtful.

  “Yes?”

  “Um, the last time I saw you, you were shredding your clothes and turning into a wolf.” She felt her cheeks warm as she eyed him up and down a moment, taking in the tight jeans and t-shirt that he wore with appreciation. “Do your clothes just magically reappear?”

  He chuckled, giving her a grin that was so darned sexy. “No. I always keep a ready bag in my car. One of the downfalls of being a shifter is that I go through a lot of clothing.” With that he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

  Melinda blew her bangs away from her face as she slipped from the bed. Well, that blew her hopes of her own clothes magically changing right out of the damned window. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, refusing to even think about it. At the moment…that was the least of her worries.

  Chapter 4

  Melinda emerged from the bathroom half an hour later and quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a blouse. She was feeling stronger now and was hoping to finish this once and for all.

  The sight of the two puncture marks on her throat was a painful reminder that this all was too real, and she had found herself staring at them in the mirror for a very long time as a feeling of doom swept over her. She had actually been bitten by a vampire! A real honest to blood loving vampire! Dear God! Was she going to turn into one? Her brows furrowed when she realized that the thought of blood still made her queasy, and she couldn’t have been happier. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

  She found Colin sprawled out on the couch as she walked into the living room and was once again struck by how handsome he was. The man was dark and primal and he made her senses buzz.

  He quickly sat up as she entered the room and gave her a guilty grin. “Just getting a little shut eye,” he explained quickly, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he had stayed up all night watching over her.

  She nodded as she sat down in the chair opposite him. “So…you’re a wolfman.” She blurted out, and once again cursed her lack of brain to mouth filter. She really needed to work on that.

  “Shifter,” he corrected with a laugh. “We don’t really like the term wolfman or werewolf. They bring up too many images of bad horror films. And…I’m only half. My mother was a full-blooded witch.”

  “Wow,” she breathed, her mouth dropping open slightly. “So…you can do magic?”

  “A bit.”

  “This is all so surreal,” she murmured, more to herself than him, but he leaned forward and captured her gaze.

  “How do you feel?” he asked, and she watched as his eyes slid to her neck, and that look of anger marred his features once again.

  “I’m not going to turn…into one of them…am I?” she sputtered, feeling as if she was going to be sick, but knowing she had to ask.

  “No.” His answer caused the breath to rush from her in a mighty whoosh. She could possibly deal with being a witch, but the thought of turning into something that ran around at night and chomped down on people’s necks made her positively queasy.

  “Good.”

  “Before we get back into the whole twenty questions thing, do you mind if I take a quick shower?” he asked, and Melinda suddenly felt like an ass. He had taken on a vampire, watched over her the entire night, and cooked her breakfast, and all she could do was slam question after question at him. Yes, it was justified for God’s sake, but she could still give the man a break. He had come to her rescue after all.

  “No…not at all. Feel free.” She watched as he stood and stretched, his incredible frame so damned muscular, and grab a black duffl
e bag from the floor. “I’m not trying to be rude or anything here, but are you planning on moving in or something?” The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them and she felt the heat rise up her neck. She really needed to get a little tact.

  “I plan on staying by your side for as long as it takes to make sure that you’re safe, Melinda.” He said the words firmly, evenly. “If Roland has the ability to walk in the sun for now, I can’t take any chances with your safety. I won’t.”

  “Why?” she asked suddenly, silently wondering why he had been the one lucky enough to have to protect her sorry ass. She didn’t know this man. She had never even laid eyes on him before last night. So…why him?

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why did you get stuck with this job? Did you pull the short straw or something?”

  He stepped over in front of where she sat and leaned down, bringing his face only inches away from hers, and she could smell his wonderful scent…well, that and the slight underlying hint of garbage. The vision of him being thrown across the alley and into the side of a dumpster invaded her mind as she fought back the urge to wrinkle her nose at the smell and she felt a pang of guilt.

  “Just lucky I guess.” He gave her a wink and walked off toward the bathroom, leaving her to sit there silently with her mouth hanging open. Not what she had been expecting him to say. At all.

  Colin walked back into the living room to find Melinda sitting on the floor, her eyes closed and her face screwed up in concentration as she waved her hands above her head. He stopped short and watched her a moment, trying to figure out what in the hell she was doing.

  He heard her puff out an irritated breath and watched in amusement as she wriggled her nose, and he couldn’t stop the sound that burst from his lips. It was something between a laugh and a cough and her eyes snapped open and she looked at him, turning beet red with embarrassment.

  “May I ask just what it is that you’re doing?” He chuckled, and she bit down on her bottom lip as she shrugged her shoulders.

  “I’m trying to get this damn candle to light,” she replied, gesturing toward the small votive sitting on the floor in front of her.

  “You might want to try a lighter.”

  “Ha ha, very funny,” she mumbled between clenched teeth before puffing out another breath. “You tell me that I’m a witch, yet…I can’t do a single witchy thing at all.”

  Colin sat down on the floor across from her, taking her hands in his, and she felt an instant rush of warmth run through her body, making her tingle all over.

  “Concentrate on the candle,” he instructed softly, his oh so warm eyes holding hers as a look of encouragement crossed his features.

  Melinda found it damned hard to actually concentrate on what the man was saying. She could see his thoroughly suckable lips moving; yet found that the words seemed to be mashing together and she realized with a shiver that no matter how you cut it…the man was curl your toes sexy and she suddenly felt like the world’s biggest perv for even thinking such thoughts with everything happening at the moment.

  She gave herself a quick mental kick and nodded slightly, looking down at the candle and narrowing her eyes as she stared at it intently.

  “All right…now imagine it lighting,” he urged softly.

  Melinda focused on the candle with all she was worth, but still nothing. Not a damned thing. She glared down at it until her eyes nearly crossed, yet it wouldn’t even spark.

  Finally, she leaned back and looked at him, shaking her head in disgust. “I suck.” She groaned and Colin burst out laughing once again.

  “Melinda, you only just came into your powers. You just need to learn to harness them.”

  “Harness smarness,” she grumbled irritably. “I’ll never do it. What in the hell do I know about being a witch anyway?” What in the hell did she know about anything anymore, she silently wondered?

  Colin leaned forward and slid his hand behind her neck and before she knew what was happening, his mouth was pressed firmly to hers. His tongue slid against her lips, urging them to open and she found herself obliging him without thought. She moaned deep in her throat as his tongue teased and toyed with hers, swirling around and causing her heart to thump around in her chest and she suddenly felt as if she were floating on air.

  Much too soon, he broke away and leaned back, and it took her a moment to regain her composure. When she opened her eyes, she found him sitting there, smiling rather smugly. She looked around in wonder as she noticed the candles surrounding them, all lit and flickering.

  “Holy crap. Did I do that?” she asked when she was finally able to find her voice.

  Colin gave her a grin, the taste of her mouth still on his lips, and nodded. Damn, he thought with a tightening to his chest, but she tasted damn sweet.

  “Until you learn, your powers will be based on your emotions,” he husked, wanting so much to taste that wonderful mouth of hers again. “Anger, fear…desire.” He saw her cheeks redden ever so slightly and took a deep breath. “I know it’s all a bit overwhelming, but it will come in time.”

  Melinda cleared her throat as she stood to her feet and wiped her hands on the back pockets of her jeans, wincing slightly at how clammy they felt. This man made her feel like an awkward teenager!

  “Um…so what do we do now?” she asked, desperately searching for anything to take her mind off the feel of his mouth on hers. “Just wait for Dracula and the Addams family to show up?”

  Colin stood up in front of her and tried to bite back his smile. This beautiful little witch certainly had a way with words.

  “Actually, you need to get some stuff packed. We can’t stay here.” He watched as her mouth once again dropped open in shock.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Melinda, it won’t take Roland any time at all in finding you. In fact, I’m surprised that he hasn’t shown up already. Or at the very least, one of his family. We have to get you somewhere safe.”

  “But…but…” she stammered, shaking her head wildly from side to side. “I can’t just pack up and leave! I have a life here!” She looked at him in what had to be pure panic and it twisted at something deep in his heart. He was telling her that she needed to leave the last thing that made sense to her. Home.

  “Melinda…”

  “Oh, my God,” she sniffled roughly. The tears that were swimming in her eyes was nearly his undoing. She swiped her hand across her nose and choked back a sob. “And…and, I don’t know if I can even trust you yet,” she blurted out shakily, and Colin did what he had wanted to do from the moment he had set eyes on her. He pulled her into his arms and held her.

  He held her close against his body as he rested his chin on top of her head. He knew she was close to breaking and he just needed to comfort her. “I swear to you,” he said against her ear, his voice laced with sincerity, and he prayed that she could hear it. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You can trust me, Melinda.”

  He felt her shudder against him as she nodded her head slightly. “I know,” she mumbled against his chest, and her warm breath against the hollow of his throat caused gooseflesh to break out on his skin. “At least, I think I can. I don’t completely understand it myself.” She sniffled once again before straightening her spine and looking up at him with a strength and determination that was admirable. “Maybe it’s just all this crazy witchy shit in me or something. Who knows?” She tried to give him a smile then, and his heart nearly exploded in his chest. And it was then he knew. In that one single moment in time…he knew that this woman was his mate. Christ! How in the hell was he going to explain this one to her?

  Chapter 5

  “I think I’m ready,” Melinda sighed as she walked out of her bedroom not even twenty-five minutes later. She struggled with her suitcases and Colin immediately rushed over to where she stood and took the bags from her, his eyes locking with hers as he tried to convey his understanding. He needed her to know that he knew how hard this was for her.

&n
bsp; “It won’t be forever,” he whispered, but instantly felt a pang of guilt when he realized that it just might be. There was no telling if or when she would be able to come back here.

  “Will I ever see my father again?” she asked softly, her eyes shining as she looked around her house. A house that she had been so proud to call her own. “He’s had it rough since we lost Mom and I hate the thought of him now worrying about what happened to me. He doesn’t deserve that. Or…my friends? Will everyone just think that I’ve gone missing?”

  “I don’t know,” Colin replied honestly, finding it almost impossible to keep anything from her. He knew there were no guarantees where she was concerned, but it hurt like hell to see the pain in her face. “But we’ll work something out so your father doesn’t worry. I promise.”

  She nodded slowly. “All right,” she husked, shrugging her shoulders as she glanced out the window. The sun had begun its decent, and she knew that they had better get a move on. “Let’s do this.”

  They both turned toward the door as the lock clicked. Colin instinctively dropped her bags and pushed her behind him before she could even think to protest.

  He watched with eyes blazing as her friend from the bar came strolling through the door as if she owned the place.

  “It’s just Stacy,” he heard Melinda say from behind him as she peered over his shoulder.

  Colin watched as the woman stepped into the hall and stopped short, eyeing them up and down a moment before plastering a smile on her face that was anything but genuine.