Night's Promise (10 page)

“Where are the old ladies now?” Derek stretched his legs out in front of him, his chin resting on his folded hands.

Sitting beside him on the sofa, Mara smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her skirt. “I let them go.”

Derek raised one brow, but said nothing.

“I know, I should have destroyed the two of them. They’ve had it coming for years.”

“So why didn’t you?”

Mara glanced at Logan. Reclining on the other couch, he gave a one-shoulder shrug in an “it’s up to you” gesture.

Derek looked at his mother. “What’s going on, Ma? What aren’t you telling me?”

She bristled at his tone, but she could feel the tension building in him, so she let it slide. “They gave me some interesting news. After I heard it, I decided to let them live a little longer.”

“Must have been some kick-ass news,” Derek muttered. “You’ve said you wanted them dead more than once. So . . .” His gaze darted from Mara to Logan and back again. “What did they say?”

“It’s their opinion that the reason I was able to get pregnant had less to do with my reverting to humanity than with the fact that your father was a werewolf.”

Derek sat forward, eyes narrowing. “What?”

“You heard me. I never knew it, and neither did he, but apparently Kyle carried a recessive werewolf gene, which means you also carry it. Only in your case, it seems to be dominant.”

Rising, Derek paced the floor. If it was true, it explained a lot: his restlessness when the moon was full, his craving for raw meat. He paused in midstride. “Are you saying I’m going to turn into a werewolf?”

Mara glanced at Logan again before answering. “It’s anybody’s guess. Nothing quite like this has ever happened before.”

Derek raked a hand through his hair. “What else?”

“There’s no way of knowing if, once you turn into a werewolf, you’ll remain a werewolf.”

“So, I’ll either be a werewolf, or a vampire, or both?”

Mara nodded.

“Well, it’s a hell of a trifecta, isn’t it?”

 

 

A thought took Derek to Sheree’s house. Uncertain of his ability to keep either his hunger or his emotions under control, he stood in the shadows. What would she think if he shared what he had just learned? What could he say?
Hey, guess what? I might not be a vampire much longer.
Or,
Hey, did you hear the latest news? I might be a vampire
and
a werewolf.

Yeah, just what she needed. Something else to worry about. That would go over really well.

He held his breath when he saw her looking out the window. His first instinct was to go to her. He fought it for a moment, telling himself it was too dangerous to be near her in his current state of mind, but even as he told himself to stay where he was, he was crossing the street, knocking on the door.

She opened it with a smile. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

Taking him by the hand, she pulled him inside and closed the door. “I thought you’d be here sooner. Your mother left over half an hour ago.”

“Is that right?” He still wasn’t sure it had been a good idea for Sheree to invite his mother inside; then again, Sheree was probably safer with Mara than with him.

Still holding his hand, Sheree sat on the sofa, tugging him down beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, why?”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

He shook his head. “I’ll tell you some other time.”

“More secrets?”

“Not exactly. I learned something new tonight and I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

Worry furrowed her brow. “Is it something that affects us?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“I don’t mean to. So, how did you spend your day?”

She pouted a moment because he wouldn’t confide in her, then blew it off. There was no point in being angry. He had warned her there were things about himself he couldn’t share. “I didn’t really do very much. I called my parents and told them I wouldn’t be coming home right away, after all. My mother got a little upset with me. It seems as soon as I told her I might be coming home, she went into party mode. She seems to think I should be welcomed back as if I’ve been away for years.”

“She probably misses you.”

“Maybe. And then I had a phone call from this guy she’s trying to set me up with. Neil Somerset.” She shook her head. “I could tell my mother put him up to it. Neil and I have nothing to say to each other. It was very awkward.”

A muscle twitched in Derek’s jaw at the mention of another man, even one thousands of miles away.

“Your mother and I spent the rest of the day giving each other manicures,” Sheree went on, “and watching old movies on TV. She’s quite the movie buff.”

“Yeah, well, she’s probably seen them all.”

“I can’t imagine living as long as she has.” Sheree looked at him, her expression thoughtful. “You could live that long, too, couldn’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“Can I get you a glass of wine?”

“No, thanks.” He clenched his hands, fighting the urge to take her in his arms and drink from her.

She must have seen the hunger in his eyes, he thought, because she grew very still. In the sudden silence, the sharp intake of her breath was unusually loud. With his preternatural senses, he heard the sudden pounding of her heart, smelled the fear on her skin.

“I should go,” he said, his voice thick.

“You need to feed, don’t you?”

He didn’t deny it.

“You can . . . I mean, if you need to . . . um . . .” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Just don’t take too much.”

He knew he should refuse, should get the hell out of there before it was too late. But the remembered taste of her, the sweetness of it, lingered in his mind.

He cursed under his breath as he took her in his arms.

“Will it hurt?”

“No, love.” He claimed her lips with his in a long, slow kiss, held her until the tension went out of her and she was kissing him back, her fingers tunneling into his hair, her body yearning toward his. His hands moved over her, lightly, gently, learning every curve.

He kissed his way along the length of her neck until he found the soft vulnerable place just beneath her ear. His tongue laved the skin, and then, keeping a tight hold on his control, he bit her. She pressed herself closer as sensual warmth spread through her.

It took all of his self-control to hold back, to keep from savaging her throat and taking it all. But then a strange thing happened. One taste, two, and his hunger receded.

She moaned a soft protest when he lifted his head.

He gazed down at her, amazed that his voracious thirst had been satisfied with so little.

Sheree looked up at him, her gaze slightly unfocused. “Are you finished already?”

“Are you sorry?”

She nodded, a faint flush staining her cheeks. “It was—I don’t know—amazing.”

His life had been full of surprises, Derek thought, giving her a hug. But Sheree was the best one of all.

Pearl filled two water glasses to the brim with red wine, handed one to Edna, then collapsed in a chair, heedless of the liquid that splashed into her lap. “I thought we were dead for sure!”

“Me, too!” Edna took a long swallow, then shook her head. “This isn’t going to cut it. I need something warm to drink.”

“In a minute, dear. Let me catch my breath.” Pearl drained her glass, though it wasn’t easy, her hands were shaking so. “Why didn’t she kill us?”

“She must have decided we could be of use later. After all, no one knows more about werewolves than we do.”

“That’s true.” Rising, Pearl refilled her glass. She and Edna had conducted numerous tests on the creatures in the past. “Who do you think the hunters in town are after? Mara? Or Derek?”

“I don’t know. Two hunters have disappeared. One was reported dead. One seems to have lost her memory.”

“If we’re not careful, we could be next,” Pearl said, resuming her seat.

“Funny, all those hunters showing up here at the same time.”

“Almost as if someone’s put out a hit,” Pearl remarked, then frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense, dear. Hunting vampires is what hunters do. It’s in their blood.”

“True,” Edna said, “but maybe one of Mara’s old enemies wants her dead and doesn’t have the
cojones
to do the job himself.”

“It’s a possibility,” Pearl agreed.

“If they’re afraid to go after Mara, killing Derek would be the best revenge they could take. If anything happened to him, she would never get over it.”

Pearl nodded, and then sighed. “Remember when we were hunters?”

“Yes, indeed,” Edna said, grinning. “And we’re still hunters.”

“Yes, dear. Only the prey has changed.”

Setting her glass on the table beside her chair, Edna stood. “Speaking of change, it’s time to get out of these dreary outfits and into something a little more comfortable.”

“Like a nice warm neck or two?” Pearl remarked.

“Girlfriend, you must be reading my mind.”

 

 

Derek waited until Sheree was asleep before slipping outside to where Mara waited.

“What’s up?” He glanced up and down the street, but all was quiet, the houses dark. A faint breeze carried the scent of skunk. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked, a steady yapping that spoke of boredom.

“Would you believe me if I said I was just in the neighborhood?”

“Not likely.”

“All right,” she said with an airy wave of her hand. “I’m spying on you.”

“Worried about me?”

“No, about Sheree, actually. I know the mood you were in earlier.”

“And you thought I’d rip her throat out?” He laughed softly. “Why would you care?”

“I’ve grown rather fond of her these last few days.”

“Yeah, me, too.” Derek shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “She let me drink from her tonight.”

“You fed on her?” Mara exclaimed.

“No! No, it wasn’t like that. She knew I needed to feed and she offered, but the thing is, after a swallow or two, the hunger left me. Nothing like that’s ever happened before.”

“Interesting, but not unheard of. So, you’re going to stay with her?”

“For a while.”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“Probably not, but . . . all I know is that I need her in ways I don’t understand. It’s like she’s a missing part of me. I know, that sounds sappy as hell, but . . .”

“Believe it or not, I understand. It’s how I feel about Logan. The hardest thing I ever did was admit that I needed him,” she said, smiling. “Chauvinist that he is, he’s never let me forget it, which would be unbearable, except that he needs me, too.”

“Yeah.”

Mara glanced at the house. “Are you thinking of spending the day here?”

“No. I’ll be home before dawn.”

“All right. I’ll relieve you then.”

“Thanks, Ma.”

With a shake of her head, she vanished into the darkness.

Derek lingered in the shadows, enjoying the quiet of the night. Opening his vampire senses, he listened to the slow, steady beat of Sheree’s heart, smiled when she sighed in her sleep. His mind brushed hers. She was dreaming of him.

Leaning against a tree, he felt himself relax—really relax—for the first time in months. And he owed it to Sheree. He had never expected her to accept what he was.

He lifted his head as a new scent was carried to him by the night wind.

Hunters! There was no mistaking that smell. Or the smell of vampires!

Dissolving into mist, he drifted down the street. Hovering in the air, he watched in amazement as the two old ladies he had seen in the Den fought a trio of well-armed hunters. The hunters, all big men in their prime, towered over the two vampires. Had life and death not hung in the balance, Derek might have found the battle highly amusing.

He had no intention of interfering until the fight turned against the vampires. Chiding himself for being a fool, he materialized behind the nearest hunter and choked him out.

The shortest of the hunters quickly realized they were now outnumbered. Yelling at his remaining companion to follow him, he hightailed it down the street.

The third hunter wasn’t ready to call off the fight until both of the women launched themselves at him, driving him to the ground. He looked up at Derek, seeking help he quickly realized wouldn’t be forthcoming.

Derek let his eyes go red. “What are you doing here?” he growled.

“What the hell do you think?”

“Who are you after?”

“Any vampire I can find!” He struggled against the two holding him down, swore when he realized that they were a lot stronger than they looked.

“What’s your name?”

“Go to hell, bloodsucker!”

“After you.”

Fear shadowed the hunter’s eyes for the first time. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know if you let me go.”

A faint scuffle warned Derek that the first hunter had regained consciousness. He turned in time to deflect the knife aimed at his back. The blade scraped along his forearm. It stung like hell. Grabbing the man by his arm, Derek threw him down the street. There was a sickening thud when the hunter skidded, headfirst, into a brick wall. The coppery scent of blood rose in the air.

The red-haired vampire looked up at Derek. “Are you through questioning him?”

Derek stared at the hunter. “Depends on whether he has any answers for me.”

The hunter cleared his throat. “What do you want to know?”

“Who are you? Why are you here? Did someone send you?”

“My name’s Ashby. I was hunting vampires when I came across these two in the Den.” The fact that he found it hard to believe the two old ladies were vampires, or that they had taken him down, was evident in his voice. “I followed them here.”

“You weren’t after me?”

Ashby shook his head.

“You’re lying,” Derek said. “Who sent you?”

Ashby shook his head again, harder this time, as if that would convince them he was telling the truth.

Derek glanced at the red-haired vampire, who sank her fangs into the hunter’s neck.

The hunter let out a shriek. “McDonald’s after Mara! Word on the street says she’s willing to lay down a lot of credits for information regarding Mara’s whereabouts.”

The redhead reared back. Delicately wiping a bit of blood from the corner of her mouth, she looked at the other woman, then at the hunter. “Lou McDonald?”

The hunter nodded.

The white-haired vampire shook her head. “I would have thought she’d be retired by now.”

“Who’s McDonald?” Derek asked.

“Only one of the most dangerous slayers in the world.”

Derek grunted softly. And then he stared at the two old women, wondering why he hadn’t put two and two together sooner. He didn’t know the redhead’s name, but there was a connection between them that he didn’t understand. “Which one are you?” he asked. “Edna or Pearl?”

“We never meant you any harm,” the redhead said. “It was purely research.”

“Be quiet, dear,” the other woman said.

“Hush, Pearl.” The redhead smiled at Derek. “I’m Edna. I only drank from you so I could find you again.”

“Why would you care where I was or what happened to me?”

“Because of the werewolf gene, of course,” she replied, as if he wasn’t too bright. “Didn’t your mother tell you about it?”

“Yeah, she told me. You’re lucky she wants you alive, or you’d be history now.”

Edna swallowed hard, thinking that, at the moment, Derek looked even more dangerous than his infamous mother.

“Stay the hell out of my sight,” Derek said. “Both of you. And get rid of that body down the street.”

Edna nodded, then glanced at the hunter trapped beneath her and Pearl. “What shall we do with this one?”

“Whatever you want,” Derek muttered darkly, and left them there, the hunter’s cries for help ringing in his ears.

 

 

Derek spent the rest of the evening in Sheree’s bedroom. Sitting in a chair by the window, he watched her sleep, wondering what the future held for the two of them. Wondering what would happen to him during the next full moon. He wasn’t afraid of changing into a wolf. He could do that now. But a werewolf? Would he become one of the monsters so popular in the movies? A slavering, bloodthirsty creature who terrorized the countryside, killing indiscriminately? Would his werewolf form be different from the wolf he could assume at will? When he shape-shifted, he remembered who and what he was. Would that be true in werewolf form? Would he recognize those he knew, or attack them without mercy?

He glanced at Sheree, sleeping peacefully, one hand tucked beneath her chin. What was he doing bringing her into his life? What if he killed her? There was no way he’d ever be able to live with that. Maybe he was worrying needlessly. Maybe, come the full moon, nothing would happen. His father had carried the werewolf gene with no ill effects. Hopefully, his son would also be spared.

He sensed the coming of dawn even before the first faint rays of sunlight lightened the sky. It manifested itself in a sudden prickling in every nerve and cell in his body, a tingling that would become excruciating if he was caught in full sunlight.

He brushed a kiss across Sheree’s cheek before he left the house.

Mara was waiting for him on the front porch. “What happened? There’s blood on your shirt and in the air.” She took a deep breath. “Did you kill someone?”

“A hunter.”

She lifted one brow.

As succinctly as possible, Derek told her of the night’s events.

“Lou McDonald? Why would she be hunting me after all this time? I never did anything to her.” Mara shook her head. “She helped your father find me when I was pregnant with you. And then Logan and I went to her for help when you were kidnapped.”

“Once a hunter, always a hunter.”

“Like Edna and Pearl.” Mara blew out an exasperated sigh. “If it’s the last thing I ever do on this earth, I’m going to get rid of that meddling twosome.”