N. Walters - Damek's Redemption

“Okay,” Isaiah grudgingly agreed. “But I’m holding you personally responsible.” He pointed a long finger at Damek. “Anything happens to my pack because of her and I’ll come looking for you.”

Damek stiffened at the threat. “Fair enough.” But it wasn’t fair, not after everything he’d done for this pack. He inclined his head toward Meredith. “Thank you for your hospitality. If you ever need anything you have only to call.”

“Damek.” Meredith reached out to him as she shot her mate a glare. “You’re always welcome here.”

Damek said nothing, as there was nothing left to say. The wolf had made his position very clear. He inclined his head in thanks toward Craig while Sonia grabbed her purse and then they left the room and went back into the club. The number of patrons had drastically declined and there was only a handful left. Damek gave a regretful sigh. He’d had such good intentions when he’d brought Sonia here. When would he ever learn that he was truly alone in this world?

“Hey, wait.”

Damek stopped as they reached the front door and turned to face Craig. He had a soft spot for the human male and the entire Lawton family.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but if you need anything, anything at all, you call me or Quinn. We owe you more than we can ever repay.”

“You owe me nothing.” Damek didn’t want anyone’s pity or handout.

“It’s what friends do.” Craig held out his hand and waited.

Damek stared at it and took a deep breath. He could sense Sonia’s curiosity, but she stayed quiet, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze of encouragement. He took Craig’s offered hand of friendship, easily reading the younger man’s sincerity. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“Come.” He turned to Sonia. “We must go.”

Hank was still on the door, but he opened it and let them leave without a word. The limo was waiting out front and Damek opened the door and let Sonia slide in ahead of him. The door closed with a thunk, once again shutting them alone inside the luxury vehicle but for the driver up front. And with the privacy screen still in place, it was as if they were truly alone.

Sonia wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, she really did, but she wasn’t out of this mess yet. For a while there, it had been up in the air whether she was going to walk out of the club alive. Paranormal creatures were very protective, driven by instinct more than intellect in some cases, which was why The Keepers approached them very carefully. The last thing they wanted was to be seen as a threat, but that’s exactly what she’d done with her bumbling of the situation.

She could spend what was left of her life running and looking over her shoulder. The wolves saw her as a potential enemy and they would be relentless in their pursuit if they deemed her death necessary. That is, of course, if Damek didn’t take care of her for them.

She eyed the door handle and thought about trying to make a run for it. But that was cowardly. It was also a waste of energy. Not only was the door probably locked, but Damek was a vampire and could easily catch her with his preternatural speed. She caught their reflection in the glass and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing pulse.

Holy crap. Damek really was a vampire. Now that the shock of the entire situation was wearing off, the truth was beginning to sink in. He’d showed her his fangs. He’d told Isaiah that she knew he was a vampire.

Her instincts had been right.

And they could write that on her headstone. Damek hadn’t survived by being lenient with those who threatened his existence. She wasn’t naïve about what he’d do, what the werewolves would do, if they felt she jeopardized their safety.

Sonia fluctuated between being excited she was right and wanting to throw up. God, she was sitting next to a real live vampire. She smothered a slightly hysterical laugh. Poor choice of words. Vampires were the living dead, not the living.

Her poor brain was awash with questions and thoughts. But she’d never get answers. She’d be lucky if she made it out of Chicago alive. She’d made a mess of everything. None of them trusted her, least of all Damek.

Her eyes flew open when something lightly brushed her face. Damek was seated beside her, his fingers touching her cheek. She swallowed hard as his fingers drifted over her jawline and down her neck, dipping beneath the high collar of her turtleneck sweater. She shifted away but he followed her. The leather seats creaked beneath them.

“Your pulse is racing.” He placed one finger over her pulse and she knew he could feel the heavy thud as blood rushed through her body. “So alive. So beautiful.”

She blinked, not quite able to process his words. He was angry with her, wasn’t he? He’d accused her of terrible things. Not that she could blame him. After all, she hadn’t given him all the facts, had barged into his world and potentially put him and his friends at risk.

“Damek,” she began.

“Shh, little one.” He rubbed his thumb over her jaw, back and forth, back and forth. His eyes were tinged red around the edges but the centers appeared even blacker than usual. He looked like sin on a stick and she was ripe for temptation.

Fear and arousal warred within her and she was very afraid that arousal would win and she would cast all common sense aside. Just being in his presence was enough to raise her blood pressure and make her skin tingle in the most exciting way.

The raucous sounds of the city traffic outside the limo faded until all she heard was her heavy breathing and the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

She licked her lips and his gaze followed her tongue. Her body grew heavier with each passing second and her clothing felt rough and confining against her skin.

This was crazy. She should be discussing the situation with him, doing everything in her power to talk him out of killing her. Although if the sensual heat simmering in his gaze was any indication, killing her was the last thing on his mind.

“Your eyes are lovely and soft, like the fog on the Scottish Highlands in autumn. Did you know that?” Before she could answer him, he leaned closer and touched his mouth to hers. His lips were cool as they skimmed her bottom one. He nibbled on the corners of her mouth, making her yearn for more, for a deeper touch.

His fingers caught in her hair and he tugged her head to one side, holding her steady as he covered her mouth with his and dipped his tongue inside. She made a low sound of passion as his tongue slid over hers, teasing and tempting her to play.

There were probably a hundred reasons why she shouldn’t do this, why it was wrong for both of them. Her very life and future well-being hung in the balance with Damek as judge, jury and potentially executioner. There was only one reason why she should—she wanted him. Sonia admitted she’d been obsessed with Damek since the first moment she’d seen the very grainy picture of him in the Chicago newspaper. He was her mystery man, her seductive lover. Vampire.

She shivered, but not with fear. Heat and passion flooded her body, dampening her sex with growing need. Sonia grabbed his shoulders, needing something solid to anchor her. The thickly carpeted floors beneath her feet and buttery leather seats on which she sat seemed insubstantial in the face of the sexual storm beginning to swirl around them. Only Damek was strong enough to keep her from flying into a million pieces.

“ Yes, ” he hissed. “Touch me.”

Her hands seemed to move of their own volition, sliding up the thick column of his neck to cup his face. The planes and angles were sharp, giving him a slightly cruel, yet aristocratic look. His hair was like silk as she let it slip through her fingers. This was better than a dream.