Annie Nicholas: Hunting Colby

His eyes narrowed. “I don’t doubt it, but are you doing this because of the slayer?”

I schooled my face into the emotionless mask I’d been wearing for the last few months. “Yes. Why?”

“Because this idea has PMS written all over it, and I’m not suicidal enough to screw around with slayers. It’s bad enough I knocked him unconscious. He’s probably carving my name on a stake as we speak.”

“He wouldn’t…” Then I remembered Colby’s hatred of Master Tane and, well, all Nosferatu. “It’s not like you think. I just…” What? Wanted to jump his bones? “He won’t be involved anymore.” Except we were both chasing after the same vampire.

“I know about you and your slayer problem.” He cleared his throat. “When you showed up at my home, I called Tane to confirm your credentials, and he told me about you.”

“It isn’t any of your business.”

“Not until now.” He eyed my tidy room and pointedly stared at my made bed. “I guess your talk didn’t go as planned?”

My shoulders slumped and I sat on the cheap chair by the table. “He acted like it was more of an abduction. So no, it didn’t go over well.”

“No shit. Shocking.” He sat across from me and set a syringe with a long, capped needle on the table. “Well, next time you can drug him. Just stab him in the heart and push the plunger. That should get his attention.”

A burst of laughter escaped me and I couldn’t stop until new tears rolled from my eyes. “Yes, that would be an excellent second date. I’m not even going to ask why you’re carrying that.”

“Better that you don’t.” He slipped it back in his coat. “You’ll find someone else, someone better, and have good stories to tell your pups one day.”

“You don’t know anything about shifters, do you?”

He raised his hands in despair. “How can I? I’m still figuring out what I am.”

“There won’t be anyone else for me. Colby is it.” I banged the back of my head against the wall. “It shouldn’t be this hard. Usually when mates meet, sparks fly and they’re together.” I gazed at my hands. “Something’s wrong with me.” I knew what it was. He didn’t want me because I couldn’t shift. If I bore Colby’s pups, they’d run the risk of inheriting my disability.

Mutt grasped my hand. “There’s nothing wrong with you. He’s the fucked-up one.”

If only that were true. And to top it off, I’d screwed things up for Red. A human I actually respected and liked. I leaned my forehead on our grasped hands. “I was so focused on snagging Colby that I let your friend escape. They think he’s involved in kidnapping another slayer.”

“Alcide? He’d kidnap a nice pair of shoes, but not a slayer. They’re after the wrong vampire.”

I glanced up at him. “Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent? No. Maybe the slayer was wearing nice shoes.” He gave me a crooked grin. “You’re really not any good at this getting-your-mate-to-like-you stuff. I’d love to hear about how you both met.”

I punched him in the arm. “Stop it. You’re making me feel worse.”

He laughed harder. “Is this why we’re going back out again?” Placing a hand over his big smile, Mutt tried to stifle his mirth. He did poorly.

At this point I couldn’t care. Whatever pride I’d owned had vanished when I’d bared my trodden heart to this young vampire. “No.” I rose to my feet and pulled my suitcase from under the bed. Unlocking it, I exchanged my weapons from those used to capturing vampires to things suitable for killing. Mutt might still trust his friend, but I didn’t. “If we find Alcide first, he’ll have a better chance of surviving. Colby is close to the missing slayer and might beat the shit out of your friend before asking questions.”

“This is a terrible idea.”

“How?” I stuffed a wooden stake in my back waist band. “It’s my fault he escaped. If Red dies, Colby will never forgive me.”

“So you’ll hunt a vampire to make him happy and not to save the human’s life?” Mutt’s smile turned weary.

“You’re picking at details. The point is, we all want the same thing, and I’ll make Colby happy. For once.” I stopped at the open doorway. “Aren’t you coming?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to get between the two of you. Like you said, I don’t understand shifters and I understand you even less after this.”

“You need more combat training. This should technically be your job. To keep the existence of your kind a secret, you need to make sure vampires are following the laws.” I raised an eyebrow. “Or did you sleep through that lesson?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it every time one of my big brothers shows up uninvited.” He pushed passed me into the night. “What’s your plan?”

I tapped my nose. “His scent should still be fresh at the motel as long as it doesn’t rain.” I stared at the clear night and watched a falling star flash across the sky. There was only one thing I’d wish for, but I’d make this wish come true on my own.

On hands and knees, I sniffed the parking lot at the motel where we’d encountered Colby. The scents of gasoline and asphalt masked the natural smells of the world. I filed them away, like background noise, and searched for Alcide’s cologne-drowned tracks.

“Why don’t you shift? Wouldn’t your senses be more acute in wolf form?” Mutt sat on the curb, smoking a cigarette. He blew small rings in the air above his head and watched them float.

Twisting, I tossed a daggered glare at him. “You just want to see me naked.” I’d never confided my physical inabilities to him. The fewer who knew, the better I could work. Pity would get in my way.

He held up two fingers. “Two birds, one stone.”

“My senses are just as good in this form.” Returning my attention to the ground, I growled under my breath. Some help Mutt was turning out to be.

“What do vampires smell like? I mean, to you. I know what I smell.” I could hear him take another long drag.

“That’s a nasty habit, Mutt. Why would anyone want to kiss someone with tobacco breath?” I didn’t care to give him more information on my kind than he needed. My offer to teach him was for combat, not shifter 101.

“Are you thinking of kissing me?” He chuckled at my sharp snarl. “It hides the blood aftertaste.”

“They make mints for that.” I caught a whiff of something faint, perfumed flowers mixed with spicy wood. The human female, Rose, had smelled of blossoms.

“Mints aren’t strong enough and they upset my stomach. I need something more pungent.”

“Cigars would work better and smell nicer.” I tracked back and forth until I found the path away from the motel that smelled of only spicy wood. “Got you.” I rose to my feet and left Mutt to flood the air with his poisoned mouthwash. Now that I had the trail, I didn’t need to be so close to the ground. The trace was fainter than I’d expected.

“Hey!” I heard the heavy footfalls of Mutt’s steps follow. “You found his scent?” He sniffed the air. “I can’t smell anything special.”

I rolled my eyes. “Get closer to the ground.” He needed to learn to use his more enhanced senses. Vampires tended to lean toward their hearing instead of smell. I’d teach Mutt to use them all.

He crouched, almost kissing asphalt. “I smell tar, old gum…” He inhaled deeply then gagged. “And piss.” Rising to his boots, he shot me a disgusted look. “You’re faking.”

“I’m a shifter. This is my natural skill. I don’t need to fake.”

He rubbed his chin as we walked down the street and around the corner. “What are vampire special skills?”