Annie Nicholas: Hunting Colby

The vampire's scent grew stronger. We were getting closer to our quarry. My heart raced. Not with exertion but exhilaration.

I now understood the connections mates held during the hunt. Even though Colby refused to claim me, I could sense every motion his body made, the way his eyes traveled to each shadow as he searched for danger, and hear the strong pounding of his heart. Without words, we moved in unison, complementing each other’s actions.

A distant sound reached my ears. Metal grinding on metal, a slight squeal piercing the air.

Colby hesitated and glanced over his shoulder.

The sound grew louder, and I stopped, crouching on the track, to face what followed us. Light bloomed ahead and shattered my night vision. I could see nothing but blinding brightness as the metallic noise filled the tunnel.

"Gwen, what are you doing?" The alarm in his voice struck a raw chord in my soul.

I twisted in time to witness Colby leap toward me, his fingers digging into my shoulders as he rolled backward over the filthy ground.

In one smooth motion, he lifted me to my feet and pressed me against the concrete wall as a subway train squealed past us, inches away. He covered his ears with his hands.

The floor and walls shook with the force. I tried to cover my sensitive ears as well, but my hands were pinned between our bodies. The power that drove this metallic monster pulsed in the air and sang in my blood. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished down the tunnel.

Colby spun me around and scanned my form.

I blinked the dust from my eyes and realized his lips were moving but I couldn’t hear his words. The ringing in my ears was too loud.

He gently took my chin in his hands to turn my face from side to side. With a finger, he touched just under my ear, and it came away with blood. Even in the wash of darkness that trailed the subway train, I could discern the frown on his face. Hand in hand, he led me back along the track.

“It won’t take me long to heal.” Speaking when I couldn’t hear myself felt odd. It was like drawing with my eyes closed. I could only hope I made sense.

Colby flinched as if I had yelled. At least he’d heard me.

“Can you smell the trail?”

He grimaced and sniffed, then shook his head.

“Let me try.” Each time I tried to crouch to find the vampire’s scent, he’d stay close, watching the dark, almost like he guarded my back. These mixed cues he sent were twisting my guts in a knot. “I can’t find it. All I smell is train.” I rubbed the thick smell of fuel from my nose. The ringing began to fade.

Colby’s frown deepened with worry before he tugged me by the hand again. Part of me wanted to yank it out of his grasp. I was alpha; that meant I led. The newer part of me that had awakened when I first met him, wanted to skip along. He pulled me through a doorway with a ladder, which brought us to the surface and the streets.

Soft orange sunlight gleamed on the wet surface of the buildings. A downpour had started with the dawn.

“The vampire won’t travel far now.” I assessed our situation and location. From the avenue numbers, I’d guess we were in Manhattan now. Far from my car or my hotel. Exhaustion weighed heavy on my shoulders. I’d been awake and hunting for over twenty-four hours. Shifter or not, that would wear out anyone. A shiver ran down my spine as the cold fall rain soaked my clothes and hair. “I should head back and get some sleep.” I could finally hear my own voice faintly. I cleared my throat. “Maybe we could meet here before sunset and restart the search. He can’t be far.”

Colby stepped closer and checked my ears again. “It never stops amazing me how fast our race heals.” The heat from his body radiated over mine, and my shivers vanished.

I retreated from his touch. My dignity fluttered in the wind, but I managed to piece some of it together. I’d given Colby two chances to be my mate, and both times he’d turned me down so fast I had whiplash. If only there were a button to set me free of my shifter desire. My pack contained worthier males who would have been honored at my attention, not toss it to the ground like unwanted trash. For the first time in months, my mind cleared of emotion.

Maybe it was an effect from the near-death experience with the subway train.

He shook his head as if to toss off unwanted thoughts. “By the time you return to your hotel, you’ll have to turn back.”

“I’ll take a cab.” As I reached into my back pocket, I hesitated. My wallet still sat on the table of my room. Swallowing a frustrated noise, I glanced at him. “I could use a run.” Not really. My legs were like blocks of lead and my head pounded with every heart beat.

“I have…” His gaze wandered to his feet before meeting mine again. “I keep an apartment not far from here.” The intensity with which he stared gave me the impression he was trying to gauge my reaction. “I might have food.” He shrugged. “You can dry off and rest. Then we can continue hunting at sunset.”

My stomach betrayed me by growling. It echoed in the emptiness of my gut. He had me at food. I nodded, unable to speak and unwilling to voice my concerns. Just last evening he had attacked me when I’d confronted him with our mutual destiny. All I’d known from Colby was running. This kindness was throwing me off.

Without another word, he spun about and marched through the early morning crowds.

I strolled behind, never losing sight of him but allowing myself a moment to spread my shifter senses around me and absorb the city. Raised in a jungle, I’d never truly lived in an urban setting. Rio had always been within reach, but I’d never cared for it.

Travel with my master had given me a taste for adventure, but my duties always came first. I’d never been without heavy responsibilities until recently. Taking a lungful of air, I tried not to choke on the fumes and the stench of sewers. Oh dear, no wonder humans were nose-blind. It was better if I just breathed shallowly and marveled at the sites.

Tall buildings of steel and glass, people of every variety, and even a good dose of immortals blended into the crowds. A fae danced in the puddles, ignored by the less-sensitive humans, and waved as Colby stormed pass. Three feline shifters crossed the street ahead of us, as if to avoid Colby. I gave them my most feral grin. It seemed like he didn’t even notice the storm of dominance that surrounded his presence.

A few blocks from our exit brought us to 56th Avenue. Colby took a right and waited for me in front of an apartment building. He opened the door as I approached.

My foot hesitated over the threshold and I glanced at him over my shoulder. Was he having second thoughts about us? Pushing that dangerous wish aside, I entered the building and crossed the lobby to the elevator.

The doors slid open when he pressed the button. I could sense his scowl travel in my direction.

Unable to meet it, I scrambled inside and stared at the numbers climbing. “I never pictured you with a home.” Did his pack live here? Their scent should have marked the building but I didn’t smell any kind of markings. Maybe they did things differently in New York.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, his profile hard and unmoving. “I don’t. This is just one of many places I maintain. It’s well located.” The elevator door slid open, but he blocked my passage with a muscled arm. “And secret.”

I stopped with a jerk, our faces so close all I had to do was lean forward to meet his lips. Blond stubble shaded his cheeks. Would it be as abrasive as his personality? “Secrets are my specialty.” They were. I worked for the king of vampires. No problem.

Butterflies stormed my stomach. Shoving his arm out of my way, I escaped the elevator before embarrassing myself as I had in my hotel room. I didn’t want to wreck this fragile truce between us. This was the most time we’d spent together since meeting that didn’t include assault weapons.