Craig's Heart

Chapter Fourteen

Evie felt like a modern-day Van Helsing with a wooden stake strapped to her back beneath her shirt and a knife concealed beneath her coat. Craig was carrying even more weapons than she was. He had several long, sharp knives in protective sheaths strapped to his thighs beneath the long, black leather duster Damek had given him and two smaller blades tucked into his boots.

She glanced at Craig and decided he looked like a badass even with his boy-

next-door good looks. There was an aura of menace about him that hadn’t been there when she’d first met him.

He’d changed. They both had.

He reached out and caught her hand in his. “What are you thinking?”

Craig was probably one of the few men in the universe who actually wanted to talk. It was a little disconcerting at times. “I still have moments when all this seems surreal, like a movie. I keep expecting a director is going to yell cut at any moment, or I’ll wake up and realize all this was nothing more than a dream.”

He kissed the back of her hand. He was always doing that. Little touches and kisses that left her feeling unsettled.

She simply wasn’t used to being touched so much by another person. But she was quickly growing used to it from Craig.

“It’s real. It will take all of us a while to adjust, but we will.” His assurance certainly helped ease the butterflies in her stomach. They didn’t disappear totally, but she no longer felt like she might toss her cookies.

Both their bodies were still adjusting to becoming vampires. She had no idea how long that would take and really didn’t feel like asking Damek. She knew Damek didn’t trust her and she did everything she could to remain under his radar as much as possible. Even now, when he was nowhere around, she could almost feel his eyes watching her.

A shiver trickled down her spine and the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Evie stopped and slowly turned around in a complete circle, searching the streets and shadows. Even though it was late, there were people around, some walking, some in cars and taxis.

“What is it?” Beside her, Craig tensed, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

“I don’t know.” She absently slid her hand beneath her coat to the long blade that rode against her hip. “Probably nothing.” She moved her hand away.

“I’m just nervous about going back to Haven.” That’s probably all it was.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. I’m with you.” They started walking and she could see Haven in the distance.

He might be confident of his welcome, but she sure as heck wasn’t.

Those people would always look at her and blame her for changing Craig’s life, for tampering with his destiny. And they’d be right. She had.

But there was no going back for either of them.

Vladimir had started all this and the ripples of his action were still being felt and would be for a long time. Evie wondered where he was and what he was doing. Was he changing another unsuspecting woman while she casually walked down the street with Craig?

“We should be out looking for Vladimir, not socializing.” She dug in her heels and stopped. “This is wrong.

He’s been killing innocent people, feeding on their blood while I’ve been hiding.”

“Evie.” Craig eased her into the shadow of a building. Immediately, she scanned the nearby area, sensing nothing but a cat and several people partying in an apartment on the back of the building next to them. “There was nothing we could do, nothing we can do until we find him. Walking around the city searching for him does nothing but expose both of us. We have to get strong and learn how to use our newfound strengths before we face him. Anything less is suicide. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to die yet.”

She raised her hand and touched his cheek. Craig was strong and powerful, but there was a layer of compassion and common sense beneath it. While she might do something rash, he would always have a plan, probably several. If she was going to defeat her enemy, she needed to think more like Craig.

He covered her hand with his, his blue eyes brighter than a summer sky.

“I know you’re right,” she began.

“But that doesn’t make the waiting any easier,” he finished.

Evie gave a small laugh. “Yeah.”

“Once things are settled with the Haven pack, we’ll move into the apartment below Damek’s and start strategizing. We’ll train and work and get stronger. Then we’ll go hunting,” Craig promised. “Damek will find Vladimir and then we’ll have the advantage.”

“I hope you’re right.” Evie couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Craig was being too confident. It all seemed too easy. Vladimir was cunning and ruthless.

She could testify to that. He’d taunted her for several weeks, like a cat with a mouse, making her feel helpless and afraid in her own home. He’d stripped away her sense of security before destroying her life. No, she wouldn’t underestimate the vampire for one moment.

“Let’s go.” Craig eased them out of the shadows and propelled them both down the sidewalk. “They’re waiting for us.”

Evie wished she shared his sense of excitement. She could sense his growing anticipation, and with each step closer they came to Haven the tenser she grew.

But no way was she letting Craig face down those people on his own.

He wouldn’t be alone, a small voice in the back of her head reminded her.

His family would be there. He didn’t really need her.

But she owed it to him to protect him. She had his back.

She really didn’t see how any kind of relationship could work between them in the long run. Even if they defeated Vladimir and she survived, she would always be the one who’d turned Craig’s life upside down. His family would never accept what she’d done to him, and she couldn’t blame them for that.

Craig was special. She knew that, had sensed it the first time she’d laid eyes on him. It had momentarily cut through her bloodlust until she’d lost it and taken him to the point of no return.

Now that she knew him better, she knew just how special he was.

She loved him. That was both her saving grace and her punishment.

For once in her life, someone else was more important. She’d spent her entire life looking out for herself, mostly out of necessity. But now Craig’s safety and happiness was more important than her own, and not just because she owed him.

No, she’d done the supremely stupid thing of falling in love with him.

And because she did love him, she’d protect him with her life. And, if they both survived Vladimir’s wrath, she’d set him free to have the life he deserved without the shadows of the past, of her, separating him from his family and friends.

Maybe it could work between them, the little voice whispered. Maybe his friends and family would accept her.

Maybe Craig could love her back.

But that voice was drowned out by the one she’d heard for years, the one that screamed loudest in her ears. That voice reminded her that she wasn’t good enough for Craig. That he was smarter than she was. That he had a family who loved him where she had no one.

No, better to leave when this was done rather than risk her heart any more than she already had. The longer she stayed the more it would hurt when it was time for her to leave. Craig would always have a piece of her, but it was worth it to have this time with him.

“Are you ready?”

While she’d been lost in her own thoughts, they’d reached Haven. She looked up at Craig and swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw the concern in his gaze. No one in her entire life, no one, had ever worried about her like he did.

“I’m ready.” She grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. She’d already scanned the room, a talent that was becoming as natural as breathing. There were no humans inside, just half-breed and full-blooded werewolves. She stepped inside and Craig followed.

The door shut heavily behind them.

From two blocks down the road, a man watched the couple enter the small bar. He noted the name before removing his phone from his pocket. He called the one and only number programmed into his phone. It rang until it went to voicemail.

The man frowned but left a message.

“She’s here. At Haven.” He gave the address. “And there is another with her.

He is vampire as well.” He’d seen the way the male had looked at the woman.

Seen his eyes flash red for a brief moment.

He ended the call and moved a little closer to the club. It was his job to watch and wait. And until he received further orders, that’s exactly what he planned to do.

Craig followed Evie into Haven, wishing he knew what was going through her mind. He sensed that her emotions had run the gamut from sad to fearful to determined. He knew she was worried and had a right to be. He was a little nervous himself even though he was doing his best to pretend otherwise.

Quinn, Chrissten, Hank and Bethany were sitting at a table near the door.

They all rose when he and Evie walked in. He nodded but kept his attention on the two people who mattered most right now. Meredith stood in the center of the room with Isaiah beside her. Behind them, the rest of their pack waited for their alphas to make the first move.

Craig took a step toward them. “Hey, Meredith.”

The older woman took a step toward him and then suddenly she was practically running. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Not that the others couldn’t hear. They were all paranormal creatures with preternatural senses. “I reacted badly. We all did.”

He smiled down at her. “Totally understandable.”

Meredith shook her head. “No, it isn’t. But there’s nothing to be done about that now. All we can do is move forward.”

Craig felt the shift in power and knew Isaiah was moving toward him. He released Meredith and stared at the alpha werewolf who’d helped Craig reunite his family all those years ago, who’d offered all of them a home and a pack to belong to.

The alpha male towered over Craig, but whereas he’d once been human and weaker, now he was vampire and much stronger. But physical strength wasn’t everything. He respected Isaiah very much. The werewolf would hate him for saying it or even thinking it for that matter, but Craig thought he was a lot like Damek.

Both of them were dominant males, ready to do whatever it took to protect their mates and families.

Craig glanced at Evie, standing so proudly beside him, the scowl on her face daring anyone to say a cross word to him. Love swelled in his heart and practically robbed him of breath.

Suddenly, the pounding of heartbeats filled his ears and echoed in his veins.

Hunger poured through him, a raging beast demanding to be fed and appeased.

Evie grabbed his hand and squeezed tight. The contact allowed him to gain control of the bloodlust once again. This time it was quicker, but it was still difficult. He built a cage in his mind and shoved the beast inside. He’d feed it later when it was safe to do so.

The scene before him was a frozen tableau with no one moving, barely breathing. Everyone had felt the surge of power. Evie had immediately reached out to him, helping calm and center him.

Craig half expected the males to jump in front of their females, but they hadn’t.

All were waiting to see how he could handle himself. They were offering him their gift of trust. He blinked several times and then offered his hand to Isaiah.

The big male took it and then pulled him into a bear hug. “You are doing well, my friend. Control is not easy to master.”

Craig gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“I know that well.” He took a step back and pulled Evie closer to his side. “You all remember Evie.”

“Welcome to Haven.” Meredith took Evie’s hand and led her to a table. Evie glanced over her shoulder and Craig could read the panic in her eyes. He was behind her in a blink of an eye, his hand on her arm.

Meredith’s eyes widened. “You’re very fast.”

Craig shrugged. “I’m still figuring out what I can and can’t do. It’s a steep learning curve.”

Behind him, Quinn laughed.

“Sparring with you is going to be fun now that I no longer have to hold back to keep from crushing you into the mat.”

His brother’s good-natured taunt made Craig smile. “No, now it’s you who need to be worried I’ll crush you.”

Hank snorted. “We’ll see about that.”

That easily and quickly, the tension broke and the crisis passed. All the others came over to hug him and shake hands or nod at Evie. She wasn’t totally accepted yet, but Craig knew that would come in time.

They all sat and Craig did his best to answer all their questions, with Evie filling in the blanks whenever she could.

This was what he wanted, his woman by his side and his family around him. Life was good.

Damek walked up behind one of the humans watching the house. Really, this vampire hunter was most unaware of his surroundings, which wasn’t a good thing in his line of work. At the last second, Damek purposely made a sound with his foot. The hunter spun around, his eyes widening in fear. Before he could draw a weapon, Damek took control of his mind.

“What is your name?” He could easily get it, but it was always easier when it was volunteered. Damek couldn’t afford to waste too much of his energy on the human hunter.

“Evan.”

“Hmm.” Damek walked closer and the man’s pupils dilated. He estimated the male to be around thirty with short brown hair and brown eyes. He was tall, taller than Damek, but size wasn’t everything. “And why are you here, Evan?”

Even though his tone was even, Evan’s fear grew. The hunter was obviously new and untested. He’d probably staked a few newly made vampires and thought himself a great hunter. They all did at first until they finally met a vampire who either taught them the true meaning of fear and respect or killed them.

“All the killings. We knew there was a vampire in the city. We saw one of his minions getting rid of a body and followed him back here.”

That made sense. The older vampire was sloppy when he fed, but he wasn’t stupid. He had to know he had to clean up his mess behind him or it would bring hunters after him. A vampire didn’t live as long as Vladimir Drake without learning to deal with hunters. Too bad he hadn’t cleaned up his messes sooner, before attracting the attention of the hunters.

“How many hunters are there?”

Evan swallowed. “Two of us. Me and Leroy.”

Damek slowly circled the hunter, intentionally breathing on the back of his neck. “And where is Leroy?”

Evan shook his head, but Damek ruthlessly punched into his brain and drew out the information he needed.

“Leroy is on the other side of the building.” Damek sifted through the hunter’s memories. “Now, you will go back to your hotel and you will stay there until I come for you.” It would be easier to simply kill the hunter, but Sonia frowned on such things if it wasn’t a life-and-death situation. “Leroy will be joining you.”

He couldn’t take the time to deal with the hunters now. He had a vampire to catch.

Evan nodded. “I need to wait at the hotel.”

“That’s right.” Damek disappeared in the shadows and reemerged next to Leroy. In seconds, he had control of the large man’s mind and gave him the same instructions he’d given Evan.

When the hunters were well on their way, Damek strode up to the front door and knocked. The minion opened the door, looking totally confused. The male appeared to be in his mid-thirties but already his dark hairline was receding.

“Is your master at home?” Damek politely inquired.

The minion shook his head, but said nothing. That was the problem with minions, especially when they were chosen from those less intelligent. They would follow orders to the letter, but they couldn’t think for themselves at all.

Damek had never had any minions, found the entire idea repulsive.

“When will he be back?”

The minion opened his mouth but then closed it. Damek sighed and reached into the minion’s mind. It was total chaos. Screams lay beneath the outward calm. The human he’d once been was horrified by what he’d become. Damek picked through the layers and found what he was searching for. The information turned his blood cold.

He released the minion and caught the man when he slumped. This man wasn’t a particularly smart one, but he hadn’t been a bad one. Damek looked him in the eye. “I am going to kill Vladimir Drake. When I do, you will be free.”

The minion shook his head, panic in his blue eyes. For a brief second, he fought the compulsion of the other vampire. “Kill. Me.”

Damek thought about it, but denied the man. “No. I’ll find you and take your memories. You won’t remember any of this.” He’d probably have nightmares for the rest of his life, but at least he’d be alive.

As he turned away from the minion, he pulled out his phone, praying he wasn’t too late.

Vladimir Drake stared down at the lifeless body of the prostitute he’d just fed from. Her legs were splayed open and her pretty green eyes were wide and unseeing. She had black hair, like Evie’s, but it was curly, not straight. A poor substitute for what he really wanted. Still, she’d satisfied a basic craving.

He licked his lips, savoring the last drops of her blood from his mouth.

Waste not, want not. Her blood was tainted with alcohol and drugs, but that only heightened the high he got. It was also laced with fear, which he particularly enjoyed and gave him a bigger buzz.

He turned, straightened his coat and walked away, sparing the dead woman not another thought or glance. Vladimir pulled out his phone and checked his messages. One of his minions had called him several times.

The voice message made him smile.

Finally, things were happening the way they were supposed to. His lost Evie had been found. Now all he had to do was claim her. And if anyone got in his way… Well, he was still feeling a little hungry.

Craig felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket. He pulled it out and his heart jumped when he saw the caller display. “Hey, Damek.” The others chatting around the table fell silent.

“Are you at home?” Damek demanded.

“No, we’re at Haven. We came to talk to everyone.” He didn’t say they came to make peace, but that’s what it amounted to.

Damek swore. “Vladimir Drake is on his way. His minions have been watching the place, so if you’re there it’s only a matter of time until he is.”

“You’re sure.” Craig stood, his gaze going to the front door. All around him, the male werewolves leapt to their feet.

“We’ll leave.” No way did he want to bring danger to his friends.

“It’s too late for that. Even if you leave, Vladimir will question everyone there.”

Damek didn’t need to spell out exactly how that questioning would go down. Vladimir would torture them all to death to get the information he wanted.

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there soon.”

The call ended and Craig turned to face his family and friends. He knew they’d all heard what Damek had said.

Evie drew her knife and gazed at the entrance.

“I’m sorry. I brought this to your door. I never meant for this to happen.”

He should have thought of this, should have realized it was possible. The vampire could have minions everywhere, watching, and he and Evie had been out at night before. Had come here. Maybe it was good searching on the other vampire’s part. Maybe it was simply luck, bad for them and good for Drake. Either way, what was done was done.

“Take the women and go. This is my fight.”

“This is our fight,” Evie said.

“Actually, it’s my fight. You need to leave with your friends. I’ll kill Vladimir.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Quinn stood beside his brother and allowed his hands to morph into claw-tipped paws. “I can rip out a vampire’s heart with these.”

“Go for the throat,” Craig automatically corrected. “A vampire this old needs to be beheaded.” He frowned at his brother. “But you’re not staying.”

“Yes, he is, and so am I.” Chrissten grabbed Craig’s arm. “We’re family.

We stand and fight together.”

“You need to get away from here,” Craig told her. It was bad enough that he knew Evie wouldn’t leave. But he couldn’t risk the safety of his family as well. “Now.”

“Enough.” Isaiah didn’t roar, he didn’t have to. His tone carried absolute authority and everyone went silent. “No one is going anywhere. If this vampire thinks to attack anyone in my pack, he’s going to face the wrath of us all.”

Craig swallowed the lump in his throat. Isaiah had included him in that statement. And when the alpha’s gaze flicked toward Evie, Craig knew that Evie was included as well. She’d been accepted by one and all. They would stand beside him and Evie and fight.

A sense of determination welled inside him. Power surged through his veins. He would protect his family at all costs.

Benjamin, one of Meredith’s sons, came up to Craig. The large, powerful werewolf shoved up the sleeve of his shirt, exposing his muscled forearm.

“You need blood to be at your most powerful. And there is nothing more powerful for a vampire than paranormal blood.” He offered his arm. “Drink.”

Nothing could have convinced him more of the pack’s acceptance. The offer of blood wasn’t made lightly. “Are you sure?”

Benjamin gave a curt nod.

“Thank you, my friend.” Craig took his proffered wrist. His fangs punched down from his gums and he bit, careful not to cause any pain to his friend. Blood filled his mouth and slid down his throat, but it was unlike any he’d tasted. It was full and powerful and energizing. He sucked harder, very aware of everyone watching him, including Evie. He could feel her hunger growing.

Chrissten yanked off her cardigan.

“Here, Evie, you can drink from me.”

His sister’s offer brought tears to Craig’s eyes. Evie was thunderstruck, backing away from Chrissten with her hands out as though she could ward off the other woman. The offer was unexpected and Craig knew Evie didn’t trust herself.

Meredith stepped forward. “No, she needs pure blood. It’s stronger.”

Meredith eased Chrissten aside and offered her wrist. “Take it, child.”

Evie shook her head. “I’m afraid I’ll take too much.”

Craig withdrew his fangs from Benjamin and licked the puncture holes to close them. “You won’t take too much, Evie. I won’t let you,” he promised.

He went to stand behind Evie and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “Drink,” he ordered. “It’s the only chance we have of defeating Vladimir.” As he’d hoped, that was all the impetus she needed. Her fangs descended and she eased their sharp points through Meredith’s flesh.

Meredith jerked at the penetration, but her smile never wavered. Isaiah hovered behind his mate, ready to stop the feeding if he deemed it necessary to do so.

It was erotic as hell to watch Evie drinking, even if it was from another woman. Craig felt the rise of his dick and willed it down, knowing it was brought on by a combination of the feeding, the danger and having Evie pressed against his front.

In less than a minute, Evie withdrew and closed the puncture wounds.

Meredith leaned against her husband, not because she seemed weak, but more to reassure him she was okay.

Craig knew what Evie was feeling, the flood of adrenaline, the surge of energy rocketing through her. Her body trembled so he held her tighter. “I won’t let you go,” he promised her again, not in the least concerned that the others could hear.

Evie slowly straightened away from him and he released her. She turned her head slowly toward the thick paneled door. “He’s here.”

Craig jumped in front of her, eyes blazing, teeth bared. He felt it then, the surge of unfamiliar power. The other vampire had arrived.