Provoked

CHAPTER 6

Amber clutched the armrest of the truck, her heart beating so hard she needed to throw up. “There’s no cell service this far out.”

Kane flipped his phone shut. “No kidding.” He drove the truck at unsafe speeds, somehow keeping all four tires on the ground as he sped over ice and around corners. He had nice hands. Tapered, strong, and capable, they handled the steering wheel of the Suburban with ease. As the SUV whipped around dangerous curves over black ice, Amber reached for her seatbelt. His nice hands wouldn’t save her from crashing through the windshield if he hit a Ponderosa pine.

He glanced her way. “How long has your grandmother been in the hospital?”

“Just a few days.” Amber settled in the seat and forced her shoulders to relax in case they crashed. “One of the horses got antsy and kicked her in the head.”

“Ah. Any other relatives? Do you have a mother or father?”

“No. I never knew my father, and my mother died when I was a baby—some weird cancer.”

“I’m sorry.” Kane turned his attention back to the road just in time to slam on the brakes, flip around a corner, and punch the accelerator. The rear of the SUV fishtailed before sailing straight. “Is your grandmother gifted, too?”

Amber dug her nails into the armrest, stiffening in her seat. “Gifted?” Psycho Bend was around the corner. “You need to slow down.” If he didn’t, no way would they make it around the hill.

“I’m fine. Years of defensive driving training.” Kane ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, gifted. You sensed the demons earlier, didn’t you?”

Amber sighed. “If you mean my head wanted to explode in pain, then yeah, I sensed them.” She retracted her nails from the leather and clasped her hands in her lap. Once the pain receded, her brain had been working overtime. “This is so confusing.”

Kane nodded. “I’m figuring your grandmother knows concealing spells—something probably handed down through your family. That’s the only conclusion I can come up with.”

That was too unbelievable. Amber took a deep breath. “Grandma Hilde performs both morning and evening prayers . . . more like chants.” Amber had promised she’d continue the tradition if anything ever happened to her grandmother, but she’d been so busy lately, she’d shrugged them off.

“Chants?” Kane maneuvered around Psycho Bend without a hitch. “In Gaelic?”

“No. Just a series of sounds . . . almost like humming an old song without words.” While there had to be some sort of logical explanation for everything, there was no doubt Kane had fangs. Real vampire fangs. Maybe the two guys sent to kidnap her had been demons. And if demons existed, maybe so did destroyers.

If somehow she had a gift, and it had been hidden since her grandma had taken ill, then the chants had to have been important. “I’m in the dark here, not clueless.” She said the words for herself as much as for Kane.

“Chants in song form without words. Very interesting.” He took a deep breath. “Do a chant. Now.”

“No.” The response came naturally, easily. “Do you boss everyone around, Kane?”

“Yes.” The calm inflection in his deep voice didn’t change. “When it comes to experiments, medicine, and science, I do tend to give orders. I apologize.” His smile reached his odd violet eyes. He hadn’t bothered to put the colored contacts back in. “Would you please do me the honor of performing one of your grandmother’s chants?”

Amber’s lips twitched. “Do all vampires have charm, or is it just you?”

Surprise filled those eyes as he glanced at her. “Nobody has accused me of having charm. Ever.”

What a load of baloney. “I watched a movie once where the vampires were charming and handsome because they were the ultimate predators. You know, they drew in prey and then . . . bammo.”

Kane barked out a laugh. “Bammo?”

“Yeah.” Amber shifted in her seat, heat climbing into her face. “Bammo. They sucked the poor humans dry.”

“Sunshine, I promise you, I’ve never sucked a human dry.” His voice lowered just enough to cause a fluttering in her lower belly. “Now, how about a quick chant?”

“Why?” Could she trust him? The guy had fangs, for goodness’ sake.

“Good question.”

The approval in his voice should not cause such warmth in her belly. “Thanks.”

“Most immortal species can sense other species as well as enhanced humans. You’re an enhanced human, and you’re broadcasting strong enough to bring wolf shifter scouts from miles away to check you out. That’s how we found you. I want to see if your chant shields you from detection.”

“Wolf shifters? Like people who turn into wolves?” Where had reality gone to? Maybe she was in the hospital with Grandma.

“Sure. Several of my friends can turn into animals.”

Amber shook her head, searching for calm. “What kinds of animals?”

“Most kinds. Shifters have three main classifications: feline, canine, or multis, who can turn into anything except felines or canines.”

She tilted her head to study him, her mind spinning. He couldn’t be serious. “You really are saying that shifters live among us.”

“Yes. You have my word.”

Wow. Not only was that incredible, it was awesome. Her mind ran through various possible scenarios. What would a person look like who could change into a wolf? Had she ever met a shifter and not known it? “Good God. Have you ever seen a jackalope?”

He laughed. “Of course not. Jackrabbit and antelope mixture? That’s a Pacific Northwest joke. No such thing.”

“I don’t believe you.” Her mind spun with the new knowledge. “Man, I want to see a jackalope.”

“There’s no such thing in the immortal world, sweetheart.”

She wasn’t so sure. A second ago she hadn’t thought wolf shifters existed. “So, immortal? You guys can’t die?”

“All species can die. Some of us are just harder to kill. You have to behead a vampire, otherwise, we can repair ourselves. And we only need your blood in extreme cases of battle . . . or well, sometimes sex.”

Amber swallowed hard. Okay. Taking blood during sex was gross. Definitely gross. The butterflies in her stomach were from nausea, not interest. No way. She was not interested in the sexy-as-hell vampire driving like a capable stunt driver. “So you take blood. What happens if you run out of blood?”

“We basically go brain dead. So we try to never run out of blood.” He flashed a grin.

That grin was beyond sexy. Concentrate. She needed to concentrate. “You say I’m enhanced. Some sort of demon destroyer. Am I immortal?” Now that would be cool.

“No.”

“That sucks.”

“You could always mate a vampire, shifter, witch, or demon.” Kane sped through the entrance to downtown. “Then your human chromosomal pairs would increase until you were immortal.”

“I am so far down the rabbit hole.” Much better to concentrate on the possibility of different species on earth than the word mate.

“The chant?” While he phrased it as a question, the tinge of a command echoed in the low tone.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and centered her thoughts.

Peace lowered her shoulders.

Calm stilled her movements.

The tune rose easily to her lips, soft and sure, the melody without words.

Humming through all five verses, she opened her eyes as Kane pulled into the parking lot for the hospital. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she finished the last note, pitching her voice just high enough to hit it.

The air in the front seat heated. Pressure popped her inner ears.

Kane’s eyes widened. He grabbed her head and shoved her face toward her knees. “Get down.”

With a shattering crack, the windows exploded. Cold wind whipped inside. The world stopped moving for two seconds. Amber lifted her head, her heart pounding. “What the heck?”

“That’s some power you have.” Kane released her seatbelt, gently wiping snow off her cheek.

“No.” She hadn’t broken all the windows. “That’s never happened before. We don’t break glass with the chant.”

“Well”—Kane rubbed his chin—“maybe since you haven’t shielded yourself in a week, the power came out stronger. Or maybe it’s because your grandma isn’t here to help temper the power. Either way, that’s all you, sunshine.”

Amber blinked against the freezing wind, taking in the damaged window. Glass had flown far enough to hit the few snow-covered vehicles in the silent parking lot. “Butch is going to kill me.” The bartender loved his refurbished Suburban.

“Windows can be fixed.” Kane jumped from the vehicle and quickly crossed to open her door. “You’re shielding now. I can’t get a sense that you’re enhanced.” Intrigue and calculation filtered across his amazing face. “We’ll have to figure out how that works. For now, let’s get your granny before the demons find her.”

Amber jumped down, her boots spraying snow as she landed. Panic had her shoving away from Kane and all but running toward the door. She tripped in the snow. Strong arms caught her seconds from falling.

He held on until she regained her balance, his heat reaching through the back of her coat. “Slow down, Amber. I’m sure your grandmother has continued to shield herself.”

Maybe. But the woman was in a weakened condition, so maybe not. Amber nodded and stepped gingerly around clumps of snow to reach the door of the small, two-story building. Cedar lined the sides, creating an atmosphere of safety and coziness rather than a sterile hospital feeling.

She slid on the sparkling tiles toward the front desk, which was empty. Grabbing Kane’s sleeve, she tugged him to the left and down a long hallway, passing several empty rooms. “She’s at the end.”

Amber quickened her pace, her heart thrumming. Everything was going to be okay. They’d grab Grandma Hilde and head straight for the sheriff ’s office. It was time to involve the police. Even if Kane was telling the truth and wasn’t crazy, even if Amber wasn’t crazy, Grandma Hilde would need police protection from the demons. Or the cult that thought they were demons.

She shoved Hilde’s door open.

The bed lay empty.

The world stopped cold. The room tilted. A swirling began in Amber’s head. She stumbled toward the wrinkled covers on the bed, reaching out a hand. The blankets were still warm.

Kane rushed across the room to the slightly opened window.

Amber followed, crashing into his back. She stared out the fogged glass. A black truck careened out of the parking lot, a HANSON Farms logo on the side. “That bastard.” Pivoting, she bunched to sprint.

A strong hand held her in place. “Wait.”

“No.” Amber turned and shoved Kane in the gut. “We have to get to the police.” Who knew what Hanson would do to Hilde. It wasn’t like Hilde would remain quiet. She’d try to escape no matter how weak she felt.

“No police.” Kane’s grip firmed around Amber’s bicep.

“Tell me everything about Hanson and these northern rocks.”

“Let go of me.” Amber tried to break free with little success. “I’ll scream.”

“You scream, and I’ll gag you.” Calm and reasonable, Kane’s voice remained pleasant as he issued the threat. “No police.”

Ass-hat. Amber opened her mouth to shriek.

Kane’s palm instantly fit over her lips, stifling the sound. His free arm banded around her waist, lifting her almost two feet so they were eye-to-eye. Then he waited, no expression on his angled face.

Fury shook her shoulders. She kicked out, aiming for his knees. Kane turned them, smashing her between the wall and his body.

His body was harder than the cedar.

Amber struggled, mostly immobilized, the heat from Kane sending her senses reeling. Anger melded with something hotter in her blood. She tried to bite his palm.

He pressed harder so her teeth couldn’t find purchase. “I bite back, sweetheart.” His fangs dropped low with the warning.

She stopped struggling. Her eyes widened to let in more light, and heat slammed down to her abdomen. His obvious control over himself even while trying to frighten her gave her an odd sense of security along with a bizarre desire to challenge his control. What was the vampire like when he actually let loose?

When had she truly begun to think of him as a vampire? His fangs remained low, leaving her no mental way out. Vampires truly existed.

One of his dark eyebrows rose. “Have we reached an understanding?”

Slowly, she nodded.

“Good.” He removed his hand, and his fangs retracted. “Now I’m going to put you down, and we’re going to walk nicely through the hospital to the parking lot. Understand?” Waiting for her second nod, he set her down.

She bit her lip as she calculated the odds of getting away from him. But did she even want to? A vampire, one as strong as Kane, would come in handy with Hanson and his men. “Will you help save my grandma?”

“If you promise to help save my brother.”

She breathed in through her nose, mind reeling. “By fighting demons.”

Kane jerked his head and grabbed her hand in a firm hold. “No. You’re not going to fight demons.” He frowned, heading for the door. “You’ll shield with your mind but from a safe place. I won’t let you get harmed.” His jaw set hard at the end. “Trust me.”

Famous last words. “What if I can’t figure out how to help you?” What if he was wrong, and she wasn’t gifted? One tiny headache didn’t mean she had a gift. Wouldn’t she know if she had some weird mental ability?

“Let’s get your granny back, and then we’ll figure out how your gift works. One thing at a time.” His voice stayed low, but a tenor of urgency ran through the dark tone.

Maybe the vamp wasn’t as in control as she’d thought. She followed him into the still-quiet hall and out the front door. The wind whipped into her face as she glared at the Suburban. “We don’t have windows.”

Kane exhaled a puff of breath in the cold as he eyed the parking lot. “Any idea who owns the brown truck?” He pointed to an older Chevy half-hidden under snow.

“No. That truck has been there since Grandma was brought in. Maybe a patient owns it.”

“Good.” Long strides helped Kane draw her across the lot. “Let’s wipe off the snow.” Using his bare hands, he shoved several inches of snow off the windows. “What does Hanson want with the northern rocks?”

Amber shuffled snow off her boots. “My community owns fifty acres, and the northern rocks make up three acres. This is all about water rights. Well-testing around the rocks show plenty of water, and Hanson wants to put in several high-end subdivisions centered around a golf course. We won’t let him.”

Kane smoothed snow off the hood of the battered truck. “Your community? What kind of community? Like a commune?”

Amber laughed. “Well, kind of. We don’t go around naked or anything. But we have banded together in an eco-village to live as much as we can off the land. Even my VW Bug is frowned upon. Most people only use vehicles in emergencies.”

“Yet you work in a bar.” His expression remained neutral, yet there was a hint of—what was that in his tone?

She bristled. “Don’t judge me, rich boy.”

One dark eyebrow rose. “Rich boy?”

“Yeah. That coat costs more than most people make in a month. Heck, in three months.” Snobby people should have to live off their wits and the land for an entire year. They’d probably only last a week.

He frowned down at his coat. “Oh. My apologies, I didn’t mean to sound judgmental.”

“Accepted.” Amber couldn’t help a small smile. Kane had no problem apologizing when he was wrong, now did he? Confidence and fairness in such a sexy package—were all vampires so cool?

Kane dropped to his haunches, inspecting the front tire. “As a race, we’re rather protective of females. Sometimes too much so. My sisters-in-law would never be allowed to work alone in a bar—just for safety reasons.” He stiffened, catching his breath. Then he stood and whirled to face her. “Don’t ever tell them I used the word allow. God. Ever. Please.”

Amber laughed. “No promises.” What were these sisters-in-law like? “Are they vampires, too?”

Kane frowned. “Ah, no. Vampires are male only. We have to mate a female from a different species, and even then we only produce male vampires. Two of my sisters-in-law were enhanced humans, the other is a witch.”

There was that mate word again. One simple four-letter word shouldn’t send tingles down her spine. “A witch? A real witch?”

“Yes. Moira is incredibly powerful—you have a lot in common.”

“What’s an enhanced human?”

“A female with gifts—psychic, empathic, and so on.” Kane banged the windshield wipers back onto the glass. “So, why are you working in a bar?”

“We make enough money to live off the farm by selling vegetables, fruits, and jams in the summer, and Christmas wreaths in the winter. But hospital bills are expensive, and we don’t have health insurance.” Amber shrugged.

“So selling the land to Hanson would give you much-needed money.” Kane held out a hand.

Amber took it, allowing him to lead her around the truck to the passenger door. “Yes. But we’d be sacrificing the land and our way of life for money. Not a good sacrifice.”

He opened the door and lifted her into the truck. “Interesting. Okay, let’s go get your granny.”