because we’ve not had sex.” She set down her fork.
I swallowed, hoping the revulsion didn’t show on my face.
“What I want from you is the energy of that baby you’re growing inside you. It’s been so long since I’ve had a fresh one.” She rubbed her hands together as if she’d just won at bridge.
This creature had destroyed Icy Cap once. She’d broken up the paranorm community. She’d tried to kill me. Now she wanted my unborn baby. One way or another, she was going down. Although I admit my circumstances just then weren’t promising.
My dinner smelled divine, but it tasted like sawdust. I chewed, unable to think of a single thing to say. How to escape was all that occupied my mind.
“You’re dining for two now. Eat up! You’re going to love the after-dinner entertainment.” Rika didn’t eat anything, but she drank several glasses of red wine—or maybe blood.
Outside, the snow had finally stopped. The clouds cleared away, leaving a starlit sky.
Rika cocked her head as though she was listening to something, but I couldn’t hear anything. “Sounds like the floor show is about to begin.”
For fuck’s sake. This woman was a drama queen on top of everything else.
“Trudy!” Dane pounded on the front door. The china rattled on the table.
I slid out of my seat at the sound of his voice.
“He’s early.” Rika said, rising from her seat. “I’ll get it.”
She crossed to the double doors in the foyer. She opened one side, then blocked the entrance with one hand on her hip and the other on the door frame. I followed her.
“I want to talk to Trudy,” Dane greeted her.
“Manners, Dane. Don’t you even have a hello for me?”
Dane spied me standing behind Rika. “We’re leaving now.”
He was naked. He looked pissed as hell—and hot. He had shifted to his ice bear to rescue us.
Tears ran down my cheeks. I loved him. I always would. Nothing would change that.
Gary crept up behind him, nudging an envelope into Dane’s hand.
“Here is what I borrowed. With interest. Give me Trudy.”
“I don’t want the money. What I have here is payment enough. Your debt is paid. Good-bye.” Rika slammed the door in his face.
I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Crap. This rescue wasn’t going well at all.
Rika reached up and removed a rifle from where it hung above the front door. She turned, aiming the gun at me while she stared down the scope.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked, backing into the wall.
“What do you think?”
“You’re going to shoot me.”
“Have I ever given you a single reason to think I’m an idiot? Men like Dane never give up. They have to be stopped. Don’t look so glum. We can mount his head over the fireplace.”
“You can’t glamour him or something?” I stalled. Watching her load that rifle, I knew Dane was a dead man if he returned. And he’d be back. I’d seen the look in his eyes. He knew about the pregnancy. He would kill or be killed. All I could think to do was delay the succubus.
“A bullet leaves less mess. And believe me, I want his pelt intact for my collection.” She turned back toward the door, tucking the gun under her arm. Now was the time. Opening the door while hanging onto the gun distracted her.
“Stop!” I rushed Rika, but the succubus struck me with the butt of her gun.
I saw the damned thing coming, but I turned my head too late. It hit me square in the temple.
Fuucck. That hurt.
10
Dane
I ran back to where Gary crouched in the trees. It was an excellent vantage point for the visible parts of the house. But I knew there was quite a bit in the lower levels we couldn’t see.
“We have to act now. Trudy is in the living room still. Stand back. I’m going to shift.”
“Why’d you bother alerting them to you? Wouldn’t it have been easier to attack her straight away?”
“Not knowing where Trudy is? No way.” I shook my head. I didn’t trust my ice bear spirit that much. It was
I swallowed, hoping the revulsion didn’t show on my face.
“What I want from you is the energy of that baby you’re growing inside you. It’s been so long since I’ve had a fresh one.” She rubbed her hands together as if she’d just won at bridge.
This creature had destroyed Icy Cap once. She’d broken up the paranorm community. She’d tried to kill me. Now she wanted my unborn baby. One way or another, she was going down. Although I admit my circumstances just then weren’t promising.
My dinner smelled divine, but it tasted like sawdust. I chewed, unable to think of a single thing to say. How to escape was all that occupied my mind.
“You’re dining for two now. Eat up! You’re going to love the after-dinner entertainment.” Rika didn’t eat anything, but she drank several glasses of red wine—or maybe blood.
Outside, the snow had finally stopped. The clouds cleared away, leaving a starlit sky.
Rika cocked her head as though she was listening to something, but I couldn’t hear anything. “Sounds like the floor show is about to begin.”
For fuck’s sake. This woman was a drama queen on top of everything else.
“Trudy!” Dane pounded on the front door. The china rattled on the table.
I slid out of my seat at the sound of his voice.
“He’s early.” Rika said, rising from her seat. “I’ll get it.”
She crossed to the double doors in the foyer. She opened one side, then blocked the entrance with one hand on her hip and the other on the door frame. I followed her.
“I want to talk to Trudy,” Dane greeted her.
“Manners, Dane. Don’t you even have a hello for me?”
Dane spied me standing behind Rika. “We’re leaving now.”
He was naked. He looked pissed as hell—and hot. He had shifted to his ice bear to rescue us.
Tears ran down my cheeks. I loved him. I always would. Nothing would change that.
Gary crept up behind him, nudging an envelope into Dane’s hand.
“Here is what I borrowed. With interest. Give me Trudy.”
“I don’t want the money. What I have here is payment enough. Your debt is paid. Good-bye.” Rika slammed the door in his face.
I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Crap. This rescue wasn’t going well at all.
Rika reached up and removed a rifle from where it hung above the front door. She turned, aiming the gun at me while she stared down the scope.
“What are you doing?” I squeaked, backing into the wall.
“What do you think?”
“You’re going to shoot me.”
“Have I ever given you a single reason to think I’m an idiot? Men like Dane never give up. They have to be stopped. Don’t look so glum. We can mount his head over the fireplace.”
“You can’t glamour him or something?” I stalled. Watching her load that rifle, I knew Dane was a dead man if he returned. And he’d be back. I’d seen the look in his eyes. He knew about the pregnancy. He would kill or be killed. All I could think to do was delay the succubus.
“A bullet leaves less mess. And believe me, I want his pelt intact for my collection.” She turned back toward the door, tucking the gun under her arm. Now was the time. Opening the door while hanging onto the gun distracted her.
“Stop!” I rushed Rika, but the succubus struck me with the butt of her gun.
I saw the damned thing coming, but I turned my head too late. It hit me square in the temple.
Fuucck. That hurt.
10
Dane
I ran back to where Gary crouched in the trees. It was an excellent vantage point for the visible parts of the house. But I knew there was quite a bit in the lower levels we couldn’t see.
“We have to act now. Trudy is in the living room still. Stand back. I’m going to shift.”
“Why’d you bother alerting them to you? Wouldn’t it have been easier to attack her straight away?”
“Not knowing where Trudy is? No way.” I shook my head. I didn’t trust my ice bear spirit that much. It was
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