Wolf Bane (The Anthology Novella Series Book 3) Read online

  “I’m Stacy,” he heard the woman standing in front of him say as she smiled up at him with a look that made his skin crawl. He nodded, keeping his gaze locked on her friend. “What’s your name, handsome?”

  Colin tensed as another scent filled the air and he quickly scanned the crowd. Damn it!

  “Hey,” he heard her murmur as she lifted her hand to cup his cheek, turning his face toward her. “Don’t be so quiet, handsome. I don’t bite.”

  Colin tried hard to keep his anger in check as he fought hard not to just shove her away from him. Something just wasn’t right. He turned away and felt his blood run cold when he saw that the witch was gone.

  Chapter 3

  Melinda carefully walked out of the club and started down the street, trying hard to keep from swaying. The dizziness was getting worse and she just wanted to get home and take about a hundred aspirin.

  “Melinda…”

  She stopped short as the sound of her name being called out drifted through the air and she scanned the area, trying hard to find where the sound had come from. But the street was eerily empty.

  “Come to me…”

  She spun around, her eyes narrowing as she searched in vain, but there was nothing.

  “Who’s there?” she choked out, her body beginning to vibrate as a strange tingling snaked its way around her.

  “Come to me…”

  Melinda felt herself being pulled toward the alley beside the club and found herself walking in that direction before she had even realized that she was moving. She was faintly aware of the smell of garbage and something else…death perhaps? She couldn’t be sure, but there was a smell of decay that made her nose crinkle up with distaste; yet she couldn’t stop herself from walking further into the darkness. It was as if she were being pulled by an invisible string.

  “That’s it, my beautiful little witch. Come. I’m waiting for you.”

  As Melinda walked further into the alley, she could make out the outline of a tall figure standing in the shadows.

  Her eyes widened as she recognized the man from the bar. The one with the white eyes. No…no…run! Her mind screamed at her, but her body just wouldn’t listen. Before she knew what was happening, she was standing there in front of him, his features illuminated by the dim yellow light coming from the building and casting shadows around them like phantoms.

  “Who are you?” The words left her mouth in a frightened, husky whisper and she slammed her eyes shut as she tried to clear her vision, which was suddenly beginning to blur. Were those tears?

  “Ah, my sweet, sweet Melinda,” he whispered, his mouth turning up into a grin that nearly stopped her heart in her chest. It was feral…dangerous. Oh, God…what was happening to her? Why couldn’t she run?

  He leaned forward and inhaled, and she swore she saw his eyes glow. There was a quick flash of a silvery light, as if they had been caught in the headlights of a car, but there was nothing or no one around them and she prayed her eyes were merely playing tricks on her. That somehow, this was all just a horrible nightmare.

  “You smell so delightful.” His grin widened and she saw it then and knew that this was all too real! He had fangs! And not the fake, costume fangs either. These had descended right from his freaking gums! She knew that she had to be hallucinating. It just couldn’t be! This had to be all some kind of funky dream. It had to! Maybe she had been drugged.

  “It’s not a dream, my sweet Melinda,” he responded softly, and she wondered if she had spoken the words out loud.

  She felt his arm slip around her as he lowered his mouth to the curve of her neck where her pulse thrummed erratically and she could feel his cool breath against her skin and she found that she couldn’t move. It was as if her body was rooted to the spot where she stood. There was a moment of pain as his teeth pierced her skin and a whimper passed her lips as her eyes slid closed. She could feel the pull of his mouth as he sucked on the vein in her neck and she wanted so much to scream for help…but her voice was locked up tight in her throat as the world spun around her.

  “Let her go, Roland.”

  Melinda felt the man’s hold on her tighten as he lifted his head. She was hit by another wave of dizziness that had her knees threatening to give out on her and a sudden swell of nausea hit her with the force of a hurricane.

  He licked his lips and gave her a quick smile. “Until we meet again, my sweet,” he whispered softly before releasing her.

  In that next instant, she hit the ground at his feet with a sound smack, unable to stand on her own it seemed, and she had the sudden insane urge to laugh. She was drunk. That had to be it. This was all just one awful drunken hallucination. There was no other explanation.

  “So nice to see you again, Bane,” Roland hissed as Colin glared at him, his body actually vibrating with his fury, and he could feel his beast begging to be set free. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, and he clenched his fists at his sides as he fought hard for control.

  “Step away from her, asshole,” he snarled, and Roland burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the alley and bouncing off the walls around them.

  “But she tastes so delicious,” he chuckled snidely, looking down to where Melinda lay on the ground. “I don’t believe that I’ve had my fill…not yet at least.”

  “I swear by all that is holy, Roland,” Colin ground out, taking a step closer to where the vampire stood, so arrogant and sure of himself. “I will end you in a second.”

  “Ah, yes,” he remarked calmly. “She is the one. Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”

  Melinda watched drowsily as the two men squared off. Oh, dear Lord! It was that gorgeous guy from the bar! What in the ever-loving hot Hell was he doing here?

  She tried with everything she had to clear the fog that was wrapping itself around her like a thick woolen blanket and clear her head, but she was so cold…and it felt as if all of her strength had been sucked right out of her. Everything was spinning wildly and she tried to she brace her head against the wall of the building behind her to steady herself as she tried desperately to stay conscious and not toss everything she had ever eaten in her life up on the ground around her.

  She heard the bastard who had bitten her hiss as her savior growled, and suddenly Mr. Hottie changed right there, before her eyes…into a freaking wolf! This just could not be happening!

  Melinda slammed her eyes shut once again; trying hard to hold on to the small thread of sanity that she had left. No! This just couldn’t be real and she knew beyond a doubt that someone had to have drugged her. There was no way that any of this could actually be happening.

  In the next instant, the alley was filled with the sound of snarls and growls and Melinda tried to pry her eyes back open…but every instinct that she had was screaming at her to keep them closed. To not face what she really didn’t want to see.

  She swallowed hard, gathering every last bit of her courage and peered out between her lashes and watched in stunned silence as the wolf sprang through the air toward…the vampire. Holy crap! she thought as the world seemed to stop…that man was really a honest to God vampire! And definitely not the brooding sparkly kind!

  Colin sprang through the air toward his mark, his golden eyes glowing fiercely in the darkness, and knocked Roland to the ground. They rolled as Colin’s jaws snapped, aiming for the throat, but the vampire seemed to anticipate his every move.

  Roland kicked out and Colin flew back, crashing into a nearby dumpster as the stench of rotting garbage hit him. He stood, snarling dangerously, and watched in fury as Roland gave him a quick bow and took off, disappearing from sight in an instant.

  Colin shifted back as a string of curse words passed his lips. That slimy piece of shit had gotten away! He glanced to where she sat against the wall, her body vibrating from her terror, and tried to get hold of his anger. Shit.

  He shook himself off and approached her, trying his hardest not to look intimidating. But a moment later, she shrieked and pushed herself furt
her up against the wall behind, her as if trying to disappear into the brick, and he knew he had failed miserably. He was just pissed as hell.

  “Easy there,” he murmured softly, raising his hands to show that he meant her no harm. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to help.”

  She stared at him in silence and he knew that she was fighting hard to keep from passing out. Her skin was deathly white with a slight waxy sheen to it. Damn it! He had been too late; that bastard drank from her!

  After what seemed an eternity to him, he watched as she unsteadily pushed herself up to her feet and he instinctively took a step closer.

  “Stay…stay back,” she choked out weakly, raising a hand to keep him at bay, and he couldn’t help but notice how it trembled. “I…I need to go…home.” With that, he saw what little strength she had leave her body in a power rush and she swayed unsteadily.

  Colin lunged forward and pulled her into his arms before she could hit the ground again. Jesus! He lifted her up and held her against his chest as he turned and stormed to where his car was parked.

  Melinda slowly and reluctantly opened her eyes and then cautiously glanced around, taking in the familiar sight of her bedroom with a small sigh of relief. Oh, thank God, she thought with a shiver. What a freaking nightmare!

  She pushed herself up against the headboard and was instantly hit with a wave of dizziness, causing her already sensitive stomach to churn.

  Without realizing it, her hand went to her neck and she made contact with the thick bandage that was securely taped there. Her eyes widened in disbelief. What. The. Hell?

  She scrambled from the bed and unceremoniously fell to her knees on the thick carpet when her legs gave out. Oh, God. It hadn’t been a dream. She had been attacked by a vampire!

  Her head shot up at the sound of the bedroom door opening and she watched in horror as Mr. Hottie himself came walking through. Just what in the hell was happening? What was she going to do? The man was a…a werewolf for God’s sake! She had seen him change! Just what was he doing here? Was he going to attack her too?

  “Morning,” he said softly as he gingerly approached her, and she fell back onto her butt as she tried to scuttle away like a damn crab against the side of the bed.

  He grinned slightly as he continued to where she sat and knelt down in front of her, and she couldn’t help but to stop breathing when his eyes met hers. They were glorious! Golden and warm, like honey. “I’m here to help you, Melinda,” he said gently, and the husky tone of his voice wrapped around her like a hug, instantly taking the chill that she was feeling away. Sweet tap-dancing Jesus! The man was a sex-kabob!

  “Who in the hell are you?” she blurted out before she could stop herself-but she needed to know. She needed answers. And…she needed them now.

  He gave her a smile that nearly stopped her heart right there in her chest. “Colin Bane,” he replied, his eyes locking with and holding hers, and she realized that she couldn’t have looked away if she had tried.

  “How do you know me? How…how did you know where I live? Just what in the ever loving hell is going on here?” She spat the questions at him and suddenly felt that rush of dizziness hit her once again.

  Colin grinned as he tried to keep from laughing. He noticed with a slight furrowing of his brow that she was still deathly pale, and when he saw her sway slightly he knew that she was weaker than he had first suspected. That bastard must have taken too much blood too quickly.

  The smile slipped from his lips as his anger bubbled up to the surface with a vengeance. He had let her friend distract him and it could have easily cost her, her life. So much for keeping his promise!

  He took a breath and stood then leaned down and lifted her up. He instantly felt her stiffen and took another deep breath.

  “You need to rest,” he informed her quietly, trying his best to keep his tone as even as possible. He couldn’t let his failure to protect her and his anger about it get the best of him. “You’ve been through a lot.” He eased her onto the bed and settled her against the pillows, noticing the way she glared up at him with the smallest hint of amusement. The woman definitely had spunk.

  “Well, no shit, Sherlock,” she huffed, and he couldn’t bite back the grin that twitched at his lips.

  Melinda watched him as he watched her, and couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes danced and gleamed. The emotions that stole across his face were something to see. One minute he was smiling at her and the next he looked mad as hell. And now…well, now the damned fool was grinning at her like a complete ass! She swallowed hard as she tried to figure out if the man was a nut-case and if she should run.

  “Listen, Colin,” she pushed out, trying hard to regain her composure. She felt physically drained and every word that she spoke was an effort, but she was not about to wait a second more of not knowing what was going on. You didn’t just sit back twiddling your thumbs as your world was suddenly blown apart at the seams. Oh, hell no! “I need answers. And, I really need them now.”

  He seemed to consider this a moment and she couldn’t help but to find his intense appraisal of her a bit disconcerting. But she was not about to back down. That just was not who she was. She had put up with a lot of craziness in her life, but this was too much.

  Suddenly, the smell of bacon hit her nose and her stomach grumbled noisily, causing her cheeks to burn.

  “How about I get you something to eat first?” he asked, that damnable grin still playing across those incredible lips of his and she knew that he had heard her stomachs noisy betrayal. “You’re weak. You need to regain your strength before I get into it all.” With that he turned and left the room, and she glared at his retreating back. His strong, muscular, sexy as all hell retreating back…oh hells bells, she was in trouble here!

  Melinda was still sitting up in bed, her back against the headboard and her knees pulled tightly up against her chest, glaring out the window when Colin walked back through the doorway carrying her breakfast. She glanced his way a moment before resting her head on the tops of her knees and taking a long, shaky breath. Christ, she was beautiful, he thought with a frown. Not to mention that he couldn’t deny that the woman had a remarkable spirit. Her aura glowed around her like a freaking beacon and he found himself drawn to her in ways that he had never been to anyone before. He pushed those thoughts aside and walked over to the bed, setting the plate and glass of juice down on the bedside table.

  “Eat this and then we can talk,” he instructed her gently and saw her turn her head slightly and eye the plate. “It’s safe to eat, I assure you,” he said with a low chuckle. “In fact, I’m not a bad cook at all.”

  Melinda groaned as she finally conceded defeat. She was hungry. Starving, in fact. And if this would speed up his explanation, well…it was a win-win. She stretched back out and turned, snagging a piece of bacon and forcibly keeping herself from moaning with pleasure as she quickly bit off a piece of the perfectly crisp delight. She snagged the glass of juice and downed almost three quarters of it in an instant, and realized that she was feeling better already.

  “Okay, Lon Chaney,” she said as she grabbed a piece of toast. “Get to explaining.”

  Colin choked out a laugh as he sat down on the bed near her calves, the heat of his body instantly warming her through the thick blankets that covered them. She was still chilled to the bone and she realized that is was most likely due to loss of blood. She swallowed hard as she fought to not let that realization spook her any more than she already was.

  “Christ; where do I even start?” he said on a sigh as he swiped a hand across his eyes.

  “Well,” she replied, taking another sip from her glass. “How about telling me just when vampires and werewolves decided to jump off the pages of a horror novel and become real.”

  He smiled at her, but she could see the sadness in his expression, and a part of her wanted to reach out and smooth it from his brow. Instead, she set her unfinished piece of toast down on the plate and twisted her
hands in her lap. This had to be some sort of nightmare.

  “I’m sorry,” she responded softly. “I’m being really snarky here. But, you have to understand I’m more than a bit freaked out at the moment.” Her hand unconsciously went up and touched the bandage and she shuddered. Could this all seriously be happening?

  “Melinda,” he husked softly as he reached out and grasped her hand, pulling it away from her neck. He held it in his strong one and she found herself staring down at where they touched. “I don’t even know where to begin,” he said finally.

  “How about by telling me why I was attacked by a damned vampire. And why did he say to you that I was the one? What does that even mean?”

  He released the hold he had on her hand and stood, beginning to pace the room. Oh, geez, she thought with a shiver. This was not going to be good. She could feel it in her bones. And she knew at that precise moment in time that her life was going to change forever.

  “Melinda, you’re a witch,” he responded after what seemed an eternity and she felt her mouth drop open in surprise. Wait…what?

  “Excuse me?” she breathed. That was about the last thing she would have ever expected to hear coming from his mouth, but who was she kidding? The last twenty-four hours had been anything but normal. This was just another little surprise to top everything else off. The icing on the cake, so to speak. Why the hell not?

  “Listen, Melinda,” he said, walking back over to where she sat and sitting back down beside her. “You come from a very strong line of witches. Your ancestor’s coven was one of the most powerful ever known and on the eve of your twenty-fifth birthday you came into those powers. It was…”

  “Wait!” she cried, shaking her head. “You have to have the wrong person. I mean, my parents aren’t witches! My mom was a teacher and my dad’s an accountant. There was absolutely no witchy stuff going on in my family at all. They were two of the most normal mid-westerners that you could ever find. I mean, we’re talking about cookouts and camping on the weekends and boring nights spent in front of the TV watching mind-numbing sitcoms…this has to be a mistake!” That had to be it, she thought with the smallest amount of hope. This nightmare was all just one giant mistake.