Chapter Thirteen - word count 2656 - Download the PDF
13.
      His lips were warm and soft, the gentlest of brushes across hers before he lifted his head again and tilted it slightly to the left.  Drew’s body was still but her mind was frantic.  
      “I smell something familiar about you little leopard.  Why would that be?”  
      She didn’t answer him.  She had no idea why she smelled familiar to him she just wanted to get away from him.  She fought to release her body from his hold so she could put some serious hurt on the asshole but her body refused any command she gave it.  
      An evil smile played across the corners of his mouth.
      “It matters not, I’m going to taste you anyway.  You are just too delicious a morsel for me to pass up.”  He smiled and the ambient light glinted on a pair of fangs.  
      Oh my god!  Those weren’t there a second ago.  He’s a vampire.  
      The thought made Drew’s chest constrict in panic.  
      
      Everyone jumped into action rushing through the doorway.  Seth way ahead of the others bounding down the stairs four at a time.  Bastien grabbed Ross’s arm.  
      “Could you lay down a shimmer?  There are more than a few norm’s down there and I don’t want try and explain away a huge leopard tearing through the club.”
      Ross nodded and mentally prepared himself to shield the commotion with an illusion of people dancing.  
      He rushed down the stairs and spread the image of normal club activity through the club.  No norm would even realize there had been a bunch of crazy mythos chasing an overly large leopard across the dance floor.     
      
      The vampire lowered his head to Drew’s neck, breathing in deeply.  
      “Hmm,” he murmured in pleasure “you are going to taste so sweet.”  
      Drew felt his tongue run across her jugular.  If she’d had any control over her body she would have shuddered.  
      The back door of the club burst open.  Drew felt the vampire stiffen and turn slightly.  She saw Khan – no that wasn’t Khan.  It was a huge leopard so it had to be a sentin.  The leopard roared and Seth rushed through the door right after it.  
      Drew felt her body released from the trance, the vampire must have lost concentration with the strange pairs arrival.  She wasted no time jerking her knee up and landing a solid blow to the vampire’s groin.  She felt him stiffen as he groaned in pain. She realized that even with her training she’d be not match for his immense size so she pulled free from his hands and moved back as quickly as possible.  
      Seth stopped dead his stomach clenching at the sight of Drew in Xander’s arms.  
      “You fucking bastard – tonight you die!”  Seth rushed Xander and grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, lifting the vampire off his feet as Seth pressed Xander’s back against the building.  
      Xander drew in a breath and grinned.  
      “So that’s why she smells familiar.  She has your sent all over her Seth.  Why?”  
      “None of your damn business.” Seth let go of one lapel and slammed his fist into Xander’s jaw.  
      Drew was in shock, Seth knew the vampire and it looked like Seth was planning on beating him with in an inch of his life.  
      Drew felt something rub along her leg, strong enough to nearly make her loose her footing.  She looked down into the huge eyes of the sentin.
      Did I do well to bring Seth to you?  
      Drew gasped, she’d heard the words clearly in her head.  “Are you…?”
      I am Khettah, I am your Sentinel, I’m sorry it took me so long I had to roar at him twice before he  understood what I meant.  
      The big cat rubbed against her leg again.  
      Please touch me.
      Drew smiled and reached down a hand to stroke Khettah’s big head.  She felt a bond with this creature already and it was growing by the second.   
      Drew was distracted when the vampire threw Seth into the opposite wall of the alley.  Her heart leapt into her throat as Seth crumpled down to the floor.  Before she could move to help him he was up in one fluid motion and back on the vampire.  
      Darius came through the door with Marcus and the rest close on his heals.  Selphie rushed to Drew’s side.  
      “Are you alright, did Xander feed from you?”
      “That’s Xander?  No wonder everyone thinks he’s dangerous.”  Drew looked towards the fighting men.  “I’m okay.  I need to go help Seth.”  She started forward only to have Selphie grab her arm and Khettah move in front of her.  
      “That wouldn’t be a good idea Drew.  Seth is more than a little out of control right now.”  
      Seth had the vampire on the ground.  Xander was flat on his back, Seth was sitting on his chest and punching him repeatedly.  
      “Seth…” Ross tried to get his attention, when that didn’t work Ross bellowed. “Seth!”  
      “What!” Seth turned still sitting on the vampire’s chest and looked at Ross.
      “Maybe you should let Xander up now.  Drew is fine he didn’t feed from her.”  
      Xander lifted his head to peer at Ross. Then commented dryly.  
      “Why would you want to stop the fun now?  I was just about to start fighting back in earnest.”  
      Darius released a bark of laughter and Seth shook his head.  Getting up he moved away from Xander before he was pushed past breaking point and he strangled their only inside man in Sandamar’s organization.  
      Xander rose and straightened his coat.  He looked at Drew and smiled with a predatory glint in his eyes.  “Another time, little leopard.”  
      Seth lunged forward only to be caught by Darius and Bastien.
      “You’ll keep you hands to yourself Xander or I will mutilate you.”  He spat through gritted teeth as he tried to break out of Darius and Bastien’s hold.  
      Xander’s mocking laughter reverberated in the alley.  “You are welcome to try.”  
      Ross stepped between them before Seth lost what little was left of his control.  
      “Come Xander, lets go to VIP and get this information you’ve got for us.”  
      Xander nodded, “Might as well, its just too easy to provoke him tonight.”  
      He led the way into the club.  Selphie moved past Seth.  
      “Are you coming?”  She asked looking over her shoulder.
      “I’ll be there in a bit with Drew, I just want to make sure that she is okay.”  
      The door was closed only Seth, Drew and Khettah remained in the alley.  
      Seth went down on his haunches in front of the big cat.  
      “Thank you for fetching me Khettah. You did well.  I will make sure that Drew is safe for the rest of the night.” He rubbed his hand over the cat’s large head.  
      “You can go to the compound, I’ve told Khan that you’re on your way.”  
      The leopard got up and rubbed around Drew’s legs
      He speaks the truth, he will protect you, but if you need me just speak to me from your mind and I will return.
      The sentin phased out, transporting herself to the compound.  
      Seth stood up and moved closer to Drew.  
      “Are you okay?” He asked softly
      “Yeah I’m fine.”  
      He wasn’t fooled, he could feel her anxiety and he could see her hands trembling, even though she’d clasped them together to try and keep them steady.  
      “You don’t lie very well do you?  Come here.” He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her just holding her close to him.  Seth felt Drew wrap her arms around his waist and burrow her face into his chest.  He could argue that he was trying to comfort her, but if he was going to be honest he had to admit he needed the comfort as much as she did.  
      He’s been so scared.  Xander might be on their side, but he’d always been a rogue and he had a taste for lycos blood.  Seth didn’t think that Xander would have bled Drew out.  But Xander was as unpredictable as he was dangerous and Seth couldn’t know for sure.  
      Added to that was the fact that Xander could not have known that Drew was from the compound.  All he would have seen was a lycos alone and an easy target.  Seth tightened his arms around Drew at that thought.  He didn’t like the idea of loosing her.  That thought scared him almost as much as Xander nearly feeding on her.  
      Get a grip!  He told himself then put a little space between them.  He tilted her chin up to look into her face.  
      “Feel a little better?” he asked her.  Her gray eyes were large and shimmered as if she had been fighting tears.   It made him want to go up to the VIP room and beat Xander to a bloody pulp.  
      “Yeah, thanks.”  Drew started to move away from him but he tightened the arm he had around her and pulled her closer.  
      “Don’t be in such a hurry.”  His voice was low, warmed velvet rubbing on her skin.  Drew felt her breath catch as she was drawn back into his arms.  He spread the fingers of his hand to cover the side of her face.  
      What the hell am I doing?  Seth asked himself.  He wanted to kiss her.  It was madness and he knew it.  He was already too attached to this woman but there was no stopping this time.  
      Seth dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers.  
      Drew felt a shiver work up her spine.  This was nothing like Xander’s kiss. The first touch was like electricity, arching between them and warming her to her toes, she felt his warm breath on her skin and wanted to melt in to a puddle at his feet.  Seth was holding her in his arms, and kissing her.  The though amazed her making her want to grin like a fool.  
      Drew felt her heart accelerate with need as he kissed her again teasing her lips until she opened her mouth for him.  He moved his other hand to cradle her face gently.  
      Drew heard a groan escape her throat when his tongue met hers.  Heat spiraled down her body.  She must have been kissing frogs her whole life, because this kiss felt like the work of a prince.  
      She slid her hands up to brace against his chest encountering firm muscle under the thinness of his black tee-shirt, that made her knees weak.
      He must have sensed her sudden weakness because Seth moved them back a step so Drew’s back was braced against the wall.  He pushed his hands into a wealth of soft hair, and deepened the kiss.  He could hear her breath speed up and her heart pounding.  His heart was doing some pretty serious pounding of its own.  
      She tasted so sweet, like honeysuckle.  He couldn’t keep his hands still, he wanted to touch her everywhere.  He slid his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck and down her back to her waist.  Encircling the petiteness of it with his palms.  
      Drew felt the urge to groan, and suppressed it.  She didn’t want him to stop and if she groaned again he might come to his senses and end the kiss.  She rose to her tiptoes instead and ran her hand into his dark soft curls, pulling him even closer to her.  Who would have thought his hair would be so soft, like the finest silk against her fingers.  
      Her touch was rewarded when she heard a soft moan from him.  He pushed her harder against the wall and wedged a knee between her thighs.  The slits in her long skirt allowed her to move enough to give him space.  She felt another jolt of heat low in her body as the hard muscle of his thigh rubbed against the juncture of her thighs.  Drew arched her hips instinctively.  
      Seth nearly lost it, he was painfully hard already, if she did that again he was going to take her, right here in this damn alley.  He groaned into her mouth and slid his hands up from her waist to cup her breasts.  Drew’s gasp of pleasure made his cock twitch.  Gods she felt so good, he had to get their clothes out of the way, they were constricting and he wanted to feel her skin against his.  
      “Ross asked me to come find you, you need to hear what Xander has to sa…”
      Bastien stepped through the door at the back of the club but when he saw Seth and Drew he stopped mid word.  
      Seth broke the kiss and growled in frustration leaning forward over Drew to lay his forehead against the brick of the wall.  He felt the urge to punch something, preferably Bastien.
      “Sorry dude,” Bastien held his hands up in surrender “didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”  
      Seth would be damned if he’d forgive the interruption.  
      “What do you want.” He growled over his shoulder, his body shielded Drew and the bright blush she was wearing.  
      “Ross said you need to come hear what Xander has to say yourself.”  
      “Tell Ross to go f…”  
      “We’ll be there in a minute.”  Drew quickly interrupted Seth.  
      “Thanks, I’ll go let him know.”  
      Bastien left in a hurry, obviously not wanting to risk Seth’s fury.  
      “Well, are we going?”  Drew asked when Seth still hadn’t moved after a minute.
      “I don’t want to.”  He lifted is forehead from the brick and looked down at her.  
      “I want to finish what we started.”  
      Drew felt her insides coil with heat.  His eyes smoldered with passion and she was so tempted to give in and let him just have his way.  The idea of being interrupted again and the embarrassment she felt from the last interruption made her decided it would be a bad idea.
      “Ross will just send Bastien to call us again.”  She tried to point out reasonably.
      “Bastien wouldn’t come.” Seth countered, his voice low and gravely, the essence of seduction.  
      It was getting harder for her to argue with the heat in his eyes.  She gave it one last try.
      “Then he’ll send one of the others.  Or come himself. I did say we’d be there in a minute.”
      Seth cursed and stepped away from her.  Running a hand through his dark curls.  
      He blew out a breath obviously frustrated.  Then held out his hand to her.  
      “Let’s go, don’t let go of my hand I’m not taking any more chances.  From now on you stay near me.”  
      She nodded taking his hand.  
      “Thank you.” She spoke as they stepped into the club.
      “For?”
      “Rescuing the damsel in distress, Prince Charming.” She grinned at him.  
      He grinned back, twin dimples dancing in his cheeks.  “De nadda, I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”  
      “You got there in time.  That’s all that matters.” She was quiet for a moment then she asked.   “So what’s the deal with Xander, I thought he was one of the good guys?”  
      Seth shrugged.  “No one knows the whole story.  We know that he was a big bad a long time ago, but something happened and he changed.  He is still very dangerous, and he seems fascinated by you.  I’d be grateful if you stayed as far away from him as possible.  Xander walks a tight rope, always one step away from falling the wrong way. I think that’s what makes him so perfect for the deep undercover.  The bad guys would never suspect he might be working for the other side.”  
      Drew mulled over what Seth had told her wondering just what had happened to change Xander from what he’d been before.  No one had ever accused her of lacking curiosity.  Drew admitted this made her curious.  That didn’t mean that she was going to go anywhere near that particular vampire.  He’d scared her enough to guarantee that.
 
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