I drew in a breath and let it out in a long low hiss, along with the lowering of my fangs. "Want to make something of it?"

His eyes snapped wide and he leaned back in his chair. He'd not want me in his bed now at least, now that he'd seen my fangs. More than a small part of me was hurt, and disappointed; if I was honest, I'd wanted him more than any other man I'd been around. Certainly more than Roger.

He reached across the table and scooped up one of my hands, pinning it between his. "Oh, you are an intriguing one. More than I realized."

"Are you going to help me or not?" I pulled my hand away while I tried to keep my lips from smiling, to stop the heat that flared between us. "And I'm married. Remember? So stop with the flirting; it will get you nowhere."

Grinning, he leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out so that he brushed up against my bare feet. A move like that shouldn't have held as much heat as what spread up my legs. I swallowed and tucked my feet back under my seat.

"I'll help you, for a month of feeding off you."

"Too much!" Dahlia yelled from upstairs.

"I know that!" I yelled back.

"Sorry!"

Remo laughed. "The supernatural world hasn't been this much fun in years. Two weeks of feeding, then."

"I'll give you two feedings from me," I said, folding my hands on the table. "And one taste test." I unwound the wrap from my wrist and tossed the saturated rag to him. My wrist wasn't healed up, and I pressed my fingers over it to stem the steady flow.

Remo lifted the rag over his head and let it drip into his mouth. Two drops fell and he lowered the rag. His eyes had a strange look to them I'd only ever seen in clients who'd fallen in love with my baking. I had him.

"A week of feeding," he said.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Two feedings. And not a drop more. Take it or leave it."

"What about your brother?"

I leaned back in my seat and smiled at him. "I heard something about a rival gang in town. I'm sure I can get them to help me."

"You are a shrewd negotiator." He grinned. "I can't wait until you get into trouble again. Consider the deal done." He held out his hand and I placed mine in it. He closed down and pulled me across the table on my belly. I gasped, the wood surface slick enough I might as well have been on those satin sheets I'd imagined earlier. With a quick twist Remo spun me so my legs swung around. He grabbed my hips and sat me up so I faced him, his head now level with my chest.

"There, that's better." He lifted my wrist to his mouth, his eyes on mine as he licked along the wound. "I'm going to enjoy this, though I must admit I would have preferred to take it from your neck."

I jerked my head to one side, breaking his gaze as if it were a physical thing. "You have a time limit as far as I'm concerned. You can use it to play your games or feed."

He grunted and bent his head over my wrist. Unlike Dahlia, who'd been out cold, Remo was anything but. He latched onto my wrist as if his mouth were a suction cup, and the first drag he took . . . hurt. I closed my eyes and counted, knowing that Dahlia had had at best a minute of blood.

For Tad, I could do this. Even as with every second that pa.s.sed, the pain increased, easily doubling. Sweat slid down my cheeks, neck, and arms. At fifty-eight I jerked my hand away from him. "Enough."

Remo barely moved except to let out a long whisper. "My G.o.d."

"Don't use his name here," I whispered. "Don't."

The vampire smiled as he tipped his head up. "Fine by me. He left me long ago and I do not miss his pa.s.sing." His eyes sparked with a light burning hot from within, as if a fire burned behind them.

"Now we can go for Tad."

"I took a lot of blood from you. I think you should rest," Remo crooned, and his words made perfect sense. Of course I should rest. No, that wasn't right, I needed to get to Tad, to get him away from Achilles.

I blinked and glared at Remo. "Stop that."

His dark eyes widened ever so slightly, showing a hint of violet once more, and a smile curled his lips. "Stop what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Stop trying to make me do what you want," I snapped. Though even I had to admit, the snap was more of a breathy whisper. I shook my head and slid off the table. My legs wobbled as I moved sideways to the counter. The granite was smooth under my hand, and I gripped it for all I was worth. A loud crack rent the air, the granite cracking under the pressure.

Remo cleared his throat. "I'll gather up my mob and head to the stadium. I'll wait for you across the street."

I nodded. "How long before you're there?"

"An hour."

One hour to get past the SDMP at the gate, and all the way to the stadium. This was going to be tight. Remo stood and stretched, his s.h.i.+rt pulling up, giving me a glimpse of pale belly and a thin line of dark hair that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.

"Married, huh?"

I whipped my head up, but what could I say? "Looking isn't the same as touching. I'd have to be dead not to look."

He laughed. "I'll see you in an hour, Alena."

I closed my eyes as he pa.s.sed by me, the smell of cinnamon and honey the only thing that told me he had moved. When it faded I opened my eyes. The room looked no different and yet . . . I was different. I'd made a deal with a devil: a devil I rather liked the look of.

"'I'd have to be dead not to look'? You realize that is rather ironic since most of the a.s.s he taps is dead." Dahlia strode into the kitchen, Beth and Sandy trailing behind her.

I shrugged but couldn't meet her eyes.

"Wait, you don't really like him . . . do you?" Dahlia gasped. "Oh my G.o.d, you're hot for Remo."

"I am not hot for anyone. I'm married."

"You keep saying that," Dahlia snorted. "I don't think it matters anymore."

I frowned, hating that part of me agreed with her. "Whatever. We need to focus on getting Tad safe and making Achilles see I'm not the monster he thinks I am."

Dahlia shook her head and picked up the car keys from the counter. "You think you can convince him to simply back down from the fight?"

I nodded. "Why not? I've been able to convince other men to do what I want." The words popped out of me and I cringed. "Never mind, it will be up to me anyway."

"We're coming with you," Beth said. "If what you're saying is true, he'll come after us next, won't he?"

I bit my lower lip. "Yes, I think so. But that's only if he kills me."

"What's the chances of a hero, trained in the killing arts, with superhuman speed and a track record of 100, killing you, a brand-new monster with a dislike for ruffling feathers?" Dahlia glanced at the two girls. "No pun intended."

I slapped my hands on the table and leaned toward her. "I'm not leaving Tad. At the very least I'm getting him out of there. Do you understand me?" I didn't realize I was shouting until I stopped and the room echoed with my words.

Dahlia gave me a tight nod. "Got it, General Alena."

Beth and Sandy bobbed their heads in unison. "Understood."

"Then let's go. We're wasting time." I held my hand out to Dahlia and she dropped the keys into my palm.

They fell into step behind me.

"She really could be a general," Beth said.

Dahlia grunted. "Here I was thinking I'd be the one protecting her."

A flush of pride washed through me, and I knew in that moment I'd at least go out on a high note. Achilles would probably kill me, but I wouldn't go down without a fight. No, the dark night wouldn't claim me without a battle to remember.

CHAPTER 15.

The gate at the Wall was open without a single SDMP member guarding it. Not one. And the Super Duper community was taking advantage of the lack of guards. A steady stream of Supes headed through the open gate. My first thought was the tracking chips they all had implanted.

"Why aren't they getting shocked?" I stared at them as they went through; not one Super Duper so much as twitched.

"d.a.m.n, I can't believe it worked!" Dahlia crowed. "That's part of what we did at the SDMP when we picked you and Tad up. We disabled the tracking chips."

I couldn't help showing my geek flag off. "How? What did you do, blow out the thermal exhaust port?"

"With a well-timed proton torpedo." She winked and leaned forward. "It's a lucky break for us, though. Don't slow down, just go."

I nodded and hit the horn with the heel of my hand. We got a few glances, but n.o.body hurried up. One werewolf flipped us the finger and a snarl. I pursed my lips. "Dang it all."

Dahlia hung out the window. "Everybody move or we'll call the SDMP on you!"

The way parted in front of us like an ocean splitting down the middle. I hit the gas and we sped forward.

Ten minutes later, the stadium could be seen in the distance, lit up like a game was being held.

I grabbed the walkie-talkie from my waist and pressed the b.u.t.ton. "Jensen, what's going on?"

The static on the other end made my heart pick up speed. I spoke again. "Jensen, talk to me."

The click came from the other end and I breathed a sigh of relief. Until he spoke. It wasn't Jensen.

"Drakaina. Your minion is with me now. He and your brother for your life. Hurry, little monster, I'm losing patience," Achilles said.

"Don't hurt them! I'm coming."

"Hurry, little snake. Hurry. I'll give you ten minutes, not a single one more." He whispered the last word, and the walkie-talkie went dead in my hand. I threw it to the floor, focusing on the anger that built in my belly.

"You aren't really going to try to talk to him, are you?" Sandy asked from the backseat.

"Not anymore." I bit the words out, my fangs lowering and my skin itching. Not a good sign. Not at all.

We reached the stadium with only minutes to spare. I kicked my door open and the hinge snapped off. I didn't care. I fed the anger that burned, that made me forget everything I'd ever been taught. Remo stepped from the shadows. "Do you have a plan?"

The final pieces of what I saw happening if this went right came together in a flash, like the final ingredients to a masterpiece.

"Beth and Sandy will take you and Dahlia over the top right to Tad and Jensen. The rest of your vamps will be ready to help you out if necessary. As soon as you have them, I'll deal with Achilles."

Remo nodded. "You sure you can take him?"

"Right now? Yes." My whole body s.h.i.+vered, and I snapped my head to the side. I flicked my tongue out, tasting the air.

Beth cleared her throat. "But we've never s.h.i.+fted into our other forms."

"No time like the present." I turned and put a hand on her shoulder. "You're a nurse, right? Trained to save lives?"

The fear in her eyes faded, replaced by confidence. "Yes."

"This is the same thing. You'll be saving two lives. Just keep that in mind."

She drew her tiny body up under my hand and gave a nod. She took two steps back and closed her eyes. Sandy looked at her, then followed suit. Mist curled around them from their feet, all the way to the top of their heads, covering them completely. As it blew away, two birds stood in their place, easily six feet tall. Their feathers were black and gold, and their beaks were wicked long with tiny teeth inside the edge of them.

"Your wings don't look metallic, but the info said you can throw your feathers like daggers, so be careful," I said.

They bobbed their heads and clacked their beaks in unison.

Without a word they launched into the air, their wings giving off a vibration that trembled over my skin, calling to my snake. Calling on me to s.h.i.+ft. I clenched my hands, digging my nails into my palms.

"Are you okay?" Dahlia put a hand on my shoulder and I shook her off.

"Just go. Get them out." I breathed the words out, knowing I didn't have much longer before the s.h.i.+ft took me whether I wanted it to or not. From the corner of my eye I saw Remo and Dahlia leap into the air and grab hold of Sandy's and Beth's claws.

The four of them swept upward, silent as they climbed high into the dark night. From the shadows of the building, twenty-five of Remo's vampires ran toward the stadium, grinning like demons in the dark of the night.

I ran with them, the curl of the winter air on my skin cooling the need to s.h.i.+ft. Movement helped keep it under control, apparently; would have been nice if Ernie had told me that.

The vamps stopped at the first door. Max was in the lead and he held up his hand, beckoning me forward. He pointed at a contraption woven around the handles.

"The doors are locked and linked to a trigger to explode if they're tampered with."

"Are you sure?"

"Used to be on the bomb squad. This is serious stuff; it'll take out the support walls and crush anyone in the tunnels as they try to leave."

We wouldn't even be able to get the humans out then.

I looked up at the side of the stadium. "Can you climb?"