Chapter 7. Bride pushed the salad around on her plate as she tried not to stare at Vane

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Bride pushed the salad around on her plate as she tried not to stare at Vane. There was something so compelling about him. It was also disconcerting to be around someone so lean and muscular. At least with Taylor, he'd been skinnier than her, but he didn't work out, and had love handles of his own.

There wasn't an ounce of excess on Vane's entire body. Her face flamed as she remembered just how great that man looked naked.

" Are you okay? " he asked.

" Fine."

" Why aren't you eating? "

She shrugged. " I guess I'm not hungry after all."

He took the fork from her hand and twirled the spaghetti around the tines, then held it up for her.

" I'm not a baby, Vane."

" I know." His hot look scorched her. " Eat for me, Bride, " he said in a low, commanding tone. " I don't want you to go hungry. There's nothing good about starving."

From the tone of his voice, she could tell he spoke from experience. " You've been hungry? "

" Take a bite and I'll answer."

" I'm not a child."

" Believe me, I know." He wagged the fork for her.

She shook her head at his serious play, then opened her mouth.

He carefully placed the fork inside so that she could close her mouth around it before he slid the fork back out.

Bride chewed while he twirled the fork in her pasta. " Yes, I've gone hungry. My parents weren't nurturing or caring like yours. As soon as a male is old enough, they throw him out and he either learns to… to survive or he dies."

Vane's heart twisted as he remembered his youth. The pain and constant hunger. He'd almost died more times than he could count that first year on his own. Until he hit puberty, he'd been a wolf cub. Virtually overnight, he had become human. His magical powers had been new to him and he'd been stuck in human form when he needed to be a wolf.

Unused to being human, he couldn't track or kill prey. He'd been blitzed with unfamiliar feelings and emotions that wolves didn't have. Worst of all, his senses were dulled in human form. Humans might see better in daylight, but they couldn't hear as clearly, move as quickly, or smell their enemies around them. They didn't have the physical strength to fight bare-handed against other predators and animals for food and protection.

Nor could they kill as easily. They were consumed by guilt, horrified by bloodshed.

But like Darwin had written, it was survival of the fittest, and so Vane had learned how to survive. Eventually. He'd learned to take his blows and bites without surrendering to the agony of his wounds.

At the end of the first year of his adulthood, he had returned to his pack angry and controlled. A human who knew what it meant to be a wolf. A human who was determined to control the part of himself that he loathed.

He'd also returned home with more power than any of them had dared dream.

Still, he wouldn't have made it had Fang not saved him. In the beginning, it had been Fang who had killed for both of them so that they could eat. Fang who protected him and watched over his human state while Vane had to relearn even the simplest of tasks. When others would have abandoned him, Fang had stayed by his side.

That was why he would always protect his brother, no matter the cost.

" It must have been hard, " Bride said, bringing him back to the present.

Back to her.

Vane fed her another bite. " You get used to it."

She looked at him as if she understood the sentiment. " It's amazing what you can get used to, isn't it? "

" How do you mean? "

" Just that sometimes we let other people treat us wrongly because we want to be loved and accepted so badly that we'd do anything for it. It hurts when you know that no matter how much you try, how much you want it, they can't love or accept you as you are. Then you hate all that time you wasted trying to please them and wonder what about you is so awful that they couldn't at least pretend to love you."

He saw red at her words and the hurt that glimmered in her amber eyes. " Taylor is an idiot."

Bride widened her eyes at the deep, growling intensity of his voice.

Vane set the fork aside and placed his hand on her cheek. He studied her face and stroked her skin with his fingers. " You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and there is nothing about you I would ever seek to change."

It felt so good to hear him say that, but she didn't delude herself for a minute. She'd always been the chubby little girl who didn't want to wear a bathing suit in public. The one who pretended to have her period at parties so that no one would mock her for her weight.

How many times had she watched the skinny little putas come into her shop, to try on the slinky dresses she sold but could never wear?

Just once in her life, she wished she could wear one of Tabitha's more outrageous outfits and not watch a guy's eyes drift immediately away from her as he sought out someone more desirable.

" You keep talking like that, Vane, and I might be forced to keep you."

" You keep looking at me like that, and I just might let you."

She shivered at his words. " You're too good to be real. There's this voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me I need to run before it's too late. You're a serial killer, aren't you? "

He blinked, then frowned. " What? "

" You're like that guy in The Silence of the Lambs. You know, the one who is making a woman suit who's being charming so that he can seduce and kidnap a woman for her skin."

He actually looked aghast at her words, even offended. Which meant he was either innocent or a great actor.

" You're going to throw me naked into a pit and make me drench myself in baby lotion, aren't you? "

He did laugh at that. " You live in New Orleans, where they can't even dig a grave. So tell me where I'm going to find this pit? "

" It's an aboveground pit."

" Hardly secretive."

" But possible, " she insisted.

He shook his head. " You don't give up, do you? "

" Look, I'm a realist and I just had my heart ripped out. I don't want to be involved with anyone right now. You've been so kind to me and I don't know why. It's just that things like this don't happen in real life. Prince Charming doesn't come to the rescue all the time. Most of the time, he's too busy with perfect freakin' Cinderella and her teeny-tiny perfect feet to even notice the rest of us."

She could tell he was irritated at her.

Sighing, he reached for a glass.

Bride frowned as she caught a glimpse of his palm and the strange markings there. Markings that hadn't been there last night or she would have seen them.

Her heart stopped beating.

Reaching out, she pulled his hand into hers and stared at it.

Vane cursed inwardly as he realized he had forgotten to mask his marking when he flashed into her storeroom. Part of him wanted to jerk his hand free, the other part couldn't move as she compared their palms.

" You burned me? "

" No, " he said, offended that she would think such a thing.

She was panicking. He could smell her fear.

" I didn't hurt you, Bride, I swear."

She didn't believe him. " Get out! "

Oh, this was bad. He didn't know how to convince her. She got up and grabbed her broom from the corner.

" Out! " she shouted, brandishing it at him.

" Bride! "

She wouldn't listen. " Get out or I'll… I'll call the police! "

Vane bit back a curse. This wasn't going the way he needed it to. But maybe it was going the way it should.

At least he couldn't be tempted by a woman who hated him and thought him insane.

Dodging out the door, he stood there while he heard her lock it tight.

" Bride, " he said, staring at her through the glass. " Please let me in."

She closed the blinds on him.

Vane leaned his head against the cool glass and let the war inside him shred his control. The animal part of him wanted her, regardless of reason.

The human part knew it would be better to let her go.

Unfortunately, when the two halves of him warred like this, more times than not, the animal won.

That was usually for the best.

This time it wouldn't be. Sighing, he looked around to make sure he was alone and flashed to wolf form. He just hoped Fury didn't come back as a wolf and blow his cover.

Bride might accept one wolf at her door, but two… that was pushing it.

Bride stood in the center of her room, clutching her broom. She was shaking in terror. She thought about calling her parents, but didn't want to scare them. They lived far enough out that by the time they got here she might be dead.

She thought about calling the police, but what would she tell them? That a good-looking guy was eating with her, making her all hot and bothered, and then he flashed his hand at her and she freaked?

It wasn't like Vane had done anything wrong. The police couldn't arrest him unless he did something to hurt her.

Tabitha…

She swallowed at the thought of calling her friend. If there was one thing Tabitha knew, it was self-defense, and the woman was armed to the teeth.

Bride ran to her cell phone and quickly dialed Tabitha's store. Luckily she was in.

" Tabby, " she said, scanning the windows around her to see if Vane was trying to break in. " Please come over. I think my new boyfriend is going to kill me. Really kill me, as in hide-my-body-in-the-woods dead."

" What? "

" I'll explain when you get here. I'm scared, Tab. Really, really scared."

" Okay. Stay on the phone with me while I head over. Hey, Maria, " Tabitha called to her store manager. " Take over the shop for a while. I have an emergency. Call the cell if you need me."

Bride sighed, only partially relieved. Tabitha's store on Bourbon Street was just a few blocks over from her house. It wouldn't take Tabitha more than ten or fifteen minutes to get here on foot.

" Is he still there? " Tabitha asked.

" I don't know. I threw him out and locked the door and I'm having these horrible flashbacks from bad movies where the demon people break through the windows to grab me."

" He's not a zombie, is he? "

She rolled her eyes at Tabitha's suggestion. For most people that would be an attempt at humor. Tabitha was serious. " Hardly."

" Is your wolf with you? "

" No, " Bride said, her chest tight. " He went out and I haven't let him back in yet. Oh God, you don't think he'd hurt my wolf? Do you? "

" Don't worry. I'm sure the wolf can handle itself."

Bride could tell by Tabitha's breathlessness that her friend was running now. God love her. Tabitha was the best in a crisis. Everyone should have a friend like her.

There was nothing Tabitha wouldn't do for a friend or her family.

" You still there? " Tabitha asked.

" Yes."

Bride chatted with her the whole time about nothing while she checked outside to see if Vane was still there.

He wasn't.

After a few minutes, she heard her wolf growling outside the door.

" Shh, " Tabitha said over the phone. " It's just me, boy."

" You here already? "

" Yeah, " she said. " Hang up and open the door."

Bride did. To her relief, it was just the wolf and Tabitha outside.

" It looks clear, " Tabitha said as the wolf ran into the apartment. " He must have left."

Bride took a deep breath in relief, but she still locked the door tight. " I've never been more terrified, Tabby. It was awful."

Tabitha scanned the apartment. " What happened? " she asked as she opened doors and looked out windows.

" I don't know. We were having a late lunch and everything was great until I saw this…" She held her palm up for Tabitha to see the strange tattoo mark on her palm. " He had one identical to it on his palm."

" You're kidding."

" No, and the weirdest part is that I don't know how I got it. Remember when we were eating and it just appeared? "

Tabitha took Bride's hand into hers and studied the tattoo.

" He branded me or something, didn't he? " Bride asked. " He's placed his mark on me and now he's going to kill me. I knew it was too good to be true."

Tabitha shook her head. " Honestly, I can't answer that. There haven't been any murders like this in the state, I know that much."

And Tabitha would. She made it a habit through a friend of hers in the police department to stay on top of all murder investigations.

" So what do you think? "

Tabitha held her hand closer to her face. " It looks Greek in origin. Tell you what, let's make a break for my sister's house. We can ask her husband what he thinks."

" Which sister? "

" The twin one." Tabitha released her hand.

Bride balked at the thought of going to Amanda. " Amanda knows my psycho boyfriend-turned-serial-killer. She even set us up on our date! "

Tabitha made a disgusted sound. " Figures. Mandy has always been a rotten judge of character. Jeez! Never let her set you up with any guy."

" I thought that's what they say about you, Tabby? "

Tabitha ignored her. " You know, it might be a good idea for you to pack a bag and camp out at Amanda's at least for tonight, until we find out more about your serial-killer friend. If he does know Amanda, then he knows enough to leave her alone."

Bride didn't argue. In all honesty, she didn't want to be home alone even with her wolf to guard her. If Vane really was psychotic, he could kill her pet and then her.

" Okay, give me a sec."

Tabitha petted the wolf while Bride grabbed a change of clothes, her makeup, and something to sleep in.

Vane lowered his head as he watched Bride packing. He was relieved at her actions and Tabitha's suggestion. Kyrian lived in a house that not even Vane could break into. It was protected against not just human criminals, but otherworldly intruders as well.

There, the rest of his pack couldn't trespass unless Kyrian allowed it, and the former Dark-Hunter knew better than to let a pack of Were-Hunters in.

He nuzzled Tabitha's leg, grateful she wasn't a complete lunatic.

In no time, Bride was packed. She turned off the lights and opened the door.

They tried to leave him behind, but Vane refused.

" Let him come, " Tabitha said as Bride tried to drag him away from Bride's SUV.

" Yeah, but doesn't your sister have Terminator now? "

" She does, but he's friendly enough with other dogs. It's vampires he hates."

Bride didn't comment on that. Instead, she let the wolf into the back seat of her Jeep Cherokee. She put her bag in beside him, then got in and waited for Tabitha to jump in. They pulled out of the drive and Bride's heart stopped as she caught sight of Vane's motorcycle outside her shop.

" What is it? " Tabitha asked.

She pointed toward the motorcycle. " He's still here."

" Gun it, " Tabitha said as she pulled out her Glock and checked its magazine.

" Oh, good grief, Tabitha. You can't shoot him."

" Trust me, I can." Tabitha touched the scar on her face. " Now go before he finds us."

Bride did as she said.

It didn't take long to reach Amanda and Kyrian's antebellum mansion in the Garden District. The Greek-revival house was one of the best preserved in the state. It was also one of the largest.

Bride pulled into the driveway and paused in front of the massive iron gates that had to be opened from inside.

Tabitha used her cell phone to call Amanda.

" Why not just buzz the house? " Bride asked.

" Because Kyrian can be a dickhead about letting me in sometimes."

Bride frowned. " Why? "

" I tried to kill him once and he hasn't gotten over it. I swear, that man can hold a grudge like nobody's business." She paused. " Hey Mandy, it's me. We're out here in the driveway. Could you buzz us in? " She winked at Bride. " It's me and Bride McTierney… yeah, okay."

The gates opened. " Thanks, sis. See you in a minute."

They drove up the driveway and Bride whistled low. She'd never been inside the gates before, but everyone in town knew about this house.

It was even more beautiful up close than it had been from the street.

They drove up the semicircular driveway to the front door, which swung open the instant they stopped. Amanda Hunter stepped out, holding her infant daughter on her hip.

The baby girl started bouncing the second she saw Tabitha. " Mama, mama, mama! " the baby cried in her infant gibberish, reaching for Tabitha, who scooped her up and hugged her.

Before Tabitha's face had been scarred, the only way to tell the two women apart had been their wardrobes. While Tabitha preferred a goth chic look, Amanda was mainstream to the extreme. She wore a pair of black slacks and a thin, dark green cashmere sweater.

" What brings you two here? " Amanda asked.

" She has a psycho chasing her, " Tabitha said while Bride let her wolf out of the car and grabbed her bag.

Amanda looked at her with concern. " Are you okay, Bride? "

Bride held on to her wolf. " I think so. I'm really sorry to impose."

" No, not at all, " Amanda said as she neared Bride. " I know how much my sisters love you. I'd hate to see anything happen to you." Amanda froze as she caught sight of the wolf with her and frowned.

" Do you mind that I brought him? " Bride asked. " Tabitha said it would be okay."

Still frowning, Amanda looked at Tabitha. " Okay…"

Amanda held her hand out to the wolf who went immediately over to her. " You probably want to go inside, don't you, boy? "

The wolf moved back to Bride's side.

" Or not, " Amanda said. " Well now, why don't we all go inside and find out some more about this lunatic who's after Bride? "

They followed Amanda into the house. Bride pulled up short, a bit intimidated by the size of the place and the pristine collection of antiques that looked like they belonged in a museum. She'd never seen anything like it.

But the oddest part was that the antiques were balanced out by contemporary furniture such as the plush black couches and an expensive entertainment system.

Not to mention strange vampire bric-a-brac. They even had a coffin-shaped coffee table.

How very odd…

A gorgeous blond man entered the room from the hallway to the right and cursed the instant he saw Tabitha in the foyer.

" Love you, too, Kyr, " Tabitha said with an open, friendly smile.

He took a deep breath that said he would need patience to deal with Tabitha. " Kill any vampires lately? " he asked.

" Apparently not, you're still breathing, huh? " Tabitha clucked her tongue at Amanda. " When's Geritol here gonna drop dead from old age, anyway? "

Kyrian narrowed his eyes at his sister-in-law before he looked at his wife. " You know, I always thought I had faced evil incarnate. And then I met your sister. She makes a total mockery of all known malevolent forces."

" Would you two stop? " Amanda said to them. " We have company, and speaking of evil incarnate. Why don't you go face it in the nursery and change your daughter's diaper? "

" Anything to get her out of Tabitha's clutches before she corrupts her. It's even worth facing the toxic waste."

Tabitha snorted at that. " Go on, little Marissa, and make sure you do something really nasty to Daddy when he changes you, okay? "

The baby laughed as Tabitha handed her over to her father.

Kyrian started for the stairs, then stopped as he caught sight of the wolf sitting quietly behind Bride.

" Is that who I think it is? " Amanda asked him.

Kyrian cocked his head. " Yeah, I think so."

Bride's heart stopped. " You know his owner? "

Kyrian looked a bit uneasy with her question. " He doesn't really have an owner per se. How did you end up with him? "

" He turned up at my house and I took him in."

Kyrian and Amanda exchanged a puzzled look. " He let you? "

" Well, yeah."

Tabitha opened her mouth as if she understood what they were thinking. " Oh, dear Lord, don't tell me he's one of your cockamamie friends."

" They're better than yours, " Kyrian snapped. " At least mine aren't insane."

" Yeah, right. They're just…" Tabitha snapped her mouth shut, then passed a fake smile to Bride. " You want to show him your hand? I'm sure he's going to know all about your mysterious serial killer."

Bride hesitated. " He knows serial killers? "

" He knows lots of truly unsavory people."

" And Tabitha leads off that list."

" Kyrian! " Amanda snapped.

Tabitha crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged nonchalantly. " It's okay, Mandy. Let him pick. At least I'm not the one with the receding hairline."

His face suddenly ashen, Kyrian ran his hand along his hairline.

" You're not going bald, " Amanda snapped, then she turned to her sister. " Would you stop picking on my husband? "

" Geritol started it."

Bride wasn't sure what to think of them now. This had to be the weirdest house she'd ever been inside. " Maybe I should have called the police."

" Nah, " Tabitha said in a blasй tone. " No doubt your serial killer would kill them, too. Show him your hand."

Slightly hesitant, Bride moved forward to do so. " Have you ever seen anything like it? "

Kyrian nodded.

She swallowed in fear. " Am I going to die? "

" No, " he said, locking gazes with her. " It's not a death symbol."

Bride let out a relieved breath. " What is it, then? "

He cringed a bit before he responded. " That I really can't tell you. But I can promise you this, whoever has a matching mark would sooner kill himself than see you hurt."

Bride closed her hand. " That's what Vane said."

Kyrian's gaze went to the wolf. " Well, you can trust him. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a diaper with my name on it."

" Is that all you're going to tell her? " Tabitha asked as he left them.

" It's all I can tell her, " Kyrian said meaningfully, heading up the stairs.

Tabitha huffed. " Well, aren't you Mr. Information? "

" Tabby, " Amanda said, taking her arm and pulling her toward the couches. " Leave him alone." She smiled graciously at Bride. " Can I get you anything to eat or drink? "

" No, thanks. I'm okay. At least as okay as I can be given the weirdness of this day."

Bride sat down on the couch in front of the windows while her wolf dashed up the stairs after Kyrian.

" Oh no." She got up to go after him.

" It's okay, " Amanda said, stopping her as she rounded the coffin coffee table. " Let him go. Kyrian will bring him back down in a few minutes."

" Are you sure it's okay? "

Amanda nodded.

Kyrian had just finished changing Marissa's diaper when he felt a Were-Hunter presence outside his door. " Is that you, Vane? "

Vane pushed open the nursery door. " Thanks for not ratting me out down there."

Kyrian tossed the dirty diaper into the pail and picked Marissa up. She slapped a wet palm against his face before she squeezed his cheek playfully. " No problem. So what's up with the two of you? "

" I don't know. She's the human I was asking you how to date."

" I figured as much when I saw her. You should have told us it was Bride."

Vane sighed in frustration as he ignored that. " How do you tell a human what you are? How did Amanda react when she found out you were a Dark-Hunter? "

" She handled it with remarkable grace and dignity. Of course, it helps that her twin sister is certifiable. So, all things considered, I was the lesser of two evils."

Vane gave him a droll look.

" Does Bride have any loons in her family? " Kyrian asked him.

" Not that I know of."

" Then you're screwed."

" You have no idea, " Vane said under his breath. " My pack knows I'm in New Orleans. They've already called out a tessera for me."

Kyrian felt for the wolf. He'd been in a similar situation and it was hard to be true to your preternatural nature while your heart was entangled with a human. " You want to leave her here? "

Vane looked at the baby in Kyrian's arms and a part of him ached at the sight. He'd never really thought about having children before he'd found Bride. And in truth it was strange to see the former Dark-Hunter playing daddy.

What would it be like to hold his own child?

In the back of his mind, he could see a small daughter with red hair and pale skin… like her mother.

" I can't endanger your family, " Vane said quietly.

" I might be mortal now, but I'm still capable of fighting."

Vane shook his head. " No you're not. Neither is your wife. My people live their lives commanding magic and the forces of nature. You've never fought the Katagaria before and you have no idea what they're capable of."

Kyrian shifted his daughter in his arms as she started fussing. " So what are you going to do? "

" I don't know." And honestly, he was getting tired of not knowing. A year ago, Vane had known exactly who and what he was.

Exactly how to live his life and how to kill anyone who threatened it.

Ever since the night Anya had died, he'd been lost.

It wasn't until that evening in Bride's shop that he'd felt something other than despair.

Now he didn't know what he felt.

" Kyrian! "

Both men jumped at Amanda's call from downstairs. Kyrian clutched his daughter as they ran for the steps.

Vane was halfway down the curving stairs when he saw something that made his body run cold.

Jasyn Kallinos, one of the Katagaria hawks who was living temporarily at Sanctuary, was in the foyer in human form, bleeding. Amanda stood with her hand on the doorknob. From where she had invited him in.

Vane jumped over the banister and landed on the black-and-white marbled floor in a crouch just before Jasyn. Coming to his feet, he ignored Bride's gasp of alarm.

" What happened? " Vane asked.

" Those fucking wolves attacked us." His breathing ragged, Jasyn met Vane's gaze and the horror there singed him. " They killed Fang."