talking. The pain and fear of that night swamped her. She put her hands over her face and cried.
* * * *
Talon and Charon trailed the scent of vampire that filled the cold night air. They’d both spotted him skulking in the shadows carrying some kind of bag. Neither knew what he was doing, but he looked suspicious. He didn’t carry the rotten scent of the other vamps, but he felt wrong. Wrong was the only way Charon could put it. There wasn’t something he could base his feelings on, but his gut was screaming.
“Do you hear that?” Talon asked.
“What?”
“Sounds like some kind of crying.”
Charon listened and picked up on what his partner was talking about. The cry was high-pitched as if coming from a baby. If he wasn’t mistaken, the cry was coming from the bag the man carried.
“Fuck, do you think he kidnapped a child?” Charon asked as the two men picked up speed.
“If he did, he’s a dead man.”
They rushed forward, and as the vampire sensed them, he turned. A look of sheer panic washed over his face and he tried to run. Charon would have laughed if the situation wasn’t what it was. Nothing could outrun an Ancient, but the little vampire gave it a good try. Talon bared his fangs and plucked the man off the ground. The vampire let loose a shrill scream and instantly went lax. The bag dropped from his hand and hit the ground as the scent of urine filled the air. The man had passed out and pissed himself.
“Damn,” Charon muttered, picking the bag up. “I hate when they pee themselves.”
“At least it wasn’t worse,” his companion muttered.
Charon opened the bag and uttered a curse. There was no human baby inside; there wasn’t even a vampire baby. Instead, he pulled a tiny kitten out. The thing was a small, pitiful ball of gray fur. “What the fuck? Why carry this thing around in a bag?”
Talon dropped the vampire to the ground, and the man moaned. “I can’t imagine it’s for anything good.”
“Hey,” Charon said, and nudged the vampire on the ground, “wake up. And don’t pretend you’re still out, because I can smell that you’re awake. What are you doing with the cat? Where are you going?”
“Nothing,” the man said as he started to cry.
Talon squatted next to him. “Don’t lie. I hate liars.”
“I was getting rid of it. My neighbor brought it home, and I hate cats. I just figured I’d toss it in a trashcan.”
Talon opened his mouth and bared his huge fangs. The man shrieked and fainted away. The Hunter stood up and scowled down at the asshole on the ground. “Let’s leave him here. It’ll be good for him to wake up in this filthy alley.”
“What do we do with this thing?” Charon asked, as he held the kitten out.
Talon gently took it from him and cradled the baby to his chest. Instantly, the kitten stopped crying. “I’ll take it to Joelle. She likes cats.”
Charon started to say something snarky when the overwhelming urge to go to Aislinn washed over him. Something was wrong. She was in danger or in pain. Without saying anything, he was gone.
Talon stood in the dark alley alone, but for the tiny kitten and the vampire on the ground. If he’d had any doubts before about Aislinn and Charon, they were wiped away. The woman was Charon’s Liaison. He just hoped Charon realized it and accepted it, or he and Aislinn both would be in for a world of hurt.
Chapter Seven
Charon appeared in Kenshin’s office beside a weeping Aislinn. The fact that she wept made him furious. He’d never seen her cry before, not even when the vampire had bitten through her wrist. But someone had upset her. He wouldn’t stand for it. He turned on Kenshin and Joelle and bared his fangs with a growl. Dropping down, he put his body between them and the woman. His woman.
“Charon?” Aislinn said, her voice hoarse from the tears. “What are you doing here?”
He turned to face her and gathered her into his arms. “I felt your pain. I
* * * *
Talon and Charon trailed the scent of vampire that filled the cold night air. They’d both spotted him skulking in the shadows carrying some kind of bag. Neither knew what he was doing, but he looked suspicious. He didn’t carry the rotten scent of the other vamps, but he felt wrong. Wrong was the only way Charon could put it. There wasn’t something he could base his feelings on, but his gut was screaming.
“Do you hear that?” Talon asked.
“What?”
“Sounds like some kind of crying.”
Charon listened and picked up on what his partner was talking about. The cry was high-pitched as if coming from a baby. If he wasn’t mistaken, the cry was coming from the bag the man carried.
“Fuck, do you think he kidnapped a child?” Charon asked as the two men picked up speed.
“If he did, he’s a dead man.”
They rushed forward, and as the vampire sensed them, he turned. A look of sheer panic washed over his face and he tried to run. Charon would have laughed if the situation wasn’t what it was. Nothing could outrun an Ancient, but the little vampire gave it a good try. Talon bared his fangs and plucked the man off the ground. The vampire let loose a shrill scream and instantly went lax. The bag dropped from his hand and hit the ground as the scent of urine filled the air. The man had passed out and pissed himself.
“Damn,” Charon muttered, picking the bag up. “I hate when they pee themselves.”
“At least it wasn’t worse,” his companion muttered.
Charon opened the bag and uttered a curse. There was no human baby inside; there wasn’t even a vampire baby. Instead, he pulled a tiny kitten out. The thing was a small, pitiful ball of gray fur. “What the fuck? Why carry this thing around in a bag?”
Talon dropped the vampire to the ground, and the man moaned. “I can’t imagine it’s for anything good.”
“Hey,” Charon said, and nudged the vampire on the ground, “wake up. And don’t pretend you’re still out, because I can smell that you’re awake. What are you doing with the cat? Where are you going?”
“Nothing,” the man said as he started to cry.
Talon squatted next to him. “Don’t lie. I hate liars.”
“I was getting rid of it. My neighbor brought it home, and I hate cats. I just figured I’d toss it in a trashcan.”
Talon opened his mouth and bared his huge fangs. The man shrieked and fainted away. The Hunter stood up and scowled down at the asshole on the ground. “Let’s leave him here. It’ll be good for him to wake up in this filthy alley.”
“What do we do with this thing?” Charon asked, as he held the kitten out.
Talon gently took it from him and cradled the baby to his chest. Instantly, the kitten stopped crying. “I’ll take it to Joelle. She likes cats.”
Charon started to say something snarky when the overwhelming urge to go to Aislinn washed over him. Something was wrong. She was in danger or in pain. Without saying anything, he was gone.
Talon stood in the dark alley alone, but for the tiny kitten and the vampire on the ground. If he’d had any doubts before about Aislinn and Charon, they were wiped away. The woman was Charon’s Liaison. He just hoped Charon realized it and accepted it, or he and Aislinn both would be in for a world of hurt.
Chapter Seven
Charon appeared in Kenshin’s office beside a weeping Aislinn. The fact that she wept made him furious. He’d never seen her cry before, not even when the vampire had bitten through her wrist. But someone had upset her. He wouldn’t stand for it. He turned on Kenshin and Joelle and bared his fangs with a growl. Dropping down, he put his body between them and the woman. His woman.
“Charon?” Aislinn said, her voice hoarse from the tears. “What are you doing here?”
He turned to face her and gathered her into his arms. “I felt your pain. I
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