narrow eyes and said nothing. No emotion showed on her face. In fact, the entire room engaged in a collective breath holding.
“Are you people crazy? Do you guys believe this shit too?” She glanced from one brother to another, her eyes widening as she took in their expressions. “You all want me to believe vampires are real beings that haunt the forest and suck the blood of…lost hikers?”
“Among other things, yes.” Serg didn’t reach for her hand, although he did scoot closer to her on the couch.
“Other things? What? Ghosts? Goblins? Werewolves? I can’t believe this.” She jumped up and began to pace, pressing her fingers to her temples.
“Well, I’ve no knowledge of ghosts and goblins, but I can certainly attest to the existence of werewolves,” James muttered.
“Oh, good. Let’s throw a few more mythical creatures in the mix. And I suppose now you’re going to tell me you are in fact a vampire and these boys are werewolves.” Her chuckle was uneasy.
“I’m definitely not a vamp, no,” James stated.
“Oh, thank God for that. You had me worried for a minute.” She scrambled around as if looking for something. “I need to go. You have everything you need from me, right?” She looked at James and then moved toward the hall. “I’ll just grab my stuff. Can you take me back to town? I’ll find someplace to stay tonight and get a car in the morning.”
“Juliana—” Sergius stood.
“No. No. It’s okay. You don’t owe me any explanations. You’ve messed with my mind enough for one day. Let’s call it all good and I’ll get out of your way. Whatever it is you three do out here in the middle of nowhere, you can get back to it and—”
He reached her side in two seconds and took her hands. “Come back. Sit. Listen… Please?”
Her green eyes gazed into his, asking questions she didn’t want answers to.
“I want you to understand what we’re talking about and give me a chance. Please.”
“No, really. I’ll just go. I’m tired. Delirious, apparently.”
“Juliana, I—”
“Serg.” Jaxon leaped up, Micah following.
Sergius tipped his head back and took a long, deep inhale. Keeton McKinney . Didn’t take him long .
“He’s here, isn’t he?” James moved toward the door, drawing his gun and grasping it with both hands.
“Who? What’s going on?”
There wasn’t time to explain. She was about to get a first-hand view of who he was up close and personal.
“I’m sorry, Juliana. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.” He reached down to pull off his boots, letting go of all contact with her skin. “I’d hoped to have more time. But here’s the abbreviated version. The man following you yesterday is Keeton McKinney. He’s a vampire. Don’t know why he didn’t kill you. It’s not like him. My brothers and I are shifters, wolves. That’s why we can track missing people so easily. That’s how I found you.”
She stared at him in a daze, frightened by all the hustling around her. Fear etched on her face, draining her of all color.
“We’re going to shift now. Track this bloodsucker. And try to put a stop to whatever he wants of you. Damn vamp has some balls coming around here.” Sergius pulled his shirt over his head and looked back at his mate.
She was paler than she’d been a moment ago. “He’s after me? Why?”
“I don’t know. Never seen him act like this before.” He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead and then hovered inches from her. “Stay with James. We’ll be back as soon as possible.”
She couldn’t process it all. The whirl of chaos around her made her head spin.
Holy shit. I’ve fallen into the fucking Twilight Zone.
One minute she was listening to a strange tale of vampires and werewolves; the next minute she found herself scrambling to become a part of the plush sofa while the sheriff stood next to the front door, holding a revolver.
And if she’d thought it couldn’t get any freakier, the
“Are you people crazy? Do you guys believe this shit too?” She glanced from one brother to another, her eyes widening as she took in their expressions. “You all want me to believe vampires are real beings that haunt the forest and suck the blood of…lost hikers?”
“Among other things, yes.” Serg didn’t reach for her hand, although he did scoot closer to her on the couch.
“Other things? What? Ghosts? Goblins? Werewolves? I can’t believe this.” She jumped up and began to pace, pressing her fingers to her temples.
“Well, I’ve no knowledge of ghosts and goblins, but I can certainly attest to the existence of werewolves,” James muttered.
“Oh, good. Let’s throw a few more mythical creatures in the mix. And I suppose now you’re going to tell me you are in fact a vampire and these boys are werewolves.” Her chuckle was uneasy.
“I’m definitely not a vamp, no,” James stated.
“Oh, thank God for that. You had me worried for a minute.” She scrambled around as if looking for something. “I need to go. You have everything you need from me, right?” She looked at James and then moved toward the hall. “I’ll just grab my stuff. Can you take me back to town? I’ll find someplace to stay tonight and get a car in the morning.”
“Juliana—” Sergius stood.
“No. No. It’s okay. You don’t owe me any explanations. You’ve messed with my mind enough for one day. Let’s call it all good and I’ll get out of your way. Whatever it is you three do out here in the middle of nowhere, you can get back to it and—”
He reached her side in two seconds and took her hands. “Come back. Sit. Listen… Please?”
Her green eyes gazed into his, asking questions she didn’t want answers to.
“I want you to understand what we’re talking about and give me a chance. Please.”
“No, really. I’ll just go. I’m tired. Delirious, apparently.”
“Juliana, I—”
“Serg.” Jaxon leaped up, Micah following.
Sergius tipped his head back and took a long, deep inhale. Keeton McKinney . Didn’t take him long .
“He’s here, isn’t he?” James moved toward the door, drawing his gun and grasping it with both hands.
“Who? What’s going on?”
There wasn’t time to explain. She was about to get a first-hand view of who he was up close and personal.
“I’m sorry, Juliana. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.” He reached down to pull off his boots, letting go of all contact with her skin. “I’d hoped to have more time. But here’s the abbreviated version. The man following you yesterday is Keeton McKinney. He’s a vampire. Don’t know why he didn’t kill you. It’s not like him. My brothers and I are shifters, wolves. That’s why we can track missing people so easily. That’s how I found you.”
She stared at him in a daze, frightened by all the hustling around her. Fear etched on her face, draining her of all color.
“We’re going to shift now. Track this bloodsucker. And try to put a stop to whatever he wants of you. Damn vamp has some balls coming around here.” Sergius pulled his shirt over his head and looked back at his mate.
She was paler than she’d been a moment ago. “He’s after me? Why?”
“I don’t know. Never seen him act like this before.” He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead and then hovered inches from her. “Stay with James. We’ll be back as soon as possible.”
She couldn’t process it all. The whirl of chaos around her made her head spin.
Holy shit. I’ve fallen into the fucking Twilight Zone.
One minute she was listening to a strange tale of vampires and werewolves; the next minute she found herself scrambling to become a part of the plush sofa while the sheriff stood next to the front door, holding a revolver.
And if she’d thought it couldn’t get any freakier, the
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