Blood Shift (The Charming Shifter Mysteries Book 3) Page 10

  “Language, child,” D’Raynged said coolly.

  “And you’re not helping, sitting there all bored and unconcerned.” Her hands swished toward him. “I’m at the end of my rope!”

  “Right where I want you.” A slow smile crept across his face while his eyelids lowered in a hooded gaze.

  “No!” The word exploded from her mouth.

  “Suit yourself.” He leaned forward and got to his feet. “I’m only offering. You know how you can perceive the world and all its wonders when under the influence.” He stepped smartly across the room, looking like a man about to enter a boardroom and command a meeting.

  Gnashing her teeth together, she growled, “God, I hate you.”

  “Isn’t it wonderful to share so much passion with another?” He paused, smirking. “I don’t share this kind of intensity with most humans. In fact, I do believe you’re the only one. Aren’t you lucky?” He chuckled, then turned to stride away. “You know where to find me. And, I’d prefer it on chocolate, if you please.”

  “Gah!” Guilt at betraying Hung and relying on the blood offering pooled in her belly. But the desire for answers that only magic could provide roared like a forest fire. She stomped toward him. “Come with me.” She grabbed his arm and hauled him toward the kitchen. Flinging open the pantry door, she entered the closet-like space and rummaged through the shelves. Tossing aside bags, boxes, and cans, she spied what she was looking for. “Here it is!”

  “Halloween candy?” D’Raynged arched an eyebrow. “And how old is that, if I might ask?”

  “I don’t know…a season or two. I’m sure it’s still good.” She waved the cellophane bag at his face. “It’s chocolate, okay?”

  “Fine,” he said, stepping toward the kitchen island. “It will have to do.” He gestured impatiently at her. “Go on. Let’s do this.”

  “Oh, vampire,” she said in a low voice. “You’ve just let me see how much you need it, too.”

  He stared at her through slits. “Get. This. Over with. Now.”

  She let out a dark laugh. “Don’t think I won’t remember this.” She tugged open the knife drawer and pulled out a dagger-like blade. “I’m giving you more than last time. I want this one to last longer.”

  He licked his lips, his eyes intent on the knife tip.

  She traced a delicate circle on her palm, not breaking the skin. The point of the blade against her skin made her shiver. “Mm, feels so good.”

  D’Raynged swallowed. “It will feel so much better in a minute or two.”

  Clutching the knife, she made a teensy, tiny stick at the end of her finger. “Do you think this blade is sharp enough?” She sucked on her finger, coaxing free the single drop of blood. “I might need to search for the sharpener.”

  His fangs protruded. He swept his tongue across them, hungrily. “Do what you need to do.” His face looked eager. “The people of Charming await you…after I get through with you, that is.”

  His words made her wince, quashing her mood. Her teasing over, she took a deep breath. Reaching into the bag, she retrieved five chocolate kisses, unwrapped the Halloween orange foil, and lined them on the oak block. She held the blade above her palm, biting her lip. Slowly, she slid the razor-sharp edge across her tender skin, hissing. Dark red blood seeped through the breach.

  “Oh, yes,” D’Raynged murmured, his voice low and sexy as hell.

  Chia didn’t need to look at his trousers to know his cock stood stiff as stone. She held her hand over the kisses and let the blood drip, drip, drip onto each one.

  When they were all coated dark red, she grabbed a kitchen towel from the stove and wrapped it around her hand, wincing at the pain. “Have at it, vamp.”

  He plucked the first one and popped it in his mouth. “Mm,” he moaned, his voice so throaty it made her panties wet with desire. He picked up the second one and slowly lapped at it with his tongue. “Good God, you’re exquisite.”

  The high came hard and furious, making her fall back against the counter.

  “Maybe that’s enough,” she managed to squeak.

  “Oh, no, child. This is pure ecstasy.” He picked up the third, dropping it into his mouth and sucking.

  Chia moaned at the onset of pleasure coursing through her veins. “I have to go…do…something.” She stayed put, desire for D’Raynged pinning her to the floor like a powerful magnet.

  “Oh, no. You have to stay put and let me finish eating you.” He rubbed the fourth chocolate along his lips, staining them reddish brown. Then, eyes closed, he dragged his tongue along his lips, savoring the taste of her.

  Chia eyed the huge bulge in his pants, throbbing against the cloth. Waves of pleasure coursed through her hips, belly, and breasts, making her nipples form hard buds. Her mouth fell open, wanting something hard and delicious to lick and suck.

  “Mm-hmm,” he said, looking at her with utter satisfaction. “That can be arranged.” He plucked the last chocolate from the island and gently placed it between his teeth.

  Her gaze locked with his in eager anticipation.

  His normally sky-blue eyes were obscured by his irises, black as his soul. He slowly squeezed his teeth together, slicing the chocolate drop in two.

  The sensation shot between her legs as if he bit her clit. Her hand dropped to her core and she moaned, rocking her hips. “Oh, vampire!”

  Tripping hard, each breath sounded like waves beating on the shore. The electric light overhead hummed insistently, annoying the hell out of her.

  “Too loud,” she said, stumbling for the light switch.

  Plunging the room into darkness only made her vision acuter.

  D’Raynged appeared to her as electric blue, cold and unyielding. She glanced down at her own body, pulsating in shimmering golds, greens, and reds.

  As she made her way toward him, she panted.

  D’Raynged licked his lips. He thrust his hips forward.

  She stroked his cool arms. Her hands fell to his trousers where she palmed his throbbing heat.

  He fumbled with his belt buckle, before unzipping.

  The zipper sounded like a freight train, roaring down the tracks.

  A tiny mewling sounded outside the window.

  Chia stilled. “What’s that?”

  D’Raynged took her head in his hands, urging her toward his erection. “Nothing to concern yourself with, my pet.”

  The mewling turned into a child’s sobs, tearing at Chia’s heart. She shook herself free of the vampire’s grip.

  “We have to go! It’s a child!”

  “Not again,” D’Raynged muttered. “All this foreplay for nothing.”

  “It will still be here in a few minutes,” Chia promised.

  “Will it? Your tolerance for the blood offering is growing by the minute,” D’Raynged grumbled in a surly voice. “Soon, I’ll need it by the cupful, after which you’ll be too weak to play.”

  She tsked. “Drama much?” She ran toward the foyer where she’d left her footwear.

  Slipping into her boots, Chia raced outside, in the direction the whimpers had come. She quickly traversed toward the forest at the edge of her property, and pushed through branches, toward the place where the Fae had been slaughtered. They can’t still be there, can they? Wouldn’t their bodies be absorbed into some magic heavenly realm? She chided herself, figuring they were probably stiff, frozen slabs.

  In the middle of the stand of trees sat a small fairy child, her wings drooping, her face in her hands. As they approached, her head slowly lifted. Her body pulsed with a beautiful blue light. Her hair hung silvery bright, dancing in an invisible current, like seaweed. And her eyes—they shimmered with silver and gold, mesmerizing Chia for a few seconds.

  The fairy child got to her feet and stood over one of the dead Fae, sobbing. “They’ll never be free,” she wailed.

  “Honey, they’ll be all right,” Chia said, placing her hands on the two-foot tall creature’s shoulders. “They’re, uh…they’re no longer with us.”


  “No, they won’t be okay. Unless this ground can be consecrated, their souls will never fly free.” Her shoulders shook. Once again, she dropped her face into her delicate fingers and sobbed.

  Chia looked to D’Raynged.

  He sauntered next to her, scowling, clearly more concerned with his own throbbing needs.

  “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

  He knifed his hand sharply through the air. “It’s some crap about the Fae, and if a death has occurred, especially a violent one, the ground needs to be purified or some nonsense. This ground will supposedly become fallow, the ground a blackened crisp. The Fae are a superstitious lot if you ask me.”

  Chia turned back to the wee sprite. “Can’t you do it?”

  The fairy child pivoted her pretty face toward Chia, her ringlets limp. Her eyes pooled with tears. “No, I don’t have the right magic. You can do it.”

  “No, sweetheart, I can’t. I wish I could.” Inwardly, she cursed her inability to do anything magic without an assist.

  The girl’s eyes grew round and wide. “Oh, but you can. You have magic in your veins.”

  Chia slowly shook her head side to side. “No, sweet pea. You’re mistaken.”

  The girl looked at D’Raynged. “You know she does, don’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, looking away from Chia.

  “He’s lying. Show him.” The fairy child grabbed Chia’s hand. “It’s in your blood.”

  Chia kept shaking her head, blinking rapidly. “No, it’s in the blood given to my roommate—that’s the only time any blood magic occurs.”

  “Show him. Please. One of those Fae was my mama!” The fairy child’s lower lip trembled. She blinked at Chia, her long, silvery lashes fluttering.

  “I wish I could help you,” Chia said, her heart breaking.

  “We’re done here,” D’Raynged said, seizing her other hand—the one she’d sliced for him.

  Pain raced up her arm.

  “Ouch!” Chia yanked her hand away. The cut reopened, and several drops of blood fell onto the snow and soil, hissing as they touched the earth.

  Warbling voices filled the air, as tiny sparkles of light arose from the dead Fae, like bubbles. The lights grew, illuminating the entire clearing in a kaleidoscope of brilliant color. Then, they rose into the night sky, rippling and flashing like the Aurora Borealis.

  The fairy child clapped her hands and smiled. “See? You do have magic.”

  Chia frowned, staring at her hand.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “You do,” she said in a petulant whine. “Why don’t you believe me?”

  “Are you sure?” All the lights began to fade in front of Chia’s eyes—the light show overhead, the tiny sparkling fairy child. “Wait,” she said, to no one in particular. “D’Raynged,” she said, whirling around. “I need more…”

  He was nowhere to be found.

  As the delicate wings of the fairy child fluttered into the air, even she disappeared, leaving Chia once more in utter darkness with no more understanding than she had an hour ago. Only questions filled her brain.

  What does she mean I have magic in my blood? The only thing thrumming through my veins is D’Raynged.

  Chapter 14

  “I’m going to kill that fucking vampire,” Chia said, stomping through the snow toward her house. She threw open the door and yelled, “D’Raynged! Get out here!” Silence met her ears. “Gah! What a chicken!” She tromped down the basement stairs to his coffin room. Empty! “If you’re listening to me in some alternate vampire universe, jackass, I need answers. Do you hear me? You know something I don’t!”

  Again, more silence.

  Seizing her keys from the hook on the wall of the foyer, she stalked out the door, slamming it behind her, and headed toward her Jeep with one thought in mind—seeing Hung again. She needed answers, and he was the only solution she could trust. Or, that’s what I keep telling myself.

  When she got to her Jeep, however, she paused. “We didn’t exactly leave on good terms. We never do lately.”

  Remembering what Sugar had said about him loving her, she straightened her shoulders and slid in the vehicle.

  She arrived at his cabin a half hour later, still thrumming with fury. She stormed to his entrance, fists cocked, and pounded on the door.

  The door flew open, and she nearly fell into his arms.

  He stood, his brow furrowed, wearing nothing but a towel, his hair dripping wet. She gaped at him, her eyes landing on his hips.

  He tipped her chin up with his fingertips. “Eyes up here. That’s off-limits. Can I help you?”

  Her mouth snapped shut.

  “I’ve reached the end of my rope,” she said.

  “Ditto,” he said. “Make yourself at home. I was in the shower. I’ll be right back.”

  She settled on one of two pivoting seats at his breakfast bar, her fingers tapping madly on the white and blue tiles. Her eyes tracked the sturdy pine boards lining his living room. No pictures, paintings, or certificates hung on his wall—only finished wood. The barest of furniture—a couch, a chair, a small wooden table pushed against the wall for eating—sat throughout the studio-sized, one bedroom cabin.

  He returned a few minutes later, clad in jeans and a soft blue t-shirt, rubbing his hair with his towel. “Will this be quick? I’m bushed.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t look bushed to me. Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  He did that thing where he worked his jaw back and forth, stopping himself from saying something sharp. “Chia…”

  “You said we should be friends. I need to talk to someone. It may as well be you. There are bigger issues than you and me. Let’s set aside our differences and work together, what do you say?” She smiled even though her insides were confused and hurt, as usual.

  He sighed, then nodded. “Can I get you anything? I’ve got beer…wine. You know, the usual.”

  “Red wine would be great, thanks.”

  He stepped toward the open shelves lining the wall of his cozy kitchen and retrieved a wine glass. Then, he tugged the cork from a bottle of open wine on the counter and poured her a healthy amount. After handing it to her, he took a beer from the fridge and twisted open the top. “Cheers,” he said.

  She tipped her glass to his beer and clinked, before pouring half the wine down her throat.

  “Whoa,” he said, his eyebrows high. “What’s the matter?”

  “Everything!” After slamming the wine glass on the counter, she ran her hand through her rainbow-colored hair. “I’m so frustrated I could scream. All I have are questions…a million unanswered questions.”

  “Shh, sweetheart,” he said, rounding the bar. He stepped behind her and began massaging her shoulders.

  She melted into his familiar touch, letting her head fall back against his chest.

  “Let’s take this one step at a time.” He fingered a lock of her hair before resuming his deep caresses.

  “Do we have to?” she said, her eyes closed. “Feel free to keep massaging me.”

  His fingers stopped moving, and he paused, perhaps lost in his own confusion.

  She tensed.

  He released his grip on her muscles, leaving her aching for his touch. “What do we know? Let’s deal with facts.” He pulled out a map from a shelf underneath the counter. “I’ve been going over and over what I know, searching for clues.” Standing behind her, he tapped the map of Alaska. “The eagle lured me up here,” he said, pointing to a region north of Charming. “Then, he lured me over here.” He tapped the shore region just southwest. “And then I chased him inland.” He fingered an area to the east of Charming. “It looks like a wild goose chase. Sugar tells a similar story. He sent her here, here, and here.” His body pressed into her back as he studied the map.

  She let out a soft moan before she could catch herself.

  He took a step backward as if wrestling with his own desires.
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  “Hung,” she said, overwhelmed by his nearness.

  “What?”

  “What are you doing?” She pivoted in her seat until she gazed up at him with longing.

  “I don’t know, I…I can’t stay away from you. Lord knows I try.”

  “Then, don’t stop. We’re like two planets, orbiting one another. I feel the same way. I can’t stop thinking of you.”

  “Chia…” He guided her to her feet, then, lowered his lips to hers.

  The kiss was soft and tentative at first. Chia, stoked by her earlier desire, let her tongue slide into his mouth, inviting his to play.

  He groaned, sucking on her tongue, hard, producing sweet pain. Soon, their lips ground against one another. He picked up her hands in his, clasping them palm to palm. Then, he hesitated, jerking away from her.

  “What?” she gasped, panting, her body surging with heat.

  “What’s this?” He grasped her injured hand in his, pressing on the fresh wound with his thumb.

  “Ouch!” She snatched it back.

  “What did you do?” he accused. “You did another blood offering before you got here, didn’t you?” His eyes flashed fire and hurt.

  “I…” she began, pushing the map behind her with her elbow.

  It fluttered to the floor.

  She bent to pick it up and spied a Chinese take-out container peeking out of the trash can in the kitchen. Glancing at it, she formed a connection. She thought of how she and Hung had taken a few road trips, driving all over Alaska to discover new Chinese restaurants.

  “Hung, look.” She spread the map on the counter, smoothing it flat with her hands.

  “Look at what?” He raked his dark blond hair with his hand, clearly frustrated.

  “These cities you said the eagle drew you to…they seem random, right?”

  “Right,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to piece together. He’d lure me from city to city. This city is where I stayed the longest, waiting for him.” He tapped a city near Anchorage.

  “Well,” Chia said, excitement replacing the hurt pounding through her chest. “It’s a long shot but listen to this.”