Blood Shift (The Charming Shifter Mysteries Book 3) Page 14

  Sugar lifted her arm and pointed, indicating the road heading back to the hospital. “Are we turning or are we not? There it is.”

  Chia swished her hand. “Keep going.” She turned her attention back to D’Raynged.

  “This is all so quaintly interesting, but did you merely call to determine how amazing I am? I think we both know the answer to that.”

  Chia blushed. “I need you to do something for me. You owe me.”

  “Child, I can assure you I owe you nothing.”

  “This isn’t about owing, then. It’s about friendship.”

  Hung began to mutter, his eyes moving rapidly back and forth beneath his lids.

  “You do realize who you’re talking to, don’t you?” D’Raynged said, in his usual bored tone. “I’m a vampire. I don’t do friendship.”

  “Then do it for the sake of your room—you want to keep it, don’t you?” Chia huffed out an exasperated sigh. “You told me you like living with me.”

  “Girlfriend, you’ve got to do better than that.”

  “Gah! This isn’t about bargaining. Hung’s dying. If he dies, I’ll be miserable! I want you to feed him some of your blood.”

  “Lord, no. I’m open to others’ preferences, but I don’t roll that way, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “I didn’t say bang him. Just give him your blood!” Her ears were met with silence. “You better not have hung up on me, vampire.”

  “I’m thinking.”

  A long pause stretched between them. Chia clutched the phone and didn’t breathe. Her eyes stayed glued to Hung’s writhing body.

  “Okay. I’ll do it. I need something to do. I’m between dates.”

  “That’s because you kill them when you’re done with them. I’m sure word travels, jackass.”

  “Please, child, keep your judgment in check or this deal is off. I’m hanging up if you don’t apologize in three, two…”

  “I’m sorry I called you a jackass. You’re a great roommate.” The words gushed from her mouth, in super speed.

  “And good looking?”

  “Totally handsome. Like a Greek god.”

  “That’s better.” He seemed to purr into the phone. “Now, where shall I meet you?

  She mumbled some coordinates into the phone, then, disconnected. “Sugar, you know the place that overlooks the Haunted Bear Glacier? The tourist trap?”

  “It’s some lookout called…”

  “Called Haunted Bear Glacier lookout.” Chia rolled her eyes. “You know it?”

  “I think so.”

  “Come on. You should know every square inch of this vicinity.” Chia knew she was speed-talking, but she had to get Hung there before the vampire changed his mind. “Just past the intersection to Whitefoot lake. Ring any bells?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got it in my mind’s eye. Is that where we’re headed?”

  “Yes. Now go!”

  Sugar stepped on the gas.

  A few seconds later they arrived at the overlook. Sunlight danced across the distant glacier, like tiny fairies.

  Chia’s tummy tightened at the thought of sparkling fairies, like that little girl fairy in the woods.

  “I’ll grab a gun and stand guard. We don’t need another encounter with sharp-fanged, razor-clawed, bad mood beasts,” Sugar said.

  “Good. I’ll deal with the vampire.”

  “I sure hope you know what you are doing,” Sugar said, her face deeply grooved with concern.

  “Me, too.” Chia studied Hung.

  He twitched and grimaced like he faced something evil. “No,” he muttered. “Get away from me.”

  “Christ, is it cold up here, or what?” Sugar said, exiting the truck.

  A strong wind blew, whistling up over the ledge of the canyon, blowing her words away.

  D’Raynged leaned against a glistening black Jaguar, one foot crossed over the other, his arms folded across his chest.

  Opening the side door, Chia nearly fell into the snow. She righted herself before striding toward D’Raynged, wearing nothing but the flimsy bathrobe thingy the doctor had given her.

  As usual, the vampire looked fresh-off-a-magazine-cover handsome, oblivious to the wind gusting all around.

  Chia frowned. “Where’d you get that?” She waved her frost-bound fingers at his ride.

  “Hello to you too.” He gave her a smooth, charming smile. “Don’t you look nice today.” He smirked, then pushed away from the door and stepped toward her in a long, graceful stride.

  “And how’d you get here so fast?”

  “I’m very well, thank you for asking.”

  Chia shook her head. “How do we do this? The blood offering?”

  “Honestly, girl. This is your deal. I’m merely a donor.” He swished his hand back and forth like he couldn’t be bothered.

  “I could cut off your head and plunge a wooden stake into your heart. I’d get plenty of blood from you.”

  He scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “Folly and superstition…cut off my head and plunge a wooden stake into my heart…please, child. Besides which it has to be circulating through me, not puddled on the ground. There’s something about my magnificent arterial system that yields the magical properties.” He smiled broadly, clearly pleased with himself.

  “Well, then, what?” Chia placed her hands on her hips. Her meager garment, missing several pieces, flapped around her like wild wings.

  “You’ll think of something.” He inspected his fingernails, his go-to move for dismissing her. “You know, you’re the one who’s going to owe me.”

  Hung let out a shout, barely heard through the shrieking wind, followed by, “No, no, no!”

  “Get over here.” Chia grabbed D’s jacket sleeve and hauled him toward the truck. Her cheeks, assaulted by the frigid wind, were numb. And her body—let’s just say freezing is an understatement. “Sugar,” she called.

  Sugar stood several yards away from her, gun poised.

  Chia put her hands around her mouth. “Sugar,” she bellowed into the wind.

  Sugar kept vigil at the edge of the cliff, heedless to Chia’s cries.

  “Wait right here.” She positioned D’Raynged near the door closest to Hung’s head.

  Chia tried to lift the lid of the cargo bin of Sugar’s truck to find something to cut her skin with. Every Alaskan worth her salt carries cutting tools. She was too short to get purchase. “You could help, you know.” She glowered at the vampire.

  “Or, I could merely watch. This is amusing,” D’Raynged said.

  Chia raced around the other side of the vehicle to rummage on the floor in front of Hung, pushing aside fast food papers dabbed with ketchup and mustard.

  Hung let out another moan.

  “Damn it! Nothing. Don’t you carry a knife in your pocket?”

  “Why would I?” He lifted his lip to reveal his fangs. “These work well.”

  “Come around to this side. We need to be near his face.”

  The vampire strolled around the truck, whistling.

  “Okay, bite your wrist.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “I don’t think so.”

  Hung began to thrash wildly, knocking the blanket free, revealing his bloody torso.

  Chia’s heart clenched. “Come on, I have no knife, no sharp object to use.”

  “I will not bite my own flesh.” His eyes formed flinty slits. “That’s a negative.”

  “Gah!” Chia seized his hand and yanked him toward the mangled side door and broken window. Without warning, she bit his wrist, as hard as she could. She had to shake her head back and forth, like a dog to break the skin. He tasted weird, like copper magic or iron death, she couldn’t decide which.

  “What are you doing? You’re a savage!” D’Raynged’s lip curled in disgust.

  “You should talk. Stop resisting.” She pried Hung’s jaw open and let the vampire blood drip into his mouth.

  “That should suffice,” D’Raynged said, withdrawing his arm. He picked up the frayed hem
of her robe and wiped his arm clean. He peered at her through slits of eyelids, daring her to protest.

  “Please,” she said. “Feel free to use my robe to clean yourself. Get a good look at my frozen thighs while you’re at it.” She yanked the garment from his grip.

  They waited, D’Raynged appearing vaguely interested. Chia literally vibrated, both with cold and excitement.

  Nothing happened.

  “What the hell, vamp, did you shoot duds?”

  The look of disgust D’Raynged gave her—all lip curled and sneering—made Chia take a step backward.

  “Well. It doesn’t seem to be working,” she stammered.

  “It will work. No doubt your boyfriend’s body is at war with my wonderful blood. I imagine he’d rather stay in whatever horrible dimension he’s in than be healed by the likes of me.”

  “What? Why?” Hearing this, a dark chill, like frost forming in her veins, shot through her. What have I done?

  Before the vampire could answer, Hung sputtered, coughing and gasping. His arms flailed like he was climbing his way out of a pit of hell.

  He opened his eyes and cast his gaze wildly about. “What the…? What did you do?”

  He eyed Chia. His gaze slid toward D’Raynged. His eyes narrowed as he licked the blood from his lips.

  Chia peeled back the blanket and lifted his t-shirt, revealing tan skin, no flesh wound evident. “You’re healed.” She looked hopefully at Hung.

  “You’re welcome,” D said, smiling his arrogant smile.

  “Chia! What did you do? You gave me that fucking blood-sucker’s blood?” He sat up, apparently not grateful to be alive and out of shadow land.

  “What’s wrong?” Chia said. “I saved you.”

  “And I am out of here,” D’Raynged said. “I don’t do human drama. Remember, child, you owe me.” He strode away.

  “Wait!” Chia called.

  “No way. We’re done here.” His hand swirled over his head as he made his way back to the Jaguar.

  “I can’t believe you gave me vampire blood, Chia! What were you thinking?” Hung pushed up to sitting.

  “I was thinking I wanted to save your ass, that’s what.” Chia couldn’t believe her ears. “Why do you have such a thing against vampires? You’re alive!”

  “I never wanted to be made alive like this,” he snarled. “Cured by a vampire.” He slid out of the truck.

  “Wait, where are you going?” Chia grabbed his arm. “Baby…you’re healed. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

  He shook his head at her, an unreadable expression lining his face.

  The same dark chill she’d experienced a minute ago, grew darker…colder.

  “I gotta get away. I need to…I don’t know what I need but whatever it is, standing next to you isn’t helping.” With a blur and a flash, he shifted into a falcon and then took off into the cloudy sky.

  Sugar ran toward the truck, the wind blowing her hair around her head. “What’s going on? Was that Hung?”

  “Yep,” Chia said. “He’s cured. And he’s pissed as hell.” She blew her breath out of her nose.

  “So what do we do now?”

  Chia stared at the sky, in the direction Hung had flown. Her heart was so heavy, it felt like an elephant sat on her chest. “I don’t suppose you know why Hung hates vamps so much, do you?”

  Sugar shook her head. “I have an idea, but it’s only based on rumor. You’ll have to ask him, I’m afraid.” She placed the gun she’d grabbed to watch for bears in the rack and grabbed the bloody blanket from the back. “Here,” she said, tucking it around Chia’s shoulders. “Your lips are blue. Let’s get you somewhere warm.”

  “Home, then,” Chia said. “And then I search for more answers. I can’t let Red and his shadows take over my town.” She climbed in the back seat, closed it, and buried herself in the blanket, stained with Hung’s blood. She tugged it tight around her, not knowing whether she’d ever be caressed by him again—or cursed for all eternity. Then, she called the only true friend she could count on—Cecil.

  Chapter 20

  Still heavy-hearted, once Chia got home, she showered, and dressed in warm clothes. Then, she exited the house and climbed into her Jeep. She drove through the town of Charming, searching for Cecil. They’d agreed to meet outside of Sunshine Sally’s. Peering through her frosty window, she couldn’t find him. She scanned the snow-plowed street, lined with rubble from the fire, but there was no sign of Cecil. She let her gaze drift skyward, half-hoping to see a Peregrine Falcon, a gyrfalcon, or even a fly. Nada. Double-parking and stomping inside the cozy, well-lit cafe yielded no Dawg-man, as well.

  Her mood already wasn’t exactly on the plus side, what with all the drama from earlier—nearly losing Hung, saving him, then having him fly away again. But not able to find Cecil fried her last nerve. She didn’t want to spend all evening waiting for the goddamned Husky shifter.

  With a frown, she stood at the counter and gestured to the manager, Fawn. “You see Dawg-man?”

  “Haven’t seen Cecil, sweetie,” she said, wiping down a counter. “Not since breakfast.” Her eyes regarded Chia with kindness. “You don’t look so good, honey. Everything okay?”

  Chia blew out a breath, leaning against the white Formica countertop. “Absolutely not.” A wan smile flashed across her face. “But you know me, I’ll get through it.” She scanned the room for Cecil.

  Fawn patted her hand.

  The cafe was packed with lunchtime patrons: tourists, gossiping about the fire, and townsfolk, somber from their losses.

  “That blasted Cecil. When I find him, I’m going to put his head on the wall along with the other animals,” Chia said, frowning at the stuffed deer, bear, elk, caribou, and mountain lion heads lining the restaurant.

  Fawn chuckled, pushing a strand of hair from her forehead. “You always threaten to put this human head or that next to the taxidermy displays.”

  “Well, this is so…so…so macabre,” Chia said, waving her arm at the pine walls and mounted animal heads. “It’s like the entire cafe is an homage to the dead and masculine prowess with a rifle. Even the lighting dangles from antlers. How does that make the shifters feel?”

  Fawn grew quiet, her brows pinching together. She smoothed her already smooth apron, her hands fluttering like moths. “Yeah. Poor things. Half the town loves them, half the town loathes them. Still, no one grumbles because business is booming since you passed that ordinance.”

  “What’s your take on them?” Chia asked, leaning her forearms across the bar top.

  Fawn looked away. Then, she let out a huge sigh, like a deflating balloon. “Honey, I don’t meddle in town politics. Otherwise, this place would wither on the vine. Live and let live—that’s what I say.” She brightened, winking. “Besides, Cecil is a shifter, and I love that young man.”

  “I do, too, when he does what he’s agreed to do.” Chia tapped her fingers on the wood bar. “So.” She drew out the word, trying to sound casual. “Seen Hung lately?”

  “The bounty hunter? Nope.” Fawn picked up some empty beer mugs, lined with dried foam. They clinked as she placed them behind the counter.

  “I see. And…how’re the townspeople doing? What a tragedy, huh? So glad your business survived.”

  “You and me both.” Fawn’s face flashed a bitter smile. “On the bright side, if there is a bright side, Red Mountainbear is doing a bang-up job with morale recovery.”

  Chia stiffened like someone had just jabbed a steel rod up her spine. “Is he?” She hoped her voice, suddenly sounding two octaves higher than usual, didn’t betray her sense of worry and doom.

  Fawn picked up the damp white cloth and got back to her counter wiping. “Yes, indeed. When he said, he’d fast-tracked his factory, man, oh, man…he wasn’t kidding. It’s been running full force, twenty-four hours. Everyone who lost their job is working there. He’s provided stipends for food, has plans to re-build homes….” She eyed Chia. “I know you’ve had your disagreemen
ts with the guy, but he’s doing good work around here, honey. You can’t begrudge the town for their gratitude. That fire was a shocker. A real tragedy.” She stared into space as if re-living the event.

  “I know,” Chia said softly. “It was horrible.” Her insides roiled knowing who set it in the first place.

  The front door flew open, and Cecil burst in. His face looked all fresh like he’d returned from the woods. He hurried over to her.

  “I’m sorry I’m late, Lil’ Summer,” he said, but he barely glanced at her.

  “You’re here,” she said, smiling warmly. “Want to grab a seat?”

  “Okay,” he said, looking past her. “Hey, Fawn.”

  “Hey, buddy.” Fawn smiled as well. Her gaze skittered to the end of the counter. “Oopsie. Gotta go see to some customers. You two get settled, and I’ll be right over.”

  Chia frowned, staring at Cecil through narrowed eyes. “What’s going on?”

  He stared at a stuffed elk head. “Nothing. A man’s business is his own sometimes.”

  Chia’s head jerked back slightly. “Whoa. Where is this coming from?”

  “Never mind,” Cecil waved his hand. “Let’s go sit.”

  Chia’s frown deepened, but she said nothing, following him to a table.

  “So,” he said, settling his tall body into a wooden chair. “What’s up?”

  “Oh, you wouldn’t believe what I just experienced,” she said. As she sat with her good friend, the overwhelm of the day crashed through her, like a sudden storm. She blinked back tears.

  “Tell me, girl. I’m here for you.” His soft glacier blue eyes finally trained on her.

  The usual warmth she experienced being around him returned. Maybe he’s had as bad a day as I have.

  “Good God, it’s been awful.” She relayed the whole story of Hung’s fight with the eagle, the shadows getting into Hung, and him nearly dying. As she talked, she felt somewhat lighter, unburdened through sharing with a friend.

  Cecil, however, looked increasingly like he might suddenly explode.

  He shifted in his seat. Fiddled with his fork. Kept looking nervously at the door.

  Finally, Chia grabbed his hands and pinned the to the table. “Cecil. What the hell’s wrong with you?”