I didn't think it was the situation that would stop them. It was more likely the man. Or rather, what he'd once been.
He leaned forward and kissed me, his lips still gentle. Like all the other kisses we'd shared tonight, it was a sweet thing, yet oddly filled with emotion. And while it lacked the instant burn of desire, that very fact was oddly comforting. We'd gone beyond mere lust, and these kisses reflected that.
The helicopter landed, creating a whirl of wind that tore at our hair and clothes before the blades slowed down. Quinn gathered the basket and blanket then escorted me to the bird.
We'd barely even landed in Melbourne when my phone rang. Surprise, surprise, it was Jack.
"I know about Leon's beheading," I said, shivering a little as I stepped out of the helicopter. A sea breeze was coming in off the bay, and even through Essendon airport wasn't actually any where near the sea or the bay, the temperature still seemed several degrees cooler than it had been up in the hills.
"Well, fantastic, but I'm not ringing about that."
"Then what's the problem? Not more dead women?"
"No, thankfully. It's the watch you put on Vinny."
"Has it turned up something?" I watched Quinn walk towards the car and throw the basket in the front seat. Half of me wished he'd throw me there instead and take me somewhere well out of phone range.
It wasn't so much that I was tired of the job, just that I was simply tired. Now that the night had swept in, it seemed to have gotten worse. I needed to sleep, and yet at the same time, I feared it. Or rather, I feared dreaming again.
Feared that it might just mean the bonds drawing me to Kye were getting stronger.
"No, nothing's happened over at the emo camp," Jack said, "but I'm pulling guardians off all non-essential duty and bringing them in for a debriefing on these killings. The number one priority of the night shift is now the search for this killer, so Vinny has lost her watcher."
At least the three of us on day shift had escaped the debriefing. For tonight, any way. "So if I want the watch, I have to do it myself?"
"I'm afraid so. Sorry, Riley. I know you're due to go home, but we've really got to find whoever is behind the beheadings."
"What if there is a connection between the two sets of murders?"
He paused, then said warily, "What makes you think there's a connection?"
Oh, shit. I hadn't put in a report yet, so he didn't know. And Cole couldn't have mentioned it, because all I'd actually told him was that one of them was a vampire. "Cole's initial report mentioned me talking to the soul, right?"
"It was mentioned in the notes." His voice was full of censure. "I've been waiting for your report, however."
"I was going to send it in from home." Which was a lie, and we both knew it. Truth was, I'd totally forgotten about it.
"I would suggest you do it ASAP."
"I will." After all, I had to do something to keep myself awake during the watch. "But the thing is, the soul mentioned the fact that the vampire doing the beheading didn't smell like an ordinary vampire. I don't know how many different types of vampires there are, but I figure it's unlikely to be a coincidence that we possibly have emos involved in two different types of murders."
"We're not certain emos are involved in the murder of the women."
We weren't certain of anything on either case right now, and that was damn frustrating. "But given the circumstances, it's the most likely."
He grunted - whether in agreement or not was anyone's guess. "Emo vamps tend to live in clusters, not as single entities like us blood vamps do. They even tend to feed as a group."
"Which doesn't mean we can't have a rogue, or that Vinny doesn't know about it. Which is why we need to keep the watch on her, boss."
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, you take over the watch for a couple of hours while I debrief everyone, then I'll send out a replacement so you can get some rest. But I want that report in on my computer before you go home."
"Done deal."
He grunted and hung up. I shoved my phone into my purse and gave Quinn a half smile. "I'm back to work, I'm afraid."
"I heard." He gave me a hug then kissed the top of my head. "I can cancel my night out and come along to keep you company, if you'd like. At least I could keep an eye on things while you grab some sleep."
It was tempting. So tempting. But I really didn't want to get Quinn involved any more than he already was, if only because that risked bringing him in close proximity to Kye. And he'd already warned me that would not be a good thing.
So I simply smiled and said, "I've only got to last long enough to type the report. By then, Jack will have finished his debriefing and he'll send out a replacement." I gave him a long and lingering kiss, then sighed wistfully and added, "Go enjoy yourself. I'll see you tomorrow morning sometime."
"Just be careful out there." He hesitated, and his sexy grin flashed, making my stomach flutter. "And try not to dream about sex again. You really do need to sleep."
"You're just afraid of me having too good a time without you. "
His grin faded a little, and I suddenly realized the deeper implications of what I'd said. "Quinn - "
"It's all right," he said gently. "Go to work. I'll see you later."
I went. I found a parking only a couple of spaces down from where I'd been earlier, then flipped the rear-view mirror up so the headlights of passing cars didn't shine into my eyes and wreck my night vision. After a quick look around to make sure I wasn't going to shock anyone's sensibilities, I changed into the jeans and sweater I'd left in the car earlier. The stilettos I left on. Given where I was and what I might be chasing, they just might be useful.
Typing up my report took all of half an hour. I forwarded it on to Jack, then settled in to wait. Nothing much happened. A dozen or so of Vinny's blonde haired, ghost-like hatchlings drifted in and out of the building, haunting the fence lines of the surrounding buildings and more than likely siphoning the emotions of those within. Nothing I'd classify as interesting happened, however, and before long my eyes started to get heavier and heavier. Opening the window and letting the cooler night air in didn't help any.
I'm not sure what exactly jerked me awake. The night was still and no cars had driven past for a good ten minutes. I sat up a little straighter in the seat and rubbed at my eyes, blinking almost owlishly at Vinny's building. The hatchlings had disappeared. While lights twinkled on the upper floor, the rest of the building lay in darkness. No one moved and the night was quiet.
And yet...
There was a presence. I couldn't see it, couldn't smell it, but it was there. It tugged at my senses and teased my memories - an itch I couldn't quite scratch.
I frowned and climbed out of the car. The air was crisp and cool, and the breeze drifting in from the direction of Vinny's building was thick with the scent of vampire. It wasn't them I was sensing. It was something else.
Someone else.
I locked the door then shifted shape and took to the sky in my seagull form. Given I wasn't sure what it was I was sensing, it seemed the safer bet. I might be able to wrap myself in shadows, but that didn't hide my body scent or body heat, and I couldn't risk one or the other being discovered. And most supernaturals tended not to look skyward for shadows.
I drifted around the building, trying to pinpoint the location of the odd sensation. I didn't get much more than the fact that it seemed to be coming from the heart of Vinny's building. I wheeled around and headed for the nearest tree, perching on one of the bigger middle branches where a gull's webbed feet could rest more easily.
I'd barely landed when that odd sensation got stronger, burning across my skin. It felt like the heat of lust, but it was almost as if there was some sort of screen between me and that sensation; I could feel it, but wasn't affected.
Of that, I could only be glad. I'd felt that sort of heat once before, and there had been no protecting screen that time...
My thoughts froze. I had felt that sensation before, and on more than one occasion.
The first time had been in Vinny's den, when she'd tried her emo wiles on me.
And the other times had been in the last couple of nights, in the dreams that had plagued me.
It wasn't Kye causing the restless, unbridled lust that disturbed my sleep and drained my strength. It was an emo vampire, somehow feeding from me from a distance. No wonder I felt so goddamn tired - it wasn't lack of sleep, but rather the energy I was losing through dreaming.
Whether the vampire responsible was this stranger or someone else, I had no idea, but I sure as hell was going to find out. And stop it, before it killed me.
Like it had more than likely killed those other women.
The sensation sharpened and, a heartbeat later, a man stepped out of Vinny's building. He was tall and lean, with dark hair and sallow-looking skin. But he moved with a predator's grace, even if his hands were shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders hunched.
He walked across the pavement and disappeared down a side street. I took wing, following him from a safe distance, not wanting to chance the fact that an emo wouldn't sense me. I had no idea what they were capable of, and while blood vamps usually couldn't sense the heartbeat of a gull this high up, I had no idea if an emo vamp would have similar restrictions when it came to sensing emotions.
He swung into another street, his strides purposeful and long. A vamp who was sure of himself, despite the outward image he was projecting.
He went down another side street and climbed into a blue four wheel drive. I dipped low enough to memorize the plate number, then continued to follow the car. He didn't flatten his foot, so it was easy enough to keep up.
I wasn't entirely surprised when he parked two streets away from Dante's. The threads twining together our two separate murders seemed to be getting thicker and stronger.
I fluttered down to the pavement, shifting several feet from the ground and landing somewhat awkwardly, running forward before gaining my balance. At least I didn't land on my nose - that had been a common feature in the early months of my learning to fly.
My sweater survived the experience - or at least was still wearable - but my bra was, as usual shredded. I pulled it off and wished I could find a brand that actually survived the shift into seagull form. Or that Jack would approve my request to start charging the cost of replacements to the Directorate. They were destroyed in the course of my job, after all.
I dumped the silky remains in the nearest bin and followed my quarry. He headed straight for Dante's and went inside, but I stopped in the shadows a street away. I didn't want to confront either Dante's or its owner right now.
And maybe I didn't have to. Not if Kye was here, watching and waiting for his target. I might not want to see the bastard, but I'd damn well use him if it meant an end to these cases.
I turned on my heel and walked away from the building. Kye would be using the latest technology, which meant he wouldn't be close, as the receiving range on spy equipment these days was incredible.
Like most of Melbourne, the streets in this area were set out in neat little squares. I walked around them, gradually widening the search. I was a good five streets away before I felt the familiar tingle of his presence.
I stopped, scenting the night, trying to pinpoint his position. The air held little more than the smell of an oncoming storm, but it didn't matter. My soul knew where he was - all I had to do was let instinct run free.
And that was something I didn't want to risk.
I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Fully unleashing the wolf to find him would be dangerous. Her hunger for him was stronger than ever, and once I released control, I feared I might not get it back.
The simple fact was, the two parts of me were at war. And no matter which part won, I would lose.
I gnawed lightly at my bottom lip and walked forward, trying to pinpoint his location without actually unleashing the hunter. His presence was elusive - awareness of him might burn at my skin, but it just wasn't strong enough to grab and pin down.
In the end, I had no choice. It was either go into the club and face Dante, or unleash the wolf and face the man who might well destroy everything I held dear.
It said a lot about my distaste for Dante that the second of those two options seemed the better one.
I took another deep breath then shifted into my wolf form. Instantly the air came alive with a myriad of delicious scents that teased my senses and made my soul want to hunt. And the most delicious one of all wasn't actually a scent, but rather the pull of one wild soul to another.
I turned and trotted down a side street. Three houses down and I'd found him.
I shifted back to human form, then pushed open the front gate and walked up the steps. The door opened before I neared and he was standing there, his shirt and jeans undone, revealing the flat muscular plains of his stomach and tantalizing glimpses of pubic hair. I stopped, staring at him, neither of us saying anything. But his eyes were wild and hungry. The hunter in him was free; as free as mine.
As hungry as mine.
I took two steps and was in his arms. His arms went around my waist as his lips crushed mine, his kiss fierce and bruising and passionate. I groaned deep in my throat and tore off his shirt, letting my hands explore the heated expanse of his skin, reveling in the way his flesh leapt and twitched under my touch. He pushed me back against the door frame so hard I grunted in shock and pain. It turned to a gasp of pleasure as his hands thrust under my sweater and flicked my aching nipples.