Deadly Creatures

Chapter 12

"Any word?" I ask while rocking back and forth on the bed, wondering where Caius has been for so long. "No. We're still looking. Are you in Arizona?" Justin asks. "Yeah, I've been to Chicago, Memphis, New York, and now Phoenix within five days. What's going on? Why am I changing locations so much?" He exhales heavily, and then finally he murmurs, "I should have told you, but Nico worried you already had too much on your plate. Your house was ransacked, your work was trashed, and we're worried whoever has Adelaide is after you, too." My heart sinks to the floor and my head begins pounding, searching aimlessly for answers. "Who would want me and why? I haven't lived long enough to have enemies." "No, but your mom has. And let's not even get started about your dad's long list of enemies. The point is, we're trying to keep you safe. Is Caius still with you?" I glance out the window, still seeing no sign of my human. "Yeah, but I'm not sure how long he's going to want to stay with me if I'm constantly on the move. I've already told him he could go home, but he swears he's not leaving until I can go home." "Well, I'm not sure how long that will be. Just sit tight. We'll figure this all out soon enough." "I hope so," I mumble. "Look, I've got to go. Nico says it's too dangerous to keep our cells on with so many dark magic users nearby. He's gone off with two of the vampires right now to speak in private with his contact. If they're looking for you, my calls could point them in the right direction. I'll try to call when I can." I hang up, doing my best not to cry, and then I pace around the rental house Nico just happen to have handy, wondering where in the hell Caius has been for so long. Great. I'm a nagging housewife. The door opens, and I turn to see him walking in, his eyes seeming… off. "You okay?" I ask curiously, but he doesn't answer. Instead, he grabs me at the waist and tosses me to the bed, his lips pinning mine as his tongue invades. Oh damn. My greedy hands readily return the spontaneous gesture, but he doesn't taste right. Then it hits me, and I get sick just before throwing my arms out, tossing the imposter across the room, using my magic. "Who the hell are you?!" I blare, my whole body trembling as I force out my strength to hold him down. He starts laughing ferociously loud, and then he releases his shift to reveal himself. Nico. "You asshole! I could have killed you!" I drop my hold on him, and he laughs harder while rising to his feet. "Chill out. It was just a spot of fun." "A spot of fun?" I scoff. "I'll turn you into a smear of pain if you do that to me again." He gives me a carefree wink and then stands to his feet, pretending to dust himself off. "What are you doing here?" I grumble as my body continues to tremble from the adrenaline high. "I came to show you these. I need you to tell me if you recognize any of these people." He hands me a handful of pictures - surveillance type shots - and I carefully study the strangers' faces. "No. Why?" I ask while handing them back to him. "Because," he sighs, "supposedly these people were seen with your mother a few hours before she disappeared. From what I gather, your council isn't being very forthcoming with you either." "What is that supposed to mean?" He gives me a devilish grin before propping up on the back of the couch. "I'll tell you if you kiss me like that again." I really hate the fact I'm grinning right now, and I do my best to wipe it from my face. "You're incorrigible." "This I know. Now, the kiss?" he muses, playfully feigning impatience. I walk over to him, and then I almost put my lips to his before shoving him over the couch, making him fall in a toppling motion. He starts laughing again as his back slaps the floor, and then he shakes his head while propping up. "That's not a good way to ask for information." "Perhaps I should call my dad and tell him you're trying to exploit me for sex." He narrows his eyes, his smile lighter now. "Firstly, don't call your dad. He's f*****g crazy. Secondly, it's a kiss… not s*x… not yet, anyway." I accidentally laugh, and he stands up to walk back around to where I am before he starts his explanation. "The council sent you to Washington, where the dark magic users hold the root of their power. I found it suspicious to begin with, and then on top of that, they didn't tell you your mom had been receiving threats." "Threats?" I prompt, expecting him to elaborate. "Nothing deadly, they just kept saying she would get what was coming to her if she didn't return what was theirs." That sounds deadly enough to me. "What did she have?" He shrugs, plopping down on the arm of my chair, and then he pulls out a bottle of red liquid I dare not watch him drink. Blood. "I don't know. I haven't found out that much. One thing is for certain though, your council is holding out." I hear the swishing of the liquid going from the bottle to his mouth, and I shiver in response. "Not a fan of blood, love?" he teases. "Not a fan of blood meals." "Well, I need less blood than vampire if it makes you feel any better." Not really. "So I take it you have no idea what your mother was holding either?" he asks almost rhetorically. "No. She didn't tell me anything about the politics or even the reality of our world. She always tried to bring out the sunny side of my fate, since I'm constantly at odds with magic. What about Justin? Does he know anything?" I just talked to him. Why didn't he tell me any of this? "I haven't spoken with him yet. He's not exactly very honest with me, given the fact I'm a shifter. I wanted to speak with you before he could coach you up. It's hard to help someone when they're holding back." True, but I don't blame Justin for not trusting any of them. "Well, I'm not holding back. Apparently I know very little about my mother's life." He sighs, frowning slightly, and then he stands up to walk to the door. "If you think of anything, let me know. Also, watch your back. If anything goes wrong, head to your next safe house. No more hotels." I glance at the heavy book of procedures he has drawn up. It's resting on my dresser, making me smile. "Thanks for the long list of places to go, by the way. How the hell do you have so many houses?" He lets a laugh free, and then he shrugs. "I've been around a while. One tends to accumulate. So, where's loverboy?" "Out. I'm sure he's tired of changing places all the time." "Then tell him to go home," he says with a devious grin. "If you don't like being alone, I can swing by and keep you company." His boy-next-door persona was washed away the day I met him - well, since I met the real Nico. Now he's the wolfish bad boy who loves to tease me. "I can't believe I thought you were such a sweet guy," I huff out with a bit of a grin. "I'm a shifter, baby. I can look like anyone… including a sweet guy," he teases, his menacing grin emphasizing his mischievous eyes. "Shift into someone leaving," I mumble playfully while ushering him out the door. "It's been a long time since a girl kicked me out of one of my houses." I laugh loudly, and he jerks me by the back of the head to push his lips against mine before disappearing out the door, leaving me scowling at his quickly fading back as he blurs out of sight. Obviously he was watching me to know Caius is gone, so I quickly go to draw the curtains shut. The door opens again, and Caius walks in, carrying… nothing. Nico? "Hey," I murmur softly, not sure if this is Caius or Nico. "You've been gone a while." He smiles as he walks over to me, and his arms slide around my waist as his lips find mine. He tastes so damn good, and I smile. Mmm. Definitely Caius. "Yeah," he says pulling back. "I decided to go for a run after I went into town. I was going to bring you back something nice to eat, but I thought we could go out instead." "Like a date?" I say too excitedly, quickly masking my giddiness with a more respectable composure. "Yes," he snickers out while pulling me closer. "Like a date. Judging by your reaction, I'm assuming you've been wanting a date for a while." I blush lightly while feigning nonchalance, making him laugh a little more. "Go get ready, and I'll make us some reservations." I tug at his hand, suddenly a little too turned on to simply walk away. I've never been this enthralled by anyone. At the same time, I feel guilty for dragging him around the country. "Do you want to go home? I know you weren't expecting to be gone for so long, and I'm sure you didn't plan on living on the move." He strums my lips with his, and then he shakes his head. "I'm not leaving you. I'm perfectly fine bouncing around. Now, get ready, I'm taking you out." I tug at his hand again, and he looks at me curiously. "Actually, I sort of feel like ordering in now," I seductively release while leading him to the bed. A smirk begins to play on his lips as he plays along, and he picks me up to gently toss me on the bed. "Oh really?" he asks with a low, sizzling hot tone. "Mm hm." His lips find my neck, his teeth lightly grazing my skin as he sends the most delicious shivers all over my body. His hand slides between my legs, pushing aside the shorts as his finger rolls across my aroused center. I moan lightly when his touch stimulates the insatiable beast inside me, and he starts pulling my shorts down slowly, drawing out the torture. "I'm starting to think I've created a monster," he teases when my hand rubs across his erection. "Maybe. Let's find out how vicious I can be." He lets out a laugh, and then he pulls my shirt over my head just before his lips find my chest. I moan more, and then I rip his shirt over his head to offer me skin on skin. His body still astounds me. Each line is carved by perfection's hand. It's surreal how amazing he is. All of him. My hand slides under his jeans, finding his desire for me, and he moans as his lips find mine. He flips over, bringing me with him as I sit astride his gloriously perfect body. I bend down, bringing my lips to his, and he grabs my ass to grind my center against his, making me all the hotter. I start pulling at his pants as my lips start trailing down, and his breath hitches in his throat when he feels my lips on his perfect piece of firmness. "Scarlet," he breathes in a hoarse whisper, making my head move a little faster as I take him deeper into my mouth. Then suddenly I'm ripped up and his lips are crushing mine as he thrusts in from underneath. A loud breath falls through my lips in a grunt when he slams in a little harder, no longer taking it easy on me, and I sit up as his hands grip around my ass to aide my rhythm. I pull his hands to my breasts, and he moans as his head falls back. I push against his chest for balance as his hips buck harder, pushing me to the edge, and then I cry out as I find that incredible release only he has ever given me. He shudders inside me, releasing his force, and I fall forward to collapse against his chest. My ragged, tired breaths fall free as I work to steady my thudding heart, and his arms wrap around me as he kisses the side of my head. "You're amazing," he murmurs with a breathless tone of his own. "I've had an incredible teacher," I playfully retort, making his laughter break free in an expected spurt. I rise up, a smile on my face, and then I kiss his neck. I tilt my head to the side when I see a faint scar - his lone imperfection. It's something I've never noticed before. "Where'd you get this?" I ask while running my finger over it. He tenses, and I feel like an ass for asking now. Apparently it's not something he likes to talk about. "It happened a long time ago. It's not something I like to talk about though." "Sorry," I murmur regretfully, and then he kisses my head, warming me through my hair. "It's fine. We're still learning about each other. Right now, I want to learn what you look like in the shower." I laugh a little, but I willingly accept his request as he pulls me from the bed and leads me into the bathroom. The bed is empty, and I start looking around the dark room for the warmth I'm missing. "Caius?" I'm met with silence, so I get up to start my search through the large home. Each turn is another empty room, no sign of the man who has seemed to abandon me in the middle of the night. Then my eyes fall on a note, and my heart drops as I read it. Scarlet, I'm sorry. I had to head back home to take care of some business. I'll be back tomorrow, I swear. Please don't be mad. Caius I huff, and then I walk over to pick up my phone to call him. It rings for a while before going to voicemail, so I hang up. Who leaves in the middle of the night without saying anything? Someone with secrets. I can't be mad at him for having secrets though. It's not like I can ever tell him who or what I really am. This can just be fun while it lasts… as long as I don't fall in love. A chill spreads through the air, and I move over to the window to see a shadow flashing from place to place. I get sick when I see several pairs of glowing blue eyes in the distance, their bodies swiftly moving across the sands as they head toward me. "s**t!" I grab my phone and dial Nico as quickly as I can, praying he's still close by. "Mmm, I love a late night call." "Good, because I'd love a late night hero." "What's going on?" he asks more seriously, slightly panicked. "Vampires - at least twenty. Please tell me you're close by." "I'll be there as fast as I can. There's a weapons room in the master. Press the lever above the fireplace disguised as the head of a sparrow. Shoot anything that gets too close with the silver gun. The bullets have been blessed by your kind." Thank f**k. The phone goes dead, and I rush over to the mantle to press the button, praying it will hurry up and open. My phone starts ringing just as it does, and I look down to see Caius's name. Too late to talk now. I'm actually glad he took off in the middle of the night now. The last thing I need to do is drag him into a centuries-old war. I rip two guns from the secret compartment, and then I start firing through the window while using my magic and scattering the shards of glass away from the frame for me to leap through it without getting ripped to shreds. Hollow, shrill squeals erupt from the death-seeking, bloodthirsty bastards, and I force the power from my body to blow them back, praying Nico hurries the hell up. "What the hell do you want from me?" I scream while spinning a circle of power around my body, a force strong enough to keep them away from me… for now. "Just you," one hisses, fangs out, bloodlust in his eyes as he lunges at me, but the protective circle I've cast deflects his attacks, throwing him back. "It's going to hurt worse next time," I bluff, knowing I'm not strong enough to keep this s**t up against so many. "Stupid witch." He snarls while climbing to his feet, and the headlights in the distance make my stomach tense up. Please don't be Caius. The lights disappear, but my distracted mindset has left me vulnerable. The eager bloodsuckers quickly take advantage. The stinging pain in my side knocks the wind out of me as I go sailing backwards. I fall to my face, splitting my lip and making blood fall in my mouth. I cringe, feeling the grit sliding down my throat as I cough up the remnants of the intrusive taste. "Bastard," I growl, barely defending myself from the next attack in time. Then I grunt and wheeze when I feel a hand around my throat from behind, lifting me high into the air and turning me to face the glowing blues on the pretty face. As long as he's touching me, I can't use my f*****g power. "Now, where the hell is it?" he demands, his tone dark, ominous, and scary as hell. "I… don't… know… what-" A shrill screech rings out as a hawk zooms down from the sky, growing in size as it nears us. I scream as the talons grip my arms and rip me away from the monster who can't hold back my powers anymore. I sling my arms out as the hawk carries me off, and I deliver one last blow to the vicious bastards below. I struggle against the piercing, sharp claws, and I look up at the hawk intent on getting us out of here. "Too tight!" I squeal just as slithers of blood drip free from my arms. "They'll find me if I'm bleeding every-damn-where." He can't answer in changed form, but he swoops low, almost slapping the ground before releasing me. My feet run to fight the built up momentum, and the hawk changes into the white wolf, his head motioning for me to hurry up. I run and leap into the air, and he grows under me after I land on top. I hang on for dear life as he charges ahead, deep into the desert. The wind slaps me in the face, along with desert bugs, and the chill of the night creeps down to my bones, fighting against the heat of my adrenaline. Everything around me turns into a blur, and I push my face into his back to warm me with his fur and keep the flying insects away from my gaping mouth. Within minutes, we've lost them, and a car pulls around just as we come to an abrupt halt. I fall forward, but foreign hands grab me when one of the "friendly" vampires catches me, leaving me with an eerie feeling. "Thanks," I murmur halfheartedly. "Go! We have to go!" Nico urges as he leaps into the car, human and... naked. Ah crap. Why does he have to look like that naked? I climb in, my face glowing red, and keep my eyes focused anywhere but the naked man as another shifter gasses the vehicle, surging away from the craziness behind. "They'll track me down if I'm in a shifted form for too long," Nico sighs while relaxing in his seat. "You should... um... put something on. It's cold," I stammer, still refusing to look at him. "Is that a dig at my manhood?" he chuckles out. "For the record, I'm not turned on by near death encounters." My glowing red burns brighter as I bury my face in my hands. "I didn't look at your manhood," I lie, and he is turned on. He laughs lightly, and then I hear the rustle of his clothes being pulled on beside me. Turning to face him, I feel my face slowly fading back to its normal color. "Where'd loverboy go this time?" he asks. "He had some work to do back home. Speaking of which, can I borrow your phone? Mine was sort of left back at the house." "Yeah." He relinquishes his phone. I quickly dial Caius's number and start biting my nails as I anxiously await his answer, the tears trying to fall as I mull over what I need to say. "Hello?" he asks curiously, not recognizing the number. "Hey," I murmur in relief just to hear his voice. "Scarlet? Whose phone are you using?" he worries. "Are you okay?" I'm not even close to being okay. "Yeah, I'm fine. There was a small problem back at the house, and I had to leave rather quickly. Nico came and got me. I was just worried about you." "s**t. What happened?" It'd be easier to tell him monsters are hunting me, because then he'd definitely stay away. "Nothing you need to worry about. Look, Caius, this has gotten worse than I realized it would, and I don't think-" "I know - it's a lot worse. I went by your house tonight to grab you some more clothes, and your place was trashed. Scarlet, I don't think your mom is with friends. I called a detective I know, and he's looking into the case for me. I'm on my way back right now. Where are you going?" My breath shakily slides out, and everyone in the car tries to pretend they're not listening in. "That's just it. Caius, I think it would be best if you stayed away from me until we find out what's going on." "Hell no," he scoffs. "Tell me where you're going. I'll be there as soon as I can get a flight." Tears start to drip, and Nico pats my leg as I try to gather some composure. "Caius, I can't. I care about you too much. I don't know what's going on, but I won't let you be in the middle of it. I'm sorry, I really am." "Scarlet, tell me where the hell you're going!" he demands, fear lying in the undertones of his voice. "I'm sorry," I repeat in a whispered whimper while hanging up. The phone starts ringing immediately, but I just stare blankly at the number I can't answer. I have to know what he's going to do though. Using my magic, I wave my hand over the phone to listen to the man who doesn’t know I can hear him as the phone starts ringing again. "Damn it. She won't f*****g answer!" he blares to someone. "Who do you think is after her?" Derek asks. I'm sure they're all telling him to stay the hell away from me. As much as it kills me to think of, I hope he listens to them. "I don't know, but she needs to be protected. She thinks I could get hurt." Derek laughs, and I hear Caius cursing again as the phone lights up and rings once more. "That's a rather nifty trick," Nico says, now realizing what I've done. "It'll only work until he calls someone else," I murmur softly. "What are you going to do?" Derek asks. "I'm going to find her, and then I'm going to beat the f**k out of whoever is messing with her. I'm not going to leave her side again, and so help me, if you call for my help one more time with that f*****g b***h, I'll never talk to you again." Elli? His business was Elli? My anger takes the place of my tears as fury runs through me. "I'm sorry," Derek exasperates. "You're the only one who has any influence over her when she loses it. It's just… you and this Scarlet girl spending so much time together is making Elli crazy. Maybe it's good if she goes off on her own. Elli needs all of us, and it appears you're the one she needs the most." It's nice to know this now. At least it makes this easier. "Elli can go to hell for all I care. Angela wanted a pet, she can train her. I'm not her f*****g leash-handler anymore. In case you haven't noticed, I happen to give a damn about someone else who needs me a hell of a lot more than Elli. She's her own worst enemy, and Scarlet is just a fragile girl.” Fragile girl? Really? I'll show him fragile the next time I see him… if I can even stand to be around him. "Call the detective and find out what he knows," Caius urges. "I can, but-" "f**k it. I'll call him myself." Just like that, the conversation is lost when he apparently does call someone else, ending the bit of magical influence I had. I hand the phone back to Nico, and he sighs as he puts it back in his pocket. "I'm sorry you had to do that, but it's for the best," Nico murmurs sympathetically. "As you heard, it sounds like it was the best for more than one reason." I fight back the furious tears that try to fall. I can't believe I was so gullible, so stupid. "I'm not sure what you mean. It's sounds like some psychotic girl has a fatal attraction to him, but he wants you." It sounds like he'll always go running in to save her. "I'd like to show him fragile," I grumble. "Now that was a little funny. He just doesn't know any better. Mortal men think most girls are fragile," he chuckles out. "Let's just get the hell out of here."