Aggravated and confused, Samantha rested her head against the window, staring out into the darkness. She didn’t care about why Rowan wanted the periapt; she only wanted Luca. Her stomach knotted as the SUV’s tires turned into a narrow driveway lined with Spanish moss-covered elm trees. An eerie feeling blanketed Samantha’s entire body. Quiet fog weighed onto the graveled road; the headlights pushed through the pale mist.
Léopold, in the front passenger seat, directed Xavier to park out of sight of the house. The thrum of the engine cut to silence. Samantha took a deep breath, knowing their battle was about to begin.
“Xavier, Étienne. Take the back of the house. Samantha. We’re going to enter the front door together. Now listen up, everyone. We can’t be sure who or what Rowan’s got in there. She could have wards. It’s even possible that she could have another vampire besides Luca. Not likely, but possible.” He caught Samantha’s eyes. “Samantha, I’ll try to take Rowan, but as she demonstrated, her gift of telekinesis is strong. If she spots me, she can shake me off with a hand. You need to go after her with your gift in kind. Call on the elements. Show no mercy, for she will not show it to you. Understand?”
“Yes,” she lied. Samantha nervously bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if she could take out Rowan, but she’d die trying.
As they got out of the car, a humid breeze blew hard against them. Lightning flashed in the distance. Within seconds, thunder roared and Samantha reacted by wrapping an arm around Léopold’s. She barely knew the lethal vampire, yet here she was holding onto him for dear life. She rolled her eyes silently in embarrassment but she held firm. Better the devil you know.
Léopold smelled Samantha’s trepidation. He’d gone to war many times over his lifetime, accepting that battles seldom came without loss. But one thing he’d never done was knowingly go into a situation attached to a fragile mortal woman. If he’d had any other choice, he would have left her at home. But he knew damn well that he needed her to dispose of the amulet, for only a witch could demolish the diabolical object.
If Luca didn’t survive the attack, he’d pursue the beautiful girl, he thought to himself. He knew he shouldn’t think such things while on the brink of combat. He blamed it on the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Every sense was heightened, including his need for sex. He enjoyed the feel of her body tight against his and wondered what it would be like to bring her to climax.
Before climbing the staircase, Léopold shoved Samantha behind a tree. Her back pressed tight against the bark, the evidence of his arousal grazing her belly.
“What are you doing?” she whispered loudly, quite annoyed by his state.
“Patience, my dear Samantha. I’m listening.” He smiled ruefully, aware of his surroundings.
“Do you hear anything?” She tried to ignore the fact that a large, sexy vampire had her pinned to an elm tree, not to mention the inappropriate hardness in his pants.
“Lovemaking.” A broad smile broke across his handsome face. He leaned down to smell her hair.
“Excuse me?” It was obvious the man had sex on his mind. But Samantha couldn’t for the life of her fathom how he could talk about it when they were about to go on the offensive.
“Lovemaking. Sex. That is what I hear. Someone is getting it on, as Al Green would say. A perfect time for a party, don’t you think?”
Samantha’s stomach lurched. She’d die if Rowan made Luca do something sexual against his will. She’d seen firsthand the power the amulet had had over Luca back in the courtyard.
“Don’t worry, my sweet. We’re about to go in now. You ready?” he asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this,” she replied.
Stepping out from behind the tree, Samantha took in the sight of Rowan’s home. The once magnificent antebellum stood dilapidated before them. The gabled roof peaked with an uneven slope and paint peeled from majestic Grecian pillars. Fig ivy had nearly taken over the sides of the home and was creeping onto the porch.
Léopold placed a silencing finger to his lips and pointed at the stairs. Slowly they climbed up toward the door. Aside from the cicadas singing, she could only hear her own heartbeat in the darkness. She trusted that Léopold was correct about the sex; yet as they approached the door, she heard nothing.
Silently, Léopold traced a finger down her cheek, seeking her attention. It was time. He held up a finger. On the count of three, he’d enter. One. Two. Three.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Luca watched as Sköll lifted Rowan to position her over the sofa. The sight of Rowan’s pale ass in the air pointing toward him repulsed Luca. Sköll growled and looked over at Luca to make sure he was watching as he roughly entered her from behind. She screamed in delight and soon Sköll lost himself in his actions, ignoring his unwilling audience.
Luca breathed deeply as he steeled himself for attack. Remove the amulet; the words reverberated through his head. It was his only chance of breaking the spell. Lunging forward, burning agony tore through Luca’s spine. He had disobeyed Rowan’s command to lie still on the floor. His blatant insubordination was met with blinding torment. A thousand invisible knives pierced his skin; his head screamed for alleviation. Sucking in a breath, Luca charged onward into swift propulsion.
Immersed in passion, Sköll barely registered the danger before Luca sank his fangs into his shoulder. Energizing shifter blood rushed into Luca’s mouth as he held Sköll in place. Plowing his hand madly toward Rowan’s neck, his fingers felt for the periapt and slipped under the silver chain. A pop sounded as it snapped.
Luca saw the crimson amulet rattle across the floor. Instantly, the ghostly knives receded. Twisting herself round to look up at Sköll’s attacker, Rowan met Luca’s eyes with a clear understanding that the spell was shattered. Refusing to retract his fangs, he bit deeper into Sköll. Raging, the shifter jerked Luca upward, wildly attempting to dislodge his attacker. Sköll began to transform into a wolf, successfully bucking Luca onto the ground. Within seconds, the man turned wolf, and Luca renewed his assault, giving the beast little time to assume an offensive position. In the midst of the struggle, a loud crash sounded, distracting Luca. The vampire from the courtyard had erupted through the barricade, and his beautiful Samantha rushed directly into the skirmish.
Running through the foyer, Samantha chased Léopold as he shouldered his way through a double set of locked wooden doors. In the melee, she could have sworn she heard dogs growling, but didn’t turn around to investigate the noise. Samantha froze upon entering. Rowan, nude, was scrambling around on her hands and knees. Luca, barely dressed, held the throat of a red wolf. Its jaws snapped at Luca’s neck as they fought for dominance. Léopold, baring his fangs, turned toward her and roared. She ducked as he flew over her head. Crouching down, she peeked to see him wrestling two brown wolves. The crisp pattering of feet could be heard from the hallway; more wolves approached.
Spying the periapt in the corner, Samantha tore across the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Xavier tearing the fur from a gray wolf. Blood sprayed across the room. Focusing on the amulet, Rowan and Samantha raced to get to it first. Rowan, deciding to use her magic, stilled and blasted Samantha, effectively smashing the back of her skull against the wall. Samantha gritted her teeth, staving off the pain. Touching the back of her head, blood trickled onto her fingertips.