Cole pulled the key from the ignition. He ran his hand through his hair, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Mia jumped when he appeared at her window. She glanced back at the driver seat to confirm he’d left. He opened the door and held out his hand. When she slid her hand into his, he let out a sigh of relief. As they walked in silence, she couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong.
Mia took in her surroundings. The police headquarters was bigger than she expected. From the road, it looked like giant steps cascaded up toward the sky, but now that she was closer, she could see the building closest to the road was a single-layer building. The one behind it was a six-story building painted in two-tone neutral colors with a twelve-story building behind that.
Cole passed several people who said ‘Hi’, and he simply nodded with his face drawn tight as he walked passed them. Mia looked back at them, but they didn’t give him a second look. Were they accustomed to his detached demeanor? Was he always like this?
He walked into an empty room, pulled Mia in with him, then closed and locked the door. An examination table sat in the corner of the room and a bathroom on the opposite side.
Cole’s silence tugged at Mia’s nerves, making her uneasy. He lifted her onto the examining table, then walked over to the cabinets across the room and began searching through them. Not finding what he was looking for, he turned his attention to the drawers. A few seconds later, he withdrew a large icepack and placed it on the counter. Mia studied him, trying to read his face as he gathered more items, but he cloaked his emotions well. He placed the supplies onto the table next to her, reached for her shirt, and pulled it over her head. She didn’t protest. His silence was telling her something.
Cole lightly traced the bruise on her side with his fingers. The bruise covered the area from her hipbone to the bottom of her shoulder blade. Mia winced in pain from his touch. His eyes darted to hers and in them, she saw a reflection of her pain. He gently held the ice pack to the bruised area on her side while his other hand inspected the rest of her body—turning her arms, looking at her neck, then tilting her forward to inspect her back.
“Cole, I’m okay. I’m just a little bruised,” she said, softly.
His face masked with concern as he repositioned the icepack.
Her heart swelled. No one had ever taken care of her before. But his silence was tormenting her. “You didn’t kill them.”
“No, I didn’t,” he said, then looked away from her, staring at the wall as if he were examining its imperfections.
Mia glided her fingers across his cheek and turned his head toward her.
“Did you feed on them?” she asked. Cole pulled her hand away from his face, avoiding her eyes.
He was trying so hard to show her that he wasn’t something she should fear—and this had to happen. “Yes, I did.” His voice was low and deep, rattling up from his chest.
She stared at him. What did I do to make him so angry that he can’t even look at me? The realization that she cared what he thought settled into her mind. Her eyes glistened with tears. “Are you mad at me, because I got out of the car?”
Cole snapped his gaze to hers. He pulled her off the table and stared down at her. “No, I’m not mad at you. Please, don’t cry, Miakoda. I’m angry with myself—I almost lost you.” The back of his hand brushed her bruised face. “I… the thought of never touching you again, it’s too much.”
“But if I hadn’t gotten out of the car, you wouldn’t have been distracted, and those two men wouldn’t have gotten the jump on you. All of this is my fault. I’m sorry.” Her emotions let go, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Cole’s lips came down onto hers, drowning out her sobs. “You saved my life. Mia, you were incredibly brave.” His voice turned velvety as he leaned down and kissed her again.
His lips felt good, and made all her worries melt away. She deepened the kiss as the excitement of the night rolled back into her mind, and the effects of the adrenaline rush tingled inside her.
His breathing became rapid along with hers. He moaned against her lips, then suddenly pulled away, his lips curling to expose his fangs.
Mia’s body was on fire as she locked into his heated gaze. This can get out of hand quick, she thought as she straightened her posture and picked something else to look at. “I can see what you mean about vampires being excited with the chase and the hunt,” she said, quickly changing the subject.
“Is that where the passion came from in your kiss? Did what happened earlier excite you, my little rebel?”
Cole smiled, knowing what excited him—she did. He needed to feel every inch of her body, taste her wetness, her blood, and stroke her nipples until she screamed his name in ecstasy. He pressed against her as he waited for her response.
“It did a little. I was surprised, though, that you didn’t kill them.”
His lips came down on hers, hard, with no regard for her bruises, and she melted into him. He pressed against her, harder, and she whimpered a cry of pain. He relaxed his grip, and trailed kisses along the bruise that surfaced on her face, gently brushing his lips across her skin until they reached her ear, sending her body into an uncontrollable shiver.
“I was surprised you gave me the okay to kill them.” He breathed against her ear.
“I’m struggling with the way I feel, but they deserve what they got. You should’ve seen the things they’ve done, Cole. Awful things—they deserved to die. What kind of person does that make me, that I feel that way?”
Cole couldn’t think to answer Mia because the thought of her accepting him for what he was, and allowing him to kill those men, made his shaft grow with excitement. He pressed his thickness against her leg. Mia swallowed hard, and her habitual protective shield began to roll up like a force field, almost as if her internal body yelled, “Scotty, shields up!” The feeling was almost palpable. With his hands roaming freely, she stiffened under his touch, pulling herself up straight.
Reading her signals, his hands stilled, flexing with a need against her skin. A tormented sigh blew over his lips as he visualized throwing Mia on the table and burying himself deep inside her. The eagerness for her wetness to soothe him, for her muscles to wrap tightly around his cock and stroke him until he came throbbed below his waist. Cole pulled away, shook the images from his mind and thought about something to shrink his loins.
He lightly kissed her lips as he brushed her hair off her shoulders with his fingers. Cole wanted to tell her everything, and he would always be honest with her. Mia would be his soon, and he didn’t want anything between them. Taking a deep breath, he tilted his head and captured her gaze. “Not to disappoint you, my love, I did kill one of them. When you were pushed into the car, you didn’t see the third man with the homemade silver net. The two guys in front of the van were the distraction. If you hadn’t gotten out of the car and stopped me… I was one-step away from the net. While you were shoved into the car, I got the third guy. The other two guys grabbed me when the vampire that passed you knocked me to the ground. That’s when they wrapped the silver around my wrists.” Cole searched her eyes as he spoke.
Mia grabbed his hands, turning them over, examining his wrists and forearms. She stroked her thumb over his wrist where marks should have been from where the chains burned his flesh. There were no marks; everything had healed.
She didn’t run. Cole found this very satisfying.
The knock at the door caused Mia to jump. Grabbing her shirt with a panicked look, she slid it over her head.
The sheriff entered the room and suspiciously looked around before his eyes rested on Mia. “Cole, you’re on duty—remember that. We have a lot to do, and I need to talk to Mia. Pull it together, and let’s get going.”
“Sheriff, I’m sorry—do you think we can do this tomorrow? I have had enough for one night, it’s already after midnight, and I’m really tired.”
“Well then, stop fooling around, and let’s get going. You can leave when I’m done with you.” His look was hard, but a hint of a smile pulled at his lips before he walked out.
Cole shifted his stance, he stared at her, unable to keep his feelings at bay, a grim look upon his face. “I’m about to bring you into my world. You’re going to see some things that will not agree with the reality you feel safe in. I’m on duty. I can’t comfort you the way I would like if something upsets you, but I will be next to you the whole time.” Cole squared his shoulders and stood tall. “It’s not just about being a law man, Mia. I’m also a vampire, and we are held at the highest regard. I can’t show any weakness, and they will eat you alive if you show yours.” He nodded, then gestured for her to move in front of him.
They walked down a hallway to an open space, a desk and an office sat off to the side. The walls were bare, making the place look lifeless and cold.
The sheriff stepped out of an office. “Cole, I need to see you. Mia, have a seat.” He pointed to the chairs against the wall.
Cole entered the office, closing the door behind him. The sheriff rubbed the back of his neck and stared at him. “Cole, we need her, maybe more than we know right now. I want Al to test her. I may want her in all the way.”
Cole’s expression hardened as he stepped closer to the sheriff. “No. She’s not ready for something like this. You’ll put her in danger.”
“Back down. She’s already in danger, and this isn’t your call. We’ll do what we can to protect her. Cole, she stared down two vampires—her days are numbered if that gets out.” He ran his fingers through his hair, blew out a puff of air and continued. “You know as well as I do, vampires won’t like the fact that she can pick them out of a crowd, and if she can see us, what else can she see?”
“I will not allow this! She will run from—”
“You? She’ll run from you? Is that what this is about, Cole?”
“She doesn’t even know what she’s capable of, John. If you start throwing things at her, she’s going to run. Yes, from me. And far away from all of this.” Cole stepped closer. “She is mine. I cannot allow that to happen.”
“In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you struggle like this. It’s getting harder for you to conceal this… battle inside of you.” His eyes widened. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? She’s your bride?” His voice rose in surprise.
Cole’s body responded to the sound of the word. “You know I hate the term bride, but yes, I think she is my match. I feel different when I’m with her. I tasted her blood, and I felt my own stirring to life.”
John wiped his mouth. His eyes dilated, and his fangs slid out. A shudder washed over him. “Did your heart beat?” He stepped closer to Cole, an eager expression on his face.
Cole looked away and studied the wood grain on the desk. “No, but I haven’t fed from her yet. She’s afraid of me, and it kills me, John.” A painful knot formed inside him.
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I feel the connection. We’re similar creatures. I don’t understand it or how it’s possible that we like the same things, right down to the hand-carved, details etched into a wooden coffin”—Cole shoved his fingers through his hair and stared at John—“and I’m sure I’ll kill anyone that tries to hurt her.” Cole’s muscles tensed at the thought of losing her. Once she sees things in his world, she might run from him again, and this time she wouldn’t look back. The thought pained him immeasurably. He should grab her and run—take her away from all of this. Protect what’s mine. The possibility of his fears becoming reality had his mind contemplating. How long could he hide her? If their secret got out, the world would be in chaos—law and order disrupted. This was what he stood for—to protect. Not just her, but all humans.
John put a hand on Cole’s shoulder and squeezed. “I feel for you, partner. We go way back. I know the pain you’ve endured. I know what makes your soul void from any type of emotion, because we’re a lot alike. And I can see the torment in your eyes, the struggle to protect what you feel is yours. However, I have to keep the peace between the lore creatures and the humans—so do you.”
“Cole, we have evolved with humanity, and we are the guardians over the humans. This is our job. This is how we survive, so we can peacefully coexist. I don’t think you give Mia enough credit. She’s strong. I’m putting you in charge of bringing her strength forward. Pull it together—this is the only way to protect her, and you know it.”
Cole’s lips tightened into a thin line. Anger burned in his eyes and he avoided John’s stare. With nothing left to say, Cole walked out.
* * *
In the waiting room, Mia sat back in the chair and thumbed through the magazines on the table. They were mostly men’s but the girly ones never interested her anyway—the ones that told her why she should hate men. Mia knew why she disliked men, and she didn’t need to take a test in a magazine to see if she should leave the one she was with. She liked looking at the beauty tips, of course, but she was sure tips on how not to get bitten by your date wouldn’t be in the advice column.
Her fingers came across a magazine on house designs. The front depicted the featured house which was a beautiful log cabin. Mia opened the magazine to the article and took in a sharp breath as she gazed at the beauty. It was her dream to live in a place like this. The wood seemed cozy and warm. She ran her fingers over the fold out.
“What has your pulse so excited? Since I wasn’t in the room, I’m curious.”
Mia jumped, startled by Cole’s unannounced closeness. She was beginning to think he got some sort of pleasure from sneaking up on her. “Nothing.”
“It can’t be nothing. I’ve been watching those beautiful blue eyes scan the magazine, and now you’re transfixed on something. It has you completely relaxed.”
“It’s something I don’t think I’ll ever have.” She spoke in dreamy despair. “But I’m in awe of its beauty.”
Cole reached down and grasped the magazine between two fingers. His eyes never left hers as he slowly pulled the magazine from her hands. The corners of his mouth showed the slightest indication of a smile. “I know how that feels,” he said as he looked down at the picture. His eyes sparkled when they returned to her face. “We have similar taste.”
The sheriff walked past them, shuffling papers in his hand. As he passed through the door, he looked back over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you two in the M.E’s office. Barnett, remember what I said.”
Mia stood up and wiped her palms on her jeans. Okay. I’m being brought into “his world.” Nerves tugged at her. Mia inhaled deeply, then puffed her cheeks out to exhale. She tried hard to keep her breathing under control so Cole wouldn’t notice her elevated pulse.
“How far is the Medical Examiner’s office?” she asked as they walked into the hallway, side-by-side like co-workers. Mia glanced at Cole. His demeanor had changed. He drew his posture into a straight line, and his face was emptied of any emotion. He’s in cop mode.
“It’s not that far. The victims—the ones you dreamed about—are there. We want you to look at them.”
Mia abruptly stopped. All the blood drained from her face. “What? Why?”
“We thought you might pick something up, or tell us more about why you said we should look at them closely. The M.E. hasn’t picked up anything unusual.” He put his hand on her shoulder and nudged her forward.
She looked at him, puzzled. “When did I ever say that?”
“In my car at the beach, right before you vomited.”
Mia wrinkled her forehead trying to grab the memory from her mind. “Oh, God, I did say that. I-I didn’t want anyone to know.” Her stomach clenched, and her nerves started to climb higher into her chest. “Cole, I don’t want to do this. I’ve never tried to use this thing on purpose. It just comes to me. What if I’m wrong?” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Cole stopped and looked around before placing his hands on her shoulders. “What if you’re right? It’s not going to hurt to try.” As tender as his voice was, it didn’t stop the tears burning in her eyes.
This… thing had teased her, her whole life, popping up at the most inappropriate times, and sometimes embarrassing her. Now they want her to show people what she sees, what haunts her dreams, in public? “I really don’t want to do this.”
“Mia, we have dead victims here, and someone is trying to kill you. This isn’t a game. It’s not about who may think you’re weird. We need your help.” His tone thickened, and his face hardened.
Mia narrowed her eyes at him before she turned on her heels, her pace quickening. She was pissed. “You know I have issues with this. There is no need to make me feel like shit about it. I’m not a child. I know this isn’t a game.” She opened the door in front of her with a shove and walked through, then turned around to face Cole. “You know what, Detective? I’ll do this, but I’m not doing it for you! I’m doing it for those girls. So don’t worry about my feelings or the fact that I’m weird—” Mia grabbed his forearm. The tug in the pit of her stomach intensified.
She felt Cole’s muscles tighten as she dug her nails into his flesh. The intense feeling brought her to her knees. Whistles and vulgar slurs came at her from everywhere.
“Hey, baby, wooohooo! Hey, Officer, can we get some of that for good behavior?” a prisoner yelled.
The negative energy overwhelmed her, and the room started to spiral. She focused on Cole’s legs to keep her balance, and then felt his hand cup under her arm. He started to kneel, then straightened his stance and let out a frustrated groan. “Mia, I can’t… you’re no good like this. Stand up before they pick out your weakness. You need to learn to control your anger and this thing you have.” He tugged on her arm, “Mia, look at me. Look into my eyes. Focus on me.” His voice gave her the momentary diversion she needed.
Cole was right, she knew he was but didn’t know how to control it—that was always the problem. She took a deep breath. Fuck. Not working. “I think I’m gonna puke,” she mumbled as she placed her hands on her knees and swallowed the extra saliva entering her mouth.
“Mia, block it out, and pull yourself together.”
“You’re an ass—heartless—once again.” She looked up and met his piercing eyes.
“You need to calm down.” Cole held back a grin, purposely pushing her red button. He watched as fire flashed in her eyes and built within her. She was breathtaking, stunning. Mine.
He jerked his head toward the ceiling. The lights flickered throughout the cellblock. That’s odd. His senses were on high alert.
“And you need to piss off. Which way do we need to go? I want to get this over with and go home, then you can go back to whatever dirt pile you crawled out of.”
The tiniest hint of a grin pulled hard on the edge of his lips, and he fought the urge to break out into a full smile. That’s my girl. She was pure fire when angry. An inferno he would gladly walk into, just to press his lips against hers. His fangs inched out at seeing her like this. Fighting hard for control, he pushed the carnal urge back down.