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I stepped out into the cool night, inhaling the fresh mountain air and scanning the horizon. My heart hammered with each step away from the cabin, and my gaze bounced, expecting Lucifer’s thugs to jump out at any moment. Fresh snow covered the carnage from a week ago, but I could still smell Lilith’s blood hanging on the air.
Despair attempted to creep in again and I shook my head, pushing it away. There would be time to wallow in it later, but for now, I still needed to get her to safety, otherwise she would die in this harsh wilderness and that’s the last thing I wanted.
The constellations speckled the dark sky and I started toward the woods, snow crunching with each step. The farther I got from the cabin, the more my anger blasted to the surface. My hands curled into fists and my jaw ached from my tightly clenched teeth. The injustice burned.
My nerves were raw from Naomi’s grief and the fact I couldn’t just hold her and comfort her, kiss her or make love to her shattered my sanity. With every wincing touch, my heart blackened and right now, I wanted to kill, to allow the shadow to take over and destroy whatever crossed my path.
Lilith had said Lucifer wanted us to suffer.
Well, this certainly qualified.
With a roar, I picked up the pace, running and jumping and letting the transition take hold. Wings unfurled, taking me higher into the darkness. I banked southeast, toward Denver hoping to find a less than innocent soul, because right now, wildlife would not satisfy my pummeling hunger.
I landed on the dark soccer field of the East High School and turned north toward the park and the dark windy paths within; praying trouble would find me. The snowy pathways were as welcoming as Lucifer’s den and with each step my mood worsened. The absence of criminals pissed me off. This was very different than Central Park, where thugs prowled after dark.
A shuffle behind me caught my attention and I stopped.
“Are you lost or just stupid?”
I turned slowly, facing my attacker and my gaze dropped to the blade in his hand and back to the hooded figure standing in the path behind me like he was invincible. Steel glinted in the dark and I raised my palms toward him, playing the game.
“I thought I’d take a short cut,” I whispered. My mouth salivated at the scent of human flesh and the thrill of turning the tables on this asshole.
“Just give me your money and you won’t get hurt.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed and he lunged, the knife coming close enough to tear fabric and then he pulled away.
“I’m serious. If you don’t give me your wallet, I’ll gut you like a fish.” His black eyes peered out from under the hood.
“I’d like to see you try,” I said and my hands dropped to my sides, waiting for the next lunge. The man snarled and attacked. I turned, letting the knife sail by me and I grabbed his wrist, yanking him closer. Before he could recover, my teeth sank into his throat.
The sudden rush of hot blood filled my mouth and I sucked, swallowing his life in pulses timed with his frantic heartbeat. He didn’t have the chance to scream, instead he just moaned as death claimed him. When I had drained every drop from his thieving heart, I dropped him to the ground and wiped my mouth, relishing the warm renewal of strength filtering into my muscles.
It had been years since I hunted humans and now I remembered why. One was never enough. I turned away from the cold corpse and continued north, my gait strong and my focus on one thing.
Blood.
It wasn’t until I walked past the local strip club that someone in the alley hissed for my attention. I stopped and turned, taking in a well-insulated man whose eyes kept darting around.
“You looking for a good time tonight?” he asked in a hushed whisper and nodded toward the van parked farther down the alley.
I glanced at the van and the word “Ménage-mobile” stenciled on the doors. My gaze traveled back to his jumpy eyes. The idea of a van full of whores set my appetite on fire and I licked my lips. “How many are we talking about?”
“I have three girls ready to take care of your every need,” he grinned, flashing a mouthful of crooked teeth.
Somehow I doubted that, but I stepped into the alley with him and he waved me forward. When we got alongside the van he turned and slid the door open. He did indeed have three girls, bound and gagged and spread out for any twisted mind. Their frightened gazes told me more than I wanted and I turned toward the letch in the alley.
“Today is not your lucky day,” I said and closed the door on the girls. Before he could draw the gun in his waistband, I snapped his neck and drained him of blood. When there was nothing left to drink, I rummaged through his pockets and found the car keys.
Their frightened gazes met mine when I stepped into the van and closed the door. As much as I wanted to drain them of precious blood, I couldn’t. They were what Michael deemed innocents and as I unbound each girl, they crumpled on the floor of the van in tears.
“Are you hurt?” I asked after I untied the last girl.
Their aimless gazes met mine and I sighed, slipping into the front seat and starting the vehicle. I drove to the emergency room parking lot of St. Luke’s Hospital and parked the van.
“You’re in the St. Luke’s parking lot,” I said and opened the driver’s side door.
“Wait, Mister,” one of the girls said.
I turned, meeting her teary green gaze.
“Thank you.”
I offered a nod and closed the door, walking away and into the shadows. All the anger and homicidal recklessness that ran rampant before burned off on the drive and now all I wanted was to find a decent snow suit for Naomi and get back.
Nothing was open at this time of night, which meant I’d have to break into the Sports Authority and steal what she needed. I took to the sky, landing on the dark roof a few minutes later. A white layer of rooftop snow met my scan and I sighed, putting my hands on my hips while the aggravation mounted. I walked the grid, looking for the entry and finally found the edging of the mechanical shaft. I had to dig to uncover the entry and with one yank, I nearly pulled it off its hinges. I dropped from the rafters to the top floor, glancing around in the darkness, blinking until my eyes adjusted.
My first procurement was a heavy duty duffel bag that I was sure would survive the bitter wind of flight and I tore the tab off, unzipping it and emptying the paper stuffing onto the floor. Another scan of the store and I honed in on the women’s section. Within minutes I had a pair of long underwear and a ski outfit that guaranteed against frostbite shoved into the duffel bag. I found gloves and boots that had a similar frost bite rating and those disappeared into the bag. The only thing left unprotected was her face. I found a sleek full-coverage helmet with goggles included, and between that and a ski mask, I thought that would be enough to protect her. As I passed the rack of boot warmers, I stopped, grabbing a handful and shoving them into the bag along with a thick pair of wool socks.
I crossed to the cash register and piled the tags from each item, pulling out enough cash to cover the bill and then some and slipped it into an envelope I found under the counter. Before sliding it into the cash register slot, I carefully scrawled, Thank You on the envelope and then slipped it into the slot.
With the roof door secured, I grasped the duffel bag and transformed, taking off to the north once again. The duffel bag made it without fraying in the wind and I dropped it at the doorway before escaping to my favorite peak.
I knew I shouldn’t leave Naomi alone for much longer, but I needed the peace of the night before I dealt with the crushing blow of not being able to touch her.