A man with dark hair and deep guarded eyes answered the door. Strong jawline, rough stubble, muscular frame. A rough masculine look that appealed to her, but something else about him arrested her. Something she couldn’t quite place.
“Can I help you?”
His voice was calm and deep, a rich baritone that flowed through her with sensual fluidity. Her wolf senses flared in a visceral reaction, and tiny flickers of awareness sparked through her like a steadily moving brush fire. She almost forgot why they were there until Viktor spoke.
What on earth was happening?
“I’m Viktor, this is Douglas and Nadya. We’re looking for a man who went missing months, ago.” He held up a photo of Alec. “Have you seen him?”
While the man glanced at the photo, she inhaled, taking in his scent. Human. One who had a woodsy scent as enchanting as the forests. Wonderful.
“No. I’m afraid I haven’t seen him.”
He was lying. It was obvious in the change in tone as it became carefully measured. The sudden avoidance of eye contact, followed by a direct wide-eyed look to counter it. By his body language, he knew far more than he admitted. The question was—why?
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Can you take a closer look?”
He’d barely scanned over her when he first opened the door, but now he fixed his gaze on her in a way that made her hold her breath. His eyes lingered on hers too long for comfort, boring deep into her. She’d never felt so naked before, so vulnerable, as though all her secret hopes and desires were revealed for this human to see and judge. The connection terrified, yet exhilarated, her. That one moment freezing time, leaving the world around them to melt into nothingness.
“Sure.” He scanned the photo again. He narrowed his eyes as if studying it. “I don’t recognize him.”
He was hiding something. She was sure of it. The wolf in her wagged her tail furiously as she caught other scents in the castle. Vampire and gargoyle. Glancing at Viktor and Douglas to see their hardened expressions revealed they’d picked up on them, too. Her radar went up.
“I’m curious,” Viktor said. “What’s this place all about?”
“Les Beaux Arts at the Chateau DeRoche is an art colony. Artists, musicians, writers, and more come here for residencies to focus on their craft.”
“How about vampires and gargoyles?” Viktor asked with a pointed glare.
Her stomach tightened. Once Viktor fixed on something, he wouldn’t let it go.
The man narrowed his eyes, now flashing with an intensity that made her heartbeat quicken.
“Excuse me?”
“I smell them clear as day.”
You must be mistaken. We’re all humans here.” He laughed, but it was forced. “Vampires and gargoyles, good one. As if they exist.”
“Human, you clearly know more than you’re revealing. Why don’t you let us in, and we’ll talk about it?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the man replied in a carefully measured tone.
“And why not?” Viktor asked. “Do you have something to hide?”
“No. However, I’m the manager of this colony.” He straightened. “I cannot disrupt the residents with unannounced guests.”
Viktor fixed his icy stare on the man. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.” He pushed open the door, forcing his way into the castle. Douglas followed, forging past the human.
“Antoine! Dante!” the man shouted.
A winged being flew down from atop the castle and pulled Douglas back outside. His skin was gray and appeared to be the texture of leather, not soft and pliant like human skin. Black feathered wings spread wide, giving him the appearance that he was twice as large. His face was marked by exaggerated features. A distinguishing scent. Gargoyle.
Another being flew out from behind a castle wall and forced Viktor outside the castle. Mouth open and fangs exposed. Pale skin and the unmistakable scent of the undead. Vampire.
No doubt these were the two who had breached Oakes Island, the ones caught spying. While Viktor fought the vampire, the gargoyle pinned Douglas down. Nadya quickly assessed the situation before jumping into action. The human pulled out a gun, aiming at the scuffling figures before him.
“No!” Nadya jumped onto him, knocking the gun loose as he fell back through the doorway onto the castle floor.
She struggled with him, and they rolled on the hard stone floor. He was remarkably strong for a human, so much so that she inhaled his scent quickly to verify what she was up against.
Definitely human. With a delicious male smell beyond the wilderness she’d scented before, stirring an unfamiliar reaction within.
While she was distracted, he got the upper hand, pinning her down with his body and holding her by the wrists. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, a natural instinct to fight back. As she writhed beneath him, a sudden awareness of his body took over. The way his hard chest pressed down on hers, how his strong thighs straddled her own, and how his rugged face lay only inches from hers wasn’t something she should notice while in such a vulnerable position. His eyes were a captivating blend of brown and green, lulling her with an almost magnetic hold. For a moment, she stopped fighting him, caught up in the intimate way their bodies touched. Her breaths came out in pants from the struggle. And something more. Some kind of primal reaction she couldn’t explain.
The realization hit her with as much shock as an unexpected slap to the face. Hell no. Not now. Not ever! She must be misreading the signs. She forced it away, compartmentalizing it to deal with it another time.
A quick glance to her right showed the four still fighting. Fangs and claws were exposed. All were marked by crimson streaks. The sight and coppery scent of blood spurred her back into action, reminding her how dire the situation. She tried to wiggle her arms out of his grasp, but he didn’t yield his hold. Even though she had the strength of a wolf, she wasn’t as strong in human form, and he must have outweighed her by eighty pounds of muscle. The way he held her indicated he’d been well-trained in wrestling or some type of martial arts. Clearly, he wasn’t a typical human, but one well-trained.
“Stop fighting me,” he commanded.
His warm breath fanned her cheek. Scents of chocolate and wine reached her. And his masculine scent continued to make her body light up with awareness in a way it never had. Even his voice sent intimate shivers through her.
She ignored the sexually-charged effect he had on her. What was wrong with her to respond this way during a fight, when he could harm her and the others? It couldn’t be what she feared she’d just discovered. It had to be adrenaline, not lust.
“Get off me!” She thrashed up with her lower body to buck him off, but it was futile. Each thrust reminded her of an intimate act, especially when her pelvis brushed his. She dropped her hips back to the stone floor.
This was stupid. Stupid! She shouldn’t feel turned on by someone pinning her down, especially a human. Time to force the inappropriate thoughts away and find a way to escape this human’s grasp.
“Not until you stop fighting me.” He took his fiery eyes off hers and scanned the area.
She followed his gaze to something dark and metallic. The gun.
