Page 63 of Top Secret Vampire

“People like Flint with fragile egos will sometimes lash out when they feel threatened. Your return to town could be enough to spark jealousy. What would he gain from driving you away?”

I drew in a slow breath and released it. “I'll be guest lecturing at the college. From what I heard, he hopes to be chosen as dean of the department. That could be why he wanted the endorsement. Maybe he’s worried he’ll lose his standing if I’m around. My books are quite popular. I'm not interested in competing with him for the position, but he might believe I am.”

“Because of all this, he'll remain on the short list as well. What about Charmaine?”

“Charmaine.” I rubbed my forehead. “We were best friends once. We had a huge argument about her older brother.”

A soft growl rumbled from Wolf’s chest. “She could also be jealous of your success.”

I set my wineglass down on the coffee table, sinking into thought. “I haven’t been back long enough to spark this level of anger, but Charmaine was always intense about loyalty between friends. If she felt abandoned . . .”

“We’ll keep her on the list. And before you ask, I crossed off your mom. She loves you.”

“I know,” I said with a sad laugh. “I just hate that I’m sitting here, thinking about all these people who could be behind this, people I used to know and trusted at some point. Well, other than Wilber.”

Wolf’s arm came around my shoulders, the warmth of his presence sinking into my bones. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Whoever’s behind it will pay for hurting you.”

I closed my eyes and leaned into him, holding onto that promise.

We went to bed and surprisingly, I slept.

But I woke sometime before dawn and lay in the dark, thinking. Worrying. Who was trying so hard to hurt me?

I slid from the bed, taking care not to wake Wolf, though the odds of that were slim. Unlike the mythical vampire, he was able to sleep at night versus all day, but like mythical vampires, when he dropped off to sleep, it seemed to suck him deeper into its embrace than a human. I’d chuckled at how difficult it was towake him, and I’d teased him about it one time. He’d scooped me up, spun around with me in his arms, and then kissed me silly.

The hardwood floor was cool under my feet as I padded into the bathroom. After using the facilities, I washed my hands and smoothed my hair, catching my pale reflection in the mirror. The bags under my eyes reflected the weight of all I'd dealt with recently.

I tiptoed back to the bedroom, careful not to wake Wolf, who lay on his back, one muscular arm slung over his abs, the other resting behind his head. He looked far too peaceful for someone neck-deep in mystery and mayhem. His cape lay crumpled on the floor, tossed there when we feverishly removed each other's clothing earlier.

His lips parted, and he sighed. If I poked him, I wondered how long it would take before he’d stir. Probably too long. I held back a grin, already framing ways I could tease him about it tomorrow.

Spying his messy hair, I couldn't resist rolling my eyes. For someone who liked his appearance structured, from his starched shirt to his cute little red bowties, sleep sure knocked him down a rung on the ladder.Gorgeous, though.

I lifted the edge of the covers and was about to slide between the sheets when I heard a soft sound, so faint I almost convinced myself I'd imagined it.

But no, there it was again. Subtle, like the slow shift of something on the floor or a door easing open. Unease fluttered in my chest and settled like a stone in the pit of my stomach.

Was someone inside the house? My heart smacked against my ribcage as I stood frozen beside the bed, torn between shaking Wolf awake or checking it out myself.

I bit my tongue, my pulse pounding in my ears. Maybe it was nothing. Wolf had set the booby traps outside, and the cameraswere ready to gather any evidence. We were safe inside our fortress.

The sound came again, not loud, not aggressive, but distinct. Something subtle, like a soft clink or a shift of a floorboard under pressure. It sounded intrusive, and it was coming from somewhere on the first floor.

Fear slithered up my spine, but I swore I was determined not to be scared anymore. This had to end. Now.

After watching the steady rise and fall of Wolf's chest, I shook my head. He’d been through enough, and I'd feel pretty stupid if I woke him only to make him mistify through the house and find nothing.

I grabbed the bear spray from my bedside table.It's fine. You can do this.

With a silent exhale, I slipped from the room, tiny cylinder in hand. In the hallway, I stopped, listening.

Nothing.

I should go back to bed. Join Wolfie in his vampire-ish slumber. Guys in general could sleep like they were half-dead, but vampires topped them all.

Then I heard a sound below me.

With my heart clawing its way up my throat, I tiptoed toward the stairs and stopped again, listening.

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