Page 14 of Slay All Day

Denica crouched into a fighting stance, a dagger gripped in each fist, and we scanned the room. Connor and Jake were facing off against the same vampire, and the other one was leaning against the cave wall outside our reach. He had stayed back, watching the battle play out. I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t fled until Denica said, “I take it that you’re the master vampire of this little nest?”

“Indeed,” he confirmed, inclining his head. “Although you can’t really call it a nest now that I’m the only one left.”

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Connor was holding the other vamp’s head in his hand. Then it burst into ashes with a popping sound. Three down and only one to go. He shouldn’t have been so confident facing off against the four of us, but he acted as though he didn’t have anything to fear.

“You should’ve known that someone would come for you when your nest started leaving a trail of dead bodies in your wake.” Denica chanted low under her breath, and flames sparked to life on her palms.

The vampire made a tsk-ing sound and shook his head. “That’s not very sporting of you; using fire magic against me.”

The flames continued to grow. “One of the lessons every slayer learns is to take down a master vampire the first chance you get, doing whatever it takes.”

“You may take me down,” he conceded with a snarl, exposing his long fangs. “But the slayers will face their reckoning one of these days. Some of us are banding together and growing stronger. Together we will defeat the slayers.”

“Not today,” she hissed, shooting the flames straight for his chest. When he turned to ash, it felt anticlimactic.

Jake and I shifted back to our human forms, and I crushed Denica against my chest. I inhaled her scent, grateful she escaped the battle unscathed.

“What are we going to tell the sheriff?” Jake asked as he dusted some vampire ash off his hands.

Denica tucked a dagger back into its sheath and answered, “Not a thing, unless you happen to have the carcass of a wild animal lying around that we can claim was the culprit.”

“We’re just going to let him think there’s still a feral bear somewhere out there?” He looked at Connor for confirmation.

Our alpha nodded. “We don’t have a better choice. We’ll continue to pretend to track the animal so we don’t give anyone reason to be suspicious that we know something they don’t when there aren’t more deaths. Then after a couple of days, I’ll tell the sheriff the trail is cold and to reach out if the bear kills again.”

“If I never had to talk to that man again, it would be too soon,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“Yeah, here’s to hoping that an actual bear doesn’t wander into Pine Ridge and start killing people,” Jake agreed. “After defeating four vampires, going up against an animal giving into its instincts would royally suck...no pun intended.”

Connor cuffed Jake upside the head, chuckling. “C’mon, let’s go celebrate by drinking enough bourbon that even our tigers will feel the alcohol.”

“Sounds good to me.” Jake headed down the passageway we’d taken into the chamber with Connor at his side. Denica and I followed them, walking hand-in-hand, and I couldn’t help but think there were better ways for my mate and I to commemorate our victory.

13

Denica

Nothing felt better than a shower after defeating vampires—washing the ash off with the help of your mate. With steam billowing out and water beating down our naked bodies, Trey pressed me against the tiles after sudsing me up from head to toe without skipping an inch of my skin. He slammed his body against mine as he sealed our mouths together. Our tongues tangled, desperation in our kiss after the adrenaline rush from our battle with the vampires. “Hurry, we don’t have long before they come back to celebrate.”

“Need to be inside you,” he growled, his hard length pressing against my entrance.

I jumped and wrapped my legs around his waist. “Yes, please.”

He dropped down onto the bench lining the wall opposite the showerhead, and commanded, “Ride me.”

I straddled his lap and dropped down on his dick, letting out a moan when he impaled me. Rocking back and forth, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “This is what I needed, too.”

“Move, baby,” he whispered, nipping at my ear. He stroked his hands down the damp skin of my back to grip my hips and guide my movements. With the two of us working in tandem, my rocking turned to bouncing. Before long, my cries echoed off the bathroom walls. “Oh! Yes, Trey!”

He grabbed my ass and pumped his hips back and forth with power, driving deep each time. When I neared the edge, my body strung tight, he used his thumb to press down on my clit, and I flew apart. Grinding against Trey, I brought him with me. Hot jets of come filled me to the brim, and I collapsed against his chest, panting.

As our breathing slowed, we heard a pounding on the door. Leaning back, I grinned at him. “Déjà vu, huh?”

“Their timing could be worse,” he groaned, dropping his forehead against mine. “They could keep showing up before we come instead of after.”

We hastily washed ourselves off again and tossed on some clothes before heading downstairs. Jake flashed us a knowing grin as we let him and Connor into the house. Trey grabbed glasses and another bottle of bourbon to go with the one his alpha had brought with him. He poured a generous amount into each of the tumblers and handed them out.

Connor lifted his glass, and each of us followed suit. “To Denica Veles, the slayer that led us to victory over a nest of vampires who threatened everything we hold dear and the fated mate of my head enforcer. Welcome to the Tigre streak.”

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