Page 40 of Fanged Temptation

I veered around, nearly knocking Leah over in the process, and my rolling eyes landed on the sleek, cherry-red convertible idling by the far curb. The headlights cut through the darkness with twin beams, and the engine’s low purr made my pulse quicken.

Leah stiffened in my grasp and I squeezed her waist, teetering on the line between fight or flight. “Stay behind me,” I muttered.

But before I could do anything more, the car’s window hummed down. A familiar voice, lilting with sardonic amusement, floated across the lot.

“Well, you two look like you’ve had one hell of a night.” River poked her head out, tilting a pair of rose-tinted glasses downher nose. “Need a ride, or were you planning to stand around looking tragic a little bit longer?”

River’s home was an eccentric sprawl of connected corridors, hallways that led to random dead-ends, cluttered rooms, and wild gardens that bled into indoor courtyards. Stepping inside, soaked and exhausted from our narrow escape, I nearly stumbled over the raised threshold, trying to catch my breath while supporting a wary-looking Leah with one arm.

The interior was just as odd as I remembered—trinkets from countless eras crowded every surface, paintings of questionable taste jostled for space on the walls, and a koi pond wove through the center of the home like a liquid tapestry. It was nature blended seamlessly with a vast selection of luxurious oddities and it was exactly River in every possible way.

Leah’s eyes flicked around, wide with disbelief. “Is that… an actualriverrunning through herliving room?” she murmured. Her voice was raspy from the smoke and salt water.

I offered a tired shrug. “It’s more of a stream—but, yeah. River’s just odd like that. This is normal for her, believe it or not.”

Leah offered a numb nod, her eyes flicking between the elaborate décor and the gently lapping water. She looked shell-shocked, still reeling from the loss of her boat and the nightmares she’d just witnessed.

River had disappeared around a corner moments earlier and she returned wearing a silky, flowing robe, ruby-red and embroidered with a thousand speckled birds. She regarded us both with a single raised brow.

“You both look like shit,” she remarked as she swept her gaze over us—ragged and dripping, covered in soot and waxy residue. “Don’t scowl at me, Maxine. It’s the truth. And where’s your pants?”

I glanced down at myself, irritably tugging my soaked T-shirt over my bare legs. “There wasn’t much time to dress for the occasion.”

“I see. Well, follow me.” River turned on her heel, glancing over her shoulder at a bewildered Leah. “You can hang around here for the night. Leah, there’s a shower in the guestroom if you’d like to warm up.”

“Uh, th–thanks.” Leah shot me a questioning glance, and I exhaled a deep sigh.

“We might as well, it’s not like we have many options.” I knew that wasn’t what she was really inquiring about, but explaining how the hell River knew where to find us, and when, was something I was in no mood to tackle just yet.

No doubt the prescient vamp had been struck with another one of her visions. Or she was just a little too dedicated to keeping tabs on me. Either way, she’d shown up when we needed her most so I was in no position to complain.

River led us through a series of corridors, all lined with dusty artifacts and softly glowing lanterns. Every few steps, we passed small arched bridges that spanned sections of the interior koi pond. Leah stared down at the fish gliding beside us, her expression glazed and vacant.

When we reached the main foyer, River paused, her robe rippling like water. “I foresaw a bit of chaos on your horizon so I took the liberty of preparing a room. Are you guys an item yet or–”

“Thank you, River,” I cut in abruptly, clearing my throat and avoiding Leah’s eyes. “We’ll be going now.”

River only chuckled and inclined her head. “Guest room is down that way. But I hope you know you’ll have to speak to Jordan eventually, before all this trouble escalates.” Her gaze flicked pointedly between me and Leah. “I’m sure she’ll have plenty of questions.”

“I’m sure she will,” I lamented, taking Leah by the elbow and guiding her down the corridor. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“Anytime.” River offered an exaggerated bow before sweeping away, disappearing in a flurry of red silk and dark curls.

Leah and I shuffled off, dripping briny water on the plush carpets that guided us to a set of double doors. The room beyond was enormous, the walls decorated with a vivid mural of birds in flight. A canopied bed sat in the center, gauzy curtains draped in elegant folds.

Leah let out a shaky breath. “This is… something else.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, combing fingers through my matted hair. “River has a flair for the tacky and dramatic.”

“No kidding–”

I steadied her when she struck up a fitful cough, hacking and huffing the last of the smoke from her lungs.

“There’s the bathroom,” I offered, pointing to an ornate side door on the far corner of the room. “You could wash up if you want.”

Her hair was still clumped and ruffled, caked with sea salt, and her clothes hung from her shivering body in singed tatters.

She gave a faint nod and disappeared through the bathroom door without another word. I listened to the soft hiss of water rushing through pipes, then the sputter of the showerhead.

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