Page 80 of The Vampire's Thirst
Dax growled as he lifted a forkful toward his mouth, more surly than usual. In response, Chiara popped a strawberry into her mouth, wrinkling her nose at the vampire. They’d been at each other all morning.
Snap. Crackle. Pop. Glare.
He and Fin, on the other hand, were all smiles, having made love until the sun peeked above the ridge.
With an awkward breakfast out of the way, the four of them piled into the She Beast. Thorn checked the NAV System before heading for Livingston. They’d been driving east on I-90 for ten minutes when Kole called. Thorn listened, nodding and grumbling. When he disconnected, he twisted the wheel, crossing the median to swing back toward Bozeman.
Fin and Chiara grabbed onto the doors in the backseat as the truck dipped, bumped, and spun.
“Damn. What’s up, wolf?” Dax one-handed the dashboard.
He shot the vampire a furtive glance before returning his eyes to the road. “A shitstorm. Arisen Dawn is pouring through the Bozeman portal. The humans are defending the area on this side while Kole and the Firebrands are on Scath holding back crazy-ass Aeternals.”
Dax punched the armrest, knocking it off the door.
Thorn arched his brows. “You’re gonna pay for that, myfreron.” The She Beast lunged forward as he floored the gas pedal.
“The females are our priority,” said Dax.
“I agree. We’ll just have a look-see.” He changed lanes, gunning past a slower vehicle.
Either Dax was suddenly altruistic, or he cared for Chiara more than he admitted. Thorn was betting on the latter. The vampire didn’t seem the type to go down easy, though. He had the brooding thing going for him, which was typical of his breed. Every vampire Thorn knew carried an unhealthy dose of guilt. Shifters on the other hand were…Nope. They were pretty fucked up, too. Lucky for him, Fin rolled past his flaws. Of course, since he whirl-winded her, she didn’t have much time to see any.
Chiara tapped Dax’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. You are not my protector anymore. I release you from all responsibility. Besides, I can take care of myself. I don’t need some inconsiderate bloodsucking fangtard to worry about my safety.”
When Dax snarled, Thorn knew the female hit a sore spot.Hell. All Firebrands were protectors. The closer they were to danger, the greater their need to play hero.
“What about you, Fin? Do you need a male to fight for you?” Chiara crossed her arms to stare at her backseat companion.
Thorn’s female caught his gaze in the rearview mirror, but instead of responding, she hung on tighter to the door as the truck flew down the interstate on its way to the city.
“You two have been chipping at each other all morning,” said Thorn. “Love spat?”
At the same time, Dax and Chiara both said, “Shut up.”
“To quote another famous shifter, you ‘doth protest too much, methinks.’”
“Shakespeare was a shifter?” Fin wide-eyed him in the rearview mirror.
“Nope. Just messing with the bickering lovers.”
When Fin smiled, his heart clenched. He’d park away from the skirmish, hide the females under a tarp on the floor, and hope Dax and he survived the recon mission. In case things went from fucked to royally fucked, he’d leave the keys in the She Beast. The Blood Coven descendants could skedaddle. How would they crossover to Scath?Think. Think.
Thorn tipped his head toward the duffel at the vampire’s feet. “Weapons. Blades and guns. On the off-chance we get drawn into the fray.”
Opening the bag, Dax snagged a Heckler and Koch MP7 for Thorn, the Sig again for himself, and four blades. He unlocked his seatbelt to strap on a chest harness, tucking in two knives. He loaded several extra magazines into pockets and secured the firearm in his waistband. He set Thorn’s stuff onto the center console. Next, he removed two Berettas, clips, and a couple more blades, passing them into the back.
“What are we supposed to do with these?” asked Chiara.
“The shifter and I have to scout out Bozeman. Shoot anybody but us who tries to get into the truck.”
“I’ve practiced at a gun range,” said Fin. “But I’ve never fired at a person.”
“I’ve shot critters,” said Chiara. “But I’ve never targeted a person either.”
Thorn whispered to Dax, “If something happens to us, we have to make sure they can get to Scath. Suggestions?”
“An Alliance office.”
