Page 32 of Venice Heat (Urban Heat 2)

“Ma’am?” the man called out again.

Darryl leaned down and licked her neck. She just managed not to gag. “You mean our kind. What you gonna do, Shae?”

“I’m fine,” she called out. “We just got a little frisky. It’s all good.”

Darryl’s growl rumbled against her skin. Hatred choked her and curled her fingers in his shirt when she wished it was his throat. He’d manipulated her without using his power, showing just how low he could sink.

“You heard her,” Darryl snapped, his face normal again as he glared up at the human. “Get lost and let me enjoy my girl.”

The man stumbled backward and frowned. “You two should get a room. No one wants to see that.”

“Not my fault you can’t get laid,” was Darryl’s smart-ass reply. The man stomped away, leaving her trapped with no idea how she would escape. Darryl tugged at her panty line and snapped it against her ass. He laughed when she jumped. “Where was I?”

He lay on top of her with one leg between hers, the weight of the other crushing her into the sand. She switched their positions. He howled when she thumped his balls as she flipped him to his back. Not even looking for her flip-flops, she kicked off to get away, but he caught her hair and snatched her down. Sand filled her mouth, mixed with more blood.

“Where you going, bitch?” He moved above her again.

“No!” Something icy cold and then scorching hot zipped through her entire body. She didn’t know where the strength came from, but the next instant, she threw Darryl into the water.

Somewhere nearby, a woman gasped. “Wait, did she just throw him?”

“We must be imagining it,” her companion answered. “I knew people were crazy out here on the West Coast. It’s too early for this, and I was drinking all night.”

“Yeah,” the first woman agreed. “We must be still hungover. Let’s go back to our room.”

Shae heard all of th

is conversation while keeping her eyes on Darryl. She crouched and bared her teeth. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and the most insane longing to sink her teeth and claws into Darryl came over her. She took a slow step in his direction.

“Stop, Shae, you can’t turn now.” He seemed genuinely worried, but she didn’t care.

“Run,” she begged and was surprised at the deepness of her tone. Another step closer.

“Listen to me, damn it!”

“Run!” She leaped at him, but from nowhere Eiji was there between them. She screeched and tried to bite him. When that didn’t work, she dug her fingernails into his arms, surprised and pleased at how long they extended.

“Not here, Shae.” Eiji held on to her, but she had eyes only for Darryl and him alone. To kill him.

“Shae, calm down.”

Heat flooded her body until she thought the world had turned red. “Why are you stopping me, Eiji? You hate him too. I want him dead now!”

“Look at me.”

She pulled away from his hands as they framed her face.

“Shae, if you turn before the full moon, you will lose yourself.”

“Lies!” She smacked at his face, but he caught her hand and folded her arm across her body. He enfolded her in his embrace, and all she could do was kick out at the air. She wriggled in his hold and stared at her enemy, so close and yet so far.

“Go,” Eiji commanded Darryl.

“Who you think—”

“Go! You know what will happen if she changes now. She won’t be able to be anyone’s mate.”

“She’s mine. If anyone’s going to make her calm down, it’s me.” Darryl took a step toward them, and Shae’s teeth sliced into her bottom lip. Darryl froze and then fell back. He landed on his ass, and the shallow waves buffeted him. “I’ll be back in six days.”

---