Wining Celeste (Book 4) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 8

Grayson 

That’s the second time she’s looked at me like I was her every wicked desire rolled into one. I’ve never been the recipient of such untapped lust. The only reason I didn’t chase her was because of the massive bulge in my pants. I was tempted to take her there, but she got skittish, just like last time, and ran.
Now I’m once again sleepless and hard. I haven’t been in this bad of shape since I was a lad. I even released myself twice while thinking of her naturally. That’s my problem and I know it. One thought leads to another, then another, and before you know it… I’m hard again.
The moon is half full tonight. Every night that passes, I get a little closer to complete loss of control and now that I’ve had a taste of her… Let’s just say my patience will be thrown out the window, along with chivalry and rational behavior. I need to get her to sleep with me before then, or I’ll be needing a containment spell. She’s so hot and cold it’s hard to gauge what works with her. It’s like every time she enjoys herself, a dark cloud rains on her parade. Someone must have done a number on her. If I knew who, I’d kill him… After a long grueling torture, of course.  
Tossing the blankets off, I get out of bed and go for a run. There’s nothing better than shifting to tire you out. Well, there is one thing better, but there’s no chance of that happening…
I’m twenty feet or so into the woods that line the property when I smell them. Backtracking, I follow the trail, picking up a human’s scent, but that’s not what worries me. It’s two distinct smells that have my attention. Blood and an unrecognizable vampire I’ve never smelt before. I also scent fresh bloods but the smell is faint, like secondhand smoke. My guess is they’ve been here merely hours ago. 
Shit! This is the last thing Jacob needs. After everything that’s happened, not to mention Tally slipping in and out of depression and the cyborg… what if this has something to do with Peter? No, it doesn’t fit. What use would a vampire have for a human? One end of the story, and I didn’t see any bite marks. 
I debate turning back and ending the run early, but it’s nothing urgent. Whether Jacob knows now or hours from now won’t affect a damn thing. I know exactly where I’m going. 
She sleeps with her window open, and I drool at the smell; woodsy and fresh. A contradiction completely fitting to her personality. I’ve never been so painfully aroused by the simple thought of someone. Her reputation aside, she’s not my usual type. Not that I’ve been with many women in my long life, but when compared to most human males, it’s a lot. 
Anyone looking at her would describe her as uptight, prudent even, but I know better. There’s a temptress under the tightly wound and perfectly put-together woman she portrays. I just need to find that one loose strand to unravel the magnificent creature that lurks beneath.
My ears round on the faint shuffling. It’s coming from inside the house. Sniffing the air, I try to scent something, anything, but her smell is the only thing I pick up on. Moving closer and slowly out of cover, I round the house. The bastard sifted! The same scent from earlier invades my senses, evoking a vicious growl from my snout.
“Easy pup, settle down. You wouldn’t want my teeth to slip… would you?”
I shift back, stepping toward him and pause when his teeth skim her neck. Fucking vampires. She’s unconscious in his arms. The vamps well over six feet tall and nearly as wide as me. The thing’s black hair is shaved to his scalp, and he’s dressed in Armani. If Estevan is classic Dracula, this guy’s new world order. If I had to go by looks, vampire would be my last guess, but there’s no denying his heritage when his teeth gleam in the moonlight. It occurs to me. This was his plan all along. He somehow knew who she was to me. Knew I’d go to her. 
“What’s this about? Are you trying to get back at me, Is that it?” 
His confusion throws me off and I take a deep, steady breath, trying to ease closer before he sifts out with her. 
“Get back at you for what? You and your comrades are of no consequence to me. You stay out of my way and I won’t waste my time on any of you. Get in my way and I’ll end you all.”
My grin is threatening. When I get my hands on him, I’ll shred him just for touching her, but I have to be careful. He can sift out any second and I’ll never know where he’s taken her or what he wants. I can hear her low moans as she fights to gain consciousness. I know one thing that would give him pause and make him second guess his decision. If I say it, there’s no telling how Celeste will react. It’s a gamble, but one worth risking. Everyone knows how powerful a bonded male can be. Nothing can stop him.
“One problem… that’s my mate you have.” I warn.
He looks down at her, then at me, making an inaudible sound of annoyance in his throat.  
“Is that so? I forgot that someone of your… ilk carries such traditions. Forgive me.”
He fades and I launch, shifting midair. When I should connect, I get nothing but empty space landing in the brush below. My heart pounds in my chest as I shift uncontrollably from human to wolf and back again. Shock and heartbreak war inside me. She’s gone... taken right in front of me before my very eyes. There’s no doubt in my mind that vamp is the infamous V everyone’s been talking about. Now that I’ve gotten a closer to scent him, I recognize the light trace of the demon in the bar.
He’s going to regret crossing me. If he harms one hair on her head, I’ll drain his blood. Watch him waste away day by day, giving him just enough blood to drag out the process. Char inch by inch of him under the sun. I’ll tear his fucking head off with my teeth. When the shock wears off, I get enough sense to start investigating. Her home is spotless. It’s so organized it looks sparse. Her control goes far beyond her style, it’s ingrained in her. Every aspect of her life is fine-tuned and orchestrated by her. If her house and appearance weren’t enough to convince me, the contents of her computer is. Thousands of files are organized in zip compressed folders alphabetically and sub-categorized. It’s so organized, it’s confusing. This is going to take hours.
Snatching up the thin silver laptop, I place it under my arm and head to her bedroom in search of her phone. Her enticing sent overwhelms my senses, distracting me. “Focus damn it!” I berate myself. The longer he has her… I put my soul focus on gathering anything of use and grab her keys off the hook. 
When I get back, the sun is just on the cusp of rising and Jacob’s footsteps creep closer. I’m set up in the kitchen going through her contacts when he appears. 
“What’s this?”
My fingers pause on the screen. 
“He took Celeste… a vampire named V. He’s the one every species has been talking about.”
I can see the questions forming, but I don’t have time. Every second I waste explaining increases the risk. 
“Her stuff, I presume… let me guess, you were out for a run?”
I nod 

“He sifted?”
I supply another nod.
“He’s old, powerful. It wasn’t more than a second and he was insubstantial.”
The fear in my voice coaxes his worry.
“I’ll talk to Estevan and see what he can do. If you find anything, let me know. From now on we do everything as a group… I don’t want you going off on your own. You got that?” 
I nod to Jacob even though I know if anything slows me down, there’s no chance I’m waiting. I’d lay down my life for hers in a second. That’s my nature…
There’s over a hundred numbers I’ve checked and none are out of character. Nor do I see any unusual patterns aside from a brief relationship with a man named Josh Fern. He’s thirty-five with a gambling problem and seven ex-wives. What the hell did she see in him? 
There’s a pin dropped in an area I recognize. I make a note to check it out later and open her laptop. Working my way from top to bottom, I come across some video files. What I find shocks me to my core. Celeste has some explaining to do.