Immortal Craving (Dark Dynasties) Read Free Page B

her except friendship. But she didn’t appreciate being gawked at like a sideshow freak by some outsider.
    “Well,” she said stiffly, “what you see is what you get. I’m not that interesting. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got some things to do before I close up for the day, and I need my help back.”
    She turned her head to look at Shelby, who was thumbing idly through a magazine, a dreamy expression on her face. Seeing how deep the thrall still was unsettled her.
    “Shouldn’t that have worn off by now?” Bay asked.
    “It will wear off when I decide it does.”
    Bay looked sharply at him. “That’s not how it works.”
    “It is how
I
work.”
    The matter-of-fact arrogance in his statement finally sparked her temper. She pushed aside any lingering fear and walked quickly around Grimm, striding right up to Tasmin. Despite the sunglasses, she saw his surprise, andhad to fight back a thin smile. No doubt he’d expected the puny mortal to cower and grovel. But that wasn’t how
she
worked.
    Bay came to a stop only a foot away from him and glared up into his impassive face. Being so close, and this time with him aware and looking down at her, left her momentarily off-balance. He was just the right height—maybe five feet ten—to fit herself against, tall enough to wind herself around, short enough to reach if she rose up on her toes to press her mouth to his…
    The scent of him was stronger now, intoxicating. And fending off another hot punch of desire only made her angrier. She never let men make her uncomfortable… It was a point of pride with her. So why couldn’t she find her footing with this one?
    “Listen,” she snapped. “I don’t know what you are or what’s wrong with you, but if you want to find out what the Lilim are like, I suggest you head in that direction. I’m sure you’ll get an answer to your questions one way or another… if you can make it through the werewolves to ask. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got better things to do than satisfy your curiosity.”
    She started to turn and felt his hand clamp on her wrist, not hard, but with a controlled strength that she knew could shatter bones if he wanted. Her fury was a dull roar in her ears as she whipped her head around.
    “What—”
    But the words died in her throat at his expression, the lips pulled back to reveal gleaming fangs. It was the snarl of a creature not remotely human, a killer. And the voice that came from his throat was nothing like the sensual purr of before.
    In an instant, he’d become everything she was afraid of.
    “You dare chastise me, human?” The words sounded like they’d been dragged through gravel and oil, oozing up from deep in his chest.
    Then he cried out, his head snapping back, his body arching as though an electric current had just passed through his body. The sunglasses clattered to the floor again, and Grimm barked just behind her, though it sounded oddly far off. Tasmin’s eyes met hers again, and the amount of pain and fear she saw in that instant left her reeling. His hand tightened on her wrist before going lax.
    “Help me,” he breathed.
    She just managed to get her arms around him to break his fall, sinking slowly to the floor with Tasmin in her arms. Whatever this man needed, she knew, it was more than just answers.
    But right this second he needed help. He needed
her
.
    Even though she cursed herself for it, even though she’d declared vampire problems off limits to herself, Bay knew she was in big trouble. Her compassion had always been as much her strength as it had been her Achilles’ heel.
    And this time, whichever it turned out to be, she wasn’t going to be able to just walk away.

chapter
TWO
    H E DIDN’T AWAKEN FULLY until the sun went down.
    Tasmin inhaled deeply as consciousness returned, grateful to be surfacing from the dreams that had plagued him ever since he’d emerged from the cave. He felt warmth, softness, a strange sense of comfort… and relief as he