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Authors: Karen Michelle Nutt
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they could have walked to the booth together.
Then a sickening thought hit her. Jairec left her side early this morning. Had he fed? Did he finally lose control and attack Loann? She gasped as the dark thoughts surrounded her. She had trusted him.
She backed away, tears stinging her eyes. She had to get out of here. She had to find Jairec.
Chapter Fifteen
Autumn walked at a fast pace away from where the crowd was gathering. Loann was dead. The blood drained from her body as if someone had siphoned it out. Her throat had been ravished and the authorities played with the idea that a wild animal had killed her. They lived in the middle of the city. What wild animal could have gotten her unless the zoo hadn’t done a head count lately and they’re missing a lion or a tiger.
Autumn had a better idea and he walked on two legs and had fangs. Loann didn’t deserve this. She was supposed to marry George. They even had their astrology charts done. She entered the shop and found Jairec there; leaning against the counter and looking paler than his Irish skin should look. Funny, she thought after he fed, he’d look better. Even the hair, near his temples, was starting to turn white. She didn’t remember the white strands being there yesterday.
“Why did you do it?”
His brows dipped over the bridge of his nose. “You told me to meet you here. I know I was late. I should have just met you at—”
“I don’t mean meeting me. I’m talking about the woman you killed.”
“What?” He shook his head. “I didn’t kill anyone. I drank pig’s blood, stole it if you must know. For sure, I’m guilty of thievery, not murder.” He took a step toward her and she immediately stepped back. He stilled his movements. “Listen Autumn. A part of you must know I didn’t kill an innocent or else you wouldn’t be here alone with me now.”
True. If he was a murderer, he could take her down any time. She knew the beast dwelled within him and she’d have no defense against him if he unleashed it. “What if you’re changing? Maybe there’s pockets of time you can’t remember. How do I know you didn’t have a lapse or something?”
“You don’t, I’m afraid. You only have my word.”
His brogue thickened reminding her of her father. Her shoulders sagged. He was right. She knew in her heart he hadn’t done it, but she blamed herself.
“It isn’t your fault either, Autumn.”
She looked at him, her eyes pooling with unshed tears. “I slept in. I let her go to the booth alone. The fog, I knew something was in the fog. ”
“What do you mean?”
“I sensed something there as if it were stalking me. I heard a voice ...” She covered her face. “I should have told Loann to come back. I let her go out there and I—”
“Stop.” He had her in his arms. “Stop. You’re not responsible for her death. You didn’t kill her.”
She looked up at him. “A chiang-shih did. Her throat was ripped out. If you didn’t do it, who? Your brother?”
He pulled away. “I want to believe he wouldn’t but when he was here last night I smelled human blood on him.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe we should end this now.” His gaze held hers. “Kill me before I gain more strength. I won’t fight you.”
She stared at him for a blink of a second. How could she have thought he’d killed Loann? The demon fought to control him but he kept it at bay. He was strong, but perhaps his soul had been pure to begin with and this was his strength. She took a deep breath and wiped away the tears. “You’re so damn dramatic, Jairec.”
He shrugged, giving her half a smile.
He was too attractive for his own good. His gaze locked onto hers and he didn’t bother hiding the naked desire warming the depths of his eyes.
“You think me dramatic. It must be the Irish in me. The Irish stories never end well.”
“You’re in Chinatown now buster and we’ll see what we can do.”
“The girl, Loann, the one who was
Then a sickening thought hit her. Jairec left her side early this morning. Had he fed? Did he finally lose control and attack Loann? She gasped as the dark thoughts surrounded her. She had trusted him.
She backed away, tears stinging her eyes. She had to get out of here. She had to find Jairec.
Chapter Fifteen
Autumn walked at a fast pace away from where the crowd was gathering. Loann was dead. The blood drained from her body as if someone had siphoned it out. Her throat had been ravished and the authorities played with the idea that a wild animal had killed her. They lived in the middle of the city. What wild animal could have gotten her unless the zoo hadn’t done a head count lately and they’re missing a lion or a tiger.
Autumn had a better idea and he walked on two legs and had fangs. Loann didn’t deserve this. She was supposed to marry George. They even had their astrology charts done. She entered the shop and found Jairec there; leaning against the counter and looking paler than his Irish skin should look. Funny, she thought after he fed, he’d look better. Even the hair, near his temples, was starting to turn white. She didn’t remember the white strands being there yesterday.
“Why did you do it?”
His brows dipped over the bridge of his nose. “You told me to meet you here. I know I was late. I should have just met you at—”
“I don’t mean meeting me. I’m talking about the woman you killed.”
“What?” He shook his head. “I didn’t kill anyone. I drank pig’s blood, stole it if you must know. For sure, I’m guilty of thievery, not murder.” He took a step toward her and she immediately stepped back. He stilled his movements. “Listen Autumn. A part of you must know I didn’t kill an innocent or else you wouldn’t be here alone with me now.”
True. If he was a murderer, he could take her down any time. She knew the beast dwelled within him and she’d have no defense against him if he unleashed it. “What if you’re changing? Maybe there’s pockets of time you can’t remember. How do I know you didn’t have a lapse or something?”
“You don’t, I’m afraid. You only have my word.”
His brogue thickened reminding her of her father. Her shoulders sagged. He was right. She knew in her heart he hadn’t done it, but she blamed herself.
“It isn’t your fault either, Autumn.”
She looked at him, her eyes pooling with unshed tears. “I slept in. I let her go to the booth alone. The fog, I knew something was in the fog. ”
“What do you mean?”
“I sensed something there as if it were stalking me. I heard a voice ...” She covered her face. “I should have told Loann to come back. I let her go out there and I—”
“Stop.” He had her in his arms. “Stop. You’re not responsible for her death. You didn’t kill her.”
She looked up at him. “A chiang-shih did. Her throat was ripped out. If you didn’t do it, who? Your brother?”
He pulled away. “I want to believe he wouldn’t but when he was here last night I smelled human blood on him.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe we should end this now.” His gaze held hers. “Kill me before I gain more strength. I won’t fight you.”
She stared at him for a blink of a second. How could she have thought he’d killed Loann? The demon fought to control him but he kept it at bay. He was strong, but perhaps his soul had been pure to begin with and this was his strength. She took a deep breath and wiped away the tears. “You’re so damn dramatic, Jairec.”
He shrugged, giving her half a smile.
He was too attractive for his own good. His gaze locked onto hers and he didn’t bother hiding the naked desire warming the depths of his eyes.
“You think me dramatic. It must be the Irish in me. The Irish stories never end well.”
“You’re in Chinatown now buster and we’ll see what we can do.”
“The girl, Loann, the one who was
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