Jadee ducked fast, hoping he hadn’t spotted her. There was a lot of vegetation between him and her. She turned her head, looking at the lodge.
Lavos had backed away from the woman. He turned in Jadee’s direction and advanced with long-legged strides. The woman called out loud enough for her words to carry.
“When is a good time, Lavos?”
He paused and glanced back. “Later. I have to make rounds.”
He faced Jadee’s way and started walking again. The woman grabbed her skirt and hiked it up a few inches, rushing after him. She got in front of Lavos, released her skirt and put both of her hands on his chest to prevent him from getting around her.
“You don’t need to play hard to get to hold my interest. I think we’re a perfect match.” The woman sounded angry. “I don’t enjoy games.”
Jadee leaned up a little, hoping to catch a glimpse of where Digger and Volti were. She spotted them coming up the hill. They’d reach her within minutes. She didn’t have any time left.
She just straightened and stepped out.
The woman’s back was to her and Lavos’s focus was on the woman, so he didn’t spot Jadee. She waved her arms, and he must have seen the motion because his gaze lifted. His surprise was evident when they made eye contact. His mouth fell open.
The woman started to turn but Lavos suddenly gripped her arms.
“Later. We got an alert and I’m on duty. You need to go inside. You don’t want the enemy to see you.” He spoke loudly.
Jadee got the message. She ducked behind the tree and stared down the hill. She caught a glimpse of Digger and took a seat on the ground. They were coming right at her, moving way faster than she had. And it was a steep hill.
Lavos’s boots crunched on the ground as he drew closer. She held still but lifted her chin when he entered the woods and stepped right in front of her.
“What in the hell?”
He looked good. Angry but as handsome as ever. “Hi.” She lifted her hand to give him a tiny wave.
He crouched, spreading his thighs on both sides of her and bracing his hands on the tree above her head. “Are you insane? How did you get here? How were you able to get past the enforcers?”
“I think two of them are coming after me right now. I mean that literally. Digger and Volti are almost here.”
A deep snarl tore from him and he twisted his head. He sniffed the air. “I smell them.” He focused on her. “Don’t say a word. Not one. I’ll handle this. Don’t move either.”
“Okay.”
He rose to his full height and turned, planting his booted feet right in front of her bent knees. She leaned a little to the right to see around him.
Volti arrived first, with Digger right on his heels.
“We have a problem,” Volti growled.
“I’m aware.” Lavos’s tone sounded calmer.
“It’s that human from the campsite.” Digger sounded a little out of breath. “You found her.”
“Yes. I did. Return to your posts. I’ll handle this.”
“I put her to sleep but she woke and took off. Something is wrong with her.”
“Digger.” Lavos paused. “Listen to me. I want you to drive her motor home out to my place. I see it from here. Then I want both of you to keep damn quiet about her being here.”
“Did you hear me? She woke and took off!” Digger seemed worked up.
“I implanted orders in her. She was to find me if she had any information about the Vampires who want to start a war.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” Volti stepped to the side, frowning at Jadee. “She’s human.”
“A smart one who is very receptive to taking orders.” Lavos inched back, putting his body closer to hers. “She’s our spy. We have other clans here, though, and I don’t want them to know about her.”
“Does Lorn know about this?” Volti scowled at Lavos.
“Of course. It was his idea. I need to get the information from her but I don’t want anyone alarmed that there’s a human in town. And I don’t have time to argue with the two of you. I’m issuing you orders. Hide any trace that she was here and keep your mouths shut. Drive her motor home to my house and hide it around back. Lorn is busy right now so I’m handling this on my own. Go!”
Both men took off fast. Jadee relaxed. Lavos held still, seeming to watch them until they were far down the hill. He turned, then glared down at her. “Do you have any idea what kind of shit storm this could start? What are you doing here? What possessed you to find me? How did you find me? Do you have a death wish?”
“That’s a lot of questions.”
He crouched and leaned forward, bracing his hands on the tree again. It put their faces about a foot apart. “I told you how dangerous it would be if anyone figured out you were immune to our eyes.”
Speaking of, she stared into his. They were still as beautiful as she remembered. “Is that woman your girlfriend or something?”
She couldn’t believe that popped out of her mouth. She sealed her lips.
He blinked a few times. “No. Do you know what? Be quiet.” He glanced around the area. “The meet and greet is officially about to begin soon. That means everyone will be heading this way. I need to get you out of here. Roll in the dirt.”
“What?”
He stood, backing away. “To cover your scent. You reek of human. Roll in the dirt. Just do it. We don’t have much time. You can clean up once I have you inside my house. Roll, Jadee—do you want to survive or not?”
“Great.” She was close to the ground already, at least. She leaned forward and flattened onto her belly. She rolled, squeezing her eyes closed. The earth was loose and dry. The strong smell of it filled her nose.
“A few more times,” he ordered. “You need to be coated to hide your scent.”
She rolled again and wiggled against the ground, then stopped and sat up. “I feel like that old cartoon character who throws off grime when he walks.”
Lavos grinned and offered her a hand. “You can have a hot shower soon.”
She gripped it and he pulled her to her feet. He was strong, and that smile of his made her belly quiver. He was just too good-looking. “That’s not how I imagined it would be if you ever asked me to get down and dirty.”
His eyes lit up, glowing. “Don’t flirt with a predator, Jadee. I bite.” He released her hand and suddenly bent, snagging her around her knees with one arm.
Lavos had backed away from the woman. He turned in Jadee’s direction and advanced with long-legged strides. The woman called out loud enough for her words to carry.
“When is a good time, Lavos?”
He paused and glanced back. “Later. I have to make rounds.”
He faced Jadee’s way and started walking again. The woman grabbed her skirt and hiked it up a few inches, rushing after him. She got in front of Lavos, released her skirt and put both of her hands on his chest to prevent him from getting around her.
“You don’t need to play hard to get to hold my interest. I think we’re a perfect match.” The woman sounded angry. “I don’t enjoy games.”
Jadee leaned up a little, hoping to catch a glimpse of where Digger and Volti were. She spotted them coming up the hill. They’d reach her within minutes. She didn’t have any time left.
She just straightened and stepped out.
The woman’s back was to her and Lavos’s focus was on the woman, so he didn’t spot Jadee. She waved her arms, and he must have seen the motion because his gaze lifted. His surprise was evident when they made eye contact. His mouth fell open.
The woman started to turn but Lavos suddenly gripped her arms.
“Later. We got an alert and I’m on duty. You need to go inside. You don’t want the enemy to see you.” He spoke loudly.
Jadee got the message. She ducked behind the tree and stared down the hill. She caught a glimpse of Digger and took a seat on the ground. They were coming right at her, moving way faster than she had. And it was a steep hill.
Lavos’s boots crunched on the ground as he drew closer. She held still but lifted her chin when he entered the woods and stepped right in front of her.
“What in the hell?”
He looked good. Angry but as handsome as ever. “Hi.” She lifted her hand to give him a tiny wave.
He crouched, spreading his thighs on both sides of her and bracing his hands on the tree above her head. “Are you insane? How did you get here? How were you able to get past the enforcers?”
“I think two of them are coming after me right now. I mean that literally. Digger and Volti are almost here.”
A deep snarl tore from him and he twisted his head. He sniffed the air. “I smell them.” He focused on her. “Don’t say a word. Not one. I’ll handle this. Don’t move either.”
“Okay.”
He rose to his full height and turned, planting his booted feet right in front of her bent knees. She leaned a little to the right to see around him.
Volti arrived first, with Digger right on his heels.
“We have a problem,” Volti growled.
“I’m aware.” Lavos’s tone sounded calmer.
“It’s that human from the campsite.” Digger sounded a little out of breath. “You found her.”
“Yes. I did. Return to your posts. I’ll handle this.”
“I put her to sleep but she woke and took off. Something is wrong with her.”
“Digger.” Lavos paused. “Listen to me. I want you to drive her motor home out to my place. I see it from here. Then I want both of you to keep damn quiet about her being here.”
“Did you hear me? She woke and took off!” Digger seemed worked up.
“I implanted orders in her. She was to find me if she had any information about the Vampires who want to start a war.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” Volti stepped to the side, frowning at Jadee. “She’s human.”
“A smart one who is very receptive to taking orders.” Lavos inched back, putting his body closer to hers. “She’s our spy. We have other clans here, though, and I don’t want them to know about her.”
“Does Lorn know about this?” Volti scowled at Lavos.
“Of course. It was his idea. I need to get the information from her but I don’t want anyone alarmed that there’s a human in town. And I don’t have time to argue with the two of you. I’m issuing you orders. Hide any trace that she was here and keep your mouths shut. Drive her motor home to my house and hide it around back. Lorn is busy right now so I’m handling this on my own. Go!”
Both men took off fast. Jadee relaxed. Lavos held still, seeming to watch them until they were far down the hill. He turned, then glared down at her. “Do you have any idea what kind of shit storm this could start? What are you doing here? What possessed you to find me? How did you find me? Do you have a death wish?”
“That’s a lot of questions.”
He crouched and leaned forward, bracing his hands on the tree again. It put their faces about a foot apart. “I told you how dangerous it would be if anyone figured out you were immune to our eyes.”
Speaking of, she stared into his. They were still as beautiful as she remembered. “Is that woman your girlfriend or something?”
She couldn’t believe that popped out of her mouth. She sealed her lips.
He blinked a few times. “No. Do you know what? Be quiet.” He glanced around the area. “The meet and greet is officially about to begin soon. That means everyone will be heading this way. I need to get you out of here. Roll in the dirt.”
“What?”
He stood, backing away. “To cover your scent. You reek of human. Roll in the dirt. Just do it. We don’t have much time. You can clean up once I have you inside my house. Roll, Jadee—do you want to survive or not?”
“Great.” She was close to the ground already, at least. She leaned forward and flattened onto her belly. She rolled, squeezing her eyes closed. The earth was loose and dry. The strong smell of it filled her nose.
“A few more times,” he ordered. “You need to be coated to hide your scent.”
She rolled again and wiggled against the ground, then stopped and sat up. “I feel like that old cartoon character who throws off grime when he walks.”
Lavos grinned and offered her a hand. “You can have a hot shower soon.”
She gripped it and he pulled her to her feet. He was strong, and that smile of his made her belly quiver. He was just too good-looking. “That’s not how I imagined it would be if you ever asked me to get down and dirty.”
His eyes lit up, glowing. “Don’t flirt with a predator, Jadee. I bite.” He released her hand and suddenly bent, snagging her around her knees with one arm.
