Must Love Fangs

crack. A second later, the hook in the wall ripped free and the chain fell limp to the floor.

“That was amazing,” I breathed. “Josh, you’re wonderful!”

He cast a flashing glance back at me. “If that was all it took to get you to finally acknowledge my awesomeness, I’d have done feats of strength for you long ago, baby.”

I gathered my chain, rushing forward. “Now get Lily’s. Hurry!”

As he tugged at it, I moved down the length of chain to the deepest shadows of the room. I held my hand out to Lily and was relieved when she took it, her own trembling.

“He . . . he’s not human—” she said quietly to me, clearly afraid.

“No, but he won’t hurt you. You’re going to be safe and free.”

She clung to my hand as her chain ripped free from the wall.

“Let’s go,” Josh said, extending his hand.

I walked toward him, my steps weak and slow. Lily clung to my side, shaking with terror. I wanted to tell her to buck up and be brave, but she’d been held captive and feasted on by a vampire for the last six months. I was guessing that trust didn’t come easy to her.

“Are you okay?” Josh asked, coming to my side. His glowing eyes flicked over me, studying me in the almost darkness. “Do you want me to carry you out—”

The floor creaked upstairs.

We froze. Lily sucked in a breath.

The growl started low in Josh’s throat.

Terror flashed through me. “Josh,” I whispered.

“I’m going to change, baby,” he said softly. “Don’t be frightened, okay? I’m going to change and take care of him, and then we’re going to get out of here.”

I nodded, tugging Lily tighter to me. This was going to be difficult for her to see and hear.

Josh dropped to all fours, and I heard the sudden, violent crack of bones as Josh’s growl continued. Alarmed, Lily slid behind me. I had to pretend everything was okay, even as I strained to see Josh. How long would it take?

I heard a rustle of movement. Something wet and raspy licked my hand, and then I watched the big cat step into the light flooding down the stairway.

“Be careful,” I whispered. “Please be careful.”

He climbed the stairs and into the light.

Almost immediately, we heard the sound of snarls. Something heavy slammed up against the door, banging it shut, and Lily and I jumped with alarm.

Josh was strong. He was a bodyguard. He knew a lot about vampires. He’d be just fine.

I repeated this mantra as the sounds of fighting continued upstairs. Lily’s fingers dug into my arm, and I forced myself to disentangle from her death grip. “I need to see what’s going on.”

“No,” she begged me. “Stay with me. I’m scared.”

I shook my head. “He might need my help.”

He probably needed my help like he needed a hole in the head, but I wanted to be ready if he did.

I climbed the stairs slowly, my long, dragging chain in one hand, the banister clutched in the other. Just climbing the stairs was killing me; it was alarming how weak I was.

To my surprise, Lily was at my side, helping me push to the door. I turned the doorknob, then eased it open a crack.

The room was in shambles. A white couch was tipped over in the center of the room, the wooden tables overturned. Broken vases littered the floor. A picture was askew on the far wall, and a rug was rumpled up against the fireplace. An enormous tan mountain lion streaked past, its claws digging into the hardwood floor. It pounced, knocking something—or someone—out of the way.

Then a man’s shadow approached from the hall, and I realized that Andre wasn’t alone. A bodyguard? Maybe they’d know Josh!

The mountain lion growled, and Andre bit out a curse.

“Get off of him,” a voice called from the hall. An enormous man came into sight; his skin was pale, like a vampire’s. Oh, no—this was bad. Josh wouldn’t stand a chance against both Andre and that vampire behemoth.

I glanced back at Lily and raised a finger to my lips, indicating silence.

She nodded.

I eased the door open, clutching my chain against my chest so it wouldn’t clink and give me away. I tiptoed out just in time to hear Josh’s yowl as the second vampire landed on top of him.

“Snap his neck,” I heard Andre shout. “Kill him!”

Fuck that!

Josh gave a snarl of pain and I heard something crack hard, spurring me forward.

“Get off of him,” the vampire bodyguard growled again.

I had to do something. I stared at the chain in my hand, then moved closer until I was in striking distance. No one had noticed me yet.

The bodyguard was still yelling at Josh. “Get off of him!”

The cougar gave a low, muffled growl, his teeth sunk into Andre’s throat, making him writhe on the floor.

The bodyguard raised his nightstick to strike Josh again, and I lashed out with my doubled-over chain, snapping it against the back of his head.

It cracked loudly; the vampire groaned and fell to the floor, unconscious.

I slid weakly to the ground, unable to remain standing anymore.

Distracted, Josh turned his attention to me, and Andre heaved his body, bucking off the cougar in a last burst of strength. The cougar dug for traction and flung himself back at Andre, but the vampire blocked him, sending him into a nearby table, where his head hit the corner.

He went limp.

“Josh!” I screamed, crawling forward.

Andre brushed at his bleeding lip, panting hard. As I stared, he drew out a gun.

No! I tried to move forward, but my movements were sluggish and slow. I had to do something, though; Josh needed me!

A small, dirty figure flew forward, something raised in her hand. Lily held it high and then stabbed downward, straight through Andre’s heart.

He gasped, clutching his chest, and toppled.

I stared. A thick pencil jutted out of his back. No—three pencils, rubber-banded together to make a thick makeshift stake. They must have been sharpened to a deadly point.

Andre didn’t move.

Lily dusted off her hands, then leaned over the vampire to examine him. When she was satisfied he was dead, she spat on his fallen body. “I’ve been holding on to those pencils for months in the hopes that they’d work. They went through his skin like butter.”

“Thank you,” I said weakly, and collapsed to the floor.

“Are you okay?” she asked, rushing to my side.

“Josh,” I said, all my concern for him. He was so still. Fear clenched my body. “Is he . . . ?”

She crouched next to him, pressing her fingers under his nose. “He’s breathing. I think he conked his head pretty hard.” Her fingers hesitated, and she touched his fur. “He’s a . . . cat?”

“Shapeshifter,” I said tiredly. “I’ll explain later.” At her frightened, uncertain look, I decided I needed to explain a little more right now. “There are a lot of creatures that hide their true nature. Josh is one of the good ones. We’re safe with him.”

She nodded uncertainly, glancing down at his still body. “So . . . what do we do with him?”

I didn’t know.

I stared at his unconscious form. At the bodyguard who was equally unconscious. At the dead vampire with the pencil sticking out of his back. We needed help.

I thought about calling Ryder, but she was at work. If I called her to help me dispose of a vampire body,