First Drop of Crimson

him out of Web’s, but no matter. In Spade’s case, he wasn’t using the command to try and keep Nathanial with him indefinitely, but only a short while. Just until he gave him away to Raum, where, if all went well, he’d also be giving Denise away, too. Surrendering her back to her fragile, lethal humanity that would end up forever separating them.

The knowledge of that rose like bile within him, but he forced it back. It’s what she wants more than anything else. Even me.

“Right, then. Wake up,” Spade said, releasing Nathanial.

The other man blinked and shook his head as if to clear it. “Find out what you needed to know?”

Spade’s jaw clenched. “Yes.”

And he was staying the course regardless.

Chapter Thirty-one

Denise had stayed up, waiting for Spade’s return. When she heard the front door slam, she hurried into the hall, hoping to catch Spade before he disappeared into one of the upper rooms. But though she waited, no one came up the stairs.

Maybe he went straight to the study again. Denise went downstairs and checked the room they’d had their fight in, but it was empty. Then she peeked inside the other rooms on the first floor. Nothing. Finally she went to the front of the house again, her heart leaping when she caught movement by the entrance.

As quickly as that optimism shot up, it flatlined when the dark figure in the shadows turned around and Denise saw it was Alten.

Bones was wrong. It was dawn, but Spade hadn’t come back after all.

“Oh, hi, Alten,” she said lamely. “I was just…” Obviously waiting for someone who wasn’t going to show up.

“If you’re looking for Spade, he went downstairs,” Alten said. “Still looked mad, too. I’d leave him be if I were you.”

Just like that, Denise’s mood switched again. He’d come back. He might be mad, yes, but Spade was back. Well, mad or no, they were going to talk. They had too many things to work out for Spade to be avoiding her.

“What’s downstairs?”

Alten shrugged. “His breakfast.”

That’s right. This was a vampire household, which meant there was a living buffet beneath them. Maybe feeding would put Spade in a better mood before she talked to him. She could hope.

“Show me,” she said, tightening her robe around her.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea—wait!”

Denise had already turned around and started walking away. She’d find it herself. The house was big, but if it was like every other vampire community home, the basement would be renovated into a cozy mass living area.

“Fine, I’ll show you,” Alten said, sounding frustrated.

She gave him a sweet smile. “How kind of you.”

His look said kindness had nothing to do with it. Denise followed him to the back of the house and down the staircase that led to—she’d guessed it—a plushly redecorated basement. To her surprise, only two humans were on the large sectional couch, watching TV. The pool table, computer area, kitchen, and exercise room seemed to be empty.

“Where is everyone?” Unless this was the smallest vampire entourage she’d come across, several humans were missing.

The boy on the couch looked up. “It’s dawn, so they’re sleeping. No one usually comes to eat at dawn.”

So where was Spade, then? “Where’s the vampire who came down here a little bit ago?”

The boy grinned and pointed down a hallway. “Follow the sounds. Kristie’s a screamer.”

Anger erupted in Denise. Spade couldn’t have replaced her with someone else so quickly, could he?

Look what happened the first night Rachel and Ross were “on a break,” her inner voice taunted.

Denise growled, raising Alten’s eyebrows. She shoved Alten’s hand away when he went to grab her arm, shooting him a dangerous look.

“Ready to wrestle me to the ground? Because that’s the only way you’re stopping me from going down that hallway.”

“It’s not—”

“Not what?” Denise interrupted Alten. “Not any of my business? I’ll be the judge of that!”

Denise stalked down the hall the young man had pointed to, growing even more livid as unmistakable loud groans met her ears. Spade had arrived less than fifteen minutes ago! Bastard!

Something stabbed her in the palms. Dense looked down, not surprised to see those hideous claws had replaced her nails and her fingers were stretching into impossibly long lengths. His fault. She curled her hands as best she could without jabbing herself again and then banged on the door the sounds emanated from, fury making her reckless.

“Open this door!”

A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal Ian, totally naked, very erect, and highly annoyed.

“What the bloody hell is your problem?”

Denise could feel the heat scorch across her face. Behind Ian, a naked young woman also gave Denise an aggravated look while Alten let out something that might have been a stifled laugh.

“Um…never mind,” Denise stammered, spinning around, hiding her hands, that heat in her cheeks growing even warmer.

Ian slammed the door, muttering something about rude interruptions. The feminine squeals from inside the room resumed almost immediately.

“I tried to tell you that it’s not Spade in there,” Alten said when Denise came back into the room. He didn’t even attempt to hide his grin.

“You could have tried harder,” Denise got out, still attempting without success to wipe her mind clean of what she’s seen. “I absolutely never needed to know that Ian was pierced down there.”

Alten let out another snicker that was cut off by Spade’s voice behind them.

“What are you doing here?”

The guard had just let Spade out of Nathanial’s cell when Denise’s voice drifted down to him. Why was she down here? Was something wrong? Had Raum somehow found her while he was out?

Spade tore up the stairs into the basement just in time to witness Alten laugh. Denise was in front of Alten, red-faced, her hands behind her back.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders and taking in a deep sniff. No scent of the demon on her skin. Some of the red cleared from his vision.

Denise’s mouth was open, her eyes wide. Spade forced himself to let go, take a step back, and other wise not loom over her snarling. Looking at her, so lovely, was more than Spade thought he could bear. Ian’s words rang in his head with all the sinful temptation of a snake holding out an apple. Were I you, I’d change Denise over regardless of her objection…

He snapped out of that treacherous line of thought when he noticed her hands were still behind her back. It wasn’t her normal stance, and her shoulders were twitching like she was moving them.

Spade didn’t grab her again; he moved behind her faster than she could whirl away. A curse escaped him when he saw the claws sticking out from her hands even though she tried to hide them.

She’d partially shifted again. Selfish, foolish bastard, Spade lashed himself. He should have considered this possibility. Yes, it had maddened him to realize Denise didn’t intend for them to have a future together, but he should have stayed. After all, his shredded emotions wouldn’t manifest in a horrible