23. Chapter Twenty-Three

White moonlight filtered through the sparsely-leafed trees, illuminating their path toward the manufacturing plant. The sun would rise in less than two hours, but Cortana had enough wherewithal that she could withstand the dead pull of sleep should she have to. At least for a little while.

Her attention was focused on maintaining their stealth. Riaz, for all his muscle and brawn, was surprisingly quiet, moving through the brush like the stealth predator he was.

She couldn't help but admire the curve of his rear, the generous biceps that peeked out from a black tee. Beneath the shirt, she knew his broad shoulders were delectably bitable, and she wanted nothing more.

Her fangs lengthened involuntarily, pricking her tongue as she traced the familiar point. Riaz was a problem for her; she could admit it.

Fisting a hand above his shoulder to signal a stop, Riaz motioned with two fingers toward the incoming guard. One Cortana hadn't even noticed during her moments of infatuation with the werewolf's form. Flattening to the ground behind a choke of bushes, they listened as the guard moved away, none the wiser.

Ahead of her, Riaz tilted his chin up to gauge the height of the chain-link fence made of barbed wire. When she nodded in answer to his unspoken question seconds later, the pair of them vaulted over the fence soundlessly, landing without fanfare on the other side.

Sprinting in tandem, they rushed toward the brick building, flattening their backs against the wall. One breath, two, then they were sneaking toward the external door.

Fortunately, it was unlocked—careless—and the duo slipped inside without being spotted. Cortana followed the wolf's lead, shadowing him as they moved like a unit through the nearly abandoned warehouse.

A guard whistled loudly on the other side of the building, swinging a baton in a way that indicated he didn't know how to use one in tune with his offkey rendition of When theSaints Go Marching In.

Scoffing internally at the ridiculousness of it, she tapped Riaz's shoulder to notify him it was safe to continue toward where the furnace would most likely be housed. Avoiding the guard, they opened the door, pausing momentarily when it creaked in announcement.

And it was settled: the guard was the most inept hired hand in the known universe.

Dark, dreary, and smelling of musty basements, the furnace sat idle as they entered the room. Clearly ancient, rust corroded several sides, and a smattering of mold spots dappled the floor around it.

Screwing up her nose, Cortana gagged.

While it was still summer outside, the furnace's ductwork looked to be heating several manufacturing lines within the plant. It was being used to warm—or heat—either colloidal silver or liquid sunlight, and both were equally repugnant to her.

Regardless of her reaction, she got to work identifying the system and taking notes of the weak spots, where the system looked decrepit or hazardous. It'd be easy to make this look like an accident—the machine was on its last legs.

Riaz pulled his phone from a zipped pocket, snapping a few pictures from various locations throughout the room. A minute in, the archaic contraption chugged to a start, powering up to blast heat in the manufacturing rooms. She made the best use of this time, opening the rusty side panel on the unit to confirm what she'd already noted.

With a lopsided grin, the wolf nodded back to Cortana when she signaled that she had what she needed. Leaving the grunting machine to its duty, they listened closely for sounds of intelligent life—or even the previous guard—over the ruckus of the ancient system.

Opening the door a sliver, Cortana's keen eyesight speared over the surroundings. A curt nod to Riaz caused the thick rope of her braid to tumble over her shoulder. Annoyed, she tossed it back, and managed to hit Riaz square in the face instead.

She barely threw a hand over her mouth to suppress the laugh at his goofy shocked expression. Clearly unamused with her antics, the wolf made a motion with his hands that said something to the effect of, ‘Can we go now?'

Retracing their steps, they were almost home free when they rounded a corner, and nearly ran into the inept guard. For a split second, they merely stared at each other. The vampire and werewolf, however, reacted first, bolting toward the exit without looking back.

Sputtering, the guard yelled at their retreating backs, "Hey!"

Breaking free, they sprinted into the yard, but the outside watchman was already running toward them. Clearly an overeager beaver, the second guard had a gun in hand. Blazing toward the fence, Cortana and Riaz pushed their bodies toward escape. The clipped sound of gunfire ripped through the otherwise still night, and adrenaline raged like fire through her veins.

Her feet barely connected with the ground, flying so quickly over the dry grass that no crunch sounded upon contact; tingles pricked her fingers; her heartbeat thudded in her ears. Riaz rushed the trail alongside her, leaping over the fence and bounding into the dark of the surrounding forest without looking back.

By the time they finally stopped, Cortana's joy burst from her lungs in a tension release, her cheeks hurting from smiling so broadly.

For the first time in decades, she felt alive.

"You're a straight up sadist, aren't you?" The note of teasing in his voice made her yearn for more. "Laughing like a maniac while we're being shot at with bullets that can turn us feral?"

Riaz shook his head, thumbing his temples. The movement drew Cortana's attention to his bulging biceps and the sculptured angles of his masculine features. The man was a walking temptation.

And somehow, Riaz was hers.

Giving in to her lowered inhibitions, she used vampiric speed to enter his personal space and nip at his lower lip. His surprised gasp allowed her to claim his mouth a moment later, desire driving her into his arms.

Shock gave her the advantage, and she easily took him to the ground. Straddling him, Cortana's mouth connected with his in unrestrained desire. With a growl, Riaz flipped her, taking the dominant position above her, loosening his hold on her waist so that he could drop his lips lower.

A moan escaped as his tongue brushed along the column of her throat, his teeth flirting at the sensitive skin in the next moment. Closing her eyes, Cortana luxuriated in the sensations. Then Riaz gently bit down on the vulnerable area between her neck and her shoulder. The deep rumble in his chest made her spine tingle, but it signaled an escalating need, not a threat.

It only added fuel to Cortana's fire.