Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

WILDER

The further out we rode, the drier it became. The landscape, so different than the English countryside, took some getting used to, but it didn't mean it wasn't striking.

At the vampire's heavy huff right behind me, my lips twitched. We'd been riding west for maybe an hour and forty, but some of those minutes were taken up by the frantic journey off the steep mountainside. Since then, there were no vehicles behind us and no drones in the sky. Considering the vast blue skies, we would have seen any hovering.

With each moment that passed by, I relaxed even as amusement bubbled in my gut. Riling Mathew Lucas up was more entertaining than I ever imagined. Even better, it was ridiculously easy.

What made his agitation so much sweeter, addictive almost, was that I wasn't sure who was more surprised by his inability to keep his reactions to me in check.

Lucas screamed "in control." It had been that way at Hart's warehouse. The vampire had been the epitome of togetherness and efficiency. Considering his team, I understood the need. I suspected it took a lot to rein them in.

And the vampire had worn "bossman" like a second skin.

Until me.

Or rather, until we were alone, thrust into this ridiculous situation because of a corrupt agency—though grudgingly I could admit it was likely individuals rather than a whole agency—and government officials who were greedy fucks.

Because that was likely the reason they'd fallen into bed with the likes of Hornell.

The former captain didn't have any real political or religious affiliations, regardless of his previous allegiance to king and country. Not that I did, either, and I was fuelled by hard cash… or gold if I had my pick.

The difference, though, was that I never intended to hurt people… unless they deserved it. Hornell and every single individual involved with the chaos and destruction both past and present were absolutely on my shit list, their halos so damaged that nothing but red-hot pain and torment lay before them.

I wondered if they knew that already.

The T-junction ahead meant we were getting closer. Bypassing Warwick and steering clear of government cameras was the plan. I'd memorised this journey as soon as I'd been locked in Lucas's safe house. It had been the first thing I'd done—organised plans A, B, and C.

There was no such thing as too many ways out.

When we turned, I felt Lucas's keen observation as he took in our surroundings. A few miles—kilometres… whatever—and we took a sharp turn onto a dirt track, something I'd noticed were plentiful in the Aussie hinterland and countryside.

I grinned when Lucas had no choice but to grip me firmly if he wanted to stay seated.

"A heads-up next time," he grumbled, his voice tight through the helmet's speaker.

I huffed out a snort, confident it would rile him further.

It took ten minutes and two different roads before we reached a gate.

"What is this place?" he asked, stepping off the bike once we'd stopped. He tugged off his helmet, not bothering to straighten his unruly hair. The dark strands stuck up in multiple directions. Dishevelled looked good on him. I sneered at the thought of paying him any sort of compliment, even in my mind. Grudgingly, I acknowledged he was handsome with his sharp jawline and Romanesque nose. There was definitely European blood in his heritage.

There were no bulging muscles in sight—the norm for born vampires. Though I may have stumbled across him wrapped only in a towel yesterday, so I knew his lithe frame and tall limbs were wrapped in sinewy muscle.

At his pointed stare and raised brows, I swallowed down my thoughts of Lucas's tempting body. Nothing good could come of fantasising about things I shouldn't want and couldn't ever have.

"An access code will get us onto the property," I said, getting my mind back on track. "There's a few hundred acres here and only one small house. Closer to the house, there's additional security, including air space alerts to detect drones. It also gives out an electronic pulse to prevent satellite observations."

Immediately, Lucas's brows shot high before he peered over at the innocuous-looking fence. The gate and fence line were standard in these parts. Just barbed wire—though electrified with regulatory warnings.

What there weren't signs about were the sensors or cameras located around the boundary.

It paid to be neck deep in the not-so-legal network I was involved in. This location was one of hundreds around the world that were co-opted. Something for obvious reasons I wouldn't be sharing with Lucas.

While he might have been on the run with a notice out to bring him in for questioning, he was still a law enforcement agent. When all of this bullshit was put to bed, I had no doubt he'd be back to leading his ITU team.

"And this place is what and belongs to who, exactly?"

I paused at the gate I'd reached after dismounting my bike. Shit, it was hella warm here. It was likely I'd sweat my balls clear off my body before I had the chance to fly home.

Not for the first time I wondered what the fuck I was doing here.

I stared at Lucas, having no intention of giving him the answer he sought.

"I see," he responded.

I snorted, the sound loud in the still, empty space. Credit where credit was due: the vamp was a quick study.

I turned my back to him, punched in the code, and followed up with the retinal scan. As I did so, I smirked, imagining what Lucas thought about my ability to access such a location in remote Australia, a country I'd only visited once before.

I was already tugging out my phone when it beeped, so I opened the secure app and typed in the secondary access code. The green approval symbol appeared immediately on my app. Straight after it did, the gates opened, the heavy frames sliding easily despite their lack of use or how basic they appeared.

Nothing about this compound was basic.

Oh shit. The thought smacked me in the face.

While technically nothing about this compound was basic, the shabby-looking house really was small. Sure, inside was a hatch to an underground bunker complete with enough tech to make anyone in my line of work—or Lucas's—get a stiffy. But back to the house. One bedroom. One fucking bed. A functional kitchen-diner, sitting area, and bathroom.

"What's wrong?"

I barely held back my flinch, having zoned out and fixated on the whole one-bed realisation.

In my escape plan, I hadn't exactly factored in Lucas joining me. Truth was, I half expected to need to disappear from him and his team.

Fuck it all to hell .

"Nothing," I grumbled, not wanting to get into anything here. There was nothing either of us could do. It made sense to let him discover the sleeping situation for himself. "Ready?" I didn't check as I returned to the bike, straddled it, and started the engine.

A glance his way and I gritted my teeth. The arsehole simply stood there staring at me.

"Feel free to walk if you want." No skin off my nose if he chose to be a stubborn prick.

His jaw clenched—a tell I didn't expect he revealed very often.

As I turned the throttle, I couldn't shake the smirk that tugged at the corners of my lips, a rush of adrenaline coursing through me like wildfire. It was like playing a game of cat and mouse, and right now, I had the upper hand. It was one hell of an electrifying sensation, a surge of elation that pulsed through my veins, stirring the beast inside me.

My heart pounded against my ribcage, matching the rhythm of the motorbike's roar.

His gaze narrowed, his silent dare right there. A challenge.

Invigorated by the tension crackling in the dense heat between us, I felt alive and far too satisfied. Pushing Lucas's buttons was intoxicating. Was it because he was formidable? Perhaps. It was also because the energy spiking off him when pissed off was sexy as fuck.

The stirring in the pit of my stomach was dangerous, as was the warmth spreading through me like honey. Just the possibility of tasting his sweet nectar was?—

Double fuck.

As I glanced at Lucas, I turned the throttle once more and kicked the stand. The tension between us tightened, turned palpable—a silent battle of wills.

He'd be in for a rude awakening if he didn't make a move in the next ten seconds.

His jaw clenched again, a subtle glimpse at the frustration simmering beneath his cool exterior. There was a flicker of something else in his gaze, an awareness that would only spell disaster if it mirrored the heat coursing through my veins.

Nine. Ten .

I revved, knocked the bike into gear, and focussed on the dirt road ahead as I took off. There'd be enough time to unravel—that or completely bury—the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside me. For now, he could walk, turn into a damn bat and fly, or spin around and fuck off in the other direction for all I cared.

I didn't bother looking in my side mirror even as the gates closed behind me.

Lucas would either show up or not. Either way, I wouldn't back down on my promise to Hart—I'd help take Hornell down. I didn't shirk my responsibilities and wouldn't ignore the hand I'd played in the mayhem the psycho was causing in Australia.

Nothing, not even the dorkishly delicious Lucas, would stand in my way.

Unsurprisingly, by the time I'd unlocked the house, brought in my limited supplies, started the generator, made sure the solar power system and batteries were functioning, and spent a few seconds staring ominously at the ridiculously small bed, Lucas appeared in the open doorway. The fact that I'd kept it open for him was a testimony to the generous mood I was in.

I wasn't sure if he agreed when he stepped into the wooden house, pausing in the small space, taking in the room.

His "No" pierced the air.

My grin was immediate. I turned slowly to face him, sadistic satisfaction worming its way through my veins from the way he stared wide-eyed at the bed in the tiny room off the sitting area.

"Problem?" I asked helpfully.

His gaze cut to mine. Tight-lipped, nostrils flaring, Lucas stared my way, the muscles in his cheeks tensing. When he didn't say anything, I grinned, the movement catching his attention as he zeroed in on my mouth before he glanced away.

Tempted to push him further but knowing better, I reluctantly looked at the open doorway, saying, "As soon as that's closed and locked, I'll show you the rest."

The flash of relief in his gaze took me by surprise. Only because I didn't expect he was a man who gave much away.

I ignored the whisper of discomfort at the fact that the "rest" wasn't an extra bedroom. At least the underground setup would be impressive. While I hadn't seen it, all the syndicate's safe houses were kitted out with the same tech specs.

Door closed and locked, I headed to the small kitchenette. It was barely big enough for the stove, oven, and fridge, but it was more than enough for our needs. The outline on the floor was barely visible—likely invisible to humans—but I spotted it immediately.

I pressed the button hidden underneath the solitary wall cupboard. The floor hatch opened with a soft whoosh, revealing reinforced steel complete with a security panel. Much like with the first entrance, I completed the protocol, and the hatch slid open, revealing a ladder.

Lights flicked on, illuminating the space below as I headed down the few rungs, Lucas hot on my tail.

"Holy shit, what is this place?"

My lips twitched. I could probably count on one hand how often Lucas cussed. Something stirred in my gut, my chest puffing out a little that revealing this setup to him earned such a reaction.

My feet found purchase on the concrete floor as I answered, "Just a safe location." I moved away to give Lucas room.

When he stepped off the final rung and glanced around, no doubt taking everything in, he asked, "Yours?" Curiosity pitched his voice a little high.

Rather than having to explain myself or the syndicate, I said, "Yes." I didn't owe Lucas anything, not even that response.

Uncertainty settled in his eyes as he stared my way. I turned my back to him. It was wise for him not to believe me—on this at least. "I'll switch on the mainframe. If you work on the Titan," I instructed, ignoring the heat trying to crawl up my neck. "Then we'll get started."

With my back to him as I turned on the mainframe, I heard Lucas move and a chair scrape across the floor. I waited, shoulders tense, for him to mention the computer setup we had. When he didn't and the first sound of the Titan whirring to life rang out, followed by the tapping of his fingers flying across the keys, I relaxed.

Why he didn't comment on the Titan being part of the elaborate setup—computer engineering he'd designed—I didn't know. After the way I'd been behaving, it would have been the perfect opportunity to give me shit for using his system. If the roles were reversed, I suspected I would have ribbed him something rotten.

Having completed the next set of security measures and booted up all the systems, including the monitors linked to the cameras and sensors located on the property, I sat on the second chair on the right-hand corner of the large setup. From here, if I glanced left, I could see both Lucas's screen and his side profile.

The tiniest of smirks, barely there and subtle, sat on his lips.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut the fuck up," I grumbled.

His brow immediately arched high, but he didn't look at me.

"Whatever. I can admit the Titan is the best system created." It didn't mean I'd congratulate him for being an annoying fucking tech genius. Screw that.

Hell, I hadn't—nor anyone else in the syndicate—needed to amend the machine either. There was no putting my own flair, my own signature on the computer.

There was no improving perfection.

His expression didn't shift even as he navigated through the system.

Relieved, I focussed on my own monitor. While I didn't really give a damn what he was working on, not communicating was a dick move. Especially if we ended up doubling up.

The urge to ask what he was concentrating on sat like acid in the back of my throat. I couldn't ask. Asking would be like needing instruction or permission or even a task. It had been a long time since I'd taken instruction or orders from anyone.

Sure, I took on jobs, had clients. But I picked and chose.

Fuck .

Knowing I'd chosen wrong, dead, dead wrong, when taking on the contract for Hornell—even though I hadn't known it was him, which simply made me more pissed off with myself—was a shitty reminder that I wasn't infallible.

Damn it.

I parted my lips, not sure I could form the words.

Did it make me an egotistical prick? Probably. More than that, I detested the wisp of vulnerability from having to communicate and open up—even if it was a simple exchange. Tension tightened my muscles. They bunched in my back. If I didn't get my shit together, I'd break out in a sweat.

No way did I want that scent in the air. Not with any supe in the vicinity, but especially not a vampire who could determine the tiniest semblance of distress. That prey-predator bullshit was built into their DNA.

Efficient words with barely any inflection drifted to me. "I'm tracing the breach into our location at Tamborine Mountain. I want to make sure that'll never happen again."

I swallowed back my scoff, confident that wouldn't happen here. Fallible . The word lodged in my brain. Sometimes my ego and cockiness were just and true. Fuck me impressed that I could keep my mouth shut… occasionally.

"After that, I'll touch base with the team, once I'm confident of the security," Lucas said.

The pulse in my neck throbbed, the muscles in my shoulders twitching involuntarily.

A barely there sigh escaped him, but there was no not hearing it. He continued, "I won't reveal our location."

If he expected a thank you, he'd be waiting a long time. I saved his arse and compromised one of the syndicate's safe houses. After this, the place would be dismantled, and a new location organised.

But I wasn't a complete twat.

Lucas sharing his intentions wasn't lost on me. That he was smart enough to not attempt to give me an order didn't exactly endear him to me, but he hadn't been a dick, so there was that.

I offered, "Before we left, I was close to something. I'll check to see if that lead's come through from one of my contacts."

The sound of him gritting his teeth pulled my attention.

His strong jaw, which I detested looking at since it was all chiselled and smooth and had me wondering what his skin would feel like under my fingertips, flexed.

I dragged my gaze away and rolled my eyes. It was so much easier to be pissed off and annoyed at Lucas. Distraction could only lead to a whirlwind of chaos and shit.

"Murdock," I started, knowing full well Lucas wanted more than my cryptic "something." "I think we have something on Murdock. Enough leverage for Callen to take him in and get some truth and answers out of him."

A beat passed and another, but when he didn't push me for more, I relaxed, relieved he was letting me do my thing. My "thing" in this instance was doing whatever it took to get Hornell behind bars or, preferably, not breathing.

Only then would I be able to hop on a plane and get my arse home.

Thirty hours, and while Murdock remained in custody, he hadn't broken. What we needed was greater leverage. But more than that, I needed sleep. I side-eyed Lucas.

He didn't look frazzled, exactly. I wasn't sure what it would take for him to look that way. He didn't appear like he was functioning at full capacity, either, though, but that was on him.

Last night, he'd refused to sleep, staying up and relentlessly researching and searching and following leads. While vampires didn't need as much rest as shifters and nowhere near as many hours as humans, they couldn't function on coffee and canned soup or plasma vials alone.

The need to tell him to pull his head out of his backside sat uncomfortably on my shoulders.

I shouldn't care. Wouldn't. Point-blank refused to. But what use was he to this mission if he didn't have the energy to do his job?

I cast another look. Shadows smudged the usually pale peachy whiteness under his eyes. While the lights weren't burning brightly, there was no hiding the pallor of his skin. An itch formed between my shoulder blades, and I tightened my jaw and glanced back at the screen.

The man had enough years on him, close to a hundred and fifty, that he could more than take care of himself. I flexed my jaw, trying to loosen the bunched muscles. Doing so tore a jaw-cracking yawn out of me.

Fuck it .

Five hours of sleep and I'd be good to get back to it.

Standing up from my workstation, I peered over at Lucas. He sat tall, ramrod straight with an intensely focussed gaze. A twitch directly below his right eye caught my attention. He was viscerally aware of my every move.

I turned away and walked over to the ladder, only to pause before lifting my foot to the first rung.

Damn the man .

I dropped my head, wishing like hell I could ignore Lucas, pretend I didn't see how close to exhaustion he was. It didn't matter that the past two days—more, really, when I considered the days in Tamborine—hadn't been spent physically racing around on a mission. The mental strain from staring at a screen and assessing data took its toll.

Through gritted teeth, I sighed before saying, "You need rest."

The slight scrape of the chair legs told me enough: he'd jumped. Fucking jumped when I'd spoken.

Shit, perhaps he wasn't as switched on as I thought.

Pissed off and determined, I turned to face Lucas. Our eyes connected, his wide. He was so spun out. If he didn't sleep soon, the dickhead would collapse.

Bloody vampires. I swore they were the most stubborn species alive, and considering bear shifters boasted many titles—stubborn and aggressive often being on top—that was saying something.

"You need to sleep," I gritted out, narrowing my gaze.

Another eye twitch and a firm, single shake of his head followed. "I'll rest later. I've managed to find the information on some tech recovered from one of Hornell's labs. The setup should carry active chips that could give us locations."

I stared hard, narrowing my gaze further. Not that it had any effect. Lucas didn't even flinch. But looking at him directly like this, at his faintly ashen skin, the slight hollowness of his cheekbones that looked more pronounced, it was hard not to wince. The man looked like shit.

An exaggeration? Sure. Lucas couldn't truly appear as anything but annoyingly handsome, but this wasn't the put-together agent I was used to.

"When was the last time you drank?" I asked, my voice echoing in the dimly lit basement.

He clamped his jaw, and my eyes widened as a dull thump reached my ears.

His heartbeat.

In all my forty-five years, I could count on one hand how many times I'd heard a vampire's heartbeat.

The beats were slower than a sloth wading through molasses, quieter than the whisper of a breeze through autumn leaves. But there it was, unmistakable in its rhythm yet strangely erratic.

Surrounded by computers and equipment, the dim glow of monitors cast eerie shadows across Lucas's face, emphasising the lines of fatigue etched into his features. He pursed his lips.

"When was the last time you drank?" I repeated, my voice tinged with… fuck … concern as I studied him.

He hesitated, his gaze flickering away before meeting mine with a stubborn resolve. "It's been… a while," he admitted, his tone gruff with reluctance.

My heart sank as I realised the implications. Lucas was in trouble, and it was more serious than I had feared. I remembered the empty plasma vial I had seen discarded in the rubbish bin over a day ago. One vial for a vampire who required sustenance to survive was nowhere near sufficient.

Food helped provide some nourishment, but without blood, he'd be hurting.

"There were two more vials," he added quietly, almost as an afterthought. "But they… they broke somehow." A quick glance my way and he set his jaw, saying, "My emergency kit in the car had a week's supply. There wasn't room for it on the bike."

Ignoring his feeble snipe, I hooked on to his initial hesitation. The uncertainty I didn't ever expect to hear from him smacked me hard in the chest. I held back my wince at the need to rub at the annoying feeling lodged there.

Lucas not taking care of himself was a dick move. But then there was the damn feeling again, aching to protect him.

The whole thing was ridiculous. Lucas was not a vampire or an agent who needed protection.

Frustration mingled with concern as I processed his words while trying to ignore my reaction to him. Lucas could be infuriatingly stubborn, but my need to protect him outweighed any irritation.

I took the few steps needed to be in his space. "Come on," I said, my voice firm but insistent. "You need to rest."

Surprise flickered in his eyes, mingled with a hint of uncertainty.

"This won't put us behind. Sleep will help, right?"

"Yeah." A deep swallow followed. It appeared painful, and I wondered if his thirst burned.

"So let's rest, and then we'll figure out your feeding situation."

He nodded.

For a moment, I wasn't sure who was more astonished—him, for acquiescing to my request by standing, or me, for successfully persuading him.

Or the fact that I was doing this in the first place.

As we ascended the ladder, his steps slow and deliberate, I winced at the swell of conflicting emotions. Here was Agent Lucas, the epitome of togetherness and strength, leaning on me for support.

Warmth tried to creep across my skin and settle deep. Looking after him and him letting me care for him shouldn't be a big deal. I couldn't let it.

"Bed," I ordered, all tenderness gone.

What I needed was him out of my space so I could think. In this tiny wooden hut, that would be near impossible. The reminder of our proximity as he hesitated in the open doorway of the single bedroom was a stark reality check.

How the hell I got myself into these situations, I had no idea. It went to show how messed up everything was. We could have easily planned ahead, worked in some sort of shift system, but instead, the both of us worked until the point of exhaustion and?—

I reached out, clamping my hand on Lucas's arm when he swayed.

He was worse than I thought.

Silently, I guided him to the bed and eased him to sit. My pointed look when we made eye contact was enough for him to blush and lift his legs.

Breath froze in my lungs at the pink in his cheeks. Pink. Had I ever seen a vampire blush before?

Forcing ice into my veins, I shook off my reaction, pushing aside the rare vulnerability evident in Lucas's features and the very fact that he not only let me but needed me to do this for him.

"Sleep," I ordered. With that, I spun on my heel and got the hell away from his pink cheeks, half-mast gaze, and scent. It was intoxicating, a mix of cedarwood, dark spices, and something uniquely him, sophisticated and mesmerising. The fragrance lingered in the air, wrapping around me like a forbidden embrace, making it difficult to think clearly.

I hated that I found it alluring, hated that it called to something deep within me that I had buried long ago.

I fled the room, closing the door firmly behind me, as if that could shut out the scent and the troubling thoughts it provoked. Leaning against the door for a moment, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing my heart to stop its frantic pounding.

I needed sleep, but the only bed was taken, and there was no way I was sharing with Lucas. The small settee in the corner was laughably inadequate, barely large enough to accommodate my big toe, let alone my entire body.

What I needed was to find a way to get Lucas much-needed blood, or at least plasma vials. Heading into town was not an option; it would likely reveal our location to those hunting us.

The only option would be to let him feed from me.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine—not just because of the danger but also because of what it would mean. Getting close to Lucas screamed peril, but at the same time, it stirred something protective and deeply buried within me. The man was too tempting for his own good, and he brought out the caretaker in me that I had long since pushed aside.

Terrified by the implications of falling for him, I pushed off from the door and began pacing the small room. What was my next course of action? Sleep was a distant hope, but necessity would drive me to find a solution. Lucas needed blood to recover, and I couldn't ignore that, no matter how much I wanted to avoid the intimacy it would entail.

I paused, glancing back at the closed door, my resolve hardening. Whatever it took, I would ensure we both survived this. Even if it meant confronting my own fears and desires head-on.