Bound to Shadows

It wasn't so much that I was tired of the job, just that I was simply tired. Now that the night had swept in, it seemed to have gotten worse. I needed to sleep, and yet at the same time, I feared it. Or rather, I feared dreaming again.

Feared that it might just mean the bonds drawing me to Kye were getting stronger.

"No, nothing's happened over at the emo camp," Jack said, "but I'm pulling guardians off all non-essential duty and bringing them in for a debriefing on these killings. The number one priority of the night shift is now the search for this killer, so Vi

At least the three of us on day shift had escaped the debriefing. For tonight, any way. "So if I want the watch, I have to do it myself?"

"I'm afraid so. Sorry, Riley. I know you're due to go home, but we've really got to find whoever is behind the beheadings."

"What if there is a co

He paused, then said warily, "What makes you think there's a co

Oh, shit. I hadn't put in a report yet, so he didn't know. And Cole couldn't have mentioned it, because all I'd actually told him was that one of them was a vampire. "Cole's initial report mentioned me talking to the soul, right?"

"It was mentioned in the notes." His voice was full of censure. "I've been waiting for your report, however."

"I was going to send it in from home." Which was a lie, and we both knew it. Truth was, I'd totally forgotten about it.

"I would suggest you do it ASAP."

"I will." After all, I had to do something to keep myself awake during the watch. "But the thing is, the soul mentioned the fact that the vampire doing the beheading didn't smell like an ordinary vampire. I don't know how many different types of vampires there are, but I figure it's unlikely to be a coincidence that we possibly have emos involved in two different types of murders."

"We're not certain emos are involved in the murder of the women."

We weren't certain of anything on either case right now, and that was damn frustrating. "But given the circumstances, it's the most likely."

He grunted—whether in agreement or not was anyone's guess. "Emo vamps tend to live in clusters, not as single entities like us blood vamps do. They even tend to feed as a group."

"Which doesn't mean we can't have a rogue, or that Vi

He was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, you take over the watch for a couple of hours while I debrief everyone, then I'll send out a replacement so you can get some rest. But I want that report in on my computer before you go home."

"Done deal."

He grunted and hung up. I shoved my phone into my purse and gave Qui

"I heard." He gave me a hug then kissed the top of my head. "I can cancel my night out and come along to keep you company, if you'd like. At least I could keep an eye on things while you grab some sleep."

It was tempting. So tempting. But I really didn't want to get Qui

So I simply smiled and said, "I've only got to last long enough to type the report. By then, Jack will have finished his debriefing and he'll send out a replacement." I gave him a long and lingering kiss, then sighed wistfully and added, "Go enjoy yourself. I'll see you tomorrow morning sometime."

"Just be careful out there." He hesitated, and his sexy grin flashed, making my stomach flutter. "And try not to dream about sex again. You really do need to sleep."

"You're just afraid of me having too good a time without you. "

His grin faded a little, and I suddenly realized the deeper implications of what I'd said. "Qui

"It's all right," he said gently. "Go to work. I'll see you later."

I went. I found a parking only a couple of spaces down from where I'd been earlier, then flipped the rear-view mirror up so the headlights of passing cars didn't shine into my eyes and wreck my night vision. After a quick look around to make sure I wasn't going to shock anyone's sensibilities, I changed into the jeans and sweater I'd left in the car earlier. The stilettos I left on. Given where I was and what I might be chasing, they just might be useful.

Typing up my report took all of half an hour. I forwarded it on to Jack, then settled in to wait. Nothing much happened. A dozen or so of Vi

I'm not sure what exactly jerked me awake. The night was still and no cars had driven past for a good ten minutes. I sat up a little straighter in the seat and rubbed at my eyes, blinking almost owlishly at Vi

And yet…

There was a presence. I couldn't see it, couldn't smell it, but it was there. It tugged at my senses and teased my memories—an itch I couldn't quite scratch.

I frowned and climbed out of the car. The air was crisp and cool, and the breeze drifting in from the direction of Vi

Someone else.

I locked the door then shifted shape and took to the sky in my seagull form. Given I wasn't sure what it was I was sensing, it seemed the safer bet. I might be able to wrap myself in shadows, but that didn't hide my body scent or body heat, and I couldn't risk one or the other being discovered. And most supernaturals tended not to look skyward for shadows.

I drifted around the building, trying to pinpoint the location of the odd sensation. I didn't get much more than the fact that it seemed to be coming from the heart of Vi

I'd barely landed when that odd sensation got stronger, burning across my skin. It felt like the heat of lust, but it was almost as if there was some sort of screen between me and that sensation; I could feel it, but wasn't affected.

Of that, I could only be glad. I'd felt that sort of heat once before, and there had been no protecting screen that time…

My thoughts froze. I had felt that sensation before, and on more than one occasion.

The first time had been in Vi

And the other times had been in the last couple of nights, in the dreams that had plagued me.

It wasn't Kye causing the restless, unbridled lust that disturbed my sleep and drained my strength. It was an emo vampire, somehow feeding from me from a distance. No wonder I felt so goddamn tired—it wasn't lack of sleep, but rather the energy I was losing through dreaming.

Whether the vampire responsible was this stranger or someone else, I had no idea, but I sure as hell was going to find out. And stop it, before it killed me.

Like it had more than likely killed those other women.

The sensation sharpened and, a heartbeat later, a man stepped out of Vi