Were Blood

  Were Blood

  Lia Slater

  Book 3 in the Were Legends series.

  Blanca Reble has been captured, yet again, to be used as some Vamp’s blood slave. Now she’s determined to escape her captor’s hold. But Worth isn’t who he seems and the way her body and mind react to his touch isn’t what she’s used to. It should be only a matter of time before their blood bond wears off, but what replaces it is an undeniable connection that Blanca’s never experienced.

  Worth Sinclaire has never wanted a blood slave; he never had use for one. But when he sees the injured Were femme shackled in his cousin’s cellar, he purchases her for his own to protect her from a worse fate. Now he has to decide what’s more important—his loyalty to his own kind, or his growing love for a woman his people will never accept.

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Were Blood

  ISBN 9781419929847

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Were Blood Copyright © 2010 Lia Slater

  Edited by Meghan M. Conrad

  Cover art by Dar Albert

  Electronic book publication October 2010

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Were Blood

  Lia Slater

  Chapter One

  In a faraway land

  Too far from home

  The shackles kept Blanca from falling onto the dirt. They were cold and tight against her wrists but they allowed her weary body to stay elevated rather than collapse at their filthy feet.

  The fucking Vamps.

  A fresh flash of rage coursed through her and she gathered the strength to open her eyes and glare at them. She’d scream if she could but her mouth was gagged with a dirty rag that tasted like dust and mold.

  Several torches lit the underground cave, letting her see each of the Vamps in detail. She took mental notes as best she could so she wouldn’t forget who to kill when she got out of this predicament. And she would. Her pack would find and rescue her any minute, she was sure of it. Then she’d get the chance to avenge herself.

  The blond Vamp, Orleff, had his arms crossed over his chest as he spoke to two short, pot-bellied Vamps. They were all dressed impeccably, their tone of voice was crisp and their words were pretentious. Rich, spoiled leeches, that’s who they were.

  And they were bartering for her as if she were a pig up for auction.

  Blanca’s chest tightened painfully and her stomach churned with acid. She didn’t know if her reaction was because she was being sold off to two fat, blood-sucking bastards or because the blond one had taken a lot of her blood just that morning.

  Or because she hadn’t been able to shift in three days. Orleff had kept her in this cave and hadn’t allowed her to bask in the moon’s energy, to restore her strength.

  At least he hadn’t touched her sexually. He didn’t seem to be attracted to her that way, which was a relief in one way and an annoyance in another. Ever since her captor sunk his fangs into her neck, her body burned for him. She knew from firsthand experience that lust was one of the effects of being a blood slave. The distant memory still sickened her. And here she was again at the mercy of the enemy.

  She wiggled her mostly numb fingers, attempting to stir the little blood she had left in her body. The two Vamps bartering for her continued their chatter as if she weren’t in the same room. Fuckers. She’d decapitate herself before she let either of these two unwashed swine suck her blood or have their way with her.

  “She’s not worth that much, sir,” one of them said as he leered at her from the corner of his eye. “She’s used.” He paused to take in her naked body, scanning her slowly. “It appears quite recently, in fact. Did you drain her?” He snapped his attention back to Orleff, who merely shrugged.

  “Take it or leave it, Lord Kerdy,” Orleff said. “I don’t have time to waste. Do we have a deal or not? I’ve got another prospective buyer arriving any second now. Do you want this to go to auction?”

  Lord Kerdy snorted and Blanca fantasized about slapping his pig nose right off his round face. “The price you’re asking is preposterous. Look at her. She’s tiny…and filthy.”

  Orleff rolled his eyes. “She’s petite, I won’t deny it and she could use a good wash in the river. But her breasts are full and she has all the equipment a man needs to satisfy himself.” He nudged the second man with his elbow. “You like women, don’t you?”

  The second man’s cheeks reddened. “Well, of course. We’ve had many.”

  Blanca ground her teeth against the gagging cloth. She was used to being bare of clothes, so she could care less what these fools thought of her body. But to be treated as a second-class species was infuriating.

  Blanca ignored the rest of the conversation. Her attention was diverted to a fourth man who’d just appeared at the bottom of the stairway. She sniffed in the rugged maleness of his scent as he stood curiously at the entrance of the cave, blocking it with his impressive presence. He smelled like the night air and, though it was difficult to tell, the slight odor of Vamp gave away his species.

  The other men glanced at him but didn’t bother to greet him. They knew him, apparently. And judging from Lord Kerdy’s tense body language, he wasn’t a fan of the stranger.

  She continued to watch the man, unable to pull her gaze away from the intriguing addition. His clothes weren’t as neat as the other Vamps. His shirt was wrinkled and slightly untucked, his boots were scuffed and muddy. He was tan, not pale like the others, which led Blanca to believe he spent time in the sun. Huh. Not as much of a pussy as the Vamps she’d known in the past, then. The sun made day-walking extremely uncomfortable for the fair-skinned parasites and the majority avoided it as much as possible. But apparently not this one. Why?

  Her gaze traveled to his large, clenched fists. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows to show his sculpted forearms. His biceps bulged underneath the cotton fabric of his white shirt. Finally, her eyes took in the vast width and brawn of his broad shoulders. Though her mind was cloudy from having lost so much blood, she could clearly see that he was a working man, unlike the two chubby noblemen or the greedy blond mercenary.

  Engrossed, she looked up farther to study his face. Rugged was a good word for him. Choppy layers of dark brown hair brushed his shoulders and fell slightly over his forehead. His mouth set in a deep frown, his strong, chiseled jaw gritted tight. His angry eyes were piercing as he glanced back and forth from her to the other Vamps.

  And Blanca had thought her pack leader was a mean fucker. Mace had nothing on this guy. Neither did Kaige, for that matter, and he was always peeved about something. She sighed as thoughts of
her pack continued to run through her mind. It had only been a few days and she already missed them. She missed home.

  With a sigh, she slumped against the bumpy stone wall… and she immediately cursed herself for showing weakness in front of the enemy. The new guy must’ve heard her because he took long strides across the cave in her direction.

  Blanca tensed as he stopped in front of her and gripped her waist, hoisting her just enough so that the shackles weren’t biting into her wrists anymore. Heavenly.

  “Worth, what in the hell are you doing?” Orleff said, his slightly feminine voice pitching to a new high.

  She lifted her heavy head and met the intruder’s eyes, the only way to face a new enemy. His were as captivating as the rest of him. Irises a blue so dark they almost blended with his black pupils. She couldn’t help but notice the color reminded her of a moonless night. How appropriate for a Were adversary. She wanted to laugh but even without the gag in her mouth, she was too exhausted to do anything but to lean into the man, allowing him to carry her weight. He was so close she could get a good whiff of that outdoorsy scent. Ah. So nice. Woodsy-fresh air that reminded her of home.

  Her eyelids drifted shut but sprung back open when a pale, pasty hand slapped on the big Vamp’s shoulder.

  “Worth, my dear cousin,” Orleff said, “unless you’re planning on purchasing her, you need to move away from my merchandise.”

  Worth, huh? What a strange name for a Vamp. For anyone, actually. His eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together but he didn’t release her, which was something of a relief. She’d been hanging from these cuffs for countless hours.

  “Unshackle the girl and we’ll talk.” Worth’s voice was as rugged and masculine as his appearance. The deep baritone warmed her body and the cute grin he gave her made her strangely at ease. The tips of her nipples brushed his soft cotton shirt and the warmth surged to her lower regions.

  Geez. She was not attracted to this Vamp. No way in hell. She dropped her gaze before he could see the heat creeping up her cheeks.

  Orleff chuckled. “She’s hardly a girl. And you hardly have enough assets to overbid dear Lord Kerdy over here. So why don’t you step away from the Were before we have a problem?”

  “Dear? There’s nothing dear about that man. Whatever his bid is, I’ll bid higher.” Worth adjusted his grip, holding her closer to his chest. Her breasts mashed against his firm muscles.

  Lord Kerdy chuckled but there was a tinge of trembling in the timber. Fear, perhaps. “I won’t be insulted by your foolish cousin, Orleff. You assured me this would be an easy, hassle-free deal.”

  Worth looked over his shoulder at Orleff, ignoring the other Vamp. “We’re going to have a problem if you don’t release her. She may be a Were but she’s also female. And you’re going to allow her some dignity.”

  Dignity? He said “Were” as if it were a disease and “female” as if she were some helpless damsel in distress. With renewed anger, Blanca squirmed against his grasp until her head grew dizzier. He paid her no mind, only holding her with a tighter grip.

  So maybe she was in distress. Somewhat. But her pack would find her soon. They’d fight to the death to rescue her, just as she’d do for any of them. They were a strong, proud group, not to be messed with. And, damn it, this Vamp was going to pay for holding her so close.

  “What kind of bid are you suggesting?” Orleff whispered into Worth’s ear.

  “Well,” Lord Kerdy said in his annoying haughty tone, “I believe I’ve wasted enough time here. I’m a busy man, Orleff. This nonsense has taken too long and I don’t want to be caught in the rising sun.”

  “Wait, wait.” Orleff’s voice grew farther away, probably because he was chasing after Lord Kerdy and his minion. “We can still work something out. I’m sure Worth is only…”

  The words drifted into the distance as the men retreated, leaving her alone with the big brute.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here.” His breath smelt of citrus as it swept along her cheek. An orange, maybe. Sweet, tangy and unexpected.

  She struggled to keep eye contact. Everything about the Vamp made her want to snuggle up against his chest and fall asleep. Good thing she wasn’t that naïve. She squirmed against him again to show him she wasn’t falling for his knight-in-shining-armor act.

  The cute grin sloped into a deep frown. “Did my cousin hurt you?” He glanced at the shackles. “Well, besides chaining you up and taking your blood. He didn’t touch you, did he?”

  Blanca shook her head. What she wouldn’t do to get the damn gag out of her mouth.

  “All right, stop wriggling around then. Can’t you see I’m trying to help? That dear Lord Kerdy is a devil dressed as a gentleman. You wouldn’t rather go with him, would you?” He snorted. “Weres aren’t the brightest, are they? Did the plague eat your brains when it changed you into an animal?”

  She glared at him. Asshole. Overgrown imbecile. Before she could attempt to kick him in his testicles, he reached behind her head and yanked the gag loose in two quick movements.

  “There. Let’s see what you got to say for yourself, little lady. How’d you end up bare as a newborn baby in my cousin’s cellar?”

  Finally, she had her voice back. She gasped in the dank air that filled the musty room, trying to get the cloth’s nasty taste out of her mouth. It was no use.

  “I’m not an animal. How dare you.” Her voice was hoarse and her throat was scratchy, causing her to cough.

  He adjusted his grip on her waist. “Stop fussing and tell me where Orleff hid the keys to your cuffs so I can quit holding you like a child. I’m not that patient a man, you know.”

  Good idea. She wanted her hands free so she could slap the aggravating look off his face. Treat her as if she was an inconvenience, would he? “I didn’t ask your bastard cousin to kidnap me from my home and tie me up in his dung-infested cave to be auctioned off like a fucking farm animal.”

  His dark eyebrows rose up his forehead. “You got quite a mouth on you. Is that another thing we can blame on the Were plague? I should take you home and wash your mouth out.”

  “Take me anywhere but back to Paqualette and you’ll regret it.”

  “Paqualette, eh? You know there’s a war brewing. It’s not safe to be traveling even close to the border.”

  “Gee, you think?” She couldn’t believe her ears. “Surely I won’t be captured and drained by a Vamp, will I?” With all the strength she had left, she blinked her eyes at him, feigning innocence.

  He narrowed his dark blue gaze and smirked, his lips tilting up in a sexy quirk, causing her traitorous heart to patter faster. “A dirty mouth and an ornery attitude. Where’re the keys, runt? Before I change my mind.”

  “On that hook over there, next to the stairway,” she said and clamped her mouth shut. Insulting her only means of escape probably wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had. Geez, the lack of blood must be messing with her mind. That or the nearness of this Vamp. She’d never in her life been attracted to one. Well, never without them taking her blood first.

  He propped her against the wall and she didn’t miss how he nonchalantly scanned her body before turning and walking away. Her skin tingled, missing the strange sense of security his body provided, and she wanted to kick herself for being such a fool.

  The sound of feet frantically scraping the stairs told her Orleff was on his way back. His eyes bulged as he reached the bottom step and saw Worth reaching for the keys. “What are you doing? Do you realize how much you’ve just cost me? I certainly hope you can offer a bid that matches. What was I thinking, giving your offer a second thought?”

  Worth grinned. “Not the first time greed got the best of you, Orleff.” He strode over to her left arm and flipped through the set of keys. So close to freedom, Blanca bit into her lips to keep from ruining her chances.

  “Answer me, you fool. You take that bloody Were from my cellar and I’ll be knocking on the High Council doors within hours. You don’t wan
t them breathing down your neck again, do you?” Orleff sneered. “Especially with Marta in their circle now.”

  “I’ll pay for the Were,” Worth muttered so low Blanca wasn’t sure she heard him right. With an agitated tremble in his hands, he picked at the latch, testing out a key.

  So some woman named Marta had an unusual effect on the big brute. She stored the tidbit of information away in case she needed it later.

  Orleff laughed. “And how do you suppose you’ll do that?”

  Worth released one wrist but pressed his body against hers as he worked on the second, not allowing her to move. Damn it.

  “I’ll give you one of my mares.” He released the second latch quickly and stepped back.

  Her mind was braced to fight but her body thought differently. Her arm dropped to her side and, no longer having anything holding her up, her knees gave way. Right before she hit the ground, Worth swooped down and lifted her into his arms. She cursed herself for being so weak and, for the first time since her capture, tears burned her eyes.

  To be a blood slave again was her worst nightmare, something she’d sworn would never happen a second time. She tensed in his strong arms and fought to control her unleashed fear. She wouldn’t let this Vamp get the best of her. She was stronger than that.

  Orleff stood in the doorway, not letting them pass. “I want your stallion. That’s the only one I can auction off that will equal the Were.”

  “Fine,” Worth said through gritted teeth. “An even trade.”

  Chapter Two

  Worth Sinclaire wrapped the petite Were up in his shirt, wondering what the hell he was doing. It didn’t matter that she needed a bath or that she’d snarled at him one last time before finally fainting from lack of blood, he couldn’t deny his arousal when his fingers accidentally brushed the swell of her plump breast as he tugged her arms through the sleeves. And his gaze didn’t miss the pleasing curve of her tiny waist that arced nicely to her healthy hips.