Page 72 of Wicked Allure
Dru’s inhaled sharply, scenting a male on the other side of the door. She raised her fist to bang again, but the door opened.
“What the hell do you want?” a deep voice barked.
Dru eyed the male and recognized him as the one who’d been with Tomesha that day her vampires had intervened with the altercation. He stood holding a large knife. She bit back a smirk. This human male may be intimidating to some, but he’d be no match for her.
“Where is she?” Dru pushed into the house.
He tried to struggle with her, but her strength in this state of mind was too much for him. His feeble attempt to hold her back only ended with his body being thrown into the wall nearest them. He fell forward onto the floor, dazed, the knife skittering away. She stepped over him and continued into the house. She inhaled and picked up Tomesha’s scent. It was strong. She was still in the home.
A door opened down the hallway just as Dru turned down it. Tomesha rushed out of the room tying the ends of her robe together.
“Tarek!” Tomesha cried out. She paused in the hallway and took Dru in. Her eyes widened at the sight of her. “What did you do to my brother?”
She raced forward and tried to go past Dru who caught Tomesha’s smaller body and lifted her off her feet.
“He’s unharmed,” Dru growled.
“Put me down. Tarek!” Tomesha hollered.
She tried to wiggle free, but Dru had a strong hold on her. She walked back to the end of the hallway. The male pushed up from the floor and reached for his weapon.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Dru snapped. She lifted Tomesha higher in her arms. Another door opened behind her. She spun around and was hit in the face.
“Put her down!” an older woman screeched. She swung her weapon again.
Dru swatted at the object. Was she wielding a broom at her? The older female would come and attack a distinguished warrior? The older woman kept advancing on Dru, hitting her on the shoulder.
“Gran! Go back in your room!” Tomesha cried out. She finally broke free of Dru’s hold and hit the floor. She moved quickly between the older woman and Dru. She held her hands up. “It’s okay, Gran. I promise. Put the broom away.”
“I may be old, but that woman is trying to kidnap you!” There was a fire in the old woman’s eyes, and she appeared to be an older version of Tomesha. Her gaze was locked in on Dru. Her chest rose and fell, but her hold on the broomstick hadn’t relaxed.
“I’m sure there’s a good reason that Dru is here at this time of night.” Tomesha glanced over her shoulder at Dru.
The look she gave had Dru feeling as if she were a wet-behind-the-ears warrior during their first sparring. Dru stood to her full height and glared at the older woman.
“This human is mine,” Dru rasped. She reached for Tomesha and snagged her by the arm.
Tomesha tried to yank it away, but this time Dru wasn’t going to let her go. This was who she’d come for and she wasn’t leaving without her.
“My sister doesn’t belong to anyone.” The male hadn’t listened to Dru and held the weapon in his hand with it pointed at her.
“Tarek! No. Put that away. Please!” Tomesha pleaded.
Dru growled and wrapped her arm firmly around Tomesha. The male was threatening her with her mate in front of her. Didn’t he know that she’d be able to disarm him before he could blink?
This was her human, and she didn’t care who stood in her way, she’d cut them down for trying to keep her from Tomesha. She whipped out her dagger from her waist and held it up with the tip aimed at the male.
“Don’t come any closer,” Dru threatened. She stood with her back to the edge of the hall where she could keep an eye on the old woman and the male. These were Tomesha’s family members, and in the back of her mind she didn’t want to hurt them. They were inexperienced in fighting a vampire—a general—and it would be an unfair fight.
But Tomesha belonged to her, and they weren’t going to take her away from Dru.
“You expect me to allow you to barge into my home and just take my sister? Who the hell are you?” Tarek snapped.
“It’s okay,” Tomesha said. “This is Dru. The vampire I’ve been…um…assigned to.” She tried to turn around in Dru’s arms. She struggled but was able to force her way. She brought her hands up to Dru’s face. “What has gotten into you? What’s the matter?”
“You’re coming with me.” Dru didn’t remove her eyes from the two who stood with their weapons aimed. The older female could be disarmed easily, but she’d certainly be injured. The male, he’d put up a fight, but he too would be injured.
“Why? I thought you’d call for me?” Tomesha said gently.
