Taken by the Others Read Online Free Page A

U.
    Disgusted, I tossed the phone back down on the table. He was three hours late getting back to me. I’d answer him when I was good and ready.
    Muttering darkly, I huffed over to the couch and sat down. I flicked on the TV but didn’t focus on the screen as I stared. I wasn’t sure why I was so mad. I mean, things came up at work all the time that made me late for our dates. It wasn’t entirely fair of me to be pissed at him for putting his responsibility to his pack first–but I could not let go of my anger.
    About five minutes after I sat down, I heard a brisk rapping. I remembered the Chinese food I’d ordered that felt like a decade ago, and my stomach growled right on cue.
    “One sec, be right there!” I jumped up and hurried to the door, snagging up my purse on the way to pay the delivery guy.
    I pulled open the door, and was met by the glowing red eyes and bared fangs of a very pissed-off-looking vampire.
    Chapter 4
     

    I screamed and backpedaled as the vamp reached out for me, tripping over my own feet and landing on my ass as he was blasted back by the shields Arnold had thoughtfully installed for me.
    “Fuck!” the thing exclaimed, bringing singed, reddened fingers to its mouth to suck on.
    I couldn’t help but stare, open-mouthed, wondering where the hell this guy had come from. Supernatural power aside, he was built like a linebacker and looked like he could have snapped me in two without breaking a sweat while he was still alive. Trying to contemplate how strong he must be now with added vampiric strength was terrifying.
    “Who the hell are you?”
    He looked up from his injured hands to glare at me, his eyes still glowing that fierce red. I flinched when he raised a fist the size of my head to send a shockwave through the barrier as he punched it. “Come to me!” he demanded, staring right into my eyes.
    I couldn’t help but bark out a short laugh. “Are you crazy? I’m staying right here. Well, not right here.” I struggled up to my feet with as much grace as I could muster, backing up a bit more from the door for good measure. I trusted Arnold’s skills, but I wasn’t sure how much physical force the barrier could withstand. This would be the first time it had been put to the test against forced entry, so I wanted to have some distance between us in case the thing gave out. “Get out of here! Leave me alone!”
    His face twisted in confusion, some of the anger dwindling out of his eyes. “I said come here. Why aren’t you obeying me?”
    “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because I think you’re a freaking lunatic?”
    His shoulders slumped, his eyes turning a warm, chocolate brown, a slightly darker shade than his hair. His hair was short, but he ran his hands through it in a nervous gesture, like he was used to it being longer. “Well, that’s never happened before. Uhm. Look at me! That’s right, look right into my eyes. Now–come here!” he demanded again, this time with a touch of desperation.
    It’d be sort of funny and corny if I hadn’t realized he was trying to use a very illegal black enchant to get me to do his bidding. All praise for the good luck charms given to me courtesy of The Circle, bless their magic little hearts.
    “No,” I said flatly, regaining some of my confidence since both the shields and my charm looked to be holding up just fine. “Who are you? What do you want?”
    He scratched the side of his head, looking puzzled. I started edging toward the table with my cell phone and the gun on it.
    “Well, shoot. I really didn’t want to do this. Thought this was just gonna be some quick smash-and-grab.”
    Exasperated, I repeated myself. “Hello? Who sent you? What do you want from me?”
    “Max Carlyle wants you. I’m one of his assistants, Peter. He sent me to come get you.” He brightened up some, sounding hopeful. “Don’t suppose you’d come along willingly, would you?”
    My God, this guy was dumber than a box of rocks.
    “Not after that