Bound to Shadows Page 0,4

anyone was on it. There were quite a few vamps sitting at the tables in front of the bar that lined the fourth wall. None of them seemed to be drinking, but all of them were brooding.

I could feel it - feel the heat of it rumbling along the edges of my thoughts. They weren't trying to get into my head, just sharing their unhappy vibe.

It made me glad that Cole and his team were right next door in the parking lot.

I walked across to the bar. The bartender strolled over, idly drying a glass and chewing gum. "What can I do for you?"

I showed him my badge. "I believe your boss has been informed that I need to speak to him?"

There was a slight pause, and though I didn't feel the caress of energy, I knew he was communicating with said boss. After a moment, he nodded and said, "He'll be down in a minute. Do you need a drink?"

"Not yet." Though I definitely might by the time I'd finished this gig.

I turned around and let my gaze sweep the room again. The humans who were engaged in drinking rather than being drunk from were all clustered around the far end of the bar. Most of them were women, and all of them looked as unhappy as the vamps.

Though I heard no footsteps, awareness tingled across my skin. I shifted my gaze and saw a golden-haired man walking towards me - although 'drifting' would have been a more accurate term, because his feet didn't appear to touch the carpet. Then again, he knew exactly what had been spilled on it.

"Dante Starke," he said, coming to an effortless halt several feet away.

His scent swirled around me, and though I'd been expecting him to smell as bad as his club, he didn't. He was orange blossom and dark spices, a combination as elegant as the man - and one that stirred the embers of desire deep in the pit of my stomach. Even Quinn didn't smell this good.

I shoved the thought away and concentrated on the vamp rather than his delicious scent. If Starke was a pauper, then his suit certainly didn't advertise it. I'd seen enough suits on Quinn to recognize the cut and quality of a Zegna, and they certainly weren't anything the average Joe would be buying off the rack in any old department store. But as classy as the grey pinstripe was, it was the man wearing the cloth that drew the eye. He was power, passion, and beauty all rolled into a six-foot four-inch golden frame, and he seemed totally out of place in this run-down dump.

I ignored his offered hand, not wanting to touch his flesh when my inner wolf was taking so much notice, and showed him my badge. "We're investigating the murder in the parking lot behind your club."

"So I've been informed." He crossed his arms, his expression bored. And yet his golden eyes were alert and hungry, reminding me of a hawk with its prey in its sights.

A tremor went through me, though I wasn't entirely sure whether it was fear or something else. Damn it, I was werewolf who'd found her soul mate, so technically I shouldn't feel anything for anyone other than the man I was destined to spend the rest of my life with. But of course, things were never that simple for me. Not only did I have Quinn as my lover, but I didn't want Kye - my said soul mate - anywhere near me.

And now it seemed I was attracted to this man. Or vamp. Or whatever the hell he was.

Sometimes I wished fate would just stick to the rules when it came to my life. It would have made things a whole lot easier.

"How can I help the Directorate, Ms. Jenson?"

His voice was like buttered honey, smooth and rich. I licked my lips and tried to shake the lust from my thoughts. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, then I'd like somewhere a little more private to interview each of your guests."

One golden eyebrow arched upwards, and part of me ached to lean forward and kiss it. Damn, this was weird.

"You don't actually need my permission to do either of those things."

"No, but given the current climate, I've discovered it makes things easier to be polite."

A smile tugged at his lips. "I suppose you could be right." He waved an elegant hand towards the door just behind the bar. "My office is through