Mine to Chase Read online

  Mine to Chase

  Laurann Dohner

  This book is loosely related to Scarred and Kilt from the anthology Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2.

  Jasmine met the guy of her dreams, who unfortunately wasn’t interested. She’s spent a year filled with lustful fantasies and soul-deep yearning for a man who doesn’t want her. Now she’s locked away in a dark hole, kidnapped by a madman, her life almost over. She’ll never know what could have been, if only he’d felt the same.

  She was supposed to be his a year ago, but Chase had walked away to protect her from his world. He’s a mixed-breed—vampire and werewolf—and his list of enemies is endless. His current mission is to hunt down and kill a rogue vamp who’s preying on humans, but what Chase finds changes everything. Jasmine’s one of the victims. Instinct demands he protect her, possess her. He won’t be denied again. This time, she’s his—for keeps.

  A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Mine to Chase

  Laurann Dohner

  Dedication

  Ruben “Angelo” Dario Riguero-Brito—Thank you for being as beautiful on the inside as you were on the outside. You will be missed.

  Chapter One

  The stench of death hit him the moment Chase crept inside the abandoned house on the outskirts of town. A human wouldn’t have picked up those slight traces but he wasn’t human. His nose flared as another scent teased his senses—sweet feminine fear. His predatory instincts immediately rose to the surface as his fangs began to ache. He raised a hand, motioning for the two werewolves to circle the property.

  “We found him,” one of them confirmed before he disappeared, skirting the porch to make sure no one escaped out the back.

  Yes. We did. Rage gripped Chase instantly. Rogue vampires were the enemy, risking discovery by humans of all Others. No one wanted that. It would mean the beginning of a war if the killings didn’t stop. Humans far outnumbered Others. It was better to live in peace, their existence nothing but myth and entertainment, than the alternative.

  A board above him creaked, betraying where the enemy hid. A smile curved Chase’s lips as he stealthily maneuvered through the lower floor to the open stairwell. One whiff assured him he was close to the enemy as he withdrew two blades. His knees bent slightly before he leapt, effortlessly sailing over the upper railing to land gracefully on booted feet.

  The vamp sitting in the chair appeared surprised as his eyes widened. “Who are you?” He paused, nostrils flaring. “What are you?”

  “Your worst nightmare. You’ve been found guilty.”

  Chase moved before the rogue could react, the speed he’d inherited from both sides of his bloodline assuring the outcome. With the slash of his hands, steel sliced into skin and bone and then he jumped back to avoid the tumbling head touching his trench coat.

  The body fell forward, slumping on the carpet. It didn’t turn to ash and he muttered a soft oath before whistling. In seconds feet pounded up the stairs. He turned to give his pack orders.

  “He wasn’t turned too long ago. Get rid of the body.”

  “Damn, Chase.” The wolf smiled. “That was fast. You didn’t even allow him to make a run for it.”

  “Should we burn down the house? I smell rotting bodies.” The other wolf breathed through his mouth. “Multiples. He probably hid them in the basement.”

  “I’m aware.” Chase sighed. “It’s best to dispose of them without drawing notice. Fire and police would come if we torch his lair. They’d investigate and might discover remains in the rubble.”

  “Gasoline would take care of it if we soaked the corpses first.”

  Irritation rose and so did a menacing growl deep within his throat. “You heard my orders.”

  Both wolves dropped their gazes in submission. “Yes, Chase.” They rushed to do his bidding.

  He wiped the blades clean on his kill’s clothing before putting them away to use his cell phone. The call connected as he walked downstairs. It was answered on the third ring.

  “We located the rogue who murdered Lacey’s sister. She’s been avenged, Lethal. Give her a kiss for me.” He disconnected with an amused grin when his friend snarled, more than a bit possessive of the woman he loved.

  Chase’s job was done. He inhaled but then winced. Almost done. The bodies would have to be disposed of. He located the basement door right off the kitchen and paused, bracing for the worst. Running security for his vampire friends could sometimes get messy but corpses were rarely involved unless they were bad guys. This was different.

  The stench intensified to a nauseating level when he jerked open the door. He regretted killing the rogue so swiftly. Human women had been slaughtered to feed the bastard. A needless waste. It was easy for the vampires to get blood without murdering their sources—just a quick mind swipe would clear their memories—but the rogue obviously enjoyed taking lives. Chase could guess why. The sick bastard got off on tormenting them first and watching them suffer. He breathed through his mouth to suppress some of the offensive odor as his eyes adjusted to the darkness below. The stairs creaked under his weight.

  The unfinished basement had piles of dirt in at least six locations, the corpses under the thin layer of covering too obvious to be anything else. “Fuck.” His voice rose. “Get six body bags.” He didn’t wait for a response, knowing his pack heard. Their hearing was almost as keen as his.

  He scanned the room for something to dig with, not a job he wanted to do with his bare hands. The state of decay he smelled promised to make it a messy task. The rogue had to have used a shovel to bury them. He located it leaning against the wall in the corner.

  Jasmine held very still, her gaze locked on the tall, massive man standing at the bottom of the stairs. Light from above revealed enough of his features to scare her into absolute silence. A very masculine face turned slightly enough to make out full lips and a strong chin. It wasn’t the man who’d taken her but he appeared just as dangerous. Perhaps more so.

  It had been days since Jasmine had slept, too terrified to close her eyes. The madman who’d kidnapped her was pure evil. He hadn’t given her food and had savagely bitten into her a few times. It wouldn’t surprise her if she was delusional from the wounds being infected.

  No tears filled her eyes. She’d passed that stage already. First she’d been terrified, pleading for her life. It had pleased her kidnapper. Then she’d hit the acceptance phase that her death was imminent. The bastard had watched her cry as if it fascinated him. The bruises along her arms still hurt from where he’d pinched them to make her kick and hit at him in an attempt to protect her body. He’d liked that too. It was the only reason he said he wouldn’t kill her outright. He admitted to being bored and she amused him.

  There was something familiar about this man but she figured it was her mind playing tricks. Then he lifted his face, turned toward the door at the top of the stairs and Jasmine recognized him. Chase Woods. A very memorable client from almost a year before.

  The striking features were his. He was the man she’d dreamed about—muscular and big, with the sexiest brown eyes she’d ever peered into. He’d bought some land on the edge of town as an investment. She’d tried to tell him that the two hundred acres of forest were too dense for building. The cost of clearing and leveling the land would be extreme.

  She’d liked him a little too much despite it not being mutual. He had never flirted, though she’d given him green lights to do so. He’d ignored her subtle hints that she had been interested.

  He’d claimed his work didn’t allow time off and had wanted her to show him properties after hours. She probably would have been terrified of meeting a man in such remote locations at night but her attraction to him had made her shove com