Claws and Fangs Read online

  The fact that she hadn’t been locked in implied she wasn’t a prisoner, surprising her. It stunned Jasmine further when she realized she was underground, and she followed a hall toward an open doorway. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember seeing any windows in Chase’s bedroom or bathroom.

  A surprise waited as she realized it wasn’t another door at the end of the hall, but instead a wall. She pushed against it, stepped into a basement, and turned to study the wine racks attached to the front of the wall. All but two of the bottles were dusty, as if they hadn’t been touched in years. When the wall was closed, the hallway and bedroom would be concealed to the casual eye.

  Jasmine glanced around. The rest of the basement was large, appeared old, and a musty scent hung in the air.

  The stairs were solid stone, reminding her of a castle. Part of her feared she wasn’t in the town where she’d been raised anymore. There was a black hole in her memory between Chase finding her and reaching his home. Had he taken her out of the country?

  Again, the door at the top was metal and thick. It creaked slightly when she eased it open to peer at a big, modern kitchen. Sunlight streamed through a window. She padded over to look out into dense woods.

  “You shouldn’t be up.”

  The feminine voice startled her. She spun, gaping at the brunette from the night before, whom Chase had claimed to be his sister.

  “I’m Jenny. You’re Jasmine.” She smirked. “I guess ‘J’ names are popular.”

  “Where is Chase?”

  “He had some business to attend to. He’ll be back in a few hours.” The woman’s gaze dropped to her waist. “Hungry? I can hear your stomach rumbling.”

  “That’s weird.” Jasmine regretted saying it the moment the words were out, not wanting to offend.

  “You’ll adjust to keen hearing once you’re fully mated. It will enhance your senses all around.” Jenny pointed to a table. “Have a seat. I hope you don’t mind cereal. I don’t cook unless my brother demands it.”

  A hundred questions popped into Jasmine’s head, but she settled for a few while she watched the woman prepare a quick breakfast. “I could do that myself.”

  “It’s easier if I just do it. You don’t know your way around the kitchen yet.” Jenny glanced at her. “But you’ll need to learn at some point.”

  “You live here then? Why would Chase tell you to cook? Do you work for him?”

  “He’s my protector, so I do whatever I’m told. It beats living on the streets and he’s good to me. He isn’t around much, but I suppose that will change now that he has you.” The woman stared at her.

  “Protector?” A few hundred more questions resulted.

  “Our mother really loved to seek out older vampires, the stronger the better, so we got the vamp genes from them. It made some of the werewolves we lived with nervous, knowing we needed so much blood to survive. Mates don’t mind you sinking fangs into them, they kind of get off on it, but they get testy if you drink otherwise. Blood banks weren’t around where we come from.”

  “Where is that?”

  “It doesn’t matter. When we were older our mother became a companion to a vampire so we lived with a nest.” Jenny put a bowl of cereal in front of her. “Eat. Ask Chase your questions.”

  “He’s not here,” Jasmine pointed out.

  “Too bad for your curiosity then. I have things to do outside.” Jenny left through the back door.

  So much for us becoming friends.

  Jasmine ate, rinsed the bowl, and then washed it. She wasn’t sure if she was allowed to explore the house, but no one had said she couldn’t. Chase had mentioned it was her home too.

  The first floor of the house was big, obviously a mansion built in the forties, from the architectural details. Some were confusing, as if parts of the house had been remodeled sometime in the seventies. The formal dining room was dusty and it seemed no one had used it in a really long time. One door was locked. The living room had more modern furniture and a big-screen television. A small sitting room held tons of older leather-bound volumes of books in the built-in shelves. Two bathrooms were located on the first floor as well, and she paused at the steps, peering up the curved staircase to the second floor.

  “Please don’t go up there.”

  Jenny startled her again, and Jasmine spun around. She rested her hand over her racing heart. “You scared me. I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “I’m quiet. It’s the predator in me.”

  “Um, I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

  A smile curved the brunette’s lips. She was pretty, with blue eyes very similar to Chase’s when they glowed, but slightly paler in color. “It’s what we are. We may appear human, but never forget things aren’t what they seem.” She jerked her head toward the stairs. “That’s my space up there, and I like my privacy. I can’t outright order you to never go to the second floor, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. Chase doesn’t like to sleep above ground. It’s probably because of what happened twenty years ago.”

  “What happened?”

  “Vampires attacked us. They knew what we were and tried to kill us. It was a deadly mistake.” She chuckled. “They sent only five of them after us.”

  “Five vampires?” Jasmine was taken aback.

  “They should have sent twice that many if they were serious about killing my brother and me.”

  “So what does that have to do with sleeping upstairs?”

  “They came in through the windows of the home we used to live in. It was a full breach in the dead of night.” Jenny waved her hand to a chair. “Sit.”

  Jasmine took a seat on one of the sofa benches in the entryway. They weren’t the most comfortable things but they were attractive. Jenny sat on the opposite one ten feet away.

  “I refuse to give up having a real bedroom with windows, fresh air and sunshine. My brother feels more secure underground. Fewer points of entry in case of another attack. That’s where he lives most of the time. Under that club he works at, they supposedly have a lot of underground chambers, but that could just be rumors. It’s not as though he’s ever taken me there, so I’m not certain if it’s true.”

  “You don’t like the club where he works?”

  “It’s owned by two vampires.” Jenny watched her as if she were something fascinating. “Did you meet my brother there?”

  “No. I was his realtor. He bought some land.”

  Jenny nodded. “I’m glad. I’d hate to think he’d accept leftover goods.”

  “What does that mean?” Jasmine wasn’t sure if she really wanted an answer or not.

  “The women who frequent that club are playthings for the vamps. They fuck them, bleed them, and mess with their minds so they forget everything but the sex.” She paused. “It doesn’t even have to be good sex, but they can make them believe it was the best they ever had so they return again and again. I’ve heard that’s how they keep a steady food supply.”

  It was a little disturbing. “And Chase?”

  “What about him?”

  “Does he do that? Have sex and feed from women at the club?”

  “Not anymore, if he ever did.” Jenny smirked. “You have no clue about mates, do you?”

  “I didn’t even know vampires or werewolves were real until last night.”

  “He wouldn’t bond with you if he wasn’t sure you were the one he wanted. It’s extremely rare for a mate to cheat. They’d have to be mentally unstable and heartless. Your pain would become his, and vice versa. It’s kind of like shooting yourself in the foot. Isn’t that the saying? The bond amplifies emotions, passion, and nothing else can compare to that. It would be unsatisfactory if he nailed another woman.”

  “I’ll take that for a no. Why is Chase’s bedroom hidden? Because of the attack? I saw the fake wall.”

  “Yes, it’s to protect him, and now you, in the event of another attack. There are four inches of steel and concrete surrounding his sleeping area. No one woul