Shaking away the past, she paused to look around. She was surrounded by pine trees, which was no clue. As weak as she was, it was unlikely she’d left Colorado. She needed energy and needed it fast. If she’d landed in the middle of a wilderness area, she was seriously screwed.
She folded her legs beneath her and struggled to her feet. The night was cool and dark. Treetops obscured the moon but her demonic blood allowed her to see well with very little light. She heard a rumble in the distance and thought it was thunder until she heard it again. No, that was some sort of engine and engines meant people.
She focused on the sound and wended her way through the trees. Leaves and pine needles crunched beneath her shoes and a cool night wind rippled through her hair. There was no discernible path so she followed the sound. Bursts of laughter and the muffled chatter of boisterous conversations reached her next and then she saw a light.
As soon as she saw the compact building, she knew her exact location. Nate Fitzroy was her fiercest competitor even though he likely had no clue she existed. She must have been thinking about him as she blacked out. This was his Clubhouse, safe haven for his mangy pack. Had Eli contacted him yet? If Nate knew his precious daughter had taken up with cats, Zophiel could only imagine how he’d react. He might disown Heather and leave her to her fate or he might go after her and punish her severely. Then again, he might have her murdered in her bed. Murder had been Nate’s solution when his oldest son disappointed him one too many times.
Nate had fascinated her for a long time. He reminded her of the warlord kings of old, ruthlessly ambitious yet oddly protective of those things he considered his.
Well, Zophiel desperately needed energy, so her scheming would have to wait. She crept between two cars in the back corner of the parking lot and waited for someone to exit the bar. She couldn’t go inside without disguising her appearance and she was too weak for an illusion right now.
Two giggling females staggered out the side door, clinging to each other. They were either extremely inebriated or lovers. Perhaps a bit of both. They paused beside a car on the other side of the lot and continued their long goodbye. One finally got into the car and the other wove toward the back of the lot.
Zophiel watched the straggler, easily figuring out her destination. After the first female drove away, the straggler fumbled with her keys. Not in the mood to play with her food, Zophiel lunged for her prey. She sealed her mouth over the wolf’s and strangled her terrified cry. Then she drew energy out of the wolf’s body and dispersed it through her own. She didn’t always kill when she fed, that was wasteful, but she was extremely hungry right now. The wolf went limp and her heart stuttered then stopped. Zophiel tore her mouth away and looked around. No one had seen a thing. Good.
She held the body against the side of the car as she opened the door. Then she shoved her victim onto the front seat and quickly found her purse. She tossed the purse inside then rolled the wolf onto the floor before closing the door. Unless someone specifically looked into the car, the body shouldn’t be found until morning.
This had been an appetizer. It would take more than one Therian to sate her hunger and she knew just how to attract them.
She and Nate Fitzroy had never met but Ian Douglas might have passed around her image. Unwilling to take the chance of being recognized, she made herself look, smell and scan entirely human. Therian males, especially wolves, liked their females soft and obedient, so she shaped the illusion with their preferences in mind. Blondes generally drew more attention than brunettes and they were more often underestimated. Zophiel formed an image in her mind, tall and thin with plenty of cleavage. Once the basic image came together she focused on details—a short-sleeved sweater that zipped up the front, flirty boots and a snug miniskirt. She needed to appear sexy without looking totally trashy. She closed her eyes and pushed the illusion outward. Unlike shapeshifters, her actual form only changed when her demonic half took over and her demonic appearance was anything but sexy. For situations like this, she utilized illusions so powerful others saw, heard and felt what she wanted them to perceive.
If Nate was already out chasing after his wayward daughter then she’d simply eat and leave. But if the alpha was inside, she might yet find some amusement in this frustrating night.
Sending her hair flying with a sharp toss of her head, she strode across the parking lot. The door was pushed open as she neared and a massive bouncer blocked her way. “Sorry, gorgeous. This is a private club. Members only.”
She looked up at him, trying to appear helpless without seeming insipid. “I just need a phone and maybe a beer. My car broke down about two miles up that road. I am exhausted. Can you imagine hiking in these heels?” She angled her leg to best advantage.