He was going to have to step up his game. If the Vamps and were-tigers discovered Han’s location first, they would attack, and he might miss his chance at killing Han himself. There were others equally determined to kill Han. Like Jia.
He scanned the crowd once more. Where the hell was she? He moved to the top of the stairs that led down to the riverbank. From here, he could see her house at the edge of the bluff. No rope hanging from the window. No movement on the riverbank or among the houses on the river. Everyone was behind him in the courtyard.
A movement caught his eye. To the north and barely discernible, there was a canoe crossing the river. One occupant. It had to be her. A strange spurt of pride erupted in his chest, and he smiled. Jia had done it. She’d managed her escape. Clever, courageous girl.
Foolish girl. His smile faded. How did she think she was going to find Han on her own? How could she endanger herself when she had family and a whole town who loved her? Why couldn’t she be happy playing princess? A betrothed princess.
He glanced back at Rajiv. One word and he could end Jia’s great escape. His chest tightened at the thought of disappointing her once again.
But he couldn’t let her do this. He would talk to her, convince her to go back on her own. Then she wouldn’t have to endure the humiliation of being caught and dragged home. He focused on the far side of the river, selecting a place to teleport. No doubt she would be angry when he appeared. She might even slap him.
A little pain was worth it if he could keep her safe.
The thought gave him a small shock. Why did he care what happened to her? What was this woman doing to him that she occupied his thoughts so much?
He shook his head. She’s not my problem.
Her canoe reached the shore.
“Dammit,” he muttered and teleported.
Jia was a few feet away, her back turned to him as she heaved the canoe up onto dry land. Her boots had gotten wet when she’d disembarked, and now they squished with every step she took. On her back, she had a pack with a bedroll strapped to the bottom. Her long hair was braided and swayed each time she gave the canoe a tug.
“Going somewhere?”
With a squeak, she spun around to face him. “Russell!” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Good God, you scared me.” She took a deep breath, then her eyes widened and she eased back a few steps. “Don’t you dare . . .”
He moved toward her. “What?”
She held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t come any closer. I know not to trust you now. I won’t let you teleport me back home.”
“Then get back in the canoe and paddle yourself home.”
“I will not! I’m heading west, and you won’t stop me.”
“I can—”
“No!” Her eyes simmered with anger. “I’ve come too far. So help me, if you stop me now, I will shift and rip you to pieces.”
“You can shift now?” Russell glanced up at the moon that was less than half full.
She glowered at him. “I’ll shift in two and a half weeks. And then I’ll hunt you down. You won’t be able to hide from me. I’ll track you down and—”
“Wait.” Russell held up a hand. “Can you really track a vampire by his scent?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “I can track just as well as my uncles. I can do everything the men do, but they won’t let me.”
Russell winced. “I’m sure it must be frustrating—”
“You have no idea. There’s no one telling you what to do. You’re . . .” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “You’re free.”
Free? Didn’t she realize his obsession was like a prison? He couldn’t be free until he killed Han. “Jia.” He stepped toward her. “They’ll be worried sick about you. You can’t endanger yourself. You’re a princess.”
Her eyes flashed. “Don’t call me that.”
“For God’s sake, Jia, you have family that loves you. Don’t you know how fortunate you are? I would give any—” He stopped midword, not wanting to think about all the people he’d lost.
She gave him an entreating look. “If you understand the importance of family, then let me do this.”
He swallowed hard. “And the wedding? Have you forgotten you’re engaged?”
“I’ll decide if I want to do that later. For now, I’m doing what I have to. Just like you.”
He walked away a few steps, considering what to do. If he took her back, he would hate himself almost as much as she would. But he couldn’t let her venture off on her own. If something happened to her, how could he live with that? He already had the guilt of so many deaths on his shoulders. How could he handle another death, especially when it was her—an innocent, brave, and beautiful young woman whose only crime was that she loved her family too much to let their deaths go unpunished?
Take her with you, an inner voice urged him. No. He shook his head. It would be a disaster. She would make him . . . care. You already do.
No! He rejected that immediately. No more thoughts about feelings. He had no feelings. His heart was dead. He lived only to kill Han. He needed to track the bastard down in whatever hole he was hiding in—
He stiffened with a sudden idea and spun toward her. “You can sniff out a vampire?”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “But only if I’m within a few miles of him.”
“What if he’s underground?”
“If he’s not surrounded by tons of rock, I should be able to.” She tilted her head, watching him warily. “What are you thinking?”
“You might . . . be useful.”
Her eyes widened. “Then you’ll team up with me? We can be partners?”
“Maybe.” He held up a hand to keep her from getting too excited. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea. Your cousin would want to kill me.”
“I won’t let him.” Jia strode toward him, a smile blossoming on her face. “Can we start tonight?”
“I need to test your abilities first.”
She nodded. “I can do it.”
“That remains to be seen. I’ll teleport you three miles away from my secret hideout. Then I’ll go there and wait one hour. If you don’t find me, the deal is off. I’ll find you and teleport you home.”
She winced. “And if I do find you?”
“We’ll be a team.”
Her grin returned full force. “I’ll find you. You’ll see.”
He had to be out of his freakin’ mind. Russell reached for her to teleport, but she surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and nuzzling her face against his chest.
“What are you doing?” He grabbed her by the upper arms and tried to ease her back, but she tightened her grip around his neck.
“I have to know your scent.” She rubbed her nose against his shirt. “Lean over, please.”
He leaned forward slightly, and she buried her nose in the crook of his neck. Her fingers delved into his hair, loosening the strands from the ponytail so she could get a good sniff.
“I can’t track down any old vampire I might detect,” she whispered against his neck. “It has to be you.”
His hands tightened on her arms. Already his groin was reacting. How on earth was he going to work with this woman, a betrothed princess, when he longed to hold her in his arms?
Her breath was warm and sweet against his neck. All he had to do was turn his head and he could kiss her. Would she let him? Would she curl up against him like a tiger kitten and purr?
He shoved that thought away. This was business. Only business.
“I’m ready.” She glanced up at him, smiling.
I’m screwed. His dead heart squeezed in his chest. What the hell had he done? Her smile was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in ages. He gathered her close so he could teleport, trying not to think about how good her body felt pressed against his own. As soon as he got to his bat cave, he’d have to take a cold shower. And then he would wait. Would she find him?
No, she would fail the test. She had to. Then he could teleport her home and return to his normal life. He would regain his sanity. He had to.
For he had a strange desire to go completely mad.
Chapter Seven
Jia took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She was alone now, surrounded by dense forest, and the clock was ticking. Before leaving her, Russell had given her his watch with a timer set to go off in one hour. He claimed he would be able to hear the alarm even if she was ten miles away. When her time was up, he’d find her and teleport her back home.