Suck It by Linsey Hall
10
Mac
I watched as Drakon strolled toward the riders’ area. He walked with a confidence that suggested he did this every day. When the boss took him to a small pen containing a massive bull, my heart leapt into my throat.
The creature was huge. Utterly massive, and he looked mad as hell.
That one likes to throw the riders off.
I looked down to see Genevieve sitting in the shadows. “You asked it?”
She nodded. He loves this. Calls himself The Stomper. Lives to toss them to the ground and tries to stomp them.
Well, if he liked it, at least the bull wasn’t being abused. But Drakon…
I couldn’t help the worry that rushed through me. He’d never ridden a bull before. This was too dangerous.
I shook myself.
He was an immortal vampire. He’d be fine, even if The Stamper got to him.
I’m off to start the search.
“Thanks.”
Genevieve disappeared. For a brief moment, I watched in silence as Drakon stopped near the pen and stared at the bull. Then he climbed over the rails and sat on the beast. The creature bucked wildly, trying to throw him off despite the ropes that helped keep him still. Drakon clenched his powerful thighs and held on without issue.
From my left, I heard whispers from a pair of riders leaning against the wall. Subtly, I glanced over. With their brows raised and their lips slightly pursed, they looked impressed.
The announcer sounded over the loudspeaker, introducing the new rider as Carl.
Carl?
I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. Drakon was calling himself Carl.
I’d never met less of a Carl in my entire life. My humor dissipated as the steel gate swung open, and the bull bounded into the arena. The crowd went wild, howling at the sight of their favorite bull.
The massive beast bucked and twisted, trying to throw him off. I swore I could see the glee in the creature’s eyes, along with the determination.
My phone buzzed, and I reluctantly dragged my gaze from Drakon to check the text from Carrow.
Found two cannisters. Got rid of them.
I typed back a quick message updating her on my status, then returned my gaze to Drakon. Sweat dripped down his temple, and his muscles tensed and tightened beneath his thin t-shirt and worn jeans as he fought to stay on the bull.
Damn, he was hot.
And, apparently, I was into cowboys. Who knew?
Slowly, the riders on the bleachers were getting up to get a closer look at Drakon.
Whispers surged through the crowd as the riders began to congregate at the railing. One by one, they abandoned the area that Genevieve searched. There was enough space for me to join her now.
I moved closer, trying to look inconspicuous. Perhaps it would be okay if someone saw me retrieve the container. Or perhaps they would think it was a bomb and I was responsible. I couldn't afford to be detained right now—not when timing was everything. Given how stubborn McCabe and Donahue had been, I had a feeling it would take a while to convince them to believe me.
We didn’t have a while.
Before heading over, I gave Drakon one last glance.
He was still going, riding the bull like he’d been born to it. Nearly everyone in the waiting area was now at the railing watching him.
As I neared the bleachers, I spotted Genevieve. She peeked from beneath a bench, a worried frown twisting her face. I found it, but there are metal straps bolting it to the bottom of the bench. I can’t remove it.
Good thing we had that distraction after all. “Show me.”
She pointed toward the left edge of the bleachers, away from the riders. Thank fates for small mercies.
It’s halfway up. Fourth bench.
“Thanks, pal.” I strode toward it, trying to act like I fit in.
When I reached the bleachers, I climbed up to the fourth bench and sat. Subtly as I could, I felt around beneath it to see if I could find the cannister. It didn’t take long, but Genevieve was right. The damned thing wouldn’t budge, and I couldn’t make it move from this position.
Unfortunately, it would be impossible for me to squeeze beneath the bleachers. That meant I had to lie down on them, which would look a bit weird.
I glanced around. No one was looking at me. Casually, I laid down on the third bench as if I were taking a nap. Hopefully Madame Alette’s enchanted outfit would make me less noticeable to people, but there were no guarantees since I was amongst the crowd now.
From my prone position, I could get a good view of the cannister. The metal straps had been sealed to the base of the bleachers with some kind of powerful glue, and the cannister itself was about the size of an American football.
Can we blow it up?
Genevieve’s voice sounded from my right, but I didn’t bother to look at her. “No, silly. Then it will just go off. But I need a solvent of some kind.”
Acid bomb?
That wasn’t the worst idea, but I didn’t have one. I preferred the bombs that went boom. “Can you find Eve?”
Of course. I’ll see if she has one.
The potion master traveled with all kinds of goodies. While I waited for Genevieve, I draped an arm over my eyes to try to enhance the illusion that I was sleeping off too many Lonestars.
From the hushed whispers and occasional cheers traveling through the crowd, it sounded like Drakon was still riding that damned bull.
Genevieve appeared right next to the cannister, crouched under the bench. Got it. She even gave me some extras. Lots of goodies in this bag.
“Thanks.”
She shoved a bag and a tiny cylindrical glass bomb at me. I took them from her, stashing the borrowed magical bag in the ether and unscrewing the cap of the bomb. Carefully, I tried to splash it up toward the end of the glued metal strap.
A tiny droplet landed on my hand, and I hissed in pain.
Damn, this sucked.
Fortunately, I didn't get any on the cannister itself. If it ate through the metal and released the contents, I’d be screwed.
Once the straps were weakened enough, I pried them off and pulled the cannister free.
“What are you doing?” a rough voice demanded from above me.
I tensed.
Shit.
“Just resting.” I looked up at the hulking figure. A frown creased his face, suspicion lighting his eyes. They moved toward the cannister and widened. “Is that a bomb?”
“No.”
He crouched low and grabbed my arm tightly. I jerked, breaking away from him, but he lunged for me.
I shared a look with Genevieve as I set the cannister on the ground beneath the bench. She got the message and grabbed it, disappearing.
The man yanked me up and dragged me toward him. His gaze searched the ground beside me, confusion flickering on his face. Clearly, he hadn’t seen Genevieve disappear with the cannister.
“Where is it?” he growled.
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
He gripped me tighter and shook harder, and I hissed in pain. “Let go.”
“You’re coming with me.”
“Hell no, I’m not.”
He tried to drag me down the bleachers, but I resisted. He whirled on me, face as red as an apple.
“Someone has anger issues,” I tisked.
It just made him madder, and I grinned. I wanted to knock him out with a punch across the jaw, but that would just draw attention. I needed to quit antagonizing him and diffuse this situation rather than start a brawl, because I was definitely outnumbered if anyone else noticed us.
“Come on.” He yanked me harder. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m taking you to the Alpha.”
Frustration surged through me, magic sparking in its wake.
“No.” I imbued my voice with power as I gripped his shoulder. I couldn’t draw attention, so I’d try something else.
I called upon the new power I’d used against Ludovic, hoping I’d be able to manipulate this man’s will until he let me go.
His face twisted as my hand tightened on his shoulder and I forced my magic inside him.
“What are you doing?” he hissed.
I ignored the question and tried to freeze his muscles solid. Before, I’d only managed to force a person to speak. This time, I wanted to force him to stay still. His eyes widened as he fought against my grip, and terrified delight raced through me.
This was a scary power.
And it was mine.
“You’re going to walk away,” I said, imbuing my voice with as much power as I could.
I still didn’t know how the hell this magic worked or what it even was, but I hoped my instincts were leading me right.
He laughed, a shocked sound. “I am not.”
As his will resisted me, I felt it like a physical force. Almost like his body was filled with putty and I could manipulate it. What I needed was more juice.
I grimaced and tried to call upon more of my magic. I had it—I just had to find it. Despite the fact that he was resisting me, he still couldn’t escape my grip. We were locked in a strange semi-embrace that I needed to end before anyone saw us.
Finally, I managed to dredge up the last of my power and force it into him. His eyes widened, and he stiffened.
“You’ll walk away and forget you ever saw me.”
“I…won’t.” He had to force the words out, but finally he stepped back from me, his movements calm and docile.
I lost my grip on him and watched as he turned and walked away.
Holy fates.
I couldn’t believe that had worked. I’d just forced someone to do what I wanted. And it wasn’t quite like vampire compulsion—last week, it had worked on those who were immune. But what was it?
A roar from the crowd distracted me, snapping my attention toward the ring. Drakon was still riding. Fates, this had to be some kind of world record. At some point we would attract too much attention. I needed to let him know he could stop.
But first, I had to ensure that the man I’d just forced to walk away was actually going to stay away. What if my influence diminished with time and he told someone about me?
I hurried after him, spotting him through the sparse crowd near the barn. He was headed down the same darkened corridor where Drakon and I had ambushed the other guy.
Perfect.
I followed him in, noting his jerky movements. He still didn’t want to be following my commands, but he was doing it.
I caught up to him, keeping my footsteps silent as I approached his back. We were the only ones in the corridor by the time we reached the middle, and I withdrew a sleeper bomb from the sack Eve had given me.
With a glance behind me to make sure no one was looking, I hurled it at his back. The glass exploded and splashed the potion all over him, and he toppled to his front. Quickly, I dragged him toward an office on the left, binding him with his belt and shoelaces before stashing him in a little closet.
That would have to do.
Finished, I raced toward the arena, pushing my way through the crowd. People jostled and fought to maintain their position at the steel railings that separated us from the show, but I was determined.
“Hey! Watch it,” a woman hissed at me.
“Sorry, that’s my boyfriend.” I smiled apologetically at her. “Just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Her brows rose. “Ooh. Lucky you.”
“Right?” I gave her a conspiratorial smile, even though I felt like a total impostor, and turned to try to catch Drakon’s eye while he rode.
The sight within the arena took my breath away. Drakon clung to the back of a massive bull. The beast bucked and thrashed, his movements so powerful that I couldn’t believe the vampire was still holding on.
But not only was he holding on, he looked damned good while doing it. Totally in control despite the erratic movements of the bull, moving with the creature in synchronized harmony. It was like watching a strange, violent ballet.
The crowd seemed to agree. They watched, entranced, as the show continued.
Finally, I snapped out of my awe. This was getting out of hand. Drakon was just too good at this. Fortunately, we were at a supernatural rodeo and feats of incredible strength were probably normal, but we didn’t need more attention than necessary.
I shifted, trying to force him to look toward me so that I could give him the signal to quit. Finally, his gaze met mine.
Electricity shot through me, and I shivered as I nodded at him.
A moment later, he relaxed his grip on the bull and let the creature throw him. The crowd howled their disappointment as he rolled gracefully and popped to his feet.
Four rodeo clowns raced out from different areas of the arena and caught the bull’s attention, drawing him away from Drakon. Loudspeakers echoed with the announcer’s voice as he said something about Drakon’s impressive show, but I ignored it, my eyes on the vampire.
He strolled toward me, leaping over the steel bars that surrounded the arena with an ease that should have been impossible after his long ride.
The people around us clapped him on the back, congratulatory words jumbling together. Drakon’s brow twitched with his irritation, but he nodded his acknowledgment.
“Come on.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd, my heart racing. My heightened emotions were stupid, but I couldn’t help it. He’d just looked so damned powerful on that bull.
The crowd parted to let us pass, and I could feel the women’s envious gazes on us as we headed toward the exit. We needed to get the hell out of there before anyone came up to offer him a damned bull riding contract or something.
“Did you get the cannister?” he asked as we slipped out of the waiting area and into the main fair grounds.
“I did. Genevieve disposed of it.”
“Disposed?”
“Yeah, I have no idea what she did with it, but it’s probably fine.” Probably. I’d have laughed at the absurdity of giving the badger such a powerful weapon, but I’d had no choice. Anyway, she was trustworthy.
“Come on.” I pulled him behind a beer stall, finding a quiet place away from the crowd. “You okay?”
He looked down at me, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile. “I’m fine.”
My gaze lingered on his for a second too long before I was able to drag my attention away. “Let me check with my friends. It will be dark soon. Hopefully they’ve found the rest of the containers.”
It was a lot to hope for, but the sun was near the horizon, indicating that we were running out of time. The brilliant orange and red glow of the sunset lit Drakon’s skin in warm tones that enhanced his otherworldly beauty.
My heart thundered a bit too loudly as I pulled the phone from my pocket and typed out a message to Carrow, letting her know of our progress. A moment later, her reply came.
We found three. We’re going after one by the carnival games if you can try to get the one by dance floor. Under the music stand. Should be the last of them.
My heart leapt, and I looked up at Drakon. “Just two more.”
He looked toward the setting sun. “And not a moment too soon. They’ll probably start the ceremony shortly.”
“Let’s go. We’ve got to find the one by the dance floor.” I turned and left.
He followed, and we cut through the crowd congregating around the various food stalls that smelled of fried dough, smoked meat, and beer. So American.
Frankly, it smelled divine. Rodeos were probably a hell of a lot of fun under normal circumstances.
As we followed the sound of music to the dance floor, I began to sense an extra tension to the air. Almost as if a tidal wave were coming.
Yet, the crowd mingled as normal—laughing and joking while shooting suspicious looks at the other side of the fairgrounds where the other pack mingled.
“Do you feel that?” I asked Drakon, wondering if I was crazy.
“Feel what?”
“An extra tension in the air.”
He shook his head.
“Weird. Maybe just nerves.” But it grew with every second. By the time we reached the dance floor, I was nearly vibrating with it. “I think something is up.”
His gaze met mine, and I was surprised to see that he was taking me seriously. I felt crazy, so it seemed like he should think I was crazy.
Yet his gaze was perfectly serious. “What are you sensing?”
I shivered, feeling the currents on the air. “Ludovic’s forces are onto us. They’re not going to wait for the ceremony. I’m not a lunatic, I swear. But I can feel it—the last of the cannisters is about to blow.”