There had been an aura of power about him last night, but now it seemed to radiate from him like moonbeams on a cloudless night. Even shirtless and barefoot she suspected that he could take down almost every vampire in this room. The rays of the sun spilling through the door played over his hard chest and sculpted abs, his steel gray eyes pinned Calvin to the spot. Even though he stepped out of the light and into the shadows as he closed in on Calvin, she was able to see the flecks of blue speckled throughout his gray eyes.
His hair, still tussled from sleep, stood out in spikes about his face. It was a look that may have made other men appear boyish, but the expression on his face was anything but boyish as his gaze fell on Calvin's bruising grip upon her arm. His upper lip curled into a sneer as a ring of fire encircled his eyes.
It was the red gleam in his eyes that finally forced her mouth closed as a dull heat suffused her face. It was silly of her, especially right now, but she couldn't shake the pleased feeling that trickled through her at the realization that he didn't like Calvin touching her. Her gaze darted away from his bare chest, but despite her best attempts not to look, her eyes were inexorably drawn back to him.
She'd grown up in this tavern, she was used to how wild and riotous men could be. She wasn't used to seeing such well-built ones, half naked, with their loose fitting pants hanging low on their slender waists, but then she'd been entirely captivated by him even when he'd been fully clothed.
"What is going on here?" His authoritative voice whipped out of him as he folded his arms over his chest and unrelentingly met Calvin's gaze.
"Were you involved in the fight here last night?" Calvin demanded instead.
"Is that what this is about?"
"Fighting is illegal in these parts and can be punishable by death!" Calvin lashed out as his composure momentarily slipped.
"Says who?"
"I say, I am in charge of this town."
A smile quirked the stranger's full mouth as his head tilted to the side. Then his gaze settled on Calvin's hand wrapped around her arm. Any pretense of amusement faded as his upper lip curled to reveal his elongated canines. A sound that was a cross between a snarl and a roar, and was entirely inhuman escaped him as he took a step closer to Calvin.
"Release her!" he commanded harshly.
He was defending her, but even she took a step back from him as he approached. Over her shoulder she saw Lucas step closer while William edged to the side in an attempt to circle behind Calvin.
Calvin flung her arm away from him and took a step closer to the new vampire. They stood toe to toe, neither backing down as they glared at each other. Violence seemed to pulse within the room and she wouldn't have been the least bit surprised to see the windows shaking from the growing tension.
"What's your name?" Calvin demanded.
"What does that matter to you?"
"I like to know the name of every human and vampire I have executed."
Both of these strangers were insane, she decided when the new vamp released a snort of laughter. "My given name is Jericho."
Hannah had forgotten her uncle was in the room until a small sound escaped him and he almost fell over. He somehow managed to get onto one knee and bow his head. Hannah exchanged a confused look with Lucas as his father took hold of his hand. "Down son," Uncle Abe murmured to him.
Lucas tugged at his hand, but though he looked like a good wind would blow him over, Uncle Abe was stronger than he appeared as he continued to hold onto Lucas. Hannah was beginning to believe everyone was losing their minds as she gawked at her uncle. "My friends call me Jack." Her attention was drawn back to Jack as he continued to speak. "I don't think we're going to be friends though."
Calvin stared at Jack like he was trying to figure him out but Hannah didn't think that was going to be at all possible to do. "I see," Calvin finally said with a glance toward where her uncle remained kneeling and then he looked over at William.
"I think you just might." Jack said with a small nod. "The king's laws don't allow for death, or even imprisonment for fighting unless someone is injured or killed. Since no one was either of those things last night, and since I know you're not the king, you have no say here." Hannah remained unmoving as Jack's unflinching eyes settled upon her. "Or unless the owner of this establishment intends to press charges for property damage, do they?"
It took her a few seconds but she finally found her voice. "We are the owners," she said with a glance at Lucas and her uncle.
"Do you plan to press charges?" he asked in a clipped tone.
"Like the laws would apply to you," Calvin grated through clenched teeth.
Hannah took another step away from Calvin. A muscle in Jack's forehead jumped as he focused on Calvin again. "The king's laws apply to everyone, including the king. Do you plan to press charges?"
Hannah shook her head as she edged further away from the two men she was certain were about to go at each other like rabid dogs. She kept waiting for Calvin to strike out, to attempt to destroy him like he would have any other man, or vampire, that had dared to stand up to him. He remained unmoving though as his right eyelid twitched. She was terrified of incurring Calvin's wrath by going against him, but she was going to do whatever it took to keep her cousin free of Calvin's hands.
"No," she whispered.
Jack gave a brisk nod as his arms fell away from his chest and he took a step back. "Then the matter is settled."
She'd never heard anyone dismiss Calvin before but if the frustrated look on Calvin's face was any indication, he wasn't going to do anything about it. "Let's go," he commanded his men as he nodded his head to the side. "Kane!" he barked when the stocky vamp continued to eye William like he was something he was tempted to stomp. Kane bowed his head before following Calvin out the door.