by Colt, Shyla
“I—”
“Never should have been made to be a parent when you were only a child. You deserve far better than the position of the false goddess they forced you into. I will make sure you never have to do anything you don’t want to again.” The prettied words made her dizzy. He felt intensely for her, Joss Aryn Weber. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d experienced that. Everything had been tied into White Creek for so long; it overtook her own personal identity.
The fire burning in the depths of his dark gaze reinforced the truth behind his words.
“Kazimir.”
“Surely you must know by now what you are to me.”
“We’re strangers who have a deep bond, and—”
“No. We haven’t met in person before today, but you could never be a stranger to me. You’re my mate.”
Her soul sang at the word.
“No.” She shook her head. “You’re a vampire, and I’m a werewolf.”
“And yet we both know things are strange lately. It’s part of why it took me so long to come to you. There are unsettling things happening in the vampire community. But that can wait. I will not allow anything to intrude on our time together. Walk with me?” He pulled back, linking their fingers. She let him guide her to walk around the lake.
The awkwardness she expected never came. “I’m not sure how to feel about this.”
“About what?”
“Us.”
The corners of his lips curved down. “Why?”
“I don’t want a mate.”
He stopped abruptly, and she stumbled. “Give me a reason why what is between us should not be celebrated.”
“I’ve seen what it does to people.” Her mind wandered to her mother.
“We are not your parents, Joss.”
“They didn’t think they would be like that either,” she said pointedly.
“We know one another in an intimate manner most will never experience. Don’t you think I know you by now? Just as you know me.”
“No, we know aspects of another. It’s not the same. I mean, we were asleep for Pete’s sake.” She was grasping at straws.
He never wavered. “You know me better than any other person walking this earth. How many siblings did I have?”
“Six,” she answered quietly.
“What was my youngest sister’s name?”
“Fanya. What does this prove? They’re facts,” she said, ignoring the warmth growing in her chest.
“They are my history. The one thing most vampires guard with their lives or try to forget. I handed it to you on a silver platter. Don’t cheapen what we’ve created together.”
“How can you be so damn certain?” she snapped.
“You called me back from the edge. It was you who kept me sane when the sickness fell upon me. My people are slowly losing their mind, and falling prey to a disease that mimics the desire to go to ground and rest their weary minds and hearts. Only, they never make it, because the process happens too rapidly. There’s no time to plan or think clearly before they become slobbering, savage beasts, glutting themselves on blood, risking us all, and stopping only when they’re put down.”
“Kaz.” She gripped his arms. “Is that why you went silent?” The thought of losing him to this wasting disease that ended with insanity, blood, and death made her nauseous.
“Yes.”
She cupped his face and studied him intently. “But you’re okay now?”
“Yes, solynshka. See how impassioned you became at the thought of my peril?” He arched a wing brow.
“I care about you!”
He placed a hand on the small of her back and pulled her close. “This is not the way friends behave.” His lips ghosted over hers. “Or do I have someone to be worried about?”
The brief contact tied her tongue. She wanted to wipe the cocky smirk from his lips. Pushing her hips into his, she watched his eyes widen and his nostrils flare.
“I’m trying to be the gentleman you believe me to be. You shouldn’t tempt fate.”
“Are you saying you aren’t that man?” she asked curiously.
“I’m not a good person generally speaking. I’ve too much blood on my hands. But for you? I’ll try.” His honesty endeared him even further.
“There’s too much kindness in your gaze for that to be true.” She lost herself in the abyss of his dark gaze.
“Is it so bad, being my mate?”
My worry isn’t for me. It’s for you. “My future isn’t promised.”
His face hardened, and his eyes glowed red. “I’d destroy the entire world to see you safe.”
The matter-of-fact statement stunned her. “Kazimir.”
“You are my priority. I care not what happens to this world any longer. For you alone will I fight.”
“You can’t say things like that.”
“Why?”
“One person can never be worth more than the entire world.”
“And yet, to me you are.” He squeezed her hip with his left hand. “You’ve been fed so many lies you don’t see how truly priceless you are. I’ll fix that.” He leaned in closer. “I’m going to start with a kiss.”
Leaning her head back, she met him halfway on tiptoe. There was no closing of eyes. They watched one another as they fed from slightly parted lips—each afraid the other would disappear and the entire evening would be another dream. She moaned softly, and he slipped his tongue in, moving his head to deepen the kiss. Their tongues glided together in an elegant dance. Her toes curled in her boots, and she gripped the lapels of his leather jacket as she tried to get closer. Her lungs screamed for air, and she turned her face away breathing heavily. His muscles were tense under the hands that rested against his back.
Pulling back, she saw his eyes had turned crimson. “Your eyes …”
“Change when I’m emotional.” He licked his lips, and she saw a hint of fang peeking out from his upper lip.
“Can I touch them?” She gestured toward a fang.
“You can touch any part of me you like.”
She ran the pad of her pointer finger up and down the smooth, white tooth. Fascinated by the sharp point, she ran the pad of her thumb over it. It pricked her finger, and she jerked. His nose twitched and inhaled. “Your blood smells like caramelized sugar, like the perfect crust on a Crème Brûlée.”
Before she could stop herself, she was painting his lips with her blood.
“Are you testing me?” he whispered.
“Maybe.”
He held himself stiffly, never letting his eye stray from her face. “I can be patient and wait if it’s what you wish. I’ve had centuries to develop control. I also learned persistence. I’m a man who gets what he wants.” The words were different coming from his mouth. They drugged her like good whiskey, frazzling her brain.
“Do you want to taste me, Kazimir?” she asked daringly.
“Every part, but none until you tell me it’s okay.”
“Open,” she demanded.
His lips parted. She pressed her thumb inside. He moaned and sucked gently. The wound closed, and she removed her digit.
“You’re even more delicious than I imagined.”
Heat pooled in her belly.
A twig snapped in the distance. They startled.
“Rabbit.” They laughed as the tension dissipated.
She sighed. “It’s getting late. I can’t stay away much longer.”
“Why?” He tentatively nudged their link. “Show me.”
Relaxing, she allowed him to enter her mind and replayed the last few weeks.
“I’ll snap his neck,” Kazimir whispered.
“Who?”
“Father and son. I’ve yet to decide who deserves to go first.”
“You can’t do that. I don’t have what I need.”
“That’s part of the reason I’m here, Joss. I didn’t come alone.”
“What?” She stepped back, and his arms tightened around her.
“I’m alone now, but I have companions I’m traveling with. You’ll want to hear what they have to say. Everything happening is connected. My people getting sick and falling into blood lust, yours changing without the moon. It’s the work of spell unraveling.”
“A spell?”
“The ones that separated us from the humans long before the title human race existed.”
“Wait.” She jerked back. “You’re saying we were all created from the same magic?”
“When the people who would become known as humans left the cave dwellings, we remained in the darkness and became something else entirely. We were feared, hunted when seen, and trapped in caves by our different qualities. Then one day, we were offered a choice by a magic wielder. Perhaps one of the first of their kind.”
“That would make us all distant descendants,” she marveled.
“It makes all of the bickering and posturing seem trivial, does it not?”
“If that’s our origin and lineage, when did the desperation and hate begin?”
“A very power-hungry Shaman tried to recreate the spell for himself and weakened the integrity. To fix it those of the lines he stole from must come together and recast.”
“What did he steal, Kazimir?”
“Livers, blood, and hearts. He gorged himself on all three, and nature saw fit to punish him. The balance is meant to be maintained. Too much one way and it all falls apart.”
“Is there a specific reason you’re telling me this?”
“You are one of those descendants, Joss. The last one we need.”
Of course. She stumbled back, disgusted. Her eyes blurred with the tears she fought to hold back. “I would’ve helped you regardless. You didn’t have to launch an elaborate ruse—”
He gripped her face gently. “Don’t even suggest it. I never imagined you’d be such a coward. At the core of your being, you know my feelings for you are true. Finding offense when there is none is a low blow.” His words stung. “It doesn’t matter. I assure you I am more stubborn than you. I will outlast your doubt, anger, and desire to run. We are mates. It’s a fact, not an opinion. Denying it will only make us miserable and distracted. Neither of us has the time or the luxury for that.”
“I have a duty to my pack, and apparently the rest of the supernatural world at large.”
“You won’t always.” He released his hold. “Besides, I am here to help you with that. I’ll escort you home, and we’ll meet again on the morrow. You can speak with Nakeeta and Crewe. Like us, they’re an unusual pairing. He’s a vampire and she’s a witch.”
Her eyebrows rose toward the sky. “But they hate each other.”
“I assure you, Crewe and Keeta don’t. They’re almost sickening really.”
She snickered. “This is too bizarre. I have to be dreaming.”
“If we are, I hope we never wake up.” He kissed her temple. “I’ll walk you as far as I can without them catching my scent. For now, I’ll play your game.”
She bit the inside of her lip. How could she be upset with him for putting her first? It tapped into a part of her she’d closed off to mask the pain she felt at always being last on everyone’s the list of priorities unless it served their needs.
“When and where shall we meet tomorrow?”
“I have to work from open at seven in the morning until three o’clock,” she said.
“Three thirty then. Where?”
Trying to dissuade him would be useless. “The town library. I need to do some research. We can kill two birds with one stone, and hopefully, none will be the wiser.”
“I’ll have Nakeeta mask my scent.”
They reached the mid-point in the woods, and she stopped. “I should go alone from here.” Her shoulders slumped, and the heaviness she’d left behind returned.
“I’m a call away.”
Images of his pale flesh ripped by canine teeth as a wolf pile descended up on him flashed in her mind. “This is an extremely dangerous situation for you, Kazimir. If the pack discovers you and your friends are here—”
“Nothing short of death will keep me from you again. You’re mated to a very old man. I believe you’ll find I’m not so easily killed.” His roguish grin made her smile.
She sobered quickly. “I can’t be responsible for your death.”
“You’re the only reason I’m alive right now.” He leaned down and stole the protest from her mouth with a sweet kiss. “Go, we’ll speak more tomorrow.”
Floating away on a cloud, she listened. The hour grew later, and she didn’t want to get them caught. Dazed, she slipped back into the house, careful not to rouse the wolves sleeping on the job. Once inside, she locked the door.
“You took your sweet time, didn’t you?” Brook hissed.
“Jesus.” Joss grabbed her chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Good! I was ready to come out there and find you.”
“Why? How long was I gone?” She searched the house for a clock.
“It’s four o’clock in the morning, Joss.” Brook crossed her arms under her chest and frowned. In her fluffy pink robe, black flannel pants with hearts, and a black satin hair cap, she looked every inch an angry mother who’d caught her teenage daughter sneaking back into the house.
She wrestled down a snicker to keep from riling Brook further.
“Whoa. I’m fine. It didn’t seem like that much time passed.”
“And you’re okay?”
Joss smiled goofily. “So okay.”
The tension melted from Brook’s body. “Tell me everything!”
She laughed as they walked over to the couch and she spilled her guts. For a moment, she almost felt normal. When she ignored the nagging voice in the back of her mind that couldn’t stop thinking about everything to come, Kazimir scolded her gently, “Enjoy your evening, solynshka.”
Even now he was in the wings, ready to slip in even if only to ease her pain. Unlike other bonds, this didn’t feel intrusive.
“Is this where I say yes, sir?”
“Only if you’re sure you’re ready to deal with the consequences of that action.” The warning tone made heat pool in her belly.
“Like that idea?” he asked.
“I’ll let you know after we test it out.”
“Temptress.” He retreated.
“What just happened?” Brook asked.
“Kazimir,” she replied distantly as she returned to the present.
“You’re speaking in your minds now?” Brook whispered. “That takes a true bond and trust. My God. He truly is your mate. That’s why no one else ever appealed to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“How could anyone stir your emotions when you spend every night with the man you’re meant to be with?” Brook pressed a hand to her heart. “You’re like a romance novel come to life. The werewolf and the vampire.”
Uncomfortable, Joss shifted on the couch. “Now who’s reading too much into things?”
“I don’t think I am. Why are you so resistant to it?”
“Forgive me, I’m at my max for dealing with complicated situations, currently.”
“If you could see yourself from my point of view, you’d know why it’s not necessary. You’re shining like a polished diamond. That’s enough for me to get behind it.”
The sincerity in her best friend’s words chipped away at the wall of denial crumbling around her. What do I do if he is my mate? Interspecies relationships weren’t a thing she knew about. You’d better learn fast, her conscience whispered back.
Chapter Seven
She clutched her mug of coffee in her hands like a talisman from the exhaustion, counting on it to make her made her lids feel less superglued shut. The soft sounds of snoring coming from her room made her smile. At least one of them would be well rested today. They’d stayed up until sunrise quietly whispering to each other like teenagers. The heat warmed her through as the tiny brown beans ground to perfection began to do their job a
nd infuse her with energy. Leaning against the counter, she watched the world outside. Fall leaves drifted to the ground, and the sunlight shone down through the clouds. The sight of her mother’s silver SUV made her tense.
Draining the last drops of her coffee, she went for a refill. I’m going to need another cup to handle this. After pouring liberal amounts of pumpkin spice creamer into her mug, she added coffee and stirred. Her mother parked and climbed from the car in a pair of fitted jeans, and a white T-shirt covered by a pink and white long-sleeved flannel. She was dressed casually enough, but her harried step and rigid posture pointed to something being wrong. They hadn’t had a real conversation since their blow out.
She walked to the door and opened it before she could knock and disturb Brook. “Hey. Brook is still asleep. We had a late night.”
“Oh.” Her mother blinked. “Good morning.” The tentative smile on her mother’s thin lips broke her heart. Things had never been this awkward between them before.
“Come in.” Joss stepped back reluctantly. “I have to work this morning.”
“I know. I couldn’t leave things the way they were any longer. I tried to give us both time.” Her mother laced her fingers and let them hang down in front of her.
“I haven’t changed my mind about anything.” The words were severe but heartfelt.
Her mother winced. “I wouldn’t expect you to. I can see your point of view, Joss. I just ask that you try to see mine.”
“You were the adult. I spent too much time playing parent long after your cancer went into remission. I never should’ve assumed that much duty. The guilt and burden of responsibility for your continued well-being has eaten away at me for years. It pecked away at my soul, little by little like a ravenous corvid.”
“I didn’t know.” Her mother placed a hand over her chest and grimaced.
“How could you not, Mother?” Joss asked incredulously.
She shook her head. “Maybe I didn’t want to. I knew you weren’t one-hundred percent invested, but here we’re safe and taken care of.”
“As long as we stay in line. You present White Creek as a utopia. It’s not,” she snarled.
Her mother’s eyes widened. “It has its faults.”
