Shain: Immortal Forsaken Series #6 (Paranormal Romance Novella)

by Verika Sloane

  He and Marex came across a fallen tree. Both lithely jumped over it.

  “And?” Marex encouraged when he landed on his feet.

  “We talked. She was trying to give me advice or something, said I was too cynical. I flirted with her, but when I got too close, I scared her off. When she told me to go away, I refused. I wanted to stay so badly, but she wanted out of the pond. So I turned my back and promised I wouldn’t look.”

  “But you did.”

  “My intentions were noble. I’d seen a hundred, a thousand beautiful bodies in my lifetime. In fact, I’d just attended an Eyes Wide Shut theme party the week before, where vampiresses walked around with nothing but masks on. A beautiful body is always a pleasure to see. Yes, I was curious, but I kept my eyes forward, like a gentleman.”

  “And then?” Marex seemed way too hooked on the story.

  Oh, that first taste of her... “And then I heard her walking to the bank, the sound of the water dripping off her body. Her energy bolted right through me, like a strike of lightning, I swear it.” Astounding power had speared his heart, his soul. Never before had another’s energy hit him with such needy, sexual force. “I could barely stand up. I was weak, stoned. My teeth were out, my hands shook. I couldn’t help it, I looked at her. She started to dress… Gods. I could hardly stop myself from—”

  Marex’s arm prevented him from taking another step. He pointed down. “Bear trap.”

  So caught up in his story, he could’ve mangled a leg. “Anyway, I told her I wanted to see her again. She laughed at me and said it would never happen. I could see the attraction wasn’t one-sided, and thought maybe she was just coquettish. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I kissed her. That’s when I discovered she was a shiya.”

  “Well, shit.”

  No shit. “We were both in shock. But then we kissed again. And again.” Gods, talking about that night… It hurt just as much as it awed. That first taste of her had ignited an obsession for more, and never stopped. “Then someone called for me and I had to let her go. I got desperate. I asked her to meet me at a park the next evening. She refused. But I went there. I waited, every day for a week, and she showed up on the last night.” He sighed. “The rest is history.” Because it was killing him to talk anymore about it.

  “By the gods. Sounds a lot like how I felt when I met Nadine.”

  “But you’re a fateblood.”

  Marex looked at him. “That’s what makes it even more fascinating. You’re a pürblood. She’s a shifter. Yet you reacted to her like a fateblood reacts to their fated.”

  “Without the eternal ever-after.”

  “Yet, here you are. Your tale isn’t finished.”

  Shain’s jaw clenched. “It is for me. Make no mistake. If she wants to leave, we’ll take her, see that she’s safe, but she’s ultimately going with you and Kane.”

  Marex nodded. “Right.”

  They walked the rest of the way in blessed silence. Shain had a feeling Marex was sorting out his ill-fated romance in his head, as though it was a riddle to be solved.

  A howl in the distance.

  They stopped and exchanged glances.

  Zander’s presence was being announced.

  When they came to the edge of the forest, where the smaller cabins at the southeast corner of the compound were grouped, Shain and Marex squatted behind a large brush and peeked around it.

  No one over here was awake yet. None of the interior lights were on.

  Kimber was in the farthest corner, according to the map Diana included. There were seven bungalows between. Vampires were blessed with the gift of stealth, but snow crunching under their boots would wake any shifter or guard dog. Neither he nor Marex had the ability to blur, which would be damn handy right now.

  “We can’t,” Shain concluded, jaw clenched.

  “We can,” Marex countered in a hushed whisper.

  Shain contained the urge to snarl at the leader’s attitude. “Either we’ll be spotted, one of their guard dogs will hear us, or we’ll wake up one of their men. It’s too fucking risky.”

  “We knew that going in.” Marex’s eyes slightly narrowed at him. “Or maybe you’re just nervous now that you’ve gotten this close to her again.”

  Shain’s mouth pinched. He moved his gaze toward the row of bungalows, annoyed Marex could be right. “This was half-assed plan from the start.”

  “Is it possible to wait until after the ceremony?” Marex surmised.

  “Too late. Wedding vows notwithstanding, once she’s mated, she belongs to her husband. If we take Kimber anyway, we’d not only have the entire pack after us, but the Glaciers could recruit other packs, too. No vampire kidnaps a shiya and gets away with it. And there’s a chance she’s already claimed. If that’s the case, well, she won’t even come to me.” For some reason, the theory ignited white-hot rage, the kind only made when a man’s hopes were up.

  “Then you know what you need to do.”

  Actually, he didn’t. “What are you talking about?”

  Marex turned to him on his haunches. “Calm down. Use your instincts. And feel for her. If your connection is as strong as you say, then she’ll come to us.”

  Was the rebel leader testing him? To see if he and Kimber had the kind of bond only true soul mates could prove? Shain checked his ire. Marex had no idea what they had. And Shain loathed that the man wanted him to prove it. “You want me to call to her with my mind? Are you serious? I highly doubt that would work.”

  “Don’t doubt it. Believe it.”

  Was their connection that strong? It used to be, but now…

  His heart whispered a fierce yes, because he wanted to trust it was.

  His head said no. That he’d fail. She’d destroyed their connection the day she’d walked out in the sun that morning.

  But he had to try. Had to.

  Before he could stand up, Marex grabbed his forearm. “If Kimber comes with us, and something happens and we have to make a run for it, go straight to the SUV. If I’m not there, don’t wait for me, just go. Zander and I will meet up after he leaves, and we’ll come to the cabin. Don’t think twice about us. Get as far as fast as you can, Shain.”

  Nodding, he stood up, drew in a deep, cold breath, and closed his eyes.

  Three

  Kimber.

  She awoke on a gasp, sat up, and looked around the bungalow.

  Her wolf perked, alert, wary.

  After a few heart-pounding seconds, she sighed and glanced at the clock.

  There was maybe another hour before the sun crested the horizon. A new day.

  Her doomsday.

  Climbing out of bed, she slipped on her robe and shuffled toward the bathroom, exhausted, having barely captured a few hours of good sleep—

  Kimber.

  She whipped around, eyes wide, clutching the lapels of her robe.

  Was she hallucinating, hearing Shain’s distinctive voice because she yearned to? Or…?

  She gasped at the rush, how her spine buzzed, how the hairs on her nape stood. And the significant ache whined in her belly.

  An ache she never felt unless...not since…

  She stood still, closed her eyes.

  Listened. Waited. Prayed.

  “Shain?” she whispered.

  Silence. Holding her breath, she hoped with all her might it was true.

  Yes, Kimber.

  Her wolf howled.

  She opened her eyes in disbelief. “He’s here?”

  She rushed to the door, cracking it open, brows drawing together when she saw nothing. He wasn’t on her front step or standing before it, waiting for her.

  You’re dreaming. Wake up, wake up.

  As if to reinforce her instincts, another, stronger wave of longing swept her body, taking her breath away, tightening the muscles in her lower back. No doubt about it, she was awake, and her wolf was acting up, trying to come through and see for herself.

  Kimber grabbed her boots by the door and pulled them on, questions s
parking in her head like fireworks. What was happening? Was it really Shain? Or was it a trick? Was Zander Kane using magick to draw her out? She crept outside, looking to her right. Nothing but fog and fresh snow and the dark path that led to the pack’s headquarters.

  She took the next step down and looked to her left.

  More bungalows. Fog and snow. The vast forest that flanked their property.

  Though the early morning was tranquil and quiet with everyone asleep, the air around her electrified with energy.

  It was just like the first night she’d felt Shain’s presence.

  “I know you’re here,” she breathed, staring at the woods, heart racing. “Show yourself.”

  Like an apparition, at the edge of the forest, Shain emerged from behind a tree and faced her.

  Had the rail not been there, she would’ve collapsed.

  “Oh, god.” She started forward, tears filling her eyes, which she never took off him, fearing that to blink would make him nothing but a specter of her imagination.

  He remained unmoving, staring back at her.

  Why was she walking? She should be running.

  Every lift of her feet felt like slow motion, the icy air burning her lungs, emotions threatening to make her misstep on the way.

  His arms were not open wide, his expression like stone.

  Was she running toward a ghost after all?

  Just when she was about to throw her arms around him, he grasped her forearms and stopped her in her tracks.

  “Shain?” It was just as much a question to his action as it was to ensure it was actually him.

  He pulled her behind the brush, and she realized he wasn’t alone.

  “You did it,” said the man, something like amazement in his voice. A vampire.

  “Marex,” Shain said a low voice that gave her shivers. “This…is Kimber.”

  As in Marex Daulton? Her eyes widened.

  The rebellion leader gave a nod. “Good morning.”

  Head spinning, she automatically went to kiss his cheek. “Oh, uh, hello.”

  He seemed amused at her attempt to give him a vampiress greeting. “Do you know why we’re here?”

  She looked at Shain, then back to Marex. “I think so. The letter? Diana told me.”

  “That’s right. We’re here with Zander Kane. He’s serving as a distraction of sorts right now. If you want out of this wedding, you have to leave with us now.”

  A glance to the bungalows. “I’m ready.” She was shaking, but very ready.

  “Is there anything you need to grab before we go?” Marex asked.

  Afraid that going back would push her luck, she shook her head. “Nothing I can’t live without.”

  “Good.”

  “Sunrise is close,” she told them needlessly, nervous that any second they’d be discovered by one of her pack’s guards.

  “We can make it to the SUV in plenty of time,” Shain said. “It’s parked at our spot.”

  Their spot. Where he’d picked her up years ago so they could be together. “Okay. I’ll shift. I can run faster that way.” On flat ground, she could run twenty-five miles per hour for about two miles without tiring. That was about as far as where the vehicle was. The terrain was jagged and coarse, but she’d run it a million times, and knew exactly where to cut and turn to avoid having to slow down.

  Vampires were fast, and with a head start, could outrun the guard shifters, should they smell them.

  “We’ll go in different directions to throw off the scent,” Marex said.

  Shain nodded his agreement. “Let’s go.”

  “Be safe.” Marex headed east.

  Shain glanced at her. “Don’t look back.”

  She squeezed his forearm, the tension thick and hard in the muscle.

  He held her gaze for a moment, his unreadable, then took off in a run heading west.

  Watching him go, her heart lurched at the emptiness in his eyes. Or maybe he was just worried they wouldn’t get away.

  Her wolf, eager to shift, barked her urgency. Kimber removed her boots and robe, purposely leaving them in plain sight. She didn’t want anyone to assume she’d been kidnapped against her will, though they’d know by Marex’s and Shain’s footprints that she hadn’t taken off alone. Regardless, Hudson would come looking for her.

  Bolstered by the thought she wouldn’t have to marry him, she closed her eyes and started to run south, transforming into her wolf and allowing instincts to guide her course.

  Two miles later, she shifted back to her human body when she saw the blacked-out SUV, her salvation, but no Shain. No Marex.

  Breathless and freezing, she worriedly looked around for a sign of them, hugging her naked body, teeth chattering.

  After what felt like an unbearable amount of time, Shain emerged through the trees, stripping off his jacket while he ran toward her. Just as her legs were about to give out, he scooped her up.

  “Gods, you’re fast,” he breathed.

  Shivering, she clutched his jacket, enveloped in his painfully familiar scent and strength.

  He opened the passenger door and set her in the seat, going around to the driver side. When he started the ignition and cranked on the heat, her feet were blasted with cold air while the engine warmed up.

  Shain waited a moment or two and then, then threw it in park and started to back out.

  Kimber sat up. “We’re not going to wait?”

  Shain didn’t answer.

  Though she’d met Marex for all of three seconds, she was concerned about ditching him to find his own means of escape. “Shain. We can’t leave him.”

  Still, he didn’t reply. Why wasn’t he talking?

  True, it was going to be a cloudy day, about to snow again, so he wasn’t in dire peril, but UV rays still drained a vampire’s energy for even a short time outdoors. Why would Shain take off without him?

  “We have to wait for him,” she insisted.

  “We can’t,” he clipped, turning the GMC around and heading toward the main road. “The more time we have to put distance between you and the Glaciers, the safer you’ll be.”

  She turned around and looked out the truck’s rear window, in case Marex would somehow come running out in time to wave at them.

  “Don’t worry about him,” he drawled. “He’s got a cell phone, and his best buddy is nearby. The plan is to meet us at the cabin. Stay down until we get past town.”

  That gave her some relief. She hated to imagine their sacrifice to get her out would end with one of them at her pack’s mercy. In Marex’s case, no mercy. She curled up in the jacket, still absorbing the fact Shain had come to her rescue, that she was mere inches from him.

  She’d escaped... Part of her wanted to sob, the other part wanted to weep about how close she’d come to being claimed by Hudson. How long would it take them to figure out she was gone? Regardless, she refused to think about the what-ifs and consequential actions, refused to give Hudson another thought.

  She looked at Shain, aching to touch him, run her hand along his muscled thigh, and reassure herself he was real.

  He kept his hands on the steering wheel, not once reaching to touch her, or say anything comforting, or tell her exactly how this all came to be.

  Twenty minutes passed. Then thirty.

  “Shain,” she said, turning toward him. “Pull over. We’re far from town by now.”

  The sound the steering wheel made in his grip conveyed his frustration. “Not far enough.”

  She scooted a little closer to him, feeling a desperate, near hysterical yearning to be in his arms. “Just for a minute.” She lightly set her hand on his shoulder, and he flinched.

  He reached past her for the glove compartment. “Don’t.” He found a pair of sunglasses and slid them on to protect his eyes.

  Don’t what? Touch him? Speak to him? God, what was going on?

  “There’s a motel ahead—”

  “I’m not stopping at a damn motel. I’m not stopping at all, Kimber.�
��

  “You can’t drive all day! It makes you sick the more you’re exposed, regardless if there’s sunlight.”

  “I’ve suffered a lot more and survived.” He glanced at her and slammed the accelerator. “Please, button the jacket.”

  She looked down and realized it was gaping open. Since when did he ever tell her to cover up? Gaze dropping, she sat back in her seat, clutching the coat closed, deeply confused.

  Was his cold treatment of her because he was anxious they’d be caught? Was he so focused on their escape he didn’t want to consider stopping? If so, she could partially agree. Now was not the time to be in one another’s arms. Even an hour’s drive away from the Glacier’s property, they were still vulnerable. And one minute of affection wouldn’t be enough. She’d want more. So much more.

  No. He was right. They had to keep going.

  “How far?” she asked tentatively.

  “Eighteen hours.” He glanced at her uncovered legs. “There’s a blanket in the back.”

  In other words, use it. Swallowing her complaint, she found the blanket and spread it over herself so only her head showed. Eighteen hours was a long time.

  But it had nothing on a year.

  She stared at his profile, still adrift in disbelief that he’d come for her. Her handsome, dashing, fearless Shain…though, he’d changed a bit. She’d always seen him clean shaven, yet kind of liked the beard now. It looked good on his strong jawline. But it covered up his dimples. His dark blonde hair had grown an inch or two, though he still maintained the same cut, enough to run her hands through. Her fingers itched with the urge.

  She squirmed, in need, imagining his gorgeous body naked in candlelight, her hands charting over his brick-hard stomach. Remembering the brilliant blue color his eyes displayed whenever she said she loved him, the low groan he’d make when he sank deep inside her.