by Lisa Kessler
He growled against her ear, “Let go…”
Her body shuddered around him as she peaked in his arms, taking him over the edge with her. Lukas slammed his hips into her until he erupted deep inside, claiming her.
If they never moved again it would be too soon.
Issa stayed close behind Mulac, never taking his eyes off his treacherous brother. Kane caught up with them before they reached the pyramid, his face carefully masking the rage Issa felt radiating off of him.
“You found our dear brother before I did. Pity.”
Issa glanced at him before facing forward again. “We need him for the ritual. You know this.”
“You two should thank me for returning.” Mulac glared back at them. “If I had wanted to flee, you never would have found me.”
“Pompous bastard.” Kane lunged toward Mulac’s back, but Issa anticipated his outburst, catching his arm and holding him back.
“He is baiting you, brother.” They approached the pyramid and entered the hidden chamber. Issa scanned the room and frowned. “Where is the Guardian?”
Colin sat upright, his arm wrapped in a makeshift sling. “He and Marguerite went to feed.”
Kane froze as if time held him captive. Finally he turned toward Colin, his voice barely a whisper. “Rita?”
Colin nodded slowly. “The Guardian found her.”
Kane leaned against the stone wall. “She lives.” He rubbed his hand down his face and looked at Issa. “I need to see her.”
“And you will when she returns.” Issa held his brother’s gaze, insisting on his compliance without speaking another word. He nodded toward the God of the North. “I need you to be certain Mulac doesn’t decide to leave us.”
Kane stood tall, away from the wall, his shoulders tensing with power. “He will not be going anywhere.”
Mulac shrugged. “I do not need to go anywhere. While we cower inside, Camalotz roams free, feeding and changing the world.”
Kane punched him in the jaw hard enough for Issa to hear bones crumble. Mulac fell to the ground and spat blood into the dirt.
“Enough,” Kane growled.
Mulac’s eyes burned fire, but he made no move to retaliate.
Calisto shifted in the corner, Ch’en beside him. “We need to feed.”
“You can’t go out in the jungle to hunt like this.” She gripped his hand tightly. “I’ll go, and then you can drink from me.”
“Ch’en will not be going anywhere.” Issa knelt down to check the man’s wounds. His skin still hadn’t repaired itself completely. Part of his sternum remained exposed. He did need to feed, but Ch’en was right, he was in no condition to hunt.
Issa looked at her, and his chest constricted with guilt. All of her concern was for her mate, but it should be for herself. Her memories of her life as Ch’en were gone. She called herself Kate. How was it possible for her to call the Demon back into the world?
Across the room, Kane and Mulac bickered. Mulac. He must have found her and given her the words to summon the Demon. She couldn’t have unleashed Camalotz on her own.
Calisto stared up into his eyes and suddenly Issa felt him in his mind. His mental shields reacted immediately, shutting out the intruder.
Stay out of my mind.
Issa turned his back on them. “We will stay here until Marguerite and the Guardian return.”
“So we are your prisoners, then.” Calisto’s voice sounded raspy and weak, but the shadow of a threat still colored his words. Not that he could inflict much damage in his current condition, but Issa had no doubt he would defend his Kate until his final breath left his body.
Issa glanced back over his shoulder, but his eyes were not on Calisto. He stared directly at the Goddess of the Moon. “I wish it could be different.”
The Guardian felt her small hand tighten on his forearm as Marguerite pulled him to a stop. The air around them felt still, quiet. Too quiet. The stench of spilled blood surrounded them.
“What do you see?” he whispered.
“Death.” He could hear the shudder in her voice, her grip on his arm growing even tighter. “They are all dead.”
His senses were already on alert, searching for his mate’s scent. “Who is dead?”
“The animals. Their bodies. They are everywhere.” She took a tentative step forward, pulling him with her. He followed her lead and then connected his mind with hers, seeing the carnage through her eyes.
Blood bathed the trees, the soil, until the entire area around them, as far as the eye could see, was a monochrome landscape of scarlet and carcasses. Only Camalotz could cause so much destruction, such complete annihilation. He stretched his senses, reaching beyond himself, searching for her.
His entire body tensed. Marguerite lost her footing, and he jerked her into his chest, spinning around to go back the way they came.
She rushed to keep up with him, guiding him through the maze of trees. “What happened back there?”
“It is Camalotz. I have to get you to the others.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He didn’t slow his stride. His ancient heart thudded in his chest, beating like a war drum in his ears. He’d never felt so responsible for a single individual before. He couldn’t let Camalotz take Marguerite again. The woman had a fighting spirit, but that alone was no match for the Demon’s power. Camalotz would not allow her to live a second time.
“Answer me,” Marguerite demanded in a breathless whisper.
He finally stopped for a moment, turning his eyeless face in her direction. “Camalotz could be right beside us. The carnage you saw, all of the blood, she used it to cover her scent. She is hiding from me, and I can feel her fury.”
Gretchen’s skin still felt hot, glowing as they walked hand in hand back toward the pyramid. She couldn’t help replaying their lovemaking in her mind, hearing the passion in his voice as he growled her name. The way he stared into her eyes as their bodies became one.
One.
He loved her.
She wanted to pinch herself. Knowing that Lukas felt the same way she did gave her hope. The possibility of a future together warmed her from head to toe. For a moment, she could almost forget a bloodthirsty Demon lurked in the jungle.
In spite of the danger, she felt strong. Love could do that. And she loved an incredible man who respected her mind and just proved that he could also worship her body until she burst into a million pieces. He could change his body chemistry to become an owl and he’d live forever, but only at night. He drank blood to sustain his immortal body and had the ability to communicate telepathically.
As she finished the thought, she realized that she’d gotten so caught up in the moment that her mental melody had ceased playing in her mind. He was probably hearing every thought that had just crossed her mind, reading her like an open book.
She smiled up at Lukas as they ducked under the low branches of the trees. “Did I leave anything out?”
He smiled, and the sight made her knees rubbery.
“Until right now, no one, including me, has been able to get inside your mind. Do you have any idea how long it took me to learn to shield my thoughts? It was nearly impossible at first, and yet in two days’ time, you’ve mastered the art.” He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back tenderly. “You are an amazing woman.”
She looked up into his eyes, memorizing the expression on his face, never wanting to forget this moment. No one had ever looked at her the way he did, with so much passion and admiration. He brought her hand to rest on his chest, pressing her palm directly over his heart. Her pulse raced in answer.
“I thought I’d lost you forever.” He paused, collecting himself.
“I know how you feel… That’s how I felt watching you fly away from me on the dock in San Diego. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.” He brought her hand up to his lips again, nuzzling her fingers. “I saw what the Demon had done to you, or ma
de you do to yourself in the hotel room during the day, and I—” He shook his head. “I can’t protect you during the daylight. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
“Wait a minute.” Gretchen removed her hand from his caress. “You really didn’t have any intention of ever seeing me again?”
Lukas tensed. “I knew you would be safer if I stayed away.”
“Wow.” She shook her head. “You could walk away and never look back? Just like that?”
He shrugged. “Probably not, but I’d like to think I could be that noble.” He took her hand again, his eyes staring into hers. “But I wouldn’t have been able to stay away. I love you. I loved you then, too, but I’d been lying for so long I didn’t know how to tell you.”
The honesty in his gaze buffed the edges of her hurt. “Well, turning into an owl and flying away was a pretty unforgettable way to come clean.”
He started to smile and her heart fluttered.
“Did you have any intention of honoring my request that you stay away and be safe?” He raised a brow. A playful twinkle of moonlight shone in his eyes, making her grin in spite of herself.
“In my defense, you had to know there was no way I’d turn tail and go home. My Dad didn’t raise a quitter, and we’re on to something big down here. I couldn’t just leave. Especially when people are in danger. For once, my knowledge could save lives and change the future. That doesn’t happen very often for someone who studies ancient long-dead societies, you know.” She bit her bottom lip, trying to keep the words in, but she couldn’t hold it back any longer. “Besides, you questioned my intelligence. I couldn’t let you get away with calling me a fool.”
“I never believed you were a fool, but…” Gretchen looked into his eyes, seeing the all-too familiar shadows and pain. “But you really don’t understand the whole of who I am.”
“I’ve lived with you for months, sometimes in the worst of conditions.” Gretchen searched his gaze. “I know who you are, Lukas.”
He cleared his throat, breaking eye contact, and stared out into the jungle. “When I was a man, I dreamed of finding a woman to share my life. We would have a home with children. It was all I wanted.” A sad smile crossed his lips. He pressed his palm to his temple and shook his head before meeting her gaze. Pain and guilt shone in his eyes, and a faint twinge of the Russian accent he usually buried colored his words. “I still hear the echoes of the screams of that family. Gretchen, I murdered the one thing I cherished most as a man.”
He groaned and turned away from her. With a couple of steps distance between them, he stopped without looking at her. “I left you in San Diego because that monster is still somewhere inside of me, and I couldn’t live with myself if I ever hurt you.”
Gretchen wanted to comfort him, but she had no idea how. The guilt he’d carried for centuries was a part of him, driving him in his research. If not for his need of redemption, she might never have met him.
“I don’t know enough about your…” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “Race. I can’t make up a fairy tale about the family going to a better place or even lie to myself that whatever that hunger was won’t come back. But I can promise you that as long as you are honest with me, we can get through anything. That much I do know.”
Lukas turned to face her again. “You deserve a life that I know I can’t give you. No sunshine, no family…”
“Did you ever think to ask me what kind of life I might want?” She cocked her hip with a frustrated sigh. “Maybe it’s because my Mom ran off when I was a little girl, I don’t know, but marriage hasn’t ever been on my radar. After I lost my Dad, it’s been me against the world. I think I liked it that way.” She pressed her lips together, collecting her thoughts. “But it’s different with you. I feel like you’re my partner, and we’re stronger together than we are apart.”
She blinked back a surprise welling of tears, emotion coloring her voice. “This feeling in my heart is what I want. Adventure is what I want. And if you had taken the time to ask me, instead of just assuming I wanted a white picket fence and two kids and a husband to provide for us, you would’ve known.”
A hint of a smile pulled at the corners of Lukas’s mouth. “When I first told you that I only walk in the night and drink blood to live, you looked less than happy.”
Gretchen rolled her eyes. “Well, of course I wasn’t happy. You asked me to believe the unbelievable, and then before I could let it sink in, you made my decision for me and ran away.” Her smile faded. “Did you think I would judge you? I thought you knew me better than that.”
He shook his head slowly. “I judged myself and came up lacking. You deserve much better than I could ever give you.” Gretchen started to protest, but Lukas went on before she could speak. “That night in San Diego, I was so worried about you that I forgot to feed. I’d never been near you without feeding first, and I…”
Lukas turned away from her, looking up at the stars.
“You what?” she prodded.
His eyes met hers again, rimmed in red. “I was intoxicated by the scent of your blood. I wanted to feed on you, Gretchen. I felt like a monster, and I couldn’t bear knowing that I could hurt you or that I frightened you. It was bad enough to know you were already in danger because of me. I didn’t want to see fear in your eyes when you looked at me. So I ran. And I’d hoped you could forget me and have a chance at happiness. Was that so wrong?”
Taking a step closer to him, Gretchen reached up to touch his cool cheek. “I know what you are. Do I look afraid of you?”
“You’ve only seen me as a man. You’ve never seen the monster.”
“So show me.”
The Guardian moved fast. Marguerite could barely keep up, let alone guide his path through the tangled vines and tree branches. He knew she did her best to maneuver him, but stray branches still tore open his skin, leaving bloody gashes behind.
He hardly noticed.
His pace was relentless, just as the Demon who pursued them. Marguerite slowed and he pulled her off the ground, carrying her with one arm, while he used his other arm to avoid collisions with trees. Finally he slowed and placed her on her feet, knowing the pyramid was close by.
“You found it.” She took his hand. “How did you do that?”
He turned his blind face toward her, his chest heaving with exertion. “I do not need my eyes to see in this darkness.”
“I know you couldn’t see the trees.” His bare chest was already beginning to heal the cuts from their race through the jungle. “How did you find the pyramid?”
“I was made from this forest. It is a part of me. I do not need to see in order to know the scents and the landscape. But trees tend to grow without my knowledge. Thank you for guiding me around them.”
She laughed. “Judging by all of our scrapes, I did not do a very good job.”
He shook his head and took her hand as they entered the pyramid. “We arrived before Camalotz. That is all that matters.”
When they reached the center chamber, Issa took the Guardian’s hand from hers, walking the hulking man to the stone table where Colin lay. Without a word, he cut open the Guardian’s wrist and placed the wound to Colin’s lips. Although his body was engorged with blood to feed the wounded, cutting open his skin was still painful.
Colin drank deeply, and gradually, the Guardian’s limbs grew heavy. His brow furrowed when he felt the wave of emotion brush over him.
Marguerite’s cool fury.
After the God of the South drank his fill, Issa led him to another injured Night Walker and his wrist was opened again, his blood offered and taken. As the man finished drinking, the Guardian sensed Marguerite’s approach, and out of habit, turned toward her.
She took his hand in hers. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves.”
He felt her lift his wounded wrist to her lips. She pricked her tongue on her own sharp tooth, and his skin tingled as her immortal blood healed his wound.
�
��How can you be so callous? This man saved my life and countless others, and yet you cannot even give him the courtesy of a ‘thank you’ for the blood in his veins.” She gripped his hand tighter as she continued. “Issa, you rip open his skin and feed the others as if he is merely an animal, not deserving of dignity or appreciation. But he is not your beast of burden. You and the rest of this world owe him a great deal for his protection.”
“He was created for just that purpose, to protect,” Issa said. “The Guardian does what is needed because he can do no less. I am sorry if we have offended you, but we really have no time to argue over the Guardian’s worth.”
Her entire body vibrated beside him. The Guardian felt something in his chest shift and realized he had to force himself not to smile. “You need not defend me.”
“You are my friend.” She placed her other hand on his forearm. “You cared about me, and now it is my turn to care about you. The reason you were created is of no importance to me. Who you are is all that matters.”
She gave his large hand a gentle squeeze.
“Rita?”
The Guardian heard Marguerite’s heartbeat flutter and felt her tremble. Instinctively, he shifted his body in front of her, but she stepped past him.
“Kane…”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lukas stared at Gretchen, unable to move or speak while his mind raced with the implications of her request.
“You want me to show you?” He shook his head and took a step back. “I won’t drink from you, if that’s what you mean.”
“Why not?” She moved closer, and in spite of himself, the scent of her blood, her beauty, enticed him.
“For many reasons.” He could already feel the ache inside of him, hunger growling with desire, seducing him to imagine how close they would be. He would be able to hear her thoughts as if they were his own, see her dreams, feel her heart beating as he drank her life into his body.
Gretchen smiled, her hand sliding up his chest. “Name some.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” He took her hand and moved it to his lips. The warmth of her skin distracted him, making it even harder to resist the temptation she offered. “The last thing I want is to cause you pain.”
