Burning Ash (Forgotten Brotherhood)

by N. J. Walters

  “Suit yourself.”

  “I usually do.” She tilted the bottle at him in a mock salute.

  A grin played at the corners of his mouth. It wasn’t fair that he was not only handsome, but he also wasn’t full of himself and had no trouble finding the humor in every situation. Even after their battle, he looked fresh and hot as all get out.

  She, on the other hand, was in need of a shower and change of clothes. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. If she smelled less than fresh, that might keep him away.

  “Now we do what should not be done lightly.”

  That sounded ominous. “What?”

  He drew out his phone and placed it on the counter between them. “I threaten Maccus to get him to talk to us.” He punched in the numbers and waited for it to ring.

  There was no voice on the other end. Only a beep.

  “I have a situation and need your expertise. If you can’t call me back, I’ll come to you.” He ended the call, leaving her confused.

  “That’s a threat? Sounded like a regular message to me.” He obviously had a strange relationship with this guy.

  “You’d think that, except you might remember me mentioning that no one is supposed to know where he lives.”

  “That’s right. Only you know.”

  “I’m—”

  “I get it,” she interrupted. “You’re special.”

  “I must be. He hasn’t done away with me yet.”

  She waited for the punch line, but none was forthcoming. “You’re serious?”

  “He may be the most powerful creature on the planet. You don’t want to piss him off. He’s killed people for less. Although he has mellowed since he met Morrigan.”

  In spite of herself, she was fascinated. And scared to death. Just who or what was Maccus? And who was this Morrigan person? If Asher was treading this warily, he had to be impressive.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t bother him.” Not sure she was ready for any more shocks to her system. She was still trying to digest the last one. Her stomach dipped in agreement.

  “Too late. Now that I’ve left that message, he’ll either answer it or get rid of us. Well, not you. He’d see you as an innocent.”

  Her, an innocent? After all she’d seen and done? Just who were these people? This was way over her pay grade. She’d thought herself a badass hunter. While she had serious skills, as Asher had pointed out to the vamp earlier, there was always someone bigger or badder. Considering what she knew now, she was lucky she’d lived this long.

  Seemingly unconcerned about the outcome, he finished his beer in one long mouthful. “We could watch a movie or catch a nap?”

  “Are you out of your mind?” Unable to stand still any longer, she strode toward the window and stared out at the city lights. “What exactly is Maccus?”

  “The less you know the better.”

  “No.” She whirled around and pointed a finger at him. “Ignorance is not bliss. Not in this case. Not when it comes to the nonhuman creatures walking the earth.”

  “Hey.” He lightly placed his hands on her shoulders. The desire to shake him off battled with the one to throw herself into his arms. “Everything will be fine. I promise. He’ll probably take your memories of him and let you walk. Me, on the other hand, he’ll probably incinerate into dust.” He gave her a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Then I won’t be an issue for you any longer.”

  “Don’t joke about that.” Furious, she shoved away from him. “Not about living and dying.” The past rose up to choke her. She couldn’t lose someone else. Not to the monsters of the world. Damn him for wanting to protect her, for sneaking past her guard with his humor and sexiness and panty-melting kisses, for respecting her skills as a hunter. And damn him for making her care.

  “I’m sorry.” Not letting her elude him, he pulled her into his arms. She gave a half-hearted fight but didn’t put much into it. Truthfully, she could use the comfort. Her life had spun out of control.

  “I’m an ass,” he told her.

  “You are,” she readily agreed.

  That drew a laugh. “There’s nothing we can do until we hear from him, but you’re safe here. I’ll protect you.” He pushed a lock of her hair away from her face, the featherlight caress making her ache for more. She tilted her head toward him, so his hand stroked her head.

  “I can take care of myself.” They both needed the reminder. But it was too late to protect herself against him. Whatever was between them wasn’t going to go away. And she was no longer sure she wanted it to.

  “You can, but you shouldn’t have to.” He gently trailed his fingers down her cheek. “Please don’t gut me for what I’m about to do. The blood will stain my floors.” With that, he pressed his lips against hers.

  She went up on her toes and deepened the kiss. Their tongues tangled in the most intimate of battles, neither giving way. It was madness. He tasted of yeasty beer and hot male. Delicious.

  He’s not like the others.

  He couldn’t be, or she’d never be attracted to him. Her instincts were sound, had kept her alive on more than one occasion. Asher was one of the good guys. Dangerous as hell and a killer, but who was she to judge? She’d taken out many vampires.

  He was also a threat to her heart.

  He tilted her head to the side, his hands framing her face as he explored and mapped every inch of her mouth and the contours of her lips before tracing the line of her jaw.

  Shivers raced down her spine. So good. Her neck and ears were sensitive. She moaned and leaned away, giving him access. He nibbled on the lobe before following the swirls with his clever tongue.

  “This is crazy,” she gasped.

  “This is right,” he countered.

  “This is adrenaline from the fight.” The cocktail of lust and chemicals flowing through them was heightening all their reactions.

  He paused and stroked his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, and back up again. “Do you really believe that?”

  She wanted to. “You’re a vampire.” It wasn’t easy to clear her mind with her breasts swollen and a throbbing ache deep in her core.

  “I am, but I’m more. I’m not like any you’ve ever hunted.”

  She swallowed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  His lips tightened. “I will never hurt you.” His brown eyes burned with resolve.

  She wanted to believe that so badly her bones ached. “You can’t promise that,” she whispered. Anytime two people were involved, they each had the power to hurt the other.

  “I’ll never physically harm you.”

  They could have both died tonight. No matter what he was, four assassins was a lot.

  Madness took hold of her. Want and need battled with common sense.

  “If you’re lying to me, I’ll kill you.” It would destroy something inside her, but she’d do it. She hadn’t dedicated her life to saving the innocent only to turn her back on her mission, no matter how much she wanted Asher.

  “I’m not lying.” He held her jaw in his hand until their eyes met. “And I’d expect nothing less from you.”

  “This is a one-shot deal.” Her heart was already too involved. It wouldn’t be smart to forget he was immortal, and she wasn’t.

  He opened his mouth as if to disagree but then closed it and gave a curt nod.

  “And no biting.” She wrapped her hands around her neck, the action involuntary.

  Fury blazed from his eyes, and anger surged from every pore of his body. “I would never take your blood without permission.”

  She hadn’t been thinking about his drinking so much as him turning her. But one couldn’t happen without the other. “Okay, then.”

  His laugh was tinged with bitterness. “Forgive me if I’m not overwhelmed by your enthusiasm.”

  She was making a mess of this
. Maybe it was just as well. Sex was all fine and good, but she sucked at relationships. And that’s what this was. It might be mostly a working one, but they were stuck together until this thing was over.

  Talk about opposites attracting. She was a hunter. Normally they’d be trying to kill each another, not steaming up the windows of his home.

  Sex would muddy the waters.

  Every cell in her body rebelled at the mere thought of not having Asher, at least once. A man like him came along once in a woman’s life, if she was very, very lucky.

  He’s not a man.

  No, he was more, but she still wanted him. She bit her lip. “Maybe it’s better we don’t.”

  “That would be a travesty.” There was no teasing smile this time. Just a sadness that weakened her knees and sent her pulse racing. They were going to do this.

  Knowing it was up to her to take the final step, she grabbed a handful of shirt, yanked him down, and kissed him.

  Heat exploded, coursing through her, threatening to burn them both alive. He lifted her as though she weighed nothing, her feet leaving the floor. Instead of carrying her into the other room, he set her on the counter. Cupping her face with his hands, he practically inhaled her, his lips coaxing and demanding a response.

  She ran her hands over his rock-solid biceps and broad shoulders. He might have a lean build, but it was all pure muscle. When she tried to spear her fingers through his hair she met with resistance. A quick tug and the leather tie gave way. He had such thick and lush hair. It sifted through her fingers like silk.

  He kissed a path down her neck, his teeth scraping against her skin.

  Jo jerked back, sucking air into her starving lungs.

  Pain and regret replaced the passion in his eyes. He raked his fingers through his tousled hair and took a step back before lifting her off the counter and setting her on her feet.

  “Asher,” she began, the urge to apologize overwhelming. It hadn’t been her intention to hurt him. Didn’t this prove her point? A relationship between them was destined to fail.

  “No, I get it.” With a shake of his head, he backed away. “Even with my promise, you’re afraid I’ll bite you, take your blood. Maybe you’re even thinking I have you in some sort of thrall.”

  That hadn’t occurred to her, but it did now. “Not afraid.” When he raised an eyebrow, she heaved a sigh. “Okay, it’s more caution than fear. Cut me some slack. It was an involuntary reaction. I never expected to ever want a vampire lover. And you did hold me in some sort of thrall earlier.”

  “To protect you. I’m not doing anything to you now. I’ve had ample opportunity to take your blood, if that was my desire.” The truth was mind-boggling, but he was right. Either she trusted his word, or she didn’t.

  “Just how powerful are you?”

  …

  Lust lashed his body. Need tore at his gut. But it was the pain in his soul that hurt him the most. She wanted to trust him, to believe him, but was afraid.

  He couldn’t blame her for that.

  He could freeze her in place with a mere thought. Make her do anything he desired. But that would make him a monster. The kind he’d dedicated his life to eradicating.

  “I’ve lived longer than you can imagine. Seen history unfold for thousands and thousands of years. You’ve barely been alive a second in comparison.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and her heart picked up speed. “Holy shit.”

  “I could have anything I wanted from you.” Honesty might make her pull away, but better that happen now than after he’d had her. Jo was a human hunter with a limited lifespan, but she made him feel truly alive for the first time in millennia. He’d lived long enough to understand how truly precious that was.

  Letting his fangs drop, he allowed her to see the real him, no longer willing to hide any part of himself.

  She gripped the counter for support, her eyes wide, all the colored drained from her face. He wanted to touch her, to stroke her face, but feared she’d cringe from him. “All you ever have to say is the word no.” Whether she knew it or not, she had more sway over him than anyone he’d ever met. And that was a scary thought for a man who lived by his own rules.

  It would be easy to take what he wanted.

  For the briefest of seconds, the idea flitted in his brain, the darker side of him whispering to take what he wanted.

  No! I’m not a monster.

  He inhaled sharply, battling with the urge, calling on thousands of years of discipline and practice. Not once in his life had he ever contemplated such a thing, but he’d never wanted a woman this much.

  It wasn’t only her beauty, which appealed to him on every level. It was her courage and loyalty, her unwavering commitment to her cause, her innate protectiveness. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her from her favorite food to what kinds of movies and books she enjoyed. He wanted to talk over dinner, to walk the city streets and enjoy all the wonders to be found there.

  He’d never wanted that before.

  He fisted his hands by his sides and pulled himself back under control. He hadn’t been this volatile since he’d been turned. An avalanche of shame crashed down on him. How could he have, even for one split-second, contemplated such a betrayal of her and his beliefs?

  Her silence damned him.

  He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck. What could he do to fix this?

  Immortality wasn’t always the gift people assumed it was. Loved ones died. The world you knew gave way to another. Everything changed around you, and you either accepted it or retreated from the world. And retreat wasn’t an option for him.

  It was a constant struggle not to give in to darkness and despair. It was why he embraced popular culture. It distracted him from the dark thoughts in his head.

  “Something about you brings out a side of me I buried long ago.” He’d thought it dead, but some tiny flicker in his heart still yearned for an intimate connection. And that scared the crap out of him.

  “Guess I’m just special.” Her voice was strained but steady.

  His head jerked up. Was she joking? She was. The light in her eyes and the twitching of her lips was a dead giveaway. The pressure crushing his chest lessened. Could she really mean it? “You are very special. Truly exceptional.” No humor on his part.

  “Maybe that’s the point of this.”

  He wasn’t following her train of thought. “Explain.”

  “Maybe whoever is behind the emails somehow knew I’d push your buttons, unsettle your calm. However you want to put it. Or maybe they want us together, want you emotionally attached so it gives you something to lose.” She dragged her fingers through her hair. “Maybe I’m your weak spot, your Achilles’ heel.”

  It was an interesting theory. “How could they know? Until I met you, I didn’t believe any woman could rattle me the way you have.”

  “I rattle you? Good to know.” The tiny smile playing at the corners of her mouth beckoned him. It would be so easy to lean forward and capture her lips. To occupy himself, he grabbed her water and handed it to her.

  “Woman, you have me shaking in my boots.” That was the honest truth. As impossible as it should be, Jo was important to him. No, not important, vital.

  “I seriously doubt that.” She took a sip and set the bottle on the counter.

  “Don’t. You have more influence than you know. But if you’re right, whoever is behind this is something more than a mere vampire.” The situation had just gone from bad to worse. “That kind of information has to come from the Fates. Only very powerful beings or gods have that kind of access.”

  “Gods? As in the Greeks or Roman or Viking?”

  “Yes. Among others.”

  “This is a lot to take in.”

  Most people would be screaming and crying or at least babbling when faced with what he
’d told her, but not Jo. Her extraordinary display of courage filled him with pride.

  Brow furrowed, she crossed her arms over her chest and began to pace. “Okay, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they’re counting on you being protective of any female hunter, because not having a dick somehow makes me weaker.”

  Her sarcasm surprised a laugh from him, something he would have thought impossible only minutes before. “I would never say or think such a thing.” She’d kick his ass if he did.

  She stopped walking and pressed her hand to her forehead. “I need to sit down.”

  Asher was by her side in a heartbeat, lifting her into his arms. When she jolted, he froze. Didn’t think that one through. Not exactly the way to prove she could trust him.

  Instead of ordering him to put her down, she pointed to his phone. “You might need that if Maccus calls back.”

  “Right.” Not about to question his good fortune, he leaned down so she could snag it. Then he headed toward the living room. Opting for his favorite oversize chair instead of the sofa, he sat with her on his lap.

  “Do you feel safe?” He kept one hand behind her back to steady her but rested the other on the arm of the chair. He would not keep her against her will, no matter how perfectly she fit into his arms and his life.

  A sense of rightness settled over him. His goal in life, his mission solidified inside him. God, vampire, or other—it didn’t matter. He’d protect her against them all.

  “Surprisingly enough, I do. You’re pretty fast for an old guy.”

  How could she tease him about that? “You’re truly okay with it?”

  “Like I said, it’s a lot to process.” She tugged at the hem of her jacket before smoothing her hand over it. She obviously didn’t wish to discuss it now. So be it. Clamping down on the impatience eating at him, he drew on the calm center inside him.

  “You can’t be comfortable with that coat on and your sword digging into your back.” Not to mention her crossbow that was imprinting itself on his stomach.

  “If I’m going to be here a while, I might as well take it off.” She slid off his lap, slipped off her coat, and tossed it on the end of the sofa.