She rolls her eyes. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
I crack a smile. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart. You’re totally worth it.”
She gets up, stepping away from me. “I was about to make a batch of the potion against a siren’s thrall when Calvin interrupted. If you promise to keep your hands to yourself, you can wait here for it.”
It hurts to get back on my feet. All my muscles protest, but it doesn’t compare to the pain of not being able to touch my mate.
“I promise to behave.” I move to the counter, pulling a barstool to sit down.
Aurora gets into the zone, alternating her attention between her grimoire and the ingredients she has spread in front of her. I could stare at her all night. I’ve always been drawn to her, since the first time we met. Being turned down by her only made me want her more. I couldn’t have predicted that my little obsession would turn into this enormous complication.
“Fuck,” she says suddenly, staring at her notes.
“What?”
“I don’t have all the ingredients for the potion.”
“What are you missing?”
“The rarest of them all. Siren’s tears.”
“Real tears?”
“Yes, of course real tears,” she replies, exasperated.
I scratch the back of my neck, probably looking as dumb as I feel. “Where can we get that?”
“I can ask Solomon. If he doesn’t have it, I’ll have to pay a visit to the Nightshade Market.”
“What’s that? Never heard of it.”
“You wouldn’t have. It predominantly caters to witches and mages. Sometimes you’ll find a lost druid there, but no one likes them.”
“Why doesn’t anyone like druids?”
Aurora freezes, and her eyes shine with a new glint. “Holy shit. I can’t believe I didn’t even consider them.”
“Consider them for what?”
“The bracelet Rikkon procured with the memory spell had druid runes carved in it. Witches and mages don’t like them because we don’t know where druid magic comes from.”
“But if they’re powerful enough to wipe out the memory of a Nightingale…”
“They might be powerful enough to break our bond.”
This revelation should be good news, but I’m not motivated at all. I try to keep my feelings on the matter concealed, though. Aurora is dead set on breaking our bond thanks to the crazy vow she made. I’m more interested in breaking that vow than our bond.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go find some druids.”
She gives me a droll stare. “I wish it were that simple. Druids tend to disguise themselves, especially when they’re around witches and mages.”
“But you said sometimes they’ll venture into the Nightshade Market.”
“Right. Well, let’s see if Solomon has our ingredient first. If not, we’ll head to the market tonight. Maybe we’ll get lucky and kill two birds with one stone.”
I’m totally on board with her plan, but if we find a druid, I’m not asking them to help destroy my bond to Aurora. They’re freeing her from the blood vow and this ridiculous engagement, even if I have to resort to the vilest tricks I know. I’m not giving her up. Not now, not ever.
19
Saxon
It’s just our luck that when we’re on our way to see Solomon we catch the break between classes. The hallways are filled with students, Bluebloods, regulars, and even familiars, either in groups gossiping or heading somewhere.
As Aurora and I walk side by side, we attract curious glances, and even some frowns. I wonder if they’re picking up the mating bond too. To me, my bond to Aurora is obvious, but is it the same for others, or can only Solomon sense it because he’s a familiar on steroids?
I spot three Blueblood females who look familiar ahead. I’ve come across many people throughout my long life, and very few—if any—made a big enough impression on me for their faces to be imprinted in my memory, especially the ones I fucked. It sounds bad, but it’s not a one-sided situation. I bet the majority of the Blueblood females I slept with don’t remember me either. It’s just the way vampires are, with a few exceptions. But when we fall, we fall hard.
However, the females in question are watching me with wide smiles and hungry eyes, and when I get near them, the tallest of the group steps in my way.
“Hi, Saxon. Remember me?”
“Uh, should I?”
She giggles and starts playing with her jet-black hair. “Well, it’s been what? Fifty-one years?”
It’s been exactly fifty-one years since I went into hibernation, so when could I have possibly met this creature? I pick up on Aurora’s irritation immediately. I want to reassure her there’s nothing to worry about, but now I’m curious. I walk down memory lane, searching the darkest places in my mind for an event where I could have possibly crossed paths with this vampire.
“Oh my God. You don’t remember, do you?” She laughs. “It was at Woodstock in 1969. We decided to try every single drug they had at the festival, which in hindsight was such a bad move. We all went into hibernation after that.”
Fuzzy memories slowly begin to trickle out. No wonder I don’t remember her or her friends.
“Ah, that’s right.”
She switches her attention to Aurora without losing her friendly face. She must be shockingly dense if she can’t pick up my mate’s animosity toward her. I’m going to pay for this conversation, but I can’t help basking in Aurora’s jealousy. It’s a nice change in our dynamic.
“Oh, you’re human. You must be the future High Witch. I’m Teodora Barros, and these are my best friends, Jane Welsh and Lee Schroeder.”
Aurora doesn’t say a word, just glowers at the females as if she’s considering which hex to use against them. I’d better get rid of the trio quickly before we end up with another problem on our hands, like Aurora turning them into toads. I open my mouth to cut the conversation short, but Teodora talks over me.
“Did you just wake from hibernation too?” she asks me.
Her question makes me frown. “Uh. No. I’ve been up for forty years already.”
Her dark eyes widen. “Wow, really? I just came out of mine like a month ago. Jane and Lee, the same.”
“You were hibernating for fifty years?” Aurora breaks her silence. “Is that normal?”
A shared grimace appears on the females’ faces. They exchange a glance, and then Lee, the stocky brunette with a too-wide face, answers, “It was my longest hibernation period.”
Aurora’s eyebrows crinkle, and her lips become nothing but a thin flat line. Her train of thought must have gone to the same place mine did. Usually, vampires only need to hibernate for ten to twenty years, thirty tops. Lucca was the only exception, and only because of his curse. A change in the number of years required for a vampire to regain their strength is troubling.
Jane glances at her wristwatch, an accessory reminiscent of a different era. No one uses those anymore. “We need to head to our next class, something about computers.” She wrinkles her nose.
Teodora makes a similar face, before she switches back to flirtatious mode. She steps closer, and then touches my arm. “Don’t be a stranger, Sax. We need to catch up.”
A surge of red-hot rage hits me full force. It takes me a second to realize those aren’t my feelings, but Aurora’s. I step away from Teodora and link my arm with my little witch before she blasts the vampire back into hibernation.
“I’m a bit busy these days, but welcome back to the land of the living.” I walk away, dragging Aurora with me.
She doesn’t fight me until we round a corner, and then it’s showtime. She pulls away, stopping in front of me with her hands balled into fists by her sides. Wisps of magic gather around her wrists, which tells me I have to be very careful here.
“Who was that vamp?” she grits out.
“You heard her. Someone from my past.”
“She was all over you and you didn’t do anything.�
��
I lift my palms up. “Whoa. She wasn’t all over me. Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Aurora makes a jerky movement with her arm, and a bolt of lightning shoots from her hand.
It misses my head by an inch, hitting the wall next to me instead, leaving a charred hole in its wake.
“Fuck!” I say.
“Oh my God.” She covers her mouth with her hands. “What did I do?”
“You almost blew my head off.”
The rage swimming in her eyes recedes, guilt taking its place. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lash out at you. I don’t know what happened to me. I was never one to suffer from such intense jealousy before, but I wanted to hurt those vampires for even looking at you.”
Amused as shit, I press my lips together to avoid laughing out loud. “I know.”
She glowers at me. “Quit being so pleased about it.”
“I can’t help it. I’m a vain male who likes to have his ego stroked.”
I didn’t mean to sound dirty like that, but immediately, my cock hardens, and once again, I want to push Aurora against the wall and fuck her senseless.
Her pulse quickens, becoming a beacon to me. Damn everything to hell.
She shakes her head, looking away. “Let’s get to Solomon’s office before someone ends up losing their head.”
Clenching my jaw tight, I follow after her, trying my hardest to keep a healthy distance. When we finally arrive at the headmaster’s office, he doesn’t look too pleased to see us. He doesn’t even allow us to walk in, stepping into the hallway instead.
“What do you want?” he asks, annoyed.
“I need siren’s tears to finish making the potion for Saxon.”
“I can’t look for it now. Come back tomorrow.”
“We can’t wait until tomorrow. Saxon is in agony.”
I take a deep breath, noticing immediately a different scent in the air. I’ll be damned. “He doesn’t want to look for it now because he’s not alone. We’ve interrupted his date.”
Solomon’s bushy eyebrows shoot to the heavens, giving him a comical look. Keeping my laughter bottled up is almost impossible, but I try. He’s already embarrassed. I don’t need to make him angrier on top of that.
“Please, Solomon. Can you just check to see if you have the ingredient?” Aurora pleads.
“Fine. Wait here.” He shuts the door in our faces, and then, I hear whispering. I don’t recognize the female voice.
“Who do you think is in there with him?” Aurora asks.
“I don’t have the faintest idea.”
Two minutes later, the headmaster opens the door again, only sticking his head out this time. “Sorry, lovebirds. I’m out of siren’s tears. I guess you’ll have to make a trip to the Nightshade Market.”
“Balls.” Aurora turns on her heels, striding away.
“So we go to the Nightshade Market. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that we’re both on the verge of doing something stupid. I almost blew your head off by accident.” She points at the damaged wall as we walk by it.
“There’s nothing for it. We need the ingredient. I say let’s make a trip out of it.”
“This is not a date, Saxon. As a matter of fact, I think you should stay behind.”
“Hell to the no. With the way the bond’s magic is increasing exponentially, I can’t stay away from you without going insane. I’m coming.”
“Coming where?” Lucca asks, appearing in the hallway out of thin air. It’s probably not true, but I was so distracted by Aurora that I didn’t notice his approach.
He’s not alone, Vivienne and Rikkon are with him.
“Shit, man. Where did you come from?” I say.
“I didn’t spring up on you. What’s going on here?” He alternates between looking at Aurora and me, suspicious.
“Nothing is going on,” Aurora grits out.
“Bullshit. There’s something strange happening between you. I can sense … Holy fucking shit! You’re bonded.”
“Shh! No one is supposed to know that,” Aurora retorts, glancing around to make sure no one is nearby.
“How did you guess?” I ask, surprised. Ronan would never share my secret with anyone, not even Lucca.
“I just felt it. When did this happen?”
He just felt it? Fuck. Then there’s no keeping a lid on this anymore. By tomorrow, the entire institute will know about Aurora and me.
“We don’t have time for this,” she interrupts. “We’re going to the Nightshade Market.”
“What’s the Nightshade Market? The name sounds familiar,” Rikkon chimes in.
“I’ve never heard of it before, but again, I’m recently awakened,” Lucca adds.
“It’s a market that caters to the magical community,” Aurora replies.
“Can I come too?” Rikkon asks eagerly. “I have this feeling that I’ve been there before. Maybe I got my memory spell there.”
“Really?” Vivienne arches her eyebrows. “Then we should all go.”
I can tell Aurora is not happy with this new development without even looking at her. Man, with the bond getting stronger, it’s like our minds are connected. But honestly, I don’t see the harm. “Sure, the more the merrier.”
Her irritation level rises up to the point it feels like she smacked me upside the head. She doesn’t offer a verbal retort, though. She growls like a feral cat before stomping away. I’m about to follow her when Lucca steps next to me. “Seriously, when did this happen?”
“About a month ago. We hooked up, I fed from her, and the next thing I knew, we were bonded.”
“But I saw you with another girl at Havoc on the night of my awakening party. Bonded males can’t—”
“I know!” I snap, then regret my outburst. “Sorry. This situation has me on edge. Nothing happened that night. I couldn’t do more than kiss the human before guilt and self-loathing kicked in. But I had to pretend because…” I pull my bangs back. “Well, I was trying to find a way to break the bond then and I didn’t want anyone to know about it.”
“Wait, so you and Aurora aren’t together?”
“She’s engaged to a mage.” The words drip out of my mouth, drenched in disgust.
Aurora stops ahead in the hallway, right in front of the main exit. She looks over her shoulder, glowering. “Are you coming or not?”
“Coming, babe!” I joke.
Her eyes narrow to slits, and when I get near, she whispers to me. “Bond or no bond, you call me babe again, I’ll rip your nut sack off.”
20
Aurora
“How long are you going to pout like that?” Saxon asks from the driver’s seat.
“This was supposed to be a quick visit to the Nightshade Market. Not a damn trip to Disneyland,” I retort angrily.
“Are you insinuating that we are children?” Lucca grumbles from the backseat.
I turn around, trying to level him with my most scathing glare. “You’re friends with Saxon. Enough said.”
“Hey!” Saxon protests. “I take offense to that.”
“I think this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have asked to tag along,” Rikkon says apologetically.
It makes sense for Rikkon to come with us. If he got the memory spell there like he suspects, maybe visiting the market will jolt his memory. That’s why when he asked to join us, I didn’t put up too much of a fight. I should have known Vivienne and Lucca would want to come too. She’s worried about him, I get that. They both have a target on their backs. Jacques, Tatiana’s right hand, accused Vivienne of attacking Boone, and then Lucca killed him. Jacques will do anything to get his hands on the Nightingale siblings in order to get to Lucca and the king. But I could have protected Rikkon on my own. And there’s Saxon too. I witnessed firsthand how feral he can get.
There’s no chance to roam the market without being noticed now. The news will reach my mother as soon as I step foot there. We’ll also draw the attention
of people we shouldn’t. The place is brimming with unsavory characters trying to find a shady way to make money. If anyone suspects for a second Vivienne and Rikkon are Nightingales, they’ll have more to worry about than Jacques.
Their concealing spell is solid, though. My mother brewed the potion herself, making it stronger so not only vampires will see the glamor, but all other supernatural creatures too. When Vivienne first came to Bloodstone, I could see past the concealment. Now, I can’t. They look like bloodsuckers. They were also instructed to carry extra potions with them at all times, just in case the magic begins to wear off sooner than normal.
“Okay, we’re downtown. Where to now?” Saxon asks.
“Park anywhere near Salem Common. We’ll walk from there.”
It’s past three in the morning, and the park is completely deserted. A shiver runs down my spine when a chilly wind comes from the north, bringing the cold bite of winter. Saxon walks around the car, stopping next to me. There’s a good gap between our bodies, but the air between us crackles with energy.
“Whoa,” Lucca exclaims. “You can’t stay close like that.”
“Why not?” Saxon scowls at his friend.
“It’s like you have a neon sign saying you’re mates. Plus, it’s kind of affecting me too.” Lucca’s eyes flash crimson for a second, and when he glances at Vivienne, it’s impossible to miss the intensity of that stare.
“Are you kidding me? Our bond is making you horny?” I ask.
“It seems so,” Vivienne answers in a husky voice.
“Oh my God. I can’t be witness to this,” Rikkon protests. “If Saxon and Aurora’s proximity is the problem, I’ll be a buffer.”
He nudges Saxon to the side, sliding in between us. Saxon lets out a growl, peeling back his lips to reveal his fangs.
“Relax, dude. I’m not after your mate,” Rikkon says.
“It doesn’t matter,” he grits out. “You’re too close to her. It’s triggering my instincts.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I say, “I should have come alone.”
Without looking back, I stride toward the Salem Common Bandstand, a Colonial Revival style, its domed and temple-like construction built in commemoration of the city’s tercentennial. That’s the hidden entrance to the Nightshade Market. The inhabitants of Salem might be aware of the supernatural world, but that doesn’t mean we allow humans access to all our secrets and magic.
Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2) Page 12
