Pretty Bloody

by K. A Knight

  Ciar nods. “No problem, I’ll let my friend take you there if that’s okay?”

  Scott nods again, looking overwhelmed.

  That was a nice thing you did, I think loudly, and I see Ciar’s lips quirk.

  I can be nice, Bella, you just prefer me mean and cocky.

  Asshat.

  We wait with them until Ciar’s friend comes, a giant bear of a man who greets him with a booming voice and a man hug before propping his hands on his hips and looking at the women and Scott.

  “Well then, let’s get them home.” He nods, cradling the little girl first, and Scott helps load the women into the mini bus the man brought. Once they are all inside, I turn to Scott.

  “Be good, okay? Ciar will know how to reach me if you need anything.” I shrug, unsure what to say. I’ve always been weird with goodbyes.

  He nods and then looks down, seeming to remember the blade. “Here, this is yours,” he murmurs, holding it out to me.

  “Keep it, practice with it, just don’t cut yourself, kid.” I grin and step back, letting him on the bus.

  He beams, clutching the dagger to his chest and climbs on. “Right then, we best be off,” the man calls, but then looks from me to Ciar and wiggles his eyebrows. “I never asked, who’s the hottie?” he whisper shouts to him, and Ciar rolls his eyes.

  “A friend.” He shrugs and the man claps him on the back before winking at me.

  “Friend, sure, see ya later, friend,” he says. I wave and he climbs on, shuts the door, and is off, leaving me with the nightwalker.

  “We better get back to your hunt then, don’t you think, Bella?” he suggests, strolling over to me and dropping his arm around my shoulder.

  I shrug him off with a grin. “Let’s go, Romeo.”

  Ciar

  We get back on the road then. We still have a lot of miles to cover if we are to catch this man with the head start before he meets the council. The good news is he will have to wait until Friday anyway, which is four days away, since it’s the only day they receive unannounced guests. That works in our favour. I let her know this and she relaxes slightly, she had been worried. I wish she would trust me with whatever she’s hiding, but I know that takes time, time we might not have though.

  I’m piecing parts of her together, from fragments of conversations, remarks, and bits she doesn’t even realise she is sharing. Today, in that house, I learned she can fight and has an angel weapon, which I need to ask her about as they are rare as hell. The other is that she has been hurt and abused in her past. She connected with that boy, understood it, and I heard her conversation with him even when I was downstairs. It enrages me to think that while I was messing around somewhere on this earth, she was being harmed.

  She’s a fighter, obviously trained, and used to bloodshed. She didn’t even flinch at the violence we reaped earlier, and she is obviously strong and has powers I haven’t heard of for a century or more. I thought the readers, which is what she is, died out a long time ago. They were usually human women with the burden of telling pasts and futures. Some disguised themselves and profited from their visions, others rejected them. So, what is my mate?

  A mystery, to be sure, one I’m looking forward to solving. She lost someone as well, that much I have gathered, someone she loved.

  “So, how did you get the angel weapon?” I ask, breaking the silence.

  Shit.

  Her thought floats to me before she blocks her mind, not wanting me to peek at her secrets. I allow it, I could break in if I wanted to, but I would much rather she tells me what she’s hiding rather than take it by force.

  “I’m not going to tell anyone, I’m just curious,” I assure her.

  “I stole it.”

  Sort of true.

  I grin at her thought, but again let her keep her secrets. “Who was he? The man you loved?”

  She glances at me, her face hard before looking back at the road. “You just don’t give up, do you? What is this, question time?”

  “Yes,” I deadpan. “Come on, Bella, we have a long drive ahead of us.”

  She sighs but seems to relent. “He was like a father to me. After everything went down, he was there. He took me in even though he should have turned me over to the council. He protected me, taught me how to fight and function in this world. Gave me a life, a home. His name was Raph, and he was a good man. Slightly crazy.” She grins then.

  “All the best people are.” I laugh.

  She nods. “I guess I get it from him. He would sit for hours watching the shopping channel and buying shit he didn’t need. He tried to kill the first boy I kissed, the boy was so scared he peed his pants and ran away.”

  I laugh with her. “What was his name? The boy?”

  She grins then, looking over at me. “Why? Going to track him down?”

  “Maybe, Bella, I’m possessive like that,” I tease.

  “Well, I would ask the same, but I’m betting you couldn’t even name all the women. You probably have a long bloody list,” she taunts, jealousy in her tone, but all it does is sadden me. It’s true, I have a sordid past. I never thought I would have a mate, so I didn’t care what I did with my body. Anything to keep moving, to not feel.

  “Not anymore,” I tell her seriously. “You were right, I covered my pain and loneliness, filling that darkness with meaningless sex and riches. It meant nothing. I can’t even remember faces, never mind names, and none if it matters now.”

  “Why not?” she asks, looking at me in confusion.

  Oh, Isabella, have you truly not worked it out, or do you really not want to know?

  “Because I’ve found my mate, and now she is my everything. Everything I never knew I was searching for. The whisper on the wind I was chasing, the broken half of my soul, she’s here now.” I hit my chest hard. “Where no other has ever been, and she will be the only one for me. No other person in my past can even compare. I won’t say they pale in comparison to her, because that’s not true, they simply don’t exist. One brush of her mind and it wiped them all away, a clean slate.”

  Bella

  I’ve found my mate.

  I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing at all. I make sure to shield my mind so he can’t read my thoughts as guilt, and yes, even regret pours through me. I enjoyed our flirting, hell, I’m even enjoying spending time with him. Sad but true. It’s nice not to have to face everything alone. He listens, really listens. Yeah, he’s a cocky flirt, but he’s also kind and sweet and so caring. Fuck, stop right there.

  He has a mate, or did you forget? I remind myself. It makes me wonder why he was flirting with me to begin with. Maybe he’s just bored while he waits for her. Am I keeping him from her right now? More guilt piles on, it means our time is limited. I had become used to having him around somewhere through all the questions and cheesy charm.

  I had started to lean on him. It’s a good thing this happened now so I didn’t get dependent. I don’t need a man, just a dick every now and again, I can handle everything else.

  So why does my heart ache?

  I stare at the road, not wanting to face him as I realise the truth...because I like him. It’s a foreign feeling for me, but I do, I fucking like the suave idiot. Christ, I really am fucked up, liking someone else’s mate.

  I want to ask him what she’s like, but I don’t think I can bear knowing. I bet she’s some rich, sophisticated nightwalker, all regal and shit. Not like me, all crazy hair, blood-soaked clothes, and on a vendetta road trip with a flaming chain she stole from the very people who hurt her.

  “Bella?” he calls, sounding concerned.

  I give him a smile, a fake one, but hey, I’m fucking trying. “I’m tired, could you drive for a bit?” I request.

  His eyes fly wide and then he grins. “Sure thing, Bella.”

  I pull over and switch seats with him, curling up instantly as I face the glass and close my eyes. But that doesn’t stop the pain, it feels like my whole chest is too tight, like it’s going to explo
de into a million tiny pieces, so I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it inside and feign sleep as he drives. His power seems to drape across me like a blanket, I guess I had gotten used to the oppressive weight of it.

  I wonder how old he is.

  “Old, Bella. If you wonder, just ask. I was the first,” he admits.

  “First what?” I press without looking. Conversation is good, it will distract me.

  “First nightwalker, the original. Your people call us the forgotten gods now, merely a name and a bloodline passed down through the ages.

  I sit up and look at him in shock, almost spluttering. “So you’re like super old,” I say lamely, and he smiles.

  “Yes, Bella, I’m super old,” he teases.

  “Why didn’t you just wipe that house to smithereens then?” I question.

  He shrugs. “I liked watching you fight.”

  “They were your people who were doing that,” I growl.

  He sighs. “They were. My people have always been the...unruly lot. Not as bad as my brothers, but yes, hard to control. They covet power, wealth, and blood. I have been away from it, not wanting to play their games anymore, so I’m afraid I didn’t know that this was happening.”

  “Why are you telling me all of this?” I inquire suspiciously.

  “Because you asked,” he responds, like it’s simple.

  “So? People don’t share information freely, information is power, they use it like weapons, striking out at one other when they can,” I lecture, knowing that to be true.

  “Not all people, Bella. Some, yes. But I don’t want us to be like that, I will always tell you the truth, you merely have to ask.” He looks at me then, his face serious, and I nod.

  I want to ask about his mate, but I’m scared of the answer, so I curl back into my seat, pressing my cheek to the leather, and watch him drive.

  “Are you an only child?” I find myself asking.

  “No, there were seven of us,” he offers with a smile, and love in his voice.

  “Damn, your poor mum’s vagina,” I tease, and he laughs, looking over at me and shaking his head.

  “That wasn’t what killed her, we did,” he says ominously.

  “What?” I gasp, though nothing about this man...god, should surprise me anymore.

  “Our parents, we killed them, they deserved it. They killed someone we loved, the only person we loved.” He looks at me, his expression softening. “Her name was Lilith, she was like a little sister to us—well, nearly all of us. I loved her, Bella. She was so innocent, she had such a way of seeing the world.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, and I am, I can hear the pain in his voice.

  “She would have liked you, told me you were exactly what I needed. Shake me up, throw me off my feet, keep me out of my own head and my mouth shut in shock. She was always a bit wild too, so mature and carefree.”

  “You miss her,” I murmur.

  He nods. “It’s been so long, yet the pain is still there.” He rubs his chest. “Guess that’s what it feels like to lose family.”

  “I hope not, I hope the pain goes away, because I don’t know if I can deal with it,” I reply, staring out the window.

  He reaches over, twining our hands. “Then we will feel it together.”

  “I’m scared of forgetting him,” I admit, allowing myself to be weak with him for just a while longer.

  “I am too. Sometimes I can’t remember her face, and then others I can. We can remind each other, remember them, share stories, describe them so they will never be forgotten,” he replies.

  I nod, but I know it won’t happen. He has his mate now and he won’t need me anymore, not after our job is through and he’s paid his debt to me.

  “So seven brothers, huh? That has to be one hell of a Christmas party. Bet you have to buy a lot of food,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

  He changes gears and then takes my hand again. “No, not really. I haven’t seen any of them for years.”

  “Why not?” I query.

  He shrugs. “We each went on our way after Lilith’s death, only meeting every now and again, and then as the time grew longer and the world changed, we drifted apart. I often wondered if she was the heart that held us together, but I think it was because we all blamed ourselves for her death and couldn’t bear to face the others.”

  “You should go and find them, let them know that. Family is important, you might have been around a long time, but your life isn’t infinite. You could die at any moment, so live free and fast and with no regrets. You’ll only regret the things you didn’t do in the end.”

  He looks at me, blinking slowly as a wonderful smile curls his lips. “You are right, Bella, so very right. I’ll find them after we find your man. You could come and meet them with me, and see the world. I’m betting they are spread out all over,” he rushes out, excitement coating his voice.

  I smile at him and nod, but I know I won’t be going with him. I’ll be leaving him with his mate and running back to my safety of hiding myself away, ignoring my own advice. I never said do what I do, just what I say.

  The clock on our borrowed time together is getting shorter by the moment. I can enjoy it now, enjoy our time, and when it’s over I’ll go back to being alone. To always protecting, always lying, always moving.

  Without him.

  Ciar

  She eventually falls asleep. I try to peer into her mind to figure out what’s frustrating her, but it’s clouded with slumber and so many layers of thoughts...she is protecting whatever is wrong, so I pull back. I’ll let her come to me when she is ready. It’s not like I’m going anywhere, but she will be soon if we don’t get this guy. The clock is counting down, so I speed up a little, pushing her car to the limit.

  I bared my heart to her, although I don’t expect her to return it straightaway. Oh no, my Bella has more secrets and layers than a vault...but she seemed almost upset with the news. Does she not want to be my mate? Not that she has a choice, like I would let her get away. I’ll just have to convince her, but seeing as none of my usual charm works on her, I’ll have to do it the old way, prove to her I’m worthy of this bond and her.

  Show her I can protect her, cherish her, and love her until the end of times. I didn’t spend centuries to find her just to lose her now, no. Bella is never getting away from me. She just doesn’t know it yet.

  “Bella,” I say softly, and see her head turn to me, her eyes locking on mine with such force, such intensity, like they always do, that I shiver. I wonder what it will be like when our bond is fully formed. “I know of a bar a couple of cities over. It’s run by a wolf. We will see if they have heard anything. If not, I know some witches who owe me a favour.”

  “Okay,” is all she says, before she turns to the front, the distance between us growing, like a chasm. I sigh, unable to help myself. I wish I knew how to reach her, how to make her see that she can trust me.

  She trusted me with her secret, mainly because she had no choice and what a secret that was. A clairvoyant, shit, I haven’t heard of one of them in centuries. They usually meet grizzly, horrible deaths. People don’t like to be spied on, after all, which is how they used to see them. They were locked up, used, and then discarded. That won’t happen to her. I’m surprised she has survived this long without someone realising what she is. No matter, no one will be hurting, touching, or killing my mate.

  She will need to find a place where she can stay away from the world, where she can rest. It must be exhausting having visions hitting her left and right, even with her gloves I know strong ones can still slip by. No, she needs an escape, a retreat. I have such a place. I bought a castle from an old Viking fellow years and years ago. I’ve never really been there, it seemed too big, too lonely, echoing with the laughter of the previous family, only showing me what I could never have, but for some reason I couldn’t part with it. Maybe she will like it there. If not, we will find something else. Somewhere else where she can take off those gloves a
nd sleeves and not have to worry about it.

  “It will take us a couple of hours to get there, you can sleep if you want,” I suggest. She ignores me, turns over, and goes to sleep. Okay. I glance over at her prone form with a frown…have I said something?

  Did I push it too far with the mate talk?

  I’ll let her sleep, and if she’s still upset with me, I will ask her why. Until then, I focus on the road and head towards Howler.

  “Howler.” She snorts. “Real sly.”

  I grin. “Wolves aren’t known for their intellect and shyness, Bella.”

  The bar is a dive, literally. The type that most humans would avoid. The building itself looks run down. It’s made of old wood covered in marks and an ancient sign hangs outside with a wolf howling as the logo. Bikes and cars are parked on the dirt to the left, and we can hear the music from here, even in the late afternoon.

  Old-style beer signs hang on the outside as we approach and yank open the timeworn wooden double doors, omitting the scent of wet dog, blood, beer, and sex. I wrinkle my nose and try to sort through the overwhelming odours as Bella struts in like she owns the joint.

  She heads straight to the bar, rapping on the wood and drawing the attention of the burly wolf behind it with a tea towel thrown over one bare shoulder. His yellow eyes flit to her and stay there. He isn’t even hiding his wolf, they don’t have to here. It’s run by a local pack, a safe haven for all sorts of supes, but mainly wolves...but wolves know a lot. They hear things they shouldn’t, they see more than they say.

  “Whatcha want to drink?” he asks her, with an underlying growl in his voice.

  “Beer, pint.” She nods, leaning against the wood and smiling at him. My eyes narrow on her, does she think I won’t kill them if they so much as look at my mate wrong?

  My eyes flicker over the inhabitants. Most of the pack is here, spread among the tables dotted here and there, and pool tables and dart boards at the back. A female wolf sidles up to me, batting her lashes as she plasters herself to my side. “Hey, cutie, you here to get wild with the wolves?” she purrs, digging her long nails into my shoulder.