by Gaja J. Kos
It all blurred.
My fingers curled into fists. “If I’d captured that fucking witch…”
“Then those two women would have been dead,” Zaynab said, not unkindly. “And who knows how many more.”
“I know,” I groaned.
Choosing Aric had been the right thing. But it didn’t change the fact that without the culprit here for our resident magic experts to study, they were forced to deal with power entirely unknown to them.
Worse yet, while I’d been engaged with Milton, Shelby, and then Aric, the vamp attacks across town persisted. Milton had played a large part in the deaths, but he’d been far from the only one. From what Finn had said, he suspected Shelby had placed the exact same hex Aric was suffering from on unsuspecting vamps, then set them loose.
A test to see how the hex worked, or a means to lure me away from Aric, I wasn’t sure.
I had a feeling both was the answer.
But, much like Milton, I’d fucked with Shelby’s plans. When I’d gained the upper hand, I left her no option but to dangle Aric’s life in front of me in exchange for her own. It had allowed me to get to Aric in time—something, my gut insisted, wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t cornered her into bartering. But I’d also failed as an agent.
Bent on saving Aric and, more importantly, incapable of communicating with anyone thanks to my smashed phone, I’d left my fellow agents grossly uninformed.
ICRA had been spread out too thin, the rampant vampires too violent, turning on our people with nothing but the intent to rip their throats out burning through their veins. In the end, with no insight as to what they were truly dealing with, the agents had to make the decision we all hated.
Kill or be killed.
I had a sinking feeling in my gut that was part of the hex too.
No live subjects to examine or attempt to cure.
Only bodies to bury—innocent, all of them.
More than likely picking up on the whipping winds of my emotions, Zaynab said, “They’ve already made progress, Gina. The threads of the magic are complex, but they’re beginning to understand how they work.”
“Doesn’t mean they’ll be able to unravel the hex entirely,” I said, loathing how pessimistic I sounded.
But with all I’d been through regarding Dominik’s curse over the past nine years… I also wasn’t a fool to think it would be that easy.
Aric might never be wholly free of the bloodlust.
Zaynab didn’t try to change my mind. She simply stood beside me, passing the minutes before I had to leave in silence.
It was only when I was already pushing the limit of how long I could linger that she said, “I’ll keep an eye on him. I promise.”
I nodded but didn’t move.
Logically, I understood my presence here wouldn’t aid the cause. It would do nothing to improve Aric’s situation. But why the fuck, then, was it so hard to leave?
With a gentle but firm grip, Zaynab turned me around to face her. “Gina, you know you want to be there for your brother.”
I closed my eyes and exhaled. I did.
After a few more deep breaths to center myself, I met the vampire’s gaze and nodded—then walked away while I still had the strength. I reached the underground lot through the second entrance right as a whole cluster of witches escorted Dominik and Emilia from the building. The unexpected sight temporarily freed me from the taloned clutches of my mind. ICRA must have outsourced a few magic wielders or got them on loan from other branches, because I didn’t recognize half of the faces present, and I knew some of our people were already at the estate.
That much, at least, my brain had been able to retain despite its frayed state when Finn had filled me in on the plan he, Roth, and my aunts had devised.
Dominik offered me a small smile as he marched past me. He climbed into the reinforced van lined so thickly with wards I had no difficulties smelling the potency of their power. Emilia ducked into the back after him, and it didn’t escape me how the two wolves huddled together—the comfort they sought not stemming from fear but companionship.
As the doors shut with a heavy thud and another magic barrier knitted itself together, Finn sidled up to me.
“Ready to roll?” He draped an arm around my shoulders.
I leaned into his embrace and nodded.
Though I kept my senses peeled wide open at all times, the drive up to Rheinsberg was as uneventful as it got. Finn and I parked the car near the house, along with the rest of the agents, who poured out like an ICRA swarm, while the van’s driver backed the vehicle all the way to the gates of the enclosure.
Walking toward it, I scanned the brand-new fortifications the team had been working on basically from the second my aunts agreed to have both Dominik and Emilia here. I spotted Meli and Britta by the fence, and I strode over just in time to overhear their conversation with a petite, blonde witch dressed from head to toe in pink, who seemed to lead the whole arcane aspect of the construction project.
“While we used the structure of your previous protection as a basis to expand on, all the wards had been laid anew,” she explained, her gaze flicking over to me in silent acknowledgment as I joined their little group. “The barrier is thicker now, more durable, and we’ll have someone come up here weekly to inspect it for any signs of wear it might have endured and, should we find some, fix it at once.”
Meli stretched out an arm and tugged me against her.
“Thank you,” she said to the witch, her gratitude filling her scent and turning it into a welcoming presence I hoped to catch more of in the future.
With a warm smile, the petite blonde left us to join the rest of her kind as they opened the van’s doors. Although I more than understood the need for caution, the tunnel of wards they set up had proven necessary.
Dominik and Emilia climbed down, looking fresher than I’d ever seen them, and Dominik took Emilia’s hand before they strode through the gate—as if they were walking into a new life.
Britta, Meli, and I hurried in after them. A few agents lingered within the enclosure to keep an eye on all of us, but, although the curse had shown it could act up with little forewarning, I trusted the easiness that oozed from the two wolves. We’d be fine. Once we were far enough away for some privacy, the five of us stopped.
“It’s nice to meet you, Emilia,” Meli said, embracing the girl.
When Britta joined in, Dominik peeled away and walked over to me. I barely had time to marvel at the light in my brother’s eyes before he wrapped me in a tight hug.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
A small, small word, but it packed such a punch I choked up.
I hugged Dominik back, wishing I could never fucking let go. He chuckled, undoubtedly smelling my struggle, then disentangled himself from me. That light in his eyes grew brighter, and I wiped at my wet cheeks.
Where I’d once seen nothing but his desire to give up, a fire had now taken residence.
A will to fight.
I swallowed. “I’ll come up here often.”
“You do that,” he said with an easy smile I hadn’t believed I’d ever have the privilege to witness again.
As I half-sobbed, half-chuckled, Dominik winked, then turned on his heel and liberated Emilia from my aunts’ motherly affection. Their fingers entwined, and I watched them stride toward the cottage hand in hand, their forms glowing in the early afternoon sun.
Meli and Britta turned to me with eyes just as misted as mine.
A round of laughs circled through us. We were fucking ridiculous. But for the first time in a long fucking while, we also had something good to go on.
As we strode back toward the gate—much to the relief of the agents standing there—my phone rang. Letting my aunts ahead of me, I fished it out of the pocket and scrambled to hit answer when Zaynab’s name flashed on the screen.
“Is he all right?” I tensed.
Though I knew it was impossible, I could have sworn Zaynab’s joy flowed do
wn the line long before she said, “When you return to Berlin, your man will be hex-free.”
Chapter 31
The sun warmed my shoulders as I walked across the parking lot, then came to a stop in front of Aric’s studio. He’d been…secretive when he’d asked me to come over. The fluttering in my gut hinted I wasn’t about to walk into a shitty scenario, but the excitement and intrigue that rushed through my veins amped me up on adrenaline just the same.
I lifted my hand, but before I could press the buzzer, Aric appeared on the threshold.
He looked mouthwateringly hot in his black jeans and T-shirt, hair swept back in his trademark look, yet casual at the same time. Again, the disbelief that someone could be so fucking handsome smacked me straight in the face and made my heart run wild.
My lips tugged up with zero thought on my part. “Hi.”
Aric matched my smile with a broad one of his own, then reached for me and dragged me inside. His mouth came down on mine in a searing kiss that had entire galaxies exploding in my mind and heart alike. I leaned into him, and Aric swept one of his hands down my back, then over the curve of my butt.
Far sooner than I’d have liked, he drew away.
The sudden absence left me breathless, stranded within a swirling rush of elevation, but the sensation was far from unpleasant. Especially with Aric looking at me like I was some wonder he couldn’t quite believe he was seeing.
Heat crept into my cheeks, but before any kind of inner awkwardness could take root, Aric grabbed me by the hand. He led me to the couch with a touch of vamp speed to his steps that sent me laughing.
“Sit, sit.” He rocked on the heels of his feet, a spark in his eyes.
Chuckling, I parked my butt in the designated spot. My gaze fell on the table overflowing with drinks and snacks.
“What’s all this?” I waved a hand.
Aric thrust a cool gin and tonic in my conveniently open palm, then grabbed a whiskey for himself.
“A small listening party.” He winked, sipping the whiskey.
When my brows rose, he hit a button on a sleek remote he’d been hiding in his back pocket. Music poured from the speakers, rough and smooth at once—a riff that reached straight into my body and took the reins of my soul.
Oh, gods…
I looked at Aric, wide-eyed. “Is—is this…”
“Yeah”—he dropped a smoldering grin—“it’s the new record. It’s still a little rough around the edges but close enough to the final version that I wanted you to hear it. To be the first to hear it, actually.”
My lips parted, but no sound came out. I shook my head. The song continued to roll through me, and I smiled at Aric, ignoring the slight mist in my eyes, then rose to kiss him. His lips moved against mine to the absolute fucking best soundtrack a wolf could dream of, and when Aric’s voice uncurled from the speakers, delectable and entrancing, a light, gleeful laugh I wasn’t used to at all bubbled up from my chest.
I was fucking kissing the man behind that voice.
I was fucking kissing the vampire behind the music that had become a home for my soul.
We swayed to the song for a moment longer, Aric’s fingers skimming my jawline with featherlight caresses. My body wanted to wholly surrender to his affection, but instead of giving in, I simply lifted myself on my toes to dust another kiss across his lips, then playfully batted him away.
Not even the hotter than fuck, mind-blowingly talented vampire himself could distract me from listening to the new Whiskey Jet Preachers record.
Fuck! The new Whiskey Jet Preachers record!
I curled up on the couch, adamant to nurse my gin and tonic and sink into the experience I never would have thought I’d have the privilege to grace my life. After a second, Aric sank down beside me. Although I didn’t really look his way, I was keenly aware he was watching me over his glass.
Okay, maybe I’d lied earlier. Maybe he could distract me. But I was determined to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience before I enjoyed him.
From the way Aric gazed at me with those fox eyes, he didn’t mind in the least.
The record was everything I could have possibly wanted. Packed with mouthwatering riffs, filthy in just the right places, and with a few somewhat more blues-leaning songs adding flavor to the otherwise full-out rockabilly vibe, the whole damn thing was a downright dream. More than just exceptional. It was the kind of creation that carried in it the power to remind me of the immense beauty capable of existing in this world. Of the magic that had nothing to do with the arcane, yet is just as powerful.
If not even more so.
When the studio version of “The Moon’s in Your Blood” came on, I’d have been lying if I said my breath didn’t hitch. Hard. I held Aric’s gaze throughout the song, reveling in the shameless brand of his attention as he watched me watching him, all the while taking slow, fucking seductive sips of his whiskey.
Before his lips could tempt me into climbing on his lap and diving into a whole other sort of pleasure, the song ended, and a demanding riff yanked me straight back into listening mode.
Not that, at any point, I’d forgotten about the genius behind the music observing me with a smug tilt to his mouth.
To top things off, the final song of the album turned out to be an absolute eargasmic experience that crowned the entire masterpiece.
“Fuck, I can’t wait to hear this live,” I blurted when silence swept through the studio on the wings of the guitar’s final cry.
Aric swept his gaze down my front before meeting my eyes. “Can’t wait to have you in the front row.”
Heat flooded my core, but despite the air between us basically crackling with anticipation and bone-deep need, I couldn’t help but pick up on the hesitation Aric was trying his best to shove aside. It might have been a whole lot lesser in magnitude than the first few times we’d met up after his release from ICRA’s care, but it was there nonetheless.
Maybe I should have dropped it, pretended all was fine just to not risk him withdrawing even more, but my stubborn ass wouldn’t hear about leaving him to suffer alone.
I’d steered clear of the subject for long enough already.
“Aric.” I set my gin and tonic on the table, then put my hand atop his, our fingers entwining. “None of what happened was your fault.”
His fingers twitched.
“I was there,” I pressed but kept my tone as soft as it was steady, “I saw what the magic did to you.”
“Almost drain you, you mean?” His voice came out achingly dry, the self-loathing palpable.
“Yes, the hex almost drained me. Not you. You were the one who stopped.” I scooted to my knees. “Aric, you aren’t responsible for what happened. The only guilty party here is Shelby. And I swear to all the fucking gods that she’ll pay.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but after the furrow on his brow deepened, he gave me a nod. “You can count on me to help you find her, you know that, right?”
“I do.”
I hated the mere thought of bringing him anywhere near this case since the witch bitch clearly had it out for him, but not only was he the only one who’d dealt with her kind before, but I also understood more than enough that sometimes, you had to hunt down your own nightmares to set yourself free.
I twisted my legs from beneath me and snuggled up to Aric. As much as a part of me wanted to gush about the record, just have fun with Aric and celebrate the masterpiece the band had created, now that we’d dipped into the somewhat more somber waters, it felt…out of alignment to shove the conversation aside.
“Do you have any clue what Shelby might have meant when she said Milton’s ego got in the way?” I asked.
“No.” Aric propped his feet on the edge of the table. “Maybe he was just the infuriating, self-serving Milton he’s always been. He could have reneged on whatever deal the two of them had.”
“That’s what worries me.” I sucked on the inside of my cheek. “Milton was a loose cannon—but a cannon with
a target. You. With Shelby… We have no idea what she wants. Not really.”
If she’d simply been after Aric, she should have been fine with Milton going after him on his own at the club.
Aric shifted our clasped hands in his lap and lifted his gaze to mine. “At least now, whatever the fuck comes up, we’ll be in it together.”
I nodded. “Find Shelby. Help Dominik and Emilia—”
“Then treat ourselves to a fucking long vacation where I can attend to you properly.”
He leaned over, pushing me down on the couch. I melted beneath the intoxicating weight of his body. Aric kissed me deeply, then braced himself on an elbow and mapped out the contours of my face with the tips of his gently string-hardened fingers. As my breaths deepened, turned heavy with my desire for him, Aric’s gaze roamed down my body to the rise and fall of my breasts.
His fangs punched out.
Wincing, he shuffled off me as if burnt.
I almost retreated into my own corner, but a nudge sounded within me to not take that path. I climbed onto his lap instead.
“What happened, happened, Aric.” I placed my hands against his face. “You won’t hurt me, and I’m not scared of you. I’m not. But… Until you’re comfortable, we can also just do this.”
My lips brushed against his, and, when he responded to my offer, I kissed him, slow and gentle, before pulling back.
The tension dissolved from his frame.
He set his hands on my hips and looked up at me. “Some old-fashioned dating doesn’t sound so bad, does it?”
I rubbed the tip of my nose against his. “It sounds absolutely divine.”
Aric dragged his teeth over his bottom lip, staring at my mouth for another heartbeat, then flicked his gaze to mine.
He sang, “Let me see you from above.”
Though there was no music this time around, no Gretsch crooning out her beautiful dark tones, the melody flowed through me regardless.
“Claimed and ravaged”—Aric traced his fingers along my collarbone—“spent and cherished. I belong here”—his touch moved higher, up my neck, then fanned along my jawbone—“in your thrall.”
