Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal)

by Nicole Morgan

  Tremors began deep inside her, spreading out like a wildfire. As if Alexei’s words were the ignitor there was no way she could hold back the release that exploded. Her body convulsed, losing control of all that she was, surrendering herself, body and soul, as she cried out, “Alexei, oh God, Alexei, please... please!”

  She had no idea what she was begging for. To stop? No way in hell. To continue? The thought terrified her as he thrust deep inside her and with a grunt, she felt his seed shoot deep inside her. At the same time, it felt as if it was no longer just their bodies joined, but also their souls.

  As his thrusts slowed, he rolled to his side, taking her with him and keeping himself still inside her. Strong hands smoothed down her back and pressed her against him. Kissing her forehead, she felt the smirk of his lips. “I think I hear you purring, my Kitten.”

  Kat was afraid to speak, that if she did, he would hear the change in her voice. She was great at casual sex, well it had been a long time ago, but she was good at it then. This was anything but casual. This was all the poetic bullshit she had ever read about. This was life-changing, rainbows-and-butterflies shit. As much as she wanted an encore, to feel his cock surge to life inside her every day for the rest of her life, she needed something else. She needed to get the hell outta Dodge the first chance she got. As dangerous as Tussand had been, he could only torture her, kill her even. Alexei was even more dangerous; he wouldn’t just eventually break her heart, he would break her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Her body tucked into his, skin on skin, the warmth of her filling him. Part of him wanted to take her again, thrust deep inside her until she called out her submission to him. But his mind wouldn't let him. He knew this was more than just great sex. Hell, it was more than a great connection. His own body had acknowledged the change, they were no longer separate beings, but something had linked them. What, he was not sure. He had ideas. But… No way was that true. If it was, well, it was going to be a long day… week… life. But the thought of it being true, well that scared the living hell out of him, and nothing scared him.

  It was not that he had never had a woman in his life, hell over the centuries he had quite the list. Three things were very apparent in his past relationships: they never really meant anything, they never got close to having his heart, and he never took them home. As he stared out into the darkness he realized in Kat was not his past relationships, she did mean something, hell she meant everything, and he had no idea what or how that had happened. She did have his heart, completely, utterly, in a vice grip squeezing the dead organ to a small hardened mass. What he was doing with letting her was a whole other tangent he was not ready to let his mind run to. Looking around the room he realized, in fact, that the final nail in the proverbial coffin had been hammered home. His life would forever more be changed. Something that he thought had happened once before years, decades, before. Thinking he had only to go through that once he now found that he had to go through it one more time. The thought of his life forever linked to someone else, someone who would live or die by his actions. That if he chose one step out of place, one breath too deep, their world would end, that the light that had twinkled in her eyes would stop shining, the beating of her perfect heart stop. That thought was overwhelming, sending his stomach lurching just a bit. He had brought her home.

  As if she had heard his deepest thoughts, she snuggled in deeper into his arms, then pulled just a bit away. His arms tightened pulling her to him, the feel of her soft skin warm against him. Her body rubbed against his, sending his cock back into overdrive, the blood rushing to his length hardening with desire to be deep inside her softness. Remembering the way the walls of her chamber gripped his cock, pulling him back each time he had pulled out, his breath caught. He pulled back just slightly as he didn't want to scare her. No matter how much he wanted to be joined with her again right that minute, there were other things to do, other conversations to have. She had to know what was to come if they were marked for each other. If the ancient writings were true, the next few days would be beautiful, but soon after if they separated for more than 24 hours the pain would be unbearable. And even he wasn't sure what that bond would mean for him or her or the fact that Tussand had some inclination, probably more what they stood to gain or lose.

  His eyes seemed heavy, and the fact that she laid so still beside him was comforting to him, a comfort he had not known for years. Closing his eyes just for a moment he thought he reveled in the feeling of her heartbeat, something he had not felt in years, and drifted to sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kat hadn’t intended on falling asleep, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Maybe all the years of being with Tussand and sleeping with one eye open caught up to her. More likely it was that she was completely sated and actually felt safe in Alexei’s arms.

  “I’m not used to this snuggling shit. I’m more a neutral corner kinda girl.” She only hoped he wouldn’t realize the lie as she rolled away from him and waited for the sound of his breathing to even back out. She was used to tiptoeing, avoiding detection. Grabbing her clothes from the floor, she tiptoed out of the room. She couldn’t resist one glance back. Alexei lay on his back, his arms stretched out behind his head, his chest bare, the sheet only pulled up over his hips. She nearly bit through her lip as she saw the outline of his cock through the sheet, hard, waiting. Damn near begging her to come back and take another ride. Maybe in another lifetime. Forcing herself from the room, she dressed as she went. When she reached the beach, she looked back and forth between the house she was leaving and the ocean. Her heart seemed to be screaming at her to go back inside. Her head was in no way on board with that plan.

  Stepping into the boat, she stifled a whimper as it rocked side to side. Quickly reaching for the life jacket she pulled it over her head and fastened it around her. She wanted to run back into the house, to Alexei's bed, his arms where she felt safe.

  Safe in the arms of a vampire? You’re an idiot Kat, think with your head, not about last night. You can do this. Just a little bit of water. Alexei had said to keep the sun to her back last night, that would mean she would be going into the sun this morning and reach shore. At least she hoped. Staying low, taking a seat back by the motor she touched the handle and immediately memories from the past swamped her.

  “Daddy, can I come, can I come?” She was only seven years old and jumping up and down on the dock of her family home on Lake Erie.

  “Well, I don’t know Princess, can you? Aren’t you supposed to be helping your mother plant the garden today?”

  “She doesn’t need my help. I would rather go with you and catch the fishes for dinner. I love fishes.”

  “We named you Henrietta but when we found out how much you loved fish we changed it to Kathryn, just so we could nickname you Kat, cat’s always like fish you know. You’re lucky, your mom wanted to change it to Halibut; I saved you from that.”

  Her dad laughed as he took out his phone and called the house, letting her mom know that she was going with him. On hanging up, he reached up and helped her into the boat. “Welcome aboard. You’re the first mate today. That means you get to be my helper.” He reached for the life jacket and pulled it over her head, then fastened the cord around her waist. “There’s your life jacket. Daddies don’t have to wear one, plus I can swim better than the fish. We need to get you swimming this summer.”

  She sat in the seat as her dad untied the boat and pushed off from the dock. She watched everything he did. What buttons to press, how he pulled the cord and the engine roared to life. Once they were away from the dock, he let her sit beside him and steer. “Someday you’ll be the captain, and I can just sit and relax.”

  They had managed to catch a few fish when the sky started to turn dark. “Reel in the lines, Kathryn, but stay in your seat. Looks like a storm comin’ and we need to get back before your mom worries herself sick.” She did as told; he didn’t have to ask twice.

  The storm blew in
too fast. The swells of waves grew deeper, and Kat remembered the sky so dark it seemed like night. Lightning lit up the sky, the crack of the thunder hurt her ears, she screamed as she bounced in her seat, falling to the side and hitting her head. Her father stood up, reaching for her and grabbing her arm. The sound of the motor died, there were only the sounds of the wind, the waves, the storm. Violent waves tilted from side to side. Water splashed inside.

  “Daddy!!” He was there one minute and gone the next as the next wave nearly stood the boat up straight. She watched as he let go of her and tumbled backward, hitting the motor before falling out of the boat. “Daddy! Daddy! Come back!!”

  The next wave threw her from the boat. Her arms flailed in the water as she coughed and choked and screamed. She managed to grab the side of the boat and bobbed up and down with the waves. She was alone in the dark, shivering in the cold water.

  It was hours before she was found by the Coast Guard. Her father was never found. She knew a part of her stayed there with him in the murky water of Lake Erie.

  Pulling herself from the past, she steeled her nerves and pushed the boat from the dock. She used an oar to get a bit out before she brought the engine to life. Tears fell down her cheeks as she headed into the sun.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The sun warmed his skin, something he was not used to enjoying. He stretched out, reaching for the woman that had so much control of him, and yet she didn't know. Opening his eyes, he realized his hand had reached the other side of the bed. Sitting straight up he looked around; quickly he magicked on his clothes and sprinted through the house, checking rooms, closets, any place he could find. Energy surged through him thanks to the blood that she had given him last night, and he was using it as he flashed to and fro searching for her.

  “Kathryn!”

  His feet flew over the rocks that led to the dock at the edge of the island. The Pacific Ocean lay there lapping grey and cold, white surf chopping at the wooden pillars that held the old dock in place. Stomping as he went, he stopped in front of the empty slip.

  “God dammit!”

  He knew better than to swear really but he also knew that in reality, swearing didn't mean shit. The only thing that mattered was Kathryn. He looked at the clouds overhead; a storm was coming, and he knew she had taken the smallest of boats. Fear overtook him, and he closed his eyes trying to find her in his mind. He just had to find her, get a pinpoint on her and he could, no, would get her he thought. “Damn stubborn woman.”

  Jumping on his other boat, he turned the key and pushed the lever forward as the engine roared to life. Steering the boat out of the slip towards the open ocean he drove straight out. The rain started slightly at first, but he didn't notice - he had to find her. Hours passed, and still, he found nothing. Just as he reached the bay on the coast of Santa Monica he saw his boat. pulled onto the bank of the shore. Searching the crowd, he saw no sign of her. She was gone. And instantly he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Fuck. He could feel her, but not where she was, it was as if he was somehow in a fog just getting glimpses of her. Pain, shooting through his body, wracked him, his body started to shake, his breath coming quicker; her absence was physical pain. Turning his thoughts inward he blocked out everything around him, the water lapping around him faded away, the noise of the busy harbor gone. The only thing he could feel was Kathryn slipping away.

  Punching the boat hull, he turned the boat around and headed back to his island. He had to find her and leaving the boat there was not an option, his only hope was that she was feeling the same thing and she would turn around and come back.

  Chapter Seventeen

  There was never a more beautiful sight when Kat finally saw the shoreline. She didn’t really care exactly where she was, it was land beneath her feet. She steered the small boat right up onto shore and climbed out, giving it a tug so it didn’t drift away before she took off the life jacket and tossed it inside.

  “You made it. No drowning, no drama, no high seas adventures.” Why wasn’t she happier about it? She looked back across the ocean from where she had come. There was an ache in her chest and her leg ached at the spot of the birthmark. What she had experienced with Alexei was unlike anything she had ever known. She wasn’t the type of girl that met a man and ran to his bed. But, damn, what happened in that bed she would dream of the rest of her life. Finding someone to make her feel as alive as Alexei had… not likely. He would be a hard act to follow. Things between them had moved too fast, too intensely. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, even the thought of someone else made the ache worse. What would he do when he woke up and found that she was gone? Would he care? Would he come after her? The thought was enough to get her feet moving. If he did come after her, she wasn’t sure she would have the strength to stay away. She wrapped her arms around her chest as if to protect her from a chill. There was only a slight breeze; no way that was causing it. The chill seemed to be coming from the inside out. Damn, she was tired. One thing she was confident of - that all this melancholy would go away after a good night’s sleep.

  Making her way through the streets, she noted one immediate problem. She had no idea where she was, had no cash and it was getting dark. It had been years since she had been out alone at night, but she still knew what to do. She kept her head down and stuck to the shadows, trying to draw the least amount of attention to herself. Apparently, that wasn’t going to be enough. What started with wolf whistles and cat calls turned to taunting. She picked up her pace, but so did the sounds of the footsteps that followed. She finally took off at a run, listening to the sounds behind her as she tried to judge how close they were.

  “Hey, baby, where ya going? Come back, we just wanna talk. You can be friendly. We just wanna talk to ya. Alexei wouldn’t be too happy knowing that one of his girls is out running the streets at night scared and unprotected.”

  At the sound of Alexei’s name she stopped and turned to face three men. At least she thought they were men, they were more the size of mountains. Bulging muscles, each was as strikingly gorgeous as the other. She wondered what the hell was it about these creatures that made them all so beautiful. The devil naturally cornered the market on using beauty as temptation. She was out of breath and knew there was no way she was going to outrun them. They apparently knew Alexei, and she allowed her guard to drop.

  “What the hell are you talking about? Did Alexei send you? Just tell him I’m not coming back. You can take me back but I promise you, I will just leave again. I won’t be held against my will again.”

  The three men slowed their approach, but Kat still took a step back as they got too close. “Sent us? Oh Sugah, you running away from Alexei? Not a good thing.”

  One man stepped forward, sniffing at the air around her. “Oh yeah, Alexei is definitely going to be looking for you. You don’t have to worry, we can make sure that never happens.”

  Taking another step back, she replied, “Thanks for the offer, but I can handle Alexei myself. Now, I will just be on my way.”

  The last thing that she needed was any more vamps, immortals, whatever the hell these guys were anywhere near her. Faster than she could blink she was nearly surrounded. Her arm was twisted behind her back as a hand wrapped around her face covering her mouth. She tried to kick, but the other men grabbed her legs. She bit at the hand across her mouth, screaming when it moved. Her head snapped back as a fist connected with her jaw, immediately feeling blood beginning to run from her nose and mouth.

  “I don’t have anything that you want. Just leave me alone!”

  “You have no idea what you are, do you? You were with Alexei; everyone can feel the change in the air. You’re the catalyst. The one he was destined to find. Sorry, but we can’t allow anything to change the balance of power.”

  His words went right over her head. A catalyst? What the hell were they on and how was she getting out of this one? “What are you talking about?”

  Her eyes flew wide as she saw the ornate blade catch the
moonlight. Struggling to get free she looked in her attacker's face as she felt the cold steel cut through her chest. She was immediately released and tried to walk, stumbling as her hands gripped the handle of the blade. They were talking. “It’s done, we will get paid good for this one. Nobody needed, you can already feel the change in the air. Whatever the fuck the prophecy was, with the catalyst out of the way it’s done. There will be no change in power. Time to go collect.”

  She only took two steps before she went to her knees. Coughing, she tasted blood. On the ground holding the blade, the darkness closed in quickly. Her last thought was of Alexei’s face.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The silence was deafening; all the centuries of his long existence had been silent, but now, the silence was unbearable. In just the short time of Kathryn being there his home had changed. The space had seemed complete, full. Now it just felt empty and lonely, terribly unbearably lonely. His horses had not appeased him, the activity of caring for them becoming motions, mindless motions, leaving plenty of space for the thoughts that plagued him. All of them centered around Kathryn. His Kathryn, his Kitten.