by Jenika Snow
“Aedan asked me to bring this to you.”
He took the tray. Their fingers brushed together, and her face became redder.
Damn shame she’s only seventeen. “Thanks, Joslyn.” He saw her eyes dart around his body and knew she was looking at the nude females on his bed.
“Okay. Do you need anything else?” Her voice was soft and hesitant.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.” Her scent was still around him when she turned and left.
“Come on, baby. We’re ready for you.”
He looked down at the tray and back down the now empty hallway. He turned his gaze to the Lyken females in his bed. He shook his head and set the tray down. It would do no good to think about things that would, and could, never be. He grinned as he headed back to the naked women in his bed.
Joslyn rounded the corner and stopped. She leaned against the wall and breathed out roughly. She didn’t know much about Kaleb Reilly, but she didn’t need to, not when he was gorgeous, smelled so good, and was all she thought about lately. She ran her now sweaty palms over her skirt and headed downstairs. If she didn’t finish her chores—punishment for leaving the safety of the clan and almost getting killed by a group of Bloodless—she would be at them all day.
She passed several Lykens, the majority of them hidden away in their rooms since mating season was in full force. It disgusted her in a way, knowing they were in their rooms doing sexual things because they couldn’t help it. She didn’t want that. Joslyn wanted to be able to choose whom she loved, not be stuck with a man for the rest of her life because they were mated. It seemed like a dreadful existence to have the chemicals in her body telling her whom she needed to be with. She would rather live a lonely life than be tied to a man who wanted to dictate her every move.
She may not be able to do everything she wanted, but her brother Liyam always made sure to let her live her life. Well, he had, up until she had gone into the city alone. Now she was ordered to stay where the clan could watch over her. Her life was basically in their hands. It pissed her off, but she knew she brought it upon herself, and now she would pay the price until hell froze over.
Kayla started work like any other day, tired, grumpy, and irritable. She would rather be at home, or more honestly, she would rather be in Adrik’s bed. She hadn’t seen much of him over the past couple of days. Apparently he had been pretty busy with Blood Breed business. She took report from Jack, groaning inside when she was informed she had Mr. Volshustiv for a patient.
“I know he gave you a hard time, but we are really short staffed, and he has actually been pleasant.”
She nodded, knowing that first and foremost was her patient’s health. She would be polite and professional and hoped he was the same. When Jack was finished with report, she took a deep breath and started assessing her patients. She stopped in front of Mr. Volshustiv’s room. He was wide awake and watching television, and the restraints were no longer covering his wrists. She knocked on the door and entered, plastering a smile on her face.
“Hello, Mr. Volshustiv. How are you this evening?”
He turned his attention toward her, and a genuine smile covered his lips. “Good evening. I am glad you are my nurse tonight.”
He is? He certainly wasn’t acting the same, but then again, he was off the pain meds and was scheduled to be transferred to a step-down unit in the morning. “You seem to be feeling better today.”
He actually blushed at her comment, and she felt herself relax.
“Yeah, about that. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted the other day. I vaguely remember how nasty I was toward you and just wanted to say how sorry and embarrassed I am over my actions.”
“Oh.” She was at a loss for words. “Well, don’t worry about it. I completely understand.”
“Thank you for accepting my apology. I was afraid you wouldn’t. I just felt awful.” He sat up straighter in bed and adjusted the covers.
“Can I check your vitals and change your wound dressing?”
He nodded, and Kayla went about the task of listening to his heart and assessing him. She washed her hands and put on a clean pair of gloves before lifting up his shirt and assessing the wound. She gently peeled the bandage away, and her eyes widened at what she saw. The only thing marring his tanned flesh was a slightly raised pink scab. She had no idea how he had healed so quickly. The wound he had should have taken weeks to heal, not days.
“Your wound is all but healed.” She looked up at him and saw his gaze on his wound.
“Huh, guess I’m just a quick healer or something.”
Or something. This bit of news wasn’t in report. “I’d say. A wound like the one you sustained should have taken a while to heal.” She shook her head and added a fresh bandage, knowing it really didn’t need it. “Well, you appear just fine. Did Dr. Trochle come in earlier today and explain that you will be transferred to a step-down unit?”
He nodded.
“That’s excellent news given the fact you sustained a deep stab wound. Do you remember how you got it?”
In his chart it had said he had been all but delirious when he came in, spouting off incoherent things and becoming violent with the staff. He had been given a heavy cocktail of antibiotics, which was obviously what he needed. Most likely he’d had a systemic infection, and that was why he had been acting delirious. She couldn’t even comprehend how his wound had healed so quickly.
“I’ll come back a little later and check in on you, but if you need anything in the meantime, just use your call light.”
He nodded and smiled. She smiled in return and left the room.
Chapter 24
Adrik sat in Aleksei’s private office. Lana, the king’s Chosen, lay on the leather couch across the room with a romance novel in hand. She had no shoes on, and her little feet hung over the armrest as her eyes widened at whatever sordid passage she was reading. Her stomach was flat, her pregnancy not even noticeable under her formfitting shirt. Aleksei had asked him to come by, apparently having some big news he wanted to discuss.
Aleksei stared at him, his thick arm hanging over the chair as his other hand tapped on his desk. “Thank you for coming by. I wanted to see how things were going.”
This was the important business? Aleksei wasn’t one for small talk or wondering about others’ personal business. No, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Aleksei had other agendas for why he had called Adrik here.
“I’ve been fine, and you, my lord?”
Aleksei smirked, and he turned to look at his female. Adrik could feel the love he had for his Chosen. He knew it was exactly the love he felt for Kayla.
“You seem different.”
“Do I?” Adrik leaned back and flicked a glance toward Lana. He wondered if Kayla had told her about them.
“You have found your Chosen.” Aleksei said it low enough so that only the two of them could hear. “I can smell it, can smell her all over you. Is it not Kayla, Lana’s friend?”
Adrik gave a sharp nod, not about to deny it. What was the point?
“Things are well?”
Adrik nodded again. “They are.”
Aleksei took a deep breath and looked at Lana. “You will see, my friend.”
He didn’t need to ask what Aleksei meant. He knew his king was smitten with the little brunette. Aleksei was telling him in so many words that the life Adrik had always known was now forever changed.
Aleksei turned back toward him, his face going serious. “I’ve received word from the House of Daemon that they may have a lead on a map that will locate the Dagger of Life and Death.”
“What do you need the Dagger of Life and Death for?”
According to beings of the Otherworld, the dagger supposedly had been created by Kerrian the Dark, a powerful sorcerer who resided in the Shadow Realm. Legend said that Kerrian created the dagger to bring back his murdered love. When it didn’t work out quite as he’d planned, he hid the dagger so that it wouldn’t get into the wrong hands. It was an
indestructible weapon, able to kill any being, Otherworld included, and could bring life back. He ended up making a map that led to the dagger, but that, too, became lost in time. Anymore the legend was more myth than reality.
“I don’t need it for anything, but Osip contacted me and asked for help. Although I refused him, seeing as he almost got Lana killed, my Chosen eventually talked me into it.” Aleksei gritted out the last part, which warranted a smirk from Lana.
Osip was a banished Seeker, a group of beings within the Otherworld who worked for the Divinity of the Eye, a group of supernatural creatures who extracted steep prices for favors. No one knew exactly why Osip had been banished. It was true he had kidnapped Lana and delivered her on a silver platter to the horde leader, Dorian, who also happened to be Aleksei’s brother. Adrik could see the frustration and anger that still brewed within his king, and he couldn’t blame him. No doubt his Chosen had “talked” him into helping the banished Seeker.
“What does Osip want with the dagger?”
Aleksei shrugged his broad shoulders. “He said his reasons were his own, and to be honest, once this mission is done, he will be on his way.”
“You know how powerful the dagger is. If we find the map, and I use that term lightly because you must realize how insane this whole thing sounds, how do you propose we go about getting it? It could be on another dimension for all we know.”
Aleksei gave a sharp nod of his head. “I know this, but even though this originally started off as Osip’s request, think of the power and good we can do with the dagger.”
“The good we can do with it?” Adrik ran a hand through his hair. “How can bringing the dead back or extinguishing Otherworld beings be considered good?”
“Instead of losing our brethren to the Bloodless, the knife can get rid of them with little effort.”
“Sounds cowardly, if you ask me.”
“Cowardly? How do you figure?” Aleksei’s voice dropped low and deadly. Adrik knew he had overstepped his bounds.
“I only mean that we should be fighting our enemies with our bare hands, receiving the wounds that are dealt like warriors.”
With that, Aleksei seemed to relax, understanding what he was saying. “I understand, but Adrik, I’m tired and weary of all this bloodshed. Every day a Blood Breed succumbs, submits to their bloodlust, and turns into a true monster, a Bloodless.”
It was true. Every day, one by one, their brethren were giving in to their temptation, letting their bloodlust, their addiction, rule over them and change them into the creatures they fought every night. It wore on each of them, having to kill the males they once called friends. He would never go against what the king ultimately decided, but voicing his opinion was something he always had done, and he knew Aleksei appreciated it.
Lana set her book down and walked up to Aleksei. “I’m hungry.”
At once, Aleksei was focused on her. He took her much smaller hand in his and used his free one to cover her flat belly. “Would you like me to call something up to the office for you?”
She smiled down at her male and shook her head. “No. I want to walk a little. I was thinking of going out for lunch and getting some shopping done. My clothes are starting to feel tight.” She scowled as Aleksei beamed.
“Anything you want, miliya moya.”
They kissed passionately, and Adrik turned his head. He sensed her leaving a moment later. He looked back at Aleksei and saw a content smile playing on his leader’s mouth as he stared at the now-closed door.
“I will do whatever you decree, my lord.”
Aleksei nodded and pulled out a folder. “Now is not the time, though. According to Destrick, when the moon is at its fullest, that is when the power of the map will be revealed. It is then that we will be able to sense it.”
Destrick was the demon king, a powerful and fierce male. “How do we know Destrick tells the truth?”
“The demon owes me his life. When I asked for his help, he could do nothing other than agree to help me.” Aleksei leaned back in his chair. “One of his men came across a black oracle.”
“A black oracle?” Adrik knew surprise filled his voice. Black oracles used their powers nefariously, seeking to harm others for the sole pleasure of seeing their pain. If one of the demons had come across information from a black oracle, it could only lead to misery. “I don’t know if I would trust that information.”
“Apparently this demon pleasured the oracle so immensely that he was able to acquire information on the map.” Aleksei rubbed his head and breathed out. “I agree with you, but we have to start somewhere. I can’t see what harm the information we got could bring. All that was said was about the full moon and power.”
“When is the next full moon?”
“One month from now, but there are thirteen full months in a lunar year, so who knows which time will lead us to the dagger.”
Adrik whistled under his breath. “Long time for Osip to wait.”
Aleksei nodded. “Yes, but this is the best we have so far, and as much as I loathe him, Lana is right. Without him, I never would have found her.” A flicker of emotion washed over his features before he quickly masked them.
Adrik could sense the despair and sorrow from Aleksei. He blamed himself for what had happened to his Chosen. Adrik knew he would feel the exact same if the roles were reversed.
“I think day and night about what could have happened to Lana and the child she carries. I feel so much guilt over it that, more times than not, I just lie in bed, unable to sleep.”
Adrik listened, not interrupting his king as Aleksei spoke. Never had the Blood Breed king been so openly honest about his feelings.
“What’s done is done, my lord. Your Chosen is safe, and your child grows within her. All you can do is look forward and protect her now.”
Aleksei watched him for a heartbeat before speaking. “When did you become so wise?”
“I’m not wise in the least. I just know what it feels like to have finally found your female, only to have her taken away.” Kayla might not have been literally taken away as Lana had, but Adrik had felt it in his heart nonetheless.
“I wanted you to have a heads-up because you are going to be the one to help organize a team. I want the best out there searching for the map. Remember, this isn’t just about me repaying a debt, it’s also about saving our people from the Bloodless.”
Chapter 25
Adrik paced his living room. He held his cell and took several deep breaths. It had been a while since he had fed last, and the need was starting to build inside of him. He needed to find sustenance before he saw Kayla tomorrow, or he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He shouldn’t have let himself go this long, but the very idea of drinking from another female seemed abhorrent. The club had a freezer filled with bags of blood, and although it wouldn’t give him the kind of strength a fresh vein would, it would have to do.
He grabbed his keys and headed out the door. He was already feeling his body priming at the idea of blood. If he were to let his need go longer, bloodlust would soon take over, until he couldn’t control himself. He would attack anything and everything, killing without remorse, seeking that ultimate high that came when a Blood Breed entered bloodlust. It was then that his kind became a Bloodless, a being completely changed and always seeking his next victim.
Joslyn sat in the overstuffed leather recliner as she picked through a bowl of cherries. The television was muted on yet another infomercial. It was the middle of the night, and the house was pretty quiet. Most of the clan members were either in their rooms or outside running. She turned the television off and set the bowl of cherries aside. The darkness surrounded her, but it was welcome.
The front door opened and closed. Joslyn tried to look around the corner to see who it was. A female giggle sounded, and then a deep male chuckle followed. She could smell the liquor before the couple even made it through the foyer. Another door opened and closed, and then all was silent again.
S
he leaned her head back and breathed out. Her eighteenth birthday was in just a few short days, and she would be given a little more freedom. Although turning eighteen wasn’t saying much in the Lyken community. No matter what age, all males were extremely protective of the children and females. She at least hoped to have her leash lengthened a little.
Since her parents’ passing a few years after she was born, Liyam had watched over her to the point that she felt smothered. She loved her brother, but knowing he was always there, watching what she did and making sure she didn’t do so much as stub her toe, grated on her nerves.
Joslyn knew she had screwed up royally when she left the protection of the clan and ventured into the city, but the lights looked so beautiful and exciting. She loved the mountains, but she felt isolated and secluded. True, she was surrounded by people who loved her and clan members who helped raise her, but even so, she felt as though she was missing something.
Another door softly opened and closed. There wasn’t any noise for several moments, and then Joslyn heard the distinct sound of two people making out. It wasn’t a hard sound to miss, not with the heavy panting and the wet noises that followed.
She always hated this time of year, when no Lyken male could control himself and all the females were horny little sluts. She couldn’t wait to hit her maturity because it might warrant more freedom, but with that maturity also came her Lyken nature. Her control would be more feral, and her hormones would be so out of control that any male would seek her out. They would be drawn to her pheromones and would need to be with her.
Her decision had been made already. When her eighteenth birthday came, she would go into hiding, keeping away from anything male until her hormones settled. It could take days, weeks, or even months for that to happen, but she was damn sure not going to bend over and present herself for some male to mount. No thank you.
