by Trina M. Lee
Enjoying his air of mystery, he nodded mischievously. “Something like that. If I told you I’d have to wipe your memory. So I could’ve already told you, and you’d never even know.”
“Funny.” My laugh was over-the-top fake, for his benefit. “You’re a dick.”
His smug smile appeared, as expected. “Yeah well, it’s not as easy as it looks. Anyway…” Falon’s silver gaze dropped, and he took an awkward step back, putting what some might consider a safe distance between us, though no such thing existed. “When you need me to pick up the pieces after it all goes down, you know how to find me.”
Not pulling any punches. No beating around the bush. But no sarcastic delivery.
I was momentarily thrown. We both knew how things stood between us. We didn’t talk about it much. And so we didn’t talk about it now either.
I nodded. Killing Kale would leave me shattered. I most feared that it would force me back down that dark road. That I would terrorize the city as the hurt I harbored manifested as the monster I could become. I didn’t trust myself. Vampires always walked a line between maintaining a safe rein on the bloodlust and losing control completely.
Nervously, I licked my lips. “Falon, if anything happens to me, if I go off the deep end…stop me before I can do too much damage. Ok?”
“Gladly.” This he said without his usual snark.
And then he was gone.
I suspected that he’d hit rock bottom himself a time or two. Like when Winter rejected Falon for the demon who’d cursed them and when she later died. Both did something irreparable to him. The loss lived in him, still wounded his heart after all this time.
A brief peek into my office confirmed a still dead Willow. Justin stood watch. Well, he actually sat at my desk with a half-naked woman on his lap. At his guilty grin I just rolled my eyes and closed the door.
On my way down the hall to the heart of the club, I paused outside Kale’s door. He was in there. I’d felt him when we first arrived. I slowed to breathe in that sweet essence, but I knew better than to linger.
In the party zone I found Arys and Shaz near the door, heads together as they conversed. They weren’t alone. Shaz’s beta wolf, Owen, stood with them. Dark hair hidden beneath a bandana, eyes pure wolf, Owen sported a mean shiner.
With a quick perusal of the building, I assessed each supernatural present. A handful of vampire regulars prowled the floor.
Jenner had set up shop on one of the comfy couches where he enjoyed the attentions of three women. Briefly he glanced my way as I passed through. He’d only come here as a friend to Kale. Or so he claimed. Otherwise, Jenner served no good purpose. While I believed he and Kale had formed a friendship in Las Vegas, I suspected he’d used Kale’s sacrifice as an excuse to come here. To satisfy the craving I’d left in him? Possibly. Or was it something else?
At least he was keeping himself occupied and out of the strip clubs.
I sidled up to the guys, dragging a hand over Shaz’s lower back as I joined them. He slid an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him.
“Hey, babe.” I greeted him with a nuzzle. “What’s up?”
Shaz’s wolfy scent found its way to the soft place that was just for him. “A hunter jumped Owen, took off when he realized he was outclassed. I want his hide.”
“What did he look like?” I winced in sympathy when I got a better look at Owen’s face. An angry, blackening bruise spread out from his eye down toward his jaw. Smacked in the face with the butt of a rifle I’d bet. As Owen described the hunter who’d hit him, I grew ever surer that it had been Wyatt. “I knew he wouldn’t leave,” I muttered. “That stupid son of a bitch. I’m going to draw him out. He wants me.”
Shaz nodded. “I’ll back you up.”
Tone low and dark, Arys vetoed our plan before we’d fully formed it. “No. We’re not doing it that way. Neither of you should go. This guy is on a mission. It’s not worth putting either of you at risk.” Jaw tense, shoulders tight, Arys stood ready for the backlash such a comment would incite.
Seeing his readiness for my wrath, I should’ve been able to leash it, yet the daring glint in his midnight eyes wrenched it out of me. “At risk? The guy wants to capture, not kill. He made a mistake going after Owen. He’s slipping up. Shaz and I can take him.”
Holding Arys’s intense gaze, I resisted the urge to look to Shaz for support. In these moments I saw how dependent I’d become on him to maintain balance between Arys and me. Even before his role had a name, before we knew Willow had pulled strings for us, I’d relied on Shaz to keep me level-headed.
Also in these moments I saw how much it wounded him to be stripped of that calming essence the keystone provided. Yet he played it cool, nudging Arys playfully. “Vampires. Demons. Werewolf death fights. We’ve dealt with much worse than a human hunter with a hard-on for rarities. It’s cool, Arys.”
“Not without me,” Arys insisted. The fire in his gaze cooled as he clasped Shaz’s shoulder, only to rage again a heartbeat later.
Did I imagine that? No, he definitely softened. Just a little and for just the moment.
I shook off the nagging voice chanting in my head. “You have to stay here with Willow,” I reminded him. “One of us has to be here when he wakes up.”
“So you stay.” Flippant and giving no fucks, Arys raised a brow, inviting my temper.
I’d pondered the twin flame connection many times, formed many theories and even more questions. Somewhere along the way I’d determined that what ultimately caused the self-destruction and spontaneous combustion of twin flames was simply that, in the end, they wanted oblivion so damned badly. Finality.
Often I thought back on Rachel and Ozzie. Only once they’d both given up did their journey together come to an end.
I would not give up.
Staring at Arys, I fought to shove aside the thoughts of bitch-slapping his smug face. Shaz’s arm tightened across my shoulders, pressing me closer. I could feel him willing me to stand down. To let it go.
So I did. “Fine. I’ll stay here. You guys go.”
Arys blinked a few times, like he wasn’t sure he’d heard me right. Suspicion twisted his face into something ugly. And Arys had been a damn far cry from ugly. He snarled at the back hall. “You want to stay because Sinclair is here.” He glared at that hallway like Kale might appear at the mention of his name.
That did it. “Are you friggin’ kidding me? My God, Arys, I just can’t win with you. What the hell do you want from me?” My hands tingled with rising energy. I’d had enough of this shit.
Shaz steered me away, holding up a hand to keep Arys at bay. “Let me deal with him,” Shaz whispered in my ear. “He’s been edgy, won’t talk about it, but I think it’s hard for him to see how upset you are about what’s coming. Maybe he wants Kale gone, maybe we both do, but he hates that you’re suffering.”
“Forgive me if I’m not able to muster a lot of sympathy.”
Leading me further from Arys, my white wolf kissed my temple and turned me to face him. “I don’t expect you to. Arys is deeply in tune with us, Lex. You especially. He’d love to be rid of Kale but not like this. Not with you…” Shaz’s jade gaze drifted over my face, and he shook his head. “And I don’t want you to have to kill Kale either. I’m sorry it has to be that way.”
I searched him, finding what he didn’t say. “But neither of you will be sorry to see him go.” Of course they wouldn’t. And I couldn’t hold that against either of them.
Because he was too nice, Shaz avoided my remark with a wolfy nuzzle. “Stay here and keep an eye on Willow. I’ll take Arys out to let off some steam.”
“Be careful with him, Shaz. Don’t let your guard down.” I hated having to say that about Arys. But seeing the way he watched us with predatory delight, that vampire needed to come with a warning.
“Let my guard down with Arys Knight?” Shaz laughed. “I wasn’t born yesterday. It’s cool. I can handle him.”
“Probably better th
an I can.” I sighed, resting my head on his chest. “Ok, go. But if you find Wyatt, don’t let Arys kill him for sport. I want a piece too.”
Shaz laughed, a gentle, comforting sound. “You got it. He’s all yours. Did you ever think you’d see the day Arys and me were sort of friends? Because I didn’t.”
“Friends?” I teased him with a grin. “Don’t you mean lovers?” I dragged out the word in dramatic fashion, laughing when he cringed.
“Thanks,” he muttered, unable to hide the increase in his pulse. Flushed with embarrassment, Shaz ran a hand through his platinum hair. “On that note, let me get him out of here. Keep him busy for a bit.”
“Call me if anything comes up.” If hunting for Wyatt kept Arys busy and the two of us from warring the night away, then I’d happily stay behind.
A kiss and he was gone, all but dragging Arys away from me. After trying and failing to convince Jenner to join them, they left. Their absence left both relief and longing in their wake.
I wandered the perimeter, keeping an eye on the vampire activity. Nothing appeared amiss. Jenner caught my eye as I passed, inclining his head in invitation. Having no interest in joining him and his ladies, I declined with a slip of a smile, keeping my distance.
So maybe I wasn’t so happy to stay here. I should’ve been out there baiting Wyatt. It would’ve given me a purpose, kept my focus off the upcoming full moon. It would have kept me from standing here, watching people on the dance floor, while that saccharine vibe reverberated through my head.
Who was I kidding? I didn’t want to be anywhere else. Kale was here. Time was short. Holding back robbed us both of what little joy we had left to share. He wanted me to come to him; he’d said as much.
And here I stood, avoiding him simply because I feared making the promise of his death all too real.
Goodbyes were hard. But this would be downright devastating.
For a long time I watched the humans and vampires rub all over each other. The dance of predator and prey continued, even hidden under the guise of a business arrangement or casual fling.
This was not how I wanted to spend the night. Briefly I tried to convince myself to partake, but what I wanted was in room number thirteen.
Feeling eyes upon me, I turned to find Jenner watching me. With a knowing look, he tilted his head toward the back hall and nodded. Bad influence. Or perhaps, he simply knew loss, wished he had back some final moments.
“Fuck,” I mumbled to myself.
Bittersweet memories surfaced: The first time Kale kissed me during a hunt for a crazed werewolf. The first bite that I’d invited in my office when Kale had come to comfort me. Our first encounter in the rain behind this building.
I groaned and shoved a hand through my hair. There were so many reasons I should stay away from Kale. And just one reason why I should go to him.
This was our end.
I had to see it through. My feet were moving before I’d decided. Down the hall to the back I went. Doors passed. Shrieks and the thick essence of sex oozed out, unable to be contained by walls.
I stopped outside number thirteen.
And froze. What if he wasn’t alone in there?
Two nights. We had just two nights.
I raised my hand to knock, but the door swung open before I could. Kale stood there, expectation on his handsome face.
“Hey,” I began, not knowing how to give words to the torrent of emotion that swelled at the sight of him. “Is this a bad time? I mean, are you busy?” I heaved an inward sigh of relief that the room behind him was empty.
Kale leaned in the doorway. His gaze traveled over me, landing on my lips. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
That was all he had to say. He stepped back and opened the door wider. Without a second thought I entered. And the door closed behind me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
We’d said all we needed to say in the months leading up to this point. And even though I wanted to beg him to change his mind, somehow I choked it down. Opening my big mouth could ruin what should be a bittersweet goodbye we’d both take to the grave.
So I kissed him.
A hand on either side of Kale’s face, I pressed my lips to his. Gentle at first. Then a bit harder as his hands found my hips and he jerked me tight against him.
Kissing me hungrily, Kale pulled me further into the room, closer to the bed. A hand traveled up my side, slow and sensual, over my ribs, the side of my breast, until his fingers were entangled in my hair.
He explored my mouth, tongue delving between my lips. I yielded to his demanding kiss, but I had a demand of my own. Fumbling with his clothes, I urged myself to slow down. Yet if I didn’t feel his skin against mine right this instant, my fear would send me running.
I should’ve feasted on every moment we’d had remaining. Instead I’d chased everything from problem vampires to sleazy johns to trophy wolf hunters. All to keep busy. To stay in a state of denial that our strange relationship had reached its end.
To keep from admitting how bad things were.
With Arys. Our loss of Shaz to anchor us. With Willow. How I’d both saved and failed him by making him human and now vampire. With Kale. Setting him free would come at a price that I must pay. Afraid of that cost, I’d robbed us both of precious time.
Until now.
We had lost time to make up for.
So I kissed him with the desperation that only came from goodbye. My fingers danced over his chest to his firm abs as I shoved his shirt up and over, then to the floor. He snagged the hem of my top, whipping it from between us, barely breaking our kiss. Smooth but hurried we tossed the rest of our clothing without care.
Slow and savory had never been our style. In the few times we’d been together like this, the need to feel one another fully, it obliterated any ability to enjoy the buildup.
I’d have chosen somewhere else for our final hurrah. Kale’s room here at The Wicked Kiss had seen as many women as the Playboy mansion. Of course, I’d also had a tryst of my own at the little bistro table with Falon.
But when Kale laid me down on the bed, this seemed as good a place as any. Many things came to an end at The Wicked Kiss. Me included.
I’d woken here as a vampire. So would Willow. Arys’s sire, Harley, had died in this building. What was one more loss within these walls? It seemed only fitting.
The weight of Kale atop me felt safe, though there was no such thing. Still I clung to that illusion like it was the only light in a dark night. Holding tight to his lower back, I opened myself up to him in all ways.
Kale had always hesitated, gazing into my eyes to ensure I knew there was no going back. To see the certainty in my gaze.
Not this time. His eager expression held no hesitation. Gripping my hips, he thrust into me with a need that was absolute.
The suddenness of him buried deep inside me brought a cry to my lips. His name followed, a soft murmur. The only sound.
Until I wrapped my legs around his waist and threw my head back, his lips on my throat. We moved with the frantic rhythm of two wayward souls, confused in the mere presence of the other, forgetting that our paths were going in different directions.
I ran my hands down to his ridiculously firm ass. Muscles clenched beneath my fingers. In the few months he’d been gone, I’d refused to think of him this way. Too many times our passion had played out in my head only for me to slam the door on those memories.
Until they resurfaced again.
Now I did everything I could to memorize every detail, needing to store this encounter away with the others. The way his fingers grasped my flesh, hard enough to bruise. The scent of his cologne mixed with a hint of leather from the jacket slung over a chair in the corner. A faint buzz from the lamp on the table that cast the room in a golden light. The sight of his body moving with mine as he claimed the part of me that was his. The taste of honey, thick on the back of my tongue as I drank him in.
“Tell me everything will be alright,” I heard my
self beg in a ragged breath. A sob lodged in my throat.
Kale slowed to a stop, buried deep inside me. Holding my gaze with those lovely eyes of his, he touched my face. “There is only now. Be here with me.”
I expected tears to sting my eyes, but they never came. The pain was there though. Raw and real. It couldn’t be released.
I tried though. Oh, how I tried. “I’m here,” I whispered, encouraging him to take me higher.
Together we soared. We found that place where only we existed. But there was no escape there. Even in that special world, my promise hung over us.
I would set him free.
Slow and sensual, Kale loved me. Having been months since we were together, we reached the point of no return far too soon. Then the bliss moment swept away my every hurt and fear.
For a long time after we lay there in silence. Entangled.
Finally Kale broke the stillness. “I’ve signed The Wicked Kiss over to you. Fully. No more silent partner. It’s all yours. It always was anyway.”
“Kale… Don’t. We don’t need to talk. Not about any of that.” I tugged the blanket over us and turned on my side to face him.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to upset you.” He kissed my forehead and hugged me close. “Things still need to be said.”
“I know.” I just didn’t want to say them right now.
He didn’t push it. We just lay there in each other’s arms, touching and being touched. With fingers and mouths we traced every line of the other’s body. Then we moved to the shower where Kale pressed me to the cool tile wall. On his knees, hot water spattering his head and shoulders, he explored me with his tongue. Delving deep, he held tight to my ass, mouth hot on my sensitive flesh. With one hand in his wet hair and the other against the shower wall, I trembled and writhed. He licked me until steam filled the bathroom so we could barely see through the mist.
When we emerged, we dropped back onto the bed wrapped in towels, hair wet and skin glistening. On my knees I pushed him down flat on the mattress and straddled his legs. I took him in my mouth, savoring the tang of him, slightly metallic and salty, like blood.
