To Die For

by Trista Ann Michaels

  “I was shocked when you told me to bring her here.”

  Kaelen glanced at him in surprise. “I did what?”

  “You don’t remember?” Vincent asked, frowning. “You told me to just before you passed out. You said whoever attacked you might go after her because she might’ve seen something.”

  Kaelen frowned, trying to remember. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

  “No, and neither does your mentally connecting to humans. You’ve not acted like yourself since the day you met her, if you ask me.”

  “Well, I didn’t ask you.”

  “Too bad. You’re getting my opinion anyway. Free of charge.”

  Kaelen snorted. “I’ll pay you to shut up.”

  Vincent ignored him and continued on. “You’ve got to stop doing it, Kaelen.”

  “I can’t stop it,” Kaelen snapped. “Hell, I couldn’t even get out once I was in.”

  “That’s probably because you’re weak. You’re going to have to control it until you heal. Every time you do this, you’ll set yourself back. To mentally link with her physically drains you. Just don’t sleep when she sleeps.”

  Kaelen rolled his eyes. “Oh, well, if it’s that easy…” Kaelen again sighed and clenched his jaw tight. This whole thing was nothing if not a nightmare. A human. A fucking human.

  “You wanted her brought here,” Vincent pointed out.

  “So you say,” Kaelen said quietly. He looked up at Vincent. “What would you do if you fell in love with a vampire?”

  Vincent smirked. “Shoot myself.”

  “Damn smart-ass,” Kaelen snipped. “You’re real funny. You’re supposed to be helping me here.”

  Vincent grinned just a little. “I am helping you. Your feelings you’re just going to have to figure out on your own. If it was anyone other than Amy, I would find this funny as hell. You hate humans, despise them, yet here you are unable to keep your hands off one.”

  “A fitting punishment?” Kaelen asked sarcastically.

  “You’ve done a lot of bad things in your life, Kaelen. Most of which were done for a good reason. Most of the punishment you inflicted was deserved.”

  “Most?”

  Vincent inclined his head. “Probably all.”

  “So are you trying to say that deep down I’m a good guy?”

  Vincent snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  Kaelen grinned despite himself and decided it would best to change the subject. “Has anyone found Merrick yet?”

  “No. Jason is still looking for him and is getting concerned. Stacy wonders if it’s possible that they were after Merrick to begin with and not you.”

  Kaelen shook his head. “Who would want to kill Merrick, Vincent? It was me. It’s always me.”

  “Which is why you need to stay away from Amy. The only way you can take on a mate is if you’re willing to leave the life you lead. No more investigations for the council, no more assassination assignments, no more putting yourself in the line of fire just for the hell of it. You would put her life on the line just by mating with her, and you know it.”

  Kaelen nodded again, knowing deep down Vincent was right. He had to stay away from Amy. He wasn’t good for her and would get her killed. Just like the other night. He’d been lucky the vampire hadn’t tried to kill her too, for he’d been in no shape to help her. Not to mention this whole vampire-human thing. Of all people to connect with, why did it have to be a human?

  * * * *

  Amy sat on the sofa, staring at the flames in the grate. She hadn’t been able to get back to sleep and had given up even trying, so she’d come downstairs and grabbed a snack from the kitchen. Most of it, though, had remained untouched and still sat on the coffee table in front of her.

  Stacy came into the room and sat down next to her.

  “Vincent told you to come talk to me?” Amy asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Yeah.”

  “I figured as much. He found me in Kaelen’s room. I lied to him about why I was there. “

  “I know that too.”

  “Is there anything that man doesn’t know?” Amy asked drily.

  Stacy’s soft smile helped put her a little at ease. “He’s very observant. You okay?”

  Amy shook her head and drew out a long, deep sigh. She could always tell Amy most anything, but for some reason this was harder. She could tell Stacy was conflicted when it came to Kaelen, just like she was. On the one hand there was Vincent always telling her about Kaelen’s bad side; then on the other there was her immediate and undeniable attraction to him. It was all such a damn mess.

  “I had the weirdest dream,” she began. “Or at least I think it was a dream. I was back at my house. I relived that whole night over again, but this time it was different. This time the vampire didn’t attack, and Kaelen seduced me.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “What’s bad is that I believe he was in my head. I think Kaelen was controlling the dream. Can vampires do that?”

  “Vampires can control most anyone to a small degree. They can calm you and put you into a trance; they can sometimes paralyze you and keep you from moving. But from what I understand, and Vincent will probably have my head for telling you this, is that vampires can only mentally connect to that extent with soul mates.”

  Amy frowned at her friend. “Soul mates?”

  Stacy nodded.

  “Are you trying to hint that I might be Kaelen’s soul mate because he got into my dream?”

  “He didn’t just get into your dream, Amy. He controlled it. That’s why he relapsed physically. To do that apparently drained him pretty bad. Vincent was pissed, both at the fact that he’d done it and the fact that he’d done it with you. He thinks Kaelen is dangerous, and you would be in danger just by association.”

  Amy rolled her eyes. “And yet Vincent is trying to save him.”

  “Vincent and Kaelen have a strange relationship. You would think they hated each other, and maybe they do, but they also respect each other. Kaelen knew Vincent would be able to save him, and Vincent knows that Kaelen is a good guy, deep down. He does a lot of work for the council, dangerous work that puts his life on the line on a regular basis. He’s worried about you, and although I believe, especially now, that you can’t help who you fall in love with, I’m beginning to think that maybe he’s right. Maybe Kaelen isn’t right for you.”

  “Why? Because I’m mortal?” Amy asked.

  “No, Kaelen could turn you if you were his soul mate.”

  “This is a moot point anyway,” Amy said with a sigh. “I barely know the guy, much less think of him as my soul mate. I’m more afraid of him than I’m attracted to him, especially after tonight. I hate the fact that he can get into my head like that. It’s unnerving. Maybe I should go home.”

  Stacy shook her head. “They might still come after you. You need to wait.”

  Amy snorted in disgust. “Vincent doesn’t want me to be interested in Kaelen because he would put my life in danger, and yet here I am trying to figure out how to get away from him, and my life is still in danger. Why am I staying away from him again?”

  Stacy giggled softly. “I know. It won’t take them long to find who’s after him, and then you can go home or wherever you want.”

  “I want a nice quiet beach, lots of sunshine, and no vampires.”

  Stacy’s smile widened. “Deal.”

  * * * *

  “You screwed it the fuck up.”

  Edward looked up as Merrick walked over and stood over his chair. “He’s dead.”

  Merrick snorted. “He’s not dead, you idiot. He’s alive and well and hiding somewhere. Find him.”

  “How the hell do you expect me to find him? And how do you even know for sure he’s still alive?”

  The vampire gave him a look that clearly said his questions were both stupid and not worth his time. Of course he would know if Kaelen were still alive. He was the only one who would.

  “If Kaelen were in
serious trouble, the only person outside of family he would trust would be Vincent.”

  “The witch?”

  “That would be the one,” Merrick said as he settled behind his desk. “Find Vincent, and I guarantee you find Kaelen. And make sure you do it right this time. The last thing I want to do is take care of this myself.”

  “What about the girl?”

  “What girl?”

  “The one I found him with.”

  Merrick looked at him with a frown. “Human?”

  “I’m assuming. I didn’t sense she was a vampire. He was probably feeding, although it looked to me a little more than that.”

  “Kaelen doesn’t usually consort with human women. Find out what you can about her. She might be useful to us if she’s more to him than just a feeding.”

  Edward nodded and left to do his boss’s bidding.

  Chapter Four

  Standing on the lower-level veranda, Amy looked out over the moonlit grounds. Sleep was eluding her yet again. It would be better if she slept at night, when Kaelen was awake and not in her head. Or would it be better to sleep when he did? Amy wasn’t sure and was too leery to ask Vincent. The last thing she wanted was yet another lecture on how dangerous Kaelen was.

  Vincent was nothing if not determined. When Jason had arrived a few hours ago, he’d also joined in the song and dance of how Kaelen should be off-limits, despite Vincent’s promise to tell Jason to lay off. Amy snorted. That would be the last time she’d trust him to do as he said, at least in this matter. Stacy had finally put her foot down and told them both to leave her alone. In the end, it was her decision.

  As she stared out over the silvery grounds, she wondered why there was even a decision to make. Other than the dream, she hadn’t seen or heard anything from Kaelen. He’d remained in his room, and she’d stayed out.

  But during quiet times like this, when she was staring out over the land, watching the moonlight play on the dew or over the waves of the small lake in the distance, she wondered what it would be like to be a vampire—to live forever.

  “Amy.”

  Her whispered name played through her mind, and she glanced warily around the grounds. Was Kaelen messing with her again? She found him by the lake. He stood under a tree, just at the edge of the darkened shade. The moonlight caught his white shirt, reflecting off it and making him stand out. The wind blew at his shoulder-length hair as he threw a rock and watched it skip across the waves. He wasn’t even looking in her direction. Had she only imagined he’d called her name?

  She continued to watch him in silence as he threw another rock, appearing to be completely oblivious to the fact that she was even there. She couldn’t help but admire his strong shoulders and trim waist. His black slacks blended into the darkened surroundings, making it harder to see them, but she had no doubt they were as strong as the rest of him.

  Her gaze stopped at his hips, and she wondered if he was as large as he’d been in her dream. She snorted and looked away.

  Like it mattered, anyway.

  She slanted her gaze back toward him as he followed the path slowly around the lake. He seemed to be feeling better. His strength must be returning. Part of her wanted to join him, but another part didn’t trust herself with him.

  Her body still sometimes ached at the need to feel him inside her. Although she’d had an orgasm, he’d still left her unsatisfied and desperate for more. Damn man should be shot, or hanged and then shot.

  Yeah, that was better, she thought with a small grin.

  Her curiosity finally got the better of her, and she took a deep breath for courage and started down the walkway to head him off at the pass.

  Kaelen could sense her coming and smiled to himself. Vincent would have his head if he knew, but at the moment, he didn’t give a damn what Vincent thought. He couldn’t stop thinking about Amy, couldn’t stop envisioning her as she’d come in her dream, couldn’t stop wanting her. He’d never been in love, never even been close. Was this what it felt like, or was this more of an obsession that would eventually fade?

  She was an anomaly, an enigma, a challenge. She was different. She was adorable. She was his perfect fit.

  He stopped walking and stared at the moonlight as it reflected on the water. His perfect fit? Was that really how he saw her? Was that really how he wanted to see her?

  He was dangerous for her. He knew it. Amy should know it. But she was working her way slowly down the path. She was curious, anxious, worried. Hell, she had a right to be worried. She should be worried.

  She should really stay away from him. God, what the hell was he doing drawing her to him?

  “You seem to be feeling better,” her soft voice called from behind him.

  He almost didn’t turn. He almost ignored her, determined to keep his distance, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not when she was this close. Not when he could smell her scent on the wind, remember the feel of her skin beneath his hands.

  “I’m getting there. I couldn’t take that room any longer.”

  He turned to face her and found himself staring into concerned cornflower blue eyes he felt as though he could drown in. What was it about her that had him so…? What was he exactly? Other than turned on?

  “Does Vincent know you’re out?”

  He blinked, trying to stay focused on what she was saying and not the way her lips moved when she talked, which was probably what made him answer a little more curtly than he’d meant to.

  “I couldn’t really give a rat’s ass what Vincent knows or doesn’t.”

  She raised an eyebrow at his tone. “Aren’t you snippy all of a sudden? You came to him for help, if I recall.”

  “Yes,” he drawled. “That’s a fact Vincent never tires of reminding me of.”

  Her lips twitched into an adorable smile that softened his demeanor immensely. God, he was so damn screwed. He wanted her, and there was no point in denying that fact. Now if he could just not act on it.

  “Vincent definitely has his bossy moments, but he means well.”

  Kaelen nodded once. “I’m actually surprised I’ve been out here this long without a lecture.”

  “He’s upstairs with Stacy and Jason. My guess is they’re a little preoccupied at the moment.”

  “Ah,” Kaelen said, his own cock thickening at the image, and then wondering what it would be like to have Amy beneath him and over him and every other position he could think of.

  A cool wind blew, and Amy crossed her arms over her chest and shivered slightly. Kaelen glanced around and found a small gazebo off to the right. He pointed toward it. “Let’s head over there, out of the wind. I have a feeling there’s something you want to ask me. Otherwise why would you have braved Vincent’s rant to approach me?”

  Amy smiled and followed Kaelen to the gazebo. She sat on the wicker love seat and looked up at him. “What’s it like?” she asked. “Being a vampire?”

  He raised a brow in surprise at her question and moved to lean against the railing. “Well, it’s all I’ve ever known, so I’m not sure what to say.”

  “You were born one?”

  He nodded.

  “Did you have to feed as a child?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t actually have to start feeding until I reached my twenty-fifth birthday. They call it the ascension.”

  “So before that you were human?”

  “Yes, but not like you. I was still immortal, still stronger, faster, but lacked the need to feed.”

  Amy nodded and bit down on her lower lip. Kaelen couldn’t keep his eyes off that lip. He wanted to lick his tongue across, to soothe where her teeth bit into it. He could still taste her kiss, the warm, spicy taste of her blood, and he frowned, turning away briefly.

  “I still want that password, Amy,” he murmured. “I have to destroy that research.”

  Amy sighed but said nothing more. He turned his head to look at her. Her gaze remained locked on something in the distance, her stare pensive, her body tense.r />
  “I expected more of a fight,” he said.

  She slanted her stare toward him, and he almost smiled at the anger flashing in her eyes. He liked her spirit, her lack of fear when it came to standing up to him. Most women, once they knew what he was, often cowered before him or begged for their lives. He had a feeling Amy would never beg. She’d even openly dared him to just go ahead and do it, get her death over with.

  “I’m just being easy on you since you’re still recovering and all.” She stood and moved as though she were going to leave. “I have no intention of giving that stuff to you.”

  She walked toward the stairs, and Kaelen grasped her arm, stopping her. She looked down at his hand over her elbow, then raised her eyes to stare into his. There was no backing down, no wavering in any way. Kaelen knew in that instant, he’d lost his leverage with her. He’d brought her here, kept her under his and Vincent’s protection. Why would he do that if he were willing to kill her to get what he wanted?

  “And another thing,” she began as she pulled her elbow free of Kaelen’s grip. Kaelen let her, curious as to what she was about to say. “Stay out of my head. If you want sex, then come to the door in person.”

  His lips twitched in amusement. “Is that an invitation?”

  She let her gaze wander lazily down his body, and his cock sprang to life. Her eyes came back to his, and he noticed the mischief sparkling in them. “Only if you think you can finish the job this time.”

  With that, she turned and left, leaving Kaelen staring after her, speechless. She’d just one-upped him. He chuckled, watching the sway of her ass as she made her way back to the veranda. Damn spunky human. He’d cut her some slack tonight and give himself one more night to recover, but tomorrow night he’d show her that not only could he finish the job, but he’d have her begging for more.

  * * * *

  Edward tossed a few pages onto Merrick’s desk, where they landed with a loud pop. The vampire looked at the pages, then up at him. His stare was cold, his usual calm demeanor rattled at the disappearance of Kaelen. “What is this?”

  “The woman Kaelen was with. She’s a forensic scientist with the Knoxville Police Department. She also works for TBI.”