Julian barked out a laugh, then leaned against the doorframe, pressing his hand to his side. “It takes more than that to kill one of us. I was just biding my time.”
My eyes shot past him to the kitchen and he shook his head.
“Don’t worry, he’s out.” Julian tapped the gun against his temple lightly, a sinister smile on his face. “Headshots knock you out for a while. Good thing, too. They hurt like a son of a bitch.”
I just stared at him, slack-jawed as some of the smaller cuts on his arms and face closed and disappeared right before my eyes. This virtually-immortal thing was going to take some getting used to. It was impossible to override such a deeply engrained fear of death. He still felt pain, obviously. Some of it because of me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
My initial response would have been hell no, but in a general sense, I was unharmed. Physically, at least. I pushed myself up from the floor and took a deep breath. The air was thick with dust, a smell like burnt charcoal and pepper, and under that, blood. My stomach rumbled. “I’m fine.”
“It was the Grigori that you were screaming at, wasn’t it?”
I looked down at the floor and nodded.
His voice flat, Julian said. “They felt you use your powers and homed in on it.”
“I’m sorry.” That didn’t convey how pathetic I felt. Julian had told me to stay out if it, and now it was clear why. We didn’t need enemies coming at us from both sides, and that’s exactly what we had, thanks to me. “I didn’t mean to.”
He placed a hand under my chin and tilted my face back. His rich brown eyes were swirling with emotions I couldn’t discern, but accusation wasn’t one of them. Some of the tension banding my chest eased.
“It’s all right.” The warm understanding in his voice was enough to settle me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, squeezing me in a tight hug. It was so unexpected I stood there woodenly for a few seconds before relaxing against him. He wasn’t even angry?
He held me a moment longer and then eased away. “It just means we have to get out of here fast. Go pack us some clothes.”
Chapter Seven
By the time I’d stuffed some clothes, toiletries, and my books in a bag, Julian had Derek’s Jeep idling and half full of what had to be the entire contents of his garage arsenal. I finished loading a cooler full of blood and warmed some up for the trip while Julian rinsed off and changed clothes. When he returned, he patted Derek down and took his cell phone. On our way out, he entered a code in his security control pad and shut down the power to the house. In less than ten minutes, we were on the road, leaving the unconscious Derek to walk the twenty miles to the nearest phone when he woke up.
I stayed in crisis autopilot mode until we’d been on the highway for some time. Julian seemed distant and quiet, and I didn’t know what to say to burst the bubble of stillness. The post fight-for-your-life buzz had drained out of both of us, and the first half hour of our drive was somber. I had the distinct feeling Julian was contemplating whether I was worth as much trouble as I’d caused. I would have dropped me off on the side of the road somewhere. So far, he’d come through for me, but sooner or later, I was destined to push him too far.
“Where are we going?” I finally asked, after talking myself out of several more personal questions.
“A place I know of that’s well protected.” The shiny black highway slid underneath us as we headed north up 101, which would wind up the coast and eventually spit us out in Seattle. Depending on where we stopped, of course.
“Is it far?” I checked Julian’s expression as a beam of light from a passing car angled over his face. Nadda. No hint of what he was thinking.
“A few hours from here.”
He obviously wasn’t in a conversational mood, but I was positive I couldn’t take even a few hours of this tense silence. What would happen after? I needed to make the most of those few hours and reassure him he’d made the right decision protecting me. “Julian, I’m so sorry.”
“This isn’t your fault.” His tone softened, but that actually made it worse.
I felt guilty already. I didn’t like feeling like a charity case, especially since that’s what I was. And I realized I had no clue how to act around a guy who actually treated me good. It had never happened before. I kept waiting for the rug to get swept out from under me. If I were really honest with myself, there was one big thing all of the guys I’d ever liked, including Cody, had in common — the only thing I could count on was them being undependable. It doesn’t hurt so much, getting dumped by a jerk. It’s halfway expected. After all, they’re the jerk. It’s them, not you. I sighed to myself and stared out the window.
It would hurt to lose Julian. It would hurt a lot, because it would definitely be because of me.
“What is it, Alex?”
“Just wondering when I’m going to wear out my welcome.”
Without warning, he jerked the wheel sideways and swerved across the other lane to pull over to the side of the road. Tires screeched. People behind us laid on their horns as they passed.
I eased my grip on the door as we slowed, my hands suddenly weak. That didn’t take long, I thought, attempting to hold back the tears. Uselessly.
Julian threw the Jeep into Park so violently I winced, turning my back to him, prepared to climb out and start hiking. My door locked before I could open it.
He jerked me around by the shoulder. “Haven’t you been paying attention?”
I kept my mouth shut. There was a wild look in his eyes, like he was teetering on the edge of an explosion. Any smartass comeback I would have said in that moment would have tipped him over.
“Do you really think I would risk my rank, leave my home, and put my neck on the line just to drop you on the side of the road somewhere?” His brows pulled together in a look that wrenched the knot in my chest tight.
Perfect, Alex. The first really great guy comes along, and you push him away.
“I…” I didn’t know what to say. Sorry seemed pretty lame. Please don’t give up on me would only prove his point. It was me, not him. Julian had done right by me — gone above and beyond — and I didn’t know how to react to that. “You’re right. I’m sorry. There’s something wrong with me.”
Julian sighed and slid an arm across my shoulders, pulling me into his seat. My body complied as if sitting in his lap was the most natural thing, despite my reluctance to let him see just how deeply he’d already penetrated my walls — against my better judgment.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he whispered across my cheek, “that’s just it.”
I buried my face against his chest, and the tears poured out of me. I wasn’t sure if it was because of what I’d been through, what I’d done, or what lay ahead — but I finally let myself go and trusted Julian to be there. And he was. He held me until there were no more tears. I had tried real hard not to show weakness, to handle this whole situation like the tough survivor Julian thought I was, but I hadn’t expected the feelings he stirred up. They stripped down all my natural defenses, and that scared the hell out of me.
When I finally quieted, he stroked the hair away from my face. His voice resonated through the stillness of the Jeep, a baritone lullaby. “I know you can’t really understand this yet, but I meant what I said to Derek. You’re under my protection now, for better or worse.”
I blinked up at him, his features shadowed, but occasionally cast in a transient light as headlights shot through the fogged windows. He looked dead serious — no pun intended.
“Is that a proposal?”
One side of his mouth quirked. His eyes searched mine. “In a manner of speaking.”
“Are you talking about being my Sponsor?” I sniffed, tracing my fingers over the crescent shaped scar on his cheek. I was already memorizing the softness of his lips, the subtle expressions of his brow, those thick dark lashes. How could I be in so deep already?
He swallowed and nodded.
/> “I haven’t looked that up yet,” I whispered.
Julian leaned into my hand as I cupped the side of his face, his stubble scratching against my palm. “It’s a blood ritual, a bond shared between two Undead. It would keep you safe, initiate you into our ranks officially. The Cloak couldn’t touch you unless you broke the Code.”
Was it always about my safety? Could that be the only reason he cared? Maybe he just had a soft spot for helpless, innocent girls. She doesn’t have anyone else. He’d said that to Derek. It was true — I didn’t. And if Julian would stay with me, I might not need anyone else. I was getting way too far ahead of myself. But just looking at him made my thoughts thin and wispy.
“Being a psychic doesn’t qualify as breaking the Code?” I resituated myself so that I straddled his legs. It brought our faces — and other parts of our bodies — closer together.
His arms loosened their hold to give me room. He hissed in a breath as I nestled closer. “I don’t think so.”
I didn’t know if it was my new instincts kicking in, or simply that I felt so vulnerable, but I wanted to wrap Julian around me and let him be a protective barrier from all the bad things I knew were out there, right now, hunting me. He wanted to protect me, and I wanted to let him.
His sweet leathery smell, the rich timbre of his voice, his strong muscles underneath my hands all felt as if they were all made to keep me safe. I ran my fingers across his handsome features, thinking about how comfortable he made me feel, even before I knew him. I could imagine getting to know him better, and wondered if maybe, there might actually be a future for us.
If we could just get past this little hurdle of everyone wanting to kill me.
“I’ll have to check the Code to be sure.” He kept talking, even as my thumb traced his lower lip. “But—”
“Jules.”
He froze, mid-word.
“Just kiss me.”
He smiled and leaned in, slanting his mouth under mine. He buried his hands in my hair and pulled me closer. I ground into him, a demanding pressure with my body and mouth. My tongue teased past his lips, eager to taste more of him. Honey and spice. I sighed into his mouth, my neck breaking out in a sweat, overtaken by his intoxicating flavor.
Julian slid his hands behind me, gripping my ass as he hoisted me higher and lowered me slowly so I rubbed against the bulge in his jeans. I repeated the motion and felt the familiar tingling at the back of my skull start to trickle down my spine and pool between my hips. Either Julian or being an Undead put my body into sexual overdrive, and it felt good. I felt alive. Even though I technically wasn’t.
He made a gruff sound as he invaded my mouth, his hands snaking up my shirt to knead my sides and skirt over my ribs. I moaned softly and felt my surroundings slip away in a haze of steamy breath. Julian nibbled at my lips and licked his way down my jaw. I rocked my hips against him and bunched his shirt in my fists. Caramelized sugar and leather filled the air, making my mouth water. His fingertips brushed over the sensitive flesh of my breasts. I gasped. My head spun, my skin suddenly burning for his touch. I leaned forward to kiss him again and paused, my breath hitching.
“Is it always like this?”
“Better.” The whispered word nearly singed my neck. He rolled one nipple between his thumb and forefinger. I reached down to rub a hand between us, palming the rigid mass underneath me. “And more.”
“Definitely more.” I kissed along the column of his neck. Just the thought of tasting his blood made me light-headed. It was a new instinct, but one I didn’t question. He lifted his hips to press against me as he pulled his hands away and gripped my arms. He took in a deep breath and clenched his jaw, eyes closed. “But we can’t do this now.”
His gaze burned with promise as he stared up at me, but he held me firmly away. It took another few frantic breaths for my head to clear, even as the combustion reaction he’d started in my body raged onward. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.” Julian lifted me off his lap and plopped me into the passenger seat. His hands wrung the steering wheel. “This is not the time.”
“Or the place?” I straightened in my seat, fidgeting with my shirt, fighting the impulse to pounce on him again.
“We could definitely do better than this. We have to cover a lot of ground if we want to be off the road before sunrise.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself as well as me.
I blew out a deep breath and reached over to turn the key in the ignition, then lowered my window. Cool, damp air whisked through the interior of the Jeep, clearing out the cloud of desire hanging heavy between us. It was easier to breathe and think as Julian started the engine and pulled back onto the highway.
After a few minutes of both of us doing our best to ignore each other, the worst of it had passed. I still felt a twinge every time I looked at him, but figured making conversation would take the edge off. “Tell me about becoming a Sponsor.”
He glanced at me with a thankful smile, then reached over and took my hand. “You have to have a rank of three or higher before you can sponsor anyone. It ensures that you have the levels of strength and discipline required to keep a newly turned Undead in check. Rank is established through a series of trials designed by the Cloak.”
“Is it difficult?”
“You have to know the Code through and through, but the rest is based on your natural abilities and control over them. It’s really just a way for the oldest among us to maintain control. Even a newly turned can technically make another Undead. Obviously. I think being a psychic was the only thing that kept you alive and sane. Cody didn’t appear to know the consequences of what he was doing, which is why his Sponsor will be punished as well. Probably lose rank.”
Cody probably knew the consequences and just decided they didn’t apply to him, but I didn’t chime in with that. I was done talking about him. Like…forever.
“Have you ever sponsored someone?”
He shook his head. “You can only have one Dependant at a time. Undead usually stay with their Sponsor for several years, until they earn enough rank. Even then, the bond lasts a lifetime.”
“What about your Sponsor?”
“I don’t have one anymore.”
I furrowed my brows.
“Not everyone follows the Code,” he said in answer. From the tone of his voice, I knew not to pry.
“How does it work?” I would have time to find out all about him later. It was funny, but I felt sure that there would be a later. Maybe it was just my hormones, but our little tryst had reassured me. Julian wanted me, and he wanted to keep me safe. I’d had relationships based on a lot less.
“There’s a ritual, formal paperwork, but basically, we just share blood. There’s a lot to tell you about being Undead. You really should read the manual.” His eyes narrowed in thought. “We used to hunt humans as our sole source of blood. A lot of our instincts and tendencies have evolved for that purpose.”
I tried to keep an open mind. I could tell Julian worried about how I would react and that what he was telling me was important. I fixed a studious expression on my face and nodded.
“Sharing blood forms a bond for life. You’re always connected to someone you’ve taken blood from, if it’s done the natural way. You can track them easily and always sense them. It’s a very…intimate experience.”
I hadn’t realized until then that my other hand was covering my neck, my fingers tracing the scar Cody left me, my thoughts hovering around whether Julian could do it better. I pulled my hand away. “You mean like… sexual?”
“Not always.” He hesitated. “But our hunting instincts do lean that way.”
I cocked an eyebrow at the almost embarrassed tone in his voice. “So we can’t take blood without sex?”
“Well…no. More like we can’t have sex without blood.” Julian caressed my fingertips gently, as if to soothe me. “The two are linked and the drive is too strong to resist. When we get sexually aroused, our craving for blood heightens. T
hat’s why Cody bit you. He was new and didn’t have enough self-control to deny his instincts.”
“Oh.” I felt my cheeks flush as I remembered the more-than-usual state of arousal I’d been in when Cody had bitten me. It was damn close to being drugged. “It works the other way too, doesn’t it?”
Julian nodded, looking as though he was bracing for my reaction. “Pheromones. They’re meant to relax the donor — to protect them, really — so they don’t struggle.”
Which explained Julian’s apparent lack of a love life. “Hi, I’d like to go to bed with you, but I’ll need some blood first,” probably wasn’t a very effective pickup line. Though I had to admit the thought of tasting Julian’s blood — of biting and being bitten — didn’t disturb me at all. In fact, it was a total turn-on if I didn’t think about it too hard. Even the small taste of Julian’s sensuality I’d sampled felt like I’d only been playing with matches before and now I’d stumbled on the whole forest fire.
And it gets even better?
It would definitely be worth opening a vein for. I smiled over at him and squeezed his hand back.
He relaxed into his seat, lacing our fingers together.
My next words tore from my chest as something struck us from the side and sent the Jeep spinning. There was an explosion of white in my face. The seatbelt jerked tight. Centrifugal force kept my skull plastered to the headrest. Horns blared, coming from all directions at once. We hit something else, and my head snapped forward. My body jarred and rattled until it felt like my bones would fly out of my skin. Instead of stopping, we spun the opposite way.
Trails of lights streaked my vision, strings of red and white.
The tires screamed over the wet pavement.
I squeezed Julian’s hand and the handle of my door bracing for another impact. There was a loud crunch, followed by the sounds of metal twisting and glass cracking.
We rolled upside down, tree branches and mud assaulting us from all sides. Forest branches creaked with the pressure and finally snapped as the weight of the Jeep bore down on them. We stopped turning over, rocked back and forth for a few seconds, and then slammed to the ground with a final thud.
Cloak of Deceit: An Alex Moore Novel Page 8
