by K.N. Lee
“I can start next month. I told them I would give them my answer on Monday, and that would give me time to put in my notice at the hospital here. What do you think? Is it crazy picking up my life and moving to England?”
She put a finger to his mouth and pulled back. “Say no more. I’m proud of you and want you to be happy.”
“So, where does that leave us? Are you coming with me or not?”
Surprised by his question, Rae pulled back and studied his face. How could she say no to the man she loved?
Rae licked her lips, her gaze focusing on the woods behind his house.
London.
There was a whole new world of terror there…one that she had avoided encountering for many years.
In her old life, Rae was a general, with hundreds at her command. The thought of returning the epicenter on the war on earth was both unsettling and intriguing. A buzz of excitement filled her belly as she thought of the possibilities.
“Of course,” she whispered and stood. “What do you say we go back inside? It’s starting to get a little chilly.”
He came to his feet and picked her up by her thighs. Strong, ridiculously attractive, and smart, Collin was more than she deserved, and as they kissed beside the lake behind his custom-built house, she felt warnings in her belly that she knew this was too good to be true. Something was going to come and rip her away from the only man she’d wanted in a long time. She knew what that something was…and that it was more of a someone.
“As you wish,” he said, taking her lip between his teeth and sucking it.
Her eyes fluttered closed as heat rose from her thighs and to her neck. She giggled and held onto his neck as he carried her up the grassy hill and to his back deck. Once they were inside, he continued to carry her through the sunroom, his den and up the stairs to his massive master bedroom.
She melted into his soft California king bed as he took off his shirt. She licked her lips as her eyes rested on his tight six-pack. Collin’s physical regime put her to shame. Rae didn’t work out.
She didn’t have to.
That was only one of the many beautiful perks of being immortal.
But for a human, Collin was pretty perfect—at least he was perfect to Rae.
As their eyes locked, Rae’s smile faded. She realized at that moment that those eyes—the ones that seemed to hold some ancient mystery or magic—were the ones she wanted to wake up to for the rest of eternity.
She pulled off her black dress and unhooked her bra, taking it off and dropping it to their pile of clothes as he pulled her panties off and kissed her inner thighs. She cupped his face as he climbed onto the bed with her, his short dark beard soft between her fingers.
“I love you, Collin,” she said, her heart breaking as she said the words she’d refused to say to anyone. Love was one of the most powerful emotions any creature could feel.
Rae knew it all too well: love could get you killed.
Still, as his eyes brightened at her words, she was willing to risk it.
“I love you too,” he said and kissed her with such passion that her heart began to race.
Tears were in Rae’s eyes as she opened them and wrapped her arms around his neck.
This was what happiness felt like.
Too bad she didn’t deserve happiness.
9
The next morning, Rae woke up in Collin’s bed, his arms still wrapped around her. She was warm, and at peace. Finally, she felt as though there was no need to worry. She looked to the future, where they would be together, traveling the world and making memories.
Collin had her heart and she was assured that he would take care of it.
It was rare to have the pleasure of sleeping through the night without being called into the hospital. But, for the first time since they’d started dating, they’d taken off together.
She smiled as she gazed at his sleeping face as birds chirped outside his window. With the woods at his back bedroom balcony, she had a mind to make him breakfast and set it up on the balcony. One more day of complete freedom and she wanted to make the most of it.
She traced the tattoo on his chest. She had an affinity toward tattoos, in her old occupation she had led several tattooed men into battle.
There were a few dissimilarities, however. The men she’d led weren’t human and their tattoos weren’t for cosmetic appeal.
A War-Breeder was a creation of the heavens—one with one purpose: hunt and kill vampires.
She squeezed her eyes closed. That chapter of her life was no more. Though she missed the rush, she was done. Tired of the constant struggle between good and evil.
Now, she just wanted a normal life, one with a human that would leave her behind once his mortal body ceased to function.
Such morbid thoughts were shoved from her mind. She couldn’t let them destroy her. Every day in the human world was a step closer to the darkness. She just needed to keep it under control.
She wiped a tear from her eye and glanced up at Collin’s face again. She’d give anything to just be human.
As she slowly sat up in an attempt to not awaken him, his eyes opened. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. “I was trying to escape without waking you.”
He pulled her down onto his body. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said and rolled on top of her. He kissed her neck, his beard tickling her.
She giggled and tried to free herself. Little did he know that she could throw him clear across the room, but pretending to be human required muting her abilities.
“Let go if you want breakfast,” she warned and he peered down into her eyes a wicked grin on his lips.
“I had other ideas…”
Her eyes widened as she felt him harden against her pelvis. A smile came to her face as she looked up him, thinking that this was just too perfect. It was going to end badly.
Rae wrapped her hand around his hard shaft and arched her back to kiss him.
Not today, though.
Breakfast on the balcony was as perfect as she’d imagined. Dressed in a nothing but one of Collin’s t-shirts, she drank her coffee, looking out toward the autumn trees as their orange leaves fell and flew around them.
She glanced at Collin, who checked his phone.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He sighed and put his phone back onto the table, his brows furrowed. “I might get called in tonight if Dr. Kohl doesn’t show up for his shift.”
“What? Peter has never missed a shift.”
Shrugging, Collin ate a piece of cinnamon toast. “Well, he didn’t show up yesterday, and no one can get him on the phone.”
That was odd.
Something told her that there was more to the story, but Rae was naturally cautious and suspicious. Such paranoia was hardwired into her biochemistry. She feared she’d never escape it…or the need to investigate.
“Let’s hope he shows up,” she said. “I was really looking forward to movie night.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry, Dr. Petri. You will get your movie night, and you can make me sit through all of your favorites.”
“Hey, I don’t have the typical taste in movies. No romantic comedies here. All action.”
Chuckling, he poured more coffee into their cups.
A loud screeching sound made Rae jump. She shot a look at the woods, her senses elevated as she felt the air around her grow hot, then freezing cold. Everything quieted and she found herself shooting from her seat, nearly knocking the entire table over as a man’s image appeared before. Frozen in fear, she held her hands out before her.
A quick glance at Collin confirmed that he was unaware of what was happening. He’d been frozen in time—his hand holding a coffee pot in midair—as Rae faced her greatest enemy.
“Luke,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. The color of her eyes changed from blue to white as she prepared to fight for her life.
To her surprise, the tall demon with choppy brown hair before her smirked, his dark br
own eyes looking her up and down.
“You are as beautiful as I remember.”
“Stay away from me.” She trembled, terrified of what he could do to her. She wasn’t strong enough to face him. Not yet.
“Why would I do that? I’ve missed you. Haven’t you missed me, love?” he asked in a thick Italian accent.
“No. I want you to leave me alone. Why can’t you see that we are done?” she asked, taking a step backward as he approached her, his arms out as if he wanted to embrace.
She sucked in a breath as he disappeared and reappeared before her within a second, his face an inch before hers.
When he kissed her, she saw flashbacks of her former life—the life she wanted desperately to escape.
No, she thought.
“Because, I brought you to this world. That makes you bound to me,” Luke whispered, his breath on her neck, his hard body pressed to hers. “Besides. You miss me. I know it. That human cannot make your body sing the way I can.” He licked her throat and her eyelashes fluttered as she closed her eyes.
A moan escaped her lips as he bit the flesh between her neck and shoulder blade, his hands lifting the T-shirt she wore and cupping her naked butt.
“See?” Luke asked with a soft chuckle, his seductive voice making her second guess leaving him. “You do miss me.”
“I do not.”
“Don’t lie to yourself, love. Come now. Come with me and let’s disappear.”
“Go away, Luke. I’m not leaving with you.”
“You’ll wish you did,” he said. “I swear you will.”
Just like that, Luke vanished.
Rae found herself sitting in her seat, her coffee in her hand, and Collin talking about their movie night as if nothing had happened. She put her coffee down and folded her hands in her lap in an attempt to hide the way they shook.
After a decade of hiding, the demon she’d once loved had found her. Now, he’d left her hot and bothered and reminiscing about the times they’d shared together. The battle for good and evil had knocked on her door, and left her torn.
Heart racing, she couldn’t look Collin in the eye. Things had changed.
No longer did she have to worry about starting a life with the human she loved—but how to keep them both alive.
10
War waged in the shadows. The humans were blissfully unaware, but Rae knew all too well what was at stake. Clad in bronze armor, she floated in the air, her white wings outstretched behind her.
Demons and monsters from the deepest, darkest depths of the evil pit known as the Abyss flooded the bright red sky.
She drew her sword, eyes narrowed with determination.
The glint of light and ring of steel vibrated along the smoke-filled air, thick, hot, and humid.
A sheen of sweat covered her flawless face, but blood dripped from her hands, and slid off the front of her breastplate.
Darting across the sky, she sliced through a black-winged creature with orange eyes, and sharp talons at the tips of his wings. It roared, blood spraying into the air as she cut it in two, at the waist, severing half of its body and kicking the rest.
Breathless, she watched the pieces of the creature fall into the black cloud below.
A glowing figure flew to her, his ice-blue eyes meeting hers. Blond hair, strong jaw, perfect. He wore black armor, the armor of the elite.
Halston.
He flew to her and hovered at her side.
“Well done,” he said, with a nod, and she beamed.
She’d impressed an arch angel. Years of training had not been wasted, and she was determined to continue her rise up the ranks.
She was a century old, as fresh as a child, and life was just beginning.
Morning arrived, and after breakfast, Collin got called into the hospital. Rae wasn’t surprised. The doctor schedule had not come in, and that only made Rae worry even more.
She leaned over the center console and kissed Collin as he dropped her off at her house.
“I miss you already,” she said, not wanting to let him go. She considered going in with him, just to look after and protect him. She’d never forgive herself if Luke did something to harm Collin.
He laced his hands into her hair and kissed her back. “I miss you too. I can come over when I get off. How does that sound?”
Rae smiled. “Sounds amazing. I promise I’ll cook this time.”
“Finally,” he joked and she nudged him.
“Don’t push your luck, Dr. Madison.”
“All right, babe. Enjoy your day off. I’ll see you tonight.”
Rae left the car and waved goodbye from her front driveway. The moment Collin drove down the winding road and into the thick woods that stood on both sides, a message appeared before her.
On the air, bright green letters began to form in fluid motion.
Netherworld dialect.
She paled, pursing her lips as she read the words before her.
You are formerly invited to interview for an agent position for the Netherworld Division.
Your resume has been passed on by General Halston, second in command of the Netherworld Division, first in command of Great Britain.
Should you wish to accept this invitation, use the pen in your mailbox and submit your answer in one week’s time.
Regards,
Captain Patrik Kramer
Head of Recruiting
Netherworld Division
“Dear God,” Rae said into the wind as the words were blown away. She covered her mouth as a million thoughts raced through her head.
This was it, the moment she’d been waiting for…a chance to use her power for something important.
Now, she was afraid of making such a decision. She could never be a Netherworld agent with a human mate. Such a thing would be extremely difficult to hide. Halston still believed in her.
That was enough to make her smile despite the chaos that was becoming her life.
11
Rae looked to the sky as she floated above the pond behind her home in the woods. Naked, and uncaring of the cold, she watched the stars flicker against the darkness.
Water calmed her.
Soothed her nerves.
Water meant rebirth, but to Rae, it was a reminder of all that she’d lost and wished to regain.
As tears slipped from the corner of her eyes, she listened to the call of the woods—the creatures that feared her. They kept their distance, but watched her nonetheless, as if waiting for her to strike.
But Rae didn’t mean anyone harm.
Rae submerged herself in the water, falling deeper and deeper until her feet touched the earth at the bottom of the pond. The darkness may have scared most, but Rae was different. This is where it was quietest—where the creatures of the night couldn’t be heard.
She wondered why they feared her so.
She was also a creature of the night.
Something nagged at her, warning her that the perfect little existence she’d built for herself was on shaky ground. She’d been alive long enough to know that everything could be ripped from her without notice.
But finally, after almost a century, she’d found love again. With a human. She refused to let that be taken away from her.
The letter she received that morning was more than a threat. If he couldn’t have her, no one could. At least that was his way of thinking. After centuries of running and hiding—Luke was back…and this time, Rae was ready for him.
She shot toward the surface with a supernatural speed that sent her into the sky. Her heart swelled with the thrill of being airborne. This was why she woke in the middle of the night so that she could fly without fear of being caught.
An angel without wings had to be cautious.
Even a fallen one.
12
Rae looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror as her favorite song played in the background. Her waves were perfect, as was the eyeliner around her blue eyes.
She fixed her
red lipstick and turned off the bathroom light. She picked up her coffee mug off her desk and turned off her computer, along with the music that played. Her bedroom was small but perfect for one person. She usually spent her nights with Collin in his spacious lakefront house anyway. She resisted chewing her bottom lip for fear that she’d get red lipstick on her white teeth. But, worry kept her on edge. She still had a difficult decision to make.
Maybe she could make it work. They planned on moving to London anyway. She could be an agent and still have her man.
Rae walked through the short hallway to her kitchen. She grabbed her purse off of her kitchen island, sipping the last of her coffee. Her shift at Mercy Hospital started in half an hour, and if she wanted to get there before traffic, she needed to hustle.
She sighed.
Flying would be so much easier.
Her phone rang and she rummaged through her purse for it.
“Hello?”
“Dr. Rae Petri?”
Rae’s cheeks flushed. She didn’t like the sound of the woman’s voice.
“Yes?” she asked, her voice wavering. Please. Please. Please don’t let it be bad news.
“This is the Waverly Falls police department.”
Her stomach fell to the floor and she braced herself. “Yes.”
“Your sister, Crescentia has been detained for disorderly conduct. Would you like to come and pick her up?”
Rae’s eyes closed, pursing her lips. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll come and get her.”
So much for making her shift on time.
“Crescentia,” she said with a sigh as she left out the front door of her cabin home and stepped into the foggy dew of morning. “You’re going to be the death of us both.”
13
A beautiful young woman with long black hair that reached her waist stood outside the jail. Tall, and slim, she could have been a model on any runway in Paris. Her jean shorts revealed too much thigh for Rae’s liking, and a cutoff shirt showed off her tattooed belly.
