by Lisa Olsen
“Come to me then,” Jakob opened his arms to me but I wasn’t about to climb into them.
“No, we’ll do this my way. One at a time, Rob first.” He was the one who needed to feed far more urgently and I had zero interest in a threesome. Rob’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t complain, shrugging off his leather jacket before he approached Jakob.
“You expect me to sit on your lap?” he smirked when Jakob remained seated. “I ain’t kneeling.”
“You’ve knelt before,” Jakob said, the hint of a smile lurking behind his eyes, but he rose, unfastening the top two buttons of his shirt. Rob was a few inches shorter, but he had no problems reaching Jakob’s neck. “Ah, ah, ah… say the words.”
“I drink of your blood and pledge my fealty to you. May your line endure, childe of the gods.” Rob’s voice held no inflection whatsoever. He might’ve been reciting movie times for all it meant to him. But Jakob was mollified and allowed his approach.
I hadn’t thought it would bother me to watch the two men in a clinch together, and it didn’t… exactly. I knew Jakob would enjoy the exchange, it was a purely biological thing, and from his deep moan I knew it didn’t matter much to him whether a man or a woman was on the other end of that pleasure.
What I didn’t expect was for Rob to be into it as much as he was, but from the way he clung to Jakob’s shoulder I knew he was having almost as good of a time. Jakob’s hand splayed across Rob’s back, holding him close and Jakob’s shirt tore as Rob’s fist clenched tighter, his throat working as he drank and drank. Was it getting hot in here? It was all I could do to keep from joining in as the scent of Jakob’s potent blood and pure male arousal perfumed the air.
It went on far longer than Rob would have with a human, and though I knew there was no danger of hurting Jakob, I started to wonder if there could be a negative side effect for Rob glutting himself on Ellri blood.
“Rob, I think that should be enough,” I finally said with a gentle touch to his forearm, and Rob immediately captured my hand to press it against his hip, sliding it up under his t-shirt.
“Stop it,” I immediately balked, shocked at how hard it was to pull my hand away. Was it because of the strength of Jakob’s blood flowing through Rob’s veins or my own weakness at the thought of becoming a part of it?
“Join us,” Jakob said on the edge of a ragged moan and that was what convinced me it would be crazy insane to let myself get caught up in it.
“Rob, that’s enough,” I repeated, injecting a note of steel into my voice. He managed to pull away, staggering slightly from the heady nectar, his eyes glazed with lust as they set upon me. Uh oh… I recognized that look and the kiss that was about to follow, and I took a hold of his hand, twisting it into a painful lock. The jolt of pain brought a note of confusion to his brow, but seemed to cut through most of the haze of pleasure. “Take a seat, your head will clear in a minute or two,” I said, propelling him toward the couch. Jakob gave a sigh of disappointment, but didn’t object.
“Sorry, miss,” Rob said, recovering somewhat once I removed him from his feast. “Don’t know what my head was about there for a moment.” He looked more shaken then I’d thought he would. Hadn’t he done this with Jakob plenty of times before?
“It’s perfectly normal,” I assured him. “Just focus on your breathing until it passes. In fact, if you want to take a minute…”
He sounded much more like normal when he replied. “No, I’ll stay here and do the same for you if need be.”
“Your turn now, älskling.” Jakob’s voice was husky with need as he reached for me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I shooed Jakob away. “Hold your horses. Go sit down, I’ll be there in a sec.” He did so, patting his lap for me to join him. “Ugh, I’m not sitting in your lap or kneeling either.”
“Why so cold, petal? We’ve shared such intimacies before,” he all but purred.
“To be honest, I’m not real thrilled with you right now, Jakob.”
“Why must we always return to this?” he said with a heavy sigh. “I have apologized for compelling you and have promised never to do so again. Is this not enough?”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. No, this is a whole new level of betrayal I’ve experienced. Why didn’t you tell me how things actually went down with Lodinn? What you did to his wife.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” he blinked.
“Seriously? That’s how you’re going to play it? I’m disappointed in you.”
Jakob’s throat worked, all traces of arousal completely stamped out now. “How could you even know what you’re saying?”
“He showed it to me. All of it. How you used her as bait and then strangled her and savaged her like an animal. How could you do that to an innocent human being?”
“Lodinn has killed scores of innocents in his day. I only sought to lure him out.”
“That didn’t turn out to be your best decision ever, did it? Or we wouldn’t be sitting here trying to figure out how to clean up your mess,” I snapped. “So you’ll excuse me if I don’t feel like getting grindy with you right now. I will feed from you because I need your strength, but on my terms.”
“There will still be a bond between us.”
“Not if I can help it. Rob, can you please get me some tie wraps? Four should do it.” He retrieved them from the kitchen without argument and I stepped close to Jakob, laying his arm out where I wanted it.
“I knew you harbored darker desires,” he chuckled as I zipped the first one closed, securing his wrist to the chair. “Only let’s remove ourselves to the bedroom where we can be more comfortable.”
Did he have a learning disability? Did I need a chisel and a sledge to get through that thick skull of his? “This isn’t about getting comfortable, it’s the opposite.” I got the next one on him and moved to his ankles.
“I can easily break free of these,” he pointed out.
“It’s not about trapping you, Jakob, it’s about limiting the use of your hands and feet. This will serve as a reminder to keep them to yourself.”
“You fear what you might do if you gave free reign to your passion,” he smiled in smug satisfaction and I didn’t bother to deny it.
“Yes, I freely admit that.” Especially after watching how potent it was with Rob. “Like it or not, you affect me and we have a bond and I can never ever escape that. But I can try and control the situation as best I can. Now, are you going to cooperate or do I leave you tied up like this and go feed somewhere else?”
“I’m entirely at your disposal, do with me as you wish.”
What I wanted to do the most was smack that smug grin right off his lips, but I settled for moving behind him, out of the danger zone. At least he didn’t make me pledge anything to him before I drank. “Rob, keep an eye on me. At the first sign I might be losing it, you get my attention, okay?”
“As you wish,” Rob agreed, taking a stance behind me as I bent to Jakob’s throat.
My fangs elongated in anticipation as I remembered the taste of him, his heartbeat calling to me with the sweetest song. Forcing myself to grip the back of the chair instead of Jakob’s shoulders, I sank into him, his groan of delight humming over my skin at the contact. It was everything I remembered and more, but the position made it much easier to maintain my control. Cool beans!
I drank and drank until I felt Rob’s touch at my shoulder, though I hadn’t thought it’d been all that long. “Just a little more,” I protested, Jakob echoing his agreement with a ragged moan.
“You’re fine,” Rob said, making no move to pull me away. Instead his touch grew bolder, skimming down the length of my back and over the curve of my hip and I reached back in kind, finding a firm thigh to clutch. I felt the press of his rigid length behind me as I drank my fill.
This was dangerous… so dangerous with Jakob right there front and center, but I couldn’t stop, not even when his arms wrapped around me, urging my shirt higher. When I felt the scrape of
his teeth at my neck I moaned against Jakob’s flesh and he shuddered beneath me. I wanted… sweet zombie Jesus, we had to stop before it was too late. With a lurch I broke free, my mouth seeking out Rob’s long enough to share the taste of blood between us before I zipped away from them both, crashing into the wall hard enough to lose my breath.
“No more,” I croaked, trying to drag in some air. “I have to go.”
“Petal, please,” Jakob pleaded, his arms straining against the restraints. “Don’t leave me like this. Come back and finish what you started.”
“You said you can break those ties.” It was easier to breathe if I didn’t look at Rob. I noticed him straighten in my peripheral vision, but I knew if I looked too deeply into those hazel depths I would lose it.
“Not after feeding you both.”
“Fine, Rob, cut him free, but we’re done here.” Whatever supplies we needed or better hiking shoes – we could buy them as needed. I didn’t want to spend another minute in the house with him. “There’s bagged blood in the fridge if you need to replenish.”
“I’d sooner die,” Jakob’s face twisted with distaste and Rob looked pretty chipper about it as he whipped out a knife and cut through the plastic ties.
“Horses for courses, mate. You could always go out and hunt though, no one’s stopping you.”
Maybe hunger would cut through Jakob’s fear of leaving the house? “Oh hey, but no tearing people’s heads off, it draws too much attention,” I reminded him, thinking of Mathis’ investigation.
“I’m well aware of how not to give myself away if I choose to,” Jakob scowled, rubbing at his wrists, but there was barely a trace of redness there. For all his whining, his heart beat steady and strong. “This inability to invite anyone into the house without you is distressing.”
“That’s what you get for holing up at Chez Anja. Feel free to go back to your own penthouse apartment if you find it too inconvenient.”
“Wait, Anja… won’t you give me a proper goodbye?”
He wanted a hug or a kiss, but that wasn’t on the table anymore, he’d agreed to let me go. “Goodbye, Jakob,” I said formally. Rob was quick to follow me and I waited until we reached the car before I spoke again.
“Are you cool with the plan? Just the three of us going to Norway?”
“Yeah, I think that’s for the best,” he agreed without argument. Something else was bothering him and I could guess what it was.
“I’m sorry about what happened back there. I know it wasn’t the most comfortable thing you’ve had to do. Trust me, it wasn’t for me either. If I didn’t think it was the best way of keeping us both safe, I wouldn’t have volunteered you for it.”
“I know, I understand. I just didn’t expect it to affect me like that. I’ve had his blood before.”
“Not as a vampire,” I realized. “That’s a whole new world of cravings to add to the mix. Like I said, it’s perfectly normal reaction.”
“But not for you. You didn’t let him crawl all over you. You didn’t need me to tell you when to stop.”
“Only because I’ve been there before and I knew how hard it would be to stop him from turning it into something else. I’m sorry, I should’ve realized it would be the same for you. You always seem so tightly controlled, you know?”
“His blood was so… I feel… I ain’t been this bladdered since I was a shaver. Even now I know I’m not thinking clearly. Hell, I was ready to… to…”
“It’s okay, Rob. Cut yourself some slack. You’ve been at this for what… a week? Not many newbies get a taste of blood that potent, it’s no wonder you got a little blood drunk.” Of course, here I was riding beside him when he admittedly wasn’t firing on all cylinders. “Do you want me to drive?”
“Nah, the day I can’t manage a simple car is the day they put me in the ground.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure things will…” My phone chirped, Felix’s smiling mug lighting up the display. “Hold on a sec.” Please don’t let it be bad news… Pushing that worry aside, I injected a note of false cheer into my voice. “Hey, what’s up, Felix?”
“I hate to bother you, boss. I’ve been trying to keep your desk clear as best I can, but I figured you might want to know about this.”
I should’ve known he wouldn’t call just to ask me for advice on what to get Bridget for her birthday. “Please tell me it has nothing to do with fiery deaths or exploding cars this time.”
“Actually…”
“Are you kidding me?” I turned to Rob, holding my hand over the phone. “Remind me never to joke about death and destruction without knocking wood. What is it this time? I thought people were over the whole madness against the Order,” I said to Felix.
“Oh, no, it ain’t got nothing to do with the Order this time, boss,” he said quickly. “I only mention it because I remember something about you knowing the guy and I thought maybe you could offer some advice.”
“I know what guy?”
“The vampire hunter guy that turned up in our territory up north a couple of months back. He’s at it again, knocking off some pretty heavy hitters down here, it’s got people talking.”
“Carter?” I blurted out, before I thought maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to mention his name. Then again, it probably wasn’t his real one. “Is he still confining his kills to vampires that make it a point of being cruel to humans?”
“Well… I guess you could look at it that way,” Felix allowed. “But…”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t even begin to worry about that right now.” I had to trust that Carter knew what he was doing and could evade the Order if they decided to make it their business.
“Aw, gee, I was kinda hoping you could come down for a while and help out before it blows out of proportion. We’ve got some very influential people down here real nervous.”
“If people don’t want to wind up in his crosshairs they should be more careful with how they treat humans.”
“That’s all you got to say on the matter, really?”
It was hard for me to remember that most vampires didn’t share my same opinions on human rights, Felix included. “I don’t have the time to come down there and try and hunt him down right now, things are kind of coming to a head. I’m glad you called though, I have to go out of the country for a while.”
“Anything I should be worried about?”
I could practically hear his raised brows through the phone. “No, just looking for an answer to our Lodinn problem. Jakob’s totally on board, so you don’t have to worry I’m off doing anything crazy.”
“Jakob is back?”
Boy, Jakob totally had cut himself off. It was probably a safe bet that no one local knew where to find him beyond my intimate circle either. “Yes, he’s staying at my place if you need him, but he’s kind of shaken up about all of this, so maybe don’t bug him about anything unless it’s super important.”
“Sure thing, boss, I can handle things on this front. Listen, I also took care of that matter for you with the morgue guy, Bassett.”
“Oh? Shiny, what did you do?” I could use a spot of good news for once.
“They’re all taken care of. It’s set up to look like an insurance policy. We’ve got a friend in the company with the big red umbrella made it look all official-like.”
“That’s handy.”
“Maggie provided your bank routing information, the funds went through today, they should be all set.”
“Thanks, Felix, I knew I could count on you. And I’m sorry about this hunter problem, but try to look at it as a good thing. Maybe our people need to be reminded they can’t get away with murder so easily?”
“No offense, boss, but you probably should be careful who you say stuff like that around. Talk like that is liable to get you impeached.”
Impeached? Was there such a thing under vampire law? I’d sort of thought regime changes were usually more bloody than that. “What happened to vampires respecting a show of power? I’m the
Elder, aren’t I? Shouldn’t I be able to set the policy with regards to vampire behavior?”
“Sure, but you’re talking about overcoming hundreds of years of entrenched vampire behavior. Make a sweeping statement like that and you’ll lose them. Just… promise me we’ll talk more about this when things settle down before you make any proclamations, okay?”
“Sure, Felix.” Provided things ever did settle down. “I’ve got to go, thanks for the talk.”
“Problems down south?” Rob asked mildly once I’d hung up.
“Nothing that can’t wait for another day. In the meantime, do you know what the closest airport is to Vadheim?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
It turned out a jet of our size had to make a few stops on the way to Jakob’s home town. We refueled in New York, Reykjavik, and Oslo before landing in the smaller regional airport in Florø. From there it was a hop, skip, and a jump – by which I mean an hour and a half drive – to the snow capped hills outside of Vadheim.
Rob slumbered in the back seat as we were too close to sunset for his comfort. Lee drove while I played navigator, a paper map stretched across my knees since my phone’s GPS was on the fritz and the narrow car didn’t come with one. From what I understood of Jakob’s texted directions, the hidden valley lay west of Vadheim itself, and I was pretty sure I could find it from the natural landmarks he described.
In the meantime, the scenery was gorgeous, even in the dark, and the air so crisp and fresh it was all I could do not to ride with my head hanging out the window like a dog to take it all in. Though there was snow on the tops of the mountains it wasn’t too chilly out, not that vampires noticed such things much anyway. But I was very comfy in my jeans and cableknit sweater I’d worn riding in Vetis, and Rob had on similar clothes. Lee didn’t seem too cold in his Wranglers and plaid flannel shirt, though his denim jacket was fleece lined.
Rob woke up in time to see the sleepy village, but we didn’t bother to stop, wanting to get to the secret valley while people might still be up and awake. Jakob had said the last time he was there, the village had been unchanged by the passage of time. He also said he had no idea what to expect from the supposed protective barrier as he’d never been magically barred from entering the valley.
