by Bethany Shaw
"But Zak and Harrison aren’t like that," Melanie said sure of herself.
Cadence opened her mouth to correct the girl, but thought better of it. The less Melanie knew about Zak’s true nature, the better she’d sleep at night. Zak wouldn’t do anything to intentionally harm Melanie of that she was certain. The elder vampire held his brother in high regard and would never do anything to taint his image.
"I know I should be scared of all of you. Living with Harrison is a danger, but I feel safe. I know a lot of people look down on us for living together because we are unmarried, but this feels as close to home as I am ever going to get again," she said looking off into the distance. “For a long time, I wished Harrison hadn’t saved me. I watched my family die before my eyes and I wondered if I should have perished with them,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. She drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Harrison has given me a reason to live. He makes me smile and I imagine, vampire or not, my parents would’ve loved him.” She licked her lips and stopped kneading the bread. “Would you ever consider letting Zak turn you?" The question was innocent and she knew that Harrison questioned Zak and her relationship. They had all but given up trying to explain it. Goodness knew they fought like a married couple and she could curse herself for actual saying that even if it was in her mind. She felt it though now more than ever. She and Zak had chemistry, and it was getting hard to hide it.
"For starters, if I were to become a vampire, I would cease to be a witch.” She might be new to her powers and nowhere close to controlling them, but she wasn’t about to give that up. “I’m only now learning to come into my powers, but they are special and not something I would want to lose—even for eternal life. And you should know, Zak and I aren't like that. I have a boyfriend back home, Trent. Things are complicated between us at the moment, but I love him." Was Trent even her boyfriend? They’d kind of ended things, but there had been circumstances behind that. Was he looking for her?
“I see,” Melanie mumbled as a frown marred her complexion.
Great! Melanie probably thinks I’m a floozy or something. "You know, in the time I come from, it's okay for a girl to make the first move," she said trying to deflect the conversation away from her. "I know you like Harrison. Maybe you should say something to him. I’m pretty sure he feels the same way. I’ve seen the way he looks at you."
"I could never be that forward. It would be—" Melanie started but was cut off by the door opening.
Zak walked in with a glare on his face aimed directly at Cadence. She sighed knowing he had probably overheard at least some of their conversation.
"Melanie, may I borrow Cadence for a moment?" He posed it as a question, but there was no doubt in Cadence’s mind that it was a demand.
"I'll just be a second," Cadence excused herself as she brushed past Zak and out into the crisp, cool air. "Where is Harrison?" she questioned realizing he was alone.
"Picking some berries for dinner," he answered as he grabbed her arm and spun her around. His firm body pressed against hers as he trapped her against the stone wall of the house. "What are you thinking?" he snapped as he stared down at her.
"What are you talking about?" She wrenched her arm free and mustered up her deadliest glare. He took a step towards her, clearly not intimidated by her.
"I've been trying to convince Harrison to come through time with us and you’re going to try and talk her into confessing her love for him," he spat at her with venom.
"They obviously care for each other. Why not help them along? It's cute." She frowned.
"Cute?" he asked horrified. “There is absolutely nothing cute about their tragic romance. She’s a human and he’s eternal. How do you think that will end up?”
"Harrison spent the better part of two hundred odd years alone, and now he's found a friend with the possibility of something more. Don't be selfish and take that away from him," she said crossing her arms over her chest. Melanie was a once in a lifetime romance. "Let him stay here with her. If he comes with us he might end up regretting it."
"She'll only end up hurting him in the long run," he ground out.
“How can you possibly know that?” she argued.
“She’s a human girl and he’s a vampire. Do you really think she’ll want to give up the chance to raise a family?” he quirked his brow up in question. “Love is a weakness. One none of us can afford,” he warned.
He doesn’t believe in love? How sad.
"No, love is a strength. The second you stop loving, stop caring, you lose a piece of yourself. You have nothing to fight for. Nothing to live for,” she argued, flailing her arms animatedly as her voice rose.
“I’ve lived a very long time by that motto, Cadence. I’d venture to say you’re wrong,” he insisted.
"You wouldn't understand. You’re not capable of loving someone. It's pathetic, Zak. You’re centuries old and what do you have to show for it? A wake of bodies? People who bow down to you out of fear?" she hissed as she took a step forward. She took another step and met his gaze. "There are so many other things that you could do with your eternity, but instead you’d rather squash people’s hopes and dreams because you’re too scared to want anything for yourself. People do your bidding out of fear for their lives. They sure as hell don't respect you, or like you for that matter. You’re alone. You chose that life. Don't do it to your brother too," she said finishing in an angry whisper.
His eyes bore into her as he closed the distance between them. Mere inches separated their bodies. She swallowed, her breath quickening as his warm breath ghosted over her lips. He was so close. It wouldn’t take much to close the small distance. Her lips parted as her tongued darted out to wet them.
Zak reached up and then let his hand drop back down. He shook his head, turned on his heel and marched away.
Cadence let out a long breath and drew one in. What the hell just happened?
Chapter Nine
Zak approached the house slowly trying to think of what to say to her. Cadence was not like any other woman he'd ever met. Any other he would have already bedded and discarded. Cadence was fiery and tempestuous. She wasn't afraid to call him out. He enjoyed it, and he knew that he could never discard Cadence. She was special, she was different, and she made him feel something he'd never felt before. Love? He certainly hoped not.
He walked into the house silently. Years of being on the run and sneaking up on people paid off. Harrison had no clue that he left every night to feed. It probably helped that he healed and then compelled his victims, leaving them none the wiser to his transgressions.
Harrison was too humane to feed from humans and while he appreciated the animal blood his brother provided, Zak needed human blood to thrive. He just needed to keep his feeding a secret. Harrison had already seen him do ghastly deeds, he didn’t want his baby brother thinking any less of him than he already did.
He slid the small sheet to the side as he entered the bedroom. Cadence rolled over, her blue eyes fluttering open. The moonlight fell on her face as the makeshift curtains blew in the wind. In a few days, they would find out if they would have another month together or if they would be back in their time.
Cadence sighed as she continued to stare at him. She looked beautiful, basking in the moonlight. It hit her at just the right angle to show her natural beauty. He let his gaze fall over her lush body beneath the covers.
"Stop starring, it's creepy," she murmured, pulling the blankets up and tucking them beneath her chin.
"I brought a peace offering." He held up a small cloth full of some berries he knew she enjoyed.
Cadence slowly sat up pulling the covers with her. He handed her the cloth and watched as she unfolded the fabric.
"Thanks," she said taking a quick look at him before averting her eyes. “I didn’t realize we needed a peace offering.”
Zak chuckled. “We’ve only spoken in passing the past two weeks.” She hadn’t said much to him since he’d pulled her outside and warned her abo
ut pushing Melanie onto Harrison. He’d been waiting for her to say something to him, but she hadn’t. Cadence was unlike any woman he’d ever met, and thus, he’d had to make amends first. “With the full moon in a few days, I thought it best that we clear the air.” That was part of it. The other reason was he couldn’t stand not speaking to her.
“I wasn’t angry with you,” she said quietly popping one of the red berries into her mouth. “I said my peace and I hope you will at least consider what I said before meddling in their lives.”
"I have something to do tomorrow. Will you be okay here by yourself? Harrison and Melanie will be here," he added, changing the subject. He didn't like the idea of leaving her, but there were no other vampires around and no werewolves. If she found trouble in this human village in the half day he planned on being gone, he would be surprised.
"What are you doing?" she asked plopping another berry into her mouth.
He smirked which caused her to scowl. "I have something that needs to be done."
"What are you doing that I can't come with you?" she asked suspiciously.
"I assure you I'm not killing anybody," he smiled.
"Really?" She asked rolling her eyes. "You’re probably having withdrawals it's been a while."
"I don't have to kill people, Cadence."
"But you like to," she countered.
"There is a certain rush to it. The feeling of ending a life is exhilarating I won't lie." He shouldn’t be so honest with her, but he couldn’t help it.
"Do you ever feel guilty about it?" she asked tilting her head to the side.
He sighed, unsure how to answer her. He wasn't one to lie and she would probably catch him if he did. Honesty it was. "I suppose it depends on my mood. Sometimes I regret my actions, but most the time I don’t."
"So you have some humanity...some remorse?" she asked taking another berry.
"Perhaps," he agreed. There was no malice or anger in her voice and he didn’t mind talking to her about this. It was better that she understood who he was.
"It must make it easier not having to feel the guilt," she said as if she understood.
"I've killed a lot of people," he admitted. If he felt the pain of each kill he’d never recover.
"I killed someone,” she whispered so low he wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. “I didn't mean to...it was an accident. My powers were blocked and my dad had some of my memories erased. I didn’t know what I was, what I could do. I was at a club and this guy got frisky and rough with me. He dragged me out to the back alley and...something inside of me snapped. Next thing I knew he was at least ten feet away and impaled. He was killed instantly," she said looking down ashamed. A tear trickled down her pale cheek and she quickly reached up and swiped it away with her palm. "Part of me felt righteous over what I did. He was going to...hurt me. The bastard probably preyed on numerous women before me. But I still took his life. I don't ever want to feel like that again. It's terrifying to feel like you’re out of control of your own body.”
He placed a hand over hers enjoying the feel of her soft skin on his, even more so when she didn't pull away. "You protected yourself, Cadence. There is nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn’t your fault you weren’t properly trained.” The coven should’ve made sure she was trained and prepared. A thought occurred to him, if Cadence still had magic even after her powers were bound, then she was a lot stronger witch than even she realized. “Are your powers still bound?” he wondered aloud. What exactly were they dealing with?
Cadence nodded as she sniffled. “I got a glimpse of a buried memory after the...incident, and spoke to my father. He brought me back to the coven. Katherine rebound my powers. She continues to do so every few months. Jaime and Maddie have been working with me on spells and small things. They said I couldn’t live without magic forever. Even with my powers blocked, magic still seeps through. I can hear snippets of thoughts, move things without meaning to, and spells slip out effortlessly and are effective. I’m just worried I’ll lose control. I don’t want to hurt anyone again,” she blurted as a few more tears trickled down her rosy cheeks.
“Hey,” Zak soothed, reaching up and placing his palm on her warm cheek. He stroked his thumb across her velvety skin, swiping a tear away. “Everything is going to be fine. Harrison is...was...a witch. I’m sure he can help you. We can figure out how to control this,” he promised. Witchcraft was never his thing, and he knew very little about it. But he wouldn’t let Cadence harm herself or anyone else.
“But if we don’t get home and Katherine—”
“Then we will control it,” he interrupted. “I don’t die so easily, and if we must, we’ll leave and stay away from everyone else until you’ve learned control.” Why would they block her powers anyway? Shouldn’t they teach her how to use them? Or were they blocking them for a reason? There was something sinister at play and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“It’s getting late, sweetheart. You should get some rest,” he suggested as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
She smiled softly and nodded, not once pulling out of his grasp. His leaden hand lifted and he dropped it to his leg, already missing the warmth of her skin.
“Thank you,” she whispered quietly.
“Anytime.”
Cadence shifted in the bed and yanked the covers up and over her ears as she curled in on herself. Her breathing evened out and he watched as her chest rose and fell evenly before he too lay on his pallet and let sleep consume him.
***
"You smell like smoke. Do I even want to know?" Cadence greeted with a small smile as she pulled the sheets back on her bed and positioned the pillows.
Zak smirked as he closed the sheet to their room. "It’s incense. I was speaking with the witch, finalizing all the details of our departure."
"Are we all set then?" she asked as she sat down on the bed with a grunt.
"I believe so. All we have to do is show up tomorrow night and pray we return to our time safe and sound,” Zak said quietly.
“Do you think it will work?” she worried as she twirled a strand of hair around her pointer finger.
Zak sighed and collapsed down onto the rock hard floor. “This witch is nowhere near as powerful as Harrison. I have no idea,” he answered honestly. There was no point in getting her hopes up. He had his doubts.
“Oh,” she said deflated as she balled her hands together and squeezed them.
“We’ll make do regardless of what happens,” he promised. “How was your day with Melanie?” he asked changing the subject.
"Great! I’m going to miss her a lot. We’ve become fast friends. It’s really nice to have another woman to talk to." She released a heavy breath and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she met his gaze. “Harrison can’t come with us, Zak.”
He shook his head; they were back to this again. "Isn't it his choice?"
"Yes, but he doesn't need you coercing him into anything," she explained determinedly.
"He's already decided to stay," he admitted. Harrison had told him as much today. He wanted to live his life not jump through it. "You know, sweetheart, if you’re wrong about them he is going to be all alone for years. What's a minute for us, could be who knows how long for him."
She huffed and shook her head. "Or he could spend them in bliss with the girl he loves," she challenged with a grin.
"Only time will tell." Part of him wanted Harrison to find happiness, but he would never admit that to anyone.
Silence enveloped them and he lie back listening to the steady thump of her heart. It was rhythmic and peaceful. He closed his eyes getting lost in the beat.
"What happens if we don't get home tomorrow?" Cadence asked after a long moment.
He sighed. "We find another witch and start all over again." It was all they really could do. He wouldn't mind spending another month with her. They had made progress with their conversation last night. She might be worried about her powers, but he wasn’t. If they ha
d another month together he could help her learn to harness them. She would be a formidable ally if her powers were half of what he expected. The only problem was he didn’t want her to lose her light. Her humanity, her heart, they were what made her who she was. He just hoped that if and when they returned home, she didn’t turn her powers against him.
"Do you think we'll at least get to a time of hot showers and chocolate?" she asked hopefully.
He laughed out loud. The sound was foreign to his ears and he chuckled again, liking the sound of it. When was the last time he’d truly laughed? "Oh, sweetheart, hot showers are quite a few centuries into the future. I wouldn’t get your hopes up. We might get lucky enough to stumble onto chocolate or some form of baked goods, maybe. I'll get you some when and if it's available."
She twisted in her bed and peered down at him. "Then I'm holding you to that."
***
Cadence fell into Zak as the world whirled around her. Butterflies flocked in her belly as she stumbled to stay upright. Everything was spinning. Perhaps they’d time traveled to a fair and were on one of those spheres that spun you around until you stuck to the wall.
Zak’s warm arms circled her waist, steadying her as gravity threatened to swallow her whole. How come it didn't affect him the way it did her? Because he's a thousand-year-old vampire, duh. He pressed her against his rock hard chest as she gripped the edges of his shirt. His leathery scent enveloped her and she breathed it in, allowing it to soothe her churning stomach. She nuzzled into his shoulder and closed her eyes. He felt so warm and safe.
Wait! What the hell am I thinking? There is nothing warm and safe about him.
Cadence shoved away from him, fighting against the spinning. She stumbled, fell forward, and whacked her head against his. Dots blotted her vision and she closed her eyes as he grasped her tighter, holding her steady.
"Ouch," she groaned as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Stop fighting, sweetheart, give yourself a minute to adjust," he said hugging her to him.
