The Dark Ones

by Rachel Van Dyken

  Each kiss was like a slow drug.

  Each touch of his fingertips, each caress, went on for an eternity until I lost complete track of time.

  I fell asleep with my face pressed against his solid chest and my legs wrapped halfway around his body.

  "Genesis." His smooth voice was hypnotic. "Genesis, wake up."

  "No." I pressed my face harder against his chest.

  A warm chuckle erupted. "Yes, we have work to do. Well, you have work to do, and then after your so-called work, we're going to pay your mother a visit."

  I didn't open my eyes. "No staying in bed all day?"

  "About that…" Ethan sighed. "The good news is it will feel like we've been in bed for days when really it could have been mere hours."

  "Hmm?" I perked up. "Well, that's a nice trick."

  "I'm full of them." His eyes sparkled. "Care to know more?"

  "Yes," I whispered, my mouth finding his.

  With a groan, he pushed me back against the mattress and loomed over me, his naked body glorious-looking against the sunlight streaming through the window. "Perhaps we'll stay a bit longer."

  "Yes." I nodded my head eagerly. "I'm your mate, after all. Don't you want me to be pleased?"

  "You were pleased at least four times last night, possibly five, if we count the time I—"

  "Shh." I put my hands over his mouth.

  He smirked. "Afraid the dust will hear?"

  I rolled my eyes.

  "Ethan!" Alex's voice boomed on the other side of the door. "Feed her!"

  "Ignore him," Ethan hissed.

  The knock got louder. "For the love of God, she's human. Give her food."

  "He's a siren. He knows nothing." Ethan continued kissing me.

  "Mason will break down the door if he has to." Fighting broke out in the hall. "Ethan, I can smell the sex from here. One immortal to another, feed her before you can't feed from her anymore."

  Ethan growled and pulled back from me. "They have no manners."

  I was half-tempted to cover my face with my hands. Had they heard us? Of course they'd heard us, and they knew, and they could… Yeah, I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide for a few days. Instead, Ethan pounced from the bed, put on a pair of jeans, and jerked open the door while I tried to hide beneath the covers.

  Alex peered over Ethan's shoulder and waved.

  I had no choice but to wave back and hope that I wasn't as red as I felt.

  "She's alive." Alex held up his hand for a high five. "No? Not funny? Too soon?"

  "Horrible joke," Mason said next to him. "I made eggs. She's going to need food. Make her eat everything on the plate and—"

  He was still talking when Ethan slammed the door in his face and brought a giant plate of food over to me.

  "Forgive them." Ethan scowled. "There aren't typically secrets between us, and they're just concerned for you."

  I pointed at the eggs, ten slices of bacon, and toast. "Clearly, they don't want me to starve."

  "Wolves." Ethan looked heavenward. "He should be more concerned with his own diet, the ass."

  "It does smell good." I moved up the bed so I could lean against the headboard. "Do you eat?"

  Ethan's lips curved into a predatory smile. "I ate several times last night. Care for me to refresh your memory?"

  My cheeks burned.

  "So tempting." He reached for a piece of bacon and held it to his lips, taking a small bite that had my entire body clenching to keep from reaching out and attacking him. "And yes, I can eat. I typically do eat but haven't been because when we drink, we don't need normal food."

  "But before me…" I grabbed a piece of toast. "You were eating normal food."

  "I like you better." He winked. "But yes, I was."

  "Good to know I'm better than bacon."

  "Your taste…" His eyes brightened. "…is unlike anything I've ever had."

  "Hmm…" I licked my lips.

  "Stop it," he hissed and looked away. "Damn, I can't watch you eat. I'm going to shower while you eat your entire plate as per Mason's orders, and then I'll contemplate letting you leave this room so you can go to the bookstore."

  "Ah!" I almost knocked over the food. "My job! Am I late? Will I get fired?"

  Ethan burst out laughing. "It's eight in the morning. He's expecting you when I drop you off. No sooner, no later. You won't get fired. He wouldn't dream of it, and you really are adorable."

  "And hot." I sighed.

  "That too."

  "No, I mean hot, as in, it's scorching in here."

  Ethan winced. "You may be that way for a few days."

  "Hot?"

  He nodded.

  "Why?"

  "Too much vampire blood makes you overheat a bit." He shrugged. "It won't turn you— You're very much human, like I've said before, but sometimes the vampire blood causes a type of burn to take over in your bloodstream, not painful, just not exactly pleasant if it's a hundred degrees outside."

  "Good thing it's Seattle." I bit into the toast.

  "Yes, well, I imagine at this point, raindrops would simply turn to vapor if they landed on your skin."

  I smiled.

  "Shower." He nodded. "I'm going to turn around now and walk away."

  "Narrating?"

  "Apparently, that's what I do when I can think of nothing more than ripping that sheet from your body, slamming you into the nearest wall, and possessing you all over again."

  I dropped the toast.

  He growled, taking two steps toward me, then swore and turned back around.

  "Have a good shower!" I called.

  Another growl was his answer, and then his jeans went flying. I wasn't laughing anymore.

  The ride to the bookstore was torturous. Ethan pulled over a half-dozen times just to kiss me. It was noon by the time we actually made it there, and even then, I almost refused to get out of the car.

  "Four hours," Ethan repeated for the tenth time. "Do your work, contribute to society, enjoy yourself, and after… we'll make a visit to your mother."

  My stomach dropped to my knees.

  He gripped my chin between his fingers and kissed my mouth softly. "We need to know the truth, Genesis."

  "Why?" My voice trembled.

  "Because it may have something to do with the prophecy, or it could just be a rare coincidence. I swear, I won't let her hurt you."

  I sighed, already drawing into myself.

  "My offer still stands," Ethan whispered.

  "What?" My head snapped up. "What offer?"

  "I'll kill her," he said softly. "All you need to do is ask it — and it's done. She doesn't deserve life for the way she treated you, and it would make me happy to see you hold your head high around her."

  "But she'd be dead."

  "Perhaps I'll just toy with her a bit."

  I giggled.

  "Go." He kissed me again. "And if Cassius shows up—" Ethan swore. "Which he may, considering he's insane and has a death wish… try to ignore him."

  "Done," I answered. "Besides, I could touch him all I wanted…"

  Ethan growled.

  "…and still crave you."

  His face softened. "I wish that was true."

  "It is."

  His face was sad. "I'll see you in a while."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Genesis

  DRYSTAN'S EYEBROWS SHOT UP TO HIS HAIRLINE when I walked into the store. I wondered if all immortals could smell what I'd been doing — or where I'd been. Then again, Ethan had said he'd marked me.

  So maybe it was just like walking around with his scent all over me.

  "Genesis." Drystan pointed to a stack of boxes. "We just received another shipment. Why don't you put the books away to start off with, and then I'll have you help customers."

  "Great." I reached for the boxes and was surprised when they didn't feel heavy at all, maybe it was compliments of the vampire blood which was currently making my veins feel like they were on fire.

  Ethan
had said it would wear off throughout the day, but my body still felt hot. I wasn't sweating, but I felt like I should be.

  I carried the stack of boxes over to the corner and started pulling out books. Each one was in alphabetical order, making it easy to find a spot on the shelf for them.

  I was halfway finished when I felt it — the chill in the air.

  "Cassius," I breathed, "didn't take you for a reader." I knew I was safe from him as long as I didn't touch him. I was bonded with Ethan, meaning, at least part of Cassius's charm was going to be lost on me.

  He chuckled darkly. "How'd you know it was me?"

  I turned, welcoming the relief the cold of his body brought me. "You're chilly."

  "I am that." He nodded, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. He looked almost human. His dark hair was pulled back from his face, tucked behind his ears. His eyes appeared more gray than white, and he was wearing a perfectly harmless combination of jeans and a white T-shirt.

  He still looked huge.

  And completely out of place in society.

  Then again, people probably assumed he was an NFL player or something.

  "Did I pass inspection?" He grinned.

  I rolled my eyes and turned away. "Have any good dreams recently?"

  "Are you saying you miss my invasion, sweet?"

  "No." And I didn't. I was just curious, more curious about him than I cared to admit, especially after everything Ethan had shown me. My hand caressed the spine of the book I was placing on the shelf.

  "Questions… Perhaps I should sit down." He pulled a chair from a nearby table and sat, folding his arms over his chest. "You may begin when you're ready."

  "Arrogant," I snapped.

  "Feisty." He sighed cheerfully. "Always happens when you have a bit of spice in your blood. Vampires aren't known for their calm demeanors."

  I licked my lips. "What happened to Ethan's daughter?"

  Cassius stilled, his breathing stopped altogether. "So he's shown you… That's brave of him, all things considering."

  "Mates don't keep secrets."

  "Oh?" His voice dripped with doubt. "I must have missed that lesson in the last two thousand years."

  I couldn't hide my shock. "Two thousand years."

  "Give or take a few days." He shrugged. "Ethan's daughter was not Ethan's daughter. I took care of the situation as I saw fit. Don't forget who I am, human. Or what I am and what that means for you and your pitiful fleeting little life."

  I swallowed and backed away. "Are you threatening me?"

  "Think of it as a reminder," Cassius whispered. "When all this is said and done… if you fail, if Ethan fails, you'll be just another blip on the immortal life. A mere… memory."

  "Great pep talk," I muttered, reaching for another book.

  "I didn't sleep with the human," Cassius offered. "I know that's what you're thinking. What type of friend… or brother… would do such a thing? Did I kiss her, try to win her affection? Naturally, because that's the order of things in our world. If she cannot stay strong for her mate, she doesn't deserve immortality."

  "So you test all the humans?"

  "Yes." His voice was final. "And if they fail…"

  "They die."

  "They're simply eliminated before the natural order of things happens. Eventually they die. Take Mason's mate, for example. Lovely girl, obsessed with the wolf — dead."

  My eyes burned with unshed tears. "Ara…" I hated saying her name. "She didn't love Ethan."

  "In her selfish heart, I believe she thought she was in love with him. She loved him in the best way she knew how. She loved herself more."

  I nodded, sadness piercing my chest, making it hard to breathe.

  "More questions, or shall I simply touch you and be done with it?"

  Ignoring him, I shoved another book in its place. "Stephanie says you aren't bad."

  He said nothing.

  I thought he'd left, but when I glanced over. He was staring into the space above my head as if in a trance. "Stephanie." Her name sounded different on his lips. But as soon as he'd uttered it, he closed his eyes and shook his head as if he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

  "I'm not bad." His eyes turned white. "But I'm not good either."

  "What? So you just hang out in the middle?"

  "When it suits me." He smiled then stood. "Tell me, do you believe yourself strong enough to resist a Dark One's touch?"

  "I did before." I stepped back from him. "Before I was mated to Ethan."

  "His blood makes you strong. His mark… stronger than before." Cassius tilted his head. "But the human heart is the strongest of all. It surpasses all immortal claims."

  "My heart is my own."

  Cassius sighed, his eyes sad. "And that is the problem with humans, is it not? They continuously lament not being able to find love, and when they do, they still refuse to relinquish their most prized possession. Oh, they give their bodies, their souls, but their hearts?" His chest almost grazed mine. "They keep for themselves."

  "Why?" I blurted.

  He stilled, tilting his head to the side, making himself look more predatory, like an animal ready to pounce. "Fear."

  A gasp escaped my lips.

  "Fear," he repeated, "is not welcome here."

  And suddenly my world made sense.

  "I wonder," Cassius whispered, his breath freezing the air in front of me, "when the time comes, will you also choose yourself? Give into fear, or finally sacrifice the one last shred of humanity you have in order to gain immortality?"

  I opened my mouth to answer.

  "About done?" Drystan called then appeared around the corner.

  My lips were freezing, probably blue, but Cassius was nowhere to be seen.

  "Genesis?" he repeated. "Are you alright?"

  "Yes." I found my voice. "Fine. I'm almost done."

  "Good."

  He walked back around the corner. I lifted another book just as the barest of whispers flew past my ear.

  "Until you sleep…"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Ethan

  I KNEW HE'D VISITED HER THE minute her eyes met mine. She should still be on fire for me; instead, she felt — warm.

  Yet her heart still pounded for me. That was all that mattered. That's what I told myself as I gripped the steering wheel and drove us toward her mother's residence.

  "Cassius." I hated that she said his name with such familiarity. "You said he's like your king?"

  "Mmm-hmm."

  "Who does he report to?"

  "The archangels." I sighed. "When they care enough to check in on us."

  "Are they bad?"

  "Humans — and please don't take offense to this — like to categorize things so they can better understand them. If something is bad, they stay away. If it's good, it must be safe. But is chocolate really good? Perhaps to you, but what if someone's allergic? What's worse, what if you gorge yourself? Then something that was once good in your eyes is suddenly very bad because it has the power to kill you. The same goes for immortals. Are all Dark Ones bad? No. But they aren't good. Are archangels bad? Yes. In a way they can be very bad, but they also have such goodness that it's blinding. What you should concern yourself with is not trying to understand, because you never will."

  Genesis let out a frustrated sigh. "Easier said than done."

  "If I told you he was bad," I reached for her hand, "you may stay away longer, but it may also cause fear to grow in your heart, and fear is not an emotion I want you to feed."

  She nodded. "I'm afraid now."

  "Of me?"

  "My mother." Her eyes were distant, locked on the house I'd just pulled up to.

  It looked better, as if someone had made repairs. The shutters no longer fell from the window, and the porch had been rebuilt.

  "Say the word, and I end her life," I vowed. "Now hold your head high."

  Genesis nodded wordlessly and followed me out of the car to the door.

  Her mother wa
s by herself; I picked up only her scent. I knocked.

  Footsteps creaked against the wood floor. And a short woman with graying brown hair appeared in the door. Her eyes were bland, her skin wrinkled. Life had been hard on her, or maybe that was humanity's punishment for being such a horrible mother.

  Her eyes met mine, widening briefly before settling on her daughter. Her smile was full of venom. "So, you're his whore now?"

  With a hiss, I shoved the woman into the house and walked her backward until she was against the nearest wall. I gripped her throat with my hand, lifting her until her feet dangled beneath her.

  "Say it again," I dared her.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  "What? Trouble breathing?" I tilted my head. "Care for me to end your miserable existence?"

  She croaked out a no.

  I released her then whispered in her ear, "Disrespect my mate one more time, and you won't even feel the slice of my teeth across your throat."

  The woman paled.

  Genesis's hand gripped mine, steadying my heartbeat, when all I wanted to do was rip her mother's throat out and laugh over her dead corpse.

  "Mother." Genesis trembled next to me. "We won't be long. I just had a few questions."

  "Knew you would." She snorted. "But I don't have answers for you, at least the ones you're looking for."

  I moved away from Genesis, walked down the familiar hallway, and located the picture. I pulled it from the wall and tossed it to her mother. "This woman. Who is she?"

  Her mother's face paled as she stared at the picture. "Dead."

  "Caught that," Ethan hissed. "Who is she?"

  "Ara was her name." Genesis's mother petted the picture as if she was reliving something. "Everyone hated her."

  I tensed.

  "She was beautiful, and she knew it… so vain that she made the family look bad. Her number was called, but of course it was. The rest of the families were jealous. And then she failed."

  "Your great-grandmother?"

  "Great-aunt." Her mother set the picture down on the table. "She's a stain upon the family name. We don't discuss her. This is the first time our number has been called since Ara's disgrace." She snorted. "And I knew it would happen the minute Genesis was born — that skin, that hair." She rolled her eyes. "So beautiful, just like Ara."