by Laura Kaye
Liam scoffed. “I have not found her. But I look. As for the others, you are their role model. They follow your lead.”
Kael’s gaze cut to Liam’s. “What?”
Liam heaved a breath. “You heard me.”
Confusion morphed into outrage, and then into gut-deep guilt. Of course his warriors would follow his lead. Which meant that the decreasing population of their kind…was in part his own fault. Newlings couldn’t be born without his warriors finding mates.
“It is time,” Liam said. “Meara has been gone for three hundred years.”
Outrage erupted in Kael’s gut. No one said her name to him. No one.
But Liam pushed on. “She would want you to be happy. She would want you to have comfort. You know damn right well she would kick your ass if she knew how you denied yourself.”
Kael braced his hands on his hips and hung his head. Well, that was true. Meara had been a fierce woman, full of life and laughter and aggressively loyal. And she’d believed in love. Kael would go as far as to say she’d taught him what love meant, why it should be valued.
“Jesus, Kael, if you’ve possibly found your mate, how can you even think of letting her go?”
Kael inhaled a shuddering breath and rubbed his lips with his hand.
Fuck. I let her go. No. I sent her away.
And now she was out there, somewhere. Unprotected. Vulnerable.
The Soul Eaters had found his clan’s stronghold once. Though that particular band of evil had been eradicated, nothing said it couldn’t happen again. Meara hadn’t been his fault, he knew that in his heart of hearts. But if trouble befell Shayla after he’d thrown her out, that would lie at his feet.
And it would crush him. He would never, ever come back from it.
Icy cold panic sloshed in his gut, seized his spine. “Shit, Liam. I was horrible to her.”
Liam stabbed him in the chest with his pointer finger. “Then make it right.”
Kael nodded and massaged his forehead. Wanting her wasn’t the question. Impossibly, he did, in every way and soul deep. But could he allow himself to be so vulnerable again? His heart panged and his hand dropped to his chest, then applied counterpressure to ease the awful tightness there.
Who was he kidding? Her loss already pained him. Resolve filled his gut and straightened his spine. “Get her,” he whispered, his tone urgent and strained.
A smile full of boyish mischief and fraternal affection transformed Liam’s face. “Right away, my lord, right away.”
Kael glared and Liam straightened his face as he sprinted from the room, but he moved with so much enthusiasm Kael couldn’t resist the buoyancy of good humor that inflated his chest.
It constricted just as quickly. He needed to know she was safe. He needed to look into that mystical gaze. Anxiety tossed his stomach as he anticipated seeing her again. He couldn’t imagine what she must think of him, how she must be feeling. Christ, she wasn’t even down from the high of her orgasm when he threw her out.
Kael braced himself. Every likelihood existed she wouldn’t want to return. And though that decision would level him, he wouldn’t blame her one bit.
Chapter 5
If Shayla never saw a blindfold again, it would be too soon.
With her eyes covered to keep secret the rural location of the vampires’ compound, she reclined against the leather of the luxury sedan’s backseat. Having asked her trainer for some space, she rode alone. It was the middle of the night, just hours into the twentieth anniversary of her birth.
Happy freaking birthday to me.
She shifted and pulled her legs up under her on the seat. Unthinkingly, she rubbed her left hand, massaged her palm. At some point it had started aching, but she couldn’t remember hurting herself. The gentle hum of road noise was soothing, at least. Anything to distract her from her thoughts.
The previous evening, the trip from Belfast had taken a little over an hour, so she knew it wouldn’t be long until she was back at her hotel near the airport. She’d be returning to London tomorrow, and she could definitely get into the idea of losing an afternoon browsing the shelves of the Waterstone’s at Piccadilly Circus.
Anything normal would be nice right about now.
The car slowed and veered to the left, and gravel crunched beneath the tires. Then they were still, only the soft purr of the idling engine filling her ears. The driver was separated from her by a privacy screen.
Shayla threw her hands out to brace herself as the car eased into what had to be a U-turn.
“Um, hello?” She reached forward until her hands found the facing seat and then shifted her body to reach the dividing window. She knocked. Nothing. “Oh, come on. Hello?” she called louder. She flopped back against the seat.
What is going on?
Maybe her trainer, a man she called Master Simon, needed a ride back with her after all. That must be it.
In the quiet lull of the resumed ride, all she could think about was how different the night had gone from what she’d expected. Yesterday, she’d been so excited, nearly giddy, as she imagined what the evening might hold for her. How meeting the king could very well be the answer to a variety of prayers.
Now, she was just depressed…and, frankly, a little annoyed.
Kael might be gorgeous and fascinating and sexy, able to make her come by kissing her alone, but he was just a…a guy. For God’s sake.
Oh, who am I kidding?
Kael was everything she’d ever fantasized, and so much more. Powerful and magnificent in his otherworldliness. Gentle and kind, at least when he wanted to be. So damn hot her novice body and mind could barely process it.
He was also her best shot at getting justice for Dana and vengeance against the Soul Eaters.
Well, not anymore. Her years-long grief made her throat go tight. I’m sorry, Dana. I’ll find another way. I promise.
Shayla hugged herself and laid her head back against the seat. She would find another way. Somehow. Some time.
As for Kael, well, the Proffered never had more than a few hours with him, did they?
Her rational mind knew that, expected it. Any hopes she held out otherwise were just the last hangings-on of teenage fantasies. Now she could put her daydreaming aside and focus on a realistic path to fighting the evil in her world.
If nothing else, there was her future role on the Electorate Council. Maybe she should talk to her parents to see if there was a way for her to participate sooner. Yeah, that was a starting place, at least. Surely there were also other contributions she could make she didn’t yet know enough to conceive. That thought eased the tension from her neck and shoulders.
The car stopped again, pulling her out of her thoughts. She’d been so distracted she couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Her door clicked open. From somewhere outside, voices bit back and forth at one another. She slid her blindfold off and set it on the seat beside her.
Shayla’s eyes blinked and stung as they adjusted to the fluorescent lights of the cavernous garage—she’d guessed right, then, they’d returned. Through a squint, she was finally able to make out the shape of her trainer, a tall, thin man in his mid-forties, and—she was certain from his size and long braid—a vampire warrior. Chills raised the hair on her arms as she stepped out of the car.
Why was the warrior here if the point of her return was to collect Master Simon?
The men’s conversation halted, and both turned to look at her. Their expressions were studies in opposites. Master Simon’s entire face was frowning—it was his “concerned” expression, rather than his “angry” one, and she was a little relieved at that.
The big warrior, on the other hand, wore the most welcoming smile. He nodded once. “Hello.”
His manner was open, friendly. It put her at ease, which was good since she had absolutely no idea what was going on. “Hey.” She glanced at Master Simon, who was watching them, wary.
The vampire stepped forward and offered his hand. “I am Liam.”
She looked at him for a minute, then placed her hand in his engulfing grip. “I’m Shayla.”
He grinned as he shook her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Shayla.”
Shayla returned his smile, then bit her bottom lip. She was utterly confused and therefore had no idea what protocol was appropriate. She had a million questions, but no idea if she was free to voice them. A long moment passed with no one saying anything, unleashing a nervous energy inside her she could barely restrain.
Finally, she couldn’t keep herself from breaking the silence. “Uh, so…”
“Come, Shayla. Let’s talk.” Her trainer held out his hand in invitation and directed her back the way they’d come just an hour before.
She glanced between them for a minute and smiled wryly as Liam nodded encouragingly. She eyeballed the big guy, feeling a little wary herself now. “Yeah. Okay.”
The three of them entered the reception area, passed through security, and threaded their way through several corporate-looking hallways until they returned to the posh apartment where she’d readied herself earlier.
Simon offered her a seat in the living area and she settled into an armchair and crossed her jeans-clad legs. A glass of orange juice and two of her favorite kind of chocolate-chip cookies sat on the side table. She managed a smile at Master Simon for his thoughtfulness and took a long sip of the cool sweetness.
The men chose seats around her. Master Simon and Liam traded looks, then Simon said, “The king would like to see you again.”
Shayla nearly choked on a bite of cookie. The words were so far outside her expectations she merely blinked at them. Hope flared in her gut, but she tamped it down. Hard. No one saw him a second time. She tucked her long loose hair behind her ears.
Finally, she managed, “What? Why?”
Liam smiled and sat forward, but clamped his mouth shut when Simon glared at him. Her trainer’s protectiveness warmed her heart. She’d always liked him, even when he was a pain in the ass. But he’d given her every confidence she’d be able to handle this night. She trusted him.
“He regrets what happened and would like to see you again,” Simon replied.
Shayla pulled her eyes from Master Simon’s guarded expression to Liam’s eager face. The weight of what wasn’t being said hung in the air between them.
The question was: did the why matter? If she put her hurt at Kael’s earlier rejection aside, the answer should be no. Nothing had really changed. She’d committed to doing this,. Wanted to, even. And now she had the opportunity again.
This would truly be her last chance…for so many things.
“I see,” she said as her brain analyzed what was really going on. She chanced another bite of the cookie, her thoughts reeling.
Liam’s smile flagged a little as he watched her. His mood shift puzzled her. He seemed so invested in her decision.
She narrowed her gaze at him. “May I make a request? Uh, two, actually?”
“You may make them,” Master Simon replied, “but I cannot guarantee to honor them.”
Shayla had expected his response, but from the vampire’s demeanor, she guessed she had a bit of negotiating power. She didn’t understand why, but she planned to use it. “May I have an hour to prepare? I could use some time to…get my head screwed on straight again.”
“That’s an excellent idea, Shayla. Of course. And your second request?”
There was no way Simon was going to say yes to this one, but asking it couldn’t hurt. “Well, um, may I have permission to, uh…ask the king a few questions?”
“No, Shayla—”
“Yes, definitely,” Liam interrupted. He winked at her.
Master Simon gaped at Liam’s outburst and Shayla pressed her lips into a line to keep from laughing. She liked Liam, liked the feeling he was somehow her ally in…whatever this was.
Simon shook his head. “Yes, then, apparently. Does that mean you are willing?”
“Yes, Master Simon.” Anticipation shot down her spine. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Maybe she still had a shot, after all.
“Then, take your hour and be prepared for me at—” he looked down at his watch “—three-thirty? We will treat everything from then exactly the same.”
Chapter 6
Kael stood on the hidden balcony carved into the basalt cliff face and soaked in the view of the crashing waves along the Antrim Coast. In the far distance, the volcanic formation known as the Giant’s Causeway was just visible under the moonlight.
How many centuries had he admired the beauty of this harsh, unforgiving seascape? How many nights had he come here hoping the rhythmic motion of the sea would imbue him with the peace and tranquility that war and loss had leached from him so many lifetimes ago?
Footsteps approached from the stone corridor behind him. Kael braced against the thick ledge, expecting the worst. Deserving it.
“My lord?”
Tension drained from Kael’s shoulders. Liam’s voice told him the news was good. He breathed in the cleansing sea air and turned to his brother. “Thank you, old friend. She is well?”
Liam grinned. “She’s great.”
Kael’s gaze cut to Liam’s. “You spoke with her?” Liam nodded. “And what did you speak of?”
“Just introductions, really. Oh, and she wants to be able to ask you some questions.”
Kael hitched an eyebrow. “Does she now? About what, exactly?”
The warrior scratched his chin. “Didn’t say.”
“And you didn’t think to ask?” Kael’s layered robes caught the wind and danced around his legs.
He shook his head and shrugged. “Figured it didn’t really matter.”
Kael nodded and ran a hand through the unbraided side of his hair. “Fair point.” His mind raced as he tried to imagine what was going through her mind. What she might want to know.
He stepped toward the entryway and Liam moved to the side, allowing the king first passage. Liam secured the stone-faced door, constructed in such a way it was indistinguishable from the rest of the rock wall on the outside.
Anticipation lanced through him. “So, did she, uh, say anything about me, or, uh…” Kael pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Did she say anything about you?” He chuckled. “No, but I could pass her a note in study hall if you like.”
Kael’s fist connected with Liam’s bicep before he’d really thought to do it. Damn, that little release of tension felt good.
Liam grabbed his arm and spit out an old Gaelic curse. His glare was indulgent, bordering on a smug smile. “Feel better, my lord?”
Kael clapped him on the back. “Much. Let’s return to the chamber, shall we?”
Liam smirked. “She’ll be up in about an hour.”
Kael halted. “An hour?”
“She asked for some time.”
Kael ignored the humor coloring his old friend’s expression. “I guess I can’t blame her.” They resumed walking down the twisting passageway single file until it intersected with a main corridor. Liam secured a second door—this one modern, reinforced steel, before they continued on.
What the hell was he going to do with himself for another hour? As it was, he could barely restrain himself from showing up at the door to her apartment and begging her forgiveness. He shook his head at himself as they returned to the ceremonial anteroom to the feeding chamber.
“I don’t suppose we need to replicate the cleansing ritual, do we?” Liam rocked on his heels as if he was the one eager for the next hour to speed by.
“I shouldn’t think so.” Kael braced his hands on his hips. “Then again, this is a bit irregular.”
“Yes.” Fraternal affection shone from Liam’s eyes.
Kael turned away. Hope was the most dangerous of all the emotions. He would let Liam harbor enough of it for both of them, at least for now. Kael was trying hard to manage his expectations. Exactly how this would all work out remained to be seen.
And maybe it wou
ldn’t work out at all.
Sighing, he walked to the feeding chamber door and opened it. He knew something he could do to pass the time. But when he looked to the floor by the far wall, the mess he’d created was gone. The tabletop stood empty, and the shattered glass, broken candlesticks, and crushed flower stems had been removed.
Kael turned to Liam, knowing without question he’d taken care of it. “Thank you, and sorry.”
Liam waved him off.
A new idea flashed into mind, and it was brilliant. “Ah, I’ll be back.”
“My lord?”
“Ten minutes.”
“My lord, this is highly unusual.”
Kael’s smile hurt his cheeks. “Yes, it certainly is.”
“What if she returns before you do?”
Kael halted in the doorway to the antechamber. “Ah. Fair point. You wait here and tell her I’m sorry to keep her waiting but will only be a moment.”
“What?”
“Thanks, Liam,” Kael said, the rightness of his actions driving him away from the room. He marched through the empty halls to the small industrial kitchen. Although vampires could only consume the flesh of animals or liquids, particularly spirits, they kept other foodstuffs around for the few mated females, who retained most of their human physiology and still required regular nutrition, as well as for their human employees and the occasional human guest.
Whistling, Kael pulled open the refrigerator door, unsure what he might find. He didn’t spend much time in this room. But he was determined to lay out an offering for her
One his own hands prepared.
A hearty sausage frittata sat on the center shelf. Perfect. He pulled it out and placed two thick slices on a plate. A container of paper-thin prosciutto caught his eye. He retrieved it and some cut-up melon, and wrapped the ham around the juicy, orange chunks. His chef swore by the combination of the sweetness and saltiness, even if Kael couldn’t enjoy the fruit. Next, he ladled marinated olives, artichoke hearts and red peppers from a covered dish into a bowl. It was likely he’d just raided the human staff’s breakfast, but suspected he could find a way to make it up to them.
