by Kali Argent
There were, but that wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind. “I’m not afraid of you.”
She blinked. “But you’re a vampire, too.”
“The idea that vampires can only feed on humans is just folklore and superstition. Blood is blood.”
She cocked her head, and her nose crinkled. “Animal blood?”
“Still blood. Tastes like shit, though.”
His response had the desired effect, and Kamara slapped a hand over her mouth as she giggled. “Okay,” she said finally, “but you won’t let me go too far? Take too much?”
“I swear you won’t hurt me.” Taking her hands, he took a step back, pulling her with him, and lowered himself onto the side of the bathtub. “Come on, I’ll talk you through it.”
Holding the blanket in one hand, Kamara rested the other on Nikolai’s shoulder and shuffled forward to stand between his parted thighs. She couldn’t believe she was about to bite him, to drink his blood like she might drink a glass of wine with her dinner. It should have disgusted her, but as she watched the vein in the side of his neck pulse, her mouth flooded with saliva, and the burning in her throat intensified once again.
“Calm,” Nikolai reminded as he rested his hands on her hips. “I know it’s tempting, but don’t bite directly into the vein. It’s messy, and—”
“And I could kill you. I got it.”
Her own blood roared in her ears as she bent at the waist to press her mouth to the side of his throat. Fuck, he smelled amazing, and the heat radiating from his smooth skin made her lips tingle.
“You’ll tell me?” she whispered, skimming her nose up his neck to the hollow behind his ear. “You’ll stop me if I take too much?”
“I promise. Stop worrying so much. Your body knows what to do. Just follow your instincts.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Got it.” Opening her mouth, she groaned as her canines lengthened. “Crap, all right, let’s do this.”
It surprised her how easily her fangs slid through his skin, like a warm knife through softened butter. The first rush of blood over her tongue drew another ragged moan from deep within her chest, and with each subsequent draw, the fire in her throat lessened a degree.
“That’s good,” he praised, giving her hips a gentle squeeze. “You’re doing fine. Listen to the signals. It just like anything else, your body will tell you when you’ve had enough.”
Then, everything went to hell when a familiar and chilling voice whispered into her mind, “Kill him.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Damn, he tastes good, but I feel okay. I feel like myself. Well, other than the fact that I’m chomping on some guy’s neck, but I’m in control.”
Nikolai smiled to himself as Kamara’s thoughts played through his mind. She was unlike anyone he’d ever met, and she awakened something in him, something primal and long-buried, instincts he hadn’t known he possessed. It was unfathomable to think that less than twenty-four hours ago he’d lamented over the very idea of having a mate.
There were no guarantees. He didn’t know what the next day would bring, or the day after that. Now that he’d found Kamara, though, he was never letting her out of his sight again. Maybe he hadn’t been born a fighter, but he’d do whatever it took to make her safe, to make sure nothing like this ever happened to her again.
For her, he’d walk through Hell.
“That’s good.” Her daintiness amused him, and he squeezed her hips in encouragement. “You’re doing fine. Listen to the signals. It just like anything else, your body will tell you when you’ve had enough.”
She tensed, and her fingers dug into the tops of his shoulders. Worried he’d said something to upset her, he scanned her mind, but all he found was a quiet hiss, like static on a radio.
“Kamara?”
Jerking him closer, she forced her fangs deeper, growling as she drew at the puncture wounds with hard, deep pulls. He’d seen her lose control with Thea, watched her ride out the throes of bloodlust, but this didn’t feel like that. This felt calculated.
“Enough.” Gripping her jaw, he squeezed hard, forcing her mouth open before shoving her back. “Kamara, that’s enough.”
Crimson tinged her lips, and her nostrils flared as she dove at him with a crazed screech. Rising to his feet, he grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her at arms’ length as she snapped her teeth and snarled at him. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he also couldn’t let her kill him. Not because he was afraid to die, but because he knew what it would do to her when she finally snapped out of her haze.
Plus, he’d made a promise, and Nikolai Diavolos never broke his promises.
“Kamara, look at me! Look at me, damn it!”
Unable to talk her off the cliff, he did the only thing he could think to do—he dragged her into his arms and slanted their mouths together in a hard, demanding kiss. Her right fang pierced his bottom lip, and he growled when she clamped down on the flesh, but he didn’t let her go.
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream. All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
She repeated the mantra again and again until finally, her eyes flew open, and she gasped as she shoved at his chest. “Stay away,” she demanded, stumbling back into the sink. “Stay back!”
“Kamara—”
“No!” The blanket fell away, but she didn’t appear to be bothered by her nudity. “Stay away from me! I mean it!” Reaching behind her, she gripped the edge of the sink again, holding it so tightly that it cracked in her hand. “Goddamn it.”
Nikolai didn’t know what had triggered her violent reaction to him, but when she held her hand up to reveal a long cut down the center of her palm, he couldn’t keep his distance.
“Here, let me see.”
Curling her bleeding hand into a fist, she clasped it to her chest and shook her head empathically. “It’s fine. You know it’ll heal. Just…just stay back.”
“Okay, easy.” He held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll stay right here. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Her lips turned down at the corners, and her eyes narrowed. “I’m not mad at you.”
She sounded so exasperated he had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back a smile. “Then tell me what’s wrong.”
“Men,” she sighed on a long exhale. “I don’t want to hurt you. Obviously.” She sighed again and shook her head. “Idiot.”
Nikolai couldn’t contain his laughter this time. Other than people who actively wanted to murder him, he didn’t think anyone had ever talked to him in such a way. It was refreshing, and right then, he fell just a little bit in love with her.
“Kamara, I’m fine. Barely a scratch.”
“You have a gaping hole in your neck!” Her gaze fell to his mouth. “And I apparently bit you. Great.”
Nikolai shrugged. “Who’s to say I didn’t like it?” He winked when she glared at him. “It was kinky.”
Finally, that did it. The solemn expression vanished, her lips stretched into a grin, and quiet laughter shook her tiny frame.
“Idiot,” she repeated, but this time, with an unmistakable fondness.
The tension broken, Nikolai felt comfortable enough to try asking the hard questions again. “What happened? You know you can talk to me, right? No judgment.”
Sucking her lip between her teeth, Kamara winced when her fang stuck her lower lip. “Damn. That’s going to suck.”
“You’ll learn how to prevent that as well.” Leaning back, he folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes. “Now, stop deflecting and tell me what happened.”
“Nothing.” She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. “I just lost control again.”
He didn’t believe her, not for a second, but when he tried to slip into her mind, he was greeted with a rousing rendition of the theme song from Three’s Company.
“Stop that.”
“Stay out of my head,” she shot back.
Nikolai paused. “H
ow did you know?”
“You react to things I’m thinking. Your heart beats faster, or you do that thing where you purse your lips on one side.” She shuffled her bare feet over the gray-speckled tiles. “Earlier when I was thinking that I couldn’t be a vampire, I didn’t use the word, but you did.”
“Smart girl.” He hadn’t been as careful as he’d thought, but that didn’t change the fact that she was hiding something from him.
“Can all vamps do it? Read minds? Or is it just you?”
“Yes and no,” he answered carefully. “Vampires can’t hear everyone’s thoughts.” He watched her, unsure how much he should reveal. It seemed to be a common theme of their new relationship that he just couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. “Just my mate’s.”
“Oh, right, that.” She bobbed her head thoughtfully. “Then, shouldn’t I be able to hear you as well?”
Goddess above, he couldn’t think with her standing there, completely naked and utterly unabashed. “Maybe you’d like to find some clothes before we continue this conversation.”
One side of her mouth lifted in a crooked grin. “Does my nakedness bother you?”
“That’s not exactly the word I’d use.”
She laughed, the sound bright and vibrant. “Okay, fine, but I’m going to jump in the shower first.”
“Good. I’ll go find you something to eat. Does anything in particular appeal to you?”
“Eggs. I don’t know why, but eggs sound amazing right now.”
“I’m pretty sure all we have is powdered.”
“That’s fine. What about cheese? Please tell me there’s cheese.”
Nikolai laughed as he shuffled past her to the doorway. “I doubt it, but I’ll check.”
“Nikolai?”
It was the first time she’d spoken his name, and he liked the way it sounded on her lips. “Yes?”
“Thanks for everything.”
“My pleasure.” He stepped through the doorway, but paused to look over his shoulder. “If you need me, I’ll hear you.”
She smiled as she tapped her temple. “Right. Built-in Bat Signal. Got it.” With a flick of her wrist, she ushered him away. “I’ll come find you when I’m finished, because we’re not finished talking.”
“I look forward to it, cara mia.”
Walking away from her was the hardest thing he’d ever done, and that included breaking into the Abraxas compound to rescue her. All the way out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen, he reminded himself that she was safe. No one knew where they were, and nothing would happen to her in the time it took her to shower.
“Is she okay?” Thea asked the moment he stepped into the small kitchen with its ancient appliances and country-chic décor. “Is she better? Did you tell her?”
Rhys wound an arm around his mate’s midsection and leaned in to kiss her temple. “Calm down, angel. Let him talk.”
“Oh, holy cow,” Roux exclaimed as she hurried around the sofa that separated the shabby living room from the kitchen. “She got you good, huh?” She pointed to Nikolai’s neck. “Are you okay?”
Even those in the cabin without supernatural hearing would have heard Kamara’s scream and her demands for him to stay away from her. He appreciated that none of them had mentioned it, and inquired only about her well-being, because he wasn’t in the mood to discuss his relationship issues.
“She’s okay. She’ll be down after she showers.”
“Well, that told us nothing,” Roux commented, turning to glare at Deke when he poked her in the ribs. “What? I just want to know how she is.” She turned back to Nikolai and fisted her hands on her hips. “Spill, Nik.”
Sighing, Nikolai turned to go search the tiny pantry for the canister of powdered eggs. “She’s emotional, erratic, up one minute and down the next. Mostly, I think she’s taking it well, all things considered.”
Eggs in hand, he returned to the electric stove, but stopped when Kamara’s voice slipped into his head.
“Am I crazy? I’m probably crazy. Maybe it’s all the drugs they gave me. Maybe something went wrong when I turned.”
He wanted to assure that she wasn’t crazy, that what she was feeling was perfectly normal for a newly turned vampire, but of course, he couldn’t. It was curious that she couldn’t hear his thoughts, but then again, he’d never known another vampire to meet their mate during their transition.
“Here, we got this,” Rhys offered kindly, holding his hand out for the canister of powdered eggs.
“You can hear her, right?” Thea rummaged through the cabinets, coming up a moment later with a small skillet that she placed on the corner burner of the range. “That’s how vampires recognize their mates? Is she okay?”
“Yes, on all three counts.”
Before he had a chance to say more, Rhys yelled across the room at Roux. “Hey, didn’t you pull some bacon from the freezer the other day?”
“Yep. On it.” Roux hurried around the island to the chipped and dented white refrigerator. “This place is surprisingly well-stocked.”
“There’s a group of about eight that stay here on a semi-permanent basis,” Deke answered. “They’re transporting a group to New Mexico, but they’ll be back in a few days.”
“How the hell can you possibly know that?”
Deke winked at his mate. “Someone named Sergeant Amelia Norton left a note.”
Nikolai had just wanted to prepare a simple meal for his mate. He hadn’t expected everyone to storm the kitchen and take over like they were preparing Sunday brunch.
“You guys are aware that I’m perfectly capable of making some eggs, yes?”
As one, they all turned to look at him, then went right back to their respective tasks.
“We’re aware.” Passing by him on her way to the refrigerator, Roux patted him on the shoulder with a sort of sisterly affection. “I think you have enough to be worrying about right now, though. Let us help you. That’s what friends do.”
The patio door opened on the other side of the kitchen, and Miles Irati strolled into the kitchen. “Damn, looks like she got you good.” He nodded at Nikolai’s neck, then held up a blood bag. “This should perk you up.”
Catching the blood bag the lieutenant tossed at him, Nikolai ripped the stem off the pouch and downed the contents in three long swallows. He knew better than to wait so long, and letting Kamara feed on him probably hadn’t been the best idea. With everything that had been happening, it wasn’t like any of them were getting regular meals, but if Rhys or Deke skipped breakfast, they weren’t likely to rip off someone’s head—literally.
“So, I have a question.” Removing the bacon from the fridge, Roux lobbed it across the room to Thea, then rested her elbows on the island countertop. “So, it’s not like in the movies, right? Vampires don’t burn in the sunlight. You’re not dead.” She waved her hand at Miles and fluttered her fingers. “Obviously.”
Nikolai dropped the empty blood bag into the waste bin, then leaned back against the opposite counter. “Are you approaching a point?”
She glared. “Yes. You’re the one who interrupted.”
“By all means.” He waved his hand, snorting at the feisty female.
“Okay, if you’re not all dead, does that mean you’re not all turned?”
“I wasn’t turned.”
“Me, either,” Miles added.
Thea shook her head, her eyes softening at the corners. “Zerrik was born a vampire.”
She put on the face of the good soldier, but it was evident to anyone paying attention that Thea was hurting. It was to be expected considering her best friend had been murdered right in front of her.
They’d all lost someone they cared about, either to the Purge or in the aftermath. There hadn’t been time to grieve, though, not when someone new wanted the rest of them dead at every turn. People needed to mourn, and until they did, they’d never really be able to let go. There’d always be a darkness, a hole, and that kind of emptiness could dest
roy a person.
Nikolai probably knew that better than any of them.
Unaware of his morose thoughts, Roux continued along the same vein of questioning. “Okay, then that means that vampires can be born?”
Miles and Nikolai nodded in unison.
“Then…how the hell do you feed a baby vamp blood?”
Of all the things she could have asked, that was the last thing Nikolai had expected. Catching him off guard, he stared at her blankly for several seconds before throwing his head back and roaring with laughter.
“This is what you think about?” he asked when he’d regained his composure. “You are very strange, Roux Jennings.”
“Just answer the question, Nik.”
“Breastfeeding. They bite their mothers when they breastfeed.” He spared a look at Miles, unsurprised to find the male shaking with barely contained amusement.
Roux grabbed her right breast and winced. “Baby vamps are born with fangs?”
Nikolai nodded solemnly. “Just little ones, though.”
Everyone in the room watched an array of expression play over Roux’s face. Her eyebrows drew together. Her nose scrunched. She pursed her lips. She tilted her head. She started to say something, stopped, then hummed a little as her brow furrowed deeper. Finally, she looked up at Nikolai with a steely glare.
“You made that up,” she accused.
Everyone in the room doubled over with unmitigated laughter. Goddess it felt good to laugh, to poke at little at a friend, and to just have five minutes of normal.
“Oh, hardy-fucking-har,” Roux groused, but her lips twitched conspicuously. “Make fun of the human chick. Awesome.”
“I’m sorry,” Nikolai apologized through his chuckles. “I couldn’t resist.”
“Fine, I forgive you, but I still want an answer.”
“Puberty,” Miles answered. “We don’t need blood until puberty.”
“Shifters don’t change for the first time until puberty,” Deke added, bending to kiss the top his mate’s head.
“Same for werewolves,” Rhys said over his shoulder as he stirred the skillet of eggs.
Roux gaped. “Wow, and here I thought zits and bleeding from my vagina were bad enough at that age.”
