by Kali Argent
“Just a little,” she insisted. “It’s better from the source, right? You don’t have to take as much as you would from a bag?”
He didn’t remember telling her that, but again, she wasn’t wrong. “I still don’t think that’s a good idea.” That wasn’t to say he didn’t want to, not at all. Feeding on another living person was incredibly intimate, and he looked forward to sharing that experience with her—when she was ready.
“Please, Nik, let me do this for you.”
“Kamara, enough.” The female was tenacious. He’d give her that. “Look, we’re both a little emotional right now, but no one was in the wrong. We just see the Hunters very differently.” Holding her by the shoulders, he looked right into her eyes. “My mother’s death wasn’t your fault. You don’t have to make amends for something that happened a long time ago.”
She stared back at him, head held high in defiance. “I was tactless. I thought you were overreacting, but I should have known better.” Her eyes clouded, and she reached out, placing her hand on his chest, right over his heart. “I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”
“Okay, stop.” They could go around in circles forever, each trying to shoulder the blame, but it wouldn’t get them anywhere. “The memory hurt me, not you. Understood?”
Reluctantly, she lowered her head once in acknowledgment. “I still think you need to feed.”
“Stubborn female.” It shouldn’t have been endearing, but he couldn’t help but adore her, every part of her. “I will feed when I need to, but not now, and not from you.”
Pushing away from him, she stood beside the kitchen island, bared her fangs, and growled.
“I want this, Nik. I’ll go hunt rabbits in the woods if I have to, but let me do this for you.” Without waiting for a response, she lifted her palm to her mouth, scoring the flesh on her fangs. “Drink,” she demanded, shoving the bleeding appendage toward him. “Now, before it heals.”
Circling his fingers around her wrist, he held her gently as he peered into her mind.
“Drink, please. I need to do this. I have to give something back.”
“Oh, Kamara.” With his free hand, he cradled her cheek with the kind of tenderness and reverence he’d show a priceless treasure. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“You’re wrong.” For once, she didn’t chastise him for being inside her head. “I can’t explain it, but I feel like I know you. This isn’t me. I don’t fall for guys. I don’t trust easily, but I trust you.” She laughed a little wildly, the sound lacking any humor. “Fuck me, but I do. I trust you, and more than that, I feel safe with you. I’m scared,” she admitted, her tone quieter. “I don’t like being scared.”
“It’s the mating pull,” he explained, tracing his thumb across her cheek. “That, coupled with your recent transition. It’s intense, and your emotions are going to be all over the place for a few days, but it won’t last forever.”
“I lied,” she blurted, looking him dead in the eye. “Yes, I’ve been having the same dream about you for the past two years, but that wasn’t the only one. I’ve been dreaming about you for as long as I can remember.”
The first time Kamara had dreamed of him, she’d been just eight years old. They’d played in a field together, chasing fireflies over a grassy hill, and he’d been just a little boy, not much older than herself. She could still remember the aching disappointment of waking up in her bed to realize none of it had been real.
After that, she’d dreamed of him off and on for years. As she grew up, so did he, his appearance changing, maturing, but he’d always had the same hypnotic eyes. She’d dreamed of him when her mother had died, then later, the first time her father had hit her. When she’d gone off to college, she’d dreamed of him. When Mark Howell had broken her heart, she’d dreamed off Nikolai, and every time, he’d been there to comfort her.
After some internet research and a little self-diagnosis, she’d concluded he was her crutch, a coping mechanism to deal with feelings of betrayal and abandonment. When things were good in her life, she never thought of him. When things went sideways, however, he was always there, waiting in her dreams. In the dead of night, when she was alone and overwhelmed, scared and hurting, he was her comfort, her constant companion, her shelter in the raging storm.
Had she’d had any inkling he was a real person, she’d have scoured the planet to find him. It didn’t make any sense, and it probably made her sound insane, but she did owe him, more than she could ever repay.
“Sweet, brave, stubborn female,” Nikolai muttered, his eyes soft, his mouth curved into an affectionate smile. “It seems you have me at a disadvantage.”
“Not really. Hell, I didn’t even know your name.”
He laughed. “In all those dreams, I never told you my name?”
Kamara curled her toes against the hardwood floor and grinned sheepishly. “No, and I guess I never thought to ask.”
“How very rude of me.”
Honestly, it was the least of her concerns. “Nik, what’s wrong with me? How is this possible?”
“Obviously, you’re special. I don’t know how or why, but I don’t think it really matters, either.” Moving his hand away from her face, he tapped the end of her nose playfully. “Is that why you seem so okay with all of this? I admit, I kind of thought you’d be taking this a lot harder than you have.”
“About which part?” she asked coyly. “The part where I almost died? Maybe when I was turned into a vampire against my will? Or waking up mated to another vampire? That part?”
“All of the above?”
Kamara chuckled. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve seen other people turned, some to save their life, some for love, and some just for the hell of it. It’s not like I didn’t know this could happen.”
In her experience, it was best not to dwell on things she couldn’t change. She was alive. She had friends who cared about her, who would help her learn to be what she’d become. It felt selfish to ask for more than that.
“And me?”
“Honestly? I was relieved to find out I wasn’t crazy all this time.” Well, she might still be, but not in the same way. “You are quite literally a dream come true.”
“Aw,” he teased, “you say the nicest things.”
Kamara rolled her eyes. “I do wonder, though…”
“You know you can ask me anything.”
She considered his offer, but it wasn’t a question she wanted to ask, not exactly. “You don’t like the cold. When it rains, it soothes you.” She paused, smiling to herself. “You have two brothers and a sister. You used to let your sister braid your hair and paint your toenails.”
“I don’t…how…”
“You don’t like fruit. Who doesn’t like fruit?” The memory of him turning his nose up at an apple she’d offered him during one of her dreams made her snort. “You bit your nanny when she wouldn’t let you have cookies before dinner. Oatmeal,” she added. “Those are your favorite.”
“You know all of this,” Nikolai interrupted, his voice filled with wonder, “but you never knew my name?”
“Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I didn’t know your real name, but it’s not like I called you ‘hey you.’ I just didn’t know it was Nikolai.”
His eyebrows winged toward his hairline, and a smirk spread over his lips. “What did you call me?”
“Ant.” When he jerked upright, she ducked her head and rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s weird, I know.”
“No, that’s not it.” With wide eyes, he pulled in a deep breath, then let it out in a rush. “Nikolai Antonio Diavolos, that’s my full name. My mother always called me Ant.” Taking her hands, he held them up and kissed her knuckles. “I don’t know what it all means, but we were clearly meant to find each other.”
“So, there it is. It’s not about owing you, but you were there for me before you even knew I existed. I have to admit I was kind of selfish about it, too, so I need to give something back.” Removing her hand from
his grasp, she turned it over, frowning at the thin, pink line where the cut had already healed. “Let me do this.”
“Okay,” he relented several heartbeats later. “Just this once, and only a little.”
“Thank you.” Raising her hand to her mouth, she bit into the fleshy part of her palm and offered it before he could change his mind. “Thank you.”
His lips on her skin were warm, and the swipe of his tongue sent tingles down her spine. It was intimate and personal, and it filled her with a deep sense of satisfaction. Now that she’d experienced it, the memory of him feeding from Lynk made her physically ill.
He’d always been hers. She just hadn’t known it yet.
When his front teeth brushed against her skin, she jerked, and suddenly, she wasn’t standing in the Revenant cabin with her mate anymore.
Drapes the color of melted chocolate blocked most of the sunlight from entering the room, leaving it illuminated by soft, golden lamps. A framed mirror hung over a desk in the corner of the room. French doors to the right led to a bedroom, the king-sized bed visible through the square panes of glass.
A man approached her. No, not a man. A vampire.
The left side of his face and down his neck had been badly burned, the skin mottled with deep, angry welts that made his eye droop at the corner. Kamara stepped back, her calves brushing against the cushions of a small loveseat a shade lighter than the faux hardwood floor.
He reached for her, his hand just as red and scorched as his face. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t make her mouth work, couldn’t find her voice.
“Relax, dear,” he told her. “This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.”
“Kamara!” Nikolai held her by the shoulders, shaking her roughly. “Kamara, look at me!”
“Huh?” She stumbled back, shaking her head to dispel the confusion. “I’m okay. I…I remembered, Nik. I remembered something from the coven.”
“That’s good.” He stroked her shorn head, then pulled her into his arms. “You scared me for a minute.”
“I’m okay, really.” Still, she snuggled into his embrace. “I don’t know his name, but he was older. The, uh, the left side of his body was burned.”
“Did he say anything? Can you remember?”
“He told me to relax. As if that were possible,” she scoffed. “Then said something like it was going to hurt me more than him.”
“What?”
Nikolai’s arms tightened around her to the point of pain, causing her to squeak. “Nik, ow, you’re hurting me.”
“I’m sorry.” His arms loosened immediately. “I’m sorry.” Holding her at arms’ length, he searched her face. “Tell me again. What did he say.”
She thought hard, recalling the memory. “He said, ‘Relax, dear. This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.’ That’s all I remember.”
“Goddamn it!” Nikolai roared, spinning away from her and shoving his fingers through his hair. “That fucking son of a bitch!” Grabbing a half-empty glass of water from the kitchen island, he sent it soaring across the room to shatter against the fireplace hearth. “I’m going to kill him. I swear to fucking hell, I’m going to murder him.”
Kamara jumped back, crossing her arms defensively over her midsection. “Nik, calm down.”
Footsteps pounded down the stairs at the same time the patio door flew open, banging against the kitchen wall. Deke, Luca, Lynk, and Deidra all rushed into the kitchen, postures tense, eyes alert.
“What the bloody hell was that?” Deidra demanded.
“Everyone okay?” Deke asked.
“No!” Nikolai raged. “Everything is not fucking okay!”
Kamara didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone so angry. The vein in the center of his forehead bulged, and his chest heaved with each labored breath. The growls started quietly at first, but built in volume until they shook the living room windows.
“Nik, man, calm down and tell me what happened.” Placing himself between Kamara and Nikolai, Luca stretched his arm out to the side, pushing her behind him.
Which did absolutely nothing to diffuse the situation. Nikolai spun toward him, eyes narrowed, head cocked to the side.
“You think I’m going to hurt her?” he asked dangerously. “Her? I would die for her.”
“Hey, no one is going to hurt anyone.” Holding his hands up, Deke circled to the left. “We just want to know what happened.”
“My father,” Nikolai sneered. “My father happened.”
It took approximately two seconds for Kamara to connect the dots. “Your dad turned me.”
That had apparently been the wrong thing to say, because Nikolai roared so loudly she had to cover her ears to stop them from ringing.
Obviously afraid for her safety, Luca pushed her again, urging her toward the still-open patio door. “Go, Kamara. Outside.”
“No.” She shoved his hand away. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Kamara, go!”
Nikolai’s head snapped to the side, his gaze narrowed and focused on Luca. Kamara saw it, knew what was going to happen, and she had just enough time to slide under the bar of the kitchen island before her mate dove at the captain.
More footsteps hurried down the stairs as Luca and Nikolai traded punches, both growling and shouting while they beat each other senseless. It took both Deke and Lynk to get Nikolai under control, while Deidra and Rhys forcibly dragged Luca to the other side of the kitchen.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Luca shouted.
“Don’t ever touch my mate again!” Nikolai threatened in return.
“Look at them. They’re monsters. All of them.”
Kamara grabbed her temples and groaned. This was not the time for her to have one of her episodes. “Go away,” she whispered. “Go away.”
“They can’t be trusted. You know this. They can’t teach you control. How can they, when they can’t even control themselves? You need me. I can help you.”
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” She repeated the litany, holding her head as she rocked back and forth under the counter. “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
“Do you think it’s that easy to get rid of me? I’m part of you, dear, all the best parts. I can make you a queen. You don’t need them. They’re only going to get you killed. Come to me. Come to me, and I’ll give you the world.”
“Shut up!” she screamed. “Get out of my head!” She pounded her fist against her temple. “Get out, get out, get out!”
Long fingers surrounded her wrist, prying her hand away from her head, and a strong, steady arm surrounded her waist, lifting her easily from the floor.
“Quiet,” Nikolai murmured as he held her tightly. “Quiet your mind, cara mia. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
“I don’t understand,” Thea whispered from somewhere behind her. “Who’s in her head?”
“My guess,” Nikolai answered solemnly, “would be my father.” He sighed as he kissed the top of Kamara’s head. “Her sire.”
“Wait.” Miles came forward, but stopped a few feet away when Nikolai growled at him. “That can’t happen? How is that possible?”
Nikolai didn’t know, but it couldn’t mean anything good. He’d heard stories about sires who could communicate telepathically with those they’d turned, but he’d never thought there was any truth to them.
“It is him,” Kamara said, and she sounded strangely relieved. “I thought I was losing my mind, but I’m not. I recognize his voice.”
He couldn’t believe she’d been able to hide it for as long as she had, but it did explain the quiet blankness he sometimes got from her mind.
“I can’t stand it, Nik.” Rounding her shoulders, she pushed deeper into his embrace. “How do I make it stop?”
“I don’t know.” Nothing had prepared him for this, and he’d never encountered anything like it. “We can break the sire bond.”
“How do you do that?” Roux
asked, watching them with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy.
“Kill the sire,” Miles answered. “I’m game.” He nodded at Nikolai. “No offense.”
“None taken.” If anyone was going to kill his father, though, it was going to be him. “Unfortunately, we have a more immediate problem.” He didn’t want to frighten his mate, but everyone needed to know. “If he can get into her head, it’s possible he knows where we are.”
“We’re leaving first thing in the morning,” Luca reminded him. “We’ll be long gone before anyone comes looking.”
“I can’t go.” Untangling herself from his arms, Kamara looked up at him, then to the others in the room. “I can’t go with you. I won’t put you guys in danger like that.”
“I don’t think you have a choice, love.” Leaning against the counter, Deidra picked dirt from one of her fingernails. “If what Nik says is true, he’ll find you wherever you go. Safety in numbers, and all that.”
“No.” Kamara shook her emphatically. “I won’t do it.”
Luca prodded his busted lip with the pad of his thumb and winced. “Where exactly are you going to go?”
Nikolai didn’t like it, but he also didn’t see any other options. They needed help, and he knew of only one place they would find it—with the only people he’d trust with his mate’s life. He only hoped it didn’t backfire and blow up in his face.
“I know a place.” Tilting Kamara’s face up, he bent and pressed their lips together with a sigh. “We’ll leave in the morning.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Where are we?”
Pulling up to the old plantation house, Nikolai slowed to a stop and killed the engine of the midnight blue SUV. “South of Shreveport.”
“It’s beautiful,” Kamara breathed, opening her door and removing her sunglasses as she stepped out onto the brick driveway. “Who lives here?”
Nikolai exited the driver’s door, then circled the front of the vehicle, adjusting his own sunglasses as he walked. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
He would have taken her hand, but his palms were sweating and his fingers were shaking. It had been almost a decade since he’d seen his siblings, and he didn’t know what kind of welcome to expect. He hoped they understood he’d stayed away for their protection in the beginning, but considering they’d never tried to contact him, he just didn’t know.
