Alpha Lover

by Brenda Sparks

  “What is it?” he demanded of their leader through clenched teeth.

  “Whoa, Nikko. Take it easy, it’s only me.” Nicholai was surprised to hear Marcus’s voice on the other end of the line.

  “What are you doing calling from Stephan’s number?”

  “I’m staying at Stephan’s place in Vegas. I thought Demetri told you.”

  “He did. I forgot,” Nicholai admitted reluctantly, his eyes locked on Julie from a discreet distance. While he spoke, he spread his awareness out into the room in an ever-expanding radius and discovered another blank spot. His muscles and sinew grew taut, ready to attack should the need arise. After a few centuries of training and fighting with the Alphas, his body was the epitome of aggressive instinct. His eyes skimmed the crowded room, searching out the threat. He needed to find the cause of the blank spot, not waste time on the phone. “Marcus, why did you call?”

  “I got your messages. I’m returning your phone calls.”

  “Oh, that. Well, now is not really a good time.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, I’m on a date with my heartmate.”

  “What?”

  “Didn’t Demetri tell you?”

  “No, he didn’t. Congrats, old man!” Before Nicholai could thank him, Marcus continued, “I’ll help you out, Nicholai, with some advice. What helped me the most was going to Christina’s house and looking around. I found out tons about her, like the fact she read vampire romance novels. It helped me figure out how to approach her and tell her we were heartmates.”

  While Marcus continued, Nicholai moved forward, careful to keep Juliette in sight as the tour group made its way through the Portrait Room and down a hallway toward Czar Peter’s bedroom.

  “I also found out Christina’s favorite perfume and her tastes in clothing and jewelry, which helped me choose what types of gifts she would like and appreciate. Why don’t you go to her house and poke around a little?”

  “I don’t think nosing around Juliette’s place is any way to win her trust.”

  “She wouldn’t have to know.”

  “But I’d know.” Nicholai closed his eyes and blew out a frustrated sigh.

  As Marcus babbled on, Nicholai sent his awareness out again, but this time he found no blank spot. Perhaps Juliette somehow affected him. It seemed only when she was close did his senses misfire.

  “Huh? What did you say?” Nicholai asked.

  “Aren’t you listening to all my advice? I’m crushed!” Marcus quipped, feigning offense.

  “Sorry. Your call pulled me away from Juliette, and I am a little distracted.”

  “I can tell. I’d better let you go so you can get back to the important things in life, like your Juliette. Call me later if you still need to talk.”

  Nicholai caught up with the tour group. “I will. Thanks, Marcus. Safe travels.”

  “Later, Nikko. Good luck.”

  Nicholai shut off the phone and stuffed the annoying thing back down deep in his pocket. He experienced a moment of panic as he realized Julie and Penny were no longer with the group.

  He scented the air, easily filtering out all but her. Nicholai let his nose lead him through the Room of Portraits to a corridor. Palpable relief settled over him when he eyed the two women at the end of the hall.

  “Look there.” Penny pointed to a portrait hung high in a gilded frame. “Who does that look like to you, Jules?”

  “Wow, that looks a lot like Nicholai, same dark hair and amber eyes,” observed Julie.

  Penny nodded her head in adamant agreement. “I’d say it’s spot on.”

  “It does look like him…but something’s not quite right.”

  “What do you mean, Jules?”

  “The man in the portrait looks…younger, carefree…I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something—”

  “Here,” Penny interrupted, lifting her camera. “You took a picture of us earlier, let’s compare.”

  Penny flipped through the saved images, looking for the one taken at the Grand Staircase. “That’s funny. Look, Jules.”

  “That’s weird. You’re in the picture, but not Nicholai. And there’s a blur there. It’s like two images got squished together.”

  “I hope my camera’s not broken.” Penny turned it over. “I’ll be upset if I can’t take any more pictures.”

  Nicholai walked on silent feet up behind the women, wrapped his arms around Juliette’s waist, and pulled his heartmate back against the firmness of his body. Obviously, she recognized him at once, for Julie leaned back into his strong embrace and wrapped both her arms around his.

  “What are you two looking at?” he asked innocently, his lips brushing sensually against her neck as he snuggled against her.

  “The pictures we took earlier,” Penny answered. “I think my camera might be broken.”

  “Why don’t we try to take a picture and see.” Nicholai extended his hand.

  Penny placed the camera in his large palm. The women wrapped their arms around each other and smiled as Nicholai snapped the picture.

  “There.” He handed the camera back to Penny with the digital screen facing her. “See, it is not broken. That is a great picture of the two of you.”

  Julie looked down at the screen and mused, “I wonder what happened in the other picture.”

  “Maybe you moved the camera as you took the picture,” suggested Nicholai, lacing his fingers through his heartmate’s.

  While the trio moved down the hall, Penny stuffed the camera back into her purse. “That must be it.”

  “So where to next?” Nicholai smoothly changed the subject, anxious to leave the topic of the blur behind. He knew exactly what caused the blur. Him, moving at vampiric speed to pull his heartmate out from under the crushing weight of a statue.

  Before taking the picture of Penny and Julie, he deleted the blurry photo from the camera, insuring the evidence of his preternatural ability disappeared. His kind could not have proof of their existence. Vampires tried hard to hide from humans and avoid detection. He couldn’t allow the photo to exist.

  Nicholai stayed on alert the remainder of the night, continually sending his awareness out and scanning the grounds for any signs of trouble. It took all his years of practice to keep his concern within and present the persona of a relaxed man. He didn’t wish to ruin the evening by worrying the women for nothing.

  They ended their time at the palace by the canal that stretched from the front of the palace to the gulf. They stood on the expanse of lawn and watched fireworks. The kaleidoscope of colors reflected in the still canal water and off the golden statues that comprised the Grand Cascade.

  Julie squealed with delight. “I love the play of lights off the fountain in the middle of the canal. The way the sculpture of Samson and the lion is bathed in the lights from the fireworks, their golden color changes from red to blue to white.”

  The concussion reverberated in Nicholai’s chest with each mortar. Nicholai held Juliette around her waist and brought her against him, her back to his front. He rested his chin on top of her brunette locks. He wanted to lose himself in the moment, in the sensation of her in his arms while her feminine scent surrounded him, but he dared not let down his guard. He remained in a constant state of alert while the women enjoyed themselves, chatting and taking pictures of the spectacular show. Nicholai vowed to the Fates he’d keep his heartmate safe. And the safest place in the world was by his side. He just had to convince her to stay with him. And if earlier was any indication, he had his work cut out for him.

  Chapter 20

  Nicholai grabbed a bag of blood from the fridge as his pocket vibrated insistently. He pulled the phone from his pants and hit the Talk button.

  “Hello.”

  “Cousin, it’s me.” Demetri’s voice came through loud and clear. “There’s been a new development.”

  “You sound troubled.” Nicholai closed the refrigerator.

  “I am.”

  “Tell me what�
�s happened.”

  “Someone else has died.”

  “By the Fates above! What is going on there?”

  “That is precisely what we are still trying to figure out.”

  “What happened?” Nicholai ripped the top from the bag and took a sip.

  “We still aren’t sure. It would seem something eviscerated the victim.” Demetri’s voice trailed off as Nicholai spit the blood across the transmitter on his phone.

  “Eviscerated?”

  “Yes, and we aren’t sure whether it was animal or vampire. What was that sound?” Demetri asked with a bite in his voice from obvious concern.

  “What was what sound?”

  “That sound I heard, right before you spoke. Are you drinking?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are you drinking?” demanded Demetri.

  “I’m drinking blood,” he reluctantly replied.

  “Are you drinking from the vein? Did I interrupt your feeding?”

  “No, I’m drinking from a bag.” Nicholai’s voice sounded thick with contrition.

  “Nicholai,” his cousin reprimanded. “You need to be at full strength in case we have need of you. You know we are at our best after feeding from a vein.”

  His words struck a deep wound in Nicholai’s heart. Was that why he had not been fast enough this evening? He should have been able to get to Julie before the statue had time to fall. Perhaps she’d been scratched by it because he hadn’t been at full strength. Maybe it was his fault she had been injured. The thought twisted Nicholai’s stomach.

  “Why are you not drinking from the vein?” Demetri demanded, bringing Nicholai’s thoughts back to the present.

  Nicholai poured the contents of the bag into a glass, then scrubbed a hand down his face pulling it taut. “Because I find I cannot drink from anyone but my heartmate,” he grudgingly admitted to his fellow warrior.

  “What!” Demetri exclaimed, outraged. “You must be teasing me. You can’t drink from anyone other than your heartmate?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Nicholai, you have to remedy this at once. You are of no use to the Alpha Council if you are weak. And since we no longer have Michael, we need everyone at their best.”

  Nicholai grimaced. “I understand I need to be at full strength. You don’t have to lecture me.”

  “You obviously need a lecture, someone to talk some sense into you. Go get your mate, bring her to your home tonight, so you can feed from her and be at full strength. You have given her long enough. She’ll adjust, she’ll have to. Go get her, Nicholai. Enough of this waiting.”

  “Demetri, I’m working on it.”

  “You need to work faster. You’ve known for days she is your mate, and yet she still is not in your home. The sooner you get her to your home, the sooner you make her understand she is your heartmate, the better. What did Marcus say when you spoke to him? Did he not give you some advice on how to speed this up?” Demetri’s exasperation sounded across the phone line, despite the long distance separating them.

  Nicholai exhaled a deep sigh as he went through his kitchen toward the living room. “Actually, Marcus did have one suggestion,” he confessed.

  “And what was it?”

  “He suggested I go to her home and find out more about her, so it would be easier to win her heart.”

  Nicholai wondered if a visit to Juliette’s home might just settle once and for all whether or not there was someone after her.

  “And have you done that yet, cousin?”

  As he walked, Nicholai took a long drink before answering. The chilled temperature made him gag. “No.”

  “Are you going to try that anytime soon?”

  Nicholai sank down onto his sofa, balancing the glass on one knee. “Fine, I will do it tonight,” he assured Demetri.

  “Very well, then I shall leave you to it. As soon as you are done drinking, go.”

  He supposed it really might not be the worst idea to check out Julie’s place, if only to assure himself there was no threat to her, but being ordered to do so by his cousin irritated him.

  “Yes, sir.” Nicholai saluted an imaginary Demetri with his glass.

  Apparently, the older vampire did not miss the sarcasm dripping from Nicholai’s voice. Demetri let an exasperated sigh escape his lips. “Look, Nicholai, I don’t mean to be so hard on you. I guess it’s an old habit. No matter how old you are you’ll always be my little cousin.”

  That brought a smile to Nicholai’s full lips as a memory from long ago passed through his mind of him as a child rushing through the field. He was running alongside a large horse Demetri rode. As the horse clopped along the dirt path, he had run out to greet his cousin in welcome, overly excited, as only a child could be. He had loved his cousin dearly—still did.

  “All right, Demetri. Stop acting like a mother hen. I will go tonight to Juliette’s home. I will push this relationship as quickly as I can. I know it’s for my own good and the good of the Council.”

  “I’ll leave you to it then. If we need backup, we’ll call on Alexander first. That should buy you a little time, but get this sorted out quick. I will keep you informed of our progress,” Demetri promised. “Safe travels, cousin.”

  “Yes, same to you. Safe travels.”

  Nicholai hung up, then took a deep breath and forced it out slowly between clenched teeth. In one gulp, he finished the rest of the blood and slid gracefully from the sofa, heading for the kitchen.

  Absorbed in his thoughts, Nicholai absently rinsed the glass. Julie fascinated him. When they were together, he kept her talking about herself because he’d never learn enough about her. The scent of her blood flooded his senses. Understanding her peripherally wasn’t enough. He must discern every detail about the woman he loved.

  He cherished nearness, feeling the warmth of her body soak into his. He loved her smile, her laugh. She completed him, made him whole. Her voice, like a soothing balm, calmed his restless soul. Being with her felt like being home. He never wanted to be away from her again. To be without her would be like a part of his heart disappeared.

  He didn’t know how much longer he could remain in this quiet, lonely home without her. He needed her by his side, with him forever.

  Be patient, he reminded himself. We have forever. What is a few more days?

  He’d suffer through until she agreed to be his. Nicholai’s self-control had been carefully honed over the years. A warrior, he’d trained to be clever, calculating, calm. He could keep his implacable needs in check until she came to him.

  Couldn’t he?

  Desperation to win Juliette, so he could have her with him and keep her safe, spurred him forward. Julie lived in a little town outside of London, but he had never been to the home, so dematerializing there was impossible, but he’d been to many places in London. He decided to materialize to a familiar place there, then make his way to her home. London was seven hours behind Yaroslavia, so while morning approached here, he would still have many hours of darkness in England.

  With a purpose, a strategy, and a destination in mind, Nicholai proceeded to his home office. After bringing up his laptop, he punched in Julie’s address to find a place nearby he was familiar with.

  With a smile, he dematerialized from his home leaving only a small puff of black smoke behind.

  Chapter 21

  Nicholai shut the door to the cab and paid his fare, then sent the taxi on its way. He turned toward the tiny cottage. The quaint house reminded him of Juliette—attractive, well kept, old-fashioned in a way, yet current and modern at the same time. It stood proudly with its wooden siding painted a pale shade of yellow and white shutters on the windows. The matching door, also white, welcomed visitors with a pretty wreath.

  Nicholai sauntered to the door and unlocked it with a thought. When he stepped into the living room, Julie’s scent flooded his nose. He inhaled the delicate aroma and took in the surroundings. From habit, he sent his awareness out into the home and discovered
a dog. Gauging by the silence, he reasoned it must be asleep, which would make checking things out easier. He just needed to remain quiet.

  His gaze followed the white bead-board paneling halfway up the walls to a fireplace surrounded by a simple white wooden mantel. In front of the fireplace, two sofas, with matching flowered upholstery, sat across from each other. A light blue throw rug lay on the floor, creating a square with two wicker chairs on one side. Tiffany lamps stood on the end tables, and on the coffee table lay magazines and a book.

  Nicholai crossed the room and picked up the book. Turning it over in his hand, he whispered the title, “All-Time Greatest Paintings of the 19th Century. I wonder if she likes art or if this is for decoration.”

  He couldn’t imagine Juliette putting on airs, having the book lying about to impress visitors, so perhaps she enjoyed great works of art. He put the book back in place.

  His eyes followed a blue wall to a delightful kitchen. Its white cabinets and appliances stood out against the dark Formica countertops. While attractive and functional, Nicholai doubted he would find much of interest there, so he ghosted down the hall to find Julie’s bedroom.

  Nicholai came to an abrupt stop. At the end of the hall, a large animal leapt to its feet.

  So much for being quiet.

  The dog’s head and tail lowered. It remained motionless, except for the ridge of hair rising along its spine. A low growl rumbled from its thick chest.

  The dog charged, its large paws eating up the short distance in a flash. Nicholai dematerialized to the kitchen. He assumed his form in front of the stove and searched for something to distract the animal with. He spied a dog bowl with the name Connor written on it in fancy letters.

  The large dog barreled around the corner of the hall, sliding on the wooden floors in his haste. His feet clawed for purchase, but he crashed into the side table sending the Tiffany lamp crashing down onto the sofa.

  “Connor,” Nicholai called out in his most soothing voice. “It is okay. I am not here to hurt you.”

  The immense paws landed on the blue rug and gripped it hard, then Connor thrust his body toward the kitchen.