“I led Alana right to her,” Kara said. “I’m almost positive that I did.”
“Alana could have found a way to get to her, whether she followed you that night or not,” Rose argued. “Alana is a telepath. Besides, didn’t you say you gave Olivia some of your blood? That means your scent was in her blood, right?”
“Which is just another mistake I made,” Kara said bitterly.
“It wasn’t a mistake,” Rose said. “You saved a woman’s life.”
“No, I didn’t,” Kara growled. “I just changed the way she died.”
“You can’t hold yourself responsible for what Alana did,” Rose said.
Kara didn’t seem to hear her. “I should have just killed her that night. At least then, she would have died painlessly.” She sighed. “But I know, with Alana killing her, that she didn’t. Alana is not sadistic, really, but she’s still cruel. She would’ve killed Olivia painfully, just to spite me. I know her. I know she did.”
Rose wanted so badly to soothe the pain that she heard in Kara’s voice.
“I keep making the same mistake over and over,” Kara murmured.
“Caring about someone isn’t a mistake,” Rose insisted.
“It sure as hell seems like it is,” Kara muttered.
“Do you know why you couldn’t kill her?” Rose asked.
“No,” Kara sighed in frustration. “I’m a Viking. A warrior. I’ve been killing for as long as I can remember. I was a killer long before I was a vampire. I was taught to never show mercy, that mercy is weak. What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing is wrong with you,” Rose told her. She leaned toward Kara. Their seats nearly touched, so when she angled herself toward Kara and leaned forward, Kara’s muscular, leather-clad thigh pressed against Rose’s thigh, and her shoulder brushed against Rose’s breasts. Kara’s gaze shifted toward Rose, her dark, lustful gaze partially hidden by a lock of blue hair. Rose’s round, azure eyes burned with intensity as she spoke, “I know why you couldn’t kill her.”
“Tell me,” Kara said, her voice low and breathless.
“You noticed that she had baby food in her hair,” Rose explained. “You noticed that she looked tired. You didn’t just notice that she was pretty or that she smelled good. You noticed her. You didn’t see her as food. You saw her as a person. That is why you couldn’t kill her, and there is nothing weak about that.”
“What would you call it, if not weak?” Kara asked.
“Good,” Rose answered, a soft smile curving at the corners of her full, pink lips. “I would call it good. It is the thing that proves that you’re not evil.”
Kara stared at Rose, her lips parted, as if Rose’s statement had left her speechless. “You just met me,” she said finally. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I feel it,” Rose said, “with every fiber of my being.”
For several moments, Kara didn’t speak. She just stared at Rose, her piercing blue gaze sliding over Rose’s face, lingering on her eyes, and then resting on her mouth. “Ah, Rose,” she sighed. “You…are a dangerous woman.”
Rose’s brows furrowed. “Why do you say that?”
“Because…it would be so easy to fall in love with you,” Kara said.
Rose’s eyes widened in shock. “W-what?” she stammered.
“We should go,” Kara said suddenly. “I’m late.”
14
Breaking the Rules
The frost-covered ground crunched beneath Rose’s tennis shoes as she followed Kara into the cemetery. The icy wind ruffled Rose’s thick, auburn hair and chaffed her face, causing her fair skin to look even pinker than usual. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and hunched her shoulders in an attempt to keep warm. It baffled her that Kara seemed so unaffected by the icy wind, especially considering Kara was dressed in a pair of skintight, black leather pants and a black tank top that left her shoulders and arms bare.
Kara found a tall, tapered tombstone that was at least nine feet tall, and she sat down on its concrete foundation. The words Christiansen Family were carved into the stone, just above her head. She spread her long, leather-clad legs out in front of her, the heels of her black boots digging into the dirt beneath her.
Rose stopped a few feet in front of her, wincing as the cold wind bit into her skin. She licked her chapped lips. “Do you have to do this often?”
Kara somehow managed to look comfortable, lounging lazily against a concrete tombstone in the middle of an ancient cemetery. Her eyes, which looked as icy as the wind felt, shifted toward Rose. “Only when Aaron doesn’t have any other tasks that he needs me to do. It’s usually about once a week.”
“It seems like watching a cemetery all of the time would get boring,” Rose commented, “considering most of its occupants are…you know…dead.”
Kara’s lips twitched. “You have such a sexy sense of humor.”
“Sexy?” Rose repeated bewilderedly. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only person who would call it that. Dry. Sassy. A bit dark, maybe. But not sexy.”
Kara shrugged, a mischievous grin tilting at her lips. “If you’re worried about getting bored tonight, I have a few ideas about how we can pass the time.”
Rose rolled her eyes, a small laugh escaping her lips. “Something tells me that those ideas involve activities that might not be appropriate in a cemetery.”
“Appropriate is really a subjective term, isn’t it?” Kara quipped.
Rose laughed. “I have an idea,” she said, “if you’re open to suggestions.”
Kara raised an eyebrow, and the playfulness of her gaze faded, becoming darker, more serious, smoldering. Her dark, lustful gaze drifted down Rose’s body, caressing each curve, undressing her. “Whatever you want,” she murmured.
Rose swallowed uneasily—partially because she was pretty sure that Kara really did mean whatever—but also because of the way that Kara looked at her. It was as if she could feel Kara’s gaze, as if she could see what Kara was fantasizing. “Could you teach me to fight,” she asked breathlessly, “like you do?”
Kara studied her curiously, her head tilting to the side. “Why?”
“I’ve never seen anyone fight like you,” Rose said. “It’s…interesting.”
“I don’t typically like to teach anyone my secrets,” Kara said. “It leaves me vulnerable. It reveals my weaknesses and leaves them open for exploitation.”
“You don’t have to,” Rose said simply, as if that much were obvious. “I just think that there’s a good chance that I’ll have to fight Alana again before all of this is over. Or maybe I’ll just have to fight some of the vampires that are working for her. Either way, I’m just a beginner. I’m not ready for all of this.”
Kara watched her thoughtfully. “But you want to be ready?”
“Of course,” Rose said indignantly. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”
Kara chuckled at that. “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll teach you some things.”
Rose straightened, her eyes widening in surprise. “Really? You will?”
Kara smiled and nodded. She hopped up and turned toward Rose. She stood with her shoulders rolled back and her feet braced shoulder-length apart, as if she were preparing to fight. She tilted her head back, her sleek, black-and-blue hair falling behind her shoulders, cascading down her back. “Attack me.”
Rose blinked. “What? Right now? But…I’m not ready,” she sputtered.
“Yes, you are,” Kara insisted. “Attack me.”
“I assumed you would talk me through it first,” Rose complained.
A smirk tugged at Kara’s lips. “Are you afraid of me, Rose?” she taunted.
Rose narrowed her eyes at her teasing. “No.”
Kara’s smile widened. “Prove it.”
Rose sighed in frustration, watching as her breath turned white in the cold air. Then, left with no other choice, Rose raced toward Kara. She’d expected Kara to move—to dodge her or counter her attack—but Kara didn’t move. She
stood still as Rose attacked her and knocked her onto the frost-covered ground.
Rose jumped on top of Kara, her thighs straddling Kara’s hips, and she clutched Kara’s wrists in each hand, pinning Kara’s hands to the ground. Her ponytail of thick, auburn hair fell over one shoulder, hanging between them as she leaned over Kara. Her breath came in quick, harsh pants as she tried to catch her breath. Kara’s body felt warm and hard beneath hers, the muscles of Kara’s stomach straining against the curves of Rose’s thighs. She met Kara’s sparkling cornflower-blue gaze with a frown. “That wasn’t what was supposed to happen.”
Kara looked far too relaxed for someone who had just been attacked. She tilted her head back against the ground, her sleek, blue and black hair curling around her head like a pillow. The corners of her lips quirked up in amusement. “It wasn’t?” she asked playfully. “Did you plan for this to end in a different way?”
Rose scowled at her teasing. “Well, I assumed that you would try to fight back or something. Not just stand there while I tackled you to the ground.”
Kara laughed, the soft, breathless sound echoing pleasantly in the cold air around them. “You should be happy,” she murmured, her icy blue eyes gleaming mischievously. She wiggled her hips between Rose’s thighs, shifting her body upward, until their bodies met in just the right places. Kara smiled when she heard Rose’s breath hitch. “You have me exactly where you want me.”
Rose swallowed as a wave of desire washed over her, overheating her body and creating a pulsing ache between her legs. “Why are you doing that?”
“What do you mean?” Kara asked innocently. Her lips curved upward, tilting into a teasing, seductive smile. She bit her lip and said, “Oh. You mean this?” She lifted her lower body just enough to grind her hips against Rose’s hips.
Rose felt heat rush to her face. “Yeah. That,” she sputtered. “Stop that.”
Kara laughed. “I have to admit: I really like this,” she murmured. Then, before Rose could react, Kara wrapped her long, muscular legs around Rose’s hips and flipped their bodies, reversing the position. Kara pinned Rose’s hands to the ground, and as she leaned forward, over Rose, her silky, blue-streaked hair fell around her face, hanging between them like a curtain. Her muscular thighs straddled Rose’s soft, curvy hips, and as she rested her body over Rose’s, their bodies pressed together intimately, her breasts against Rose’s breasts, her stomach against Rose’s stomach, her hips against Rose’s hips. Her cornflower-blue eyes darkened with lust, and she leaned in close. Her lips brushed against Rose’s lips as she whispered, “But I think I’d rather have you in this position.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “Um…we are still talking about fighting, right?”
Kara laughed loudly, her smile widening. “I love watching you blush.”
Rose felt her breath coming faster and harder as she tried to ignore the instinctual, animalistic urges inside of her. The ground felt cold and hard beneath her back, but she hardly noticed it…because Kara’s body felt warm and soft over hers. Kara’s warm, sweet scent surrounded her, overwhelming her senses, until she could think of nothing else. The pounding of Kara’s heartbeat echoed in Rose’s head, and Rose could almost feel the way Kara’s blood rushed through her body as that body rested against her. Rose’s stomach clenched and twisted with painful, unbearable hunger. “Why are we still on the ground?” she breathed.
“Because,” Kara whispered, moving her lips to Rose’s ear, “I win.”
Rose shivered as Kara’s warm breath fell against her ear. “Uh…what?”
Kara grinned slyly as she pressed her dagger against Rose’s throat.
“Oh,” Rose said, wincing at the sharpness of the blade. She flashed a sarcastic smile. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that’s called cheating.”
“You asked me to teach you how I fight,” Kara reminded her.
“And you’re doing that by…cheating?” Rose asked, frowning.
Kara slid her dagger back into her weapon belt and climbed off of Rose, gracefully rising to her feet. She held her hand out to Rose, and when Rose reluctantly placed her warm, soft hand into Kara’s hand, Kara grasped her hand tightly and pulled her to her feet. Her lips twitched as Rose nearly collided with her, their bodies just inches apart. “Rule one,” Kara said, “there are no rules.”
Rose raised an eyebrow. “You know,” she began, pulling her hand out of Kara’s grasp, “if you didn’t want to teach me, you could have just said no.”
Kara laughed, “I am teaching you, Rose.”
“To…cheat?” Rose asked, her brows furrowing.
“To break the rules,” Kara answered.
Rose shifted uneasily. “What if I like the rules?”
Kara crossed her arms across her chest. “Why would you?”
“Because they’re,” Rose paused, considering her answer, “safe.”
“Safe?” Kara repeated incredulously. She leaned in close, a smile turning up at the edges of her lips. “Why would you want safe? You’re a vampire, Rose. You’re full of power, ferocity, strength, passion, and fire. Safe isn’t who you are.”
Rose swallowed as an eerie chill trailed down her spine, as if something inside of her agreed with that statement, as if something inside was clawing to get out, clawing at the calm, reserved exterior that she wore like armor. She took a step backward, suddenly uncomfortable. “Rules exist for a reason,” she said.
“Yes,” Kara agreed. “They exist to benefit the ones who made them.”
“That’s a little cynical, don’t you think?” Rose said dryly.
Kara tilted her head to the side, a lock of sleek, black hair falling over her shoulder. “My father taught me to fight—after I repeatedly snuck into battles without his permission,” she added with a mischievous smile, “but when I was human, most of the warriors were men. Big men. I was half their size. And the rules of combat were created by those same big, brutish men. Their style of fighting heavily favored brute strength and size. If I had followed those rules, I would have been at a severe disadvantage. So, how do you think I beat them?”
“You broke the rules,” Rose assumed.
Kara nodded. “I watched you fight,” she told Rose, “the night we met.”
“You also killed all three of the vampires that attacked me,” Rose sighed.
Kara smirked. “No need to thank me.”
Rose suddenly felt a single snowflake hit her nose. She wiped her hand across her nose, feeling the icy water where the snowflake had been. She looked up at the black, cloud-covered sky, blinking as another snowflake hit her face and melted instantly. She shivered and pulled up the hood of her jacket.
“You’re not bad, honestly,” Kara said, reaching out and wiping another snowflake from Rose’s cheek. Rose blushed as Kara’s fingers brushed against her face. “You’re smart. But you’re too predictable, too hesitant, too afraid…”
Rose bristled at that. “I’m not afraid.”
“You’re afraid of yourself,” Kara explained, “afraid of what you are.”
Rose swallowed uneasily, crossing her arms tightly around herself as the icy wind blew around her. “If you had been there,” she said quietly, her voice hollow, as the terrible memories flashed through her mind, “if you had seen what I did to Theron and those other vampires, you’d be afraid of what I am, too.”
Kara’s cornflower-blue eyes softened with sympathy as she heard the pain in Rose’s voice. She stepped forward and placed her hand on Rose’s face, her fingers curling around Rose’s jaw. “No, I wouldn’t,” she murmured softly.
Rose blinked in shock, stunned by Kara’s declaration, stunned by the sincerity that glistened in Kara’s icy blue eyes. The snow had begun to fall faster, and tiny, white snowflakes landed in Kara’s dark hair, the ice gleaming especially brightly against the black strands of her hair. “Aren’t you cold?” Rose blurted.
Kara dropped her hand and laughed. “A little,” she admitted. She then moved even closer, until her body pressed
against Rose’s body, and she rested her hands on Rose’s curvy, jean-clad hips. “Why? Do you want to warm me up?”
Rose started giggling uncontrollably, the hood of her jacket sliding down off of her head as she tilted her head back and laughed. “You’re relentless!”
Kara grinned at her teasing. “Guilty,” she murmured. She leaned closer and pulled Rose’s hood back over her hair, the thin, black fabric shielding Rose’s reddened face from the wind and snow. “Break the rules with me, Rose.”
Rose stared at her, watching as a snowflake landed in Kara’s thick, dark eyelashes. “Why do I feel like you’re not just talking about fighting?” she asked.
Kara didn’t answer her question. Instead, she sighed and stepped back. The wind chaffed the fair skin of her shoulders and arms, leaving a pink flush on her skin, but she acted as if it didn’t bother her at all. “Attack me,” she said.
Rose raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to fight back this time?”
Kara flashed a flirty smile at her. “Be careful what you wish for, sexy.”
Rose raced toward her, but Kara disappeared before she reached her. She stopped and glanced around the dark, moonlit cemetery. The soft, steady sound of Kara’s heartbeat still pounded in her ears, and she could still smell the sweet scents of violets and vampire blood. So, she knew that Kara hadn’t gone far.
“Ah, I know you can do better than that,” Kara taunted.
Rose looked up, frowning as she found Kara on top of a nearby crypt. Kara sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the building, watching Rose with those icy blue eyes of hers. “How did you even get up there?” Rose complained.
Kara leapt off of the building, landing in a crouch, in front of Rose.
Rose tried to punch Kara, but Kara caught her wrist easily. Rose winced and pulled at her arm, but Kara was too strong. She couldn’t pull herself free. She tried to punch Kara with the other hand, but Kara caught that wrist, too.
Kara pulled both of Rose’s wrists toward her, causing Rose to stumble forward, the front of her body colliding with Kara. “Now, what?” Kara asked.
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