by Lea Kirk
“Yeah,” Jonah chimed in. “The pool and the guest cottage are where a big field used to be.”
Donnie laughed, her eyes sparkling. “I think pools are pretty cool, but so are fields. I had a field to play in behind my house when I was a kid. Lots of fun.”
He caught her gaze over Jonah’s head. She appeared truly happy, and much more relaxed than yesterday. Watching her now brought a warmth to his chest that had been missing for most of his long life. He gave her a wink. A hint of pink appeared on her cheeks, and she smiled before turning her attention to Jonah.
After dinner, Sophie stood up. “Grab Larry, boys. Gramps and I will walk you home.”
After a few minutes of arguing, Jonah and Joseph gave in and said their good nights, and Mikhail slipped over into the chair Jonah had vacated.
Charlie cleared his throat and directed a deep frown at Donnie. It was the look of a father in protection mode. “Mikhail has told me about the snake shifter who is hunting you. Why has he targeted you?”
It was a fair question. For Charlie, his family’s safety came first. Donnie’s swallow was audible, and she clenched and unclenched her hands in her lap. Of course, she might not appreciate Charlie’s motivation. Mikhail reached over and covered her hands with his. She met his gaze, gratitude brimming in her eyes, then faced Charlie.
“His name is Ash Merrick, and I stole something that belongs to him.” Her voice faltered at the word stole, and she cleared her throat. “An antique dagger named Carnwennan. It’s got some sort of magic that Ash was stealing to make himself younger. Faerie magic, according to Mikhail. The dagger convinced me to take it to a place called ‘the veil between the realms’, which I think is somewhere in Magic.”
Charlies gaze locked with Mikhail’s. “Fae?”
“Yes.”
“They cannot be trusted. It’s using her.”
He made a fair point, one that Mikhail did not agree with.
“Dad,” Tory said. “You can’t just go around making blanket statements like that.”
“I can if it involves the safety of my family.”
“Alexandru tried that with Simon, but we all know Simon isn’t like other werewolves.”
Charlie opened his mouth, then shut it again, and glowered at his daughter.
“Who’s Alexandru?” Donnie asked.
“My brother.” Tory waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Long story for another time.”
Mikhail leaned, forward a fraction. “I do not believe deceit is the dagger’s game. Please hear Donnie out before you pass judgement. If you still feel your family is in jeopardy after she explains, then we will leave.”
Charlie nodded slowly. “Go ahead, Donnie.”
Mikhail relaxed and gave her a nod to continue. She wet her lips with her tongue then plunged ahead, reiterating everything she had told him the night before. Once she finished, Charlie lowered his gaze to the table as if weighing her story carefully, one word at a time.
Finally, he looked at Donnie. “I see.”
“No, you don’t, Charles,” Nonny piped up. “Do you know who Carnwennan was?”
“No.”
“Read up on Arthurian legend, son. Carnwennan was a weapon of tremendous power that disappeared into oblivion after Arthur died. Legend says his sword, Excalibur, and his spear, Rhongomiant, returned to the realm of their origins. But Carnwennan was not so lucky, it seems.” Nonny smiled kindly at Donnie. “Donnie, dear, I can confirm for you that the veil between realms is the gateway to the land of the Fae, as you suspected. It wants nothing more than for you to take it home.”
“But, why me?” Donnie asked. “If it’s been around since King Arthur, there must have been hundreds of people who could have helped it better than me.”
Nonny shook her head. “I wish I knew, dear. But, what better place to have a veil between realms than in Magic, New Mexico, eh? I wish we knew the exact location.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “Bloody faeries. The only thing you can trust them for is to give you a vague answer.”
Tory wore a contemplative expression. “What if the question isn’t where it is, but when it is?”
Mikhail studied her for a couple of heartbeats. It sounded as though Tory might be onto something. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Tory said. “I live with three werewolves. The full moon plays a big role in our house. Maybe the veil is more accessible during full moons.”
Donnie jerked in her seat and Mikhail frowned. “What is it?”
“Tory’s right.” Her voice was nearly a whisper. “The veil is the most transparent during a full moon.”
Tory was onto something.
Donnie looked up at him. “Carnwennan has been using its magic to locate the veil’s…signature?” She paused, her brow furrowed with uncertainty. “Okay, yes, a signature of faerie magic, does that make sense?”
“Perfectly.” Mikhail glanced at Tory. “When’s the next full moon?”
“Tomorrow night,” she said.
That soon? No wonder she had sent the boys home early.
“Tonight, it rises at 8:03,” Tory said. “Tomorrow night, at 8:48.”
Donnie frowned. “That’s not much time. If we don’t find it by tomorrow night, then we’ll have to wait a whole month for the next one.”
And that gave Ash more time to hunt Donnie. That outcome was unacceptable. “We shall find it, Donnie.”
Her eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and hope. “I hope so, especially since the guide hasn’t shown up.”
“What’s a guide?” Tory asked.
“Carnwennan was hoping a faerie would find us here, and guide us to the veil.” The chandelier light shone off her hair as she shook her head. “But no one has.”
Charlie opened his mouth.
“Shut it, Charlie,” Nonny warned, then turned to Donnie. “The Fae may be fickle, but there is always a reason for everything they do or say. I recommend spending time in town tomorrow, and take Carnwennan with you. Right now, I have this place locked down with protection spells. If the dagger is out from under them, then there’s a better chance the Fae will sense it and one of them will come.”
Donnie caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “But, won’t Ash be able to sense it too, then?”
“Most likely.” Nonny shrugged her shoulders. “That’s a risk you’ll have to take. But, Magic always takes care of its own, dear.”
Chapter Eleven
The Carsons’ back door closed behind Mikhail and the warm, sage-scented night air of the desert surrounded him. Tory was right. The moon had all but cleared the mountain tops in the distance, a sliver shy of full. Its white light created stilted shadows over the yard, and a thousand diamonds glistened over the surface of the pool water.
He reached for Donnie’s hand, threading his fingers between hers. “Are you all right?”
The warmth her hazel-eyed gaze consistently generated in his chest was a feeling he could get used to. She stirred feelings he had never experienced. It seemed his heart was not as cold and dead as he had once believed.
“As okay as I can be, under the circumstances,” she said. “It’s amazing that even though I’m human, no one in your world treats me like an outsider.”
“Nonny was right. This town is like that. I come here whenever I need to heal, physically or emotionally.”
Concern reflected in her eyes. “Can Ash’s venom kill you?”
“Yes.” As easily as it could kill her. He gave her hand a tug and stepped down the wide stone steps. The thought of how close she had come to dying in that alley tied his stomach into one huge knot. If he had been two seconds later….
He tightened his grip on her hand as he led her to the cottage patio. As if holding onto her would keep her in this life with him. It had not kept Irina or his father from slipping their mortal bounds. “Do you have any family, Donnie?”
“My mother lives in Michigan,” she said. “And my brother, too. My father’s been out of the picture since I was eight.”
“Is your brother older or younger?”
“Younger, by two years. And, yeah, we’re pretty close.” There was a slight wobble in her voice.
He came to a stop at the French doors of the cottage and looked down at her. “You have not spoken to them since this began, have you?”
She blinked rapidly and shook her head. Her family must be worried sick, but at least they were out of harm’s way. Ash’s personal assistant had disappeared with a priceless artifact. No matter how much of a low-life he was, he would not want to attract extra attention to himself by having her family disappear as well.
“Come here, love.” He pulled Donnie into his embrace. A small sound of grief squeaked out of her as she leaned her weight against him. He stroked his fingers up and down her back as her shoulders shook. “It will be all right, Donnie. I swear I shall do everything in my power to get you home to your family.”
“I miss them so much.” Her voice caught in a sob, and an ache filled his heart. “They p-probably think I’m dead, and I c-can’t even tell them I’m not.”
That was a pain he could relate to from personal experience. What she had endured, the isolation of these past few months, was a testament to her inner strength. He rested his cheek against her soft hair and breathed in the scent of peaches. He would stop at nothing to make sure she had a happier ending than he had experienced.
After a few minutes, her sobs subsided and she pushed back and looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her nose red, but she had never looked so beautiful.
“I’ve been holding that in for a while,” she said with a little laugh.
“So it would seem.” He swiped his thumb pads over her cheeks, wiping away the tears. “It will be all right, I swear to you.”
The moonlight caught the deep emerald flecks in her eyes. She rose up on her toes. The feather softness of her lips against his drew him to her. Kept him there. The gentle pressure of her hands glided up over his shoulders and he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue. She opened to him like a flower blossoming in the springtime—a promise of things to come. Her taste filled him. Her scent filled him. Exquisite, perfect, intoxicating. A groan vibrated in his throat as he reached for the door latch, found it, and opened the door.
There were things she should know about becoming intimate with a vampire, things she might not like. Things that could put a swift end to this evening. If his slowly lengthening fangs did not do so first.
He wrapped his arms around her middle, raised her so her feet would clear the door sill, and stepped through the doorway. Mercy take him, she had wrapped her bare legs around his waist, and her damp heat rested squarely on his shaft. He had never gotten so hard so fast. The need to explain his situation, to give her the choice, was close to being lost.
He tapped the door with his foot and it latched with a soft click, then he shifted her a little to dislodge her, setting her feet on the floor. Instead of moving away, she tightened her grip and rubbed herself against him. He was lost.
A deep growl rumbled in his chest. To hell with talking, to hell with explaining, and to hell with everything except Donnie. He needed this woman, this small, human woman. Now.
Still, showing his fangs and biting her neck would frighten her. The option of erasing her memory of that moment was equally repugnant. But soon, the urge to bite would be overwhelming. He needed something to use to mimic the act of blood-taking. Frightening her would break the new-found trust between them. What could he use to sink his teeth into other than Donnie? An image of a grapefruit floated through his mind. Biting into one and sucking the juice was not quite the same, but it would be close enough to stave off the beast’s desire. Especially since he had ingested a full unit of blood last night.
Mikhail tightened his grip on her bottom and maneuvered toward the kitchen, still kissing and nipping.
“Upstairs,” Donnie murmured.
The desire in her voice speared through him, and he moved with vampire speed toward the fruit bowl on the counter. There. He reached out one hand, snagged a plump grapefruit, and headed toward the stairs. Her room would not work. She had not invited him in, and she had a roommate, if the dagger could be considered such.
On the landing he turned right, shouldered his bedroom door open, and passed through. It took a spare thought and a mental nudge to close it.
Slam!
All right. The burning urgency inside him might be suppressing his normal restraint. And control would not get any easier with Donnie standing before him working the buttons of his black silk shirt with her deft fingers. The grapefruit was not needed yet. He tossed the fruit on the pillows for later.
Cool air touched his skin as Donnie pulled his shirt open. A gleam of feminine appreciation lit her eyes.
“Mikhail. You’re gorgeous.” She ran her fingers over the dips and rises of his abs.
Preening was an almost foreign sensation, but he could not deny the sense of gratefulness growing in him that he had not aged much physically over the centuries. Donnie stepped closer, her breath warm against his chest. She circled one flat nipple with her tongue, the heat shooting straight into his groin. He closed his eyes, soaking in the sensation of her lips caressing his skin as she moved to the other nipple. Such tenderness had not been part of his life for so long it was surprising to find himself on the receiving end. If only it could last.
But it would not. For the moment, he remained in full control. But all too soon, the dark, blood-drinking beast would try to take what Donnie was not ready to give. Going through the motions with the grapefruit propped by her neck would deter it for now, but at some point, it would push back. Demand sustenance. By then Donnie would either be accepting, or be gone.
“Mikhail?”
He forced his eyes open and met her gaze. “Your touch makes me feel like I have not felt in a long time, Donnie.”
“Is that…a good thing?”
“Very good.” At some point, she had removed his shirt. He reached for her, wove his fingers into her hair, and claimed her lips with his.
She responded with enthusiasm, meeting his tongue with hers to deepen the kiss. Her sweet breath mingled with his as he swept his tongue through her mouth, taking his time to discover the shape of it. She still had far too much clothing on. He slipped one hand down under the hem of her short sundress, cupped her bottom and pulled her fully against his erection. She moaned and wiggled, and he ground himself against her mound.
“Mmm-hmm.” Donnie pulled her mouth away. “I need you.”
His fangs dropped, almost to full-length. He needed her too, in ways she could not imagine. If he succumbed to his urges, she would be on her back with him inside her faster than she could blink. The last thing he wanted was for their first time to be a reenactment of their impetuous youths—or his impetuous youth, at least.
He stroked her clitoris through her panties. “Tell me how you need me.” The way she pressed herself full against him while trying to leave enough distance for his hand was a delight.
She skimmed her hands up his ribs. “Unzip my dress.”
“With pleasure.” He held her gaze as he reached around her and found the zipper by touch alone. He gave it a tug, and the muted buzz filled the silence.
“Untie the halter too,” she breathed.
His groin tightened further in response to her command. There was something bewitching about her when she was in control. But, she would not be in charge much longer. Curses, he could scarcely breathe for the anticipation.
A moment later, the front of the halter slid down her chest, then the entire sheath cascaded down her body to puddle in a gauzy heap around her feet.
No bra, just her panties, an antique-looking tear-drop emerald pendant…and her perfect, pale-pink nipples. He swallowed hard, unable to look away. How could he, when she cupped her breasts with her hands and rolled her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers like that? A growl rumbled in the back of his throat. So, that was her game. She was not
the type to wait for her partner to make the moves, instead she was showing him what she liked, testing his self-control.
“Mikhail.” Her low voice prickled over his skin, drawing his attention back to her beautiful face. “I’m pretty sure that thing about vampires not being able to make babies isn’t true, and I left birth control in Chicago. Please tell me your nightstand is as well-stocked as mine.”
He reached into his nightstand drawer, pulled out a few foil packets, and set them next to the clock. “Charlie and Sophie know how to take care of their guests.”
Her low chuckle filled the soft moonlit semi-darkness. “Take off your pants, Mikhail.”
A wicked grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. Time to take control. “No.” Her eyebrows rose. “Remove your panties, Donnie. And do it slowly.”
She caught her lower lip between her teeth, then hooked her thumbs under the edge of the waistband and shimmied them down her long, smooth legs. His breath hitched in his throat. Taking control seemed to be an illusion. She owned him on all levels. Not once had ceding control to any of his past bed-partners been a remote possibility. Never in his life had a woman dared command him, even after he had taken charge. Yet Donnie did, and likely did not realize her power over him. What made her different? What made her his equal rather than simply a bed-partner? An equal to whom he would happily cede control.
But not at this moment.
“Lay on the bed, Donnie. On your back.”
It pleased him how quickly she moved into position, her knees raised and feet flat against the comforter. Her glistening womanhood exposed to him. Moonlight shone through the shutter slats, casting thin strips of glowing light across her pale skin. The pink peaks of her breasts rose and fell with each breath she took. An angelic vision, a sweet offering waiting to be consumed. To consume him in return.
He wet his lips with his tongue. “Touch yourself again.”
His gaze followed her hand as it trailed with a whisper of skin upon skin along her belly and…. He swallowed hard as her fingers tips burrowed into the dark thatch of curls of her mound. Donnie certainly was not shy about her sexuality.
