by Kate Wendley
“Well, in that case, I’m two hundred and twenty one.”
Confusing thoughts took Ethan by surprise. First, it hit home that she wasn’t a shifter since they only had human lifespans. Secondly, Sonya had died well before Harmony had been born and turned vampire. It was crazy in his mind, he knew it, but he wasn’t so cold hearted that he never fantasized about Sonya being reborn and finding him again as a new person, no matter how absurd it sounded.
And last of all, he really liked Harmony. She was fun, energetic, smart, beautiful, sexy, and she was vampire. That was a show stopping combination for him, and one that made him pause and think about what he was doing here with her. Sonya was the only vampire he’d ever been intimate with, and he guiltily realized he wouldn’t mind at all getting closer to Harmony.
But he still loved Sonya and he couldn’t betray her like that.
**
Harmony was so glad she’d accepted Ethan’s invitation tonight. Not only did she feel better about herself for actually letting her guard down and spending some time with someone new, she was having a lot of fun with him. He was charming in a completely overconfident way, and even though it should be irritating, it was anything but. So far he seemed like a really good guy. His sexiness didn’t hurt things, either.
They stepped in front of an odd looking portrait and Ethan quietly blurted out with a boyish grin on his face, “Does that look like a squirrel on his head?”
A laugh escaped her as she looked at the fur hat in the painting. “Oh my God, it does!”
They had a little laughing fit that relieved any remaining bits of tension between them.
“Did you know baby squirrels are called kittens?”
He gave her a coy look and said in mock interest, “I had no idea, kitten.”
She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m not a squirrel baby, or a kitten.”
He smiled and mumbled sarcastically under his breath, “Mmm hmm.”
She groaned and led him on to another painting, their entire visit through the museum filled with ridiculous comments about paintings and ‘did you know’ facts, and Ethan always somehow turning them into something to do with her.
By the time ten thirty rolled around, she was sad that they had to go. And Ethan was a complete gentleman, just like he said he’d be, while he escorted her to his car, then drove her back to the club without so much as a stolen kiss. She could’ve sworn something clicked between them tonight, so she was disappointed when he dropped her off with nothing more than a friendly goodbye.
**
Ethan floored it back to Wild Woods after he dropped Harmony off, unable to handle another minute in her presence. She turned him on like no one had since Sonya, and it made him anxious and stressed out. He shouldn’t want another woman in his life, and especially not right now, but everything about Harmony spoke to him. He’d had to force himself to not just take her in his arms and kiss the life out of her at some point during the night. It was the hardest few hours of his life, made even more unbearable because he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.
George was waiting for him at home, which helped distract him from his confusion. He stood in the hallway upstairs, leaning against the door frame to Ethan’s apartment with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.
None too kindly, he whispered, “Where have you been? Why aren’t you working on beckoning Sonya’s killer home?”
Ethan couldn’t look at him as he walked past and into his empty apartment. “Because I’ve been working on it for weeks!”
George followed him in and closed the door behind them. He spoke a little louder inside, though not much. They weren’t making it public knowledge to the family about what Ethan was doing, though some knew. They all knew, though, that anything that happened in the family stayed in the family, and if they betrayed Ethan, he’d kill them. Shifter or vampire.
“Then you need to try harder. My God Ethan, how did you become so powerful, yet learn nothing about how to be a true Master?”
He angrily whirled on his old Master, and George had the good grace to look away. Ethan’s power was that of a true Master Vampire, but he’d never wanted to be in charge of a family and they both knew it. George and Sonya were the ones to talk him into it.
He stared at George’s turned head and tried not to snap at him. “I’ll focus again when I wake. It’s easier when I’m not so distracted.”
George frowned, but jerked a nod before leaving him alone.
Ethan looked guiltily after him, not liking that he’d led his friend and mentor to believe he didn’t feel the connection yet. He just wasn’t ready to fully face the reality of what it meant.
Chapter 7
Anthony left a note for Echo to come see him tonight. She was something of a psychic vampire and aided him from time to time. He didn’t use her talents very often because if he pushed her too hard her power simply shut down, but also, as she told him often enough, the future could change for any number of reasons. What she could see today might be different tomorrow, though he’d learned from experience that the visions she saw most clearly in her mind were practically guaranteed to happen.
His nerves nagged him in an unsettling way tonight, so he’d take any guidance he could get from her. Kaia had gone to bed early, saying she still didn’t feel well and just wanted some sleep. As much as he cherished his time with her, he was too distracted to be able to relax, so he anxiously tucked her into his bed and went back upstairs to his office.
He’d been doing work for a good couple hours when he felt Echo’s energy before she even knocked on his door. “Come in Echo.”
She glided meekly into his office and closed the door behind her, then sat before him on the sofa.
Before he could even speak his request, she said, “Your father’s returning home. He’ll be coming here, to the club.”
He frowned. “Yes. I can feel him slowly getting closer.” The more he thought about it, the more he wasn’t looking forward to his return. His father was a good man, but his methods bore on Anthony’s nerves at times. He frequently acted like he was above everyone and insisted on being treated that way, too. Regardless, he did miss his father, but he also didn’t want him to find out about the problems that were going on right now with the wolf business office and assume Anthony couldn’t handle being Master of this family. It didn’t feel like a good time for him to be coming home.
“Do you know what’s going on with Ethan? He’s been hanging around the club a lot lately and getting more and more irritating.”
Echo looked thoughtfully at him, then cocked her head and her eyes went cloudy. “A nightmare. You vividly remind him of his painful grief.”
Anthony tensed in shock. This was the first hint he’d ever gotten in over seventy five years about why Ethan hated him so much. Feeling like he was holding his breath, he quietly asked, “In what way do I remind him of it?”
Her brows scrunched in concentration for a moment before going calm again. “His mind is strong. I can push harder to find your answer, but he may feel me prying.”
He jerked in alarm. “What? No. Stop now. I demand you stop.”
Echo’s eyes slowly cleared until she was her normal self again.
“You’ve never told me you pry into people’s minds when you use your power, or that they can feel it.”
Echo looked confused. “Is that something I said?”
Anthony sagged in frustration. “Yes. You don’t remember what you just told me?”
She shook her head.
He took a deep breath. “You told me you could push harder into Ethan’s mind to find my answer but that he might feel it. Listen to me carefully. Never, under any circumstances, do I want you to pry into someone’s mind for answers to my questions. Do you understand? Some things aren’t right to do.”
He felt like a heel as soon as the words were out of his mouth because he’d precisely made that one of Sebastian’s jobs over the years. Sebastian had the rare ability to read
someone’s mind just by touching them. He could even shuffle through their memories to seek information. Anthony asked him years ago to use his power whenever someone new came to the club that they weren’t sure about. Echo using her unique abilities to answer questions for him was different, though… wasn’t it?
She looked hurt by his words. “I can’t pry into someone’s mind, Master, not unless you specifically order me to do it. The visions I see on my own are normally just events, which aren’t private. If your question is a personal one, though, you need to demand it of me for my power to reach into someone’s mind for the answer.”
“But you’ve said sometimes your visions are just feelings. How do you get those?”
“They’re feelings that are apparent for whatever situation I’m seeing. They aren’t private.”
He sighed, mad at himself for feeling like he’d invaded Ethan’s privacy, yet he never hesitated having Sebastian do it to others. He was also irritated that this was the first time Echo had ever told him this about her power. He did not want Ethan thinking he was trying to root around in his head. That felt like practically asking for a war between their families, besides feeling like he was overstepping an unspoken boundary of respect between them, no matter how annoyed they often got with each other.
“You said I remind Ethan of a nightmare, of his grief. Do you remember anything about that?”
She looked surprised, then slowly shook her head. “No Master, I don’t.”
He sighed in defeat. “All right. Thank you for your insight tonight.”
Echo’s message didn’t tell him a whole lot, another reason he didn’t try to use her powers all that often. When she came to him on her own with something she’d seen, her visions were always much less confusing.
He’d just have to deal with his problems the old fashioned way and work them out himself, though her brief revelation tonight did explain Ethan’s moods around him. He didn’t even want to know what Ethan had nightmares about. Anthony had plenty of horrific memories of his own, mostly from times of war in this country. He thankfully didn’t think of the things he’d seen very often, though memories had a funny way of popping up at the strangest times.
Echo apologetically said, “I’ll think more on things, Master.”
He put his hand up. “It’s all right. Really.”
Chapter 8
Harmony checked her phone for the fifth time, guiltily hoping for a message from Ethan as she climbed the stairs to the club. She scowled at the bright screen that showed no new voice or text messages, then shoved the stupid thing back in her jacket pocket. Dammit. That’s what she got for letting her guard down with people. Maybe he’d just been playing her, getting to know her so he could use her for some sick game later. That’d happened before, back in Salt Lake City. She was never going anywhere near that territory, ever again.
Feeling grouchy now, she supposed she dodged a bullet with Ethan, anyway. He was a Master, not someone to just flippantly date.
Relief washed through her when she stepped out of the vampire hall and caught sight of Ethan watching her. He looked tense and his posture was stiff as he sat on the edge of a nearby sofa, looking like he’d been waiting for her.
She smiled and made her way over, then stood unsure before him as she teased, “Are you stalking me?”
He smiled in a much too intimate way. “It’s possible. Would you mind if I was?”
Hell no. “If I said yes?”
He reached for her hand, then pulled her willingly down beside him, glancing away just as his eyes started to shine. His deep breaths as he was obviously trying to calm himself only turned her on even more.
When he finally brought his attention back to her, he said with an impish smile, “I have an interesting fact for you. Did you know Atlanta has a law that you can’t tie a giraffe to a telephone pole?”
She laughed. “What? That can’t be real.”
“It is. I read it on the internet.”
“Oh, then it just has to be true.”
They casually chuckled together, the mood between them more relaxed now, though she was a little disturbed by the shifter sitting on an adjacent sofa, paying them too much attention.
“Harmony, this is my roommate and good friend Cory. Cory, meet Harmony.”
The shifter stood and reached over, holding his hand out for her. “Nice to meet you ma’am.”
She shook his hand and said hello, only feeling slightly weird being nice to him. At least this animal was polite, just like her feeding partner was.
Ethan looked happy by their exchange, almost like it was important to him that she met Cory. Huh. She wasn’t used to vampires being good friends with shifters, and even though she still had her doubts about the wolf, this was the second time she’d seen him around and he didn’t seem like a bad guy so far.
Ethan kept his eyes on her as he said, “Let me show you Wild Woods.”
She tensed and she wasn’t sure why. He’d been nothing but nice to her, but once at his home, well, she already knew she was playing with fire. How much further did she want to let this go? She could too easily let herself fall for him, and then what would happen once she realized she was still missing something deep inside?
“I’m not ready to−”
“To see where the other family in town lives? You’ve already decided to join Anthony’s family?”
She gave him a look. “That’s not what I meant.”
He raised his right hand. “On my honor, I swear I’ll be a perfect gentleman for our tour.”
He might be a perfect gentleman, but could she handle not getting closer? This was always the hard part. Trying to figure out how well to get to know someone, or even just the community, before she figured out if this new place had what her aching, empty soul was looking for. She frustratingly didn’t even know what it was she searched for, she just knew she’d never found it. And she’d spent way too long in some places simply because she grew tired of her lifelong quest for fulfillment. But, she’d already decided to try again here in Atlanta…
“All right. Just a tour.”
**
Harmony let Ethan coax her into his Mercedes. He kept the interior neat, a few papers sticking out of a cubby hole, but otherwise no junk anywhere to be seen. She sat back and briefly closed her eyes. The rich smell of the leather seats filled the enclosed space, but underneath it she could pick out Ethan’s intoxicating scent. Her body warmed to the fantasy of him in her bed, a strong Master demanding whatever he pleased from her, and she couldn’t help looking him over as he slid in behind the wheel. Her heart thumped when he flicked a look at her lips, and she loved the intimate twinkle in his eye as he tortured her with his smoldering gaze.
She was flirting with danger, and as much as she knew this was a really bad idea to keep spending time with him, there was something about Atlanta and all the people here that was growing on her. Even the shifters, who she still didn’t trust, were slowly wearing down her defenses. It was a strange feeling, and even the gnawing restlessness in her soul wasn’t quite as anxious to keep moving on yet. Of course, it always calmed for a period of time after she moved somewhere new. How long that would remain was the question.
Ethan started the car and flicked a couple coy glances her way as they drove. The sexy jerk was playing with her. All right. Time to have some fun.
**
Ethan felt like he was going insane lately. He’d woken again tonight shaking in fear and despair, then raced around the apartment searching for something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. And it wasn’t Isaiah’s emotions seeping into him, either. That bastard’s presence was irritating background noise, and it was getting louder, stronger, but slowly. What he felt when he woke was something different.
It felt just like the heart wrenching anguish he dealt with after Sonya’s murder, which didn’t make sense. It wasn’t like there was anyone in Ethan’s life that he felt as strongly about as he had his beautiful butterfly. And since he didn’t
fear Isaiah coming back to Atlanta to kill someone close to him, he really didn’t have a reason for this paranoia.
And now he was taking Harmony home and he had no idea why. He shouldn’t be spending time getting to know her, and George would be furious if he found out, or rather when he found out, but everything about her made him want more.
He felt like he had no control over himself when she was around, except he knew he did because he treated her with way more respect and dignity than he’d treated any woman since Sonya. Not that he was a jerk to women, but he usually wasn’t so… himself. He was usually only what women wanted him to be… direct, exaggeratedly flattering, and hot for them in the sack. Every relationship since Sonya had been a short lived, hormone driven flurry of meeting his needs, and then it was over until the next time he wanted some action.
He didn’t want that type of relationship with Harmony. He wanted to get to know her and for her to know the real him before they did anything intimate.
He briefly looked her over when they were at a stop light and she’d turned the other way. She was sexy as hell without even seeming like she was trying to be, unlike women he normally took home who all worked overly hard to catch his eye. Not that he was taking Harmony home to bed her. He meant what he said to her no matter what she might be thinking. He wanted something real with her, but why he thought this could work between them, he had no idea. He barely even knew her.
**
They arrived at Wild Woods and he helped Harmony out of the car before abruptly asking, “Can you fly?”
“No.”
“Do you want to? I’d like to show you my home from the skies.”
She gave him a suspicious look, a small smile on her face.
He put his hand to his heart. “No funny business. I promise. Just a tour.”
She slowly said, “Just a tour. Ok.” She stepped closer and he honestly had no impulse to use his charm and make a move on her, even though he wanted her more than he’d wanted anyone since Sonya. The heaviness of what that meant to him did more to keep him calm than anything else.
