Savage Breath of Darkness

by Candice Stauffer

  “This is the last time, Emily.” The situation was far too serious for him to allow her to use humor to deflect. “If he ever attacks you again, I will kill him.”

  “It won’t happen again. I’m planning to stay away from her.”

  “Like hell you’re staying away from her. She’s your sister. I know you want to reconnect with her. I feel it. I feel your sadness. I feel your grief. I am not going to stand back and permit Caleb to order you to stay away from her.”

  “It’s for the best.”

  “Did you hit your head when he threw you?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Because I know damn well my woman wouldn’t sit back and allow some fucked up vampire bully her into submission.”

  “It’s for the best. He’s right. I am unstable.”

  “You are the only reason he’s still breathing right now.”

  “I also happen to be the only reason you nearly killed him.”

  “No. That’s on him. He knows you’re my mate. If he had a problem with you he should’ve come to me.”

  “Did you hear him? He thinks your also a disaster waiting to happen.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “He misunderstood what he saw. He thought I was hurting her.”

  “If you don’t stop defending him you’re going to force me to kill him.”

  “You are not going to kill him.”

  “Not right now.”

  “Not ever.”

  “Let’s agree to disagree and get you out of the cold.”

  “You know the cold doesn’t bother me anymore.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love the way it feels to be in your arms.”

  He laughed. “That’s wonderful because I love to have you in my arms.” Healing her bones would take a great deal of energy. Rather than waist extra energy to shift to Washington, he shifted to his suite at Joseph’s hotel.

  “Where are we?”

  “My suite at Joseph’s hotel. I haven’t been here since…” he trailed off, realizing he hadn’t returned since the night he’d first met her.

  He would never forget that night.

  Zack’s eyes flashed open. He listened to the muffled cries of a young woman in his mind. He felt fear. No. He wasn’t simply feeling it—he was experiencing it as if it were his own. He’d never experienced fear. It had to be a trick. It wasn’t possible for him to feel fear of any kind. What would he, a powerful demon, ever fear? Closing his eyes, he attempted to purge the whimpering from his mind and to uncover its creator.

  The vision lasted for a second, but he clearly saw a teenager behind Joseph’s hotel, cowering in the mud at a vampire’s feet. The vision actually caused his entire body to shudder. He didn’t take the time to consider that it was very odd for a vampire to kill so close to a demon’s property. He was out of his bed and behind the building, fighting the vampire before he actually had a chance to examine the situation. It was a brief but particularly brutal battle. The vampire was surprisingly strong enough to deliver a few substantial blows before Zack killed him.

  When it was over, Zack turned and stared at the girl for a moment. He estimated her age to be somewhere around sixteen. She was far too thin and dressed in filthy rags. He figured she was a runaway. He didn’t look into her mind. He didn’t want to know any more. She was too young to be on the street alone. He decided to take her to the police station. They would help her get into a shelter or return her to her family.

  She was already so very afraid, and he knew, by the injuries he’d sustained, that he looked as frightening as hell. Plus, she’d just witnessed the killer in him unleashed. He slowly walked over to her, using his mind to hide his wounds to the best of his ability. Kneeling down, hoping to appear less threatening, he held out his hand. “Will you allow me to help you?”

  Eyes wide, heart racing, she stared up at him. He remained silent and still, barely even breathing, waiting for her to decide whether or not to trust him. It seemed like an eternity, but within a few seconds he heard her heart slow to a normal, steady rhythm. Then nodding, her thick golden curls bobbing, she placed her tiny hand in his.

  He helped her stand up, but her legs gave out. He easily picked her up in his strong arms and cradled her. Wrapping her thin arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder, whispering her gratitude in his ear. He couldn’t remember a time that a human had actually thanked him for anything. Joy filled his heart in a way he’d never experienced it before. Her genuine gratitude and absolute trust melted his cold, dark heart. It was a powerful moment. A precious moment. A frightening moment. But it was definitely a precious moment.

  No! He stopped walking. What the fuck was he thinking? Anger filled him. Hatred and resentment pierced his heart. He wouldn’t be duped into caring about any human. Not even the tiny girl in his arms. She meant nothing to him. He almost set her down, but he didn’t. He ached to get as far away from her as possible, but he couldn’t force himself to abandon her. No matter how much he wanted to do it, he couldn’t leave her to fend for herself in the streets. He healed her physical wounds and imparted her with his power. Then, determined to never think about her again, he dropped her off at the police station.

  He would never forgive himself for leaving her at the police station and walking away.

  “Since when?” she asked.

  “The night we first met.”

  She smiled at him. “It was the first time you saved my ass from a vampire.”

  “Is that what you remember?”

  “I remember looking into your eyes and placing my hand in yours and feeling safe for the very first time in my life.” She laughed softly. “I also remember thinking you had some super impressive vampire killing skills. You really whipped his ass.”

  “I was an idiot.”

  “For saving me?” she asked.

  “For leaving you at the police station. I should’ve kept you with me.”

  “I almost forgot. Did you find out anything about Demetri?”

  “Yes. He’s in Maine looking for Sara.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “We’re not going anywhere until your leg is healed.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “It’s broken. Besides, Demetri wants us to wait until tomorrow.”

  He lowered her onto the bed slowly, and then propped a few pillows beneath her head. He sat next to her and removed her pants with a wave of his hand. “Damn it.”

  She lifted her head to look at her leg. “Gross.”

  “Gross?”

  “My leg looks absolutely disgusting.”

  “It looks broken.”

  “It’s swollen. And it’s black and blue.”

  He met her gaze. “I need to touch it.”

  She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. “I know.”

  “I’ll try to block the majority of the pain, but you’re going to feel it.”

  “It’s okay.” She opened her eyes. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “I can feel what you feel. You’re lying your sexy little ass off.”

  Maybe a little.” She winced when he placed his hands on her thigh. “Maybe a lot.”

  “I am sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. Distract me.”

  “With what?”

  “What led Demetri to believe Sara is in Maine?”

  “I’m not sure. He’ll fill us in when we get there.”

  “I wish we could go now. How did he sound?”

  “I only connected with him for a few seconds, but he sounded good. He’s stronger. He sounded confident.”

  “You really don’t mind helping him?”

  “Not at all. He fought for us.”

  The heat of his healing energy moved through her entire body. “Whatever you’re doing it feels amazing. My leg doesn’t hurt at all anymore. I love you, Zack.”

  “I love you. And I understand you love Demetri. He has been a father to you.”

  “Why didn’t he tell us he was leaving?” s
he asked.

  “He couldn’t. He didn’t have time. He had to go completely silent in order for the skinwalker to work without a problem. I also think he hoped you wouldn’t find out and try to help him.”

  “Why wouldn’t he want me to help him?”

  “To protect you.”

  “You don’t like skinwalkers, do you?”

  “It’s not that I don’t like them. I don’t trust them.”

  “Why?”

  “They have powers none of us fully understand. They’ve always remained extremely secretive.”

  She sighed and closed her eyes. “How did you know he wasn’t Demetri? I should’ve known, right? I was completely fooled.”

  “I have taken your blood. You’ve taken Demetri’s blood.”

  “Why couldn’t I tell the difference?”

  “It’s something you’ll learn over time.”

  “You always make excuses for me.”

  “I am not making excuses. It’s true. You’ve learned many things in a short time. You’ll keep learning more.”

  “Will Mary figure it out?”

  “Not anytime soon. Demetri allowed the skinwalker to fully merge with him. He has become a nearly flawless replica of Demetri.”

  “That’s scary.”

  “I couldn’t imagine ever doing it for any other reason than for you or our children.”

  “Children?”

  “Yes.”

  “We are never having children.”

  “You’re certain?” He laid next to her and pulled her into his arms.

  “My insides are messed up. I can’t have children. I’m sorry. I should’ve said something to you.”

  “Why are you apologizing?”

  “I will never be able to give you children.”

  “If you want children, you’ll have mine one day.”

  “The damage is beyond repair.”

  “A few minutes ago, your leg was broken in six places.”

  She yawned. “It’s not the same, is it?”

  “We’ll discuss it later. You need to rest for a little while.” Since he couldn’t tell her that he planned to take her last mortal breath and replace it with his eternal breath, he couldn’t tell her that doing so would completely heal her body.

  After Caleb attacked Emily, Zack decided against putting the ritual off any longer. The need to take her mortal breath and replace it with his immortal breath burned in him. It was the only way to permanently seal their bonds for eternity. It was the best way to ensure her wellbeing. There was no reason to wait. His immortality would strengthen and empower her. It would make her less vulnerable to injury and death. He had no reason to fear the outcome of performing the ritual. She trusted him. Fully. Completely. She believed in his love for her. He knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, she had complete faith, blind faith in his love for her. He planned to let her rest for a few hours before doing it.

  ****

  Emily woke to Zack kissing her. No. He was killing her. He was suffocating her. She opened her eyes. Rather than his golden-brown eyes, she stared in horror at his icy, solid black gaze. She tried to push him away from her. She tried to kick him. She quickly realized it was no use. He was too big, too strong for her to fight him off. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. Slow. Uneven. Her heart struggled to beat.

  No. It wasn’t real. He wouldn’t kill her. As she would any other time she needed help, she closed her eyes and reached for him. He would never fail to come for her. He would save her. Peace washed over her and filled her.

  I give you my immortal breath. He breathed into her, filling her lungs with his eternal breath. Come back to me, Emily. Receive my eternal breath. I’ll never allow you to get away from me. Feel my love for you as I feel your love for me. You belong to me, as I belong to you. Her heart struggled to beat for a few seconds and then it reached and maintained a strong and steady rhythm . You are my heart and my soul, Emily. You are everything to me. I will never leave you or betray you. I will protect you with my last breath. I vow to love and treasure you with every fiber of my being for eternity.

  She opened her eyes and met his golden-brown gaze. She reached up and touched his face. “What just happened, Zack?”

  “I took your last mortal breath and replaced it with my eternal breath to share my immortality with you.”

  “What?”

  “It belonged to you. It has always belonged to you.”

  “You seriously fucking killed me?”

  “I did. But I gave my…”

  She shoved him away from her. “I can’t believe you killed me.”

  “I gave my immortality to you.”

  “Why the fuck would you do that? I wasn’t mortal anymore anyways. I lost my last mortal breath when I was turned into a fucking vampire.” She frowned, biting down on her bottom lip. “Vampires are immortal, right?”

  He shrugged. “Their immortality is inferior to ours.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” He pulled her into his arms. “Kiss me,” he whispered against her lips.

  “No fucking way.”

  He stared at her for a few seconds. She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to appear genuinely confused. “You’re mad?”

  “What the hell do you think? You fucking murdered my ass.”

  “To keep your ass around longer. I really enjoy having your ass around.”

  Getting up from the bed, she turned her back to him and shook her head. “You didn’t even warn me.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  She whirled around to face him. “Why?”

  “For the ritual to work you had to have complete faith in me, in my love for you. Blind faith. I couldn’t warn you.”

  “What would’ve happened if I didn’t have complete faith in you?” Not that she wanted to know.

  “You wouldn’t have been able to receive my eternal breath.”

  “You gambled with my life.” Glaring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I am going to kick your ass, Zack. You’d better run and hide. I am going to fucking hurt you.”

  “I wasn’t gambling. I knew you believed in me.”

  14

  C aleb Stone realized he had fucked up. He reacted to the sight of Emily leaning over Julie rather than assess the situation. After the recent unexpected reappearance of Vanessa Rowe, a vampire he’d had shared a brief love affair with over a thousand years ago, fucking things up had become an unfortunate habit. Vanessa had lost her mind. To be honest, she’d never really possessed an ounce of sanity. She was a dangerous predator. She was a sadistic killer. He’d broken things off with her due to her mental instability. Until he killed her, a feat proving to be impossible, she was a serious threat to Julie.

  If Vanessa discovered Julie was his mate, she would torture and kill her. He sat out on Julie’s terrace. He needed to walk away from Julie. He needed to stay the hell away from her until he eliminated Vanessa. But how the hell was he supposed to stay away from her when she constantly put her life in danger.

  Julie opened the sliding glass door and walked over to him. “What are you doing out here, Caleb? You said you were leaving town and would never come back.”

  He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t. “I never left.”

  “You had no right to hurt my sister.”

  “I know. I panicked. I thought she was hurting you.”

  “That’s a lie. You hate her. You have always hated her.”

  “I don’t hate her.” He looked up to meet her gaze. “She tried to kill you before. I panicked when I saw her leaning over you.”

  “Emily is better. She wasn’t trying to hurt me.”

  “She hurt you in the past.”

  Julie crossed her arms over her chest. “She couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t able to fight her thirst for blood. I’m human. You’re a vampire. I shouldn’t need to explain it to you. You should know how difficult it was for her, shouldn’t you?”

  “I do. But understanding her condition doesn’t make he
r any less dangerous to you.”

  “She is not a threat to me.”

  “Not now. I know. I am not arguing with you. I know what happened to her wasn’t fair. She didn’t deserve it. It’s a miracle she’s still alive.”

  “Love saved her, Caleb. Demetri saved her. Zack saved her. She’ll never hurt me again. She’s better.”

  “I know. I am truly sorry I jumped to conclusions. I am sorry I panicked.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “I don’t know. I just…”

  “I don’t understand why you keep coming around,” she blurted.

  “I just wanted to apologize to you.” He stood up, placed her taser on the table, jumped over the rail, and walked away.

  “That’s it? You’re leaving again?”

  ****

  Julie watched him until he walked out of view. She opened the sliding glass door and went inside. She was over it. She was over him. She was done. He didn’t even bother to talk to her, to explain why he didn’t want to be with her. Suddenly, she decided to go after him. She decided to confront him. She deserved answers. She opened the door. “No.” She shut the door. She wasn’t chasing after him. She walked over to her couch, picked up her cellphone and called Mia.

  “Hello. How are you doing?”

  “Caleb showed up again…I was…he attacked Emily. He hurt Emily. I used the taser on him.”

  “Don’t be alarmed. We’re shifting to you.”

  Within seconds, Mia and Joseph were standing in her kitchen with her.

  “What happened?” Mia asked.

  “I went to the park to see Emily. Two wolves from the other night showed up. I think they followed me from the boutique.”

  “They didn’t hurt you or Emily?”

  “No. Zack took them away and killed them. That’s when Caleb showed up. I fell and, when Emily tried to help me up, he attacked her. He threw her hard enough to really hurt her.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “It was terrible. He really hurt Emily. I heard her bones break. I used the taser on him to stop him.”

  “It worked?” Joseph asked.

  “It sure did. But then Zack showed up. Emily begged him to let Caleb take me home. Zack was going to kill him. He should’ve killed him. Emily should’ve let him do it. Caleb was going to kill her. I know he was going to kill her.”