Nightshade's Bite (Blood Wars)

by Zoe Forward

  His appearance didn’t surprise Michael. He’d crashed up the mountain like an elephant on a rampage. Stealth wasn’t a word in Bryan’s vocabulary.

  Michael took another puff of the cigar and readied himself for an onslaught of minutiae he should care about but no longer did.

  “I see you’re already smoking. Are you with me or already too out of it to talk?”

  “I’m good.” He wished he was stoned, but it took longer these days for the smoke to work.

  Bryan glared. “Prove it. How long have we been sitting here talking?”

  “Barely a minute.”

  “How many animals are moving around us?”

  With a sigh, he listened. “There are at least two squirrels to the west. The buggers are tricky, so I can’t be certain there’s not a third. One owl to the north. Down near the lake, I think it’s Julio with whatever new girl he’s interested in. She smells human.” He shook his head disapprovingly. “They’re making so much noise, they’ve scared off the other animals.”

  Bryan squinted out toward the lake. He muttered, “At least someone around here is getting laid.”

  “What’s stopping you? I saw you eyeing Grace’s nanny. If you need my approval, then take it. Blow off some steam. Full moon will be up tomorrow. Take the night off. Give in to moon madness.”

  Bryan’s face flushed from his neck upward. He cleared his throat. “Guess you’re sober enough. On the schedule for next week, we have the meeting with the Greek family heads to settle their border dispute.” Bryan looked up. “I think we can do that one online. We have the ceremony to welcome the new babies of the region on Tuesday. You’ll need to be there. Then there’s the bank that’s pressing to meet to discuss investments. I can take care of that if you’ll talk with me about a few options you have. Of course, the region heads will be meeting with Lexan on Wednesday. Must fly to that one.”

  “You go on Wednesday.”

  “I’m not…I can’t. They want you.”

  Michael watched a hawk circling far away, hunting. “I’m going to stay here.”

  “You’re scaring me, Michael. Don’t do this. I need you to care about this. It’s important.”

  “I’m tired, Bryan. So tired.” He studied the ash on the end of his cigar. Its smoke wafted circular waves in the cool breeze. He flicked the cigar ash and watched it drift away. “I spend nights drugged so I don’t remember and have nightmares. I spend days trying to drum up enthusiasm for…anything.” I don’t want to go on without her. He wanted an end to it all—both mental and physical. He needed to let his wretched, fucked-up life fade away.

  “We need you. Your daughter needs you.”

  “I know.” He covered his face with a hand and remained that way. “You must understand it’s hard to be here until she is old enough to care for herself. To know me and understand our people.”

  “I’m not ready for you to go yet. No one here is.”

  He took a long draw on the cigar. “Dying is okay. Dying is a part of the journey. I’ve seen so many around me move on to the afterlife, most without a choice. I’m privileged to have a chance to make that choice. Who the hell knows if I’ll get to converse with the devil in the underworld or if when my heart stops, that’s the end?”

  “Satan wouldn’t give you the pleasure of escaping his torture.” Bryan gave him a wan smile.

  He sat up straight, reached out, and squeezed Bryan’s shoulder. “I’m here. For Grace and for you. I consider you my son, you know. I’m so proud of you. I won’t leave you yet.”

  “So, tell me about these new investments.”

  Crack.

  Static electricity zinged through the air around him. The hairs on his arms stood.

  “What was that?” Bryan jumped up, gun drawn.

  Michael’s heart raced. He’d experienced this twice. A chance to speak with the druid and get real answers buoyed him with hope the bastard might give him peace. Or at least understanding.

  Branches and leaves crunched under someone’s awkward steps. The footfalls weren’t what he’d expect from the druid. Sounded too light for Isaac.

  Bryan whirled, prepared to shoot.

  “Here I wanted to look good for you, and of course, you’d choose to be on the top of a freaking mountain in the woods. If I get ticks, you’re going to have to remove them. I don’t do ticks.”

  Michael didn’t move, didn’t breathe. Was the white-haired woman in spiky heels and smoking-hot black dress a cigar-induced hallucination? She sure looked like Kiera.

  “Who the hell are you?” Bryan asked.

  Bryan saw her, too. Not a hallucination.

  Michael knocked the gun Bryan pointed at her out of his hand. He resumed staring at her.

  “Hello?” she said, waving in Michael’s face. “Are you okay?”

  “Are you real?” The words came out in a hushed whisper since air wasn’t moving efficiently through his chest.

  “You think I’m a ghost come to haunt you to the end of your days wearing heels in the woods? I’m sure as hell not an angel. If I were a ghost, I’d magically assume proper footwear.”

  “You have to be a ghost. You’re…” He scrubbed his hand over his eyes. “Dead.”

  “Apparently, I’m not. If you prefer I remain dead”—she did air quotes—“then I can go.”

  When neither replied to her, she grinned and walked to Michael. Her warm fingers cupped his face. “I can tell you’re freaking out. I’m real. I’ve got this styling new white hair as a side effect of the spell Isaac had to cast to keep me on this side of hell’s gates.”

  He put his hand around hers against his face. “How? Andrew said he watched you bleed out.”

  “Were you nice to Andrew to get him to tell you that? I’m pretty sure what happens in the Foundry bunker stays in the bunker.”

  He shrugged. Nope, wasn’t admitting he kidnapped Andrew out of his house during day sleep and tortured him until he talked, which didn’t take too long. “He’s the new prick-in-charge, even if right now he’s a little less assholish than his predecessors. He blames me for your death.”

  “I did die to get you free. I’m glad he’s alive, but I hadn’t realized…why would they choose him when he worked for the League?”

  “He was able to form a bridge between species and get them information on the cure they wanted. At least, they acquired a sample of my blood, not that they know it’s mine. They’ve been trying to formulate a synthetic modification for people. No success yet.”

  “The position of prick-in-charge sucks. He’s a puppet for an evil consortium who’ll execute him on a whim.”

  “You’re Kiera Rossard?” Bryan blurted. “Bloody hell.”

  She released Michael to face Bryan. “Yep. That’s me.”

  “Bryan Holtrom.” He held out his hand and took hers in his. “It’s not proper, and I think Michael might attack me if I do it, but I want to hug you. Oh, I don’t care.” He pulled her into his arms and held her. He released and waved at Michael. “Yep, that’s the look of a wolf who wants to rip me to shreds, which is the best thing to happen in months.” He lowered his voice as if Michael couldn’t easily overhear. “We were just talking about dying and shit. Scary from someone who swore he’d go out fighting.”

  Michael should react, but his brain couldn’t catch up. Bryan wasn’t trying to attack her. Didn’t even look to be considering it. He hugged a vampire? Accepted her? He didn’t look like he hated her.

  And Kiera wasn’t dead.

  He heard Bryan whisper, “Thank you for bringing him back to us before, and now. I owe you everything. I’m just going to take myself away from here so you can…yep. I’ll catch you two later. Maybe tomorrow or the next day.” He jogged back down the mountain.

  She knelt in front of Michael. “You okay? You don’t look okay.”

  A groaning noise came
out of his throat.

  She said, “Isaac kind of messed up the spell and couldn’t wake me up until only recently. Took me two weeks to get my balance after all that happened and…I had to get back to you.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, nuzzling her face into his neck. “You smell incredible. Makes me lightheaded. I’d forgotten about this effect you have.”

  “You don’t look that much like the Kiera I knew. I think your eyes changed colors a bit too. But…” He peeled her hands off him, gently pushed her a few inches away, and folded her hands together in front of her before letting go. “I don’t know if I can do this…whatever it is—momentary sex, a brief hello, or whatever—if you’re only here for a fleeting few moments before you run back to him. To Isaac.” I won’t survive saying good-bye again.

  “Are you implying Isaac and I are together?” Her face screwed up.

  He nodded.

  “I thought we cleared this up before. Isaac and I were never like that. He’s my father.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t want to overload you. This isn’t why I came back.” She took a deep breath and stood. “I came here to… This is really hard when you’re staring at me like I’m some sort of ghost.”

  He frowned.

  “I don’t know if that look is any better. Now you’re staring at me like I’m a disfigured reindeer. If you don’t want me here, I’ll go.” She shook her head. “No, I came here to say my piece. I have to do that first.”

  “What do you need to say?” She was going?

  “I realized there are only two things I want. You have to understand it’s a breakthrough for me to admit I wanted something and to actually act on it. I’m used to looking around and figuring out what others need. I was raised to learn I didn’t matter. But I do matter. I’m rambling.” She paused as if expecting him to comment.

  He wondered where this self-interest session was going. “Why are you here?”

  “I followed my heart.”

  His mind went wavy. What?

  “You don’t want me?” She fidgeted with her hands.

  His limbs felt frozen. Move, you idiot, before she leaves again.

  “Not the reaction I anticipated. Awkward.” She batted away a few tears. “It’s been a while. Maybe you moved on and found someone else to bedazzle…no, that’s not the right word. I think it’s bewitch. Yes, that works better. I mean, just standing here I’m so overcome by this hotness aura you exude. It makes me lose my mind because I want to tear off every bit of clothing on your body.”

  He leaped forward, pulled her into his arms, and buried his face in her hair. His hands shook as he held her. “You’re not dead. Deep in my soul, I knew.”

  “Is this hug thing about me crying?”

  He pulled her closer and whispered, “Don’t go again. Don’t leave me in this hell.”

  She hugged him back and held him.

  “You did something to me, Kiera. Something crazy. I mean, with you I felt again…fuck, I’m a bloody mess without you. Just don’t go.” He squeezed her tighter.

  She backed out of his hug and took his face in her hands. “I missed you so freaking much.”

  Michael nearly jumped the distance between them, kissing the love of his life even if still not entirely certain this wasn’t a drug-induced hallucination.

  After all the months of suffering, he needed this relief, even if it was temporary.

  When he pulled back, she frowned. “Why are you stopping? Always stopping?”

  Could he be imaging this? “I’m still not sure if this is real, but I don’t care.”

  “I want you so much it hurts,” she moaned.

  Michael’s body began to shake. He didn’t know why, but it was as if all the grief he’d been burying from himself and the world exploded like a chemical purification and erupted out of him.

  She said, “I worry I’m putting you and your people in danger being here.”

  “I can take care of myself and my people.”

  “Isaac doesn’t think we can be safe in Europe unless I do something drastic. A name change is a start. There might be someone who gets suspicious or jealous of me and turns me in.”

  “I don’t know how to make this work, but we have to. What kind of drastic?”

  “Alter my face and erase any evidence of being vampire. Fangs must go. No public blood drinking. I need to smell like a human or druid. That sort of thing.”

  “Can you do that much altering?”

  “I’m half magic. I think I can. It’s draining for me to hold it a long time, but I’m told I can improve with practice.”

  “Half magic?”

  “Isaac…my father? I just said it. It’s why his magic worked to save my life.” She ran her hands over Michael’s shoulders. “I’ll tell you the whole story later. With this magic, I can change my appearance. I’d do drastic for you.”

  “No.” He shook his head and stepped away.

  “No?” she squeaked out.

  “We can do gradations of drastic. Maybe you won’t be Kiera to the world or if we must be in public—not that we need to—but to me you will be half vampire, half magic. I’m done being ashamed of finding you the sexiest person in my life. I refuse to hide it. Those around me can either accept it or get out of my life.” He enveloped one of her hands in his. “I can keep us safe. I’ve been hunted my entire life, which means I’ve become rather good at not getting caught.”

  “Except in Paris.”

  “I wanted to get caught.” He almost chuckled at him echoing words she’d said before. “I’ve upped security here. Turns out I’ve come into some money, which means I’m in the process of making this the safest zone for wolves in the world. So, here, you’re going to be you.”

  She brought her mouth to his. “It’s been so long. I want you inside me when I bite you.” She took in their surroundings. “I’m even willing to brave ticks to have a taste of you.”

  “What? No.” He craned away from her kisses.

  “You want me to get ticks?”

  “Fuck the ticks. You’re not biting me.” He grabbed her hands and restrained them behind her back, but his erection pressed against her front.

  “Does me biting disgust you? Or are you worried I’ll die?”

  “Is this some sort of final death wish of yours?”

  She moved her hand down his body, her palm going up and down his hard shaft. “So it’s not about disgust at the thought of me taking your vein?”

  She nipped over his neck. His body jerked, and he gasped as his body tensed from his balls through his spine from the sensation.

  She wiggled to get her hands free, which he wouldn’t release. “Did Andrew tell you the whole story? The part where first I got shot by a bullet filled with your blood, and it did nothing to me? Then I got not one, but two vials of werewolf blood shoved down my throat, and they did nothing.”

  “You bled out after the second vial and died. That’s the part I heard.”

  “It was a magic spell. Fake death. It had to look real to them. If it didn’t, one of the vampires was about to chew my head off. Can’t come back from that.” She dragged her teeth down his neck. “I can tolerate your blood without dying. Oh my God, I want to taste it so bad. It’s the most heavenly scent I’ve ever smelled. Please, Michael.”

  He growled deep in his throat. She didn’t fight him when he picked her up and carried her to a clearing next to the pond and laid her on one of the boulders. But then she started to scramble away, activating his inner predator to claim her.

  She grinned challenge.

  Damn her, she did it on purpose.

  He pounced on her and pinned her hands above her head. As she twisted around and tried to get close to his neck, he kneed her legs apart beneath the skirt and ripped off her underwear. He released himself from his pants and gave her eno
ugh slack to allow her to meet him halfway when he leaned in to kiss her.

  He penetrated her in one smooth move and then lost himself as she crossed her legs behind his back and met him stroke for stroke. It felt so good, so right as the relentless momentum carried them away.

  She craned in toward his neck and teased it with her mouth. He froze.

  “I can’t lose you again,” he whispered.

  “You won’t. You have to trust me.” She angled her hips to force him to slide inside her as deep as possible, eliciting electric jolts through his body. In that moment, there was a solitary, erotic pain at his throat. Her teeth were in his neck, her mouth taking gentle tugs as her core contracted around him. Lightning zinged through his nerves, drawing forth an orgasm so extreme, he thought he’d pass out as his body bowed. She seized up in the midst of his climax, crying out with her own release.

  As they lay in the silent aftermath, he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “You’re okay?”

  “I could learn to like the outdoors if it’s always like this.”

  He rose above her and held her face between his hands, scrutinizing. “I’m serious, here. You don’t feel anything? No queasy stomach or headache?”

  “Other than the best orgasm of my life? I’m feeling pretty good. I think you liked me biting you.” She wiped his neck and brought blood to her mouth, licking her fingers. She licked his neck. “Had to clean up things. You have the most delicious blood I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I never thought I’d like it. The biting.”

  “Ha! You did like it. This means you’re going to marry me, you know.”

  He cast his eyes heavenward. “You can’t even wait to give me a chance to put it out there first?”

  “I’m a girl who takes fate into her own hands.”

  He kissed her left shoulder, driven to do the one thing he’d never done before. He’d heard about it, but a hard-wired instinct directed his movements. He buried his teeth into her perfect pale skin at the same moment he buried himself deep within her again.