by Katie Reus
His jaw clenched tight as he shook his head once.
“Because you never, ever would have been able to dream up someone as awesome as me,” she whispered, somehow keeping her tone serious.
Just like she intended, he laughed, one of those deep, real laughs he rarely gave her or anyone else. His beautiful smile blinded her as he shook his head, his shoulders trembling with laughter. “I love you so much,” he murmured, kissing her forehead, then her mouth in a light brush she felt all the way to her toes.
She started to lean into it, not caring about their surroundings, when he stiffened ever so slightly and pulled back. She turned around, following his gaze to see Thurman and a male, who was definitely a vampire, striding their way. Supernaturals moved with a sort of inherent stealth, their movements more economic than humans.
She and Drake automatically stood as a unified front when Thurman and the vampire reached their table.
“Apologies for being late. Parking’s a nightmare today,” Thurman said with a polite nod of his head. He still wore the three piece suit. She loved how put together the man always seemed to be.
Drake shook his head, as if it didn’t bother him at all. “It’s no problem.”
“Shall we sit?” she asked, motioning to the four chairs.
“Yes, thank you. Victoria, Drake, this is Abraham.”
The blond-haired, blue-eyed vampire with pale skin looked like an unassuming college student. She sensed some of his power, but if she had to guess, he was young, probably turned in the last fifty years. The male clearly sensed Drake’s power, not that her mate was blocking it very well, because he gave them both a nervous smile, his gaze lingering on Drake with just a touch of fear. Which didn’t bother Victoria at all. She wanted this vampire to be truthful with them and it was more likely he would be if he was afraid.
“Pleased to meet you,” she murmured. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with us.”
He nodded once. “I’m not sure what I can tell you, but I want to help.”
She didn’t scent that typical acidic smell associated with a lie coming off him, but only time would tell if he was being truthful.
“Do you remember anything from the night Thurman’s shop was robbed?” Drake asked point blank.
The vampire looked at Thurman before focusing on the two of them again. “No. But I’ve been having…dreams the past few days. As if memories are trying to surface, but I don’t trust them. The memories.”
Victoria straightened in her seat. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how to explain it. I know someone messed with my mind.” His jaw tightened, his eyes going bright for a moment before he closed them, getting himself under control.
Yep, he had to be young.
They all paused as the server returned to take the others’ drink orders. To be polite Victoria ordered a couple appetizers for the table but she wasn’t certain they’d make it that far. She and Drake just wanted answers so they could head home. They’d had to wait for nightfall and then for Thurman to retrieve his vampire friend.
“Like I was saying,” Abraham continued. “I know my memory was erased but I also think fake ones were input as well.”
Victoria frowned. That was possible, though again very, very hard to do. With a supernatural being, there was no guarantee that the fake memories or even the memory loss would stick. It would have been easier to simply kill Thurman and Abraham. Which she also found interesting. It seemed as if the being behind the theft wasn’t a total monster.
“Why do you say that?” Drake asked.
“I…have no idea. Instinct.”
“What are you remembering in your dreams?”
“An old woman, probably in her nineties, at the shop, asking about wormhole packages.” He rubbed a hand over his face, shaking his head once. “I get these flashes of her face. She looks human, but…” He pushed out a breath, his frustration clear. “More than the memories, I just sense power. A lot of it. That, I’m pretty sure is real. And that’s all I can tell you. Other than I’m pissed about this whole thing.”
It didn’t tell them much, but Victoria nodded. Even if she only had a small theory right about now. “Will you contact us if you remember more?” she asked, looking between Thurman and Abraham.
They both nodded and murmured acquiescence, then Drake’s phone buzzed. His eyebrows raised as he looked at the screen. “Bo’s home,” he murmured.
Relief surged through Victoria, but she simply nodded. It was definitely time to leave. She turned to Thurman as Drake pulled out a few bills. “I apologize for leaving so abruptly but the people that…package was used on, are back. We need to go.”
Thurman’s head tilted to the side a fraction as he looked between them. “Are you referring to Bo Broussard?”
“Ah, yes,” Victoria answered. She couldn’t imagine why it would hurt for Thurman or the vamp to know. “You know him?”
His mouth curved up. “Haven’t seen him in a few decades. He’s from here, you know.”
“I do know.”
“I was a little in love with his mother. So many of us were,” he murmured, his eyes clouding over for a moment before he seemed to gather himself. “He’s okay then?”
“I hope so. I’ll let you know.”
“Please do.”
“If you need any help here with anything else, call me,” she said, meaning it. “This shouldn’t have happened to you. My pack will help if you need anything.” The man was like an institution in New Orleans. He was well liked and respected by both humans and supernaturals. What had happened to him was just wrong.
“Thank you.”
After murmuring a polite goodbye, Drake linked his fingers through hers and they made their way out into the loud, colorful streets of New Orleans. At least her mate was less tense now. She had questions, but she’d wait until they were alone. Their next stop would be somewhere private so her mate could shift and they could fly back to Biloxi.
Chapter 13
“Ophelia is a good female,” Bo said, leaning against the wall outside one of his guest bedrooms, watching Rory pace up and down the hallway like a madman. “And Nyx is in there. The female is fine.” As fine as she could be given the circumstances.
“I’m not worried,” Rory muttered, looking at him as if he was insane.
Bo just snorted. “Right.” Ian had gone downstairs, supposedly in search of food, but Bo guessed it was because of his brother’s incessant pacing. Finn was down there with him, probably questioning him about how long he planned to be in his territory, since he was half shifter. “So, you’re Scottish?” The accent was a dead giveaway even if he hadn’t already told him where he was from, but Bo needed the male to stop moving. Even if that meant small talk. Rory was giving him a headache.
“Yeah.”
“What pack were you part of?”
Rory ran a hand over his hair, his green eyes flashing in annoyance. “Are you trying to distract me?”
Bo lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. I’m also curious about my…brother.” It felt weird, but good to say it.
Rory gave him a half-smile. “My mother was a beta wolf. It was how a demon…well, you know.” His expression darkened at that. “Anyway, I haven’t seen her pack in almost a hundred years. When she died I split. They always treated me differently so I’m sure they didn’t miss me.” The bitterness in that word said they treated him more than just different.
Bo nodded. Half-demons were often looked upon like the plague of the supernatural world. Things had changed in the last decade or so, but yeah, he understood. Nyx had never looked at him any differently though. Something that stunned him. Still, he felt that deep-seated urge to prove himself. To prove that he wasn’t like his father. “You ever join another pack?”
“I tried. Didn’t take. Then I met Ian.”
Bo nodded again. “How long has it been since you’ve been in the human realm?”
“’Bout a year, give or take. We spend most of our time in one o
f the Hell realms, but we…” He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “We have money, investments, land, mostly in the States. Some in our homeland, Europe. We check on them once or twice every year, make sure we’re still getting richer, then head back to our realm. We’re not going to mooch off you if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I wasn’t worried.” He hadn’t even thought of that possibility when normally that would have been his first assumption. Unlike Nyx, who seemed to look for the good in people, he normally saw the bad. It was simply what he expected based on experience and his cynical nature. This last year, however, he’d had some of his perceptions changed. A freaking wolf shifter had recently mated with a vampire and they’d been housing a dragon shifter—more than one—just because they could. In his experience people, regardless of species, tended to be assholes.
“Oh…well, good. We can get a place tomorrow if you’d rather have your space.”
Bo shook his head, frowning. He wanted space for him and Nyx but his place was huge and had incredible insulation. He’d just found his brothers and while he didn’t want them to stay indefinitely, a few days or weeks was fine. “Look, I don’t want fucking roommates, but…a few weeks is cool. Besides, you really gonna leave her?” He tilted his head to the closed door.
Rory just frowned and resumed his pacing.
“We have a sister.” Bo had already talked to her and she’d be there soon. Better to tell them first.
Rory turned back to Bo, blinked once. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, she’s a half-vamp.”
“Our father just assaulted every species didn’t he.” Not a question, but a statement of truth, his words laced with disgust. Rory turned away, started the pacing again.
“Cynara—that’s her name. Her mom had just been turned when she was raped. She was still weak, not quite human, not quite vampire.” Because the only other option for a vampire to have a child was to have a bloodborn. And those were very rare. Not to mention way too powerful for someone to overpower, even a demon.
“We should find more of our siblings and end that fucker,” Rory said, more to himself it seemed.
But Bo agreed, had had the same thought more than once. He just didn’t think he could go up against his father on his own. And until recently he’d never trusted anyone enough to ask them to go after the bastard. Doing so would most likely mean loss of life so whoever joined him would have to be committed and have a reason to want the guy dead.
Before he could respond, the door to Liberty’s room opened and Ophelia and Nyx walked out. Nyx immediately moved to Bo, her expression unreadable. She hovered next to him instead of touching him. That was his fault. The fact that he’d made her question herself around him, question what she meant to him—he was making everything clear today. As soon as they had some privacy. He still wanted to prove himself to her, but he couldn’t go another second without letting her know what she was to him.
Taking the chance that she’d push him away, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He practically shuddered when she leaned into him, holding him tight. Her sweet scent teased him, drove his demon side crazy.
Ophelia looked between him and Rory as she pulled the door shut. The wolf shifter was almost two hundred years old—older even than her Alpha—but looked to be in her twenties. Petite and adorable with dark curly hair pulled up into a ponytail, her expression wasn’t totally grim. He took that to be a good sign.
“She’s been through a lot. She needs sleep and to feel safe. And she needs to start on a healthy diet. She’s definitely malnourished. I’ll come up with a good menu to start on immediately. For now, where is she going to stay?”
“Here, as long as she wants,” Bo said.
“Good. She needs stability. These are some nice digs you’ve got.” Her lips quirked up a fraction. “Never thought we’d find out where the mysterious Bo lived.”
He just rolled his eyes. Until now no one except his sister and Nyx had known where his home was. He’d always liked it that way. After getting to know more of the Stavros pack though, he figured maybe having allies wasn’t such a bad thing. Going through life looking at everyone like an enemy was exhausting.
“If you want to know anything else,” she said, looking at Rory, clearly having picked up on the male’s attachment to Liberty. “You need to ask her yourself. She doesn’t want to talk about where she’s from or who she is or how she got stuck in that realm. My advice, don’t push her. Let her talk when she wants.”
“I won’t push,” Rory rasped out, a sort of desperation in his gaze.
Yeah, Bo recognized that look. Shifters always got it when they were feeling overprotective of their mates. Bo could relate right about now because he was feeling obsessive and possessive where Nyx was concerned.
“Can I see her?” Rory continued.
Ophelia nodded. “Yeah. She was asking for you. I’m going to bring some food up in a bit for her. Make sure she eats a little bit of everything, but don’t push her. She needs to have control.”
“Okay.” He was through the door before he’d finished speaking.
“Is he part of a pack?” Ophelia asked.
Bo shook his head. “No.”
“Okay, well, I’ll let Finn figure all that stuff out then, but I’m sure he won’t mind your brothers in his territory. I’m gonna go whip something up in your kitchen. Nyx, you need a shower, food and sex. Doctor’s orders.” She winked before heading toward the stairs.
Bo wanted to kiss Ophelia. Figuratively.
When Nyx turned to look up at Bo her cheeks were flushed. “I don’t know why she said that,” she muttered.
“Because she’s smart.” Bo cupped Nyx’s cheek, savored the feel of her soft skin.
Her pupils dilated as her breathing increased, but she kept her hands to herself. “I…don’t know what you want from me, Bo.” Confusion was etched on her expressive face.
“I know, and that’s my fault.” He stroked her cheek once. He just wasn’t sure he should tell her that he wanted everything—that he wanted to completely possess her. Because he wasn’t sure she’d want that, want him. Not completely anyway.
Her eyes went heavy-lidded for a moment but just as quickly she shook herself, took a small step back. “Then what happened before we ended up in that realm? I thought after you…went down on me…” She trailed off, her cheeks flushing again.
Just like that he got hard. It made him feel like a dick, but hearing those words from her and seeing the flush in her cheeks reminded him of how she’d looked when he’d made her come. “I behaved badly,” he gritted out. He needed to just tell her, confess what an animal he was. She’d probably shove him away but she deserved to know the truth. “I was ready to take you right on the kitchen counter. Or the floor. You tasted fucking amazing and I just lost it. I would have been rough.”
She stared at him, her breathing growing even more erratic. “Okay, so…you would have been rough. So what?”
“You’re a virgin.” He didn’t even bother forming it as a question.
Nyx nodded. “Yes.”
“I didn’t care in that moment, I just wanted you and…you deserve better than a rough fucking on my kitchen counter, especially for your first time. You deserve…better than me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Even the thought of inadvertently being too rough, of hurting her, made him ache.
Her brow furrowed. “That’s why you pushed me away? Because, what, you thought you might get too rough with me? I’m a freaking demigod, Bo. You won’t break me.”
“But—”
“No. I want you. A lot. I…kept coming up with reasons to push you away. Valid reasons, I might add, because my family is positively psychotic, but after being in that realm with you I’ve realized that we can both take care of ourselves. You’re way more deadly that I realized. And, apparently so am I. So, I’m laying it out there. I’m open to more than friendship with you, but…make up your mind. Because if you start something then pull back ag
ain I might break your whole house.” Her lips quirked up, her voice slightly teasing.
The tension inside him eased. She wasn’t pushing him away. Not even close. “I want more than friendship with you too. Just you. I want to be exclusive.” He’d never been in a long-term relationship, had never wanted to. Of course he wanted way more than a simple relationship with Nyx, but he figured he better start slow. He had a plan to seduce her, show her how good they were together, and make it so that she never wanted to leave him. He’d just get her addicted to him.
“Good. I won’t share and…if you cheat on me there’s no room for forgiveness.” She looked nervous as she said it, wrapping her arms around her middle.
The fact that she felt the need to say that sliced at him. He knew what kind of reputation he had. One he’d earned and now hated. Not that he’d actually ever cheated on anyone. Impossible to do since he’d never been in a real relationship.
“You’re mine, Nyx.” He could feel his eyes lighting up, could see the glow illuminating her face ever so slightly. Damn it, he needed to play this smooth, but he couldn’t hold back now. “Once we cross that line and commit, I’m not letting you go. So make sure this is what you want. That I’m what you want. I’m territorial and possessive and sometimes I’m going to act like a complete asshole where you’re concerned. Not all the time, but…I’m going to get jealous and probably act stupid. And I’m a fucking half-demon, my bloodline isn’t what you deserve. So make sure that’s what you want. Because I won’t let you go.”
Wide-eyed, she nodded. “Okay.” She looked as if she wanted to say more, but bit her bottom lip.
When it was clear she wasn’t going to say anything else, he inwardly sighed. Yeah, maybe he’d come on too strong. Maybe she was hesitant now, needed time to think about it. Disappointment punched through him like a body blow but hell, he’d told her to think about it. He couldn’t expect an answer right away.
He cleared his throat. “Listen, I’ve gotta go talk to Finn, see if he’s really okay with more half-demons in his territory. And Cynara, Drake and Victoria are on their way over too. You want me to bring you some food up?”
