chapter Eight
“Ok, we’re not doing that again.” I collapsed in the passenger seat of Jez’s Jeep. “Not only did I get my ass kicked by two humans, but I have Shaz’s playmate to thank for springing me from Kale’s private prison.”
“You saw Kale?” Jez turned to me excitedly, almost side swiping a parked car as she drove us away from the hospital. “You’re bleeding. Are you ok? Is he ok? What happened?”
I sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. I turned in my seat to look at Willow who watched me with an expectant expression.
“He’s far from ok,” I said, reluctant to tell them everything. “That place has driven him mad. He bit me. Obviously.”
“And?” Jez prompted. “Come on, spill it.”
“What happened, Alexa?” Willow spoke up, a knowing look in his gold-flecked eyes.
I gripped the door handle tight as Jez took a sharp corner. “They cuffed me and locked me in a room with him. He attacked me. And, he tried to take more than my blood. He didn’t get far.”
My cheeks flushed hot. I stared out the window, wishing I could forget the entire thing.
‘I won’t be forgetting.’ Arys’s unbidden thought added to my unease.
‘Can we talk about this later? I’m safe now. I’m going home.’
‘I’ll meet you there.’ He slipped away, closing the mental door between us before I could either agree or refuse.
“Wait, are you saying he tried to…?” Jez was aghast, leaving the question unfinished. “Son of a bitch. I knew we shouldn’t have left you alone.”
Willow showed no surprise. “Are you alright?”
“Is it still a violation if you like it?” I asked bitterly. “I’m fine. I’m not sure I can say the same for Kale. Arys knows and he’s pissed.” I waved a hand, dismissing the subject. “Did you guys find anything after we split up? Because I saw something I can’t ignore.”
As Jez drove through the city, I held a tissue to my bleeding neck and told them about the people that the FPA kept in the basement. They in turn told me about the lab they had discovered deep within the maze of halls, where gruesome experiments were being performed on live supernaturals and humans.
“I’ve never seen anything so f*cking scary.” Jez shook her head, remembering. “They’re up to no good in there. It’s like the shit that nut job conspiracy theorists talk about. Everyone thinks they’re full of crap, but they’re not.”
As she spoke, I went cold inside; I was relieved that I’d only had to contend with Kale. It took a lot to truly scare me, but the things Jez went on to describe were deeply disturbing. Some experiments caused human and supernatural mutations with grotesque malformations; others seemingly compared disease or poison progression between mortal species, leaving the limp victims slowly dying. One restrained vamp even had an assortment of shifter limbs grafted onto his body.
Did they take samples from Juliet? My ill feeling grew. It was no wonder the spirits in there were so restless.
“Humans playing God,” said Willow. “It happens all the time. Still, it’s worse when the demons do it. In every generation humans try in one way or another to harness the power of the supernatural for their own gain. It never works out well for them.”
He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask. That conversation would have to wait for another time, preferably one with copious amounts of alcohol. After what I discovered in Veryl’s file on me, I’d be having a chat with Shya soon. Until then, I didn’t want to entertain thoughts of what the demons might be doing.
“I don’t know what to do about that place,” I muttered. “I don’t feel right just leaving all those people locked up in there.”
Jez’s tight smile was sympathetic. “If you keep going in there, one of these times you won’t come out.”* * * *
The plentiful scents of the forest were a great comfort. I paused to sniff at the earth, savoring the many things it told me about the creatures that called this place home. A doe and her young had passed through earlier. The rich foliage emanated purity. It washed away the remnants of the city and its obnoxious sounds and odors.
Sunrise was an hour away. I hadn’t wasted any time vacating the city and heading for home. I was in need of some time to myself, in my town where I could run free in the surrounding forest. I made it to my house before Arys did and took the opportunity to abandon my human form and the life that went with it, if just for a while. Maybe I was avoiding him, but the freedom I found in being wolf was comparable to none. I needed it.
I loped through the trees and brush trying to shake the things that plagued me. I wouldn’t let myself replay what had happened with Kale. He had victimized me. I’d both loved and hated it. I knew better than to trust the monsters, even those who claimed to love me. Love didn’t stop a vampire from being what they were. If anything, it made it worse.
Slowing my pace, I slipped into a copse of trees that had come to be one of my favorite places. In amongst the trees was a small pond. The sound of crickets and croaking frogs greeted me. An owl peered down at me from his perch in a nearby spruce. We shared a look, a brief acknowledgment of our mutual acceptance and respect. Nature got it right. What the hell was wrong with everyone else?
I padded over to the pond and sat beside it. My tongue lolling out, I gazed into the water at the tiny creatures that called it home. My ears twitched, picking up the many sounds of the forest right before night retreated to allow the dawn. I felt safe. I belonged here. There was just one thing missing.
I raised my nose to the sky and howled. The sound echoed in the stillness. I waited, knowing I wouldn’t hear the reply I ached for but hoping anyway.
Shaz should have been by my side. I longed to see his white fur shine just a little brighter in the moonlight. He didn’t even know about the new house. I was happy to have my own little piece of forest near my backyard, but I wanted to share it with him.
I stayed there beside the pond until I felt Arys’s insistent nudge in my head. ‘Get your furry ass back here, Alexa. You can’t avoid me forever.’
‘I can try.’ I let a glimmer of amusement show; I enjoyed antagonizing him.
‘I’m waiting for you.’
As much as I would have loved to welcome the sunrise there amid the calm and comfort of my forest home, my lover called, and I could only avoid him for so long. I headed for home both eager and reluctant to see Arys.
A great span of field separated the forest from my backyard as it did with most of the houses in the outlying area. My house was a little better because it was beside a cemetery, where very few wanted to live. I had just one neighbor on the other side of the graveyard, hidden from sight.
Arys stood in the backyard with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched me approach with a haughty arrogance that quickly turned to appreciative wonder. I sat back on my haunches, staring up at him.
“You’re magnificent.” He moved closer, a flicker of vampire fire in his midnight blue eyes. “And, as much as I love to see you as wolf, we need to talk.”
I simply stared at him. He could talk; I would listen. That way this couldn’t blow up into a fight. I knew that look in his eyes. Arys was going to say something I wouldn’t like, and he was bracing for a clash of wills.
“Really?” He prompted after a few minutes of staring at one another. “Is this how you want to do this?” When I didn’t move, he nodded. “Alright, fine. Have it your way. I shouldn’t have to tell you how stupid it was to go back into the FPA building, but apparently I do. Briggs could have caught you. It’s bad enough that anyone caught you. And Sinclair… I don’t even know where to start.”
He paced the length of the yard, waving his hands in a grand gesture of ire. “He was going to f*ck you and kill you, Alexa. You know why? Because you’re so deep in his system, it’s the only way he’ll ever be rid of you. If he gets out of there, you’ll never be safe from him.”
I wanted to argue, which was exactly why I’d stayed in wolf form. Being patient and allowing Arys to vent first would be better for both of us. Yet, the fire had already sparked within my belly. We shared the need for a good fight. Though my instinct was to tell Arys he was wrong, that Kale would never hurt me, I knew I could no longer believe that.
“He’s not going to get away with what he did tonight,” Arys declared. “I can’t let him.”
A muscle twitched in Arys’s jaw. He ran a hand haphazardly through his black hair, making it more of a sexy mess than usual. The mixed scent of cologne and hair products, an aroma that was solely his, reached me. It made me itch to bury my face in his neck and savor the many sensations of him.
“The last thing you need to deal with is a psychotic vampire with an incurable obsession. It will distract you from the real issue, Lilah. She’s going to do everything she can to force your hand. She’ll keep targeting those you’ve sworn to protect. Those you love.” He sat heavily on the small concrete wall encircling the fire pit in the center of the yard. “We have to stop her.”
We sure did. I agreed with him there, but I still didn’t believe playing nice with Shya was the way to do it. I considered shifting back to human form but decided to hold off a little longer. Arys was doing just fine spilling his thoughts and feelings with my silence.
“She won’t stop until you willingly surrender your blood to break her curse,” he continued with a shrug. “I don’t know what to do. I just know I have to protect you.”
His desperation was so tangible that I pawed the grass and whined. It was unusual for him to show such vulnerability. If Shya caught a whiff of it, he would use it as a weapon against Arys.
Our eyes locked, and I peered into my vampire with hope that he would see how much his concern meant to me. Arys had always put my safety first. Unfortunately, that often meant hiding things from me or doing things without my knowledge. I did my share of things without making him aware, like I had tonight, but it was going to catch up to us eventually.
“I know you think I’m wrong about this, but Shya knows things that could help us. He has abilities we don’t. And, he wants the same thing we do.” The hardness was back in Arys’s enchanting gaze. “I made a deal with him, Alexa.”
That did it. That was all I had to hear; I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. I shifted so fast it hurt. In a fluid, smooth motion, I was standing there naked before him. Crossing my arms, I fixed him with my best take no shit expression.
“Are you out of your damn mind?” I asked in disbelief. “Please tell me that was just a ploy to get me to shift.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Arys’s gaze travelled over me, taking in my nudity with appraising interest. “I told him we’d co-operate with him until Lilah can be dealt with. We all play nice until we get rid of her. That’s it.”
“Too easy. There’s no way that’s it.” I shook my head vigorously. “He’s a demon, Arys. He can twist your words, take them literally or figuratively. Whatever. He can’t be trusted. Bottom line.”
“He offered protection for you, Alexa. Shya doesn’t want Lilah getting her hands on your blood either. It can be useful.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “Have you forgotten he’s the idiot that told her my blood would break her curse? That blew up in his face when she refused him. Now, he wants to save his own ass. This isn’t about you or me. Shya is in it only for himself. Trusting him would be stupid. This isn’t like you, Arys.”
Arys rose and came to stand before me. The spark between us flashed at his sudden close proximity. “I don’t trust him. In fact, I wish there was a way to kill two birds with one stone. Shya’s been pulling strings behind the scenes for so long. Now, he’s stepping out front and center, and that doesn’t sit well with me. If we get close to him, we can find out what he’s up to.”
Again, he looked me over, lingering where my arms covered my breasts. I was ready to argue now so oozing sensuality wasn’t going to work in his favor just yet. I stood my ground, prepared to let him have it.
“I can’t help but notice you keep saying we,” I observed. “I didn’t agree to pal around with Shya. You did.”
“That’s right. I did.” He nodded, fire smoldering in his eyes. “I told you I would do anything to make sure you’re safe, and you are not going to make me feel bad about it.”
Frustration shook me. I was ticked that he had gone behind my back to talk to Shya. After the night I’d just had, not to mention my week so far, this was the last thing I wanted.
“Safe? Until Lilah’s out of the way, and then what? Then he follows through with that little promise to kill me. Did you forget about that?” My words came fast and furious.
I remembered the demon’s sly threat very well. Shya was uneasy with me being the light half of a twin flame union. He threatened to kill me, so I would rise as a vampire, so Arys’s darkness would tip the precarious balance between us. Maybe there was more to it.
“Of course not.” Arys scowled. “You should really stop underestimating me, Alexa. I always get what I want. That won’t be any different with Shya.”
“Your cocky attitude is going to get us into trouble. One of these days,” I warned, “you won’t be right. And then, you’ll be sorry.”
We stared into one another with fierce intensity. Arys reached to brush the hair back from my face. A mischievous smile graced his lips.
“One of these days,” he echoed in a low murmur. Then he dropped to his knees before me and pressed his lips to the intimate place between my legs.
My breath caught. A rush of sudden desire thrilled through me. What a crafty way to end an argument. “This doesn’t mean you automatically win.”
“Doesn’t it?” His mouth moved against me, stirring my arousal.
The touch of his tongue sent jolts of electricity through me. Instinctively, I buried my hands in his soft tousle of hair. My knees weakened, and he gripped my hips to steady me.
“You play dirty, Arys.” My throaty whisper coaxed a chuckle from him.
He flicked his tongue over me, hitting that sensitive spot that had my breath coming fast. I shuddered and clung tighter to him. The way he touched me was softer than usual, a gentleness that was rare for Arys.
“You love it,” he said, guiding me down to the grass.
It was cold against my back but felt nice due to the heat flooding my limbs. I stretched languorously on the soft cushion of green. Arys kept up his tender worship of my body. He lifted one of my legs, propping it over his shoulder so he lay nestled between my thighs. Holding my hips tight, he licked me with a persistence that had me crying out.
Our fights could be downright scary, but there was always that wild element of eroticism to it. This was different. Instead of the fiery coupling we so often enjoyed, this was a delicate expression of love rooted in a deeper place. It was as strong as it was intimidating.
The dizzying explosion of climax had me seeing stars. Arys brought me over the edge to bliss. I watched through a pleasure-filled haze as he stripped off his clothing and aligned his body with mine.
Gazing into my eyes, he said, “I love you, my beautiful wolf. No matter what happens, don’t forget that.”
As much as I loved to hear endearments from my dark vampire, this one struck me as cryptic. Kale’s forceful actions, I was certain, had truly frightened Arys. Before I could over-think it, Arys gathered me close and slipped inside me with a gentle thrust. He decorated my face in fevered kisses. I held tight to him as we moved together, uniting as one.
The power rose between us, fuelled by the passion of our actions. Arys guided our rhythm with slow, steady strokes. Buried deep within me, he claimed me with total abandon. The guard Arys held firmly in place shattered, exposing his rarely seen tender side.
A sense of anguish was in his energy; the tortured desperation in the way he held me conveyed something that he would never let out in words. I could feel it as if it were my own, crushing and almost painful. Tears welled up in my eyes as it overwhelmed me.
I felt it deep in my core, a twinge of the fragile humanity he’d once had but now knew only through his link to me. The kind of love Arys had for me came from a place of light that had gone dark long ago. The trace of me that he carried inside him always, that was his weakness. In that moment of desperate lovemaking, I was certain that Shya knew it, too.
Arys rolled us over so I was on top, disrupting my thoughts. He pulled me down hard, thrusting up to force a cry from me. He touched my chin, drawing my gaze to his. Raw, unbridled need shone in his eyes. The power spiralled around us, trapping us in the eye of the tornado. I moved atop him, instinctively matching his stride. White noise built to a deafening roar.
Many times, I resisted how solid our connection had become. However, moments like this made it undeniable. I was completely his.
I threw my head back to stare up at the sky. The darkness had thinned as dawn approached. It wasn’t far now. Soon, it would chase us indoors. I closed my eyes and focused on the way Arys felt inside me. Each slick stroke brought me closer to ecstasy. For a brief time, nothing else mattered.
Collapsing on his chest, I gasped for air as the waves of climax swept me away. His arms went around me, holding me with a possessiveness I’d come to know well. I relaxed into it with his name on my lips.
“I trust you,” I whispered, pressing tiny kisses to his chest and neck. “But, I don’t trust any deal you make with that demon. He’s dangerous, Arys. Maybe more so than Lilah in some ways.”
“Don’t let him ruin this moment.” Arys ran a hand through my hair, stroking it lovingly.
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t help but say what I was feeling.
“Don’t let him ruin us.”