After getting what I needed, I erased the man’s memory and left the motel.
I flashed through the city, heading toward suburbia, where my father was reportedly staying. Thankfully, it was clear across town, miles away from where I’d stashed Nika; I didn’t want my father discovering she was with me. The guilt over what I’d done to Arianna didn’t dissipate while I ran. If anything, it grew. If I found my father exactly where I expected to find him, if he was waiting for me and got the upper hand on me, Arianna would never be able to leave the cabin with her memories intact. I never should have left her in that condition, but I didn’t know how else to get them all to stay put. And I needed to do this alone. But, I supposed, eventually the shot would wear off, and Halina would find Julian and Nika. She could fix my grievous error if I didn’t make it back to the cabin. They wouldn’t be trapped for long.
With the map of where I needed to go firmly in my mind, I easily found my father’s address. It was a plain, beige rambler tucked in the middle of a quaint cul-de-sac. It was a completely unassuming, seemingly innocent house with a cheery white picket fence and matching faux shutters. I was positive that none of the neighbors knew that just behind the façade of a brightly painted bird feeder in the front yard, there was a stash of weapons large enough to outfit a small army. An army that would love to drive a stake right through my silent heart.
Standing in the shadows at the corner of the cul-de-sac, I listened for anything out of the ordinary—movement, fast heartbeats, whispers—any telltale sign that someone in the neighborhood was awake. All was still though; only the sounds of sleep met my ear.
Sticking to the darker backyards, I zipped to the house I needed. Speed and surprise were my biggest strengths right now. Deciding that a door was too typical to catch my father unawares, I flashed to the nearest bedroom window and ripped it free—loud and messy, but effective. I hopped through and crouched low, ready for anything. Silence was all I got, though. Silence and emptiness.
All my senses on high alert, I crept through the barren bedroom. Either Dad had never used this room, or he was long gone. Cautiously examining the hallway, I sniffed the air. Also nothing out of the ordinary. Just the scent of lemon, bleach, and carpet cleaner, like the home had recently been deep cleaned. I peeked my head into every dark bedroom, but nothing leapt out at me, nothing disrupted my senses. By the time I got to the stark living room, I knew that my search here was futile. Dad wasn’t around.
The rest of the house was just as empty as the bedrooms. I even unnecessarily searched the attic and the crawl space. I spent a lot longer there than I should have, but I just couldn’t leave without a clue. I had nowhere else to look once I left here.
Dejected, I opened the slider to leave out the back. No sense in stealth now. The backyard had a small deck with a built-in fireplace. It was cozy, homey, the type of simple home I could have once imagined living in with Nika, while we hunted demons together. How far I’d diverted from my original vision with her blew my mind. My life had been completely turned upside down.
As I turned to go, something in the fire pit caught my eye. Stepping over to the charred logs, I saw the edge of a box sticking out of the recently burned wood. I looked around for any sign of a trap, then I carefully pulled the box free. I recognized it immediately. It was my sister’s treasure box. It was one of those wooden contraptions that had to be opened in a specific sequence, by moving certain sections and pressing hidden levers. My sister was the only one who’d ever been able to figure it out. She’d teased me mercilessly over my inability to open it. That had really ticked me off, since she’d only known how because the man who’d sold it to her had shown her. It had been a private joke between us, and I was instantly inflamed that my father had tried to burn it. It wasn’t his to burn. It was hers, and now it was mine.
Tucking it into my pocket, I hastily glanced at the sky. I’d stayed for far too long. I needed to return to safety before the sun rose. Maybe my sister would give me the inspiration I needed to find our father…before he found me.
Disheartened, I blurred back to the cabin. I should have known Dad wouldn’t still be at that house. He’d probably fled the instant Markus had fallen off the radar. I would have, if I were him. Now I was back at square one, with no real way to find him and no time to look. Not with Nika and Julian with me. I’d have to lose them when the sun set again. A part of me really hated that thought.
The lights were off inside the cabin, and I could hear people sleeping. A deep rumbling snore came from one of the room’s upstairs. That had to be the old man. Walking through the unlocked front door, I headed for the basement. Hopefully they’d all heeded my memory trap and not called in reinforcements. Although, did it really matter if they had? Did I want to keep up this solo act of revenge, now that it was hurting people? Guilt washed over me again. I was such a bastard.
When I went downstairs, surprise overrode my dark thoughts. Julian wasn’t there. Arianna either. Only two cots were tucked in a dark corner; one was empty, but for a blanket lain on top of it. Nika was resting on the other, nearly buried in thick covers. I tilted my head, listening. Now that I was paying closer attention, I could hear light breathing filtering through the lumberjack snores of the old man upstairs. Julian was in a bedroom with Arianna? Well, I supposed I hadn’t forbid them from leaving the basement. And it was freezing down here.
Thinking I’d done enough to them tonight, and I could fix what I’d carelessly done when they woke up, I left them alone. After firmly closing the door behind me, I walked down the steps to my makeshift bedroom with Nika. Why was she still down here, when she could be warm upstairs? And far away from me.
The cots were pushed together in the corner opposite the stairs. With no lights on, the room was pitch-black save for my glowing eyes. As silently as I could, I removed my backpack and shoes, and sat on the edge of the cot. I pulled my sister’s box out of my pocket, and felt around the smooth sides for the latches that would open it. It was so perfectly crafted, even my enhanced sensations couldn’t feel the proper spots. My sister would die laughing if she could see me now. Sighing, I shoved it back into my jacket and dropped the jacket on the floor. Why the hell Dad was tossing out that little bit of our history now was beyond me. Maybe he was sending me a message. He knew how close Evangeline and I had been. By burning our connection he was telling me—very loudly—that I wasn’t a part of the family anymore. He was essentially burning me out of his life.
Abandonment seared my chest as painfully as if I’d had pure silver injected into my veins. I crawled under the blanket left for me on the cot, and turned on my side to face Nika. I shouldn’t seek comfort from her, but I suddenly needed it. Only her eyes were visible from under her mountain of comforters. Like she’d been waiting for me, she opened them.
The love I still saw in her gaze broke my heart. I didn’t deserve that look. “Hey, you’re back. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Her endless caring instantly brought back the guilt. I wish she hadn’t followed me, but…I was really glad she was here. “You could have gone upstairs with Julian. You didn’t have to stay down here…with me.”
She pulled the blanket down to expose her soft lips. “Are you mad that he left the room? Arianna was too cold, and she didn’t really want to stay with you after...”
I shook my head. “No…I understand. And I know he won’t do anything. He can’t.” I frowned, hating what I’d done, and that I wouldn’t have a chance to set it right until the sun set again. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m so sorry for what I did to her. That was wrong. Really wrong. I’ll remove the memory trap as soon as I can. I promise.”
Nika sat up on her elbow and smiled down on me. It was warmer than the rising sun that was starting to tingle my spine. “Thank you, Hunter.”
I turned away from her. “I almost obliterated your best friend’s mind…and you’re thanking me?”
Her soft voice returned my gaze to her. “I know you feel bad about what you
did. I could tell you regretted it the minute you did it. It’s going to take my brother a little longer, but I’ve already forgiven you.”
I studied her face in disbelief. “How is it that you’re not angry with me? Why don’t you hate me yet?”
Her hand came out of the blanket to caress my face; it felt amazing against my chilly skin. “Because I love you. And I know you’re not really being you right now. You were angry, frustrated, and you said something rash. It happens to us all.”
I placed my hand over hers on my cheek. “But bad things can happen when I speak rashly, especially to humans.”
Her thumb brushed across my skin, sending tremors through me. “You’re not a bad person. You’re just confused.”
I closed my eyes. That was certainly true. In the darkness, I felt Nika’s hair brush against my face, then felt her warm lips upon mine. I couldn’t resist the heat, the softness, the sweetness. I never could. Moving my mouth against hers, I savored the connection that always made me feel less like a beast, and more like a man. My hand on hers reached up to feel her silky hair. It slid between my fingers as I rested my palm on the back of her neck; she trembled under my touch.
During a brief break in our kiss, I told her, “You shouldn’t be here with me. You should go upstairs with your brother.”
Her leg came out from her thick blankets to slide underneath my thin one. “I want to be with you,” she breathed.
A familiar zing went up my spine that told me the sun was touching the Earth. I opened my eyes and looked around the dark room for any sign that I wasn’t safe. The walls were still dark, though, and the seal around the heavy door leading into the house was unbroken with shafts of light.
Nika paused in her affections to watch me. “What is it?”
I tensed, waiting for the pain from some unknown breach in my sanctuary, as the sensation of sunrise crackled through my body. When I didn’t feel anything, I exhaled a sigh of relief. “The sun rose. But I’m okay. The room is light-proof.” Nika tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and I turned to watch her. “But now you’re stuck in here with me all day.”
She cracked a small smile. “We’re both prisoners.”
Sighing, I sat up. “No, you’re not. I won’t ever compel Arianna like that again. I won’t threaten her. If you guys betray me, then you betray me, but I won’t become that kind of a monster.”
Pulling the blankets around herself, she sat up with me. “Are you still going to hunt your father?”
I exhaled a long sigh as I looked over at her. “I need to finish this, Nika. I have to find my father.”
Nika sighed. “I’m not leaving here without you, so I’ll help you find him.”
I shook my head at her predictable stubbornness. “You’re impossible.”
“As are you,” she chided.
A feeling of loneliness overwhelmed me as I gazed at her. It took me a few seconds to realize why I felt it. It was the shot, the separation from Halina. It stung to not know where she was. Was she still north, buried under the earth where she’d been looking for me, or had she given up and returned to the ranch? Was she okay with me being gone, or was she devastated?
“This is going to sound strange, but now that I finally got away, I really miss being connected to your family. To Halina. I thought that feeling would fade with the bond broken, but it didn’t. I miss her. A lot.” I looked down at the blanket over my knees. “I really shouldn’t be telling you that.”
When I looked up at her, she had a peaceful smile on her lips. I wanted to kiss them again. “I’m not jealous of your bond with her. Not really. It’s an important bond, designed to keep you alive.” The smile slipped as her voice trembled. “Are you…are you still planning on not returning when this is over? Are you still expecting this to be a one-way mission?”
Her voice hitched, and I had to look away. In my answering silence, she asked, “Are we really so awful?”
I looked back at her watery eyes as my dead heart cracked. “I honestly don’t know anymore.”
Her eyes scanned my face while her hand threaded through my hair. “I think you’re unable to fully accept this life not because you can’t, but because you won’t. You’re letting your prejudices dictate your feelings.”
Frustration soured my tone. “And how do you suggest I get over that? Assuming I live through this.”
She showed her wrist to me. “You stop fighting, and you embrace what you are.”
I glanced at the vein in her arm, the blood rushing just below the skin. I licked my lips, and forced my eyes away. “I can’t. I can’t live like this, Nika.”
She flipped her hand over and placed it on my knee. “Yes, you can. I’ll prove it. What are you most afraid of?”
My expression darkened. “Losing control and attacking someone. Liking it too much. Killing people…becoming a nightmare.”
She nodded, like she’d expected as much. “Okay, let me show you that you’re more afraid than you need to be. Drink from me, right now.” I shook my head, but she didn’t let me verbalize my objection. “I’m not asking, Hunter. If this could make the difference between you living or dying, then I’m going to make sure you at least try it. I’m not going to give up on you simply because you’re too scared. Drink. You need to see that this won’t change you.”
My mouth opened at just the thought of her hot blood in me. “I lost control…I bit that girl in the parking lot. I almost bit you.”
With a patient smile, Nika pulled her hair away from her shoulder and exposed her neck. “You were starving yourself then. You’re not anymore. Prove to yourself that you’re stronger than you believe, then maybe you can start to accept this life.”
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. I had blood in my backpack, taken from the ranch before I’d left, but maybe she was right. Maybe I needed to overcome this fear, before I made another rash decision. A permanent one.
Slowly, I moved toward her skin. Her heart accelerated with every inch, but her breath did too. “I don’t want to hurt you,” I murmured, my icy breath giving her goosebumps.
“You won’t,” she whispered. Her hand came up to guide my head down the rest of the way. My lips touched above her jugular, and a low growl escaped me. My fangs lengthened as I fought against the urge to pull away. My head screamed that this was wrong, but my body begged that it was right. Her fingers tightened in my hair, holding me in place. “It’s okay,” she cooed. “I trust you.”
I closed my eyes as pain ripped through me. Consciously biting…that was the last step to becoming what I hated most. Or it could be the beginning of letting go of my worries. Moving aside her shirt, I brought my lips to just above her collarbone and opened my mouth, taking in her skin. I was nearly panting now, ready for this, and at the same time, I was completely unprepared. “Nika,” I whimpered, pulling back so my lips brushed her skin. “I can’t…”
“You can…we can.”
I felt her hand release my head, then felt her pull my shirt to the side. An ache went through me as my skin was exposed. When her lips lowered to my skin, mirror image of how I was touching her, I whimpered in a completely different way. Yes. Her heartbeat was loud in my ears. I felt her fangs prick my skin, and I tensed my mouth on her shoulder in preparation. God yes. She clamped down, and I flinched at the small amount of pain. My instinct was to pierce her skin in return, and for once, I listened. I bit into her…and it was heaven.
We both groaned as the life-force of one flowed into the other. Human blood, direct from the vein, was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of closeness I had with her. I knew, in that one moment of clarity, that I would never drink from anyone else but her. This wasn’t about food. It was something profoundly intimate that we would only share with each other. I couldn’t even imagine biting another person now.
I grabbed her hip under the blanket as I pulled long draws from her. Her blood was warm, sweet, tangy. Unbelievable. Conscious of how much I w
as taking, and knowing this wouldn’t be the last time I bit her, I pulled up my teeth and ran my tongue over the small wounds until the bleeding stopped. Nika was still drinking from me. I pulled her onto my lap while she purred a low growl that gave me an entirely different ache. In a flash, I saw what our life could be like if I did what she asked and embraced both parts of me. It could be glorious. It could be heaven. It could be…perfect.
When she pulled her teeth away from my shoulder, I pulled her mouth to mine. I needed to complete this connection. I needed all of her. Now.
There was a lingering taste of blood in her mouth as we kissed; it only made it sweeter. With one hand on her back, I lowered us to the cot. Her kiss was fierce with need. The noises leaving her body surged through mine. I was ready for her. Pulling back the mountain of covers, I rolled us onto her cot. Her legs automatically wrapped around me as I pressed against her. She gasped and clutched at my back.
“Oh God,” she murmured.
My lips ran to her neck as she clawed at me. “Nika…” My tongue swirled around her wounds, remembering, savoring. She shivered under my touch, and her mouth sought mine in the darkness.
“Hunter, please…”
Her fingers dug into my shirt, pulling the fabric up my body. I reached back with one hand and pulled the shirt over my head, tossing it onto the floor. Like hot packs, her hands ran down my chest. They stopped on my jeans, tugging at the button. Rolling off her, I ripped off my jeans. She took my momentary separation from her to blur her shirt and jeans off as well. When my glowing eyes washed over her nearly-bare body, the ache inside me grew painful. She was so beautiful.
She reached out for me, and I rolled back on top of her. Conscious of her temperature, I brought the blankets with me. I couldn’t spare her from my chill, but I could spare her from the iciness in the air. With a lot less fabric between us, the sensation of rubbing against her was amplified. It sent shockwaves through my body. It made cries leave hers. I grabbed her hand, clutching tight. God, I wanted her.