DISCONNECTING THE PHONE, I shoved it into my pocket and made a mad dash back to the house. I’d excused myself to make the phone call to Nika in private, explaining that she’d be hurt if I didn’t show up to get her, and I wanted to reassure her without the oddness of everyone listening. Teren had understood, and let me run off. I wasn’t sure how long he’d let me run away though, so I’d kept the call to a minimum.
A part of me hated leaving Nika on her own. It felt wrong not to be with her. And I had to be extra careful about which direction I traveled. Even though it was inconvenient at times, I tried to only move laterally to her position. Because if I moved toward her too much, this insane bond we shared would kick in, and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from phasing out the door to be with her. Which would defeat my diversion tactic. And I owed Julian as good of a diversion as I was capable of giving him.
Teren frowned at me when I returned. “I should really call Starla, give her a heads up that she’ll be watching the kids longer than she planned.” He rolled his eyes. “She’ll be thrilled.”
I plucked the phone from my pocket and showed it to him while I lied my ass off. “Already done, and yes, she was thrilled.”
Teren nodded as he eyed me. “So…you said you had something of great importance that you needed to talk about. Something that you didn’t want Nika to hear. What is it?”
Staring at the floor, I sighed as I wondered if I was making a mistake or not. It felt wrong, but it also felt incredibly right. We were in the spacious living room of the ranch. Long, plush couches were paired with solid comfortable chairs with coffee table before them and end tables between them. There were enough sitting areas for three or four groups of people to converse simultaneously. That would be frustrating for groups of vampires though, what with our advanced hearing. A wall of newly replaced windows highlighted the expansive back yard, the acres of fields waving with tall grass, the rolling hills sharpening into majestic mountains in the background. It was an awe-inspiring sight, and one I frequently enjoyed. Like the old windows, these new ones had been treated with a special formula that let full vampires experience sunlight for a few minutes a day. It was a perk I looked forward to every day. It paled in comparison to Nika though.
I indicated for Teren to sit on one of the many chairs clustered around a long, low table. The table was new, as well—a lot of the old furniture had been damaged in the raid. Teren seemed reluctant, but he eventually sat down. Emma sat on his right. Jake was hanging around too. He was currently playing chess with Teren’s father, Jack. Rory and Cleo were standing behind them, watching the monotony. It was all part of the master plan to get Jake to gradually not think of our species as monsters. But he was watching and listening to us as much as we were watching and listening to him. That was fine. This conversation sort of had to do with him anyway.
I sat across from Teren, on a low chair that really wasn’t all that comfortable. It seemed fitting that I fidget though, so I didn’t change spots. Jake glanced at me from the corner of his eye. I recognized his awareness and tense posture. He was on full alert, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice if the right opportunity presented itself. One of those “right opportunities” just might be a family member’s life, and that was what made this conversation so important.
“Um, well, first off, I want to thank you both for taking the time to listen to me alone. I know you were anxious for Nika and Julian to join us.” I glanced over at Jake just in time to see him dart his eyes back to his game board filled with clear and frosted glass chess pieces. I really wasn’t anxious for the twins to join us, the further they were, the safer.
I frowned. Now I had to say something that totally contradicted what I believed, what I wanted. But I didn’t see another way. Not right now. “I need your help,” I whispered.
Teren and Emma both looked at each other in surprise. Clearly, that wasn’t what they’d expected me to say. “With what?” Teren asked slowly, his expression oozing curiosity.
Biting my lip, I willed myself to stop this conversation before it got too deep. I couldn’t though. It was already too late when I’d asked for them to speak with me. “The bond with Nika.” When they didn’t look any less clueless, I started explaining. “I wanted to speak with the both of you, because you, out of everyone, knows what Nika and I are going through. The bond is…explosive. Maintaining control when it takes over is difficult, if not impossible. I’ve lost track of myself on so many occasions, sometimes I feel like a stranger. And…adjusting to this life has made me feel strange enough. I can’t take anymore.”
Teren sighed, while Emma gave me a sympathetic smile. “We know it’s hard, Hunter, believe us, we know.” Emma turned to her husband. “When Teren and I were first bonded, I turned into a caged animal whenever he came near me. I thought I’d be torn apart by all the wanton need I had.” She turned back to me. “But it gets better. I promise.”
I nodded. I’d heard all this before. “Yes, I know. In a year or so, the desire to be near each other lessens, and we’ll start to feel more like we did before. But in the meantime…” I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. I knew they understood, but they didn’t really understand. “You two were married at the time, you lived together, and you worked near each other. Your separation was generally within a couple of miles, at best. Nika and I are dozens of miles apart. The effect of the bond strengthens with distance. The ache you two felt is minor compared to the agony we feel…every single day.”
I scrubbed my eyes, suddenly exhausted. Of course, I hadn’t been sleeping much, since I was keeping an eye on Jake whenever I could. “Every day is torture, and time is only making it worse. Even now without her my chest feels hollowed out, and I know that all I have to do to get rid of that feeling…is run to her.” Lowering my hands, I locked eyes with Teren. “She’s the sweetest drug, tailor-made for me.”
Teren scowled, but didn’t comment on that. Perhaps he understood only too well how true that sentence was. Instead, he asked, “What can we do to help you? To help you both?”
I could hear the unhappiness in his voice. He knew exactly what I was going to ask. Or at least, he thought he did. I sighed just as unhappily. “The best thing to ease the bond would be for Nika to stay here at the ranch with me. It would prevent our impassioned nightly reunions. It would keep us mellower. She could finish high school here, being homeschooled by Alanna, Imogen, and Halina instead of the online courses you’ve been having her take. She’d have more room to spend her days. She’d have more people to talk to. In every way, it would be better for her.”
“I know,” Teren muttered before he looked away. I saw the debate in his eyes as he twisted his head to look at Emma. He must have had these thoughts himself, or else enough people had mentioned it to him that he’d considered the possibility. He didn’t like it though. I didn’t either.
“That’s not what I want to happen. That’s not the help I need from you.”
Teren and Emma both snapped their focus to me. “What?” Teren asked, dumbfounded.
I shrugged. “It’s true, not so long ago, that was exactly what I wanted…but things have changed.” I slid my eyes over to Jake. He was blatantly watching us now. “Life here isn’t as easy and carefree as it used to be. It’s not as…safe.” I returned my eyes to Teren’s.
He flicked a glance at Jake, his father, and Jake’s two bodyguards, then his gaze slowly returned to me. “I can understand why you feel that way,” he quietly said.
I knew he didn’t entirely agree on the level of danger Jake presented. He felt he was well guarded, and it was important to show Jake a normal and loving environment, one that included his children. But Nika was my entire world. I couldn’t risk even the slightest bad thing happening to her. “I don’t want Nika here, not right now, but I can’t stand being apart from her either, especially with the bond amplifying everything I feel for her. I’m stuck.”
Teren sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I see your dilemma. I…I could offer a room in my home to you.”
Emma’s eyes widened as she stared at her husband. I stared at him too. The only lightproof room in the house was downstairs…with Nika. He was essentially okaying me to share a bedroom with his daughter. I was tempted, sorely tempted, but being with Nika wasn’t the only thing I needed to be doing right now. “I appreciate the offer. More than you know. But…” I changed my stare to Jake. “I’m needed here.”
I saw Teren nodding out of the corner of my eye. “I thought you might say that. So, if you can’t go, and Nika can’t stay…what other option does that leave you with?”
I inhaled a breath and held it. He wasn’t going to like this. But his dislike was going to be mild compared to the two women in my life that this was going to affect the most. Luckily for me, neither one of those women were in the home right at the moment. With a sharp exhale, I told him, “Help me convince Halina and Nika that, for right now, the bond needs to be severed. I’ll take Gabriel’s shot. I’ll keep taking it, until I no longer need to.” I flicked a glance at Jake, silently blaming him with my eyes. But for him falling into our laps, I’d be asking Teren a much different question.
Teren and Emma both seemed equally stunned. Teren shook his head. “When you asked to talk without Nika here, I just assumed you’d be asking to marry her. I never imagined this conversation.”
A sad smile escaped me. Marrying Nika, making her my wife. That was a dream I’d had more than one time. It seemed like an impossibility at the moment, and she was still so young but maybe, someday…
“Ah, no…I don’t think we’re ready for that. Yet.”
Emma smiled at my word choice. Teren pursed his lips in a gesture that could have been pleasure or irritation. I wasn’t quite sure. Rubbing his hands, Teren exchanged a glance with his wife. “Hunter, we can’t…breaking the bond…Halina and Nika won’t accept that as a solution. There has to be something else.”
Teren looked over at Jake. Jake, no longer hiding that he was listening, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I got a real simple solution for you. Let me go, then your girl can move in, no problems,” he said.
Teren shook his head. “So you can tell all your hunter friends what we’re trying to do here? I don’t see how that’s going to help much.” He returned his eyes to mine. “We’ll all have bullseyes on our hearts for what we’ve done.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have done it,” Jake snapped. “You’re messing with people’s free will. You’re acting like gods.”
Letting out a weary sigh, I turned to regard Jake with tired eyes. I really needed to get more sleep. “We’re trying to forge peace between our species.”
Jake smirked. “Forge peace? Interesting choice of words. But appropriate considering that you’re shaping minds to your beliefs, just like a blacksmith shapes steel into a weapon of their choice. But tell me, vampire, who is shaping your species to not murder ours? Who fights for the humans in your negotiations?”
I turned away from him. I was getting really tired of his never-ending diatribe. And a tiny part of me agreed with him. “I don’t see another way with Nika right now. Gabriel has already perfected the shot, I just have to ask him to—”
“No.” A figure walked into the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. I looked up at Gabriel’s cool eyes as he stood a few feet away from me.
“No?” I blinked, surprised by his entrance. I’d assumed Gabriel was downstairs in his lab or outside with Halina. She was in the pastures, hunting some fresh meat before she went out to wait at the meeting site where more hunters would be converted tonight if they showed up. I should be going with her, but this took precedence.
Gabriel’s jade eyes regarded Jake before returning to me. “I will not participate in helping you break your bond with Halina. I angered her once by doing that, and I have no intention of doing so again.”
I clenched my jaw in frustration, but I understood Gabriel’s reluctance. He was already on thin ice with my creator. “I promise you I won’t be taking it without her consent and approval.” I shook my head. “I’m not running away this time. I’m not going anywhere. I just want to make things easier. For everyone.”
Gabriel frowned. “You will be hard-pressed to convince her. Nika as well. Breaking the bond between vampires is…uncomfortable for each vampire.”
My lip curved into a half smile. “Believe me, I know that. I just don’t see any other option.” I glared at Jake. “Any feasible ones.”
Jake only smiled at my comment. Gabriel’s dirty-blonde head turned to rest on the captive vampire hunter in the room. “I find you fascinating,” he plainly stated.
Jake looked mildly uncomfortable being the ancient vampire’s sole focus. “Well, that’s great. I find you a bit creepy.”
Gabriel tilted his head, like he didn’t understand why anyone would find him creepy. “Your blood is quite different from any mixed vampire’s blood that I’ve ever inspected. And I’ve inspected a lot of blood. It is sort of my specialty.”
Jake returned his eyes to the chessboard. He fingered the bishop, like he was debating a power play. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re a real expert on blood…but I’m no vampire.”
Gabriel blurred to Jake’s side, startling him. Jake jumped to his feet, making us jump to ours. Tensions rose. Jack slowly stood and backed up a couple of steps while Rory and Cleo jumped forward like they were going to tackle Jake. Gabriel held up his hand to stop them. “I am an expert. And your blood is not natural. That much I’m certain of.”
Jake sniffed and lifted his chin. “If I knew what that meant, I might be offended.”
Stepping toward them, I asked Gabriel, “What do you mean? How is he not natural?”
Gabriel twisted his head to look at me. “I think our friend here is right. He’s not a vampire, mixed or otherwise. The vampire blood in his system was given to him, but not through birth.”
I didn’t know what the hell that meant, but I didn’t have time to worry about it either. Jake had a tempting target in front of him, a target who wasn’t paying him any attention, and he wasn’t about to let that opportunity go. Almost as fast as a vampire could move, he shoved the bishop clenched in his fingers into Gabriel’s exposed neck. The sharp, glass piece punctured Gabriel’s jugular, and fresh blood exploded into the room.
It only took me a split-second to react, but in that second, Jake made his move. He shoved Gabriel away from him and jumped over the table to get to Jack. Teren’s father was an old man, and not nearly as nimble as Jake. The vampire hunter pulled him in front of him like a shield, just as the wolves descended. Teren and I were in front of him in a flash, Rory and Cleo were tense and alert behind him. He was surrounded.
Still holding onto his bloody chess piece, Jake held it to Jack’s throat. “Nobody move.” He gestured toward Gabriel, still on the floor. “He may survive his neck being torn open, but I have a feeling this one won’t.”
Emma was hunched beside Gabriel. He was fine, his wound had already closed, but he was clearly shaken. Teren and I were nearly brushing against Jack we were so close. I was sure we could yank him out of harm’s way before Jake could do anything, but jerking him that hard and that fast might hurt him just as much as Jake stabbing him.
“You don’t want to do this,” Teren said in a low, cold voice.
Jake pressed the piece harder, so that Jack’s neck turn red and splotchy around the point of impact. “Don’t I?” he asked.
Teren shook his head. He had his hands out in front of him, but he was crouched for action. “You’re a guest here, and so long as you’re a guest, no one will harm you. But if you hurt anyone, all that changes. I’ll put you down myself.”
Jake smirked. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of your little vampire protection agency? Aren’t you opposed to vengeance killings, on both sides?” Teren clenched his jaw and Jake smiled even wider. “Now as your guest, I’m kindly asking to leave.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, Jake was rapped over the head with a frying pan. I blinked in shock as I watched him crumple to the floor. Alanna was standing next to him, a greasy pan from dinner still clutched in her fingers. She’d been listening to everything in the kitchen, and had blurred into the room behind him, between Rory and Cleo, and taken him unaware.
“No one threatens my husband in my house,” she seethed. Dropping the pan, she rushed over to Jack to make sure he was okay. He was shaken, but physically, he seemed all right.
Gabriel stood and looked down on Jake’s slumbering form. The crisp, white dress shirt Gabriel had been wearing was soaked with crimson now. So was a good chunk of the rug around him. Blood dripped off his wet shirt, staining his slacks. It dripped off his fingertips, splattering onto the floor, adding to the horror.
Concerned for the old vampire, I asked, “Are you okay?”
He looked back at me, nodded, then returned his eyes to Jake; Jake’s heartbeat was slow, but steady. He was fine. “The wound has healed. I will live.” He said it calmly, but I knew for a fact that he was in pain—getting hurt still hurt.
Reaching down, Gabriel picked up the unconscious vampire hunter. “What are you going to do with him?” I asked.
Gabriel swung his gaze to me. His cheek and jaw were covered with arterial spray. It was a distressing sight. “I’m going to make sure he’s all right, then I’m going to escort him back to his room where he’ll be closely guarded for the remainder of the evening.” He looked over at Rory and Cleo and the pair immediately nodded. With this lapse in security, they’d probably be even more dedicated to the task.
Gabriel and I didn’t have the warmest relationship, but I patted his shoulder as he walked by me. Surprisingly, there were tiny drops of blood on my hand. Gabriel’s wound had been messy. “I’m glad you weren’t seriously injured.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow at me. “I am as well.”
While Gabriel walked away with Jake’s limp body, Teren made sure his father was okay. The unprovoked attack only strengthened my resolve. The ranch was no place for Nika. In truth, it was no place for any of the humans either. I’d never get Jack to leave without his wife, though, and Linda was equally reluctant to leave. Ashley and Christian weren’t going anywhere until their vacation was over. There were way too many potential targets in this nest for my liking.
I walked over to Teren with images of Jake stabbing Nika in my mind. It sickened my already twisting stomach. “Teren, it may be time to rethink the panel’s decision about keeping him here.”
Teren sighed as he patted his dad on the back. “It was my decision…and I know.” His eyes were worn when he looked at me. “Life in prison or execution didn’t sound like viable options either though. This is the only way…” His eyes drifted back to his parents, and I could clearly see how much putting his family in jeopardy bothered him.
“Well, at least reconsider your children being a part of this. Nika…” My words caught and I couldn’t continue.
Teren’s mouth hardened as he looked back at me. “You’re right. Right now, the risk is too great. Julian and Nika shouldn’t be here. I’ll help you break the bond with my daughter. I’ll help the two of you stay apart.”
It felt like my gut had been punched in with his words. The last thing I wanted was to be apart from Nika. I’d much rather be wrapped in her arms. I’d much rather be in her tiny little cement box under her parents’ home than here in this spacious, luxurious ranch without her. But, I had a duty to perform—keeping my nest safe—and it would never be safe so long as Jake believed we were soulless, bloodthirsty monsters.
My chin dropped to my chest as I bowed my head. “This isn’t what I really want, but…thank you.”
Teren pressed his palm to my shoulder. “I know. You’re a good man, Hunter.” I peeked up at him, surprised that he would admit that. He shook his head. “I may not like the fact that you’re my teenage daughter’s sire, but…I couldn’t have picked out a better boyfriend for her.”
A small smile lifted my lips. “Thank you. Your approval means a lot.”
Teren lifted his finger to my face. “That does not mean I’m okay with you sleeping with her.”
“Teren! Boundaries…” Emma snapped.
Teren ignored his wife as he stared at me. I immediately averted my eyes. “We’re not… We don’t…” Not sure what to say, but knowing I owed him the truth, I returned my eyes to his. “I’m not sleeping with her.”
The others in the room were studiously ignoring our conversation, which I had to assume was intentional. While Emma glared at her husband, Teren cocked his head. “Have you ever slept with her?” he asked.
Damn it. I wanted to be honest with him, but I was pretty sure he was going to stake me if I told him the truth. So much for being a great boyfriend. I opened my mouth to answer him and Emma slapped her hand over my lips. “Do not answer that,” she said. Then she smacked Teren’s shoulder. “You can’t ask your daughter’s boyfriend that question, Teren.”
Teren twisted to face her. “I just want to know if our daughter is still a virgin or not. Isn’t that my right, as her father?”
Lowering her hand from my mouth, Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “No, it’s not. If Nika wants to talk to you about it, then she will, but you have to let her come to you.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Remember how intrusive your family was when we first got together? And how annoying and frustrating that was? You can’t do the exact same thing to her.” She shook her head, looking very set on protecting her daughter’s privacy.
Teren pursed his lips, but didn’t argue. From behind him, his mother Alanna, muttered, “Even though it’s been said a hundred times…we’re very sorry about that.”
Teren’s expression eased as he laughed. The slight tension in the room dissolved with his sudden mirth. Looking over at me, he said, “All right, don’t tell me.” He raised his hands. “I really don’t want to know anyway. She’s my baby. I want her to stay that way.”
I nodded in understanding. Teren’s chuckles died with a sigh. “I suppose I should call Nika and explain that coming out tonight isn’t going to happen. She’s not going to like that.” Frowning, he twisted to Emma. “Maybe I should run home, talk to her in person?”
Emma was already nodding, and saying that was good idea when I suddenly remembered the secret party I was helping to cover up. “Um, actually, I think this is a conversation I should have with her. I mean, I am the one about to sever our bond. She’ll be even more upset over that.”
Teren considered that, then nodded. “We’ll all go. It should be a family conversation anyway, especially since it affects Julian as well as Nika.”
Teren took a step forward like he was heading for the doors, and I shot my hands out to stop him. “There’s no need for you guys to leave right now. There’s a pretty big mess to clean up here.” I indicated the bloody evidence of Gabriel’s attack, then looked over at Emma. “And I know you want to spend time with your sister. If you go all the way home, you know you’ll end up staying there and you’ll miss out on time with her.”
Emma glanced at Teren. “He’s right. You go, I’ll stay here with Ash.”
I wanted to groan in frustration. If I could only just order them to stay.
Teren nodded, gave her a kiss, then patted my shoulder. “Shall we race?” he asked me. “I might be mixed, but I think I can take you.”
I shook my head as I fumbled for a reason for him to stay. Any reason. “I can do this alone. You can stay with your wife. I’m sure she’d love to have some kid-free time with you.”
Teren laughed once. “We work together. In a private office. With a locked door. We get lots of kid-free time.”
Emma gasped and playfully pushed his shoulder. I wrinkled my nose, wondering what to say now. “Well, still. I’ve got this. You can stay here.”
Teren shook his head. “I should run into town anyway. Check out the meeting spot with Great-Gran. See if any hunters showed up tonight. It’s been a while since we’ve had any new arrivals, but…”
I don’t know if there was something in my expression that tipped him off, but he suddenly stopped talking and stared at me with curious eyes. “You keep trying to make me stay here…is something going on?”
Smiling, I raised my hands. “No. What could possibly be going on?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Crap. Why did I agree to play defense for Julian? Right. Because I killed his sister and obliterated his girlfriend.
With shrewd understanding, Teren narrowed his eyes and said, “You asked to speak with us alone…the twins are up to something, aren’t they? They’re still at home though, so…” His eyes widened and he snapped his head to Emma. Hers eyes widened too. At the same time, they both said, “They’re having a party.”
I closed my eyes, wondering who was going to kill me first—Julian or Teren. Teren snatched his phone out of his pocket and immediately dialed someone. At first, I thought he was calling the house, but then I heard Starla pick up the line. I also heard blaring, thumping music in the background. If Julian and Nika didn’t turn that down soon, they were going to get complaints from the neighbors.
“Vamp boy!” Starla’s cheery voice proclaimed.
Teren’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me that, especially if you’re at a party. Are you at a party?”
Starla started giggling. “Every day’s a party, vampy.”
Teren closed his eyes and looked like he was counting to ten. “Where. Are. You? And where are my children?”
“I’m at the house. And they’re here too…somewhere.” To someone else, we all heard her yell, “Hey! You seen a couple of kids around here? Yay big? Black hair, blue eyes? Brown hair, brown eyes? Yeah, I know that could be anyone. Is that a yes then? Hey, where are you going? Ungrateful little twerp.”
As she started prattling on about not being helpful, Teren let out a long exhale. “Starla…”
Starla’s voice returned more directly into the receiver. “They’re here somewhere, I swear. No need to worry. Wait, you have trackers on them. Don’t you know where they are? Why the heck are you asking me?” She started laughing again, and making a pinging noise like a submarine radar.
Teren clenched his jaw. “Are you…drunk?” he asked her.
That only made her laugh more. “I don’t know. Maybe. Gotta go, vamp boy. Chow!”
After that, she hung up. His cell still clutched in his hand, Teren pointed at me. “You’re helping the kids have a secret party while we’re gone? Forget everything I just said about you being a good boyfriend.”
I started to lift my hands and protest, but he was already gone. Emma blurred away a second after him.
Great. Well, at least I was able to buy Julian a little bit of time. Hopefully it was enough.
Because I was a full vampire and Teren and Emma were only part vampire, I was able to overtake them. I blurred passed them like they were merely jogging at a leisurely pace. I’d set out for Nika’s house with a desire to get there first, but as I flew across the pastures, another desire overrode that one. The bond kicked in, and all of a sudden, I needed to get to her simply because I needed her. Nothing in the world existed but her, and I couldn’t move fast enough. My heartbeat quickened and I felt shaky all over. I pushed myself nearly to the breaking point of my abilities. To anyone looking, I’d be a momentary blur in their vision, something easily dismissible and forgettable. It still wasn’t fast enough for me though.
I was aching, panting with desire. Things blurred passed me that I should have recognized, but I didn’t. They were just smudges of green, brown, black, trace scents of pine, water, blood. None of it mattered, nothing but getting closer to the intoxicating presence of my mate. Her face in my mind superseded everything else in reality. The remembered smell of her pushed back the abundant nature between us.
She was too far from me to sense if she was pacing, but I imagined I could feel her anticipation of my arrival growing. I pictured her restless, breathing heavy, running her hands over her body, wishing it was me. I was completely ready to be one with her. It was all I wanted, all I needed…
When I got to her street, I expected to see her, to feel her rushing toward me. She hadn’t moved though, and the loss of her was painful. I rushed into her home, breezing past people entering and exiting the house. I couldn’t wonder who they were or why they were there, I only knew, they were keeping me from my goal. I sensed my love in an upstairs bedroom, and shoved past the humans in my way. They didn’t even see me. Fighting broke out behind me, as the simple-minded people started blaming each other for the jostling. I didn’t care. Nika was all I cared about.
She was in her old bedroom. I burst through the closed door, halfway breaking it off the hinges. My love was being held back by two men I didn’t recognize at the moment, although the scent of one stirred something deep within me. Other people were in the room…two women, another man…but I didn’t care. One of the girls screamed as I came to a stop in the center of the room. It hurt my ears, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from Nika. Each man was holding back one of her arms, pinning her in place. Once Nika spotted me, she jerked free from one of her captors. She lunged for me, but the other man slipped his arms around her waist and restrained her.
Fangs lowered, I hissed at the man keeping us apart. Someone else in the room cursed, and I could sense movement by the doorway, but I didn’t care. I wanted Nika, and nothing was going to stop me. I thought I heard my name, followed by the word, “No,” but it barely registered with me. I blurred to Nika, pulling her free. The person behind her tried to grab her again, but I shoved him into the wall, cracking it. The other man who’d been holding her stepped forward, and I pushed him away with one hand. He flew, tumbling over the bed, and landing on the far side of it.
With everyone between Nika and me gone, we melded into each other’s arms. Lips found lips, hands found bodies. We sank to our knees as the urge to be together overwhelmed us. I pushed her to her back, laid over the top of her. She was panting, moaning with desire for me to take her. Our mouths never stopping, I pulled at her jeans, tearing them in my desire to get them off. Her hands pulled at my shirt, ripping it.
Odd sounds pricked my ears—cheering, gasping, whistling, agitated voices yelling. None of it penetrated deep enough to stop me though. I was with Nika, and nothing would ever come between us again. As I yanked her jeans down her hips, a sudden unexpected sensation cracked through the bond’s hold over me.
Burning hot water splashed over my back, neck, and head. I was soaked, but more startled than anything else. The surprise of it made me forget about Nika writhing beneath me. I snapped my head up to the person in front of me holding a bathroom-sized, plastic garbage can. I scrunched my brows, trying to understand what was going on.
“Julian? What the hell are you doing?”
Julian sighed in relief, then indicated the room we were in—a room packed with curious people watching. “Just stopping you from having sex with my sister in the middle of a party.”
My eyes flashed down to Nika beneath me. She was soaked from the warm water and panting with the residual desire of our intense connection. A throat cleared in an authoritative way, and we both looked over to see a very irate Teren and Emma Adams. Teren’s eyes shifted from me, to Nika, to Julian. “Everyone needs to leave. The party is over.”