MY BROTHER WAS pacing his bedroom, anxious. The family was getting ready to head out to the ranch. I was ecstatic—I’d get to see a lot more of Hunter than our short, secret, midnight rendezvous. Julian, however, didn’t want to leave town. He was acting like being away for a couple of days was the end of the world. And all because of the women in his life.
Arianna hadn’t called him last night. She hadn’t come over either. He’d called her at least four dozen times, but her phone was always off. He’d even tried calling her mom, but all she’d told him was that she’d gone out with friends. Julian was gutted.
I was worried. If we didn’t fix this fast, I was going to lose my best friend forever. And all because of freaking Raquel Johnson. I couldn’t believe it. I also couldn’t believe it when Julian called her after he couldn’t get a hold of Arianna. They’d still been talking when I’d fallen asleep. My brother seriously needed an intervention.
I silently watched him wearing a circular pattern into the floor as he paced. He looked up at me, his face and mood distressed. “Why didn’t she call me? I told her I would explain what happened on prom night if she called me. So why didn’t she call? Or come over? Why would she…go out?” He tossed his hands into the air.
Folding my arms across my chest, I leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t know, maybe she’s making you sweat it out. You know, because you basically ignored her all week.”
His feelings turned droll as he stopped and stared at me. “I didn’t ignore her. I was just…a little preoccupied.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A little? Talking to you was like talking to a wall.”
He ran his hands back through his hair. “I just felt bad for what happened to Raquel. I felt responsible. I still feel responsible.”
I lowered my gaze. It wasn’t Julian’s fault, and I told him as much. “You didn’t have anything to do with what happened to her.”
His voice hardened. “I know.” He sighed. “I can’t shake the feeling though. It was a member of my family who caused the situation. That kind of, sort of, makes it my doing.”
My heart skipped a beat and surprise washed through me. Julian bunched his brows as my emotions flowed into him. “What?” he cautiously asked.
I couldn’t contain my happiness, or my smile. “You just called Hunter family.”
Julian looked away. “Well, he is…isn’t he?” Getting a mischievous grin on his face, he looked over at me and added, “Which means you can’t date him. Incest and all.”
I grimaced at his words, then chucked a hairbrush at his head. He easily dodged. Heat flashed through my body as I remembered the explosion Hunter had given me last night. Epic didn’t even begin to describe it. And while it had been exceedingly satisfying, it hadn’t been enough. I wanted him, body and soul. I wanted to share every last intimacy with him, which was yet another reason why I wanted to go to the ranch. Hunter had a soundproof room…
Julian’s mood turned curious while he examined my flustered feelings. When he figured out what I was thinking about, his curiosity instantly shifted to horror. “Nika, did you…?”
Our parents were downstairs, so he didn’t finish his question. Instead, he acted out the movement with his hands. My face flamed brighter than the sun, and I wished I had another hairbrush to throw at him. “No!” I hissed. “And stop asking me that question.”
Julian turned over my words with disgust on his face; he was filled to the brim with disbelief. He knew we’d done something last night. Thank God he’d been asleep. I bit my lip as Hunter’s hard body swept over my thoughts. Julian held up his hand. “Whatever you’re thinking about, please stop.”
Clearing my throat, I tried changing the subject. “Why don’t you try calling Arianna again before we go? I’m sure she’s done tormenting you by now.”
Julian was just as ready to redirect the conversation, so he nodded and pulled out his phone. Exhaling a cleansing breath, he sat on his bed and called her number. His nerves spiked while he waited for her to pick up. He looked over at me, fear in his eyes. He didn’t want to lose her, any more than I did.
He shot off the bed the second she said hello. “Don’t hang up!” he implored.
I could hear Arianna’s sad sigh. “I wasn’t going to. If I didn’t want to talk to you, I wouldn’t have answered the phone.”
Julian frowned. “Like last night?”
“I just needed time to think about things,” she said.
Julian sighed, his mood sinking. “And…what do you think…about us?”
“We have a lot to talk about…but, I don’t want to give up on us just yet. I’m still in love with you, Julian.” She didn’t sound entirely pleased as she confessed that.
Julian went straight to ecstatic though. “I love you, too. I’m so glad to hear you say that, Arianna. I was really freaking out.”
“I’m sorry…that wasn’t my intention. I just…needed space.”
Julian’s voice was impassioned when he spoke again. “I don’t want to do this over the phone. I want to talk to you face-to-face. Can you come over?”
“Aren’t you going to the ranch today?”
Julian swore under his breath. Without even asking for permission, he told her, “Come with us? Just for the day. Or night. Have dinner with my family?”
My dad’s voice immediately drifted up the stairs. “Julian, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Julian ignored him, and concentrated on Arianna. “Please?”
She made a hemming and hawing sound. “Dinner? With your entire family?”
Arianna knew that would involve a lot of blood drinking. She still wasn’t overly comfortable with that, but she wanted to be, so after Julian begged her a few more times, she finally relented. “Okay, I’ll ask. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
Julian was joyful as he told her goodbye. His glee faded a bit when Dad snapped, “Julian! Get down here. Please.”
Julian groaned as he looked my way. I gave him a supportive smile, but he’d kind of brought this one on himself. His mood petulant and reluctant, he walked downstairs at a slow, human pace. I heard a rapping sound downstairs and imagined Dad tapping his foot while he waited. Before Julian was even in the room with him, Dad said, “I know you and Arianna are close, but you can’t invite her along without clearing it by us first. Especially with Hunter staying there. I’m not sure that the ranch is the safest place for Arianna to be right now.”
I instantly glared at the floor. “Hunter’s eating now, Dad. He’s not a threat to her. He’s not a threat to anyone.”
Silence stung my ears. Even Julian stopped moving. I cringed. I hadn’t meant to give away that much information.
“How do you know Hunter’s eating, Nika?” Dad asked.
Closing my eyes, I cursed. Damn it. Hearing me swear, Dad gruffed out, “Why don’t you come downstairs, too. I think we all have things to talk about.” I trudged down the stairs even slower than Julian.
We both looked equally guilty when we were finally standing before our parents. Dad’s sky blue eyes narrowed to pinpoints as he studied us. He shared a glance with Mom, then said, “You two want to tell me what’s been going on around here?”
Like we’d rehearsed, Julian and I answered at the same time. “Nothing’s going on.”
Dad looked like he believed that about as much as he believed that Hunter was no longer a threat. “Right. Want to try that again? But with a little honesty this time? What have you two been up to?”
Julian filled with resignation while I filled with panic. My brother could totally throw me under the bus right now if he wanted. I didn’t think he would, but I beat him to the punch anyway. “I’ve been talking to Hunter on the phone every night…when you guys are asleep.” Surprised flashed over Dad’s face. He opened his mouth to talk, but I beat him to it. “Eating is really hard for him. He finds it helpful for me to be there…talking him through it.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And you’re always telling us to be as helpful as we can to people. I was just following your example.”
Dad didn’t seem to know how to counter that. A flash of pride went through me that I’d actually stumped my father. Seeing that I’d sort of won, Julian grabbed the reins. “Yeah, and I made a pretty monumental mistake with Arianna this week, and I’m trying to correct it. You always say to do everything you can to set right a wrong. That’s what I’m doing.”
Julian and I looked at each other, matching glee in our bellies. Dad couldn’t argue against his own teachings. “We’re just practicing what you preach,” I said with a shrug.
Dad scratched his head, at a loss. “Well, okay, I guess I see your point.” Sighing, he looked at me. “Phone conversations are fine, but Hunter is still too dangerous for you to be around right now.” I kept my face smooth and hoped I didn’t look guilty; I hated lying to my parents. Dad’s gaze swung to Julian. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do with your girlfriend, but the ranch—”
“Is a perfectly safe place for her to be,” I interrupted.
Dad looked over at me with forced patience on his face. “Nika…”
Mom looped her arms through one of Dad’s. “There are going to be a lot of people there watching out for her, Teren. And Arianna is aware of the danger. I think it would probably be okay for her to come to dinner.” She looked over at Julian. “Every man should get a chance to set things right with the woman he loves.”
She looked back at Dad with a soft smile on her lips, and Dad practically melted as he stared down at her. “All right…I guess it will be fine.” Mom’s smile grew, and she leaned up to give Dad a warm kiss.
Julian clapped his hands together while they tenderly kissed. “Okay, perfect. I’ll just…go wait for Arianna to call back.”
Dad pulled away from Mom’s mouth, and Mom started nibbling his ear. Grimacing, I fled the room. As I did, I heard Dad tell Julian, “Just dinner, she can’t spend the night.”
Julian left the room a split-second after me. “Sure thing, Dad, no problem.”
As we met up on the stairs, the sound of kissing and giggling drifted out to us from the kitchen. And Dad murmuring, “You make it very hard to be a stern parent.”
Mom’s voice was low when she responded, “I’m sure I make several things hard for you.”
A low growl rumbled the air, and Julian and I both made faces like we were about to throw up before we zipped back to our rooms. God, they were mortifying.
After Arianna called back and agreed to meet up with us for dinner at the ranch, we headed out. Julian was in a much better mood when we left, and for once, we were both sort of hopeful about things. Even our parents were in bright spirits as they sang along to songs on the radio. Yep. The school year had started out rocky, but we were on our way now.
My mom’s spirits dwindled a little when she noticed a certain shiny BMW in the garage. Looking over at Dad, she cringed. “Starla’s here.”
Dad looked over at Starla’s car, then looked back at Mom. His smile was amused. “Great-Gran will be thrilled.”
I immediately scanned my internal radar for Hunter’s location when our group walked into the living room. He was downstairs, though, not basking in the sundrenched room. Starla was draped across the couch with an expression of complete and utter boredom on her face. She perked up a little when she saw us. “Vamp Boy! Vamp Girl! Vamp Kids! How fun that we’re all going to be staying in the middle of nowhere together.”
Dad forced a smile to his lips as he greeted her. “Starla. What a nice surprise. You don’t come out to the ranch very often.”
Starla hopped off the couch. Rubbing a spot on her shoulder, she sighed, “Yeah, well, Father insisted that Jace and I visit him for a while, so…” She shrugged at the end of her sentence, like it was a foregone conclusion that she would do whatever Gabriel asked. And she generally did.
A concerned look crossed my father’s features, but Starla ignored the implied question on his face. Instead, she blurted out, “Jace! I need your magic hands!”
Her blonde counterpart rushed into the room mere seconds after she bellowed for him. Tilting his head, he examined the spot on her shoulder that she was furiously rubbing. “Still bothering you?” he asked in a soft voice.
Biting her lip, she nodded and turned her back to him. He placed his cold hands on the area that was grieving her, and she instantly sighed in relief. “You okay, Starla?” Mom asked.
Starla gave her a lopsided grin. “Yeah. Jace and I were just trying out some bondage techniques. He tied my arms a little too tight, I think I pulled something.” Her smile grew. “So worth it though. You two should try it? Spice things up a bit.”
She shimmied her hips against Jacen’s pelvis as he concentrated on her shoulder like it was the only thing left in the room. Equal parts disgust and curiosity blossomed in Julian. My mood matched his. God, those two were so much worse than my parents when it came to private information.
Irritated, Mom sputtered, “We have the perfect amount of spice, thank you very much. We don’t need whips and chains to—” Dad grabbed Mom’s arm, stopping her from finishing that sentence. He flicked a quick glance at Julian and me. Our mouths were probably wide open. I never wanted to hear my mother say ‘whips and chains’ again. Mom stopped talking. Thankfully.
Starla laughed as she looked at the discomfort on everyone’s faces. “Oh, this weekend is going to be so much more fun than I’d originally thought.” Grabbing Jacen’s hand, she started pulling him from the room. “Come on, Jace. I’ve got a better idea of how you can help me.” The pair, who looked more like mother and son than boyfriend and girlfriend, giggled as they left.
In a whisper, my mom muttered, “Gabriel soundproofed their room, right?” A smirk on his face, Dad gave her a quick nod in response.
When the living room quieted, Julian started laughing. Mom shot him a look, and he tossed his hands up. “Sorry.”
He was still chuckling over the encounter when we ran into the rest of our family in the kitchen. I thumped his arm, and he only shrugged. He couldn’t help it. He was just in a really good mood. I hoped it lasted.
I waited out the day by doing mundane things with my family—helping Alanna bake, playing a card game with Grandma Linda. Julian spent the afternoon on the phone. He alternated his conversations between Arianna and Raquel. It irritated me, but I did my best to let it go. Arianna was the one coming over tonight. She was the one who had Julian’s heart. His obsessive need to help Raquel would eventually fade.
When the sun finally set, I was antsy. Julian too; Arianna would be here soon. My father had already left to go pick her up. Arianna getting a ride was one of the conditions Arianna’s mother had given. She didn’t want Arianna driving out to the ranch all by herself. She was probably still a little upset about the time Arianna had stolen the family car and driven out here. She would be even more ticked if she knew what had really happened that night.
I bounced my legs while I waited for Hunter to come upstairs. Julian and I were playing Gin Rummy. Pausing his hand, he glared at me. “Will you please stop that. You’re giving me a headache.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant my nervous tick, or my emotional anxiety. I could only stop the tick, so I stilled my legs. “Sorry, I’m just—”
I felt Halina coming up the stairs and shot to my feet. Julian shook his head at me and put his cards down on the table. Halina came out of the tunnels, followed closely by Gabriel. I expected to feel Hunter approaching next, but he was still downstairs. Halina greeted everyone in the room, and I gave her a half-hearted hug. Was Hunter not coming out; was he still hiding from me?
Just when I thought he’d stay tucked away the entire weekend, I finally felt him move upstairs. Mere seconds later, he stepped out of the hidden hallway. All heads turned in his direction. Hunter’s dark eyes scanned the room of people watching him; they ended on me. “Hey,” he finally muttered.
I giggled as I stepped toward him. That was probably an immature thing to do, but I didn’t care. I was just so happy that he was willingly joining us. He looked good as I wrapped my arms around him—healthy, strong, more alive than he’d looked in months. Drinking was bringing him back to some form of normalcy. He still needed to do it more often though.
His arms loosely circled my waist as I squeezed his chilly body. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered in his ear.
A shudder passed through him. “I…I’m not joining you for dinner, but I thought I’d say hello.”
Disappointment washed through me as I released him. “You’re not?”
He shook his head. There was a sadness in his piercing eyes that I was getting used to seeing on him. It was almost difficult to remember a time when I hadn’t seen a trace of despair on him. “I’m getting better, but I still can’t handle eating like that. I need to do it in my own way. Privately.” He glanced at the many grandmothers in the room. “I’m sorry.”
Halina stepped forward. “You have nothing to apologize for.” She lifted her hand toward the glass doors leading out back. “Go. Do what you need to do. I’ll find you later.”
Hunter nodded and stepped away from me. I grabbed his hand. I’d really wanted some time with him. He smiled back at me. “I’ll be close. I just…I can’t be in the house for this.”
Sighing, I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I’ll find you before she does.”
His lip curved into a half-smile that was disastrously attractive, then he said his goodbyes to the room and headed outside. Even though conversations blossomed around me, all my focus was on Hunter; he’d gone to the pool house. I tried to listen for him, but he was too far for my diminished abilities to make out any noise.
I attempted to go back to my game with Julian, but I couldn’t, not with Hunter awake. Feeling that Dad was still moving toward the city, and would be gone for at least another hour, I turned to Halina. “Would it be all right if I brought him something to eat? He shouldn’t have to wait since he’s not eating with the rest of us.”
Halina nodded, but my mom instantly objected. “No, I don’t want you around him when he’s eating, Nika.”
I kept my expression smooth as I faced her. “We’re constantly telling people that we’re not dangerous. That just because we drink blood, it doesn’t mean we go out slaughtering people. Is that true or not?”
Mom sighed. “You know it is, but Hunter—”
“Is drinking everyday now. He’s not starving anymore, and he’s not going to lash out in hunger. He’s also not going to drain me dry because he’s a psychopath. He cares about me, and I care about him. And I would like to help him do something that he finds disgusting. Please.” I was pretty proud of myself for saying all that. And I’d managed to not use that whiny tone that drove my mom crazy. Maybe she’d relent.
With another long exhale, she muttered, “Teren is going to kill me.” In a clearer voice, she told me, “Okay. Half an hour, and then I come check on you.”
I nodded and darted away to the kitchen to make Hunter a tall thermos of blood. He’d probably need it. When I got to the pool house, I found him lounging in the family’s super-large hot tub. His back was to me, his arms resting along the sides of the tub, his head laid back on the cushion. His clothes were in a pile next to the tub. Oh my God…was he naked in there?
Swallowing a nervous lump, I made my way over to him. Feeling me approach, he turned his head my way. “Should you be in here? Alone with me?”
He looked up at my face when I stepped beside the tub. “Mom gave me thirty minutes before she’s going to loose the hounds.” I cocked an eyebrow as I purposely avoided looking at his bare body; my cheeks warmed. “Is this how you spend dinnertime? In the tub?”
His eyes skimmed over my features, a faint smile on his lips. “I like being warm.”
My eyes accidentally dropped to his waist, only slightly hidden beneath the shimmering water. Thanks to my enhanced sight I could tell that he was indeed not wearing a swimsuit. He brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees before I really saw anything, but I knew he was naked, and the knowledge was enough to steal my breath.
“What are you doing here, Nika?” His eyes were glued on the thermos in my hand, his fangs just slightly elongated. He was hungry.
I held it out to him. “I know you’re not ready to eat with the others, so I thought I’d bring you something to eat in private.”
He smiled and looked down. “You’re too good to me.” His smile slipped, and sadness again leaked into his features. Setting down the thermos on the cement, I did something impossibly stupid. I streaked off my clothes, well, down to my bra and underwear, and hopped into the water with him. Hunter jerked up straight. “What are you doing?”
He tried to politely keep his eyes off my chest, but they kept drifting back. Some mature, feminine part of me liked him looking at my body. I kept my breasts above the waterline as I settled beside him. “Joining you for a dip while you eat. I like being warm too.”
He smirked. “You’re already warm, and I don’t think your family would approve of this.”
I sat right beside him, timidly putting my hand on his knee. Since my mom hadn’t rushed out here, I had to assume she was being kept busy by the family, and wasn’t paying a great amount of attention to me; this building was a strain for Mom, but if she tried hard enough, she could hear us. “Well then,” I quietly said. “We won’t tell them.”
Hunter grabbed a section of my hair; the ends of the long strands were completely soaked as they floated on top of the water. “Good luck with that,” he murmured.
Reaching behind me, I grabbed the thermos. Hunter’s gaze shifted from my body to the carafe. He wanted two things right now. I’d be happy to give him both. He shifted how he was sitting so he was facing me; it left his lower body exposed, but Hunter didn’t seem to care. He just wanted to eat. Since he was often a gentleman, I did my damndest to not sneak a peek while I handed him the thermos. I succeeded for the most part. His fangs crashed down before he even brought the container to his lips. His eyes closed as he tipped it back, and it made me smile to watch him eat without hesitation. Or even a grimace. This was getting easier for him. Finally.
As he gulped down his meal, his free hand came out to clutch my thigh. Gently squeezing and releasing, he slid his hand up my leg. I was sure he wasn’t even conscious of what he was doing right now. I was sure conscious of it though. Every section he touched ignited my flesh more than the steamy water. I wanted him to keep going. I wanted him to give me another moment like last night. Julian was awake, though, and he’d definitely put a stop to this if it went that far. We’d have to wait. Maybe I could sneak down to Hunter’s room later?
When Hunter’s hand wrapped around my hip, I forgot all about my brother. He pulled on me, like he wanted me closer, so I straddled him. Finished with his drink, he lowered the thermos and stared at me with hooded eyes. My heartbeat raced, and he tilted his head, listening to it. “You shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t be so close to me,” he whispered. His hand slipped underneath my underwear though, to rest on my bare hipbone.
Desire blossomed through my core, and I scooted up his lap. I needed to know if he was feeling this too. When our chests were flush together, I could tell that he was; his body was fully ready for me. All he’d have to do was rip my underwear away and he could have me. Breath heavier, I told him, “Quit trying to push me away.”
He had blood on his lips, and I leaned down to lick it off. His grip on my hip tightened, his hips moved beneath mine. “Stop. We can’t.”
I could hear blood sloshing in the thermos still in his hand. My words full of double meaning, I indicated his meal. “Do you want more?”
He understood the double-entendre and seemed unsure how to answer me. Finally, he nodded and whispered, “Yes.”
I rocked my hips against him; the feeling of his body so close to mine made the ache almost unbearable. I didn’t think I could wait until tonight. I didn’t think I could wait another second. I needed him, body and soul. Containing the moan I wanted to make, I said, “Then have some more.”
Instead of caving, Hunter pushed me off his lap. I wanted to whimper at the loss of him. “Nika…you should go.”
He set down the thermos, not partaking in that desire anymore either. I had to resist the urge to straddle him again. “I’m not going anywhere, Hunter, can’t you just accept that?”
His face aged as he closed his eyes. When he reopened them, the sadness I saw there broke my heart. “And I’m not going to accept this life. Ever. So where does that leave you?” He looked away. “You deserve better.”
Grabbing his cheek, I made him look at me. “You keep saying you won’t accept this life, but I see you acclimating. Day by day you’re getting better. You can get through this, Hunter, I know you can. And I want to help you. I’m not leaving you…like he did.”
Pain and betrayal flashed over his features, and I wanted to cry for him. If his father had just stayed, just accepted him, Hunter’s pain wouldn’t be nearly as great. But instead of his father’s unconditional love, he had mine. I leaned into him and placed my lips against his, letting him feel how much I loved him, how serious I was about this. He wasn’t alone.
His kiss was reluctant at first—he still wanted to push me away—but like he did so often, he melted under my touch. His hand came up to cradle my head as we tenderly moved our mouths together. I could tell his fangs were up as he kissed me, and I smiled against his lips. I could taste the residual blood in his mouth. He’d retracted his fangs despite that fact…and that took a great deal of effort. He was getting so much better at this.
Being respectful of his wish to go slowly, I didn’t jump back onto his lap, and that took a great deal of effort for me. I did run my hand down his chest though. And I might have placed it low on his firm abdomen. Low enough that the back of his straining body touched the back of my hand. It killed me, in the best possible way. It affected him too. The longer I held my hand there, perfectly still against his belly, the more heated his kiss became. He was breathing heavier in no time, and his hand tangled into my hair, holding me against him.
When he finally broke apart from my mouth, he could barely speak. “Do you know…what you’re doing to me?”
I knew what he was doing to me, so I had to imagine that the fire raging through him was very similar. “Can I touch you?” I breathed in his ear.
He dropped his head to my shoulder as a low groan escaped him. “Please,” he begged.
I rotated my wrist so my fingers could wrap around him. He fell apart under my caress. “God, you’re hotter than the water.” He let out a groan that was far too loud for how close we were to the main house. I didn’t care though. I also didn’t care that I was about to explode and Julian would surely feel it. As my fingers traveled up and down his body, I breathed in his ear, “Please touch me too.”
His head came back up, and he stared at me so intensely, I thought I would die if he didn’t do it. “Nika,” he murmured, his lips seeking mine again. I didn’t think he was going to honor my request, but then I felt his hand up my thigh again. My body pulsed with need, and I leaned back in the water, giving him a better angle.
His fingers snuck inside my underwear, and his tongue darted into my mouth. I ached so badly I could hardly think straight. My fingers caressing his body squeezed and pulled. He moaned in my mouth, then his finger ran between my legs. Oh. My. God. Lost in the moment, I laid my head back in the water as a long cry left my lips. It was the most wonderful, intense feeling having him directly touch me, so much better than everything we’d already done. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to go all the way. Right now.
“Nika…get back in the house. Now.”
Reality crashed down on me like ice water as my mother’s voice shot through my brain. She was right outside the pool house, and I didn’t need to see her to know she was pissed. Her words woke up Hunter, too, and he blurred to the other side of the tub, as far away from me as he could get. He was panting, and his eyes were still heavy with desire. The lingering sensation of him touching me was still with me, and I had to rub my legs together as I cursed under my breath. Damn Mom.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll be right there,” I yelled at her.
“I’ll wait,” she replied.
Hunter ran a hand through his hair. “You should go,” he told me again.
Groaning, I hopped out of the water and grabbed a towel on a nearby rack so I could dry off enough to redress. Crap. My mom was gonna kill me if she’d heard all that. And then Dad was going to kill me again when she told him. Great.