“Ewan, Gregor wants to see you. Now.”
Ewan couldn’t say he was surprised to find an escort waiting at the door to take him straight to their fearless leader. No doubt it had been orchestrated as a sort of ambush. Gregor’s favorite tactic. Unfortunately for him, Ewan was more than prepared for an attack. Sort of tough to get the upper hand on one of your own when they already knew the playbook.
Gavin stared Ewan down as though anticipating defiance and since Ewan loved to disappoint people, he headed straight toward Gregor’s apartment without so much as a grunt in response. He kept his posture relaxed, his breathing even, and his heartbeat slow. Ewan knew exactly what to do to make his body cooperate. He’d spent years training his physical reactions to obey his conscious thoughts. Ewan wouldn’t be betrayed by quickened breath, dilated pupils, tense muscles, or anything else. For all intents and purposes, Gregor would find him calm and amicable. Completely trustworthy.
He stopped in the hallway at Gregor’s door. The abandoned apartment building wasn’t fit for rodents, but Gregor insisted they live here. Ewan’s lip curled with disgust. He hated it here. Hated the disrepair. The smell. The lack of electricity or running water. He hated living like a fucking animal and foregoing even the smallest comfort for the supposed greater good. Gregor expected sacrifice and complete loyalty without offering a gods-damned thing in return. The bitter tang of resentment burned Ewan’s tongue and he swallowed against the sensation that formed a tight knot in his throat. His eyes drifted shut for the barest moment as he drew in a deep and even breath, held it in his lungs, and released it just as slowly. Calm settled over him as the anger ebbed from his body.
“Get in here.”
Ewan didn’t even have to knock. Gregor was shrewd, his senses keen. It was tough to get one over on the self-proclaimed berserker king but Ewan was about to give it his best shot. He turned the knob on the door and stepped inside the dark and dingy run-down apartment. Gods, what a shithole. He still couldn’t believe Gregor found this existence preferable to working for the Sortiari.
Not even a candle illuminated the living room. Ewan was sure Gregor preferred it that way, as though the dark would somehow make him even more sinister than he already was. Instead, Ewan found it unnecessary and melodramatic. These sorts of theatrics might’ve worked on other supernatural creatures, but it was a waste of energy for him to use it on his own brethren.
“You’ve been a busy son of a bitch, haven’t you?”
This wasn’t the first time Ewan had been on the receiving end of that angry, abrasive tone. It didn’t faze him in the slightest. He shrugged, knowing full well that Gregor would see the casual gesture through the dark. “I wouldn’t say busy, so much as preoccupied.”
Gregor attacked in a smear of darkness, shoving Ewan so hard against the wall that the plaster cracked and the drywall gave way. Chunks of it landed in his hair and he gave a shake of his head to dislodge the debris, sending a cloud of grayish white dust around them. Anger pooled in his gut and threatened to overtake him. Ewan commanded his body to resist the pull of anger and focused his thoughts. An image came to mind of lush pink lips and he calmed.
“What the fuck makes you think you can speak to me in that way?” Gregor wrapped his fist in the neck of Ewan’s T-shirt as he leaned in close.
It was a rhetorical question not meant to be answered, simply a reminder that Gregor was—as he’d always been—someone not to be fucked with. As if Ewan, or anyone else for that matter, needed a reminder. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the roll of bills he’d earned tonight and held it aloft for Gregor’s inspection.
“What the hell is this?”
“For the cause.” It took every ounce of willpower Ewan had to keep the sneer from his tone. “I have been busy. Earning money for you.”
Gregor’s lip pulled back into a snarl. He gave Ewan a rough shake that rattled his jaw and embedded him deeper into the drywall. “You expect me to believe that shit?”
“Would I be giving you the money otherwise?”
Gregor laughed. “You might. If you’d been found out and were trying to save your own gods-damned neck.”
No one could say Ian Gregor was stupid. Ewan had known this was going to be a hard sell but a little skepticism and a couple of body slams weren’t going to deter him. “You were gone. It was stagnant as fuck around here. I needed to do something.” That much at least, was the truth. “You’re going to get down on me for being proactive?” It might’ve been stupid to poke the bear, but berserkers were aggressive by nature. It would be more suspicious if Ewan didn’t try to pick a fight.
“I’m going to get down on you for going behind my back!” Gregor railed. “And…” He tightened his grip on Ewan’s shirt. His voice went low and dangerous and a flicker of fear shot through Ewan’s veins. “For keeping company with a gods-damned vampire. Who the fuck is she?” Gregor demanded with another rough shake. “And why isn’t she dead?”
Fuck. Ewan had been hopeful that little bit of gossip had yet to reach Gregor’s ears. He should have known better. A protective instinct rose within him at the mention of Sasha. Ewan didn’t want Gregor to know a gods-damned thing about her. She was a secret he wanted to keep all to himself. He could try to lie. Tell the crafty warlord king that the gossip was wrong. That whoever saw what they think they saw had been wrong. But lying would only insult Gregor’s intelligence. Ewan had known that if he was going to pull this off, his plan would have to be set on a foundation of truth.
Despite Sasha’s confession that Ewan had somehow tethered her, he didn’t owe her anything, least of all his protection. She’d bitten him. Without his permission. Taken his blood as though it was something due her. The offense was still fresh in his mind. Still stung his pride and tarnished every belief that had been ingrained in him. Ewan had to look out for himself because no one else would. He had to look out for Drew because he’d given his cousin his word. He’d made no vows to Sasha. His throat tightened as though resisting the words he was about to speak. Resisting the betrayal. There was no help for it. Ewan had no choice.
He knew what he had to do.
“The vampire thinks I’m her mate.” The truth burned his tongue as though to punish him with it. “She said…” He let out a breath. “Nothing that made any sense.”
Gregor loosened his hold on Ewan’s collar and he braced himself for the blow that was sure to come. Instead, Gregor threw his head back and his robust laughter filled Ewan’s ears.
“Aristov must be breeding madness in his fledgling flock. Her mate?” His incredulous tone caused Ewan’s hackles to rise. “It’s impossible!”
He didn’t know why Gregor’s words got on his nerves so much. Hadn’t he thought the exact same thing when the affirmation left Sasha’s lips? A mate bond between a vampire and berserker wasn’t simply unheard of, it went against everything they knew about themselves. But Gregor couldn’t believe it simply for those reasons. Believing would undermine the very foundation of a centuries-long vendetta and the revenge he so desperately craved.
“What did you say to her when she told you this nonsense?” Gregor asked between bouts of laughter.
Perhaps it was Gregor who was mad and not the vampires. He sure as hell didn’t seem to have his shit together. Ewan had come here expecting to receive a sound beating. He didn’t like shifting gears, but here he was, foot to the pedal. “I told her to get the hell out of my sight.” Honesty was the best policy, but there were some things even Ian Gregor didn’t need to know. The last detail Ewan planned to divulge to anyone was that she’d bitten him. He still hadn’t taken the time to fully process what had happened himself.
“And she obeyed?”
Honestly, Ewan was just as surprised about that as Gregor was. “She did. I told you, she thinks there’s a bond between us. Her certainty is unflappable.”
“I can use this,” Gregor said more to himself than to Ewan. A tremor of anxiety rippled through him. “And you, Ewan Brún, are going to help me.”
Ewan’s situation had definitely just gone from bad to worse. The last thing he needed was to have Gregor’s undivided attention. And thanks to Sasha, he was going to get it.
* * *
“Sasha, I’d like you to meet Lucas.”
Gods, why had she agreed to this? Sasha extended her hand. Lucas took it in his and gave it a firm shake that nearly pulled her elbow free of her arm. The male was huge.
“Nice to meet you.”
She smiled at Lucas and then at Bria before stepping aside to invite them inside the house. Shortly after Sasha had been turned, Bria—Jenner’s mate and a sort of vampire community outreach representative—had come to the house to check up on things. Saeed had left on his quest for his mate and put the coven in Sasha’s and Diego’s care. The vampire king hadn’t been thrilled about Saeed jumping ship and had sent Bria to do a “new vampire” welfare check. Bria had sensed Sasha’s loneliness and despair, and had offered to introduce her to her friend Lucas so that the two might keep each other company. That had been before Sasha had decided she’d had enough of her mopey existence and had gone out to do something about it. Now, she was stuck in what she could only assume was a blind date. Awesome. Like this wasn’t bound to be awkward as fuck.
Lucas stepped inside and gave her a sheepish smile. Despite his size and imposing appearance, Sasha could tell that Lucas was gentle and kind. Eyes didn’t lie and his soft blue gaze hid nothing. There was an innocence to Lucas that softened Sasha’s heart. She didn’t even have to know him well to sense it. It surrounded him like an aura.
Sasha led the way to the media room at the south end of the house. Diego had left a half hour ago, and Saeed and his mate had left for Mikhail Aristov’s house at sundown. The other members of their coven were either gone for the night or occupied elsewhere, which was fine by Sasha. The last thing she needed was a bunch of curious dhampirs nosing in on her business to report back to Saeed.
“So, how’s it going?”
If anyone other than Bria had asked, Sasha would’ve responded that she should mind her own damned business. But Bria was as kind and sincere as they came. She didn’t have a fake or malicious bone in her body. And Sasha knew anything she told her would go straight to the vault. She wondered if the same went for Lucas? The gods knew Sasha could use a few more allies.
“Oh, it’s going.” She flopped down on the sectional and motioned for Bria and Lucas to join her. “Same old, same old.”
Bria studied Sasha for a quiet moment. A wry grin spread on her lips. “You’ve definitely loosened up since the last time I was here, so some things must be going all right.”
The beauty of being an emotional bottler was the ability to pretend that your life was sunshine and rainbows even when it was a complete shit show. Sasha’s new carefree, don’t-give-a-fuck lifestyle had little to do with being happy. More to the point it only served to prove she had wicked self-destructive tendencies.
“Sure.” Sasha shrugged. “I decided to embrace change instead of fight it.”
“It’s okay to need an adjustment period. Change is hard for everyone.”
Sasha really did like Bria. But her calming presence was as disturbing as it was reassuring. Rather than put Sasha at ease, it reminded her of the turbulence of her own life. For the past several days she’d tried to get the berserker out of her head. Tried to forget the sensation of his touch, the intensity of his gaze, the heat of his body against hers, his rough exterior, gruff voice, and his cruel words that bit into her flesh like barbs. She didn’t understand how someone she knew so little about could already claim ownership over her emotions. When Bria had asked if she and Lucas could come over, Sasha had seen it as an opportunity for a much needed distraction. But she was starting to think that nothing short of a lobotomy would banish the berserker from her mind.
“Change is a pain in the ass.” Sasha didn’t bother sugarcoating it. “But it doesn’t do any good to fight it.”
Bria laughed. “True.”
Sasha shifted in her seat. The walls of the media room felt like they were closing in on her and she cleared her throat. Bria was being nothing but nice and so far, Lucas had adopted a don’t-speak-unless-spoken-to approach to the conversation. This wasn’t the distraction that Sasha needed. Not by a longshot. She could sit and nod her head and pretend to hear every word Bria said while her mind wandered inevitably to Ewan. Despite his obvious disgust at having her fangs at his throat, Sasha craved yet another taste. Everything about him should’ve turned her off. She should have found him nauseating. Unsavory. Foul. His stench, his taste, should’ve repelled her. Instead, she longed to breathe in his heady musk. And she craved his blood like junkies craved their next fix. In the space of two encounters he’d managed to ruin her. He’d pleasured her. Insulted her. Excited her. And hurt her. It showed just how little pride Sasha had that the only thing she could think about was how she might be able to find him again.
“Hey.” Sasha brought her gaze up and focused on Bria’s concerned expression. “Are you okay, Sasha? You seem a little preoccupied.”
That was an understatement. “I know it’s rude, and this is going to make me a horrible hostess, but I seriously feel like I’m about to crawl out of my own skin. I really need to get out of here, Bria.” If she thought about Ewan for another second, she’d go out of her mind. “I’m sorry, Lucas. Can I get a rain check?”
Bria’s brow furrowed but she didn’t press Sasha to talk about what had her so keyed up. “Of course. Don’t let us stop you from getting a little air, especially when you need it.”
Sasha wanted to laugh. Her life was so pathetically tragic it was almost embarrassing. She pushed up from the couch and at the same time, Lucas stood. “If you want some company, I’ll go out with you.”
Why couldn’t she have found herself tethered to a male like Lucas? He was seemingly perfect. Good-looking, sweet, gentle, polite. She doubted he’d ever grab a female by the arm and bend her over a bathroom sink without so much as a proper introduction. Sasha cursed under her breath as a thrill chased through her at the memory of Ewan doing just that. He reviled her. Found her bite disgusting, and still, she wanted him.
“I’d love some company.” The last thing Sasha wanted was to be alone. She could’ve called Ani to go out with her, but she wasn’t looking for a lecture from her, either. She didn’t think Lucas was interested in talking her ear off or offering up any judgment. He’d make a great wingman. “If that’s okay with you, Bria?”
“Hey.” Lucas’s light blue eyes sparked with amusement. “I don’t need her permission to go out. Last time I checked, I didn’t need her permission to do anything.”
Huh. Sasha smiled. Looked like gentle, quiet Lucas wasn’t quite so meek after all. She liked that there was a little mystery to him. Her gaze slid to Bria who wore a wide grin. “He’s right. You two have fun, and I’ll catch up with you later.”
Bria pushed up from the couch and headed for the door to the media room. She gave Lucas a quick wave in parting before she left. Sasha couldn’t help but wonder if it had been her plan all along to throw the two of them together. Too bad Bria didn’t know that Sasha had already been tethered, not that it would matter.
Sasha turned to Lucas. She needed a distraction and she needed it now. “Well, Lucas? Ready to get into a little trouble?”
He flashed a wide smile which wasn’t quite as innocent as she’d anticipated that showcased the dual points of his fangs. “Absolutely.”
Perfect.