Six
Brigitte raced to Will as he emerged from the crack in the earth, covered in dirt, but looking little worse for wear. Her eyes went to Olivia, just as filthy, but unhurt, too, and felt the oddness in her gaze.
She’d suspected something after Olivia arrived. Will’s attitude had changed, his attention more distant, his lovemaking less…loving. Last year, in spite of the serious nature of their mission, they had truly enjoyed each other, the sex wild and fun with no ties. They’d fallen into the same caring, enjoyable relationship right away after she’d arrived to help her sister with this project, with one difference. Their connection seemed closer this time, and after a few weeks, she realized there was a chance it might be serious. The thought of having lost him beneath the ground had almost destroyed her. It was time to admit to herself that she was falling in love with her fellow earth warrior.
Holding him now, tight to her, careful with her strength, she glanced toward Olivia, now embraced by Torin. Yes, Olivia was a kind woman, lovely, but Brigitte decided at that moment that if she wanted Will, well, let the games begin. Last year, he’d been fine with her no-strings-attached offer of sex. The situation had suited both of them well. Now, they were building something, so that beautiful vampire was going to have to go back to Vegas to play.
Moving back, she scanned his shirtless body, across suddenly redefined muscles, his skin healthy again, darker than it had been the past week.
“You scared the hell out of me! Will, I can’t believe you came here alone. I was afraid I’d lost you.”
Although he smiled into Brigitte’s concerned face, when he lifted his gaze to meet Olivia’s over Brigitte’s head, Brigitte grabbed him in another tight embrace and he buried her into him.
Standing distant from the clinging Brigitte and Will, a warm blanket around her hips, Olivia watched Brigitte pour her heart out to a man she was obviously either in love with or well on the way.
The connection she and Will had shared in the cave had been beautiful, perfect, felt like it was destined, but the reality was that they had succumbed to sexual heat that had been there from the first time their eyes had met. Sex with him had been glorious, and while she remembered the aurora-type lights that had filled the cave when they orgasmed, it only meant that she had been with a man who had within him the nature to be a vampire’s mate. It didn’t mean that he was hers.
Torin’s fingers slid along her cold cheek. “You seem okay, thank God. Vampires are durable, but that fall you two took, I’m surprised it didn’t kill Will.”
“It was a great drop, but the magics protected him. I believe they brought him there to heal, to learn.”
She glanced back to Will, Brigitte now holding his hands. Turning to Torin, she smiled. “He’s better now, Tor.”
“Liv!”
Dez, arriving with Zach, winked at Olivia and stopped in front of her to stare with an amused expression before pulling her into her arms.
“I would have taken it amiss if you’d been buried beneath this rock.”
“Like you wouldn’t, literally, move heaven and earth for me.”
“I would. Let’s get you home into a hot shower and warm bed.”
Her gaze shifting to Torin, Dez caught his eyes. “Go home. She needs her rest.”
Compelled, Torin turned without response and walked away.
“My lift-car is over here,” Zach said as he hugged Olivia and led her past the rockface, his arm around her, Dez close behind. “You okay?”
“It’s not my first underground cave, Zach. I’m fine. Got a nasty wound on the way down, but it’s all healed.”
Zach’s eyes moved to Dez’s. Wounds always healed for vampires, but, this quickly, only with blood.
Olivia smacked him and shot a menacing glance to Dez. “Stop it. Stop speculating.” A few seconds later, she shrugged. “Maybe I just heal really quick. I’m fourth-generation, you don’t know.”
Zach didn’t need to know. With what she’d told him about Will, her mostly morose visit, and now that luminous look in her eyes, he knew that Olivia and Will had been together.
“It seems like an interesting bedtime story.”
“Not one I plan to tell either of you. Take me home, guys.”
Daylight imminent, vampire energy waned as the sun rose. Zach figured they would clear the sky with only minutes to spare before the ball of ultraviolent crested the horizon.
Olivia couldn’t stop herself, she looked down as they flew past the rescuers leading Will and Brigitte from the collapsed ground. It didn’t hurt that Will lifted his eyes to watch her fly away. Some hard truths had come tonight, but no matter how the future arrived, her time in the deeper cave with Will, learning, finally, how love felt, how making love felt, had been transformative. She’d always wondered if she just lacked the capacity to commit her life to one man. Now she knew…yes, she could, if it was the right man.
There would be a reckoning, discussions, and decisions made as they moved forward. How this all played out in the end, she didn’t know, but for now, she just wanted to sleep.
After arriving back at Ife’s compound, after a long shower to wash off soil and sand, and calm sore muscles, Will crawled into his bed with a satisfied sigh of relief. Yes, sleep, please, for a day or two.
He was nearly out when Brigitte crawled in beside him and slipped onto his chest. She sighed too, her warm breath moving across his skin.
“Will, I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.” Before he could respond, she spoke again. “I’m falling for you, you big human lightning rod. Don’t do that again. It would destroy me to lose you.”
Holding her close, the darkness of the room offered protection for his conflicted emotions. Thank the Gods, he thought, that she wasn’t empathic like Shani.
This gentle loving woman had declared her heart to him, and he couldn’t break it. All that they had experienced together, the battle for earth last year, sexual connection on the eve of what might have been their last day alive, this reconnection that had blossomed into a true relationship. Did he love her? Yes, he did. Was he in love with her, though?
No. Admitting it hurt, because if Olivia hadn’t come to South America, if conditions had been right, he and Brigitte might have built a comfortable life together. He’d never thought he would have that again after his fiancée and unborn child had been killed. If Olivia hadn’t reentered his life, he and Brigitte could have been happy; he knew it.
He smiled into the blackness as he remembered his mother telling him as a young man that real love was steadfast and true. That burning passion and sex flamed out; that it wasn’t real love and it couldn’t endure.
Olivia was on her way to Dez’s place, likely with Torin, and then on her way back to her life in Vegas tomorrow. The stab of jealousy, envy, fury, that struck him when he thought of his good friend lying with Olivia tonight struck with no warning. He felt his muscles tighten, forcing himself to relax his grip on Brigitte, who had already succumbed to her deep daytime sleep.
Will couldn’t breathe. Although he was still egregiously exhausted, he couldn’t stay here. Carefully untangling himself from Brigitte, he surged from the bed and reached for his jeans beside a crumpled tee shirt lying at the foot of the bed.
“I need air,” he whispered as he wrestled with unexpected emotions. Leaving his chambers, he was grateful that no one was around as he walked out of the compound into an adjacent field of fast-growing trees. Most were already ten feet high, and between them, he could see the glowing brightness of sunrise. Long fingers of golden light threaded between row after row of long slim trunks with young leaves.
The clear blue sky and rising sun made him remember his comment at the cantina during his journey south almost two months ago, even more true here.
“Magic lives here.”
With crisp morning air and a dawning day, Will was able to slow his breathing and calm his spirit. Dropping onto the damp grass, he watched light change around him with the moving sun.
He was okay; he would be okay. This world was staggeringly beautiful, and he was connected to it like no one else above or below it. He knew he was its greatest protector, sentry to all life that called it home.
What did he have to be upset about? He’d found his destiny, the place he had to be; a world no one knew existed beneath the ground had literally waited for him. A powerful loving woman wanted him as her mate. Life gave him sorrow that tore him to pieces, but now, it gave him love and hope and purpose. And peace, if he chose to reach for it.
To appreciate his gifts, to find joy in this life he’d been granted, to find contentment. Yes, he chose to reach for it. Pressure on his chest eased.
The deep blue sky brightened. Standing, Will touched his open hand to his chest, a gesture of gratitude for this perfect morning and moment of clarity. Not ready to go back inside, he turned into the planting field and wandered through the rows. Lost now amongst the young trees, he continued moving and at one point, wandered back to the path that led to the caves. No easy access now, the hole that they had used to climb down into the first cave had filled in, the deeper chamber still open but with no good way to safely climb in or out. They would build one, but it would take time.
He stepped to the edge of the unstable opening and peered down into it.
“Will.”
Behind him, Dani had called his name and scared the shit out of him. He hadn’t heard her approach.
Turning to her, he shook his head. “Damn, girl, stop moving around on those little cat feet. I’m going to put a couple of bells on you.”
“Sorry, buddy. I followed you because I’m worried. Will, yesterday you had a metamorphosis, you know that, right?”
“What do you mean?”
Long seconds ticked past as Dani studied Will, moved slowly around him, his front, his side, lingered on his back, and then moved in front to capture his eyes. She placed a hand on his chest where he had done so earlier, but this touch sent a shiver through him.
Deep brown eyes searched his before she spoke again. “You are not the same. Not the outside, that’s obvious. Inside. Can you feel it?”
“I…” Physically, yes, that was apparent to anyone who looked at his thicker body and healthier skin tone, but how he felt on the inside? How could she know? He barely did.
“Dani, tell me what you sense. It seems I remain constantly confused lately. Unsure. Okay, yeah, I do feel different, odd, almost like I’m vibrating.”
“It’s apparent. Not to others, but you know my skill of intuitional empathy. I don’t think the change in you is definable other than the fact that you, Will, are a great deal more than just human.”
“Aren’t all of us earth warriors? None of us is normal.”
“While that’s true, it barely applies to what you’re becoming. Will, we should convene a spirit circle for you.”
“What would that accomplish?”
“Understanding what you’re changing to. I think something is coming and Will, I don’t know what, but I feel as if you are critical to protecting us from this event.”
“What? What do you see, Dani?”
“Thoughts. Possibilities. Flashes of the future. When I touch you, I see images. Crazy, unexplainable, beautiful, dangerous.”
“Flashes of the future that include me?”
“All of the warriors. It isn’t soon. Will, come back to the compound with me. Let’s have a nice breakfast and talk about something completely human. I love our lives and our celestial-designed missions, but every once in a while, I like to just be a girl.”
After watching Dani thoroughly scan him, Will let his eyes roam over her. She’d pulled her hair into a loose bun, and wore a sundress almost the color of the sky. This lovely young woman was one of the most unique and powerful humans on earth, and all she wanted was to be normal. He fully understood.
“It’s a date.”
Back at Dez’s compound
Lying in her oversized bed at her grandmother’s home, Olivia, trying to give in to her vampire nature for rest, couldn’t sleep. An hour ago, she’d been grateful that Dez had compelled Torin to go home, aware that all he wanted was to come with her, and after making sure she was okay, have sex and feed her.
Images filled her mind, but not of Torin. Will, his lips on her nipples, his tongue inside her, that thick cock that she’d never forgotten, finally buried deep in her. Heat and lights and blood, as he slid in and out, over and over, hands on her ass, fingers biting in as he held her so he could move. Brilliant lights filling the diamond-encrusted cavern as they made love in the sparkling pool filled with magic.
And it was love, not just sex. Something between them beyond the physical act had scattered rainbows across the walls, floors, and ceilings of the chamber. She’d hoped it would be a beginning.
It had been a good-bye.
Once rescued, Olivia and Will had been pulled apart. When Brigitte had launched herself into Will’s arms, Olivia’s heart had nearly stopped. A moment later, Will’s eyes met hers, and she’d seen confusion in his.
Olivia knew she needed to step back and walk away.
“If we were meant to be, we will be.”
Decision made, she figured she’d go with her original plan to return to Vegas right away; back to the life she’d built over the past fifty years.
It wasn’t right to entice him away from Brigitte. Will was hardly a meek man; if he wanted her, he would come for her, he would demand it. Above all, the most important thing was that Will’s life would be a happy one.
Outside Ife’s compound
After almost a vampire sized breakfast, and two hours of conversation, Will led Dani out the main entrance toward his motorcycle that had been parked too long. “How do you feel about wind in your hair and the sun at your back?”
“God, yes, that sounds like heaven.”
“Get on behind me and hold tight.”
Winding through inadequate roads, breathtaking landscapes made them stop frequently to view the sights, to enjoy these moments free of complications. No expectations, no decisions waiting to be made, nothing to do except breathe deep, laugh with each other, and climb on the bike to ease on down the road.
Finally, nearing dark, they headed back the way they came, revisiting the same vistas with different late-day light. They stopped just before sunset on a jutting rock ledge overlooking a river below to drink sparkling wine and eat sweetbreads they’d packed this morning.
When Dani, sighing in pleasure, looked over at Will, who did the same, she giggled. “Thank you for this day. I haven’t felt this calm in a…since…well, maybe since they found me and my brother that day in New Orleans last year.” Her eyes moved back to the view, releasing a long breath again. “I needed this.”
“I did too, so thank you for taking this ride with me. I think we can face the night now.”
“Amen to that. I guess we’d better head back.”
“I guess.”
The return trip was just as refreshing. Once the two humans entered the vampire household, Dani hugged Will and tugged on his ponytail. “Let’s do that again sometime, right?”
“I’m so in. Rest well, little warrior.”
“You too, my friend.”
Sliding the door to his room open, Will entered quietly, but saw that his bed was empty. Running water from the shower told him that Brigitte was up and getting ready for her night.
Tired after the day of adventure with Dani, he dropped onto the bed and closed his eyes. Minutes after the water shut off, he felt a hand slide along his denim-covered thigh.
“Hey, wanderer. Where have you been?”
Will opened heavy eyelids to stare into Brigitte’s smiling face. She really was a feast for the eyes.
She brushed his hair back. “You look sleepy. I woke and missed you.”
“I couldn’t rest. I had to get out of here and clear my head, so I walked through the trees right after sunrise, and then spent the day letting Dani entertain me.”
“That is one amusing human, I’ll give you that. Do you feel better?”
“Much. I’m ready to sleep now, though. Sorry, but I’m not going to be any company for you tonight.”
“That’s no problem. As long as you’re all right, that’s all that matters to me. Veg out and I’ll come for you in time for second meal, then you can join me. Okay?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
He was already fading. The last of Brigitte’s words didn’t register and although he had some awareness that she had placed her fingers on his head, he lost consciousness right after.
Brigitte watched the man she was in love with crashed on top of his bed, still dressed, dirt-covered, starting to snore, but sleeping well. Good, she thought, he needed to rest and heal. Even with her limited empathic read, she could tell that something incredible had happened in that new hole. His body had filled back out, even bigger than before, and his fading health was reversed.
And he’d been with Olivia.
It wasn’t only that Brigitte could smell Olivia’s scent on him, but his reaction to her had changed. It was understandable, he had some kind of history with the Vegas vampire. What it was Brigitte did not know, but there was something.
Fascination, she hoped. Fascination alone was no threat to the real relationship he and she had been building the past month. Besides, Olivia had already announced that she was going home, so that should end the conflict and Will’s confusion. At the end of it all, Brigitte hoped to take Will home to spend time with her family.
When Will woke, she would tell him what he meant to her and make it clear that their life together would be spectacular. He would become vampire and join the children of the moon in centuries of joy that celebrated every moment of life and their connection to this world. It would be the perfect place for a man who carried the earth magics that Will did.
First, though, she needed food and a conversation with Ife, who would understand exactly how she felt. Family meant everything to Brigitte. Brushing his hair from his damp forehead, she bent down to kiss him there. “I hope to make you family soon, my love.”
Entering the dining room, she sought Ife’s gaze, and saw that Ife was already watching for her. Right now, she needed nothing more.
As the night progressed, she and Ife had spent several hours alone wandering through the flower gardens, the discussion about mates a new one for both of them. Brigitte had never considered one before, and Ife admitted that none had ever appeared to her.
“But one thing I know, my dear sister, is that when you find the right person, you have to do all you can to protect that love. How could anyone refuse you?”
“Right? Thanks, Ife. I needed that.”
The two vampires bonded over healthy blooms the rest of the night until it was time for second meal.
When daylight loomed, Brigitte slipped back into Will’s darkened room and stretched out next to him. A hand to his chest assured her that he still breathed evenly, a tiny niggling sense that whatever had happened to him in that cave could still be dangerous. As she moved her fingers over him, down his side to his penis, now at rest between powerful thighs. Smiling, she began to caress him, then with more energy, she aroused her sleeping warrior, happy when he finally opened his eyes.
“Hell of a way to wake a guy up from a sound sleep.”
“Complaining?”
“Hardly.” He rolled over to pin her against the mattress.
“But I should clean up first.”
“Hardly.” Brigitte forced him back over and, their clothes gone instantly, impaled herself on him and rode him hard until he grunted as he came, the orgasm quick and intense. After calling out when she came, Brigitte lifted off him and pulled him from the bed. “Now it’s time to shower, and not alone.”
Under the generous spray in a shower built for two, she soaped Will’s new body.
“This is magics, Will. You’ve been losing weight over the past few weeks. Now you look like you’ve been on extreme training for a year, but it was only yesterday that you actually looked a little emaciated.”
“Dani said that I’d been transformed. Bridge, there was a pool in that cavern that I knew, instinctively, would heal me, physically, from all that I lost during the past month. The crystals took from me, but they remade me too. I don’t know why or how, but I do know that it’s the truth. I am part of the caves, their magic, and they are a part of me.”
“Do you find that worrisome?”
“No, it’s what I am. Dani thinks something is coming.”
“Does she? Then we need to speak with Chione and Donovan.”
Will nodded. “That’s exactly how she feels. I guess we need to go to Zambia soon.”
Brigitte smiled. “I was thinking that same thing before we even began this discussion. Will, I would like my parents to get to know you.”
Water pulsed against his back as Will managed his reaction to a discussion he wasn’t ready to have with Brigitte. He was crazy about her, but he was more certain than ever that Destiny might have led him here after all, and that he was meant to be with Olivia. The feelings he’d had when they met last year had only grown stronger. Love? Possibly. Lust, absolutely. He just had to find a kind way to tell Brigitte.
Brigitte could see his mind working, almost as if she was empathic. He couldn’t see past his desire for Olivia, and oh, God, she got it, but he needed to hear her out first.
“Will, let’s discuss this later. I just need to finish scrubbing you down. Now, let’s see, where did I leave off?”
Her fingers clutched the scrubby, filled with soap, and lowered it to grab his penis.
When she’d brought the subject up, she’d seen panic in his eyes, this was definitely not the time for discourse.
After thoroughly pleasuring him, Brigitte had a meal brought to the room, last meal in bed, which she grinned at him and told him that she heartily approved.
“Gods, it was good to see you emerge after you fell. If something had happened to you, Will…”
“It didn’t.”
“I am grateful to the universe that you are protected by magics.” Brigitte took a bite of sugared bacon. “And Olivia, of course. Vampires can still be injured, but we heal quite rapidly.” She looked up into Will’s eyes, carefully wording her next question. “So what did you do while you were down there?”
Moments passed before Will looked up. “Talked. About the cave, which is even more remarkable than the first one. Olivia went into the healing pool since she’d torn her side open.”
“You went in too.”
“It called to me. It was there for me. That’s where my restoration, or transformation, whatever this was, began.”
“Huh.” Another bite of bacon later, Brigitte looked at him again. “I assume you guys took your clothes off.”
This time, Will just nodded as he sipped iced coffee.
Casually, Brigitte laughed. “Well, of course you did. You would have needed warm dry clothes to put back on. I assume Olivia behaved herself. She’s got quite a reputation you know.”
Will raised his head from his attention to his food.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s a wonderful woman. Zach told me that she’s had a powerful history with lovers. Just not the loyal type when it comes to men. She admits she’s all about wild sex and then moving on to the next guy. When I asked her once if she’d ever been in love, she laughed with a wink, and said ‘Of course! Often several times a night.’ I adore her. She’s much older than we are, so it makes sense that she’s had a lot of lovers.”
Brigitte watched Will’s reaction to her comments and felt sick. Purposefully trying to discredit her competition didn’t feel honorable, but she didn’t recant. Sometimes, to make what you want happen, you have to get down in the dirt.
And she did feel dirty.
“Look, I’m sorry I said that. Olivia’s a doll, really. Everyone loves her. I’m, uh, going to get a quick shower and crawl into bed. It is okay if I stay?”
He couldn’t help it. The sweet desperation in her voice tore his heart. One way or another, meant to be or not, he did love this girl.
Will lifted her off the bed and swung her around, set her on a high chest, and moved in to kiss her. Tongues together, it ignited them, and within moments he found himself naked, in the bathroom, under the pulsating showerhead, soaking wet, with a naked vampire pressing him into the tile.
“This, my fellow soldier, is what we have. I don’t want to lose you.” Whispering, she moved up as he lifted her and fit himself inside her. The ride was gentle, loving, and filled with promises. Will pumped into Brigitte and knew, without doubt, that she was not the one he should be with.
He enjoyed Brigitte, but he needed Olivia.
One way or the other, he was going to break her heart.
After carefully drying Brigitte off, Will put her into his bed, clearing away what was left of their meal.
“Sleep well, beautiful warrior.”
She was already fading, a combination of the nearness of day and a nice orgasm.
Will wondered if it would be their last time together.
The vampires in the compound asleep, Will repeated his previous day, adopting the human habit of spending daylight hours awake. Right now, like Dani, he cherished the moments of normality. Needing distance from Brigitte while he worked out how to protect her feelings while trying to understand if he and Olivia had something destined, the morning sun seemed to provide clarity.
Sitting once again under the trees, he thought about Brigitte’s comments on Olivia’s sexual history with men. He recognized it as her attempt to tell him that Olivia wasn’t the woman he needed, and while he realized the reason she’d said it, he still couldn’t get his mind off the subject. Was it possible that he was just the flavor of the month for Olivia? Did they have something real?
He needed to speak to Olivia right now and decided to ride to Dez’s compound to find her. Would Torin still be with her?
It didn’t fucking matter.
Rising from the warming earth, desire pushed him through the orchard. Silently, he entered his room, snatched his keys, and slid onto his Harley, starting the engine before his leg cleared the seat. On a bike, the drive was about two hours, just enough time to clear his mind and try to work out a way to handle this mess.
Will realized, the way he and Brigitte had been together, that while they had possibly been progressing toward a serious commitment, in the end, neither one of them would have been happy.
Fresh rushing air had been exactly what he needed. His muscles un-clenched, his breathing normalized, and his chest felt calm. The mid-morning sun forced him to stop to don sunglasses, and he lingered to look over the view below. Most roads here winded around high ridges, the valleys beneath now lush again due to Ife and her team’s dedicated work. That several earth warriors he’d worked with last year preventing a devastating volcanic event now worked here to help repair two centuries of abuse was no surprise.
No wonder this had felt like home, like family, as soon as he arrived. Would he be happy back in Vegas if he and Olivia worked out? Grinning, he knew there wasn’t any question; he’d be happy wherever he was if she were by his side. It didn’t mean he’d have to leave Brazil forever, it just meant that he’d have to share his time between two beloved places on this planet.
Will arrived at Dez’s compound in late afternoon, parked the bike, and started toward the back entrance he always used. One of Dez’s largest human sentries met him there.
“Edward, hey buddy, I just need to speak with Olivia.”
Edward, despite his intimidating size and appearance, was a soft-spoken man, patient, gentle, unless he needed to be something else.
“She’s resting, mate, you know that.”
“Yeah, but it’s important. Any chance you can let me in?”
“Why don’t you wait until tonight? I can take you to the club to wait for…”
“Ed, look, I know you don’t like to disturb your host or their guests, and I understand, but, please, can you let Olivia know I’m here? I promise, she’ll want to see me.”
Will could see Edward assessing him. To his knowledge, to anyone’s knowledge, Olivia and Will were not close, so he knew Edward might refuse. Then again Edward knew Will enough to trust him. If the man didn’t let him in, he’d just have to wait until tonight.
A gruff chuff later, Edward nodded. “All right. Wait here.”
Using his coms, Edward stepped away from Will as he contacted Olivia’s chambers. Long moments passed where it was clear there was no answer. Edward headed back toward Will, his fone held up, shaking his head. “She’s not…”
Edward broke off and spoke suddenly. “Miss Olivia, I am truly sorry to disturb you, but Will has come to the compound and insists he needs to see you.”
Silence as Edward listened to the response, then lifted his eyes to Will. “Yes, I’ll send him down.”
Signing off the coms, he nodded again. “You’re cleared to go to her. She’s on sub-level two, rooms near the back marked Liv.”
“Thank you, buddy.”
Following directions, Will thought he could be forgiven for his increased heartrate and the fullness in his jeans.
Suddenly awake, Olivia pressed a hand between her legs, trying to still the intense pulsing. An ache moved up from there to the core of her sex.
Will is coming.
He shouldn’t, not now, and she had no idea why, but her body prepared her to see that face she could never get used to, that body made to be on top of her, or under her, and inside her.
Will is coming.
Never mind that the very thought that Will was coming increased her sexual need. Her imagination had always been excellent, so now, eyes closed, she felt him pump into her as he had in the cave, an orgasm beginning to build at the memory.
The interrupting doorchime broke the spell. After a moment’s hesitation, she released the lock and the door slid open.
He moved through it slowly, his eyes roving around the room, softly lit for daytime sleep, then came to her on the bed, on her knees, her eyes on him. A thin sheer nightdress covered her, or more accurately, didn’t, her exquisite body, every feature he loved barely hidden behind a haze of pale peach. Full breasts pushed the fabric out, held by two button nipples he felt sure would be in his mouth in moments. Will forced his eyes back up to her face to see a quizzical look and an amused smile.
“Tough to keep your eyes where you should sometimes, yeah?” Olivia’s dropped to where his jeans showcased his expanded girth beneath the strained zipper.
“Did you bring me a gift?”
“Not at first. I mean, it wasn’t why I needed to see you right away, but…”
Will was on the bed, his hands moving down Olivia’s sides to her waist while his mouth went exactly where it had to and latched onto her breasts, one hard nipple, then the other. He felt her fingers on him after his zipper was down, his cock freed from the snug denim. Instantly, they began to move in circles around his girth, and he hardened further.
“Olivia…” Her name came out on a groan. No, he hadn’t intended to do this, only talk about their situation and just be with her.
Olivia nipped at the sides and his cock jumped in her hand. She laughed. “I have never purged that scent or image from my mind, so now, a year later, it’s embedded in me, and all I want is to eat you up, but after yesterday, I’d better not.”
Her eyes lingered on his exposed neck, the desire to bite strong, almost impossible to resist, but it wasn’t wise to feed from him. He wasn’t ready for that kind of eternal commitment with her, not yet, if ever.
Olivia slipped off the bed as Will pushed to the edge, his feet on the floor. She reached for a bottle of water and leaned against a cabinet.
“You came here for a reason. Sorry I messed that up. What did you need to see me about so urgently?” Her lips turned up again as she glanced between Will’s legs. “Or was that it?”
“Yes. No. I know you were returning to Vegas when you rose tonight. Do you still plan to?”
Cautious, girl, Olivia reminded herself. Don’t force him to decide something he isn’t ready to do yet. No pressure.
“Yes, I do. I’ve business I need to attend to, and Corri just texted me that my security guy has some concerns. You saved Corri when someone kidnapped her and left her to die in the desert. Which, by the way, thank you. Corri is family and means the world to me, so thank you for protecting her.”
“I was in the right place at the right time. I’m glad I was, Corri’s a sweetheart.”
“She is. Well, Sam, my head of security, has found some anomalies and is concerned that the situation isn’t over. I need to head home to see what’s going on. We had already realized we were probably facing another threat to our community.”
“I should go with you.”
“No. I have a great team of both humans and vampires helping me, and you, Will, have a life here. That’s why you came to see me today, isn’t it? To discuss you and me. And Brigitte.”
“What if you need help?”
“Stop. We are not in any danger in Vegas, okay? Once we find the asshole who is doing this, he or she will be neutralized instantly. You need to take care of Brigitte.”
That haunted look returned to his eyes. “I hate to break her heart.”
Olivia moved closer and dropped at his feet, hands on his knees, her eyes lingering at his crotch now at eye level, then lifted her gaze to his eyes.
“Will, do what you need to do. If we are meant to be together, if it is our destiny, then we will be. Whatever you feel is best, you’re a good man, then it is what you must do. Will, I’m not going anywhere. If or when you are ready, come to me.”
Placing a hand on his cheek, she smiled.
“I have it on good authority that you know where I live.”
Will pulled Olivia up and onto his lap. “How can I let you go?”
“You’re a powerful man, you can do anything.”
One last time, she wanted to feel his lips on hers, her lips on him, on his skin, on his neck. Curling her fingers into Will’s thick unruly hair, she kissed him so lightly, he barely felt her touch, then slid her tongue along his lips and gently into his mouth. Moving her fingers lower, she followed with her lips and licked along his collarbone before she moved back under his hair and nipped at his neck. She broke the skin, had intended to, and swirled the drop of blood onto her tongue.
This would have to do. For now, it was goodbye.
Lifting off him, she backed up until she felt the support of the wall behind her. “You’d better go, or I’ll break the promise I made to myself not to fuck you.”
The frozen smile he offered held such sorrow, she almost backslid on her promise.
He didn’t move. “I can’t bear the idea of another man inside you.”
“Then perhaps it won’t take too long for you to come to me.”
“Brigitte told me that you’re a playgirl. That you like sex, a lot of it, both men and women.”
It surprised Olivia that they had discussed her. That Brigitte had told him some of her history.
“It’s true, Will. I’m vampire with hundreds of years of lovers behind me. Vampires and sex are nearly synonymous, you know that. But Biker…” Olivia closed her eyes and made herself stay away from him. “I have never been in love before.”
The admission nearly broke him. Will was on her in a split second, his hands buried in her hair, his tongue inside her mouth, the kiss almost brutal in desperation.
“Liv…” His voice cracked and he couldn’t finish.
She couldn’t take a second painful goodbye.
“Just come to me when you’re ready.”
Olivia disappeared using air displacement, leaving Will alone in her room to process the last few moments. He realized the choice had been taken out of his hands; Olivia had made it clear that he should take his time resolving his relationship with Brigitte.
And that he and she were not finished.
A smile came as he thought of the promise she’d offered that if they were meant to be, they would be. The days between now and then would seem endless. That she’d left him behind in her wake felt harsh, but it was the right thing to do. Another few moments of breathing her scent, watching her smile brighten, her eyes sparkle, and he’d have abandoned all his fine intentions and fucked her right there against the wall.
Turning, he hurried back through the compound, grateful that Edward wasn’t still waiting at the gate, straddled the seat of his bike, but didn’t move.
Life, all of its wild turns, the insanity of these powers he was born with, the unexpected future…he didn’t know how he deserved it, but thanks to the universe, he was grateful for every bizarre moment.
Firing the engine, he gunned the bike as he flew over the narrow road back to Ife’s place to confront the life he’d built down here.
After sunset at Dez’s compound
Olivia hugged Zach and then Dez, holding on a little longer to her grandmother. “You guys need to come see me in Vegas. Soon. You need to meet Corri.”
“We will. Next week, I’m finished with the new project for Luka’s community and we’ll fly up.” Dez watched Olivia too closely. “Sure you’re okay?”
“Really, I am.”
Zach touched her arm. “What’s happening with Will?”
She tilted her head down and smiled.
Zach rolled his eyes. “Never mind. It looks like it’s all good.”
“It is. We’ll be together, but perhaps not for a while. I’ve learned patience, my family. Fly safe when you come to see me. Namasté.”
“You too, my love. Fly safe.” Dez stepped back, tugging Zach with her as Olivia moved toward her waiting jet. Moments later, it lifted off and banked to the left.
As it continued north, Zach wrapped his arms around Dez. “She’s in love.”
“Miracles happen. We’re proof.”
Zach nodded. “Yup.” Yes, thank the gods, his hot-tempered girl had finally come for him.
But it hadn’t been easy.
Mid-day outside Ife’s compound
Continuing their new habit of getting out of the compound during daylight, Dani and Will sat, full, spent, after a day of exploring the area and a picnic with too many good food choices. Lying beside the picnic basket, an old-fashioned acoustic guitar that Dani had owned since her life in New Orleans waited for her to play some tunes as they watched the sun go down. Now they sat on a rock ledge overlooking a valley already thriving with new foliage, resting against the front of the stone face.
Dani rubbed her belly.
“Ugh. I really gotta stop eating like this. I’m going to be too fat to fit into my superhero outfit the next time we’re called up.”
“You’ll be fine, although I think that both of us may need a siesta before dinner.”
“Dinner? You’re crazy.”
Silent now, they watched the sun dropping lower, shadows lengthening around them.
“I’m going to tell Brigitte when she wakes tonight. God, I’m sick about it.”
Dani turned to look at Will, who still searched the sky.
“Brigitte’s a big girl. Yes, it’ll hurt, but I promise you, we all need the truth. Anyway, she has to have sensed that you don’t feel the same way. She doesn’t have to be empathic, she just has to be a woman in love. It won’t be as big of a surprise as you think it will.”
Dani moved close to tap Will’s forearm.
“Vampires live for centuries. She would have learned a long time ago how to deal with disappointments and love affairs that don’t go her way. Tell her, straight up, honestly, how you feel. Let her know that you adore her, but that you are in love with Olivia. If anyone needs to live honestly, it’s the earth warriors. We understand the truth of the world better than anyone.”
“Thank you, Dani. Your wisdom helps. You’re right, of course, Brigitte’s going to be fine. Hell, as gorgeous as you ladies are, none of you would ever be alone long. I include you in that group.”
“Ha! I haven’t had a good date since all this began last year. In fact, the last date I had with a promising guy was with Jackson, and he just asked me to dinner so he could reveal that I was this magical earth warrior. And sex? Good God, how long has it been? I can’t even remember.”
“Poor Dani. That’s on my list. As soon as I get to Vegas, I’m going to find you a hot vampire, so you can…”
Dani cut him off, laughing. “Get some?”
“Yeah, get some.”
Pitching the water bottle she held at Will, she suddenly shot up. “Ow!”
Lifting a hand to reach toward the back of her right shoulder, Dani searched around with her fingertips.
“Something bit me!”
“What?” Will pushed from the ground so he could help her and felt a sharp sting in the center of his back.
“Fuck! What is it?”
As he reached for Dani, he noticed her eyes close and, gasping for breath, she began to fall.
“Dani!” He called before dizziness began to overtake him, felt like he might lose consciousness. He knew then what was happening…someone had shot them with tranquilizer darts. His fingers closed around the dart, confirming his fears, as he crashed to the ground, crushing Dani’s guitar.
Shortly after sunset at Ife’s compound
She came awake easily, her eyelids lifted, and sadness intruded right away. Sitting up, Brigitte looked around the room. He wasn’t there, but when he came, she knew. He would try so hard to let her down kindly, an impossible task, to let her know he wasn’t in love with her. While she knew it would hurt him to tell her that they were through, she couldn’t find the sympathy right now. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled to track down her cheeks.
Well. Staying here wasn’t going to change anything. Hungry, Brigitte pulled on a tee shirt lying on the bench at the foot of the bed and reached for her shorts. First meal was serving now and the dining room would be busy. She could have it delivered here, but at this moment she needed to be surrounded by friends and family.
“Moving forward,” she whispered and stepped from Will’s room for the last time.
Entering the noisy dining room minutes later, Brigitte lifted a plate, her eyes searching the myriad choices on the breakfast buffet. She was hungry, but nothing appealed tonight.
Arms slipped around her from behind. Ife’s scent struck, and Brigitte laid the plate down to curl her fingers around Ife’s wrists. Leaning back, she sighed.
“Hi, sistah.” Ife’s quiet greeting told Brigitte that she knew about her sorrow.
“Hey, sistah. Thank you, I need this.”
“You always have it. And a whole bunch more. Shani’s coming next week.”
Brigitte closed her eyes. “You called her?”
“Of course I did. This is hard, Bridge. You need your sisters.”
“Bless you.”
“Now I know nothing is going to seem appetizing, but you need to eat, so sit down and let me select the tastiest of everything.”
“Yeah, okay.” After a pause, she touched Ife’s arm again. “Have you seen him?”
“Not tonight. Dani and he are together. She left a note with Scottie that they were going on a picnic.”
“Ah. All right.”
Brigitte joined a table of exuberant blood-bonds, wiping back moisture that threatened to come again. Ife brought a plate heaping with all the breakfast classics and handed her a fork with dramatic flair. “Eat.”
“I appreciate this. I’ll eat every bite.” Poking the fork into a western omelet, she stabbed a bite and put it into her mouth. The flavors struck her immediately; it was delicious, but pleasure didn’t come. She lifted her eyes.
“Ife, do you know if Olivia is still at Dez’s?”
“Dez told me she was leaving at sunset. She’s probably gone by now.”
“Huh. You think maybe Will just hopped on board?”
“Will wouldn’t do that to you, so, no, I don’t.”
Nodding, Brigitte put all her attention on the plate of food and did as she promised. She ate every bite.
Ife, who had been working the room to make sure everyone knew their assignments for the night, plopped into the chair beside Brigitte. “Why don’t you join me and the team? We’re re-introducing another batch of indigenous flower varieties that went extinct fifty years ago.”
“Sure. Yeah. Um, I’m not in any hurry to have my tête-à-tête with Will. A few more hours of delusion sounds good.”
Blessedly, Ife stayed by her side the entire time, telling ridiculous stories, making fun of silly events that they’d created over their years together, trying to keep the day fun and Brigitte’s attention off her looming conversation with Will.
Exhausted, dirty, elated, the team of eight blood-bonds, Scottie, and Brigitte followed Ife home as sunrise neared. Last meal would be served and they would all fall into bed and sleep well.
“Back to my own room today,” Brigitte commented when she took a seat next to Ife and Scottie.
“I guess I’ll stop before I go and let Will off the hook.”
A few minutes later, everyone at the table looked up when Brigitte sighed and said, “Fuck.”
She pushed back her chair and stood. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Step by step, counting each one, she stopped in front of Will’s door, hesitating, her finger hovering over the notice screen. Finally, she touched the screen and waited for Will to answer. When he didn’t, she repeated the summons, but he still didn’t respond. Will always responded if he was there and he should be.
“Screw this.” Brigitte engaged the door and it slid back into the wall. The low lighting she hadn’t changed when she’d left hadn’t been touched. A quick search showed that not only was Will not in the room, there was no evidence that he’d been there since she had.
Had he gone with Olivia after all?
Heading back out, she started toward her room, but stopped abruptly. Retracing her steps, she went to another room and pushed the notice screen outside the door. No answer. A second try yielded the same results as Will’s. Once again, she released the door and entered. Dani had left mood lighting up, the ceiling glowing with pale blue lights. Her bed had been made and everything was in its place.
“Tidy. And you’re not here either.” She reached for her fone.
“Where are Will and Dani?”
Brigitte’s voice boomed into the dining room and everyone looked up. “Neither are in their rooms and usually they’re both here for last meal. Anyone know where they are?”
Ife stood. “I haven’t seen them since I rose. Anyone else?”
No one spoke, but shaking heads around the room answered the question.
Fishing her fone out, Ife pressed a button and listened for an answer.
“I already tried Will and he didn’t pick up for me either.”
Punching another button, she tried Dani, and heard only the voicemail kick in. Her pale blue eyes lifted to Brigitte.
“Something is wrong. Scottie, have José track their fones.”
Scottie disappeared as she reached for her own fone, bound for their business office in the back of the building. Suddenly it was imperative that she know where her friends were. Both were too reliable to take off without letting them know where they’d gone.
They’d learned that when something seemed to be wrong, it generally was.