by Liz Paffel
To take revenge.
The metallic taste of blood in the air nearly overwhelmed him. He had to find the hunter. Now!
Gavin focused his hearing, picking up Isla’s soft, rhythmic breathing. She was asleep. Whatever had caused her to call his name hadn’t woken her. With a last look at where she slept, he closed the door and bound down the porch steps.
Staving off his bear’s demand to shift, he slinked into the woods, following a scent trail crafted from wet earth, snow-covered decay, wood smoke and the distinctive blend of gunpowder, cigarette smoke, and scotch. It was the hunter’s hallmark cologne, and today, it was punched with the notes of dead bruin.
Pain like fire shot through each fingertip as his human fingers widened and his palms thickened. Gavin cried out against the shift that began overtaking his control. It was still too soon after healing to make the change, but his inner animal wouldn’t be denied.
Gavin crossed his arms over his chest as if he could stop the tendons and bones in his torso from popping. He doubled over with pained growl, the shift beyond his ability to stop. Quickly undressing, he gave a violent sideways arch of his head and his body followed, twisting, and bursting upright as the vampire bear shed its human body and tucked it away behind thick hide and auburn fur. His claws curled with razor sharp points over massive paws as he stood, all twelve feet of him, and roared into the air.
Come and find me, Ahpret.
Gavin huffed in surprise at the voice in his head. He unfurled to his maximum height, scanning the woods with a predatory gaze.
Ready to find me?
The taunting, deep male voice cut through Gavin’s mind like molten wire. It wasn’t Isla telecommunicating with him. And the human hunter lacked the ability. There were no other Ahpret’s here, except for... Kaleo.
But this wasn’t his King’s voice.
If Isla was correct, Kaleo’s wounds hadn’t been fatal. Could he really be alive? His King’s image came to mind. Gavin’s chest heaved with hard breaths he took through his snout, blowing air with each exhale that sounded like a bull about to charge. There’d been so much blood—fatal wounds for an Ahpret—and Gavin had been helpless to do anything to save his Kaleo from the hunter.
He rushed into the woods, following the scent, barreling through tree branches and undergrowth. He paused on the top of a small hill, catching the aroma in the air all around him. He turned a three-sixty, watching, looking. Seeking.
Where are you, fucking coward?
The scents were everywhere at once, confusing his senses and erasing his ability to pinpoint where the killer might be. Silence. Gavin pushed up on his hind legs, his huge body rolling side to side with the effort. His mind screamed.
Come out, coward.
A wicked chuckle float on the air.
I’m going to taste this sweet, beautiful little thing you’re hiding inside the cabin.
No! Gavin landed on all fours, realizing just how far he’d come from the resting house. He shouldn’t have left her! His heart pounded with dizzying force as he raced back toward the cabin. A hard chuckling filled his mind the entire way, a sinister laugh that died off as he reached the porch. Scouting, sniffing, listening, he found everything as it should be.
“I’ve found him!”
He spun again, looking up as a crow swooped over his head with a rush of wings. Gavin rose on his hind legs and jutted out one paw. The bird landed there, curling long black feet around his bicep.
“I’ve found him!”
“Luca, you’re supposed to be with my sister.”
The crow cocked his head. His eyes shone with human intensity; a true reflection of the man stuck inside a bird’s body. Traumatized in the war, Luca had shifted to his animal form and become stuck. It was a purely mental condition, one few Ahpret suffered from. For most, it proved fatal. Gavin has assigned Luca as his sister’s overseer. Aila had been in hiding since she was a small child, captured in a compulsion that allowed her to assimilate to the human world until it was time for Gavin to retrieve her. Luca had been with her all these years. Soon, the compulsion would wear off, revealing her true nature as the Supreme Healer of the Ahpret. When it did, she’d be in grave danger.
Clearing his mind of everything else, Gavin focused on what his friend was saying.
“I know, but—”
“Please tell me Aila is safe!”
“Yes, she is safe. But, Gavin. I’ve found Kaleo.”
Isla had been right! Gripped with desperation to find his King, Gavin nearly knocked the bird from his perch.
“Where?”
“He’s buried himself in the belly of the earth, far beneath the Amber Caves. I can’t rouse him, but I can feel his breathing. I believe he was there this whole time, healing. But he’s weakened even more after... after rescuing you from the hunter.”
He heaved a sorrowful breath. His King had already sacrificed himself once, taking a blast Gavin couldn’t save him from. Instead of remaining in stasis, he’d broken the healing spell to save Gavin’s life. It wasn’t right. It should have been the other way around.
“I need your help in rousing our King.”
Gavin shook his massive head. “No. He’s buried himself attempting to heal. He’s weakened again after carrying me to safety. We have to leave him until he’s ready.”
That Kaleo burrowed into the womb of the earth to heal spoke volumes about the extent of his injuries. Most wounds healed in a matter of days. He was injured four months ago.
Luca jumped down into the snow. “If that’s what you command.”
It wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted his King and Luca on the Canadian reserve where they’d be safe. He wanted to take back the horrors of the war that scarred Luca and forced a wedge between Ahpret families that used to be close, like brothers.
He wanted life to be normal again.
“Do you have any other news?”
The crow hopped around, leaving three-footed tracks in the snow. “You know I feel compelled to check on you every so often, being alone as you are.” Luca fluffed his feathers. “The woman I led here? Is she here to die?”
“You led her here?”
“You were stalking her in the woods, terrifying her. I wanted to help her hurry on her way.”
Just the mention of Isla had Gavin longing to turn back into his human form. To go to her. A slow, nagging burn started deep inside his skin. The shift was ready to reverse.
“Go back to my sister. We’ll be fine here.”
Luca took flight, made a circle in the air as Gavin lowered to all four feet.
“Please, Gavin. Get to Canada.”
Gavin nodded, wishing he could send a message of love to his sister. But she’d never get it. Luca couldn’t speak to her. She had no idea she was Ahpret or that the bird she saw hovering around her each day was her guardian.
He watched as Luca flew away, his ears twitching to pick up any sign of the hunter.
And heard Isla scream.
Chapter Nine
Blood soaked through the tee shirt Isla held over her face as she stumbled into the bathroom. Wet crimson pooled in her hands and drizzled between her fingers as she hung her face over the sink, gagging on the hot fluid clogging her throat.
She’d woken by the heat of the fire, finding Gavin gone. Chilled despite the heat, she’d gotten up in search of another blanket when pain sliced through the back of her skull with a quick jab right before blood gushed from her ears and nose.
Gripping the sides of the sink with slippery palms, Isla tried to measure her breathing as sobs racked her body. She’d been lucky to feel as good as she had these past couple days and now, she was going to pay for it. Pressure tightened inside her skull, throwing dots all over her vision. Her mind was swimming in a fog, the pain and blood developing so fast it seemed as if she were dreaming.
Helpless to stop any of it, she slumped against the sink and hugged it with her arms to brace herself as dizziness threatened to bring her to the floor.
“Isla!” Gavin’s sharp voice startled her. There was a thud against the doorframe as if he grabbed it with his hands and pulled himself to a stop. “What’s happening?” His voice trailed off into a tightly restrained growl. An eerie stillness claimed the room.
She narrowly side-eye him. His big body took up the doorway, his fingers gripping the sides as if those thin pieces of trim were the only thing holding him back.
Another gush of blood pooled from her nose and splashed into the sink. Instinctively, she cupped a hand there as if she could stop it. Her legs trembled as her knees buckled and she nearly fell.
Hard hands gripped around her middle and supported her. Gavin pressed his body against the back of hers, trapping her gently between him and the sink. His long fingers threaded into the back of her hair and pulled her head back. A fluffy towel pressed against her nose. Isla slid her hand over his to hold the towel there, the warm, sticky slicks of blood adhering their flesh together.
He breathed hard, deep. Evenly. As if he was controlling each breath. Gavin’s fingers knit in her hair—a comforting gesture. It was nice, slightly mesmerizing. Sinking into his strength, she lost track of time as silent minutes passed, and the pain and pressure in her head lessened by degrees.
Gavin finally let go and removed the towel. The gushing seemed to have stopped. With a sigh, she leaned her head back against his shoulder and glanced up at him. From this angle, she caught sight of his strong jaw and the pulse pounding erratically just beneath it. She pulled back to get a better look at him.
And shuddered.
The structure of his face was broad and flat, the nose more pronounced, the brow heavier. The bulge of his shoulders made his neck shorter, thicker. He was recovering from a shift, his body slowly morphing from animal to human. His clothes were popping at the seams.
His rugged face was dark with an expression so primal, so hungry, that adrenaline pumped through her blood and clenched her body with need. The need to run; the desire to wrap her arms and legs around him.
The blood.
He might bite her. He could bite her and there’d be nothing she could do. She’d never escape. She was too weak to stave him off. If he wanted her blood, she was helpless to stop him. She crossed her right arm over the sink and laid her forehead on it as the room compressed and squeezed.
If he was going to bite her, he might just give her what she came here for. If the shocking amount of blood in the sink was any indication, the disease was progressing. Death was coming, either way.
Sadness welled in her at the thought. She was tense with anticipation over his next move and this waiting, this wondering, was excruciating.
“Are you going to bite me?”
Her words were a jumbled mess, but Gavin must have understood. All the hairs on her forearms rose, her skin prickling as his heat caressed the left side of her body. His presence was like a physical touch, his tight, even breathing rhythmic in her ears.
“Are you giving me permission?”
His hands followed the contours of her shoulder, ran lightly to her elbows. A deep tremor rocked her core, causing the pulse in her neck to pound furiously. She wanted to stand but dizziness held her down. He circled a finger in the blood that pooled in the dip of her collarbone. A light tremble lit down her body.
He caressed the length of her neck slowly, the tips of his fingers barely contacting her skin. Each long draw of his hand sent her farther into the spin she couldn’t control until she was leaning into him and gripping his arm. When he reached her collarbone, he began an equally slow ascent back up, stopping to brush his fingers over her ear.
Isla struggled to breathe. Sharp bells of warning chimed in her subconscious. Yet, the deep, powerful need aching between her legs and pumping through her blood overrode her fear.
She wanted him.
Gavin cupped her chin with a palm and maneuvered her to stand before him. Like a puppet, she was pliable to his will as he trapped her between his chest and the sink. Isla moaned in... protest? She didn’t know anymore. Everything seemed calm and just the way it was supposed to be. The swirling in her head stabilized into an odd, off-balance sensation that made her feel like she was simultaneously floating and sinking.
Her head tipped back against his bicep. A low rumbling sounded from somewhere close.
“Open your eyes,” Gavin said.
She struggled to obey, but her eyelids were heavy. He swept back the rest of her hair, baring her throat. Breath warmed her skin as panic bubbled beneath her ribs. His lips closed over the bound of her pulse. A low moan escaped her as he pulled with gentle suction against her flesh. She expected the pricks of a bite, hot pain, something.
Instead, the heat of his mouth was delicious against the heightened nerves. His tongue pressed flat against the column of her neck. An appreciative, delighted sound followed as he licked at the blood on her skin.
She sunk into his embrace, her fingers digging into the soft navy chamois covering his arms. Excitement and anticipation drummed inside her. Her hands combed through his hair before gripping the silken waves.
She presented her neck with a desperate, wanting little sound she didn’t recognize as her own. Gavin gripped her hips, gave a snarl that alerted every ounce of flight she had in her. But she didn’t want to run away, and that scared her even more.
In an instant, she was upright against the sink as Gavin spun away from her.
“No!” He turned away, a hand raking through his hair. Eye blazing, mouth set hard, he half-turned to look at her and gripped her chin.
The brilliant composition of colors in his eyes didn’t fade. If anything, they flashed more. She reached behind her to grip the sink, the sudden disconnect from him making it hurt to breathe. The realization of what just happened hit her hard—her body pressed against Gavin, his mouth on her neck—how much the thrill of it was stronger than fear. How right it felt.
He needs your permission to take your life. Bjorn had drilled that into her mind as if he wanted to be absolutely sure she understood.
“I—I’m...” Her gaze caught on his full, firm lips. They were tinged red from her blood. Isla licked her lips, a tingling starting in the back of her throat. If she kissed him, she’d taste it—the wild, coppery flavor of her own blood.
“What is this?” he waved a hand at her face. “Bait to get what you want from me?”
Stunned from the force, the realness, of her thoughts, Isla looked at him dumbly for a second. Crazy. She’d already tasted her blood when it had been running over her lips just a while ago. Why did the thought of taking it from Gavin’s mouth seem so wickedly tempting?
“No.” She grabbed the discarded towel. Afraid the bleeding would start again if she let her emotions out, Isla turned to the sink and wet the towel. She let the water run, crimson fading to pink as it ran down the drain. Tell him the truth!
His voice was rough and sparse, “A blood offering is serious.”
Head down, she allowed a shudder to burst over her body, gained control of herself before more could take over.
“It wasn’t an offering. I tripped... I gave myself a nosebleed. That’s all.”
She clenched her eyes against the lie. She was such a coward. Isla pressed the cloth to her face, afraid to turn and look at him. Now that the intensity between them had waned, she allowed herself to be afraid.
She’d never had a nosebleed like that. Her left eye was still blurry, adding to the signs that the tumor was playing a morbid hand. Wanting to slump to the floor with despair, she stiffened her spine and threw her shoulders back instead. If she was learning anything, it was how much she didn’t want to leave this life that was set to defy her.
Isla swallowed hard and turned. Her heart lurched at the sight of him taking up the doorway.
He crossed his arms. “Go back to the city.”
“I can’t.” She lifted her chin.
Gavin’s eyebrow
s rose. “I’ll drive you.”
“Maybe I want to stay here.”
“Maybe I’m telling you to go back to Bjorn.”
“Maybe you can bite me.” Her cheeks went hot.
She threw the towel behind her onto the counter. “Dammit, no. No, you can’t. But you can leave.” Isla waved him toward the doorway. Gavin’s lips curled into a smug smile.
“All the times Bjorn talked about his pain-in-the-ass sister. I’m starting to get it. This isn’t a game, Isla.”
“I’m not playing games. I wasn’t trying to lure you. I can’t stop the bleeds when they come.”
Bjorn always teased her for being pigheaded. The reminder brought the closeness they shared to the surface, and the regret that she had to be taken away from it so soon. If Gavin wouldn’t help her, she’d have no choice but to go home and take matters into her own hands. She grew nauseous at the thought.
“A few more days. Promise me I’ll be safe for a few more days.”
A slow, arrogant smile crossed his full lips. “Safe isn’t what you came you for.”
She threw the towel down, “I came here to be — "
“Killed.” Finality surrounded the statement. “You want a euphoric death.”
Isla blinked back tears, but they escaped anyway. He wet the towel again and gently ran it over her face. One big hand gripped her shoulder to hold her steady as he chased her tears and cleaned the blood away. She was deluding herself to think he didn’t already know the truth. Admitting it was terrifying but delaying the inevitable wasn’t going to make things better. Time wouldn’t save her.
“I’m a doctor, damn it, and I can’t even help myself. There’s no cure for me. Before you suggest it, suicide is not an option.”
Gavin’s expression was unreadable, but the tenderness he used to clean her face pulled at her heart. He was silent as he finished his task and tossed the towel in the sink. His warm palms cupped her cheeks, his strength drawing her against him as his lips pressed into hers. Isla gasped, grabbed his wrists in a blend of shock and longing. Gavin’s lips were soft, and firm and she was right: her blood tasted heady and sweet from his mouth. It wasn’t enough. She wanted more.