by Caris Roane
He was in a similar state, all but panting. He eased down to rest his massive body on hers, though supporting some of his weight with his forearms.
His back still hummed where she’d sent her strange witchy energy, and it calmed him as nothing else had in his entire alter existence.
~ ~ ~
Emma had never been as content as she was right now with Vaughn’s weight on her and his cock still inside her. She loved him and for this moment in time, they were one.
Dawn was a couple of hours away yet. Her security spell held. She would keep Vaughn safe in her home through the day.
Though her arms were limp, she forced herself to surround him and hug him. “Thank you, Vaughn. That was so magical. Unbelievable.”
He lifted up enough to look at her. “Your hands created the most amazing kind of energy over my skin and more pleasure than I’ve ever known.”
She leaned up and kissed him, then lowered her head to the pillow. “I’m so glad. And I love that you’re still connected to me. Will you stay the night, or rather the day?”
He nodded. “Of course I will. More than anything I want this time with you, no matter what the future holds.”
She smiled. “Do you know what I want right now?”
“What’s that?”
“A meal, then a bath with you in it. How does that sound?”
“I’m not much of a tub man, but if you’re in it, believe me, I’m game. And I wouldn’t say no to some food.”
She caught his face with her hands. “Then we’ll have this time together, these few hours, maybe the day as well?”
He kissed her. “Yes. We’ll have that.”
~ ~ ~
Vaughn shared a bath with Emma, then made love to her repeatedly until they both lay exhausted on her bed and fell sound asleep. More than once he woke up because she was thrashing in her sleep. He suspected nightmares and took her in his arms each time, holding her close until she settled down.
And each time, his heart bound itself to her a little more until he wasn’t sure he was even a separate entity. When he finally woke for the night, and the last rays of the sun were heading west, Emma was still asleep, her body pressed up against his.
He had his arm around her and stared up at the central overhead fan. The blades looked special-made and had unique carvings. Maybe she spent time staring at them.
Now he was.
He didn’t want the night to begin. He wanted to stay here forever.
Emma began to stir, then stretch as she rolled onto her back. But she stayed reclining on his arm and eventually took his hand in hers and squeezed his fingers.
She seemed tense and no wonder given the number of times she’d tossed and turned. “Emma, did you have bad dreams last night?”
She was silent for a moment. “Yeah, I did. How did you know?”
He told her about how restless she’d been.
“That bad, huh?”
“Yes. Want to talk about it?”
She sighed heavily. “I dreamed about Loghry, though I really don’t know why. He’s so strange looking. He’s emaciated as addicts often are and his skin is paper white. And his lips have a violet color.
“But each time he appeared, I had this creepy feeling he was really seeing me in my dreams, sort of like a fae who can dreamscape. That’s what distressed me so much.
“In one of the dreams, I was running through a dark maze with Loghry chasing me. I just couldn’t find my way out.”
When she shuddered, he pulled her close. “I’m sorry you had such a bad night.”
“It’s okay. I’ll get over it.” She sighed once more. “Did you ever meet Loghry?”
“Once, years ago. Though he didn’t look quite so bad as you’ve just described. I don’t think he’d been in Five Bridges for very long, but he’d already taken up the dark arts.
“Several Crescent officers, including myself, were called to the scene. We found him strangling a female vampire, who had just expired. He was strung out on amethyst flame, no doubt about that. And powerful as hell because of the drug.
“We beat him to get him off the woman, then he turned his wizard powers on us. I got a couple of rounds off and I know at least one of the bullets struck home. One of the men used his sword as well, cutting him deep in his abdomen.
“After several minutes, he finally fell down dead. Or at least that’s what we thought. We even hauled him off to the morgue.”
She lifted up on her elbow. “Wait, I remember this. He came back to life and walked out, didn’t he?”
“That’s exactly what happened. There was no one watching at the morgue, so it wasn’t hard for him to just pick up and go.”
She flopped back down, her head resting on his shoulder. “That bastard needs to die for good.”
“Yes, he does.”
His gaze once more went to the fan. Maybe a change of subject was in order. He gestured toward the ceiling with his free arm. “The carving on the wood is beautiful.”
“It was a gift from Max.”
Vaughn repressed a sigh. Right now he was jealous of Max, for all the time he’d had with Emma. “Sounds like he was a good man.”
She rolled to look up at him, her hand on his chest. “He was. I think you would have been good friends if you’d known each other. He was an excellent Savage Border Patrol officer and a great alpha to his pack.”
He reached toward her and pushed her hair behind her ear. “We probably would have been friends. He sounds like he was in Fergus’s mold, someone I respect.”
“Yeah, very much like Fergus.”
“So, one question, Trib officer. How the hell can you look so beautiful first thing at night?”
She laughed. “I’m sure I don’t. You need glasses, my friend.”
“We’re alters. We don’t do glasses.”
She chuckled again. “Now I have a question for you. I’m thinking about fixing an omelet with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Maybe some toast and coffee. How does that sound?”
He rubbed his growling stomach. “Sold.”
She laughed again as she left the bed and headed into the bathroom. “Shower, first.”
He could have joined her, and even thought about it for a good long minute. But that would have led to other things and his instincts told him he needed to turn his attention to the night.
He and Emma had gotten lucky so far. They’d lived through last night and today, yet nothing had substantially changed. Loghry would still be after them. Better to face the madman right away than waste some serious hunting time by bringing Emma back to bed.
And there was the heart of the difficulty. He’d want to stay put for hours, not just enjoy a quickie.
He rolled from bed and crossed to the French doors. Pushing them open, he looked up into the graying sky. He could see a few stars already. Full dark was only a half hour away.
He had to avoid looking directly at the distant western horizon. The vampire alter serum had followed mythical protocol to the letter; vampires were seriously sun allergic. He’d blistered up once or twice in the early days when, without thinking, he’d stepped into direct sunlight. The pain had been unbearable, the light not just burning the surface skin, but somehow sinking deep and cutting into the bones.
But the arrival of dusk created another reason he stayed the course and left Emma alone. As a Crescent Border Patrol officer, his senses lit up the moment the sun dropped beyond the horizon. The criminal insanity of Five Bridges at night called to his need for order and justice. Maybe it was his training and years of service, but right now his attention was fixed on Loghry and devising a reasonable strategy for attacking the man where he lived.
~ ~ ~
Emma was grateful Vaughn didn’t follow her to the shower, though she would have welcomed him all the same. She had a job to do and felt its critical nature deep in her witchy bones.
She needed her coffee and her omelet, then some time in meditation to try to figure out what she and Vaughn should do
next.
As she dried her hair, what weighed on her mind was how Loghry had known she and Vaughn would be at the storage facility. She recalled how the series of snapshot images had become scrambled suddenly. Was it possible Loghry had interfered with her meditation?
Movement caught her eye. Vaughn appeared at the bathroom entrance, then strolled in. For a moment, all her resolution faltered since he was buck naked. He looked as gorgeous as ever, though his straight black brows were pulled together in a tight line of concentration. “Don’t worry, I’m just here for a shower.”
He came up behind her, however, and slid his arms around her in a gentle embrace. He met her gaze in the mirror. “But I almost ran after you when you left the bed. Thought you should know.”
She sighed. “Wish we could just go back there.”
“I know. I’ve been torn as well, but getting Loghry before he gets us has consumed my thoughts.” He leaned down, pushed her hair away and kissed her neck. “I love you, Emma.”
She gasped softly. “You do?”
“I didn’t say it last night, but I should have, so I’m saying it now. I fell hard for you the night we saved those girls. I can admit it now. Just wish everything was different.”
“Me, too.”
He didn’t look at her again as he moved in the direction of the shower.
She let him go, though she was overcome that he’d said he loved her. She had a strong suspicion that if he didn’t believe their nights were numbered, he would never have said the words out loud. She knew Vaughn. She knew what the loss of his sister had done to him, and that even if they somehow survived an encounter with Loghry, he wouldn’t be able to handle a long-term relationship with her.
She wasn’t much different. Max’s death had ruined something inside her as well. She doubted she would have said anything either, if their situation hadn’t been so dire.
But it was and in the same way Vaughn was focused on Loghry, her thoughts were fixed on her spellroom. She also knew the triplets were inside waiting for her. Time to get on with things, and they both needed a good meal.
A few minutes later, she had the front half of her hair in a top knot, then crossed to the dressing room to get ready. She wore her jeans and sturdy leather belt, socks and running shoes, and the short-sleeved t-shirt all the female Trib officers wore, lavender this time.
She picked up her holster, then left the bedroom.
Her kitchen was one of her favorite places to be, something that had very little to do with her witchness. The part of her still very human loved to cook.
She ground her coffee beans fresh, then finished the process with her French press. While her coffee steeped, she went to her herb garden and collected a few sprigs of fresh basil. The scent always got to her, easing her mind. The flavor was exactly what she wanted with her eggs, cheese and tomatoes.
She crossed paths with Vaughn on her way back, who had a cup of coffee in hand. He was dressed in one of Max’s long navy t-shirts as well as a fresh pair of jeans. He’d cleaned up his tough, black leather work-boots and looked fantastic.
“Enjoy the garden.”
“I will.”
She stopped long enough to take hold of his arm, rise up on tiptoes and kiss him. Then she headed to finish up her kitchen duties.
As she moved in the direction of the house, she didn’t have to look back to know he was watching her. If either of them made enough of a push, they’d be locked together once more.
But she could sense his determination probably because it matched her own.
“Breakfast in ten.”
“Thanks,” he called back.
She served the meal on the back patio behind her spellroom. The early April weather was almost balmy in the evenings. She’d flung the doors wide so she could begin connecting with the space long before she entered her meditation.
Vaughn didn’t say a word as he sat down and began to eat. His gaze rarely landed on her, but she could feel him thinking. She doubted he tasted one bite of his food.
“Loghry?”
He glanced at her and nodded. “Yep.”
“Same here.”
She felt in her bones they’d be facing the psychopathic wizard before the night was out.
CHAPTER SIX
Vaughn ate methodically, but his thoughts were consumed with Loghry and trying to put a strategy together.
More often than not, his gaze landed inside the spellroom. He didn’t know why Emma had purposely opened the doors, but he suspected it had something to do with her connection to the space. He was hoping she’d revisit her snapshot images again, the same process that had led them to rescue the girls in Savage.
If she could get a vision involving Loghry’s mansion, they’d have a chance of taking the wizard on. More than anything, he wanted to end Loghry’s reign of terror against young teenage girls.
“You squeeze that fork any harder, you’ll bend it in half.”
Frowning, Vaughn glanced at Emma. “What?”
“Your fork.” She gestured to his hand. “Will I have to replace it?”
He glanced down and saw that he’d compressed it, bending the tines almost to the tip of the handle. “Shit. I’m sorry, Em.”
“Something particular on your mind?” She slipped a bite of omelet into her mouth
“Loghry and his victims. I’m hoping you can bring up a new set of snapshots tonight. I’m jumping to get a chance at Loghry. Or if not him, then to rescue some more girls.” He picked up his mug and drank. The coffee had cooled, but he didn’t care.
“I was thinking I could try focusing on Loghry’s mansion.”
He smiled. “You read my mind.”
“Not hard to do since we both want the same thing.”
He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “We do.”
He appreciated Emma and approved of her drive. However, he didn’t like the idea of her anywhere near Loghry. He kept trying to arrange scenarios in his head that would keep her safe.
He watched her eat, then unbent his fork and went to work on his meal as well. He had no idea what they’d be facing, but food was as much a necessity for a vampire warrior as blood.
~ ~ ~
As soon as Emma had the dishes cleaned up, she headed to her spellroom.
Vaughn came with her, but the moment she reached the threshold, she stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m nervous. I know once I go in, everything will change.” Her throat closed up tight, as she turned toward him. “I mean, we may not make it back here alive.”
He surrounded her with his arms and pulled her close. “Maybe I should go alone. Or I could give Brannick a call. I have a number of friends on the Crescent Border Patrol who would throw in without a second’s thought. Hell, I could call Fergus. He’d be happy to bring his crew into Elegance and help take this bastard down.”
Emma wrapped her arms around Vaughn’s waist, but she shook her head. “There’s a big part of me that wants you to do exactly that. But you and I are a team now, that’s what I know to be true. We do this together.”
He drew back. “Emma, let me do this for you. I have resources with Crescent that you don’t have with the Trib. This could work and dammit, I want you safe. You’ve done enough.”
Every instinct Emma possessed told her going after Loghry was her fate as well, that she needed to be there. But she could see from the determined light in Vaughn’s eye that he was warming quickly to the idea of leaving her behind.
Knowing the male warrior mind as she did, she chose the diplomatic course. “Let me prepare a new spell and settle into my meditation. I won’t make any decision without being connected to my witch abilities. Then, if it’s clear your course is the one we ought to take, I won’t argue. How does that sound?”
He smiled wryly. “It’s not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I agree that your witch ability should be involved, especially because we’re dealing with a wizard.”
~ ~ ~
Vaugh
n followed Emma into the spellroom, and immediately his mind grew clouded with the level of power in the space. He had to pause for a moment to gain his bearings. The owl was on his perch facing the door to the backyard, but he swung his head around to have a good look at Vaughn.
When Vaughn acclimated to the room, he remained at a distance. He felt irritable as he watched Emma begin her preparations. The warrior in him needed to get going, to start making a plan to catch Loghry in his home. He also didn’t want Emma in danger. If there was a way he could prevent her from going, he’d do it.
She ground herbs, seeds and twigs with a mortar and pestle, the various scents filling the air. The whole time her power rolled at him in waves. His mind grew loose again, yet the muscles of his body twitched with readiness. It was a strange combination of sensations.
She drank her potion, then carried the small, red ceramic bowl from her worktable to the chaise-longue and slid it beneath. She took her time lighting the previous arc of seven candles above the area where she would settle her head.
When she lay down, he felt disconnected from her, maybe because he’d lost his motivation to have her with him when he went to Loghry’s.
~ ~ ~
Emma knew this experience was completely different from the last one with Vaughn. He was keeping his distance but not for a selfish reason. His desire to keep her safe was why he wanted to go it alone and it warmed her heart to know he cared so much.
However, protection wasn’t what she needed right now. She had her own score to settle with the vile wizard who had tormented so many girls all these years. She could only hope that somewhere in the process of reaching into the future, Vaughn would accept whatever role she was supposed to play.
The triplets arrived but they were in a solemn state. Becca didn’t attempt to communicate telepathically. Instead, she waited with her sisters and offered one serious dip of her chin. Clearly, the ghosts believed she was on the right path.
She drew a deep breath, the nature of her witchy power stronger than ever. She kept herself open to what the future might tell her. After all, it was possible she and Vaughn were meant to go somewhere else besides Loghry’s home. Therefore, she didn’t focus on anything specific at first, but let her mind move from her spellroom all the way to Savage Territory and even over to Crescent.