A Vampire Bewitched (Deathless Night Book 1)

by L. E. Wilson

  Emma ran her hands over her breasts and belly, and lower still. Her eyes slid closed on a moan as she imagined it was Nik touching her. She missed him so much. How was it possible to miss his touch when she’d never felt it before?

  Dropping her hands, she finished her shower and got out. Emma towel-dried her hair, foregoing a comb to run her fingers through it, and grabbed her nightshirt off the end of her bed and pulled it over her head. Tossing her wet towel into the hamper, she grabbed her comfortable, blue robe and headed downstairs to get something to eat, her appetite suddenly returned.

  She would try to call Nik, she decided. He’d given her his cell number. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t want to hear from her. And maybe if she spoke to him, the anxiety would go away.

  Eager now, she stepped off of the bottom stair and turned the corner to go into the kitchen. Lifting her eyes from the floor, she gasped out loud, coming to an abrupt halt just inside the doorway.

  Nikulas sat at her kitchen table.

  Nik smiled as he saw her round the corner in that ratty, blue robe, her bare feet peeking out from its uneven hemline. But as his eyes hungrily roved over her features, his smile quickly dissipated. She was pale and gaunt looking, even after her shower. Her eyes looked bruised from the dark circles under them.

  His heart skipped in his chest. Was she sick? Could she be sick? She’d had his blood, but only that one time. And it had been weeks ago.

  Emma stared at him like she was seeing a ghost.

  He rose to his full height, shifting uncomfortably as he remembered she might not be happy to see him. He could have called her first, he supposed, and he’d meant to. He really had. But then, somehow, he’d found himself standing outside her house, with barely any recollection of how he’d gotten there.

  He ran his hands through his hair, pushing it back off of his face, then cleared his throat. “You’re door wasn’t locked, and I guess you never rescinded my invite,” he said in way of an explanation for his sudden appearance in her kitchen.

  Smooth, man. Real smooth.

  Emma glanced over at her front door in surprise, confusion spreading across her features. “I didn’t lock it?”

  He shook his head. “No, you must’ve forgot.”

  She lifted a hand toward him, but then lowered it again.

  “Why are you here, Nik?” Her expression remained neutral, gave nothing away.

  He cleared his throat again, shifting his weight. “Um. Yeah. About that. I should’ve just called you instead of barging in like this, I know. I meant to. I really did. But, then, I just found myself here, outside your house. I was going to leave, and I did. The last time. But then I came back today. And I was about to leave again. But I saw you pull up and walk inside, and I just…didn’t.” He was rambling, but couldn’t seem to stop himself.

  “How long have you been here?” she asked him quietly.

  “A while.” His voice was husky with emotion. He’d been here every night for the last week.

  Watching her leave him had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. And not just because of his vampire instincts to protect his mate.

  He missed her. More than he ever imagined he would.

  They faced off across the small space between them, until Emma broke the tense silence. “Have you heard anything about Keira? Or your brother?”

  “Oh, yeah! Keira!” Nik snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered the reason he was there.

  Emma took a hesitant step forward. “What about Keira?”

  Nik held up his hands, fending off her questions. “We found her, and she’s fine. That’s what I wanted to tell you. She and my brother are…ah…working things out,” he finished lamely.

  He heard her heart stutter, right before it began to pound.

  “You found my sister?”

  He smiled at the cautious joy on her face. “Yes. She’s okay. She’s with Luukas.”

  “What does that mean, exactly? Where is she?” Emma asked with a frown.

  “She’s back at the apartments. Luuk is in really bad shape, Em. Something seems to have snapped in there.” He tapped the side of his head with his finger.

  As her eyes creased with worry, he quickly tried to reassure her. “But, Keira…she seems to help him. She calms him, somehow. I don’t know.” He shrugged.

  Emma searched behind her blindly for a chair as she started to sit down, and Nik shoved one beneath her just in time. He also sat. When she looked at him again, her eyes were large and shiny with unshed tears. “Are you all right?”

  He couldn’t quite hold back his smile at her concern. “I’m good.”

  “How did you find them?”

  “They showed up in the same place we took you. Our sources were correct about them coming back there. We just showed up a few days early. It all went as planned, but Aiden got taken. I need to find him.”

  “Leeha?”

  He nodded. “She ran when we found her, and took Aiden with her.”

  “The wolves?”

  “They were there, also. They’re fine. They found Marc, their friend they were looking for.”

  “Oh, good.”

  Then she frowned. “Why hasn’t Keira called me?”

  Nik scratched his head while he thought of how to word his answer. “She was a little…tied up for a while with Luukas. And he destroyed all of the phones in the apartment, which is why she asked me to let you know she was okay. She wanted me to tell you she’d be in touch as soon as she could, but for you not to worry. And she can’t wait to see you.”

  “Oh, okay. Thank you.” She pulled her robe tighter.

  With everything having been said, the tension in the air gradually thickened. Nik fidgeted, glancing up at her, but didn’t know what to say or do to bridge the gap between them. His blood hummed through his veins, every cell in his body aching for her. For her smile. For her touch. Even just the sound of her voice or the feel of her eyes on him.

  It’s better this way. I should just go, Nik thought. Picking up his hoodie from the back of the chair where he’d dropped it, he stood and prepared to leave.

  Emma stood also. “Are you thirsty?” she blurted.

  Nik paused with his arm midway through the sleeve, his fangs punching down and his mouth salivating at her words. Clenching his jaw, he resumed his movements. She didn’t know what she was saying. She didn’t remember anything that happened between them, thanks to him.

  “I’m good. Thank you.”

  He zipped up his coat, but when he went to move past her, she stopped him with a hand on his chest.

  “Nikulas. Are you thirsty?” she persisted. “You don’t look well.”

  His body hardened immediately at her touch. Her hand was like a branding iron, scorching his skin even through his clothing, as her sweet scent seared his lungs.

  His fangs, and his heart, ached at her offer. “I’ll be fine, Em,” he managed to get out. “Thank you.”

  He tried to go, but her small hand was like a wall, holding him there.

  She searched his face. “Nik, please talk to me. Is something wrong? Are you sick?”

  “I don’t need your pity, Emma.”

  “It’s not pity!” she threw back at him, dropping her hand. “I care about you! I want you to be happy, and healthy! I want you to—” Her mouth snapped shut with an audible ‘click’.

  “Nik, please. Is there anything I can do?”

  His eyes flew to the pulse at her throat. He could smell her blood, just beneath the surface. Grinding his teeth, he drew his will power around him like a shield. “Take care, Emma.” Squeezing past her, he pulled the door open and let the screen slam behind him.

  “Nikulas!” Emma ran out after him into the cool night air. “Please don’t vamp off into the night on me.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears. “Please, stay.”

  He stopped walking, but didn’t turn around. “It’s better this way, Em. Please don’t torture yourself worrying about me. It’s okay. Really. It is.” He star
ted walking again. “Take care of yourself.”

  He heard her footsteps behind him. “I love you!” she yelled.

  Nik pulled up short halfway across the yard. He couldn’t have heard her correctly. He’d erased any intimate memories of him.

  His back still to her, he turned his head to the side so she could hear him. “What did you just say?”

  Chapter 49

  Emma stood barefoot in the soft grass of her front yard, shocked at what had just come out of her mouth, but unable to take it back. She wished he’d turn around so she could see his face. Was he laughing at her? Angry at her? Or was he hurting too?

  Oh, what the hell. Just tell him. What have I got to lose? She let her hand fall back down to her side. “I said, I love you. I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay. Here. With me.” She wished she could think of something more eloquent, but that was about the gist of it.

  She held her breath as she waited to see what he would do.

  Nik spun around on his heel to face her, and Emma had to take a step back as she was hit full force with a desperate wanting. The sensation slammed into her, feeding her own need, and she realized, somehow, it had come from Nik. Steeling her spine, she stepped forward again. Twisting her hands in front of him, she searched his face.

  His expression was open, honest…nervous.

  She wished he would take her back inside and straight up her bedroom, where she could properly show him how much she’d missed him.

  When he didn’t respond, Emma felt a single tear roll down her cheek. She wasn’t imagining this…thing between them. She knew him. Somehow, she knew him. “Nikulas?”

  Nik struggled to hold himself in check as his emotions, too many emotions, washed through him. Happiness. Doubt. Guilt. Hope. Hunger.

  “Nikulas?”

  Haltingly, he took a step toward her. Then another. And another. Picking up speed until he was so close she had to crane her neck back to see him.

  His hands shook with barely controlled restraint as he raised them to cup her face, his eyes roving lovingly over her features. “Do you mean it, Em? Don’t say it if you don’t. Please, don’t…don’t say it if you don’t really mean it. ”

  Emma wrapped her hands around his wrists, holding his hands to her face as another tear slid down her cheek to disappear under his palm. “I’ve been so miserable since I left. I told myself it was because I was worried about my sister, but it wasn’t just that. I’ve missed you so much, Nik.” Her face crumpled as she began to cry in earnest. “Please, stay with me. Tell me I’m not imagining this. Tell me you feel it, too. Tell me…” She dwindled off, her eyes telling him everything she couldn’t say.

  “Shhhh.” Nik wiped her tears away with his thumbs. He felt the truth of her words flow through him, her emotions twisting and twining with his own. Not as strong as before since it had been so long since they’d been together, but still there.

  He pressed a soft kiss to her nose, her soft cheeks, and finally her mouth. His entire body shuddered at the feel of her beneath his lips, and he felt her own body tremble in response.

  There was no fucking way he could put into words the extent his body—and his soul—had craved her these last two weeks. She was his entire world now. Being away from her for so long had thrown him into a place worse than hell. He couldn’t feed, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even concentrate on what he needed to do to get Aiden back. All he’d thought about was Emma.

  Breaking off the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve missed you, too. So much, Em. You’re not imagining things. Of course, I’ll stay with you. Where else would I go?”

  Fresh tears welled in her eyes. Happy tears this time, he hoped. Her smile widened to match his as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her feet off of the ground. Squeezing her so hard she gasped for breath, he planted a sound kiss right on her mouth. Her laughter was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard.

  Sliding one hand under her pert ass, Nik lifted her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist. Sliding his other hand to the back of her neck, he tucked her face into the curve of his neck and shoulder as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He needed to get them inside, and quickly, before he took her outside on the ground like an animal.

  A low growl rumbled deep in his throat as he felt her soft lips kiss the skin on his neck, and he strode determinedly back to the house as quickly as he could.

  He would tell her what he’d done. He would bring her memories back, and hope and pray she didn’t hate him for it.

  Later.

  “You feel so cold,” she murmured against his skin.

  “‘Cold’ is the exact opposite of what I’m feeling right now, sweetheart.”

  Taking the stairs two at a time at supernatural speed, he took her straight up to her bedroom and carefully laid her down on the quilt, then lowered himself between her legs. Her robe fell open and he tugged at her nightshirt until she was bare to him. He rolled his hips, hoping his jeans weren’t too rough on her. But damn if he could tear himself away long enough to take them off.

  Emma welcomed his weight with open arms. She wrapped her limbs around him and slid her fingers into his hair as he dropped his head down and took her mouth with all of the hunger he was feeling.

  She gasped, and he took the opportunity to thrust his tongue inside, beginning a rhythm that matched the rolling of his hips. Emma allowed him take control, opening to him completely.

  Nik moaned as the scent of her desire wafted through the air to mingle with the sweetness of her blood. She arched into him, pressing as close as she could. His cock throbbed, fighting the confinement of his jeans as he pushed his swollen member into her softness, over and over, until he thought he lose his fucking shit if he wasn’t inside of her.

  Emma moaned, and worked her hands between them to fumble at his clothes, but he grabbed her wrists and held them on either side of her head as his mouth wandered across her jaw and down her neck.

  If he allowed her to touch him, he would lose control.

  Nik paused at her throat and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of her skin, her blood, the very essence of her.

  To his surprise, she tilted her head to give him better access. But he just kissed the tender skin softly and kept going, kissing his way across her collarbone and down her chest until her shirt got in the way.

  He couldn’t feed from her. Not until she remembered.

  Releasing one wrist, he lifted himself just enough to get his hand between them, took a fistful of the offensive material and yanked. It tore down the middle, exposing her to his heated gaze, but it wasn’t enough. So, he reared up and sat on his heels, put a hand behind her neck and sat her up with him, then removed the ruined nightshirt and her old, ratty robe out from under her.

  He lowered her back to the bed, but remained sitting, watching her beautiful breasts rise and fall with her heavy breaths, her pink nipples puckering for him prettily.

  Her skin was flushed, causing her scars to stand out in stark relief. At the sight, his mouth pulled back in a snarl, exposing his long fangs. He wished he could kill those things all over again.

  Emma’s hands gripped the quilt, no doubt wanting to cover herself, and hide her scars, but he slowly shook his head at her in warning. He would not be denied the right to look his fill after so long apart from her.

  He pulled his shirt and hoodie up and off in one smooth movement. The ropes of muscle across his stomach tightened and released with need as he ran his eyes from her breasts, down her soft belly, to her slick folds spread wide and glistening before him.

  Nik ran his tongue over his bottom lip, imagining the taste of her, then reached out with one hand and laid it flat between her hip bones as his thumb slid down, dipped into her moisture, then found her hard nub and rubbed it slowly. His eyes never left the erotic view of her spread out before him as he slid his other hand down the front of jeans, cupping the hard bulge there and squeezing slightly, before undoing the button on his waist
line and slowly pulling the zipper down.

  Emma stopped breathing as she watched him take his thick length in his own hand, her attention torn between what he was doing to her and the sight of him sliding his hand up and down his cock. He watched her watch him, and a bead of moisture appearing at the tip. Nik groaned, squeezing the base tight until he gained control again.

  He rubbed her faster with his thumb, and under his hand he felt the muscles low in her belly tightening, surging, and easing again. She strained against him as he worked her body, and his eyes flew to her face to watch her as she came.

  “Nikulas!” Her eyes flew up to his as she came fast and hard, her back arching with the power of it, her hands clenching the comforter like a lifeline.

  Nik’s lips pulled away from his aching fangs as he watched her, his cock throbbing for release in his hand.

  He wasn’t done with her yet. But before he would let himself go any further, she needed to know the truth.

  “Emma, sweetheart.”

  Her eyes slowly flickered open, and she smiled.

  Nik’s heart fluttered in his chest. If he lost her now, it would be the end of him, and not because he needed her blood to survive. But he couldn’t go on deceiving her. Not now. Not like this.

  “Emma, I need to tell you something.”

  The smile faltered, became confused, before it fell from her face completely. “What is it? Tell me,” she insisted.

  “I’m scared,” he whispered.

  She sat up until they were nearly face to face, and touched his cheek as her eyes traveled over his face. “Nik, you’re scaring me.”

  “I don’t want to lose you.” He could barely say the words.

  “Just tell me.” Her small hand gripped the back of his neck, allowing him no escape.

  His body shuttered with need, but he had to tell her. She deserved to know. “I did something to you. Before you left. Something I promised I would never do.”