by R. E. Butler
He laughed. “Yeah, it is. But if I wasn’t immortal, we would never have met. I would have been dead quite a long time before you were even born.”
“That’s so weird. So I can still be out in the daylight?”
“Yes. Of course, I don’t really want you going anywhere without me, but if you want or need to be out in the daytime, we’ll arrange for an escort for you.”
“Who would that be?”
“We have daytime guards, shifters and humans who work for Mishka and patrol the club grounds and other buildings while our people are sleeping.”
“So even though we’re both beloveds, I’m the only one who can go out in the sun?”
“Yep.”
“That sucks. I don’t want to be in the sunlight without you.”
His heart swelled at her sweet words. “There’s a vampire club down in Cincinnati that’s all indoors and set up like a tropical paradise—sandy beaches, salt water, palm trees, and light sources that mimic the sun but won’t harm us. We can go there for vacation sometime.”
“Oh! I’d love that. I can wear a bikini just for you.”
He snarled. “I’m not sure I like that idea.”
“Fine, I’ll wear a head-to-toe dress and a sunhat so big and floppy it touches my shoulders.”
He kissed her with a chuckle. “Save the bikini for when we’re alone, that’s all I ask. I don’t want to have to kill males when we’re on vacation because they see your gorgeous body.”
She snorted. “Just so you know, the possessive feelings go both ways.”
“Of course.” He kissed her and then tucked a lock of her silky dark hair behind her ear. “Are you hungry? We can get something to eat in the employee cafeteria after we visit Margot.”
She opened her mouth and ran her tongue along her upper teeth. “No fangs?”
“Nope. I’ll score my wrist for you when you need to feed.”
“So I get your immortality as your beloved, but is there anything else that comes with it? Like cool vampire powers?”
He sat up as he laughed. “Sorry, love. Just immortality. You will be more difficult to kill because of our bond, and we should be able to sense where each other is at any given time, but otherwise you’re still you.”
“Well, I get you forever, so I’m glad we’re both immortal.”
They showered and dressed. He drank a bottle of SyBl while she finished getting ready. He was amazed at how connected he felt to her.
“You’re sure this is fine to meet Mishka and Harmony?” Kelly asked as she walked out of the bedroom, fixing a silver cuff bracelet on her wrist.
He turned to face her. She was wearing a short suede skirt and a dark brown top with a peach scarf and matching shoes. Her hair was caught up at the sides with sparkling clips and her skin was practically glowing with happiness.
“You look amazing.”
“Eynd was dressed so sexy. I’m just not comfortable in those kinds of clothes, but I don’t want Mishka to think I’m not a team player.”
“What team?”
She stopped in front of him and smiled. “Team vampire.”
He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “He wouldn’t ask a female to wear something she wasn’t comfortable with. When you meet with Gretel, she’ll bring you whatever clothes you like. And you don’t have to use Gretel, you know. If you’d rather shop at a clothing store or mall, I can arrange for transportation and go with you. I’ll even hold your purse.”
“Aw.” She went onto her toes, looping her arms around his neck before she kissed him. “You’re very sweet. After we talk to Mishka, can we go to my apartment so I can pack? I miss my favorite pillow.”
He arched a brow. “You have a favorite pillow?”
“Of course. Don’t you?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. I didn’t know that was a thing. Now I feel like I missed out all these years on having a special pillow. What’s special about it?”
“It’s filled with foam and is so comfy. You’re pretty comfy, but not as much as my favorite pillow.”
“Whatever you need, sweetheart. I want you to be happy here. We can redecorate too. It’s your place now, too.”
“I’m very happy here, I promise.”
They kissed, but he kept it from being a super sexy kiss, because his beloved was the most tempting female on the planet, and they had plans for the evening.
Chapter Thirteen
While they waited for the sun to set, Bell talked to Kelly about being beloveds and what it meant for their future together.
She sat next to him on the couch, and he took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss across her knuckles. “How are you feeling now that you’re immortal? Now that you have a vampire for a mate?”
“I don’t feel any different, except that I’ve got your lifetime of memories mixed in with mine. It’s pretty fascinating, although I could have done without seeing the women you’ve slept with in the past.”
He grimaced. He hadn’t particularly cared to see her romantic history either. It made him want to find those males and kill them simply for having seen his beautiful beloved naked. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I honestly wasn’t sure what it would be like for us to share memories. There isn’t a whole lot that’s known about beloveds because until Brone and Arissa mated, no one had heard of beloveds bonding together for centuries. It was more myth than anything.”
“Why is that?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? There aren’t rules when it comes to some supernatural occurrences and it’s possible that vampires are choosing to turn a human rather than wait for their beloved, especially when no one really expected there to ever be beloveds. Brone was a thousand years old before he met Arissa.”
“Holy shit!”
“Yeah, right? He’s one of the oldest vamps in the states. You’ll meet him at some point, he’s the head of security for the coven and family.”
“Do I smell different?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, will vampires know I’m not human anymore or will they try to feed from me?”
His fangs throbbed in his gums as an unholy snarl rippled through him. “No one will touch you.”
Her mouth dropped open and then she smiled. “You’re so sexy. All possessive and protective.”
He shook his head to dispel the fury at the suggestion that anyone would try to touch his beloved. It was a hypothetical question, anyway. “First, vampires can smell when a person is mated, whether they’re vampire, shifter, or human. In your case, when we became beloveds, not only do we both have mating marks, but we both smell mated. It’s like a signature cologne—you smell like me and I smell like you. For another vampire, that scent is a turn off. Shifters can also smell when a person is mated. But humans can’t.”
“Right, because our senses aren’t as strong.”
He nodded. “On the scale of scenting abilities, humans are very low on the totem pole. With eyesight as well.”
“Plus speed and strength,” she added.
He smiled. “I feel so close to you, sweetheart. Becoming beloveds makes me feel like we’ve been together our whole lives, not just a few days.”
“Me too. It’s amazing.” She laid her head on the couch and gave him a sad smile. “The only thing that I think about is Selma being mortal. It’s hard to imagine never aging while she does. I mean, she’s my little sister.”
Bell knew how close the two were. “Maybe she’ll mate with a vampire and be turned.”
“Maybe. I’m not sure she wants to be turned, though. She’s never mentioned it, but I never actually asked. I thought it was weird that she wanted to be food, to allow herself to be bitten for money. I’m glad that people want that job, of course, because it’s necessary, but it’s still strange.”
“It takes a certain personality to be able to do it. It’s very intimate, even if people treat it like a business transaction. It’s hard not to get caught up in holding some
one and feeding from them.”
She made a face and tapped her temple. “I know, remember?”
With a chuckle, he kissed her. “I’ll never feed from anyone but you again. Once a week, I’ll feed from you and you’ll feed from me, and I’ll sustain myself on SyBl every day.”
“I’m glad you don’t have to feed from anyone but me. I don’t think I could handle it if I saw you put those pearly fangs in someone else’s neck.”
“I’d hate it too, trust me.”
Once the sun had set, they exited the apartment building and found a coven SUV waiting for them at the curb. Dylan got out of the passenger seat and opened the second-row door.
“Hey! I didn’t expect to see you until we stopped at the office for our meeting with Mishka and Harmony,” Bell said after he introduced his friend to his beloved.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Dylan said, nodding at Kelly. “Brone asked for volunteers for a protection detail, and when I signed up, I was surprised to hear it was for you and your mate. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
Kelly got into the second row and scooted to the far side, and Bell joined her, sitting in the middle. He greeted John, who was driving, and introduced him to his mate. After Dylan shut their door and got into the passenger seat, John said, “Where are we going?”
Kelly gave the name of the bookstore and address, and Dylan entered it into the SUVs navigation system. In minutes they were on the way, with Bell’s arm around Kelly’s shoulder. They talked quietly about the night ahead. He was looking forward to meeting her boss, who she spoke so highly of, and while he was also excited to introduce her to Mishka and Harmony, mostly he just wanted to get back to the apartment so they could enjoy their time together. He was going to ask for time off to spend with her and hoped Margot wouldn’t mind her having some time off too.
“That’s weird,” Kelly said as the SUV stopped in front of the bookstore.
“What?” Bell asked. He looked through the glass at the store.
“The lights are off, but the store should be open for another hour at least.” Kelly took out her cell from her purse and called Margot. “It went right to voicemail.”
“Stay put, love,” Bell said. “I’ll go check it out. Maybe she closed early.”
He got out of the SUV and Dylan joined him. They approached the building and Bell pulled on the door handle, but it didn’t budge. The open sign was visible, but it looked like it was closed. Returning to the SUV, he asked Kelly if she had a key, and she said she did. Dylan sent John to scout around the perimeter while Dylan followed him and Kelly into the shop.
Kelly called Margot’s name a few times, turning on the interior lights. They checked the office and other rooms, but the shop was empty.
“The only thing that’s weird is how hot the office is,” Kelly said.
“Maybe she left the heater on,” Dylan said.
John joined them in the main room. “Nothing out of the ordinary outside.”
Bell nodded, looking at his mate whose brows were drawn down as she stared at the door leading to the office.
“Sweetheart?” he asked.
“It felt weird in the office. I think I need to go back in there.”
“Of course.” The three males followed Kelly into the office.
Kelly shivered. “The air feels electric in here. Wait, I wonder...” She walked to the wall behind the desk and lifted a painting from a hook. The wall was empty behind it. She ran her hand along the wall. “There was a safe here. I don’t understand. Maybe this is related to the book.”
“Book?” Bell asked.
“The book I found—Key of Aramnapor.”
Every male froze and stared at her in surprise. “Are you serious? You found the book?” Bell asked.
“Shit, we need to call Mishka immediately,” John said.
“What’s wrong?” Kelly asked.
“There are vampires who would kill for that book,” Bell said. “How do you even know about it?”
“I’m the Key Keeper,” she said, matter-of-factly.
Bell stared at her for a moment, his mind spinning over her words. He grasped her arms firmly. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”
She explained that someone had dropped off a box of books, and one of them had strange symbols. “I cut my finger on one of the symbols and I could read it. I showed Margot and she explained what the book was.”
“I didn’t see that in your memories,” Bell said.
She shrugged. “I can’t imagine why you didn’t, it just happened Monday.”
There was a soft meow, and a cat appeared from under the desk. It rubbed its cheek against Kelly’s leg, purring loudly.
“Oh! There you are! What happened to Margot?” She stooped and picked the cat up. “She’s got some weird stuff on her fur. It’s like glitter.”
She brushed off the sparkles that covered the cat and then she sneezed, freezing in place, her eyes glazing over. Alarmed, Bell reached for her, one of his hands landing on the fluffy cat. Immediately, his vision darkened as if he was blind, and then a scene appeared in his mind like a video.
A woman stood in the office. “Hello, my dear. I had a premonition that Danlier was coming here. I believe he had someone searching for the symbols from the book and when you posted it online at my suggestion, we were discovered. I spelled the office to hide the safe and my car so I could leave without detection and got the hell out of there. You can remove the office spell by pricking your finger and letting a drop of your blood fall to the ground as you say the word reveal three times. I can’t tell you where I am for safety’s sake, but you need to find me. Ask Mishka where his old girlfriend lives and that’s where I’ll be waiting. Be safe, dear.”
The scene stopped and Bell’s vision returned. Kelly blinked at him and then snuggled the cat. “She must have left that warning for me on Poppy. Who is Mishka’s old girlfriend?”
“I think she was talking about a Wiccan who Mishka had taken under-the-fang,” Bell said. He relayed to Dylan and John what Margot had said in the strange vision.
She put the cat down on the rug and then held out her finger to Bell.
“What?” he asked.
“I don’t have sharp teeth, but you do. I need to let a drop of blood fall on the ground to undo the spell so I can find the safe with the book.”
Bell nodded, glancing at Dylan and John. “You two split. I don’t want you smelling my beloved’s blood.”
“I’ll call ahead for Mishka,” Dylan said. “See you outside.”
When they were alone, Bell gave her a kiss and then took her hand in his, lifting it to his mouth. He struck swiftly, sinking a fang into the tip of her index finger. She winced and then turned her hand upside down, watching as the deep red blood welled on the puncture wound. “Reveal, reveal, reveal,” she said as a drop of blood hit the floor. The heat in the room turned oppressive and Bell thought he’d melt because of it, but as quickly as it increased, it disappeared, leaving the room at a normal temperature. The blank wall behind the picture revealed a large wall safe, which Kelly unlocked and opened, removing a book from inside. When she’d closed the safe and hung the picture over it, she lifted her still-bleeding finger.
“Can you fix this?”
“You bet,” he said, licking her finger to cause it to heal quickly.
She rubbed her healed finger. “That’s so strange.”
“It’s helpful for vampires to be able to heal wounds. If a human walked around with puncture wounds on their neck that took a long time to heal, they wouldn’t be able to feed too many people.”
“Good point. Thanks.”
She showed him the book, but it looked like it was written in another language. Three symbols were on the cover, and it was closed with a lock. She opened it and flipped through a few pages. He couldn’t see anything on the parchment pages except weird symbols like those on the cover.
“This is the Key of Aramnapor,” she said, closing and locking the book. “
I don’t really understand how it got into my hands, but Margot said it must be fate and that I was meant to have the book.”
“Mishka had the original Book of Aramnapor,” Bell said. “He may know more. We should get going. Wait, what’s up with your hand?”
The fingers of Kelly’s left hand were covered with metallic-looking leaves. It looked like a tattoo, but he was positive her fingers were bare before.
She lifted her hand and inspected it. “Oh! When I first cut myself on the symbol, one finger became covered with the weird leaves. Then when I put blood on the other two symbols, two more fingers were covered, leaving the ring finger bare.”
“Why?” He took her hand and brought it close, running his fingertips over the digits. The marks weren’t raised like a scar or brand, her skin was smooth to the touch.
“No clue. Margot said it must be some kind of marking from the book.”
“Did it hurt?”
“Not in the least. And they disappeared until they weren’t really visible. I guess when I open the book, the marks show back up. Spooky magic tattoo.”
He chuckled. “Ready to go to the club?”
“Yes. But what about Poppy?” Kelly asked, looking down at where it sat by her feet. “Do you think she’ll be safe here?”
“I don’t see why not,” Bell said. “She was fine before we got here.”
Kelly bent and gave the cat a scratch behind the ear. They left the bookstore and headed to the club. By the time they arrived at the club, Brone and Cyrus were waiting at the employee side entrance to escort them to the family’s War Room, the name of one of the large conference rooms. Bell had been mulling over the situation the whole drive over. Whatever happened, it was vital that he kept Kelly safe at all times. Not only because their lives were tied together now, but because he didn’t want anything to happen to her. She was his whole world, and he wasn’t about to let her go.
Chapter Fourteen
Kelly clutched the Key book to her chest as they walked into the War Room. Mishka was seated at the front of a long table, holding the hand of a pretty woman with blue and pink streaks in her hair and talking quietly to her. There were other people in the room, mostly males with a few females interspersed.