by Becky Allen
When they reached the bench, she sat down and after a moment, Zack sat beside her. “Okay, what’s up?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t said a word since we left the house. Whatever’s bothering you, just spit it out.”
“Nothing’s bothering me except, well, I still don’t know very much about you.” She raised a hand, staying his comment. “I only know you’re young and single and rich. And you taste good.”
“Want another bite?”
“Not right now.” She stared out at the lake a moment. “Do you like being a vampire? Was it something you wanted?”
“Is that what’s got your panties in a knot? You’re worried about whether I’m happy being a vampire?”
“Of course not. Like I said, I just want to know more about you.”
Zack shook his head. Women. “In the beginning, I hated it and I hated the vampire who turned me, but once I got the hang of it . . .” He shrugged. “It took some getting used to, but I’ve got no complaints now.”
“Have you killed very many people?”
“Define many.”
“Zack.”
“I’ve killed a few, especially in the beginning, before I learned to control the hunger. I don’t know any vampire who hasn’t taken a life or two.”
Kaitlyn nodded. She didn’t know if her father had ever taken a life to sustain his own, but she knew he had killed at least two men. “Would you be mortal again, if you could?”
“Hell, no.”
“Have you ever been married?”
“No.”
“In love?”
Colette’s image flashed through Zack’s mind. “Once,” he admitted, “a long, long time ago. How about you, Katy?” he asked, his voice suddenly silky smooth. “You ever been in love?”
She shook her head, although it wasn’t entirely true, because she was in love with Zack. “Is it true you can’t have children?”
“Yeah.”
“Does that ever bother you?”
“Sure, but . . .” He made a vague gesture with his hand. “You’ve got to take the bad with the good.” He stared into the darkness. “I guess that’s something you’re looking forward to—marriage, motherhood, the whole nine yards.”
“It’s expected of me.”
“Expected?”
“Our women are only fertile for a short time each year.”
“Is that why your grandfather had so many wives?”
“Partly. Our women outnumber the men, so it’s not uncommon for Master Vampires to take more than one wife.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Zack muttered and then grinned. “Your grandfather must have been quite a stud.”
Kaitlyn huffed a sigh of annoyance. “Do you think you’d like to have twenty wives and hundreds of children?”
“Well, I don’t know about raising all those kids,” he said, waggling his eyebrows, “but the begetting part doesn’t sound so bad.”
She punched him on the shoulder. “Men! All you ever think about is sex.”
“Ow!”
“Serves you right.”
Laughing, Zack pulled her into his arms. “Katy, I don’t want anyone but you.”
She stared up at him. Did he mean it? “Zack . . .”
“I know, I’m moving too fast. So, what do you want me to do? Back off? Go away?”
“Just kiss me, you idiot.”
“You sweet talker,” he murmured.
She sighed as his lips claimed hers. Falling for Zack was bound to cause nothing but trouble, but somehow, that didn’t seem to matter, not when he was kissing her as if he would never let her go.
She wrapped her arms around him as his kiss grew deeper, more passionate. Maybe she was worrying over nothing. Maybe her father wouldn’t object to having Zack for a son-in-law. And maybe she was taking too much for granted. After all, no promises had been made, no words of commitment had been spoken between them.
Just because she loved him didn’t mean he loved her.
Chapter 16
Eyes narrowed, hands resting on his knees, Lucien, Master of the Italian Fortress, regarded the woman standing before him. Nadiya Korzha was tall for a female, her bearing austere. Long straight brown hair fell over her rigid shoulders. Her eyes were the color of the sky on a cloudy day. He had been surprised by her request for an audience—doubly so because he had never met her. He knew who she was, of course. Rodin Sherrad’s fourth wife. He had heard rumors that Sherrad’s son, Drake, was interested in her whereabouts, though Lucien had no idea why.
Lucien gestured at the chair across from his. “Please, sit.”
“Thank you.”
“We can spend several useless minutes in small talk,” Lucien said. “Or we can skip the niceties and you can come straight to the point and tell me why you’re here.”
“It is well-known that you have long coveted the Carpathian Fortress.”
“Indeed?” Lucien lifted one brow, concerned that anyone should have such knowledge. The Carpathian Fortress was the largest of its kind. In days past, there had been those who had challenged Rodin for its possession. All had been defeated. But Rodin was no longer a threat. “Well-known by whom?”
“By myself.”
“You did not come here to tell me that.”
“No, I have come seeking your help in avenging my kin.”
Lucien frowned. “Explain.”
“Drake Sherrad killed my sons. . . .”
“That was over twenty years ago,” Lucien interjected. “Wait a minute. Did you say ‘sons’?”
“Yes.” She had no proof that Daryn was dead, but she had not heard from him in more than a week. Only death would prevent him from contacting her. She didn’t know who had killed him, but of one thing she was certain—Drake Sherrad was involved.
“What is it you want from me?”
“There are those within the Carpathian Fortress who are not happy with the changes Drake has made since his father’s demise, but there are not enough of them to overpower Drake and assume control of the Fortress. They have pledged their allegiance to me.”
Lucien leaned forward. “Go on.”
“Together, we can overthrow Sherrad and claim the Carpathian Fortress.” Lucien wasn’t alone in his desire to rule Sherrad’s territory. She took a deep breath. “When it is ours, we can rule it together.”
He reared back, eyes wide with astonishment. “Are you proposing an alliance? Or marriage?”
“Whichever suits you best.”
“If you are thinking of going to battle, you will need a strong army. Or are you suggesting that I challenge Sherrad one-on-one?” He shook his head. “I know of no one who can defeat him with the sword.”
“Soon, I will have something to bargain with,” Nadiya said, her mind racing as a new strategy fell into place. “It will give us the edge we need.”
“What sort of edge?”
“When I have obtained it, I will let you know.”
“This is not something to be decided without a great deal of thought,” Lucien remarked. “Many lives hang in the balance. I will need time to think it over.”
“Take as long as you deem necessary,” she said.
He nodded. She must have the patience of a saint, he mused, seeing as how she had already waited over twenty years to avenge Florin’s death. He grinned inwardly. Of course, if Nadiya Korzha had a saintly bone in her body, she would not be seeking revenge.
“Where can I reach you?” he asked.
She smiled coolly. “You cannot. I will get in touch with you.” Rising, she inclined her head, then vanished from his sight.
Lucien grunted softly. He would as soon put his trust in a vampire hunter as the lovely Nadiya, and yet the thought of being Master of the Carpathian Fortress, the largest vampire refuge in all the world, might be worth the risk.
Chapter 17
For Kaitlyn, the next few days were among the happiest of her life. Zack arrived at her house with the setti
ng of the sun and stayed until dawn’s first light brightened the horizon.
They took long walks in the moonlight. They swam in the lake. They went dancing until dawn at the Skylight Room. He taught her how to play poker and craps and roulette.
One evening, he took her to dinner at the restaurant in the casino, insisting she describe the taste of the lobster, the rice pilaf, the seven-layer chocolate cake she had for dessert. As far as Kaitlyn was concerned, it was impossible. How could you describe the taste of food to someone who had existed on a liquid diet for six hundred years?
Every night, when the urge to be alone together grew irresistible, they went back to her place, curled up on the sofa, and made out like randy teenagers. Though Zack had agreed they should take it slow, each night it became more and more difficult for Kaitlyn to send him home, especially on those nights when they shared blood.
Until she’d met Zack, Kaitlyn had consumed blood because it was necessary for her survival. Given a choice, she would have shunned it. Now, having tasted Zack, she quickly found herself craving the taste of him more and more often.
Tonight was such a night. Needing to distract herself from her hunger for his blood and her desire for his body, she put her hand on his chest and gave him a little push.
He let her go without argument or comment. He might not be able to read her mind, but he recognized the hunger in her eyes.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
He spread his arms out along the back of the sofa, then stretched his legs out in front of him. “No problem.” Every night about this time, he remembered why he didn’t date virgins, and why he left Kaitlyn’s house feeling exhilarated and frustrated at the same time.
Rising, Kaitlyn went into the kitchen. She filled a glass with ice water, then returned to her place on the sofa. She sipped the water, then put the glass aside. “How did you become a vampire?”
“I took the wrong woman to bed.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’d been hanging out at a local pub. One night I met a woman there. She was pretty, exotic, years older than I was.” He laughed softly. “Hundreds of years older, as it turned out, but I didn’t know that at the time. All I saw was a fascinating creature who was as different from the women I was used to as a queen from a scullery maid. I know now that what I saw, what I felt, wasn’t real. Anyway, one night some stranger started flirting with her. When she turned him down, he got abusive.”
He paused a moment, seeing it all in his mind. “At the time, I didn’t realize she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Anyway, I tossed the guy out of the pub and the lady repaid my chivalry by taking me to bed. After we made love, she said she was thirsty.” He shook his head ruefully. “I had no idea I was her drink of choice.”
“Was it terrifying?”
“Oh, yeah. I went to bed an ignorant farmer and woke up a ravening monster.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I thought so. It took me a while to figure out what she’d done to me. I quickly learned that the sun burned my flesh, that mortal food sickened me, that the only thing I could safely consume was blood, and that it didn’t matter if it was animal or human, or if the host was dead or alive.”
“Dead?” Kaitlyn grimaced.
“Yeah, well . . .” He shrugged.
“Did you ever see her again? The vampire who turned you?”
“No. I spent a year or two looking for her. I’m not sure why, or what I would have done if I’d found her. Anyway, time passed, and I learned how to be a vampire, how to hunt more efficiently, how to ease my hunger without killing my prey.” He slid a glance in her direction and grinned. “How to take advantage of all the preternatural perks that were now mine.”
Leaning forward, she kissed him on the cheek. “You’re quite remarkable, you know?”
“Yeah, why? Because I learned to survive?”
She nodded. “I’m not sure I would have done as well in your shoes. I grew up knowing what I was. My father was there every step of the way to teach me what to do, and I had a whole flock of aunts and uncles to guide me. Not to mention my mother.” Kaitlyn smiled. “She’s incredible. You’d like her.”
“I like you,” Zack said, his voice suddenly soft and sexy. “I like the color of your eyes, and the way they light up when you see me. I like your cute little nose,” he said, kissing the tip, “and the way it twitches when you smell blood. I like your mouth, the way you taste . . .” He paused, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips.
“More,” she murmured.
“I like your ears and your lovely neck. . . .” More kisses followed this declaration.
“Zack . . .”
“I know, I know.” He drew back, breathing hard. “I think I’d better go before this gets out of hand.”
Kaitlyn followed him to the door, rose on her tiptoes to kiss him good night. They couldn’t go on like this, she thought, watching him disappear into the darkness. He had to be as frustrated as she was.
Sighing, she closed the door. Right or wrong, tomorrow night she was going to seduce Zack Ravenscroft.
Drake stared at the man standing across from him. “Are you sure of this information?”
Gregor nodded. “I overheard the end of the conversation myself.”
“You are sure Lucien was speaking with Nadiya?”
“Positive.”
Drake regarded Gregor for a moment. Gregor was the third son of his father’s seventh wife. “What were you doing at the Italian Fortress?”
“I have been courting Lucien’s oldest daughter.”
Drake raised one brow. “Indeed? How long has this been going on?”
“A few months,” Gregor said with a shrug.
“Do none of our women appeal to you?”
“Have you seen Rosalia?” Gregor asked with a wry grin.
“Point taken.” Rosalia was one of the most beautiful women Drake had ever seen, with her long red hair and flashing black eyes. “If you hear anything else, let me know immediately.”
“Yes, my lord.” Gregor inclined his head, then left the chamber.
Drake ran a hand through his hair. Gregor hadn’t heard anything specific, certainly nothing useful, but the fact that Nadiya had been in contact with Lucien spoke volumes. Drake had long known that Lucien coveted the Carpathian Fortress. Not that he was alone. Nearly every Master Vampire was jealous of whoever held the Fortress in Romania. It was the birthplace of their race, the largest stronghold in the world. It had been ruled by a member of the Sherrad family for as long as their kind had existed. Many had tried to claim it—some by force, some by cunning, some by treacher y—but none had succeeded.
There were those who feared the Sherrad rule would come to an end if Drake were defeated in battle. He had no son to avenge him, no son to reclaim the Fortress if it was taken. But there was Andrei. And Stefan . . .
Drake moved to the window and stared out over the valley, the current problem temporarily forgotten as he wondered yet again about Stefan’s whereabouts. Stefan, his favorite brother, gone these past twenty years.
Drake braced one hand against the edge of the window. “Where are you?” he murmured. “Why have you not come home?”
Stefan Sherrad stood in the shadows outside Ravenscroft’s Casino, his thoughts momentarily turning inward. More than twenty years had passed since he’d left the Carpathian Fortress, and he had missed it every single day. And yet the pain of seeing the happiness his brothers had found had driven him away, and kept him away. He did not begrudge Andrei or Drake the love they had found, wished them only continued happiness, but he could not be there to watch when his own heart remained broken. And so, like a coward, he had run away.
Rumors had sent him here. Trouble was brewing in Romania, and it involved Drake’s daughter. Secrets did not long remain secrets in his world. The vampire population was not large. Gossip quickly spread from one Fortress to another. While visiting the Fortress in New England, Stefan had heard rumors of unrest in hi
s homeland. A little discreet eavesdropping here, a little snooping there, and he had learned that Daryn Korzha had been killed in Nevada by an unknown assailant. The information had naturally piqued Stefan’s interest, since he and Korzha were related. But it had been mention of Drake’s daughter in the same breath that had sent Stefan to Lake Tahoe, located between Northern California and Nevada.
A little discreet snooping had turned up Kaitlyn’s address, along with the fact that she was often seen in the company of Zack Ravenscroft, owner of Ravenscroft’s Casino.
Moving toward the entrance, Stefan wondered what manner of man Ravenscroft was, and what his intentions were toward his niece. But it didn’t matter.
He had come to take Kaitlyn home. But first, he wanted to meet Zack Ravenscroft.
Zack frowned as a tall, dark-haired man dressed in jeans and a black denim jacket over a white shirt approached him. Though the similarities were subtle, there was no mistaking the resemblance between the stranger and Kaitlyn. Could this be her father? And if so, what was he doing here?
Silly question, Zack thought. If he had a daughter, he would certainly want to meet the man she was dating. He wondered if Katy had spoken to her father recently and let it slip that he was one of the so-called Others. No doubt he would find out soon enough.
“Are you Zack Ravenscroft?” the stranger asked.
Zack nodded. “And you’d be?”
“Stefan Sherrad.”
Not the father, Zack thought, but the missing brother. “What can I do for you?”
“I am Kaitlyn’s . . .”
“Uncle,” Zack said, finishing Sherrad’s introduction for him.
Surprise flickered in Sherrad’s eyes. “You know of me?”
“Kaitlyn’s mentioned you once or twice. Does she know you’re here?”
“Not yet.”
Zack crossed his arms over his chest. “So, what brings you here?”