by Tena Stetler
“I’m not sure…” she murmured, leaning into him.
His mouth slid over hers and captured her gasp of surprise as his tongue slipped between her lips and danced sinuously with hers, arousing the beast within him. His fangs unsheathed as he felt the heat of the beast gaining control for the second time today.
Faced away from her, he pulled back slightly, his cheek slid across hers until it rested against the soft curve of her neck. She didn’t see the changes he couldn’t control. Damn it. This wasn’t going to ruin his chances of a life with Brandy, and he ruthlessly shut down the beast. Being intimate with her was going to take more caution and practice than he’d thought, but on the flip side, the practice would be…Images of their naked bodies entwined flowed through his mind in vivid detail, causing the expected results.
Brandy shoved at him, “Stefan, you know the…”
“Rules,” he finished for her and raised his head, gaze locked on hers. He sighed and brushed his lips lightly across hers. He loved that feeling. Not ready to relinquish his hold, he trailed kisses along her cheek and whispered, “Things are about to change.” If she saw the struggle that had just ensued inside him, she didn’t acknowledge it. That’s the thing about Brandy. She sees the best in everyone.
A smile lit up her eyes as she tilted her head to look up at him. “Are they? I think I like this new Stefan. It may take some getting used to though,” she teased and slid her hand under his T-shirt to massage his well-defined back muscles. He felt her tremble in his arms as he flexed under her fingertips. He loved that reaction. Will she continue to fight the desire she feels each time I touch her? He could scent her arousal.
“How about tomorrow we head to the mall. This place needs some sprucing up.”
Surprised at her quick mood change, he shook off the cloud of desire that fogged his brain, leaned away, and looked amused. “What’s wrong with it?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she swept her arms up from her sides and turned in a circle. “What isn’t?”
He grinned sheepishly. “Okay, okay, things got a little out of control while you were gone.”
“Aye, just a bit.” She giggled and reached for his hand.
****
The next morning, they walked to the Mountain Mall, arriving early to avoid the crowds. Brandy found the fragrant candles she was looking for along with a crystal vase and a couple of crystal bowls. She perused the draperies until she found just the right shades of blue and handed them to him along with two sets of brightly colored kitchen curtains. “Those should add just the right touch.”
“For who? Seems a bit feminine to me.” Staring down at the kitchen curtains, he glanced up at her and winked.
“I’ll be staying for a while; besides, they brighten the kitchen.” She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled up at him.
“After we’re done here, how about we go back to the cabin, get my truck, and take a ride over to Kalispell? I need to stop by Badger Building, out on Highway 2, and get sheet rock, mud, drywall tape, and paint to fix the holes in the wall. We can also check on your cottage. The construction is completed, but I didn’t replace the furniture.”
“Thanks for that. I didn’t even give the house a thought when I left. I stopped by my place and discovered the repairs were complete, but like you said, no furniture. Since I wasn’t sure what the future would hold, I stayed in a motel.”
****
Walking toward the mall exit, Brandy stopped. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She glanced behind her and scowled, increasing their pace.
“What is it?” Instinctively, Stefan drew her closer to him and looked around. Synn stood in the shadow of the brick column. “Shit.”
Brandy hesitated, then shook her head and frowned. “There’s something about the woman that bothers me, other than the obvious. I don’t know what she is, but I don’t think Synn’s human.” Brandy shuddered, then gave her shoulders a quick shake. “I don’t want to get close enough to find out.”
“You’re damn right you don’t. She isn’t human. She disappeared right out of my hold that night. I won’t let her control our lives either.” He slowed the pace and stared defiantly in Synn’s direction. Abruptly, he stopped and sat on one of the mall benches, then pulled Brandy into his lap.
“What are you doing, Stefan?” she squealed, her cheeks blushing bright red as customers nearest them snickered and moved past.
“Enjoying myself. You got a problem with that?” He nuzzled into the back of her hair as he shifted her to his side.
She leaned her head back against his shoulder, her eyes drinking in his face. “Nope.” A sigh escaped her lips. For the first time, she felt actual contentment inside him, tinged with anxiety. But given the situation, that was to be expected. The terrible despair and anger that simmered just below the surface was fading. Strong, proud, and defiant, yet somehow vulnerable—that was her vampire.
Absently, he tugged at a wayward curl that had come loose from the black ribbon she’d tied her hair back with.
Untying the ribbon, she shook her hair free and looked expectantly up at him. “If you are finished with your public display of affection, can we go?”
“Yep.” Grabbing her hand, he stood, spilling her out onto her feet. They swiftly exited the mall. Her hair fell around her shoulders and down her back as they walked through the crisp morning air. Reaching for wisps of her hair, he ran his fingers through her beautiful mane. Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped her hair all around her face in a cloud of sun-fire. She dropped his hand and reached back to tie it up again.
In an instant, he took the ribbon from her and grinned outrageously, stuffing it in his pocket. “I like it wild.”
Exasperated, she huffed out a breath that hung in the air like a thin wisp of white smoke. “Okay, but you’re going to brush it out for me tonight.”
“Gladly,” he murmured, slowly raising a brow as the corner of his mouth curved up seductively.
She popped him in the ribs with the back of her hand. “I will not be naked on your bed, nestled between your legs, while you brush my hair. Get that image out of your mind right now. Not going to happen.”
He snickered. “We’ll see.” Dodging to the side, he caught her hand before she could pop him again, and her gaze darted behind them.
Chapter Fifteen
Family Can Be a Difficult Dilemma
After they returned from hunting, showered, and curled up on the couch together, Brandy looked over at him. “Stefan, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”
“Okay, shoot.” He nuzzled her neck, gently kissing her as his fangs accidently slipped free, scraping her soft skin.
“Stefan, pay attention,” she chided, rubbing her neck. “I’d like you to consider coming to Maine with me to meet Hannah and Tristian.”
“Uh-huh,” he said absently, tracing his finger along her jawline. “Whoa. What? I don’t think so. They don’t like me.”
“They don’t know you. All they know is that we had some problems, like all couples.”
“Only those problems stem from the fact that I’m a vampire and want to drink your blood.” He smiled wide, the firelight glinting off his still prominently displayed fangs.
“Well, there is that. Now put those things away before you hurt someone.” She grinned, surprised at her ability to tease him now without him getting defensive. “The only problem I see is that they are aware I am seriously involved with someone. They don’t know who or what you are. This may present a problem at first.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she added, “Oh, and Tristian is a human. Will that be a problem for you?”
“No more than every other warm-blooded human on this planet on a bad day,” he complained sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
She watched a shadow of doubt cross his dark eyes and chalked it up to nerves. “I’ll call Hannah and tell her we’re coming.” She pursed her lips and wrinkled her brow. “But I don’t think it’s wise to tell her you’re a vampire over the phone.”
>
“Probably a good choice.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him.
“You should know that Tristian is not just a human. He is a demon slayer.” She dropped her voice to just above a whisper. “And a warlock.”
****
“He’s what?” The words flew out of Stefan’s mouth before he had time to gather his thoughts. He bolted upright. Well, that confirms his identity. He is Tristian, the demon overlord’s assassin. But why—how is this possible? I’m sunk. Brandy’s sister was with Tristian, the warlock he’d fought side by side with as the Vampire Council’s assassin. This situation couldn’t get more complicated if the demon overlord appeared himself. Shit.
Brandy’s eyes narrowed with annoyance. “Oh, calm down, Stefan. You are not a demon. You have nothing to worry about.”
Right. Nothing to worry about, only watching my life unravel before my very eyes. Stefan closed his eyes and calmed himself. When he opened them again, Brandy was staring at him expectantly. He cast a dark look in her direction. “The girls in your family don’t like their own kind, do they?” Brandy jumped up, her hands fisted on her hips, her green eyes blazing. “No, vampires and demon slayers are much more interesting than gryphon shapeshifters. Get real, Stefan! I am sure that Hannah didn’t plan to fall in love with a warlock demon slayer any more than I did with a stone-cold vampire. It just happened.”
Staring at her, intrigued at how quickly his words ignited her Irish temper, he backed off. “Okay…okay…point taken. If your family can accept that you are seriously involved with a vampire, then I am willing to accompany you to Maine.” He reached for her fisted hand and pulled her back down on the couch, gently straightening her fingers out one by one, laying her open hand on his thigh.
She huffed out a breath, settled down caressing his thigh mindlessly. Her hand wandered higher inside his thigh but stopped as if she’d reconsidered. A sly smile curved his lips.
His gaze traveled from her hand to her sparkling eyes. Her temper was quick but cooled just as fast. “You know what they say about people who play with fire.” He grinned, teasing her. “You ready to get burned?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She gave one last caress of his thigh and used her hand to brush back strands of wayward hair from her face.
As if the recent revelations weren’t enough, a jolt of remembrance came to mind. Serena was from Maine, in fact, not far from Misty Harbor. All those feelings of anger, betrayal, and helplessness churned inside him again. He tried to dispel the feelings before Brandy noticed. Too late.
Brandy’s forehead creased in concern as she wrapped her arm around him. “Stefan, are you all right?”
Damn her empathic abilities. He blew out a breath and tried to keep his voice nonchalant. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s—the vampire that turned me, Serena, and her group of friends are from Collinsport, a small town about fifty miles outside of Misty Harbor. There are vampire covens and activity in and around that town.”
“You’ve never heard from her again?”
“No. And that’s a good thing. I thought myself in love with her, which now I know was only infatuation. Still, her betrayal and my own stupidity cost me everything. I was forced to leave my tribal home because I couldn’t be trusted. It nearly killed my grandfather. For the longest time, rage and revenge…Never mind, you don’t need to hear this.”
“If it helps to talk about it, I’m a good listener,” Brandy offered.
“Forget it. I’m learning to let it go.”
“Okaaay…” She paused for a beat. “You know, my sister never mentioned anything about paranormal activity around their area. I would assume she and Tristian would know of such things. But then again, she hasn’t confided in me a lot since her marriage.” Brandy studied his face and rubbed her hand affectionately across his back. “Anything else you want to tell me?”
Oh, Tristian would know all right. I’m going to need to come clean about my past with the Vampire Council before Tristian outs me. Stefan rubbed his temple irritably. “No. I’m not a damn child you have to coddle. Just thought you should know. That’s all.” He paused and drew a deep breath he still didn’t need. “When did you want to visit your sister?”
Her eyebrow shot up at the sudden change of subject “First of next week. I’ll make the plane reservations and then call Hannah to tell her when we’ll arrive. One more thing while we’re about this, I’d also like us to spend Christmas in Ireland with the rest of my family.”
He shoved up from the couch and stared incredulously at her. “Brandy, that’s three thousand miles from here, fourteen—fifteen hours cooped up in a plane with a couple hundred warm-blooded humans. Not to mention being around your family twenty-four seven, or will we be staying in a B&B? I’m sorry, but that’s asking an awful lot.”
She tapped her finger lightly on her lips. “I’d have to arrange time off from work, but we’re going into the off-season, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Getting time off for me shouldn’t be a problem. Russ hires interns throughout the year to fill in. He gets free labor, and in turn, they get hands-on training. It’s a win-win for everyone. If I agree to go.”
She blinked at him and smiled coyly from under her long red lashes. “Please,” she wheedled.
“Let me think about it,” he said sharply, his tone leaving no room for discussion.
Over the next few days, he repaired the holes in the wall and hung new draperies in the living area and kitchen. Just standing there looking around, it was apparent that Brandy had put her mark on the cabin. She had made a mark on his heart as well. He also, unbeknownst to her, arranged to take extended time off. The thing with Synn weighed heavily on his mind. Something wasn’t right.
That evening, she warmed up a small frozen lasagna and garlic bread and set them on the breakfast bar. He poured two glasses of wine and handed her one. “Will you be refurnishing your cottage before we leave, since the construction is completed? Or would you consider moving in with me as a permanent arrangement?” He took a sip of wine, eyeing her over the rim of the glass.
She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed a bit, chewing on her bottom lip as she took a seat in front of the lasagna. “I don’t really want to give up my cottage—yet. I noticed you must’ve boxed up and labeled all the things that weren’t damaged and the clothes I left behind. She forked up a bite of lasagna, blew on it, and popped it in her mouth. “Mmmm. This is really good. Want some?” she teased, scooping up another bite and offering it to him with a grin.
Wrinkling his nose, he carefully pushed the fork back at her. “Very funny. No thanks,” He took another sip of wine. “Easier to move boxes during construction. Less chance of more things getting damaged. I’m not suggesting giving up your cottage. It makes sense to leave it unfurnished and packed up while we’re gone. Less chance of vandalism and less for Cody to keep an eye on. We could actually store most of your personal things in the cabin while we’re gone.”
Her eyes widened and she put her fork down. “Hey, wait a minute. You’re agreeing to the trip?” One corner of her mouth turned up in an unsure smile.
“Yes, if it means that much to you.” He chuckled.
“That’s wonderful. I’ll make the reservations right now.” Brandy hopped off the chair, stood on tiptoe, planted a smacking kiss on his lips, then pulled her phone out of her pocket.
****
They moved the few remaining items from Brandy’s home to the cabin since Cody had agreed to keep an eye on the cabin while they were gone. Stefan had no intention of allowing her to return to her house, where he couldn’t protect her. The trip gave him the perfect opportunity to take that situation out of the equation, at least until they got back.
Reluctantly, he ran his fingers over the fret board of his guitar as it stood in the wooden stand his grandfather had hand-carved. As much as he’d been through, he’d never left it behind. His music and guitar were the only things that provided comfort during his d
arkest days as a new vampire. Even now, playing relaxed him, so he was able to cope with a world he didn’t fit in.
Brandy watched him, her eyes gentle and understanding. She rested her hand on his arm. “Stefan, bring your guitar. I’m sure there will be times during our trips your playing will be a comfort to us.”
Arriving at the airport, they checked the luggage. Brandy sat down and picked up a magazine to read while waiting to board. Stefan shoved his hands in his pockets and paced, imagining all the things that could possibly go wrong.
She reached out and caught his hand. “Stefan, relax. Things will be fine. My family is very understanding. There won’t be any problems, except maybe Tristian at first. He’s a little overprotective where my sister and I are concerned.”
“Yeah, I bet he is. Especially when he saw you after our fight,” Stefan said uncomfortably.
It was miserably cold when the plane landed, and the slushy rain turned to snow. While gathering their luggage, Stefan turned to see a young woman hurrying toward them that looked a lot like Brandy. The woman was a bit stockier and shorter with dark-red hair that framed her face and curled around her shoulders. A large, muscular man with shoulder-length, wavy dark blond hair and piercing gray eyes strode behind her. Stefan rubbed the back of his neck. It was definitely the Tristian that he knew.
Brandy rushed forward and threw her arms around Hannah. “It’s so good to see you.” Giving Tristian a quick hug, she kissed them both on the cheek, then twisted around to find Stefan standing behind her and smiled. “Stefan, this is my sister, Hannah, and her husband, Tristian.”
Hannah hugged Brandy again and turned, reaching out to hug Stefan. Uncomfortable with the show of affection, he hugged her lightly. She backed away quickly and looked from him to Brandy questioningly. Tristian’s expression turned to puzzlement when he stopped beside Hannah and extended his hand. Stefan took a deep breath and grasped Tristian’s outstretched hand.
“This is who you are involved with?” Tristian asked incredulously.