Angels and Hunters (Stoker Sisters 2)

by Kailin Gow

  He leaned in closer, and closer. She felt his breath, saw the sparkling specs of green in his eyes and heard the yearning groan that rumbled in his chest before rising to his throat. “I will devour you before the evening ends,” he whispered.

  His lips brushed across hers and for a moment Sadie felt overly conscious of her surroundings. Not one to favor public displays of affection, she felt the disapproving eyes of patrons on her.

  “No doubt those young men wish they could…” He brushed his lips over hers teasing her with a touch that was delicate yet possessive.

  As Ashwin’s lips pressed over hers, devoured her and pull her in, body and soul, the people around her, as well as their opinion of her, became insignificant.

  Though seated beside one another, their small table was suddenly an annoyance. She wanted to climb over him, straddle him, get closer, obscenely close. She wanted to feel his warmth, feel the touch of his hands over her skin. She felt him deepening his kiss until she could feel his fangs against her tongue. How wonderful it would be to just let go and let him ravish her.

  When he pulled back, she sighed her disappointment, eager to taste so much more of him.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Ashwin said, getting up and holding out a hand to her.

  Giggling and feeling sinfully alive for the first time in a long while, Sadie stood, her hand securely in his as she followed him outside. “I thought you were hungry.”

  He stopped, turned to her and cupped her cheeks. “I am,” he said in a deep rich tone that melted any remaining reserve she had. “More than you can imagine. The innocence that once enveloped you has now turned into burning passion. I must admit, the slight reserve I still sense in you has me eager to seduce you, while the passion that burns at your fingertips leaves me dizzy.” Ashwin’s genteel way with words left her reeling. He was of a time of romance and dreams…a time when men were gentlemen and women were ladies in speech and behavior. He made her feel like a princess, like she was the only woman in the world, precious and desired.

  With fierce determination Ashwin led her to his car and, once inside, she found herself wrapped securely in his arms, strong, possessive and unrelenting. She wanted to lose herself in that embrace, to fill her senses with every ounce of him.

  “How I’ve waited to have you, Sadie. How I’ve anticipated the woman you’d become; passionate, fiery and wanton.” His lips burned over her ears and down her neck.

  “Well, the years have brought about a degree of maturity and…” Her voice trailed off as she realized what had unleashed the passion she now felt. That night with Keegan. She’d been so intent on showing herself to be just as sexy and arousing as Alexis, she’d thrown herself at Keegan.

  Though Ashwin’s lips played over her skin and returned to taste her mouth, her mind’s eye was filled with images of Keegan. With an increasingly heavy sense of guilt weighing in on her, Sadie was about to pull away from Ashwin when he suddenly stopped kissing her and pulled back.

  She stared at him. Had he read her mind? Could he sense how her sentiments had suddenly shifted?

  His eyes were distant, hard and defiant as they stared over Sadie’s head and out the passenger door window. She turned to find the source of Ashwin’s sudden anger and the blood drained from her face as she turned to face Keegan.

  Chapter 9

  “Keegan,” she whispered in disbelief. “He really did escape.”

  “It pains me to know you didn’t take me on my word.”

  Shocked and barely able to breathe, she turned to Ashwin. “You're one of Skars’ men. I just…”

  “I’ve lied to Skars more times than I care to count. But you… You're the pure-hearted one. The Angel. I would never lie to the one destined to give vampires hope in their battle against Strigois.”

  While relieved to see Keegan alive and well, knowing he’d seen her in Ashwin’s arms, with Ashwin’s lips all over her left her feeling unsure. She glanced sidelong at Keegan as he stood a few feet away from Ashwin’s car. He seemed calm and sure of himself as he waved them out to see him.

  He didn’t appear angry, Sadie noticed with disappointment. She knew their relationship had never truly been solid, but still. Didn’t it bother him that she was in another man’s arms? Didn’t he care at all?

  Then again, he was a hunter; a hunter whose duty it was to kill vampires, including herself.

  “What do I do?” she asked Ashwin, her gaze still on Keegan as she tried to analyze his emotions. His eyes hardened, but was it with anger for the scene he’d just witnessed or his hunting instincts kicking in?

  “Well, we could ignore him.” Ashwin’s tone was heavy with his intent and his hand was already at the ignition. “I certainly would like to continue where we were. However, if confrontations are more to your liking, we can get out and go to him, though he doesn’t exactly appear to be in a talkative mood. He’s just as likely to stake me the moment I get within arms’ reach.”

  Ashwin took a tight hold of Sadie’s hand, making her all the more aware of the dangerous situation they could potentially be facing.

  “And seeing how he doesn’t look too happy with you, I’d say you run the risk of meeting with a stake quickly enough, too. We should just get out of here and continue having a pleasant evening. Fighting wasn’t really in my plans for tonight.”

  “I can’t just leave. I have to talk to him. At least let him know how happy I am to see he’s okay. Maybe let him know that I’m okay as well.”

  “He’s a well-trained hunter who’s just as likely to stake you as he is to hear a word you have to…”

  Sadie was out and heading toward Keegan before Ashwin could finish cautioning her. She knew Keegan. He wouldn’t hurt her. However as she focused on Keegan, her heart suddenly began pounding with unexpected violence. It was not with the strong emotions he’d so easily brought about many times before, but with fear. His gaze was harder than she’d ever seen, even on the night of the battle.

  Before she could reach Keegan, Ashwin was out of the car and at her side.

  “Ashwin,” Sadie hissed. “You don’t have to chaperone me. Keegan won’t touch me.” Silently, however, she thanked Ashwin for staying close.

  Keegan’s eyes steeled and his hand went to the stake at his belt as Ashwin approached.

  “Keegan, I wanted to talk to you,” Sadie said, hoping to soften his stance. “Ashwin has no desire to harm you. And you know how I feel about you. I’d never do anything to put you in harm’s way.”

  A long silent moment followed as the men eyed each other. Tension became palpable and Sadie felt one of them may explode at any moment. Would Keegan really stake Ashwin? Would Ashwin have time to fight back, perhaps kill Keegan?

  Keegan took a step closer to Sadie and she had to fight to remain immobile. Her breathing became weighted with fear of his next move. Though he was still a few feet away, she could feel him, feel the heat of his skin, even through his duster. She sensed the tension, the anger, and through it all, she thought she sensed his pain.

  “Don’t let him get too close, Sadie. He’s a hunter and you're his prey. Don’t fall into his trap.”

  Sadie hated to admit that Ashwin could be right. She could be in danger. Keegan had a mission. Could he forget all they’d gone through and simply decide to go through with his orders to kill her? “Will you? Will you stake me, Keegan?”

  “If I’d intended to stake you, Sadie, I’d have done so already.” Keegan’s eyes never left Ashwin. “He’s the one you should be wary of.”

  “Touch her, Hunter, and you’ll have to deal with me.”

  “She knows how I feel about her. She knows I’d never harm her. You, however. Does she know what your intentions are? Does she know what you owe Skars?”

  “Who are you to speak of owing Skars? We all know how Skars has pushed you to kill Sadie, and I won’t just sit by and allow you to harm her.”

  Keegan cocked his head to one side and snickered. “Who are you protecting, Strigoi? What has Ska
rs asked of his most important henchman?”

  Sadie turned to Ashwin. She knew of his connection to Skars, had listened to his explanation of that tie, had even believed him, but…

  “Don’t listen to him, Sadie. I have to keep up appearances in order to do what I truly must. People, vampires, they must absolutely believe that my allegiance is to Skars, but it’s not.”

  “I’m not going to let her take that chance. I’ve had plenty of experience with Strigois, Ashwin, none of it good.” Keegan closed the space between him and Sadie, and wrapped his arm around her waist.

  She barely had time to feel the warmth of his hand on her than Ashwin moved in to push Keegan out of the way. His speed was such that Sadie didn’t see him coming and his approach so forceful, Keegan flew clear across the parking lot and hit the wall of the restaurant.

  “Quick, get in,” Ashwin ordered as he grabbed Sadie’s arm, opened the car door and shoved her inside. Wasting no time, he jumped over the hood of the car, got into the driver’s seat and took off.

  *********

  The force with which he’d been thrown out of the way surprised Keegan, something that didn’t happen very often in his confrontations with vampires. As he watched Ashwin’s car turn the corner and disappear, Keegan struggled to get to his feet, shaking off a heavy sense of defeat.

  Ashwin was an old vampire, almost as old as Delilah, and this rendered him incredibly powerful when he so desired. But he’d shown such weakness when Keegan had escaped Skars’ manor. Had Ashwin deliberately displayed a lack of strength? Had he intended to allow Keegan to slip away?

  It seemed improbable, yet there was no other explanation.

  Why? Strigois weren’t exactly known for their compassionate streak. Deliberately allowing a hunter to escape and protecting a young vampire from becoming a Strigoi just didn’t make sense.

  Sadie could be safe with Ashwin, for now. But Keegan didn’t trust Ashwin to keep her safe for long.

  He wanted to ignore how she made him feel. The fear, the pain and the need to protect her. She was a vampire. How had he found himself in the position of protecting a vampire so much?

  The answer was all too simple, he thought as he took to the street and headed into town. She was an angel. Vampire or not, she was the kindest most generous person he’d even known. Many humans he’d known over the centuries didn’t have half the charitable nature Sadie constantly displayed.

  In the distance he saw Ashwin’s car drive away. Sadie had turned to Ashwin and the sight of her gripped Keegan’s heart. That she be charmed enough to come to dinner with Ashwin was one thing. To end up in his arms, in his embrace, in his passionate kiss, Keegan simply couldn’t understand.

  Over the years, much had been said about Ashwin and his ways with women. Some even claimed he was the original Casanova. An innocent and inexperienced girl like Sadie was all too easy for such a worldly man.

  What lies he must have told her. What stories he would spin in order to have her exactly where he wanted her. For all he knew Sadie could already be in love with the centuries old rake.

  For a moment Keegan considered chasing the car. He was fast and strong and could no doubt overtake the vehicle, but to what end?

  No, he had to find a better strategy. He had to find a way to prove Ashwin’s motives weren’t as noble as he let on. Before Ashwin could lead Sadie to Skars, before Skars could turn Sadie into a Strigoi, Keegan had to win Sadie’s trust.

  Chapter 10

  “Wouldn’t it go faster if we could just pick up her scent and fly out to her?” Alexis said as she got into Sadie’s lime green VW bug.

  Delilah looked annoyed and distracted as she opened the driver’s door and got in. Ashwin had already been with Sadie for far too long and she feared finding her too late. “They took Ashwin’s car, Alexis. Picking up their scent is virtually impossible. We’ll have better luck using the same mode of transportation they’ve used.”

  Alexis wanted to argue, but then watched as Delilah tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the stick shift, both hands alternately gripping, tightening and releasing.

  “They took an old deserted road to get down to the beach. Ashwin’s little sports car, silver, it’s in the parking lot. There’s sand in the lot, it’s that close to the beach.”

  “I thought you said we couldn’t pick up their scent,” Alexis said.

  “Their scent no,” Delilah said, her hands still gripping the steering wheel. “But I can trace their steps. I can feel Ashwin behind the wheel of his car and see the turns he took. I’m able to tap into Sadie’s thoughts as well, and she’ll lead us exactly where we need to be.”

  “How do you do that?” Alexis was intrigued by this new ability. Vampires had many powers, but she’d never seen one who had the capacity to read a fellow vampire’s mind. She’d give anything to be able to tap into someone’s thoughts. What a powerful tool.

  “It is a powerful tool,” Delilah said with a knowing smile.

  “Hey,” Alexis complained. She’d not even spoken her thought aloud. “That’s not fair. I don’t want you using that ability on me.”

  “Honestly, Alexis, I don’t have to work very hard to know what you're thinking. You're practically an open book most of the time.” Delilah turned the key in the ignition and headed out to find Sadie.

  “So how can I learn to do it, then?”

  “The sixth sense doesn’t often come easily to most vampires. I’ve always had an open and easy connection to Sadie. Even as a child, pre-vampire, I always knew what she was up to. Sometimes I think she intentionally called out to me.”

  “But I have a blood bond with her. Why can’t I connect to her?”

  “Like I said, it’s not that easy. A blood bond helps, yes, but all vampires can communicate if they put the effort and discipline into learning how.”

  “I have plenty of discipline when I put my mind to something,” Alexis insisted.

  “I don’t know, Alexis. You’ve always had this rebellious side to you. You never really wanted to learn much from me, remember? I don’t know if I have the patience to sit with you and try to get you to learn something.”

  “I was a kid. What kid wants to learn from an in house tutor who is always on her back about something or other? I wanted to play and have fun. There were boys at the manor all the time and concentrating on history and numbers just wasn’t where my head was at the time. But I’ve grown, so much, so very much and I know I could master this if you’d just give me the chance to learn.”

  Delilah drove safe and sure, but fast. “I guess there’d be no harm in showing you a bit more of what you can do with your vampire powers.”

  “Great,” Alexis let out with more enthusiasm than she’d planned. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been excited to learn something. She glanced as her childhood tutor with new respect and admiration. This woman, attractive, strong and wise, had always intimidated Alexis far more than she’d ever let on.

  Barely recognizing it as such, Alexis had always felt a rivalry, a competition with this beautiful woman who seemed to know everything and always had a word of wisdom to offer, much to Alexis’ annoyance.

  Over the years Alexis had continued to compete with any other woman who ever entered her realm. Taken great pride in her body, she never missed an opportunity to ooze her sexuality around men, much to the chagrin of her sister and much to the disadvantage of other young women who only wished they could offer so much to a man.

  Wherever she went, Alexis commanded male attention and held a possessive grip of that command. Perhaps it had always been her desire to outdo Delilah that had always pushed her.

  But Delilah displayed more than simple sexuality. She combined sophisticated sensuality with confidence, self-assurance and intelligence.

  “Thank you,” Delilah said with a pleased smile.

  Alexis’ jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered. “Will you stop doing that?” Delilah had jus
t read her mind.

  “It’s all good, Alexis. You finally see me as a tutor rather than a rival. You’ve grown and matured, and that can lend well to your ability to master mind reading. Now stop fussing about the thoughts I pick up on and simply concentrate on what you really want to tell me. Keep your lips sealed and let your mind open and connect with mine.”

  Alexis turned to Delilah and looked straight at her. How did you meet Dante?

  “How did I what?”

  Meet Dante?

  Delilah smiled. I see he made quite an impression on you.

  I’ll say.

  “Well, actually he’s the one who found me.” Though her eyes remained on the road, it was clear her mind was elsewhere. Her smile betrayed her. “He knew I was a vampire. I guess he knew I’d be interested in what he was up to.”

  Seeing the adoration in Delilah’s eyes, Alexis’ thoughts turned to the man she thought she’d loved; Ashwin. The aching in her heart gripped her. She’d never been weak enough to allow such silly emotions to truly affect her. Love was frivolous and meant for mere humans who were incapable of living alone. Love was for romantics who needed a fantasy to cling to. She was far too pragmatic. She lived in the moment, not on the hopes of a man’s love.

  But when Ashwin returned, she realized she’d loved him far more than she’d even allowed herself to believe. Seeing him with Sadie, the love in his eyes, the tenderness of his touch as he’d held her, the softness of his voice as he cooed words of love and affection to her; it was unbearable.

  She’d allowed herself to be turned, she’d become a vampire, she’d forsaken her life as a mortal all for the love of a man who loved her sibling. A heavy and pained sigh escaped her as she turned away from Delilah and looked out the window.”

  “I know how you feel.” Delilah’s voice was as soft as the hand she lay over Alexis’. “Ashwin is one of the most charming men I’ve ever come across. Despite my years of experience, I almost succumbed to him myself… so many years ago. He has a cunning way with words, and a persuasive way with his touch. I dare say I believe I’m one of the few women who didn’t entirely fall for his ruse.”