Entangled

by Olivia Stocum

  He smiled. “Packs will be close.”

  “So you’ll hunt him without me.”

  He slid his arms around her waist. “What has you most frustrated? This war, or not being with me in it?”

  “All of it. Kendra marrying a vampire. The casualties. Mortals who will never go back to their families when we’re supposed to be preventing that. Not being with you for it.” She stopped, pressed her cheek against his sternum. “I think I’m feeling Withdrawal symptoms and you haven’t even left yet.”

  He winced, knowing that it was common in Matriarchs when they couldn’t be with their Carriers. Sometimes he forgot that he was hers. Being a Shifter, he’d never had to consider such things before now.

  “I’ll have your father stay with you,” he said.

  She sighed, lifted her face to glare at him.

  “I know, but it’s the best I have to offer you.”

  “If anything happens to you... Theron almost killed you once. We’re hunting partners. If you die, I should die with you.”

  It was what partners did, and she would in a heartbeat, he knew. “Let me go, Darling.”

  “Let you go as in on this mission, or let-you-go?”

  He lifted his brows. “I once let you go, and you came back to me. It was hardest thing I have ever done.”

  She shook her head. “Lothar…”

  “I will come back to you. We have until tomorrow afternoon to be together.”

  “And then you’ll have to leave whether we spend it fighting or not?”

  “Taip.”

  “Fine,” she growled. “Then I will let-you-go.” She got up in his face, but she wasn’t as fierce as she usually was. Pregnant, she couldn’t shift. She still looked human—save her eyes which were black—not the half-morphed wolf highbred who had spent the last fifteen years testing his every resolve, burning away the chaff in him.

  He took her in his arms, arched her back to him like he had so many times before, exposing her throat to her alpha. She growled instinctively as he bent toward her, nipped at her neck.

  “I will come back to you,” he said. “Always.”

  ***

  Kendra lay on her stomach over Alessandro’s chest, all too aware of the afternoon waning from behind their curtained window. Her neck was sore, probably bruised. She’d wanted it hard. She’d wanted it to hurt, because that way he would stay with her longer.

  She wasn’t looking forward to sundown, but there was something about the upcoming separation that was putting things into perspective.

  Yes, her husband was a vampire, whether Nick, Danielle, or anyone else for that matter liked it. She was on terms with that. The part that bothered her was that the others refused to understand. Danielle and Lothar weren’t even supposed to be together like they were. The pot was calling the kettle black just because Alessandro was the wrong kind of monster.

  Nick was with a fertile female not even compatible with him. The only thing keeping them under the radar was a fallacy. The wolves thought Nick had done his genetic duty by getting Danielle pregnant. She felt bad for Lothar.

  Kendra would never have children of her own, but she’d had plenty of time to accept that back when she and Jason had tried and failed. It just wasn’t in the cards for her. Speaking of children, what about that debt Alessandro said he owed?

  “What is your debt?” she asked.

  “What?” His warm palm smoothed over her back. “You mean my son?”

  “Yes.” She settled her cheek against his sternum, took a moment to bask in his scent, his recently fed flesh—the remnants of his love in the soreness of her body.

  “I created him,” he said.

  “So, that’s it? You infected him and now he’s your responsibility?”

  “Remember how I told you Sha’re was influenced by Amon and she in turn influenced me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I taught my son too.”

  “You blame yourself for creating a monster.”

  “Should I not?”

  “Isn’t destroying him because he’s exposing your kind to a world that isn’t prepared for it a good enough reason?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Will the other vampires come after him if he keeps this up?”

  “They might, but first they will wait, and watch, as I did. My kind are not willing to come out of hiding easily, preferring rather to remain secreted away with their families. As I rather be with you.”

  “Be careful. You aren’t indestructible.”

  “I’m very close.”

  He was as close to being indestructible as anything could, but he could be poisoned by werewolf venom, locked in a cage and starved into a coma, buried in wet cement. Okay, so that last part was her imagination getting the best of her. Still, there were things that could put him out of order, and she didn’t like that at all.

  “I will come back to you, and neither of us will sleep for two days.”

  She smiled. “Promise?”

  “Maybe three.”

  Kendra arched back to look into honey eyes. The fang marks, newly opened, were tugging against their scabs. “No drinking any women.”

  He lifted one black brow. “I’m a married man.”

  “Don’t you forget it, bud.”

  His eyes were focused well below her face. He rolled her beneath him. “I think you’re the one who forgets.”

  Alessandro took her wrists in one hand, pinning them above her head. She opened her neck to him. He kissed her throat, slid his teeth harmlessly over her skin. She felt the swollen bruising there.

  His breath quickened, and she knew he’d loosened the scabs by accident. He froze, leaning over her, gaze focused on the drops of blood pooling warm now on her skin.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “You can have more.”

  “Kendra…” he protested, even as he lowered his face. She felt his tongue on her skin, lapping up the drops.

  She opened her thighs and invited him to her.

  “I can’t, habibti. Not now.”

  “Yes, you can.” Making the choice for him she reached down and guided him to her, knowing once he felt her he’d continue.

  He gave in with a groan of surrender, Kendra sucking in a shuddered breath. She lifted her chin and directed his mouth to her throat, rocked her hips encouragingly.

  His fangs slid under her skin.

  She cried out, climaxing, Alessandro drinking at the same time. She lost track of life completely as it rippled over and over her. He poured himself inside her, and she fell back onto the mattress shaking.

  It sounded suspiciously like he was swearing in a variety of languages.

  “My fault,” she breathed. Her eyes wouldn’t focus on his face. “I’ll be okay.”

  “I tore your skin. Damnit, Kendra.”

  She reached up languidly with one hand, felt her neck. There was no pain, but she felt the loose skin, and the damp, sticky moisture there.

  “It’ll stop,” she said.

  “Not without help it won’t.” Turning, he pulled his phone out of his discarded jeans. He flipped the sheet over her naked body as he put it to his ear.

  Next thing she knew she’d awoken to angry male voices. Someone touched her shoulder. And then a face came into view. Long hair brushed her arm.

  “You are going to be fine,” Vesper said. “I had my medical supplies with me.”

  Although werewolves healed quickly, sometimes nature benefitted from a little help and Hunters were trained in first aid. “I gave you shot to counter anti-coagulant in Alessandro’s bite, and stitched closed wound.”

  Vesper seemed unreasonably calm, as if she did this kind of thing all the time. Kendra tried to sit up, wincing. Vesper tucked a pillow behind her head to support her.

  “Water?” Kendra asked.

  “I will get some,” Vesper said.

  She left, leaving a clear view of Alessandro in jeans and a bare torso. Nick was standing next to him, arms crossed over his chest. The first man was ma
king efforts to hide his emotions, the second making no attempt at all. Kendra swallowed thickly. Her throat was numb. Vesper must have given her Novocain.

  “Nick, give us a minute.”

  He glared at her. “You have got to be kidding.”

  She wrapped the sheet around herself and struggled to sit up further. Alessandro was by her side in an instant. With a sound of disgust, Nick left them, the door closing a little too loudly behind him.

  She looked up at Alessandro. “You’re not mad at me. I can feel that.”

  He shook his head. “Why would I be mad at you? You’re just a child.”

  Child? She didn’t like that. “Excuse me?” she rasped.

  He sighed. “When it comes to me you are but a baby.”

  She pursed her lips.

  “I should’ve known better, habibti. You can hardly help yourself.”

  Well, that sounded arrogant. “Excuse me?” she repeated.

  He sat next to her, taking her hand, warm fingers caressing hers. “What you just experienced. I know very well you’ve never felt anything like it before.”

  He had her there. She nodded, her face warming. Here she was on her second husband and this stuff still embarrassed her.

  “It may be time we set some boundaries.”

  She laughed, then caught herself at his warning look. “All this time you’ve been breaking down mine, and now you want your own. Not a chance.”

  He leaned toward her, fangs bared and his I-mean-business look on his face. He could be scary when he wanted. It didn’t bother her like it once had.

  “If no one had been here to help you tonight…” His voice cracked and he stood. His back was to her now.

  Oh, hell. Had she just made a three-thousand year old man cry?

  She waited for him. “I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t turn you,” he said.

  He’d been so sure of himself. So in charge and in control. She pushed the sheet away and slipped her feet over the side of the bed. The room spun. Alessandro came, his shirt in his hand. He pulled it over her head and tucked her arms inside. It covered her all the way to her mid-thighs.

  He came down on his knees before her.

  “What happed?” she asked. “I mean, why do you think you would change me, when before you knew you wouldn’t?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure exactly.”

  “Is it the sex?”

  Another head shake. She wasn’t used to him acting like this, didn’t like it. “Maybe,” he said finally. “I don’t know.”

  Kendra drew him closer, cradling his face against her chest. “I love you even more now.”

  He stiffened, but she didn’t let him go. “So, what are these boundaries?” she asked.

  “We can’t do what we did tonight ever again.”

  She didn’t say anything because of how much it sucked. Her eyes stung and she blinked it away. He backed off to look at her.

  “I would love to, but I can’t.”

  “I hate that,” she said, her throat tightening.

  He leaned up to kiss away the tear forming in the corner of her eye. He forged ahead with his boundaries however. “When I say no, it means no.”

  She was pretty sure her look alone said what she thought about that.

  “It doesn’t mean test me to the ends of my limits.”

  “That’s it, isn’t it?” She softened her voice. “I do something to you.”

  It took him a moment and then he nodded. “You are more than my wife.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It means we have to be extra careful.”

  “Or you’ll turn me?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be like this.”

  She was right? She hadn’t even realized it when she’d said it. “Was it like this with Tessa?”

  “No. I can’t say exactly what is happening. All I know is that you are influencing me like immortal mates do.”

  She thought about the changes in her from the shared essence. “And there’s no way I can become a vampire slowly?”

  “I’ve never heard of it happening.”

  “Don’t get any ideas about not coming back to me or anything like that.”

  “I would only separate from you if we both decided it was for the best. I would never just leave you with no explanation.”

  She nodded. “Okay. So, pretty much just no means no and don’t test you.”

  “You will anyway. But don’t do it on purpose, please.”

  She opened her mouth to protest that first part, but he’d probably just remind her of how young she was again so she shut her mouth.

  “I know you don’t mean it,” he said smoothly, brushing a lock of hair off her face. His gaze hovered over the scars on her neck. She cursorily thought about what they looked like. There were more important things on her mind. “But you do push me,” he finished.

  “Children misbehave,” she said dryly.

  He pulled her face in and kissed her. It felt distinctly like an apology for hurting her. She kissed him back, both of them rasping for air in the empty room.

  There was a quiet knock at the door, and she remembered that both Nick and Vesper had super hearing.

  “She has your water,” Alessandro said, standing. He went to the door, shying from the light in the hallway since it was daytime.

  Vesper slipped in and closed the door behind her. She handed Kendra a bottle of water.

  “Thanks.”

  Vesper turned to Alessandro. “This relationship will not be easy on either of you.”

  He nodded.

  “But I do admire your resolve. Both of you.” She left then, careful again not to let too much light in.

  Kendra took a sip of her water. “That was interesting, her not insulting you and all.”

  He snorted. “She is under orders.”

  “I know, but she seems different now.”

  “She and her brother both are engaged in unlawful relationships.”

  “Exactly, only now she seems to really get it.”

  He nodded.

  She didn’t like all the nodding on his part. “You’re not going to be different with me now, are you?”

  He came to her, pulling her carefully into his arms so she was sitting on his lap. He brushed her hair aside and ran the backs of his fingers feather soft over her throat.

  It was still good, more so even.

  He brought her closer to his chest, kissed her face. “Habibti,” he said like he wanted to say more.

  They sat in silence instead.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The four of them lost a night thanks to their slip up. She’d tried to convince the others to at least drive through the night for safety’s sake, but she’d been promptly voted down. Vesper called a pack in instead, and had the hotel quietly guarded all that night while she slept.

  She wondered if Vesper had told Danielle and Lothar about having to come to her rescue. As if seeing them wasn’t going to be awkward enough. Now it would be even worse.

  They made it by taxi to the private airstrip. It was an hour after dusk and Lothar’s jet was due to come in exactly as expected.

  The ride over had been interesting. They’d sent the Rover off to be repaired and took two cabs, the kind with a human in the front seat, one that watched Alessandro through the rearview mirror as if he was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. And that had been before he’d tipped the female driver. Women were drawn to him. Men were intimidated into submission. He was a predator designed to attract potential mates and to consume men for dinner.

  Kendra tucked herself closer to him anyway. She acknowledged that she could have died the day before, or have woken up as a vampire. But something had awoken within her. She didn’t understand what, only that her bond to him had grown.

  He paid the all-too-interested taxi driver and they went inside the private terminal to wait for Lothar to disembark. Alessandro slid his arm around her as they watched him step down off the
jet. Yup, the werewolf was as scary as the first time she’d seen him. Danielle loved him, which was great and all, but Kendra preferred to stay out of his way. There was something she could only think to describe as a black-energy coming from him. She didn’t get that at all off Danielle, so it wasn’t the whole werewolf thing she was sensing.

  Kendra knew Alessandro was picking up empathically on her fear.

  “Him?” he said. “He scares you?”

  She shook herself, and then shrugged. “I don’t know, he’s dark.”

  “And I am not?” Alessandro laughed. “Sure,” he said, and she could almost see him mentally rolling his eyes at her.

  “I screamed when I first met you, remember?”

  “Yes. You scream often for me.”

  “But that’s completely different.”

  He kissed the top of her head, then turned her by the shoulders to face him.

  “This is goodbye, huh?”

  “How about a pre-goodbye.”

  She needed no more invitation. Kendra looped her arms around his neck as he lowered his head to hers. Their kiss goodbye probably embarrassed everyone—and that amounted to five people, including Nick and Vesper.

  “Don’t let Nick get to you,” he told her. “He is too young and understands nothing.”

  She nodded, not bothering to mention that she was the same age. Civilizing her husband would have to wait until after he returned to her.

  “Hold on,” he said. “I’m just going to speak to Lothar for a moment, I’ll be right back.”

  Delay this parting a little longer? Yes, please. She sat down near Nick and Vesper, awkwardly, since she had no idea what to say to them.

  It was going to be another long night.

  Vesper turned to her, smiling companionably. “Is not easy, being one of us,” she said.

  “So I’ve noticed.” Kendra checked to make sure the side of her neck was covered with her hair.

  Nick watched her with dark eyes, in total contrast to his mate. Kendra looked away and prayed he wouldn’t cause a scene.

  Alessandro returned, Lothar hanging back, looking intimidating there all by himself in a black Oxford shirt and leather jacket. Since Lothar and Nick’s tolerance for each other was limited, they remained in separate corners.