Olivia lied to me. Sniffling, Sadie swiped at her tears as Killian loosened his hold. Stopping just short of actually releasing her. She glamoured me and then she turned me. Why would she do that? What was the point?
I’m sorry, Sadie. Killian’s fingers curled over her hips as he stared down at her through a serious gaze edged with shame. My people were responsible for the death of your family.
Talk about star-crossed lovers. Sadie rolled her eyes and let out a curt laugh before slipping out of his embrace. Hands on her hips, she walked a few steps away from Killian. She let her head fall back, staring at the blue cloudless sky. Like we weren’t screwed enough already? Sadie spun around and threw her hands in the air. The universe has a twisted fucking sense of humor. So apparently my family was slaughtered by a pack of rogue werewolves, and then the gods or goddesses or whatever decide to tie my fate to one. On what planet does that make sense?
What are you talking about? Killian’s eyes narrowed.
Well, why should I be the only one to have the shock of my life? Sadie clapped her hands and gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up. Taking one step closer with every point, her voice bordered on hysterical. Since she felt crazy as a loon, that was no big surprise. To his credit, Killian said nothing and remained the strong, steady guy he always was. I think it’s about time to let you in on the fun. You want to know why I can hear you telepathically? Or how I got your blood memories when we aren’t supposed to get memories from werewolves? Or why the hell you and I are in the damn dreamscape when vampires aren’t supposed to dream?
Okay. Killian held his hands at his side and held her gaze. He was the calm to her storm of crazy. Tell me.
Killian Bane, you and I are bloodmates. The universe in all of its wisdom has paired the two of us up. If we commit to the bloodmate bond, then I become a daywalker. Sadie smiled broadly and shouted furiously. I don’t know what the fuck the universe was thinking.
What the hell are you gonna tell your old man? “Hey, Dad. Guess who’s coming to dinner?”
“No, sorry, Your Highness. I’m not a well-manicured she-bitch, but a leather-wearing vampire.” Somehow, Killian, I doubt they’ll be throwing us a party.
Hands on her hips, Sadie stared at him, daring him to come back with one of his smart-ass comments. Yet none came. A smile emerged on that handsome face, and those gorgeous caramel-colored eyes drifted over her from head to toe. Despite the load of crazy she’d just dumped on him, the man was looking at her like she’d given him a million dollars.
Now it all makes sense… That’s why you bear the mark. Killian’s voice, barely above a whisper, shimmied around her. He reached out with lightning-fast reflexes and linked his arms around her waist. Sadie let out a gasp of surprise and pleasure as he tugged her against his towering form. I’ve dreamed of you for years but I never saw your face. All I saw was the mark.
What mark? Sadie swallowed hard and her voice was barely above a whisper. His body tensed with what she could only hope was desire, the same desire that fired through her mercilessly. What? You guys mark your women or something? Tattoo them?
No, Killian whispered. He trailed his fingertips up and down her spine with a slow, deliberate stroke. Since I was a boy, I’ve dreamed of a woman who bore the mark of the moon. She stilled beneath his touch. Killian persisted, and Sadie knew there was no turning back. Whispering in her ear, he dragged his hand lightly up her back until his fingers settled over the spot on her shoulder. He traced the dark circle with his thumb as he touched her mind with his. It’s you, Sadie. You bear the mark.
This is crazy, she whispered through trembling lips. That can’t be true. It’s just a scar, Killian. I got it the night I was turned. Sadie’s mouth snapped shut as more pieces fell into place.
You mean when you were bitten? Killian brushed his warm, firm lips across Sadie’s forehead and his hand splayed along her lower back. The heat of his touch practically branded her as his with each passing second. Bitten by a wolf.
I’m not a werewolf. Sadie tilted her chin defiantly and tried not to pay attention to the way her body was responding to his. I’m a vampire.
Perhaps. But it would seem, Sadie Pemberton, that you are destined to be much more.
Sadie was about to pepper him with denials when a bone-shattering rumble pounded through the dreamscape like thunder. The ground beneath their feet shook, and with a rush of wind, Killian vanished before her eyes.
* * *
Sadie launched out of her bed in one giant leap. A moment later, she found herself standing on the other side of the room. Body tense and her skin still humming from Killian’s touch, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror that hung on the far wall.
Her long, dark hair was all over the place, and the mascara she’d never removed from the night before had smudged into dark circles. She looked like a crazy, raccoon-eyed nut ball. Awesome.
A pounding on the front door of her apartment startled her and made yelp. Yup. She was losing it.
“You.” Sadie pointed at her reflection. “You’re a hot mess.”
Making her way through the messy and often-neglected living room, Sadie wiped at the mascara under her eyes. Checking her reflection in the guitar-shaped mirror by the door, she made a sound of disgust, knowing this was as good as it was going to get.
Tugging the door open, she found herself face-to-face with Trixie and Maya. They gave each other knowing looks before turning back to Sadie. The jig was up; they’d obviously figured out what Sadie had only just accepted. She and Killian were bloodmates and pigs were officially flying.
“Come on in.” Letting out a sigh, Sadie stepped back and opened the door wide for her nosy but well-meaning siblings. Shutting the door, she walked past both women who made themselves comfortable on the large, black-leather sectional sofa. Going right to the fridge, Sadie pulled out some of the microwavable stock and held it up. “You hungry?”
“How can you think of food at a time like this?” Maya asked incredulously. Wearing a pink tank top and yoga pants, her blond hair tied up in a ponytail, she sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking at Sadie like she’d totally lost it. “You find out you have a bloodmate who is a werewolf—”
“A werewolf prince, no less,” Trixie interjected. Perched on the arm of the sofa, she chomped on a piece of gum and cracked her ring-studded knuckles. “Don’t forget the royal part.”
Sadie shook her head and popped the cup of blood in the microwave.
“Right,” Maya said quickly. “He’s the freaking heir to the throne too. Trixie told me last night that you and Killian were fooling around in the storage room.”
“She did, did she?” Sadie leveled a look at the pink-haired punk rocker.
“Oh, right.” Trixie rolled her eyes and laughed. “Like I’m not gonna tell Maya about that? Puh-lease. The whole hallway reeked of sex anyway. It’s not like she wouldn’t figure it out for herself if she went down there.”
“We didn’t have sex.” Sadie knew how lame her denial sounded, and based on the looks on their faces, so did her sisters. Pulling her mug from the microwave, Sadie did her best to act like this whole development wasn’t the big, fat, weird deal it actually was. “We fooled around a little.”
“That’s semantics. Plus, let’s acknowledge the fact that you can’t telepath with me, Suzie, Pete, or Damien anymore,” Trixie said in a quiet voice edged with sadness. She shrugged and looked sheepishly from Sadie to Maya. “Another one bites the dust.”
“It’s true.” Sadie took a sip and went into the living room with her sisters. Sitting on the sofa next to Maya, she pulled her feet up under her and settled in for what she suspected would be a long talk. “I can only telepath with Killian and last night…”
“You walked in the dreamscape with him, didn’t you?” Maya asked with wide blue eyes. She clasped her hands together and seemed genuinely excited for her sister. “How w
as it? Was it scary? Mine were super scary at first but then…well…you know. Being there with Shane made it okay, I guess.”
“That’s got to be so weird.” Trixie slid off the arm and lay back on the empty side of the sectional sofa. Propping her pink-haired head up with her hand, she kept her steady gaze on Sadie. “You haven’t dreamed in, like, two hundred years. I’ve only been in the dark sleep for about thirty years. How was it? Do you remember? I mean, was it like the dreams you had when you were human?”
“No.” Sadie rubbed her thumb on the smooth ceramic mug. “It was weird at first. Bright. Loud. Vivid. But once I realized what was happening, it was all so real. Mine wasn’t even a dream, really. Not exactly.” Sadie wondered just how much she should tell her sisters. Given the no-no of feeding on wolves, she decided to leave out the part about getting his blood memories and to focus on her own instead. “It was more like a memory.”
“So was mine,” Maya said quietly. “It was from the night I was turned.”
“Me too.”
“You saw the Apache attack your family?” Trixie asked with a mixture of fear and awe. “That had to be torture.”
“No. The Apache didn’t do it.” Sadie gripped the mug tighter as the reality of what Olivia did came roaring into focus. “Werewolves did.”
“Holy crap cakes.” Trixie sat up and looked as freaked out as Sadie felt. “This keeps getting weirder.”
“I don’t get it.” Maya adjusted her position on the couch and looked from Sadie to Trixie. “Olivia said it was the Apache. I mean, didn’t she find you dying in a field or something?”
“Yes, but she glamoured me.” Sadie nodded. “I saw the whole thing. Olivia killed the three wolves that attacked me and then glamoured me so that I’d think it was the Apache. Then she turned me.”
“Wait a second.” Trixie snapped her fingers and pointed at Sadie. “If you were attacked, that means…”
“I was bitten by a werewolf.”
“No. Way.” Trixie’s hands flew to her mouth before she pointed at Sadie. “That’s why Killian can be your bloodmate.”
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves.” Sadie drained the rest of the mug and hopped off the couch. “I have to go talk to Olivia.”
“You should totally talk to Olivia, but…” Maya rose from the sofa and followed Sadie into the kitchen. “What about Killian?”
“What about him?” Sadie rinsed out the mug and stuck it in the drying rack.
“Does he know what all of these things mean?”
“Yes.” Sadie leaned against the counter and leveled a serious look at both of her siblings. “But it doesn’t matter.”
“What are you talking about?” Maya folded her arms over her breasts and seemed genuinely upset. “Killian is your bloodmate and you think it doesn’t matter? Trust me, Sadie. It matters. After Shane and I bonded—”
“That’s you and Shane. I’m happy for you guys and for Olivia and Doug. But Killian and I can’t be…‘Killian and I,’” Sadie said, making air quotes. “He’s a werewolf, and we all know that the only way for true bloodmates to bond and become daywalkers is for both of them to be vampires. In Killian’s case, that’s kind of impossible. So, there you go. No blood bond means no bloodmate, and that means no problems.”
“I dunno,” Trixie said slowly. She scrunched up her face and shook her head. “I think you’re oversimplifying it.”
“Well, I don’t. So, Killian and I have the hots for each other? It’s no big deal. We’ll just have to steer clear of one another.” Sadie walked toward the front door. “Tonight is our only night off all week. Don’t you two have other things you’d rather be doing than getting caught up in this drama?”
“You know we’re just worried about you.” Trixie gave Sadie a friendly punch on the arm and gestured to Maya. “Come on, girl. I’m surprised your man Shane isn’t hovering out in the hallway waiting for you.”
“I know you’re worried, but everything is going to be fine.” Sadie opened the door and gave each of her sisters a good, long hug. “Come on, what did you think was going to happen? Killian and I get married and rule the Werewolf Society as king and queen?” Sadie scoffed out loud, but deep inside a tiny voice whispered, Yes. Clearing her throat and shoving aside the impossible thought, she shooed them out the door. “Off you go. I have to get myself together so I can go speak to Olivia.”
Shutting the door tightly, Sadie leaned against it and whispered, “She’s got some serious explaining to do.”
Sadie snagged her phone off the counter and quickly sent Olivia a text asking to see her tonight. A reply came quickly and confirmed Sadie’s request. Stripping her clothes off and heading for the shower, she wondered if she could scrub away her desire for Killian the way she could that old mascara.
Yeah. Not so much.
Chapter 9
Today, Killian had given the term “sleeping in” a whole new meaning. He’d practically slept the entire day away, and if Ivan hadn’t stepped in at the construction site, nothing would have gotten accomplished. When Killian called Ivan to thank him, the guy refused to take the compliment and reminded him that even the boss needed a day off. The truth was that even with all that sleep, Killian didn’t get a whole lot of rest. Not that he minded. He’d learned more about Sadie Pemberton in that bizarre dream experience than he had in the entire year he’d been in this damn city.
After he woke up, Killian was certain of two things.
One. Sadie wanted him as much as he wanted her.
Two. She would eventually, after much wooing from him, become his wife.
Killian surveyed the waiting room of the Presidium’s main offices and found himself impressed by the slick, modern design of the space. Vampires had a reputation for being old-world creatures stuck in centuries past. Clearly that wasn’t the case for the Czars of New York City.
If Killian didn’t know better, he would think he was in the waiting room of a high-powered law firm in a Manhattan high-rise, as opposed to the underground offices of the vampire headquarters. The burgundy and beige tones were warm and welcoming, and the leather sofa he sat on was as soft as butter. He glanced at the coffee table in front of him and couldn’t help but smile at the stack of magazines that ranged from Us Weekly to Forbes.
“Can I get you some coffee or a glass of water, Mr. Bane?” Suzie asked. The czars’ secretary was clearly a new vampire and looked like she was fresh from a farm. With her fair skin, wide eyes, and pale blond hair, she was the epitome of the girl next door. Definitely not the traditional sort of vampire, at least not what most humans would expect. “Olivia and Doug should be finished with their previous appointment momentarily.”
“No, thank you.” Killian gave the girl a friendly smile, hoping it would ease her anxiety. Suzie was the most skittish vampire he had ever met. No wonder Olivia had the girl working here in the offices and not more connected with the human world. “I’m fine for now.”
The girl nodded and sat at her desk again. She began typing something on the computer keyboard, and even out of the corner of his eye, he could tell she kept looking over at him. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. For her sake, he hoped that Olivia would call him in sooner rather than later. Suzie was obviously uncomfortable having a werewolf in her waiting room.
A second later the door across the room swung open, and Olivia Hollingsworth stood in the doorway. Her curly red hair flowed over her shoulders and her intelligent green eyes zeroed in on him instantly. Treaty or no treaty, Killian knew that she still didn’t trust him and probably kept him close just so she could keep an eye on him. She wanted to improve relations between their races as much as his father did, but she was wary. Given what had happened to Sadie and her human family, he completely understood why.
“Come on in,” Olivia said with a wave and a small smile. “Suzie, why don’t you head out? It’s almost sunset, and you’ve be
en working like a dog. Seriously, girl. I order you to go outside and live a little.”
“Okay, Olivia,” Suzie said quietly.
Killian rose to his feet and crossed the room to shake hands with the czar. He could feel the secretary’s eyes on him the entire time. Based on Olivia’s tense body language, she’d picked up on the girl’s concern too. Unable to ignore Suzie’s staring, Killian dropped Olivia’s hand and turned slowly to face the young vampire.
“Is there something I can do for you?” he asked politely.
Suzie rose to her feet and opened her mouth like she wanted to say something. Killian gave her his most charming smile, hoping it would make her feel more comfortable. A moment later the girl shook her head, snapped her mouth shut, and sat down before turning back to her computer screen.
Killian gave Olivia a quizzical look. The czar shrugged and said, “Don’t ask me.”
She ushered him into the conference-style meeting room before closing the door and offering him a seat. It looked like any other office conference room except for the notable lack of windows and a few children’s toys that sat in a box in the far corner of the room. A reminder of the unique child Olivia and Doug were raising.
“Doug is tied up with another engagement, so why don’t we go ahead and get started.” Sitting in the seat across from him, Olivia smiled and folded her hands on the table. Dressed in a sleek black suit, she looked like a powerful CEO, and for all intents and purposes she was. “What can I do for you, Your Highness?”
“You can start by calling me Killian.”
“Understood.” Olivia gave him a small smile. “I’m not a big fan of titles, and neither is Doug.” Leaning back in the leather chair, she said, “So, Killian, what brings you to the Presidium?”
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