The Reign of Darkness

by Britney Jackson

  Rose cried out, as pleasure shattered throughout her body, sending little shards of euphoric heat into every cell, pulling and twisting her insides in all sorts of pleasant ways. Even through the disorienting euphoria, she noticed the warmth of Kara’s lips against hers, tasted the sweetness of her mouth. Kara’s kiss muffled Rose’s moans and eased the tension in Rose’s body. Rose relaxed, as Kara kissed her, as that familiar, peaceful warmth spread throughout her body, soothing her.

  Rose vaguely noticed Kara’s fingers leave her. She vaguely noticed Kara’s fully-clothed body curl up beside her, as Kara’s long arms encircled her and pulled her close. Rose leaned into Kara, listening to the steady cadence of Kara’s heart.

  They lay together, curled up in each other’s arms, for a while afterward— Kara’s fingers sliding through Rose’s hair, Rose’s lips pressing soft, gentle kisses against Kara’s skin. It wasn’t until Rose’s heartbeat began to slow that Kara spoke.

  “Are you sure I didn’t take too much?” Kara asked, her lips at Rose’s ear.

  Rose tilted her head back, gazing up at Kara with an adoring smile. “Kara, I feel absolutely wonderful right now,” she laughed. “I can assure you: I’m fine.”

  Kara trailed her fingers over Rose’s neck. “I can still see the bite marks.”

  “Well,” Rose said with a breathless laugh, “you did bite me pretty hard.”

  Kara smiled at Rose, her ice-blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “I did.”

  Rose kept her arms looped around Kara’s waist, feeling the gentle slope of Kara’s back beneath her fingers. “I get it now,” she said with a shy smile. She looked up at Kara, meeting her gaze. “I see why you like it when I lose control.”

  Kara’s light blue eyes darkened. “Oh,” she murmured. “Do you, now?”

  “There’s something about it,” Rose said, blushing. “It’s kind of…sexy.”

  Kara raised an eyebrow. “Kind of?”

  Rose’s blush deepened. “Very.”

  “Mmm,” Kara murmured her agreement. “It’s the animal in us. It enjoys the viciousness of it. The animalistic part of us enjoys being feral, being set free.”

  Rose felt the desire rising inside of her, all over again, like a reignited fire.

  “It longs to be ravished,” Kara said quietly, “rather than merely tasted.”

  Rose shivered at the thought. She blushed again when she noticed Kara’s smile deepen. “So, uh,” she said, pausing hesitantly, “are you still angry with me?”

  Kara’s eyes softened, affection burning in their cornflower-blue depths. “Oh, Rose,” she sighed. She lifted her hand, pushing a lock of messy, red hair out of Rose’s face. “I wish I could say I was. I wish my feelings for you could ever be defined in so simple a word. But they’re too powerful, too complicated, for that.” A smile curved at the corners of her lips. “I fell in love with a woman who would reveal her power to spare a stranger pain. I fell in love with a woman who almost got herself killed because she was worried about the human who was trying to kill her. I fell in love with a woman who fought two older, stronger vampires to rescue me, with a woman who went against Alana herself for me.” She shrugged. “I can’t ask you to be anything other than the woman I fell in love with. What sense would that make?” She tilted her face closer to Rose’s, her breath warming Rose’s lips. “I’m worried about you, yes, but I could never be angry. I love who you are, ást.”

  Rose smiled slowly, warmth fluttering inside her chest. “I love you, too.”

  Kara cupped her hands around Rose’s face. “Are you angry with me?”

  “Not really, no,” Rose whispered. Their lips nearly touched. “I wish you wouldn’t lie to me. But I understand that you’re trying to protect me.” She leaned in closer, almost kissing Kara, but not quite. “I know you wish you could tell me.”

  “I do,” Kara murmured. “I hate lying to you, but Rose, I can’t let you…”

  Rose watched her curiously, trying to decipher the emotions that flashed across her face, trying to decipher what the end of that sentence would’ve been, if Kara had only finished it. “I think you should tell me the truth, but if you…”

  “I can’t tell you, Rose,” Kara interrupted. “I’m sorry. I must protect you.”

  “If you won’t,” Rose continued, “I’ll find out without you.” She watched as Kara’s face twisted with worry. “I need to protect you, too. You know I do.”

  “Then, we’re on opposing sides,” Kara realized, “for the first time ever.”

  “You don’t think it will tear us apart,” Rose asked nervously, “do you?”

  Almost instantly, Kara’s distressed frown smoothed into one of resolve. With a reassuring smile, she closed the last bit of space between them. “Never.”

  —

  Rose opened her eyes, blinking up at the night sky. Greenish light weaved through the deep blue sky, much like it had in Norway. The ground felt cold and hard beneath her back, like frost-covered dirt. She sat up slowly, glancing around.

  “If you think it’s cold now,” said a familiar voice, “you should visit in the winter.” Her dark blue eyes shifted toward Rose. “The lake will freeze over, then.”

  Rose swallowed uneasily and glanced behind her. Alana lay beside her, in the frost-covered grass, dressed in nothing but that torn, lavender dress. She must have been cold, and yet, she looked comfortable—her blonde hair fanned out in the grass, her fingers intertwined on her stomach. “Where are we?” Rose asked.

  “Lake in Norway,” Alana said. “I used to come here with Kara and Erik.”

  Rose glanced out at the large, icy lake that stretched before them. “Why?”

  “It’s quiet,” Alana murmured. “I wasn’t afraid when we were here, when we were alone. And when I wasn’t afraid, sometimes I’d feel almost…normal.”

  Rose frowned sympathetically. “Then, why didn’t you just stay here?”

  “Peace never lasts long,” Alana said softly. “The pain always returns.”

  “You were really depressed, weren’t you?” Rose whispered. “Like I am.”

  “Oh, no, darling,” Alana said. “That’s the difference in you and me. You hold onto your pain. You punish yourself. I punished the ones who deserved it.”

  “And a bunch of people who did absolutely nothing,” Rose muttered.

  Alana’s dark blue eyes shifted toward Rose and narrowed. “If you think you’re so different,” she said with a smile, “perhaps you should look in the water.”

  An unnerving wave of dread unfurled in Rose’s stomach. “The water?”

  “Go on, darling,” Alana murmured seductively, “look at your refection.”

  Rose wanted to say no. She wanted to listen to the bad feeling in her gut, the fear that lurked in the shadows of her mind. But the curiosity was grating, and she could never ignore it for long. She crawled closer to the lake and gazed down into it. She gasped, as she found—not her own reflection—but something else.

  Something with dark, shadowy hair and black, shadow-filled eyes.

  “Quite terrifying, isn’t it?” Alana said with a smile. “A true monster.”

  Rose stared at the dark, glassy surface of the water, her brows furrowing, as she tried to make sense of the shadowy woman staring back at her. She glanced at Alana, who watched her from the grass. “What is this? This isn’t my reflection.”

  Alana’s dark blue eyes danced with amusement. “Are you sure?” She sat up, leaning closer to Rose, as she peered down at the reflection. “Look closer.”

  Rose’s frown deepened, but again, her curiosity got the best of her. She lowered herself to the ground, studying the black eyes in the reflection, watching the black hair swirl like ink. Something about this reflection seemed…so familiar.

  Alana grasped the back of Rose’s head and shoved her into the icy lake.

  —

  Rose jerked upright in bed, choking, as she gasped for air. She could still feel the water in her lungs. She could still feel the chill
of the icy lake on her skin.

  A warm hand rested against the middle of her back, soft fingertips tracing a soothing pattern over her skin. “It was just a nightmare, love,” Kara murmured.

  Rose trembled. “It felt so real,” she whispered. “The water was so cold.”

  She felt—rather than saw—Kara sit up behind her. She felt the softness of Kara’s skin against her own, the warmth of Kara’s body against her back. Kara curled her hand behind Rose’s neck and turned Rose’s face toward her. She rested her forehead against Rose’s, their lips close enough to kiss. “It wasn’t. I promise.”

  Rose breathed out a shaky breath. Even though fear still coursed through her veins, even though panic still tingled beneath her skin, the warmth of Kara’s body seemed to seep into her skin, alleviating the chill left by that terrible dream.

  Kara smoothed Rose’s tangled, red hair with her hands. “Why don’t you lie down with me?” she said with a heavy lilt. “I’ll hold you until you’re warm.”

  With the nightmare so fresh on her mind, Rose couldn’t think of a single thing she wanted more. She lay down beside Kara, closing her eyes, as Kara pulled the blankets around them. Kara’s arms circled around her waist, holding her close.

  Kara pressed several gentle kisses against Rose’s shoulder, causing her to shiver. “You’re safe, baby,” she slurred, half-asleep already. “Nightmare’s over.”

  Rose wanted to believe that, but as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, she still saw it in her head—shadowy hair and terrifying, shadow-filled eyes.

  16

  Bad News

  The knock at the door came far too soon.

  Kara buried her face in Rose’s long hair and groaned, “Can I kill him?”

  It took Rose a moment to realize which him she meant, but after a quick sniff at the air, she recognized the scent. “Erik,” Rose said. “What does he want?”

  “A knife in the face,” Kara murmured. She snuggled deeper beneath the blanket, clearly in no hurry to get up. “I can throw it from here. Just say the word.”

  Rose let out a sleepy giggle. “You have a throwing knife in bed with us?”

  “Sweet, naïve Rose,” Kara slurred. “I have several knives in bed with us.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “Well, keep them put away,” she said, as she tossed the blanket off of her. Kara made a strange, whimpering sound—that did not fit her…at all—the moment Rose left the bed. Her eyes cracked open, pinning Rose with an icy glare, as Rose put on her clothes. “I’ll see what he wants,” Rose said.

  Kara rolled onto her back, covering her face with Rose’s pillow. “Then, can I kill him?” she murmured, her voice muffled by the pillow. “Pretty please?”

  Rose watched Kara with a smile. Adorable wasn’t a word she’d usually use to describe her Viking warrior girlfriend, but she couldn’t help but find this sleepy, slightly-homicidal side of Kara kind of adorable. “You can sleep, if you need to.”

  “Not without my love,” Kara said drowsily, her accent heavy and lilting.

  Rose blushed, her chest flooding with effervescent warmth. She smiled to herself, as she headed to the door. She opened it and frowned at the tall, blonde vampire outside her room. “Since when are you awake during the day?” she asked.

  “Colina stayed in our room last night,” Erik said without looking at her.

  Rose followed his gaze, noticing that he seemed to be checking the halls for something. “You…could just ask for another room, I’m sure,” she suggested.

  “What?” he said distractedly. “Oh, no. It’s fine. That’s not why I’m here.”

  Rose lifted her eyebrows. “Okay,” she muttered. “So, why are you here?”

  Finally, satisfied that no one was watching, Erik told her, “Colina told us some things last night.” He sighed. “Some things that I think you’ll want to hear.”

  Rose glanced at Kara, whose face was still covered by the pillow. If she’d heard what Erik said, she didn’t show it, but then again, how would Rose know—when she couldn’t see Kara’s face? She returned her attention to Erik—who still seemed nervous and distracted. “Come in, then,” she said, moving out of his way.

  As Erik stepped inside, he finally spared a glance in Rose’s direction. He immediately froze, his eyes widening. A grin spread across his face, suddenly, his earlier anxiety forgotten. “I’m…happy to see you two made up,” he said, barely holding back laughter, “and that you, apparently, share a liking for…rough sex?”

  That got Kara’s attention. Kara slowly pushed the pillow off of her face and glanced curiously at them. She must’ve seen something, too, because she sat up slowly, her gaze scrutinizing and intense, as it swept up and down Rose’s body.

  Rose just stared blankly at Erik, a blush creeping up her neck. “I…don’t know why you’d think that,” she stammered, “or how it’s any of your business.”

  Kara unfolded herself from the bed and quickly crossed the room, sliding in beside Rose. Her fingers traced Rose’s neck, causing Rose to shiver with desire. “Holy hell,” Kara laughed, an astonished smile curving at the corners of her lips.

  Rose blushed, trying to hide her reaction to Kara’s touch. “What is it?”

  Rather than answering Rose, Kara turned to Erik. She took a step toward him. “Get out,” she said, her eyebrows lifting. When Erik didn’t immediately do as she said, she grabbed him by the arm and shoved him roughly out into the hall.

  He grunted in pain, barely catching his balance before he fell. “But I…”

  Kara closed the door in his face, cutting him off mid-sentence. Then, she spun around and leaned against the door. She bit her lip hungrily, one of her fangs visible. “Go look in the mirror,” she said, mischief sparkling in her icy blue eyes.

  Rose’s skin grew warm under the heat of Kara’s gaze. “Umm…why?”

  Kara shook her head, a wicked smile curling at the edges of her lips. She waved two fingers toward the bathroom, urging Rose to go on in. “You’ll see.”

  With a bewildered frown, Rose turned and headed into the bathroom.

  Kara followed eagerly, practically on Rose’s heels. She leaned against the wall, behind Rose, grinning at their reflection, as Rose met her gaze in the mirror.

  Rose stared at Kara’s reflection, for a moment, her blush deepening, as she noticed the spark of desire in Kara’s piercing, ice-blue eyes. Kara’s smile was predatory—the hint of fang, the deep curve, the slight tilt—and that smile sent a flood of arousal through Rose’s body. Swallowing uneasily, she shifted her gaze toward her own reflection, blinking in shock, as she realized what Erik had seen.

  “Does it hurt?” Kara asked, as Rose traced the bruise with her fingertip.

  “No,” Rose mumbled, frowning at her reflection. “Maybe a little tender.”

  Kara pushed away from the wall, stepping closer. “It looks like a hickey.”

  Rose shook her head, an embarrassed smile pulling at her lips. “Shut up.”

  Kara prowled closer, trailing her own fingers over the bruise. “It’s hot.”

  Rose glanced at Kara, her eyebrows lifting. “Shut up,” she laughed again.

  Kara’s smile slipped. “You’d tell me if I bit you too hard, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yeah, I’d tell you,” Rose said—probably a little too aggressively, if the amusement in Kara’s expression were any indication. She blushed. “It was great.”

  Kara smiled affectionately at that. “I thought you might feel that way.”

  Rose swallowed. “Is it even possible for a vampire to get a…hickey?”

  “Not in my experience,” Kara said with a frown. “We heal too quickly.”

  Rose looked at her reflection, her brows furrowing. “Then, what is this?”

  Kara leaned in, gently tracing her fingertip over the discolored skin—so gently, in fact, that Rose’s knees buckled a little at the sensation. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Leftover bruising from the bite? But that should’ve healed, too.”<
br />
  “Yeah, the wound’s gone,” Rose mumbled. She shivered, as Kara raked her fingertips along the curve of Rose’s neck. “Why didn’t the bruise heal, too?”

  “When Alana would overuse her power,” Kara murmured thoughtfully, “she’d have trouble healing afterward. You didn’t overuse your power, did you?”

  “I may have used some in my dream,” Rose said, “but that wasn’t real.”

  Kara nodded, still examining the skin. “It doesn’t hurt when I touch it?”

  “You’re gentle enough that,” Rose said shyly, “it…feels good, actually.”

  Kara’s light blue gaze shifted back toward the mirror, her gaze meeting Rose’s in the mirror. She smiled at Rose’s reflection—before circling behind Rose and wrapping her arms around Rose’s middle. Without ever breaking eye-contact in the mirror, Kara tilted her head down and trailed her tongue over Rose’s skin.

  Rose was the first one to break eye-contact—because when the warmth of Kara’s tongue met her skin, her eyes immediately fluttered closed. She moaned softly, as Kara slowly and seductively licked the sensitive skin. She tilted her head back against Kara’s shoulder—her knees too weak to hold the rest of her upright.

  Kara’s lips moved up, brushing the shell of Rose’s ear. “Gentle enough?”

  Rose let out a small, sensual sound that was somewhere between a moan and a whimper, as she leaned heavily against Kara. “Mmm-hmm. Yep. Yessiree.”

  Kara snorted, and then started laughing—completely and totally brought out of the moment by Rose’s awkward response. “Yes-what? Is that a real word?”

  Rose cringed so intensely that Kara felt it. “I, uhh… I don’t even know.”

  Kara laughed again, meeting Rose’s gaze in the mirror. She could see—in Rose’s reflection—that Rose’s cheeks had turned reddish pink. She pulled Rose closer, hoping to soothe Rose’s embarrassment a little. “I love your quirks. You know that, right?” she murmured, kissing Rose’s shoulder. Her intense, blue gaze shifted up, once again meeting Rose’s in the mirror. “Every single fumbled word.”