by Ann Gimpel
“Fair enough. Before I shift, what were you hoping to accomplish by returning to where you had your vision?”
She scrunched her face in concentration. “You asked if I imagined the vampire reaching for me. I’m not sure. I guess I thought if I tried to recreate the scene, and the creature was just a vision and not a malevolent presence—”
“—it might add credence to the first occurrence being your imagination working overtime.” Jamal finished her thought and considered it.
“What?” She watched him closely, but stopped shy of digging into his mind.
“It’s possible, but unlikely. My wolf agrees with that conclusion.” She opened her mouth, but he said, “Hear me out. You said this trance was dissimilar to other ones. You felt the difference. If you truly opened a portal—and I believe you did—next time you do the same thing, the vampire will be waiting. He may even expect you to seek him out again. They’re extraordinarily seductive. He might assume you won’t be able to stay away.”
Ilona narrowed her eyes. “What aren’t you saying?”
Jamal soft-pedaled a grimace. She’d caught him dead to rights. “If you open the same portal, and the vampire is there waiting, this time he’ll be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“They’re very strong magically. Once you open a conduit, he can pull you through to where he is. After you’re there, he’ll feed from you, probably fuck you, and turn you.”
He let go of her hands and looked away. “I apologize. That was coarse.”
“Some things require coarse words. No apologies needed. You’re saying I wouldn’t be strong enough to fight him.”
A place within Jamal that had been locked tight since he lost Aneksi cracked open. He extended his arms, and Ilona walked into them, twining hers around him. He hugged her back. She felt right in his arms, as if she belonged there, but that was dangerous thinking, dangerous ground.
“It’s not that you’re weak,” he said, focusing on her words rather than the tempting reality of her body crushed against him. “No Romani can withstand vampire powers. They mesmerize you, and you lose your will.”
“But not you?” She tilted her head back so she could look at him.
“No. Not me.”
“Then I want to be a shifter. I said that earlier and my words shocked me, but I’ve had time to get used to the idea. Kind of. What good it is to be magical if I’m not as strong as I can be? More specifically, if I’m too weak to fight the enemy bearing down on us.”
He choked back incredulity. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“We have time. Why don’t you tell me?”
Chapter 7
Ilona wanted to lose herself in Jamal’s embrace. He felt good. Too good. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about vampires and magic. Far better to trace the lines of his chiseled lips with her fingertips or wind her hands into his beautiful hair. His scent rose, surrounding her, wintergreen mingled with the rich, loamy smell of the forest.
“Let’s walk some more.” He disentangled his arms from around her and laced his fingers with hers.
She matched her pace to his, which was easy since he moved slowly. “Are you going to answer me?” she asked after a few minutes slid past.
Jamal drew his dark brows into a line, crinkling his forehead. “Contrary to popular opinion, we’re not in the habit of making new shifters by any method beyond giving birth to them.”
“What about all those werewolf tales?” she asked, adding, “Never mind. Let’s bring this closer to home. What about Elliott? I don’t have the whole story, but I know enough of it to intuit he used to be full Romani like me. Something happened, and now he’s a wolf shifter like you and Tairin.”
“The something was he was almost possessed by a very strong vampire. We had to act and act fast. Actually, it was Tairin’s wolf who took a chance on biting Elliott.”
“Why a chance? What could have gone wrong?”
“Lots of things.”
“Like what?” she prodded. “It may be none of my business, but I want to know.”
Jamal nodded slowly and tightened his grip on her hand. “I already told you Romani are no match for vampires. In truth, neither are shifters, but at least we have a ghost of a chance to take one on and win. When we destroyed the vampire nest, we killed their master, the one who’d made the others. Something about feeding from another and turning them adds to a vampire’s strength. Most master vampires insist on being the ones who turn new recruits. It solidifies their power base and ensures none of the vampires in their group grow powerful enough to challenge them.”
“Fascinating.” A shudder tracked down her spine. “And chilling. I never knew anything about them, let along suspected they still existed anywhere in Europe.”
“None of us did.” He raked his other hand through his hair. “They’ve kept a rather low profile.”
“Until Hitler apparently thought they’d be useful to his cause.” The bitterness beneath her words surprised her. “Damn that man. I may not have spent long in Dachau, but the experience will be with me for a long time.”
“It would mark anyone, which reminds me of something. The reason I was late returning was my wolf and I found your discarded prison clothes. We laid a false track. Even if anyone comes after you, they’ll figure you died about a mile up the mountain from where you changed clothes.”
Gratitude welled, and her throat thickened with emotion. “Thank you,” she choked out, swallowing hard. “At the time, I thought about doing a better job hiding the striped suit, but I was tapped out and figured I’d use the last of my energy to put more distance between myself and the prison.”
He turned back the way they’d come, still walking slowly. “It was wise of you. The terrain the wolf and I covered was rough. Besides, there wouldn’t have been a way for you to take the clothes somewhere and not leave a scent trail both coming and going.”
Ilona inhaled raggedly. Part of her didn’t really want to talk about vampires ever again, but the rest of her overruled it. “Back to Elliott and the vampire. It tried to possess him. Then what happened?”
“Tairin’s wolf bit him, which injected shifter essence and paved the path for a bond wolf to enter him, but that alone wasn’t enough. The vampire fought hard. It knew what would happen if it lost. Meara was with us. She built a magical concentrator and leveraged more power than I imagined existed urging the wolf within Elliott to come out. He had to shift to activate Tairin’s sacrifice.”
“He must have since he’s still here, but why was that critical?” Her words emerged as a squeak.
“If he hadn’t shifted, Elliott would have been lost. The vampire would have completed its possession and commandeered Elliott’s body. Unfortunately, Tairin, her wolf, and the newly bonded wolf would have been lost right along with Elliott, sucked into the half-life of those tainted by vampire contamination.”
Shit. That’s too horrible to contemplate.
Ilona’s heart thudded in her chest, but she’d opened this line of inquiry. She had to see it through to its conclusion. “They can do that?” she asked, her voice breaking.
“Do what?”
“Change bodies?”
“Yes. As many times as they need to to ensure their survival, but there’s a time factor. They have to jump bodies right away. This particular vampire required a corporeal presence because its last body lay in a smoking ruin.”
Ilona pulled her fingers out of his grip and wrapped her arms around herself. The day wasn’t particularly warm, but it had turned far chillier because of Jamal’s words.
“So,” he went on, “the only time our law permits us to break from tradition and create shifters through biting is if need is great and death imminent.” A long, whistling breath rustled from him. “If we acted out the werewolf tales, we’d be no better than vampires.”
Ilona chewed on her lower lip. “I understand, but Meara said something after I blurted out that I wanted to be a shifter. It
was on the heels of my vision where the vampire came after me.”
Jamal cast a sidelong glance her way. “What did she say?”
“Something like ‘words that come after vision states are often truer than we suspect.’”
“She’d be right about that.” Jamal draped an arm around her shoulders. “You look cold.”
“I am, but it’s the kind of cold a fire can’t fix.” She looked up, taking her bearings, and understood they’d been walking in a rather large circle. Light was leaching from the day.
“Now that you know a little more, would you still like to meet my wolf?” His dark eyes glittered with something she didn’t have a name for. Challenge. Promise. Hope that she still wanted to know everything about him.
Ilona nodded. Anticipation vied with apprehension. What would his wolf look like? Be like? Would it have Jamal’s combination of compassion and tenderness mingled with bottomless strength?
“Wait here. I need to undress first.” He let go of her and faded into thick tree cover.
In far less time than she’d anticipated, a rustling behind her was followed by a soft bark. She spun around and was confronted by a large black and gray timber wolf with tawny markings. Its eyes were the same as Jamal’s, dark and liquid with amber centers.
The wolf trotted to her and nosed her hand.
Delighted, she dropped to her haunches and buried her hands in its thick fur, inhaling its clean, fresh animal scent. It pressed into her touch. “Talk to me,” she urged.
“I’m glad he let me out to meet you.” Understated humor ran beneath the wolf’s mind voice. “It’s a rare enough occurrence for any reason these days.”
“Don’t mind him,” another voice jumped in. “He likes to play martyr.”
“Do not,” the wolf shot back.
“You’re both in there,” she said, marveling at what felt like a miracle.
“Of course we are,” the wolf replied. “Just like I’m always inside when we’re wearing our human body.”
Ilona continued to pet the wolf shamelessly. In a far corner of her mind, she knew she wanted to do the same thing to Jamal—love him, stroke him, explore his body. Dangerous territory, but when her desire to touch him was translated into scratching the wolf’s ears and patting the rough outer hairs that ran along its back and shoulders, the contact felt safe and non-threatening.
“That’s wonderful, you can do it for hours.” The wolf leaned into her.
“She could, but we need to get back. They may need me as they plan their next moves,” Jamal spoke up.
With a whuffly growl, the wolf straightened and licked her fingertips before it trotted back into the thick tree cover.
She was still marveling at the wonder of having an animal as part of you when Jamal rejoined her. “Thank you.” She smiled broadly. “Your wolf is an amazing animal.”
“Indeed I am,” it said into her mind, and her smile grew wider.
“You were right,” she crowed. “I can hear him, er it.”
Jamal made a snorting noise. “I’d watch it with those compliments, the wolf will become more insufferable that it already is.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, but I could’ve petted it for hours.”
“We’ll just have to make sure Jamal lets me out again soon.” The wolf’s voice held a soft, purring quality.
“Ready to go back?” Jamal asked, but he didn’t make any move to leave her side.
“Yeah. I guess. I’m grateful to have somewhere to go back to.”
Jamal hesitated. “Thanks for keeping an open mind about my animal bondmate. I’m sorry I can’t offer you an opportunity to become a shifter—not without breaking one of our cardinal laws. Working next to us, though, potentiates both our magics.” He cradled the side of her face in his hand. “You’re so lovely. I’m out of line saying that, but I haven’t been able to think about much besides you since we found you in that little clearing.”
Warmth rose from her chest and swept over the top of her head. She felt tongue-tied, but managed to murmur, “I like you too. You’ve been good to me when you didn’t have to be.”
He traced the line of her cheekbone with a fingertip, and then brushed his thumb over her lower lip. She arched against him, wanting him to kiss her. Maybe it was wrong, but she yearned for him, and she infused that hunger into her touch as she wrapped her arms around his broad back.
Jamal groaned, the sound of a man caught between misgiving and need, and lowered his mouth atop hers. His lips were firm, perfect, and she moved her hands upward, weaving her fingers into his glorious hair. He teased her lips with his. Little biting kisses as he explored her mouth with teeth and tongue. She bit back, latching onto his lower lip and sucking on it.
When she opened her mouth, he sank his tongue inside and she sparred with it. Her nipples peaked where they pressed against his chest, and she felt the swell of his erection prod her belly. Their breathing quickened as they fell into the kiss, offering it a life of its own. He tasted sweet, and his intoxicating scent intensified, swirling around them.
She added a dash of Rom magic and ran her tongue across his whiskered cheek to his earlobe before taking it into her mouth. He strung kisses down her face, settling in the hollow of her collarbone where his tongue did wicked things to her sensitive flesh. The dark, secret place between her legs flooded with heat as lust spilled through her, and she writhed against him.
Jamal lifted his head and speared her with his dark-eyed gaze. The bronze color of his skin was heightened, and he was breathing faster. “You’re lovely, liebchen, but we must stop. The same reasons I had for returning to the wagons haven’t gone away.” He twined a lock of hair behind one of her ears.
Desire thickened behind her breastbone, rising into her throat. She wanted to tear off his clothing and ride the erection that still pressed into her belly, but she recognized the wisdom in not giving in to the lust that held her captive.
“Probably wise.” She pulled away from his embrace. The place he’d been pressed against her body felt cold and empty, and it took self-discipline not to make a grab for his penis. She felt his indecision and his yearning. Calling a halt to their passion hadn’t been easy for him.
Jamal held out a hand, and she clasped it. Together, they walked back toward camp. Her heart and mind were full, so full words felt inadequate at least until she’d sorted through her confused welter of thoughts and feelings. He was a shifter. She wasn’t. That should have been the end of things, but she wanted to make love with him.
More than that, for the first time she’d met a man she might want to make a life with.
I can’t possibly know that. It’s too soon. We just met.
“I feel the same way.” His deep voice buzzed low. “Forgive me for helping myself to your thoughts. It was cowardly of me, but I had to know if you sensed the attraction as keenly as me.”
She angled her head so their gazes met. Tenderness and yearning blazed from his eyes, but beneath it all lay resignation and sorrow. “Why are you sad?” she asked.
“Tairin’s mother was Rom. It didn’t end well. Her caravan burned her alive for the sin of mating outside her blood.”
Ilona closed her teeth over her lower lip. “I knew that part, but hadn’t considered exactly what it meant. Where were you when it happened? Oh my God.” She slapped a hand over her heart. “They made you watch, didn’t they? It’s something I can see Rom elders doing.”
Shame joined the mix on his expressive features, and he looked away. “I wasn’t there. Aneksi and I had quarreled. I knew Tairin’s first shift was imminent and that we had to flee. Aneksi didn’t agree. She hoped Tairin would never shift. I knew otherwise. Our last words weren’t pretty.”
Ilona stopped walking, but didn’t let go of his hand, so Jamal came to a halt too. “Look at me.”
When he did, she almost wished she hadn’t asked. His eyes had darkened to midnight and reflected guilt and torture. “You’ve blamed yourself for a long time.” Ilona gripped h
is hand harder. “What would you have done if you’d been there?”
“Become my wolf and taken down as many of those murderous Rom as I could. At least it would have given Aneksi a chance to take Tairin and run.”
“Would she have?” Ilona tilted her chin upward. She knew the answer because she knew how Romani thought.
The harsh, desperate look left Jamal’s face, and it crumpled into a painful expression that broke her heart. “No.” His voice was scratchy with suffering. “I begged her to leave before Tairin shifted, when we could have slipped away with very little notice. She refused. I’d even found us a small oasis where we could have lived a quiet life.”
“Rom are nomadic, but they’re also wedded to their caravans.” Ilona kept her tone soft, soothing. “None of us leave unless we’re kicked out. Take my brother for example. Aron. If he’s still alive, he probably hooked back up with Valentin’s caravan. Never mind associating with other Rom has turned into a death sentence.”
“I didn’t smell anyone else when I came across your prison garb. Did he escape Dachau with you?”
She shook her head. “No. I told you before. He ran away the day we got there. Before they even dragged him through the gates. That’s when I saw my first vampire. The SS sicced it on Aron after he gave them the slip.”
“You do know that’s not good news.”
“Yeah, I know, but my magic was still strong then, and I probably would have sensed it if that thing had killed him. Until I find out otherwise, I’m choosing to believe Aron is still alive.”
“My brave gypsy. Your spirit was one of the things that drew me to you from the moment I saw you. You might have been scared—”
“Might have been?” she cut in. “Nothing like one Rom against four shifters, two of whom turned out to be part Rom.”
“Regardless,” he insisted. “You stood your ground. I admire that.”
Ilona gazed at him, drinking him in. “What are we going to do about us? About wanting to know one another better.”
“It goes against both of our laws and customs. I fell into that trap long ago. I want you, but that’s not the issue.”