Eternal Breath of Darkness

by Candice Stauffer

  “No. I don’t think so.” Mia opened her eyes. “Who the hell are you?” Her vision was blurry. She blinked to bring his face into focus. “And why are you here?”

  “Joseph.” He looked up to meet her gaze. “And it’s a good thing I stopped by for a visit. Your vision will get better in a minute or two. You have a slight concussion, and you’ve lost a lot of blood.”

  “I know that you’re Joseph, you idiot. What are you?” He wasn’t human. “You snapped his neck off of his body like it was a twig, and then you burned him. How did you do it?” Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “I know you’re not human.” The pain was subsiding. “You’d better not be a damned blood-sucking leech.” Her body was filled with a peculiar but soothing warmth. “And I swear that I will kick your ass if you ever try to friend me or poke me again.”

  “You take a great picture. I noticed your single status.” He smiled at her. “I’m still waiting for you to accept my friend request.”

  Her eyes flashed open. Narrowing her gaze onto his, she glared up at him. “It’s never happening.”

  Grinning, Joseph shrugged casually. “Why not?”

  Mia blinked a few times. He was way too good-looking. She wanted to beat him for looking so hot. Men like him were just way too confident. And worse, he was cocky. No. He was just plain annoying as hell. She tilted her head to the side. “I never asked you to come here. I want you to leave.”

  “You needed me here. I’m not leaving just yet. You’re a wreck. You still need me here.”

  “I had everything under control.” One way or another she would make sure that he regretted being a cocky, annoying son of bitch. Realizing her arm no longer hurt, she looked down at it. Her leather jacket was no longer torn. “What did you do to my jacket and my arm?”

  “It’s your favorite jacket so I fixed it, and I healed your arm.” He paused. “And for your information you didn’t have anything under control. He nearly killed you. Why was he here?”

  She got mad. He was right. She didn’t have anything under control. Chad would’ve killed her if Joseph hadn’t arrived. She didn’t like it. Clearly, she’d needed him. She didn’t want to need anyone; she hated seeing herself as needy. She couldn’t stand the sight of Joseph. She needed to get away from him. She tried to stand up, but her legs were like rubber. “Let go of me.”

  “Just relax. There’s no reason for you to get all bent out of shape. You need to calm down.”

  “Get your hands off of me and get away from me. I want to get up.”

  “Let me help you.” He took her arm.

  The second she was on her feet, she shoved him. “I told you to get the hell away from me.”

  It was easy enough to hold her up without touching her, so he released her arm and turned his back to her. “You’re very rude.” He walked around, acting as if he was checking the place out as he weaved healing and protective spells throughout the boutique. “Why are you such an angry, bitter woman? In case you didn’t notice, I just saved you. You should at least thank me for your life. You’re too young and too beautiful to be so bitter. Surely you know that acting so ungrateful is quite unattractive.”

  Mia narrowed her gaze on him. “Who the hell do you think you are?” She walked up from behind, grabbed his arm, and yanked it. “Get your ass out of here!”

  “Sorry, angel, but you’re wasting your time and energy.” He very slowly turned to face her. Locking his gaze onto hers, he smiled and winked at her. “A simple, immature temper tantrum won’t run me off. You’re marked. If one vampire came after you and failed to kill you, another will take its place and attempt to kill you. I’ve no intention of allowing you to die. In fact, whether you like it or not, I intend to protect you.”

  “Huh?” She shook head in disbelief. “What did you just say to me?”

  “I intend to keep you safe.”

  “No.” She clenched her fists at her sides. “What the hell did you call me?”

  “Angel.” He smiled, clearly pleased with himself. “It’s a lovely pet name.” Grinning, he winked at her. “It fits you very well.”

  “Really?” Well, that was lie. If she had a halo it would be shoved up his ass so far he would be choking on it.

  She smiled, but there was no humor in it. It sort of reminded him of a panther’s snarl. A very irritated, cornered panther.

  “Well then, to be polite it’s only fair if I come up with a special pet name for you.”

  Clearly hearing her thoughts, it was very difficult to shrug casually, but he managed to do it. “I agree.”

  If she were blind she might not notice his muscles rippling beneath the thin material of his shirt. The man was hot. He had it going in all the right places. He was a fine specimen of his gender, a fine specimen to take down. She figured she could have great fun with him in bed if she didn’t hate him so thoroughly. She openly gave his entire body a good and thorough visual inspection. Yep. He was going down. Purposely attempting to make him feel as uncomfortable as possible, she allowed her gaze to linger on his crotch for several seconds.

  “See anything you like, angel?”

  Smiling way too sweetly, she slowly lifted her head to look up at him. “Nope. Not at all.” Then, forcing herself to yawn and covering her mouth as if to hide it, she locked her gaze onto his. “Imbecile.” Lifting one brow and tilting her head to the side, she smirked. “Yep. That’s it. It’s a perfect fit for you. And now you have a perfect pet name it’s time for you to leave, imbecile.”

  Ouch. The woman was vicious. He was certain she’d reduced many men to blubbering fools. Lucky for him, hundreds of years of discipline enabled him to keep his expression void of emotion and pretend she hadn’t just hurt his ego. “No. Why would I leave when I know that deep down in your heart you’re happy I’m here? I saved you. I’m your knight in shining armor. Being a control freak with anger management issues, you’re just too afraid to admit it.”

  Oh yeah, that did it. The idiot had a big mouth. Her blood was way beyond the boiling stage. Literally seething with rage, she glared up at him. “Get your ass out of here now!”

  “Don’t worry. I understand your fear of getting too attached to me. I’ve always been cursed with having that affect on women. I will leave eventually, but first I would like you to answer one question.”

  He was kind of funny in an annoying sort of way. She almost cracked a smile but managed to keep a straight face. Suspicious, she tilted her head to side. “What?”

  “How long have you been sick?” His voice was different. It was deep and far too smooth. It was hypnotic.

  She’d had many encounters with vampires in the past. She knew he was trying to use his voice to force the truth from her. Was he a vampire too? Cheeks turning red with renewed anger, she pointed at the door. “Get the hell out of here!”

  “I’m not a vampire.” Shaking his head, he stepped closer to her. “How long have you had cancer?”

  He’d read her mind. She was outraged. He didn’t have a right to be poking around in her head. Lifting her chin, she scowled at him. “You really are a pathetic imbecile.” She refused to be intimidated by him. She refused to back away from him. Vampire or not, he was going down if he took one more step toward her. “I don’t care if you’re Haden’s friend. If you don’t get out of here right now, I’m going to kick your ass.”

  “You’re such a naughty, temperamental little angel, aren’t you? If I didn’t know any better, I would start to think you don’t particularly like me. It’s a good thing I know better.” Smiling, he winked at her. “And trust me, I would truly love to wrestle with you.” Enjoying the idea of it a little too much, his voice unintentionally turned into a deep, throaty purr. “But first, I must insist that you tell me how long you’ve been suffering so I’ll be able to more effectively help you.”

  Even for a vampire he was insane. Where was her gun? She glanced around. Spotting it, she smiled. She was going to prison. She glared up at him, refusing to look away until she walke
d over to her gun. She picked it up. Yep. She turned toward him and aimed. She was definitely going to prison. She was shooting his ass. Why was he concerned about her being sick? It was none of his business. He didn’t even know her. She shook her head. How did he know about her illness? It was stupid question. He’d read her mind earlier. And he’d killed a vampire with his bare hands. He wasn’t human. She believed he was a vampire, but the vibes around him were all wrong. What was he?

  He knew she was extremely knowledgeable about the existence of vampires and was trying to figure out what he was. Her gut was telling he wasn’t a vampire, but he was definitely not human. She was sizing him up, trying to strategize the best way to overpower him and bring him down on his ass. She was so damn feisty. She was completely irresistible. He was amused until he saw pain flash in her eyes. At the same moment her flesh turned frighteningly pale. He instantly reached out to touch her, to pull her into his arms.

  “Don’t touch me.” She smacked his hands away. She stumbled to the side and dropped the gun, struggling to remain upright.

  He could hear her heart beating too hard, too fast. Every cell in her body was immersed in pain from the cancer, but she didn’t flinch from it. He needed to touch her. He needed to hold her. He needed to take the pain away from her.

  “Stop looking at me like that.” She was determined to hide her distress. He wasn’t going to leave. She needed her pain medication. She was so desperate to get away from him. She needed to back down. It was her only option. She didn’t even care if it meant he would win.

  “Please. I’m so sorry. I upset you. I was wrong. Just try to calm down.”

  She tried to take a step back, but the pain was so intense her head was spinning and she felt nauseous. “Oh no.” She needed a plan. She needed to get rid of him. She blinked; her vision was fuzzy. She needed to get rid of him now. She couldn’t see anything. She blinked again, but it didn’t help. “Oh crap.” She couldn’t focus her eyes on anything. The pain in her body was so intense, worse than ever before. She struggled to remain on her feet. She turned to walk away from him, but before she took one step she blacked out.

  Joseph easily caught her up in his arms. He carried over the dressing room area and lowered her onto the couch. It was his fault. He’d pushed her too hard. He knew that she would fight him if he backed her into a corner. He’d wanted her to fight. He’d wanted her to get mad. Any why? He’d wanted to see the fiery nature of the wolf. Attempting to rile her temper when she was so weak was uncalled for. It was downright inexcusable. Maybe he was the imbecile that she’d named him.

  Kneeling down next to Mia, he pulled her extraordinarily thick, dark blonde curls away from her face. “I’m sorry, angel.” He took her hand, brought it to his chest, and held it over his heart. Closing his eyes, he released his healing power and allowed it to flow into her body and mind. He admired her strength, integrity, and courage. He would do all he could do to heal her, but because she wasn’t his mate and her illness was terminal, there was a high probability it wouldn’t work. If she’d been his mate, he could give his eternal breath to her. Hopefully, she would learn to tolerate him, because if there was any hope, it would likely take several months to a year to heal her.

  Allowing her to sleep, he stayed with her, healing her and absorbing her pain into his body for over an hour. With a thought, he set the entire boutique in order. When he realized Julie and Brianna were returning from lunch he bent down to kiss Mia’s brow. “No more picking fights with vampires, angel. I know you don’t want the girls you’ve taken under your care to see you like this. I would rather you rest for a little while longer, but wake up now and feel refreshed.” The instant her eyes fluttered, he dissolved into a mist.

  ***

  Awareness hitting her hard and fast, Mia’s eyes flew open and she jumped up off the couch. She was disoriented, but she felt good. There was no pain anywhere in her body. She remembered fighting with the vampire. She remembered Joseph barging in and destroying the vampire. Oh crap. It wasn’t real. Somehow the imbecile had gotten under her skin enough that she’d dreamed of arguing with him.

  Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. No. She lifted her arm to her nose. It wasn’t a dream. She could smell Joseph’s cologne on the sleeve of her jacket. Confused, she searched the store. There was no visible sign of a struggle. Chad wasn’t there. Joseph wasn’t there. Had they ever really been there? Joseph could’ve contaminated her with his cologne earlier. He’d touched her at the cemetery. She couldn’t be sure. Sometimes the medications she was taking for pain messed with her head. She didn’t have much time to worry about it. A few moments later, Julie and Brianna returned.

  ~ Nineteen ~

  HADEN OPENED THE car door and held out his hand for Caylee. “It’s about a twenty-minute walk to my brother’s place from here.” Looking way more than a little hopeful, flashing a devilish smile, he asked, “Would you rather fly? It would be much quicker than walking.”

  “Gee, Haden, I’m not sure. Hmm. Let me think about it.” Meeting his gaze, looking too sweet and innocent to believe, she tapped her finger on her chin, pretending to seriously consider it. “Nope. No way.” She smiled at him. “Nice try, but I would much rather walk.” Taking his hand, she got out of the car. “We’re close to the ocean, aren’t we?” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. “It smells wonderful, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, we are, and it does.” Pulling her close, he tucked her head beneath his chin and wrapped his arms around her. It was such a blessed relief to be able to hold her in his arms without fear, without anything standing between them. His eyes flashed open. He still needed to take her last mortal breath and replace it with his eternal breath. “I love you, Caylee.”

  “I love you,” she whispered against his chest.

  His heart was fuller than ever before. This was the miracle he’d waited for nearly two thousand years to experience. “You are my miracle, little love. Holding you, touching you, having your love and loving you is my greatest dream come true.”

  Tears of joy burning behind her eyes, she tilted her head back to look up at him. “I feel so free, so at peace, so thoroughly loved. Sometimes I think that what I’m feeling is too good to be true. I don’t want this to ever end. Being with you is like living in the most wonderful dream. A dream I never before dared to dream before.” She smiled. “If I’m asleep I hope I never wake up. I’ve never been so happy to be alive.”

  Flooded with desire, Haden bent his head to kiss her. Caylee was instantly, completely swept away by his desire, his need for her. There was nothing more exquisite, more exciting than feeling his hunger for her as he kissed and touched her. It was hard at times to believe she could be so loved and needed by anyone, but it was impossible to doubt his love for her when he was touching her everywhere in her mind and body. The man was talented. He definitely knew how to make her feel like she was the most desirable woman in the world.

  “You are, little love, you are the most desirable woman ever born,” he whispered against her lips. “And you are mine. I will never have enough of you.” He wanted to get lost in the moment. He wanted to show her just how desirable she was to him, but he knew they needed to go. Paul was close by. Not close enough to do any real harm, but a little too close for comfort. He wouldn’t take chances with her life. Groaning, he pulled away from her. “We should get going before there’s no stopping.”

  Pouting, she looked up at him. “I vote for not stopping.”

  Staring at her full, lush lips, he was so tempted to kiss her once more, but he fought the temptation. “You make me crazy.”

  “I try.” Reaching up, she traced his lips with her index finger. “Do you have any idea what you do to my body when you kiss me, Haden?”

  Clenching his jaw, fighting to control his body’s response to her touch, he took her hand and placed it over his heart. “Do you feel my heart?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  “It’s going to burst right out of my chest if you
keep tormenting me.”

  Moving a little closer, she smiled up at him. And he would be damned if it wasn’t the most wickedly sexy smile he’d even seen on a woman. “Oh Haden, please forgive me. I never meant to afflict your heart.” Her voice was a breathless, seductive purr.

  He was still holding her right hand over his heart, but his focus was on her left hand as it slowly moved up his thigh. His body shuddered. Eager for her touch, hot blood shot straight to his groin. Her hand was so close, only a fraction of an inch from his cock. It was so hard, so impossibly swollen, pressed far too painfully against the seam of his pants. He wanted to remove his clothing, her clothing. He wanted to feel her flesh against every inch of his body. He wanted her to touch his cock. No, he was beyond want. He needed her to touch his cock, to wrap her hand around it and squeeze.

  Giggling, she stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed the underside of his chin. “Just kidding.”

  “What?” Eyes wide, jaw dropped, cock still hard and aching like a son of a bitch, he stared at her.

  “I was only teasing you.” Grinning, she glanced down at his groin. “Oops.” Looking up to meet his gaze, she nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry. I guess that I got a bit carried away with the teasing.”

  Lifting his eyebrow, he tilted his head to the side. “You know you’re pure evil, right?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe a little.” She giggled. “But I couldn’t possibly be as evil as you.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re a demon.”

  “Which is why you can trust that I will retaliate,” he vowed.

  “You can try. I really hope you do,” she whispered, her voice sounding husky and breathless.

  “I will succeed.”