First Blade (Awakening Book 1)

by Jane Hinchey

  "Hey, I'd be pretty freaked if I'd thought either of you were in that fire myself. Don't worry about it. The main thing is you're both safe."

  He plopped down into a chair and passed out the beers before opening the pizza box and offering them a slice. Putting her carving aside and brushing off all the wood shavings, Georgia accepted both. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until he'd opened the pizza box and the delicious smells had wafted her way.

  "Well ladies, the good news is you can return to your shop." As both girls made move to rise he shushed them back, "Not tonight! Tomorrow, you can return tomorrow. Your apartment is okay, Skye, structurally that is. No water damage but lots of smoke and soot. The shop is also structurally okay, but it's been gutted - doubtful you can salvage any of your stock but I'll leave that to you to determine. You'll new need wiring, repairs to the floor where the fire started, plus of course new flooring and painting - you're insured, right?"

  "Of course," Skye scoffed, "I've already been in touch with our agent and he's emailing me claim forms today - they need to send their own assessor before we do any repairs, so hopefully I can get that organized quickly while we get quotes for the repairs. Actually, I'm going to check if he's sent them yet." She scrambled to her feet and carried her pizza and beer inside.

  "Actually, I'm glad I got you alone," Rhys leaned toward Georgia, his face earnest.

  "Oh?"

  "Your place...this place here, the farm...it stinks of vampire. Did something happen?" She hadn't considered that his werewolf nose would have picked up on the scents of the vampires and couldn't hide the surprise that flashed across her face.

  "Nothing for you to worry about, Rhys," she assured him. The less involved he was, the better; the last thing she needed was for him to be at risk because of her as well.

  "Jesus, Georgia," he exploded, shoving his pizza aside and grabbing her wrist, "I know something's going on, I'm not fucking stupid. I'm a bloody cop for God's sake, not only have I been trained to spot this type of shit, but my wolf isn't stupid either!"

  She jerked back from his sudden attack, feeling bad for lying to her best friend.

  "Rhys!" He yanked hard on her wrist, making her lose her balance and fall against his chest where he held her hard against him.

  "I'm fucking worried about you, ok? I got a whiff of vampire at the shop last night, this place reeks of vampires and I'm pretty sure I can smell something on you." He pushed his nose into her neck and took a deep breath in through his nose, smelling her. He raised his head slightly, frowning at her, then pressed his face against her neck again and took another sniff, "What is that?" he murmured.

  "That would be me."

  Georgia jerked out of Rhys's hold at the sound of Zak's voice. Oh great.

  "I didn't hear you pull up." Rhys frowned at Zak where he stood leaning against the bottom step of the deck.

  "Could be because you were too distracted putting your nose on my woman," Zak drawled, ignoring Georgia's outraged hiss as he casually made his way up the stairs towards them.

  "Your woman? Is that what I can smell on you? Him?" Rhys turned an accusing glare her way. Oh fuck. Even though Rhys knew she didn't feel for him that way, she still didn't intentionally want to hurt him.

  "Rhys..." she began, only to have Zak cut her off, "Yeah, that's probably me you can smell on her, we were all over each other last night..."

  Rhys's face darkened in anger. He glared at her. "You spent the night with him?" Oh, what the hell. She nodded, locking eyes with Zak so he could see how pissed off she was.

  "Fuck," Rhys swore, shoving to his feet and stalking away.

  "Exactly." Zak agreed, earning himself a swift kick from Georgia.

  Skye chose that moment to come back outside, noticing the thick tension in the air.

  "Oh hi," she threw a smile at Zak, then looked at Rhys with a frown, "Everything okay?"

  "Oh, everything's just fine if you think your sister slutting around with him is okay!" Rhys growled.

  Georgia sucked in a hurt breath at his words. Before either of the girls could say anything, Zak had Rhys up against the back of the house with his hand wrapped around his throat,

  "You NEVER speak that way about her again, you understand?" His anger was like an invisible force surrounding them all. "You have no claims on her, pup, and if you can't control your jealousy then I suggest you stay away. Far away."

  The silence that followed was thick and heavy while the werewolf and vamp-angel squared off. Finally, Rhys nodded abruptly. Zak dropped his hand and moved back to Georgia's side, sliding a proprietary arm around her waist and drawing her into his side. Skye watched with wide eyes, before blowing out a breath and dropping into a seat, "Well there you go." She tipped her beer bottle at Georgia and Zak in salute before taking a long swallow.

  Rhys left without a word. Georgia's heart ached, knowing their relationship had irrevocably changed. She just hoped she hadn't lost her friend forever. Feeling sad she leaned into Zak and dropped her head against his shoulder for a moment, gathering her thoughts. The arm around her waist tightened in response and she felt him drop a kiss on the top of her head.

  "So what did you two lovely ladies get up to today?" he inquired, helping himself to a beer and slice of pizza, and plopping himself down into the seat that Rhys had occupied. Georgia settled back into her own chair and resumed eating while Skye happily babbled away about what was happening with the shop.

  "So. You two," she indicated the pair of them, "an item?"

  "Yes," Zak answered, arching a brow at Georgia when she instinctively shook her head.

  "Good," Skye declared, "it's about time she had some fun. Just don't hurt her," she warned him.

  "Never," he assured her.

  "Well then, I'll give the pair of you some space. I'll be in my room. Listening to music. With my headphones on." She grinned cheekily before scooping up more pizza and heading back into the house.

  13

  Zak knew Georgia was sitting there wallowing in guilt over Rhys. Last night had given him more than mind-blowing sex. It had given him her mind, a virtual open book. She had no walls, nothing hidden away. At the time he'd been enjoying their activities too much to delve, but after she'd snuck out this morning he lay in bed and carefully combed through her mind. Even though they were no longer connected it was like he'd downloaded all her memories and was able to retrieve them one at a time.

  He knew she was freaked out about sleeping with him; he didn't have to read her mind to know that, so he'd let her have her space while he studied her life. He knew she'd be royally pissed if she knew what he'd done, which is why he had no intention of telling her.

  "He'll be fine," he told her now, knowing she was fretting and worrying about her friend, who was in pain.

  "How do you know," she grumbled at him.

  "Because he only thinks he's in love with you. Like you, he loves you like a sister, he just doesn't realize it yet. Plus he's a werewolf - when he meets his true mate he'll know that what he feels for you is nothing compared to the emotion of connecting with his mate."

  "Did you read his mind?" she bristled.

  "Not tonight. But you have to remember, Georgia, I've been around a long time."

  "You've seen it all before?" she drawled.

  "Exactly. You beat yourself up over this, but you've done nothing to lead him on, yet you feel selfish because you value his friendship too much to push him out of your life."

  She nodded, looking off into the distance. The sun had set and the stars were starting to come out. She loved this time of evening. Even better to be sitting outside, drinking beer and eating pizza. Then she'd remember that it was Rhys who had provided both and felt sad again.

  "I take it those two don't know about what happened here last night?" Zak indicated the house.

  "No. I got most of it cleaned up. Just need to get my room sorted. I don't want to scare Skye, and Rhys...well, it would just make a bad situation worse. He'd probably want to camp on
the sofa or something to keep us safe and I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

  "It's definitely not a good idea," Zak agreed. He pulled the cushion off the chair next to him and placed it on the deck between his feet. "Come here. You're tense, let me help."

  She moved to the cushion, sitting cross-legged between his legs. He brushed her hair forward over her shoulder, before slowly massaging her neck and shoulders. His strong touch was pure bliss and she groaned as he worked on the knots.

  She lost track of time as his hands soothed her, her chin practically resting on her chest. She felt warm and lethargic and soooo relaxed. And for that moment in time, there was nowhere in the world she'd rather be. That thought alone should have scared the pants off her, yet strangely it didn't. When she was with Zak, it felt right. It was only when she remembered the hundreds of women who'd been before her, that he'd done this with, who he'd touched like he'd touched her, that she doubted her sanity in getting involved with this man. He was worming his way into her life, a life she rarely shared with others. She had no doubt it was going to hurt when he removed himself once he was tired of her.

  She offered no protest when he scooped her up in his arms. She snuggled against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her up the stairs. She briefly wondered why he didn't teleport them, but perhaps he enjoyed holding her as much as she enjoyed being held. Her room was still a disaster zone; the mattress had been tipped off the bed, and drawers and their contents were thrown around the room. He righted the rocking chair and placed it in the corner, gently setting her down in it. "Hold on a sec," he told her, then was a blur before her eyes as he set the room straight. In under a minute the room was back as it should have been.

  "Wow." She was impressed.

  "Can't guarantee all your clothes are in the right places," he grinned, reaching for her and plucking her out of the rocking chair and onto the bed in under a second.

  Pinning both of her wrists above her head with one hand he lay along the length of her, careful not to crush her with his weight.

  "You are the most beautiful woman..." he murmured.

  "Pfft," she scoffed, "I've seen who you hang out with Zak, and I'm no supermodel."

  "No, you're not. You're real. You're beautiful on the inside and out. And. You. Taste. So. Damn. Sweet." He punctuated with kisses.

  Opening her mouth to him she raised one leg to run her foot along the back of his leg, drawing a groan from the back of his throat.

  "I'll never hurt you." He spoke into her mouth, the words hot and arousing.

  "Yes, you will. You may not mean to, but you will nevertheless."

  "I'm not like you think I am. You think I fuck and leave, that I notch 'em up on my bedpost. Rumors of my prowess have been greatly exaggerated."

  His words penetrated the lust-filled haze fogging her mind. How did he know she thought she was another notch on his bedpost? She tensed beneath him.

  "You read my mind!" she accused, pulling at her wrists. He held firm, pulling back to put a little space between them but keeping her pinned beneath him on the bed.

  "Couldn't help it. It came with your blood." He shrugged, not apologetic in the least.

  "You bastard. That is just plain fucking rude. Get off me." She bucked and twisted, trying to dislodge him.

  "Sweetheart, you moving like that is no incentive for me to get off you."

  "Fuck you, asshole," she snarled, anger replacing the passion that had been thrumming through her veins only moments before. How dare he? How fucking dare he! Her private thoughts. Her dreams. Her secrets. Fucking jerk.

  She struggled and twisted under him, growling and cursing. He pressed more firmly against her, trapping her beneath him. Recalling every combat move she knew, she repeatedly attempted to turn the tables and gain the upper hand. Unfortunately, he knew every damn move and was prepared for every single one.

  Eventually, she stopped struggling, begrudgingly accepting that it was useless. And she was utterly pissed about that too.

  "I can't believe you did that to me."

  "It wasn't intentional, although I won't lie, I knew there was a chance I'd be able to read you when I drank your blood," he said softly as he brushed his lips over her forehead.

  "The point is, I didn't want you to. My thoughts are mine. You had no right."

  "I know." He gently kissed her forehead once more, "And I don't blame you. But we need to talk."

  "You know what? We really don't."

  He kissed his way down her neck and across her shoulder.

  "You're being coerced by vampires, Georgia."

  "Like I hadn't noticed."

  "Vampires who want something that I have. You need to know I have no intentions of handing it over."

  "I never expected that you would."

  "Then how did you think this was going to end? That they'll just walk away and accept defeat? That's not how it's going to go down, Georgia. You and Skye will end up with your throats torn out."

  He felt her flinch and a heavy sigh escaped him.

  "I'm not trying to scare you - I'm trying to drum it into that stubborn head of yours that you can't do this on your own. I've known something was up from the day I met you and I've been waiting for you to open up and tell me, hoping against hope that you'd trust me enough to ask for help."

  "What, you kissing other women, probably sleeping with them as well, is meant to get me to open up to you?"

  "You're right. That looked bad. It's not like that, I swear. I've wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you."

  "Yeah right," she scoffed, turning her face away from him to hide the hurt in her eyes. "Veronica told me you fucked her that night. She went to great pains to make sure I knew that. Did she really lie?"

  He lifted his head, frowning, "Yes, she lied about that night. I promise you I have not had sex with her. Recently." Georgia's body tensed beneath him again and he felt her breath hitch in her chest. Damn it, he'd never thought one lapse in judgment would have such far-reaching consequences. It had been hundreds of years since he'd been in an actual relationship with a woman. Louise. He'd loved her, she'd loved him, only she'd grown old and died. It had taken his heart a long time to heal from the loss. He'd begged her to let him turn her so they could spend eternity together, but she'd always denied him. She hadn't wanted to be a vampire. What he hadn't known then was that it wasn't necessary. All she'd needed to do was take a little of his blood regularly, and her lifespan would have been extended, with no need to turn her.

  The feelings he was starting to develop for Georgia were achingly familiar, and he craved them. Craved to feel love and be loved in return. The day he'd first met Georgia, the sight of her, the scent of her, had overwhelmed him. She was...luscious. He craved the taste of her; he craved to touch her, to have her as his own.

  "I know this is all weird to you, but I don't feel for Veronica that way. It was a mistake, kissing her, one I should have known better. I allowed my judgment to become clouded. It will never happen again."

  Although her instincts told her he was being truthful, Georgia couldn't quite believe him.

  "But you have slept with her. You two have a history."

  He winced, "I've been her sire for nearly 200 years. In the early days, when I first turned her, she was filled with lust - both sexual and for blood. It is interchangeable with vampires, and until they learn to get it under control...well let's just say a lot of new vampires don't survive. For the first six months of her vampiric life she fed and slept with only me, I was the only one strong enough to stop her from accidentally killing who she fed on. As she learned more control, she took other donors, slept with others and our physical relationship became less and less frequent. This did not bother me; I'm not in love with her, we used each other for sex and blood. I haven't touched her in over ten years."

  "If it was just sex and blood then why did she feel the need to throw that in my face?" She desperately wanted to believe him, she really did, but what'
s to say he felt the urge again and she wasn't around. It sounded like Veronica was the 'go to' girl.

  "I don't know how it happened, or how it got by without me noticing it, but it wasn't the same for Veronica. She developed true feelings for me. I had no idea, she hid it, even though I could read her mind, she's learned to put up walls. That's what the kiss was about. I knew she was hiding something but couldn't get past the wall I found. Kissing her, the intimate contact, allow me to breach at least one of her defenses. She had another, stronger wall that I couldn't get around, but what I did find alerted me to the fact that she'd been spiteful to you, that she wants me for herself. She'd picked up on my interest in you, an interest that I'd never had for any other woman since I'd turned her, and she felt threatened."

  "Do you think she's behind the shop fire and my house getting trashed?"

  "No. I'm sorry I wasn't around earlier when that happened - I had business to attend to in Elen Hills. With Veronica. She'll stay there, indefinitely. There are things I saw in her mind that don't add up; I need to do some investigating, plus I don't want her around you, poisoning you against me. You're not a one night stand to me, Georgia, you're so much more."

  As he stared down at her with a hint of desperation in his eyes, he seemed so lost. He looked at her as if she was his lifeline as if he really did need her. She felt some of her anger fizzle away.

  He dropped his forehead to hers. "I know this vampire shit is fucked up, that it's a lot for you to take in, that you're under considerable stress, but I would never hurt you. Not intentionally, not ever. You're mine. And I protect what is mine."

  Why did he have to say stuff like that and wear that vulnerable expression when she was trying to stay mad at him? But hearing him say these things, vowing not to hurt her, claiming her as his...it was hard to hold out against. Adding to that he was now licking her neck with sensuous strokes of his tongue, making her melt beneath him.

  "That sounds so sexist."

  He chuckled, "Maybe so, but it's the truth, and I know you secretly like it. You started melting before I started doing this." His mouth moved against her neck again. He released her wrists and she immediately combed her fingers through his hair.