by Zoe Forward
“I wiped their memories.”
“That doesn’t always work on their species. I found one who remembered.” He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands in his lap, a deceptively relaxed posture. This creature was incredibly dangerous.
“Why did you save us? What’s this about?” Roman felt weighed down as if anticipating the answer was going to be something he didn’t want to hear, something new he’d have to deal with.
“I’ve watched you and your brothers a long time.” Antonio rose and moved to sit across from Roman. He crossed his legs with his ankle over his knee. “You don’t do this simply to follow orders. You’re too good at how you carry out your tasks. I’ve concluded if you were to break free of your bond to the Crown, you would be compelled to continue. On your own terms.”
“If freed, I’m going to disappear from the world. We’ve done enough for humans.” Roman crossed his arms. “If I never again face off with an insane magical super shit with a hard-on to kill me, I’ll be happy.”
Antonio chuckled. Fucking chuckled. “A Christian angel helped you last year. You. Not your brothers.”
“We were against some top-level demons out for world domination. I asked for help from the best source, and he came through.”
Antonio shook his head, smiling. “I’ve lived a lot longer than you. Believe me when I say, no one I know has ever been able to recruit an angel’s help, no less get a minute of their attention. No one else has God’s ear. Angels exist for humans, not us. They sneer at our kind and consider us abominations. Based on my sources, the angel not only helped you but he also liked you. I think if needed, you could call him again.”
Roman could almost feel the angel tattoo on his shoulder burn, not that it was possible. But…who knew why it had appeared after his first meeting with the angel? “Is that what this is about? You want me to call the angel to help you with something? Fair warning, he was cranky and evasive. Actually, he’s sort of like you. So, maybe you two would hit it off.” Roman relaxed against the side of the van, although he remained tense.
“I’m merely pointing out that your purpose in this life isn’t to disappear into some hole and forget the world. You’re an authentic protector. A defender of the innocent. That, Roman, is why I helped you. The three of you think you’re alone in this fight, but you’re not. You’re sent on these bloody errands by people who have no concept of what you face and, yet, you do it. You save all of us—yes, even my people—from these evils, some of whom even we at the Alliance wouldn’t know how to deal with. How do you know what to do?”
“Research.” Roman shrugged, not into revealing real secrets. “Everything you need to know is in books.” Sort of.
“You fight for a greater good. There are many who would come to your aid if you asked, including the Alliance.”
“Would you?” Roman watched Antonio closely, not detecting any sign of deception.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You never seemed the altruistic type.”
“Do you know how to end the curse?” Flynn asked, breaking his silence. He’d been studying Antonio, and given he was good at figuring out beings meant he had a fairly high suspicion that the vampire had the answer.
Antonio blinked. And blinked again. He compressed his lips.
“Did Shane get free?” Roman rasped out, more desperate to know if his brother escaped than if he could get free of the curse himself. To know Shane hadn’t died in the explosion and might’ve survived to live a real life. That he could make personal choices and have things—like all he wished for with Nova—while no longer bound to the monarch made him…damn, that was hope, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. There was also a huge slab of jealousy. And anger. If Shane lived, why hadn’t he made contact?
The van slowed. Antonio rotated his head to look toward the front of the vehicle. “I’m afraid our time together is at an end.”
Roman felt lightheaded. Spots appeared in the periphery of his vision. He could barely whisper out, “Did Shane send you to follow us? Is he part of your Alliance?”
Chills tingled down Roman’s arms. He fought the urge to attack the vampire and force an answer.
The vampire wouldn’t look at him. He avoided. “You face a difficult decision, Roman. You’ve been ordered to kill her. One of you must die. I see no possible way the monarch will let you out of this, not with FenCor pulling his strings.”
“We’ve gotten them to change their minds before with proof of innocence.”
“Even if you have ironclad proof she doesn’t deserve death, they may make you do it. The monarch is neck-deep in FenCor, who I think owns these facilities. They want her dead because I think she came out of one of them. You must choose who loses. I suggest you let it be her who dies.” He didn’t even look toward Nova. No hint of sorrow.
The van door slid open. Eerily, no one stood outside, holding it open.
“Get out,” Antonio directed. “Take the car parked on the street. It’s untraceable. It’s yours.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“The vampire told us nothing, except he’s not exactly against us,” Flynn said.
“Typical vampire equivocation. Now we have a new lead to chase down in figuring out something called the Alliance.” Roman stared into the dark night from the passenger seat.
“You two need to work out who’s living and who’s dying. This ends now. The curse is pushing me to end you, Nova, which I can’t…” Flynn hissed and shuttered his eyes. “I have to leave. If one of us is going to do it, it has to be Roman because you and him…” Flynn parked the car in front of a hotel at the northern Belgian border. He didn’t look at either of them as he kept the car idling, waiting for them to exit. “If you’re the survivor, Roman, I’ll see you in London for our recall. Tomorrow at noon. Tickets will be at the train station for you for tomorrow at six-ish in the morning under your standard alias for travel. Four hours to London.”
“Flynn…” Roman squeezed his brother’s shoulder before he opened his door. For an instant their eyes met, Flynn’s filled with misery.
“I know you’ll do what’s right,” Flynn said hoarsely. “But I don’t want…” He dropped his head. “I don’t know if Ky and I can do this without you.”
What’s right?
Protect Nova.
Roman stared out the windshield into the black night at the Belgian border hotel. It was middle grade. Not five stars, but not a shit hole in the wall. He said, “Fight hard. Fight right.”
“Fight to the end.” Flynn’s voice shook as he finished the mantra the brothers came up with years ago. He lifted his fist.
Roman bumped fists and got out of the car.
“Thank you, Flynn.” Nova leaned through the seats from the back and kissed him on the cheek before she got out. Roman strained to hear but could’ve sworn she said, “He’s going to be okay.”
Roman took her hand and marched up through the hotel’s lobby. The two of them looked more like college students who’d lived in hostels for several weeks rather than patrons of this type of establishment. Eleven at night wasn’t exactly standard check-in. At least the lobby was empty. Time to turn on the lycan charm. At the reception desk, he smiled and lowered his voice to address the solitary manager. “We need a room for two for the night.”
The slender, well-manicured man in a blue suit manning the desk reeked of aftershave. He nodded. “Of course, sir. Will you require anything else?”
“Have a meal for two sent up of the chef’s choice from the restaurant next door. Leave the food outside but knock once.” Roman widened his smile but kept it in check not to show off teeth.
“How will you be paying for this?” The manager’s fingers hovered over the computer keyboard.
Smoothly, he said, “We’re the contest winners. Everything’s free for one night. Isn’t that right?”
“
Of course. I forgot.” He made a few dramatic clicks. Paper came out of the printer nearby.
Nova’s face gleamed with fascination. She too lowered her voice and said, “Thank you. You’ve been so helpful this evening. Can you make sure we’re not disturbed?”
The manager’s face glazed over and lower jaw hung open. He leaned on the counter and stared at her, spellbound.
Roman whispered, “Too much.”
“May we have our key?” Nova asked.
The manager didn’t break his fixation on her as he handed them a keycard.
“Room number?” Roman asked.
The manager rattled off a number and goofy smiled at Nova.
“Forget about us.”
She blew him a kiss as they walked off.
The manager stumbled but caught himself before face-planting into the marble countertop. He frowned, glanced around as if confused, and resumed absorption in his computer.
Inside the elevator, Nova hooked her arm through his. “That was amazing. Do you do that all the time? Does it work on everyone?”
“Primarily humans. Some non-humans are susceptible. Depends on how strong their minds are.” Her enthusiasm prompted a smile from him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been that excited about anything as normal as mesmerizing a human into doing what he needed or into forgetting. “You might’ve overdone it. I’ll be surprised if he remembers the food.”
“But it was amazing. Besides, you’re the one who told him to forget us.”
“True.”
The standard room came with one queen-size bed.
Nova pursed her lips and walked around the small space. “You’d think for the contest winners, he could’ve done better than this. Where’s our champagne? Where’s the fruit basket? Where’s the whirlpool tub?”
A snort-laugh escaped him.
“We both need a shower. Why don’t you go first?” she said. “I’ll watch some TV and see if we made the news.” She was already on the bed clicking through channels.
…
When Nova finished her shower and exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel, she could tell by the tense line of Roman’s body he’d started fighting his orders again. He turned away from her to put down the miniature green bottle of liquor he’d drained.
She wanted to reach out and soothe his hurts again. To make sure he wasn’t bleeding out again. But he didn’t seem like he’d entirely found control yet. Entering a death battle prompted by his kill order might break her heart. She didn’t want to hurt him any more than he already suffered. She wasn’t sure she could use magic to force the curse into the background again. Last time, in the bathroom, when he was bleeding out, zapped her. In her gut, she knew that had been the outer limit of her ability.
He smoothed his hands down the sides of his face. “I wish I could put you somewhere safe until all this blows over. It eats at me that I can’t.”
She sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs.
“I might be in love with you, too,” she said. Probably insane to open herself up to hurt.
He half-turned his head to glance at her. His lips twitched up into a smile. “You’re dangerous.”
“Maybe so. We’re going to have to talk about it…the plan. We have to answer the question of who gets to be the one, but let’s put it off until the morning.”
His brows drew down.
More than ever, she wanted to erase his pain. She reached out and took his hand. Her chest ached as his finger absently rubbed the top of her hand. Even though they’d only known each other for such a short time, there was so much here. They needed more time together. Too bad it wasn’t possible.
She ran the finger of her opposite hand along his blood curse tattoo and whispered, “I promise it’s going to be okay.”
He turned and sat beside her and gently put his arm around her shoulders to pull her into him. “It will.”
The weight in those words told her he thought he got to be the martyr here, but he didn’t. He just hadn’t figured that out yet. Not that she planned to inform him of it tonight.
Alertness rolled inside her, sparking her body to life. With a hand on his cheek, she turned his head to face hers and softly lay a kiss on his lips. “I know all the reasons we shouldn’t, but we’re at that moment again when I point out life can end in a heartbeat. It’s going to end. There’s only this moment. And I want you. All of you.”
He stiffened and slightly shook his head. Something close to panic lit his eyes. “It’ll make everything more difficult. Complicated.”
She giggled. “Roman, we’re already complicated as hell. I like you. You like me. Yet we have to make a big decision…tomorrow. For us, there truly is nothing beyond tomorrow.”
“Last night was no strings.” His jaw tightened. He was trying to wall himself off.
She shifted to straddle his lap and moved her mouth against his with a sigh of relief. His lips were firm and tasted of liquor. “We’ve had strings holding us together since the moment you decided not to slice my throat at the club.”
He emitted a low growl and slipped his hand behind her neck to hold her in place and deepen the kiss.
She clutched his neck as they kissed over and over like her life depended on it because in this moment, it did. The thought of him dying and her living beyond his death scared her probably as much as it did him.
She whimpered as he palmed her breast through the towel. Maybe she should’ve made it harder for him by not being so easily naked, but in an instant, the towel was gone and his clothes off. Good Lord, he was a masterpiece. Every line of his muscles made her mouth water. And those strong thighs and everything further south. Yep, perfect everywhere.
“You’re so beautiful.” From the emotion in his voice, he meant it. There was appreciation and hunger.
“No, you are.” She trailed her fingers across his shoulders.
He flashed a wicked grin and kissed a path across her breasts, taking time with each peak as she arched into his touch. He moved down her body, stroking the curve of her waist and moving his mouth to her hips and thighs.
A moment later, he was between her thighs, his fingers parting her for his tongue.
Her fingers clutched the comforter as his mouth drove her higher and higher. She struggled to breathe. Right as she was on the verge of claiming the high he’d driven her to, he’d back down and let her catch her breath. He did it three times.
“Please,” she begged and rocked her hips as she rode the knife-sharp pleasure, the tension almost unbearable.
“Please, what? You want something?” His tongue swirled again.
She whimpered. “Let me come!”
Holding her stare, he sucked and used his fingers to probe and catapult her into a brain-numbing orgasm. She screamed. What came out, she didn’t know. Maybe his name. Maybe a deity, but it unleashed the tension he’d created.
When the fog receded, she realized he wasn’t continuing. He sat on the edge of the bed. She was going to have to get tough with him. He needed this, the connection, as much as she did. He didn’t get to run from this.
She sat up and rotated to straddle his lap like before, but not taking him inside her. As she kissed along his shoulder and up his neck, she used her sharp teeth to nibble his ear lobe.
“I need the real Roman, the one who’s going to take me hard against the wall.”
He groaned as she kissed and nipped down his neck. She teased his shoulder with her mouth allowing her teeth to tickle his skin.
A raw moan shot out of him.
“If you take me hard, I’ll do it. I’ll bite you. Right here.” She pressed her mouth gently against his skin. “I need you inside me, giving me everything you’re hiding inside you. All of it. I want the agony and the pleasure.”
With a hand on her jaw, he pulled her mouth off his shoulder and ang
led her head for a kiss. He lifted her and walked to the wall. She locked her ankles around his back.
“All of you,” she whispered.
Everything about him sharpened and strengthened as he became the real him. His muscles seemed to grow and pulsate with power.
With a powerful stroke, he entered her. God, she’d forgotten how big he was. Everything felt stretched. Nerves fired, and the heat built. He pulsated into her over and over, so deep. So raw and filled with intensity. As the sensations built to the pinnacle, the orgasm exploded through her. She cried out and bit him hard.
His body jerked, and it triggered his own release.
She didn’t remember getting back to the bed, but he held her.
She held him back. I’m so sorry, Roman. So sorry for what’s to come.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Wake up.”
Groggy, Roman pushed to his elbows. He hadn’t realized he’d slept. For hours last night, he’d watched her sleep, options sifting through his head with no new answers.
Fully dressed, she sat on the side of the bed gently shaking him. “You have a little over an hour to catch your train.”
“Nova, I’m not—”
“Yes, you are,” she interrupted. “You’ll be on the train.”
He sat up and scrubbed a hand through his hair to smooth its craziness. “We didn’t talk about this.”
She handed him clothes. On autopilot, he put them on.
“It’s arranged,” she said. “There’s no going back on what’s planned. No alternative.”
“What did you plan?” His stomach tightened.
She stood several feet away. “Cooper will be here in about an hour.”
“Cooper? As in the Anti-Werewolf League, Cooper?”
“Yes. He was told I’m an evil lycan that needed killing. Me. He’s going to kill me.”
“How did you call Cooper?” he interrupted. “Where’d you get his number?”
“Don’t freak out. Please, sit down so you can soak this in and remember how this is going to go.”