by I. T. Lucas
"I know. But I'll be damned if I know what it was. I hoped she would tell you." Kian ran his fingers through his hair. Now that Amanda had abandoned her combative attitude, his anger gave way to frustration.
She frowned and straightened in her chair. "Syssi told me she was overwhelmed with all the stuff she had to wrap her mind around, but I know there is more to it. The way she was holding her arms around her middle she seemed almost in physical pain." Watching him carefully, Amanda searched his face for signs of guilt.
What the hell was she thinking? That he had gotten too rough with Syssi? Except, what if he had? What if Syssi had only pretended to be okay? Kian winced uncomfortably.
It didn't escape Amanda's notice. Suspecting the worst, her intense blue eyes began glowing from under her clenched brows.
The hellcat looked ready to tear him a new one.
But then he shook his head. "No, she was fine after we… after we made love… It was only after I told her our story that she clamped down."
"Tell me everything exactly as it happened. You may not know what you've done wrong, but I might."
"Everything?" Kian cocked his brow with a little smile tugging at his lips.
Amanda waved a hand in front of her face. "Ugh! I don't need the steamy details! Too much information. Just the sequence of events, and what you said to her, or rather how you said it. We both know you tend to be somewhat uncouth."
Kian sighed. Maybe she had a point. As a female, Amanda might have the insight he was apparently lacking. Except, he had a feeling that as a near-immortal, her way of thinking would be very different from Syssi's. But be that as it may, it was worth a shot even if talking with his sister about his relationship with Syssi felt uncomfortable. But what choice did he have?
There was no one else.
"Okay. So last night, after we came back from the club, I didn't thrall her after the sex. She was spacey from the bite, and I figured it was the perfect time to tell her what was going on; while she was still in a receptive mood and wouldn't freak out. It just didn't feel right to keep thralling her and lying to her. I decided to come clean the way we did with Michael. I told her some of it last night and the rest this morning. She didn't freak out, didn't panic, but she got upset. Mainly because she figured out that I would have to erase her memory if she didn't turn. But then she seemed to understand why it was necessary and seemed better, then got upset again and wouldn't tell me why."
"Tell me exactly how you explained it to her."
"Why?"
"Just humor me. I have a feeling your presentation lacked finesse, and since I wasn't there, the only way I can figure it out is to hear it word for word." Amanda tapped her long fingers on her biceps, nailing him with her blue stare.
"I told her everything, pretty much the same way we explained it to Michael. Our history, the unique biology, how important both Michael and she might be to the future of our clan. Then I elaborated a little more about the venom and how it works. The first time she really got upset was when she realized she’d be sent away if she didn't turn. The second was when I explained about the possibility of her getting addicted to the venom. Instead of alleviating her concerns, the more I explained how it could be circumvented by having several different partners, the more cold and distant she became. I think I did the best I could to make it clear that she wasn't trapped in a relationship with me because of it, and would be free to choose anyone she wanted." Kian felt his face twist with rage. Just imagining Syssi being approached by another male made him want to shred the hypothetical bastard to pieces. "And believe me, it cost me to get the words out of my mouth," he growled the last sentence.
"Suave, Kian… really suave, almost two thousand years old and clueless." Amanda shook her head. "I'm amazed that an intelligent and experienced man like you can be so blind."
Blind? Who was she calling blind?
She was the one who, oblivious to his state of mind, was fueling his rage with her insolence, instead of offering to calm him down. Breathing hard, he fisted his hands until his knuckles turned white; feeling like anytime now smoke would start coming out of his nostrils and horns would poke out from his forehead, making him look like one of his demonic illusions. "That's enough, Amanda! I will not tolerate this tone of voice from you. You're my sister and I love you, but that doesn't mean I'd allow you to talk to me with disrespect."
True to form, instead of cowering before him, Amanda bowed her head with mock penitence. "My apologies, Regent, you're right of course. This era is not very respectful towards its elders." She smirked.
And just like that she had him disarmed.
"You're forgiven. Now talk… respectfully…" Kian looked at her sternly, but a smile was tugging at his lips. She’d gotten him there. Was he really too old and rigid? Clinging to some outdated notion of propriety? He didn't think so.
Kian considered himself an easygoing ruler, far more forgiving and lax than his mother ever was. Amanda would have never dared to use this tone of voice around Annani, even when not addressing her directly.
Amanda straightened her back, and with her hands clasped before her on his desk she looked like a chastened schoolgirl in the principal's office. All that was missing were pigtails and a naughty schoolgirl uniform to make her performance good enough for a comedy skit.
It was a shame, really, that she couldn't pursue an acting career… With her looks, natural talent, and predisposition for drama, she would have made it big. Despite himself, Kian shook his head and chuckled.
Using her teacher’s voice, Amanda asked, "How do you feel about Syssi? Think about it for a moment before you answer. I want you to get a clear picture in your head."
Looking at Amanda's beautiful face wearing an expression that was composed and serious for a change, Kian was startled by the resemblance she bore to their mother. Most of the time it was masked by the marked differences between them. Amanda was tall as opposed to the diminutive but formidable Annani, and her mischievous and lively demeanor was very different from their mother's regal composure. Except, right now, the similarity of their features was striking. And for some reason it made it easier for him to open up to his sister.
Still, long seconds passed as he tried to come up with an honest answer. "She is sweet. I like how unassuming she is. She is definitely smart, and not prone to dramatics or exaggerations like some people I know…" Kian looked at Amanda pointedly as she rolled her eyes. "Syssi is beautiful, lush, sensual… lustful… I can't get enough of her, and she responds in kind… We are definitely in serious lust with each other." Kian smiled before taking in a hissed breath as memories of their wild lovemaking assaulted his body.
"Are you sure it's only lust?" Amanda probed gently.
"What else could it be? We've known each other for less than four days…" Kian was once again raking his fingers through his by now messed-up hair while avoiding Amanda's smiling eyes.
"So you didn't become a jealous monster when another male was sniffing around her, or turn practically demonic just at the thought of her with another guy?" Amanda sounded smug.
Bracing his elbows on the desk, Kian dropped his head on his fists. "I did. Big time." He sighed. "I was ready to pound Anandur to a pulp, and barely held myself from breaking Alex's arm when the scumbag touched her. I don't know what came over me. I've never been the jealous type, not even with Lavena, whom I loved… had a child with… I don't understand what's happening to me."
Kian felt guilty.
Why the hell he'd never gotten jealous over Lavena? Was it possible he hadn't loved her enough? For some reason, questioning what he believed he had with her brought on a despondent feeling.
Over the years, he had cherished the memory of the short time he had with Lavena as a precious nugget of good. A taste of normal—knowing that he would never have that again. But with what he was now feeling for Syssi, he was forced to question the authenticity of those memories.
Amanda watched him with pitying eyes—as if he was slow-minded.
"Yet, you've told Syssi that she is important to the clan, that she should not fear addiction because she can choose some other male for her mate."
Kian's anger flared anew. "So? It's true! I wanted her to know she is important to us, and I didn't want her to feel trapped or forced. She has the right to know what her options are."
Amanda palmed his tightly fisted hand and held it in both of hers with an expression so somber, he was afraid she was slipping into her dramatics again. "You lied, Kian; lied to yourself, lied to Syssi, and by doing so you hurt both of you."
Yup, she did… Delivering her statement in a perfectly modulated tone to maximize the dramatic effect.
Kian tried to pull away from her, but she held on. "Listen to me! She is important to you, and you want her to choose you because you want her for yourself, not for the clan. That's what she wanted to hear, needed you to say, and it also happens to be the truth."
When he didn't try to refute her, she continued. "Syssi is not like us. She is not someone who has casual sex. This thing with you means the world to her. The poor girl had just one lover until now and went without sex for two years, for goodness sake… And the way you explained things made her feel like she is nothing to you… Way to go, Kian…" With a last disapproving look Amanda finally let go of his hand.
"I'm an ass…" Kian dropped his head and rubbed at his temples. It was so obvious when Amanda had put it like that. How come he hadn't realized that before?
"I'm such a moron…"
"No, my dear sweet brother, you're not a moron, just inexperienced; shagging thousands of women notwithstanding. You don't know how to deal with your own emotions, let alone someone else's. You never had to woo a female, so you don't know how to go about it. But all is not lost. I'll help you romance her back." Amanda squared her shoulders, pushing her chin up.
Kian chuckled. "You, Amanda? What do you know about wooing or romance? What does any of us know? We use and discard partners like dirty underwear or used condoms."
"Okay, Kian, now you're being crude. As regent, you're not allowed."
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "In here, I'm just your brother."
"Could have fooled me… Watch your tone, Amanda… I demand respect, Amanda…" she emulated his haughty tone, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting out her chin.
"Cut the crap. What do you suggest I do, Miss-Know-it-all?"
"I do have some human female friends, and I've read a few romance novels, so I do have some idea of what mortal females want—besides the shagging, or in addition to it, that is. You should take her out on a date, make it several dates, to some classy, romantic restaurant, or a show, or the theater. Take her dancing. And gifts—I think mortal females expect that from their suitors. Shower her with attention, but it has to be outside the bed… or the wall… or the closet… or the shower…" Amanda couldn't help herself and was trying to make him squirm a little. But he just smirked. "Make her feel she is the most important person in the world to you. Tell her how you feel, show her; give yourself to her and make her yours." Amanda sighed, her little speech evidently making her wistful.
"But what if she is not compatible, and I'll have to let her go, erase her memories? It's going to hurt like hell…"
"Letting her go is going to hurt like hell regardless of what you do. You're already head over heels with her. But at least, this way, giving it all, letting this thing between you bloom, you'll get to sample a little bit of wonderful. The consequences of not admitting the truth and following your heart would bring a whole new world of hurt—much worse than just letting her go." She shivered. "I hate to think what that will do to you."
"What do you mean? What could be worse?"
"What could be worse? Think of it this way; she turns immortal, but wants nothing to do with you, chooses another male… one you cannot kill because they are all your nephews."
"You're right, this is worse…" His eyes flashed dangerously as his imagination ran rampant with disturbing possibilities. Unbidden, an image of Anandur smirking at him while holding Syssi with his arm wrapped around her shoulders made Kian see red. Tamping down his fury, he pushed out of his chair and began pacing the length of his office.
"Take a risk, Kian. I have a really good feeling about Syssi. Michael too." Amanda's eyes followed him as he paced back and forth the thirty feet or so.
"You had good feelings before and see how well those turned out," he said sarcastically as he stopped to glare down at her.
"This time it's different. You've never acted like that with the others, as a matter of fact, with anyone… And besides, I was just reminded of a talk I had with Mother a couple of months back. She said something I didn't pay attention to at the time, but I think you'll find it intriguing. You know how she sometimes makes those cryptic remarks that do not make any sense at the time, but then are crystal clear in hindsight?"
"What did she say?"
"She called me. We talked about my research, and she said; "Finally you have found what the soul eternally craves." I thought she just misused the language—you know, the way she sometimes translates from her native tongue and it comes out weird. I thought what she meant was that I found my heart's desire—something I like to do. But thinking back, she didn't say your soul, she said the soul, meaning that I found something not for me personally but in general. What do all of our souls eternally crave, Kian?" Amanda gazed up into his eyes.
"A mate—an immortal, true love mate," he said quietly.
"Bingo!"
BOOK 3
Dark Stranger Immortal
Is now available on Amazon
TURN THE PAGE FOR AN EXCERPT
OF DARK STRANGER IMMORTAL
CHAPTER 1: KIAN
The silence that followed was interrupted by Okidu's light knock on the door. “Master, Dr. Bridget is here to see you.”
Tearing his gaze away from his sister's hopeful face, Kian frowned. Amanda was so excited, her deep blue eyes were glowing. Unfortunately, she was reading too much into their mother's words, grasping for meaning where there was none.
In his opinion, false hope was more dangerous than the baser emotions people scorned. A cruel and powerful mistress, hope obscured common sense and made random occurrences appear as meaningful signs, prompting those who followed its misleading trail to take questionable actions. Mindlessly disregarding the wellbeing of others and their own sense of self-preservation for hope's illusive promise, more often than not, they were rewarded by nothing but chaos and pain.
“Show her in,” he told Okidu. “On second thought, never mind. I'll go to her.”
In the living room, Bridget was pacing the small distance between the front door and the edge of the rug, looking agitated.
Great. His lips pulled into a tight line. Another female ready to tear into him over something he had supposedly done wrong.
Take a number and stand in line.
“Good afternoon, Bridget, what a nice surprise.” Kian wondered if she heard the thinly veiled sarcasm in his tone.
The doctor wrung her hands nervously. “Good afternoon, Kian, sorry to come up here without calling ahead, but this is urgent.”
“Think nothing of it, everyone else does…” He placed his hand on her shoulder, conveying the reassurance his tone didn't. “What can I do for you, Bridget?”
“I've just learned that you have two potential Dormants here, and frankly, I was appalled I had to hear it from William. How come you didn't check with me before initiating the process? I need blood samples before and after each venom injection. It's the first time I have adult Dormants who I could test as we are attempting to activate them, and there might be a chance that their blood will provide the clues I need. You know how important this is.” By the time she finished her rant, her temper had painted her cheeks red to match the color of her hair.
“You're right. With everything that was going on, it didn't even cross my mind. But my oversight aside, I don't want you to get your hopes up. I don't bel
ieve they are really what we are looking for, but just in case…”
“Yeah, just in case… Hi, Bridget.” Amanda gave the petite woman a hug. “Don't listen to him, he of little faith. They. Are. It,” she whispered in the doctor's ear, making sure it was loud enough for Kian to hear.
He rolled his eyes. “I'll make sure they'll be at your lab shortly.”
“Thank you.” Bridget smiled a tight, nervous smile and hurried out.
Closing the door behind her, Kian turned to Amanda. “I assume Syssi is at your place?”
“She is in my office. I've sat her down to do some work.”
“Good, I'll get her. Call for someone to escort Michael to the lab, unless you want to do it yourself?”
They walked out together.
“Remember! Be nice… Woo her!…” Amanda slapped his back before punching the button for the elevator.
Woo her, right.
What the hell did it mean? Kian racked his brain trying to come up with something that would qualify as wooing. Should he quote poetry? He chuckled. He didn't know any. Didn't like it, and in his opinion, it was a lot of pretentious crap. If one wanted to convey an idea, one ought to do it in a way that would be clearly understood and not mask it in vague wording. Whatever. His opinion on poetry notwithstanding, he needed something more concrete than that word.
Woo.
Being serious and pragmatic wasn't going to help him woo anyone, besides business associates, that is, not that he was any good at that either. Kian thought of himself as courteous and polite, and he was… most of the time… unless his temper got the better of him. Other than that, the extent of his social skills was limited to business dealings and seducing women in bars and clubs.
It wasn't much to work with. In comparison, even bloody Anandur seemed like a witty charmer.
I'm so screwed…
With his footfalls making almost no sound on the hallway's soft rug, Sissy didn't hear his approach. She didn't even lift her head when he peered into Amanda's office.