Seducing Death

by Cassandra Lawson

“Could be,” he said with a shrug. “Just so you know, I only bought you a little time.” Zane sprawled out across a stack of mats and stretched like a cat. Kyleigh had the strangest urge to reach out and rub his exposed belly.

  The flirty grin Zane gave her was adorable. “You wanna join me down here?”

  “Something tells me that would get me into trouble.”

  Zane laughed. “But it would be fun. Come down here and I’ll show you just how much fun it can be.”

  “The last thing I need right now is another male,” she assured him. “You think Ian will find me here?”

  “As soon as he remembers he can track you with the blood bond,” Zane said.

  “I forgot about that,” she admitted and sank down onto a pile of mats several feet from Zane. “Vampire stuff is still kind of new to me. There were no vampires when I was alive, and the ones I deal with aren’t usually talkative.”

  Zane laughed. “Yeah, I’ll bet they aren’t. I wonder if I’ll be chatty when I die.”

  “Something tells me you’ll stick around long enough to flirt,” she said.

  He gave her a wink. “If the one who comes to release my soul looks anything like you, I’ll do more than flirt. Are the people who help souls pass usually lonely and in need of a man’s affection?”

  Kyleigh shook her head. “Most are happy spending time with the Fae.”

  “But not you?” he asked, studying her with a strange intensity.

  “No, I prefer to avoid all things Fae.”

  “Smart girl,” Zane said with a nod of approval. “I’ve met a few Fae, and no matter how attractive they are, they’re more than a little scary.”

  “And not that attractive when you can see through the magic,” she said, thinking about some of the scarier ones who had tried to entice her. Kyleigh had to work hard not to see through their magic, an affliction the others of her kind didn’t seem to suffer from. “I can’t believe I forgot about the blood bond.”

  “The blood bond thing always seems strange to me,” Zane said thoughtfully.

  “Why?” Kyleigh asked and stood to pace the room nervously. “From what I hear, shifters can track their mates by scent over long distances. Why shouldn’t vampires be able to track with a blood bond?”

  “It’s strange because the vampires aren’t supernatural creatures with magical origins. Vampires are created by a virus. You don’t usually get this sort of thing from a virus.”

  Kyleigh shrugged. “Not everything makes sense. You should know that.”

  “So, what were you before you died?” he asked, which surprised her.

  “Human, of course,” she said, not looking at him.

  “If you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay,” he said, “but don’t lie about it. If you’d been human, you’d probably be cozied up with the Fae. You’re definitely not quite human, but I can’t place what you are. Could be the Fae blood in your system messing with my sense of smell.”

  All of her kind were given Fae blood— well, all except for her. “I’ve always had Fae blood,” she admitted, a little embarrassed.

  “So, you are Fae, just not Death Fae?” he asked.

  “When my mum was young and innocent, she met a handsome man who promised to take her away from her life of poverty. At the time, my mum was too naive to suspect anything. She figured it all out about the same time as he got bored with her. One day, he left, and my mum never saw him again. Six months later, I was born,” Kyleigh explained.

  “So, your Fae father never knew about you?” Zane asked.

  “Thankfully, no, or he might have stuck around longer and really messed with our lives.”

  “Did you always know about your father?” Zane asked.

  Kyleigh shook her head. “No, my mum was smart enough to keep that hidden. I had no idea why people were drawn to me. I’m not a great beauty and never was. To be honest, I was kind of a homely girl, but the boys did whatever I wanted. That’s part of what led me to this life.”

  “You lead the wrong guy around by his dick?” Zane asked.

  “No,” she said with a self-depreciating laugh. “I fell in love with a man who was way out of my class. His family had me killed, and I wanted to stay behind to watch after him. Actually, I wanted to stay behind to haunt the girl he was supposed to marry. Being desired like I was made me act spoiled and selfish. I was so used to people doing what I wanted that I never even considered things wouldn’t go my way. Then I met beings that made me look weak and pitiful. In the end, I’m getting what I deserve,” she admitted. “I’m with my own kind.”

  “Sounds like you’ve made up for any past mistakes,” Zane said softly, and when Kyleigh turned around, he was watching her. “Maybe the real reason you’re still trapped is because you can’t forgive yourself.”

  Kyleigh snorted. “I’m not some great martyr. If I was, Ian would be free, and I wouldn’t be here now.”

  “You don’t always have to be selfless,” Zane said. “Why do you try so hard to hide the fact that you’re part Fae?”

  “Would you want the world to know you were a monster?” she scoffed.

  “Being part Fae doesn’t make you a monster,” Zane said simply.

  “Then you obviously haven’t spent much time around them.”

  “No,” he agreed, “but I’m a pretty good judge of character. Whatever you were in your past, you obviously weren’t really a bad person or you wouldn’t have saved Ian in the first place. I’m sure the Fae didn’t react well to that.”

  “Maybe what Ian said is true,” she argued. “Maybe I was in love with him and wanted to trap him into staying with me.”

  Zane laughed. “I seriously doubt it was love at first sight. In fact, from what I hear about the vampire, you’re practically a saint for putting up with his moody ass.”

  “Ian’s not that bad,” Kyleigh said and found herself smiling. It was a sad, weak smile, but a smile no less. “I really should free him from his bond to me.”

  Chapter Fifty

  Ian felt like a voyeur standing outside the door listening to Kyleigh’s private conversation, but he couldn’t help himself. There was no denying the fact that she fascinated him. Part of him was angry that she was sharing this with the shifter. Why hadn’t she told him about her being part Fae? It’s not like he was so perfect that he would judge her. Then Ian realized she had told him about her Fae heritage when they’d first arrived at the settlement. He’d just misconstrued what she was saying.

  “Somehow, I doubt it would be easy to free Ian,” Zane said. “I also doubt he really wants to be freed. As near as I can tell, that vampire’s been enjoying you quite often. You smell like sex and Ian,” Zane commented casually.

  “Behave or I’ll neuter you,” Kyleigh warned, and Ian had to stifle a chuckle.

  “Where’s the fun in behaving?” Zane practically purred, much to Ian’s annoyance. “I’ve been told I’m much more fun when I misbehave.”

  Ian could picture Kyleigh staring Zane down. “I’m sure it’s quite a bit of fun if you enjoy being neutered.”

  Zane chuckled. “Your vampire’s just outside the door.”

  Ian heard feet scramble across the floor; it sounded like someone was trying to open the doors at the far end of the room, all of which led to various supply rooms.

  “You’re going to have to talk to him sooner or later,” Zane said, and there was no mistaking the laughter in his voice.

  “Later is much better,” Kyleigh said. “Why are there so many closets in this room?”

  Ian opened the door to find Kyleigh standing on a pile of mats, trying to reach the window. “Kyleigh, get off of those mats.”

  “No,” she said as she tried to open the window, which Ian already knew was impossible.

  “We’re on the third floor,” Ian said with a sigh. “How are you planning to get down from here?” Kyleigh looked like she was going to run, which triggered his instinct to subdue her. Fighting that instinct was pure hell. “I’m not going to bite.”
/>
  Zane let out a full-bellied laugh. “I don’t think you should make that promise with the way you’re eyeing her cute little ass.”

  “Out!” Ian ordered.

  Zane smiled and blew him a kiss. “You really are pretty when you’re mad.”

  “He doesn’t have to leave,” Kyleigh said, turning to face Ian with her hands on her hips.

  Ian grinned. “Fine, he can stay, but once I’m done apologizing for being a complete ass, I’m going to spend an hour worshipping your body.”

  “I don’t mind helping out,” Zane said enthusiastically.

  “It would probably be best if you left,” Kyleigh said quickly.

  Zane chuckled and gave her a wink. “Try not to be so hard on yourself, or the moody vampire.”

  Ian waited until Zane shut the door behind himself to approach Kyleigh. She hadn’t climbed off the stack of mats. “Are you going to look at me?”

  “No,” she said.

  “Please,” he said, placing his hands on her waist. “I’m sorry about what I said. There is no excuse for the way I talked to you.”

  “I don’t blame you for hating me.”

  It wasn’t her words that bothered Ian as much as the lack of emotion. Kyleigh wasn’t hurt or angry; she was simply resigned. That’s when Ian realized the true depth of his sins against this woman he didn’t deserve.

  “Kyleigh,” he said desperately, “I don’t hate you. That’s actually part of the problem. No matter how hard I try to keep my distance, I can’t. When we got back here, I said I needed to stay away from you, said I couldn’t be with you in the home I’d shared with my wife, but I’m constantly drawn to you.”

  Kyleigh still refused to look at him.

  “What you did for my daughter, I can never repay you for. Thank you. Let me show you how much that means to me,” he crooned.

  Kyleigh looked at him then, and he was surprised by her anger. “I don’t want your gratitude. You either look at me like I’m some monster or some angel. Well, you wanna know the truth? I’m a monster. Pure and simple.” The jab to his diaphragm came as a shock, knocking Ian back a step.

  “What the hell?” he asked as she stormed past him.

  “I don’t want you to feel obligated to fuck me because I saved your daughter’s soul,” she snapped out. “I’d rather take care of my own needs, thank you very much.”

  “You think that’s all there is?” Ian stalked her slowly. “You think I’m offering my dick as some thank you gift? Do you really believe I don’t enjoy being with you?”

  Kyleigh stopped and glared at him over her shoulder. “No, I think you enjoy the sex well enough.”

  Ian was working hard to calm his temper. Walking in on Kyleigh with a half-naked shifter triggered a possessive streak he wasn’t ready to explore. Had she threatened to have another man take care of her needs, he might have lost what little control he had left. Luckily, Kyleigh didn’t play games. He flashed a predatory smile, revealing a hint of fang. “Oh, I enjoy it alright. So do you. I can smell your arousal.”

  “Don’t do that,” she said with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “There is nothing sexy about you telling me you can smell my arousal. Seriously, just stop. It’s as creepy as Zane telling me I smell like sex and you.” Her exaggerated shudder was more than a little funny.

  Ian chuckled, and some of the tension left his body. “It’s a quirk vampires and shifters share. Other vampires don’t get offended, so we assume everyone’s that way. In my defense, I haven’t spent much time around people who weren’t vampires in the last decade.”

  Kyleigh nodded but didn’t look at him. “If you ask me, the lot of you act more like wild animals than the shifters do most of the time.”

  Ian placed a hand on Kyleigh’s shoulder to try to turn her toward him, but she lunged forward and made a grab for the door handle. Ian’s palms slammed down onto the door on either side of her head. “You’re right about us being more like wild animals in some ways,” he said as he leaned down to speak softly against her ear. “Do you want to know what my instincts are telling me to do right now?” he asked, allowing his fangs to graze her neck.

  “With that thing pressed against my back, I’m well aware of what you want to do.” She shuddered, but her voice still had that cool unaffected quality, which made him want to shatter her calm and get her to scream his name.

  “Kyleigh,” he said softly as he nuzzled the side of her neck. She wasn’t fighting him, but he didn’t want to push things too far. “I was an ass earlier, and I’m sorry. Are you going to forgive me?”

  “I’m not really angry,” she admitted but still sounded somewhat distant.

  “You do realize that it’s okay to be pissed off, don’t you?” he asked, wishing she’d show some emotion. This cold woman wasn’t his Kyleigh.

  “There’s no reason to be angry with you,” she said. “What you said is true. I saved your life, but not your wife and daughter’s. I could have saved them. Any of the people I watched die over the years could have been saved, but I followed the rules because it was safer for me.”

  Now she was showing emotion, and it nearly broke him. Sadness mingled with hopelessness in her voice.

  “What would have happened if you’d saved their lives?” he asked slipping his arms around her waist, grateful when she didn’t fight him as he pulled her against his body.

  “Nothing good,” she said with a humorless laugh. “Probably not as terrible as you might think. I’ve always been capable of getting away with more than most of my kind.”

  “Because you’re part Fae?” he asked.

  “That’s the only reason I can think of,” she said. “Breaking this rule comes with serious consequences, no matter who you are.”

  Ian thought for a moment. “You can’t save everyone, and you have to maintain your emotional distance or lose your mind. I shouldn’t have blamed you for Kate and Sarah’s deaths. What I should have done was trust you when you said death wasn’t the end for them. I should have found some comfort knowing they’re safe and happy wherever they are. I really am sorry, Kyleigh.”

  “Stop apologizing,” she said, shoving him back so she could put more distance between them.

  Great! She was pissed off again. Worse, she was running from him, which was making it really hard to remember they were having a civilized conversation. At the moment, Ian felt anything but civilized. Even thoughts of Kate and Sarah weren’t making him want Kyleigh any less. Now, she was hurrying across the room, and he desperately wanted to chase her. Honesty seemed like the best option.

  “Kyleigh, I really need you to stop running from me,” he ground out. “Let’s sit down and talk about this. I don’t know what you want from me, but I can’t do much more than apologize for what happened earlier.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not angry with you?” she nearly shouted. “I’m angry in general. Angry and frustrated. Coming here was a huge mistake. I can’t be part of this world, and I’m not sure I can find a way for you to be part of this world again.”

  Kyleigh dropped down onto the floor and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  Ian sat beside her. “If you could stay here, would you?” he asked, not really sure why he was torturing them both by thinking about the impossible.

  “What does it matter if I want to stay or not? I’ve already pushed things too far.”

  Ian placed a hand under her chin and turned her head toward him. Then he leaned forward to kiss her. His lips brushed tentatively against hers, hoping she wouldn’t pull away. Maybe he was a bastard, but he desperately needed to connect with her physically, and that need nearly drove him to madness some days.

  Kyleigh responded immediately, so he deepened the kiss as he guided her down onto the mats. She opened her legs and let him settle between them. The heat from her practically burned him alive as his rock hard cock pushed against her. Groaning, he continued to explore her mouth. His lust filled brain had trouble reacting when she pushed
against his chest, but he managed to pull his mouth away from hers.

  “You’re squishing me,” she said. “I can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing.”

  Ian chuckled and rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. “Is that better?”

  She nodded, giving him a sweet smile.

  “How is it that, no matter how many times we’re together, you always manage to look innocent?”

  “I’m far from innocent,” she said.

  With one hand gripping her shapely ass, he reached up to pull her head down. When her lips nearly touched his, he smiled. “Maybe that’s the real reason I’m so drawn to you. You’ve fucked up, just like me. Still, you’ve turned things around. You do know that I’d never judge you for your past, right?”

  Kyleigh hesitated before nodding. “After I admitted to being part Fae, you became more distant. I wasn’t completely sure if it was being back here or my heritage that made you withdraw.”

  “I didn’t even realize you were part Fae until I heard you talking to Zane,” he admitted. “When you said you had Fae blood, I assumed it was part of the process for becoming what you are.”

  “Oh,” she said, giving him a sheepish smile. “Normally, that is part of the process, but I already had Fae blood. So, me being part Fae doesn’t bother you?”

  “I’ve fucked up so much I have no room to judge. Hell, I don’t think I’d care if you were completely Fae.”

  Ian pulled her mouth down to his, ending their conversation. His tongue tangled with hers, and he did nothing to disguise his hunger. He needed Kyleigh more than he’d thought possible.

  As always, Kyleigh yielded to him. The way she gave her body to him so easily and so completely was much more than he deserved. Reaching up to cup her breast, he silently cursed her tight sports bra, which prevented him from slipping his hand underneath.

  “Undress,” he said against her lips.

  Kyleigh sat up, putting delicious pressure on his hard cock. She blinked twice. “We can’t do this here,” she said.

  “Yes, we can,” he said. “Zane locked the door on his way out, and training is over for the day.” Ian saw the indecision in her eyes. “Take those clothes off so I can suckle your beautiful breasts.”