by Myers, AJ
Yeah, uh-huh, I needed something else to worry about!
“Are you saying this jerk collects people?” I snapped scathingly, glaring at Nathan hot enough to make him wince. “So…what? I’m like a rookie card or a vintage Barbie or something now?”
“Em—” Nathan began.
“You! Outside!” I hissed, pointing toward the door of the library. I stomped away before he could say anything, and stopped with my hand on the door when I didn’t hear footsteps following me.
I turned to find Nathan standing right where I’d left him, looking at the others like they might be able to save him. No one was quick to volunteer to intervene. With a long, drawn out sigh he followed me out of the library and down the hall. I didn’t stop walking until we were outside, and far enough away from the sensitive ears inside that we wouldn’t be overheard. Then I stopped, crossed my arms over my chest, called up my shield of dead people, and waited for Nathan to join me.
“I can explain, Em,” he said before I could really tear into him. “He won’t take you. No vampire can claim another’s mate once the soul mate bond has been completed. He won’t want one he can’t claim. That’s why I felt it was safe to call him in.”
“So this creeper just goes around claiming whatever he wants?” I asked, narrowing my eyes when Nathan’s expression went all blank and shuttered again. “What does that even mean, Nathan?”
“He brands them,” he said, his voice as emotionless as his expression.
“You mean he marks them?”
“No, I mean he brands them,” Nathan said, a flicker of anger lighting in his eyes. “It’s very painful, like having hot steel pressed into your flesh. And he doesn’t care if the one he wants has been claimed before. I’ve seen him take others that another vampire has previously marked. Whatever he does, it severs the connection between his prize and any previous claims made on it. The only exception is a soul mate bond. It’s the only claim he’s never managed to find a way to break.”
That was just disgusting as far as I was concerned. Just thinking about it made me remember the brand on Kim’s neck. Mikhail and Hamilton were two of a kind. We had called in one sadist to get rid of another.
Then, I had another thought, one even more horrible. I looked at Nathan for a long, silent minute, building up my nerve to voice it out loud. Mikhail only took the ones he could claim for himself…Mikhail had turned Nathan…
Did that mean Nathan was branded?
“You have one, don’t you?” I whispered, too sick at the thought to manage more than that.
“Not anymore,” he said softly, reaching for me.
The snow had slacked off a little and it fell around us in soft flakes as he held me close and kissed the top of my head. That wonderful quiet had descended on the world again and it felt like nobody else existed but the two of us. I held on to him, a very real fear starting to eat through me that I was about to lose him somehow. If Mikhail tried to take him, we were going to find out just what Tyler’s angel blood had done to my powers, because I would use every single one of them to keep that from happening.
“Why don’t you have a brand anymore?” I asked softly after a few minutes.
“I don’t have a brand anymore because I met this crazy, bullheaded, charming, incredibly beautiful little witch who drives me mad, terrifies me, tests my patience, and loves me almost as much as I love her,” Nathan said, kissing the top of my head again. “A soul bond trumps all other claims, baby. I no longer belong to Mikhail. I belong to you now, just like you belong to me.”
“Almost as much?” I repeated, giving him a mock frown. “Please, dude! You know I love you more. And you have to agree because Skippy loves me, and I can get him to kick you out of our super army.”
“She’s a legend in her own mind,” he muttered playfully, holding me closer.
I giggled and he caught it with a slow, sweet, drugging kiss. The ghosts made their presence known then with a few deep chuckles and even a gagging sound that made another giggle bubble up in my chest.
“Oh, God! They’re disgustingly sweet!” one of them groaned as my body started shaking with silent laughter.
“Actually, I’m finding them quite delightful,” a cultured, accented voice replied.
“Yeah, true love. Ain’t it grand?” another voice that sounded entirely too much like Snake drawled sarcastically.
“What are you finding so amusing?” Nathan asked when I couldn’t hold my laughter in anymore, scowling down at me. “Are you laughing at my kissing technique? That’s a real kick to the ego, you know?”
“No!” I choked out, still laughing. “I’m laughing at our audience. They think we’re disgustingly sweet and delightful.”
“Ah, I forgot about the ghosts,” he said, rolling his eyes up and scowling at my unseen protectors. “Do you think you and I are ever going to get another minute alone without being interrupted by smartass ghosts or flying doors or bullets?”
“Not today,” I chuckled, wrapping my arms around his neck and winking up at him. “We can always try again tomorrow, though. Oh, and the next day and the next.”
“And every day for the rest of our very long lives?” he whispered against my lips.
“Yeah, that was the idea,” I whispered back.
Before I could seal that promise with another kiss, my stomach dropped into my feet and every nerve in my body went on red-alert. Something was coming, something with enough energy to put the curls back into my hair. It was a gut-clenching kind of power. Even the ghosts became restless, their energy spiking noticeably and bathing me in another wash of frigid air.
Something silvery caught in the corner of my eye and I turned to see what it was—and then just stared at the group of people behind us that had appeared out of nowhere. Their arrival had been silent as death. I thought that was fitting.
Because rumor had it that death was what they usually brought with them.
One man, in particular, caught and kept my attention. He was beautiful, tall and muscular, like Nathan, with silvery white hair that was cut close to his head. He wore his power like a second skin. He was a man used to getting what he wanted and it showed in the way he held himself.
I was sure he was the source of the power that had the hair on the back of my neck and on my arms standing straight up. A bright, neon red Danger! signal went off in my mind as we stared at each other.
“We’re about to get interrupted again,” I whispered, still staring at him.
“Huh?” Nathan grunted.
“We have company,” I said, nodding over his shoulder at the group of people watching us with blatant curiosity. “The vampire variety this time.”
Nathan took a deep breath and his eyes went cold. Then, very slowly, he turned around to face the waiting vampire coven behind him. There had to have been fifty of them, all of them dressed in black and wearing long trench coats that made them look like they had just stepped out of the Matrix. They fanned out in precise formation behind the vampire in front.
I focused on the leader, dismissing the others for the moment. As I studied him, he was studying me. There was a look in his eyes I really didn’t like. When his eyes fell on my mark, he looked like Christmas had come early.
Now, why didn’t I think that was a good thing?
“Mikhail,” Nathan said smoothly, with a stiff nod of greeting.
“Nate! It’s been too long!” the silver-haired vampire crowed, finally tearing his eyes away from me. His voice was like honeyed sunlight, so silky that you couldn’t help but respond to it. Just for the record, nobody should be that smooth. It isn’t fair to the rest of the human—or inhuman—race. “You look good, kid. Much better than you did the last time I saw you. How long has it been, a century now?”
“Something like that,” Nathan said, his hand tightening around mine like he needed the support. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“That’s what friends are for, Nate,” he said, waving off Nathan’s thanks like it
was nothing. “Honestly, I’m flattered that you have finally found some use for me. I am… Oh, what is the word I’m looking for? Humbled. Yes. That will suffice.”
I barely choked back a snort of disbelief. I doubted this guy even knew what the word ‘humble’ meant. Nathan must have heard more in his phony speech than I had, though, because his hand tightened around mine even more and he went rigid. This situation was looking worse and worse by the second.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your beautiful friend?” Mikhail asked, moving forward until he was mere feet away from me. Up close, I could see that his eyes were deep sapphire blue, just a shade darker than mine. They were beautiful—and colder than ice, despite the warm smile on his lips.
“Em, this is Mikhail Ivanov,” Nathan murmured, never taking his eyes off Mikhail. “Mikhail, this is my mate, Ember Blaylock.”
“Ember,” Mikhail said, still smiling sweetly at me. “She is stunning, Nate! Simply stunning! You’re a lucky man, buddy.”
He was charming, there was no doubt about that, but there was something about him I didn’t like. He set my asshole radar off, for one thing. For another, I had never been overly fond of being looked at like I was a choice cut of steak. It was creepy.
“Nathan always was a lucky little shit,” another vampire said, stepping forward. He had long, silky-looking, brown hair and an impish smile. His eyes were warm as he looked at Nathan, and I was surprised when Nathan let go of my hand and walked over to hug him, laughing.
“When did you crawl out of your hole, Kellum?” Nathan hooted, backing up and looking the new vamp over. “I thought you said you were never getting back up. What changed your mind? No, wait. Let me guess. Blonde or brunette?”
“Blonde,” a woman’s voice rang out in answer before Kellum could say a word.
I glanced her way to find her walking over to join Nathan and Kellum. She was very blonde, very tall, and very beautiful. I was instantly jealous. What I wouldn’t give to be tall…
She slipped her arm around Kellum’s waist and her full lips poked out in a pout when she asked, “Why? Who was the brunette?”
“Nate, this is Claire,” Kellum said, smiling down at her. “I’m her current plaything.”
“Heads up, Ember,” one of my ghosts whispered just as a hand touched the small of my back.
I had been so busy watching Nathan doing the male bonding thing—definition: insulting each other to show affection—with Kellum that I had forgotten to keep an eye on Mikhail. He had taken advantage of my distraction to move closer to me. I moved away from his touch and he smiled down at me slyly before turning back to watch the rest of his group, the ones who remembered Nathan from the good old days, greet their lost comrade and introduce him to the newer members.
“There is something very odd about you, Ember,” he said, conversationally. I arched an eyebrow at him and his smile widened. “I’m not being rude, I just find the fact that I can’t sense you strange. I can’t even smell you. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“Not really,” I told him, shrugging. “Then, I don’t go around sniffing people. Is that some kind of vampire custom I should know about?”
Caution dictated that I watch myself, but I had never been all that cautious. No, I was more the speak first, regret it later type. It was obvious to me within seconds that Mikhail was no more used to having someone be a smartass to him than Skippy was. He honestly looked like he didn’t know what to say for a second and then he started to laugh like I was the most adorable thing he had ever encountered.
“Oh, I like you!” he said, still chuckling. “You have spirit. That’s good. Our way of life is not for the fainthearted. You’re strong enough to handle immortality, though. I don’t have to be able to sense you to know that. It’s very evident in the way you hold yourself, the way you speak.”
“That’s not strength, it’s sarcasm,” I told him, rolling my eyes. “You do know the difference, right?”
“That’s precisely what I mean, actually.”
He stopped to smile at Nathan when he turned around to check on me, and Nathan frowned back before Kellum drew his attention back to him with a whispered comment that I didn’t catch. I had to give him kudos for not hovering. I could take care of myself, after all. My days of needing a bodyguard—and my ghosts didn’t count—had disappeared with my pulse.
“There aren’t many who are brave enough to stand up to somebody like me,” Mikhail continued, turning back to me. “I bet you’ve been giving Skipper fits!”
“Not really,” I shrugged, hugging my arms again for warmth. I hadn’t felt the cold energy of my ghosts when I’d been kissing Nathan—for obvious reasons—but I was definitely starting to feel the chill without the…um…stimulation. “Skippy likes me. We only annoyed each other for an hour or two.”
“He lets you call him Skippy?” Mikhail asked, laughing in genuine surprise. “Well, that’s new. Not many would dare. He tends to make the people who do vanish, never to be seen again. Then, I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that you would dare to show such insolence. I doubt there is anything you wouldn’t dare to do if the mood struck you.”
I rolled my eyes again, but chose not to answer. My teeth were clenched together to keep them from chattering and I was trying to hold myself as stiffly as possible so I wouldn’t shiver. If Mikhail thought the fact that he couldn’t smell me was odd, he would find the fact that I was warm totally bizarre. I didn’t want to give him any more reasons than necessary to find me interesting.
I watched Nathan, waiting for a chance to catch his eye. I needed to get back inside, and sooner was definitely preferable to later. Unfortunately, Kellum was doing a killer job of keeping Nathan’s attention focused anywhere but on me and Mikhail.
Nathan, I’m freezing, I finally thought, dropping my mental shields so he would hear me.
He turned around, eyes wide and panicked, just as Mikhail wrapped his heavy trench coat around me. He wasn’t the only one who turned, either. I realized then that I hadn’t done it right. There were obviously more than a couple of telepaths among the group of vampires Mikhail traveled with, including Mikhail himself. They were staring at me with expressions that ranged from incredulous to downright suspicious.
“A warm darkling,” Mikhail breathed, his hands still on my shoulders. “You are a mystery, aren’t you, my little beauty? I like mysteries, they fascinate me.”
I pinned Nathan with a look that positively screamed for him to come help me. Kellum had his hand on his arm and his grip tightened when Nathan, expression stony, stepped forward. Nathan turned his glare on him and Kellum shook his head. Nathan looked at him for a second before glancing over at me and nodding. Kellum let go of his arm and strolled toward me and Mikhail, a goofy grin on his handsome face.
“Leave the poor girl alone, Mick,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Ember, at the risk of pissing off my girl, would you do me the honor of giving me a tour while these two Neanderthals talk business? Palatial homes fascinate me.”
He gave Mikhail a hard look as he said that and his hands slid off my shoulders slowly. I quickly stepped away from him, shrugging his coat off as I went. When I turned to hand it back to him, he just smiled and waved it away.
“Keep it until you get warm again,” he said, smiling widely. “I think you need it a lot more than I do.”
It was downright predatory, that smile. I didn’t react to it on the surface, but I felt my stomach knot up. I had given him more than a reason to be interested in me. I had just become his most wanted toy. I could see it in his eyes. I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature go down my back when his smile widened even more. Not only did I know it, but he knew that I knew it.
“I have one inside, thanks,” I told him, tossing it to him. I couldn’t let him see how afraid I was of him. It would only encourage him. No, I had to play it cool. Pasting a smile on my face, I held out my hand to Kellum. “Ready, Kellum?”
“To explore dark cor
ners with a beautiful woman?” he asked, winking and taking my hand. “Absolutely! Lead the way!”
I took his hand and saw his eyes flare in real surprise when he realized Mikhail hadn’t just been blowing hot air and I really was warm. To him, anyway. I was still having a hard time keeping my teeth from chattering.
Nathan’s hand brushed mine as I passed him, and I smiled at him to reassure him. Kellum caught his eye, too, shaking his head again. I didn’t know what to make of that, so I just led the way inside and breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind me.
The heating system was kicking out puffs of warm air through the vent close to the door and I went and stood over it, waiting for my nose and fingers to thaw.
“Better?” Kellum asked, very softly, after I had stood over the vent for a few minutes.
“Yeah, a little.” I looked up and smiled at him weakly. “I just made one epic mistake, didn’t I?”
“That remains to be seen,” he said, grinning. “You can’t blame him for being curious about you. Darklings are naturally cold. They’re even colder than vampires. It’s not every day you run into a warm one, Ember.”
“No, I guess not,” I sighed, sagging against the wall behind me.
I didn’t want Mikhail to be curious. I wanted him to ignore me, forget he had ever laid eyes on me. I got a creepy feeling from him, like he was waiting for me to screw up so that he could swoop in and devour me whole. I couldn’t really say what brought that feeling on, but it didn’t keep me from feeling it.
“Why were you shaking your head at Nathan back there?” I asked.
“Mick would have taken it as a personal challenge if Nate hovered too much over you,” Kellum explained with a shrug that didn’t quite match the worried look in his eyes. “The less Nate provokes that response in him, the better. For all of us.”
Well, wasn’t that just grand. If my boyfriend protected me, that creeper would try even harder to get to me. If he didn’t, it would just make it easier for him to get to me.
Anybody else think I was going to be the loser in that scenario?