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Jara paced the cave. Her Amazonian frame created long strides that quickly ate up the space. A corona of blue light glowed around her as her energy gathered into her hand. She tossed the energy ball onto the torch sitting in a sconce on the granite wall. When she tossed a second ball into the fireplace, the kindle ignited, and a fiery glow bathed the room.
Her brother, the King of the Demons, was a wimp. Oh, he hadn’t always been that way. Nope, he used to be a strong male. With the build of a warrior, his six-foot ten-inch frame boasted muscles so thick he’d put most body builders to shame. He could have any woman he wanted, and he wanted her.
“Elizabeth.” Jara spat the name of her brother’s mate and gathered her golden locks over one shoulder.
Great Spirit, how she despised the half-breed. Half-human, half-demon, she brought turmoil into their home. Her red eyes glowed in anger just thinking about how much Varrick obsessed over that woman.
The sound of a phone jarred her from her internal tirade, and she plucked the thing from the nightstand.
“Hello,” she answered, knowing who it would be.
“Hello, dear sister.”
“Lovazia, my darling. How are you?”
“I’ve been better.”
Jara folded her gown around her legs and sat gracefully on the padded chair in front of the fire. “I’m sure, sweetheart. It’s never easy to lose a mate. Alcid was a great demon. Powerful. Always treated you well.”
A tired sigh sounded through the phone. “He was a good mate. If those damned bloodsuckers hadn’t ambushed him—”
“Do you know for sure vampires killed him?” Jara interrupted. “I mean, we all grew up hearing the stories, but very few actually claim to have seen a bloodsucker.”
“His head was ripped from his body, Jara. All the blood drained.” Jara heard a catch in Lovazia’s voice. “And I’ll never forget the smell. Great Spirit, the stench of vampire is unforgettable.”
“I imagine.” Jara crossed her legs and decided a change of subject was in order. “So tell me what has been happening in your life.”
“I bumped into a vampire yesterday.”
“You what?” Jara stood.
“I literally bumped into a vampire.”
“Wha…where…how do you know it was a bloodsucker?” Concern for her sister made Jara pace the room.
“The smell. I knew the minute I bumped into her. Oh, she played it off. Made it seem like she’d accidentally bumped into me, but I knew better.”
“What do you mean, you knew better?” Jara worried her bottom lip between her teeth.
“The stink of vampire rolled off her in waves. It curled my nose.”
Jara’s fingers curled into her palm. “Tell me you didn’t confront her.”
“No. I followed her though. She and her friend went shopping in the GUM, like they were just a couple of normal people.”
“Maybe they were just a couple of normal people?” Jara’s tone rose with hope as she pushed her fingers through her long, wavy locks.
“No. The bloodsucker has to die. They all deserve to die for what they did to Alcid.”
Her younger sister had taken after their mother’s side of the family. Her light frame and skinny physique didn’t lend itself to winning a fight, even if the demon could morph into most any animal she wanted.
“Sister dear, don’t do anything stupid. You should run. Hide. Don’t go looking for trouble.”
“Trouble found me, Jara. I’ll do what I have to do. Gotta go. Bye.”
The phone went dead. Dread coursed through Jara’s veins. Her sister was halfway across the world in Russia. She must inform Varrick. He’d know what to do.
Chapter 8
Nicholai glanced at the surroundings in the dreamscape. Many youngsters milled about. Lockers covered one of the hallway walls, and a series of green doors lined the opposite wall. At the end of the hall, a small woman stood with her back to him. Her brunette hair swayed on her shoulders when she crossed her arms over her midriff. She appeared to be keeping guard.
It only took him a second to recognize the brunette. As the realization dawned, Julie turned around. He quickly scooted back against the wall, hiding himself in a break between the rows of lockers.
The banner strung across the hallway read,
Go Bulldogs!
Boys in varsity jackets walked, hand in hand, with girls in green and white cheerleading uniforms. A bell rang, and children scattered like seagulls on a beach running from the waves.
Pulled by a stunning voice streaming into the hall, Nicholai strolled through the hallway to where he had last seen his beloved. The beautiful aria pulled at his soul. It drew him toward one of the nondescript green doors.
He peeked through the tiny window in the door and found Julie singing. Her arms were outstretched, head held high. His gaze swept the faces of her students. They appeared completely enthralled by her voice.
Having been to the opera many times, he’d heard hundreds of singers, but none compared to the way his heartmate sounded to him. Julie’s range versatility astounded Nicholai as her voice rose three octaves in beautiful succession. The notes of her bel canto floated on the air. The virtuoso runs and trills that demanded real flexibility and range of voice flowed easily from her lips.
The beauty of her voice brought a tear to Nicholai’s eye. Julie dreamt about singing in a secondary school. Was she performing for the students? Or was she a teacher here?
His mate stopped, lowered her hands, and grabbed the sheet music from the stand in front of her. “Okay, ladies, that’s the correct pitch for the soprano part. Did you notice how the fifth flowed into the minor seventh?” She paused, allowing the students to nod. “All right, we will try again. Let’s take it from the bridge.”
Julie flipped through the sheet music until she found the measure she wanted.
“Are you ready?” Julie lifted her arms in a conductive stance.
“One. Two. Three. Four.” She counted off the rhythm and swept her arms down to indicate the down beat, directing them.
The students sang in perfect harmony. The smile that crossed Julie’s face took Nicholai’s breath away. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful. The sheer bliss she displayed while listening to her students perform amazed him. Tingles worked through his body. She looked truly stunning, and her voice…Angelic was not strong enough a term.
Nicholai appreciated the talent his heartmate displayed and found it an aphrodisiac.
Maybe coming to her again in a dream wasn’t such a good idea, he thought. It is too easy to change the course of the dream and allow my lust to rule.
Calm down, he reprimanded himself. You’re only here to get information, nothing more. This time stay focused, do not let your lust carry you away.
With a swoop of her hand, she ended the aria.
One of the boys in the front of the room, a small boy with lots of freckles and short red hair, raised his hand. “Hey, Ms. Saint-John?”
Saint-John, Nicholai repeated to himself. Now I have a last name to go with the first. This might have been a good idea after all.
“Yes, Robbie,” she replied.
“Can you tell me again what time we have to be at the theater for our performance?”
“I put it in the note you took home yesterday.” Julie huffed an exasperated sigh. “You must be there at six o’clock sharp. The show starts at seven, and you need to be there early enough to have time to get into your costumes.” She turned her attention to the rest of the class. “Remember you have to come already dressed in your black pants or skirts and white tuxedo shirts. I’ll have your green bow ties and cummerbunds. That goes for all of you. Make sure you are on time. Understand?”
“Yes, Ms. Saint-John,” Robbie and the rest of the students called out in unison.
Being a shadow in her mind, Nicholai sensed the students in front of her were indeed her real students. She taught at a school with a bulldog for a mascot and green and white as the school colors.
Another piece of the puzzle. Finding out more about my heartmate may be easier than I had anticipated, he thought.
When an inspired thought crossed his mind, a roguish grin spread across his face. I know just how to find out more information about Julie.
He opened the door and stepped into the classroom.
Julie turned, and recognition widened her eyes. She cleared her throat. “Uh, may I help you?”
“Yes, you may. I need you to accompany me to my office,” Nicholai replied.
“Where is your office?”
“I believe you know where the principal’s office is, Ms. Saint-John. Please come with me. I have something I need to discuss with you.”
Julie nodded, then turned back to her class. “Class, will you excuse me for a minute? It seems I’m being summoned to the principal’s office.”
“Ooohhh,” sang Robbie. “Hope you’re not in too much trouble.”
When Julie opened her mouth to reprimand the child, Nicholai stepped further into the room and pinned the boy with his glare. “I can assure you your teacher is not in any trouble at all. But you will be, young man, if you disrespect her again.”
He turned on his heels and opened the door, holding it for Julie as she walked through.
Nicholai took her arm in his to escort her down the green and white halls to the office. He shortened his gait, so her smaller legs easily kept pace. The hallway morphed into an office as they walked along.
“Please, sit down.” He gestured to one of the two chairs situated in front of a large mahogany desk.
Julie obeyed, sitting quietly. She smoothed out her flowery dress, then folded her hands in her lap while Nicholai sat in the leather chair behind the desk.
“What did you wish to see me about?” Julie tugged her lower lip between her teeth. The nervous gesture made his desire stir.
“I have some good news.” Nicholai leaned forward and rested his clasped hands on the desk. “You have been chosen as this year’s Teacher of the Year.”
“Really?” Her gorgeous smile beamed so bright it lit her eyes.
“Yes, really. It is quite an honor, you know.”
“Yes, yes I know. I can’t believe I won Teacher of the Year.”
“Congratulations. As part of the process you have to answer a questionnaire about yourself.” Nicholai produced a pen and paper. “Shall we begin?”
“Sure.” Julie’s eyes widened with excitement.
“First question. What is your name?”
“Julie Saint-John.”
“Julie, is that short for something else?”
“Juliette.”
“Juliet…” he mused thoughtfully, “…as in Romeo and Juliet?”
“Yes. My mother had a thing for the Shakespeare play, except she spelled it with two t’s and two e’s.”
“ ‘What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliette,’ with two t’s and two e’s, ‘is the sun,’ ” Nicholai quipped.
His thoughts trailed. How lucky he was to find the Juliette to his Romeo. He wondered how she would like being with him, living in his home, being taken care of by him. He couldn’t wait to be with her outside of the dream world. Oh, the places he would take her, the things they would do together, the love they would make. Nicholai shook himself out of his reverie and returned to his line of questioning.
“So, on to the next question. How long have you been teaching?”
“Fifteen years,” she answered quickly and crossed her legs.
Nicholai’s gaze fell to those tempting legs. He imagined the softness of the skin he would find if he ran his hand up her leg. He cleared his throat. “Where do you teach?”
Julie squinted at him questioningly. “Here—” She hesitated. “At Williamton Secondary School.”
Nicholai recognized the mistake he’d made and attempted to cover by saying, “I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.” He gave her his most dashing smile. “Okay, on to the next question. Family?”
“I have a mother and a father.”
“What about any sisters or brothers?” Nicholai leaned forward on the desk in interest. This was working out better than he had planned.
“Only one sister, but I don’t understand what my family has to do with being Teacher of the Year.” Julie raised a questioning brow, as Nicholai pretended to write down her answers.
His mind whirled, tried to think of a logical question to quell her suspicions.
“And you teach chorus,” he said, more a question then a statement.
“Yes, that’s right. I teach chorus.”
“And your address?”
“I live at 210 Hamlet Court, here in Williamton.”
Nicholai smiled. This line of questioning was getting him somewhere. He pushed away from the desk and moved around to the front. After leaning against it, he crossed his legs at the ankles and braced his hands behind him on the desk. “So tell me, Ms. Saint-John, do you like working at my school?”
“Well, yes,” she answered with haste. “Of course, I absolutely adore the children. And some of them are quite talented. They are an absolute joy to work with.”
“Do you like working with me?” Nicholai pinned her with a pointed stare.
She looked up from under her long, dark lashes. While she contemplated her answer, a luscious, pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips. The sight almost drove him to his knees. He couldn’t wait for the time when he would taste those lips in the real world.
“To be honest, sir, I don’t really know the answer to that question.”
“You may not know how to answer that question, but I can tell you how I feel. I have to say I am very, very happy to have you in my school.” Nicholai stared at her sensual lips, longed for the taste of her kiss. “Not only because you are talented and good with the kids, but also because I find you quite attractive.”
“You’re just saying that.” Julie’s gaze dropped to the floor as her cheeks flushed.
When Nicholai realized she still found it hard to believe he’d be attracted to her, he became determined to raise her self-esteem. And he knew exactly how to do it.
He’d kiss her senseless, pour his love and tenderness into the caress until she had no choice but to realize how wanton and desirable she was. When he pushed away from the desk, the force sent the paraphernalia flying. The pencils and pens hit the floor with a curious metallic sound.
“What was that?” asked Julie.
“The stuff hitting the floor,” he murmured and cupped her soft her cheeks between his hands.
“No, listen.” Julie pulled away as the sound reoccurred.
Nicholai realized it came from outside the dream, something in the real world. “I will go see.”
He pulled from the dream abruptly.
Chapter 9
Nicholai’s eyes snapped open and immediately scanned the room, coming to rest upon his Juliette as she lay asleep in his arms. Nothing in the room appeared disturbed, but he realized the noise had not been part of the dream.
Julie stirred, as if struggling to rouse from her dream. The sensation of her body moving against his under the covers sent a rush of fire through his blood. How he longed to remain, feel her body next to his, but she could not find him there. Nicholai made his body insubstantial and hovered above when her eyes fluttered open.
Julie heaved a heavy sigh and smiled. He pushed into her mind, curious to know what brought the sweet smile to her beautiful face.
She stretched lazily. The dream had seemed so real. She swore the sensation of his hands against her skin lingered.
Those dreams with my handsome knight are wonderful but too good to be true, she thought as she rolled over and hugged a pillow under her chest.
He ached to lie beside her again. His whole being screamed at him to kiss her for real, now, but that would have to wait. What sweet, painful torture it was waiting for the special moment to happen between the two of them.
The noise sounded again
, a loud metallic bang from outside of the inn. Nicholai sent his senses out. They flowed over the environment until he discovered a blank spot near the back of the building. He examined it closely and decided the best way to describe the sensation or lack thereof was to liken it to a black hole in space. Strange.
After checking her door to be sure it was locked tight, his essence slipped under, down the stairs and out the front door. Sensing himself alone, he took corporeal form at the bottom of the inn steps. A light snow began to fall, dusting his dark hair and shoulders as his long, graceful strides ate up the pavement.
He crept around the building, seeking the cause of the void. Seeing nothing, his senses flared out once more, pushing further into the night. The warrior discovered two men in a heated argument in an alleyway behind the closest bar and noted the bread shop owner slept above her store. Animals scurried about. A pair of owls hooted in the tree in front of the inn, while a wolf ran away from the edge of town. His senses told him much. All things he would expect to find, except the blank spot…which had disappeared.
Did I imagine it?
He had always been able to sense animals, humans, other vampires, but to have an area where his preternatural senses did not pick up the world was something new. What might have caused it?
In his long life, he did not recall another of his kind having experienced such a thing. Surely, he would have heard of it happening to others. Perhaps it was something unique to him.
Might the dead spot be some side effect from being in Julie’s dreams? He had never been in a dream two nights in a row. Perhaps that played a trick on his mind. The dream had been so real and snapping out might have caused his senses to misfire.
Regardless, his instinct to protect his heartmate forced him to check around the inn. While the snow fell in heavier flakes, he circled the building one more time and ensured everything appeared to be in its rightful place. A Dumpster nestled against the wall of the building, with its pungent aroma wafting in the air. A tabby cat trotted lazily down the alley.
He observed the ground, searched for anything out of the ordinary. Satisfied everything was secure and his heartmate was safe for the night, he dematerialized back to his home to await the next evening just as the first rays of dawn approached.
Alpha Lover Page 4