by Aja James
“What are you—” Clara started to say when she finished putting the dishes away, coming to stand beside him on the stool, looking over his shoulder.
“Oh.”
She cleared her throat. From embarrassment or lust, he couldn’t tell.
“I hope you don’t mind my drawing you while you slept. I couldn’t help myself.”
Eli was silent for a while, flipping back to the first two pages.
Finally, he asked, “What do you see when you look at me?”
Clara regarded him silently for a few moments and decided that he asked the question seriously. He truly didn’t know how others perceived him. He didn’t know that he was achingly, ridiculously, mouth-wateringly beautiful, not just because of his physicality but because of the feelings he evoked in those who gazed upon him.
At the very least, when she gazed upon him.
She looked at one drawing after another as he looked at the same.
“Well,” she tried to express herself with the right words, tried to help him see himself through her eyes, “in this first one, I see my lover sleeping peacefully like an innocent boy, tempting me to stay in bed with him, wrap my arms around his waist and press my cheek to his back because he looks so warm and cozy.”
She flipped to the next one.
“Here, I want to pull the sheets over my lover’s back because he looks so vulnerable, and he trusts me to take care of him. I want to cover him with my own body and place a kiss between his shoulder blades and tell him that he’ll always be safe with me.”
By the time she flipped to the third drawing, Eli’s body had started quivering, beset by the feelings her words evoked.
He could hear the smile in her voice when she said, “It’s pretty self-explanatory what I see in this one. My lover’s most private, gorgeous manhood waiting for me to awaken it.”
She pressed closer to his ear and whispered into it, “Waiting for me to lick it, suck it, kiss it, make it unbearably full and hard, ready to penetrate me, to please me, and make me his. Just as I yearn with all my heart to make him mine.”
He turned and stared deeply and intensely into her clear, blue eyes, his body aflame with her words, stoked to blazing by her husky tone.
For the first time, he saw what she saw. Not the images on paper or in reality but the emotions within them, the feelings they made him feel. Not just a combination of lines and shadows, but an alchemy of thoughts and intensions, experiences and desires—the beauty of life and being alive.
He cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth to his in a devouring kiss, as if he wanted to gobble up all these new feelings and lock them away.
A loud tapping foot made them pull away from each other, and they turned to look at the source of the disturbance.
Annie stared at them with a nettled expression on her face, her arms crossed over her small chest, as if to say, cut it out, minor present.
Clara reluctantly stepped away from Eli and hid her smile behind her hand.
“Ready to go?” she said cheerfully to Annie while giving Eli a meaningful look that made all kinds of sinful promises for later.
Promises he intended to collect on.
*** *** *** ***
“Fuck,” was the first word out of Anastasia’s mouth as she threw herself into one of the conference room chairs in the Cove’s command center.
Not even two hours back from Blagoveshchensk, mission accomplished—long enough to shower, wolf down some food, and get a blood infusion—before Maximus unloaded the bad news that Antonov and the Chinese had made the trade anyway, the Pure Ones’ Paladin now officially MIA, assumed to be captured, likely turned.
“The good news is—”
“Really? There’s good news?” she said bitterly, well and truly pissed off. She hated leaving comrades behind, even if they were a Pure One.
Perhaps no longer.
“—you stopped the shipment of goods, two trucks worth of prototypes. Our intel tells us Antonov only gave the Chinese the designs. It slows them down a little, unless there are stashes of the weapons elsewhere that we don’t know. And they still have to make the bullets operational.”
“Can these bullets be fired from any gun or are they designed exclusively for certain weapons?” Ana asked, feeling her rising blood pressure abating just the tiniest bit.
She was a hot-blooded vampire warrior with a short leash on her temper. When on the job, her focus and training kept her cool, but right now, she was close to busting a fuse.
“Specifically designed,” Devlin answered. “The barrel through which the bullet must travel has to be able to withstand intense heat, and the bullet, due to its sensor and detonator, requires additional width. Because it doesn’t always travel straight through the cylinder, depending on where the target is, modifications has to be made to almost every part of the firearm.”
“The fact that Antonov is only trading designs and prototypes means they haven’t yet figured out how to fully operationalize the weapons,” Maximus went on. “We need to make sure they don’t.”
“I traced their sensor technology development to a top secret unit of a company called Me2, which was recently bought out by one of Medusa’s conglomerates,” Grace inserted. “I’m close to isolating the facility where they’re most likely testing out the weapons.”
“And once we do,” Maximus said, “we will execute a surgical strike to take down their base and destroy all related records.”
“Just tell me when and where,” Ana growled, more than ready to kick Medusa’s ass.
Maximus shook his head. “You’re not going. We have other concerns that need handling.”
“Such as?” Ana gritted out.
Just what they needed. More problems.
“The fight clubs have accelerated again across greater New York,” Devlin put in, “Now, it’s vampires against vampires, with some humans mixed in. A video of Inanna’s Challenge versus Simone has been spreading for sometime through secure, almost untraceable channels all over the global Internet.”
“Whoever is encrypting and covering their tracks is really, really good,” Grace said without inflection, but the use of two “really”s by Grace, of all people, was extremely worrisome for the rest of the Chosen.
“At first, humans thought the videos were doctored,” Devlin went on, “and they were only released to a limited number of viewers for the right price. But just last night, the videos hit social media by storm. It’s already received a million plus views in the U.S. alone.”
The Hunter and his Mate shared a look.
“Grace was able to take the videos down and put up some major firewalls, but we haven’t been able to trace all the downloads and copies. We think some of the viewers even recorded the videos playing on one device with another, like their smart phones or tablets, instead of downloading directly online. Those are impossible to trace.”
“Shit,” Ana grunted.
“Not only are fight clubs reemerging and gaining momentum because of this,” Maximus said, “we have human government agents breathing down our neck, despite the allies we’ve built over the years. They don’t know yet who we are. They haven’t yet used the word ‘vampire,’ but they’ve seen enough to put together task forces to further investigate.”
He looked at Devlin, then Ramses, who had kept his own council all this while.
“Grace is on point suppressing any more videos before they go viral. Devlin and Ramses are going after the fight clubs.”
The Commander met Anastasia’s eyes.
“I’m handling the human authorities. I need you to guard our Queen.”
Ana blew out a breath. “Don’t tell me—more bad news?”
Maximus gave one sharp nod. “The Dark noble houses are stirring up trouble. There is rumor that they are mounting a coup, intending to replace Jade with another. Both the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic Hives are trying to expand their territories as well, but there are a number of leaders with large Hordes within the Northea
st corridor who want to take control. Jade plans to hold private meetings with each of the noble houses individually, perhaps even visit them on their own turf.”
“Too risky,” Ana immediately dismissed.
“But potentially necessary,” Maximus rebutted.
“She needs backup,” Ramses said consideringly. “I know a number of the noble houses well. They are ruthless when they scent any weakness, and they have international alliances to leverage should they choose to use force. I believe I am better placed with Anastasia.”
He eyed the black panther crouched at Maximus’ feet.
“Perhaps Simca can be of help as well. Her instincts and ability to read emotions can give us an edge.”
It was true. An animal familiar could often sense the real intentions in vampires, Pure Ones and humans alike that would otherwise be disguised by a poker face and good acting.
“Agreed. But Devlin cannot cover the fight clubs alone,” Maximus ground out, showing a rare flare of frustration, given that they were running out of manpower and options.
“We do not have our Pure allies to call on now that the Paladin’s disappearance has raised questions and doubts.”
Dark Goddess above! When it rained it poured.
“What about Ryu?” Ana asked. “And if we reach out to Inanna and Gabriel, perhaps they would be willing to assist as well.”
“I intend to send Ryu to destroy the weapons facility once Grace ascertains the location,” Maximus said. “But good point about the Light-Bringer and her Mate. I will contact Inanna immediately.”
Inanna used to be a member of the Elite, code name Angel, as in Angel of Death. Since her Mating and the Awakening of her Pure soul, however, she’d officially departed from the New England vampire hive under Jade Cicada’s rule. Given that her mother was Dark and her father was Pure, she bridged both worlds, her alliance determined by personal relationships and comradery rather than Kind and history.
“Until I confirm their aid, Ryu’s with you, Devlin.”
“On it,” came the Hunter’s uncharacteristically short and grim answer.
Thus decided, the Chosen, plus their honorary member, Grace, set out to stop the mayhem from spiraling out of control.
Chapter Fourteen
“I don’t see why we have to eat out,” Ava’s mother, Ana Lucia Monroe, grouched, plucking at the napkin in her lap. “I could have cooked something at home.”
“Ma,” Ava said cajolingly, “you cook all the time. Ryu and I just wanted to take you and Pa out for a change. Our treat.”
“Well, I suppose this restaurant’s Bibimbap and Galbi are more authentic than what I could make,” Ana Lucia allowed. “And your daddy has had a hankering for Japchae. I can never figure out how to make the noodles just the right consistency and flavor, but I’ll master it one of these days.”
Ana Lucia loved to cook. It was one of the many ways she expressed love and affection. And now that both of Ava’s parents were retired, she had plenty of time to try different cuisines and test them out on a very willing guinea pig in Ava’s papa.
The dishes they ordered came all at once, filling up their table to the max.
“Ryu, honey, don’t be shy,” Ana encouraged, piling his plate full of sweet potato noodles and succulent beef ribs.
“You’re too skinny,” she lamented, an oft-made complaint, and cast a chiding look toward her daughter. “What are you feeding your man, Ava? Better not be takeout and fast food.”
Actually, Ava was trying to cook more, now that she had Ryu and Kane to cook for. Kane was trying all kinds of new foods and loving the different textures and flavors. Presently, he was being held securely and lovingly in his grandpa Monroe’s lap, grabbing some noodles with his chubby paws off of Gavin’s plate.
“Ava is providing all the Nourishment I need,” Ryu said in his low, resonant baritone, and met his human wife’s eyes in a heated, knowing look.
Ava practically quivered with desire under the intensity of her lover’s gaze, parents notwithstanding.
Ryu broke the gaze and looked back at Ava’s mother.
“And your cooking, Mrs. Monroe, is the best I’ve ever had.”
Ana Lucia blushed prettily and couldn’t help her preening grin. “Now you stop that, Ryu,” though her smile said the opposite. “Call me Ma or Mom. You’re family.”
Ryu lowered his eyes shyly at the usual reminder, unreasonably pleased every time Ana Lucia made the request. Given his past, he was eternally grateful to be part of Ava’s family, but sometimes, he still felt as if he didn’t deserve so much happiness, that he didn’t deserve to call someone as wonderful as Ana Lucia, Mom.
They chatted boisterously through dinner, the meandering conversation mainly driven by the two women while all three males, Gavin, Ryu and Kane, made the occasional contribution; Kane, in the form of baby gurgles and excited squeals.
“Oh, I better go change Kane,” Ava said when she noticed her son squirming in her father’s lap, a recognizable scrunched up look on his face that said, mommy slave, I’ve poo pooed, clean me up now.
She maneuvered herself, her son and the bulging diaper bag to the women’s bathroom, did her thing with practiced efficiency and headed back to her table on the upper level of the restaurant.
Something caught the corner of her eye as she reentered the dining area on the ground floor.
She couldn’t be sure what it was that made her turn to the right, but as she did, her eyes narrowed on a table of three by the window seats—a woman, a girl, and a man.
A man with long, wolf-like, double-lidded eyes just like Ryu.
Could it be?
Ava moved toward the table without consciously deciding to do so, pulled forward as if by an invisible string.
Before she knew it, she was standing with Kane right next to the family’s table, making all three members look up at her from their seats with similar expressions of inquiry.
“Oh my God, it’s you,” Ava whispered, instinctively holding Kane tighter.
“Can we help you?” the pretty redhead asked.
Then, as if she suddenly realized something, she said, “Do you know Eli? I mean, do you know…”
But Ava wasn’t paying attention to the woman. She stared unblinkingly at the man beside her.
The man held Ava’s gaze with startling intensity, and though she was sure it was Ryu’s sire, she noted stark differences in his appearance, starting with his shaved head and his brilliant green eyes.
“It is you, right? The Master?” Ava was beginning to doubt herself.
If the male was indeed the shinobi master and Ryu’s vampire sire she’d encountered in Japan a year and a half ago, what was he doing in Korea Town, NYC, of all places with a woman and child in tow? But no one looked like him in the world, Ava was pretty sure.
What the hell was going on?
The man called Eli slowly stood up from his seat, as if he didn’t want to scare her off. And that one small motion was what convinced Ava she was right.
No one looked like him, and no one moved like him.
Ryu’s movements held similar grace and smoothness, but when this man moved, the very air around him shifted and throbbed, as if it were part of his body, charged by his energy.
“Ava, what’s keeping—” Ryu’s voice came from a few paces behind her, but was abruptly cut off when he saw the answer for himself.
“You.”
In a split second, Ryu pushed Ava behind him, confronting Eli. He bared elongated fangs in aggression, uncaring that they were surrounded by ignorant humans, everything in him poised to protect his Mate and their son.
Acting purely on instinct, Eli bared his fangs as well, his body tensed to fight, a low growl reverberating from his chest.
“Ryu, no!”
“Eli!”
The two women called out at the same time as the males faced off, their looks and movements so similar they could have been mirror images of each other.
Distantly, Eli registered
Clara’s voice behind him, the worry and fear in her tone, but it was as if he were submerged in water; everything was muffled and dulled.
The only thing that was crystal clear, with the sharpness and searing pain of a dagger plunged into his heart, was the avalanche of memories that crashed all at once against the barricades in his mind as he stared into the eyes of the male before him.
Eyes he’d know anywhere.
Because they were his eyes.
His son’s eyes.
Everything stopped. The world around him receded in a flash of blinding light before total darkness engulfed him.
Sengoku period, 15th century Edo.
The Master watched his pupils train from the steps of his Shinto shrine.
It seemed that his violent life had come full circle.
First, he was a pupil of the shadow arts himself, in the faraway, ancient land of Anatolia. He’d been given no name of his own that he knew of, though his men called him Lord Wind when he was old enough to lead them into battle.
Then, he was sold to the Princess Anunit as her Consort, and he was inscribed in the history tomes of their Kind as Enlil Naram-Anu. Except, ironically, he had never been the “beloved” of Anu. He’d given everything he had to her, branded her blood into his heart, though she never reciprocated. He’d killed, bled, and nearly lost his mind because of her. Until finally, he’d found a way to survive without her Nourishment.
But survive was all it was.
It was a pain-filled, mind-ravaging existence, to be a Mated vampire living off of human blood and souls. Ever on the verge of starvation, balancing on the knife’s edge of sanity. It was cowardly to wish for death, but he wished for it with all his blackened, shriveled heart.
Unfortunately, the warrior soul he’d been born with refused to commit suicide, refused to depart from his body no matter how inhabitable he made his corporeal shell, often purposely starving himself for months at a time. And whenever he tried to carve the Princess out of his heart, undo the Bond they shared, her blood in his, however diluted, was still strong enough to stop him.