by Ann Cory
“I’d say so. Didn’t you learn anything from Dante about loving a mortal?”
He’d learned how empty one could be without love. “Believe me, I’ve tried to convince myself she means nothing to me, but so far it hasn’t worked. In fact, I believe I made things worse.”
Blake groaned. “What did you do?”
His muscles tensed as he replayed the scene he’d come upon just seconds before he’d almost lost her. “I saved her life tonight. The car she drove nearly went over a cliff. She would have died had I not intervened.”
He didn’t dare meet his brother’s gaze.
“Sounds like you were a hero.”
Varick studied him, surprised by his nonchalance. “I suppose it could be looked at that way, but...”
“Yes,” Blake prompted.
“While I’ve done my best to watch over her from a distance, tonight I made the choice to let her know I existed. We…spoke. I told her of the vow I made.”
Blake shot forward, brows arched, lips curled in disgust. “You met in person? Are you mad? Please tell me you are joking.”
Briefly, Varick worried he’d made the wrong choice in speaking of her. “You don’t understand. She almost died. Her frame of mind frightened me. I did a quick mind sweep and her actions were erratic. She didn’t think there was anything left to live for. I couldn’t in good conscience allow her to go through with killing herself.”
Blake put a hand up and shook his head. “While it’s admirable that you saved her, she’s a mortal. Her chosen path isn’t for you to decide.”
The path he wanted for her included them together. Forcing himself to stay calm, he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “I promised to make sure no harm came to her. In any form. Including if she took her own life.”
He watched his coven brother stand and move around behind the couch, the vein in his forehead throbbing.
“You can’t make your existence be about this vow to Dante. You’ve let it—her—control you for far too long. And—”
Varick didn’t even let him finish. “If you witnessed in your mind that someone you cared for would die, and you held the power to save them, wouldn’t you?”
Blake sat back down across from him. The silence alone nearly drove him mad.
“Yes, I suppose I would. Let’s move past the whole rescue mission and get to the heart of the matter. Why, after you saved her, didn’t you leave her alone?”
He dropped his shoulders. “Being in her presence, I couldn’t turn away. I had to talk with her, touch her.”
Blake sighed and leaned back against the couch, his fingers steepled. “How did it feel?”
Nothing brought him greater pleasure than speaking about the woman he loved. “She nearly brought me to my knees with her beauty and innocence. I thought I’d explode. It was everything Dante said when he first caught a glimpse of Laura. How the rest of the world faded and we were all that existed.”
His brother nodded. “Part of me envies you, but I don’t know. The other part of me says you were stupid. Especially in telling her about you. You said she’s in a fragile state of mind. How does revealing you’re a vampire help matters?”
Hearing it from someone else only made him feel worse. Around her he hadn’t thought at all. “Trust me, I know it was stupid. But when I saw her, the way she looked sprawled on the lounge, her body glowing from the candlelight. Eyes glazed and dreamy. I felt completely powerless.”
Blake snorted. “Well, that’s because you started thinking with your dick.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Guilty. When I entered the room, she practically undressed me with her eyes. For a moment she was ready to give herself to me, I sensed it.”
His brother’s lips pursed together. “Which room are you speaking about?”
He hesitated but it was too late for lies. “To the West Chamber. No one has been in that part of the house for over a decade.”
Eyes dark, Blake spoke with an edge to his voice. “You brought a mortal here under our roof? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Varick could taste the tension in the air. “I had nowhere else to take her.”
He half expected Blake to lunge forward and throttle him. “How about back to her home? Dammit, brother. What were you thinking?”
Sweat beaded along his forehead. In hindsight he’d made a terrible mistake. “I needed to make sure she’d be okay. Make sure she didn’t try to take her life a second time.”
Curiosity shone on his brother’s face. “Is she that messed up?”
Varick rubbed his forehead. “She’s lived a harsh life. Nothing’s come to her easily. I told you, she was in a fragile state of mind.”
Blake stared hard at him. “Had anyone smelt her innocent blood, she could have been killed or turned. Are you willing to risk her life so blindly?”
Shivers ran up his back at the thought of one of his brothers feeding on her. “It has been decades since we’ve fed on humans. With our blood supply well stocked, mortals aren’t at risk anymore.”
Back on his feet, Blake paced the room in a frenzy. “You idiot. Do you honestly believe Luke and his loyal followers nourish themselves with our blood supply? Have you completely ignored the rise in missing women in the remote cities?”
A sick feeling churned in his stomach. He and Luke had never seen eye-to-eye. Especially when Dante had taken Luke in under his wings first. Too young to notice at the time, Varick had made an enemy for life. “Luke? I know he has issues with my being made leader, among other things, but he wouldn’t go against the rules Dante set forth. He loved him as much as I did.”
Blake charged toward him and stopped an inch from his face. “Wake the hell up. Dante is dead. He’s been dead. No one cares what the rules are. Sure, they did once. Everyone looked to you to enforce the rules, but you didn’t deliver. This coven runs on each individual’s own set of rules. Some of us, like Luke, lack morals. And some of us allow the wrong emotions to guide us.”
Varick swallowed hard. He more than got the dig. “I-I didn’t think. The West Chamber has always been a safe haven to me, and I thought it would be for her, as well.”
A disgusted grunt erupted from his brother’s throat as he turned away. “Look, what’s done is done. All you can do is look ahead. It’s your preoccupation with this mortal that makes you unfavourable here. It’s a big reason why your brothers don’t trust you.”
Varick’s irritation surfaced. “I’ve done nothing to warrant being untrustworthy. What I don’t understand is that no one cared when Dante romanced a mortal. We all knew his level of love and devotion to Laura. Why am I being treated differently?”
A look of pity streaked across Blake’s face, angering him more. “Because he never brought her here. Not once. He also never shirked his responsibilities to the coven. He didn’t choose one over the other, he valued both. Never did he hole himself up somewhere and ignore things that needed to be done, even in mourning over Laura.”
Varick clenched his jaw. “I’m not Dante. I can never be Dante.”
Blake averted his icy stare. “No one is asking you to be him, but he left you in charge. Sometimes we don’t get a say in things. Sometimes we have to accept things for the way they are. It’s not as if you can’t change. There are ways to bring balance back. It won’t happen all at once, but it will help you gain back respect of your brothers if they see you try.”
He appreciated the sound advice, but he couldn’t let go. He didn’t know how. “So much time has passed and I still can’t get my head around what happened. His death tortures me every single day. My desire for Aubrey tortures me every single day. I’m torn between what’s expected of me, and what I want.”
Blake approached and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You have to stop thinking that she’s yours. You have to accept she may never want to be with you.”
The truth had a way of ripping the hope right out of him. “What else can I say except that you’re right? It doesn’t make sense to be so overly protective o
f her, but I am. To the point of being possessive. I cringe whenever she’s with another man. I find myself willing her to find fault in the men she dates, just so she won’t stay with them.”
Blake shook his head. “I’m not sure Dante would approve of you playing with her emotions.”
He didn’t approve of playing with her emotions. “No, he wouldn’t, not fully. He’d understand, but not approve. I promised to watch over her, and I’ve kept that promise. I never promised I wouldn’t fall in love with her. “
His brother suppressed a laugh. “That is part of protecting her, is it not? Part of keeping her safe is to not introduce her to new dangers. So in fact, you’ve not kept your promise at all.”
Varick frowned. “You’re not helping.”
Arms crossed, Blake sent him a challenging look. “I’m also not going to tell you what you want to hear. Consider me a voice of reason. You need to make the coven your priority, and you need to find a way to detach yourself from Aubrey.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Shouldn’t be too hard, at this point. She doesn’t want me watching over her anymore.”
Blake patted his shoulder. “Praise her for saying so. You put her in danger whenever you’re together, whether she’s here or you’re there. Dante learned the hard way and you should have learned that from him.”
The thought of letting go hurt at a core level. “You’re right. Thank you. If you’d keep this between us, I’d appreciate it.”
“Done. No one else knows?”
“Vindi, but she keeps to herself. She’s the only Vamp who doesn’t try to seduce me.”
Blake raised an inquisitive brow. “Why does she know?”
“I asked her to bring Aubrey a glass of wine when I brought her here, to help loosen her up. Apparently Vindi approves of my taste in mortals.”
“Gotcha. I still can’t believe you brought her here of all places.”
Varick rubbed the back of his neck. “It was in the West Chambers. Like I said, it’s deserted.”
Blake flashed him a wide grin. “You got lucky this time. Let’s just hope no one goes in that part of the mansion for another decade. Tell me, brother, for I’m terribly curious, how do you keep yourself from tasting her essence? How can you go before a mortal woman and not take advantage of her?”
He answered with pride. “I love her. I swear, something drew me to that woman before I ever got to know her.”
“You’re just like Dante. A hopeless romantic.”
Varick held up his hands in mock submission. “Is that a bad thing to be?”
Blake snorted. “It’s dangerous. Anything pertaining to love is dangerous. It’s why we slake our desires with the Vamps. No commitments, no complications, just raw sex.”
If his brother saw Aubrey, he’d know why the Vamps didn’t interest him. “How can I be with another when I’m in love with someone else?”
“I’ve yet to understand how you can refuse Melenge.”
His breath stilled at her name. Something about that Vamp made his skin crawl, despite her overwhelming beauty. “Don’t get me started on her. I’ve warded her off three times this week alone.”
Blake gave him a knowing look. “Well, brother, I’ll be off. If you’d like to talk more later, you know where to find me.”
“I appreciate you listening.”
Relief spread through him as Blake disappeared into the dark hallway. It was good to get some things off his chest. Not surprisingly, Blake had been right about everything. Especially about Aubrey.
He’d watched her grow up. The way her figure had changed. How her hair swept along the delicious arch of her back. His body responded to every curve of her flesh. He fell in love with the sound of her voice when she cried out in the night.
Varick paced, caught between a promise and a request from the two people he cared most about. Aubrey was a grown woman and didn’t need looking after, but if something did happen to her and it could have been prevented, he’d never forgive himself.
Aubrey sat in front of the vanity, easing a wooden brush through her hair. She glanced around her small, plain room. Only a few knickknacks hung on the otherwise empty walls. There were no pictures, perfume bottles, or jewellery on the dresser, only a few books dog-eared in several places. She’d meant to fix up the place, but never quite got around to it. She was notorious for starting things, but never one to finish. It didn’t seem to matter what, either. Relationships, books, projects, jobs… Her life was all about starting over, hoping one time she might get it right.
Since Varick left, she’d felt strangely exposed. Vulnerable. For whatever reason, she’d known he was there, before ever truly knowing. Without him guiding her, an eerie cold clung to her skin.
How could a man she’d never met before know so much about her? Why did he make such a big deal about a promise? As she understood it, promises were made and broken all the time. White lies to make a person feel better without any meaning behind them. When had any man promised her one thing and actually followed through?
When Gil had first given her the key to his house, he’d said it was practice for when they moved into their first home together. A home, a safe place to be herself. Words she’d always longed to hear. She’d thought things were going too fast, having only dated for six months at the time, but he’d assured her the emotions he held for her were real and undeniable. The keys had opened a door all right and shown her what a trusting fool she’d been.
She’d always had a void in her life. When her mother died, she was thrust into several foster homes before an aunt she’d never known had taken her in. The woman was far removed from the idea of sensitivity and compassion. Aubrey had resigned herself to believe that in the end, no one cared.
A tear started and she cursed for feeling sorry for herself.
Aubrey raised her hands above her head and stretched. The night had been anything but normal. Mentally and physically exhausted, she changed into her nightgown and swept her hair up into a bun with a few tendrils loose on the sides. The image of the man in white popped in her mind. Immediately she thought of Varick. Her body responded with a liquid sigh. Despite the strangeness of the night, she’d felt protected around him. His touch mysteriously familiar in an arousing way. She’d thought it best to keep her guard up even when she secretly welcomed his touch. To throw herself at someone she didn’t know made her uneasy, but somehow she knew him. All this time he claimed to be watching her. He’d saved her. What if he was the guardian from her dreams? Without her guardian, would she ever wake up from her nightmares?
Within minutes of falling asleep, she dreamt of the white figure, only this time she could clearly see Varick’s face. He lay outstretched on a luxurious four-poster bed beside her, their bodies naked. She licked her lips as she eyed his massive length. Would she be able to accommodate him? How far would he stretch her? The idea left her breathless.
Wild with desire, she ran her fingertips along the smooth planes of his body. When their gazes met, she noticed the hunger in his eyes and matched it. He positioned himself above her body, his lips unbearably close to her left nipple. His tantalising musky scent seduced her into submission. Boldly she cupped his face and pulled him close.
He tasted of a cassis wine. His breath lingered in the back of her throat as their tongues stroked between fervid kisses. When he paused for air, she noted the passion in his eyes.
Aubrey cleared her throat to speak. “It’s always been you in my dreams.”
He nodded and caressed her breast. “Yes.”
“It’s always you leaving me wanting more when I wake with my sheets soaked and thighs quivering.”
His extended smile spoke volumes. “Yes.”
The white figure knew every pleasurable zone in and on her body. Knowing this, how could she ask him to stay away? Boldly, she made her demands very clear. “Then I want you to fuck me right now and not hold back. Give me all of yourself and prove to me that what you feel for me is real. Show me the level of your devot
ion.”
He chuckled and brushed his nose against hers. “You wouldn’t last if I did that.”
She paused, their lips close to touching. “How do you mean?”
Her body melted under his smouldering gaze.
“I could fuck you into oblivion.”
Heat crept up her neck and settled around her shoulders. She tried to think of something…anything intelligent to say in response, but before she could he sealed his lips over hers and delivered a dominating kiss that made her head spin. Warmth spread from her lips, through her belly, and down to her toes. She closed her eyes and allowed the moment to stir sensations deep inside.
Aubrey wanted this right now. To let go of her inhibitions and act out all her deepest, darkest desires. Make him take her on a mind-blowing adventure.
As they kissed his hands cupped her breasts, kneading them one at a time. He bent forward and took one hardened tip in his mouth, lolling it around with his lips and tongue. She moaned and arched her back. Thrills of bliss rippled through her belly. His cock was so close, it drummed against her upper thigh.
She rocked her pelvis, letting him know he could fuck her anytime. Giving him an open invitation to relieve her of the building orgasm raging inside. As if reading her mind, he shifted his cock between her thighs and rested the tip against her pussy.
A rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins, fizzing inside her head and made her more lightheaded than before. Why did he make her wait? Her body trembled as she lay at his mercy, his teeth around her nipple and his cock at the entry of her sex. Each kiss, stroke, caress had her fumbling toward ecstasy.
Desperate to have him inside her, she reached down and stroked his cock, her fingers wrapping around the smooth, thick flesh. He groaned into her neck.
“You make my cock so hard, sweetheart.”
She nearly came undone at his words. “I know you want to take it slow, but I need you now.”
He laughed huskily. “You mortals rush everything.”
His finger flicked at her clit again and her legs shook. She stroked his cock harder and faster, swivelling her palm along the slick head. Varick nibbled at her earlobe then dragged his moist tongue between her breasts. For a moment she tensed as his cock prodded heavily against her pussy. Legs stretched wide, she welcomed him in.