by Kate Wendley
Harmony’s desperate voice caught Ethan off guard and tore through his heart. “Ethan, please. This isn’t right. Please don’t do this.” He flinched at her helpless begging.
Isaiah sounded much more confident now. “Please let my son go. Your fight’s with me, not him.”
Ethan shot back, “Just like your fight was with me and not Sonya?” He angrily squeezed Anthony’s heart again. Anthony grunted loudly this time, and it satisfied an evil need in Ethan’s own heart to hear it.
Isaiah gasped in shock. “No!”
Harmony’s hurried voice cut through the commotion in his head again. “Ethan! Stop! Please! This isn’t the way.”
He helplessly looked her way and locked eyes with her, and felt that intense connection to her that he always felt. He knew he could lose himself with Harmony, just the two of them, side by side, not a care in the world except for loving each other.
But the pain of being attached to Anthony, having his power burn him from the inside out while his own power tried to fight it, kept his mind in the real world. In the real world Isaiah killed the love of his life and now he was back in town for Ethan to have his revenge. In the real world life wasn’t carefree and he couldn’t just take off with his lover without the fear of someone trying to kill her again.
He turned his attention back to Anthony, jarred by the barely stifled grimace of pain on his face. His sharp gaze was piercing, and he wasn’t sure if it was Anthony’s vampire power or just his own natural intensity, but looking into his eyes as death was upon him was the most unnerving thing Ethan had ever experienced.
Anthony never looked away from him, his expression torn between pain and the realization that there was nothing he could do to get free without killing himself. His gaze was steady on Ethan as he trembled and looked more and more gray.
He took tight, short breaths and calmly, though choppily, said, “Do what you must do, Ethan. It seems the years have been building up to this all along. Just please take care of Kaia for me, and make sure she knows how deeply I loved her.”
Ethan’s heart felt shredded at those words. Memories barraged him of meeting Kaia and deciding to take her under his wing. He’s always imagined she was the daughter he and Sonya would’ve had if they’d been human. Kaia had been his anchor to life for the past several years, and now she spent all her time with Sonya’s killer’s son.
Both Harmony and Isaiah cried out as Ethan angrily squeezed Anthony’s heart again. He looked resigned to his fate while he grit his teeth, one hand grasping Ethan’s forearm, the other on his shoulder to steady himself.
Isaiah begged, “Please don’t take my son! Please! I felt pain back then. I did, I swear! As I lay writhing in agony turning vampire that night, I watched you weep over your lover and I swear I’d never seen a man in such anguish and despair in my entire life. When you begged to know why I killed her, and you insisted I was wrong, that you didn’t kill for blood, I believed you. You made me finally realize that vampires weren’t just mindless creatures. They were beings capable of love and loss… and I was horrified at the mistake I’d made.”
Ethan’s hand around Anthony’s heart trembled as tears stung at his eyes from memories of that horrible night.
Isaiah continued, “I made a mistake with you and your lover, and when I had the opportunity, I worked to make things safer for all supernaturals. A werewolf found me that night and aided me in my turning. He’d lost everything to fear and prejudice as well, so we partnered up to create this community because I wanted to give back to the people I took from. Please. I swear that my mistake had a tremendous impact on my life. I only hope I’ve had a positive impact on many other lives as well.”
Ethan’s hand shook uncontrollably now, tears nearly blinding him as he stared into Anthony’s ashen face. Anthony was just as innocent as Sonya had been. He couldn’t have been any more than a baby when his father was a vampire hunter, so he was in no way responsible for her death.
Ethan screamed in bitter frustration as he loosened his grip. He slowly removed his hand from Anthony’s bloody chest and rasped out, “Kaia’s not a child anymore. Her man should take care of her, not me.”
Anthony kept his eyes on Ethan as he shakily righted himself. He looked paler than usual but no less brave, even as his limbs trembled from the shock of what Ethan had just done to him. He reigned his incredible power back in, and Ethan hated to admit he was glad of it, though he’d started to wonder if he should just let Anthony kill him with it. It would put an end to the overwhelming torment he felt for not having Sonya in his life.
Harmony was suddenly grabbing him up and pulling him into her arms. The comfortable feel of her energy helped vanquish his suicidal thoughts. Losing Harmony… wouldn’t be good. He knew that now.
When Anthony was mostly sure footed again, he carefully said, “You think of her as a child? As in… your child?”
Ethan angrily shot one more look at Isaiah, then hissed at him before turning back to Anthony and snapping in irritation, “Yes. She’s my child. Mine and Sonya’s. She kept me sane more than once when I wanted nothing more than to come here and kill you because you’re this monster’s family. Now go take care of her before he decides he’s not done killing innocent people.”
Ethan gripped Harmony harshly, afraid to let her go. She was his lifeline to his sanity tonight, whether she knew it or not, though she probably did. He tried to calm down by focusing on her and the sounds of people moving about, and of the doctor coming down to look over Kaia, but he twice tried to turn back towards Isaiah and Anthony. He still wanted to kill Isaiah, to make someone pay for Sonya’s death, but Harmony held onto him as tightly as she could.
In her soothing, yet firm voice, she said, “We should go.”
He shuddered in anger and indecision before his gaze locked on Seth and Nala. They stood at the back of the club watching him, pain and sorrow clear on their faces. As much as he wanted to talk to them, their presence only reminded him of times spent with Sonya. He was in no shape to deal with them right now, or anyone for that matter. Maybe not even Harmony.
He locked eyes with Seth and said, “Yes. I can’t be here anymore.”
Chapter 16
Ethan struggled with his conscience as Harmony shepherded him out of the club and away from the man he’d been waiting years upon years to kill. He froze up inside thinking about Isaiah still being alive…
They were already almost across the driveway to the parking garage when he forcefully stopped and stared at the building he knew the murderer was in.
Harmony put herself in his line of vision. “Can I drive you home?”
He sighed and looked her over. She had blood on her clothes, but nowhere near as much as he had on himself. He silently pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them over. She tried to turn him towards the passenger side of the car then, but he pointed to the trunk. “Towels please.”
She gave him a look, almost like she worried he’d take off on her if she pulled her attention away for even an instant. He briefly entertained the idea of flying back inside and ending this once and for all, but a sudden uncontrollable raspy cough made him decide against it. Anthony’s loose power had hurt him more than he cared to admit, but he was healing. His insides didn’t feel as burned up as they had a few minutes ago, at least.
The tension between them eased as Harmony opened the trunk and pulled out two towels. She handed one to him as she gestured to the passenger side of the car again, gently nudging him over. This time he let her.
She opened the door, then bent over as she spread a towel on his seat. She had tempting curves that made him want to take her home and lose himself in her body. He wished he could forget about all his troubles so easily.
She turned back around and looked hopefully at him. She must still think he was going a little crazy, or else she just wasn’t as upset as he was that he’d let Sonya’s killer go free again. Then again, why would she be?
He looked down at himself, his gaz
e focused on all the blood. So much blood… just like when Sonya died. He whisked his towel around himself and tried to stop thinking about what a mistake he’d made tonight.
The drive back home was quiet until he wearily asked, “Why do you put up with me?”
Harmony sighed, then quietly chuckled. “Why do you put up with me?”
“Because you feel right. To my soul.”
She couldn’t keep her gaze on him for long since she was driving, but he didn’t miss the tremor of shock that passed through her at his statement.
**
Ethan was too emotionally worn out to talk anymore tonight, and was glad to let Harmony take care of him. She led him into Wild Woods, then guided him straight into his bathroom. She started the water for a shower before turning back to look uncertainly at him.
He stood before her feeling dead inside. The closure he’d been hoping for by confronting Isaiah never happened, and he had no idea what to do now.
Harmony gently took the towel he’d been clinging too out of his hands and dropped it on the floor. She helped him out of his bloody shirt next, then knelt down for his shoes. When she was done, she stood back up and glanced at his pants before flicking a look into his eyes. He wasn’t sure what she thought she saw, but the next thing he knew, she finished undressing him.
Still feeling too weary to speak, he watched her as she quietly looked him over. He’d never been completely naked for her before, and this wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind for the first time she saw him.
She tried to shoo him into the shower, but he didn’t want to go yet. She frowned at his sudden noncompliance.
He reached for the hem of her shirt and managed to say, “You’re bloody, too. Join me.”
Her heart began beating as she silently nodded. He’d love to spend the time undressing her like she’d done for him, but he was honestly too tired, either mentally or physically. He wasn’t really sure which way he felt worse right now. His body was healing, but his mind was a complete mess.
Harmony took it in stride and began undressing herself as he watched. First she spent a solid couple minutes or more pulling daggers and other small, easily concealable nasties out of spots he had no idea someone could hide things. If he had more energy he’d tackle her right now for how damn sexy that was.
Once she seemed sure that was everything, she unzipped and slid out of her knee high boots, a small dagger bouncing to the floor as she did. She scowled and added it to her neat pile on the counter and he mentally groaned in exhausted desire. She shed her snug top next, her jeans, and then her undergarments.
Good Lord she was beautiful. His eyes roamed her body as he stood in front of her, still unable to make a move.
She looked self-conscious for a fraction of a second before she slipped back into caretaker mode. She nudged him to the shower and this time he let her guide him.
He slipped under the warm water and instantly began to feel better. He put his hands on the wall in front of him and let the stream pour over his head and body as he just stood there for a time.
His eyes felt hot and he realized he was crying, but he didn’t want to shed tears over this. He didn’t want to feel any emotion at all. He wanted to put tonight behind him… his anger, and pain… and defeat. That’s what bothered him, he realized. He’d been defeated, not once but twice, and by the same man.
**
The air was heavy with emotion and Harmony didn’t dare break the silence. If Ethan wanted to talk, he’d talk, and she’d be here for him when he was ready. She had no idea what she was doing, but dammit if she didn’t want to at least give this sharing and caring thing a chance.
When Ethan finally seemed to be calming down, she very gently touched his back and quietly said, “Do you want some shampoo?”
She froze in shock as a wave of rage burst from Ethan. She braced herself as he turned and faced her, his expression confused as if he’d just realized she was there. After tonight’s events, she knew anything could be going through his mind right now. His mood thankfully calmed, though, and then something shifted in his eyes. His gaze was now scorching as he took the offered soap.
The man was devilishly handsome from head to foot. He shampooed his hair as he kept his eyes on her, and she couldn’t help following the movement of his hands as he then washed the rest of himself. She had to force herself to stay calm as one of his soapy hands slowly stroked his now semi hard erection.
She looked away to try to keep her cool. Her sharpening fangs and anxious body weren’t helping, though, and in the confines of this small space she didn’t have a lot of places to settle her gaze that didn’t involve Ethan’s naked body. Figuring his eyes were a safer bet than other parts of him, she looked back up and froze. He was focused on her as he handled himself, and it nearly made her come unglued.
Besides his intense gaze, though, she saw little other emotion in him. His soapy hands moved quickly on, anyway, and soon he was rinsing off. Thank God. She wasn’t sure she could handle being in here anymore.
Once he was done, he led her to switch places with him under the water. Thankfully she wasn’t as bloody as him so her shower wouldn’t take long, but it was hard to keep her eyes from wandering over Ethan and all his tempting nakedness. Water droplets glistened on his firm, masculine chest, making their way through a dusting of dark hairs. They slowly trickled down his torso, hypnotically drawing her eye down…
She shivered in desire and looked away from his firm erection. Damn she needed this torture to be over with. Ethan had just been through a traumatic experience and here she was getting all hot for him. She ran her hands through her hair to pull it all back so she could wash the blood out, but stilled when Ethan stepped closer.
He pulled her hands away, and she stood in front of him in surprise. He’d been almost catatonic since they left Anthony’s. Was he finally coming back to himself? He didn’t speak, and there was no real emotion showing on his face, but he very meticulously pulled her hair back and held her head just so in order to wet all the strands. He then proceeded to wash her hair for her, being careful not to get any soap in her face. After he rinsed it all out, he nudged her forward so she wasn’t right under the stream of water, then poured soap in his hands before slowly running them all over her body.
He didn’t miss a single sexy spot with those masculine, sure hands, making her heart thump as he massaged the slippery soap all over her. He pressed himself against her back, his erection firm on her tush, and when he cupped her breasts and slowly ran the pads of his thumbs back and forth over her nipples, she couldn’t stop her helpless whimpers and rocking hips. His breathing was heavy when he shifted his focus and ran a soapy hand down her stomach, slowly edging closer to where she wanted him. Where she needed him. He held her firm against himself with his other hand, swaying his hips in time with her slow writhing.
Her belly quivered and she ached for him to keep going. When he finally cupped her warmth and she reached for him to urge him on, he nudged her hand away. Not wanting him to suddenly decide to stop, she stood there and waited for him to do whatever he wanted.
He let the water wash the soap off them both, then thankfully went right back to exploring her body. One hand massaged her as his arm was wrapped around her, and the other very expertly teased her, drawing more than one whimper from her desperate lips. When he leaned into her neck and gently kissed her, her anxiousness calmed some at his sweet ways, at least until he found out through his slow explorations how incredibly wet she was for him.
His arms tensed around her and a shudder went through him. Two fingers were right on the cusp of edging inside her, but he quietly gasped and stood completely still, then slowly pulled back from her.
She was manic for him as he finished guiding her to rinse the rest of the soap off, but she forced herself to stay calm. Tonight was about Ethan, not her, but his glowing eyes and firm body didn’t help matters. His less than passionate expression did, though. He was still dealing with something in
his head and she had no idea how to help him. So she waited. She felt like he was purposely torturing her, and it was the most frustrating, maddening, and sexy thing she’d done in a long, long time…
Oh, hell yes. She was game. He obviously wanted to be in control right now, so she’d wait like a good little submissive to see what he wanted her to do next. It made her even hotter thinking about it.
He rinsed himself one more time before turning the water off and grabbing a towel. She didn’t bother reaching for her own, and just like she’d thought, he took care of her. His gaze was intent on every inch of her body as he first squeezed the excess water out of her hair, then tenderly dried her off. He even made sure she was balanced all right before lifting each of her feet, one at a time, and making sure he dried every single one of her toes before kissing her foot and putting it back on the ground.
She nearly teared up at how sweet he was being, at least until he froze up on her again.
**
Ethan dried himself off, hung up their wet towels, then stood unsure in front of Harmony.
She was an incredibly beautiful, curvy woman with full breasts, nicely rounded thighs, and a nicely rounded rear end. Her overall stature was that of strength and surety in herself, and it turned him on beyond belief. She definitely wasn’t a pushover, even when she was being docile like she was now.
He wanted her in his bed, his body buried in the softness of hers, but a fear ran through him that she could devastate his heart if she chose to. She was vampire, the breed of woman he’d kept far from his bed, and his heart, after losing Sonya. A shifter was a play thing, someone who finally grew into a lifetime of maturity right when they became old and feeble and needed someone to care for their physical needs. A vampire woman, the mature women he preferred, were both physically and mentally sharp just as they were, with their faculties growing in depth as the years went on, yet their bodies never declined.
Vampire women also had the magical essence that drove him crazy. It couldn’t be helped. He was a creature of the night, through whatever magic was out there that he didn’t even attempt to understand, and her power, her essence, spoke to him in a way shifters never even came close to.