Wicked Intentions

by Nikki Landis

  A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

  “I saw that.”

  Turning, I shifted in his arms until we were facing one another. “Why are you here?”

  He didn’t pretend to misunderstand, and I loved his honesty. “I like you, Cora. You’re pretty and funny. You’re sweet and kind of badass.” Rex leaned closer and brushed his lips against my own. “I could add you’re sexy as hell and appeal to my dark side but there’s also a heavy concentration of magic that’s part of your aura and I find it irresistible. Along with your delicious scent, of course.”

  “Magic draws magical beings,” I whispered, remembering the phrase but uncertain where I’d heard it before.

  Rex startled, his brows lowering. “Where have you heard that?”

  “I don’t remember,” I admitted with frustration. “Why?”

  “It’s something the Elders of the Coven say often. You’re new. It shouldn’t be something you’ve heard before.”

  “That’s odd.”

  “Very,” he agreed. “In your dreams and nightmares, where do you go?”

  “I don’t know. Everywhere?” I wondered, trying to recall.

  “Do you think you could remember?”

  I closed my eyes and concentrated but nothing surfaced. “I’ve got no idea.”

  “Do you trust me?”

  Searching his eyes, I knew that I did. “Yes.”

  “I have an idea but it’s kind of risky and it’s a bit invasive.”

  “Risky how?”

  “Well, it could cause our bond to deepen.”

  Bond? “What are you talking about?”

  “Vampires and dhampir have a pull or compulsion. You experienced that when we kissed for the first time. That sinking warm feeling where you lost all control. It’s like that but we also have the ability to reach into the mind of others. The practice is personal and intimate.” He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers across my cheek. “We share a small bond already. Your drop of blood was the first step. I didn’t think about it until much later or I would have mentioned it.”

  “Okay. That makes sense. I did feel the way you described. What’s this bond?”

  “Witches are able to bond with immortals. The magic latches onto one another and combines but remains separate. That means we can function apart from one another but we’re strongest when we’re together. In fact, we’re nearly unstoppable. The bond sort of fuses our souls.” Rex swallowed loudly. “It’s permanent, Cora.”

  Frowning, I wasn’t sure of the significance. “I guess I’m still a little confused.”

  “The bond is unbreakable once it begins but it doesn’t have to go further. We could remain as we are, and nothing would change.”

  “But?”

  “If I reach into your mind it will deepen our bond a little further.”

  “Rex, what does that mean? For us?”

  “We’ll feel more connected, Cora.”

  “In what way?”

  “Every way,” he emphasized. “It’s intimate and deep. Friendship, loyalty, trust.”

  “And?”

  “Sexual, sensual, needy, lustful. The bond will flood our emotions. It may be hard not to act on our impulses around one another.”

  Oh. “Oh,” I gasped. “I guess it’s good I’m attracted to you but don’t expect to get lucky.”

  Chuckling, he smiled. “The feeling is mutual.” His sharp gaze roamed my face. “I’ll try to behave.”

  “Is there any other way to get the information we need?”

  “Yes,” he replied honestly, “but not as effective. We’d be relying on your next dream and hoping you were able to remember the details. It’s too subjective but I would follow your wishes. I don’t want to pressure you, my sweet.”

  There were too many unknowns in that plan. My decision was made quickly before I had a chance to overthink it. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

  He seemed skeptical. “You’re not going to think about it?”

  Shaking my head, I was adamant. “No. I need to know as badly as you do, Rex.” I bit my bottom lip. “Will we be safe here? While you check out my crazy head?”

  He snickered at my response. “Yes, I have wards set up all around the lake. This property is under my protection and so it reciprocates. We benefit one another.”

  Curious, I didn’t ask for details. We had more important business at the moment. “Fine. Don’t look at anything embarrassing.”

  Amusement danced in his hazel irises as they began to glow a shimmering green and took on that familiar odd sheen. “I promise. Close your eyes, Cora. Let me in.”

  Chapter 11 – Rex

  “Close your eyes, Cora. Let me in.”

  My softly voiced command was followed without hesitation. Cora’s trust meant more than I could form into words. She was my bonded and although the entire experience was new and almost frightening, I couldn’t resist the pull she’d had on me since the moment we met. My first order of business should have been to dig into her dreams but as I leaned forward and reached for her hands I had to see if her reaction to my presence was as strong and addictive as mine had been.

  “We have to be touching for this to work,” I whispered, pulling her into my lap, “I’ll hold your hands and keep you close. If you become uncomfortable, let me know.”

  She sighed softly and let her head rest against my shoulder. “Will it hurt?”

  “Yes, if you resist. The more compliant you are, the easier it will be.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead before continuing. “I won’t lie though. At first, you’ll feel a prickly and cool sensation and then it may start to pulse and throb like a mild headache. If the pain becomes too much I can stop. The longer I’m in your memories, the deeper our connection will become.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re sharing thoughts, feelings, memories, and emotion. The bond will strengthen with that unique experience.”

  “That makes sense,” she observed, her fingers gripping mine with greater pressure. “I’m kind of scared to learn what you’ll find.”

  “Don’t be. Remember I’m with you the entire time. I’m right next to your side. Touching helps and should make you feel anchored here in reality. You may experience an odd feeling of déjà vu. Everything we see and feel is in your past. It doesn’t have the ability to harm you now.”

  She inhaled and exhaled twice and then nodded. “I’m ready.”

  Cora’s mind was a complicated and intricate mixture of hidden doors and locked windows, the vast majority of her memories under intense guard within an old gothic castle. She was probably unaware of that fact since all vampires and dhampirs used their own individual methods of entering another’s mind. Personally, I found it easier to picture each person as living in a home that represented their personality and took on their traits. Hence, the dark foreboding castle and the many turrets and spires, numerous floors and spiral staircases. Room after room of memories and intimate thoughts that were endless.

  Intrigued, I had to rein in my curiosity. The last thing I wanted to do was invade her most private longings and desires. I searched for the memory of the night we met at the party and was rewarded with her feelings of attraction and interest which confirmed my own strong reaction. We were meant to find one another. I truly believed she was more than my bonded. Her power pulsed throughout every corner of the castle; her presence so strong that it wasn’t long before I realized the truth.

  Cora was a Syre.

  Rare and incredibly gifted, a witch born as a Syre possessed every known magical ability and could also anchor and unite her Coven. Those magical gifts would magnify in every witch she was connected to and strengthen her Circle. She was the spirit of the Coven, it’s leader and also, it’s burden.

  Magic drew magical beings.

  Being a Syre meant she attracted other immortals, supernatural beings, and witches. Demons, vampires, werewolves – they would all seek her out in curiosity, and some meant to harm or exterminate her. Such
a powerful witch was a threat to many immortals.

  I knew now why she had frequent dreams and nightmares that were vivid and frightening, why Casey and Colin were so attracted to her aura and guarded her closely. They didn’t know what she was, but they could sense it. All witches would sense her level of power. She was being attacked because of what she could do, what she would do in the future. Her safety was compromised. Cora’s life was in extreme danger.

  I only knew one solution.

  I’d have to return to the Coven and insist that we complete the Circle. Just like we attempted a year ago. The same night Emma and Connie died.

  There was no other choice.

  Before I left her mind, I had to do a little more snooping. I searched as far back as I could and found that she had experienced trauma and nightmares almost since the hour of her birth. Dark beings sought her out on a regular basis. She was passed from home to home because she couldn’t control her magic or outbursts as a child. No one understood her power or significance.

  Except Sarah.

  Digging a little deeper, I found the shocking truth.

  It wasn’t my secret to reveal but I felt torn. Cora should know the truth. Fighting against every instinct to protect my bonded, I finally won control over my will. I’d confront Sarah and give her the opportunity to tell the truth first. If she didn’t reveal her secrets, I would expose them myself.

  “Rex?”

  Cora’s emotional voice immediately brought me back to awareness and I reluctantly left her castle but not before I placed a gift. In one of the main chambers I dropped a bright red rose on her pillow and carved my name into the headboard of an intricately sculpted four-poster bed. She would be able to find that memory later and I hoped it gave her comfort to know I was there, permanently etched into the surface.

  “Yes, my sweet?”

  Blinking, her glassy-eyed stare gazed upward, and I lowered my head to press a gentle but firm kiss against her soft lips.

  “What did you find?”

  “A great deal. We have much to talk about,” I confessed. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing we can’t handle.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “Definitely not,” I answered with conviction. “Are you hungry? We could find a place to talk and eat.”

  “But you’re a . . .” her voice was uncertain, but she continued, “do dhampir eat food?”

  Chuckling, I pulled Cora to her feet and held her hand as we walked back to my bike. “The luxury of being one of my kind means that I can survive on both blood and food. I have the best of both worlds. My body uses either one for energy.”

  “That must be incredibly useful.”

  Humored, I snorted. “You could say that. I’m not sure if you would find the bloodsucking part as glamourous.”

  Tilting her head to the side, she contemplated my answer. “I suppose I’d have to see it to decide. Unless,” she amended quickly, “you go around sucking people’s necks and ripping into their throats like in horror movies.”

  I couldn’t resist the loud laugh that escaped when I saw her look of disgust. “Oh, Cora. You’re a real treat to have around, you know that?”

  She stuck her tongue out and I was tempted to snatch it with my fast reflexes but decided she would probably think it was gross.

  “What’s your favorite food?”

  I sat on my bike and waited for her to secure her helmet. “Pizza, burgers, junk food. Anything a normal teen would eat, babe. What sounds good to you?”

  “Pizza. I haven’t had it since I came here.”

  “What?” I asked in mock horror. “How dare the Bradford’s deny you!”

  Giggling, Cora’s arms encircled my waist as she leaned forward and rested her cheek against my leather vest. “Take me, Rex. I’m starving!”

  Resisting the urge to growl at the imagery she evoked, I ignored my lust filled response to her words and sped away from the lake, content to feel the Harley’s engine rumble beneath us and my bonded’s heat snug against my flesh.

  CORA’S EYES WERE WIDE as I finished, her expression a mixture of concern, confusion, and frustration. “Let me get this straight. I’m a powerful witch called a Syre and all kinds of bad evil things are coming to take me down.”

  “More or less,” I replied with a shrug. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”

  Her brow lifted as she sat back against the seat and ignored her slice of pizza as it cooled. “Tell me.”

  By her attitude I could tell she was flustered so I leaned back and decided it was best to come clean. “Listen, my sweet. I realize this is a lot to learn all at once. I really do have a plan. Relax. Hear what I have to say before you pass judgment.”

  Sighing, she blew out a breath. “Alright.”

  “There’s a Coven of powerful witches that I used to be a member of, the same Coven that tried to cast a complicated spell that would complete our Circle. The Bradford family is part of that Coven.”

  “Yes, I know. Connie is the sister they lost, and some girl named Emma.”

  “Right. Emma was Colin’s fiancé. The loss hit everyone pretty hard and our Circle was never completed. We’ve been fractured since that night. Everyone went their separate ways but that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.”

  “Wait. You’re a witch and a dhampir?”

  I guess I forgot to explain that part. “Yes, I’m half witch and half vampire. That makes me a dhampir with all the powers of both a vampire and a witch. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. My mother is a witch. My father was a vampire.”

  “Was?” She asked, her eyes searching mine.

  “Yes, he was destroyed when I was ten. I was taken in by his brethren. They formed a motorcycle club as a means of hiding their true identity and keeping the public out of their business in the early fifties. All members are either full vampire or dhampir. You’ve seen my cut.”

  “The Ravaged Souls MC.”

  “Indeed, we are,” I laughed. “They’re my family.”

  “What about your mother, Demi, and Sadie?”

  “They are witches and my family as well. I protect and love them, but I don’t live with Sydney and my sisters. I stay at the compound with my brothers.” Munching on a slice of pizza, I gestured for Cora to eat. “Sydney remarried a few decades after my father’s death and had my sisters. We’re close but our relationship is far from conventional.”

  “How old are you, Rex?”

  I was wondering when she would ask. “Nearly ninety. My father was well over three hundred when he was murdered. Vampire blood is potent and can extend the lives of our bonded. That’s why Sydney has lived far longer than a normal human lifespan.”

  “Your bonded?”

  “Yes, our cherished females.” I was careful not to divulge more than she needed to know. Cora didn’t understand the significance and I didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much information at once.

  Sharp and intelligent, she picked up on what I meant instantly. “Is that what I am to you? Your cherished female? A bonded?”

  Leaning forward, I wrapped my hands around hers and paused to take a deep breath. I wasn’t afraid of her rejection, but my heart did a funny little succession of beats as if I was nervous. “Not a bonded, my bonded. Cherished . . . yes,” I gulped, “as all females are to vampire or dhampir.”

  She quirked a brow as a slow smile spread across her face. “I’m not special then?”

  Oh, devious little mate. “I never said that,” I growled low as she leaned forward and our lips met in the middle. “Far more than special,” I whispered.

  “Rex?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re squishing our pizza,” she giggled.

  I didn’t care. “Kiss me again,” I commanded, ignoring the rest of the world.

  Cora’s lips pressed to mine, and I had the urge to pull her across the table and into my lap, my hands gripping the muscle of her thighs as she rested against my chest. A possessive and protective instinct rose to the surfac
e as I stared into her eyes. She was mine. My bonded. My dhampir mate.

  She was young, far younger than I ever would have anticipated when I thought of meeting a mate. By vampire standards I was a youngling myself. Our bond and relationship would grow and deepen over time and I was in no rush to push her beyond her comfort zone. We needed to learn about one another, and Cora was still in high school. Some levels of our bond would have to wait.

  Sitting back, I used a wad of napkins to clean off my shirt, relieved I didn’t stain my leather cut. Once Cora was done eating, I watched as she sipped on her sweet tea.

  “Why do you hate the Bradford’s?”

  Her question caught me off guard, but I should have known she would be curious. “I don’t hate the whole family. Corinne is nothing like her devious and cocky brothers. Casey and Colin have had a personal rivalry with one another most of their lives although it became much worse after Connie’s death. I’ve always thought they were arrogant, rich bastards. I guess you could say we have a mutual dislike of one another. You know how I feel about the Richies. We tolerate and acknowledge that each of us has our place, but I won’t ever say we’re friends.”

  The explanation must have been enough because she didn’t ask anything else. It wasn’t important. There was something else on my mind.

  “Would you like to learn more magic?”

  Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”

  “I think it would be a good idea if we strengthened your natural defenses.”

  “How?”

  “Compulsion is one of the strongest abilities of the vampire. It’s a dangerous lure that will completely overwhelm your senses. You need to build up a resistance to it.”

  “How is that learning magic?”

  “I’m going to teach you a couple of resistance spells that will help but when your life is on the line you need to be able to latch onto our bond and break the compulsion.”

  “Wow, can I do that?”