His Dark Embrace

by Verika Sloane

  He’d have to do so on his own. If he assigned Brooks, he might give the human a heart attack.

  “Here.” Brooks came out holding two garments. “I have a suggestion. Your navy Italian-blend pants with the gray long-sleeve crew neck and a belt. You can wear the shirt untucked or it’s loose enough for a French tuck. Perhaps a casual timepiece from your collection to complete it?”

  “Perfect. That’ll do.”

  Brooks appeared relieved to be done when the doorbell rang. “Ah. Must be your dry cleaning.” Hands cupped behind him, he clicked his heels and gave a nod. “Sir.”

  After Brooks left, Shain dressed, and chose a watch his brother gifted him with a leather band and dark blue face. To say he felt underdressed was an understatement.

  But Kimber will like it. He cocked a smile in the mirror as he finished fastening the watch.

  Tonight, they were meeting at an old movie theater, but they wouldn’t be going to see a show. It was simply the meeting place. He meant to surprise her with a midnight picnic. Wine, fruit, cheese, sausages were ready to go in a basket. Afterward, he’d take her out on the lake for a boat ride.

  While she’d been busy with the meet-and-greet, he’d purchased a brand new cabin cruiser, and then learned how to drive and dock it, just so she could have her day on the lake, except at night.

  He couldn’t be more elated they were finally getting their weekend alone in less than a week. Nothing all year had excited him more. The anticipation. The thrill. The surprises he had in store. Brooks had helped with the logistics, but of course knew nothing about Kimber, nor did Shain think he would ask questions.

  The one thing Brooks did note was Shain only requiring three people onsite for his needs: a housekeeper, a gourmet chef, and a butler. That was all? Yes, it was essential to keep the staff minimal. The less who encountered Kimber, the better. He’d tip them generously for their extra labor, though he thought little would be needed, other than fresh sheets and food.

  Without telling Brooks, he’d interviewed and verified with each of them. All three were UA humans and sworn to the same code: Whatever happens in the underworld stays in the underworld. Should they disclose anything about their time serving Shain Trevyn, he would find out who it was, and there’d be a price.

  But he wasn’t worried. Each was professional and discreet, and were used to such demands.

  He marched down the hardwood hallway, eager to leave. Whistling, for gods’ sake.

  Brooks came around the corner before he reached the foyer. “Sir—”

  “It must wait. Message me.”

  “But—”

  Shain halted upon entering the formal living area, at the sight of a man sitting in Shain’s favorite, tufted high-back velvet chair.

  Rhyuu Tanaka.

  The almost thousand-year-old vampire looked him up and down with his nearly black eyes, twice, before Shain found his bearings. Much like a king would regard a lowly subject who’d just stumbled in off the street.

  Tanaka was there. In his loft. In his seat.

  And there Shain was, bounding out of the house like a zealous teenager in a crew shirt, for fuck’s sake.

  That was not the first impression he’d wanted to present.

  Tanaka had not announced his arrival on purpose. He obviously wanted to catch Shain off-guard, and that was his prerogative.

  Shain learned from a young age not to reveal his reactions. That was to give power to the other.

  He smoothly sat down at the chair across from Tanaka. “Welcome to my home.”

  “You were on your way out. Have I inconvenienced you?”

  “Not in the slightest.”

  Damn it. His plans with Kimber just flew south, and there was no way to alert her, either.

  Tanaka radiated the best of vampiric health as he rose from the chair. “Where shall we begin?”

  Shain stood as well. “I’m going to begin with a change of clothes,” he told him. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be but a minute.”

  Tanaka cocked his head. “Why would you do that? You were about to walk out the door, yes? There’s no need to change.”

  Shain cast a look down. “This isn’t my usual attire.”

  “Then why wear it?”

  “I was going to spend the evening on my boat.”

  Tanaka lifted a brow. “Indeed? You favor the outdoors?”

  Why did he feel like a child being interviewed by an elder? “It’s cooler on the water, especially at night. So yes, you could say I favor it this time of year, but I’m not what you call an outdoorsman.”

  Vampires didn’t play in nature. It wasn’t, well, their nature. Shifters, fairies, and humans loved being—and even having sex—in the dirt and trees, but vampires were mostly admirers from far. Preferably from a yacht or a luxury cabin. Already, he was giving Tanaka pause simply because he chose this night of all nights to wear these clothes.

  Had to be a practical joke by the gods.

  Tanaka further surprised him by saying, “I think some time on the lake will be quite pleasant. I could use the fresh air since I’ve been on a plane for fourteen hours. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  Shain released a breath while Tanaka walked out.

  So it begins.

  He and Kimber had an understanding that, if one didn’t show up, the other should assume it couldn’t be avoided, and dismiss any immediate concern. Even so, it disheartened him imagining her, waiting, anticipating—probably for too long—before she realized he wasn’t coming.

  He called the only person he trusted to give her a message. “Are you busy? Because I need a favor…”

  Once finished, he turned for the hall; the weight elevating from his chest that she wouldn’t have to wonder what happened to him.

  Brooks emerged from a shadow, white as a full moon.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Trevyn. I wasn’t notified of his arrival. His secretary only gave an approximate date, but I never thought we’d be caught unawares. I have no messages or alerts from her.”

  Shain exhaled with annoyance. “We were aware, and I should’ve been prepared for him to arrive at any moment, any day, instead of expecting to be notified. It wasn’t your fault.” He set a hand on Brooks’s shoulder. “Fret not. It’s all a game to him. Or a test. Perhaps a bit of both. Regardless, looks like I’m taking him for a boat ride.”

  Brooks’s eyes widened. “I heard. How bizarre he’d want to start there. What can I do while you’re out?”

  “Get the wine he likes to the boat right away. I’ll take the long route to the lake to give you time. Make the reservations we planned. Find out his accommodations and send a welcome basket of some sort. And I challenge you to think of something that might make him forget about my first impression.”

  Brooks cupped his hands and looked away. “Pardon me, sir, but you know what they say…”

  “I do.” His mouth set in a flat line. “Maybe I can’t make him forget, but I can do better going forward. Back to the old Trevyn.”

  Brooks turned as Shain headed to the bedroom. “Apologies. Was there a new Trevyn?”

  Shain was out of earshot as he muttered, “For a short time, there was.”

  Fatebloods like Rhyuu Tanaka become more enigmatic with time. Notoriously elusive, they were more or less evolved from having to attend the fundamental vampire socials. What would’ve been important in their first, third, even sixth century held little weight by his ninth.

  What was true and what was false about them blurred.

  The only known facts about them were those that they wanted the underworld to know. Much like a Hollywood celebrity, to the scale of a legend. And it was no wonder. Coming to a thousand years of existence meant countless experiences, numerous lifetimes, untold wisdom, and a worldview very few could share while alive.

  As he and Tanaka quietly walked the dock, Shain appreciated the lack of conversation, still managing the weight of unease from the abruptness of the man’s appearance in his home. And now, instead of maki
ng their way to a club where the red carpet would be rolled out, where Shain could establish his standing, they were traversing the neglected road to East End Lake.

  Not only was he in a crew neck shirt and boat shoes, but also taking an elite, nearly-elder vampire he sought an alliance with on a cruise.

  His allies—hell, his entire coven—would either gasp with humor or horror.

  What Shain had envisioned for Tanaka’s first night in the city—an exclusive lounge, the best blood money could buy, first-class service—contrasted starkly with the current situation. It created a rare, intimidating air that Shain didn’t have to breathe in very often.

  He wasn’t comfortable or prepared.

  Damn the gods, where was his famous confidence?

  Approaching the boat, Shain frowned as his stomach flipped at the thought of Kimber, and how she should be there with him, not Tanaka.

  Shain leaped on the brand new boat, then started it, and went to release the ropes, remembering what he’d learned from his lessons.

  Tanaka remained on the dock, looking around. “Where is your crew?”

  “I don’t need one.”

  Tanaka watched him go about his tasks then stepped on deck. “Hm. I see.”

  Shain used the mechanics of undoing the ropes, starting the engine, and guiding the boat backward to open water, to give himself time to comport his mood. Once at the helm, he kept his eyes ahead.

  Tanaka stood at the bow, hands behind his back, silent, like a brooding captain lost in solemn thought.

  “Tell me, Trevyn. What makes you special?”

  “I’m a pürblood. I’m not special.”

  “Humility isn’t necessary with me. What you’ve achieved, at your age, your origins, says something about you is notably uncommon. I’m not sure what it is. I’ve never been sure.” He sat and rested both arms on the back of the seat. “You’re not even in your third century. You’re young. Ambitious. Keen for the top of the mountain.”

  “Is that not the calling card of qualities for the young?”

  “Indeed. Where would anyone successful be unless they had more drive than the average? Unless one is a Nine, the road must be built by your own hands, inch by inch, and it’s long and dark and seemingly without end.” He paused. “Until there is an end.”

  The word “end” could be interpreted in several ways. The end of everything. The end of the journey. The end one didn’t expect… Shain didn’t know which Tanaka referred to.

  He seemed to sense Shain’s inability to expand on that thought. “What do you want, Mr. Trevyn? What do you really want, and why?”

  Incredibly, Kimber came to mind. Again. “I—”

  “Never mind. I don’t want to hear it. It can’t be anything I haven’t heard. I know what you want, and I could give a good guess why. I just don’t know if I want to be the conduit who gets you there.”

  “Then why did you agree to meet with me?”

  The man didn’t answer for a while. He stood up, looking around. “Let’s anchor here.”

  Shain was a fool to think he had a chance for an alliance.

  It was done. He was already finished.

  Once the anchor was down, Shain opened the vintage bottle of red wine he’d instructed Brooks to leave, and handed Tanaka a glass.

  “I won’t waste your time,” he told Tanaka with all honesty. Before the man’s arrival, he’d figured this was the way it was going to go, and so the disappointment wasn’t as acute as it would’ve been weeks ago. “Stay as long as you want. You’re my guest, and all of my resources are at your disposal. And if you choose to leave tonight, I’ll take no offense.”

  “None? Even after pursuing an audience with me for almost half a century?”

  “None.” He took a sip.

  Tanaka swirled the wine, sniffed, then tasted the vino. “What the…the same wine from my avowal ceremony. How the hell did you find that out? It was over four hundred years ago.”

  “A small, intimate reception, I was told.”

  Tanaka took a sip. “Thoughtful. You know, I was over six hundred years old. Had given up on finding my fated. For years, I waited for the dark depression to manifest. You could even say I anticipated it, but it never happened. I was one of the lucky ones. Eventually, I avowed with a wonderful woman, who still makes me happy to this day. Very few know Helen’s the reason I am where I am now. I can’t imagine my fated would eclipse her.”

  “But you still think about your fated.” Shain regretted voicing the thought. By the look on Tanaka’s face, he’d hit a mark.

  “Impossible to think of someone who never existed, who never had a face.” He swallowed more wine. “It’s partly because of my wife I’m giving you this chance.”

  He still had one?

  “And partly because I’m curious,” Tanaka added.

  “About?”

  “If you can meet my challenge.” He set the wineglass down. “You can cancel whatever plans you had in mind. No need to spend hours showing me why you’re worthy of my alliance. I don’t need any help from you or any endorsement from your circle to make that decision. An ally courtship would be a waste of your time.”

  Good to know, because then he could use that time for Kimber. “What’s the challenge?”

  “Surprise me. It’s not easy to do, as you can imagine. But it’s not impossible. Something different. Something rare. It doesn’t have to be grand or shocking or elaborate. In fact, I expect it’d have to be quite random to impress me.”

  Rare? Different? What the hell could that be for a man at his age?

  “Don’t overthink it,” Tanaka teased. “I’ll give you a few days and we’ll meet up again.”

  A few days…to craft an idea that could affect the rest of his life.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Why would Shain want to meet at a closed movie theater?

  Kimber leaned against the wall near a poster showing a movie that released over three years ago, hoping to see Shain come around the corner with that signature smile.

  People continued to pass, but none were him.

  A young, dark-haired woman stopped briefly when she and Kimber locked eyes.

  Kimber ignored her until she realized the woman was walking toward her, dressed in a casual shirt-dress and wedges.

  “Kimber, right? Shain described you to a T.” She offered a disarming smile. “I’m Sasha.”

  It took Kimber a second to recall. Sasha the whilling? His on-call for blood? Kimber looked around Sasha’s shoulder. “Where is he?”

  “He can’t make it. He sent me to let you know so you wouldn’t worry.”

  Disappointment dropped like an anchor. “Did he say why?”

  “The exact message was, ‘Tanaka has arrived. I’ll leave a note in the morning.’”

  Oh, boy. The “ultimate alliance” vampire. Obviously Shain hadn’t expected him to show up tonight or else he wouldn’t have made plans with her. “I see. Thank you for bringing the message.”

  “You’re welcome.” She shifted the purse strap higher on her shoulder. “He told me your cell phone was having issues or something?”

  Good thinking, Shain. “Er, yes, my service sucks out here.” She cringed at her lie, but everyone could relate to poor cell reception and it was all she could think of.

  The human bought the excuse. “Isn’t that the worst?”

  Being denied time with Shain was the worst. What could he have had in mind meeting here? Obviously, a movie wasn’t on the real itinerary.

  The way the woman assessed her gave her an animal-in-the-zoo feel. Did Sasha know what she was? What she was to Shain?

  Then again, what was she to him?

  The awkwardness swelled until Kimber felt pressured to end it. “Well, thank you for going through the trouble to find me.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t any trouble,” she said with a genuineness Kimber believed. “In fact, I’m surprised he called me. Trevyn has never asked me to do him a favor. Not once in the seven years I’ve known h
im. But I was more than happy to! Plus, he put a 9-1-1 on it, so he must’ve been really worried about leaving you hanging. Kinda sweet.” She offered a small smile, and if Kimber wasn’t mistaken, it had a bit of envy in it.

  A feeling that ran both ways. Kimber had only “known” Shain for a month, and wouldn’t continue to much longer.

  Since the night with Shain was a bust, maybe spending time with someone close to him would be the next best thing. If his whilling was, well, willing.

  “Are you—busy? Right now?” Kimber asked with hesitation.

  Sasha jumped at the hint. “Want to grab a bite to eat? There’s a great vegan bistro a few blocks away.”

  “Vegan?” Perhaps she didn’t know Kimber was a shifter. “I’m game.”

  Because of the hour, the bistro wasn’t busy, and they got a table by the window.

  A million questions were ready to burst, but she had to be selective about them, and not assume Sasha would be comfortable talking about her…employer? Anything Kimber asked had the chance of being repeated to Shain.

  Lucky for her, Sasha was the one who initiated a dialogue after they ordered.

  “What do you do for work?”

  “I’m a bookkeeper. You?” A heat flared her face. “Besides what you do for Shain?”

  Sasha smiled with knowing eyes. “I own a yoga studio.”

  Kimber smiled back. “Very cool.”

  “It is! It happened all because of Trevyn, you know.” There must’ve been something on Kimber’s face that compelled Sasha to interject with, “It’s not like that. We’re not like that. The banks denied me left and right. An old roommate stole my identity to get a bunch of credit cards and destroyed my credit. It’s been a nightmare sorting it out. Shain loaned me the money so I wouldn’t have to wait.”

  Kimber smiled, unfolding her napkin on her lap. “I can see him doing that.”

  Sasha cocked her head. “How long have you known him?”

  “Not long,” she admitted wistfully. “Not like you.”