Immortal Protector: Vampire Mates

by Alice K. Wayne

“Go, and explain this to her parents,” he ordered without taking his eyes off of her, and Tama left without a word.

  “Your friends are very loyal.” Her comment was tinged with jealousy.

  “Because they are family.” He sat on the end of the bed, and for the first time in hours, his breathing slowed.

  “Did you kill them all?” she asked, not backing down from the crazy look in his eyes.

  “Yes.” His breath was husky as he replied.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” She watched him nervously.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t stop it. I’ve been trying to pull myself together for a while now, but I went mad when they attacked you. Anyone who ever dares to put you in danger will have me to answer for it. The only thing that kept me from going completely over was killing them for you.” He shook his head hard, knowing that the intensity in his gaze was scaring her, and he never wanted to scare her.

  “You sound pretty hot right now.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

  “Hot and scary?” he asked, confused.

  “Yeah, it’s a thing I think.” She nodded her head slowly.

  “Is it enough of a thing to let me a steal a kiss?” he asked, his voice low.

  “Yeah, I think we could try that out.” She hid a small smile as he moved closer to her.

  He knew that she had always been attracted to him, but he also knew that she had a hundred boundaries and was as closed off as a small island in the sea. So he was a little surprised that she would be okay with a kiss, but he wasn’t going to overcomplicate the situation by asking questions.

  He leaned forward just a bit, and she damn near launched herself at him. Apparently, she had been a lot more into this entire situation than he had originally thought.

  Her mouth was hot and hungry, but he had never been afraid of the fire. He took everything she gave to him, his arms wrapping heavily around her, pulling her as close as he could. He was going to take this absolutely as far as she would let him. Always.

  “No, no,” she finally gasped, pulling slightly away. “It’s too much.”

  “Are you sure because I was thinking it wasn’t enough?” He smiled devilishly down at her but released her from his hold, nonetheless.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve kissed someone like that,” she said, and he noticed her cheeks beginning to tinge with rose. But he didn’t comment on it.

  “Well, in the future, whenever you feel the urge to kiss someone like that, please consider my services.” He winked at her. “I take my job very seriously and am happy to provide you with any and all services. I’m very confident I can fill all of your needs.”

  “So we’re gonna play by my rules?” She seemed to vibrate with excitement as she asked.

  “Yeah, we can play that game.” He brushed her hair away from her face, his dark eyes searching hers.

  “I like that.” She smiled again and leaned in for a second, much smaller kiss.

  For some reason, this kiss lingered on his lips for longer. It made him want to grab onto her harder, and he found it very difficult to let her go.

  ~

  Just before sunrise, Kai had convinced the hospital staff to let her leave so that he, personally, could ensure that she made it home safely.

  Katya wasn’t surprised in the least that her family hadn’t shown up at the hospital. Attempts on her life had become so common that once Tama told them she was safe, they were on to the next issue in their lives.

  She didn’t mind it. In fact, it was honestly a lot better than her mother hovering around like a wounded bird and her father sitting stiff legged in a corner, staring at her.

  Kai had pulled through for her and literally saved her ass in this instance. He had been right. If she’d been with human guards, she would either be dead or kidnapped right now.

  For the first time since he had arrived in her life, she felt grateful for him. It was a strange feeling, one that bordered a little too close to dependence on another person for her general liking, but it wasn’t the worst feeling in the world. Hell, if things kept up like last night, she might even have to learn to like it.

  Once she was safely home, everyone gathered in her family’s cavernous basement. They had a fully furnished basement the entire length of their mansion and, even deeper than that, a wine cellar that was the size of most people’s homes. The warriors had agreed to stay here for the day so that as a group they could discuss the attack.

  A large mahogany table that sat twelve people, and was usually used for playing board games, was covered in maps and something… morbid.

  “Is that skin?” Katya asked, pointing at the bloody lump of flesh. “Is this how you eat?”

  “Uh… no.” Kai looked down at her with a sour look. “Those are some of the tattoos that once belonged to your attackers. I cut them off once I killed them.”

  Her eyes shot up, and she couldn’t hide the fact that she was impressed.

  “Based on these markings, do you know who attacked your daughter?” Ari asked, pointing at each one. “If you can identify them, we can track the cartel. Because after tonight failed so badly for them, any of them with a brain will be on the run.”

  Katya’s father looked over at his sons, flicked his wrist, and they were off without a word.

  “Oh no, that’s not going to work,” Kai stepped forward, but the boys cut around him without a second glance and were gone up the stairs.

  “Your job is to protect her, not to meddle in our affairs. My family will handle this,” Kazimir spoke curtly, appearing to end the discussion.

  “They attacked her, and I killed them. Their masters are somewhere, and I will kill them, too. If your men could handle this task, it would have been done.” Kai stepped forward, and both men were nearly chest to chest.

  For a moment, Katya thought about intervening. After all, her nearly seventy year old father was up against an immortal vampire. But on second thought, the odds were almost evenly matched, and she couldn’t resist a chance to see Kai knocked down on his ass.

  “Are you the master of this family now?” Kazimir asked darkly. “I allowed you to come here and serve my daughter. You are not the only one of your kind that I can find. If you overstep, you will be replaced.”

  With a harsh growl, Kai flipped the heavy table over, sending gore spraying against their walls.

  “No other will come near her.” His chest was heaving, his fangs extended.

  Ari and Tama were immediately between them, both looking concerned that their friend had lost his fucking mind.

  “Father, a word?” Katya piped up, not wanting to come across as disrespectful in this tense moment.

  Kazimir walked to her but did not take his eyes off of the still snarling Kai.

  “There really isn’t any reason not to let them help us, papa,” Katya spoke lowly. She would accept any answer that he gave her as she always had, but the vampires had done great things for them so far. She really couldn’t see a reason to turn away their help now.

  “Do you trust them? Because I do not,” Kazimir replied, his face sour as he turned to stare at her.

  “I do. I don’t know why you chose them; I don’t know why he is so intent on protecting me, but he has saved my life in a situation that no one else except his kind could have.” She looked down at the floor, wondering if she had somehow become too attached to him.

  No. Kai was simply a tool. An amazing asset that could help them exponentially.

  “You both seem to already be very attached to each other. Is that wise of you, Katya?” Her father narrowed his eyes at her.

  “I am always smart, and I never trust anyone more than I have to,” she defended herself. She might not have the most life experience in the world, but she knew that trust was a fool’s game.

  Though, in the back of her mind… oh so quietly… a tiny voice whispered that it knew Kai would never betray her.

  She hushed the voice with the force of a thousand windstorms and met her father’s
gaze.

  “I will hold you personally responsible for them. If they fail, you fail, and you will be punished for it. There will be no mercy for you.” Her father’s eyes were dark with warning, but she was not afraid.

  She nodded, accepting his conditions.

  Kazimir pulled a pen from his pocket and motioned for one of the Maori to come forward.

  Tama met him, and her father pulled out his hand and wrote an address across the palm.

  “You are right. They most likely will be gone, but this is the address where they’ve left everything. If there is a way to find where they’ve gone, this will be it.” He capped his pen and turned to Kai.

  “Pride and love make men do stupid things. All your pride and all your love are useless once you’re dead. Take care of my daughter, or you may soon find out how true my words are.” Kazimir let out a warning that sounded like a promise, and with that, he was gone.

  “Find the house, and find where they’ve gone. Tonight I stay with the girl.” Kai’s eyes were dark but still glowing, and it sent a shiver up her spine.

  “Why are you staying with me tonight?” she asked, confused.

  “Because after that conversation, I can’t bear to leave your side.”

  ~

  Katya didn’t know what he meant by not being able to leave her side, but she wasn’t going to turn him away.

  Not after the crazy ass day she had had with him.

  Not after the attempted murder and the hospital and the fight between Kai and her father. Because somewhere inside her, she knew she would have been distraught if things had actually come to blows. She wasn’t ready to begin exploring what had happened with everyone in the room, but it felt like the Maori were becoming more than just a part of their cartel… it felt like they were becoming part of her family.

  If she tried to think about why this was happening, she might wrack her brain all night and still possibly not come up with an answer. She simply didn’t know. And to be more honest, she didn’t care.

  She liked them and liked having them around. They weren’t exactly her people, and they didn’t necessarily uplift her, but something about them and their way of life made her feel… good. Good in a way that she hadn’t felt… maybe ever.

  They were full of humor and laughs, and it rubbed off on her. She found herself weightlessly laughing at them and their stupid jokes.

  “You okay?” Kai asked, probably noticing more emotion on her face than he usually saw.

  “It’s been a hell of a day,” she sighed, bending down to pick up the overturned table, but he raced her to it and picked it up before she really had a chance to.

  “Let’s talk about it,” he suggested, daring to look hopeful.

  She stared at him, so broad shouldered, covered in tattoos and his expression full of life and hope. Something about it excited her, but something else, deeper down, made her nervous and maybe even apprehensive.

  “We don’t really talk about that kind of stuff in my family. It’s… odd.” She smirked, thinking about how ridiculous the whole situation was. “We have feelings and emotions, especially my mother. But none of that seems like something we want to talk about.”

  “No one wants to talk about it, but you just have to. When emotions hit a certain level, they become toxic like a poison. You’ve got to release the poison before it consumes you. No one wants that,” he spoke matter-o-factly like he had given this speech to many men over many years in his lifetime.

  “I understand what you’re saying. I would even go as far as to say that it makes sense, but it doesn’t feel familiar or comfortable… I’m just a mess,” she laughed, but it was true. She and her whole family had been a mess for a very long time, ever since her brother’s death. Nothing had ever prepared her for how badly something could demolish her whole family.

  “It doesn’t have to feel comfortable, but it has to come out.” He took her hands in his own and met her gaze.

  “The poison has to come out…” she repeated slowly, trying to figure out how she could possibly piece all of this together for him.

  “Let it out.” He pulled her to his chest almost as if he could read her thoughts.

  “Wait…” She stopped him before he could pull her too close. “Let’s go in the wine cellar. If you want feelings and a big mush fest, I’m gonna need to have a few drinks.”

  She let him continue to hold her hand, holding her much closer than she would have let another man and ignoring the fact that it made her heart race.

  Once they made it to the wine cellar, they shut the doors behind themselves to keep it damp and cool inside.

  The space was enormous, and the temperature difference made amazing little goosebumps appear on her skin.

  “It’s like you guys have a whole hidden world under your house,” Kai said in awe.

  “Yeah, I know it can be pretty massive, but it doesn’t really lead anywhere, and it’s just for wine.” She smiled at him.

  In reality, the tunnels did lead to an alternate exit for the family in case they needed to escape in the middle of the night, but she wasn’t about to tell him that in case he ever turned out to be one of the things she needed to escape from.

  Yes, she trusted him, but she would probably never trust him or anyone else with emergency escape route plans for her family. When it came to her family, especially with the world that they lived in, she needed to think about more than just herself.

  “It’s still beautiful.” He smiled sunnily down at her, and for a small moment, she thought that she could bathe in the sunny glow of that smile.

  “Now if only we had remembered a wine opener.” She looked disappointedly down at the dark red bottle she had pulled from its shelf. “I’m gonna go get a wine opener. You stay put.”

  He stopped her before she could actually leave.

  “I can open that for you.” He held out his hand to take the bottle from her, and while she was thoroughly confused, she handed the bottle over to him.

  He held the bottle up to his mouth, and with a canine that looked like a surgical tool, he pressed down and uncorked the bottle.

  “Holy shit,” she whispered, thinking that now it was her turn to be impressed with him.

  “Yeah, it’s not exactly running a drug cartel, but being a vampire has a few perks,” he laughed and handed her the bottle.

  She didn’t hesitate in taking it and putting down a few swigs. If she was going to get through a night doing something as disgusting as sharing her feelings, she would need all of the liquid courage she could muster.

  “You want any?” she offered, but he waved his hand in a polite refusal, and she wondered if vampires couldn’t ingest food, only blood.

  “So, my brother died.” She opened the conversation up after a few hard drinks of the wine. It wasn’t an ideal way to start up a conversation, but fuck it; she wasn’t exactly an ideal person, either.

  The words came out slowly and cautiously like chopping wood, but when she put one word in front of the other, she could string sentences along enough to get some general feelings out.

  On the whole, her general feelings were “sad” and “mad.”

  How very deep of me, she thought to herself as she slowly walked through the short tunnels and tried to think of more and more words to explain what she meant.

  More than once, she mentioned the phrase, “It was very difficult,” and, “My family took it hard.”

  Yes, these were cliché things to say, but it was all she could come up with to try to piece things together.

  He didn’t seem to mind her juvenile attempts. In fact, he seemed to appreciate the fact that she was trying to piece something together for him at all. He always seemed to be appreciative of her efforts, and in her tipsy state, she started to appreciate him right back.

  “Oh boy, what are you thinking about now?” Kai laughed as she wobbled a little bit and took another long drag of the heavy bottle.

  “I’m thinking about what I should ask you.” She smil
ed, but it was pure evil. “You’ve had me down here baring my soul and all the problems in my family. Don’t you think it’s only fair that you meet me even half way?”

  “Well, I’m not drinking, so I think the deck is already stacked in your favor,” he laughed, but not in a way that made her feel dismissed.

  “I think I like you tonight.” She smiled softly.

  “I think you always like me, but you just don’t want to admit it.” He bumped into her playfully, and she didn’t bother to deny his claim.

  “Why did you come here?” She finally settled on the most important question.

  “For you.” He tried to answer simply, but the look on her face said that she wasn’t going to let it slide that easily. “I will answer your question if you insist. But I don’t think you’re ready to hear all of the things I have to say, so I’m warning you to think hard about this.”

  “No, don’t answer it.” She looked away, cottoning on to what he was saying. “You’re right. There’s already been too much sharing and mushy emotions for one night. If we keep going, I might have to throw up.”

  He gave a belly laugh because he both knew what she was saying was true and couldn’t help himself.

  “Can we just sit? These tunnels go on forever, but the wine bottles ended back there, and I don’t want to get too far away from them.” She chucked her thumb back to the end of the wine racks.

  “Can you really drink more than one bottle of wine? You’re so small,” he said, shocked.

  “Small my ass.” She waved him off not even close to hitting her limit. “I grew up with all brothers, and my family runs a drug cartel. I’m tough as hell.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Snakebite, I know, tough as hell,” he sighed, and she glared at him. “Have you ever considered that you’re just doing to yourself what your mom used to do to you?”

  “What do you mean?” Her eyes darkened. She was not liking the sound of his words at all.

  “She used to force you to be a certain way even though you were different. Now, you’re so focused on being tough and strong; it kind of feels like you’re forcing yourself.” He tried to word things gently because the last thing he wanted tonight was a massive fight between them.