Blood Hunger (An Adult Paranormal Romance) (Deathless Night Series #1) (32 page)

     “Yes! That’s it!” Aiden smacked himself on the forehead. “You bloody bitch!
You
killed Eliana!”

   
 
“Flattery will get you
everywhere
, my love,” Leeha murmured, adjusting the flowing material of her gown just so as she sat down.

     “Would someone please tell me what the
fuck
you all are talking about?” Nik gritted out in frustration.

     Emma moved in front of him, ignoring the displeasure shooting from him at her continued disregard of his trying to protect her. “
Listen
to me,” She beseeched him, placing her hands on his hard chest. “You didn’t kill Eliana! It was
her
, Nik!
She
killed her!”

   
 
“What?” Grasping her hands in his, he held them where they were, his eyes bouncing around as he remembered that night. “No. No. Emma, I was…I was fucking
there
. It was me. She was alive when I came home to her. And dead five minutes after. No one else came in the room.”

   
 
“How alive, Nik?” This from Aiden.

     “I…What? I don’t know. I was all riled up from the fight. She was asleep.” He started to hope. Could it be true? Could it be that he didn’t kill her?

     Emma smacked his chest excitedly as another thought popped into her head, the one that had been eluding her since he’d told her this story. “Nik! Was it normal for the woman who supposedly loved you to be home, sleeping, while you were out fighting?” Looking at it from a woman’s perspective, she’d finally realized what it was about his story that had been bothering her all this time.  “Because I know if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink until my man was home safe and sound.”

     The hope Nik tentatively felt slowly grew as he pondered her question. Why had he never questioned that she had been in bed when he got home? Eliana always waited up for him! Always, without fail. Whether it was to welcome him home or fight with him was questionable, but…Emma was right! Why had he never thought of that before?

     He’d been so entrenched in guilt and self-loathing, it had never even occurred to him.

     Aiden whacked him hard on the back as Emma gave him one of her mind-numbing smiles. He memorized her glowing face, a face that had become more beloved to him in these few days than anything or anyone in his long life. It was hard to believe, even for him. He knew it wasn’t normal. But it was how he felt. He could only hope that she felt half the way about him as he did about her. He hoped she wouldn’t regret her decision to be with him.

     His inner musings were interrupted as he became aware of slow applause coming from the front of room.

     “Finally! I thought I was going to have to spell it out for you, like, literally. I-k-i-l-l-e-d-h-e-r.” Leeha heaved a sigh. “This is why I always went after Luukas, and not you, Nikulas.” Admiring her manicure, she added, “That, and the fact that Luukas is the Master Vampire. And you? You are but a weak replica.”

   
 
Emma whipped around at the insult. “Don’t you
dare
talk about him like that! You’re not worthy of licking the mud from his boots.”

   
 
Nik pulled back in surprise. His little Emma was standing up to a crazed female vampire, because she’d insulted him? He felt a pulse of magic reverberate through the room. It had a different, yet similar, feel to it than the magic that filled the room when they arrived, and he knew it was from Emma.

     He also knew Keira was here. Her magic felt similar to Emma’s, but stronger. A lot stronger. It was
her
spell that caused the torches to come alive as they entered.

     Quickly grabbing Emma by the shoulders, he pulled her back against him and held her against his chest, keeping a wary eye on Leeha. “Easy there, killer. It’s not worth it.” He kissed her on the head, and whispered, “But, thank you.”

   
 
He rubbed her shoulders until he felt her calming down. Though he understood her desire to lob rocks at the bitch, they needed to keep their heads about them if they wanted to get to their siblings.

     “Ick.” Leeha made a face. “You two are disgusting.” She narrowed her gaze at Emma.  “And I should kill you where you stand for how you just spoke to me.”

   
 
Leaning back on her throne, she crossed her legs and contemplated the three of them. “But, I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll spare you. This time. However, I would strongly suggest you watch your tongue from now on, or I may change my mind. I still need a replacement human for Eliana.”

   
 
Aiden slapped a hand down on Nik’s shoulder just in time, physically holding him in place and repeating his own words to him, “It’s not worth it, mate.”

   
 
As Nik struggled to take his own advice and get his hair trigger emotions under control, Aiden stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled closer to Leeha. “So, tell me luv. Why did you kill Eliana? What ever did she do to you?”

   
 
“I didn’t like her,” she pouted. “She was too close to Luukas.”

   
 
“But she didn’t belong to Luukas,” Nik pointed out.

     “She didn’t belong to you, either.” Her chin rose stubbornly as she turned those blood red eyes back on Nikulas. “She was mine. We were lovers, you know.
I
sent her to you. To get close to you, and therefore close to Luukas. Learn his secrets…his habits…” She sighed with disappointment. “She was supposed to help me win him over, but she was jealous, and became rebellious. She wouldn’t cooperate. She stopped reporting in to me. And then everything changed. She became too enamored with
you
, Nikulas. Why? I don’t know. But, she did.”

   
 
Standing up, she paced back and forth along the platform. “She stopped sneaking out to see me. Didn’t want to be with me anymore. She just. Wanted. YOU.” She looked back and forth between Aiden and Nik with her horror-filled eyes, her expression open and beseeching, wanting them to understand. “I couldn’t just let her leave, you understand. She was mine. And she betrayed me.” With a sigh of regret, she turned and sat down again.

     “Luukas is meant to be with me. And she wouldn’t help me anymore. So, I killed her. I coaxed her into coming to see me by promising to release her. And then I drained her to the point of barely being alive. It didn’t take much for you to finish the job. And then, since he still refused to see what was right in front of his eyes, I had to resort to taking Luukas forcibly.” Satisfaction dripped from her tone. “With a little help, of course.”

   
 
A secret smile played about her mouth. “And you don’t even know the best part.”

   
 
“I’ll bet.” Having heard enough, Aiden put a hand dramatically over his heart. “You’re ripping my heart out, luv.” Flopping down on the steps leading up to her throne disconsolately, he was the picture of a broken heart.

     Leeha stared at the back of his hanging head, an internal struggle written all over her face, before rising and coming down the stairs to sit next to him. Pulling his hood down, she pet his dark hair. “Don’t be jealous, my sweet. I’m so very happy you’ve finally come to see me. My relationship with Luukas doesn’t have to affect us being together.”

   
 
She lowered her voice. “Why don’t you stay with me for a while?” she asked him earnestly. “We can stick these two in the dungeon for a fortnight or two…separate cells, of course… and let them wallow in their self-righteousness, while you and I wallow in other earthly pleasures.”

   
 
Sniffling, Aiden played it up a bit before finally raising his head to look at her with watery eyes. Lifting his hands to her face, he blocked her view while placing a sweet kiss on her forehead, and then her nose. Pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her, he winked at Nik.

     A piercing whistle ripped through the cavern.

     Leeha tore herself from Aiden’s embrace, pushing him aside and jumping to her feet to leer at Nik in astonishment.

     He just shrugged at her. “Sorry. The sight of you two was making my stomach turn.”

   
 
Narrowing her eyes, she opened her mouth to lash out at him when a hair-raising howl rent the air, full of pain and determination.

     Whipping her head around, her glowing, red eyes pierced through Aiden. “You brought
wolves
to my door?
WOLVES
?” she shrieked at him.

     Scratching his head, his features twisted up in a grimace. “I had no choice, luv.” He sounded sincerely sorry. “They just showed up, and you know how stubborn those bloody Scots are. Besides,” Dropping his arm and placing his hands low on his narrow hips, he gave her an admonishing look. “If you would just stop
stealing
people…”

   
 
With an ear-piercing screech, the back of her hand lit across his face. Stumbling from the unexpected strength of the impact, he nearly toppled down the rest of the stairs.

     Charging down after him, she got right up in his face, fangs bared. “You have no idea what you’ve just done!”

   
 
Smiling broadly, his mouth full of blood from the strike she’d dealt him, he sneered at her, “Oh, I know
exactly
what I’ve just done, luv.”

   
 
Stiffening her spine, she gathered her composure around her. “You all think you’re so smart, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question. As another spine tingling howl sounded closer than before, she sighed. “This isn’t how I planned this meeting to go. I was hoping to make you
all
disappear, like your Hunters. But I can adapt. TAKE HIM!”

   
 
Before anyone could react, the room filled with rotting, grey bodies as they filed out of a hidden door to the left of the throne. The horrid stench of them flooded the space, their angry snarls vibrating throughout the room.

     A group of them surrounded Aiden, dragging him back up the stairs, though he gleefully managed to take a couple of them out on the way.

     With a last, angry glare at Nik, Leeha followed the group, seeming to disappear right through the wall behind them.

     Nik watched them go, a feeling of sick helplessness washing over him. Torn between keeping Emma safe and saving his best friend, he fisted his hands at his sides, and threw his head back with an anguished roar.

    
Terror flooded through Emma as the monsters shrieked in response. They were completely surrounded.

     “Nik?” Her voice shook so much she didn’t think he heard her over all the noise.

     But he did.

     Emma gasped as he turned toward her, for a brief instant pulling back in fear at the sight of him. He seemed larger, his muscles straining against the fabric of his clothes Like in the midst of this overwhelming danger; his physical form couldn’t hold all of what he now was. His lips were drawn back off of his dagger-like fangs as he snarled rabidly at the creatures around them. The skin pulled so tight across his features, his cheekbones and eye sockets were stark slashes across his face. Bright eyes glowing so blue they were almost white, they darted around the room, tallying his prey like the killer he was.

     Scooping Emma up in his arms as she shrieked, another roar thundered from his chest, daring any one of them to try and take what was his. Slowly backing away, he threatened them with bared fangs as they prowled around him. They seemed hesitant to attack, as if they sensed he wouldn’t be an ordinary opponent.

     Eventually though, they would. They wouldn’t be able to fight the compulsion of their mistress’ wishes for very long.

     Emma’s eyes skittered around, trying to watch them all at once. Glancing over Nik’s shoulder, she saw they were almost to the wall behind them. “Nik. Put me down.” He growled softly in response. “Nik. You can’t fight them while you’re holding me. Put me down!”

   
 
The creatures were close now, one of them making a swipe at them even as she spoke. Nik stiffened, snarling back in response.

     “Nik!”

***

     Suddenly, complete and utter chaos erupted around them as the wolves, in full-blown wolf form, arrived on the scene. Their guttural roars echoed off the walls and ceiling as they tore into the creatures.

     Going for their throats, they ripped out jugulars, their long jaws snapping spines and nearly beheading them in the process.

     Nik took full advantage of the commotion to get Emma the hell out of there. Much as he wanted to jump right into the fight, his instinct to get her away from the danger was stronger.

     Keeping a close eye on the battle taking place all around them, he tucked Emma up against his chest, hunching over her to protect her with his body as well as he could. Sprinting across the room at full speed right through the thick of it, he roared at the slashes to his back and arms.     

     Knocked to the side by a flying corpse, he quickly regained his footing, and deposited his precious cargo in the hidden doorway just off the platform. The same doorway Aiden had disappeared through.

     Whipping around with a bellowing roar, he took up a defensive stance in front of her, swiftly annihilating any of the creatures who were stupid enough to stumble near them.

***

     Looking around for a weapon… a loose rock, anything…but failing to find anything that could help them, Emma quickly decided her best move would be to crouch down into the corner and try to stay out of Nik’s way as he ripped apart anything unfortunate enough to get knocked their way.

     Magic sure would come in handy right about now, but unfortunately, it only seemed to make an appearance when she was angry. Not terrified as she was now.

     Here and there, she’d catch a glimpse of the wolves between his legs.

     Twice as large as their human forms, a perfect wolf/human hybrid, they were fearsome to behold. Sparse hair covered their powerful physiques, more muscular than normal wolves. Long snouts were lifted in a snarl, encasing rows of dagger-like teeth capable of ripping through both flesh and bone with ease.

     Running at the creatures on all fours at supernatural speeds, their eyes glowed with an unholy light as they tore into their victims with a ferocity Emma had never seen before from any other animal.

     How much of their human side was left when they were changed? Would they even recognize them as friends?

     Wait a minute. Peering around Nik’s blood covered legs, she searched the room. There were only two of them. Where was the other wolf? Was he hurt? She looked again. No, he wasn’t in the room. She only saw the one with the reddish fur and the larger, black one.

     Scanning the room with his glowing eyes for anything else that moved, but finding nothing, the largest one…Cedric?… raised up onto his rear legs, lifted his snout to the sky, and let loose another hair-raising howl.

     An answering howl came from within the bowels of the underground, joined by a second one, and followed by a tormented roar that shook the walls.

     Then silence.

     “Luukas!” Nik bellowed, as both the wolves howled again.

     All motion stopped as everyone held their breath, listening.

     Emma quietly stood up from her crouched position, afraid to bring attention to herself in the deafening silence, and listened with the rest of them. Was her sister down there somewhere?

     One breath.

     Two breaths.

     Three…

   
 
A gradual rumbling started under their feet, the floor vibrating like a train was passing underneath them. 

     Nik backed up into the doorway, shielding Emma from the raining rock particles as the rumbling grew stronger, shaking the walls and ceiling.

     The wolves prowled nervously back and forth on all fours, occasionally glancing towards the passageway out. Their animal instincts telling them to get the hell out of there, but their pack mentality urging them to stay and wait for their brothers. The smaller wolf looked at his leader and whined softly, then shook the dust from his fur.

     Emma shivered as the temperature dropped, the sound growing louder and louder still, until she had to shout to be heard above it.

     “What
is
that?” she yelled.

     Nik glanced over his shoulder, one side of his mouth turned up in a relieved smile. “My brother.”