Cannot Unite (11 page)

“Sorry.” He ducked his chin and swiveled
toward her, hiding his injury. “I thought you knew about it.”

“That bear clawed at you.”

“Oh. That.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“Not much. It’s healing now. Hurt like hell
a bit earlier. I told you he’s not going to wake for some
time.”

“Let me see it.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m scarred. Ugly.”

“KayNan.” She waited until he looked at her.
Her body gave an instant pulse the moment their eyes locked. Dang!
The man had incredible eyes. “We are going to have to come to an
understanding, KayNan. You and me. Right now.”

“We are?”

“It concerns your clothing, and the way you
wear it. Actually, it more concerns the way you aren’t wearing it.
At least, on the upper half.”

“Oh. Sorry. I keep forgetting about my
scars.”

Men. Honestly
.

“No, KayNan. It’s not about any scars. Those
marks are badges of courage. Honor. Integrity. Strength. I can go
on. It’s more…about the view.”

“The…view?”

“Yes. The view. You are, without a doubt,
the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. I’m a bit awed at the view.
And that means, I’m probably not the only one who is.”

He blinked. And the green of his eyes
somehow intensified.

“I mean, you’re a bit rough about the edges,
but I kind-a like the wild-man, barbarian side. And I’m sure I’m
not the only one with that opinion, either. You’re extremely cut.
Sculpted. Muscled. Wow. I already said gorgeous, didn’t I? And all
that means, the view is jaw-dropping, and you’re to cease it.”

“Jaw-dropping?”

She nodded.

“Me?”

She nodded again. He swallowed. She saw and
heard it. And then he grinned. And that got another jerk that went
through her entire body. This love thing was amazing. She felt like
she was aglow. Again.

“Um…can it wait just a little longer?” he
asked.

“Wait? Why?”

“The bear…uh. He got my shirt.”

“And that reminds me. Turn around.”

“No.”

“You’re telling your mate no?”

“Well, I—”

His eyes went huge. And then the sound of a
clear moan came through the cave opening. It was loud enough they
both heard it and turned toward it. Sounded like his pilot. It was
lengthy. And filled with pain. KayNan spoke first.

“Looks like I have to go now. You’ll hold
that thought?”

“Is that your pilot?”

“Yep. Sounds like Hunters got to him.”

“They’re that close?”

“Could be. Probably not. Your hearing’s
been…uh. Improved somewhat.”

“Well, what are we sitting around waiting
for? Here.” Jeannette hissed the words and scooted closer to him,
lifting her hair from her neck to bare her throat. She didn’t truly
know how it was done, but hopefully the lore was accurate.

“What?”

“Quick, KayNan! Turn me!”

“Now?”

“You heard me! Turn me! That way you only
have to deal with protecting him! Can’t you see?”

“But—”

“It doesn’t take long…does it?”

“You have to be sure, Love.”

He called me love. Oh my.
Jeannette
swallowed time and again on the emotion. It didn’t work. Her eyes
filled, blurring him even as she blinked the tears back.

“Oh, KayNan. I am.”

“Totally certain?”

“Will you quit wasting time? That guy
doesn’t have your stamina. He doesn’t have your strength. Sounds
like he’s ready to talk. You
want
them to find us?”

“Never. They will never find you. Ever. They
would have to come through me.”

“Which is exactly why you need to turn me.
Now. That way I can help you kick ass, rather than be an
encumbrance. Got it?”

He pulled her right into his lap with a
primal, possessive gesture she could get fond of. A glance showed
his canines as sharp and lengthy as they’d been before. Jeannette
licked her lips, closed her eyes, and offered her throat. A moment
later he stabbed into her, the sensation bringing ecstasy to
override the pain, bliss that overcame the fire, and happiness that
couldn’t be contained.

o0o

They were expecting KayNan. Jeannette was
going to be a complete surprise.

She’d been wrong about Vaughn. He appeared
to be holding up very well. He was filling the clearing with
blasphemy amid the groans. Jeannette winced and opened her vision
to encompass the entire area. Tents came into focus. Small ice
chests. Back-packs. A scattering of folding camp chairs. A large
fire. It wasn’t their only light source. They had lanterns strung
up, too. A scan of the area showed why. They’d been busy.

Two men were just finishing up hiding deep
pits, each one camouflaged with last fall’s leaves and other forest
debris. Looked like…about six traps; spaced about the edge of the
clearing. They’d also laced a series of thin wires around their
camp, about ankle height. It defined space, set up a perimeter, and
made an effective alarm system. It was difficult to see, too,
except a flare came from their campfire, glinting off droplets
running along the lines. Jeannette stiffened. The droplets were
Holy Water.

She didn’t need to ask.

She knew.

She squelched the instant stab of worry,
muting the reaction in order to broaden her sight. She sent it
wider. Higher. Getting a complete overview…

There!

They had two snipers posted high in
treetops, well hidden; looking like little more than dark shapes
attached to tree trunks. Stealthy. Unmoving. Furtive. Their mouths
were even covered over with facemasks to prevent breath from
fogging the air about them. The early evening air was probably
chilly. She didn’t feel it.

Jeannette narrowed her eyes to locate Vaughn
again.

They weren’t just good at hunting vampires.
They’d already killed a small animal. Jeannette wrinkled her nose
at the hunter efficiently skinning a carcass hanging from a tree
limb. Vaughn was strung up on another limb from the same tree; his
wrists roped together, feet dangling. He was shirtless. And he was
bloody.

Jeannette’s eyes widened with shock. Dismay.
Outrage. They’d been slicing little chunks of skin from him.
And…

She stuck a hand over her mouth.

They’d been pulling out fingernails.

Vaughn’s body hung like dead-weight. It
probably made the fingers with the missing fingernails even more
painful. Jeannette watched blood trails as they meandered down
Vaughn’s arms with the slightest stir of something odd. Alien.
Surprising. She found herself supremely interested…in the
taste.

Ugh
.

She was too new to this. She moved her view
again. Rapidly. It was better.

There were two more men about the tree.
Laughing. Jostling each other. Occasionally poking at Vaughn with
their knives. Jeannette narrowed her eyes. That made seven men. All
wearing camouflage. Night vision goggles. Strange weaponry. She
took in curved bows. Crossbows. Arrow quivers. Spears. Swords.

Crucifixes.

Jeannette jerked back as her eyes got
scorched. Burned. Seared. And then KayNan spoke, altering
everything.

“Jeannette? Love?”

Arms tightened about her, accompanying his
voice.
Wait. His arms tightened?
Jeannette slit her eyes
open slowly. Blinked. Took in the concerned look in KayNan’s eyes.
For some reason, they looked more green and intense than ever. She
opened her eyes fully. The view didn’t change. It was KayNan. A
quick scan encompassed their surroundings. It was dark, and yet
everything was easily penetrated. Viewed. And in perfect clarity.
Sharp. Lucid. Dank.

Cave-like.

She was still in the cave? But…that couldn’t
be. She’d been envisioning. Seeing things. And now that it was
over, she should feel weak. Out-of-sorts. Dizzy. Vulnerable. And
yet nothing on her felt anything other than wondrously healthy.
Energetic. Strong.

“KayNan?”

“You were expecting someone else?”

He grinned, displaying sharp fangs that
glistened with dark fluid. Her fluid.

“Where are we?”

“In a cave. Wilderness area. Canadian/US
border. Somewhere near the 49th parallel. You want exact longitude
and latitude?”

It was hard to resist returning his
smile.

“Am I…turned?” she asked.

He cocked his head and studied her for a
moment. “I would say yes. Or you have a severe problem with your
canine teeth,” he finally said.

This time she returned the smile. And her
teeth did feel weird. She’d check them. Later. After Vaughn was
rescued and they reached wherever KayNan called home. They could
worry over disposition of her apartment and shop later, too.
Everything could wait.

“I saw the Hunters. They have an ambush set
up for you,” she told him.

She hadn’t even finished before they were on
their feet. It was an unbelievably fast move. Invisibly swift. It
took her skirt another second or two to fall about her ankles.

Major wow.

“How many?” he asked.

“Seven. Five on the ground. Two hidden in
trees.”

“That all?”

“They’ve got pits dug for you and the place
ringed with trip wires. Looks like they were pumping Holy Water
onto them, too.”

“Hmm. Told you they were smart. And
Vaughn?”

“Alive.”

“Is he talking?”

“No. He’s plenty pissed off, though.”

“Pissed off? You know, some of this
vernacular is easier than others. Let me guess. He’s angry. Any
chains?”

Jeannette scrunched her face. “No.”

“Straps?”

“No…wait! They’ve got straps. On the
tents…and on Vaughn.”

“Weighted?”

Jeannette tipped her head to one side. “Can
I ask why?”

He winked. That little gesture sent pure
reaction rocketing right through her, as if they didn’t have a
half-turned pilot to rescue, a nest of Hunters to rout, and a bit
of journey ahead.

“I was the Khan’s champion, Love. I’m very
good with all kinds of weapons. I can make do with straps, but
chains are my specialty. I use them like whips.”

“I know. I saw you,” she replied.

He grinned again. Dang! The man was
gorgeous. It was hard to be concentrate if he was going to keep
showing it off.

“Yes, you did. Thank the fates. I don’t know
how I would have found you otherwise. So…you ready?”

“To rescue Vaughn? Kill some Hunters? Go
somewhere…private with you? Heck, yeah. I thought you’d never
ask.”

She hadn’t finished before he grabbed her
hand and took her airborne. A blink of time later, the clearing
came into view. Nothing had changed. It was exactly as she’d seen
it. Wow. She could get used to this. Immortality. Flying. Heck. She
could truly get used to the view of KayNan, too.

No
. She was wrong.

She couldn’t watch as KayNan dispatched the
snipers. She didn’t know how. She didn’t want to know. One moment
they were amid the trees. The next she could hear the bodies
swishing through leaves as they fell. Then she was on the ground,
yanking Vaughn’s bonds apart with one bare hand, while supporting
him in her other arm without expending a bit of effort.

Okay. Maybe a little effort.

Super strength. Super hearing. Super Sight.
KayNan’s lovemaking. Wow. This vampire thing had some real upsides
to it…if she ignored the feel of motion about her. The thuds.
Choked off screams. Agonized cries. Jeannette looked.

The camp was in chaos, and in the center was
KayNan. Silhouetted by the flames, light flickering on his arms and
torso as he rotated and swung, decapitating and disemboweling with
near clinical precision. The whip of his straps even protected him
from their weapons. Every move was a blur of speed. Without
vampiric senses she probably wouldn’t have seen him. And then it
was done. KayNan stood there. Arms at his sides, hands still
gripping the one-inch canvas straps with the lobster claw fasteners
at the ends, although now they were covered in gore. All of it
proving the value of his word. He was
very
good with
straps. He dropped them, lifted his chin, and then looked across
right at her.
Wow
. That stance would have made a fabulous
statue…although nobody was going to get this good a view of him
ever again.

Because he was all hers. United.
Forevermore.

And dang! He had a great smile.

-o0o-

Jackie is an Alaskan author who crafts
full-length Scot Historical novels for Kensington, while
moonlighting with her paranormal series: Vampire Assassin league,
available in ebook and print 2-packs. She loves hearing from fans,
who can contact her at
www.jackieivie.com