Eternal Breath of Darkness (28 page)

“No. She isn’t.” The deep,
masculine voice came from behind. Haden and Zack moved so quickly that it was a
blur. They shoved Caylee behind them and turned to face the threat.

“Nikolas.” Haden brought
Caylee to his side. “Not funny.”

Nikolas didn’t show any
emotion. “I thought it was extremely funny.” Caylee stared at him. She tried to
look away, but she couldn’t. Nikolas looked quite a bit like Haden. His hair
was a lighter medium brown color. His eyes were a strange, golden brown. But he
had the same smile and facial structure as Haden. He had a very dark, dangerous
aura. “You’re both still neglecting your backsides.” Folding his arms behind
his back as if attempting to appear less threatening, he met Caylee’s gaze and
bowed his head slightly. “It has been a quite few years since you’ve been back
here. You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman.” He smiled at her. “It’s a
treat to see you again, little sister.”

Eyes wide, Caylee moved
closer to Haden. Nikolas’ presence was so intense, so powerful. It was
downright terrifying. He wasn’t acting in a threatening matter, but it didn’t
matter. He was intimidating as hell. She opened her mouth to say something, but
she didn’t know how to respond to him. She’d never been to his home. She didn’t
understand what he was talking about.

Smiling, Nikolas held out
his hand, and a kite appeared in it. “Perhaps you were too young to remember
the first time you were here.”

She immediately recognized
it. “Oh, wow.” It was her long-lost kite.

“You left it down on the
beach.” He pointed toward the cliff overlooking the sea.

Smiling, suddenly more at
ease, she took it from him. “I can’t believe you have it.” She examined the
kite and looked up at Haden. “It really is the same kite.” She pointed at a
name written in barely legible print. “Look, Haden, my mom put her name on it.”
She flipped the kite over. “So did I. We made it together just a few weeks
before she disappeared.”

“It’s a beautiful kite. A
beautiful memory of your mother.”

Nikolas looked at Haden. “Do
I want to know why you’ve brought vampires with you today?”

Zack pointed at Caylee.
“She’s being hunted by one.”

Nikolas looked at Haden.
“Why is it alive?” He didn’t show any sign of anger, but there was an
unmistakable sound of accusation in Nikolas’ voice.

Haden frowned. “It’s
complicated.”

Zack nodded. “The vampire is
being helped by a powerful demon.”

“What?” Nikolas paused.
“Who?”

“Demetri.”

“No.” Nikolas shook his head
as if immediately rejecting the accusation. “You’re wrong. Demetri would never
aid a vampire.”

“Perfect,” Zack stated,
“you’re both in denial.” He glared at Caylee. “She’s as good as dead.”

Caylee gasped.

Haden lunged forward and
shoved Zack against a tree. “Stop scaring her.”

“Stop acting like idiots.”
Lowering his brow, Nikolas clenched his jaw. “Nothing will happen to Caylee.
And denial has nothing to do with my opinion, Zack. You’re wrong. Demetri
wouldn’t side with a vampire, and he sure as hell wouldn’t do anything to harm
a woman.”

“You’re wrong. Demetri is
helping the vampire. He’s using ancient spells. Haden, tell him about the trap.
You almost lost her.”

Nikolas looked at Haden.
“What trap?”

Haden explained the entire
story. Caylee was more than relieved that he left out the fact he’d stumbled
into the trap because he was distracted by having the best sex ever.

“An ancient human warrior
rising?” Nikolas was reaching for Demetri, demanding an answer, an explanation,
but Demetri wasn’t responding. Nikolas knew that performing such a feat without
help from a demon would be impossible for a vampire. In the past there had been
instances when demons joined with vampires, but Nikolas couldn’t believe
Demetri would commit such a vile, treasonous act against his kind. He believed
there had to be another explanation, but he couldn’t deny that something was
terribly wrong. Why wasn’t Demetri responding to him?

“Demetri must be destroyed
if he’s united with any vampire. But I just can’t get beyond the idea something
else is going on. Demetri is too honorable to do something so wicked. I just
can’t believe he would do this, but I can’t deny your vampire is using a form
of Demetri’s spells not used for thousands and thousands of years.”

Zack said, “Believe it or
not, it’s true.”

“Do not doubt that if it’s
true, if Demetri has become a threat to Caylee, I will destroy him.” Nikolas
locked his gaze onto Haden’s. “You should’ve come to me immediately.”

“I underestimated the
vampire, the entire situation.” Haden took a deep breath and released it with a
heavy sigh. “I thought I could handle it. I never thought Demetri would do
this.”

“When Paul fled, the rising
just ended, right?” Nikolas asked.

“Yes. And it bothers me.”
Haden nodded. “The moment the vampire disappeared so did Demetri’s power.”

That brought Nikolas’ brow
up. “Totally?”

“Yes.”

Deep in thought, Nikolas
rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I have an idea. Stay here for as long as you
want. Don’t go back to your car. The vampire has set a trap for you. Zack and I
will go and have a talk with Demetri.” Nikolas took Caylee’s hand again. “You
will be safe. No one will ever harm a hair on your head. For years, I’ve looked
forward to the day I would see you again, little sister. I hope you will come
by again soon.” Nikolas looked at Haden. “It’s way past time to take care of a
certain matter. You can’t keep putting it off.”

“I know,” Haden said.

Haden’s voice sounded more
than a little annoyed. Caylee sensed Nikolas had just reprimanded Haden. But
why? Caylee’s questioning gaze darted from Haden to Nikolas. Zack and Nikolas
turned away from them and slowly dissolved into a mist. She was starting to get
used to the disappearing and reappearing thing, but the fact they were all
dragons was a little bit too much to comprehend. Not that she didn’t believe
it. She’d watched them turn from man to dragon and dragon to man. It was just
shocking. No. It was strange. Haden was strange.

Haden took Caylee’s hand and
walked her over to the cliff. “What was your brother accusing you of putting
off?”

“Nothing important,” Haden
lied. “And I’m not strange.”

“I agree. You are
extraordinarily strange. Tell me the truth, Haden—does your brother think you
shouldn’t be with me?”

“No.” Haden stopped walking
and turned her to face him. “Absolutely not.” He shook his head. “Why would you
think that?”

“No matter what you say, I
know Zack doesn’t like the fact that we’re together.” She shrugged. “Nikolas is
your brother. He would naturally want what’s best for you. Family generally
looks out for each other. You have so much power, so much potential. I’m an
ordinary woman. I just thought maybe Nikolas might believe you’re slumming it
by being with me.”

“You’re wrong. They know
you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. They know you are my heart,
my soul, my life. Zack is irritated because he believes I’m not taking care of
you properly. He’s worried about you. Nikolas shares his concern and his belief
that I’m not doing all I can to keep you safe.”

“You’re not serious, are
you? I mean, you’re extremely protective of me.” She narrowed her gaze on his.
He was lying. But why? She held his gaze for a few seconds, and then, deciding
to ask Nikolas or Zack later, she looked down at the beach. “Haden, I want to
go down there.”

“I would kill any man that
ever tried to convince you to leave me. Especially, if that man tried to
convince you that you’re not good enough for me.” For a moment he looked dangerous,
like the demon he was. But then, thrilled over the idea she might willingly fly
with him, he was smiling at her, his eyes shining with joy and anticipation.
“Oh, I’m sorry. We can’t. I wish we could, but the only way down there is to
fly, and it’s your least favorite form of transportation.”

“Actually, I’ve a little
confession to make.” She smiled up at him. “I’ve grown quite fond of the idea
of flying with you again.”

He was so very hopeful, but
he was also way more than a little suspicious. “Are you teasing me?”

Flashing a way too sweet,
innocent little grin, she asked, “Do you really believe I would do something so
cruel?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“What do you want from me?
Should I beg?”

“Never.”

“Well then, will you take
me?”

“Absolutely.” He definitely
wasn’t going to wait for her to change her mind. He loved to fly. He hoped one
day she would love it too. He immediately, waving his hand, created a cloud of
fog for cover.

In awe, she watched him. The
sight of him took her breath away. He was so good-looking. So amazing. So
powerful. And he was her man. He loved her. His black, leathery wings shimmered
for a few seconds and solidified. “You’re so beautiful, Haden.”

He pulled her into his arms.
“Women are beautiful. Men are not beautiful.” He bent his head and took
possession of her lips roughly to prove his masculinity.

Struggling to catch her
breath, Caylee laughed against Haden’s lips. When he stopped kissing her to
look at her, she tried to pout, but her pouter wasn’t working so well. He
looked so appalled, so mortified. She couldn’t stop smiling or giggling no
matter how hard she tried. “But you are …” Struggling to get the words
out, she continued to laugh. “So very, incredibly beautiful.”

He captured her tiny waist
and easily picked her up. “Wrap your legs around me.” And she did it without
hesitation. He tilted his head back to look up at her. “Now, take it back.”

She wrapped her arms around
his neck. “No way.” She smiled at him teasingly. “It’s the truth. You’re
absolutely beautiful.”

“Take it back.” He glanced
down at the ocean and then returned his gaze to hers. “Or you’re getting wet.”

“So what?” Wiggling, she
moved her body against his while nibbling on his ear. “It isn’t a big deal to
me. Really, it isn’t.” Her voice was a breathless, husky whisper that caused
his entire body to shudder. “To be completely honest, you’re such a beautiful
sight that my panties are already quite damp.” Rubbing her body against his,
she teased his earlobe with her tongue. “In fact …” She paused, still moving
her body intimately against his, and trailed hot kisses from his ear to his
jaw. “They’re so uncomfortably damp that I would like to take them off.”

Lust. He groaned. Oh yes, he
loved her more than anything, but raw, violent lust was what slammed into him
so hard at that moment he could hardly catch his breath. He needed her now. She
kissed him, her tongue spiritedly wrestling with his. He savored the wild taste
of her kiss and the erotic sensation of her body moving against his. The need
growing in her was exploding in him. Without warning, he extended his wings to
full length and launched off the cliff. She stiffened for an instant. Before he
could say anything to assure her that she was safe with him, she was kissing
him again. Wasting no time, he took them straight down to the beach.

The moment his feet touched
the sand their clothing disappeared. She was ready for him. He thrust inside
her body so fast and hard that he didn’t even think about hiding his wings. His
only thought was of the pleasure that her body alone could give his, that his
alone could give hers. Nothing in the world could ever compare to the
satisfaction of burying his cock inside her body. He was wild, ferocious. He
was just barely mindful, only enough to prevent him from harming her, of his
great strength and her physical weakness.

Multiple orgasms ripped
through her entire body. It was so amazing, so wonderfully exquisite that she
was near tears. She could do little else but hold onto him, her nails digging
into his shoulders.

Finally, he lost all
control. There was no holding it back, no fighting it. With a beastly roar he
thrust one last time, burying his cock deep as possible. His entire body
shuddered. Her inner muscles violently and tightly clenched his cock as his hot
seed spurted inside her body.

~
Twenty ~

IT WAS EARLY afternoon. Wicked Sensations, Mary’s strip club,
wasn’t officially open for business. Nikolas got off his motorcycle. He
immediately knew Demetri was expecting him. Several annoying traps had already
been set in place. None were deadly. None were strong enough to stop him. It
was clear Demetri wanted Nikolas and Zack to come inside the building. “Can you
feel it?”

“Of course,” Zack said. “How
did he know you were coming?”

“I told him.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Walking across the parking,
Zack asked, “Are you sure this is the best place to pick a fight with Demetri?”

“He’s the one instigating a
fight. And I sure as hell don’t intend to waste my time chasing after him.”
Nikolas smiled. “He wants a fight, he’s got one. He certainly doesn’t like his
woman being threatened.”

“This is a very bad idea.
His presence is extremely strong here. We should lure him somewhere else.”

Nikolas shook his head.
“He’s too smart for that.”

“In case you haven’t
noticed, he’s got an entire army of vampires here.”

“Stop whining.” Opening the
door, Nikolas glanced over his shoulder. “Leave if you’re afraid of the damn
mosquitoes. But stop whining.”

Zack followed Nikolas
inside. “Mosquitoes supercharged with Demetri’s power.”

Nikolas walked toward the
very center of the establishment and took a seat. Within seconds a waitress
walked over to them. She had deep, dark circles around her eyes, and her face
was pale and gaunt, making her look much older than her true age. She looked
overused and reeked of dirty, nasty, old sex. Obviously unaware of her
unappealing appearance, she seductively leaned over the table, allowing her
breasts to hang out of her tiny tank top. “What’s your pleasure?”

“Mary Tate rotting in her
grave,” Nikolas said. The waitress, obviously believing it was a joke, laughed.
“I’m not kidding,” he said, allowing his eyes to turn black and ripples of his
dark power to wash over her. The waitress stepped backed away from the table
slowly, and then she turned and ran toward the bar.

Zack laughed aloud. “And I
thought my people skills needed work.”

“Beating around the bush
will just waste time.”

“You’ve never been one to
waste time.”

Nikolas sensed the presence
of danger. It was affecting him to the extent that his blood pressure elevated,
and he couldn’t control it. It was odd. Of course there was danger. Walking
into the bar he knew he was instigating a fight with Demetri. Why would his
body react to the presence of danger? It had to be a spell. What else could it
be? He’d never experienced fear. And yes, it was fear in him that was causing
his blood pressure to soar.

“You aren’t looking so
good,” Zack said. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Reaching out
with his mind to search for the source of the spells affecting him, Nikolas
glanced around. “Something is off. Do you feel it?”

“No.” All senses on high
alert, Zack also reached out to examine the atmosphere.

“I think you’re right, Zack.
Demetri is lost to us.”

The fact that Nikolas had
admitted it shocked Zack. “What do you see?”

“It’s not what I see—it’s
what I feel.” Nikolas locked his gaze onto Zack’s. “Go now, find Haden and tell
him to not let Caylee out of his sight for even a second. No matter what
happens, do not let either of them out of your sight.”

“Haden is with her. He can
take care of her. I’ll go later—I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“No.” Nikolas shook his
head. “I will be fine. Go now.”

* * *

Julie led Brianna by the hand toward the back entrance. Deep down
Julie knew she was making a mistake. Coming to the strip club was the last
thing she should be doing, but she was desperate to make contact with her
younger sister, Emily. It had been several weeks since she’d heard from Emily.

Brianna had such a bad
feeling that it was making her feel physically ill. “Something is not right. We
shouldn’t be here.” She stopped walking. “We need to leave. I think we’re being
watched.”

Julie glanced around. “No
one is back here right now. No one knows we’re here. Come on. I can’t leave
yet. I need to check on her.” Julie saw the fear on Brianna’s face, and she
mentally kicked herself. “I knew this was too much for you. Bringing you was a
mistake. I told you to stay at the boutique.”

“There’s no way I would ever
let you come here alone. I just think we should’ve told Mia. She would’ve
helped us. Coming here alone isn’t safe. What if Chad is here? What if someone
else recognizes you?”

“No one will notice me. I’ve
been wandering around this building ever since I was old enough to walk. Trust
me, I know how to get around without being seen. And you know better. I can’t
wait for Mia. She left Emily here. She gave up on her. I don’t blame her, but
Emily is my sister, so I can’t just turn my back on her.”

“You know that isn’t true.
Mia hasn’t given up on her. She never gives up on anyone. She just knows that
your sister must want to get out of this place. I have absolutely no doubt that
when Emily is ready, Mia will be there to fight for her.”

“Maybe, but I can’t wait.”
Julie led Brianna into a vacant room. “Stay here. I’ll find her and then come
back for you.”

“No way. I’m not staying
anywhere in this place alone.”

“It will be quicker for me
to search for her alone. No one will find you in this room. You’ll be safe
here.”

Brianna started to argue but
stopped when she heard the door close. “Julie?” Of course there was no answer;
Julie was gone. The air in the room reeked of stale cigarette smoke, sweat,
cheap perfume, and sex. No way was she staying in the room alone. She reached
out to search for the doorknob, but before she found it, she heard the lock on
it click. She grabbed the knob and tried to turn it. It was locked. Her heart
raced. Her mouth went dry. She lifted her arms to pound on the door but
stopped. She wouldn’t panic. She couldn’t. Drawing attention to the fact that
they were there would get them killed. Julie would come back for her.

* * *

Nikolas was close to panic. Something terrible was happening.
Something life altering. He couldn’t believe the way fear had gripped onto him.
He reached up and wiped his brow. When he lowered his hand he realized he was
sweating blood.

He knew the moment Demetri
walked up behind him. Struggling to regain his composure, he didn’t turn to
look at Demetri. “I was wondering if you would come out of hiding.”

“You know better.” Demetri
walked over to the other side of the table and pulled a chair out. “I was a
little disappointed when you sent your boy away to protect him. Oh, I mean, to
help your brother. I was hoping to have a little fun with Zack today. I hate to
admit it, but he was right. You aren’t looking well at all, old friend.” He sat
down. “You’re always so quick to strike. I’m assuming your poor condition has
something to do with the fact that you still haven’t learned the meaning of the
word caution.” He shrugged. “So, why are you here?”

Nikolas immediately noticed
that Demetri had undergone a physical change since he’d seen him the year
before. He’d aged. It was odd. Their kind never physically aged beyond
thirty-three unless they were suffering some form of extreme anguish. The signs
of it were so subtle it could’ve easily been missed: creases on his face, a few
streaks of gray in his raven-black hair, and his normally vibrant golden brown
eyes dark and dull.

“Playing dumb isn’t like
you,” Nikolas said.

“What a pity,” Demetri
replied in a sarcastic tone. “I guess you aren’t in the mood for small talk.”

“Tell me why you’re helping
a vampire hunt my brother’s mate.”

“Your brother is an idiot.
Haden left her to suffer for years. He doesn’t value her life as he should. For
some demons, they must first lose their mates before they learn to value them.
He needs to learn a lesson. If it’s her life, it’s her life. It would be no
real loss in the scheme of things. She’s a weak, wretched human. Even now, he
fails to take care of her. He has no right to leave her vulnerable because of
his pathetic insecurities.”

“You cannot truly believe
that my sister is vulnerable.” Nikolas laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“We’ve known each other for a very long time. I’ve considered you my closest
friend for more than ten thousand years, but since you’re planning to harm my
brother’s mate you’ve become my greatest enemy.”

“Fantastic.” Grinning,
Demetri nodded. “I would expect no less from you. I hope you expect no less
from me.” He took a deep breath and released it with a long sigh. “Fear is an
interesting emotion, is it not? Tell me, what does it feel like to sense a
woman’s fear? Does it make your heart feel as if it might pound right out of
your chest?” Narrowing his eyes, he smiled. “To be honest, I admire her. Imagine
being so weak and walking into a place like this hoping to save another person.
Oh yes, for all of her physical limitations, your beloved is a very brave girl.
Foolish, but she’s brave, is she not?”

Outwardly, Nikolas remained
as still as a mountain. Inwardly, he was trembling uncontrollably. He knew
Demetri could sense his distress. No matter how hard he fought against it, he
couldn’t break free from the fear gripping his heart. “She isn’t here. She
isn’t weak. She has many willing to stand and fight for her.” Lowering his
brow, Nikolas frowned. “You will die for threatening my sister, Demetri.”

“Your sister?” Leaning back
in his chair, Demetri stretched his arms behind his back. “I thought you knew
me better. Do you truly believe I would waste my time harming your sister to
punish you for walking in here to threaten my woman? Your sister means nothing
to me. The vampire will take care of your brother’s woman for his own reasons.”
Lifting his brow, he smiled. “It isn’t your sister that I’ve targeted, Nikolas.
It isn’t your sister that’s already suffering for your ignorance. It isn’t your
sister’s fear you’re feeling right now.”

Nikolas knew there was some
truth in it. He felt the presence of a female in the building. She was reaching
for him, and she didn’t even know it. It couldn’t be his mate. He didn’t have
one. He would know his mate. He sure as hell would know her before Demetri
would. He was tempted to do it, but he knew better than to extend his mind to
reach for the woman. Demetri would sense it and see it as an affirmation that
he was concerned about the woman. Nikolas glanced at Mary. “Why do you defend
the murderous whore?”

Demetri laughed aloud,
mocking Nikolas. “You’ve grown cold in your old age. It seems that neglecting
one’s mate is a family trait. After waiting for her for so long, I can’t
believe you would rather talk about my woman than do anything to stop your
mate’s terrifying ordeal.”

Narrowing his eyes, he shook
his head. “No. That isn’t it, is it? You want nothing more than to reach for her,
comfort her, protect her. What does it feel like to know she’s reaching for
you, needing you, and you must ignore her to protect her? Do you truly believe
that by acting disinterested you will keep me from harming her?” Clenching his
jaw, he leaned forward and whispered, “It’s too late. She already tastes my
vengeance.”

It was instant. It had been
thousands of years since Nikolas lost control of his temper, but there was no
containing his dragon’s rage. Shattering several windows, powerful gusts of wind
arose from out of nowhere. Black clouds gathered, lightning streaks exploded,
and baseball-size hail pummeled the building. Jumping to his feet, Nikolas
tossed the table away and lunged for Demetri.

It was a violent fight like
no other. Every vampire and every human in the bar, including Mary, fled the
building. Nikolas and Demetri ripped the place apart. They were equally
matched. Neither could win. If they continued, both would die.

The sounds of thunder and
hail were so loud that Brianna’s ears ached. The room was quickly filling up
with smoke. She couldn’t get the door to open. Smoke was burning her eyes,
nose, and throat. For a few minutes she heard people screaming and fleeing the
building. It sounded as if the building were being torn apart and ripped off
its foundation. It didn’t matter. She knew it was over. The smoke was too
thick. She couldn’t breathe. Even if she managed to open the door, she was
dead—she couldn’t remember the way out of the building. She fell to her knees.

Uncaring that he was leaving
his body exposed to any attack from Demetri, Nikolas froze and stared at the
back of the building, expanding his mind to search it. The instant he found
Brianna’s exact location he waved his hand to place a protective barrier around
her.

“Now, only after you allow
your mate to feel distress, you decide to reach for her. Tell me, did you pick
up the habit of neglecting your mate from your father? It’s okay. Go fetch your
mate, and I’ll go fetch Zack. We will have plenty of time to play later.”

Nikolas’ gaze darted to
Demetri. It wasn’t a bluff. Demetri had every intention of going after Zack.
What if the woman wasn’t real? She could be an illusion; Demetri possessed
great power, and Nikolas knew she wasn’t his mate. It could very well be a
trick. But if she was real, if she wasn’t an illusion, he couldn’t allow her to
suffer and die. Zack was one of the most capable, most powerful warriors. He
had a chance. The woman didn’t. Nikolas turned away from Demetri and started
down the hall toward the end of the building.