No Rest for the Wicked (28 page)

greeting. “Seems I owe you felicitations since you married your warlord.”

Myst exhaled. “That wasn’t my idea to keep you in the dark. But I also didn’t think it

would hurt anything to delay telling you for a couple of weeks. Especially since Nikolai

and I eloped.”

“Oh. Pagan ceremony?”

“Civil.”

“Cool, I guess.”

“So, you’re Sebastian’s Bride.” When she didn’t deny it, Myst asked, “What is going on

with you and him?”

Kaderin stood on her toes to see ahead in the line. “I have no idea.” Since the desert, she’d

only met up with him for a couple of nights. She was zigzagging all over the world, and

he’d caught her in the sun twice more. When they were together, he was reserved with

her, standoffish even, which didn’t surprise her after her harried reaction to the idea of

marrying him.

What was taking this line so long? She’d kind of hoped to get in and out of this task. She

suspected that if Sebastian did happen to show up, he might frown on her flirting—and on

her clothing ensemble. Still, risking Sebastian’s anger was better than a date with a very

pesky werewolf.

“Sebastian’s visiting with Nikolai right now. And from what I’ve been able to overhear of

their conversations in the last couple of days, Sebastian has your memories,” Myst said.

“Are you letting him drink you?”

“Oh, for Freya’s sake, you have got to be kidding me!” Kaderin cried, then glanced

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) around, but no one in front of her in line was listening—and there was no one behind her.

In a lower tone, Kaderin admitted, “He got dental with me. Accidentally.”

“Look, Kad, I am ecstatic with Nikolai, but I realize this doesn’t mean that all Valkyrie

will be happy with all vampires. And I’m not sure... I don’t know that Sebastian’s head is

in the right place with you. Especially with what you’re trying to do. He doesn’t really get

it that you have to do anything to save your loved ones. He’s a death-before-dishonor kind

of guy.”

“I’ve been getting an idea.”

“It will kill Nikolai to see his brother suffer, but I can’t let you make a mistake. I wouldn’t

let down my guard with him, not yet,” Myst said. “And then, of course, there’s the issue

of Furie—”

“You know what, Myst?” Kaderin interrupted. “I can’t even talk about this right now.

You want to do me a favor? Keep Sebastian away from me tonight.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Myst cried. “The only thing he’s interested in is hearing

more about you.”

“So, tell him things. Just not about the blessing. And not anything about Dasha and Rika.”

“Is there anything else about you to tell?”

“Humorous, Myst.”

“You asked for it, Kaderin the Kind Hearted,” Myst said, referring to Kaderin’s

embarrassing former nickname. “Way to take my advice about not letting down your

guard,” she added.

As soon as they hung up and she stowed her phone in her purse, a burly bouncer scouted

the line and spotted her. Oddly, he seemed to ogle the area of her pointed ears, hidden

under her hair, instead of her short skirt.

But then he let her out of the velvet rope corral to go inside.

When she passed Cindey, Kaderin winced as if in sympathy. “Appears that the retro-

hooker look wasn’t making the cut tonight, Cin.”

When Sebastian finally left Nikolai and a suspiciously chatty Myst back at Blachmount and

traced to Kaderin, he found himself inside a nightclub like nothing he’d ever seen before.

This had to be the task in Colombia . The one he’d hoped she wouldn’t select.

Lights like lasers shot to the rounded ceiling in bizarre rapid patterns. Half-clad dancers in

cages dangled high above the dance floor.

The cages reminded him of his last dream.

In it, Kaderin had strolled to an imprisoned man. He was young, his body beaten and

broken. Without raising his head, he gritted out the words, “Kill me.”

She smiled. “Of course, leech.” Her voice was sugary. “In a few more months.”

He sounded as if he began weeping.

“Then I might let you escape into the sun,” Kaderin continued. “Your organs will liquefy

inside you well before you die, pooling beneath your skin. But by that time, you’ll crawl

desperately for the light, I promise you... ”

Again, she’d felt nothing. No sympathy, no remorse, no hate, even.

Ever since he’d awakened, Sebastian had been filled with a marked disgust he couldn’t

shake. He’d visited Nikolai to ask him about these dreams, and Nikolai had warned him

not to take her memories out of context. But how could Sebastian misunderstand that

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) scene? It couldn’t have been clearer.

He understood her cruelty, but that didn’t mean it was easily witnessed—

Sebastian did a double take when he spied Kaderin, because he hardly recognized her.

Her eyes were kohled a deep blue, and her plump lips glistened. Her shirt was low-cut,

deliberately displaying the lace of her bra. And her skirt was so short he could see her taut,

lithe thighs almost up to the cleft of her ass when she slid into a booth with a group of

people. Her black boots came to her knees and had wicked heels.

Even though he was furious with her for being here at all, much less dressed like this, the

sight of her had his shaft rock-hard in an instant. He made a decision then—one night, he

would be inside her when she wore those boots.

To all appearances, she was smiling and enjoying herself, but there was a hardness about

her. The way she’d dressed left no doubt about how she planned to acquire the stone from

the Colombian. No wonder Myst had been so willing to talk.

When he could drag his gaze away from Kaderin, he saw that all around her, men stared at

her face or leered at her body. Sebastian’s fists clenched. Who to kill first—

“Might as well sit,” said a voice behind him. He whirled around and found the two

nymphs. “Kaderin’s going to be busy awhile.”

He turned back in time to see a man slide in next to her and drape his arm around her

shoulders. His hand almost brushed over her breast, and for the first time in his life,

Sebastian needed to kill.

The first nymph sidled up to Sebastian. “We could pass the time. Vampire, forget about

the Valkyrie. You’re forbidden fruit to us as well, if that’s your attraction to her.”

Sebastian scarcely heard them over the pounding in his ears. “Is that the Colombian she’s

with?” he grated.

“That’s him.”

The bastard leaned over her and put his hand high on Kaderin’s thigh, fingers teasing close

to the hem of her skirt.

Rage exploded within Sebastian. This had to be a symptom of the blooding. He’d never

felt such fury. Never.

He touches what’s mine.

29

S ebastian was striding toward her, eyes black with rage, forcing people to scurry out of

the way. Kaderin jumped up, excusing herself to rush behind the dance floor before he

made a scene.

When he caught up with her, he clenched her arm and dragged her to a shadowy spot near

the back wall. “By Christ, what are you doing?” His voice was seething. “You allowed

him to touch you!”

“What are you doing?” she cried. She’d known if he did show up here, he wouldn’t be

pleased, but she’d also thought she’d get a chance to explain, instead of being

manhandled. He acted as if he’d caught her in bed with a hockey team.

At first she was bewildered by his crazed expression and palpable fury. But when he tried

to trace her from here and almost succeeded, her own ire flared. “Let go of me!” She flung

his hand off her arm. “So help me, if that Colombian leaves without me—”

“You plan to leave with him?” he roared, clutching her shoulders, attempting to trace her

once more. When she fought him, he scanned the building for a private spot, then dragged

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) her into a small boothlike room with two seats and a telephone on a shelf. He slammed the

door behind them, but the low thrumming beat of the music still vibrated the walls.

“How can you think to go with him tonight?”

“What I do is none of your business,” she said, gritting the words through clenched teeth.

“Goddamn it, it is! His hands were all over you—and you let him touch you?”

“If I answer you, I’m acknowledging that you have a right to know. You don’t.”

“I will get the ring from the Colombian,” he said quickly. “Trace beside him, take it, and

trace away.”

“It’s forbidden. Do you know what every myth is?” When he didn’t answer, she said, “A

glaring example of when some Lore creature got careless. Each myth equals failure. Riora

won’t just disqualify you for a stunt like that—she will punish you.”

“So, that’s it, then? You’ve told me you’re going home with another man? And I’ve

already seen him touching you.” He looked like he wanted to throttle her.

When she put her chin in the air, his eyes narrowed. “You may have your feelings back,

but you’re still a cold woman, Kaderin. Heartless.” He clutched her nape, dragging her

close. For some reason, they were both breathing heavily, audible even over the pulsing

music. Before she could resist, he’d lifted her to rest on the shelf, then shoved up her skirt.

He groaned to find nothing under it, then stiffened, his face becoming a mask of rage.

“Did you come here to fuck him?” With both of his hands grasping her head, he shoved his

lips to her hair. “Do you want to see me snap? To kill? Why would you think I would let

the mortal live if he took you?”

“Sebastian, just wait—”

He gave her a hard, punishing kiss as he pressed his palms against her thighs. Her body

was tensed, but then, slowly, she began to respond to him—against her will, against

reason.

Her breaths were quick. “Don’t do this.”

Though he was shaking with rage and lust, his fingers were gentle when he skimmed them

up her thigh.

“Do you want my touch, Kaderin? Do you want to feel?”

This shouldn’t happen—not now, not here. Hell, not at all. Even as she commanded

herself to remember the task, she found herself responding.

Fury burned in him and his fangs sharpened with the undeniable need to mark her, to claim

her as his in some way. The blooding was working on him once more.

His fangs ached to pierce her neck, and he knew he couldn’t resist for much longer, knew

that soon he would take her flesh savagely.

Why should he resist? If she wants to leave with another man, she’ll carry my mark...

He kissed up from her delicate collarbone, lips easing higher as his hands did on her

thighs. He nuzzled her, fondling her sex, teasing her wetness again and again. When he

pressed his finger inside her, she cried out, hands gripping his shoulders, clutching as her

claws sank into his skin. He thrust a second into her, and she rolled her hips into his hand,

fucking his fingers.

No more—he couldn’t take this any longer.

He sank his fangs into her neck in a frenzied bite, almost coming instantly from the

unbelievable pleasure. He was lost in the warmth of her blood, in the richness that was

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) unique to her taste. He was lost in how tight her flesh was around his aching fangs—until

he felt her body tensing around his fingers in a sudden orgasm.

From his bite.

He barely remembered to put his hand over her mouth, muffling her screams.

Her sex continued to tighten around his fingers so furiously he snarled against her skin,

sucking her hard. The feel of drinking her was perfect. As if instinct was rewarding him for

doing something that was unavoidable anyway.

But he stopped himself from drinking too deeply. Later, when he had her in his bed, he

was going to take his release from her body while he drank her blood.

He slowly withdrew his fangs, licking the marks on her neck as he removed his fingers.

When she shuddered as if with loss, he realized the bite he’d despised had made her his—

even if only for a moment.

Eyes wide, lips parted, she brushed his mark with her fingertips. He’d shocked her. Good.

Then she seemed to wake up, drawing back from him. She hurriedly pulled her hair

around to cover her neck, then yanked her skirt down.

When she gazed up at him, her eyes passed over his face as if she’d never seen him before.

Her expression told him she was disgusted with what she found. “I don’t care if you’ll turn

or not. You had no right to take my blood.”

“Ah, Kaderin, you didn’t seem to mind.”

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He scowled. “For what?”

Her tone was quiet, grave. “For making this so easy. For making me see that there is

nothing about you to tempt me to accept a vampire.”

“You wanted to know why I desired to die?” he grated. “Because I saw myself as you see

me. You hate me for reasons I can’t control. Reasons I’d hated myself for. But now,

seeing your reaction to me makes it clear I was wrong. At least, you’ve saved me from my

own self-loathing.” After tonight, he would no longer be ashamed to walk down the street.

He refused to look at himself the way she saw him.