Destiny (18 page)

Jonas growled.

“Please,
Uncle
Jonas.”

That did it. Jonas closed his eyes and drew in a breath he didn’t need. When he opened his eyes, they held a sadness that surprised me. “Little Warrior.”

Two words, just two words, and I wanted to dart over and give him a hug, tell him I wasn’t dating Fin, that I still loved that two-timing rat Alexander more than I should and probably always would love him—damn it—that Dixon was the root of all my current weird behavior and I needed Jonas to help me—

Crap. I killed that train of thought, relieved when Jonas stalked to the door with Adrian in tow. No words, no further growls, not even a backward glance. He hadn’t read my mind. Otherwise, a very different scenario would have played out next. Probably involving more of Fin’s poor neck.

Lies, lies, so many lies. My shoulders sagged, fatigue weighing me down.

Fin sat up and rubbed his neck. “A bit of blood for your thoughts, princess?”

“That was close. Too close, but it worked. How’s your neck?”

He grinned. “I’ll live. Had worse.”

“I can imagine.”

His smile vanished. “No, Rina, I do not believe you can.”

The haunted look in his eyes spurred me to ask. “What do you mean?”

He considered my question while he buttoned his shirt. “Let’s just say The Executioner’s methods are most unpleasant and…memorable.”

A bit of wall plaster clung to Fin’s hair, and I dislodged it with a flick of my fingers. “You’re saying Jonas has hurt you before? Why?”

Shadows darkened his face. “I made a mistake. Broke the law and paid the price. In full.” He grabbed my hand and stood, pulling me up with him. “But let’s not dwell on that unpleasantness. I could use a drink after that. You?” He waggled his brows and gave me a cheeky grin, having shaken off whatever bad memory plagued him moments before.

I couldn’t help but grin back. “Sure. Blood or wine?”

“Both.”

After that little family drama, I agreed. “I’m in. Blood, wine, then bed.”

~ * ~

I gave Fin my room while I slept across the hall in Faith’s.

Nightmares plagued me, violent snippets from my past and present, but I managed a bit of shut-eye before the shrill ring of the doorbell awakened me. I checked the clock on Faith’s nightstand. Eleven o’clock. Ten hours from now, I’d drink the next vial of magic-tainted blood, make nice with the local werewolves, enlist their aid, and hopefully locate Dixon and save my friends. All while ignoring the Alexander-sized hole in my heart.

Right.

The steady clip of footsteps and a jaunty whistling echoed in the hall as Fin answered the door and buzzed someone in. I slid off Faith’s bed and trudged down the hall. His attention snapped to my chest, covered in a soft black sleep T-shirt, then down my legs, left bare by black sleep shorts. Fin wore only his black pants. The muscles in his smooth, pale chest twitched under my stare. Had to admit, he was a beautiful bit of sculpted man.

I ignored the undercurrent of sexual tension between us and yawned as I stopped next to him, a fist covering my mouth.

He smoothed the hair from my face. “Morning, princess sunshine. Breakfast has arrived.”

“Breakfast?” Curious, I opened my door.

The tapping of high heels hitting the hardwood stairs drifted up to us, along with a feminine shriek when Mark waylaid whoever it was on the first floor. She must have met with his approval as her footsteps continued upward, growing louder as she passed the second floor and came into view.

It was Ember, her black hair in two neat braids across her shoulders, the sun filtering through the skylight making her blue highlights shine like threads of neon paint. A military-inspired camo jacket covered her curves, her toned legs in matching stretch pencil pants. The tapping came from her too-tall, stiletto sandals. A broken ankle waiting to happen on all these stairs.

She paused on the landing below and gave me a shy smile, a duffel bag dangling from one hand, the other balancing a flat of four Peets coffee cups. “Good morning. I didn’t know how you liked your coffee, so I brought a bunch.”

The scent of rich roasted goodness wafted up to me, making my mouth water. “Smells great.”

She walked up the last few stairs. “I’m a barista at Peets on Market, so I can make anything you like. Anytime.”

Flirting or friendly? Hard to tell. Either way, I appreciated the gesture and took the coffee. “Thanks.”

She followed me inside, handing the black duffel bag to Fin. He kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Ember.”

I set the coffee on the counter while Ember surveyed my flat. “Nice space.” She shrugged out of her jacket, slid it onto an empty barstool then waited for permission to sit.

Interesting, and rather endearing. “Have a seat.”

Again the shy smile. “Okay.”

Her teeth clicked on her double hoop piercing as she bit her lower lip. Pink. Plump. No lipstick. In fact, she wore no makeup. Her skin was pale, but not as snow white as mine, more like peaches and cream. Fresh-faced, bright-eyed, she looked good enough to eat. Or drink.

Suddenly, I was very thirsty.

My gaze darted to her slender neck. A small white bandage peeked out from behind one braid. Guilt assailed me. I’d bitten her. Fed from her. She volunteered, but did I owe her an apology? What was the proper etiquette when one fed from humans? I had no clue.

“Are you okay?” I asked after an awkward for me silence.

Fin massaged her shoulders. “Ember is fine, aren’t you, my girl?”

She leaned into his touch. “Yes. That feels nice.”

He kissed the top of her head then looked at me. “Ready for breakfast?”

It took me a second to register his meaning.
Ember is breakfast
. “Um.”

I thought the silence was awkward before? Mortification heated my face. I had a fridge full of blood. So why could I not tear my eyes away from her neck?

Because fresh is best.
Dixon said that to me once, when he’d held me captive and fed me the blood of a fresh kill. One of my ex-bodyguards who’d handed me over to the bastard.

He was right. But fresh from a live body tasted even better.

Fin swiveled the barstool until Ember faced me. She lifted her wrist and watched me, eyes bright with anticipation.

I resisted her offering and pointed at the bandage. “How are you? Is it healing?”

Fin peeled back the bandage. “See for yourself.”

I sucked in a breath. Two ragged holes ringed by bruising. God, I hoped it wouldn’t scar, but it looked horrible. “I’m so sorry.” My gaze shot to Fin, irritation flaring. “You’re her master, right?”

He nodded.

“Why didn’t you take her to Oliver? Or Lily? They can heal her.”

I rubbed my own neck in remembered pain from the many bites I’d received, by choice and against my will. In all instances, my innate healing abilities, sometimes coupled with Oliver or Lily’s magic, healed me lickety-split.

Fin covered the bites, resealing the bandage. “Well, my princess, as you know, I’ve been rather distracted with friends, both old and new.”

He had a point. “I’m calling them now.”

“Do you think that’s wise? Given the circumstances?”

I halted halfway to the coffee table where my laptop and phone sat. My shoulders slumped. He was right. I needed to stay away from the old and powerful as much as possible. “Well, damn.” I trudged back to Fin and Ember.

She handed me a coffee. “Mayan mocha. Unsweetened. No whip. The cinnamon really puts it over the top. You like cinnamon?”

“Yes. And chocolate. Thanks.” The first sip made me close my eyes in pleasure. “Delicious.”

Fin tilted his head at Ember. “She is tasty too. Healthy and willing.”

I set my coffee on the counter. “I don’t want to hurt her.” Even as I protested, my mind imagined her blood hitting my throat, easing the hungry burn in my gut.

“I’ll show you how to do it with style and finesse.” He squatted, rummaged in the duffel and sprang back up with first aid supplies—gauze, tape, sterile pads—and black leather cuffs?

“To cover the bandage,” he explained.

Clever. Faith wore similar cuffs after my family marked her via wrist bites. The thought of my friend hit me with a fresh round of sadness. Fin saw. “One thing at a time, Rina. Food first. Save the world second.”

Ember offered me her wrist again. I accepted. Thin and bony with soft, soft skin. Blue veins snaked under the surface. The one just under her palm stood out as most prominent and had an intriguing curve to it, like a melting capital L.

My gums tingled but my fangs remained hidden. “I don’t know how to make my fangs come out,” I admitted.

Fin stroked my arm. “You’re thinking too hard. Fighting to control your natural drive. Let go.”

“You sound like Jonas.”

“In this, Jonas is right.”

A light jasmine scent drifted to me, likely Ember’s lotion. Without thinking, I leaned down and licked over that tempting L-shaped vein. My fangs popped out.

“That’s it,” Fin encouraged. “Now take it nice and slow, ease the tips against her skin, over the vein I know you want.”

A tremor ran through me. I held my breath, pressing my fangs against her vulnerable skin.

“Good, Rina. Add pressure bit by bit. Then form a seal with your sexy lips and away you go. With slow, steady pulls.”

My fangs slid into her. Ember shuddered and moaned, head tilted back, mouth parted in what looked like ecstasy. I was right there with her. Her blood flowed into me bringing her jasmine scent deep inside along with copper, salt, coffee. And bacon. She had bacon for breakfast. Last night, beef jerky. The girl certainly liked her salty meat.

“Easy, Rina. Gently.” Fin’s voice kept me anchored, kept me from drawing hard and fast, kept me from killing her.

How do I know when to stop? Shit, Fin. I don’t want to stop. Make me stop.

I was never so glad some of the older vamps could talk in my head as I was at this moment.

It’s simple, Rina. When the fire starts to consume you, when you feel the urge to kill her, stop. Or you can think of blood as water. Drink several necessary gulps then you are done.

I tightened my hold on her wrist.
I can’t stop.

Fin’s voice tolled loud in my head.
You can. You will. You are royal.
“Ease out as gently and slowly as you entered her, Rina.”

I almost laughed. He made everything sound sexual. In a way, this was like sex. Intimate.

I released her arm. Fin settled a bandage over the precise, symmetrical holes in Ember’s wrist. Pride swelled in my chest. I hadn’t ripping her apart. “Wow.”

“Yeah. Wow,” she echoed, staring at me with passion-glazed blue eyes.

I leaned forward and kissed her sweet lips. “Thank you.”

She graced me with another timid smile.

I knew another way to thank her—after care. I didn’t have steak and potatoes or those B12 shots vamp Doc Oliver carried around, but I did have orange juice and iron pills. I grabbed her a single serving bottle of juice from the fridge and pushed it to her on the counter.

Fin, catching on quick, tossed me a bottle of iron.

I shook one out and dropped the pill in Ember’s palm. “They’re easy on the stomach. I have bacon too. Can I make you some?”

“No thanks. This will do.” She plopped the pill in her mouth and chugged the orange juice. Right.

As a regular donor she knew how best to care for herself. When I met her, I thought her a simple, airhead party girl, but now I saw intelligence, generosity, and a kind spirit inside a pretty package.

“I like this look for you,” I blurted. “Better than the goth thing you do.”

She laughed. “Um, thanks, I guess.” She pointed at my chin. “You have some blood right there.”

I touched the spot. My fingers came away red.

Fin caught my hand as I went to lick my fingers. “Allow me.”

He cleaned each tip in turn, the touch of his warm, wet lips making my stomach do somersaults. I didn’t love him and yet my body responded to his sensual touch. Which, of course, hurt my head and my heart. I didn’t want Fin, not really, not like he’d clearly like to have me. I wanted the cosmic fireworks Alexander inspired, the deep connection of our mate bond, his lips pressing against my skin, his tongue teasing my fingertips…

I quashed my futile yearning for my ex and put a hand against Fin’s mouth when he leaned in to clean my chin. “I’m going to shower now. Don’t steal my clothes again.”

He laughed then grabbed my arm as I turned away. “One more thing. Show me your fangs.”

On instinct I did the exact opposite, mouth shut tight. That made him chuckle more. “Open.”

I shook my head.
What are you up to now, you bad boy?

Last night you wondered how to manipulate both fang and claw. Do it now.

I gave him a questioning look.
I don’t know how. My fangs will just go away eventually, right?

“Ember’s blood flows through you, feeds you, nourishes your power. Let your instincts out to play. On. Off. In. Out. It’s as simple as a light switch if you just let it be.”
Get your human mind out of the game, Rina. You are vampire.

Dhampyre
, I corrected him.

Vampire. Royal. Tranquilli.
He took my hand, swinging my arm.
You could fly to the moon if you wished.

His comment and playful gesture brought to mind my many pleasurable nights of flying with Jonas when I was a kid. A happy memory, chasing away a bit of my gloom. I laughed and yanked Fin to me. Caught off guard, my pull actually moved the powerful, old vampire. I kissed his cheek, mindful of my mouthful of fang. “You’re fun, Fin.”

He smiled. “Try it.”

I snorted. “Persistent too. Learn that from Jonas and Thomas?”

His good humor disappeared. “Many times over, my dear.”

What had they done to him to cause such pained shadows in his eyes? I palmed his face. “I’m sorry if they hurt you. I know how they can be. Believe me.”