Chapter 14 Vidar
Chapter fourteen
Vidar
In the large living room where I first encountered Kai, I tell my family about my meeting with the Direwolf and Blood Mage Sovereign. The only time I’m interrupted is from the hiss and crack of logs in the fireplace, or sharp rain spitting against the window.
“So you knew of Astra?” Kai asks, huddled next to Golden on the large sofa. “Did you know Emma?”
He’s no longer a shade too pale, and with a full stomach, he’s got more life to him. Knowing I provided for Kai my chest swells with pride. I knew I’d get the hang of this friendship thing.
“I knew of Sebastian, but only because he was their Sovereign and had been for well over three hundred years,” I explain. Somehow not closing the distance between Kai and me, even if I’m impatient to.
“And those assholes don’t normally live that long,” Rurik adds from where he leans against the door, watching Apollo pointedly ignore him.
Lucero lounges where he’s seated beside Golden, long arms thrown over the backrest. “Too busy killing each other or anyone else,” he replies with little interest, more focused on his fingers idly playing with Golden’s black curls.
“That Sebastian dude was strong then?” Golden asks. “To rule that long, I mean.”
“More like a coward,” I spit the word, “there’s nothing worse. He kept himself locked away in whatever hole the blood mages crawl out from in the North. Astra was his second and did all his dirty work. Emma is new.”
“Or we weren’t paying close enough attention,” Ramy says, curled up in the corner of the C-shaped sofa and hugging a cushion.
“Yeah, cause they’re creepy,” Apollo chimes in from where he’s perched on the coffee table.
Kai is mere metres away from me. So close that if I stretched my arm out, the tips of my fingers would brush against the smooth, elegant curve of his cheek…
In my peripheral vision, I spot Luc smirking at me.
“And why would we concern ourselves with blood mages?” I say, clearing my throat. “As long as they stay away from us, they can tear themselves apart for all I care.”
“I should’ve guessed Emma was part of the Roth family.” For all of Lucero’s relaxed posture, he led in my absence, and he’s shouldering more blame than he deserves.
“You had no idea, offspring,” I tell him. “Blood mages cause trouble everywhere.”
Golden entwines his fingers with Lucero’s. “Vidar is a bellend, but he’s right. Besides, this is my fault.”
“None of us is to blame,” Kai cuts in, “and anyway Emma doesn’t want a war, it’s the only reason she kept me alive.”
My insides twist that Kai was under her revolting spell. I doubt that knot will ever go away until her body lies cold at my feet.
“Something to be thankful for,” Ramy says.
Golden hooks a protective arm around Kai. “Fuck her.”
“Both sisters have said the same,” Rurik muses, “no war with us, and to save their people.”
“You think they're both lying?” Luc asks.
“They might not be,” Rurik replies.
“Lad, c’mon. ‘Course they’re lying,” Apollo says to Luc, seemingly only so he can disagree with Rurik.
“It doesn’t matter. Emma dies, the sooner the better.” My voice is hard, leaving no room for argument.
Kai pats his twisted braids to ensure they’re in place. “We should speak with Summer, she’ll be able to help us. She can sense magic, right?”
“No,” I say firmly, unease pressing into me when Kai’s mouth draws into a stubborn line.
But I head on. “This situation is a mess and not even ours to clean up, so we keep this in the family. We find Emma, deal with her, then move on with our lives. Maybe even away from the city, we’ve been here too long. ”
Kai freezes, and I nearly take back everything I said. But I don’t. Kai is fast becoming more important than anyone else, but I’m also the head of this family, and I have to protect them, too.
“We can’t move,” Golden protests. “All my friends are here!”
“Do not worry, beautiful, of course, we’ll visit them,” Lucero assures Golden. “But we don’t need to get dragged into a blood mage power struggle.”
“But—” Golden begins.
“He’s right,” Kai interrupts, hurt flashing in Golden’s hazel gaze. “Listen, mate, you know I love you more than anyone, but you're still recovering from one fight with blood mages. I need you safe.”
“What about you?” Golden counters, knee bouncing. “You’re some kind of mage, right? What if you get stuck in the middle of this bullshit, too?”
“Kai will not get hurt.” I’ll burn every blood mage until the lot of them are nothing but cinders and charred bone.
“Is he a mage, though?” Apollo hums. Everyone’s attention zeros in on the little vampire. After a beat, Apollo shrugs. “Well, he’s a tattoo artist, too.” Then throws up the devil horns, snickering as if he’s told a joke.
Kai shakes his head and pushes at Apollo’s leg. Lucero pulls Golden in close, whispering sweet, calming words to his anxious mate, and in the back of my mind, I wonder if it’s really that easy? I imagine doing the same with Kai, and the image is clear. Far too clear.
“None of it matters right now, anyway,” Rurik says. “Emma’s on the hunt, and we need to protect Kai.”
Kai and Rurik lock eyes, something unspoken passing between them.
Something that has my muscles flexing. I try to fight myself, yet my fingers reach over to Kai and tangle in his soft braids.
I gently tug, demanding his full attention back to where it belongs—me.
Annoyed jade eyes find mine, as if I’m some exasperating child he’s tolerating.
I don’t care. I shift closer, closing the ridiculous distance we created, so I take up the whole of his vision.
“I’m not gonna turn away help,” Kai tells me. “But I’ll be alright at work with Apollo and Summer, and knowing our luck, Luuk is secretly the bloody tooth fairy.”
“And I’ll be there,” Rurik adds.
I tamp down the sudden urge to bare my fangs at my second youngest.
“Vidar?” Apollo calls my name, mischievous laughter in his voice, and I have to drag my gaze away from Kai to the little vampire’s sparkling eyes. Never a good sign. “You’re getting a vibe that something went on between them because—”
“Well, this isn’t going to go well,” Luc sighs.
“—they fucked.”
Rage engulfs me so quickly it’s like I’m made from paper, burning away all sense until I’m only flames.
“I don’t wanna go through another fucking window,” Rurik grumbles.
“Mate!” Kai shouts at Apollo.
Apollo flips up two fingers, smirking. “Twice.”
I bare my fangs, ready to lunge—only to get hit in the face with a cushion, Kai now standing in front of me, his stern glare stopping me more effectively than any weapon.
“Oi, fucking chill out,” Kai demands with such strength that I have no other option than to listen. “First, Apollo, you're my friend, and Rurik is your soulmate—”
“Prove it,” Apollo grumbles stubbornly.
“But what happened between us is actually none of your fucking business. And second, Vidar, it ain’t yours either.”
“He touched you!” I seethe.
“Yeah, plenty of people have, I can be kinda slutty. Just like I’m betting literally thousands of women have touched you. So build a bloody bridge and get over it.” Kai crosses his arms. “Alright, bestie?”
“Annoying,” I growl, wrapping my arm around Kai’s middle to tug him flush against me before I can think better of it. I suck down lungfuls of his lavender scent while shooting daggers at Rurik over Kai’s braided head. Rurik looking at me like he’s out of patience.
“You’re so clingy,” Kai complains, but stays put.
“I’m Kai’s third-best friend, by the way,” Apollo says, grinning wide.
“Right now you're a dickhead,” Kai counters.
“I’ll keep Kai safe; everyone else will hunt down Emma,” I order, my senses full of lavender, pencil shavings, and something else. Something I can’t quite name. My fist twists in the back of his shirt. Maybe if I hold him closer, I’ll figure it out.
“Safe how?” Kai asks, looking up at me, his hands taking hold of my forearms, and for a moment I’m lost in something that feels like a memory yet hasn’t happened—Kai on his back, head thrown back, mouth open, the sounds he’d make as he clings to my arms while I push deeper… and deeper…
Molten-hot heat floods my veins, rushing straight to my cock. I swallow, trying to wet my suddenly dry throat before I can answer. “I’ll come to work with you.” I leave no room for arguments.
“Great, another bloody vampire hanging around,” Apollo complains.
“Dude, you're a vampire,” Golden says, and Apollo waves it off as if that’s irrelevant.
“Well, I won’t fight you on it, Emma was…” Kai shudders. “I don’t wanna ever deal with that shit alone again.”
“Good.” I lean down, my lips so close to his ear, my mouth salivates for a chance to taste the salt on his skin. “Am I at least your fourth-best friend?”
Kai tilts his head to the side, thinking. “Maybe sixth.”
I huff an angry breath through my nose, but at the sound of Kai’s full-body laugh, my lips twitch upward—and in that moment, I vow to beat back every opponent.
I will become Kai’s best friend.