9. Novak
Chapter 9
Novak
I had never known many brusang. My family didn’t believe humans were worth turning. They were barely people in my parents’ eyes. Humans were too fragile, too short-lived, and multiplied too easily, just like simpler animals. They were good for a quick, emergency blood source and little else.
I used that lack of knowledge as an excuse as to why I was so drawn to Amy. My house staff gave me a better understanding of humans, but Amy, with her mix of human and vampire traits, was so utterly fascinating.
Did she know that she ran her tongue along her fangs while listening to me talk? Like she didn’t know what to do with them. It drove me wild in ways I hadn’t felt in years. I certainly hadn’t felt this wound up while sampling Inessa’s blood. Quite the opposite, actually.
On my ride home, all I could think about was taking a shower. I wanted to wash my mouth and my body, and I hadn’t even lain with Baros’s daughter yet. But the thought of fucking some stranger for the sole purpose of creating an heir make my skin feel coated in grime.
Such an agreement wasn’t even uncommon among vampires. Our long lives meant that offspring were rare, and romantic relationships didn’t always produce children. Sometimes outside arrangements were made. Such things had always been strange to me, even if they were normal to everyone else.
However, those feelings of grime and mild disgust vanished the moment I saw Amy sitting and eating in my kitchen like she belonged there. She was a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction from Baros’s scheming. She was so petite that her feet gently kicked in mid-air. My chef, Jo, suddenly busied herself when I appeared, but I’d seen that secret smile. She and Amy had been talking like they knew each other.
Amy looked right at home here, and that didn’t bother me in the slightest.
She asked me a question while I was admiring how bright her irises looked set in their black depths. Her eyes looked like distant galaxies, holding infinite worlds within. She was so lucky to not have the boring red irises that all vampires had. It was only after that thought that her question registered in my head.
“You want me to come with you to the Blood ‘til Dawn mating ceremony?”
She chewed her lip nervously. “Well, yeah.”
I pulled in a breath, imagining Amy on my arm while surrounded by the ruling clan who wished my bloodline extinct. Oh, it would be satisfying to see them squirm. Almost as good as seeing her at my side, proud and defiant against their expectations.
On my exhale I said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Amy’s face fell and I mentally added disappointing her to my short list of regrets.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t like to. It’s just very likely that I wouldn’t be allowed as a guest,” I amended.
Amy frowned. “I thought all of Sanguine was invited, since blood mates are such a rare occurrence or whatever.”
“It is. The whole territory will be celebrating, and I’m sure Thorne would permit ninety-nine percent of vampires to attend as your plus-one.” I smiled wryly. “But that would definitely not include me.”
“But what if… ” Amy got a devious look on her face that sent a rush of sensation through my fangs. “Do you think they would ask for your name if I said I had a plus-one?”
“Why?” Suspicion laced my tone.
Her eyes flashed with mischief and the tips of her small fangs peeked out through her smile. “What if we just showed up together?”
“I mean no offense, but that sounds like a terrible idea.”
“Or a brilliant one,” she retorted. “Come on, what are they gonna do? Haul you away and cause a scene at the wedding of the century?”
“I don’t know, they might.”
“No.” Amy shook her head emphatically. “They want this to go off without a hitch, right? As long as we don’t cause trouble, why would they? Cyan wants the day to go flawlessly, and so does Tavia, of course.”
“Amy,” I sighed. “You haven’t known them as long as I have. This could go very badly.”
“Listen, I know Tavia and she’s got Cyan by the balls. He worships the ground she walks on. If she lets us come, Cyan will make sure it happens.”
“Cyan isn’t the head of the clan,” I reminded her. “Thorne is.”
“Thorne’s not the one getting married. Mated, whatever.” Amy waved her hand flippantly. “In human weddings, the bride is the one calling the shots. It’s her day. The groom’s job is to make sure she’s happy and that she gets the day she wants.”
“Okay. Fair enough,” I hedged. “But how do you know Tavia will allow us to attend together? As Cyan’s blood mate, she’s fully entrenched in Blood ‘til Dawn, who see me as an enemy. What if she orders to have me removed?”
Amy shrugged and picked at the crumbs of her sandwich before answering. “If she wants to save our friendship, I don’t think she’ll refuse my wanting you there.”
I watched the side of her face, noting how her eyes refused to meet mine. “That’s a bit manipulative, don’t you think?”
Amy shrugged again, feigning nonchalance, but I could tell she wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea.
“Pulling something like that is more likely to drive a bigger divide into your friendship than repair it,” I said. “Why do you even want me to come with you?”
She laughed like the question was ridiculous. “I mean, why not? I like talking to you and you’ve been really nice to me. You don’t treat me like they do, always tiptoeing around me like I’ll explode into glass shards at any second. And all the pitying looks.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It feels like you’re my only real friend besides Tavia, and she’s all wrapped up in Cyan now. I just… don’t want to feel alone during the ceremony.”
Amy finally turned her head and looked at me, her expression open and vulnerable. “I’m sorry if that’s weird and too much since we just met, but it’s the truth. I know you and Blood ‘til Dawn don’t get along, and I don’t mean to be manipulative. I just want a friend at my side while I support my other friend during her big day. That’s all.”
My thoughts almost turned to, this poor woman , but I quickly shoved that away. She didn’t want pity. She needed someone at her side, meeting her where she was as she figured out this new life. And for some reason, Amy wanted that to be me.
It had been a long time since I felt like I had a real friend as well. And I liked Amy for all the reasons she seemed to like me. It was honestly a relief to meet someone who didn’t have any preconceived notions of me based on the past actions of my clan. I still couldn’t believe how steadfastly she defended me while I was being searched and questioned, fearlessly demanding my release. No one, not even anyone in my own family, stood up for me like she did.
One small fang dragged across her plump lower lip and my skin heated at the memory of her mouth on my neck when we first met.
“So?” she prompted, utterly unaware of the effect she had on me. “What are you thinking? Will you come with me?”
I propped an elbow on the counter and rubbed my forehead. There were hundreds of ways this could go wrong, but maybe a few ways it could go right. She needed me and I wanted to be there for her. Walking untouched among Blood ‘til Dawn would be an added bonus.
“Let’s do this,” I said. “Talk to your friend, Tavia. Tell her that you want to bring me.”
Amy’s face scrunched up like she smelled something rotten, and that told me plenty how she felt about my idea.
“Handle it however you want.” I raised my hands. “Ask for permission to have me as a guest, or simply inform her that I’ll be your plus-one. But I’ll feel a lot better about attempting this if she has a heads-up. And,” I grinned, “it forces you to communicate instead of trying to deceive her.”
“Yeah, no shit.” Amy rubbed the bridge of her nose. “And if I’d rather not?”
“Then I’m not going.”
Her glare was adorable. “Seriously?”
“Yes, that’s my one condition. The bride deserves to know who’s crashing her big day, does she not?”
Amy groaned, dropping her head into her hands. “You’re the worst.”
“That’s a funny way of saying I’m such a good friend, trying to repair your relationship with your other friend.”
“Shut up.” Her head popped back up, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Fine. I’ll talk to her.”
“Excellent. Let me know what she says. Do you have a phone?”
Amy straightened, patting her pockets. “Oh yeah, I do. I always forget I have it on me. We didn’t have personal phones in Sapien.”
So she was from there, and had probably been in the attack. It didn’t feel appropriate to bring it up while we talked about phones, so I filed the information away for later.
“That’s surprising,” I said, taking my phone from my pocket. “We’re permanently attached to our devices out here.”
“I can see why. Text messaging is so much fun. It’s like passing notes.”
Trying to keep my smile hidden, I saved Amy’s number as she recited it to me, then sent her a bat emoji so she would have my number.
She squealed when the message popped up on her screen. “How do you get other emojis? I only have the basic smiley faces.”
“It should be an option on your keyboard. Here.” I held my palm out and she placed the phone in my hand with no hesitation.
Time ceased to exist as I showed Amy various features on her phone, including the camera and the few mobile games we could poach from the human world. She proceeded to take no less than a dozen blurry selfies of us, and I showed her how to attach photos to the contacts in her phone. Of course, she chose the least flattering picture of me to save to my number, but at least she looked cute in the photo.
She was in an incredibly tense game of Snake when I felt fatigue settle over me like a heavy cloak, and a warning itch creeping up my spine. Glancing up, I noticed for the first time we were alone in the kitchen. Jo must have left ages ago.
And if the clock was correct, dawn was only an hour away. Fucking Temkra, had Amy been here all night?
“Amy.”
“Mm-hmm.” Her eyes were locked on her phone screen, fingers directing the snake around its own body.
“It’s almost dawn, akra.” I nearly bit my tongue. That was the third time the endearment had slipped out. “I should take you back.”
She paused the game, blinking as she looked up. “Oh wow, it feels like I just got here.” A frown pinched her brow. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stay so long.”
“Don’t be,” I insisted. “I’m… glad you came over.”
Her smile was warm—at least it made me feel warm—as she slid off the barstool. “Me too. Thanks for letting me hang out, Novak.”
“Of course.” I awkwardly slid off my own stool. “Let me get my coat.”
“No, it’s okay.” Amy held up a hand. “I know my way better now. You don’t have to walk me.”
“And let you walk alone? Absolutely not.”
Amy’s hand dropped, her face hardening. “I don’t want to see them harass you like that again.”
I waved a hand through the air. “How they treat me doesn’t matter?—”
“Yes, it does.” She stood firm, her expression determined. “You deserve better than that, Novak.”
It had to be the first time anyone told me I deserved better, and I was struck dumb by the declaration. After knowing me for barely two days, she was so certain that Blood ‘til Dawn treated me unfairly? What had I done for Temkra to bless me with someone so loyal?
“Even if that were the case,” I said, still trying to recover from my shock, “I don’t want you walking back alone. Maybe I can see you off at their door from a distance.”
“And if they catch you watching me from across the street or wherever?” she pressed. “You’ll look even more suspicious than if you just walked up with me.”
“Well, we need to come up with a solution before the sun rises.” I glanced at the windows, knowing the lightproof shutters would fall into place at any minute.
“We can take her.”
Our heads turned at the same time, finding Lourna and Jo sitting near the bottom of the stairs.
“Blood ‘til Dawn doesn’t know we work for you.” Jo tapped her temple. “And even if they did, they don’t harass humans. We can make sure she gets there safely.”
“You’re sure?” I asked. “Isn’t their compound out of your way?”
“Eh, barely.” Lourna shrugged. “I gotta swing by the market anyway.”
It was a kind offer. They seemed to like Amy, and had no problems withstanding the sunlight.
I looked at Amy. “Would you be all right walking home with them?”
“Yeah, definitely.” She nodded and glanced at the humans with a grin. “Maybe I can sweet-talk Jo into giving me her pastrami recipe.”
“Ha! Fat chance, girly. You gotta come to the Rathka house if you want to be fed right.”
All of the women laughed and I felt the tightness in my chest ease. I trusted them, and Amy would be in good hands.
“Before you go.” I touched Amy’s elbow and leaned in to speak low in her ear. “Do you need anything?”
“No, I don’t think so.” She spoke at normal volume, a look of confusion crossing her face. “What do you… Oh.”
I held out my unbandaged forearm and closed my fist, flexing my wrist back to make the veins pop under the thin veneer of skin. Amy’s demeanor instantly shifted. Her pupils dilated and her lips parted as her fangs fully descended. She looked ready, wanting. Hungry. I wished for nothing more than to find a private room and let her take all she needed from me.
And I wasn’t necessarily talking about just blood.
I could also see her hesitation, the nervous swallow and the furrow in her brow, and knew acting on those instincts would be a bad move.
“I’ll get a glass for you to drink from.”
I left her side to round the counter and bring a glass down from the cupboard. She was no longer starving and wouldn’t need a huge amount, so I settled for a half-pint and went looking for an appropriate knife.
When I turned, searching in the island drawers, a distinct scent hit my nose. Feminine and musky, a little sweet, and coming from directly across the island. The scent was distantly familiar. I recognized it but couldn’t quite place it. When it finally hit me, I nearly stabbed myself in the palm with the knife I’d found.
Amy was aroused.
By… me?
I whipped around, turning my back to her without daring a glance in her direction. My heart kicked up a furious beat in my chest and I knew she could hear it, which only made the situation worse.
She couldn’t be feeling that way toward me. Maybe she was… just horny in general?
Whichever the case, I focused all of my willpower on not turning around for another lungful of that sweet perfume. That would become a slippery slope to running my nose along her neck, which would lead to tasting her blood. And that opened all kinds of doors that would intertwine hunger and sexual cravings in all kinds of messy ways.
Especially since she made it clear we were only friends.
And she was technically part of an enemy clan.
Rational thoughts and resisting my urges did nothing to calm down my cock, which thickened and pressed almost painfully against my zipper.
I liked Amy, but I had no delusions about this becoming any deeper. She was lost and needed a friend who wouldn’t take advantage of her.
Even if she became comfortable enough to feed skin-to-skin, and deeper feelings grew, I was on the verge of creating an heir with Inessa of Carpe Noctem. Amy deserved better than a guy who would leave to actively impregnate someone else.
But I was getting far, far ahead of myself.
I slashed the knife across the inside of my forearm, cutting deeper than necessary. The quick flash of pain cleared my head and deflated my erection, thank Temkra. My pulse slowed as I held the wound over the glass, my self-control returning. When the bleeding slowed and I turned around, Amy was frowning.
“What?” I set the glass on the island and pressed a clean dish towel to my forearm.
“I just hate that you have to do that.” She drew the glass of blood closer and lifted it to her lips.
“Do what?”
“Hurt yourself.” She swallowed a deep drink and pointed at the glass. “So that I can have this.”
I shook my head. Her concern for my wellbeing was as strange as it was satisfying. This woman had a talent for making me feel all kinds of warm, unfamiliar things.
“I told you it’s not very painful. And I don’t mind.”
“Still, I don’t like it.” She drained the glass in two more large gulps and set it on the counter. “But thank you for your blood, Novak.”
My response was automatic, which should have worried me. But the Vampiric phrase flowed like water out of my mouth like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Amy smiled, as if the sounds of the Vampiric language pleased her, even if she didn’t understand the words. “What does that mean?”
“It means, feeding you is a pleasure.” I grabbed the glass and took it to the sink. The English version sounded like it was trying too hard, so I felt compelled to add, “It’s just something we say after giving blood. It’s polite.”
“Oh.” She lingered at the far end of the counter, even though Jo and Lourna waited for her in the foyer. “What’s that other word you’ve used a few times?”
“Which one?” I asked, even though I knew perfectly well.
“Akra? Am I saying it right?”
“Perfectly.” I grinned. “And it doesn’t mean anything exactly. It’s… your name,” I lied.
“My name?”
“It’s how Amy would be pronounced as a Vampiric name.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, I like that.” She stuck her hand out toward me. “Nice to meet you. I’m akra.”
You certainly are.
I fought to keep a straight face as I shook her hand, the gesture strange and extremely human. “Well met, akra.”
Amy giggled and turned away, throwing me a glance over her shoulder. “I’ll let you know what Tavia says about the ceremony.”
“Okay. Get home safe.” I watched her head for the front door, struck by a sudden sense of longing. She was leaving and I didn’t want her to go. “Text me when you’re home,” I called out.
“Okay!” she called back. “Sleep tight, sweet dreams!”
I already knew my dreams would be sweet if I went to bed thinking of her. But the reality was so much sweeter, and I’d be counting the hours until she was here again.
The three women chatted among themselves before the door closed and cut off all sound. As soon as they left, only the gentle hum of electricity could be heard throughout the house.
I was alone again, and perhaps for the first time, I really didn’t want to be.