5. CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE
Nikola
W hen Nikola called Queen Morrigan to relay Kat’s plans, her acceptance was immediate. Her efforts to conceal the tremor of relief in her voice fell short.
He did not hold the same high hopes.
Once Nikola returned to the hotel room with the message, Asher confronted the newborns and the human, as if challenging their decisions. “You need to understand that you three are returning to Grander under the leadership of Queen Morrigan. That means answering to her.” He spoke severely, as if forgetting his own qualms with the group. But Nikola understood the young hybrid’s motivation. Grander had been a cage for the both of them, the vampiric royalty the keyholders. And that very well may end up becoming true for the newborns.
Liam and Trish exchanged a glance before the sister nodded with a grave expression. “Where else can we go?” she murmured, rubbing her arm.
“Anywhere in the world,” Liam started. “We could go—”
Trish hissed, cutting him off and gesturing at Moss. “And what about Moss, hm? We dragged them into our shit. The least we can fucking do is bring them back home.” She steeled herself, taking a deep breath.
Liam flushed deeply, placated by his older sister’s scolding. With forced calmness, Trish said between gritting teeth, “The best way we can protect ourselves is by protecting Grander. And the best way I can protect you is by bettering my Moon skills.” She gave a pointed look at Kat, who acknowledged her with a nod.
Liam raised his hands in defeat, ending the conversation. Moss hovered without comment behind him.
“Right then,” Asher clipped, glancing at Katsuki. “On to the next stage?”
Nikola had pictured Katsuki hotwiring an older vehicle. Or locating one owned by a fool who left their keys behind. Or perhaps even tapping into a mortal’s mind and convincing them to hand over a car. But the ancient vampire took it to the next level.
Kat spotted a convenient grey minivan in the parking garage, followed the scent trail to the owner’s room, and upon breaking and entering through the window, stole the keys. For extra measure, they sprinkled deep sleep and temporary confusion throughout their dreams.
Asher cackled with delight as Kat spun the keys around their index finger. “Did you really fucking burglarize a car?”
Kat half-smiled. “You pick up some tricks over the years.” They caught the twirling keys in a grip, sucking on their teeth. “However, those tricks do not include driving itself.”
Nikola ogled at the ancient, but no one dared poke fun at the strongest Moon Child within the vicinity. Kat wordlessly offered the keys in an outstretched palm. “Ah, fuck it,” Asher said, but as he started to reach for the keys, Liam snatched them instead. Asher sneered.
“I hate long road trips,” Liam said. “I’d rather drive.” No one argued. The kid might as well make himself useful. Nikola would keep a close eye on the young Blood Follower, lest he forgot his place.
“We leave soon before the stolen vehicle is reported,” Kat announced. “Gather your belongings and your wits.”
Veronica, wiping away makeup-stained tears, stepped forward. “I’m not treating this like a goodbye because that would mean we might never see each other again. Just don’t make me regret it.”
The party split four-ways before planning to regroup and depart back to Hell. Francis, Veronica, and Kat’s coven would be heading straight to the Canadian border for a property owned under Katrina’s name. She had inherited it via the death of her retired surgeon of a father six months ago prior. Evidently, they hadn’t seen her since her Changing just nine months ago, believing her to be exploring Europe.
“Oh, so you come from money -money,” Asher had quipped.
Katrina glared at him over his insensitivity, informing him, “All the money in the world hadn’t stopped the drunk driver from mangling my car. If Diesel hadn’t been nearby, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Kat commanded everyone to feed before they embarked on their quests. The ancient vampire, curious of how exactly Trish stayed her Blood brother’s hand, accompanied the siblings. Moss, of course, stayed behind in the room.
Nikola and Asher found themselves at a random downtown club. Nikola smirked at the way his beloved scrutinized the drunken patrons, seeking out anyone who might’ve had malicious intent and a pinch of a roofie. Like a misplaced dark guardian angel .
Nikola leaned in close to Asher’s ear. “No killing tonight, my love, all things considered.”
Asher scoffed with the roll of his eyes. Hopefully, the story of Grander hadn’t spread so quickly that the silver and red would be clocked as anything but eccentric contact lenses. “Tch. I know. Old habits, y’know? Well, duh, of course you know, being old yourself.”
Nikola gave a halfhearted snarl. After the High King, Asher still viewed Nikola as old? “Let’s feast together, precious one.”
They landed on an alarmingly drunken young gay couple. So drunk, in fact, that they didn’t need much supernatural coaxing to follow Asher and Nikola down an alleyway. They fed swiftly.
It was possible that they didn’t even need to cast amnesia over the men before sending them stumbling back to their bar buddies, but it was an ideal opportunity to show Asher Black how Moon Children fed and cleaned up.
“I don’t think it’ll ever not be weird,” Asher grumbled, his features freshly flushed. The rosy tint was gorgeous. Nikola was struck by the overwhelming urge to kiss all over his face. “Targeting innocent people. Then healing them. All without the drumbeats. Shit, I think I got a little drunk off those chuckle fucks.”
Nikola laughed. Ah, perhaps he was right. He brushed a thumb along those dastardly sharp cheekbones. “A normal night and I would suggest we keep the party going.” He grimaced. What even constituted a normal night between us? “Unfortunately, we should head back ASAP.”
Asher leaned his cheek into Nikola’s palm, eyebrows pinched. “Right. Back to my ex.”
Nikola peered at Asher, trying to get a read on him. When Asher had met Nikola’s ex , it hadn’t exactly been under conventional circumstances. Even by their standards. The concept of exes to a creature of Nikola’s history was a foreign concept. Did that explain the innate jealousy?
Asher pulled back, picking up on the impulsive reaction. “Nikki, listen. Trust me, there’s nothing there. Except hatred. Lots of hatred. It’s... Christ. Complicated? It’s weird. I last saw that fucker when I was human, and these memories keep rushing in, and then he comes around with this new partner, as if he can just forget what he did to—” Asher tangled his fingers in his hair and growled. “It’s you, okay? Only you. My trauma shit is its own shit. It’s not who he is. It’s what he did to me—what he got away with.”
Nikola believed Asher with all his being. He had no reason not to. Did he himself not experience such complicated emotions in the face of the woman he had once loved and came to fear and loathe? “Oh, precious one.” He glanced down at his cellphone, relieved to find a lack of impatient texts urging them to hurry up. “I suspect we have a little time.”
The alley they were in was tucked away from the busy streets, chosen for obvious reasons, but it could serve another convenient purpose. Asher’s lips curled toward a teasing smile as he registered Nikola’s suggestive change in tone.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Asher said in a sing-song voice, taking a few steps away from Nikola with an excruciatingly alluring sway to his hips. “We should probably get going. Godly responsibilities or whatever the fuck.”
He shot a sly grin over his shoulder, stopping midstride, as if he were devious prey treating the hunt like it were a game.
Nikola gave a frustrated snarl and closed the gap between them, yanking Asher’s chest against his own, lips colliding.
Nikola fully trusted Asher, but he didn’t know Liam at all. The possessiveness boiled fiercely within Nikola’s stomach, taking the form of a stiffening cock. There was history between Asher and that other man, Nikola would need to accept that. But that didn’t mean Nikola couldn’t make Asher cum so hard he forgot every man’s name except for Nikola’s, his own included.
Nikola shoved Asher against the alley wall, hips pressed against hips. He lashed his tongue up the side of Asher’s neck, teasing a bite. “You’re mine, you hear me? All mine.”
“Fuck,” Asher breathed. “Oh, fuck. I’m yours.”
Nikola yanked Asher around, one hand circling around his throat as the other unclasped his belt. It felt as if they were picking up from where they’d left off on the rooftop. Except no one would be interrupting them this time.
Nikola eased Asher’s pants below his waistline, pushing his upper half forward until he was bent over. Asher cursed, bracing against the wall with his hands.
Asher gasped as Nikola squeezed a fistful of his ass. He admired the curve of Asher’s back, the prime position to take him in. But their location and lack of... assets proved inconvenient. But there was a surplus of ways Nikola could make Asher fall apart.
He reached around Asher’s hips, pushing aside the shirt hanging in the way. He circled his fingers around Asher’s erection, purring with satisfaction at the droplets of precum. He began to stroke, Asher moaning and thrusting his hips into Nikola’s fist.
“Nikki!” Asher cried out, voice bouncing off the walls. Hopefully, no one overheard them... but Nikola found he didn’t really care. “Oh, Christ. Nikola.” Asher let his head drop into the nook of his elbow, his breaths hissing between his teeth.
Nikola unbuckled his own pants, easing out his throbbing member. Although he was normally content whether he came or not, as long as his partner was satisfied, he did not wish to start their road trip with blue balls.
Continuing to stroke Asher, he slotted his length between his ass cheeks. Asher arched back, wordlessly asking to be penetrated, but Nikola did not enter. He slid himself up and down the crevice, the friction enough to cause his desperate cock to crackle with impending orgasm.
Asher fucked Nikola’s fist whilst Nikola thrust his hips. “Nikki, I’m—” The sentence ended in Asher’s choked groan, cum spilling over Nikola’s knuckles. His lover’s climax stole his breath. He just barely managed to yank up Asher’s shirt in time to avoid soiling it, spilling his seed across Asher’s deliciously toned back, white coating blurred and blotchy inked scars.
Nikola didn’t even get the chance to catch his breath before his phone buzzed.
Time’s up.
Back to reality.