Chapter 11
Marcus
Iwatch Kara speaking to the others, making plans that sound wild and reckless. She’s going to get herself killed if she keeps taking these risks. The thought hits me with unexpected force.
“I can handle myself.” Her voice cuts through my mind, sharp and defensive.
“Can you? Because rushing in without backup hasn’t worked out well so far.”
I know I don’t need to remind her of what happened the last time she tried something dangerous.
Stepping away from the group gathered around the table where Lucien’s book is displayed, she slides past me.
“Keep out of my head,” she says beneath her breath.
The connection between us pulses stronger when she’s angry. I catch fragments of her thoughts – worry for her grandmother, determination to prove herself, frustration at being questioned. The force of her emotions crashes over me like a wave.
“We need to talk.” I gesture to the study. “Now.”
She hesitates, glancing at the others. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Make time.” I set my jaw, making it clear that I’m not going to back down on this.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Her nostrils flare. “Fine. Five minutes. And then you back the hell off.” She turns on her heel and stalks away.
Her siblings and the others are busy strategizing across the room. No one notices as I follow her into the study, closing the door behind us. The space is smaller than I expected, forcing us into closer proximity than either of us is comfortable with.
“Gran doesn’t have time for us to stand around debating,” she snaps, but I catch the undercurrent of fear within her.
Images flash through her mind – her grandmother teaching her spells, the hours she spent perfecting them, determined to meet the highest expectations.
There’s a part of her that’s always doubted herself, tried harder just to prove she’s worthy. Her confidence is merely a mask.
But most of all, the depth of her love for her grandmother hits me hard. I understand her desperate need to act, but I can’t let her rush into danger again. Not when Lucien’s ambitions are finally coming to fruition.
“Kara.” I step closer, ignoring how her proximity makes my skin buzz. “Listen to me.”
She steps away. “I don’t need to listen to you. You’re already up here.” She taps her forehead. “And you won’t shut up.”
When she reaches for the doorknob, I brush her hand away, my fingers curling around her wrist. “You can’t keep rushing into danger.”
“Watch me.” Her eyes drop to where I’m holding her forearm. I don’t release it. I like the feeling of her skin against mine, even though now is absolutely not the right time to be thinking about this.
I exhale sharply. “Damn it, Kara, this isn’t a game. Lucien—”
“Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do. My grandmother—”
“Will die if you get yourself killed trying to save her.”
Her eyes lock with mine. “And so will you, won’t you?” she bites out. “Don’t think I don’t know what this is about. That so-called blood match.”
I clench my jaw, fighting the urge to shake sense into her.
“It’s not a blood match,” I mutter. “I haven’t taken your blood.”
“You don’t need to,” she shoots back. “Rowan and Darick were connected before they even met. This thing between us—”
“Is nothing,” I cut in. Her pulse races beneath my fingers, where I still grip her wrist. “Just an inconvenient side effect of whatever’s happening.”
“Inconvenient is an understatement.” She rolls her eyes.
I release her arm and step back, trying to ignore how my skin tingles where I touched her. “I don’t have the Bloodbane. This has to be something else.”
“Liar,” her thought slices through my mind.
“Stay out of my head,” I growl, not caring that I’m echoing the words she keeps snapping at me.
“You first.” She crosses her arms, but I catch how her breath hitches when I move closer. “Besides, we have more important things to deal with right now.”
The scent of her floods my senses. My fangs ache with the need to taste her again. “We can’t ignore this forever.”
“I’m going to give it my best shot.” She tilts her chin up defiantly, but her thoughts betray her. I catch fragments of desire mixed with her anger.
“You’re thinking about the kiss.” The words slip out before I can stop them.
Her cheeks flush. “And you’re thinking about biting me again.” She steps closer, challenging. “Doesn’t mean either of us has to act on it.”
I grip the edge of the desk behind me, wood creaking under my fingers. Having her this close makes it hard to think straight. “This is just physical. A magical anomaly.”
“Exactly.” But her eyes drop to my mouth. “A completely meaningless connection that we’re both going to ignore.”
“Like hell we are.”
Her sharp intake of breath tells me she heard me.
“What happened earlier…it shouldn’t have happened,” she mutters. “You caught me off-guard.”
“Sure,” I say, though we both know it’s not true. What happened in the garden is the same as what’s happening now. A growing sensation pulling us closer. Even now, she’s staring at my mouth, and without thinking, I lick my lips. Her throat works.
“This needs to stop,” I growl, but my body betrays me, shifting closer to hers. The scent of roses and sunshine fills my lungs. “We can’t keep doing this.”
“Agreed.” Kara’s hands press against my chest, but she doesn’t push me away. “You’re arrogant and controlling and—”
“And you’re reckless and stubborn.” My fingers curl around her wrists. Her pulse races beneath my touch.
“I hate that you’re in my head.” She tilts her face up, eyes flashing. “I hate that I can feel what you’re feeling.”
“Trust me, it’s mutual.” But I can’t stop staring at her lips, remembering how they felt against mine in the garden. The memory crashes through both of our minds.
“This isn’t happening,” she whispers, but her body sways toward mine. “I won’t let it.”
“Then step back.” My voice comes out rough.
“You first.”
Neither of us moves. The air tightens between us, tense and taut. Her breath fans across my lips, quick and uneven. My hands slide up her arms of their own accord.
“Marcus…” Her voice wavers. I feel her resistance crumbling, matching my own.
“We should go back,” I murmur, even as I lean closer. “They’ll wonder where we are.”
“Definitely.” But her hands are pulling me down until our lips nearly brush. The connection between us pulses stronger, filled with shared want. Her scent surrounds me, clouding my thoughts. I inhale deeply, drowning in it.
I lean in, unable to resist the pull between us any longer. Kara’s lips part, her breath mingling with mine-
“If you two are done with whatever this is, we have a situation.” Darick’s dry voice cuts through the haze. We jump apart, Kara nearly knocking over a stack of books in her haste to put distance between us.
“Nothing’s going on,” I say stupidly because, of course, something’s going on. I fight to keep my voice steady, to regulate my breathing. My fangs ache, and I have to consciously force them to retract.
“Lucien’s people are mobilizing.” Darick leans against the doorframe, his expression knowing. “We need to move everyone to a secure location. Your penthouse would work well, Marcus.”
“My penthouse?” The suggestion catches me off guard, but the tactical advantages quickly become clear. “The building’s warded, secure access points…”
“It’s practically a military fortress. And your security team is loyal,” Darick adds. “Plus, it’s the last place Lucien would expect to find a group of witches.”
“No.” Kara shakes her head. “We’re not running away to hide.”
“It’s not hiding,” I say. “It’s strategic repositioning. My place has resources we can use – surveillance equipment, secure communications…”
“And a direct line to my contacts in the vampire council,” Darick adds.
I watch Kara process this, her thoughts tumbling through my mind. She hates the idea of retreating, but I catch fragments of reluctant acknowledgment that it makes sense.
“Fine,” she finally says. “But this is temporary. Just until we figure out our next move.”
“Of course.” Darick’s tone is mild, but I catch the slight quirk of his lips. “I’ll let the others know.”