15. Chapter 15
15
“ K ade, what th—” Kelly started, but he cut her off.
“Dinnae move,” he said savagely.
“What’s wrong?” she breathed.
“Yer blood. I dinnae ken what it is, but just that bit has me close to ripping yer throat out. I dinnae want to hurt ye.”
“You won’t hurt me—I know you won’t.”
He laughed. “Ye ken nothing of bloodlust, lass.” He loosened his grip on her hands with obvious effort and stood back from her. “I want to rip ye to shreds right where ye stand. I want to taste every inch of ye and drain ye dry, and it’s taking every ounce of control I have to keep from doing that”
Strangely, Kelly’s fear subsided then, and she gave in to the curiosity that had always been her driving force.
“I don’t understand. I thought bloodlust was something young vampires dealt with. Aren’t you older?”
“Aye, 276 to be exact.”
“Then why is this happening? And what’s with the amber eyes? The book didn’t say anything about amber eyes.”
He stared at her, confusion on his face. “What do ye mean, amber eyes?”
“It’s fading, but they were amber.”
He moved her to the side and was inside her room in a flash. She followed him in, going to the bathroom when she didn’t see him in the bedroom.
Kade stood in front of the mirror, hands braced on the counter, staring at his reflection.
Kelly laid her hand on his shoulder. “What does it mean?”
“I dinnae ken.”
“Well, fuck.” She couldn’t help it—her favorite words always surfaced in times of distress.
“Aye, fuck.”
Kelly gently pulled on his shoulder so he would turn to face her. “So, you’re telling me that a small drop of my blood gave you bloodlust and made your eyes turn amber, and you have no idea why.”
“Aye, that covers it.”
She walked over to the bathtub and sat on the ledge. “Just my luck. I’ll figure out why, though. That’s what I do.”
Kade walked over to her and knelt down. “Yer job is to learn now, not to investigate.”
“Doesn’t learning about this count as part of that?”
He tilted his head in acknowledgment. “I suppose it does. I dinnae ken of anything like this being written about in the past.”
“So much for a night to clear my mind.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “Maybe I can fix that. It seems there isnae an issue as long as no blood is drawn.”
“I don’t think anything is a good idea right now.” Thankfully, her mind was working; her body wanted to tell him he could distract her all he wanted.
“I willnae push it, I swear.” He offered her his hand, and she took it.
Kade pulled her up and brought her into his arms. “There is something about ye, Kelly Hart.”
She didn’t respond, not knowing what to say. Kade picked her up and carried her over to the counter, setting her on it. He leaned in, his face next to hers, and nuzzled her neck. “I want to kiss ye again so badly.” His lips touched her neck again as he moved in closer to her like a predator would his prey.
Kelly found herself wishing he would kiss her. Hell, for a fleeting moment she wanted him to bite her.
Then, just as quickly as he’d moved in, he pulled himself away and went to the bath. He turned on the hot water and tested the temperature before plugging the drain and letting it run.
When he walked back over to her, it made her body tingle with anticipation of what he had in mind.
“I’ll leave ye to yer bath. Take yer time and relax. When yer done, come out to yer room and I’ll stay with ye.”
Her heart sank just a little. He was being kind and mindful of her privacy, though, and she appreciated that. She nodded to him, unable to do anything else.
Kade laid a towel on the edge of the bath before making his way out to her room.
Kade
Backing up to the bed in Kelly’s room, Kade let himself fall onto it without an ounce of grace.
What the fuck was happening?
He’d never seen a vampire’s eyes that color or even heard about anything similar. Bloodlust was something he hadn’t experienced in over two centuries. Could it simply be that this was the first fresh human blood he’d tasted in decades?
Nothing made sense. His first instinct had been to ask his mother or Fabian, but he didn’t want either of them knowing about this for now. It just felt weird to involve his mother in his relationships with women, and Fabian wouldn’t let him near Kelly if he found out about anything that had taken place. This was between him and Kelly, and they’d have to figure it out on their own.
He ran his hand through his hair and stared up at the ceiling. How life could change in a week. He’d gone from feeling like he had a handle on the Council and being curious about some strange girl, to protecting and providing for said strange girl and dreading the next meeting with the Council.
He always dreaded those meetings, but this was different. He would have to brush off anything that had happened with Kelly and focus on finding out who was involved in the attempts to abduct her.
Kade had always had a knack for business, but he was not cunning or manipulative. His mind worked on the numbers, he was good at finding ways to move things forward, and he could make a product appeal to the people. In the past, when people tried to play games, he simply fired them.
Taking a seat on the Council forced him to look at things differently. He had to gain the respect of people who didn’t even have any respect for themselves. Most members of the Council were self-serving and had their own agendas or angles that they were working behind the scenes.
He’d determined that going back to Dallas was a necessary evil. Scotland would always be his home, but duty called, and duty was in Dallas.
There were more contacts and informants in the city, and he would be closer to the Council. Less flying back and forth meant more time to deal with the matters at hand. He still didn’t know who killed his father, and now someone at that table was after Kelly. With nine members aside from himself, chances were there were separate people involved in each plot, but they could be connected as well.
Kade’s day had been filled with business calls to make sure his executive teams were set to run his companies without him. Siri would remain in the castle with Brodric while Connor, Fabian, Ginna, Asta, and Kelly traveled to Dallas with him. Clyde, too, of course.
Siri had helped him find a nice house in a good neighborhood that could hold everyone comfortably. It also had the necessary technology to support a human security system as well as an Arcane one. With some minor renovations, it would soon house a training room and library for Kelly to continue her studies.
He heard the water stop running in the bathroom, followed by the sound of Kelly undressing and getting into the bathtub.
It took every bit of restraint for him to stay where he was, and even then, his cock made its frustration known.
Why the gods had decided to stop a vampire’s heart but still allow the body to direct blood to certain areas of its own accord, he would never understand. Leave it to Loki to play tricks like that. He’d never complain about the increased stamina, though.
Then again, now was not the time to have great stamina. He groaned, not caring who heard him.
Willing the thought of business and threats away, he brought his attention back to the here and now, to this room, and the woman just across the threshold.
Getting up, he turned back the covers of the bed and took off his clothes, leaving his briefs on so he wouldn’t make Kelly uncomfortable. He climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up, trying to look casual.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard her get out of the bath, but it seemed like she’d taken time to relax instead of just washing off. He typically wasn’t one to care about the happiness of a woman, but he was pleased.
A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom. Wet hair clung to her shoulders, trailing down her back, and she wore only a tank top and panties. The woman would be the end of him someday.
He lifted the covers on her side of the bed, inviting her to join him.
Kelly looked at him, hesitant at first, but gave in and crawled in next to him. She turned and faced her back to him, and he pulled her in close.
She shivered as he nuzzled close to her.
“Am I too cold?” he asked.
“No, I’m just not used to someone being so cold to the touch. I’m always hot, so I’m sure you’ll balance things out.”
He tucked her into him, resting his head behind hers and breathing in her scent. He was sure in that moment that he’d never get enough of her, no matter how many years or centuries they had together.
“Kade?”
“Aye, lass?”
“Don’t stay here tonight with the intent of leaving when I fall asleep. I don’t need a man for comfort. If you’re in, you’re all in.”
He held her just a bit tighter. She was strong and independent, and he liked that she made it known.
“I dinnae plan to leave ye, lass.”
“You fuck up, and I’ll make you regret it.”
He laughed. It was rare for a knowing human to threaten a vampire, and he knew she would carry out that threat. “I’ll do mah best not to. Now go to sleep; it’s been a long day. I promise I’ll be here when ye wake.”
Kelly relaxed then and was sleeping soundly in less than a minute.
Kade took a moment to wonder what the fuck he was doing and then let the thought go.
For the first time in centuries, he simply enjoyed the evening without letting responsibilities cloud his mind. Kelly would sleep for seven or eight hours, and he only needed three. He spent the next five hours or so memorizing her: her scent, her curves, the rhythms of her heart and her breathing.
When he finally allowed himself to sleep, it was the most peaceful sleep he’d had in over 250 years.
Kelly
The next morning, Kelly awoke feeling refreshed. Kade’s arm was still wrapped around her stomach, and his cold breath tickled her neck.
She sorted through the events of the night in her mind, trying to make sense of them, but no answers surfaced. There was much research to be done, and little time to do it. Fabian would not forgo the morning training session. Then she had her afternoon with Ginna, which would likely carry over to the plane.
Turning onto her back, Kelly stretched to try to wake up. A displeased meow came from the foot of the bed, announcing Clyde’s presence.
Kade also stirred, tightening his arm around her midsection.
She reached her outside arm around to nudge him. “Human here, don’t strangle me.”
He jerked back. “I’m sorry, lass. Did I hurt ye?”
“No, I’m fine.”
He relaxed a little with that.
Clyde stretched and made his way to the top of the bed, meowing in hunger.
“Where has he been while we’ve been here?” She asked Kade.
“He usually sticks to the sunny windows for warmth. I suppose ye were a reasonable replacement for the sun at night.”
Kelly reached down and ran her hand over the cat’s soft coat.
“Ye pay more attention to the cat than the man lying beside ye?” Kade feigned disappointment.
“He’s a bit cuter, and softer.”
“I cannae say I wish to be called soft or cute.”
Kelly turned to face him and moved closer until her body was pressed to his, sliding her leg over him.
Kade stopped her, his hand on her thigh. “Nae, lass, I cannae risk more until we ken what is going on. Ye push me too far and I will kill ye.”
“You controlled bloodlust before, right?”
“Aye, but this isnae the same. Bloodlust makes ye mad with hunger. This seemed to disconnect me from sanity completely. I pictured myself draining ye dry and ripping ye to shreds, and I liked the idea for a moment. Bloodlust is pure hunger; ye want to drain a body dry, but that’s the end of it. This was possession, fury, and hunger all in one. The vampire in me wanted to decimate ye.”
That made Kelly pause. She had been naive in thinking Kade was simply experiencing bloodlust. The fact that he had not heard of a vampire with amber eyes in his 276-year existence told her there was much more to this issue.
“Why can’t anything be easy?” She groaned, rolling away from him and getting out of bed.
She grabbed more leggings and a tank top from the armoire and went to the bathroom to dress for the day.
“What time are we leaving today?” she said from the bathroom, not yelling, but speaking loudly.
“Ye dinnae have to speak up around me.”
“Oh, right.”
“We’ll leave here around three this afternoon.”
After she dressed and put her hair up, Kelly came back into the bedroom. “I should go before Fabian gets upset.”
“I suppose yer right.” Kade didn’t move to get out of bed.
“Not even going to get up and tell me to have a good day?”
Kade raised his hands in self-defense. “Whoa, whoa, we’re not married.” He flipped back the covers, exposing his muscular body and a very obvious hard-on. “I was trying not to tempt you with all of this. How would that be fair?”
“Two can play at that game.” She smiled at him. “Just wait.”
It took all of her willpower, but Kelly turned and left the room. She needed to find answers fast, or she was going to go insane.
—
Training with Fabian flew by with more meditation and some work with the karambits.
Kade came in for a bit to help her train against a Vampire, which made things interesting. She ended up focusing more on the awkward moments between her and Kade and less on the art of self-defense. Fabian was less than pleased.
The afternoon with Ginna consisted of finishing the book on the history of Vampires before everyone got ready to leave. The book didn’t contain an ounce of information on what had happened between her and Kade, which left her feeling frustrated.
Siri and Brodric waited at the entrance of the castle to bid them farewell, and Kelly found herself hugging both of them fiercely. She had grown attached to them in just a few days, and they felt like her family.
The crew included Kade, Clyde, Ginna, Fabian, and Asmund. Kade said Asta and Connor would meet them in Dallas.
Hoping for some sliver of a clue to what was going on with Kade, Kelly asked Ginna to bring the book on mages and warlocks with them. Maybe there was something in their history that was a defense against vampires or something that caused the type of reaction he had experienced.
The flight proved uneventful, and Kelly finished the book on mage and warlock history without discovering anything useful. Okay, so she’d learned a lot about the history of her people, but none of it gave her the answers she was looking for.
Kade worked, Ginna studied books of her own, and Fabian and Asmund traded stories of battle and security details. Kelly curled up with Clyde in the back and started jotting down ideas and theories in her laptop. She skimmed through the books she’d read and noted any abnormalities that came up, but there weren’t many.
She didn’t have many ideas because she was so new to this world. The only idea she had was that her being a timekeeper had something to do with it, but that didn’t give her much to go on.
Bloodlust usually affected fairly new vampires and was tied to hunger only, just as Kade had said. It didn’t lead a vampire to crave the blood of one race over another, nor did it drive them to tear a body to shreds. It simply clouded their mind, blocking their judgment and making them drink until a person was completely drained of blood.
Neither book mentioned anything about relationships between a mage and a vampire; they only mentioned relationships between those of the same race, which struck her as strange.
There was no mention of mages or vampires causing reactions in each other, either. The only thing that came close was the chapter on the types of mages. It said that mages with an affinity to earth magic could manipulate silver against vampires, but she didn’t even know how to call her earth magic, much less use it against Kade.
In short, she had jack shit for information. Jack. Fucking. Shit.
—
The plane landed in DFW that night, putting some time back in their day, but tossing in jet lag to go with it.
As they drove to the house, Kade outlined the plans. “I’ve got to go meet with an informant. Ye all can get settled and choose yer rooms while I’m gone. I shouldnae be too long.”
Kelly couldn’t help butting in. “What information does the informant have?”
Kade raised an eyebrow at her. “What makes ye think it’s yer business?”
She gave him her best smart-ass smile. “Call it a hunch.”
“Even if it does have something to do with ye, we should leave it to discuss when I’m back.”
Men. Always trying to handle things, Kelly thought. “If it has to do with me, I’m going.”
“If ye go, that means Fabian is going too, which will just draw unnecessary attention to all of us. Not to mention, I am meeting the person in an Arcane bar, and ye will stick out like a sore thumb as a human.”
Kade looked to Fabian for support.
Fabian glanced back at him. “Do not look to me for help in your argument. I am not here to make her decisions, only to protect her.”
Kade’s hand made its way through his hair in frustration. “Can ye just trust me to take care of this?” he asked Kelly.
“I trust you, but I’m a journalist. I pick up on things, and I know how to get answers. I’m going.”
“Ye forget I have almost 300 years’ experience.”
Fabian groaned. “Just let her go. I am not in the mood to listen to the two of you bicker.”
“She will be in danger as a human in an Arcane establishment.”
“If you do not allow her to go with you, she will sneak after you and try to listen in, making herself more obvious than if she just went in with you,” Fabian said, in a tone that implied Kade should know that already.
“Jesus Christ, fine, ye can go.”
Kelly squealed, somewhat quietly, beside Kade.
He raised his voice slightly to make a point. “Ye will listen and do what yer told while we are there.” His statement was followed by a rather stern glare.
“Okay, okay. I’m going to ask some questions, though.”
Kade didn’t reply, clearly exasperated by Kelly’s independence.
Fabian chuckled at them.
—
When the SUV pulled up to the house, they all got out and grabbed their things.
Kelly glanced at the house, momentarily in awe, and then set her excitement aside so she could join Kade. She set her things inside the door and ran back out before she was distracted.
She was surprised when Kade took the driver’s seat of the SUV and waited for her to get in. “You can drive?”
He laughed, and she suddenly wondered what brought her to ask. “Dinnae worry, lass. I understand why ye would ask. Aye, I can drive.”
Fabian hopped in the back seat, and they were on their way.
Kade drove them into one of the most popular areas of downtown Dallas, right into the heart of Deep Ellum.
As they turned onto Elm St, they hit traffic and the SUV slowed to a crawl. Kelly took up one of her favorite pastimes and watched people as they walked down the street. Christmas lights adorned lamp posts and businesses; couples walked in the brisk air cuddled up together, holding hands. They all looked so happy.
Except for that one couple. Yep, she was pissed. Red wine, meet $500 jacket. Kelly wondered what had happened. Did he hit on another girl at the bar? Or had she caught him there on a date? Sadly, Kelly would never know.
They turned down a side street, and Kade parked in a space that didn’t really look like a space.
Kelly opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.
Kade led them around to the front of a small shop with a cute little sign that read “Deep Ellum Chocolate Shop.”
The shop appeared to be closed, but that didn’t stop Kade from walking in. Kelly looked back at Fabian, raising an eyebrow in question. He simply gestured her forward, and she followed Kade.
An extremely small woman appeared behind the counter and flashed a bright white smile at them. She reminded Kelly of that nerdy woman in that kids’ movie. The one about the superhero family. She couldn’t think of the name, but she could see that little woman and her cute bob haircut and giant glasses with absolute clarity.
“What will ya have?” the woman asked.
“Oh, come now, Thelma, ye ken what we’re here for.”
“Keegan MacCabe, you know the fucking rules.” She raised her eyebrows at him in the way a teacher does right before a student tries to pull a fast one.
Kelly did her best to hold in her laughter as a four-and-a-half-foot woman gave the giant Scottish vampire next to her “the look.”
Kelly couldn’t stop herself—she ended up giggling like a schoolgirl.
Then she got the look from the giant Scottish vampire. For some reason, that shut her right up.
Kade looked back at Thelma and seemed to steady himself before speaking. “Do ye have any immortal gobstoppers?”
Kelly raised an eyebrow at him. “Um, isn’t it…”
Thelma cut her off. “Right this way.” She lifted the counter so they could walk through it. Then she led them through a curtain, holding it aside.
They all stood in a little room with little chocolates and candies lining the walls. Thelma pushed through them, stared at the back wall, and chose a candy to pick up. When she did so, the back wall and all of its candies simply disappeared, leading them farther into the depths of the shop.