20. Chapter 20
20
K elly awoke to Kade’s arm wrapped around her torso, her back to his hard chest. Well, sort of to his chest. He was still on top of the covers.
She replayed the final events of last night in her mind and couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her.
When her thong hit the floor, Kade had coughed like he was choking on something.
She’d quickly done her nightly routine in the bathroom and then come back to crawl into bed. When she came out of the bathroom, Kade got a glimpse of her and nearly lost his cool. His eyes were already amber, and his fangs were fully extended, longer than she’d ever seen them.
“Fuck, lass, why are ye doin’ this?”
“Because I’m not afraid of you.” She’d turned off the light and crawled into bed, turning her back to him.
It took a long time, but Kade finally lay down beside her. Only this time, he had his clothes on, and he was lying on top of the covers.
Kelly wanted to tempt him further and tell him to undress and lie with her, but she decided to let it go. Gift horse and all that. Part of her had expected him to leave when she took off her clothes. He was truly terrified he would hurt her.
Focusing on the morning, she remembered her goal to train with Fabian and slid from beneath the covers to get ready. She threw on her usual leggings and a tank top and put her hair up again. When she came into the room, Kade’s arm was over his eyes.
“Tell me yer dressed.”
“I’m dressed.”
“Thank the gods. Yer going to kill me.”
“I’m sure you’ve survived worse than this. I’ve got to go train with Fabian. I want to get some time in before my dad gets here,” she explained as she walked to the door.
“I’ll be down there in a bit. Going to shower and change.”
She smiled at him and opened the door. He gave his half smile before rolling on his back and groaning in frustration. His jeans didn’t quite hide his erection, and she took pride in the fact that it was her doing.
Downstairs, everyone was in the kitchen. Fabian was cooking, and Asmund and Ginna were at the counter.
“Good morning, Warrior,” Fabian greeted her.
For the first time, that name meant something to her. It didn’t fit yet, but she would earn it soon enough.
“Good morning.” She smiled at him.
A slight shriek came from across the room. “Oh. My. Gosh! I’m so excited to see you again!” Asta ran around the kitchen island, arms wide, and wrapped Kelly in a very firm, very genuine hug.
“Um, hey, Asta.” Kelly barely managed as Asta squeezed the air from her lungs.
“Oh, shoot, I’m so sorry. I’m used to hugging vampires, not humans.” She put her hands on Kelly’s shoulders and backed up a half step.
“I’m glad you finally made it to Dallas!”
Asta gestured to the bar. “Sit. Breakfast is almost ready. We can chat while you all eat.”
Kelly took the stool between Asmund and another guy whose head was buried in his tablet. Long, jet-black hair hid his face from her view until he turned to look at her. Smooth features gave him a somewhat young look, maybe early thirties? But his eyes held ages of knowledge.
He offered his hand to her. “I’m Connor.” His thick Irish accent surprised her for some reason.
She shook his hand with a smile. “Kelly. Not that you didn’t know that by now.”
He let a slight grin show. “Aye, I’ve known who you are longer than everyone else here.”
That caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, I thought Kade told you. He had me follow you after he first saw you across the street from Star Plaza. He needed to know if you were up to something.”
Connor said it all like it was no big deal.
Kelly was about to yell at Kade when his voice came from upstairs. “Dinnae fash, lass. He wasnae sent to gawk at ye. I just needed to make sure ye hadnae been hired by someone to spy on us.”
“So you spied on me?”
He made his way down the staircase, rolling up the sleeves on his crisp button-up burgundy shirt. He wore nice jeans and boots as usual. Damn the man and his ability to make jeans look so sexy.
“Nae, Connor spied on ye.” He saw the look on her face and quickly added, “Aye, it was at my request. I needed to ken if ye were trying to gain information. Ye could have been a plant from someone in the Council or any number of other people.”
While she knew he was telling the truth, she still felt violated.
“Let us eat, then,” Fabian announced, saving everyone from the conversation.
Kelly got up and made her way to the table in the breakfast area. It was large for a breakfast table, easily seating ten people. Okay, maybe it was huge.
Everyone followed her over and sat. Fabian and Asta brought the food to the table, and Kade brought glasses of blood for the vampires.
Fabian was the last to sit, and he placed a box in front of Kelly before he did. It was rectangular and wrapped in red silk ribbon.
“What is this? We’re not really supposed to celebrate Christmas, you know?”
“So quick to adopt our ways, huh? This just happens to be good timing.” He seemed excited to see her open it.
Everyone was looking at her expectantly.
“Go on, Rookie. We don’t have all day.” Ginna prodded her.
She hated being the center of attention, so she opened the box just to get it over with.
As Kelly grasped the smooth ribbon, she had the sense that this was something special. It was a plain black box with a metal clasp on the front that clicked when she opened it.
Chains held the top of the box, stopping it at a 90-degree angle when Kelly opened the lid. Inside, two beautiful karambits were fitted in a black velvet casing encircling each other. The half-moon blades formed somewhat of a yin-yang. The metal of the blades was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. It looked like wood grain with silver, gray, and rose colors flowing throughout. The handles were made of carbon fiber, contrasting the metal in a strange yet elegant way.
Words failed her as she picked one up. Her index finger fit perfectly in the finger ring, and her hand felt at home as her fingers curled around the perfectly designed grip. She held it the way Fabian had taught her, in a reverse grip, with the blade curving away from her, ready to catch the jugular of an unsuspecting opponent.
What first drew her to these blades was the purely animalistic nature of them. It was like someone had taken an eagle’s talon and turned it into a knife. Different grips held different purposes, but the end result was still the same: destruction.
Fabian brought her from her trance. “The metal is called Mokume Gane. They were forged from silver, white gold, and rose gold. The silver will give you a leg up on shifters and vampires, while gold will help you to fend off demons, should you ever run into them. A warlock infused them with strength to make them nearly indestructible. They are the most well-rounded blades I have ever seen.”
There was pride in his voice as he spoke, and she realized Fabian had gone to extreme lengths to make sure she had the finest weapons money could buy. He had put his heart into these for her.
Kelly got up and went around the table to hug him. Fabian’s eyes went wide, but he seemed appreciative of her gesture.
“Thank you, Guardian. I will treasure these forever.”
She wanted to say more, but she didn’t have the words. Fabian was a simple man, and she knew he understood the depth of her gratitude.
Tears of happiness began to well up in her eyes, and then Ginna spoke.
“Right then, let’s eat. I’m starving! Gotta eat so you can go train with those shiny new toys, Rookie.”
Leave it to Ginna to pull her from an emotional moment.
Breakfast was possibly the best meal of her life. The food was good, and the company was even better. Everyone talked and enjoyed each other’s company. They all laughed and joked about war stories and business deals they’d been a part of. Ginna threw in a smart comment when one was warranted, and Asmund was like the cool high school jock who everyone loved.
They all respected Kade as their leader, and no one left Kelly out of the conversation, even though she hadn’t been a part of any of their adventures. Hell, Fabian even spoke up here and there and joked with them.
This was what family should be, she thought. Not the people you’re born with, but the people you choose. These people would give their lives for each other and then laugh about it after the fact. Sure, everyone was different, but they valued each other for those differences instead of letting them drive a wedge in their bond.
When the chatter died down, Asta and Ginna offered to clean up so Kelly and Fabian could go train. Kade promised to join them after he met with Connor.
Fabian wouldn’t let her practice with her karambits. He gave her plastic ones instead so she didn’t cut either of them while they trained.
For the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, they trained relentlessly. Fabian started by showing her the proper ways to grip the blade, then they went into the basic moves.
The blade was double-edged, so almost anything she did with it could cut her opponent. They worked on grips and moves until she could do them with her eyes closed. When Fabian was convinced she knew the basics, the two of them sparred again and again.
Kelly lost almost every time, but she kept trying. After every match, Fabian would replay their fight, move by move, to show her what she did right and where she could improve.
After hours, Fabian recommended they call it a day.
Kade had been sitting in the corner, watching them in silence the whole time, but he’d never stepped in.
“I can keep going. I need to keep going.”
Fabian shook his head. “Your father will be here soon. You should take some time to shower and rest. You need food, too; your body has had enough.”
“Thirty more minutes, that’s it.”
“No, Warrior, it is time to quit for the day. You have done well. Thirty minutes will not make a difference in your next fight. It will only add to your exhaustion, and you will begin to make mistakes as you grow more tired.”
Knowing Fabian was right, she bowed her head.
“Let Kade take you up to your room and draw you a bath. You will be sore soon, and you need to take care of yourself.”
She nodded to him. “Thank you.”
He smiled, and it reached his eyes. “It was my pleasure.”
Kade stood and followed her from the training room. With every step toward her room, her body protested with more pain and fatigue. They made it halfway up the stairs before Kade picked her up and carried her to her room.
“I don’t get it. I was in the best shape of my life a week ago. What is wrong with me?”
“Fighting is far from a workout. Ye have to use yer mind just as much as yer body. Both take the same amount of energy. Ye will learn to regulate it with time, although I cannae say I recommend hours of sparring every day.”
“Fabian seemed fine with it,” she thought aloud.
“Aye, because he kens how ye feel about what happened last night. He was letting ye take out yer frustration and guilt in a protected environment.”
“Oh” was all she could manage. They were right—she had been holding on to the emotions of the previous night, and she’d convinced herself that training would fix them all.
She did feel better about things, and she was definitely more prepared for any fight that came her way.
Kade laid her on the bed and went to draw a bath. It seemed like a waste of time, but protesting wouldn’t get her anywhere.
While the water ran, Kade disappeared. Just when she was about to get up and make sure the water wouldn’t overflow, he appeared again with a plate in his hand. He closed her bedroom door and set the plate in the bathroom before coming to get her.
“Come, lass, let’s get ye into the bath.”
“I can manage,” she said sleepily. “You can go work or whatever.”
“Are ye afraid I’ll see ye naked? Ye forget I saw all of ye last night.”
Shit. Yep, she’d thrown that excuse away.
“Really, though, I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Aye, yer tired. Ye used yer powers a lot over the past few days, and then ye decided training for hours with Fabian would be a grand idea. Ye pushed it too far. Come get into the bath and eat something. I’ll tell ye what Connor found out.”
She perked up at that. New information always excited her. She got up and sleepily walked to the tub. Kade helped her undress and then steadied her as she crawled into the hot water. It wrapped around her like a blanket, comforting her down to the core.
Kelly couldn’t help the moan that escaped her as she laid her head back and closed her eyes.
A slight clank sounded as Kade set the plate down next to the tub. Stealing a peek, Kelly saw apple slices, cheese, and caramel, all laid out neatly on the plate.
Resistance was futile and Kelly grabbed an apple slice, dipping it in caramel before bringing it to her mouth.
“What did Connor learn?” she asked, unwilling to wait any longer.
Kade sat next to the tub and pulled his knees up to his chest.
“I dinnae ken if ye would call it learning anything. He found some old writings that talk of a bond between vampires and mages. What he found doesnae speak of any changes in eyes or bloodlust, but there has never been a bond between our races that I am aware of.”
“So, we have nothing.” Kelly couldn’t keep the negativity from her voice.
Kade ran his hand through his hair. “I dinnae ken. There has to be more behind what he found. Arcane have always kept things private within our races. Nowhere in our history books does it mention a bond between two races, especially not mages and vampires. Mages and warlocks have the greatest advantage against us in a fight, and we have never needed the help of another race to make things work. There has to be more to what he found.”
As much as she wanted to talk more about the mystery between them, Kelly was exhausted. It was true that magic took a lot out of her, and she’d been dumb to follow it up with hours of training.
To Fabian’s credit, he’d let her dig her own grave on that one. He knew she would hold on to her frustration if she didn’t work toward a solution. She’d definitely been able to let go of her anger. Now, she just had to find some strength before her dad got here.
“What time is it?” she asked Kade.
“Just about two.”
“Think you can entertain my dad for two hours while I take a nap?” She raised her brows at him with the question, giving him an overenthusiastic smile that said she wasn’t serious.
“Somehow, I dinnae think yer father would appreciate that.”
Kelly shrugged, and the water sloshed around her. “I guess I should get out then and get ready.”
Standing proved to be a challenge, so Kade helped her up and out of the bath, wrapping her in a towel. Then he carried her to the bed and grabbed some clothes before sitting down next to her.
“If I make a suggestion, will ye try to keep an open mind about it?” Kade asked, clearly being very careful with his words.
Too tired to be suspicious, Kelly nodded.
“Take some of my blood. It will have ye good as new, and then ye can enjoy the day with yer father.”
Now that she was more familiar with vampires, the thought of drinking Kade’s blood didn’t bother her as much as it had the night they met. The book she had read on vampires briefly described the healing properties of their blood. It just seemed gross, if she was being honest with herself. Who in their right mind wanted to drink blood?
Her face must have given her thoughts away because Kade did his best to reassure her.
“Ye dinnae need much, and it doesnae taste like normal blood.”
A chill ran through her. “The fact that we’re talking about the taste of vampire blood is ridiculous.”
Kade ran his hand through his hair again. “Will ye just try it?” He paused, searching for words, then added, “Look, ye may need it in the field if ye continue to be attacked. At least this way ye ken what to expect.”
He did have a point there. “Okay, fine. Nothing crazy will happen, right? I’ll just be good as new, no side effects?”
“Aye.”
What the hell, she thought. At the end of the day, the worst of it would be the weird taste.
“Okay.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “I’ll cut my wrist, and ye can take what ye need. A few drops should do.”
Kelly nodded.
Kade brought his arm to his mouth. His fangs extended just slightly, and he bit into his wrist. He then offered his wrist to her, blood welling up at the two puncture marks.
Her gag reflex almost took hold, but Kelly pushed it back. She held Kade’s wrist in her hand and slowly brought it to her mouth. “Here goes nothing,” she thought out loud.
The first thing Kelly noted as her tongue made contact with Kade’s skin was the sweet taste of his blood. It was almost spicy, too, with a hint of cloves and cinnamon.
She swallowed without thinking, and a surge of power hit her, coming from within.
Wanting more, she pulled against Kade’s wrist, sucking fiercely at the wound he’d created.
The more Kelly swallowed, the stronger she felt. Another surge of power hit, then another. Then she was on her back, Kade straddled over her on the bed, holding her arms above her head.
Kelly turned her head toward his wrist, trying to get just another drop of that sweet elixir.
She watched the wound heal and close and felt a slight mourning for the blood she could not have.
What the fuck?
Her mind cleared just enough for everything to register. “You can say that again.” What had just happened? Kade’s blood had turned her into an animal.
Kade looked at her in confusion. “Say what again?”
“You said what the fuck, I was agreeing.”
“I thought that, I didnae say it.”
Holy shit, she’s reading my damn mind.
“Fuck!” Kelly pushed against him, trying to pull her hands free from his grasp. “Kade, get off of me, what the fuck?”
He let go in a flash and stood before her.
Shit, how can she hear my thoughts?
“How can ye hear my thoughts?”
The urge to throw up was back, but it had nothing to do with her stomach. Every thought in Kade’s mind flowed through her head as if he was speaking aloud.
Kelly slammed her eyes shut and hid her face in her hands.
“Please don’t think and talk. Just think. I can hear every fucking thing coursing through your mind.”
Catching on quick, Kade didn’t say a word, but his mind was in overdrive.
Kelly held up her hand and shook her head. “Seriously? Kade, this is not about my tits. Don’t bring my tits into this. Ugh!” She grabbed her clothes and dressed as fast as she could. At least he’d brought her clothes before all of this.
This isnae normal, I swear to ye. I didnae ken this would happen. His thoughts fluttered back to the moment he bit into his wrist, then her lips on his skin. Seeing all of that—the male reaction to a woman—was strange, to say the least. Now, she really did know the effect she had on him.
“This might be worse than being tired around my dad. You’re going to have to school your thoughts.”
Ye want me to control my thoughts? Oh sure, that’ll be easy.
Holy shit, this was going to drive her mad in no time.
“Can you hear my thoughts, too?”
Kade just shook his head.
“Well, that’s good. I think.”
Kelly pulled her hoodie over her head, feeling better with clothes on.
A knock sounded, or at least she thought she heard one through Kade’s head. Footsteps echoed as someone walked to the front door.
“Kelly, your dad’s here,” Asta announced.