17. Vameer
Vameer
Jack takes the internet back. And I keep my focus on my chest.
It was harder to slow my heartbeat than it should’ve been.
Why are you fighting me, Mon Coeur?
Some of my focus pulls lower, to the desire curling in my loins.
My father spoke of this to me. The need that overtakes you when you find your mate.
I don’t want to think about him or my mother right now, not in that context. But I’m glad he told me. Without the warning, I’d think I was losing my mind to lust.
My mate wasn’t warned.
Was my brother?
Jack taps the internet. “Next I can show ya the press conference they did after all that. Talking about shifters and Morell.”
My entire attention snaps to Jack. “Repeat what you just said.”
“We didn’t know about shifters until—”
“No. The name. Repeat the name.”
“Morell? That’s the guy who kidnapped Nix. The whole reason for…” Jack furrows his brows. “You okay?”
“Morell tried—” I stop myself before saying more. Unsure of exactly how much humans know about vampires.
“He stole her right in front of Volik, through a mirror. Not sure how that works.” He shrugs. “But she killed him. Then sprouted horns.”
I stare at the Irishman.
Guilt presses in around me.
My enemy tried to kill my brother and his mate. And I slept.
He went through finding his mate without me or our parents.
He fought against the threat of death, from my enemy, without me.
He’s lived a third of his life without his brother.
I have failed him.
Sad and angry, I take a step back toward the wall. Then I slump down and sit on one of the whiskey barrels.
The bending movement causes my muscles to bunch. And my belt finally snaps.
The old leather drops to the floor.
And sitting, knees bent, legs spread, facing the trio of humans, my robe falls open.
“Holy—” Grace slaps a hand over her mouth with a squeak, her gaze locked on my lap.
Then she slaps her other hand over her eyes.
Jack makes a choked sound as Alex whispers something about the gods.
I glance down.
Ah, yes. My dick.
I pull the sides of my robe back together, covering my lap.
Physical vampire resilience, my Fire Touch, and gravito that knows how to protect me in almost any situation, means that I’m usually the best person to send into a burning building.
I’ve walked through flames more times than I can recall. Walked out naked more times than not.
You stop being shy after the hundredth time.
But I know how some humans can be about nudity.
And knowing my mate is out there…I don’t want another female to see me. Especially since I was recently thinking of my mate with desire, and my cock hasn’t forgotten.
“Lo siento.” I move my knees so they’re closer together.
Grace starts to shake. Hands still in place. And I begin to worry, until I realize she is trying not to laugh.
“Grace,” Jack whispers.
“Sorry.” Grace keeps her hand over her eyes until she spins to face the other way. “Sorry.” The word trembles with humor.
I do not understand what is funny.
Jack holds up a hand to me, then goes to stand beside Grace.
“Gracie.” He’s trying to whisper, but he’s still loud enough to hear. And I don’t miss the way his tone is also full of humor.
I look down at my covered lap.
She leans her forehead against his shoulder. “Did you see how big it was?”
“Grace!” Jack sounds like he’s also trying not to laugh. “Get yourself together, woman.” He presses a hand to her back. “It wasn’t that big.”
Alex snorts. “Bluffer.”
Jack looks over his girl to his friend. “I didn’t look, pervert.”
“Uh-huh.” Alex smirks.
Grace mumbles something as she steps away, and Jack turns back to me, extending his arm, his hand clenched in a fist. “For real, though.”
I look at his hand. “Do you need me to show you how to punch?”
“What?” He looks down at his hand, then back up at me. “No, boss. This is a fist bump.” He nods down at his hand. “Tap your fist to mine.”
“Why?”
His smile doesn’t dim. “It’s like a high five. They have those back in your day?”
I shake my head.
Jack turns to look at Alex. “Help me out.”
“But you’re doin’ so well.” Alex rolls his eyes, then turns to me. “It’s a celebratory action. A congratulations.”
My mate will be perfect. But humans are weird.
But… these humans are kind. So I reach out and tap my fist to the top of his.
Jack yanks his hand back. “Shite.” He shakes it. “Fuck.”
I grimace. “Lo siento.”
Alex starts laughing so hard he drops into a chair.
“I apologize—”
Jack waves his uninjured hand, and I’m glad to see he’s smiling. “That’s on me. Should’ve thought about the super strength thing.”
Alex leans back in his chair. “Best night of my life.”
I nod to where Gracie has made her way behind the bar, face aimed at the floor. “She going to be okay?”
Jack scoffs. “Oh, she’s gonna be fine. Best night of her life too.” Then he heaves out a breath. “Gimme a minute. I think I can find a replacement for that belt.”
I turn to Alex when Jack heads toward the back hall. “Humans know about vampires and their enhanced strength?”
He nods. “We found out about your kind like seventy years ago. Wasn’t around for it myself, obviously, but it was a crazy day for humanity when a bunch of Alts just walked into town one day.”
“Alts?”
“Alternate Evolutionary Outcome. Alt for short.” Alex narrows his eyes in thought.
“I always thought it was a little weird that we called them, you, that. Why come up with the designation Alt when you could just call them vampires? Because until the Battle of Versailles, when those wolves jumped outta the fucking sky, we didn’t know about shifters.
That’s brand-new information. But I guess it’s kinda like Homo sapiens or whatever. ”
The moving image of Volik fighting my enemies happened just days ago. And if that’s the first time humans, as a whole, found out about shifters…
That can only mean danger.
I may have been gone for a long time, but I know the type of men that run governments. A new threat will cause powerful humans to act stupidly.
I need to find my mate.
“What happened when the Alts revealed themselves?” I must understand the history and learn everything that humans know.
Alex winces. “Something called The Trials. I think it’ll be better if ya read that part, rather than us telling you.”
I want to demand answers, but if it’s as bad as I assume, then he’s probably correct. I do not want to lose my temper with innocent men.
“Got some options,” Jack calls as he reenters the bar.
I stand, keeping a hand on my robe.
“I got twine. Some safety pins. And—”
“That one.” I hold my free hand out.
He stops in front of me. “Are ya—”
I reach out and take the length of chain from him. Then I wrap it around my waist, adjusting my robe beneath.
“You want some twine to…”
I use one hand to break and then pry open one of the links.
The metal groans as it snaps, and the excess thuds to the floor between my bare feet.
I hook the other end of the chain through the open link, then squeeze it back into the oval shape it started in.
The chain stays tight around my waist when I let go, holding my robe together.
I bend, grabbing my sword off the floor, then slide my sword between the chain and my robe against my left hip, hooking the hilt on the chain so it stays.
I give the sword a shake. “Can’t do that with twine.”
Grace pauses, halfway between us and the bar. She shakes her head, turns around, and goes back behind the bar.
Jack snorts, then puts his hands on his hips. “We can ask Trin for some shorts. So you don’t gotta worry about another slip. You’ll end up on the news if that happens in public.”
“Who is Trin?”
“Biggest guy in town and the only shot at finding you anything that might fit. Happens to live two doors down.” Jack makes a face. “But if they fit at all, they’ll be snug.”
“Would be appreciated.” I reach up and smooth down the shoulder of my robe with my left hand.
Alex points. “Where’d you get the bracelet?”
My sleeve slid up with the movement of my arm. And now someone other than me is looking at my mate’s bracelet.
The gravito that has stayed wrapped around my wrist darkens to black. And my protective instincts send out a warning pulse of power.
It’s not much. Doesn’t hurt the humans. But the bottles rattle on the shelves, and the hanging lights sway.
Alex holds his hands up.
I know I should apologize. That was probably an overreaction. But… I’m not going to. I sit on the barrel instead.
“So…” Jack clears his throat. “The sword. That’s just for looks?”
I look down at my trusty weapon.
I think about the beheaded mass murderer in Asia.
The flesh traders in Europe.
The clash on the Nile.
I look back up at the human. “Not just for looks.”
“How about we stop asking questions,” Alex offers, “and show him that press conference?”
“Sí. Show me.”
Jack takes the rectangle back out of his pocket. “After you watch, I’ll show you how to look up whatever you want to know.”
I stare at the light coming out of the internet. “How does it work?”
“How does what work?” Jack asks without looking up.
“The internet.”
He huffs out a laugh. “No fucking clue.”
I narrow my eyes. “You don’t know how the internet you are holding works?”
He lifts his gaze to mine, then looks back down. “Okay, so, this is a phone.” He holds up the rectangle. “The internet is…”
When his pause drags on, Alex snorts. “This should be good.”
“Fuck off,” Jack laughs. “The internet is a way to share information across the world.” He wiggles his fingers in a gesture I don’t understand. “I’ll admit, I don’t really know how it works. Probably should. But… I just know how ta use it.”
Accepting that I can’t explain how druid magic works, so I shouldn’t judge these men, I stop asking questions.
“Alright.” Jack turns the phone toward me so I can see the image again.
Staying seated, I reach out and take the rectangle.
Jack taps the surface, and the image starts to move.
A door opens on a brick building, and a man I don’t recognize steps out.
Then my brother follows.
He’s dressed in all black. And seeing him like this, straight on, not mid-fight, I can really see him.