Chapter 74
Nix
Volik scribbles another set of numbers into his notebook.
When he said he was going to make me a chair, he meant immediately.
“Sit straight.”
I do as I’m told.
He measures the height from the seat of his giant chair to the top of my head, then goes back to his notebook. “You will need your own desk. Mine is too tall for you.”
My lips twitch at how sulky he sounds.
Gods, he really is cute.
And handsome.
As he starts to sketch his idea, I think about the other vampires I’ve seen images of. They all look different, physically. Some of them are pretty old, like many hundreds of years, rather than Volik’s almost three hundred. But they’re all what I would call extremely physically fit.
I look down at myself.
My body is not what one would call physically fit. Never mind the extreme part.
I’ve made peace with it. I’m healthy. All bodies are different.
But I haven’t always had black eyes and nails, or a craving for blood.
So that’s new. But I also recall Volik saying something about vampires maturing at thirty and then remaining the same from then on.
So I can’t help but wonder if I’m going to remain this exact shape forever…
What I do know is that Volik is obsessed with me. And if I asked him if he thought I would slim down with the change, he would most likely become offended on my behalf. Even if I was just asking out of curiosity.
Thinking about how this morning started with Volik’s face between my thighs… Yeah. I won’t ask him.
This morning also started with my teeth in his neck. Followed by a giant steak sandwich.
I drag my tongue over my fang as the thought of drinking more of Volik’s blood makes my mouth water.
I shouldn’t be hungry again. But then again, Volik thinks my nearly constant hunger is due to my new power inside me.
I rub at my chest, focusing on the heavy feeling of the mate bond.
It’s not a bad feeling, just a little exhausting. And if I take time to focus on it, the weight lightens.
“What is wrong?”
I look up, dropping my hand to my lap. “Nothing’s wrong. Just got lost in my thoughts.”
“What thoughts?”
“You’re nosy.”
“Da.”
His instant reply has my lips pulling up into a grin. My lower lip catches on a fang, again. But I must’ve grinned harder than usual because I feel it pierce the skin.
“Sh—”
Volik’s lips are against mine before I can even finish my curse.
A pulse goes through the room, and I moan into his mouth.
His tongue drags slowly across my lip, licking up the tiny spot of blood.
I open my mouth.
And my phone rings.
It rings a third time before I remember what call we’re waiting for.
Volik remembers at the same time, or senses my shift to push at his chest, because he pulls his mouth away from mine.
Panting, I scoot to the front edge of the chair and grab my phone off the desk.
I feel my heart try to race with nerves, but Volik keeps it steady.
Blowing out a breath, I answer the call. “Hello?”
“Is this Nix Novak?” I recognize the voice immediately.
“It is. Thank you so much for calling, Miss Branock.”
She snorts. “Call me May. Please.”
“Will do. And, um, just Nix for me.”
My gaze darts to Volik, and I widen my eyes at him when I see he’s holding back a smile.
I don’t know why I called her Miss. I’m pretty sure we’re about the same age.
Like a professional, she ignores my weirdness. “So, I obviously got your message. And if you are who you say you are, then yes, I would love to speak with you.”
More of my tension drains. “Glad to hear that.”
I know journalism. I understand the process of an interview. I was the one who reached out to her. So I need to chill.
“Easiest way for me to confirm your identity is for me to video call you.”
I nod. “That works.” I think about my classes yesterday. “Um, have you, uh, looked me up since yesterday?”
“I have.” May ends the call. And a second later, my phone starts ringing with a video call.
It’s smart. She just confirmed that she has seen my changes. And she’s not giving me any time to put in contacts or fake teeth.
I accept the call, my camera already centered on my face.
“Hello.” I wave self-consciously, the camera shaking a bit in my other hand. Then I show her my teeth in an awkward smile.
May leans closer to her screen, eyes wide.
And while she takes a moment to freak out over talking to me, Volik’s mate, I take a moment to silently freak out over her, my favorite journalist.
May posts a lot of videos of herself on social media, reporting on stories, so I know it’s her.
“Sorry, but holy. Fucking. Shit.” May shakes her head.
I laugh. “I know, right?”
“No. You don’t know, this is… Sorry, actually, I read your background. You do know. This is huge. And I’m going to do my normal digging and reporting, you know that. But I just… I really appreciate you choosing me for this. And, if I may say so myself, good choice.”
“I understand and agree.” I don’t slice my lip when I grin this time. My earlier cut already healed. “And as you can probably guess, we’re in a bit of a hurry to get a statement to the public. So if this is something we could do… right away, that would be great.”
She’s already nodding. “Yeah. Absolutely. Can you come here? I’m in Tennessee.”
Volik’s exhale is loud. And annoyed.
Keeping the camera on myself, I lift an eyebrow as I look up at Volik, who’s still standing beside me.
“Are you in the mountains?” he asks from out of view.
May’s eyes are back to being wide. “Yes.”
“Maleficus,” Volik grumbles.
“Is that him?” May asks quietly.
“Da.” I smile up at Volik.
He rolls his eyes at me but moves closer.
I expect him to kneel down next to me or take the phone. But nope. He steps over the seat of the giant chair and settles himself behind me. Legs spread; my ass nestled between his thighs.
His chin is above my head. His shoulders fill the screen. And when he reaches his arms forward, resting his fists on the desktop, I look completely caged in by him.
And I love it.
And May… looks like she’s stopped breathing.
“Give me coordinates, and we can be there tonight.” Volik carries on as though this is all normal.
May nods. “I can do coordinates. I’ll text them to you when we hang up.”
“Nix can give you our approximate arrival time later.” His voice rumbles against my back soothingly. “It will be after dark.”
“Okay, uh, I’m going to have you come directly to the place I’m renting. It will be our best bet for privacy. And I’m assuming I can trust you both not to share the location with anyone else.”
Volik hums in agreement.
May blows out a breath, that look of disbelief still on her face. “Alright, well… I’ll see you tonight.”
The call ends.
Volik shifts his hand and taps his finger against my background image. The photo of us in Jenny’s office. “I like this.”
“Me too.” I lean back against his chest. “Do you have a phone?”
His arms wrap around me. “Da. But I do not keep it on me.”
“Why not?” I can’t imagine Volik ever being in a situation where he needs to call for a ride. But I also can’t imagine not having a phone.
I feel him shrug. “No point. No one to talk to.”
Oh. Wow. That sucks.
I press back into him more. “You can talk to me.”
“Da. But I do not need a phone for that.”
Our reflection is in front of us, in the blank computer monitor. So Volik can see my soft expression.
He doesn’t need a phone to talk to me, because he’ll always be close enough that he can just talk.
I sigh.
A therapist would have a field day with me.
I’m well aware this is not normal behavior. I’m not oblivious.
I’m also not oblivious to the fact that my heart, impossible as it should be, beats in sync with his.
So, if Volik is a stage-five clinger, and I’m into it, why fight it?
My phone alerts us to a text.
I open the message. “Looks like we have the coordinates.”
“If there is anything you want to bring to meet Miss Branock”—I poke Volik’s thigh for teasing me—“bring it with you now. We will make a stop on the way.”
I think over what I might want. “Okay. What’s the stop?”
“Talking to a wolf.”
“A shifter?” I twist so I can look over my shoulder at him. “Don’t mess with me, Volik. Are we really going to talk to a shifter?”
He nods.
I gape. “I’ve never met a shifter before.”
He smirks. “You have.”
I wave him off. “Yeah, I mean I’m sure I’ve passed by—”
“We are going to talk to the dean.”
My mouth opens wide.
Volik drags his tongue across his lip.
“Not uh.” I twist even farther. “You don’t get to be sexy right now. I cannot believe you didn’t tell me!”
“I am telling you now.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Cannot. Believe.”
Instead of looking chastised, Volik just kisses my forehead.
I narrow my eyes more.
He grins.
Then he hooks his hands under my arms and lifts me off the chair as he stands.
“Ready.” I step out of the bathroom and slap my hands down against my hips.
Volik stands from the bed. “You look very good.”
I hold my hand out in front of me when he steps closer. “If you touch me, we’re going to end up in bed again.”
“Da.”
I snort and grab my small cross-body bag off the nightstand. “I want to meet a shifter. Or, well, meet one again, I guess. But you know what I mean.”
“Da.” His smile is softer, less smoldering.
My black bag holds the few usual purse things plus a notebook in case I need to write something down that I don’t want in my phone.
The bag matches my black tennis shoes, which I’m wearing with jeans and a thin, long-sleeve gray shirt. I put a tank top on underneath, in case I get too hot and need to strip down. But it sounds like the mountains might be pretty cold tonight.
Volik holds out his hand, and I take it, letting him walk me out of the room.
“So, do the shifters know people in Tennessee or something?”
“The shifters know the man who can get us there. I will ask Henry where to find him.”
We turn down the last hallway.
“Henry? Is that the dean?”
Volik nods.
“But they aren’t the ones…” My feet stop moving.
Volik pushes the front door open.
I stay still.