“What? The skinwalkers? Are you saying they’re... they’re gone?” The shock numbed my throbbing heart, and I raised up to stare down at him. “Can they just… how can they just disappear?”
“I was getting too close, and the vampire behind them must have decided to cover his tracks. Only by pulling them out so abruptly, I now have confirmation that it is another vampire behind their appearance in my city. And he’s… very strong. And extraordinarily devious. Every path I went down came to a dead end. Missing people, but always with a reasonable explanation for their absence, cleverly disguised Compulsion that you’d have to know what to look for to spot.”
“But if they’re gone… does that mean he’s given up?” I asked.
“Perhaps,” Warin sighed. “There is a chance we spooked him when it became clear we were zeroing in on their hideouts. But… without knowing the motivations behind his plan, it’s impossible to say. I do know he’s deliberately sought out my domain, since no other Ancient has experienced similar issues in his territory.”
“So what do we do now?” I worried my lip between my teeth, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling that someone was out there, watching us. Waiting for another chance to pounce.
“I am going to monitor the situation, and if possible, make use of the witches’ network so I can be prepared if and when any skinwalkers return to the area.” Lifting both eyebrows in challenge, he put a hand between my legs and pressed up, sending a bolt of sensation through my much-abused clit. “Whereas you, my love… you are going to fuck me some more, since I clearly didn’t exhaust you as much as I thought I did, if you have the energy to ask me about skinwalkers.”
I laughed at his crudeness—it was such a change from his usually composed persona, and the glimmer in his eyes that accompanied it sent a wave of joy through me.
Clearly seeing it as permission, Warin rolled over and pinned me against the mattress. When his hips settled between my thighs, it was more than evident that he, at least, was ready for round two.
“Warin?” I asked softly, bracing my hands gently on his shoulders to stop his advances.
He brushed his mouth against mine, stilling. “Yes?”
“Why do you call me ‘my love’? Is it an expression, or something you just…?”
“Liv,” he whispered, one cool hand finding my cheek. “How can you not know…? How can you possibly think I am not in love with you?”
I blinked, swallowing thickly as the emotion in his gaze brushed over me like a near-physical caress.
He kept his gaze locked in mine as his thick cock parted my folds and slid home. And then he made love to me.
25
Warin was, predictably, gone when I woke up, but his scent lingered in my bedding.
I rolled over with a happy sigh as my stiff limbs and sore abdomen reminded me of the night we’d spent together. With a satisfied hum, I buried my nose in the pillow he'd used, inhaling the wild, crisp, earthy aroma he'd left behind.
So this was what it felt like to have a vampire boyfriend.
I chuckled into the pillow as I remembered the blasted romance novel that’d crossed our paths to begin with. I’d have to gift Warin a copy—I was pretty sure he’d get a kick out of it. Especially since his part was played by an emo vampire king who spent his nights stalking the girl he’d become obsessed with.
I smiled softly at the reminder of how Warin had called me his multiple times, both during and after the sex. It was pretty impressive how swiftly he’d gone from calm and restrained to over-the-top possessive the second we’d given in to the attraction between us.
It was also pretty impressive how completely okay I was with it.
It took me a little while to get my ass out of bed thanks to that delicate post-sex-with-vampire ache between my legs and in my muscles, and when I finally did, I was greeted by an entirely different kind of destruction.
The hallway between my bedroom and the living room had a big chunk of plaster broken off. It lay in a crumbled heap on the floor next to a broken picture frame. The living room situation was even worse—it looked like a small tornado had blown through my apartment.
Well, there goes that security deposit.
* * *
I puttered around in the kitchen for a bit, getting coffee ready for Roy and sorting through my mail. I put all the junk aside, pulling out the depressingly large pile of bills… and paused when I got to a square envelope with my address handwritten across it.
Did I even know anyone well enough to get invited to a wedding?
Curious, I shoved the bills aside and ripped the handwritten envelope open.
It turned out to be a note written on cheap, blue-lined paper. It read,
* * *
I know you’re a witch.
If you stay in Chicago, your vampire will know before next sunrise too. And even if he doesn’t kill you himself, his kind will never tolerate your union. There are other Ancients who would only be too happy to execute him for betraying his race.
You have a choice to make today, Olivia, but only today. If you wait, I will make it for you.
Leave Illinois, leave the Night Lord and never come back…
Or follow your lover into the Final death.
Clock’s ticking.
* * *
I stared uncomprehendingly at the note for several long minutes, the cold tingle at the base of my spine making my hands tremble.
Who would send this?
Who even knew?
Joana? But there was no conceivable reason for her to want me out of Chicago. In fact, as long as I stayed, she had the curse as guarantee Warin would be kept in line.
And how on Earth would she have known Warin was my lover?
How would anyone know? It’d just happened, for crying out loud!
It didn’t matter who’d send it. I couldn’t leave Warin. Just the thought made my chest constrict and a knot of despair build in my gut. Life without Warin? No. Never again. I didn’t know how, or why, but I belonged with him—I’d never felt this way before, this… complete. I wasn’t giving that up, not today, not ever.
I stared blindly at the letter. But if I stayed…
I knew the sender was right. From both Warin’s reaction to the mere mention of witches, and Aleric’s threats should he ever find out I was one… I knew there would be dire consequences if anyone ever found out the Night Lord of Chicago was dating one. I didn’t believe Warin would hurt me if he found out—not after last night. He couldn’t. He’d be angry, but he’d protect me from others of his kind. Keep my secret.
Until they found out through other means.
Cold crept up my spine until my torso went numb. If I didn’t leave, Warin would die.
I remembered the long procession of Ancient vampires at his meeting. Most had been respectful, but some… I shuddered at the memory of Zeth’s golden eyes. There was not a shred of doubt in my mind that some of them would grasp at this to get rid of him.
And that… that I could never let happen.
So what choice did I have? Wait until sundown, until the author of this damned letter took away my choices and spilled my secret?
But I knew Warin would never allow me to leave. He would rather risk his life than have us separate.