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  “I wouldn’t have hurt him,” he muttered. “Not much.”

  “Not in my café,” she quipped back. “If you want to act like a barbarian from the tenth century, do it outside, away from the buildings.”

  Tenth century? I’d heard Rose call him a Viking, whatever that was. How old were the rest of the people around here?

  “Please d-don’t,” I faltered. “I’ll leave if it’s going to cause problems. I’ve been running for years. I’m used to being alone.”

  “No, dear. You’re not leaving. Travis and his brother Garrett are rough around the edges, but it was just his way of making sure you really wanted to be with Erick. Wolves are like that. They develop attachments quickly and are very protective. When he realized you would be staying in town, you became part of the pack, so to speak.”

  Erick rolled his neck and narrowed his gaze at Rose. “You should have warned me he was coming. I didn’t even know Travis had a brother. Is he staying in Sanctuary or just passing through?”

  “I wasn’t sure when he would arrive, so there was nothing to tell. He is joining his brother at the tattoo shop. Travis lost touch with Garrett until just recently. They both thought the other had died in a firefight in the Middle East.”

  “Army like Travis, huh?”

  “Special forces.” She nodded.

  He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to his chest. “Sorry about the show of testosterone. We get a little territorial when it comes to women, and vampires and werewolves especially aren’t fond of each other.”

  “But, everything is okay? You aren’t going to fight? I can’t stay if I’m going to cause problems.”

  “There will be no more problems with Garrett. I promise. I do need to introduce you to the Blackmoor brothers, but we can tackle that later.”

  “More brothers? What are they, cats?”

  Erick snorted. “There might be more problems if they ever hear you call them that.”

  “What did Rose do?” I asked, after she disappeared into the back of the restaurant. “What kind of Other can do what she did?”

  Erick sighed and leaned his elbows on the café countertop. “She is something very ancient and very powerful. If and when she wishes to share, she will. Just know you are safe here, Bailey. She promised to protect you like one of her own.”

  I nodded. Their desire for secrecy was understandable. I could only imagine what might happen if people found out about her. About this town.

  “Maven, would you bring me a box of the donuts to go?” he hollered at the back wall.

  The little pixie came scampering out a few moments later and slid a box down the counter. He caught it and tipped his head in her direction.

  “Corinne says to enjoy.”

  “Tell her thank you.”

  “Will do.” Maven’s smile widened, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

  They all seemed fine. No one was still nervous about what’d just gone down. The other people eating in the dining room were laughing and carrying on as if nothing had happened at all.

  Erick scooped up the box in one hand and looped his other through my right arm. “We have a few things to talk about. Would you please walk with me?”

  Chapter 5

  My body came to life the second his hand slipped around my arm and he led me out of the café. Nerve endings sparked all over my skin, and I struggled to nod. Excitement fizzed inside my body like bubbles dancing in a champagne glass.

  This whole place … it was filled with amazing people … Others. Supernaturals that no one knew about or had ever heard of. A little scary, but even more intriguing. They knew things about the world. History. Customs. The way life was hundreds of years ago. Maybe even longer.

  Erick was right. It was a textbook fact taught in school that vampires and werewolves didn’t get along. So why were they living together in Sanctuary? Were there more wolves than just the two brothers they’d mentioned? Were there more vampires? Who or more appropriately what else made its home in this little weather-beaten town.

  I stared up at the Castle across the circle as we walked the sidewalk. It looked scary—and probably was. Even though I was curious about its inhabitants, when Erick said it was a fetish club, I’d wanted to vomit. Kevin had tortured me for years. The last thing I ever wanted to see again was cuffs, collars, whips, and chains. I shuddered and looked away, refocusing my gaze on the upcoming shops.

  “What scares you about the club? You don’t seem like the type of person to let things rattle you.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Because you kept your cool in the park, even after you realized what was stalking you. You didn’t panic when the vampire tried to get you into his car. And when everything went to hell in the bus on the way here, not once did you scream or try to run off.”

  We turned the corner and I recognized that we were headed back to his place. “My ex taught me that panic equals more pain. It was a painful lesson, but it’s helped me keep away from him for a long time.”

  “He taught you … how?”

  “He tortured me.” I said it so easily. So matter-of-factly, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like it hadn’t ruined my life and made me withdraw from most all human contact.

  Until I met Erick last night, I hadn’t been interested in a man in almost five years. The girls at the restaurant called me the ice queen. I’d been called worse. That particular epithet was almost a compliment.

  I couldn’t figure out why I had warmed to Erick so quickly. Maybe it was the blood thing he and Rose had been arguing about. Maybe there were some pheromones influencing my hormones. Regardless of why, my thoughts kept drifting and imagining us in bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms. Images and sensations of pleasure developed in my mind and my body shook with anticipation. Moisture dampened the skin between my thighs and I felt an unfamiliar thrum in my sex. A desire I wouldn’t be able to ignore for long.

  We climbed the stairs to his front door in silence. I wondered what he thought of my statement. Had it turned him off? Would he ignore me and not pursue me any longer?

  He opened the door. A flash of blue crossed the open doorway for a second. Static electricity? But then it disappeared and he gestured for me to walk in first. I did.

  I slipped off my flats in the foyer and went straight for his comfy sofa in the front room. The door closed with a click and I heard him turn the deadbolt. A second later, the outside wall of the living room glowed a bright blue, just like the door had a few moments ago.

  It was just for a second, but maybe a little bit of panic was called for?

  “Bailey?” Stepping into the living room, he set the donuts on the coffee table in front of me and sat next to them. “Are you okay?”

  I could only imagine how white my face was. “What did you do? The walls. They were...”

  He narrowed his gaze and cocked his head. A second later, he relaxed and smiled. “The blue?”

  I nodded, licking my dry lips and wondering what would happen next. Why had he smiled? Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted him so completely. Maybe I should have asked to stay somewhere else. The feeling of being caged haunted me, reaching up from the depths of my soul and clouding out every rational thought.

  “It’s a spell. All the buildings in town have an enchantment that prevents Djinn from being able to teleport inside. The door is the trigger. Like an on-off switch. The spell turns off if the door opens and turns back on the second the door closes. I’m surprised you didn’t notice it at the café.”

  He reached forward and laid a hand on my knee. Some of my anxiety ebbed at the reassurance, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped.

  “There’s nothing to fear from it. The spell doesn’t keep you in. It doesn’t keep the Djinn out either, but it does slow them down … a little.”

  “So I could go open the door right now and walk outside?”

  “Yes.”

  I needed to know. I had to know. Even though my heart to
ld me he was being honest, my head needed to know I wasn’t in a cage. I stood abruptly from the couch and hurried to the door.

  Slowly reaching out, I touched the handle of the deadbolt. It didn’t zap me or burn me. I turned it and then pushed the lever down on the door handle. It swung open without a hitch. A quick flash of blue showed and then disappeared. I let go of the door and stepped across the threshold onto the front landing.

  Nothing.

  I was fine. He hadn’t been lying.

  Relief surged through my body as the warm, summer breeze fluttered through my hair.

  Stepping back inside, I closed the door and watched for the flash of blue. It was almost instantaneous with the door touching its frame. It was incredible to think that magick like this existed and still no one knew about it. Although, not many had known Others existed until fifty years ago.

  The world was full of secrets. Apparently a great deal more than most people knew.

  I turned the deadbolt and made my way back to the couch. Erick hadn’t moved from the huge, wooden coffee table. Sinking onto the white leather cushions, I released a long sigh. “There’s so much.”

  He nodded and moved his body from the table to the cushion next to me. The weight of his body tipped me closer to him and he slid an arm around my shoulders, pulling me onto his chest.

  His hold was firm, but gentle. I knew if I resisted, he’d release me instantly, but I wanted to be near him. The closeness offered a comfort I desperately craved.

  “Rose said you needed to eat,” I murmured against his shirt.

  He sighed. “I’ll find something later. You need to rest.”

  The thought of him feeding on anyone but me struck a chord. I didn’t want his mouth on anyone else. As much as Rose had declared I “belonged” to him, I had begun to feel quite strongly about him “belonging” to me.

  “Why did you hesitate when I offered at the café?”

  “Because you were scared. Then when Garrett reacted the way he did to whatever he overheard in your thoughts, I knew we needed to talk before anything else happened.”

  He stroked my hair, rubbing my scalp in small circles with his fingertips. If I hadn’t been so intent on listening, it would have put me to sleep for sure.

  “I need to know your past, min kjaereste. I refuse to make a mistake with you because I don’t know what you fear. I sense your attraction to me, but I feel you holding back. You tell me you want this … me … but then fear that I would trap you in my home. Your mind and your heart are at war.”

  It was like he could see straight into my bloodied and battered soul. Was I ready to bare it all, though? Part of me worried he would abandon me if he knew. What Kevin had done to me was monstrous. I didn’t want to lose the comfort I found in Erick’s presence. His arms holding me tightly, making me forget the troubles that followed me was enough for me for now.

  I knew he would want everything. More than I could give him so soon. Maybe ever. I had to hold on to this comfort a little longer. I just needed a few days of eating real food and sleeping with both eyes closed.

  I wondered if I would ever be free of my demons.

  A single tear ran down my cheek.

  “Don’t cry,” he whispered in my ear. “We don’t have to talk about it now.” He nuzzled my hair and he kissed my temple, letting his lips linger just a few moments on my skin. The tenderness undid me. I couldn’t help the stream of tears that fell, nor the sobs that followed.

  Erick held me tighter. Without judgment, without words. My body heaved with each sob I’d forbidden myself to release for so many torturous years. I needed to cleanse myself of the emotional pain I had suffered, and he let me.

  A deep hum rumbled from his chest, and I slowed my sobs as the hum changed to words. It was nothing I could understand. The words were in the same foreign language he’d used off and on before, but the melody was calming, ebbing and flowing like waves on a beach, and I felt myself fading.

  He was singing me a lullaby.

  I inhaled a deep breath and stretched my legs, startled to find an extra pair beneath mine. My lips turned up into a smile. He’d sung me a lullaby and I’d slept the whole time on top of him. I opened my eyes and rotated my head to look at him.

  He smiled and rubbed the small of my back with one of his hands.

  “How long did I sleep?”

  “About two hours,” he answered.

  I shifted, trying to find the best way to peel my body off of his. After a few attempts, I realized he would have to make the first move.

  He moved his hands to my waist and lifted me, slipping out from under my body with the grace only a supernatural being could possess. I barely felt the move and then I was seated next to him once more.

  “Are you hungry?”

  As he waited for me to answer, I noticed him lick his lips and then frown. I wasn’t really that hungry, but I knew he still was. He hadn’t left my side this whole time.

  “I’m fine, but you …”

  He shook his head. “You aren’t ready for that.”

  “Why not?”

  “It will complete the link between us. I will be able to feel where you are always. And by allowing me to drink directly from your body, you acknowledge and accept my claim on you. Each time I feed, the bond will grow stronger.”

  “If I left, would the bond fade?”

  He frowned and narrowed his gaze. Apparently the thought of my leaving was already unpleasant to him.

  That feeling was mutual.

  “It would fade some, but it would never completely be gone. I would always be able to find you … your blood would be like a homing beacon.”

  “Where do you prefer? Neck? Wrist?”

  “Bailey.” His tone questioned. I knew he was trying to give me another chance to back out.

  “I agree to your terms, but I don’t know how long I can stay. I certainly can’t promise you forever, but I agree for as long as I am here.” A shiver ran down my spine as I watched his bright blue eyes darken and a thin line of red circle the edge of the irises.

  “Straddle me.”

  I gulped. It wasn’t a question and I didn’t hesitate. I twisted my body and lifted my leg over his lap, situating myself across his thighs. I wiggled a little to get comfortable.

  He grabbed my hips and pulled me closer, grinding my sex against his hard length. My body throbbed and my panties were soaked in seconds. Taking a deep breath, I focused on slowing my racing heart and trembling body. What I thought would be an uncomfortable bite and awkward aftermath had turned into something completely different.

  Fire licked at my belly and I swayed my hips, allowing his hands to guide the movement. Another growl rumbled from his chest. His hands abandoned my waist and slid upward, grazing my breasts and then over my shoulders. He cupped each side of my face and pulled me closer, kissing me slowly. His tongue grazed first my top lip then my bottom, then plunged between them, sweeping inside. It was euphoric. He tasted sweet and I opened further for him.

  My gesture did not go unnoticed and I received an encouraging gravelly moan as a reward. He sucked and nipped at my lips again before trailing his kisses slowly across my jaw and down the side of my neck below my ear. His right hand caressed the nape of my neck and grasped the base of the loose braid of my hair. He pulled my head gently to the side, further exposing my neck and collarbone to his hungry mouth.

  My heart raced again. The bite had to be coming soon. I leaned into his kisses, pushing my neck closer. Something had changed in my mind. I no longer feared the bite. Instead, I desperately wanted it.

  A slight pinch just above my collarbone startled me, then pain flared from that point on my neck for a brief moment before morphing into pleasure that coursed through my nerves, touching and awakening even more of my hibernating libido. My breasts swelled uncomfortably in their lacy confines and my clit throbbed beneath the layers of damp lace and denim.

  He drank deeply, but the pain changed into something rapturous as our bodies
continued to grind against each other. I knew I wasn’t the only one silently cursing the barriers of clothing.

  I arched my back as his hand slid down the back of my jeans and slipped beneath the waistband. He squeezed my ass and then pulled me even closer, crushing me against his straining cock.

  What was quite frustrating and unfulfilling for me had to be excruciating torture for him, but I knew he wouldn’t take it that far. I trusted him to wait for me to be ready.

  I wasn’t. Not yet. My body was just reacting to the moment. To him.

  The pain heightened for a split second before receding to a dull throb as he pulled away. His tongue laved over the bite and I shivered as a tingle of something swept over me, similar to what I’d felt in the bath earlier this morning when he’d licked the cut on my ankle.

  Then it was gone.

  No pain.

  Only the throbbing in my sex still remained, and possibly the frustration from four years of sexual abstinence. I wasn’t ready yet, but it wouldn’t take me long to get there. He’d woven a spell around me and I was intoxicated on it. On him.

  “Min kjaereste, I cannot wait to taste the rest of you. On my honor, I vow to protect and keep you safe as long as I walk this earth.”

  Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to belong to Erick Thorson. I curled into his chest and breathed in his light peppermint scent, loving that he smelled like the candy. Over the years, I’d developed quite an addiction to them. They were inexpensive and lasted forever. Now my suddenly naughty mind wondered if the rest of him tasted like my favorite candy, too.

  “Thank you,” I murmured against his chest.

  “You are the one who has bestowed the gift, kjaere. It is I who should thank you.”

  Thanking me … A man had never thanked me for anything. Men took what they wanted and women did the best with what they could get. Even though there were more freedoms in the Texas Republic, most women still were forced into choosing a partner at the ripe old age of eighteen.

  The fact that I was in my twenties and unmarried automatically threw me into the prostitute population pool. I would eventually be caught and sold into a brothel, it was just a matter of letting down my guard.