Davy Harwood in Transition

  Wren surprised him when she spoke his first name. He felt into her, an ability that he'd developed from being intimate with Davy. The vampiress was also scared, but she was in longing. "Go to Tracey. I want her on my side."

  "I don't think she'll be converted."

  "She will. Tell her that Talia is trying to communicate with the new thread-holder. Tracey will come then."

  He felt her shock.

  He added, "If she knows that her sister is with us, she'll know that she fights for the wrong side. She can help us."

  "And if she doesn't? If she turns on me?"

  "She won't with you. If she chooses the Roane Family, she'll send you away, but she'll make sure you're safe."

  Wren nodded and left. She moved with a grace that made her invisible and one of the best warriors he had trained. There'd been a moment when he had thought she would've chosen to be at Tracey's side, not his, but now as he watched her vanish into the forest, he was grateful for her loyalty. She was one of his best warriors.

  She hadn't been gone long before he felt another's approach. Before Gavin spoke, Roane knew he'd seen Kates.

  Gavin spoke in a rough voice. "You could've warned me. I didn't know Davy's best friend was a slayer."

  Roane grinned, but the night hid it. "Why would that be important to you?"

  "Don't be an ass."

  "I thought you were over Isabella."

  Gavin let out a ragged breath. "I thought I was too."

  Roane waited and knew he'd need a few moments. Gavin would either talk about her or forget the mention of her. He had his answer in the next second.

  "Their army is close. What are you planning?"

  "I don't want to fight them now. I've sent Wren ahead to convert Tracey to our side."

  "But what about the army? They're too close and our numbers aren't enough. We need more vampires." Gavin shifted on his feet. He wanted to fight, purge the memories. Killing would do that.

  "Release their scout. He will lead them in the opposite direction."

  "And how'd you get him to do that?"

  "Jacith isn't the only one who can use magic."

  Gavin grinned with a hard look in his eyes. "So you changed his memories."

  "It's nice to have a few friendly witches on our side."

  "So we wait and make sure they leave?"

  Roane stretched his legs out before him. They both sat on the darkened hill. Then Gavin murmured, "What are you going to do about the Bright witch?"

  He hesitated for a moment. Roane had felt her when he came to town. He followed Davy to Benshire, but the young witch's presence had been overpowering. She was strong, even with her magic still locked inside of her. The determination he'd seen in her when he had checked on Davy at the library had surprised him. She would unlock her magic and Roane knew Davy, as her friend, would help the witch. It was in her nature. Davy didn't like anything locked away or kept hidden. He just hoped the witch would stand on their side. If she chose their allegiance, she would be more powerful than either she or Davy knew.

  He was resigned. "I'm letting that one sort itself out."

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  When I woke up, the room was dark. It was just me and the darkness. The club had shut down hours ago. A sense of emptiness swept through me, but then a different feeling came and took its place. I knew what had woken me so I sat up and hugged my knees. I pulled the sheets close to my chest. "You're here, aren't you?"

  No one else was in the room.

  But I felt her and I wanted to see her. I wanted to speak to her, hear her answer back. A sudden intensity took hold of me, starting in my feet and sweeping up. A vacuum had formed and it sucked everything up in me. Then I was inside of it. I squinted as my eyes adjusted. What was dark was light now and I knew the Immortal had answered my wish.

  Talia stared back at me, perched on the end of my bed. A woeful look was with her, but when I focused on her, she screamed and jumped back. She vanished from the room, but was back in the next instant. I knew I had caught her so I reeled her back. An invisible hand lurched out of me towards her. She appeared again and was more fearful.

  Her red hair floated around her as did the white dress she wore. It was the same outfit she'd worn the night she had jumped. She looked the same as a spirit as she did as a human.

  "Can we talk?" I spoke out loud, but when she frowned I thought it instead. 'Can we talk?'

  Her eyes widened again and I felt the panic in her. 'This isn't right. How are you doing this? You're not supposed to be able to do this.'

  'I don't think I'll be able to do this again.' I felt her start to calm down and she settled more on the bed. Could a ghost feel comfort?

  'Lucan has my child. You've told Lucas?'

  'Yes. Well, not about Lucan. I didn't know.'

  She nodded. 'What does he plan to do?'

  'I have no idea.' Did she know about us?

  'Lucan was the one chasing me that night. He and his men. They killed everyone that was there. They were all trying to protect me, but none of them were Lucas. Only he could've fought them off. Lucan took my daughter. He took her and then he wanted to kill me so the thread would jump to her. I couldn't have that. I couldn't condemn her life. But then the thread took over my body and I went to you. I have no idea how I got there, but all of a sudden you were there and I felt it leave me. I knew they didn't see it leave me so you'd be safe. I wanted to warn you about Lucan, about my daughter, but I couldn't. I couldn't say anything.'

  She closed her eyes and flinched. Both of us replayed that night as she jumped off the building. The peace had been evident on her face.

  That same peace was with her again, but she lifted still-stricken eyes to my face. Sireenia had said Talia hadn't let go of the human world and that something still held her there. It was her daughter.

  'I will find your daughter. I will make sure she is safe.'

  Her eyes clung to mine. She wanted to believe me. The desperation was evident, but she held back. I knew she didn't trust me so I shifted forward and reached for her hand. I held my breath, but then my fingers touched hers and I let it go in a rush. I could touch a ghost. I could feel her. It was mind-blowing. As I blinked back tears, I couldn't believe it. And then her fingers grasped mine. She tightened the hold and smiled as tears of her own fell too.

  'I cannot believe this. You are the true Immortal. You're the one all the prophecies speak of.' Her relief washed over me. 'My daughter's name is Lily. I named her after my mother, but I don't know if they've changed it. Her growth will speed up with the Mori. She could be older than seven months, but she will answer to Lily. It's engraved in her and even Lucan can't take that from her. Please find my daughter. Please make sure she's safe.'

  I nodded, feeling overwhelmed. I'd grown accustomed to the weirdness that came with being the Immortal. I could do so much, some of it at my control and most of it not, but this time I was taken aback at the intensity I felt from her and how much my body reacted. My heart pounded stronger with each second I held her hand. I had to find Lily. The child was important, more than me, but before I could ask, something changed and Talia was gone.

  "No!" I reached for her, but only felt air. She was gone. Not even her spirit lingered and I knew she wouldn't be coming back.

  Lily. I had to find her. I had to protect her.

  "Hey."

  I shrieked, but calmed when Roane put a hand on my shoulder. "I thought—nevermind what I thought." I brushed away my tears and looked at him. Some light shone into the room from the hall and it cast a shadow over his face. His eyes were hooded and the light reflected off his cheekbones. Two plump lips were visible and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. I'd forgotten how good he looked.

  Anything I was going to say was forgotten. He opened his mouth to speak, but then I licked my lips. His mouth closed. The air changed in that moment. It pulled us both in and things were forgotten. The world was forgotten or maybe I wanted to forget it for a moment. I didn't care; I jus
t knew what I wanted at that moment. Him.

  His hand cupped the side of my face. "What's wrong?"

  My heart started to pound, but I shook my head. We should talk. There was so much to tell, but I didn't want to. There was always something wrong.

  We'd been apart for too long and now that I knew he loved me, that it was me and not her. I reached for him and pulled him close. His thigh brushed against mine. I closed my eyes and hoped it wouldn't go away. Then his thumb started to caress my cheek and his other hand rested on my chest. He felt my heart pick up speed.

  I wanted this. I needed this.

  His lips touched mine, but held there. No pressure was applied and then he retreated to close the door. And then with one swift movement, he climbed above me. His thighs cradled mine, but his upper body hovered over me. His lips hadn't moved and I felt my body jerk upwards, starving for his touch. When he held back, I bucked against him. He was torturing me. I felt him between my legs and groaned. It'd been so long.

  His thumb still caressed my cheek and then he slammed his lips onto mine. Finally. He took control.

  I couldn't think anymore. He slid a hand up my stomach, underneath my shirt. It teased the sides of my breasts and went between up to my neck. As his hand splayed out and grasped my throat, he held my head captive. His tongue swept inside. He went deep, so deep that I could only hold on and let him. My arms wound around his shoulders and my legs wrapped around his waist.

  He licked. I nipped. I panted. He claimed. My hands found his shoulders and his went between my legs. One finger slipped inside and I screamed into his throat. Two fingers pumped and my entire body convulsed against him. We blended together. And then what seemed like hours later, I felt him push into me. He filled me and pushed further than I thought my body could handle. I panted and fell onto the bed as Roane stretched me. My arms were pinned down. My legs were under his and he started thrusting.

  'You're mine.'

  Through a haze, my eyes found his. Dark with desire, a predatory look was in his eyes and I answered to it. I needed it. And then my mind went blank again as he continued to thrust. He built the fever, thrusting harder and harder until both of us panted. Our hands intertwined as he climaxed. We hurdled over the edge, but before I fell back to sleep, Roane started again. The night was spent savoring each other's body. We explored and rediscovered.

  He nuzzled my shoulder hours later. "You should sleep."

  I heard the exhaustion in his voice and smiled. My own was raspy. "You should too."

  He tightened his arms around me. His mouth lingered on my cheek and I closed my eyes when I heard his voice. "I can't. I came back to check on you. I was supposed to relieve Gavin."

  I flipped my body over and pushed against him.

  Roane groaned as he closed his eyes. He skimmed a hand down my arm, tracing my leg and then brought it back up to rest underneath my breast. It teased me as he rested it there. I felt him push against me and he slipped inside once again. He held himself still instead of thrusting farther inside. We felt each other. My eyes closed and I rested my forehead against his.

  'I should go.' Roane kept his eyes closed as he kissed me.

  'I don't want this to end.' It'd been too long.

  'I'm planning more nights like this.' Then his eyes opened again.

  In that moment, I felt the world come back. It slammed down as it settled over us. When he pulled out and started dressing, I sat back up with the sheet pulled over me. It wasn't to cover up my body, but to hold off the chill. I'd grown cold again.

  Roane pulled on a dark shirt over black pants.

  "Where are you going?"

  He paused in while reaching for a vest that housed enough weapons to make my mouth go dry. Why would he need all those? And then I remembered. I clasped my eyes shut. I didn't want to wonder if he was leaving to kill or just to hunt them. That was what he was best at.

  "Davy." Roane sat back down on the bed.

  "What?"

  He searched my face. "Something happened before I came in. What was it?"

  My heart picked up its pace. Dare I tell him about her now? So soon after we'd been together? A vision of us in bed flashed in my mind and my heart clenched. I could still feel him in me. I wanted that again. I didn't want him to leave.

  "Where are you going? Can you tell me?"

  Roane hesitated. He saw my need, though the need was for something else. "We're watching the Roane Army. A scout should've told them they were headed in the wrong direction. I need to make sure they believe the scout and leave."

  "Will they be back?" My throat hurt.

  "Yes." He tried to smile at me, but it fell short. "They'll be back. I bought us some more time. I need more men to fight on my side."

  "What do I do?"

  Now he frowned and pulled away. "Where did Kates go? She's to go back to the university with you. Didn't she tell you?"

  "She did." It felt so strange now. We talked of business, as if we hadn't loved each other moments ago. "She said that she was my alibi and that you had stuff set in place to back up the story."

  "She was supposed to fill you in."

  I jerked a shoulder up. "Her and Gavin had a weird reaction to each other. She took off. She's coming back, but I think she had to go and do—" 'What we just did.'

  A grin peeked out from the corner of his mouth. It felt genuine and I relaxed when I saw it. Roane pulled me close and tucked his head into the crook of my shoulder. 'I know you can feel me pulling away. I'm sorry for that.'

  'Why are you doing it? Why won't you let me inside?'

  'Because it distracts me too much. I don't want to do what I need to do. I want to be with you and only you. I'm sorry.'

  I knew he was apologizing for something more, but I didn't want to know. Not really. And then I couldn't hold it off any longer. He was going back to war and for once, for the first time, I wondered if everything would be okay. A prick of doubt settled inside of me. I didn't want it there. I didn't want to think of what was to come. Not yet.

  "I can go back? Everything will be alright?"

  "Yeah." He pulled back. He seemed resigned now. "You can go back."

  'For now.'

  It wasn't permanent. When he stood and went to the door, a part of me died as he left. I felt it curl up and fall down to the pit of my stomach.

  I nodded and closed my eyes as he left. The door shut again, but this time the light shone in from the window. Even though the curtains were closed, the day had started and it had invaded my room. I lay down and could've stayed there in bed for the entire day. A part of me wanted to go back to my old life. I could be normal once again, but it wouldn't last. It was a lie. It was only until I'd have to leave again.

  The war was real to me now.

  A knock at the door woke me. When I looked at my phone, I saw that I'd been asleep for three hours.

  "Yeah?" I croaked.

  "It's Kates. Your door is locked." She pounded on it again.

  I looked underneath the sheet and saw I was still naked. Thankful that Roane had locked the door; I jumped out and threw on the nearest clothes. When I unlocked the door, I tried to smooth my hair down.

  She stepped in, took a breath, and then choked back laughter.

  "What?"

  "I can smell sex all over you." She rolled her eyes.

  I wrinkled my nose up and cringed. "And what'd you do the whole night?" I sniffed and then tried to block her aroma. "It's not just booze I smell on you."

  "Yeah, well." Kates shrugged. "Can you blame me?"

  As she crossed the room and sat in a chair, I heard the swoosh of her clothes. That's when I looked closer. "Are you serious? You're wearing leather?"

  A look of pure delight crossed her face. "Are you kidding me? We're going to be seeing Emily again. Nothing else is appropriate. She hates me, Davy. Don't take that away from me. You know I love her hatred."

  I rolled my eyes and pushed back my hair. It blocked my sight and I needed to see. I needed to think to
o. "She's dating a werewolf now, you know."