Chapter Nine
They made love twice, then once again. When her mind had cleared and her body no longer thrummed with need, she tried to figure out what the hell had happened. She felt too sated to move. She breathed deeply of his scent and listened to his heart beat from her position sprawled atop him. She’d never felt such a connection to anyone. It was so much more than their physical joining; she’d felt him from the inside. For the first time since she could remember, she felt at peace, whole.
She didn’t exactly understand the sensation except that she didn’t ever want that feeling to end. She felt alone when he was gone, and while he frustrated the hell out of her, she still felt better when he was near.
"Rhyn…" she whispered. "Was this supposed to happen?"
"Don’t start."
"Don’t start what?" She lifted her head to look at him. He propped his head with one folded arm, silver eyes glowing at her.
"You’re my mate."
"So…that’s permanent."
"Yep."
"Guess that means I’ll have to stop sleeping around," she retorted.
"Go ahead. Don’t ask where I hide the bodies."
She chuckled. His confidence was too strong to shake, and she suspected he knew just how damned good in bed he was and how unlikely any woman who’d had him would choose another man over him.
"Don’t expect me to sleep with you at your bidding," she warned. "You’re still a jerk."
"Only have to say yes once."
She sighed, content to rest atop him. His confidence was the only rock to stand on in this forsaken world of immortals. She didn’t know if she could trust him, or Kris, or anyone yet, but she could at least know the man beneath her was probably the only man she was safe from. It wasn’t much, but it was more than she’d had in what felt like a lifetime. He’d protected her and made it clear anything that got near her would die a nasty death.
Albeit everything he did was on his terms. Always on his terms. She couldn’t swallow his ability to be a fierce beast shredding human-like creatures with no regard or morals. She didn’t understand why he’d chosen her of all people. She feared knowing what he truly was, that she’d married a demon. There really couldn’t be any kind of good demon, could there?
Troubled, she dozed, waking when she heard the knock at her door. Her demon lover was gone and her body covered with a sheet. She and her bed still smelled of him, and she breathed deeply.
"Hey, Ully wants to see you. Something about science experiments," Megan said, poking her head in.
"I’m coming," Katie replied, stifling a groan as she shrugged out of the sheet to stand. Her legs were wobbly, the muscles of her inner thighs stiff.
Megan disappeared, and Katie changed into one of the outfits she’d chosen. She almost felt normal in the jeans and light sweater. She slid her feet into clogs and left the room, meeting Ully just outside the girls’ locker room. He beamed a smile and offered his arm, which she accepted.
"All hell’s broken loose," he said cheerfully.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Sasha's created some sort of funky monster that even an immortal can't kill."
Her thoughts went to Jade, and she frowned, troubled.
"Awful."
"Yeah," he agreed. "The tests I did with your blood came back promising, but I can’t nail down the right genetic code."
He led her down a floor to a large gym where a group of men stood in a loose cluster on a mat. Her eyes found Rhyn first, then Kris. Jade was there, another man with Kris’s eyes but whom she didn’t recognize, and a fifth man. All but the man with Kris’s eyes and oriental beauty were sweating and bloodied in at least one spot.
Ully stopped a short distance from them, as if expecting them to launch into a battle despite their relaxed poses. The oriental man held a PDA and was frowning as he read through notes while the others waited for him to speak. Ully cleared his throat. The five turned, and Rhyn winked at her. She crossed her arms, forcing herself not to cover her neck as four sets of eyes landed there. Her gaze settled on Jade, whose dark eyes still held the fire of danger.
"Kiki, this is Katie, Rhyn’s mate," Kris said coolly. "Katie, Kiki, one of our brothers."
The oriental man looked her over, almond-shaped turquoise eyes assessing.
"Pleasure, Katie," Kiki managed before returning his gaze to his PDA. "That’s five, brother." His voice held an accusatory note that Kris ignored.
"Your theory looks legit, Ully," Jade voiced at the tense silence. "Rhyn is immune to everything. Kris was for all of five minutes."
"Five minutes?" Ully repeated with a frown. "That would mean…"
"Either we get an emergency five minutes or you figure out how to make it work longer," Kris said.
"It’d take all her blood at this point," Ully said absently.
Five sets of predatory eyes fell to her, as if realizing there was a lame lamb in their midst. She moved closer to Ully, even while knowing the skinny nerd was the least likely to defend her.
"Is it because she’s his mate or because her blood sustains him?" Kiki asked, agitation on his face.
"Both, I’d say," Ully said. "If my serum worked, then we know her blood will give immunity. Rhyn’s bond as her mate amplifies her natural ability. He needs less to do more."
"Sasha’s figured it out," Kris said. "His monsters are tearing through our warriors like they're made of cotton candy."
"I know, I know."
"He drank her blood," Rhyn said.
"Sasha?"
"Yeah."
Once again, the predatory look from all. She wanted to shrink away and hide. Instead, she drew herself up to her just above average height, and confirmed, "He nearly killed me. He brought in a healer who pieced me back together when he was done."
"Before or after your mating to Rhyn?" Kris asked.
"Before," Rhyn volunteered.
"Would have to knock you off for that to work now," Kris said with thinly veiled hostility.
Kiki rolled his eyes, and Jade inched away from Rhyn, who bared his teeth in a humorless grin.
"Like children on a playground," Katie murmured.
"Worse," Kiki agreed. "In any case, it looks like Ully needs to go back to the drawing board, and we use Rhyn for now to take out Sasha’s henchmen."
"Have you learned some control of that demon power, little brother?" Kris asked.
"Didn’t have to," Rhyn said.
"Katie stabilizes him," Ully offered. "I did some tests and then asked Ginny for some research help. The mates of old balanced out the powers of your badass predecessors."
"Let me rephrase. Have you learned any sort of discipline?" Kris asked.
"It doesn’t matter, Kris. We don’t have much of a choice," Kiki said pragmatically. "I’ll go with him."
"I don’t need a babysitter," Rhyn snapped.
"Yes, you do," Kiki said firmly.
Both Rhyn and Kris sulked. Katie smiled, deciding she liked Kiki’s no-nonsense attitude.
"We’ll report back nightly," Kiki added. "In person. Jade's coming with us."
"Very well," Kris relented.
Katie frowned at the thought of Rhyn being gone all the time but was glad Jade would be with them and not around to try to drag her back to Sasha.
"I’ll introduce you to the mates of the immortals in residence later. Your place is there," Kris said to her. "Ully, take her to the royal wing."
She bristled, feeling as if she’d been sentenced to nothing more than a sewing circle for good little wives. Before she could object, Kiki took charge again.
"Rhyn, go get ready. Kris, can you spare a few warriors?" he said.
"Yeah," Kris replied.
"We’ll test this out and see how it goes."
Ully stepped aside as the massive men passed. She scowled. Rhyn slapped her on the butt as he passed. She cursed him quietly. When they’d gone, she turned to Ully and demanded, "What do the mates of immortals do?"
"A lot o
f things," he said. "They take on the roles the Ancients and immortals can’t, like working with human counterparts, touring the Council's facilities all over the world. They’re into the arts, and charities to raise money for our war. Most…well, all but you come from the elitist circles of their times. The Ancients and immortals could choose anyone they wanted as mates, and they chose from among the royalty, the wealthiest, and most influential."
"I really won’t fit in," she muttered.
"It really doesn’t matter what they were when they were mortal," he assured her with an uncomfortable chuckle. "The rank structure in the immortal world is based on your mate."
She’d never in her life wanted to be a princess. She’d always wanted to be in marketing, and the thought of becoming a socialite with no real responsibilities made her gut sink. Eternity?
"Sounds awful," she said.
"You’ll be the envy of us lesser immortals," he assured her.
She wanted to go home. In the face of a fate she doubted she wanted any part of, she felt homesick again.
You. Are. Mine.
There really was no chance of it. She felt she’d been a good sport since entering the immortal world, but she knew she’d never fit into a world where her sister surely would.
"When you see your room, you’ll totally feel better," Ully said, and held out his arm.
She went grudgingly. He led her to the uppermost floor of the castle, to a hallway with magnificent views of a green valley with towering trees. She felt immediately out of place, even in the hall. The ceilings were gilded, the chandeliers dripping with crystals. Ensconced lights glowed in the midday, and antique furniture, rare paintings, elegant marble sculptures befitting a museum, silk Persian rugs underfoot, and many other priceless displays of prestige lined the wide hall.
He pointed as he walked, indicating the dining room, the library, the reception room, and others, each sounding stuffier than the last and all marked by polished oak double doors. They left the common area for the bedchambers wing. His voice grew hushed, as if the all-important guests behind each door might hear him. He paused at one room toward the middle of the hall and pushed it open.
No one in this place believed in locks. She crossed her arms and followed him in. Her bedchamber was half the size of a small house, with a domed ceiling replete with vibrant paintings of the sun progressing across the sky. The bed was the largest she’d ever seen, with a finely spun silk bedspread of pale yellow. The bedchamber was done up in pastels, soft rose drapes, light blue and green rugs, yellow pillows and highlights, which seemed to take the chill out of the stone walls.
She wondered if she’d freak everyone out with a few Hello Kitty posters to take away the severity of the rooms. They strode through the bedchamber to a small living room to the side with a flat-screen TV and comfortable-looking couch. The windows all faced east, over another valley, and a terrace was decorated with dainty iron-scrolled chairs. Off the living room was a private dining area.
Opposite the living room was a massive bathroom with marble floors, a Jacuzzi, small sauna, and a large shower with multiple shower heads.
"Doesn’t this make you feel so much better?" Ully asked, envy in his voice.
"It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen." She saw the glow of his eagerness and tried to be more upbeat than she felt, for his sake.
"I know!"
"And this is mine?"
"Yep! And Rhyn’s, unless he wants to stay with the other Ancients in their hall."
She didn’t think he would but remained silent. At least, she hoped he wouldn’t.
"I’ll leave you here. Make yourself at home."
She didn’t fully register his words until the door closed behind him. The bedchamber was silent. She looked around, feeling very much alone in the cavernous room. She couldn’t help but think the barracks and all their activity and life were far more appealing than the solemn, stately apartment that was hers.
Her sister would be in heaven.
Katie felt like crying again. She roamed the apartment again and opened all the closets and drawers, not surprised to find them filled, as if she’d lived there all her life and hadn’t just arrived.
It was creepy. She left the apartment and walked down the silent halls, turning down the hall with the common areas in time to see the back of a silk ball gown disappear into opened doors. She slowed until she smelled the scents of dinner. Suddenly ravenous, she quickened her step despite her dread of meeting one of the elitist mates.
Her gaze landed on the dining room, which looked much like that of a fancy restaurant. Small tables seating four were well spaced for privacy, with candles lighting each table and an assortment of flatware she’d never seen before. The room was warm and cozy, its walls done up in dark lacquered wood, the warm glow of chandeliers non-imposing. The soft sounds of talk drifted to her, but it was the dress of the women within that drew her eye.
Few women wore similar fashions from similar eras. There were wide eighteenth-century ball gowns, women in little black dresses, one in a fifties poodle skirt, and several in dark dresses with ornate brocade on the bodice, like that of wealthy Middle Age royalty. One woman wore rustic battle wear from an era she couldn’t name, another flowing Grecian robes, yet another robes of a different era. While their dress was different, their faces were similar: stunning beauties from across history.
"Ms. Katie?" The maître d’ asked and looked at her skeptically, as if the woman passing in a revealing Middle Eastern belly dancing costume ahead of her was normal and jeans were not.
"Yes," she replied, her gaze going from him to the grand buffet in the center of the dining room.
"Shall I seat you?"
She nodded, hungry enough to set foot in the room with the most beautiful women in history. He led her to a private table in the corner near the buffet, as if sensing her unease. She had barely sat when a servant bearing a tray of coffee and diet root beer--her favorite--set down the drinks in front of her.
How was it possible they knew everything about her?
Rather than go to the buffet herself, the servant joined several others selecting morsels and food for her to try. He returned and set it before her. She looked at him, then at the silverware, and picked a fork she recognized.
The food was heavenly, the duck crisped to perfection in a light, tangy sauce, the vegetables still fresh. Even the honey butter was a perfect balance between sweet and rich, and the rolls still warm when she bit into them. Dessert was a slice of five different kinds of pies, and she dug into everything, eating fast.
"…only fitting he’d choose a classless barbarian. He’s a demon."
Katie froze at the cultured voice with its rich accent, knowing the woman at the nearest table spoke about her. She shouldn’t care, but part of her did. She was alone in a world she didn’t fit into, and she wanted more than anything to escape.
She glanced around, abruptly aware of the number of looks she received. Some were politely curious, others pitying, still others resembling that of the maître d’. More than one went beyond polite disdain and glared to the point of hostility.
Declining seconds, she finished her meal and rose, suddenly wishing she hadn’t been seated in the far corner. Those at the tables she passed quieted and watched. Ignoring the looks on their faces, she marched to the door. Once she was out of sight, she ran. She didn’t know where exactly she went aside from down from the top floor. She followed what she thought was the path Ully had brought her on and found her way to the women’s barracks.
There was life here, and friendly looks as she passed. She made her way through the common areas to the dorms and cautiously opened the door to the room that had been hers. It was blessedly empty.
She flung herself onto the bed, tears in her eyes. It still smelled of him, and she couldn’t help wishing he was there, even if all he did was piss her off.
"Katie."
She wiped her eyes and twisted, surprised to see Kris in her doorway. He g
azed at her for a long moment, an odd gleam in his eye. She sat uneasily. He entered and closed the door.
"What do you want, Kris?" she asked.
"Why aren’t you in your bedchamber?"
"I like it here better."
"Did Rhyn make you cry?" His gaze slid to the floor, and he shook his head ever so slightly, as if trying to shake free an unpleasant thought.
"No," she said, crossing her arms at the odd question. "Rhyn’s been the only man to take care of me in this godforsaken world."
His eyes flared amber. Before she could blink, he snatched her and shoved her against the wall, pinning her to it with his body.
"By all rights, you should’ve been mine!" he snarled in a low growl.
"Kris--"
"Shut up! He stole her from me just like he did you."
She said nothing, afraid to move, afraid to speak. She rested her cheek against the cool stone wall.
"The only human who can help us defeat evil, and you chose him."
"Kris, you’re not yourself," she whispered.
"You think I give a damn about one stupid, feeble, weak human, especially one mated to Rhyn? You think I’d let you stand between me and my fate?" Kris demanded. He wrenched her head back and gripped her neck, nuzzling it.
"Kris, don’t do this," she managed.
"Whatever is in your blood can tame evil."
She tried to pull away, but he pressed her harder against the wall until she could barely breathe. His fangs sank into her neck, and she jerked, feeling her skin and muscle tear. She cried out and arched, blinded by pain as he held her against the wall. He didn’t take blood gently as Rhyn did; no, Kris wanted her to hurt!
He drank deep and long until she began to grow woozy. His erection pressed hard against her backside, and tears slid down her face. She shook from pain and fear of what he’d do next, if he was more like Sasha than Rhyn.
She closed her eyes and wished herself home. The shadow world appeared hazily around her. She willed herself there, concentrating hard to keep from losing the connection.
Kris released her and stepped away. "Oh, god, Katie…" His voice was hoarse, a mix of pleasure and horror.
She sagged against the wall and gripped her bleeding neck. The shadow world swallowed her in its fog. There were several portals, and she hesitated, focusing on the mental image of her apartment. One of the portals grew brighter. She staggered toward it, stumbled, then fell through it and landed flat on her back on a familiar, faded red rug. It was dark, the spinning world lit by the kitchen and hallway light.
"Mama!" Toby cried.
She closed her eyes, terrified of bleeding to death right there in her own home.
"Wait in the kitchen." It was Gabriel’s voice. He was blurry as he knelt beside her. His black gaze was still visible in the dark living room.
She felt him assess her by running his hands lightly over her limbs before he pried her hand free and rested his there, sealing the wound.
"Juice, Toby!" He propped her up, and she sagged against him, unable to keep from crying at the thought of one sworn to protect humanity nearly killing her!
Gabriel lifted her and carried her down the hall. She shied away from her reflection, from the paleness of her skin and the stark red of her blood soaking the cream sweater. The death dealer set her on the bed. Toby clambered up beside her, spilling the juice.
"Rhyn’s mate?" he exclaimed. "Wow, Katie, wow!"
"Go make cocoa," Gabriel said, expertly rescuing the juice before more spilled.
Toby obeyed. Gabriel waited until he was gone before pulling a chair to the side of the bed.
"Rhyn didn’t do this," he observed, handing her the juice.
She wiped her face again and shook her head, pain thrumming through her body. Rhyn could make it leave. She didn’t know how, but she knew he could. Gabriel touched her forehead, and cold lightning buzzed through her, absorbing the pain. She released a tight breath. His hand remained, and she felt the cool lightning in her mind, ruffling through her memories.
"Gabriel," she objected.
"Kris?" he asked, surprised
Katie said nothing.
"Rhyn needs to know."
"It’s the last thing he needs to know!” she replied. “He and Kris are barely working together as it is. I think Kris is right--the fate of humanity is more important than me."
"Doesn’t give him a right to break the Immortal Code. You don’t touch another’s mate."
"The Immortal Code has done me no favors yet, Gabriel," she said, beyond exhausted. "Can we talk about it in the morning? Please?"
Gabriel fell silent, and she closed her eyes, exhausted.