Armed guards gave a nod to Josef and made way for them as he led her to a black staircase.
“This way,” he said, starting up the first step.
She noticed the eyes of some of the guests on her, evidently wondering what made her so special that she could venture to the forbidden parts of the estate. Up they went, and silence filled the air as the party grew farther and farther away.
Willa noted how Kristoff’s home was decorated similarly to his family home in Cambridge. Nostalgia clung to her as they reached the top floor and took a turn down a dimly lit corridor. Before they reached the door at the end of the hall, Willa started to become giddy. She could feel his presence.
Kristoff.
My love.
Once they reached that door, Josef turned to her. He folded his hands before him. “He’s expecting you. Just go inside.”
“Okay,” Willa said, turning her attention from him and to the dark wooden door before her.
Willa’s hand hovered above the door’s handle. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
You can do this.
You have to.
She summoned her courage and turned the handle. Inside, she was welcomed by dim light. It was a study, with tall bookcases lining the walls. A Persian rug stretched across the dark wood, right before an executive desk that sat in the middle of the room. Behind it was a sofa, and a man standing beside it.
She covered her heart with her hand when her eyes fell on Kristoff’s unmistakable figure standing at the window at the back of the room.
She let out a quiet breath as her eyes knitted together. A surge of emotion flooded her as she looked at him. Even though she looked at the back of his black tux, Willa knew it was Kristoff. Even though she had seen him on the news, talk shows, and in countless magazines, it didn’t compare to being in the same space with him.
Nothing compared to being so close that she could touch him.
“Where have you been, Willa?”
Her heart broke at hearing that question. He had no idea what happened to her. The pain in his voice was apparent, nearly buckling her to her knees.
When she replied, her voice trembled, as did her bottom lip.
“He took me,” she whispered. “He hurt me. And he used me.”
Kristoff turned around, his eyes wide with surprise.
“Who?”
She almost didn’t hear his question as she gazed upon the beauty of his face. All she wanted was to forget the past and touch his face—to kiss him and will all of the pain away. But, Kristoff deserved answers.
“Lukas.”
Before she could blink, he darted to her. All she saw was the shift in the air, and a blur of his image as he shot across the room. He collected her in his strong arms, and she let out a cry of relief.
There was no stopping the tears that followed as Kristoff cupped her face in his hands.
“My love. I didn’t know,” he said. His eyes were full of rage, pain, and above all, the love for her that never faded. “I swear it. I would have killed him if I even suspected.”
Willa sobbed. Her eyes blurred as she looked up at him. “I know you would have, Kristoff. I never stopped thinking about you. Or loving you.”
When his lips pressed against hers, she squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around his neck. Greedily, he devoured her sweet mouth with his own, making her moan feverishly. It was as if a day hadn’t gone by since they sat together on her estate, planning their wedding.
“I’ve never stopped loving you either, Willa,” he breathed once he took a brief break from tasting her kiss. “I’m afraid I will love you forever. And I’m okay with it.”
She smiled, uncaring that her cheeks were wet with salty tears. How many times did she dream of hearing those exact words?
Kristoff picked her up by her thighs and pressed her back into the door. “I’ll kill him,” he whispered to her before kissing her neck and collar bone.
“I know,” she said as her eyes rolled back at the warm sensation that began to stir within. “We will kill him together.”
Kristoff pressed his forehead to hers. He looked at her from beneath his brow. The dangerous look in his eyes somehow both scared her and turned her on so much that she squirmed in his grasp.
“That’s the Willa I remember,” he said and slid a hand under her gown’s skirt.
She bit her lower lip when he cupped her butt in his hands.
Another wet kiss sent her mind to dark and dirty places.
“Kristoff,” Willa called in a small voice.
“Yes, my love?” He licked her throat, sending shivers up her spine.
“I need you to make love to me.”
Picking her up, Kristoff held her close and carried her from the study and through an archway leading into darkness. His intoxicating scent was nostalgic. The anticipation of having him was unnervingly exciting. Before Lukas took her, she had still been a virgin. Lukas had taken that beautiful gift from her.
Willa was no longer the innocent girl he had fallen for. She wanted to share her body with the man she loved. She didn’t care where he took her.
Plans of revenge and murder could wait.
Her heart and soul ached for Kristoff for so long. All she needed was to feel him—all of him.
Chapter 12
KRISTOFF TOOK WILLA down a dark hallway that connected the study to his loft bedroom. He carried her up the stairs to the loft where his spacious sleeping area awaited. Her legs wrapped around the tight muscles of his waist, and she held onto him as if her life depended on it.
There was no way she was ever letting go.
A deep kiss awakened her desire once more, and he slipped her dress over her head, tossing it behind them. She didn’t care that the tiny buttons ripped apart. They were merely an obstacle.
The balcony doors to the right of his bed were open, letting in the chilly late fall breeze that delighted her naked skin.
"I love you, Willa Avery."
She took a deep breath; her smile soared from her soul to her lips. "I love you, Kristoff."
“I could say it a few more times if you’d like. As many times as it takes to make sure you never forget it.”
Kristoff guided her backward to his bed. The soft foam of the mattress gave way to her weight as she lay down. A reddening of her cheeks ensued as Kristoff unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it over his head. The reveal of abs sculpted much like a cover model for a sports magazine excited her almost as much as the glint of lust in his eyes.
When he took off his pants and boxers, Willa’s eyes flickered from his manhood to his eyes. She licked her lips.
"You're all mine," she whispered as he climbed into bed with her, positioning himself between her legs.
"I am."
A smile came to her lips as his kisses trailed down to her neck.
His mouth was like heaven. Each kiss sent shivers up her entire body, igniting her core with the heat of his silken tongue, wet and lingering on her most sensitive spots. His soft down comforter beneath her made her feel as though she was sinking into a pit of immense pleasure.
He held her face in his hands and looked her in the eyes. With the candle's light dancing off the emerald and hazel flecks of his eyes, he looked otherworldly.
Much had changed since she’d last seen Kristoff in person. The human man of twenty-two was now immortal, and she could see it in his gaze. Both had suffered and seen things that shaped them into the individuals they now were. Willa would have given up immortality for Kristoff.
Now, she didn’t have to. She could thank Lukas for that. The only good he’d ever done.
"God," she breathed out. "I can’t believe how much I’ve missed your kisses."
"Trust me. I missed yours too, baby.” His whisper was throaty, low, and turned her on even more.
The ripples of his back were more defined than she'd imagined as she'd touched them with curious fingers. She could explore every inch of his body, but at that moment, s
he wanted much more than to simply touch him.
Kristoff pulled her panties off with one hand and laced his fingers in her hair with the other. Each kiss sent her deeper into ecstasy.
A jolt of electricity filled her as his mouth covered her dripping wet core. Warmth and pleasure made her shiver as his tongue circled her throbbing clit.
"Oh Lord," she gasped as two of his long fingers dipped inside, stroking her g-spot with expert pressure and precision. The threat of an explosive orgasm made her bite her lip against the screams of passion that begged to escape her lips. She didn't want the pleasure to end.
Not so soon.
Sex with Kristoff was different than her times with Lukas.
This was love.
Each flick of his tongue and suck on her clit made her squirm and press her pelvis against his face.
More pressure, she thought.
As if he'd read her mind, Kristoff lifted her from the bed, laid back, and set her directly onto his mouth.
Willa's eyes widened at this exciting new position. Her modesty was thrown out the window as he resumed his delicious tease of her sweet sex.
Before she could over think things, Willa found herself grinding herself in rhythmic circles on his greedy tongue.
A guttural gasp escaped her lips as an orgasm rippled through her body, crashing from her lower belly to her thighs. Kristoff didn't stop; he suckled on her gushing core, seemingly turned on by her pleasure alone.
When the waves of bliss began to wane, he lifted her from his mouth and slid her tight hole onto his hardened manhood.
Willa licked her lips, nearly delirious with pleasure as he filled her completely. He pulled her down for a kiss and wrapped a hand around her neck, firm but gentle as he thrust into her already sensitive sex.
Somehow his hand around her neck made her groan with delight. The angle from which he thrust scrapped her g-spot in a perfect way.
"Can you come for me again, Willa?"
Willa moaned at having him speak to her in that sexy voice. She’d waited so long for this moment, not just for the sex, but to have him look at her in that way—with apparent adoration and desire. She bit her lips as their eyes locked under the light of the moon.
Willa cried out as another orgasm seemed to split her in two.
Kristoff took advantage and without leaving her body, flipped her onto her back and lifted her legs over his shoulders.
Willa was sure she'd die from such intense pleasure and didn't care one bit as he pounded into her, intensifying the crashing climax that had her seeing stars.
A final thrust sent Kristoff's hot seed into her, warming her from the inside out.
Tears fell from the corners of Willa's eyes as she lay there, desperate to catch her breath. Her legs shook when Kristoff pulled free and settled onto the bed beside her.
Neither spoke a word as he put an arm beneath her head and hugged her close.
Together, they held each other like that, drunk off of their love for one another.
Chapter 13
“ARE WE GOING back to the party?”
Kristoff watched her play with his hair. It slipped from her fingers as she played with his soft brown strands.
He kissed her, taking in her beauty. “We don’t have to.” He would be completely fine with sending everyone home. Nothing mattered anymore.
Just Willa.
And revenge.
Thinking of Lukas hurting her turned his stomach. What he would give to return to quiet strolls with Willa in the gardens, and parties at his home when they were young. They were both young and naïve. Lukas stole that life from them both.
Willa yawned. “I’d love to stay in bed with you, but Zoe and Stephanie are out there waiting for me to come back.”
“You’re right. But, I think I ripped your dress,” he said with a grin.
Willa returned the smile. “I almost forgot.”
He sat up. “Don’t worry. I’ll get Josef on it.”
“You just happen to have other gowns in your estate?”
“No, love. He will grab one for you from one of the shops.” He picked up his phone from the nightstand and sent a text to Josef. “You’re still a size 2, right?”
Willa nodded, smiling. “You don’t forget a thing.”
“Not when it involves you.”
She sighed and sat up beside him. “I remember everything about you too.”
“I’m glad to hear it. But,” his voice turned serious. “While we wait for your new gown, I want to know what Lukas did to you.”
Willa’s smile faded. “I told you. He took me. He hurt me. He used me. Can we leave it at that?”
Kristoff pursed his lips while searching her eyes. The pain he saw broke his heart. He wished he could take that pain away.
So many scenarios had gone through his mind, but never did he imagine that Lukas had taken Willa. It all made sense now. The night Lukas had bit Kristoff and made him his new protégé, Kristoff had feared what Willa would think of him. Her disappearance only overshadowed those fears.
Kristoff knew Lukas was a dangerous vampire, uncaring about others, but he didn’t think he was capable of such treachery.
To think, he acted as if nothing was amiss, putting on an act for Kristoff and the world alike.
“You don’t have to give me any details, Willa,” Kristoff said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He could guess what Lukas put her through. It didn’t matter. The vampire king would be dead as soon as Kristoff found him. The Vampire Nation Summit was in a few months.
He didn’t want to wait that long.
She closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her cheek.
“I’m going to rid this world of him. I swear it.”
When she opened her eyes, an eerie smile came to her face.
“I have a plan,” she said and sat up. “Lukas has no idea what hell is coming his way.”
For a moment, Kristoff didn’t know what to say. The look on Willa’s face—the sinister glint in her eyes almost frightened him. The sweet girl he left behind was still there, but so was a vengeful witch fueled by rage.
A knock on Kristoff’s bedroom door made them both turn toward the sudden sound.
He tensed. Josef was quick, but not that quick.
“Lord Dargaard,” Kathy’s voice called.
He detected the shakiness of her voice.
Kristoff stood and put on his pants. “What is it?”
“There is a bit of a problem,” she said.
Something told him there was more than that. “I’m coming.”
“Kristoff,” Willa called, getting up from his bed. She rushed to his wardrobe and searched for something to put on. She put on a pair of his drawstring pajama pants and a T-Shirt. “I’m coming with you.”
The look on her face suggested that he wouldn’t be able to convince her otherwise. He gave a nod and slipped his shirt back on. Kristoff was prepared to protect her with everything within him.
With Willa behind him, Kristoff walked down the loft stairs to the door.
Kathy waited outside, her face red with what looked to be confusion and terror.
“Someone set the Hellhound loose!”
Kristoff’s face paled. “Shit. Brute will kill whoever gets in his way.” His blood chilled at the question as to who would let Brute loose. There were only a handful of his individuals that even knew about his pet, and one of them stood before him with horror in her eyes.
Josef?
The thought sent his heart racing.
“You have a Hellhound?” Willa’s little feet scurried behind him as he took off down the hall.
Kristoff didn’t have time to answer her. He whistled, the shrill sound echoing off the walls of his estate.
Panic began to set in as the sounds of screams started to waft up the stairs from the ballroom.
“Oh god,” Willa said. “Stephanie and Zoe!”
“Don’t worry yet, Willa. They can handle themselves.”
“Okay,” s
he said. “Why do you have Hellhound?”
“I saved him. Keep up,” he said. He wanted to go faster, but Willa would be left behind. Alone. He couldn’t risk leaving her side again. They ran down the stairs, and a bestial roar sent chills along Kristoff’s skin.
Willa grabbed his arm to steady herself.
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Kristoff said, leaping over mangled bodies in the middle of the floor. A severed head, half-eaten lay next to its owners well-dressed body. Arms and legs, guts and bone littered his floor.
The blood was unnerving. Delicious human blood wafted into his nose, making him dizzy.
He hadn’t eaten yet.
“Are you okay, Kristoff?”
Willa’s sweet voice drug him from the fever that started to creep over him.
Blood. So much blood.
He clenched his jaw and stood in the archway of the ballroom.
The scene before him was enough to make even the blood of a vampire curdle. Brute, taller than even Kristoff at six foot three, caught a young diplomat by his leg and slammed him to the ground with his jaws.
Then, he feasted from the young man’s torso.
“Brute,” Kristoff called.
Then, the lights went out.
Chapter 14
EVERY HAIR ON Willa’s skin stood on end. All of the lights went out, and yet the screams didn’t cease.
Thundering footsteps filled her ears as Brute ran in the darkness toward them.
The footsteps ceased, and Brute’s growl came from the dark right before Willa’s face. She could smell his hot breath and feel the heat on her face.
A menacing growl froze Willa in place. She was too afraid to run.
"Don’t move a muscle, Willa," Kristoff said from beside her.
“Kristoff,” she said, her voice wavering. Willa wished her eyes would hurry and adjust to the darkness. The thought of summoning light came to her, but she feared to startle the Hellhound into attacking her.
“Brute,” Kristoff called. “Go home.”
Without hesitation, the Hellhound gave a loud bark that vibrated along the walls and floors. He ran back to wherever home was. Willa’s heart thumped as she listened to his footsteps pounding on the hardwood floor.