Once there, he just kind of fell the rest of the way, crashing into a mossy embankment. He tried to rise, but couldnt find the strength. He needed to forage for food. Jane must be starving. He needed to build a shelter. The bugs would eat his woman alive. He needed to stand guard. She must not be hurt.
Relax, she said.
Protect, he murmured.
Yes, Ill protect you. Gentle hands smoothed over his brow,
No, I Oblivion claimed him before he could utter another word.
NICOLAI
The deep male voice that called to him was familiar. Always in his dreams, when his defenses were weakened, but it was stronger now than ever before. Andbeloved?
Nicolaitimesave
In the back of his mind, he heard the tick, tick, tick of a clock.
Who are you? he demanded.
An image flashed in his mind. Not of the speaker, but of huge, grotesque monsters crawling toward him. Each had eight legs, with sharp, deadly points. They were black and hairy, their eyes big and beady, their tails pointed and curling toward him. They were staring him down, as if he were a tasty snack. Bile rose in his throat, but he pressed on, ignoring them.
Where are you? What can I do?
Nicolaibrotherheal yourself, and come. Timesave
Brother? Nicolai tried to picture a brother. Nothing. He could not picture his mother, either. Nor his father. Even in his dreams, pain exploded through his head, shutting down his memories.
Tick, tick, tick.
Kill! an equally familiar male voice suddenly boomed. Deeper, harder.
Damn it. He had to find out who was speaking to him. Had to know. Had to, had to, had to. Lifeand deathrested on his shoulders.
As he considered their identities, he thrashed, his hand connecting with something solid and warm.
He heard a gasp. For some reason, the females pain only increased his agitation. Must protect
Everythings fine. You dont have to worry, she said, soothing him. Im here. Youre safe now.
Jane, he thought, stilling. His Jane. Such a sweet voice, such a pretty face. Such a commanding personality, worthy of a queen. She was nearby.
Heal yourselftimesave
Yes, he thought. With Jane nearby, he could do anything. Heal himself, and even replenish the store of power hed burned through. He relaxed, willingly sinking back into oblivion. This time, he had a purpose.
CHAPTER SEVEN
JANE SPENT TWO DAYS gathering supplies and making weapons. She never strayed far from the unconscious Nicolai, just in case he needed her or they had unexpected visitors, so those supplies were limited. However, she managed to find fruits and nuts to eat, as well as small, thin twigs and mint leaves. Those, shed turned into surprisingly efficient toothbrushes, which she used liberally on both of them.
Because they were near a stream, bathing her patient was easy. In fact, thered probably never been two cleaner people trapped in the wilderness. Nicolai was no longer oiled, his skin was scrubbed to a healthy pink shine, and yet, the scent of sandalwood was stronger than ever. Every time she breathed him in, she tingled, her blood heating, her mouth watering.
It hadnt helped that in bathing him, shed had to run her hands all over him. As dirty as hed beencough, coughshed had to bathe him a lot. Those musclesso hard, thickly roped and laced with sinew. That trail of hair from his navel to his penisalways tempting her to wickedness.
And God, she was shame spiraling.
Nicolai might desire her, but he didnt need another woman lusting after him while he was helpless. Whats more, he didnt need another grabby woman touching him without permission, and already Jane had pushed the boundaries of his trust by bathing him (so many times).
Hands off from now on, she decided. And one day, shed apologize for her behavior. Maybe. She wasnt sure she would sound sincere. Despite his past, shed liked touching him. Bad Jane. But, well, hed seemed to like being touched by her. He tossed and turned intermittently, only calming when she was within reach.
Sometimes he questioned a man who needed his help, sometimes he cursed Laila for the vile things shed done to him, and sometimes he fought ugly monsters, his arms and legs flailing. After the latter two, he always vowed retribution. Painful, slow retribution.
Something he was fully capable of delivering now. The swelling in his wrists and ankles was gone, his thumbs having snapped back into place, his feet having realigned right before her eyes. Even the abrasions on his skin were gone. It was quite an amazing process to witness.
The vampires she had studied had healed quickly, as well, but not that quickly. Nor had they slept this long in a single stretch. She worried about him.
Did he need blood? Hed had so much at the palace, and overfeeding could cause as much damage as starvation. Perhaps more so, because overfeeding caused an insatiable need for more, more, more. Nothing else mattered ever again, and dead body after dead body was left in the wake.
She shouldnt know that. Shed almost given herself and her knowledge away with the whole bursting into flames thing. And while she hated herself for having experimented on his brethren, she wished shed done more, knew more. Anything to help Nicolai right now.
Jane sighed. Shed give him another day. And then what? she wondered.
She would have to construct some kind of hamper and drag him through the forest and into a town, find a healer and get him checked out. If there was a town other than Delfina nearby.
The problembesides her lack of strength and directionwas her face. Her magical face. As Odette, she simply couldnt lose herself in a crowd, as proven by the reaction of the people outside the palace. Word of her arrival might travel to Laila. Someone might attempt to capture Nicolai.
That someone would have to die by Janes hand, and she wasnt quite ready to become a killer.
Another sigh slipped from her, this one weary. As a golden moon settled into a black velvet sky, she placed her handmade weaponstwigs sharpened on rocks until becoming daggers and spearsbeside Nicolai. Then she lay next to him.
Shed washed her robe about an hour ago, the still-wet material now draped over a nearby tree limb. Except for her panties, she was naked. By necessity. Of course. So she wasnt going to castigate herself over needing Nicolais warmth. Well, not too badly. The baths had been frivolous; spooning wasnt.
Lying next to him provided a wealth of wondrous experiences. Peace, after so many months of fear and regret. Soul-deep contentment. Hope for a future she had once dreaded. He shouldnt affect her this quickly and this strongly, even with magic.
After some thought, shed realized magic could not change a persons feelings. He had never welcomed his captors; and had they possessed the ability to force the issue, they would have.
Though she was exhausted, falling asleep proved difficult. Her back had scabbed, and those scabs pulled and reopened with her every movement. And her legs Without her morning jogs and physical therapy, her legs were stiffening up more and more frequently, aching and throbbing. She could practically feel atrophy setting up camp in her muscles.
What she wouldnt give for a handful of painkillers.
At least she didnt have to dread the approach of the sun. Their very first night here, shed constructed a big, leafy canopy above the small site. Nicolai had claimed he wouldnt burst into flame with ultraviolet contact, but she wasnt willing to risk it. Granted, the sun here was muted, always shaded by clouds, and not nearly as hot as shed experienced back home. But in her world, she had witnessed other vamps burning to ash. Maybe even one of his friends.
Stomach cramp. She wouldnt let herself go there.
Also, the canopy offered them camouflage from the enemy, hiding them from prying eyes. As proud as she was of her efforts, theyd so far been unnecessary. Laila and her men had never even marched past.
Most likely they werent even looking for the escapee, the princess expecting Nicolai to walk himself straight back to her bed.
Bed. Exactly where Jane wanted Nicolai. A soft mattress underneath him, Jane on top of him, her nails digging into his chest as she balanced. A tantalizing rush of desire poured through her, and she moaned.
Nicolai was right beside her. He could wake up at any moment and realize what she yearned for. Butmaybe another sex fantasy was in order. For his sake. After all, she had to be disturbing him, rolling around like this. And last time, shed fallen asleep the moment shed climaxed.
Yes, for Nicolais sake, she thought dazedly, inhibitions crumbling as she imagined the hard thrust of him inside her.
A LOW MOAN CAUSED NICOLAI to jolt upright.
Out of habit, he cataloged his surroundings in an instant. The moon was high, golden, the stars bright, winking from their scattered perches. Ghost trees swayed against a cool, sultry breeze. A river rushed along a pebbled bank.
His brows drew together with confusion. He was enveloped by the sweetest scent of passionfadingand the ripe scent of painintensifying. Who was in?
Another low, female moan sounded, broken and harsh. His attention whipped to the left, down. Jane. Jane lay beside him. And gods above, she was practically naked. Her only covering was a tiny scrap of white material between the apex of her thighs.
He should remove it. With his teeth.
Instantly his fangs ached. A familiar sensation in her presence. For a moment, he could only drink in the sight of her, his gaze greedy. Her breasts were small, her nipples pink as berries and beaded deliciously. Her stomach hollowed, showcasing every single one of her ribs.
Clearly she had been hungry for a long time. He would feed her, he thought, delighted by the very idea. She would never lack for food again. Would eat from his hand. Only the very best morsels, too. She would close her eyes at the succulent taste, savor every nibble, groan in joy when he sampled the meal with her, and then directly from her.
While blood was the source of his life, he needed food, as well. Perhaps because he was not fully vampire. He had a witch for a mother, and
A witch for a mother?
Pain sliced through him, and he nearly pounded his fist into the ground. Not again. Frustration ate at him.
Then he spied the scars on Janes abdomen, and thoughts of offering her the choicest of meats fled, right along with thoughts of his family. Hunger of a different nature asserted itself. He ached to commit murder. Those scarsDark Abyss Hed known she had them, but not how many or how deeply they cut her.
From her navel down, she looked as if shed been sliced up and sewn back together by a blind weaver. Thick, red scars crisscrossed in every direction, badges of pain most in the world would probably never experience.
How had she survived whatever had been done to her?
Whoever had hurt her would die, just as the guards who touched her had.
She deserved pampering. Not just the food from his table, but gowns of rich velvet and a bed of the finest goose feathers. Never would she work. She would relax, enjoy, perhaps spend her days naked, lounging in his bedroom, and her nights sweat soaked from passion.
He would feast from her body, her veins. Sample every part of her, dining between her legs at his leisure. Riding her hard and fast, letting her ride him slow and sweet. Taking her in every position imaginable, then perhaps inventing a few. His cock hardened, already aching.
She needs her rest. Needs to heal. Deep breath in, deep breath out. But gods, much more of her incredible scent and he would fall on her, perhaps drink too much of her blood. She was like the morning dew on the petals of a rose, fragile, and he must always be careful with her.
Trembling, he reached out to smooth that honey hair from her brow. When he saw his hand, he stilled. Turned his palm up to the moonlight. Wiggled his thumb. Healed. He was completely healed; there was no pain.
How much time had passed?
How long had he left Jane unguarded?
He looked around with fresh eyes, astonished by what he found. Enough time had passed for her to construct a hut, weapons, wash her clothing and his body. He was the man, the warrior, yet she had taken care of him.
Mine. Worthy of being queen.
Shed told him she did not have a man waiting for her, and he was glad. Had she, he would have killed the man. Not painfully, not unless the man had once hurt her, but he would have died all the same. After Nicolai found a way into her world. And he would have done so. No one but him would lay claim to this woman, not in any time or in any place.
And if you have someone waiting for you? Someone youve forgotten? He frowned, not liking the thought. Fidelity was important. Jane had said as much. He didnt know a lot about himself, but that he, too, believed.
Buthe wanted Jane. And right then, he could not even conceive the idea of wanting anyone else, of being with anyone else. Ever. Truly, every cell in his body burned for Jane, only Jane. Somehow, she was already a part of him. Somehow, her essence was rooted so deeply inside him, he suspected they had always been destined to meet, to be together. But If someone was waiting for him, what would he do? Despite his fearsome temper, he revered the law and never went back on his word. Right?
Perhaps. But There was that awful, awful word again. The law, his honor, fidelity, none of those applied to this situation. If he didnt want another female, he wouldnt accept another female. He wouldnt cheat Jane. It was as simple as that.
While he thought himself somewhat decent in this matter, he did not think he fought honorably. He thought he won his battles through fair means or foul, and punished his enemies without a shred of mercy or remorse. Look at what hed done to the guards of the Queen of Hearts.
And many years ago, he had led his army through the Wolfyn realm, the moon hidden behind clouds, the citizens of one of the kingdoms sleeping peacefully in their beds. He and his men had razed the entire structure. Hed hated to do it, but that hadnt stopped him. Anything to save his brother.