Bite the Bullet (Bitten Book 5) (20 page)

He kept me pressed against the wall for several long moments as we both caught our breath. When my thundering heart finally slowed, I unlocked my ankles and lowered my legs. Asher set me on my feet, holding me steady as I wobbled slightly.

Once I had my legs back under me, he turned me so that my back was to the water and guided me under the stream.

“What are you doing?” I asked him, too relaxed to try and stop him from moving me around like a doll.

“I’m washing your hair,” he answered.

I sighed as his fingers began to massage my scalp. Now I understood why hair salons made you sit in those strange reclining chairs when they washed your hair, because my legs went weak beneath me. I grabbed onto Asher’s sides to keep myself from collapsing to the floor in a boneless pile.

There was no tension left in my body after he rinsed the lather from my hair.

I opened one eye and asked, “Am I supposed to wash yours now?”

“Maybe next time. You need to relax tonight.”

“Okay. Sure thing. We can talk about it later.”

Asher chuckled. His hands left my hair and I held back a groan of disappointment. My disappointment was short-lived as he began washing my body, his hands firm as they found the last few kinks in my muscles and worked them until they loosened.

Once I was clean, he washed himself quickly and shut off the water. The towel he wrapped around me was toasty warm and enveloped me from shoulder to knee. I enjoyed the view as he dried off, absently rubbing another towel over my wet hair.

“What do my eyes look like when we’re making love?” I asked. I hadn’t really thought about it since I’d been more concerned with other things this week, but now I was curious.

Asher looked up at me, his eyebrows raised. “Your eyes?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Yours are blue. They’re so bright and intense it almost hurts to look at them.”

He walked over to me, taking the towel I was using to dry my hair out of my hand. “They’re like amber flames, flecked with red and dark brown.”

That was surprising. My eyes had always been so dark they were almost black.

Asher cupped my cheek with his hand. “They’re beautiful.”

I smiled up at him. “Sweet talker,” I murmured.

He seemed confused. “What does that mean?”

“You always say exactly what will make me melt.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up in a half smile. “Oh really?”

“Well, it only works because I can tell you’re being completely honest. I can feel it.”

He wrapped his arms around me and tugged me closer. “I’ll always be honest with you, Shannon. I love you.”

I rested my forehead against his pectoral. “Stop with the sweet talk or I’m going to get all teary eyed.”

“We can’t have that,” he teased, lifting me off my feet and over his shoulder.

“Put me down! I have to go help research
animavore
with everyone else,” I cried out.

Asher smacked my ass lightly. “Not tonight you don’t. I explained that you haven’t been feeding as a new vampire should and that you needed blood, food, and rest tonight. You can go back to work tomorrow morning. I believe Kerry and Finn will still be here. They seem to enjoy reading all these ancient texts.”

He set me down next to the bed. “Now, go put on something comfortable and I’ll get you some food. We’ll eat in bed.”

“Sex isn’t resting,” I commented as I walked toward the dresser.

“Maybe not, but you’ll rest very well after I’m done with you.”

Before he could leave the room, I muttered, “Don’t think that you can get away with bossing me around just because I’m following orders tonight. You’re spoiling me and that’s the only time I do as I’m told.”

Asher was in front of me in the blink of an eye. He cupped the back of my head and lifted me to my toes, his mouth crashing down onto mine.

When he released me, I blinked up at him. “What was that for?”

“Being you,” he replied. He stepped back and headed toward the door. “Get dressed and into bed. I’ll be back to continue spoiling you in a few minutes.”

I shook my head at his bossiness, but did as he said because I wasn’t going to turn down pampering.

Especially since I really liked the way Asher did it.

T
he next week
wasn’t as hectic as my first week as a vampire. There were no more clandestine meetings late at night or people trying to kill my friends or me.

In fact, I almost felt as though I were back at my job at the security firm. We were completing what would have been considered the research and planning phase of the assignment. We were learning what we could about our target and using that information to form a suitable plan.

Since Kerry needed time to prepare the potions and other materials she needed in case Rhys turned out to be a lying sack of shit, she suggested that we gather the day of the winter solstice.

Considering that was the week of Christmas, no one was thrilled with the timing, but Kerry explained that it had the added benefit of boosting her power. The winter and summer solstice were times a witch would see a rise in her abilities and strength.

Everyone finally came to agree with her because it was clear we would need all the power we could get.

My visions hadn’t included the attack of the Faction on Conner’s home, merely snatches of the battle and the end result. I tried meditation and even a potion that Kerry prepared in an effort to see more, but it didn’t help. Those portions of time remained stubbornly blank in my mind.

The best we could do was plan our response when the Faction did attack. That was the problem with baiting a trap. You could never be sure which way your prey would come at it.

Rhys proved himself helpful in the plan, giving us his thoughts and suggestions on what his brother might do.

During his last visit, Conner, Lex, Finn, and Asher were arguing about how to ensure the safety of the five of us. I tried to interrupt several times but they were too focused on each other.

Finally, Rhys stood up at the end of the table and clapped his hands. Somehow the sound was amplified, so loud that it made my ears ring and my head ache.

The four male vampires immediately stopped arguing and glared at Rhys.

“You’re not solving the problem at hand,” Rhys stated calmly.

“We can’t risk allowing Cornelius to take the females off the property,” Lex snapped. “These three may not be so concerned because their mates aren’t human, but Ivie is still vulnerable and more fragile than they are.”

My eyebrows shot up. If Ivie heard him talking about her like that, she’d show him exactly how delicate she was. I also knew that she was learning to harness her ability to control vampires and she was growing in strength daily. She’d regaled me more than once with the silly things she made Lex do and the resulting “punishments”, which sounded kind of kinky and fun rather than good deterrents.

Rhys shook his head. “Cornelius won’t do that. It would be too difficult to get five powerful females off the property, especially when it will be so well protected. He’ll want to complete the ritual here.”

“So we’ll lead him somewhere,” Kerry interjected. “The ballroom. It’s large enough to give us room to fight and I can stash some things in there that will be useful.”

Rhys considered her suggestions. “Yes, I believe that would work.”

I looked at the male vampires sitting around the table. “What do you think?”

One by one, they agreed that it was a starting point.

I could feel the tension and frustration in the room, coming from everyone, even Rhys.

“I think we should take a break,” I stated firmly.

I could tell that Lex and Conner wanted to disagree, but Kerry and Donna immediately jumped to their feet.

“Yes, please.” Donna looked so relieved at the idea that I knew Conner wouldn’t say a word.

“I need to be going.” Rhys gathered his jacket. “I have an errand to run and I’ll be gone for a few days. When I return, I’ll come back here.”

“Where are you going?” Kerry asked, her voice suspiciously neutral. She was clearly still wary of him and his motives.

Our vampires hid it well, but I knew they didn’t trust him much either. I couldn’t blame them. Rhys was difficult to read and he kept his emotions as guarded as he kept his thoughts. If I hadn’t envisioned the future, I wouldn’t have trusted him either.

Rhys smiled at her. “To get what I’ll need to kill my brother, little witch. The ritual requires very specific ingredients, some of them impossible to find this far south.”

Kerry’s face paled at his words, and Rhys’ smile faded.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Finn was on his feet and at Kerry’s side before anyone else could respond. “Kerry?” When she didn’t respond, Finn twisted his head around and scowled at Rhys. “What did you do to her?”

Rhys lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Nothing.”

She shook her head as if coming out of a trance, the color returning to her cheeks. “Sorry, sorry. Don’t be upset with Rhys.” She looked at the male in question. “Your brother called me that the first time I met him. It brought back some nasty memories, that’s all.”

For the first time since I met him, Rhys looked something other than amused or blank. He looked contrite.

“I’m very sorry, Kerry,” he apologized. “I won’t call you that again.”

“It’s okay. Like I said, it took me by surprise.”

“Still, I apologize,” Rhys replied stiffly. “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I should be going.”

He looked upset and, as he walked by me, I could feel his tangled emotions. Anger and sadness. Regret.

I followed him to the door, waving back Conner and Asher as they attempted to do the same.

“Let me talk to him,” I murmured to them.

I jogged across the foyer after him. “Rhys.”

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Shannon, I don’t mean to be rude, but—”

“You’re upset,” I interrupted his brush off. “Why?”

His jaw tightened and some emotion swirled in the black depths of his eyes. I realized it was hate. Not directed at me or anyone else, but at himself. For all his outward appearance, Rhys the Dark was full of self-loathing.

“Just when I think I’m escaping him,” Rhys muttered. “He appears.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend ignorance, Shannon. It’s insulting.”

I frowned at him. “Rhys, I really don’t understand. You’re angry, not at me, but at yourself. Why?”

His face grew tight. “You’re not curious?” he asked drily.

“Give me a straight answer,” I shot back.

“I know your friends have been wondering how much like my brother I am. I’m his twin and they think that some part of me must be as evil as he is. You haven’t asked yourself the same?”

“No.”

Shock and confusion filled not only his expression but his emotions as well. Rhys had lowered his guard slightly. “Why?”

I placed a hesitant hand on his arm, jerking slightly when a jolt of static electricity jumped from his skin to my palm. “I’ve seen the future, Rhys. I know that you help us. You’re standing with us at the end.”

“Sometimes I fear I’ll never truly be free of him. We shared the same womb, the same nightmares as children, and endured things….” Rhys trailed off. “It’s occurred to me more than once that our similarities are more than just physical, that a part of him may always live inside me.”

“You’re nothing like him.”

His black eyes moved over my face. “You truly believe that, don’t you?”

I nodded. “I’ve met your brother. He emanates evil. It’s too strong for him to hide. I don’t sense anything like that in you. You aren’t evil.”

Rhys seemed reluctant to accept my words, but he didn’t argue. “I should be going.”

He laid his hand over mine and squeezed gently. I managed to suppress a flinch at the mild electric shock he gave me. He released me and pulled his arm from my grasp.

As I watched him walk out the front door, I realized that Rhys the Dark might be powerful and immortal, but he was also the loneliest being I’d ever met.

A
s soon as
Rhys left, Donna and Kerry emerged from the study and made a beeline for me.