Bitter Bite (13 page)

Gideon frowned, clearly not understanding the true gravity of
Brosius’s enmity. For the first time, Alaric wished the memory transfer of the
bond went both ways. He hated talking about his past. “Brosius killed my last
surviving descendant. My many times great grand-nephew. Michael was very young
when he passed away. He hadn’t even had a chance to live before he died.”

Gideon shook his head. “I thought it might be something like that.
I can’t believe you’d hunt someone down just for sport.”

He still doesn’t
understand my true nature
,
Alaric thought sadly. He let it slide. His consort, for all his bitterness, was
an inherently good person, prone to finding the best in others. With all the
blood on his hands, Alaric didn’t deserve that consideration. He sighed. “I’ve
been hunting him for a hundred years,” he simply said, then closed his eyes,
remembering how distraught he’d been to find Michael dead. His grief had
surprised him, but his need for vengeance had at least given him a purpose, a
reason to keep living through decades of aimless
wandering
.

“Why did you kill that old man, outside the club?”

Alaric tensed, not expecting that question. “I didn’t.”

Gideon sat up, careful not to wake Hannah. “I saw you.” He gently
stroked her hair. Alaric wondered if he even realized what he was doing. “There
was no mistaking what happened, Alaric.”

Alaric’s neck went tight. “He isn’t dead. I took only enough blood
to weaken him. I wanted his fear, not his life. He and his friends murdered an
innocent man when he was young, because their bigotry and hatred controlled
their actions. Edmund was my lover. I didn’t know him that well, but he didn’t
deserve what Stanley did to him. Humans can be so much more barbaric than the
monsters.” He forced himself to say the rest. “However, it is unlikely Stanley will
ever recover from the blood loss, not at his age. He may not have died in that
alley, but he won’t live for very long.”

Gideon leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. He was
silent for a long time. Long enough that Alaric almost believed he’d fallen
asleep, but then his consort sighed again. “My heart told me you weren’t evil,
but my eyes told me you were a monster. I’m glad to find out my heart was
right.”

“I
am
a monster,” Alaric said, swallowing the emotion that
rose in his throat. The relief he felt was extraordinary, though Gideon was
mistaken in his beliefs about Alaric’s compassion. He truly
was
a
killer, and if Gideon hated what and who he was, their consort bond would
destroy all three of them. Acceptance was key. He decided to try one more time
to make him understand. “I drink human blood to survive. I am a predator. I
wanted Stanley to live the rest of his life in fear. That is more cruel than a
quick death.”

“You’re also kind and strong, and you’ve sacrificed your strength
to protect me and Hannah.” Gideon shook his head. “No, you’re not a monster.”

Alaric looked away from Gideon’s too understanding gaze. “I’ve
sacrificed nothing. I am stronger with the bond, not weaker. You are mistaken.”

“Yet.”

Alaric frowned at Gideon. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t sacrificed your strength, yet,” Gideon said quietly.
“But you will.” He settled down and closed his eyes. “If you have to.”

“Don’t be absurd.” The last thing Alaric wanted was Gideon
suspecting what he planned. What he would sacrifice to keep him and Hannah
safe. “I’ve survived for centuries. I’ll likely survive for centuries more.” He
stroked Hannah’s hair, then touched Gideon’s arm, unable to stop himself. He
needed to feel their warmth one last time. Soon enough, his body would grow
cold as the effects of their lovemaking faded, and he would need all the brutal
strength he could muster to keep them safe.
It
is time for Brosius to die, and for his demon master to go back to whatever
foul hole he crawled from before they harm Gideon and Hannah.

Gideon smiled faintly. “Sleep softly, Alaric.”

Alaric let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“You also, Gideon.”

Chapter Eight

Hannah stretched and yawned, then frowned when she realized the
blanket she was burrowing into wasn’t hers. It wasn’t a soft fleece, and it
smelled like … Gideon? Her eyes popped open. Darkness greeted her.

“Gideon?” She called uncertainly, afraid to move.

“Mmm.”

Oh my God, I’m in bed with him!
Memories crashed into her brain — flashes of Alaric and Gideon
making love to her. The most epic orgasm of her life and the loss of her
virginity in a way she could never have anticipated.
Two men at once?
Really?
She sucked in a breath, not sure if she should cry or jump for joy.
She’d finally lost her innocence, but at what cost? Should she be happy? Or
horrified? Both, perhaps? Not that it mattered. Her life would never be the
same. She put her hands over her face. She would
not
cry. Not over this. This was a good thing. No one was dead.

A dim light flicked on next to the bed. “Shh, sweetheart. It’s
okay.” Gideon gathered her into his arms, somehow knowing she was freaked out.
His warmth soothed her. She burrowed in, soaking up his warmth.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice shook.

“Don’t be,” he said, stroking her hair.

She took a deep breath, then eased away. She was an adult and
Gideon didn’t need her hanging onto him like a hysterical teenager.
He had enough of that when he was a teacher
,
she thought sardonically.

“Better?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m fine. Just got a little freaked out when I didn’t
recognize the bed.” She laughed, but it sounded forced.

Gideon pulled her in again. “It’s fine.”

Hannah let him hold her for a moment, but she was awake now and
feeling a little silly about her emotional wake up. She patted his back and
pulled back again. “What happened? What time is it?” she asked, looking around.
The bed was rumpled. Her clothes lay scattered across the floor. She shifted in
his arms, frowning when she realized her body wasn’t even the least bit sore.
After what they’d done, shouldn’t she be a little worse for wear?
It must be
the consort bond.
She bit her lip.
Alaric
said something about healing, didn’t he?

“I don’t know. Hang on.” He reached out an arm and fumbled with
something on the nightstand. “It’s two in the afternoon. We must have slept
through the morning.” He frowned, looking down at his cell phone. “I’m supposed
to have a friend over tonight. I’ll have to cancel.”

“What? No, you don’t.” She didn’t want him rearranging his life
for her. That wasn’t the kind of relationship she wanted. Her father had
demanded total control of her mother’s life and that hadn’t ended well at all.

He smiled warmly at her. “I want to. I don’t want to share you and
Alaric with anyone just yet. We’ll have enough time for that in a few weeks.”

“Oh. That’s … sweet.” She blushed.

He laughed and kissed her. “I’ll just let my friend know I’ll be
unavailable for a little while.”

Hannah watched him tap a quick text into his cell phone. His hair
was a mess and dark stubble covered his jaw, but to her, he looked perfect.
There was only one thing missing that would make this morning everything she
could have hoped for: Alaric. And the vampire was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Alaric?” She glanced around the space, frowning when she
didn’t see him anywhere. “I thought he’d be dead to the world at this time of
the day.” She wasn’t sure how she felt about him being gone, especially after what
they’d shared just a few short hours ago. Her sense of him through the consort
bond was faint.

Gideon put his phone back onto the nightstand. “I don’t know.”

Hannah frowned. Something about his tone bothered her. “You knew
he’d gone,” she said flatly.

He sighed. “I woke up a few hours ago and there was no sign of
him. Not even a note.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” She struggled out of his arms, making
sure to keep the comforter pulled up over her breasts. She couldn’t handle
being naked in front of him right now. Why would Alaric leave? Did she do
something wrong?

“Because there was no point in waking you. We have no idea where
he lives. We don’t have his phone number.” He ran a hand over his face. “Hell.
We don’t even know if he
owns
a cell
phone.”

Hannah chewed on the inside of her cheek as a sense of foreboding
washed over her. Was this why she’d felt so freaked out when she woke up?
Something wasn’t right about him being gone. A trickle of fear slid down her
spine, but she fought it off. She couldn’t act like a scared little girl just
because Alaric had decided to leave. “So, he just … left?” She wasn’t sure how
she felt about that. After what he’d told her about the consort-bond, she
thought he’d stay. She thought he
had
to stay. “No hint of anything?”

Gideon looked away.

Bullseye.
She didn’t miss the flash of guilt in Gideon’s eyes. “Don’t lie to me.” The
words came out hard, and Gideon’s face tightened. “Please,” she added more
softly.

He took her hands in his. “I think he did it to protect us. He
said Brosius would kill us all if he wasn’t stopped.”

Hannah thought about that. “But Alaric said we were safe here.”
She shook her head. “How could he have even gone out? It was dawn by the time
we fell asleep.”

“It was almost dawn, but not quite, I think,” Gideon said.

“He would’ve had to run,” Hannah said, thinking. “Unless he lied
to us about the sun.”

Gideon shook his head. “No. He didn’t lie.”

“How do you know?” Hannah didn’t want to believe Alaric lied,
either, but she had to be pragmatic. People lied all the time. Her father had
lied for years, and that had ended in a disaster she still hadn’t fully
recovered from.

“I know, in my heart.” Gideon put his hand over his chest. He
leaned over and touched her cheek. “And so do you.”

Hannah shook her head, not saying anything.
I don’t like
feeling this vulnerable. I hate not being in control of my own life. I thought
after my parents died I’d never have to feel this way again.
“So he left to hunt Brosius without us.”
Frustrated, she grabbed Gideon’s arm. She wanted to shake him, but she knew it
wouldn’t accomplish anything. “We could’ve helped him. He didn’t have to go off
alone.”

“I don’t think he’s used to having people in his life.” Gideon’s
expression told her he felt just as torn up as she did.

“We only just met him,” she said brokenly.

“I know. It’ll be okay, Hannah.” Gideon gathered her up and held
her tight. His arms were strong and safe, but she could still feel him. “Alaric
will be okay.”

Hannah tucked her face into his shoulder. “I hope you’re right,
Gideon.”

* * * *

Two
weeks later

Hannah woke up screaming. Again. She gasped, but couldn’t seem to
get enough air.

“Hannah. Hannah!” Gideon shook her.

Her head snapped back.
God!
She tried to get control of herself.
That
one was awful.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and then another.
Eventually, she turned into Gideon’s body as tears ran down her face. He felt
the same as always: warm and strong and calm. She didn’t know what she’d do
without him.

“Same dream?” he asked, stroking her hair.

She nodded. “Same one, as if you didn’t know. You were with me,
Gideon, like always.” Abruptly angry, Hannah pushed at him and he let her go. “You’re
having the same damn dream. Don’t try to deny it.” She didn’t want his comfort
anymore. It never helped. She didn’t know why he was being so stubborn about
this. After everything they’d been through already … ugh.

“It’s just a dream,” he said, standing up and turning his back. He
rubbed at the stubble on his chin as if considering nothing more important than
if he had to shave today, but she knew he felt uneasy. She felt it in her
bones. The consort bond may have settled enough so she couldn’t consciously
sense it, but it was still there. While she glared at him, he shook his head
and headed for the dresser.

Damn it.
Hannah watched him walk away,
wondering if they would ever make love again. They’d been sharing a bed for the
past two weeks, but she felt as though they were in limbo together. Waiting for
Alaric. “This is stupid, Gideon.” She clenched the bedding in her fists.

He ignored her and opened the top drawer, pulling out a clean
shirt.

She tried again. “Something’s wrong and you know it. Something bad
happened to Alaric.”

Still nothing. He moved to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans
from the shelf. From the set of his shoulders, she knew he’d heard her, but he
clearly didn’t want to talk about her worries.

“Why are you being so impossible about this?” She was done being
comforted. Her dreams weren’t normal.
His
dreams weren’t normal. More than once she’d been the one to comfort Gideon when
he’d woken up, sweating and shaking. When she was caught in one of the
nightmares, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t see. And when she woke
up, the feeling of dread was so heavy her heart hurt. “Gideon—”

He whirled around. “I’m not being stubborn.”

Hannah tossed aside the covers. “Yes, you are.” She slid her legs
out of the bed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“We’re both going to be late for work tonight.” Gideon closed the
closet door hard enough to rattle the lamp on the dresser.

Hannah hated this. She hated confrontation and he knew it, but she
was going to lose her mind if they kept on ignoring the elephant in the room.
“It’s not just a simple dream we’re having, Gideon.”

He stalked over to her. “It doesn’t matter, Hannah!” His eyes
flashed with anger. “Alaric’s gone. That’s all there is to it. Leave it alone.”

Hannah almost decided to drop it, but then she remembered she
hadn’t had a solid eight hours of sleep in two weeks. “I’m calling in sick.
Johnny and Club Trinity will have to get by without me. I could barely function
at the office today. There’s no way I can work tonight, too.” She watched his
expression slide through a half dozen emotions before finally settling on
wariness.

He stepped back. “This is a bad idea. I don’t want you here alone.
It’s not safe.”

“Not safe? Ha.” She stood up and took off her t-shirt, then shoved
down her underwear in exasperation. She knew stripping in front of him would break
him out of his self-imposed emotional fortress. Her face burned as she felt his
eyes roam over her breasts, but she didn’t let her embarrassment show. She
walked to the bathroom and flicked on the light.

“What are you doing?” Gideon didn’t sound so sure of himself
anymore.

“I’m taking a shower, and then I’m going looking for Alaric. He’s
trapped. Somewhere dark.” She turned on the water. “As you well know, since
you’re having the same damn dream as I am, over and over.”

Gideon grabbed her arm and spun her around. “No. I won’t let you.”

Hannah snorted. Even giving orders, he couldn’t help but be gentle
with her. She pulled away from his not-so-tight grip. “You can come with me if
you want to. In fact, I think you
should
come with me. It’s not good for us to be separated and you know it, otherwise
you wouldn’t have stuck so close to me for the past two weeks.” She smiled
bitterly. “It was interesting having you hanging out at the office while I
tried to work.”

“Jesus Christ,” Gideon muttered, rubbing his face. “You weren’t
supposed to see me.”

That made her eyebrows rise. “Blasphemy? From you of all people?”

Ignoring her retort, he leaned over and shut off the water. “Look.
It’s too dangerous to go looking for him.”

She leaned back on the sink and crossed her arms under her
breasts. His gaze flicked down to her nipples before skittering away. “More
dangerous than never sleeping again? More dangerous than feeling what they’re
doing to him, night after night?” she asked defiantly.

Gideon frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Hannah pursed her lips, then opened her arms. “Look at my
stomach.” She trailed her fingers over the faint red lines that appeared and
disappeared every few hours. “I’m not imagining things and I’m not allergic to
anything. These marks only happen after one of those dreams. It’s the consort
bond. It’s drawing on my energy.”

Gideon put a finger on one of the marks and they both watched as
it faded. “Why isn’t this happening to me?”

She shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Shit.” He ran his hands through his hair. With his stubble and
bloodshot eyes, he looked thoroughly disreputable.

“It’s not like it’s not affecting you, too, Gideon. You’re a
mess,” she said. “You haven’t slept either.”

“I can manage.”

“That’s not the point!” Hannah pushed him out of the way and
turned the water back on. She’d completely lost any inhibition over being nude
in front of him. He’d seen it all, anyway. “I don’t care about not sleeping or
these stupid weird burns. It’s the thought that Alaric is trapped that’s
killing me. We’re bonded, and I can feel his suffering and that means something
to me.” Just before she stepped into the shower she gave Gideon a long, hard
look. “And I know it means something to you, too.”