Eternal Breath of Darkness (27 page)

“Really?” Well, that was
lie. If she had a halo it would be shoved up his ass so far he would be choking
on it.

She smiled, but there was no
humor in it. It sort of reminded him of a panther’s snarl. A very irritated,
cornered panther.

“Well then, to be polite
it’s only fair if I come up with a special pet name for you.”

Clearly hearing her
thoughts, it was very difficult to shrug casually, but he managed to do it. “I
agree.”

If she were blind she might
not notice his muscles rippling beneath the thin material of his shirt. The man
was hot. He had it going in all the right places. He was a fine specimen of his
gender, a fine specimen to take down. She figured she could have great fun with
him in bed if she didn’t hate him so thoroughly. She openly gave his entire
body a good and thorough visual inspection. Yep. He was going down. Purposely
attempting to make him feel as uncomfortable as possible, she allowed her gaze
to linger on his crotch for several seconds.

“See anything you like,
angel?”

Smiling way too sweetly, she
slowly lifted her head to look up at him. “Nope. Not at all.” Then, forcing
herself to yawn and covering her mouth as if to hide it, she locked her gaze
onto his. “Imbecile.” Lifting one brow and tilting her head to the side, she
smirked. “Yep. That’s it. It’s a perfect fit for you. And now you have a
perfect pet name it’s time for you to leave, imbecile.”

Ouch. The woman was vicious.
He was certain she’d reduced many men to blubbering fools. Lucky for him,
hundreds of years of discipline enabled him to keep his expression void of emotion
and pretend she hadn’t just hurt his ego. “No. Why would I leave when I know
that deep down in your heart you’re happy I’m here? I saved you. I’m your
knight in shining armor. Being a control freak with anger management issues,
you’re just too afraid to admit it.”

Oh yeah, that did it. The
idiot had a big mouth. Her blood was way beyond the boiling stage. Literally
seething with rage, she glared up at him. “Get your ass out of here now!”

“Don’t worry. I understand
your fear of getting too attached to me. I’ve always been cursed with having
that affect on women. I will leave eventually, but first I would like you to
answer one question.”

He was kind of funny in an
annoying sort of way. She almost cracked a smile but managed to keep a straight
face. Suspicious, she tilted her head to side. “What?”

“How long have you been
sick?” His voice was different. It was deep and far too smooth. It was
hypnotic.

She’d had many encounters
with vampires in the past. She knew he was trying to use his voice to force the
truth from her. Was he a vampire too? Cheeks turning red with renewed anger,
she pointed at the door. “Get the hell out of here!”

“I’m not a vampire.” Shaking
his head, he stepped closer to her. “How long have you had cancer?”

He’d read her mind. She was outraged.
He didn’t have a right to be poking around in her head. Lifting her chin, she
scowled at him. “You really are a pathetic imbecile.” She refused to be
intimidated by him. She refused to back away from him. Vampire or not, he was
going down if he took one more step toward her. “I don’t care if you’re Haden’s
friend. If you don’t get out of here right now, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“You’re such a naughty,
temperamental little angel, aren’t you? If I didn’t know any better, I would
start to think you don’t particularly like me. It’s a good thing I know
better.” Smiling, he winked at her. “And trust me, I would truly love to
wrestle with you.” Enjoying the idea of it a little too much, his voice
unintentionally turned into a deep, throaty purr. “But first, I must insist
that you tell me how long you’ve been suffering so I’ll be able to more
effectively help you.”

Even for a vampire he was
insane. Where was her gun? She glanced around. Spotting it, she smiled. She was
going to prison. She glared up at him, refusing to look away until she walked
over to her gun. She picked it up. Yep. She turned toward him and aimed. She
was definitely going to prison. She was shooting his ass. Why was he concerned
about her being sick? It was none of his business. He didn’t even know her. She
shook her head. How did he know about her illness? It was stupid question. He’d
read her mind earlier. And he’d killed a vampire with his bare hands. He wasn’t
human. She believed he was a vampire, but the vibes around him were all wrong.
What was he?

He knew she was extremely
knowledgeable about the existence of vampires and was trying to figure out what
he was. Her gut was telling he wasn’t a vampire, but he was definitely not
human. She was sizing him up, trying to strategize the best way to overpower
him and bring him down on his ass. She was so damn feisty. She was completely
irresistible. He was amused until he saw pain flash in her eyes. At the same
moment her flesh turned frighteningly pale. He instantly reached out to touch her,
to pull her into his arms.

“Don’t touch me.” She
smacked his hands away. She stumbled to the side and dropped the gun,
struggling to remain upright.

He could hear her heart
beating too hard, too fast. Every cell in her body was immersed in pain from the
cancer, but she didn’t flinch from it. He needed to touch her. He needed to
hold her. He needed to take the pain away from her.

“Stop looking at me like
that.” She was determined to hide her distress. He wasn’t going to leave. She
needed her pain medication. She was so desperate to get away from him. She
needed to back down. It was her only option. She didn’t even care if it meant
he would win.

“Please. I’m so sorry. I
upset you. I was wrong. Just try to calm down.”

She tried to take a step
back, but the pain was so intense her head was spinning and she felt nauseous.
“Oh no.” She needed a plan. She needed to get rid of him. She blinked; her
vision was fuzzy. She needed to get rid of him now. She couldn’t see anything.
She blinked again, but it didn’t help. “Oh crap.” She couldn’t focus her eyes
on anything. The pain in her body was so intense, worse than ever before. She
struggled to remain on her feet. She turned to walk away from him, but before
she took one step she blacked out.

Joseph easily caught her up
in his arms. He carried over the dressing room area and lowered her onto the
couch. It was his fault. He’d pushed her too hard. He knew that she would fight
him if he backed her into a corner. He’d wanted her to fight. He’d wanted her
to get mad. Any why? He’d wanted to see the fiery nature of the wolf.
Attempting to rile her temper when she was so weak was uncalled for. It was
downright inexcusable. Maybe he was the imbecile that she’d named him.

Kneeling down next to Mia,
he pulled her extraordinarily thick, dark blonde curls away from her face. “I’m
sorry, angel.” He took her hand, brought it to his chest, and held it over his
heart. Closing his eyes, he released his healing power and allowed it to flow
into her body and mind. He admired her strength, integrity, and courage. He
would do all he could do to heal her, but because she wasn’t his mate and her
illness was terminal, there was a high probability it wouldn’t work. If she’d
been his mate, he could give his eternal breath to her. Hopefully, she would
learn to tolerate him, because if there was any hope, it would likely take
several months to a year to heal her.

Allowing her to sleep, he
stayed with her, healing her and absorbing her pain into his body for over an
hour. With a thought, he set the entire boutique in order. When he realized
Julie and Brianna were returning from lunch he bent down to kiss Mia’s brow.
“No more picking fights with vampires, angel. I know you don’t want the girls
you’ve taken under your care to see you like this. I would rather you rest for
a little while longer, but wake up now and feel refreshed.” The instant her
eyes fluttered, he dissolved into a mist.

***

Awareness hitting her hard
and fast, Mia’s eyes flew open and she jumped up off the couch. She was
disoriented, but she felt good. There was no pain anywhere in her body. She
remembered fighting with the vampire. She remembered Joseph barging in and
destroying the vampire. Oh crap. It wasn’t real. Somehow the imbecile had
gotten under her skin enough that she’d dreamed of arguing with him.

Taking a deep breath, she
shook her head. No. She lifted her arm to her nose. It wasn’t a dream. She
could smell Joseph’s cologne on the sleeve of her jacket. Confused, she
searched the store. There was no visible sign of a struggle. Chad wasn’t there.
Joseph wasn’t there. Had they ever really been there? Joseph could’ve
contaminated her with his cologne earlier. He’d touched her at the cemetery.
She couldn’t be sure. Sometimes the medications she was taking for pain messed
with her head. She didn’t have much time to worry about it. A few moments
later, Julie and Brianna returned.

~
Nineteen ~

HADEN OPENED THE car door and held out his hand for Caylee. “It’s
about a twenty-minute walk to my brother’s place from here.” Looking way more
than a little hopeful, flashing a devilish smile, he asked, “Would you rather
fly? It would be much quicker than walking.”

“Gee, Haden, I’m not sure.
Hmm. Let me think about it.” Meeting his gaze, looking too sweet and innocent
to believe, she tapped her finger on her chin, pretending to seriously consider
it. “Nope. No way.” She smiled at him. “Nice try, but I would much rather
walk.” Taking his hand, she got out of the car. “We’re close to the ocean,
aren’t we?” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. “It smells wonderful,
doesn’t it?”

“Yes, we are, and it does.”
Pulling her close, he tucked her head beneath his chin and wrapped his arms
around her. It was such a blessed relief to be able to hold her in his arms
without fear, without anything standing between them. His eyes flashed open. He
still needed to take her last mortal breath and replace it with his eternal
breath. “I love you, Caylee.”

“I love you,” she whispered
against his chest.

His heart was fuller than
ever before. This was the miracle he’d waited for nearly two thousand years to
experience. “You are my miracle, little love. Holding you, touching you, having
your love and loving you is my greatest dream come true.”

Tears of joy burning behind
her eyes, she tilted her head back to look up at him. “I feel so free, so at
peace, so thoroughly loved. Sometimes I think that what I’m feeling is too good
to be true. I don’t want this to ever end. Being with you is like living in the
most wonderful dream. A dream I never before dared to dream before.” She
smiled. “If I’m asleep I hope I never wake up. I’ve never been so happy to be
alive.”

Flooded with desire, Haden
bent his head to kiss her. Caylee was instantly, completely swept away by his
desire, his need for her. There was nothing more exquisite, more exciting than
feeling his hunger for her as he kissed and touched her. It was hard at times
to believe she could be so loved and needed by anyone, but it was impossible to
doubt his love for her when he was touching her everywhere in her mind and
body. The man was talented. He definitely knew how to make her feel like she
was the most desirable woman in the world.

“You are, little love, you
are the most desirable woman ever born,” he whispered against her lips. “And
you are mine. I will never have enough of you.” He wanted to get lost in the
moment. He wanted to show her just how desirable she was to him, but he knew
they needed to go. Paul was close by. Not close enough to do any real harm, but
a little too close for comfort. He wouldn’t take chances with her life.
Groaning, he pulled away from her. “We should get going before there’s no
stopping.”

Pouting, she looked up at
him. “I vote for not stopping.”

Staring at her full, lush
lips, he was so tempted to kiss her once more, but he fought the temptation.
“You make me crazy.”

“I try.” Reaching up, she
traced his lips with her index finger. “Do you have any idea what you do to my
body when you kiss me, Haden?”

Clenching his jaw, fighting
to control his body’s response to her touch, he took her hand and placed it
over his heart. “Do you feel my heart?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“It’s going to burst right
out of my chest if you keep tormenting me.”

Moving a little closer, she
smiled up at him. And he would be damned if it wasn’t the most wickedly sexy
smile he’d even seen on a woman. “Oh Haden, please forgive me. I never meant to
afflict your heart.” Her voice was a breathless, seductive purr.

He was still holding her
right hand over his heart, but his focus was on her left hand as it slowly
moved up his thigh. His body shuddered. Eager for her touch, hot blood shot
straight to his groin. Her hand was so close, only a fraction of an inch from
his cock. It was so hard, so impossibly swollen, pressed far too painfully
against the seam of his pants. He wanted to remove his clothing, her clothing.
He wanted to feel her flesh against every inch of his body. He wanted her to
touch his cock. No, he was beyond want. He needed her to touch his cock, to
wrap her hand around it and squeeze.

Giggling, she stood on the very
tips of her toes and kissed the underside of his chin. “Just kidding.”

“What?” Eyes wide, jaw
dropped, cock still hard and aching like a son of a bitch, he stared at her.

“I was only teasing you.”
Grinning, she glanced down at his groin. “Oops.” Looking up to meet his gaze,
she nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’m so sorry. I guess that I got a bit carried
away with the teasing.”

Lifting his eyebrow, he
tilted his head to the side. “You know you’re pure evil, right?”

She shrugged. “Maybe a
little.” She giggled. “But I couldn’t possibly be as evil as you.”

“Why?”

“You’re a demon.”

“Which is why you can trust
that I will retaliate,” he vowed.

“You can try. I really hope
you do,” she whispered, her voice sounding husky and breathless.

“I will succeed.”

“Well then,” she murmured as
she licked her lips, “I guess that I have some spectacular retaliation to look
forward to.”

He brought her hand to the
warmth of his mouth to kiss it. “In the near future.” He led her off the main
path.

“The very near future, I
hope.” The trail was dark and heavily wooded. It was nothing more than an
animal path with deep grooves from motorcycle tires. “Are you sure this is the
right way?”

“I never get lost,” he
stated. His voice was a little too serious. And? She glanced up at him. Yep. He
was annoyed.

She laughed. “Discussing the
topic of you getting lost is going to be great fun in the future.”

He shook his head. “No, it
won’t.”

There was a bold,
unambiguous rush of demonic energy in the atmosphere. A copper-colored mist
formed directly in front of them. Pointing toward it, Caylee froze. “Oh, God.
What is it?”

“It’s only Zack,” Haden
said, obviously not surprised.

Caylee pinched his arm hard.
“Jerk.”

“Ouch.” He rubbed his arm.
“What was that for?”

“You did the same thing to
me with the snake. You knew that Zack was going to pop up out of nowhere. You
should’ve warned me.”

“You were distracting me.”

Zack stepped out of the mist
and walked toward them. “Paul isn’t able to step foot onto Nikolas’ property.
He has another vampire with him. A young male. They’re trying like hell to get
closer. And it is as we suspected. They’re using ancient forms of Demetri’s
spells combined with Mary Tate’s magic. It’s odd. If Demetri is truly aiding
them, why is he helping them with older spells? Wouldn’t newer spells be more
effective? And why would he allow his power to be polluted and weakened by a
human’s touch?”

“I don’t believe that any
influence from Mary would hamper Demetri’s power. And, I don’t believe any
older form of magic is any weaker than anything current. Yes, we know the
origin of them, but they’re foreign to us. Demetri knows ancient spells will be
more time consuming and difficult for us to unravel and defuse.”

“You’re right.” Zack nodded.
“He’s truly lost to us, isn’t he?” Pain and fear filled his voice.

Caylee’s gaze shot straight
to Zack. She could understand the pain, but the fear puzzled her. It was deep.
She could see it in his eyes. It was as if he expected the worst to happen. It
was as if he had no hope. She looked up at Haden.

“The past won’t be
repeated,” Haden wrapped his arm around Caylee and pulled her closer. The
possessive, protective way he held her frightened the hell out of her. Did he
expect the worst too? Did he believe that something terrible was going to
happen to her?

“What’s your plan? You know
that I’ll stand by your side, Haden. You know that I’ll give all that I have to
help you, but we both know that this situation is massively fucked up. You say
that the past won’t be repeated, but it’s already repeating. You have a vampire
hunting your woman, and we can’t stop him.”

The sky darkened, and the
ground rumbled. Caylee rolled her eyes. She was really getting tired of being
drenched with rain whenever Haden lost his temper. “I won’t allow it to
happen.” Haden’s voice was a deep, menacing growl.

“Damn it, Haden, stop lying
to yourself. You fucking know that living in denial will get her killed a whole
hell of a lot quicker. I was there. You were there too, damn it. Your father
said the same fucking thing. How do you intend to stop Demetri before it’s too
late?”

Caylee wasn’t rolling her
eyes anymore. Zack was really freaking her out. They expected her to be killed.

Hit by Caylee’s rising fear,
Zack glanced at her. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and held it. He knew
he was causing her fear to build. He didn’t want to care about her. He didn’t
want to feel guilty, but he did. He released his breath with a groan. “Just
tell me what the hell you want me to do, Haden.”

“We need to talk to Nikolas.
He’s older. He has fought side by side with Demetri for thousands of years. He
has greater knowledge of him than we do. He also knows the ancient forms of
dark magic as well as Demetri knows them.”

Caylee didn’t really want to
draw attention to the fact she was still there, but she had to know. “How old
is your brother?” It was hard to believe anyone was older than Haden.

“You think I’m old?”

“No. Extremely old.”

“Demetri and Nikolas are
about ten thousand years old,” Zack explained, looking down at Caylee as if she
disgusted him.

Shocked by it, she tripped
on her own feet. Thankfully Haden was there to grab her arm and steady her or
else she would’ve fallen flat on her face. “Dang.” What else could she say? She
couldn’t even fathom the thought of living a thousand years. How was she
supposed to imagine anyone living for ten thousand? From the corner of her
eyes, she stared at Zack. Why did he dislike her so much?

Haden brought her hand to
his mouth and kissed it. “It’s not that Zack doesn’t like you, little love. He
would never admit it, but he cares very deeply. He’s here with us today because
he wants to ensure your safety. If I were ever unable to protect you, he would
be the first to rise up and defend you.”

Zack glanced at Haden. He
knew Haden was saying it out loud to make sure Zack knew he was causing Caylee
distress. Zack looked at Caylee. “I’m not a people person. My social skills
need work.” That was it. The woman wasn’t getting an apology.

They walked out into a small
clearing then veered off onto a path that led through a small cemetery. It was
surrounded and filled with beautiful, lush foliage. Flowers. Trees. Vines.
There were several smaller headstones with a twelve-foot high monument in the
middle.

“Who’s buried here?” Caylee
asked.

“Family,” Zack said.

Taking Caylee with him,
Haden stopped in front of the monument. She immediately realized that it was a
headstone. Seth and Ella Drake. “My mother was murdered by a rogue demon. Our
father followed her. He couldn’t continue in this life without her.”

Zack turned to Caylee.
“Knowing his mother, she probably kicked his father’s ass for leaving Haden. He
was her little baby. She was a tad bit overly protective of him and would’ve
been mad as hell when she realized he’d been left without a parent.”

Caylee looked at Zack. He
was teasing Haden. It seemed so cold and callous for Zack to tease him about
losing his mother and father. She looked a Haden. Clearly, by the smile on his
face, he was remembering the past. “You were a baby when she died?”

Still smiling, Haden looked
at her. “Not really.”

“How old were you?” When
Haden didn’t answer, Caylee looked up at Zack.

Ready and eager, Zack
grinned. “Well, he was nearly weaned.” He was more than pleased to continue the
conversation. “You were somewhere around fifteen hundred years old, right?”

“Give or take a few years.”
Haden smiled. Caylee sensed he didn’t mind being teased. He seemed to like it.
It seemed odd that he could smile over their deaths.

Haden brought her hand to
his mouth and kissed it. “They aren’t in the ground, little love. This is a
place for reflection. They’re together in the next realm of existence. It’s a
good thing he followed her. My father loved my mother too much to be apart. She
loved him too much to be apart, too. It’s common for our kind to follow their
mates.” What he wasn’t telling her was that they’d shared his father’s eternal
breath. His mother had been mortal at one time too. When she died his father
followed because of it.

That was it. That was why
Zack didn’t like her. She would eventually die, and Haden might follow her. She
tilted her head to the side. “I wouldn’t want you to follow me if I died!”

“Nothing could stop me. But
there’s no reason to worry about it. I would, but you’re not going to die.”