Passion Ignited (36 page)

“Raider,” she said, stunned. “What are you
doing in the sun?”

“Isn’t it incredible?” He laughed before
dropping onto his back, backpedaling in the water. “It’s been ages
since I’ve been out in the sun.”

“How
are you out?”

“How are
you
?” he countered.

Two very good questions, ones that Nitro
couldn’t answer. Her feet moved forward again, drawn to him. “I’m
not sure,” she replied honestly. “I don’t even know where we
are.”

“We’re in Vampur,” Raider swam toward
her.

Vampur? How could they be in Vampur? That was
the home realm of the vampires. Raider’s, Draven’s, Ethan’s—hell,
even Ferox’s and Raine’s—home. She’d found herself wondering about
the realm where Raider had grown up as a boy ever since she’d
learned the story of what happened to his wife and
children.

“Is this a memory?” she asked, stopping at the
edge of the lake. The water licked her bare toes as she watched him
enjoy himself.

“I don’t know.”

“How long have you been here?”

He froze again, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t
know.” He laughed.

“Raider, this is serious. Why are we
here?”

“Just swim with me,” he said, stepping toward
her. His eyes were bright, and the golden flecks in his otherwise
brown eyes gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight as he smiled and
reached for her.

She was helpless to fight the need to be with
him. To touch him. She ran forward, splashing into the water until
he caught her up in his arms, spinning her around. She didn’t care
that she was getting wet. The water was a perfect temperature: not
too cold, but just warm enough that it was comfortable. She raised
her head toward the sky, closing her eyes and enjoying the sun as
it beat down on her. Raider continued to spin around with her in
his arms. He let her down slowly, taking her mouth as he crushed
her body to his. His lips were soft, tender.

She was in paradise.

No
, Nitro thought. Not paradise. This
is where Raider lost everyone he loved. This was his own personal
hell…

She pulled out of their kiss, looking up at
her vampire warrior. She again saw Raider’s excitement gleaming
back at her like a child on Christmas morning. “Raider,” she said,
her eyes narrowing. “Why are we here?”

“I don’t know. I just came here. I wished you
were here a few times, and you finally came.” He smiled.

“Where are they?”

“Where are who?”

“Your family.”

He stared at her. Pain crossed his face, but
he quickly recovered. Then his face morphed into the sweetest smile
she’d ever seen. “You’re my family now.”

She couldn’t help but smile. She looked down
at the rippling water before she met his eyes again. “Let’s
go.”

He sighed and grabbed her hand. Leading her
from the pond, they walked up another hill. They reached the top,
and Nitro immediately spotted a beautiful cottage surrounded by
trees. Around the quaint little home there were hundreds of
brightly colored flowers blooming, only broken up by a rock path
that led to the door. If it hadn’t been for the windows being
blocked, she’d have guessed it was a human home…maybe one from her
own time.

“It’s just as I remember it,” Raider said.
“Just before…”

Giving him a gentle squeeze, Nitro urged him
forward. They walked over the meandering rock path and, reaching
the door, they walked inside. He inhaled deeply, a grin curving his
lips as he breathed in the scents of his home.

“Daddy!”

Nitro jumped at the sound as three small
children ran into the room, plowing into Raider. She stepped back
as he fell to his knees, embracing all three children at once. His
face had morphed into shock. Her eyes traveled to a young woman
who’d just walked in as well. Eyes gleaming, the beautiful redhead
watched the children hug their father. By then Raider had found his
voice. He took ahold of his boy, whispering, “Tristan,” as he held
him. Then he grabbed his oldest daughter, Kayla, and did the same.
Lastly was his youngest, Corrinne.

Nitro knew the precise second he’d seen the
redhead. He’d become speechless again and stood to his feet. He
gulped audibly as he stared at her. “Melinda,” he
whispered.

Melinda smiled, her eyes glowing with love. As
much as Nitro wanted to hate her, she couldn’t. Melinda had known
Raider far longer than she had. They had children together. They
were mated. She could only watch the exchange, afraid of ruining
their reunion by making a sound. As much as it pained her, she
remained quiet, fighting the tears that threatened to form in her
eyes.

“Raider,” Melinda replied. In her voice, there
was every bit as much love as what gleamed in her eyes.

He stepped forward then, taking one step and
then another. He stopped after the second one, turning toward
Nitro. He held his hand out to her, and she hesitantly took it,
letting him guide her toward his wife. His mate.

“It’s good to see you,” he said gently. “This
is Nitro.”

“I know who she is.”

Nitro had expected hatred. Bitterness. But
what she got was kindness as Melinda inclined her head in
greeting.

“She is your Fated,” Melinda replied, smiling
as her gaze flicked back and forth between them.

Nitro’s mouth dropped open as she looked from
Melinda to Raider.

“Yes,” he replied. “She is my Fated. I’m
sorry. I didn’t know until—”

“There is nothing to be sorry for, Raider. It
was my fate to die that night just as it was Tristan’s, Kayla’s,
and Corrinne’s.”

“But you died alone,” he said.

“We didn’t,” Melinda said kindly. “Drök and
Leelian joined us that day, as did many others. It wasn’t us we
were worried about. It was you.”

His eyebrows lowered, his narrowed gaze still
on his wife from so many lifetimes ago. “What do you
mean?”

“We’ve worried about you, Ferox, and the boys
ever since that day.”

“Why would you worry about us? It was you who
lost your lives.” He appeared as confused as Nitro felt.

“We lost our battle,” she agreed. “But you’ve
yet to finish yours. You have to go back, Raider. You can’t stay
here forever.”

“I can,” he argued. “I can stay here with you,
Nitro, and the kids. We can see each other all the
time.”

Nitro listened, watching the two vampires
carry on a discussion that was so painful for Raider that it was
hard to watch. All three children had wound themselves around his
legs, holding onto him for dear life.

She couldn’t blame them.

A knot formed in her stomach at his insistence
on staying here. It was beautiful, yes, but it wasn’t right.
Neither of them should be walking in the daylight. They should both
be…
alive.
They needed to go back.

Mid-sentence, Melinda stopped and looked at
her, as if she could sense the direction of her thoughts. Her mouth
quirked into a half-smile. “It was nice meeting you,” she
said.

Nitro’s eyes narrowed on the redhead.
“What?”

“What?” Raider echoed.

“She’s made her decision,” Melinda replied.
Then turning to Nitro, she smiled that sweet smile again. “You’re
about to wake up.”

Chapter
Thirty-Six

“Why did you lie?”

“I hadn’t realized I was lying,” Ferox replied
calmly.

“Oh that’s a bunch of bullshit, Ferox,” Raine
yelled. “I’ve never seen you not care about your family. The way I
hear it, you left Raider to the Dracs, and when our boys wanted to
search the hospital again, you denied it.”

“And it seems
our boys
did so anyway,”
Ferox spat.

Lightning cracked outside.

“It’s a good thing they did, or else Raider
would already be dead.” Her eyes glowed as she thought of what
could have been—what still could be—if they couldn’t rouse the
vampire. “And because you apparently don’t give a shit anymore,
Nitro is dead. We have little luck getting him to choose life now
that his mate is gone—”

“They weren’t mates,” Ferox interrupted. Just
as he’d done earlier, he’d been wearing a hole in the rug from his
pacing. It irritated the hell out of her. “Just because two people
like to fuck doesn’t mean they’re mates—”

“But they
were
. There was a time when
you’d have noticed the difference between fuck buddies and
mates.”

Ferox rounded on her then. His eyes radiated a
menacing red that had her stepping backward. Her hand came up to
her mouth as she gasped. Never had she seen her husband’s loving
eyes turn the red of hatred. The red of evil.

“What’s happening to you?” she
asked.

“What’s happening to
me
?” he repeated,
a smile curving his lips. His fangs had elongated in his mouth,
making his smile seem more cruel and taunting than she’d ever seen.
Her mate had never been cruel. He’d never reveled in the fear and
pain of others as the man before her now did. He’d once been kind,
loving—especially toward the Guardians, and even more so toward his
sons and Raider—but she was starting to realize that that man was
long gone. Before her now, stood a monster.

“Nothing is happening to me,” he continued.
“I’ve just decided I’m not going to play a part anymore.” He
stalked toward her, his fangs bared. Raine backed into the wall, no
longer certain what her mate was capable of. His eyes riveted to
her neck, where she knew her pulse pounded. But her pulse wasn’t
pounding for the reason it normally did when she was near Ferox. It
was from the fear of the unknown. He inched toward her, his eyes
still glowing with hate.

“Don’t,” she said, shoving at his chest. She
only shoved a little, but even that little bit made him step
backward. He growled low in his throat and came at her again. “I
said, don’t,” she hissed. He continued toward her anyway so she
used more strength against him. One of his fangs grazed her neck
just as she pushed at his chest once more. He stumbled backward,
falling on his ass a split second before he was on his
feet.

“Big mistake,” he growled.

He was on her in less than a second, his fangs
piercing her skin. She didn’t feel pleasure as he tore into her
neck. He hadn’t wanted her to feel pleasure. He’d purposely bit
into her with malice, wanting her to feel pain. As Raine tried to
scream out, he covered her mouth with his hand, shoving her into
the wall. Tears streamed her cheeks as he ruthlessly ravaged her
neck as the lightning struck wildly outside the Guardian
walls.

****

“Draven!”

Ally collided with him, wrapping her arms
around his body as he hefted her into the air. He held her tight,
breathing in her sweet scent.

“I came as fast as I could. What’s going on?”
she asked, her face growing serious.

Draven’s eyes landed on Dellingr, who’d helped
Ally get here as fast as she had. The fact the Ally hadn’t had time
to work on her godly skills meant that she still relied heavily on
the sun god, and that was a fact that Draven hated. He looked at
his female again, unable to soften the fear that coursed through
him.

She caught it in an instant. Whether it was
through their blood-bond or through his expression, he didn’t know.
“What’s going on, Draven?”

“Raider’s down.”

“What? What do you mean ‘he’s
down?’”

“There was an attack—”

“At the hospital, yes. Was it from the
explosion?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. There were Dracs
inside, multiplying by the dozen. They got to him when he didn’t
have cover. They nearly drained him dry.”

Ally’s eyes widened. “He’ll be alright, right?
I mean, he’s a vampire.” She paused. “What happens if a vampire is
drained?”

Draven look away, focusing all his attention
on the area rug in the library. “We die. It’s slow and painful. We
basically waste away. Or, things can get worse.”

She didn’t skip a beat. Her face went from
worried to determined. “What can we do to help him?”

“We’ve been giving him blood, but it doesn’t
look like it’s helping.”

“Maybe he needs
my
blood,” she said,
her eyes focusing on his.

He did a double take as he stared at his
female. “
What?
”

She stepped backward, her brows drawn low. “It
could help him. I have some of the strongest blood there
is.”

“No one will ever take your vein,” he
growled.

“Not even if it means saving your uncle’s
life?”

That simple sentence actually caused him to
pause. It was unheard of for one who was mated to feed—or feed
from—another. The thought of his female’s decadent blood sliding
down another male’s throat caused his Instinct to go
apeshit.

Ally stepped toward him, stroking his arm.
“I’m not saying that it’s something that I
want
to do, or
even what we
should
do. All I’m saying is, if it helps
Raider, why not give it a try?”