Authors: Chris Lange
Mouth dropping open, Liv automatically shook the proffered hand. Feeling kicked in the guts she shifted her gaze from one brother to the other. No difference. Not a single damn fucking little distinction to tell them apart—and both so strong and handsome. Raising her hands up as if to ward off demons, she took a step back and let out an astonished “Huh.”
At that moment, the vampire she had believed to be Raskhan motioned his brother to leave the room. Once alone he sat her on the edge of the bed, and knelt on the floor at her feet.
“Look at me, kitten.”
But she kept her head down, staring at the ripped black robe. He had to lift her chin up before she would meet his eyes. Shiny and golden, the freckles seemed to swim in dark liquid.
“It’s me, Rogan. I’ve never left you. It’s been me all along.”
“Rogan?”
“Yes, my love.”
Something genuine and pleading in his voice finally tore the lack of understanding she was plunged into. With trembling, careful fingers, she touched his cheek.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Listen to me, and think about it. Since the moment I pretended to be my brother, how many times have you called me Raskhan? How many times have you wished I was Rogan? Don’t you remember the night I made love to you as Raskhan and you cried out Rogan’s name!”
How could she ever forget that awesome night and his asking for her to love him? Even if their faces sometimes overlapped each other in her mind, she had never stopped thinking of Rogan. And, for a wonder, she suddenly realised she had never called him Raskhan out loud.
“Good point, although it could just have been my way of keeping you alive in my mind.”
“Haven’t you wondered why I haven’t kissed you since you’ve been in the Overworld? As much as I longed for a kiss, I didn’t dare. I was too afraid you’d recognise me.”
Holy mackerel, so that was the reason he had frustrated her time and again. But he had been so cruel to her at times, how could she have figured this out? The more he talked, the more she understood that on some deep level she had been deceiving herself. Listening to Rogan, she began to question her judgement. Had she known the truth all along?
“Remember when we said goodbye at the warehouse, I told you I’d find you anywhere because I could feel you inside.”
Looking at her intently, Rogan placed one of his hands on her stomach. “Don’t you feel me in there? Don’t you feel a special vibe between us?”
The damn vibe
. From the start she had been convinced it was linked to Raskhan. Because her fear of being alone had been too strong when Rogan had left her at the warehouse, she’d been much too scared to feel it then. And that single instance had completely misled her. Yes, the vibe had always palpitated for Rogan. How else would she have fallen in love with such a rascal?
“Of course I do, but the first time I felt the vibe it was in the motel room with Raskhan… I mean you. But I didn’t know it was you.”
“I know. Actually I counted on that.”
Damn if that wasn’t a confession of his deceiving her into believing he was his brother. And she wanted more of that!
“Why?”
“I needed you to believe I was Raskhan. That was the only way I could ensure your safety in both universes. Khord wanted your hide, and the council was about to send a tracking team. The last thing I wanted was for you to spend your life running away.”
“I guess I am easy to fool, but how do you delude vampires? I mean Zontag told me your voice is unmistakably different from Raskhan’s, and that’s how they all tell you apart.”
“True. Although nobody is aware that Raskhan and I mastered that difference by the time we were five years old. It started out as a game. You know, we were kids back then and excited to play pranks on Zontag. However, the ability to imitate each other’s voice has proved extremely useful in the past few years. As it happens, we swap roles all the time.”
“What for?”
Rogan ran both hands through his thick, dark hair. His gorgeous features showing the trust he placed in her, he resumed his explanation.
“The Overworld is a harsh place. Here in the palace you’ve seen the good side, but out there in the darkness it’s a whole different story. Over the years, gangs of rogue vampires have formed. We’ve been able to stall them so far, but they’re a constant threat to your world.”
“In what way?”
“They refuse the Formula. Although it’s nourishment enough for all of us, they want to feed on humans.”
“Why?”
“The chase. The excitement. The kill.”
Recalling the band of vampires who had sided with Khord, Liv shivered. She had seen the hungry look in their eyes, the hunter’s stance about to kill a prey. With that in mind, she began to grasp Rogan’s forbidding, domineering, and almighty attitude when he ruled. In such a dangerous universe, he had to show his authority at all times. He wasn’t allowed to be king and lenient.
“I get that, but I’m sure Raskhan is a great king. Why does he have to rely on you to replace him?”
“Because we’re half-human. Strictly speaking my brother is a minute older than me, but we’ve swapped places so many times that we’re both kings of the Overworld. And we’re also both deeply rooted to your world. As much as we belong here, we often need to cross over. It isn’t a mere attraction, it’s a part of our lives we need to fulfil.”
“So when one of you is away, the other has to be king. Tell me something, does Zontag know?”
“No. We’ve never told anyone, it’s the only way to avoid betrayal. Only you know our secret now.”
When he said the words, a warm sensation quickened Liv’s pulse. Although deceived like all the others, being trusted with their secret identities made her feel confident—and special in Rogan’s eyes.
“When we first met, Khord called you a traitor to your race. I assume you wanted everyone to think that, but what’s the point? I mean, why did you make all of them believe you hated your brother?”
“To ensure the king’s sole authority. We were afraid someone might discover our secret so we came up with this idea. If we loathed each other, nobody would ever doubt Raskhan’s identity and legitimacy. On the other hand, Rogan could come and go as he pleased without ever being questioned. Khord hated me on a personal level, and he was willing to use anything to declare me a traitor. Before he sided with rogues, I think he was the king’s most faithful warrior. He never realised he fought with Raskhan a lot, convinced he was me.”
As deeply as the monster vampire repulsed her, Liv wondered if killing him had been such a good move after all. Although thick-headed and vicious, Khord might still have had his uses.
“Did you want to kill him because he betrayed the king?”
Brow furrowed, Rogan shook his head. “I don’t know why he went with rogues. We might have been able to get him back on our side, but he made the only mistake he shouldn’t have.”
“What’s that?”
“He touched you.”
A delicious heat spreading through her body, Liv stared at the intensity of the gaze stroking her face.
“Thank you for rescuing me. I’ve never been so afraid in my life.”
“I know. I felt your fear. Just like when Khord tried to kill you in here, your fear guided me to you. And as I remember, you saved both me and my brother. We owe you our lives and our kingdom. By the way, nice trick you played on Khord and the other rogue.”
Her grin matching his, Liv flapped her hand in a ‘don’t mention it’ gesture. Yet Rogan was right, she had done an amazing thing there.
“Maybe it’s my destiny. Maybe fate pushed you to me.”
“I’m not sure. I’ve always thought we met by chance.”
“When you smelt me in the store’s parking lot?”
“Yes. Raskhan had gone on a trip to your world, but he should have been back home days earlier. I was getting worried, so I decided to pop over for a few hours and find him. Although I couldn’t get out of taking Khord with me, I figured I’d find a way to give him the slip. I did for a while then he tracked me to the parking lot and, well, you know the rest. The thing is, I never imagined I would find you instead of my brother.”
She had never imagined it either. For that matter, she had never envisioned meeting a vampire king and falling in love with him.
“Do you know how Raskhan got shot?”
“Earlier today, Raskhan went to your neighbourhood because he had picked up my scent. Figuring that I was still around, Khord and his trackers were also looking for me in the same area. He mistook my brother for me and shot him without warning. As he needed the council to witness a traitor’s capture, and to prove his loyalty to the king, he had the body brought back here. After all, nobody could testify he had used a silver bullet. He was only doing his job.”
Khord’s ‘job’ had almost killed both brothers. A picture of the man she had then believed to be Rogan sprang to mind—face hollow, unconscious, and dying on a massage table.
“Why did you stop me when I tried to go heal your brother?”
“Because I needed you to do it. I figured you’d go anyway, but I knew you’d run to him if I forbade it. You’re a stubborn little girl, Liv.”
“Look, I understand your desperate need for secrecy, yet you could have confided in me. After our first night in the woods, you knew I’d never betray you. I’m sure you knew.”
She wasn’t making a wild guess. Rogan had endangered his safety and his secret for her. He was too responsible and powerful a king to risk an empire without good reason. Even back then he had known he could trust her, yet he had chosen to pretend to be Raskhan.
At this moment, Liv realised she had hit the mark when Rogan nodded. Taking his hands in hers, she looked at him straight in the eye, and spoke in her softest voice.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
In spite of her pleading gaze and tone, he still looked somewhat reluctant to give his reasons. Then he sighed, his mesmerising eyes seeming to caress her face.
“Because I wanted you to love me.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Startled, Liv blinked. Not a trace of deception or amusement in his eyes. Only truth and sincerity.
“I’m afraid I’m not following you there. When we parted at the warehouse, I was already in love with you.”
“No, you weren’t. You had a crush on the vampire who had saved your life, and that’s not the same thing. I loved you.”
“Hold on a second! Are you telling me what I was feeling?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
Raising her eyebrows, Liv withdrew her hands. Although Rogan still knelt at her feet, she suddenly had the impression that he was towering over her—a mighty king ruling his house and his people. A dark vampire she had come to know as Raskhan.
“Well, you’re wrong!”
“Are you sure about that? So far you had met Rogan, the interesting, thoughtful vampire who ignited your wildest fantasies. Don’t get me wrong, I am that man. But I can also be sarcastic, scary, hurtful, violent, and cruel when I want to achieve something. And I am that man too.”
“So?”
“So I wanted you to love me for who I really am, not to fulfil some exciting fantasy you had been dreaming of.”
To her surprise, everything he was telling her rang true. He had figured her out way better than she had. Reflecting on their time together, Liv had to admit Rogan wasn’t the man she had believed him to be before stepping into the Overworld.
As much as the realisation had cost her, she wouldn’t lie to him. He had been playing a risky little game, but he had been right. As she opened her mouth to tell him, he raised a hand to silence her.
“Okay, let’s pretend Rogan never existed. Can you honestly tell me you would have fallen in love with Raskhan? Have you already forgotten how I treated you as Raskhan? How I teased you, mocked you, threatened you, and played with your feelings? And how I get my kicks out of it?”
“Well, given time I might have…”
He ripped her robe apart. So quickly she didn’t see him move, the robe was in tatters and dangerous shards glittered in his eyes.
“I don’t have time for your fancies, little girl. Now, lie down!”
His abrupt harsh tone ignited in her a fit of rebellion. Just because he had gone out of his way to make her love him didn’t mean she’d submit to his every mood. Stiffening her back, she defied him.
“The hell I will!”
A flicker of desire crossed his eyes as she resisted his will. Then he ripped off her underwear, grabbed her wrists, and held them behind her back with only one of his hands. As she gasped, her shock drew a sly grin on his face.
“Are you sure, kitten? I seem to recall you owe me some begging.”
Flustered, she twisted her body. Not to get out of his firm grip on her, but to fight off the hot wave of desire setting her body alight. He had no right to treat her rough, yet she loved it.
“Let go of me.”
“How about I do this instead?”
He stroked her thigh with his free hand—a slow, arousing caress from her knee right up to her bush. As she clamped her legs together he went for her sex, and pressed his stiff finger against her clitoris.
“Got you!”
His teasing grin unnerved her much less than the touch of his hand. Even without moving, his rogue attitude was turning her into a horny female. As if her body possessed a will of its own she felt hot and moist, she felt like his finger, drenched in her desire. He applied a slight pressure on her excited flesh, and she moaned.
“Oh, yes, kitten. You look so sexy when you moan for me.”
Then he penetrated her with his whole finger, and of their own volition her legs came apart. As a man used to taking opportunities, he withdrew his digit to find her most sensitive spot. Tracing slow tight circles, he sent exciting flames leaping throughout her body. Unable to withstand the raw desire his finger fuelled, she let out a single sharp cry.
“What is it, little girl? Am I not pleasing you, or is it something else you want?”
When he rolled her nipple against the palm of his other hand, she realised he wasn’t holding her wrists anymore, and probably hadn’t been for a while. She couldn’t have cared less as she had no intention of getting away from the torturing bliss of his finger. All she craved now was what he had promised she would some day beg for.