She was a perfect image of a tanned porcelain doll. Round face, big violet coloured eyes, small nose and full lips. Her long black hair was shiny and she had the body any woman would want. Curved and busty.
“Nikalye has clearly left bits out when he told you about me. When Nikalye found me, I was changed. A Mutated as it’s known. I am more than a hybrid half-breed. I am part angel, Shadow Demon, fire Demon, wolf and Demon of Lust.”
“Demon of Lust?” Belia had read all the books Nikalye had given her about the different creatures. “But that means…”
“Nikalye’s feelings for me have not been real, just as Doxiak’s and Shifter’s feelings have not been real. I cannot help it, nor do I know how to stop it. But I do not think of them in that way.”
“But you used to.” Belia didn’t know why she was having this conversation with Layla. She didn’t want to talk about it.
“You have to remember that he saved me, numerous times and has never strayed from my side. He helped me get over the fears I had years after being taken by the humans, and he told me stories of my past so I would never forget them when they began to slip from my mind, overtaken by the nightmares I frequently had. I never meant for our feelings to go any more than friend and guardian, and I am sorry that I have hurt you because of that. Now that I know the cause of these feelings, and have explained them to a number of people, they know there are no real feelings there.”
Belia felt more respect for Layla. Though she’d been through a lot, she couldn’t imagine how strong Layla must be for surviving what happened to her. “Does Nikalye know?”
“He does not. I plan to tell him once he came back, but I do not think it will make a difference to how he feels with you now that he has found his bonded mate. All feelings he had for me would have disappeared the moment he set his eyes on you.”
“But…he met be ages ago. This doesn’t make any sense.”
“The bond affects everyone differently.”
Belia didn’t know what to say. What if, despite the bond, Nikalye still felt love for Layla?
“You do not need to worry. I promise.”
Belia screamed and jumped up at the sound of Nikalye’s voice behind her.
Layla chuckled. “Reading minds again? How many times did you tell me you don’t intrude uninvited?”
Nikalye smiled.
Belia could see it was forced. She frowned and touched his cheek.
What’s wrong with him? He looks ill.
“We are bonded. Belia cannot keep anything from me.” He kissed her gently.
“Nikalye—”
“I am fine, my sweet. Do not worry.”
“He’s hungry for blood,” Layla told her. “You haven’t fed him yet?”
Belia shook her head. “I…I’m not ready yet.”
Layla glanced between them before holding her wrist out. “You need to feed. Take my blood if she cannot give you hers.”
“No!” Belia stepped in front of him and glared at Layla before turning to Nikalye. “You’ll drink from me, okay?”
“Belia, are you sure?”
“I don’t want you drinking from anyone else, but I don’t want you starving yourself.” Belia breathed in deeply. “Drink from me.” She held her wrist out to him.
He took it gently in his hand and pulled her close.
She shivered when he brushed her hair over her shoulder, baring her throat.
“I promise this will not hurt.” Nikalye kissed her skin gently before biting her.
Chapter Ten
Belia’s moan mixed in with Nikalye’s as her blood pooled into his mouth. When he swallowed a mouthful, he felt his body harden and Belia’s hand tighten around him.
After a second mouthful, he felt a pull on his stomach, pulling him, and his mind into the past.
There was blood everywhere, bodies dead on the floor, a woman screaming as Nikalye made his way towards her. She cowered in the corner, her eyes wide and her cheeks wet with her tears as she clutched at her bloodied neck.
A vampire stood not far from her and his lips curved into a deadly smile as Nikalye neared. Blood covered his lips and fangs. He’d fed on the entire family with no guilt.
“Come any closer, and I will bleed her. The smell from her family will have already reached the others lurking nearby. Her blood will send them over.” The vampire chuckled and grasped her slender neck. “Her blood is quite something. Just a simple cut of her finger while washing and I was close to bloodlust without even needing to feed.”
“But you did.”
The vampire chuckled again. “Yes, yes I did. I needed to get rid of them and I was hungry. I wished to take my time with this fascinating creature. It is strange, she smells like a vampire, yet is completely human. It is not possible.”
“No, it is not. Now let her go.” Nikalye kept his voice calm, but hard. He’d find out about the mystery of the woman’s blood once he had her safe.
“I don’t think so. You see she has awakened the beast inside me, the beast that hungers for blood.” The vampire’s blue-white eyes met Nikalye’s. “You know all about that, spending all of your time with the half-breed. She has been there, many times. She knows how hard it is to stop.”
“But she did stop, and you can, too. Do not make me do anything I will regret.”
The vampire threw back his head and laughed, making the shocked woman jump and whimper. “No one can truly come back from bloodlust, not even Layla. You know this.”
“Let her go.”
“I will escape you, just as I have many times. You cannot always be there to protect your precious Layla, Nikalye. I will find a way to get to her.”
Nikalye charged at the vampire and the woman screamed. She had nothing to fear, for the vampire did not know his intentions. Nikalye caught him off guard.
He threw him across the room and with one glance at Doxiak, silently telling him to go to the woman, he ran to where the vampire slumped down. Nikalye grabbed him around the throat and pulled him to his feet as he drew his sword.
“You will not do it, Nikalye. You do not dare. You are too kind hearted to murder.”
“You are right.” Nikalye sank his sword into the vampire’s chest.
He gasped and his eyes widened as blood pooled at the corners of his mouth.
“This is not murder, however. This is justice.” Nikalye pushed further until the hilt and his hand touched skin. The vampire stopped breathing and slumped against Nikalye.
After withdrawing his sword and dropping the body, Nikalye turned to the woman.
Nikalye staggered back, growling with hunger. He opened his eyes and met Belia’s. He now understood why the vampires had been affected by her blood.
She stared, wide-eyed, her face flushed with arousal. “Oh…wow.”
Nikalye pulled her hard and pressed her lips against his. He wanted her touch and taste more than ever now.
“
Guerrero.
”
Nikalye pulled away from Belia and leaving her gasping for breath, he turned his attention to Layla.
She stood poised for attack, her eyes darting everywhere.
Nikalye sent his senses out with his mind, searching where they couldn’t see. Vampires were making their way around the mansion, their weapons drawn.
Nikalye pulled himself back and met Layla’s eyes.
“They’re already here Nikalye, around us.” As she spoke, the air shimmered around them all.
A glare of light forced his eyes shut for a second before Nikalye could snap them open. He held Belia close to him.
Spirit Demons surrounded them, their Light weapons trained on all three of them as the vampires finally made their way around the mansion and over to where they were surrounded.
Layla growled menacingly. She bared her teeth when the Spirit Demons closed in on her.
“Move back! I wish to have my fun before you have yours.”
The Spirit Demons moved back, leaving Nikalye, Layla and Belia in the middle. Some parted to let a vampire through. Tall, tanned and scarred. He looked alike to Nikalye except his eyes had no ring of red.
“Tiavyse?”
“Hello brother.” Without warning, he attacked. Nikalye opened his mind wide, hearing his brother’s thoughts before he dodged and attacked himself, twisting around and kicking his brother in the back, forcing him away from Belia.
“I killed you. How are you alive?”
Tiavyse turned slowly. “The answer is in her blood. You may have killed me, but somehow her blood restarted my body once you left me to rot in that house with her disgusting family.
“You bastard!”
Nikalye moved fast, standing in front of Belia before Tiavyse could even turn. “How could a blood of a human heal you from the inside?”
“Ask your healer, brother. He will tell you a story only he knows.”
The crowed parted and two vampires pushed Doxiak into the middle, covered in blood.
“Doxiak!”
“I am fine, Layla. Do not worry for me. You know how I heal.”
“I will kill you all!”
Tiavyse chuckled, his eyes gleaming. He turned to look over his shoulder. “Go ahead—tell us about your little tale, Healer.”
Nikalye looked at Doxiak, waiting.
“There are some humans who are born from those who have drunk the blood of vampires—believers of all things supernatural. They are born entirely human, yet possess abilities they are not aware of. In Belia’s case, her blood is able to restore what has been destroyed. Others are able to see the dead or see creatures for what they are. The sight.”
“You forgot to mention how delicious their blood taste. So pure and full of life.”
“Something you clearly have none of.”
Tiavyse turned his attention to Layla. “Your time will come half-breed. And I will take pleasure in tasting the blood of a Light-born as well as the dark.”
“You will never get close enough.” Layla curled her hands into fists and bared her fangs.
“I managed to get to you once, I will do so again. And this time, I will do more than shoot you while you play games.”
Tiavyse attacked Layla? How?
“But before I bathe in your blood…” Tiavyse turned his attention to Belia. “I wish to have hers.” He licked his lips.
Nikalye moved forward, attacking fast and hard. His brother needed to be stopped before the people he loved was hurt.
Tiavyse’s mind was wide open, so as Nikalye neared, he heard the plans of a counter attack whisper through his own thoughts. When Tiavyse twisted around, Nikalye did also and ducked when his brother punched him. He spun and kicked, but Tiavyse bent back to avoid his attack. He kicked out and Nikalye back flipped to avoid it.
Tiavyse chuckled and circled him. “You have become stronger since our last visit, I am impressed.”
Nikalye didn’t speak. Instead, he met Layla’s eyes when he felt her move. Though her thoughts were blocked, he still knew her intent. He shook his head slightly, telling her not to attack. This was his problem to get rid of.
The air behind him shifted and his brother’s whispered thoughts swirled in his mind. Nikalye spun, caught Tiavyse’s fist in his hand and hooked a leg around his. With a free hand wrapped around his throat, he pushed down hard, slamming him into the floor. As he disappeared, Nikalye quickly spun around and kicked him in the back hard. The snap of broken bones filled the air and once again, Tiavyse disappeared.
Nikalye turned to check on Belia. She stood still with her eyes wide open in shock and while he checked her thoughts, making sure she was okay, he also listened out for his brother’s thoughts.
Tiavyse’s ability to make others believe what he wanted had obviously grown stronger over the years while everyone believed him to be dead.
He appeared behind Nikalye but when he turned to attack, he was nowhere in sight. When he appeared a few steps behind where he was just stood, Nikalye moved fast towards his brother as the vampires surrounding them charged. When Nikalye raised his hand to attack, Tiavyse disappeared again, and chuckled behind him.
“Actually, I take that back. You have lost your touch, brother. Shame.”
Nikalye turned to see Tiavyse behind Belia, his fingers wrapped around her throat and holding her off the ground as she struggled against him. In his hand he held a revolver.
When his brother turned his attention over his shoulder, Nikalye turned his attention to Layla and saw her surrounded by the vampires and Spirit Demons and Doxiak also surrounded nearby.
“You must choose between the two women you love. Which will it be? Layla the beautiful, deadly creature that makes your heart race?” Tiavyse tightened his hold on Belia, making her gag. “Or the human that has the special blood?”
Oh my God, oh no. I’m going to die. I’m going to die.
Nikalye, you know what to do.
Nikalye closed his eyes, blocking as much of the thoughts around him from his mind as he could and concentrated. The future was black just as it had been while he had ventured through the cave—uncertain and open to possibilities.
Nikalye opened his eyes when Tiavyse laughed loudly.
“You see, always the weakness for women that has held onto you for all these years. You cannot choose between the two women you love.”
Nikalye moved forward fast, grabbed Belia as he ripped his brothers fingers from her throat. While he moved Belia behind him, he punched Tiavyse in the chest. His hand sank into skin and muscle and broke bones until he had hold of his heart. “You may be right. My weakness has always been beautiful women, but when I know one is capable of destroying everything and everyone around her with no effort at all, there is no need to choose.” Nikalye squeezed hard and ripped his brother’s heart out of his chest.
Tiavyse groaned and fell to his knees, blood pouring out from the wound in his chest.
Nikalye dropped the heart and then broke his neck as the ground shook violently.
Belia screamed and grabbed Nikalye hard as tendrils of darkness shot out of Layla and sank into the vampires and Spirit Demons around her and Doxiak. When they all burst into flames, screaming but unable to move, the darkness disappeared from around them and Layla let them drop to the floor.