Chapter 33
Gideon had just bent over his prey’s neck when Kay’s voice, loud and urgent, sounded in his mind.
In an instant, he released the girl in his arms from his power and willed himself to the Shadow Pack’s compound.
He found Kay in the Gros Ventre Wilderness area. Coming up behind her, he murmured her name as he swept her into his embrace.
“Gideon!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face against his shoulder.
“What’s happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. We need to get away from here, now.”
“Just tell me where you want to go, and we’re there.”
“I really liked New York.”
She had barely spoken the words when she felt a rush of wind, followed by a familiar queasiness in the pit of her stomach. The next thing she knew, they were in Gideon’s apartment.
“So,” he said, still holding her in his arms, “how’d you manage to get away?”
“My mom helped me. She provided a distraction; I’m not exactly sure what she did, but it drew the guard away from my door and I ran like the devil was after me.”
“Where’s your old man?”
“He’s at the Rinaldi place.” Kay drew back a little so she could see his face. “Verah’s really dead?”
“Oh, yeah, she’s dead. Hell, she’s dust.”
Kay blinked at him. “Dust?”
“She was a lot older than I thought.”
“So, there’s no way for anyone to find us now, right?”
Gideon shrugged. “There’s always a way, if someone wants you badly enough. Your father could hire another witch to find you.”
Kay’s shoulders slumped. “So, we’re no better off than we were before.”
“I wouldn’t say that. Witches are pretty hard to find.”
“Yeah? You found one in the phone book.”
He chuckled softly as he set her on her feet. “She won’t betray us. The best tracking spells need blood to work. Clothing is ineffective. Hair is kind of iffy. So, unless your old man has some of your blood, I think we’re safe enough for now.”
“Until the full moon,” Kay said, frowning.
“What do you mean?”
“My father will be able to track me when I change.”
“You might have mentioned that before.”
“I know. I guess with everything else that was going on, I just didn’t think of it.”
“So, he can find you, even when he’s in Jackson and you’re here?”
“I’m not sure.”
Gideon exhaled sharply, then pulled her into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose. “What do you say we worry about that tomorrow night?”
“I think that’s a great idea.” She smiled at him as he carried her down the hall.
In the bedroom, his clever hands quickly undressed her, then he tossed her, gently, onto the bed. He stretched out beside her moments later, those clever hands playing over her body, his fingers stroking along her skin like a master violinist tuning his instrument until she was humming with need. She buried her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer, her tongue sweeping across his lips, delving inside to duel with his own. Desire unfurled deep within her, making her forget everything but her yearning for this man and no other.
She moaned with pleasure as his fangs grazed her throat, lifted her hips to meet him as his body became a part of hers. Crying his name, she reached for the stars, felt them rain down around her as he carried her away to a secret place no one else could find.
With a contented sigh, Kay snuggled against Gideon’s side, her head resting on his shoulder, her fingertips tracing lazy circles over his chest and hard, flat belly. He had an amazing physique. Had he had it before he became a vampire? Or was it just an added perk, like being able to zap himself from one end of the country to the other? If it was just part of being Nosferatu, she was certain men from all over the world would be lining up to become vampires. Of course, none of them would ever be as incredibly sexy as the raven-haired Adonis lying beside her.
“Adonis? Really?”
Jabbing him in the side with her elbow, she said, “Stop that!”
“Sorry.”
“No, you’re not, or you wouldn’t do it.”
“Sometimes I just can’t help myself.” He rolled onto his side and drew her body against his. “How else am I going to know what you like?” he asked, his voice whiskey smooth.
“I’ll tell you.”
“Will you?”
She sucked in a breath as his hand began to slide up and down the inside of her thigh.
Gideon laughed softly as he rose over her. “I guess I don’t need to read your mind, after all.”
Propped up on one elbow, Kay reviewed their situation while she watched Gideon sleep. Verah was dead and they were safe, as long as her father couldn’t track her during the full moon. Would he be able to find her when they were so many miles apart? She had never heard of a werewolf—even an Alpha—being able to track another wolf when there was so much distance between them, but just because she had never heard of it didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.
Suddenly restless, she slid out of bed and went into the living room. Drawing back the heavy draperies at one of the windows, she watched the sun rise over the city. It was always a beautiful sight, seeing the way the sky slowly changed from dark to light, the way the sun’s light splashed the clouds with streaks of lavender, pink, and crimson. No two sunrises or sunsets were ever quite the same, but they were all beautiful.
Gnawing on her thumbnail, Kay let the drapes fall back into place. In three days, she would have an answer to the question of whether her Alpha would be able to find her.
Three days, she thought, her anxiety growing. Only three days until the moon would be full. Thinking about shedding her human self stirred her anticipation, and even though it was only her imagination, it seemed she could already feel her body changing, her skin tightening, tingling.
Suddenly ravenous, she tiptoed into the bedroom for her clothes. She dressed in the living room, then picked up the key Gideon had given her last night before he fell asleep so she could go out for something to eat.
It had surprised her that he had a key, since she had never seen him use one.
“It came with the apartment,” he had explained. “I’ve just never needed it.”
He had also left her seventy dollars cash and his cell phone.
Gideon hadn’t wanted her to leave his lair, but she had insisted. She didn’t want to spend the day in the apartment; she had been cooped up enough. And she certainly didn’t want to wait until he woke to satisfy her hunger, which grew harder to ignore the closer she was to the change.
She locked the door behind her, checked it twice to make sure it was secure, then took the elevator to the ground floor. She paused at the sound of music. Walking down a narrow hallway, she came to a large glass window. Peering inside, she saw a number of girls of various ages wearing leotards and tights. She grinned as she watched a little girl with long red pigtails execute a perfect pirouette. Kay felt like applauding for the child, who couldn’t have been more than three or four.
Kay stayed for several minutes, imagining a daughter of her own standing at the barre doing her first
demi-plié
. Did Gideon want children? Was it even possible for the two of them to conceive a child together?
She lingered, watching the dancers, until her stomach growled so loudly she was certain they could hear it over the music.
Outside, she took a deep breath. It was a beautiful day, cool and clear. The scent of food drew her down the street toward a café.
When she went inside, the myriad scents of food and drink, perspiration, cologne, and shampoo, were almost overpowering. Odd, she thought, wrinkling her nose against the onslaught. Of course, she’d always had a good sense of smell, but nothing as acute as this.
She moved along the food tables, filling two plates, one with roast beef, turkey, and ham, the other with mashed potatoes, corn, and a blueberry muffin. She added a carton of milk, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee, then found a seat in the far corner of the room near a window.
She ate quickly, and went back for more ham, turkey, and roast beef. After adding a slice of chocolate cake and a piece of berry pie, she returned to her table. She told herself being this hungry was normal for this time of the month, but she didn’t believe it. True, she had always had a healthy appetite, especially before the full moon, but this was over the top. She was eating like her father… .
Kay frowned. Thinking of her father brought her mother to mind and she was suddenly ashamed that she hadn’t given any thought to her mother since being reunited with Gideon.
Pushing her plate aside, she went in search of a quiet place to make a phone call.
Gideon stirred, his senses telling him that the sun was not yet down, yet something had roused him.
Forcing his eyes open, he saw Kay pacing the floor beside the bed.
“What’s wrong?” He sat up, trying to concentrate. When his life was in jeopardy, he woke with all his senses alert; it was hard to remain awake when there was no threat to his continued existence.
“I called my mom this afternoon.”
Now he was awake.
“Her phone’s been disconnected. There’s no new number.”
“What are you thinking?” he asked, but he already knew the answer.
“I don’t want to say it out loud.” She shook her head. “I know it’s silly, but I’m afraid putting it into words will make it so… .”
“Come here.” When she climbed into bed beside him, Gideon slipped his arm around her waist. “You don’t really think your father would hurt her, do you?”
“You’ve never seen him in a rage. At times like that, he’s capable of anything.”
“Even murder?”
She nodded. “I’ve got to go home.”
“Are you out of your mind?” He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, but, dammit, you just got away from there.”
“I know, but Gideon … when she screamed, it didn’t sound like she was pretending.” Kay scrubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I never should have agreed to let her get involved, but I was so anxious to get away from there, away from Victor.” She looked up at Gideon, her eyes tormented. “Back to you.”
He swore under his breath.
“I’m not blaming you!” Kay said quickly. “Don’t ever think that. I wanted out. But now …” She shook her head. Her mother had assured her that Russell was out of the house that night, but what if he had come home early? “I have to know that she’s all right.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“No.” She rested her head against Gideon’s shoulder, taking comfort in his nearness, in the easy strength that was so much a part of him. “I could call Greta. She’ll know what’s going on.”
“Will she tell you the truth?”
“I think so.”
“I don’t like it, but go make your call.”
“I’m sorry I woke you.”
“It’s okay.” He slid down onto the bed again, his eyes closing as his head hit the pillow. “Let me know what she says.”
Kay felt a rush of tenderness for Gideon as sleep claimed him once again. After pressing a kiss to his brow, she left the bedroom and closed the door.
In the living room, she picked up Gideon’s cell phone, only to stare at it for several moments, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Was it possible for her father to trace the call to Gideon’s lair? She wasn’t up to speed on all the latest achievements in modern technology.
She hesitated for a few more minutes, debating the wisdom of contacting anyone in the pack, then punched in her aunt’s number.
Smart move or not, she had to get in touch with her mother.
The sun was slipping over the horizon when Gideon woke to the muffled sound of crying. He pulled on a pair of sweats. A moment later he was in the living room. He found Kay curled up in a corner of the sofa, her eyes red rimmed, her cheeks soaked with her tears.
She looked at him through haunted eyes for a moment; then, amid a flood of fresh tears, sobbed, “She’s … dead. My mother’s dead.”
“Dammit.” Moving swiftly across the room, Gideon swept Kay into his arms and held her tight.
“It’s … it’s all … all my fault!”
“Shh.”
“She said she would provide a distraction so I could get away and … and she killed herself, Gideon! She committed suicide … hanged herself … so I could be free. So I could be with you.”
Gideon stroked Kay’s hair while he tried to think of something to say that would comfort her, but at the moment, words failed him. He hadn’t known Kay’s mother well, had seen her only a few times, spoken to her only once or twice, yet because Kay loved him, Dorothy Alissano had gone against her husband’s wishes and set him free, had sacrificed her own life so her daughter could be with the man she loved. He had rarely seen that kind of courage and devotion.
“The funeral’s on Saturday,” Kay said, sniffling. Had her father purposely arranged it then, knowing the moon would be full? Her mother would have hated that.
Gideon nodded. His immediate inclination was to tell Kay she couldn’t go, but it wasn’t his decision to make.
“You think I should stay here, don’t you?”
“Are you reading my mind now?”
“No, just your silence.”
“I think it’s a big risk. Victor’s bound to be there, too.”
“I know it’s dangerous, but I have to go.”
“Kiya, your mother died so you could get out of there. How can you even think of going back?”
“I have to see her one last time. I have to tell her good-bye. I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t.” She stroked his cheek with her fingertips. “The moon will be full. The pack will run that night. I’ll slip away and find you like I did before.”
“Yeah,” Gideon muttered dryly. “I remember how well that turned out.”
“Well, we won’t be distracted this time.”
“Is that what I am to you?” he asked, his voice suddenly husky. “A distraction?”
“Yes, but only in a good way. Oh, Gideon,” she sobbed. “I’m going to miss her so! And the funny thing is, we were never that close,” she said, sniffling. “I always envied the kind of mother-daughter relationship that Wanda has with her mom. They share everything, spend time together, gossip, go shopping. My mother and I never did anything like that. I hardly ever told her that I loved her, and now it’s too late.” She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Forever too late.”