Immortal Craving (Dark Dynasties) (7 page)

At least no one cared about protocol where Bay was concerned. It made it a little easier to try and make her world fit together with Lily’s these days. Even if sometimes it felt like trying to smash the wrong puzzle piece into a too-small, misshapen space in the larger picture.

Bay buried the thought, annoyed with herself. She’d never been one to sit around and mope. Lily bringing Ty here, the situation with Tasmin,
everything
had really gotten under her skin today. Once everyone had cleared out, curling up with her dog, a blanket, and a good movie was definitely in order. The thought brought Bay a measure of peace. She’d shrug this weird funk off, along with her
equally weird fixation on Tasmin the bad news vampire. Tomorrow would be back to normal.

Even if she couldn’t stop herself from letting her eyes wander over Tasmin, wondering whether he was as cold as the rest of his kind… or as warm as he looked.

Lily was watching him too, but more speculatively.

“One more thing,” she said. “Bay told me what happened when she met you, and why she brought you here. There’s a wonderful healer who’s joined us recently. I understand that some of what you’re experiencing may just be aftereffects from whatever was done to make you sleep so long, but—”

Bay could see Tasmin’s entire body go rigid again as she spoke, his fingers flexing just once in a way she found unnerving.

“I mean no disrespect, my lady, but I am recovering,” Tasmin interjected smoothly. “It’s just been slow. I saw a healer back in India not long after I awakened, and he saw nothing that time wouldn’t fix. I doubt your healer will find much of interest either.”

Lily looked skeptical, but whatever her thoughts were on his refusal, she seemed to accept it for now.

“Well, if you change your mind, or if things get worse, let me know. Now if you’re ready, you can come with us back to the mansion, and we can all get out of Bay’s hair,” Lily said. “Do you need a ride? We can stop and pick up your things. If you have things.”

Bay felt a strange sinking sensation. He was leaving. Chances were she wouldn’t be getting him to herself again. It was unlikely she would even see him again, unless she started skulking around Lily’s mansion more often, a thing she tried to do as little as possible since it
had turned into vampire central. She should be glad he was taking off. She knew this. But none of her reactions where Tasmin was concerned had made any sense so far… Why should that stop now?

God, I hope a good night’s sleep takes care of this.
She looked at Grimm, sprawled placidly by Tasmin’s legs. The Newfoundland’s deep-set eyes met hers, and she decided he looked as skeptical as she felt. It was a sad thing when even your dog looked as though he pitied you.

“I can find my way to your court,” Tasmin said. “I need to pick up my motorcycle from where I parked it earlier, and I have a few things at the little motel on the south side of town. Those I can get myself. I won’t be far behind you.”

“Do you want directions?” Lily asked.

“No,” Tasmin replied. “I’ve heard you keep wolves. I can follow the st—smell.”

Lily’s eyebrows lifted. “I don’t
keep
wolves. The pack of the Thorn are valuable allies, and they also act as my guard. I know how most vampires feel about werewolves, and vice versa, but that doesn’t fly here.”

“Of course,” Tasmin replied, inclining his head. “It is simply… different than what I am used to. I will adjust.”

“They’ll make sure you do, whether you like it or not,” Ty said. Bay found herself biting back an unexpected smile at the wry humor in Ty’s voice. The whole “dogs and cats living together” thing at the mansion was a subject Lily
did
talk about on a regular basis. The unusual living situation worked. Usually. But there was still adjusting going on, on both sides.

“That’s fine. Just come to the gate, then, and I’ll leave word you’re to be let in. Then we can talk about where to start, all right?” Lily said.

Again, Tasmin inclined his head. His expression clouded as she smiled and turned away. It was, Bay thought, like watching the sun go behind a cloud. There was something so ancient in him, she thought. So very cold.

She shivered at the odd thought and then pushed it from her mind. Her life was weird enough without inventing extra things to be freaked out by.

“I will find a way to repay this kindness.”

There was something strange in his voice then, some odd undercurrent that had gooseflesh rising on Bay’s arms. She was sure he’d meant the words as nothing more than a courtesy. And yet somehow, the words had sounded like a threat.

Lily paused and turned back to look at Tasmin, a faint, puzzled smile on her lips. Bay wondered if her friend had heard that odd note in his voice too.

“I’m sure you will,” Lily said. “And you’re welcome. I’m not big on the whole ‘blood is destiny’ thing, to be honest. I don’t care what you are. Just be willing to pitch in if it’s needed, keep the bloodshed to a minimum, and we’ll be fine.” Then she grinned and the smile lit her up in a way that could put the most ferocious creature on earth at ease, Bay thought. Despite everything that had happened, it was a very open, very human smile.

“After you,” Lily said, indicating the doorway. “I know Bay. She’s already thinking about a cup of tea and her pajamas.”

Bay smirked, amused even though she knew what was really going on. Lily had no intention of leaving her here alone with Tasmin again. Maybe that was best, even though she’d have preferred to make that decision for herself.

“Go ahead,” Tasmin said. “I would like to speak to Bailey privately before I leave.”

Bay wasn’t sure what she was more shocked by—the fact that Tasmin was openly defying Lily, or that he had something to say to her that merited being alone. Her cheeks flushed with pleasure despite the fact that the emotion went against every ounce of common sense she had. She watched Lily slide an uneasy look at Ty.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that,” Lily finally said, and Bay heard the steel in her friend’s tone. “Bay is under my protection.”

Tasmin looked unimpressed, arching one raven brow. “If I had wanted to hurt her, it would already have been done.”

“Still, you’re an unknown quantity right now. I’m not leaving you here.”

“I don’t think that’s your choice.” Tasmin’s voice was deceptively soft, his eyes beginning to glow. Bay looked between him and Lily, whose own eyes had narrowed, and knew she was going to have to step in. When she did, her words surprised her… though not as much as they appeared to surprise everyone else.

“He’s a guest in my home, Lily,” Bay said. “If he wants a minute, he can have it.”

Lily blinked, and she and Ty spoke in unison to protest. “Bay—”

“It’s fine,” Bay interrupted, cutting them off neatly. “I’m not worried about it.” Which wasn’t exactly true, but close enough. Besides, it was past time she took a stand on this sort of thing. Lily had formed plenty of boundaries in her new life. Bay was entitled to have a few as well. She wouldn’t be ordered around in her own home.

Lily drew herself up and looked like she wanted to argue further, while Ty simply glared at Tasmin. Bay ended the standoff neatly, and with the only words that needed to be said… no matter how they hurt her to say them.

“Lily,” Bay said quietly. “I’m not one of your subjects. I’m your friend. This is my house, my choice. Respect that.”

Lily’s blue eyes reflected so much hurt back at Bay that for a moment she nearly took it back, tried to smooth it over. But she didn’t. Couldn’t. And slowly, Lily nodded.

“Okay,” was all she said. Then she looked at Ty, and Bay saw some silent communication pass between them. It was hard to miss the reproach in Ty’s voice when he spoke to Bay.

“We’ll leave you to it, then. Enjoy your night.”

The two of them left without another word, and Bay watched them go with a heavy heart. No matter what she did anymore, she felt like Lily was slipping away from her. Neither of them had asked for what had happened… and neither of them seemed to be able to find a way to bridge the gulf that had formed the instant Ty had turned Lily. She was a night creature now.

And Bay didn’t think she’d ever be able to turn her face from the sunlight.

There was the sound of the front door shutting, and then the house was silent again, pulling Bay’s focus to the issue at hand. She’d gotten exactly what she’d insisted on.

They were alone.

Bay’s nerves returned immediately. It should have felt emptier in here once Lily and Ty had left. Instead, Tasmin’s presence seemed to have expanded to fill every nook and cranny. Small wonder, she supposed, from a
guy who professed to be able to bend people’s brains and make them hallucinate.

“Most vampires would have killed you for that,” Tasmin said, sounding genuinely awed.

“For what?”

“Disobedience. You just threw a queen out of your house.”

“I didn’t throw her out,” Bay said, frowning. “She was leaving anyway. And she wouldn’t kill me because she’s my best friend, which I’m pretty sure you already knew.”

Tasmin shrugged, a small, impossibly graceful movement. “It can’t last. But that is something
you
already know.”

It rankled, having this beautiful, strange vampire standing here lecturing on interspecies friendship when he’d been alone and mostly dead for hundreds of years.

“It
will
last. It’s also none of your business,” Bay said flatly, shifting her stance so that she faced him, arms folded across her chest.

He lifted his shoulders again, a casual gesture at odds with the intensity with which he watched her. Bay suddenly felt too warm.

“As you wish,” Tasmin said.

They stood staring at one another. As the silence spun out, Bay fumbled for something to say. She had some vague memory of Tasmin saying he wanted to speak to her alone. She wasn’t sure. Simply standing here looking at him was incapacitating functional brain cells at an alarming rate.

Grimm gave a loud yawn, breaking the silence, and got slowly to his feet in front of the chair where Tasmin had been sitting. It was a welcome break in the tension.

“Well,” Bay finally said, cringing a little inside at the overly perky sound of her voice. “I hope everything works out for you.”

“I doubt it will, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

For whatever reason, his pessimism irritated her. “If you want it to work out, you have to push for it. And probably have a better attitude about it. You came all this way; you made a good enough impression on Lily that she’s going to help you out. How is this not a good start?” Bay asked.

His lashes lowered, and she noticed they were beautifully long and black. Bay had a bad feeling she could spend hours finding things about Tasmin’s looks to admire.

“Perhaps you are right,” he finally allowed. “I will… try to keep that in mind.” His lips quirked into a half smile. “You are a surprise, encouraging a creature like me. Driving off your friend to defend me. I am no loyal beast like your Grimm.”

At the sound of his name, the dog lumbered over to Tasmin’s side and looked hopefully up at him, wagging his immense brush of a tail. Bay chuckled despite herself. Especially because Tasmin’s expression was so bewildered when he looked from Grimm to her.

“He likes you,” Bay said with a shrug. “Don’t ask me why. He makes up his own mind, and that’s it.”

“He is as strange as you are,” Tasmin replied, shaking his head and rubbing one of Grimm’s ears.

“Pretty much,” Bay agreed, and he surprised her with a soft, melodious laugh that shivered pleasantly over her skin. Where had
this
guy been when Ty and Lily were here?

He’s relaxed with you because you don’t matter
, she told herself. The idea of it, true or not, made her feel bad enough to clear her head. He was beautiful, yeah. And fun to flirt with. And off-limits. If she kept all that in mind, she’d be fine.

“I’m beginning to understand why Lily has kept you close,” Tasmin said. She tilted her head at him, bemused.

“Because I’m strange?”

“Because those who have only the night treasure the sunlight where they can find it.”

The room was suddenly very, very warm, and Bay couldn’t quite seem to get enough air. Or formulate a coherent sentence, for that matter.

“Oh… I, I—thank you,” she managed, knowing her cheeks were flame red. Her voice had begun to sound strained, and her heart pounded in her ears. “So… what did you need to tell me? Alone, I mean?”

His lips curved into a soft smile that made her forget what he was, what he could do. He was nothing more or less than the most compelling man she’d ever met.

“I wanted to thank you for your help, Bailey,” Tasmin said. “You did what most would never dare in bringing me here. I won’t forget.”

“You can call me Bay, you know,” she said, the words falling from her lips without a thought. “Everyone else does. Even my parents.” It was a silly thing to say, just one more attempt at holding him here for another few seconds.

“I like Bailey better,” he said, and she knew instantly that he was never going to call her by her nickname. She couldn’t decide whether that was endearing or irritating. Probably both. Like him.

For a split second, she thought Tasmin might try to kiss her again. When he turned and walked away from her, she realized she’d been hoping he would try again. He paused just before turning the corner and looked back to where she stood, speechless, staring after him.

“
Phir milenge
… Bailey,” he said, and gave her a dazzling, mischievous smile that utterly transformed him. “We will meet again.”

“See you,” she said softly. But she was speaking to an empty room.

He was gone.

T
ASMIN SAT AT THE EDGE OF THE BIG
, four-poster bed, perfectly still.

His fingers were laced together, his breathing slow and even, his eyes closed. Outwardly, he knew he looked like he was meditating. That was by design, but also partially true. These struggles had become a form of meditation, in their way. When meditating, one had to be quiet, still, and focused on the inner self.