Immortal Craving: Immortal Heart (14 page)

Cree sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he eyeballed Kale, who looked far too nervous.

“You need to relax. Unofficially, I can tell you that Rowan is planning to offer Kat asylum with the Light or if she chooses to, Rowan is prepared to let her and Jake stay in the Human World, as long as they register with us.”

Kale nodded. “You two discussed this in detail?”

“Yes,
Lothar spoke to her, I spoke to her, and Trevan… Who, by the way, is in a little trouble, spoke on Kat’s behalf. Once we were given the full details of what you learned, Rowan made a decision.”

“I let her down. I should have fought harder.”

Cree shook his head. “You dealt with the information we were given as best you could. The past is something you cannot change, Kale. Now you need to decide where your future will lead and who will be there with you.”

“I’d give anything to keep her with me,” Kale admitted, his stare drifting from Cree to find the desert sun setting outside the room’s UV-blocking windows.

“Then you better make sure she knows.”

“I wish your damn gift would throw me a bone every once in a while,” Kale noted.

“I hear you. I wish it would tell me more about your future where Kat is involved… but for some reason she’s hidden from me.”

Kale let out a suffering sigh. “Yeah, any wisdom not related to your gift telling you what she might choose?”

Cree chuckled. “I think that has everything to do with how you handle the next week.”

Kale arched a brow at him. “What’s happening in the next week?”

“We’ll be searching for her friend Brie. If her pattern holds, we have five days before she’ll need to feed and kill again.”

“So why Vegas, Cree?”

Cree shrugged in that way of his that said he knew something but wasn’t planning on sharing.

“You know something? That shrug does nothing to give the impression that
you are unaware—it tells me you know something.”

Cree chuckled. “I know nothing for certain. I do, however, have a feeling that this city of sin is where we need to be.”

Kale grinned. “City of sin,” he muttered. “So we’re just going to scour the city in search of her?”

Cree grinned back.
“Basically. Lothar is finished with Candice. He and Trevan are heading back to Hawk’s Eye to work with Lucas and Uriah, Ban, and Izzy are on their way.”

Kale’s brow furrowed. “
Izzy shouldn’t be here.”

She wasn’t immortal… not yet.
She wasn’t strong enough to be put in the middle of their job. They were meant to protect the humans and she was still mostly human. He couldn’t handle it if she got hurt in this search.

“
Izzy will be fine. None of us will let anything happen to her… most times I like her better than Bain.” Cree grinned. “I’d hate to have to deal with him without her.”

Kale snorted at the remark but shook his head. “She should sit this one out.”

Cree shrugged. “Agreed, but we need Bain and he has not, and probably never will, learn how to tell her no. Believe me, he tried… He wanted her to stay home and she made it very clear that Vegas was a place she didn’t intend to let him go without her.”

“
Izzy doesn’t trust him?”

Kale’s eyes narrowed.
Izzy wasn’t prone to jealousy… not any longer. She and Bain were as solid as they came… much like the brother standing in front of him and his queen. They found the ones they were created for—the other half of who they are.

“No.” Cree smiled almost uncomfortably. “If I heard her right, and trust me it wasn’t something I was meant to hear at all, she said there were a few place in Vegas she could come up with right off the top of her head… Well, it was explicit.” Cree left it there.

Kale let out a bark of laughter. Cree didn’t need to say anymore. As much as Izzy tried to be discreet—because Bain didn’t give a shit who knew what was on his mind where Izzy was involved—she failed on a daily basis to hide her desire and lust for her Immortal. They were like young lovers who had a hell of a time keeping their hands off each other. It was a rare sight if Bain didn’t have Izzy comfortably situated in his lap.

“So, because
Izzy’s safety is important to me, she and Bain will be taking the evening scouting with you, while Uriah and I work on the daytime searching. I will leave Kat and Jake to your discretion. If you feel it’s safe for Izzy to be around them, then you may let them go out with you.”

“So we’re going to just randomly search casinos?”

Cree sighed. “No, we’re going to start clearing the hotels tomorrow—with the help of some
Argolettes.
”

Kale arched a brow. “I’m assuming we have casters to cloak them?”

Small, flying dogs would cause some suspicion in the Human World.

“Of course,” Cree answered.

“And who are they loyal to?”

The
Argolette’s
were known for their tracking ability and their loyalty… to the one who fed them. They were much like the hunting dogs of the Human World, except they were no bigger than a hummingbird, with thick wings attached to their furry backs.

“I acquired two of them and, as of right now, they have no master.”

“I don’t really want a pet, Cree,” Kale said, eyeing his leader carefully.

“Well, I think I know someone who would be more than happy to take on the small burden.”

Kale smiled. “
Izzy.
”

Cree smiled back. “
Izzy,” he agreed.

“I always get nervous when I walk into a room and hear my name. What did I do now?”
Izzy asked as she and Bain stepped through a portal that had opened into the living area that Cree and Kale occupied.

Cree smiled up at her. It wasn’t often that anyone, let alone
Izzy, caught him looking guilty, but she was sure that wry smile meant she had just caught the two of them red-handed—doing what, she wasn’t sure.

Kale jumped up from his seat and approached her, slinging his arm over her shoulders. “You did nothing,
Iz. Cree has a gift for you.”

That got Bain’s attention as he eyed their leader questioningly. Cree rose from his seat and held out a finger in a give-me-a-second gesture, before disappearing with inhuman speed and grace. He was nearly impossible for
Izzy to track. Makyle assured her that her senses would sharpen with every feeding and a few months ago she would have sworn that Cree literally vanished.

Cree returned with a gold, twelve-inch tall, cylindrical bird cage with a
very small, maybe three-inch, brown, furry creature with folded wings against its side, floppy black ears, and a white patch on its little chest. The creature threw its head back—its nose and mouth looking very much like the snout of a miniaturized hound. Its jaw opened and let a low howl escape before it looked to Izzy with deep brown eyes and greeted her with a soft throaty bark as its tail thumped against the metal of its gilded cage.

Izzy
squealed, ducking out from under Kale’s arm and all but flew at the tiny, caged creature. “Oh my God, what is it?”

“You cannot seriously be planning to give her an
Argolette,”
Bain groaned.

Izzy’s
gaze pulled from the
Argolette
and her head whipped to face Bain.

“What is an
Argolette
and why can’t Cree give me one?” she asked.

Bain grinned at his beautiful woman, and shook his head “That is an
Argolette.
” He gestured towards the cage. “It’s a Fae creature that is basically a dog with wings… their known for their tracking ability and they are fiercely loyal to their master… and you shouldn’t have one, because I imagine Garcia eating the poor thing.”

Izzy
arched a brow. “Garcia does not work for his food. This little guy may be fiercely loyal, but Garcia is fiercely lazy. This adorable little creature would have nothing to worry about,” she assured Bain as she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Can I have him, please?”

Bain shook his head and chuckled. “Sweetheart, you can have whatever you want.”

Izzy smiled as Cree held the cage out to her. The little
Argolette
ran to the bar and yipped at her.

“Does he have a name?”
Izzy asked.

“Not yet. That will be up to you. Once you feed him, he’ll be officially yours. Once that’s done, he’ll do anything you ask.”

Izzy smiled as she brought the cage up to eye level… “I think I’ll name you Tracker.”

Find Brie… Find Brie and she earned her freedom. Kat paced her room as she replayed her meeting with Rowan. Kat had put up a good face and tried like hell to stay strong as she followed the Light leader into Cass’s small office. But she was terrified that this meeting would lead to her death. She was sure it wouldn’t be at Rowan’s hand but she feared her return to
Darion. There were rules to the Middle World, ones that bound Rowan and the brothers to hand her over to Darion. Rowan had made it clear that regardless as to what happened next, as long as Kat helped them, Rowan would give Kat her freedom. Rowan really was the fair leader every Light Fae claimed her to be.

Now Kat had to decide what she truly wanted… Did she still want to leave with Jake? Would her heart let her walk away from Kale? Did she really want to?

Their circumstances hadn’t changed… not really, but over the past days, she found moments of the easy connection she and Kale once had. If she let her suspicions and the pain of the past go, even if only for a short time, she might find her future… her destiny. And Kat had no doubts if she gave it a chance, she would find that Kale was the one person in the world she couldn’t live without.

Kat was pulled from her musings as a sharp rap sounded at her door. She looked at her watch and let out a heavy breath. It was time. With one last glance in the mirror, she was satisfied that her hair and makeup were in perfect place
and her short, sleeveless black dress, which fit like a glove, looked good.

Kat opened the door and stopped short… Ok, not the Immortal she was expecting.

“Hello Bain,” she said as she grabbed her cocktail clutch and shut the door to her room behind her.

Bain smirked. “Hello, Kat. You ready?”

Was she ready?
No, not really. “Yep, where’s Kale?”

Bain’s smirk widened into a full-on feral grin.
“With my Izzy—she wanted a minute to speak to him.”

Kat smiled. She had a pretty good feeling as to what
Izzy needed to speak to Kale about.

“Your
Izzy is a firecracker,” Kat mused, remembering their conversation back at the safe house.

Bain beamed with what Kat could only describe as pride and adoration. “Yes, she is. I don’t need to remind you that if you do anything to jeopardize her safety, that there will be repercussions… do I?”

Kat smiled and shook her head. “Nope, besides, I like her. And I know you better than you might remember.”

“Good,” Bain said as he led her to the sitting area. Before they turned the corner, Bain stopped Kat with a soft hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, Kat.”

Kat arched a brow at him in question.

“You know… for everything that happened to you. He hasn’t been the
same since he lost you… He loves you, you know that.”

Kat was suddenly nervous, pulling her glossed bottom lip between her teeth and gnawing on it. But she nodded and Bain dipped his chin.

“Ok, I’m sure this feels a little awkward, sharing a meal with all of us, but try to have some fun.”

“I will,” Kat assured him.

Kale stood huddled with Izzy in the living area of the suite, which was now a shared space for their growing group, as they shared a quiet conversation. Kat stopped and watched the way they interacted. She felt a small pang of jealousy that she bristled at and tried to shake off.

Bain leaned in to share his own quiet conversation with Kat. “If that was a shiver of jealousy, you insult both me
and Izzy with it… but I believe Kale would find it most enjoyable.”

Kat gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, she’s just… very pretty.”

Bain smiled. “I don’t know if very pretty does my Izzy justice, but it’s a start. Don’t think for one second that she doesn’t love Kale, because she does… as a brother,” he added on a small growl before he moved with propose towards his dark-haired beauty in her deep navy, cocktail dress.

Izzy
let out a soft squeak as Bain pulled her back to his chest and pressed a sinful kiss to her bare neck, just below her ear. “Let’s go get dinner over with so we can start on that wicked list you used to convince me to bring you along.”

Kat felt the rush of sexual energy flow through the room as Bain spoke softly to
Izzy. Whatever he was saying had worked Izzy into a lust-filled haze that was so potent it had Kat’s lids dropping heavy and hooded.

“You ok?” Kale asked. She hadn’t even noticed him move. He had a curious look on his face, his brow arching as his gaze followed hers.

“Those two will wreak havoc on any
Succubi
within a five-mile radius. We need to get out of here,” she said with a sultry smile as she tore her eyes from them.

Bain let out a rumble from deep in his chest as Kale smiled widely.
Izzy on the other hand was ten shades of red as she reluctantly pulled herself from Bain’s arms.

“Sorry,” she muttered as she met Kat’s gaze.

Kat let out a soft, sultry laugh. “You’re apologizing to a Succubus for your sexual energy? That was a boost for me with no work on my part. No apologies necessary.”

Bain shook his head as
Izzy looked up at him, not sure what to say.

“She really is a firecracker,” Kat said to Bain.

Bain tucked Izzy against his side. “She’s my firecracker, Kat—so stop trying to undress her,” Bain warned, only partially kidding.

Izzy’s
jaw dropped but she said nothing.

“Let’s go; the others are waiting for us in the lobby,” Kale said, ushering everyone to the elevator.

Kat took a deep breath as the elevator dinged and the doors opened to the beautiful lobby, where Rowan, Cree, Lothar, Uriah and Jake all waited for them.

Kale smiled. “
Lothar, when did you arrive? I thought you were stuck back in New York doing research.”

Lothar
nodded. “Yes, well, these laptops are amazing things. They allow me to work from wherever I desire. Vegas seemed like as good a place as any.”

Kale slapped
Lothar’s back. “I couldn’t agree more, brother. Glad to have you here.”

“Shall we then? Our reservations are for eight,” Rowan said, leading the way out the front of Desert Brew to a waiting limo.