Immortal Craving: Immortal Heart (15 page)

Kat sipped her wine slowly as she watched the group she was currently dining with. Even in the presence of their leader and their Queen, they joked and jabbed at one another, Rowan and Cree joining in. She was at a family dinner and it was beyond bizarre for her.

Her gaze flicked to Jake every few minutes and saw that her friend appeared more comfortable then even she felt. He was seated across from Bain and Izzy and next to Uriah; they laughed and joked mostly at Kale’s expense. Jake and Kale’s fight in the alley was a source of barbs and laughter. Kale took the jokes with a healthy amount of his own ribbing at everyone else’s expense.

When Kat wasn’t focused on Jake, she was steeling sidelong glances as she
was acutely aware of the tall, dark, and dangerously sexy Immortal to her left. Kale looked fifty shades of sex appeal in his black pants and his deep grey dress shirt. The first few buttons on his shirt were open and peeked at the artwork beneath. She swore she saw scales, a snake perhaps… Maybe someday she’d get a glimpse at it.

Kat lifted her gaze from her plate and focused on the Immortal who was currently studying her.
Lothar’s looks resembled Kale but there was a massive difference in their eyes. Kale’s deep espresso eyes sparked with mischief and youth, while Lothar’s were reserved—as though he’d lived a thousand lifetimes—the deep, metal-gray with flecks of blue spoke of experience and loyalty. Kat smiled softly at him. Lothar returned the gesture, though it held some sort of secret. Then again, he was the Empath and chances were he’d spent the past hour and half they’d been in this dining room tapping into her emotions.

She didn’t necessarily blame him. Kale was the youngest among them and thus they were protective. And everything she’d seen, and been told, confirmed what she’d felt when Kale followed her into that alley—he was different now.

“Kat?” Kale’s low voice pulled her gaze from Lothar and to him.

“Hmm, sorry,” she waved a hand nonchalantly, “I zoned out.”

Kale nodded. “Are you ready to head back?”

Kat looked around the table, noticing that most of their plates had been cleared and everyone was getting up from their seats.

“Uh, yeah.” She pushed her seat back, grabbed her napkin from her lap, and sat it on the table.

“We’re going to explore the city a little, if anyone would like to join us?” Bain announced.

Cree’s gaze flicked to Izzy as he rested his hand on the small of Rowan’s back. “I think we’re going to call it a night. Try not to get arrested,” he mused as Izzy blushed.

“Damn it, Cree,”
Izzy muttered, causing him to chuckle.

“Good night,” Cree said as he and Rowan left the table, Rowan shaking her head and probably chiding him in their special way that no one could ever eavesdrop on.

“Blessings all. I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll leave the limo for you, Bain,” Rowan said as they disappeared from the restaurant.

“I need to make a trip to the castle. I’ll be back in the morning,” Uriah told them, directing the last part to
Lothar.

Lothar
nodded at Uriah. “And I’m afraid I must call it a night as well,” Lothar said, excusing himself after Uriah.

Bain looked to the remainder of their group. “That leaves the five of us.”

Kale shook his head. “I think it’ll just be the two of you. Go have fun with your girl—just save some energy for tomorrow night.”

Bain nodded with an arm slung over
Izzy’s shoulders. “Will do, brother. Take the limo and have a good night.”

****

The warm, desert night air brushed against the obsidian feathers that covered his wings. Kale loved to fly; he loved the way the wind ruffled through the soft downy feathers that covered his eight-foot span of wings.

After getting Kat and Jake back to Desert Brew, he paced on the rooftop patio before giving in—stripping off his shirt and letting the freedom of flight clear his mind and cleanse his soul.

He had to figure out how to deal… how to accept what the fates had laid out for both him and Kat. He wanted her back—she was the only woman he had ever truly loved, the only woman who he’d ever wanted. The past fifteen years had been hell on him. He’d found empty pleasure in the bodies of the woman he’d bedded since Kat, but they were merely
an end to a primal need he’d had to satisfy. One’s hand could only provide so much relief.

But the true mate issue… How could he try to hold on to her, if he wasn’t the one fate had created for her? If he wasn’t the one meant to hold her, to love her, to soothe her, to protect her—was he selfless enough to let her go after he’d just found her again?

No, he was a selfish bastard and he wanted her… no one other than Kat could soothe his soul. He felt whole when she was around.

How was he supposed to let her go? He may not be her true mate, but he could love her enough to create a happy life for them…
Right?

Kale knew better. He knew that the happily ever after he could try to create for her was nothing compared to destiny.

Kale closed his eyes against the heated air and the sprawling lights of the city below.

Who was he trying to kid anyway? Kat had made it clear—she wanted a life without him and she had every right to find the one who was the other half of her soul. With a few final flaps of his massive black wings, Kale began to glide back towards the roof before pulling his wings against his side and diving towards the deep, rooftop pool.

With a splash that sent ripples through the rectangle pool and sent small waves against the titled sides, he collided with the water. Kale kept his eyes closed and let the cool water embrace him. Kale pulled his wings in and stretched out his arms, allowing himself to float to the surface. The droplets of water that had spotted his chest from his deep dive had already begun drying in the heat of the Nevada night.

“I give it a seven point two,” a sexy voice said softly.

Kale cracked open his lids to see Kat looking down at him from the pool’s edge. Her body was barely covered in teal bikini bottoms and a matching, halter-style swimsuit top.

Kale smiled at her. “That was at least a nine point five.”

Kat arched a brow as she moved down the pool stairs, the still rippling water lapping against her bare flesh. “I’ll negotiate to an eight point five, but you get no more points out of me,” she said playfully.

Kale arched a brow and straightened in the pool, his feet finding solid ground, as he watched her move further into the water.

“What are you doing out here so late?” he asked as she dipped her shoulders into the water.

She shrugged, rippling the water around her.
“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Why not?”
Kale asked, keeping a watchful eye on her.

She averted her eyes from his face. She damn well knew why she couldn’t sleep but she wasn’t about to lay all her secrets out for him. “There’s a lot on my mind, I guess.”

Kale nodded. “Rowan?” he asked, knowing the conversation she’d had with his queen had to be the heaviest thing weighing on her. Rowan had given her what she wanted—only there were a few stipulations.

Kat meet his gaze. His eyes looked black in the dark of the night. The only light on the roof came from the lights in
the pool. Kale looked hauntingly gorgeous in the blue glow—she’d missed his handsome face.

She’d also finally gotten a look at the tattoo that wrapped up his arm and across his chest… a dragon breathing fire over his heart. It seemed almost poetic.

“Kat,” Kale said her name tenderly.

She lifted her gaze back to his and gestured towards his chest. “I like it,” she said softly.

Kale nodded. He did as well. “Thanks.”

“I noticed it was scales, but I wasn’t sure what they belonged to. I guess I should have known it would be a dragon… it makes sense.”

“Why is that?” he asked.

She smiled.
“Because fire is your one true love. It’s what heats your veins and warms your soul. It keeps your heart beating and strengthens you. It’s your passion, Kale.”

Funny
, Kale thought. That had been how he’d always seen her.

She was what heated his soul and lit the fire in his veins. He’d known control over the element before her, was nearly consumed by it when he met her, almost lost control of it when he lost her… Had he not been weak and had Rowan not suffused him with the calm she held over everyone who loved her, he would have burned
Darion and his entire kingdom to the ground.

Nowadays fire was the one constant he always counted on. It sounded odd. He was surrounded by people who loved him—people he loved and would unquestioningly lay his life down for—but somehow none of that
could fill the emptiness he’d been fighting these past fifteen years.

“I think you may see my control over the element a little differently than I do,” Kale told her as she moved through the water.

“You love the element. We all know that.”

Kale nodded. “Yes I do, but it’s merely an element I can control—it’s not my passion.”

Kat moved towards him, stopping when she was only mere inches from his hard, roped chest. Droplets of water still glistened off his carved muscles.

“What is your passion, Kale?” she asked, resting her palms against his chest. Her thumb softly flicked the silver ring clutching to the nipple of his right
pec.

Kale sucked in a sharp breath. “
Kitten
, are you trying to seduce me?” he asked, a deep shiver running through him as Kat locked on his gaze.

“I’m trying to figure you out,” she said, running her hand lower to finger the waistband of his low-riding jeans.

“You know me,
Kitten
. There’s nothing for you to figure out.”

He was right… She could fight and deny, but the truth was—she knew him to his very soul, which made her hate herself even more for ever believing a word that had fallen from
Darion’s vindictive lips.

But right now she didn’t want to think about that. Because, somehow, knowing she had a choice to make and options in her life, options that could include Kale if he wanted her, gave her the courage and freedom to explore what had always be all consuming, but still so
very simple for them. The physical part of their relationship had been the one uncomplicated thing between them.

“Most people don’t swim in their jeans,” she said in a low murmur.

Kale dipped his face to hers, their foreheads nearly touching. “Are you saying you want my pants off?”

Kat licked her lips, causing a low groan to pull from deep in Kale’s chest. “
Mmm, you have no idea what I’ve dreamt of those lips doing to me.”

Kat smiled, lowering her lips to brush against the soft skin of Kale’s neck, down his collarbone and to the reflective silver loop in his left nipple.

Kat swirled and flicked her tongue around and over the piercing, eliciting a low moan from Kale.

“Something like this?” she asked smugly.

Kale snaked his fingers through her wet tresses and tipped her head back to stare down at her. “Something like that,” he agreed. “But so much more,” he added.

Kat smiled up at him as she backed up towards the shallow end of the pool. When the water was low enough that it hit Kale mid-thigh, Kat pushed him against the wall of the pool, dropped to her knees, and made quick work of the buttons on the fly of his jeans.

Kale sucked in a sharp breath as Kat hooked both the waistband of his jeans and his boxers with her thumbs and pulled the blasted material out of the way.

Kale’s hardened shaft jutted free of the clothes that had bound him. Kat let out a soft purr, her fingers closing around his hard length as her thumb ran softly over the barbell through his tip.

She lifted her gaze to Kale’s face and licked her lip before lowering her mouth to place a gentle kiss to the tip of his hard flesh, then proceeded to take him in inch by inch.

Kale moaned, his head falling back as his hips jerked. Desire and lust flooded him as she suckled and milk his heated flesh.

Kat swirled her tongue over him, clearing every drop of pre-cum from his head before taking him back into her hot mouth.

Kale shoved his fingers through her hair. On a guttural moan he tried to order her to suck harder, take him deep and faster, but it came out a jumbled, “
Yeeess,
Kitten.
”

Kat dug her nails into his backside, her gaze locking with his as he began pumping into her mouth. Kat’s eyes began to shut as the lust and power
began humming inside of her. Kale was close and she wanted nothing more than to truly taste him—to feel what she could do to him.

She knew many human women who joked that they “spit not swallowed”. It was a shameful waste in Kat’s opinion. She survived on all things related to sexual energy. She wouldn’t waste a single drop of Kale’s seed. It had been fifteen years since she’d taken a man into her mouth and as she worked Kale’s solid, pulsing length, she knew he was the only man she’d ever want in her mouth.

Kat felt her lids dropping as she felt Kale’s stomach tighten and he braced for a release that had him tugging at her hair.

“Open your eyes,
Kitten,
” Kale growled low. “There’s nothing to figure out,” he moaned. “This is what you do to me.”

On a roar, Kale let his satisfaction flow.

Kat eyes glowed, a bright green lighting Kale’s face as she watched him catch his breath. Kat pulled his pants and boxers back up and buttoned him into his wet jeans. She laid a soft kiss to the wet denim over his groin before he grabbed her arms and pulled her to his chest.

“Your eyes are glowing,” he whispered.

“I know… it’s a new development.”

“Are you ok?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m just tired,” she said softly against his chest.

It didn’t sound right. She should be energized—she should be feeling stronger.

Kat chuckled as she ran her soft fingers over his neck in a simple, pleasurable, and innocent caress.

“I’m fine, I promise. It’s just… well your energy is more powerful than I’m used to… I feel a little
drunk.
”

Kale’s wings shook out behind him as he held her tight and lifted her up, pulling her legs around his waist. Before she knew what was happening, they were out of the pool and gliding down the side of the building to a balcony.

“What are you doing?” she asked as he pushed the door open and they were greeted by the living area of their suites.

Thankfully, the room was dark and empty. Kat smiled as they passed her
door and Kale pushed open the door to his room. He kicked it closed behind them—effectively shutting out anything that could break the spell she was now under.

Kale pulled back the covers to the massive, king-sized bed. With deft hands, he stripped Kat of her wet swimsuit and laid her out in his bed.

He threw a ball of flames at the massive, rock-faced fireplace.

Kale tugged off his wet jeans and tossed them through the open door to his bathroom. He slipped into bed next to Kat and pulled the covers over them.

Kat snuggled into the covers as Kale pulled her back against his chest.

Kat vaguely heard the air conditioner kick on. It was way too warm for a fire but she loved the heat and the sound of the flames crackling in
the hearth; it was sweet and romantic. She even swore—though the next morning she’d deny it—but she thought she heard Kale say as he pressed a kiss to her temple…

“
Sleep now. I love you, Kitten… always have
.”