Release, book 3 of The Angler series (15 page)

“Tane has been hiding mentally since we arrived in Venice.” How did I explain telepathy to someone who’d never experienced the mental touch? “I can’t knock on a door that I can’t find.”

Kam jerked to his feet, pulling
me along. “We should hurry back then.” He dragged me at a shifter’s walking pace, which translated to me jogging.

“What I’m trying to tell you is he might be all right.”

“He also might not be. As the only member of my pack present, the king’s security falls upon my shoulders.” He turned down the canal leading to Catarina’s house. “Neither of you are very compliant in keeping your necks out of trouble.”

I couldn’t argue with him. He was right. Trouble followed me around like
a bad boyfriend.

Catarina’s front door was unlocked
, and Kam entered first. As soon as he crossed the threshold he came to a standstill and his back stiffened.

I peeked around his brick
-house body but found the sitting room empty. The vampires crowding the space minutes ago had vanished since I’d left. Off hunting? All of them together like a cackle of hyenas? I went very still and listened to the echoing silence of the house. Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

Kam twisted his eyes wide and wild. He tucked me under one arm and
pressed his hand to my mouth as he carried me to the coat closet, stuffing us both inside.

The lamp light
outside the closet streamed under the door and lit Kam’s paling face. He set a finger across his lips, imploring me to keep quiet.

Why bother? The hammering of my heart would lead anyone to our hiding place. I took deep, calming bre
aths. I hadn’t a clue why we were hiding or why he seemed scared shitless. My pulse geared up another notch. I’d never seen Kam break into a sweat until now.

He gestured to his ears and made a point with his hands.

Pointy ears? So he either smelled Nosferatu close-by or the Keebler Elves came for a visit. I could so use a box of cookies about now. Crouching on my stomach, I peeked through the crack. Nothing like a Nosferatu presence to vacate a nest of vampires. I was used to being around Tane and had forgotten the amount of fear they could generate among the vampire populace. Dragos’s visit to Budapest had cleared the city clean of them. Did Tane do the same when we traveled? I should pay more attention.

Gritting my teeth, I glance
d at Kam. He had crawled on top of me on his hands and knees so we could both look out the same narrow crack.

“He’s very close,” Kam whispered in my ear. With quiet inhales through his mouth
, Kam tasted the air and grimaced. I’d been around shifters long enough to know the Nosferatu had to be really close for Kam to sense something on his tongue. I also knew Kam would sacrifice his life to save mine. Against a regular vampire, shifters would win the fight, but the Nosferatu were in a different class of bad-ass. Not only were they faster and more powerful, they trained their asses off as warriors. Kam didn’t have a chance.

A door creaked open on the far side of the house
, followed by the stomp of booted feet.

My heart
and gut switched places.

The Nosferatu strode in
to the sitting area buttoning his shirt, his fly still open. I recognized him from the meeting. Damius, the one with the Asian blood slave who’d kicked my ass in Monte Carlo. He stopped by the fireplace and tucked in his shirt. Had he been taking a shower? Changing clothes?

Lighter footsteps drew my attention back to the doorway where Catarina exited. She would have appeared her perfectly dressed self if half of her coif wasn’t tumbling on the right side of her head, a fresh bite mark on her neck and…oh, a hick
y? How high school.

Hadn’t she described Tane’s clan as monsters
? Yet she was lifting her skirts for Damius? He bore the same traits Tane and all his brothers did. What made him so special?

Kam’s fingers
dug into mine. His eyes had shifted to wolf’s amber.

My gut sank back where it belonged. Catarina
had betrayed us? That didn’t sit right. She’d kill Tane without a second thought if she could get away with it, but not Rurik.

“Your hospitality is appreciated
, Lady Catarina. I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome.” He picked up a jacket discarded on a chair. “My men should be finished searching the house by now.”

She attempted to straighten
her hair in vain. “Rurik and I did not part on good terms. You won’t find him near Venice.
Ever
. I’ve strict orders to kill him on sight.”

Damius grunted
and shook his head. “And my brothers wonder why I keep no women.”

I bit my tongue.
What Catarina said hit me. She was lying for us, and Damius’s men were searching the house. I hung my head. Maybe Tane and Rurik hid in a similar closet as well. The absurdity almost made me laugh out loud.

At the back of the house I could make out the bottom of the staircase leading to our bedrooms. A group of vampires descended them. The swagger in their gait told me they knew how to use the weapons hanging off their bodies, especially the wooden stakes belted to their chests.

Seemed like Damius owned his very own death squad. How chic.

They
gathered before him, and his blood slave spoke. “We didn’t find
anyone
within the house. Not even the humans. There’s evidence of a hurried evacuation.” 

Damius raised his eyebrow at Catarina.

“What do you expect when you arrive in my home unannounced? They’re all terrified.”

Approaching the leader, Damius plucked a stake off his chest and set the point over Catarina’s heart. “Why aren’t you?”

I had to give Catarina credit. She stood tall and met his glare. “Of course, I—I am. But I am Lady of this city. I will
not
hide.”

He traced her bosom with the tip. “That’s commendable. Please be sure to contact me if you hear of Rurik’s whereabouts. I would be disappointed to have to return for less pleasant reasons.”

She bowed her head. “What of Master Tane?”

“The king is of no concern of yours.” Damius handed the stake to the leader and headed toward me.

Pain exploded in my head as I geared my body to reverse and clipped Kam’s chin. Curling into a ball, I grasped my noggin and returned Kam’s glare as he clutched the lower half of his face.

The clomping of boots outside our door stilled our nerves. Even my erratic pulse went quiet. The dust floating in the air made more noise than us.

More feet shuffled past, exiting the house.

I turned my head. Under the door I could see
the black soles of Damius’s boots next to the hem of Catarina’s dress.

“If my journey bring
s me this way again, I will be sure to visit and enjoy your hospitality.” I heard him kiss her. He left, closing the door behind him.

Neither
Kam nor I moved. Fear had seized our muscles.

Something slithered on the floor outside
of the coat room.

I jerked to my knees, still not in complete control of my body, and crawled out of the small space.

Catarina sat on the floor, blood tinged tears streaming down her face. Her eyes went wide at my exit from the coat room. Quickly, she wiped her cheeks but the tears kept trickling. “What—” She tried to stand but got tangled in her dress and fell back to the floor.

I pulled her into a bone
-cracking hug. We both needed it.

Kam wasn’t far behind me. Blood stained his lip where he must have bit it.

“Who is this?” Catarina pushed me away and gathered her dress so she could stand without help.

“Kam is my body guard.” I left it at that, too exhausted to explain anything. “Where are Tane and Rurik hiding?” I accepted Kam’s hand and let him pull me onto my rubbery legs.

Catarina pushed past me. “I don’t know. Tane shouted that he sensed a Nosferatu close and to delay him as long as possible.” She halted and tossed me a daggered glare. “Either of you whisper one word of what transpired between me and Damius, and I will make anyone you ever loved suffer.” She resumed her journey to the fireplace and sat in the closest chair.

We followed her. “Did he search your mind?” I pictured a Nosferatu invasion with more blood spatter and flames than this.

“Yes.” She shot me a daggered glare. “I’ve worked long enough with Tane to know how to keep secrets from his kind. I should never have given you sanctuary.” Resting her head in her hand, she closed her eyes. “Oh my Rurik, you will destroy everything I built.”

“They obviously didn’t find them in the house. Could Tane have carried Rurik out?” I aimed my question at Kam. “They were on the second floor when I left.
”

“I’ll find them.” He tapped his nose and hurried toward the staircase.

I met Catarina’s pointed stare. “He’s a shifter and the pack’s best tracker. He’ll find Rurik.
He’s done it before in worse circumstances.”

“Connie, I’d prefer to be alone. I have a nest to gather and reassure.” She waved me away like a servant.

I withheld my snide remark and swallowed bitter words. “Thank you for…uh…” I pointed to the back room where she’d
distracted
Damius. Catarina and I didn’t see eye to eye on who Rurik belonged to, but she’d taken one for the team tonight. I wouldn’t forget it. I traced Kam’s path to the second floor and entered my dark bedroom. My boys couldn’t be far. I tried connecting to Tane without success. Him and his uber shield drove me nuts.

Unable to see well in the dark
, I made it across my room step by slow step, waving my arms in front so I wouldn’t stub my toes. I came into contact with the oil lamp but still had no a way to light it. The hall lights were lit. I could get flame from them.

Carrying it out to the hall, I tipped the lamp to contact wick to wick but
a small amount of oil poured out and flash-fried on the flame. I finally got it lit without setting the house on fire and returned to my room. The flame light flickered off a bald head of a Nosferatu sitting on the edge of my bed.

Exhaustion played havoc on my mind and I blinked in the dim lighting, unable to make out who sat on my bed. “Tane?” I remained frozen to my spot and squinted. My tired heart hammered. Damius hadn’t departed that long ago. It could be either of them.

He
lifted his head slowly and rose from the bed a little unstable on his feet. The light revealed a set of ice-blue eyes that crinkled with his smile. He held out his arms. “Rabbit.” His voice sounded as welcoming as a hot bath on a cold winter’s night.

The lamp trembled in my hands
, and I set it to the floor before I set us on fire. “Rurik?” I took a step toward the doorway; however, I couldn’t run from him. Last I’d spoken to him he’d been mostly sane. Had the transformation finished? “Are you normal?” I didn’t know how else to ask. He hadn’t torn out my throat yet.

Rurik touched t
he points of his ears. “I guess, if you call this normal. It’ll take some getting used to.”

The tension in my shoulders and neck washed away as he spoke. Dare I believe?
I raced to him and flung myself into his arms, wrapping my legs around his hips. “You survived.”

He tumbled upon impact and we hit the floor.

The landing jarred my teeth as they clanked together. I jerked from his hold. “Are you still fighting the urge to drink my blood?” Better to ask late than never.

His
wide grin faded. “No, the urge has passed.” He ran his fingers though my short curls. “I’m sorry—”

I set my hand over his mouth. “Don’t
. You weren’t yourself. All that matters is I have you back.”

He kissed my fingertips. “Forever.” His gaze focused on my hair. “You’re cute. We should buy you
a school girl outfit to go with this hairstyle. I have a few games we can play.”

I ran my fingertips over the points of his elf ears. “I’ll wear it as long as you bake me cookies.”

With a hungry growl, he pulled me against him. His mouth instinctively found mine, and lips met in a clash of something being found at long last.

I breathed him in. Until this moment I’d been coming to terms of losing him. The burning ache within my soul
, the one I’d been trying to ignore, had branded a permanent mark. I clung to his shoulders, fearing if I let go he’d vanish into a dream.

He slowed, brushing his mouth against mine until my desperation eased
our kiss into an affectionate rhythm.

I broke from his gentle hold and sat
on the floor next to him. His questioning gaze followed me.

H
e rose with jerking movements, not his usual grace. He’d been through a lot of physical changes over the last few days. Weakness was probably expected but it hurt seeing him in this condition. Laurent had moved in the same manner near the end and those memories had been so close to the surface of late.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.
Hayden opened the door. “Senora. Master Rurik, it is good to see you well. Master Tane bids both of you to join him and Lady Catarina in the south sitting room.” When he retreated, he left the door open.

I chewed my bottom lip. Couldn’t we get a break? The meeting meant nothing good. I wanted a few more minutes, if not hours, pretending we’d be fine before doom and gloom broke me.

Rurik ran his thumb over my chin. “Stop that. You’ll leave a mark.”

“Just because you’re Nosferatu
, don’t expect me to jump at every order.” I stopped wearing away at my lip though.

He snorted. “Why would I expect that when you don’t even listen to the most powerful of their clan?”

“Your clan as well.” I leaned forward. “Do you feel different?”

Shrugging, he grimaced. “I ache everywhere.”

“That’s it?”

“
Isn’t it enough? I’ve only been awake a few minutes. If I grow a second cock, you’ll be the first to know, okay?” He winked and rose to his feet by climbing the side of my bed.

“Wow, are you sure you haven’t transformed into a fourteen
-year-old boy?” I jumped to my feet and slipped my arm around his waist.

“I was much worse
back then.” He gave my ass a hard pinch and chuckled. “Much, much worse.”

“No need to convince me. I believe it.” I pinched his ass in return. The depression dragging me into my dark place had vanished
, and I wanted to sing. Less than an hour ago, I thought everything was coming to end. With Rurik alive and well, we had a fighting chance. “Where’s the south sitting room?”

“Follow me.”

“So…” I leaned against him as we strolled arm and arm. “I couldn’t help but notice a certain resemblance between me and Catarina.”

“Hmm.” He led us to the first floor.

“That’s all you have to say?” I stopped on the landing, not sure if I really wanted to hear his answer but unable to leave it alone. It was like a sore tooth. I knew the more I poked at it, the more it would hurt, but I couldn’t stop.

Sighing, he faced me. “What is your concern?”

How did I answer that question and keep my dignity? There wasn’t a way. If I wanted to know the truth, I’d have to speak the truth. “That you replaced her with me.”

“Do you think Tane would have bound you
to him if you reminded him of Catarina?”

I
opened my mouth then snapped it shut. I hadn’t thought that. There was no love lost between those two.

“You look a little alike
. I never held that against you, but that’s as far as the resemblance goes. You’re both very different women.” He left me gaping.
Hold it against me?

“You’re so lucky I’m happy to see you acting like an asshole instead of a serial killer.”

He tossed me a playful smile.

I loved him
so much I feared for my rationality.

The room was past the kitchen on the side of the house I hadn’t been
to yet. Large windows looked out over the canals and moonlight streamed in, mixing with the flickering light. Tane sat in a plush chair like a predator at rest. His gaze never left Catarina as she paced back and forth in front of him.

She came to halt
when Rurik arrived. Her hands fluttered to cover her mouth.

“Catarina.” He took one of her hands and kissed the back. “Thank you for sheltering us.”

“Our link isn’t broken. I can still sense you. How is that possible?” She asked this to Tane.

He looked thoughtful. “
The link forming between me and Rurik is growing stronger, but it has not solidified. Rurik is still in a state of transformation, I assume. This is all very new to me as well. As far as I know, no other has become Nosferatu in this manner before Rurik.”

Catarina and Tane had both mentioned this period of change. She
’d wanted me to kill Tane while Rurik was still in this fragile stage so he would revert back to being a regular vampire. Could that even work?

As if hearing my though
ts, Tane’s gaze traveled to me. “Catarina told me of your adventures with Kam while Damius visited.”

“I’m tired of adventures
. I’m ready to retire into a quiet life after this week. Where is Kam?” I searched the room for the big shifter.

“I sent him on an errand.” Tane’
s grim expression turned weary. He hated how the shifters shadowed his every move when we traveled, but they took their oath seriously and so should he.

“
How did you escape Damius?” I asked.

“I sensed him when he arrived at the front door
. It gave me enough time to carry Rurik out to the neighboring house.” His frown grew deeper. “My brother has kept his increasing strength a secret. I fear he’ll rival me soon.”

“Are you sure he didn’t sense you?” Catarina asked.

“Very sure. If not, Rurik would be dead.”

I sat in the
antique love seat across from Tane, and Rurik joined me with his arm across my shoulders.

Catarina frowned.

“How did you distract my brother for so long?” Tane leaned his chin against his hand.

Catarina’s frown faded as she paled. For a vampire
, this wasn’t an easy feat.

I cleared m
y throat and drew Tane’s attention. “She’s very schooled in the art of conversation.” Though this talent seemed to have disappeared when Tane asked his question. She fucked Damius for Rurik’s sake, and in my book she deserved a medal. “Where do we go now?” I assumed we should be on the run again, away from Venice, Catarina, and Damius.

From Tane’s expression
, I could tell he didn’t share the same train of logic. “Damius searched the house and found nothing. There’s no reason for him to return. This is probably the safest place on Earth for the moment.”

Catarina had asked me to keep my mouth shut and I
had, but Damius had seemed pretty interested in returning for more
conversations
with Catarina. She stayed quiet with her back to us. Would she really place Rurik in danger of being found just to keep him close for a little longer?

“It’s unfair for us to place her and the nest at risk.” Rurik spoke in
to the void of silence filling the room.

I shifted in my seat and met Tane’s questioning gaze. Our mental link was convenient for moments like this
, but he still wouldn’t use it with Damius so close. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. See, it wasn’t fun when someone kept secrets.

“We can return to Rome and retrieve the yacht.” I glanced a
t Rurik.

He stared off in space.

I poked him. “We can find a deserted island. You can fish for me.”

He gave me a halfhearted smile and stuck his fingers inside his mouth.

“Or not.” I leaned forward to assess what the hell he was doing. “What’s wrong?”

He said,
“My tooth hurts.” But it sounded more like I-ooth-urts with his digits obstructing his tongue.

Tane kne
eled in front of him. “Now what is going wrong?”

I glanced from one to the other. “They’re not supposed to do that?” He tilted Rurik’s head back and examined the inside. A little blood oozed from his gums. “Are his teeth growing?” Seem
ed plausible. Tane’s fangs could match a tiger’s if hungry enough.

Catarina approached us. Her concern for Rurik must outweigh her dislike for Tane. “Our hair and nails continue to grow
, but I have never heard of teeth unless they’d been lost. Did you knock out a tooth?”

“Not that I remember.” Rurik jerked and pulled out
his fingers. He clutched a bloody fang. “Maybe I had? They still hurt though.” He opened wider. “Is it growing back?”

Three heads gathered in front of his mouth. While examining the inside,
I saw his other fang fall out. It clattered to the floor, shattering in small pieces.

Vampires were made to last. They didn’t break.

“Fuck, forget the island.” Rurik was falling apart.