Vampire King of New York (30 page)

“It looks like a dead crow.” She sniffled and turned to look at him. “I hope there’s not some kind of bird epidemic going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“They seem to be everywhere in the city. Dead black birds, I mean.”

He stopped the car. “Stay here.” Max got out and walked over to the dark lump in the grass. Then he looked up into the sky, turning this way and that trying to see if anything was above them. Then he hurried back into the car and drove out of the cemetery following the path they’d taken back to her house, all the time keeping an eye on the sky, an eye on the mirrors.

When the garage door finally closed behind him, Max felt relieved. He had a bad feeling about the birds. He hadn’t noticed they were everywhere. It was a sign he hoped never to see again. He hoped some other demon was using the evil one’s calling card. Having been told years ago that she was dead, killed by a slayer.

“Max, are you okay? You look more pale than usual. Did you see a ghost? I know vampires aren’t afraid of ghosts.”

“Come on inside the house, Evie. You’re soaked to the skin. I don’t want you catching your death.”

He helped her out of the car, and she clung to his warmth. Evelyn couldn’t stop shivering. Max lifted her into his arms and went into the house and upstairs. He went straight to their bedroom.

“You have to get out of those clothes and get warm.”

She stared at him for a moment. Then she shimmied out of her clothes piece by piece. He wrapped her in a bathrobe. Taking her by the hand, he led her into the bathroom.

“Do you have intentions?” She smirked at him.

A smile warmed his face. “I’m glad to see you’re coming back from that despair that held you.”

“Please, hold me.”

He chuckled and kissed her. “I want you to relax in a bubble bath, while I go and pick out some clothes for you. I might also take the time to change the beds.”

That didn’t register for a moment, but he left her alone and she dumped some bubble bath into the churning water. Minutes later, she lay in it and soaked. Her mind drifted lighting over the events of the day. Most of the time, she thought about Max and wondered if he would be joining her in the bath.

Going out into the world had just been weird. Nothing felt normal. Standing at J.J.’s headstone was like standing in the past a hundred years ago. It was only a year ago, but it seemed far away. Evelyn felt like a different person. J.J.’s mother didn’t know about vampires. She knew about soccer and baseball. Jack’s wife didn’t know about hidden clubs under Manhattan. She knew about working in the library while Jack studied at law school. She knew about being impeccably dressed, so he could parade her in front of the firm’s partners at cocktail parties. Evelyn had been the perfect wife, who always understood when he was late, took care of J.J., and never asked questions because he would hit her if she did.

A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.

“Why are you crying, my love?” Max knelt beside the bathtub.

She looked over at him. They were eye level, equal in a way and she had never experienced that before. Evelyn bit her lower lip.

“I’ve been missing you.”

He stripped down and sat in the bubbles opposite her. “I know you’re upset about something.”

“I haven’t been smart in my life.”

“Have any of us, really?”

“You have.”

He shook his head. “I’ve made a lot of wrong choices along the way and it has cost me. Maybe not in money but in personal happiness.”

In a bold move, Evelyn inched over him until she straddled him.

His eyes narrowed. “Are you planning to seduce me?”

She caressed his ready shaft through the bubbles. “Not at all. What gave you that idea?”

He eased her toward him. She fell forward onto his desire. When they joined, she gasped. Immediately his lips were on hers. His tongue parted her lips declaring dominance, and she let him. Surrender could be delicious. She wanted him to drive her to desperation.

Max didn’t stop kissing her, and each kiss fueled her fire. He pushed into her, and she pushed onto him, wanting him more each time. His every touch. His every movement drove her body into a frenzy. His growl tickled her ears making her smile.

“You are mine.” The words thundered through her head and her core. She ached for him, and sensing her need, he pounded into her. His fangs nuzzled her ear. Evelyn’s breathing became ragged, short breaths, gasps for air.

Then the perfect tingling contentment flooded her. All his muscles tightened around her, inside her. They shuddered, holding tightly to each other. Little tremors passed through them one to the other. Finally Evelyn lay her head down on his chest, exhausted.

“I love you, Reynard.” As soon as she said it, she knew there was no going back now. Her body betrayed her secret. Her eyes snapped open.

Max stilled. He was awake. Very awake and aware of what had just happened.

“You remember me, Svenna?”

Evelyn leaned up on her hands. “I remember another time when we were together. I’ve been dreaming about you all my life.”

A grin spread across his face like a celebration. “I’ve dreamt of you too. For over a thousand years, I drew comfort from closing my eyes and being with you.” He caressed her face.

“So if I dreamt of you, and you of me, the dreams were real?”

“Yes.”

“Wow. We’ve had a lot of sex.”

Max chuckled. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

Evelyn remembered it all, every tender look, every passionate night and equally passionate days in a high meadow. But the heartbreak remained. “Why didn’t you come home?”

“I was a vampire. Back then there were no blood banks or donors. Vampires hunted humans. I didn’t want to kill my family.”

She shook her head. “You wouldn’t have. Sure, I would have been frightened at first when you told me what you’d become, but I would have found a way to keep you with us. I would have hid you if I had to. Tell me the real reason.”

“You were angry with me when I left.”

“I would have forgiven you the instant you walked in the door. You know that.”

He looked away, purposely avoiding her eyes.

“Max, I am Evelyn now, and I love you, but as Svenna I need to know why you broke my heart. Tolson had told me you were dead. He told the entire village how he barely escaped with his life, and how a village of demons ate you and the crew. I refused to believe it. I begged the Goddess Freya to bring you home to me. I begged her every day of my life.”

A tear of blood slipped down his cheek.

She touched his cheek in a gentle caress. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“I wanted you to have some happiness. I let you down as a husband. I should have stayed when you had that dream, that omen of destruction. Seven years later when I returned and saw you through the window, you seemed so happy. You and Gusta had a child together. When I saw the young girl, I knew I couldn’t come home to you.”

Evelyn punched him in the shoulder and leapt out of the tub. She grabbed a robe and wrapped it around herself.

“What was that for?” He followed her into the bedroom, wrapping a towel loosely around his hips.

“I thought vampires could read minds.”

“Not always. Not everyone.”

“That girl you saw was your daughter. I didn’t know I was carrying her until after you were gone. I named her Freya. I waited seven years for you, and then the council would not let me wait longer. They made me marry Gusta, so the children and I would have help with the farm, a provider for the family, a protector. He was a good man but I didn’t want to have children with him. I secretly took a potion each day to prevent it. I only wanted you.” She punched him in the shoulder again for good measure.

Max pulled her into his arms. “Will you forgive me for being stupid?”

“Don’t be stupid anymore.”

“I won’t.” He kissed her. Then going down on one knee, he said, “Evelyn, please, marry me.”

Chapter 18

Evelyn gazed down on him. He was everything she wanted. One small obstacle still stood in the way. In his life, their time together would be too short, her human life a mere blink of an eye to a vampire.

“Do you love me?”

“You know I do.”

“Then marry me.”

“We won’t be together long.” She couldn’t help but say it.

“I will cherish every moment I have with you.” He shifted knees. “Um, Evie, you’re leaving me down here without an answer.”

She got down on her knees and faced him.

His brow arched. “You’re not supposed to be down here,” Max said.

“Yes.”

“Yes to what?”

“Yes, I will marry you, Max.” Evelyn fell into his arms and into the longest, most passionate kiss. When they parted, it was merely to take a breath. He nibbled on her lips, jaw, ears, shoulders, until she was laughing and rolling on the floor.

“Okay.” She pushed him away, getting up and sitting on the bed. “Hey, this is the sleigh bed.”

He got off the floor. “I switched them when you first went into the bathroom. I didn’t like the comforter. I switched that too.”

The fuzzy feeling in her head made her shiver.

You are marrying Max?

Yes, I am.

“Are you mindtalking with your sister?”

“Yes. You really have to teach me how to block sharing my thoughts. I really don’t want Laura in my head when we’re making love.”

He laughed. “It’s not fair that she can get into your mind and I can’t.”

“Promise you’ll teach me to block.”

“Yes, I will.”

She took him by the hand. “Right now I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat.”

He went with her down the hall. Evelyn paused at J.J.’s room then stepped inside. “It’s like a room lost in time.” The dinosaur was on top of the small bookcase. The toy box was open with a train and a truck sticking out. It was exactly where he had left it. Evelyn felt the familiar pain choking her, making her sniffle.

Max put his arms around her. “Evie, we will have children.”

“I know. I just miss him.” Her heart was breaking all over again and she trembled.

He turned her away from the view of the toys and kissed her neck. “Come on, my love.” Max playfully led her out of the room. Together they headed downstairs to the kitchen.

He stopped mid stair.

“What’s wrong?”

He ran into the living room and turned on the TV. The newscaster announced, “NYPD continues to look into the two murders near Battery Park. We will continue to cover breaking news on this story.” Then the man broke for a commercial.

“There’s never a murder near Battery Park. It’s very safe,” she said.

Max sat down hard on the sofa. “David told me to see the news. He says that the two victims were bitten by vampires, and he’s before the vampire council right now proposing a lockdown of all vampire residents of the city.”

“Do we have to leave for New York?”

“No. He says no. He says we’re safer where we are, and the Arnhem Knights will handle it.”

“But they haven’t so far. It’s the woman. It must be. Max, think. Have you slighted any female vampires in your existence?”

Nervous what his answer might be and still a bit hungry, Evelyn wandered into the kitchen. She opened the fridge to look at her options. Max was at the cupboard next to her, taking down two cans of vegetable soup.

“Would you like some soup? I know I would.” He looked miserable.

“Okay.” She sat at the table.

Max sprang into action opening cans and pouring contents into the pot. He turned on the stovetop. His stirring took on a frenzied quality. Evelyn stepped up and put her hand on his arm.

“I believe that’s enough stirring. You can just let it simmer a while.”

He removed the large spoon and set it on the spoon rest. She reached over to turn down the heat. Then he turned into her arms. Max was shaking. She hugged him harder.

“We’re going to survive together.” She meant it. She leaned up for a kiss and he met her half way. Fire roared through her heart, her fingers, her legs, pooling in her core. Was every kiss going to be like this?

“I’m not afraid for myself, Evie. I’m afraid for you. Nothing can happen to you.”

“Max, I’m not going to stay locked up behind bodyguards like a porcelain doll. Besides you tried that remember, and she almost got me. That time in the library I had a bad feeling and followed it. She missed me by hours, because I left early and came to you.”

He caressed her hair, letting out a long luxurious sigh. “I remember. I remember how it felt knowing you chose to come to me to be safe.” He traced the line from shoulder to jaw with his tongue.

Evelyn felt her knees buckle. Recovering because of necessity, she gently pushed him away.

“Max, I’ve admitted that I’m your lifemate, and I have agreed to marry you.”

“You say that as if you don’t want to marry me.”

She leaned into him and licked the line from the base of his neck to his jaw. Then for good measure, Evelyn breathed into his ear. “When we marry, I want you to take me on a long honeymoon. I want you to do all those things that make me feel so wild.”

A big grin spread across his face. “I make you feel wild?”

“Later. We have to figure out who the master vampire is. In your case, vampiress.”

“I guess we have to talk, and I want to be honest.” He led her over to the little table and they both sat down. “There were a few vampiresses I spent time with. I thought that mating with a human would be a mistake and that I should stick with my own kind. It was a theory of mine. There was Miranda, the queen of Mexico.”

“I take it she was hot.”

“Actually she was cold. She was not my lifemate, but I thought lifemates to be a myth at that time. The interest faded away one day and we called it quits. It was an amicable split. I don’t see why she’d come after me now.”

“Let’s cross her off the list for now.”

Max leapt up to stir the soup. “Normally I’d make you a soup from scratch with freshly chopped vegetables.”

He amazed her. She had no idea that he cooked.

“It’s fine. Things might change and we might have to leave for New York right away.”