“I figured I was in it when I killed the first one,” Zack said with a shrug. “But, hey, bring her on. The sooner we kill her, the sooner Kaitlyn and I can get out of here.”
Drake regarded the other vampire a moment before asking, “Are you as powerful as you seem to think you are?”
“I don’t know. I’m about a hundred years older than you are. Even so, I think your way of life makes you weak.”
No sooner had Zack spoken the words than he felt a sharp blast of preternatural power. Had he been mortal, it would have knocked him off his feet. But he wasn’t mortal, and he had power of his own, which he now directed at Kaitlyn’s father. Supernatural energy crackled in the air between the two men, singeing the leaves of the trees, scorching the earth.
“Had enough?” Drake asked.
Zack snorted derisively. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
With a rueful shake of his head, Drake reined in his power. Zack Ravenscroft was truly a vampire to be reckoned with. And even though it galled Drake to admit it, he feared the other man’s power was, indeed, stronger.
As soon as Drake reined in his power, Zack did likewise. He probably should have let Kaitlyn’s father win their little pissing contest, he thought ruefully, but it just wasn’t in him to back down.
The two men stared at each other a moment, then Drake hoisted the blanket-wrapped body to his shoulder and willed himself back to the Fortress.
Zack remained where he was, his senses sweeping the countryside. Blood was a wonderful thing, he mused. Giving Kaitlyn his blood, drinking hers, had enhanced his powers, sharpened his senses. Had it done the same for her?
Once he was certain there were no other vampires lurking in the area, Zack willed himself back to the library in the Fortress, only to find it empty.
He waited a few minutes, hoping to see Kaitlyn, then made his way to his room at the end of the corridor. Stripping down to his briefs, he stretched out on the mattress. Arms folded behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling.
It had been a strange night. He was used to being in the company of humans, but he had never seen vampires and humans mingling the way they had in the ballroom earlier that evening. Like Drake, some of the vampires had chosen to marry humans, which in itself was a rare occurrence, at least in Zack’s world.
But things were different here, in the Carpathian Coven. Right or wrong, vampires and mortals had found a way to coexist, each benefiting the other. It would take some getting used to.
And then there was Nadiya. What kind of woman—vampire or human—sacrificed her living children to avenge two dead ones? Three dead now, Zack amended. And he had been responsible for two of them.
As for taking Kaitlyn hunting—he blew out a breath. All things considered, he had to admit that it probably hadn’t been the brightest idea he had ever come up with. But it had sure as hell been fun while it lasted. Watching her take pleasure in her vampire nature had been a remarkably satisfying thing to see. He knew, from his own experience, that Kaitlyn would never be truly happy until she accepted the whole of who and what she was. Only then would she be comfortable with both sides of her nature—at home in her own skin, so to speak. He thought he had helped her achieve that more fully tonight. It bemused him to discover that her happiness was more important to him than life itself.
Plagued by a nightmare, Kaitlyn woke before sunrise, and then, unable to get back to sleep, she left her bed and went into the kitchen, where she fixed a cup of peppermint tea and honey, hoping it would help dispel the last vestiges of her nightmare—a horrible dream in which their attacker had been the victor and it had been Zack sprawled on the ground in an ever-widening pool of blood, his head separated from his body.
She carried her tea to one of the tables in the dining room and sat down, the cup cradled in her hands while she went over the events of the past night.
It had started off so well, being with Zack. The movie had amused him. He had laughed from time to time. Occasionally he had whispered the dialogue along with the actors. When she asked, he admitted he had seen the film dozens of times. Later, they had danced. As always, she had reveled at being in his arms, feeling his strength, seeing the love in his eyes, hearing it in his voice. Hunting with him had been exciting, an adventure like none she had ever known before. For the first time in her life, she had embraced her vampire half, and because of it, she felt stronger, more confident. Yes, it had been a wonderful night, until they started for home. And now, because of her, Zack had killed two men and his life was in danger. Or maybe the blame lay with Florin.
She knew the story of Florin’s treachery. Knew it had happened the night the Master of the Irish Fortress had challenged her grandfather for control of the Carpathian Fortress. Rodin had defeated the challenger, and then Florin had darted forward and stabbed Rodin in the back with a long wooden stake. In retaliation, her father had killed Florin. The matter should have ended there. A life for a life. Now, more than twenty years later, two more of Nadiya’s sons were dead. Why had Nadiya waited so long to exact vengeance for Florin’s death? When and where would it end? Who else would have to die before it was over?
She stared at the cup in her hands. Lost in thought, she had forgotten all about the tea and now it was cold. Pouring it into the sink, she left the kitchen. Without conscious thought, she found herself standing outside Zack’s room.
She placed her hand on the door. Was it locked? Was he asleep? It was not yet sunup. She pressed her ear to the door, but heard nothing.
She tried the knob, surprised to find the door unlocked. She slipped inside, her gaze moving immediately to the bed. He slept on his back, one arm flung over his head, the covers pooled around his hips. His chest was bare. She swallowed, her fingertips pressed to her lips lest some sound betray her. Was he naked beneath the sheet?
Mesmerized by the sight of him, she stood there, avidly admiring the spread of his shoulders, his long muscular arms, his broad chest and flat belly.
Moving closer, she brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, gasped as his hand closed around her wrist, his fingers like iron.
“Zack, it’s me!”
“Katy?” He stared up at her. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“So you decided to wake me up?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d be asleep already.”
“There was nothing else to do.” His gaze moved over her face. “Do you think it’s wise, your being in here?”