Wicked Bite (Night Rebel #2)(64)

Ian still thought I could resurrect after I died? I opened my mouth to correct that, then shut it. Why burden him with information that would only cause him to lose focus? Worrying over my new mortality would distract him, so it was better for him to remain ignorant of it.

“Besides,” Ian went on. “If you die, Cat will go on a grief-driven revenge rampage, get killed in the process, and then your daughter will end up being raised by Justina and Tate.” Ian shuddered as if in horror. “You can’t do that to an innocent girl. It’s inhumane.”

“If you won’t accept my help because of my love for you, then accept it because I owe you.” Bones’s tone became flat. “For much more than your latest warning about my daughter. Without you turning me into a vampire over two centuries ago, I wouldn’t be here now, and I also owe you the greatest of debts for betraying you.”

“Eh, that.” Ian waved. “I’m over that now since karma, as my wife likes to say, is a vindictive bitch.”

Bones’s brows rose. “Come again?”

Ian hefted the two bags with one hand. “I mean, I understand why you did it. You went barmy when Cat left you, so when you finally found her and believed I was a danger to her, you did whatever it took to protect her. Brassed me off something awful at the time, but now”—Ian saluted him with the suitcases—“I say, well done! Can’t take any chances with those we love, can we?”

Bones stared at Ian, then very slowly looked at me. “Lucifer’s bouncing balls,” he breathed. “You’ve done the impossible with Ian. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I would never have believed it.”

Would his friends never give Ian credit for who he was? “I’ve done nothing. Ian is this honorable all on his own.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Bones began, but Ian’s sharp whistle for Silver cut him off.

Silver flew over and landed on Ian’s arm. Then, Ian pulled me to him and said, “I appreciate your offers to help, my friends. Truly, I do. But I can’t accept, and we don’t have time to keep arguing. All of us have to leave before demons crash this party, so until again, mates!”

With that, everything slid into white noise and a blur as Ian teleported us away.





Chapter 36


When the blur from Ian’s teleporting stopped, we were in a new home. The white-framed windows revealed a wooden boardwalk, a beach and night-darkened waves outside. This room had a stone fireplace, exposed beams in the high ceiling, hardwood floors and comfy-looking suede couches.

“Mencheres’s cottage in the Hamptons,” Ian said by way of explanation, tossing the bags onto one of the couches. “He won’t mind, and this area’s almost deserted in the winter, so we won’t have to fret about any nosy neighbors.”

Aside from the protection of being inside a private residence, the continuous salt spray also acted as a natural demon repellant, plus that same sea offered me an endless supply of water-fueled energy. Ian clearly wasn’t taking any chances.

“It’s great,” I said, setting Silver down. He immediately flew onto the couch and snuggled into the soft-looking cushions. Within moments, his eyes were shut. I must not be the only one who’d had enough of this day.

Ian came over and began to smooth my hair from my face, but he couldn’t get far since it immediately tangled around his fingers. Teleporting was hell on a hairstyle. My hair would look less disheveled if I’d been repeatedly electrocuted.

“None of this is great, Veritas.”

His hand stayed in my hair, while his gaze filled with an empathy I couldn’t stand to acknowledge. I tried to swallow away the new tightness in my throat. I didn’t deserve what was in his eyes. Not when I’d failed so badly by letting Ereshki fool me again. I’d put both of us in more danger than before, and that had already been in the you’re-probably-going-to-die category.

“I should start on a new protection spell,” I said, turning away to stride into the next room. It was a conservatory, and in another mood, I would have loved its windows-for-walls and bright white trim. Now, I hated it because the windows bounced my reflection back at me everywhere I looked. Still, it was better than Ian giving me none of the anger I deserved—and needed—to shield myself from the enormity of what I’d done.

Before I took my next step, Ian was in front of me.

“Veritas,” he began.

I grabbed him and yanked his head down to mine. Then I jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist. If I couldn’t avoid Ian, I could at least be sure he wasn’t in a talking mood.

He caught me, holding my hips while his mouth opened to give me a blisteringly sensual kiss. I sucked on his tongue, then dug my fangs in until I tasted the coppery-flavored wine of his blood. He rolled his hips, sending a sweet ache into my loins. Now I was thoroughly distracted, too.

“I’m going to bite you everywhere,” I breathed, dragging my fangs across his lower lip to suck the ruby drops that welled.

“Are you?” he growled as he untangled my legs from his waist, then dropped to his knees while holding my hips. He pressed his mouth between my legs and exhaled until his hot breath penetrated my clothes with its own touch.

An exquisite clenching had me gripping his head to hold him closer. He chuckled, and it went right through me as well, teasing flesh that throbbed to feel more of him. I tried to unzip my pants to give him better access, but he stopped me, chuckling again as he held me more firmly while releasing another deep, tantalizing exhale.