A Gate of Night (A Shade of Vampire #6)(24)

Tears began to stream down my face.

“Why can’t we be together, Vivienne? I love you and I know you love me. Why can’t we go beyond just being friends?”

“I…” My voice stuck in my throat. I sobbed as I tried to explain to myself why I was so terrified of being with Xavier.

How was I going to explain to him how a man’s touch revolted me after what I’d been through under Borys? How could I ever allow him to carry the weight of all my issues? All my scars? He didn’t deserve me. He didn’t deserve this.

“Don’t you love me, Vivienne?” Xavier asked.

I wanted to say no, look him in the eye and tell him that I didn’t love him, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie either, so I just stood there and trembled.

He didn’t press me for an answer. Instead, he just brushed his hands gently over my shoulders and down my arms, holding my hands in his before pulling me closer and pressing his lips softly to my forehead.

I cried against his chest, finding comfort in his secure embrace. Xavier had been my one constant for the past five hundred years, and I couldn’t imagine life without him. I’d never thought I could imagine anything worse than losing Derek, but I realized that I’d already survived “losing” Derek many times, yet I couldn’t even begin to think of a life without Xavier.

“I will wait for you, Vivienne. I don’t care how many centuries it takes before you’re ready, but I will wait for you.”

When those words—words I desperately needed to hear—came out of his lips, I knew that whether or not he realized it, I was his.

And almost out of instinct, I raised my lips to his and kissed him.

Chapter 15: Sofia

I woke on a bed with a red-eyed monster on top of me, taking a generous gulp of my blood. Nearby, a low growl came from some sort of animal. I couldn’t see what it was because whoever was on top of me had my head at an uncomfortable angle, allowing him full reign over my neck.

As consciousness washed over me, my first instinct was to freeze, but then flashbacks of all the vampires who had violated me in this manner came back to me and something clicked inside my mind, and all I could think was No. Enough.

I jerked my head away from him. My flesh parting from his lips caused a loud slurp to bounce across the room.

Kiev groaned. “Don’t deprive me, Sofia. You’re a morsel too sweet not to partake of, and you know it. Even your beloved wasn’t able to resist taking a bite.” He steadied my head with a firm hand and once again sucked on my blood.

I scanned the part of the room that I could see considering the angle. I saw a vase on the bedside table nearby and tried to reach for it. His weight was on top of me and it was a struggle just to move but I was determined to not just lie down and take it. I wasn’t going to become the victim again. Not anymore.

He seemed too wrapped up in drinking my blood to care what I did so I was able to get a hold of the vase. I slammed it over his head as hard as I could. The instant I did, red eyes—blazing with rage—looked down at me.

With my blood still dripping from the corners of his lips and one hand gripping a fistful of my hair, Kiev was a terrifying sight to behold.

I couldn’t give in to my terror. You have got to be used to this by now, Sofia. I collected myself, grabbed a shard from the broken vase and stuck it into his neck.

Since he would heal immediately, especially with my blood running through his system, I was doing nothing other than annoying my captor, but I would make this as difficult for him as possible.

His surprise was to my advantage so I pushed his hand away from my head and bolted toward the door. To my shock, I came face to face with a creature whose fur was black as night, eyes shining bright yellow. It was a huge dog, taller than my waist when crouched on all fours, probably taller than I was when forced to stand on only two feet.

This must be the beast Kiev was referring to.

“Move one more step, Sofia, and you’ll be the mutt’s dinner.”

“What is it?”

A fist grabbed a clump of my hair and pulled me right back to the bed. Kiev knelt over me, straddling my hips. His grip on my hair tightened, my scalp burning with pain. I yelped.

“It doesn’t matter what it is. What do you think you’re doing? Do you have a death wish, Novak?”

My lower lip twitched. All curiosity toward the creature faded away, because for a split second, I thought he was referring to Derek. I still wasn’t used to being Derek Novak’s wife. No matter what happened to us, no one could take away the fact that we’d gotten married, that we were a family. We had each other. I bit my lip at the thought of Derek’s smile and his kisses. I could practically hear his laughter, and before I knew it, I smiled.

That took Kiev aback. His grip on my hair loosened as he took the shard I’d stuck in his neck out with his free hand. He stared down at me. I was intimidated by the anger on his face, but I couldn’t keep myself from smiling.

“Crazy girl, why the hell are you smiling?” he hissed, his fist tightening around the clump of my hair he seemed determined to never let go of.

“Your eyes. They’re red. Why?”

“I asked you a question.”

“I asked you a question too.”

“How does he stand being around you?”

“Why do you keep asking about my relationship with Derek?”