Soul Mates: Sacrifice Page 11

  I'd completely forgotten that Xander had offered Nikolas up for a power feed—but that shouldn't have been until sunset tonight. Lucien took off his shirt and threw it at Nikolas, who snatched it out of the air and held it to his face.

  "I don't know why. What he gave me earlier, yesterday—it was more than an adequate feed. I don't need another."

  "Yeah, well, that's about right." Nikolas grumbled, scratching his belly.

  Lucien seemed to notice the dejected look in Nikolas' eyes. "But if you'd be willing to give blood instead…"

  Nikolas' eyes lit up. "It'll be dawn soon, you know."

  Lucien shrugged. "I've got enough time for a shower. You are more than welcome to join me."

  Nikolas slid off the bed, hands going right to his pants as he looked at me. "You comin' too, princess?"

  I was pretty much done, as far as sex went, but lying on the ground had made me feel dirty and itchy. I nodded, smirking. "I guess."

  Lucien snorted at Nikolas' raised eyebrow. "We've had a long night."

  Nikolas stripped off his shirt as he kicked off his pants. "I have, too, though I doubt it's been in the same kind of way."

  Lucien headed on into the bathroom, working on getting his pants off. I looked at Nikolas. "Xander said Lucien needed a feed from him and you before he was back to normal."

  "I think Xander fibbed."

  "The water's hot," Lucien called from the bathroom. "Anyone coming or am I showering alone?"

  "Go shower with Lucien, feed him." I turned on my heel and started for the door. "Tell him I'll be right back."

  "Where the fuck are you going?"

  I didn't answer, just let the door slam behind me. Xander wasn't in his room across the hall so I had to take a moment to try to feel him out. He was still in the house, which gave me a limited number of options. I checked the kitchen first, finding it empty. I then went along checking the library and a few other rooms before pausing at the door leading down to the dungeon.

  Xander's scent was stronger here.

  I entered through the main doors, making my way through the cells and corridors. Unlike my last trip down here, this time there was an eerie silence. The hunter was curled up, facing the wall when I passed by and I made another mental note to talk to Nikolas about that. If Nikolas wasn't going to play with him, he needed to be executed.

  The viewing room was empty when I opened the door. Confused, I turned to walk back out again. When I did, my breath caught in my throat. Xander was in the cell with Caleb. He sat with his back in a corner, cradling Caleb against his chest. His head was bent, lips pressed to Caleb's forehead, even as he spoke.

  A wave of emotions went through me—anger, betrayal, sympathy…pride—but I wasn't sure what I felt more of. The anger and betrayal went hand in hand. By him sending Nikolas to me and Lucien when he did, that pretty much guaranteed him alone time with Caleb. It wasn't like I'd forbidden him to talk to Caleb, so his going about it this way didn't set well.

  But I could feel his hurt and pain and confusion, so it was hard to stay angry. I watched them for a short time, but finally reached over and hit the button so I could hear what was being said.

  "It hurts so much."

  "I know it does, baby. Just relax. Just a few more minutes."

  Caleb shook and writhed, Xander doing his best to keep a tight hold on him.

  "Why… why are you doing this?"

  "Because I love you, you fool."

  "I hurt so many people…"

  "Yes, you did. And I'm furious with you for it." Xander brushed a lock of hair from Caleb's eyes. "But that doesn't make me love you any less. You're going to be punished for what you did. You understand that, don't you?"

  Caleb nodded shakily, crying out as he clutched his stomach.

  "I'll be here, every step of the way."

  "Don't deserve it, Xander."

  "No, you don't. Now, shut up and just let the dawn take you this time." Xander shifted, holding Caleb against his chest, chin resting on the top of Caleb's head. Caleb seemed to relax almost instantly. "That's it, baby. I've got you."

  After a few moments, Xander broke into tears, clutching Caleb to him like some kind of stuffed animal. I hit the button for the intercom system, some of that anger coming back.

  "Did time alone with Caleb really require you to lie to me?"

  Xander snapped his head up in shock, gaping. "Peter? What are you—?"

  "I will not talk to you through this goddamned mirror, Xander."

  He gently moved Caleb to the floor before getting to his feet. He used the security scanner to open the cell door. When he entered the viewing room, his eyes were downcast.

  "'Nikolas will need to feed you tomorrow night, Lucien…'" I quoted his own words back to him. "You'd better start talking."

  "What do you want me to say?"

  "I want you to be straight with me, Xander."

  "No, you don't. You came down here to rip me a new asshole for lying to you when that wasn't my intention."

  "What was your intention? Send Nikolas off on his way so you could finally get some time alone with Caleb? Is this where you were when you said you were sort of with Nikolas?"

  "Does it matter where I was?"

  "No, it doesn't fucking matter. What matters is that you're only half-ass answering my damned questions."

  "Why didn't you tell me he asked for me last night? That he begged for me over and over again?"

  "It wasn't Caleb asking for you last night."

  "I don't believe that."

  "Believe what you want." I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Last night wasn't the time or place anyway—considering what you did to Lucien."

  "I helped him!"

  "No, Xander. I think you helped yourself. You found the perfect opportunity to play your games and you took it. Problem is: you got caught."

  "Five minutes," he said. "That's all it would've taken."

  "When did the idea hit you? When I was tossing and turning and couldn't sleep? Did you figure out that if you could get me to leave, you could work this around in your favor? You knew exactly where I would go if I left, didn't you?"

  "Oh, yeah, I'm a regular mind-reader. Jesus, I'm not fucking psychic." Xander braced himself on the ledge of the mirrored window and was quiet for a long while. He finally shook his head. "I love him, Peter. Right now I think I'd do anything just to let him know that."

  "And fuck everyone else, huh?"

  "I let him pull away from me before and I didn't push because I was afraid that'd just make things worse. I keep thinking that if I'd just fought a little, that maybe none of this would've happened."

  "None of it was your fault, Xander. Relationships grow and fade—that's just life."

  "It's life to try to pick up the pieces and move on, too." Xander looked over at me. "I love you and Lucien more than anything, but I'm in love with Caleb."

  "And you figured this out by fucking Nikolas?"

  "I figure it's kind of like you fucking me—or Nikolas. That doesn't mean you love Lucien any less, does it?"

  That was low, even for Xander, and I found myself without an answer to give. I'd known that what was going on between Nikolas and Xander was just fun, the two of them just blowing off steam together. But part of me also hoped that maybe they'd last a little longer than a couple weeks.

  I walked to the door, heart in my throat. I'd known that letting him go when he found someone wasn't going to be easy, but the thought of him with Caleb now was like a kick in the gut.

  "Peter?"

  Hand on the doorknob, I paused. "I'm asking you to let him go."

  "I can't do that… Not even for you."

  Chapter Eight

  Nikolas was in still in bed with Lucien when I walked into the bedroom. They were curled up, facing each other as if they'd been talking. Nikolas' breath was steady and deep, soft snores escaping him.

  I wanted to go over and climb between them, but the knot in my stomach just wouldn't let up. Instead, I went
into the bathroom and started the shower. There was still a bit of condensation hanging in the air, the mirrors covered with it. The shower had been awfully long and hot.

  Christ. How long had they waited for me?

  I stripped and stepped into the shower, hoping the hot water would relax me. But the more I relaxed, the harder it was fighting off the tears. I pounded the wall in frustration, then finally sank to the shower floor. The water rained down on my head, streaming down my cheeks to wash the tears away.

  So much was changing so quickly. It seemed that every time things started going right around here, something else came along to fuck it up. I closed my eyes and relaxed, letting the heat of the water soothe me.

  After a while, cool air invaded the hot shower. I looked up to see Nikolas staring down at me.

  "Everything okay, princess?"

  I shook my head slowly. Why was it that I could never lie to Nikolas?

  "How 'bout we get you out of the shower and you can tell me all about it?"

  He held his hand out to help me up, but when I tried to take it, I found I couldn't lift my arm. I attempted to shake it off, figuring I'd been sitting in the hot water for too long. But my other arm and both legs were the same. Just heavy and still.

  Two, maybe three days.

  Doc's words went through my mind again and I panicked, fighting like hell to move. When nothing happened, I screamed—just a wordless cry of fear and frustration. Nikolas disappeared for a few seconds and came back with a couple of towels. He didn't make a move to help me, just leaned against the open shower door and stared.

  Soon, he went blurry and the floor felt like it was moving beneath me. It turned my stomach and I groaned. "I don't feel so good."

  "Don't look so good either. You promise me you'll stop that crying and screaming and I'll get you out of here."

  I wanted to flip him off so badly. "Asshole."

  He stepped away from the shower and laid one towel on the floor. Then he stepped back into the shower, straddled my legs, and hefted me up against him. After he got me out, he laid me down on the towel and started drying me off.

  I sighed. "And I wasn't crying."

  He stopped and glared at me. "You were in there crying like a little cub that lost its pack. Mewling and howling—don't know how I'm supposed to sleep through shit like that."

  "I was not."

  "Oh, so now I'm lying to you?" He stopped the drying. "How 'bout I just leave you here until Lucien wakes up?"

  "Just put me in the bed, okay?"

  Nikolas grumbled and growled, getting my body and hair dry before picking me up and cradling me against his chest. He carried me easily, putting me right where he'd been lying when I'd come into the bedroom. He started to edge off the bed, but stopped.

  "What's wrong with you, princess?" he asked softly. "You smell all wrong."

  "Dying," I answered.

  "What? Wait a minute, now. You're supposed to be getting better. You haven't had an episode since—"

  "Since they drugged me all up when I was in the Council's custody? Yeah, well, the drug's wearing off."

  Nikolas sank down beside me, his warm, naked body pressed up against mine. "Lucien can fix that, though. Can't he?"

  "Maybe."

  He sighed heavily, lips brushing along my collarbone. "He doesn't know, does he?"

  "No."

  "Tell me I didn't do this to you…" He rose up on his elbow, fingers tracing my jaw.

  "No, Nikolas, it wasn't you."

  "Who did?" Nikolas frowned angrily. "You tell me who did this and I'll—"

  "Xander," I said softly.

  He frowned even harder, shaking his head in confusion. "But he was born a werewolf. How can that be?"

  I didn't really want to go into the whole thing as Doc had explained it. Frankly, most of it still confused the hell out of me. But I knew Nikolas wouldn't back down. When I'd finished explaining what I could remember, he nodded.

  "That explains what I sensed in you."

  "Guess you were right."

  "Oh, princess… I'm always right."

  I rolled my eyes. "Shut. Up."

  He smiled, damn near grinning. "So is that it?"

  "Isn't it enough?"

  "For what all I heard in there?" He gestured toward the bathroom. "There's got to be more."

  "So, suddenly dying isn't enough, huh?"

  "Yeah, but you can be fixed. Your fix is lying right there behind you. All you have to do is tell him what the fuck is going on and you'll no longer be dying, but transitioning." His look dared me to argue, but he didn't give me the chance. "So suck it up, pretty. Tell me what else has got your heart breaking."

  "Xander chose Caleb over me." The words left my mouth before I realized it. "Happy now?"

  "Well, no, not really. Xander was a good piece of ass. I hate to lose that. Especially to Caleb."

  "Nikolas…"

  "Didn't you know that he always would?" Nikolas' tone was as serious as I'd ever heard it. "I know he loves you more than just about anything. And while I had fun with him—and he with me—I knew that he was always wishing it was Caleb in my place."

  "Didn't it hurt to know that?"

  "Are you kidding me?" Nikolas shook his head. "It was a relief, if anything. Last thing I need is someone following me around like a love-struck pup."

  "There's nothing wrong with loving someone, Nikolas. It's not a sign of weakness."

  "Can I get you anything? Any ideas what might help you shake this off?"

  "You're changing the subject."

  "Yes, sir, I am."

  "Fine," I grumbled, knowing he wouldn't talk anymore about Xander or love or feelings in general. "Blood. Do you think you can get me some of Lucien's from the supply?"

  "The fresher the better?"

  I nodded. "There should only be a bag or two. He hasn't added to the supply since before he was taken."

  "That's not very fresh. My blood help?"

  "No! No Lycan blood." Before Nikolas had the chance to get offended, I added, "I think it'd do more harm than good."

  "I'll go down and see what's there, princess. But for future reference? Could you have these episodes when other vampires are actually awake?"

  I laughed, wishing I could smack him. "I'll try harder next time."

  He bent and kissed my forehead. "Be right back."

  Nikolas got off the bed and the bedroom door closed a few seconds later. I wondered if he'd even had the good sense to throw on a robe. The thought of him naked and roaming the halls made me smile. Knowing him, he was giving everyone a show and enjoying every moment of it.

  * * *

  Warm liquid splashed on my face. I looked up to see Lucien, blood dripping from his lips. I opened my mouth to let the blood drop onto my tongue. It wasn't enough; I needed more.

  "Peter…"

  I reached for him, but he just seemed to be getting farther and farther away.

  "No!"

  "Peter!" Nikolas' voice cut through the haze and Lucien was suddenly gone. "Open your eyes. Come on, you have to be awake to drink this."

  I hadn't realized I was asleep, but the words were enough to make me open my eyes. Nikolas held a small bag of blood in his hands. I tried to take it, but couldn't move my arms. I panicked for a moment, but remembered how this whole thing had started.

  I licked at my lips, the taste of Lucien's blood there and real.

  "You okay now? Nikolas shifted the bag in his hands and put it to my lips. "Had a hard time waking you up."

  His voice was full of concern and compassion, two things that were definitely not in his normal scope of behavior. Hearing them now was a really bad sign.

  "Fine. Just need…"

  He gave the bag a squeeze and warm, rich blood filled my mouth. I swallowed as fast as I could, but he was squeezing too hard and some of it ran from my mouth to trickle down my chin and neck. A low, rumbling growl bubbled up from his throat and I looked at him. Our eyes met and my heart thudded in my chest.
>
  The look in Nikolas' eyes was part wolf, part human, and part sex. But mostly sex.

  I swallowed the last of the blood and Nikolas tossed the empty bag aside. He straddled my hips, his gaze never leaving mine. "Can you move yet?"