Embrace the Night (16 page)

I’ll be right in. Just catching the sunset.

As soon as she opened the balcony door and stepped across the threshold, his heart gave way. So much feeling surfaced that for a moment he couldn’t move and he definitely couldn’t speak.

But his expression must have caught Hannah off guard because as she closed the door, she asked. “What’s wrong?”

He had to show her.

He crossed the room in a few brisk strides, hauled her into his arms and kissed her.

~ ~ ~

Hannah had never been more surprised than by this kiss. Jude had looked really upset for a good long moment when she’d opened the door from the balcony. Now she was in his arms, her heart beating hard in her chest. She’d wondered what it would be like to see him again after such extraordinary lovemaking earlier that morning.

Now she knew.

She slid her arms around his neck and responded in kind, stroking his back beneath his clasped Guardsman hair, nibbling at his lips, savoring when he drove his tongue against hers.

She hadn’t expected to be caught up in an embrace first thing, but she loved it.

Her heart had warmed to Jude over the past two days. She’d longed for him before, and loved him very much as a good friend, but right now, oh, God, she was pretty sure she was falling in love with him, all the way, hard.

When he drew back, he looked as confused as ever as he pushed her hair away from her face. “I hadn’t meant to do that, but the moment I saw you, it seemed like the only thing I could do.”

“I’ve never had a more perfect greeting, and I mean that.”

He kissed her again, and if Nathan hadn’t been roaming the lower rooms, straightening up for the meetings, she felt certain they would have been headed for a quickie.

She almost suggested they retire once more to his bedroom, but Nathan came in and said that the Civic Coalition leaders had just started to arrive. “I’m making lots of coffee. You’d better go in and start laying feathers. You’ve got a couple trolls hop-stepping with steam coming out their ears. The same question keeps getting asked: ‘Why weren’t they told’?”

“Got it.”

Despite Nathan’s presence, Jude kissed her again, though this time, he didn’t linger.

On her own, she returned to the balcony, enjoying the sun as it made its way slowly into the west. In early summer, this far north, it took a while for full dark to arrive. She pulled her phone from her jeans and called the Gold Rush. Amelia shut the door to her office against what sounded like a riotous, happy hour crowd so she could talk.

Hannah felt the smallest pang that she wasn’t there. She knew so many people in Port Townsend and had as many human regulars as realm. More than one romance had blossomed, which reminded her that the bride who’d been assaulted by Margetta had announced her engagement at the Gold Rush.

“Sounds like the gang is all there.”

“Yes, and that troll is back who gets stinking drunk then dances on the bar.”

“You can’t blame him. They use their feet for expression.”

“It’s a safety hazard,” Amelia growled. Despite her overall free spiritedness, she had her rules and didn’t like anyone overrunning them.

Hannah realized just how much she loved the kinds of problems she had at her bar compared to Jude’s regular nightmare. Her heart felt crushed suddenly with the knowledge about how much her life had changed. She wanted to go back badly, to the way things were before the wraith-pair attacked Jude outside her bar.

Drawing her thoughts back to the Gold Rush, she said, “Well, have Hector keep an eye on him.” Her bouncer could easily hold the troll in the air with one hand if he needed to. He was a Guardsman-sized shifter who’d fallen out with his pack and now lived in Port Townsend year round. Hannah had helped him get a special U.S. visa because he worked for her.

She trusted realm-folk, but like humans, sometimes alcohol could make them behave like idiots. And Hector, bless him, took care of business every night.

“He’s already on it.”

Hannah then explained what had been happening. Amelia whistled a couple of times then said she’d known a few things already because one of the fae had brought in a copy of the Kellcasse Chronicle. “Your ass looks stellar in that photo, by the way, and all your friends are going to be so jealous when they see that you’re wrapped up in Mastyr Jude’s arms.”

A shiver went through her from pure desire that kept exploding in her chest for the vampire. Playing it safe, she said, “He’s a good man and we’re caught in something we’re each trying to figure out. It’s … very realm.” She hadn’t gone into detail about her fire-gift. She couldn’t quite bring the words to her lips.

Amelia was silent for a moment, then said, “Hannah, can I offer you a piece of advice?”

“Sure.” Since her wild girlfriend and manager tended to speak way too much truth when she set her mind to it, Hannah wasn’t all that anxious to hear her thoughts.

“Well, I’ve been wanting to say this to you for a long time, but here it is: You let that asshole, Mark Jackson, ruin you for other men. If it looks like Mastyr Jude, despite his exalted station as ruler of Kellcasse, wants to date you, then you should let him. You’ve kept yourself all bottled up. Mark was a control freak and Jude isn’t. Despite the fact that he likes his way in most things, he always has an eye to what others need, and I know that would include you. And the Chronicle can just suck it.”

Hannah had stopped breathing. All her old feelings of resentment and even fear about what Mark had done to her and his constant infringement on her freedom, made her tense up. At the same time, she knew Amelia was right. She’d let Mark’s bad behavior affect her life and her choices way too much.

Could she have a life with Jude? But how would that work if she kept running her bar in Port Townsend while Jude fought the Invictus in Kellcasse? Of course, they did have one obvious thing in common: They both worked at night.

There was that.

“I’ll think about what you’ve said, but I need you to know that I won’t be back tonight, and I’m not sure when this situation will get resolved.”

“I’ve got everything under control. We can talk each afternoon and if I need to pick up the slack on ordering, I can do that as well.”

“I know you can. And thanks, Amelia. I knew I could rely on you.”

When she hung up, she called Longeness and asked him to coordinate with Sandy, who supervised the communications center in her bar. Longeness, in true form, said he’d already made arrangements for Sandy to bring on another person to replace what Sandy called ‘Hannah’s hovering’.

Hannah laughed. “Okay, so I’m a little hands on.”

Longeness laughed. “You’re perfect. Don’t ever change, and please ignore the Chronicle.”

“I plan to. They’re just trying to sell papers and incite tensions so they can sell even more papers.”

“You got that right.”

“And how’s your wife?”

She heard a sigh that sounded very affectionate. “She’s been having a lot of early labor. Her doctor thinks our boys will be here either this week or next.”

The thought of babies, ready to be born, made her heart squeeze up really tight, and she had that horrible thought again,
How many babies did Jude want?

When had she become so
female?

“I hope you invite me to the baby-naming.”

“We absolutely will. You know that.”

She let her heart settle down then bid him good-bye.

The sun had finally dropped well below the horizon, and the stars were coming out. She left her sunning chair and moved back into the kitchen-living-area-combo, where Nathan was preparing a tray of dolma. She jerked her head in the direction of the living room. “How’s it going in there?”

“Well, he got the trolls down from hop-stepping to just sliding their feet back and forth.”

“That’s a big improvement.”

“He’ll bring them round, especially with part of the Ashleaf Vampire Guard headed in soon. A bigger presence will help ease a lot of fears. Coffee?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’ll get you a fresh cup.”

She had nothing to do now but wait until Jude finished up with his meeting. She moved to the window seat and sat down on the upholstered bench, one knee on the cushion, the other leg dangling over the side.

Nathan brought her the coffee, and she settled in to think and reflect, her gaze cast over the lake. There was no prettier view. Her improved realm vision saw more color than ever, even though it was nighttime. The lake appeared dark blue and the hills were made up of a variety of greens reflecting the shades of the various trees and shrubs. In addition, there were a lot of rhododendrons still flowering, which colored up the landscape with sprays of white, purple and pink.

But what charmed her the most were all the villages with lights glowing in windows and doorways, on streets, and patios. Not all realm-folk had excellent night-vision.

As she sipped, she felt her blood rose ability suddenly vibrate, a very soft sensation, but she couldn’t quite understand the reason, unless of course Jude needed to feed. She hadn’t really discussed with him how often he would need to tap into her vein. The very thought of his fangs biting her neck sent a surge of desire flowing through her, and once more her blood rose-ness responded. A flush drifted over her skin as well.

It would seem what she was as a blood rose also translated to her fire-gift.

Without giving it much thought, she set her coffee cup down and left the window seat. She headed out to the balcony, crossing to the far western side, which had a long flight of stairs broken by two landings.

But when she made her way down the stone steps, her heart suddenly felt laden again. Maybe Jude really did need to feed.

A walk might ease her. At least that’s what her rational mind thought. But her body seemed to have a very dedicated purpose that had not yet translated to her brain.

She turned abruptly in a southwesterly direction. She’d never seen the place where Jude’s wife and daughter were buried, though she knew it was in the orchard. But her thoughts weren’t on Jude’s grief-stricken past, but on something else she didn’t understand. She felt really warm again, and the vein at her throat throbbed.

Then she realized that someone was already in the orchard.

Again, her feet seemed to know exactly where to go and before long she saw a Guardsman from behind, wearing the traditional coat, his long dark hair caught in a clasp at the back of his neck. Something about the set of his shoulders and his bowed head spoke to her of a kind of despair even Jude didn’t possess. Her heart, always ready to jump with great tenderness to anyone in pain, started reaching toward him.

His shoulders straightened suddenly, and he looked around.

She aimed her telepathy at him.
I’m here.
Now, why had she spoken those words exactly?

When he turned in her direction, she recognized Mastyr Malik of Ashleaf Realm. Of course she knew him. He was one of Jude’s closest friends. He and Mastyr Seth of Walvashorr sat at the top of the list.

“Malik,” she said, surprising herself that she’d addressed him so informally.

“Hannah? Sweet Goddess, stay back.” He even held up a hand.

But her feet wouldn’t let her do anything else but move in his direction. “I can feel your blood starvation. Let me take care of you?”

Her heart pounded now in her throat, and by the time she was teen feet away, she craved Malik, needed him, felt as though she’d die if he didn’t come to her.

But he held out his palm and a soft blue light met her gaze, forcing her to stop, preventing her from reaching him no matter how hard she tried.

“Hannah, please stay were you are. Oh, Sweet Goddess, I can smell your blood.” He looked as though he was in pain.

She had to breach the distance somehow, to give him what he needed. It was imperative for the entire realm that she serve him with her blood and her body.

If he wouldn’t come to her, she wanted him to see her, so she stripped off her blouse.

“Hannah, don’t!”

~ ~ ~

Jude held the door for the Civic leaders. He’d achieved what he’d wanted, their cooperation and understanding in a tough situation. And he’d been right about one thing; having Malik and part of his Guard already on the way had eased tensions like nothing else could have.

He’d also given them very specific descriptions of what the mist looked like and to have their county teams patrolling each village for any sign of mist and to alert the Kellcasse Communication Center no matter how insignificant the mist-sign might seem. He also knew there would be many false reports, but his Guardsmen flew fast and the shifter brigade could move like the wind, so he’d be able to put eyes on any sighting as soon as Margetta made another attempt.

But when he shut the door, Malik busted through his telepathy.
Get out to the orchard! I can’t hold Hannah off much longer!

Holy fuck! What was Hannah doing out there? He then realized he hadn’t warned her. He’d been too caught up in kissing her that he’d forgotten to let her know Malik was coming and to stay away.

Jude ran to the side door, pulled it open, then flew as fast as he could into the orchard. A blue battle light guided him straight in, and he was shocked to find that Malik, sweating profusely with effort, was holding Hannah off with a low level of his battle frequency.

Taking hold of Hannah’s arms from behind, he shouted, “Malik, get the hell out of here. Head to my training center. Fuck, I should have sent you there in the first place.”

Malik didn’t wait but launched into the air and disappeared.

He turned Hannah in his arms and saw the flush covering her bare neck and chest, and the vein pulsing at her throat. “Jude, help me. Please.” She was breathing hard, struggling.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Fuck me, Jude. Feed from me.
She was completely aroused and desperate, her breasts exposed, her nipples peaked. He groaned because he could smell her blood, that she’d created a fresh supply. He could also feel her agony because she’d been so caught up in her blood-rose-drive toward Malik.

I’ll take care of you.
He quickly unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. He had to release her to get her shoes and pants off.