Immortal Blood (9 page)

The man was sex appeal in a suit. She’d been sneaking as many peeks at him as possible over the past week. She’d finally gotten a good look at his tattoo; it was the same as the shield over the entrance to the castle, with some tribal surrounding it. It had added an extra layer to the gorgeous package that was Bain…
The man was too good looking; he wreaked havoc on her senses
. Then he showed up at her door in a suit.

Izzy smiled as she held Bain’s arm
, and they walked through the main keep to a large dining hall. She had caught him staring at her profile a few times, and she couldn’t hide the flutter it caused.

She had a feeling he liked the dress when he showed up at her door to escort her to dinner. He had stared
, slack jawed, at her in her champagne dress. While she had much the same response to him, she wondered if there might have been drool escaping her glossed lips. Bain wore black slacks and a white, button-up shirt. He’d left the top few buttons undone, allowing her to peek at the skin beneath. He had a black sport coat slung over his shoulder, the perfect 007 stance, and gleam in his eye. The man was dangerously sexy.

“Deep breath, Izzy. It’s time to enter the lion’s den,” Bain joked as they approached the large, double doors that separated them from the dining hall.

“Be quiet. It’s not fair to freak me out or make fun of me. I know nothing of your world or your traditions.”

Bain tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “We aren’t all that different from you and your customs, and this is merely a family dining situation. We are a little formal, but only because of where we are. You look beautiful, so be yourself, eat some food, drink some wine, and enjoy my people. They’ll adore you.”

She looked up at him with a full smile that plumped her lips in a very sexy way
. “How do you know?”

“Know what?” he asked.

“That they’ll adore me?” she joked through hooded lashes.

Bain lifted her chin with his knuckles so he could look her full in the eyes
. “Because
I
adore you.”

The doors opened to the dining hall before Izzy could respond
. She wasn’t sure she could speak to respond anyway… He adored her? And she thought he found her frustrating most the time. So, Izzy simply smiled as Bain escorted her into the “
lion’s den
”.

The dining hall had large windows, tapestry
-covered stone walls, a large fireplace, and a table large enough to comfortable seat the twenty or so Fae that filled the room. Izzy had to admit she thought the room would be larger. A candle and crystal chandelier lit the room in a very soft light, setting a comfortable ambiance. The room was still beautiful, just not what she had pictured.

“Not what you were expecting?” Bain whispered.

“Honestly… I thought it would be bigger,” she admitted.

“You women and your obsession with size
; you’re always wanting more.”

Izzy arched a brow at him.
Cheeky… so freaking cheeky
.

“How would you know about our obsessions with
size
?” she asked boldly. “Is there something you’d like to share with me?”

“Mmm
.” Bain let out a soft, low growl that sounded more like a moan. “There is plenty I would like to share with you, but trust me, sweetheart… size is not something you’d have to complain about.”

Izzy moistened her lip, before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

Bain chuckled softly. “This is the smallest of the three dining halls.”

“Got it, I think we’ve been spotted
,” she whispered as she caught a tall Fae woman eyeing them.

Bain lifted his gaze and smiled. He stepped from Izzy’s side to embrace the woman as she approached them. The woman cupped Bain’s cheeks, a brilliant smile on her face.

“It’s about time you came home and actually joined us for dinner. I don’t like you spending that much time in the Human World.” The woman had affection in her voice as she spoke to him.

She gazed at Bain with love, causing a pit to form in Izzy’s stomach
. Who was this woman? Did Bain have a wife or a Fae equivalent? The woman appeared to be a bit older than Bain, streaks of shimmering white weaved through her blonde hair. She had stunning, almond-shaped, reddish purple eyes and was lean and gorgeous.

Izzy couldn’t deny the truth of it
… she was magnificent. Everything about her from the smooth, silvery tone of her voice to the beautiful purple and gold gown she wore, screamed high society or possibly even royalty.

The woman let go of Bain’s face to wrap him tight in her arms, Bain returned the gesture with fervor. If he wasn’t
careful, he might break her in half.

Izzy watched them closely
. She had no right to feel the sting of jealousy that was coursing through her. She had no claim on this Immortal and, really, how much did she know about him? Or the Fae for that matter… For all she knew, they didn’t believe in monogamy. This stunning woman could be one of many women who Bain enjoyed. Or they could be like the Sister Wives and he could be married to multiple women.

She really knew very little about this world. Bain had answered all her questions, but she really hadn’t posed many. She had willingly stepped into this world with this man, without getting much in the way of facts. She could be standing in a room full of creatures that would eat her for all she knew
—all because she had been blindsided by a pretty face.

Izzy suddenly felt very exposed and unsure of the situation she now found herself in.

When Bain finally let the woman go and focused back on Izzy, he gave her a quizzical look, his brows forming a V as he tried to assess her sudden change in mood.

Shit.
What parts of her musings were written on her face?

“Isabelle, this is Lady Esperanza, but I call her
Mother.
”

“
Mother
?” Izzy’s eyes shot between the two of them. Crap, she saw it now. Bain had the same face shape as the stunning woman.

“Yes, I admit I am responsible for this one. And you must be the
human
I’ve heard so much about.”

Izzy wasn’t sure what the difference in her tone when she said the words
human
meant. Somehow, it didn’t seem like a compliment.

She continued, “Your kind
… well, they
fascinate
me, they always have.”

Fascinate did not sound like a compliment at all either
. In fact, it sounded like a dig.

“Oh
… really, and how is that?” Izzy held the woman’s mysterious gaze.

“
Mom
.” Bain’s voice sounded in a warning tone.

“Oh Bain
, relax, I meant nothing by it. I find her species interesting—is that a crime?”

“No,” Izzy answered, but wondered if she found them interesting like a scientist finds a new bug species interesting,
like something to dissect. Izzy kept a smile on her face as she continued, “I’m curious about your world and your people as well.”

Lady Esperanza smiled
. “Perhaps my son will allow me a little of your time during your stay with us,
so we can learn from one another
.”

“Sounds lovely,” Izzy continued with a smile plastered on her face.

Esperanza turned her sights back on Bain. “She is
charming,
Bain.” She patted his cheek and walked off to a small group of Fae woman.

Izzy arched a brow at him
. “Should I be insulted? She didn’t make charming sound like a compliment.”

Bain shook his head with a forced smile on his face
. “It’s nothing to be concerned about, I assure you. Come, I’ll introduce you to Lothar.”

Dinner was amazing
, and the company was pretty good too. They folded Izzy into their world easily, making her feel welcomed. She laughed as Esperanza told stories of Bain’s childhood, she sat mesmerized as Lothar and Bain reminisced about battles from their past, and shook her head at some of the stories of the five brothers.

She was intrigued and couldn’t wait to meet Rowan, as everyone spoke so highly of her. She learned of Bain’s father
, who had passed nearly a century ago, but she could still see the pain in both Bain and his mothers’ eyes. They had inquired about Izzy’s family, and she was, as always, proud and willing to talk about them. They were an important part of her life; hell, if she was honest, they were her life.

When dinner was over and the others began to disperse, Bain pulled her chair out for her and took her hand
.

“It was lovely to meet you,” she told Lothar as they exited the room

“I was thinking much the same, Isabelle,” Lothar said, smiling at her. His smile was reflected in the grayish-blue of his eyes.

He seemed very honest and real. She wondered if that had something to do with his gift
. An empath would be empathetic, feeling what others felt would make you hard pressed to be anything but raw and real with them, right?
Regardless, she instantly liked him. He reminded her of Uriah, gentle and trustworthy, which made sense, seeing as how they were actually biologically related.

“You still up for a tour? Or did my family suck the last of your energy
?”

Izzy bumped her shoulder against him
. “Not hardly, they were fascinating and very welcoming.”

She didn’t mention her
previous bug and scientist analogy that she had originally thought about his mother. Lady Esperanza had scrutinized every move, every word, and every glance her son made. Izzy had a feeling she was walking away with mommy’s little boy.

Bain looked down at her, seriousness to his tone when he spoke
. “So, no fear of the Fae?”

Izzy chewed on her cheek
. “No, not really. I will confess… it’s still surreal and amazing the different things your people can do.”

Bain had to admit everyone was very forthcoming; Izzy didn’t have to ask anyone what they could do
. As the stories flowed, most everyone’s abilities were revealed.

“So
, I got the impression that you and Kale were troublemakers as children.”

“Kale and I, we were
… free spirits,” Bain amended her troublemaker comment.

“Ah
, so that’s what you call it here? Well, sounds like you’re really close with your family that’s important. My family is everything to me.”

“I know
. I could see the twinkle in your eye when you spoke of them, plus I’ve seen you with them.”

They walked quietly as they made their way through the castle’s keep and the main living quarters
. Bain pointed out a few things as they meandered through the stone walls of his home.

“This is the main living area, the hole, that myself and my brother’s share, though Cree rarely uses it
. He and Rowan have their own separate apartment—if you will—on the top floor of the keep.”

The living room—as she would call it—was large
, with polished marble floors and a few intricate wool rugs. Izzy ran a manicured finger over the felt of a billiards table and raised a brow at Bain. “Pool? Didn’t expect that.”

“Do you play?”

“I can, I’m not that good, though I do enjoy the challenge.”

“We’ll have to practice
; I’m a good teacher.”

Izzy smiled
, heat rising in her veins. “I bet you are.”

She did a turn to take in the rest of the room
: bookshelves, a large, plasma TV, a bar, couch, another massive fireplace, and a round table with a deck of cards.

A bachelor pad.

“What’s out there?” she asked, gesturing to a set of glass doors.

“The gardens and a pool
. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Izzy followed him out into the crisp, but comfortable fall evening. The stars were bright, and looked the same as they did at home—in the Human
World. She even saw the Big Dipper; it was the one constellation she knew and could almost always find.

“You have the same constellations
,” she said it more to herself than to Bain, but he nodded.

Bain led her deeper into the gardens through a hedge maze that led out into a large
, grassy area. Bain set his jacket down on the grass and sat next to it. He patted the material for Izzy to sit next to him. She smiled and sat.

Bain lay back in the grass
, and Izzy followed suit. Bain took her hand and slid his head close to hers in an effort to gain the same line of sight that she had. He wrapped his hand around hers and traced the Big Dipper with her finger in the air.

“The
Big Dipper, as humans tend to call it.”

“That’s the one and only one I can ever find.” She smiled and laughed softly.

“We call it Ursa Major or the Big Bear, but yeah it’s the Big Dipper and there’s the Little Dipper.” He gestured to the smaller set of stars creating the same shape.

Bain then moved her hand to the right and traced out a triangle with two bright stars at its base
. He drew a line down from each of them, to two other bright stars, with another, slightly dimmer one between the two, and then followed down to two other stars.

“That’s
The Hunter,” Bain whispered.

“
Orion
?” Izzy asked softly. She was pretty sure people referred to Orion as The Hunter.

Bain nodded and continued to point out constellations and tell Izzy the stories behind them
. Most of them were of Greek origin.

“They’re the same stories I remember from Mythology back in seventh grade.” She was surprised they would share the same legends.

“They are the same stories; we share the same skies. The Fae grew alongside your Human World and at one point in time, we grew with the humans.”

“So what happened? Why don’t we know about your people now?”

“Because humans evolved and western religion, fear, and hate began to taint your species against anything different from its own. Wars broke out, and my people made the choice to return to our world and protect our people. Some felt humans should become slaves to our will and needs, while other preferred to come back to our lands and leave the humans to find their way to acceptance again.”

Izzy could feel Bain’s eyes on her as she mulled over his words
. It sounded just like human nature; fearing what they don’t understand, and fighting because of that fear, but she continued to stare at the stars instead of saying anything. One star in particular caught her eye; it was bright, out shining all the twinkling spots around it.

Finding that particular star as a good of an excuse as any to veer away from the poor decisions mankind was notorious for
making, she asked, “Is that the Northern star?”

“Ah
… the one thing we see differently. Yes, it is the same as your Northern star, but we call it the Immortal Heart here.” Bain’s gaze was locked on the star, and now Izzy was drinking in his profile.

“Tell me about it
,” she said softly, staring at the bright star again.

Bain smiled
. “The Immortal Heart belonged to a very special Fae—our god of sorts. The story is of his love. She died in the first major war between the Dark and the Light. When Ekon found her dying and, Jelena—one of the three Immortal sisters—came for her, Ekon begged that she give Estrena back to him. Jelena could not, but rather than take her to the Underworld, where Ekon could not gaze upon her beauty any longer, she turned her into our brightest star, to always watch over him. Over the centuries he spent without Estrena, he never took another woman. He had loved Estrena far too deeply to ever hold another. When Ekon was on his death bed, Estrena came down, a star floating from the skies to our land, and took him home with her.”

Bain turned his head then to look at Izzy
. She had a twinkle in her own eyes. “That’s beautiful.”

Ah hell, Bain couldn’t take it
. He wanted to hold her, to touch her, to finally kiss her. It had taken every bit of strength he had today not to slip his tongue past her parted lips and kiss her until he was dizzy, drunk off her spicy scent and taste. He reached out to cup Izzy’s cheek, anchoring his fingers on her neck. He dropped his lips to hers. Izzy’s lips parted, as she offered no resistance to his move.

With her soft lips parted, Bain slid his tongue beyond the
plump, subtle curve of her mouth. With each little twist, he deepened the kiss and Izzy met his hunger. She moaned softly as he pulled her tongue into his mouth and sucked gently. Izzy ran her fingers through the silk strands of Bain’s blond locks and pressed her breast hard against his chest.

Finally
, she thought as she gave up every inhibition she had and melted into his touch.

Bain rolled them over so he lay half on top of her. His hand gathered the silk fabric of her dress, slowly pulling it up to her hip
. He ran his rough, battle-ready hand up and down her thigh, her softness a welcome feeling to his fingers. He wanted to feel more of her. Bain slid his hand under her bottom and pulled her hard against him. When she moaned into his mouth, he knew she’d felt his erection; he was hard as stone for her.

Every inch of him wanted to be covered by her skin,
and every inch of his hard flesh wanted to slide into her slow and steady. He could make love to Izzy for hours, no rush. He would keep her in his bed as long as she would let him and when she thought she would want to move, he’d make love to her again just to keep her with him a little longer… Such new thoughts to him. He had never cared to keep a woman, but this sweet, stubborn human had pushed her way into his heart and caused a deep need his body readied itself to satisfy.

Izzy rocked her hips gently against his harden flesh.
My God, she wanted him
, every broad, sexy piece of him. She wanted the wicked promise of satisfaction Bain offered, but she also wanted the slow, passionate man that hid behind all the arrogant, bold, confidence that washed around him. She knew it was there; she’d glimpsed it multiple times in the past few days. She was falling for everything about this man.

A throat cleared, silencing Izzy’s thoughts and
moans, while pulling a growl from Bain as he tucked her face into the crook of his neck, hiding her from the intruder’s view and pulling her dress back down her leg.

“My apologies
, Master Bain, but Meriah is here.”

Bain sighed
, lowering his mouth to Izzy’s ear. “I’m sorry; I have to go see her. Niles will escort you to your room. I can’t keep her waiting.”

Izzy’s heart froze. Her eyes were sad and thankfully hooded as Bain stood and gently pulled her up with him. Was he seriously going to walk away from her right now?
To go see another woman?
Meriah was definitely a woman’s name.

“Niles, escort Miss Moreno back to her room
, please.”

The intruder nodded and smiled sympathetically at her. Izzy forced a
smile, hoping to hide her hurt and disappointment.

“I’ll come see you when I’m done
. I’m sorry, Izzy.”

She didn’t meet his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ve had enough excitement for one day
. I think I’ll turn in for the evening.”

Bain watched as Izzy walked off with Niles. Was she angry? Yeah
, couldn’t say that he blamed her. Niles had shitty timing. He was certainly going to be feeling an ache because of it.

Bain spread his wings and flew off to meet with Meriah
. She always waited in the chapel. It seemed she felt most comfortable in the place others went to accept and mourn those who were now residing in her realm.