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  He hissed and glared at me. “You’re sloppy, Regan, you need more practice.”

  I smirked at the sight of blood. Oh yeah, I was going to enjoy causing him pain. He deserved it after what he’d done to my brother. “I got a slice of you, didn’t I?”

  “Sure, but that should’ve been a much more damaging blow than this little nick. You only got me because I thought I’d rolled your mind. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  He disappeared in a blur of speed. He was too fast for my human eyes to track him. I spun around, expecting him to come at me from behind. He appeared by my side and knocked my knife hand. The blade went spinning.

  I jumped back but stopped mid-retreat. I didn’t want to escape him. I wanted him to pull me against his body, to forgive me for hurting him.

  What was wrong with me? I was here to kill him. I didn’t need his forgiveness.

  He took a hesitant step toward me, and part of me yelled to draw my other knife while the other part demanded I caress his wounded arm and make sure I hadn’t hurt him too badly.

  A fog washed over my mind when he ran his hands up and down my arms. “Give me your knives, all of them.”

  “Don’t give him jack shit, Regan!”

  I peered around Zarek and saw my brother. Deathly pale, with a sheen of sweat marking his face, my brother swayed on his feet. He leaned against the doorframe of the hallway, as if he couldn’t stand on his own. I moved to go around Zarek. I needed to make sure he was okay, but Zarek seized my arm in a vise-like grip, stopping me in my tracks.

  The master vampire frowned at my brother with disapproval. “How did you get away from Laedan?”

  The corner of Jason’s mouth tilted up, revealing long, white fangs. The blood left my head, and I actually placed my hand on Zarek’s chest to keep myself from toppling over. God, my big brother really was a vampire. He definitely wasn’t sporting any plastic fangs in that mouth of his.

  “You shouldn’t have left Laedan with me. You know a newly made, unfed vampire running on adrenaline is more powerful than a werewolf. Even one with fighting skills like his.”

  Zarek’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

  “No, just had a little drink.”

  “You’re not looking more powerful than Laedan,” I said. My poor brother’s face was a pale green, his eyes unfocused, as if he were knocking on Death’s door.

  Zarek glanced at me and placed his hand over mine on his chest. His frown of concern scrunched his forehead. “He’s still changing.”

  Jason screamed and doubled over. I tried to jerk myself out of his grip, but he held firm, and the urge to move vanished as I watched my brother, horrified.

  Zarek flinched. “This will be the last night he’ll be in pain. Until then, he should really go lie down while I deal with you.”

  “I won’t rest while you’re trying to kill my sister, asshole,” Jason gasped from the floor.

  “I’m not going to kill her.” He ran his fingers gently through my hair. A lover’s caress.

  “Regan, get away from him.” When I didn’t move, he glared at Zarek. “What are you doing to her?”

  “Touching enhances my hold over her.” He released his grip on my arm and slid his hands up to my shoulders to pull me to him and kiss my throat. I jerked out of his embrace, unable to think. I had to get some distance from him.

  My head ached, and my mouth was as dry as the desert. I drew my knife and backed away from him. “Let go of my mind, damn it!”

  “Put that knife down.” The order came through so clearly I couldn’t tell if Zarek had spoken aloud or if it was all in my head.

  Pain detonated behind my eyes. It was so ferocious I almost passed out. My hand shook so badly that I almost dropped the blade.

  “Come here, damn it! Stop fighting me.”

  Agony scattered my thoughts. I stumbled as the weight of his mind crashed into mine. The knife clattered to the ground. My knees cracked as they hit the floor, but I barely noticed the pain. No physical sensation compared to what was going on in my head.

  His commands bombarded me. I wanted to beg him to stop, to tell him I’d do whatever he wanted, but my teeth were clenched together against the words, and I couldn’t force them apart.

  Suddenly, everything stopped. I came to my senses, lying huddled on the floor, drenched in sweat. My short nails had managed to dig into my palms. I uncurled my fingers. Blood oozed from the little crescents indented in my palms.

  “Get up, Regan, damn it! You need to run.” My brother started pulling me roughly to my feet.

  “What happened?”

  “I jumped Zarek, but he won’t be down for long.”

  I glanced around and noticed the demolished bar. Broken glass and wood lay strewn everywhere. The mirrors behind the bar were cracked and coated in blood.

  My brother shoved me toward the door, and I almost fell. He grabbed my hand to steady me and froze. “You’re bleeding.” His grip tightened around my hand, and I flinched.

  He dropped my hand and spun away so fast that I couldn’t track the movement. “Run, Regan. You’ll end up dead if you don’t.”

  “You have to come with me. I can’t leave you here.”

  He looked over his shoulder for a split second, but he didn’t turn around. “Don’t you get it? You’re bleeding. Even if you weren’t, I’m not sure I could go with you. Adrenaline got me this far, but I’m stretching my control to the limit just standing this close to you. I’ve resisted feeding until now. It’s why I’m in even more pain than normal.”

  Tears streaked down my face. “Jason, I can’t leave you here. He’ll kill you for this.”

  I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He hissed, baring razor sharp fangs. He knocked my hand away, covered his face, and backpedaled.

  Tears completely obscured my vision. A sob tore through my body. “Jason, come with me! I can’t… You keep me safe. It’s my fault this happened to you. Please!”

  He didn’t take his hands off his face. “This isn’t your fault.”

  The rubble that used to be the bar shifted before Zarek sat up.

  He wiped the blood out of his eyes and pointed at Jason. “I’m going to kick your ass, boy.”

  Jason pushed me toward the door and took up a fighting stance in front of me. “Regan, run! I’ll find a way out, but right now you need to be somewhere safe.”

  I backed away, glancing around the bar. The Devil’s Trap’s patrons sat around watching the show, but none interfered.

  When my gaze went back to Zarek, he was already up and heading toward me. He shoved my brother so hard Jason dented the wall. I turned and ran for dear life.

  Chapter Five

  I staggered into my house. I was shocked I’d made it home. My head pounded as Zarek continued to try to command me back to him. But for some reason he hadn’t pursued me outside the bar. He’d probably chosen to deal with my brother and save me for later. I crawled up the stairs. I’d grind my teeth down to nubs if Zarek didn’t stop calling me.

  I needed a shower, but I wasn’t going to make it. I couldn’t even see straight. I flopped facedown on my big, fluffy bed. I didn’t even bother to take my shoes off before I climbed up to the pillows. I drifted off to sleep with no problem.

  ***

  I was lying in the center of a massive canopy bed that definitely wasn’t mine. The gauzy black curtains billowed around me. A figure moved just beyond them.

  “Black silk sheets, black curtains that are transparent, but I somehow can’t see through them? This is a little clichéd, isn’t it? Show yourself, leech.”

  “All right.” Zarek’s voice seemed to echo all around me.

  “Oh joy, another cliché,” I muttered under my breath.

  Zarek parted the curtains. He was shirtless, as usual. His muscular chest was so pale that it almost glowed. I wanted to lick his gorgeous abs. Black leather pants encased his powerful thighs. His big feet were bare.

  I blushed when I realized I
’d given him the same full body stare that I hated to get from men. I’d also been silent for a minute or two while I’d studied him. I told myself it was his vampire powers. Yeah right, it was my hormones and the fact that he had a body any woman would drool over.

  I sat up. “What are you doing in my dreams? Where is my brother?”

  “Don’t worry about your brother. He won’t be hurt.”

  I opened my mouth to question him further, but he placed his fingers against my lips and climbed into bed with me. “Don’t ask again. I won’t give you more details. As for your other question, this isn’t really a dream. We’re communicating. You’re still fighting me. How do you do that?” He stroked a hand down my cheek, and the pain in my head vanished.

  I sighed and fell back on the bed. “I’d say thank you, but you’re the asshole who gave me that headache.”

  His eyebrows came together, and he frowned.

  I propped myself up on my elbows. “What?”

  He grinned. It was charming and warm. I wasn’t fooled for a second. I wasn’t talking to a nice creature. I was talking to something as soulless and evil as the Devil himself.

  “It’s nothing, never mind. You really shouldn’t fight me.”

  I smiled sweetly. I was sure it didn’t reach my eyes. “Don’t try to control me.”

  He sighed. “You attacked me, Regan. You’ve killed people I care about. But I didn’t want to have to kill you. I just wanted you stopped. If you were a human hunter, making you a slave would have worked.”

  “What do you mean a ‘human hunter’? I am human. Well, for the most part. Witches still fall into the definition of human.”

  “Being mortal doesn’t make you human. Trust me, witches are a breed unto themselves, and you’re not a witch. At least one of your parents was a vampire.” He splayed his hand over my heart. “I can feel it now. Gifts build mental barriers to keep vampires from figuring out what they are, but in your dreams, your shields are down.”

  I didn’t believe him for a second. “That’s not possible. The dead can’t reproduce.”

  He laughed. “You make it sound like we’re a bunch of zombies. We die for no more than a minute. Then our hearts start back up again. It’s hard for us to sexually reproduce, but not because we’re a bunch of walking dead. You definitely had a vampire parent. I knew your blood tasted strange. It was so powerful.”

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes like he could still taste it. I must have been making a disgusted face because when he looked at me he laughed.

  “I wonder…” His lips curled up on one side into an evil half smile I would have found endearing if I hadn’t known who and what he was.

  The next thing I knew I was straddling his lap, clinging to him like a vine. My tongue stroked his while he stayed completely passive, his hand resting on the curve of my ass.

  I pushed myself off him, and my temples started throbbing.

  “Come back here and kiss me, Regan.”

  “No!”

  The pain returned, exploding in my brain intensely; everything went white. When I could make sense of the world around me again, I was in the fetal position in the middle of the bed. Every muscle in my body ached from being clenched into that position. Tears and sweat caused my hair to stick to my face.

  I had to get him to stop. I couldn’t do this again. I looked up at Zarek. “Please!” I managed to gasp. “Please stop. It hurts so badly. I’ll do anything you want, just don’t do that anymore.”

  He pulled me into his arms, and the pain immediately eased. “God, I’m such a fucking asshole. I’m sorry, I’ll stop.” He leaned back and wiped the tears from my face. “You’re not trying to kill me, so I shouldn’t be trying to force you to do anything. I’m done until we fight again. I swear.” He kissed my forehead.

  He examined my face for a second. “Have you been in pain every time you fought me? I just assumed you were trying to block me out. I can inflict damage with my mind, but I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

  I frowned. Why would he care if he was hurting me? “Yes, it always hurts when I try to fight you.”

  He grinned, but it didn’t wash away the concern in his eyes. The concern got to me, even though I knew it had to be fake. “Okay, then I’ll save that little trick for our fights.”

  “Oh, thanks a million.” I didn’t believe him for a second.

  “Though, I would really love to fuck you, in or out of dreams. Mainly out.”

  “Well, you won’t get to unless you’re into rape.”

  “Nope, rape has never been my style. I like willing, enthusiastic participants. Though the way you look at me, I think I could make you a willing participant even without mind control.”

  “Just because I look doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with you. You’re a vampire, you’re off-limits.”

  He ran his tongue over his kissable lower lip. “Why? This isn’t real. You could do whatever you want with me.”

  I stared at him for what was probably a full minute. I knew that wasn’t true and so did he. It was real enough that it was probably a very bad idea to sleep with him. “Are you horny or something? Can’t you go find a willing lay instead of bothering me?”

  “I could, but I like your spirit. It’s hard to find a girl who doesn’t cower in terror. You just try to kill me, no matter how badly I scare you. I admire that.”

  He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. He pulled me back to straddle his lap. This time he wasn’t passive. He took charge of the kiss. His tongue stroked mine. God, he was a good kisser. One of his hands tangled in my hair while the other cupped my breast, his thumb caressing my nipple.

  My breathing hitched. I broke the kiss. “Are you using your creepy vampire powers on me again?”

  He smiled against my lips. “No, maybe you’re just as horny as I am.” He rolled his hips, and I got to feel just how much he needed me.

  I wanted him just as badly, which I found odd. He was a vampire, and we had just met. I wasn’t supposed to want him like this. Something was definitely off.

  Just as I was about to question him, his hand slid into my panties. One of his fingers slipped into my sex while his thumb stroked my clit. I hissed and put my hand over his, urging him on.

  He growled. “You’re already wet for me. I can’t wait to taste you.”

  I cried out as he pumped a second finger inside me. He was definitely good at seduction.

  I closed my eyes and ground myself against his palm.

  But then he was gone. My eyes popped open. I found myself kneeling in front of a small cell. My brother was leaning against the bars, his eyelids fluttering. I stood and approached the prison. His eyes flew open so fast that I fell on my ass with a shriek and immediately felt like an idiot. So much for the unshakeable vampire hunter.

  Sweat dripped off his face. He shook so hard his teeth chattered. “Don’t fuck him, not even in a dream. He’s trying to gain more control over you. Do you understand?”

  “Okay, discussing my sex life crosses a brother-sister boundary, even if you’re right. And no, I don’t really understand. You haven’t explained anything to me.”

  “That unnatural lust you feel for him, it’s part of the whole blood-bonding. You’re compelled to touch him, taste him. It’s bad, and sex will only give him a bigger hold on you. That’s why he’s trying so hard.”

  I didn’t want to believe it and prayed it wasn’t true, but I had no reason to doubt Jason. And I’d felt it, that almost irresistible pull. I wished Alaric had clued me in to this part of it. “How much of that did you witness?”

  “All of it. I was trying to find a way to get you away from him.”

  “Jesus, Jason!”

  He glared at me. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t end up a slave to this son of bitch.”

  He screamed and clutched his head. “He’s fighting me. Oh, it hurts.”

  I scrambled toward the bars and grabbed his hands. “Stay with me, Jason. Where are you?”


  “A cell. It’s the first door on your right when you go into the hallway.” His gaze met mine. “You shouldn’t come for me, but I know you will.”

  Good, I could check that off the long-ass list of things I needed to know. “How do you know so much about the blood-bond? How did Zarek catch you? You didn’t go after him, did you? I told you not to.”

  “No, I didn’t go after him. I went to Alaric begging to know all he could tell me about the blood-bond. I decided it was too much for us to fight. I went to your house to pack your things so we could run, but he was waiting. He’s so strong, Regan. You don’t know the half of it. I didn’t even see him. He jumped me and I woke up here, a vampire. You have to leave and go far.”

  “Not without you.”

  He pulled his hands out of my grip, stood, and walked away. “You can’t save me. It’s too fucking late. Just go.”

  He screamed and sank to his knees. “He’s breaking through. I can’t keep him from you.” He flung his hand out toward me and I jumped. “Time to wake up.”

  I gasped and my eyes flew open. It was still pitch black outside. I threw back the covers and got out of bed, heading toward my weapons stash. I pulled out guns, knives, anything I thought I would need to bust my brother out. He was going to be pissed that I’d come back for him, but I didn’t care.

  I grabbed a change of clothes and then went to shower. I was thankful Zarek had kept his promise to stay out of my head unless we were fighting. I found it odd that I could trust him at all…

  Chapter Six

  I was standing in front of Zarek’s bar for the third time. This was officially getting monotonous. I was armed to the teeth, as always. The only difference this time was that it was eleven o’clock in the morning, and the bar was closed for the day.

  That, and the fear was different. I didn’t want to go in there, but at the same time, something was drawing me to him. I had to be mistaken, because I would have noticed if he was using his evil vampire mind control on me. It had to be the bond itself that was causing this reaction, and that scared me more than anything. I couldn’t fight off the strange pull. I was worried this confusion would compromise me in a fight.