Virgins and Vampires: Blood Falls (The Blood Falls Book 3)

Kris stood on one side of the kitchen counter scowling. He had his arms crossed over his chest, making his biceps bulge against the short sleeve of his grey t-shirt. I followed the direction of his scowl and found my cousin, Rever, standing opposite him.

They mirrored each other perfectly from the scowl to the wide-legged stance. Neither of them noticed me emerge from the cellar door in the pantry so I caught the tail end of their conversation.

“I handled it,” Kris bit out.

“It shouldn’t have needed handling in the first place,” Rever shot back.

“She doesn’t need you pissing all over everything. Leave her be,” Kris threatened.

Actually threatened. His words were so sharp I was certain there had to be blood somewhere. And those steely eyes of his? Whoa boy. I was both terrified and turned on.

Rever stepped forward, probably ready to send a threat of his own, maybe propose a fight to the death, who knew? I called out before he could do anything.

“I’m back!”

Both men froze and traded one last warning sneer. Rever turned. “I was looking for you, cousin.”

“Well here I am. Is everything all right?” I shot Kris a look but he was still busy glaring a hole through Rever’s skull.

My cousin was older than us by twenty-two years but he looked even older after his experience in the rift. His eyes had lost some of their shine. He wore his hair longer than he used to, and he already wore the dark locks a little on the long side. And instead of stubble, he grew a full, thick beard. He still wore his jeans, boots, and leather, though. Always a knife in his pocket.

“No, the fuck it is not,” he growled. “I came because I’m feeling better and wanted to get an update on how things are progressing, but it turns out I’m going to have to murder an old female instead.”

“No one needs murdering.” Although if Saoirse heard us calling her old, we might get murdered. “I have the situation under control.”

“See?” Kris said, hand waving at me. “Rain is perfectly capable of handling her own shit. She doesn’t need a big brother.”

And I suspected Kris wanted to be the male protecting me if, or when, the situation presented itself. Why else would he be so put out by Rever stepping on his toes?

Rever shot a glare over his shoulder. “I’m not her big brother. I’m a Gatlin Guard and it is my job to ensure Rhiannon’s safety. I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about that here, but if Nala is willing to expose her like that, then maybe we should be reconsidering our alliances.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold your horses there, guardian. Saoirse made a mistake. It came from a place of fear. She won’t be doing that again. Anyway, the secrets out. No taking it back.”

Rever’s eyes flashed with fury. “Shoshanna needs to know. She’ll decide.”

I couldn’t deny that. As Head of the House, Shoshanna would have the final say on whether things were settled with Nala and Saoirse in particular. “As far as House business is concerned, yes. As for my personal business, there is nothing to do. I’m at peace.”

He glared for another moment, then cocked his head to the side. “Matylda’s right. You are changing. I like it.”

Now that the male energy had started dissipating, I approached the counter. “Changing how?” We stood in a triangle, Kris to my left, Rever to my right.

“She said you were finally finding your place. I agree. It suits you.”

“And how are you feeling?”

“Better. I’m sleeping, finally. And my appetite has returned.”

It was strange sharing a bond with Rever. I didn’t probe any further into his mind than the events in the rift, but it was still a lot. I felt what he felt. The fear and the stress. I saw what he saw—the ethereal beings in a space that felt entirely different from ours here in the Plane of existence.

“Nightmares?”

He nodded.

I set my hand over his and squeezed once. “You’re here.”

“I know.” His voice came out rougher than before. “And that’s why I’m here. We can’t let those things into our world, Rain. We can’t.” His knuckles turned white.

I knew exactly what he was thinking about. There were five occasions when the beings were able to bend time and space enough to interact with Rever. He felt blinding pain every time. His screams sometimes woke me up at night.

Feeling a new sense of power, I let myself reach out to Rever and calm his psyche. His breathing began to normalize.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“And you don’t have to suffer.” I pulled back into myself just as Ivy glided into the kitchen. She went right to the cabinet with the glasses, pulled one out, and filled it with water.

Rever stared at her the whole time.

Kris cleared his throat. “Uh Ivy, have you met Rever?”

She smiled brightly. “I don’t think I have. Ivy, House of Volci.”

“Revenge, House of Gatlin.”

The psychic energy between them crackled. Ivy blinked and shifted. “Well, I’m glad to see you’ve recovered and I hope we’ll see you in the library soon. I have so many questions about the rift.”

Rever stiffened but nodded. “We can talk now if you like.”

“Wonderful. Right this way.” Ivy drifted down the hallway like an angel, Rever following behind like a devil.

“That’ll be interesting…” Kris chuckled. “Ender will eat him for breakfast.”

I didn’t think so. “His name is Revenge for a reason. And he’s a prominent member of the Gatlin Guard. Plus he’s been to Hell and back. I think he can handle an alpha wolf.” Besides, who better to help a male recover from Hell than an angel?

The day went on forever. It was good, but long. We reached a point where there was enough information to start having good conversations and debates. Rever and Ivy sat in a corner for ages. Him in the shadows, her nodding along as she scribbled on a pad of paper.

Saoirse and Rhysa drew up a plan for testing my ability to meet and speak with Marhysa on the Plane. Gigi and Kris updated Dray on their metal analysis. Leena and the Heida returned to the North.

Their leaving was what finally did it. Group after group broke up, said their goodbyes, and went home. It was a good thing Kris cooked a feast because we all ate it, every bite, and kept on working. It was after nine before we finally had the library to ourselves.

Kris snagged my bare foot and pressed his thumb into my arch. I moaned at the sudden relief. “Careful,” he warned, “noises like that are dangerous.”

“You’re the one making me moan.” I closed my eyes and sank into the relief. “That was a long day.”

“And emotional. How are you?”

I tried to figure that out but couldn’t. “I think too much happened. My mind is still processing it all. So I’m not good or bad. I’m just…processing.”

His wonderful fingers worked over my feet, ankles, and calves, releasing one tense muscle after another. “Do you want to talk any of it out?” The fire flickered, the orange light dancing over his features.

It made me want more of this. Quiet moments by the fire, catching up about our days. I could see us doing this for decades. That idea warmed me until I realized we would have to fight a war first. I pushed that aside and focused on the here and now.

“I think your sisters suspect us.”

Kris grinned. “I’m pretty sure everyone suspects. Why don’t you want to tell them?”

There was definitely a note of hurt to his voice. “I think…I think I like the adventure? And I like that you’re my secret. And…” I let my thoughts drift and wandered through my feelings, searching for the tension I felt, wanting to know where it came from. “Right now it’s just the two of us. They can tease us or give us looks, but they don’t know anything. Only you and me. Everything else? It’s chaos. I don’t know if I’ll get through a day with my mind intact. I don’t know when this war is coming or if we can stop it. I don’t know if the answers are staring us in the face or if there are no answers and we’re doomed. I don’t—”

Kris knelt beside me and took my hands in his. “Hey, it’s all right.” His eyes darted between mine. “You and me. Our secret. I like it.”

“I know it’s silly.”

“It’s not. It makes perfect sense. I love that I’m the one thing you can count on.”

I bit my lower lip suddenly feeling shy. “We’re moving awfully fast. I don’t want you feeling obligated to me when we’ve only had a couple of days together.”

I would have sworn I offended the male with the look he gave me. “I don’t feel obligated and I never will. Obligation is the last thing two people who care about each other should feel. Well, not the only thing they should feel. I think we have something unique. And yes, it’s fast, but we’ve known each other our whole lives. You’re not a stranger.”

That was true, but we weren’t normal and the times we lived in weren’t normal either. “I believe you, but I also want you to seriously consider what that looks like. I will play an important part in what’s to come. Being with me would obligate you to certain roles as well.”

I had my wall up so I couldn’t decipher everything that flashed through his eyes as he thought. He pulled back just a little, like he was trying to see me more clearly. “What happened in the cellar today? Something…specific is driving this conversation.”

He was better at his empathic gifts than he realized. The male read me like a book. “It was brought to my attention that I will need a protector. A Shield. Someone who guards my physical form when I use my psychic gifts. I know they’re right, but the idea is…overwhelming.”

“Why is it overwhelming?” It was adorable the way his brow furrowed and those soulful eyes of his searched for answers.

But I think more than that, it was his genuine concern that did me in. It was impossible to keep myself from tipping head over heels for him. “I’ve spent my whole life in a room, in a house, always with someone watching out for my wellbeing. I finally get a little freedom and…and now I have to pick someone to protect more than my mind. They need to protect my life—the way Rhysa and Dray protect each other.” I held my breath because that last part was the heaviest. A regular guard would do. I was sure Rever would step into the role without question.

What I really needed though, was a mate. A bonded mate. And there was no greater bond than Fated Mates. That kind of Fate took my breath away. I read the stories of Fated Mates over and over again, wishing something so special would be my Destiny.

Now it scared me. Who was it? How long would it take to find them? What if it wasn’t Kris? Because yeah, in my heart, my hope was that it was him. I loved spending time with him and I couldn’t wait to be alone in my room with him again. And maybe that’s what scared me even more…if it was this incredible with Kris and he wasn’t my Fated Mate, how could I possibly survive the real thing?

“Your brain is working a million miles a minute, princess.”

“That’s because I’m very busy overthinking this whole situation.”

He cupped my face and gave me a panty-melting smile with his eyes. “Then let’s get out of here so I can properly make you forget everything for the rest of the night.”