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

Kris went back to his apartment so I could shower and dress for the day. If he stayed a moment longer we’d just end up having sex again and spend the entire day in bed. I thought once he left I’d be overwhelmed by exhaustion and sore.

Instead I was more awake and alive than ever. I buzzed, hummed, danced my way through my morning routine. Kris’s extra masculine blood did my body good. I practically floated down to breakfast.

“You’re looking rested,” my mother drawled. I heard the suspicion in her voice even though she tried to mask it with judgment.

“I am rested.” I stopped at the sideboard and filled up a plate with bacon and toast, then sat opposite my mother. “I think being out of the House has been good for me in the end. I’m finally learning to develop different coping mechanisms for existing outside my room and spending long hours in the company of others.”

Her eyes narrowed over her cup of coffee. “Coping mechanisms?” Today’s impeccable outfit included shades of blue in a fitted bodice and pearl earrings. A fire roared making the old-fashioned dining room seem even more old fashioned.

“Finding safe spaces to meditate or rest. Knowing when I need a break and when I can push on.” I shoved bacon in my mouth.

Mother cocked an eyebrow. “That is not a sufficient breakfast.”

“The twins are making cinnamon rolls. I’m saving room.” And filling up on protein to counterbalance the sugar and carbs.

Mother chose silence but I could feel her jealousy coming off her in waves. I didn’t know what to do about that. Was it my place to soothe her or was it her place to get over it? Or maybe it should be a bit of both.

“Don’t take this from me Mother.”

Her eyes widened a bit in shock. “Excuse me?”

“You’re jealous and you are scared. I can see it written all over your face,” I hurried to explain, “no mind reading necessary. This is my first taste of adult life when all my other friends and cousins have been out there living for years. I’m far more sheltered and naive than I’d like to be. I feel left behind and honestly, I’ve been feeling pretty down about it all. Until I was needed.”

My mother looked away, her cheeks turning a shade of red I’d never seen on her before.

“Going North, being included on this research project—I feel normal for the first time in my life.”

“You are not normal,” she bit out. “You are extraordinary. And we almost lost you.”

Oh…there it is…

“I’m not the reason the salishan kidnapped us. That was Leena and Rever’s doing. You know this.” I explained it all several times when we returned. They combined their gifts and highlighted their location on the Plane like a lighthouse at night.

“I have worried about you since the day you were conceived, Rhiannon. Outside this House you will always be in danger and you cannot fault me for being terrified.”

I let my frustrations go…for now. “I’m safe at Blood Falls. You know the Wrens are fierce protectors. Their mother was a Gatlin. They’d never let anything happen to me.” Our gazes met over the table, hers wary, mine hopeful. “I know I’m not normal but give me this pocket of pretend normal. Please?”

She heaved an exhausted sigh and closed her eyes. “Communicate more, please? Let us know you’re safely home at night. When you don’t dine with us I…worry.”

This was all her way of saying I love you without the actual words. “I will. I promise to communicate more.”

Silence returned as we resumed eating. Which was why it was such a jolt when Aunt Matylda burst into the room, a twig in her disheveled hair. She threw herself into the empty chair closest to the door. In this moment she was the exact opposite of my mother. Hair a mess, cheeks red, eyes bright, and her shirt askew.

Matylda was always a bit loud and adventurous, but this was…new.

“Whew!” she blew her hair out of her eyes. “My morning hike did not go as expected. Like, at all.”

Mother bristled. “You’re a mess and not fit for the table. Go get cleaned up.”

“I couldn’t walk or slide any further than this. I’m jelly. Need a recovery meal before I can wash up.”

“Aunt Matylda, are you well?” I stood and returned to the sideboard, fixing her up a plate.

“I’m better than I’ve ever been. You see what happened was this, I was out for my usual morning hike. You know how I love fresh air first thing in the morning, and snow makes me even giddier. Well I’m out there, walking the fence that divides us off Sato land, and I come upon Lee and Wander.”

I set the plate down in front of her. Closer up I could see that she also had bark in her hair, healing scrapes on her arms, and wet spots everywhere from the snow.

“Thank you, dear.” She shoved a muffin in her mouth, chewing twice and swallowing. “And the most incredible urge came over me. Never felt anything like it. Struck out of nowhere like lightning. I thought for sure I just became fertile, but no. All three of us got hit at the same time.”

“This is not appropriate talk at the breakfast table,” my mother bit out.

Matylda rolled her eyes. “It’s just the three of us. Anyway, I just had sex with two Sato males and their spirit doubles and it was the best fucking sex of my life. When it was over it was like a spell broke. Urge gone but satisfied as hell.”

My mother turned purple. “Rhiannon, perhaps you should get on your way. I’ll deal with my sister.”

“Have a wonderful day, Aunt Matylda.”

She shot me a mischievous wink that said she wasn’t done giving her sister a hard time. “It’s going to be a great day, Rain. A great one. I promise.”

The warm cinnamon roll dissolved in my mouth, the sugar making my mouth water even more than it already was. The whole house smelled of cinnamon and sugar and coffee. Outside every window was a thick blanket of white snow. The fireplaces all flickered orange-yellow light while putting out a substantial amount of heat.

Kris worked in the kitchen preparing a roast to be served later in the day. There were pies in the ovens, potatoes being peeled, and an assortment of vegetables at the ready.

Apparently all-night sex made Kris into a caretaker, ready to feed a houseful all day long. He shot me a knowing grin when no one was looking and I felt myself blush from head to toe.

His hot, hot, hot wardrobe didn’t help matters. The way his grey t-shirt pulled across his chest was hot. His flannel of the day was sexy. His unruly curls were tamed by his backwards baseball cap. I wanted to stare at him all day.

“You look extra fabulous today, Rain,” Cass threw herself onto the chair beside me. “Finally get some rest?”

I pulled my gaze away from Kris. “I did. I feel much better.”

“And it shows.” She rubbed her hands together. “Now that you’re feeling better, how about some cards when we’re done working?”

Cards? What were cards? All I could think about was licking Kris like I was licking the frosting off this bun. As I slid inside you I felt like I was home. I shivered at the memory.

Cass waved a hand in front of my face. “Helllllo. You keep zoning out on me and I might start worrying we need to call on the new Doctor.”

I forced myself to focus and pushed all thoughts of Kris from my mind.

Mostly.

“No need. I’m here. I’m sugared up. And cards sound fabulous.”

She shot me a look but let it drop. “The Nalas have finally decided to meet with us. I’m still a bit shocked by how secretive they’re being considering,” she waved at Rhysa, whose mother was from the House of Nala, “but I guess I can understand wanting to get your cards in order before showing them.”

The House of Nala was cooperative. There was lots of shared information and they responded to questions quickly, but they kept mostly to themselves, resisting our cooperative way of doing things. I shrugged. “There could be House secrets in any of our books. I can understand wanting to keep family stuff private.”

Maybe Cass didn’t understand how much Shoshanna was involved in the process of deciding which books I was allowed to bring to the Wrens. How selective we were being, even while being open and communicative. Cass did have a tendency to wear rose colored glasses.

“Well, regardless, they should be here any minute.”

“I wonder if there was anything specific that changed their minds?”

Cass nodded. “Well, we did update them on the swords and armor. That Kris and Gigi are analyzing the metals and such. Maybe it got their attention?”

Turns out, Cass was wrong. After the research group assembled in the library, Saoirse, Rhysa’s grandmother, addressed the room. “We’ve brought the books we think are the most vitally important to the ongoing research effort, based on yesterday’s informative update. We found the reports on the events in the North, with the Heida, of particular importance.”

This turn of events felt important. The psychic energy that always pushed against my wall hummed and warmed with a different aura than normal. I felt a particular attention directed at me. And no, it wasn’t Kris.

It was Saorise.

“While all this research is important to us understanding how to fight this invasion into our Plane of existence, we must also understand the other signs.”

“What other signs?” Dray asked.

“Well, you for one. The first dragon in thousands of years. Why now? Why you?”

Dray pursed his lips. It was a matter I wasn’t involved with but I knew he was putting considerable effort into trying to understand now that he’d encountered two dragons from the other Plane. “I’m working on it.”

As the psychic energy continued to gather against my wall I was glad to have taken a seat near the back of the library in the shadows. I was even more grateful when Kris came to sit beside me.

“Is everything all right?” he whispered.

I shook my head. “Somethings up. How did you know?”

He frowned, shrugging. “I felt it. I think. I got a bad feeling and came to check on you, but the feeling only got worse the closer I got.”

Saoirse’s voice rose. “According to your report from the North, a psychic event took place that was powerful enough to draw these salishan to a specific location. That event displayed ancient symbols.”

The hair on my arm rose up.

“We’re working on deciphering them,” Leena said. She looked mad.

“According to the report, a Gatlin psychic was powerful enough to communicate with the salishan and to psychically heal the male who was temporarily taken into the rift.”

Oh shit. Me. That was me. Kris stiffened beside me, taking my hand and squeezing.

“And?” Dray bit out, using his alpha growl that he was well known for.

Saoirse wasn’t phased in the least. In fact, her chin rose in defiance. “Our Rhysa,” she said simply, “and now Rhiannon, living at the same time? If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.”

Ivy Volci raised her slender hand. Today she wore a dress of white chiffon that made her look like she was floating. “For those of us not in your brain, can you spell out your theory in crystal clear detail?”

Saoirse’s right eyebrow shot up. “Rhiannon? Rhiannon are you here?”

My wall took a direct hit as the attention of everyone turned to me at once. But Kris’s hand on mine, his energy flowing into me, helped me hold my block. I stood slowly. “I’m here.”

“Tell me, do you possess a single gift of the House of Gatlin, or many?”

Every pair of eyes looked at me. I felt their minds probing with curiosity.

Kris shot up beside me. “That’s very personal, Saoirse. I’ll ask you to mind your manners in our House.”

Bridge moved in on my other side, taking my other hand. “Why are you doing this in public? This is wildly inappropriate.”

I felt like a deer in the headlights.

“Because,” Saoirse said simply, “this is all our future. You’re all here freely sharing information. How is this any different? We already know Rhysa has gifts she has no right to. Gifts from so many of our Houses. Together with Dray, they form a combination of samhain gifts never seen before. And now we have a very gifted psychic? There have been rumors for years that one with a powerful gift had been born to the House of Gatlin, but we had no idea her power was this strong. So I ask again, Rhiannon, are you simply a gifted Gatlin, or do you have a second gift? Perhaps a third?”

She kept talking, listing the dictionary of Gatlin gifts, all while the psychic energy knocking on my door grew almost too strong to hold back, even with my friends giving me their strength.

“All of them,” I whispered.

Kris’s hand tightened painfully. Bridge shook her head. They didn’t want me to answer because they knew it would change things.

But I kept whispering. It was like trying to scream in a dream but only whispers come out, no matter how hard you try. And then, loud and rasping, the words echoed around the room and shut Saoirse up.

“All of them! I have all of them.”