Page 33 of Sergi (Of Blood & Dreams #7)

Chapter Thirty-Two

I woke with a start, my eyes flashing open to darkness. Not complete darkness. From somewhere, a low, orange light flickered. I didn’t move, trying to recall where I was.

The hard surface I lay on reminded me of my cell. Panic seized me. For a moment, my breath stuck in my throat. Then I remembered there had been a battle. When the fight with the wild shifters slammed into me, the air rushed out of me, and I reached for my shoulder.

The pain that had increased with each step as I followed Sergi through the dense forest was gone. I ran a hand over my right shoulder again, positive that was where the wolf had bitten me. I checked the left side. There wasn’t a wound. Wait. There was a scab, thin and flaky. I scratched it off and tried to remember what happened after the fight.

Where was I?

Somehow, in my waking daze, I’d missed the strong scent of a wood fire. I lifted my head and looked toward the orange glow, but I couldn’t see the source. A naked body blocked my view. Sergi lay flat, his eyes closed, and his chest rose and fell in a deep rhythm.

I immediately glanced down and was relieved to see I was wearing a guard’s shirt. Nothing else, but at least my privates were covered. We were on a rock shelf, and I glanced up. Plenty of room to stand. I rose slowly, waiting for other signs of battle to make their presence known. Surprisingly, there was no pain. Not one ache. I pulled my knees to my chest and then stretched my legs, repeating the motion several times. I lifted my arms and bent my elbows. Not one single sore muscle.

In fact, now that I was fully awake, I felt good. Like, run laps good. My first thought was that Sergi had given me some of his blood, but unlike humans, vampire blood did nothing for a shifter. I must have shifted at least once since I was in human form.

The memory slammed into me like a bullet train.

Sergi had found a cave, and I’d limped in, agony twisting every nerve ending. I waited for him to settle so I could go outside to shift. I didn’t want him to see my injury. Though, now that my mind was clearer than it had been in days, hell, months, that seemed idiotic. Like he wouldn’t have noticed me limping.

I never left the cave. He stopped me and then sat by me. His rough hands were gentle as he stroked my wolf’s back. She quieted quickly, enjoying the pleasure of his touch. My cheeks heated at the memory, as vague as it was. He’d calmed her as if he were an Alpha signaling she was safe. And then I’d shifted.

He’d carried me to a warm pool. My nose wrinkled, recalling the metallic smell of minerals, but beneath that was the light mix of freshly cut wood and musk. The scent of a male.

The water had been warm, and though we were both naked—and I clearly remembered the touch of his skin on mine—I didn’t feel cold when he carried me back to the cave. Then I remembered nothing at all.

I stared into the low flames, and, without disturbing Sergi, I navigated around him and dropped to the floor. I added two logs to the fire then searched for the lab coat. I hadn’t been wearing it during the fight, but I had to make sure nothing had been trampled when things got messy.

I spread out the vials and sighed when they were all accounted for. Then something caught my eye. Probably just a shadow from the sparking flames. I picked up the vial of BP-X and flipped it over and back. I picked up a second vial of BP-X and compared it to the first. Then I did it with the third vial. The first one was only three-quarters full. It had been full when I took it from the lab. I knew it to be true as well as I knew the sun rose in the morning.

I bit my lip. Drops of something on my tongue. I couldn’t remember anything else. Had Sergi given me Blood Poppy? Why? All I needed were a couple of shifts to close the bite wounds. I touched the back of my neck. I’d forgotten I’d been bitten there, too, but there wasn’t even a scab.

I don’t know how long I stared at the vial, knowing I was missing part of the puzzle. Eventually, small bits returned. I must have been delirious with a fever. The pain had been increasing, as if my natural healing abilities had been nullified.

Had he saved my life again?

I’d never considered vampires would show such honor for shifters. And he hadn’t just saved me. Once I’d freed him, he could have easily left the facility. He said he needed evidence. Was releasing all the shifters from their cells simply a diversionary tactic or mercy? Carlos had believed in his honor.

A flash of dark, mahogany-colored eyes touched with a red glow made my skin flush as a warm shiver ran through me. Soft skin behind the tribal tattoos of some long-ago culture. Lust ran through me as I remembered the soft curve of his lips when he smiled. The touch of his hands as he washed the blood from my body made the soft hairs on my arms buzz with energy.

Tomorrow, we’d reach civilization and a freedom I hadn’t experienced for months. I’d go home to the pack. Sergi would go home to his House. That would be the end of anything between us. And there was something there, wasn’t there? A spark of heat.

A shifter and a vampire had nothing in common. We’d been mortal enemies for centuries. Yet, my uncle didn’t think all vampires were bad.

What was one night? Who would know?

It had been so long since anyone had held me. Since anyone had made me feel alive. Once I was home and the horrors of the experiments settled in, it could take months to overcome whatever post-traumatic memories would resurface. They were always close. And when I was alone, they pressed on me.

I placed the wrapped vials in the lab coat and laid them on my other clothes. The fire drew me to it, and as the flames heated my body, I stared up at the naked vampire.

He had turned on his side, resting on an elbow as he watched me. He’d awakened while I’d been lost in my thoughts. The red glow of his beast washed over me, inflicting emotions I didn’t understand or chose not to.

He took my breath away.

Not a muscle twitched on his sculpted body as I walked toward him. The red glow intensified and stirred butterflies. I wasn’t a shy female, and the way he devoured me with nothing more than a look made me shiver with anticipation.

At this moment, I didn’t see him as vampire, even though the tips of his fangs showed when he licked his bottom lip. I grinned like a cat luring easy prey as I climbed onto the shelf.

All I could think was…mine.

I slipped the guard’s shirt off my shoulders and let the garment slide to the floor. My wolf stirred with a deep hunger, and without memory of ever taking a step, my lips were on his, and his arms wrapped around me.

His own longing poured through me with that first touch of tongues. When I pushed closer, he gripped my waist and unleashed his passion.

He sat up and crushed me to him as he became the seducer. His fingers wove through my hair as his kiss grew deeper, and I ran my hands up his chest until I gripped his shoulders. I had to get closer. A bare inch separated us, and he was simply too far away.

His chest slid across my breasts as he lifted me up to straddle him. Better. He was hard, and I felt his manhood slide against my most sensitive areas. I moved against him until I was wet for him.

Though my thoughts were a jumble of emotions, I recognized this moment as something different than any male I’d been with.

I’d had my share of lovers. Some were tender and reverent in their touches but never ignited my passion. Others played rough, and while they released my wild side, they never took the time to go slow and explore.

This was different. His rough hands roamed my body as if memorizing parts of me. His strokes were as soft as when he’d ruffled my wolf’s fur. Yet his kiss was demanding, thorough, and left me dizzy. I reached down to stroke the top of his thigh where our bodies met, and his shiver snaked through me with his low groan. For an instant, the red glow of his eyes flashed brighter before returning to the warmth of their natural color.

I’d been curious how the beast might react to Sergi’s heightened senses. That red glow told me it was paying attention. I grinned as Sergi worked his lips down my neck. I hope the beast was enjoying these erotic sensations as much as my wolf was.

I rose to settle myself over him, knowing I was more than ready. When he slid inside, I closed my eyes and slowly rocked, seating myself deeper.

He rocked with me and returned to my lips. Our tongues collided, but as the waves of passion rolled over me, my head fell back. I stared up at the ceiling, and though there was nothing but rock touched with the orange tint from the fire, I swore I saw stars burst, their shining silver pieces falling like confetti around us.

Not wasting a moment, he took advantage of my exposed neck as his fangs traced a downward path until they scraped over my breasts. His teeth nipped, and I rocked faster.

Before I understood what happened, I was on my back. His large frame loomed over me as he increased his strokes. The glow of the fire lit the sweat on his skin, and when he lifted my leg to let it settle in the crook of his arm, my head rolled back and forth as he moved deeper.

I gripped his hips and whispered, “Faster.”

He obeyed my command.

Time evaporated. I faded into the scorching touch of hands and urgent nips of fangs. The stars I’d witnessed earlier returned in time to burst into orange fireballs as the building pressure released. Waves of pulsing sensations crashed over me. His shudder and long moan woke me from my stupor of sensory overload.

He rested on his elbows and trailed butterfly kisses down my neck and over my shoulder as my body shivered with delight. Then he pulled out and rolled next to me. His arm trapped my body, forcing me to roll with him until my head rested against his shoulder.

We slept for a short time as the fire died down. Based on the low light, we’d made love longer than I’d thought. I grinned and nestled closer to the hard body next to me. Funny. I’d always thought of vampires as a cold-blooded species, but there was nothing but heat radiating from him.

He shifted position and tugged me to him. “Are you cold?”

“No.” I smiled but doubted he could see it with my head turned into his chest.

After a bit of silence, he asked the strangest of questions.

“What was the first thing you planned to do once you found your freedom?”

I snorted, then sobered at the thought. Or, more importantly, the lack of any thought toward that idea. I’d hoped to see my uncle again, but what happened after that never crossed my mind. Had I thought I’d die there?

I couldn’t stop the shiver that coursed through me and silently cursed when Sergi squeezed me. I didn’t deserve to be comforted if I hadn’t considered a future. Sergi expected some form of answer, so I went with the one thing I knew to be true.

“Well, I hadn’t expected it to be sex in a cave with a vampire.”

I’d expected him to call me on my obvious evasion. Instead, he laughed. It was a deep belly laugh, and it made me smile. When I lifted my head to face him, I lost my train of thought. He was so beautiful in that moment. Not a classic beauty, but he had the magnetic allure of a warrior. His smile must have broken dozens of hearts during his long life. His was a beauty that touched my soul and stirred my wolf.

This was a caring male. A male willing to give up his freedom—his life—for shifters.

He ran a finger down my cheek and pulled my hair back, letting the straight strands run through his fingers. “This wasn’t the first time I’d been captured and tortured. In fact, it was probably the shortest period of time that I’d been chained.”

I sat up and leaned against an elbow so I could see his face as he told me his tale. And before he even started, it wasn’t lost on me that he hadn’t been satisfied with my answer.

“The first time was before I met Devon. I’d been young and stupid and hadn’t been paying attention. I ended up as cargo with a group of slave traders.” He chuckled. “They were human and had no idea what they’d captured. Still, it took two weeks in a dark cell crowded with other humans before I had an opportunity. I was hungry for blood. All I remember after that was the screaming of those I left behind as I escaped.”

“They didn’t go with you?”

He shrugged a shoulder and scratched his chin, his gaze seeming to replay the moment. “They were terrified of me. They might have eventually calmed down and followed once they realized I was long gone and the guard wasn’t going to get back up.”

“The other times were in the service of House Trelane?”

“It sounds strange when you ask it that way, though it’s true enough. I never looked at Devon in that way, nor our Father Guildford Trelane. Even with all the battles, life was simpler back then. The picture clearer of who was bad and who was good. And before you say it, I realize the answer depends on which side you’re on. But either way, there was never a gray area. No collateral damage to worry about. Humanity has become complex.”

I laughed and gave him a light pinch. “And here I thought vampires were rather two-dimensional. You sound a bit complex yourself.”

He studied me, his gaze curious, but then he returned to the point he was trying to make. “The worst time was when the leader of a House in Italy had me beaten then tossed in a dark cell for three months without any food. Twice a day, they poured water from a grate above. I was given a single cup to catch what little water I could. I honestly didn’t think I’d survive that one.”

“Were you rescued?” I’d been locked in my cell as punishment for almost that long, but not in constant darkness. And I was fed, perhaps poorly, but I had food and water.

“That was the only way I was going to get out of there. It had taken Devon that long to find out who had taken me and where I was. They waited until the House leader traveled to a neighboring town and stormed the castle.” He scratched his thigh, then turned and laid a hand on my hip.

“I’m not saying this right. I don’t speak much about the past, and never the bad times. But you need to hear this whether you believe me now, sometime later, or maybe never.”

I blew out a breath, knowing this had been his intent all along. If he was willing to share this much, I might as well let him finish.

“As arrogant as it might sound, I always knew I’d find a way out of a bad situation, yet, not once did I think of what I’d do when that day came. I focused on each day. Getting through it and watching for every opportunity. The only reason I asked the question of you was to see how you responded.”

I ran a hand down his chest. It was as warm and hard as a brick wall on a summer day. When I rested my palm on his left breast, his heart pounded against it. “I guess I didn’t pass the test.”

His lips quirked. “No. You deflected.”

“I never thought about getting out until you showed up.” The words slipped out before I could pull them back. So, I let the rest go. “It makes me sound like a wolf giving up.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe you were too busy surviving? And you did much more than that. You were witness to everything that happened, no matter how horrific. You memorized the floor plans, you learned, and you waited for your opportunity.”

“I did think of my uncle and whether he thought I was dead. If he’d given up on me.”

Sergi cupped my face, and I met his gaze. This time nothing but that warm mahogany waited for me. “Family never gives up. No matter how long they wait, until the day they die, they never give up hope. It’s not the vampire way, and I know for a fact it’s not the shifter way.”

I ran my hand over the back of his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him.

His words might not heal me, or maybe they would. But they were what I needed to hear at this moment. All I wanted was to stay in his arms. To be one with him again.

He must have read my naughty thoughts because he pushed me onto my back and held his body over mine. He started with my breasts as he ran his tongue over my skin, forcing goose bumps to erupt. Then he moved down, tickling my belly before going farther. I arched when he reached the more sensitive spots, and my wolf howled with delight.

There was little talk the rest of the night.

The following morning, I stretched, smiling when my elbow poked Sergi in the side and he grunted.

“Now that I’m free, I can tell you the first thing I could use right now is a strong cup of coffee.”

“I’d prefer an espresso, but I wouldn’t say no to a cup of French roast.” He ran a hand down my side and grinned when I tried to squirm away.

I laughed. “That tickles. Stop it.”

Sergi laughed as he pulled me close and, after giving me a searing kiss, strummed his fingers along my side, making me snort-laugh. My face heated when Sergi laughed harder, but the brief embarrassment was nothing compared to the mortification that rushed over me when a voice bellowed from the cave entrance.

“What’s going on here?”

I rolled away from Sergi like he’d burst into flames, but he’d been faster. He stood in all his naked glory with his fists planted on his hips like some vampire Adonis. I looked around, searching for my clothing, and slapped my forehead. Every stitch had been left by the fire except for the guard’s shirt, which was now lying at Sergi’s feet.

A bit awkward to grab it now.

I glanced around him and fought the battling emotions of happiness and humiliation.

My uncle.

I gulped. He must have believed me dead after all this time. Then he finds me in a compromising position with a naked vampire. And whatever he thought was happening here…Well, in this case, it was exactly what was happening here. I stepped closer but stayed in the shadows near the wall.

The male standing next to my uncle was almost as tall as him but leaner. A handsome vampire. When I glanced at Sergi, his arms now folded across his chest, his expression was blank—the face he always wore for Gheata—but I caught the slight twitch of his lips.

This male had to be Devon Trelane. I could be wrong, but if my uncle was working with a vampire, it would be a House leader.

“Uncle.” I didn’t dare move into the light, and Sergi took a sidestep toward me. Both males would be able to see past the shadows, but that didn’t mean I had to step into the dwindling firelight to show off my naked body. It was one thing to be naked after a shift, but it was quite another when it was pretty obvious this was an intimate setting.

Sergi turned his unbelieving gaze to me. “Remus is your uncle?”

I shrugged.

He shook his head as his lips quirked. “Now, it all makes sense.” His eyes glittered with humor and a sudden heat that made my legs go weak.

He found this all amusing. Glad someone did.

“I take it my tracker is still working.” Sergi faced the males, his tone smooth and respectful.

“Perhaps it’s best if we give them time to get dressed.” Devon held a hand out to guide my uncle out of the cave.

He gave Sergi a searing look before turning and marching out.

Devon grinned. “Take your time. The shifters are safe.” Then he was gone.

Sergi held out his hand, but I remained where I was.

“I’m sorry I never mentioned my uncle by name. When you said your House leader would send another team, I had no idea my uncle would be part of it.”

“Come here.”

I took his hand, and he pulled me to him. “It doesn’t change what happened last night.” He breathed me in. “It doesn’t change anything since you walked into my cell. You saved me. That’s all that matters.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant. This had been a one-night thing. Comfort after a long incarceration. His kiss, slow and thorough, said something different. He held me tight for several minutes before he released me and jumped off the ledge. Instead of retrieving his clothes, he turned and gripped my waist. He slid my body over his as he lowered me.

If my uncle wasn’t waiting outside, I would have leaped into Sergi’s arms. I did the only thing I could think of to cool my hormones. I chuckled. We spent the rest of the time getting dressed, trying to hold back our laughter at the predicament we found ourselves in.

I followed Sergi toward the cave entrance, but he stopped me.

“Now that we don’t have to worry about those we left behind, let’s take the moment to say everything that needs to be said. You need time with Remus, and I have much to share with Devon.”

I glanced at the door, eager to see my uncle but unsure of his acceptance or, more likely, disappointment in me.

Sergi rubbed my arm. “It will be alright. He’s just had a bit of a shock.”

“That’s a bit of an understatement.”

He chuckled, kissed the top of my head, then strode out. I moved back to the fire and picked up the lab coat. When I heard the soft footsteps behind me, I turned and let the coat drop to the ground.

His eyes were filled with unshed tears, and I raced to him. He wrapped me in his arms, his voice filled with emotion.

“Oh, Alex. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

I hugged him tight, remembering this feeling when I was just a pup, orphaned and alone. He was the first shifter who’d shown kindness after the loss of my parents. And with that one action in front of his entire pack, I’d been accepted as one of them.

It was silly. I knew I was going home the minute I followed Sergi out the back door and into this wilderness. But having my uncle here? The fact that my nightmare was truly over hit me like a semi truck crashing into me, and it was my turn to cry.

We sat on the shelf, my feet dangling as I kicked my heels against the rock platform.

I described the events since discovering a vampire had been captured and was being tortured. I left out the experiments, how I’d been captured, and my year of captivity. There would be more than enough time to discuss that once I was ready. And most of it would come out in drips and drabs after I had time to come to terms with it all.

“Did shifter S-272, I mean Cadfael, make it out okay?”

Remus nodded. “As did Carlos and two others of my wolves.”

“There were others?” I dropped my head. “I didn’t know. They did their best to keep us from seeing or talking to each other. I only saw those whose cells I cleaned or who I worked with.”

“Don’t worry about that. Our priority is to get you off this mountain. The plane will be waiting for us.”

I played with the rolled-up sleeve of my shirt. “Don’t be mad at Sergi. I’m a grown female.”

He stood and pushed dirt over the embers with a booted foot. “Let’s not discuss that. We need to get moving.”

I held back a sigh. He wasn’t going to let it go. Whether his reaction was because he caught me with a vampire or that he’d caught me in such an intimate moment, I didn’t know. My guess was that it was a bit of both as his fatherly instincts took over.

I picked up the lab coat and shrugged it on, reaching into the pockets to confirm the vials and USB drive were still there. My paranoia was on prime time. I could share the information with my uncle now, but he wasn’t in the right mood.

Besides, it was important for Sergi and Devon Trelane to be involved in that conversation. If it hadn’t been for Sergi, I would never have gotten out of the director’s office alive to share the evidence.

I followed my uncle outside, eager to meet this House leader, who had found a way to befriend The Wolf. At least enough to run a joint mission.

Sergi was speaking with Devon, and it was easy to see the camaraderie between the two. Before we reached them, Devon grabbed Sergi’s shoulder and bent his head. Sergi followed suit until their foreheads touched. I’d only seen the gesture once before, and I’d been told it was a sign of respect and close allegiance between vampires.

When we reached them, the two stepped back, and Devon turned to greet me with a warm smile. His gaze seemed to take in every inch of me, settling on my eyes.

“Thank you for saving Sergi. I owe you a great favor.”

I was taken aback, knowing how much it meant to be given a favor. “The same could be said of him. I wouldn’t be here without his aid.”

“A testament to how well vampires and shifters work together in the face of adversity.”

His words shocked me, though my uncle had been hoping for such an alliance. It appeared he found one.

I wasn’t sure how to respond and glanced at Sergi.

“Let’s get off this mountain.” Sergi glanced at my uncle, who was conveniently surveying the area. “We can catch up on the plane.”

Sergi stepped back and waited for Devon, but Devon merely held his hand out to my uncle. Sergi and I followed next, with Devon watching our backside. Or so I thought. It wasn’t until then that I noticed two males and two wolves stepping out of the forest. They nodded to Devon before falling into line behind him.

When the trail grew wide enough, Sergi and I walked side by side. My uncle led us at a fast pace, and whenever he glanced back, a frown of disappointment or disapproval, it was hard to know which, was etched in every line of his face. Sergi and I waited until he refocused on the path before grinning at each other like school kids misbehaving. Every so often, his fingers would brush along mine and linger for the briefest of moments.

The action could be considered accidental touches on a trail barely wide enough for the two of us to pass. I knew the difference. Neither of us looked back to see what Devon was thinking. If Sergi didn’t bother, I sure as hell wasn’t. Then again, Sergi hadn’t seemed bothered by Devon finding us naked and laughing. And I recalled Devon’s quick grin before leaving us to dress. He didn’t seem to have any issues with a dalliance between Sergi and a shifter.

Of course, I had to remind myself that it had been only one night. What happened didn’t matter anymore.

Yet, when I glanced at Sergi, and he caught my gaze, the red glow of his beast said he wasn’t quite done with me. Heat raced through me at the prospect. Suddenly, the idea didn’t bother me one bit.