Page 57 of Upon Shattered Bonds

Blair let the retort roll off her back instead of taking the bait, an indication the other woman was far more distressed than she let on. Once more, a knife twisted in Nina’s gut, knowing the memory of the event had been shadowed by what’d come the next day.

“I’m sorry, Blair.” Her voice was a bare whisper, drowning in guilt and the intangible urge to apologize. “For ruining your wedding. The day after should’ve been happy.”

The vampire jerked up beside her. “Don’t you dare. You have no reason to apologize.”

Mouth forming a tight white line, Nina said nothing. Blair, appeased by the unspoken acceptance, resettled against Nina’s shoulder. For eight hundred years, the two had enjoyed the other’s company, and now was no exception.

Flames licked in the hearth before them, the soft orange light blazing against muted indoor light. Outside, the day had turned bleak. Overcast clouds formed a boring grey cover over the early afternoon, the breeze turning harsh and biting.

Zeke had been missing when she’d woken only an hour ago. Disappointment in his absence shivered through her, but he’d telepathed her almost immediately to tell her where he was and promise to return as soon as he could.

The dull ache in her chest bloomed both from his loss and the weakness in her heart. Kaien had checked minutes after she’d woken, pumping healing energy into her before he admitted defeat and went to sleep off the energy draught.

The den and its comforts had called her not long after. She’d expected Blair to be sleeping given the daylight hour, but current circumstances must have compelled the vampire into staying awake.

Not that Nina could blame her. If a similar threat had been leveled against Blair’s life, Nina would have refused any attempt at sleep in lieu of protecting her.

When Blair’s breath became rhythmic, she knew the vampire had succumbed to the near-inescapable sleep of their kind. An affectionate smile split her lips. Fortunately, with the curtains drawn and the next challenge waiting until sundown, she could reasonably relax.

Perhaps it was the last time she’d be able to.

The thought stole the smile from her face.

Absently, she listened to the subtle sounds of the home around her. With her enhanced hearing, she could faintly make out the sounds of Kaien’s heartbeat three rooms over. The heating unit in the basement churned, and the laundry machine whirred with whatever clothes Blair or her brother had thrown in.

It was peaceful.

But it did nothing to erase the loneliness that washed over her. Blair and Kaien were together, Aidan was inseparable from Lucy, and Drake had Toni. Most of her fledglings were married or mated.

Each of them would cling to their significant others in the event of Nina’s death. They would be okay. Everyone she cared for had someone else they loved—someone else they cherished and loved above her.

Except Zeke.

She yearned for him in these times of quiet, coveting his company when she’d only just seen him hours ago.

The bond between them, as-of-yet unfinalized, had burned brighter since the attack four days ago. Every waking minute they spent in the other’s company saw the bond grow stronger and more robust. With it came Nina’s need for his presence. She longed for his smile and his kind words.

A shiver tingled up her spine. The impulse remained to reach out to his mind and assure herself of his safety. Like her, Zeke was a sovereign, and being in that position meant they were wholly responsible for their people.

Beside her, Blair sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer to Nina. She set her cheek atop her best friend’s blonde waves. If push came to shove, she’d have no hesitation in teleporting Blair and Kaien out of danger.

Fools both, they would never see reason and leave of their own free will. Nina wanted to chuckle at the thought. She’d have to tie Kaien up with merjha handcuffs to keep him away—which was precisely what he’d done to Blair to keep her from harm once upon a time.

That kind of love was far greater than simple affection. It was a love so devout that it overwhelmed all reason.

Nina was standing on a beveled edge. Though challenges were fought alone, the other bids on her life were anything but traditional. Her intentions had been honorable: by sending most of her loved ones away, it’d keep them from danger. Unfortunately, that meant she’d left herself vulnerable, and she risked succumbing to whatever challenge or assault her enemies launched next. In turn, that threatened the very people she was responsible for. It was a perfect catch-22.

Regardless, she stood by her decision. If it was her time, then so be it. At least the ones she loved wouldn’t get caught in the crosshairs and pay the price.

She stilled. Did she count Zeke among her loved ones?

Nina had distanced herself from everyone she could, but she hadn’t done the same for Zeke. With the increasing amount of time they had spent in each other’s company, their mating bond had grown stronger.

If the bond never finalized, remaining unfulfilled like what it’d been for the last eleven centuries, she wasn’t certain what would happen if she died. There was at least the possibility that it would spare Zeke the grief of suffering over a mate who’d died.

Teeth gritting, Nina explored the cynical truth. The pain of an incomplete bond could never cause as much anguish as one that’d been secured and then broken by death.

If she permitted Zeke to remain at her side and the mating bond to finalize while her life still hung in the balance, Zeke’s fate could be forfeit. His life would be invariably tied to hers, and she couldn’t allow him to throw it away.

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