Page 54 of These Deadly Dreams

Kai stops me, grabbing my face in both of his hands. “Stop pacing. Stop looking out the window. Cade is fine. He’s going to be a while. We both know there is no way you are going to sit this one out, so he’s going to make sure we know everything there is to know about this place before we make our move. Try to relax.”

“Relax? Really?” The idea is absurd.

“I knew it was too much to ask for, but it was worth a shot.” He gives me a lopsided grin. “Want me to find a way to distract you?” His grin turns edgier, a hint of fang peeking through.

I gently grab his hands and move them from my face. He sighs as I step around him and continue my pacing, but he lets me. This is one moment a distraction won’t work. My mate is captured. My soul-bonded is out there, where he’s at risk of being captured as well. Relaxing is not an option. Distraction won’t work. Not this time.

“Want to hear a story?” Kai asks, leaning next to the door with his arms crossed over his chest, and one leg crossed over the other.

“Not particularly,” I mutter, turning around to make another pass.

“Once upon a time,” he begins, ignoring me. “There was a wee young vampire prince, only a teenager in human standards. He had the biggest crush on a girl at school.”

My ears perk up. A story of young Kai? And a crush? He immediately has my attention, although I keep with my pacing and pretend like I don’t care.

“The big formal dance was just a week away, and he desperately wanted to ask this girl to be his date. But, he was awkward and shy. And just the thought of talking to her made him want to shit in his pants.”

Awkward and shy Malakai? I would never believe it unless I saw it with my own eyes. There is no way this swaggering, self-centered, playboy could ever be shy. Or awkward.

“He woke up one morning and was determined to ask her. That day, after their last class, he pulled up his big boy panties and approached her. His mouth was dry, his hands were sweating. He was quite possibly going to either puke or shit from nerves. But he smiled at her, and she smiled back.”

His voice was soothing. It didn’t distract me, but it did slow my pacing down. I could listen to him talk forever.

“At that moment, he knew. She was the love of his life. Her smile was like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm. It gave him the confidence he needed to ask her to be his date. Luckily, she ignored the cracking of his voice and said yes.”

Love of his life? I almost snort.

“The night of the dance, the young vampire dressed in his finest clothes, which by the way, were very fine. It all went well. They went to dinner, as was customary, but seeing as both of them were vampires, neither ate. At the dance, they hung out with friends and laughed. The vampire prince was absolutely in love. He couldn’t wait for the first slow dance.”

My pacing stopped. Something is about to happen, and I desperately want to know what it is.

“The music changed, and the first slow song of the evening started. He was so nervous, but so excited to dance with his love. He had to wipe his hands on his pants before he touched her. How embarrassing would it have been to have sweaty palms? But the moment he held her in his arms, it was like the world fell away. She felt amazing. It was the first time the vampire prince had ever been so close to a girl. Halfway through the dance, though, it all changed. See, he was a boy, ultimately. And just like all boys, he was a horny motherfucker. He couldn’t help it when he got excited. He knew the moment she noticed. She stiffened in his arms and pulled away. When the dance ended, she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. The look on her face, disgusted and totally freaked out, is a look the young vampire prince will never forget.”

I slap a hand over my mouth to keep my laugh in. It doesn’t work, though. The giggles creep past my fingers, and soon I have tears streaming down my face. “You popped a boner?”

“Oh, yeah. A massive hard on. I was mortified. And apparently she was, too.” He grins and shoves his hands in his pockets.

“Aw, poor, young vampire prince,” I croon as I approach him. “What happened to the love of his life?”

“She never spoke to him again. He was heartbroken. He thought for sure he would never love again.” He shook his head with a small smile. “But he was wrong. He was very, very wrong.” Kai reaches out an arm and snags my wrist, pulling me against him. “He just had to wait a hundred years.”

“Kai,” I say quietly, staring into his gray eyes.

He kisses me. It’s a sweet kiss. One that makes me fall in love with him all over again. When he pulls away, he’s more serious than I have ever seen him. “I love you, Ellis.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and lay my head on his chest. “I love you, too,” I whisper.

We stand like that for I don’t know how long. I listen to his heart thump under my ear, the rhythm matching mine. His arms hold me tightly, and I soak in the moment of quiet. He brought me a measure of peace in this time of anxiety. A reminder I needed. I have three Shields. And Kai is right before me. Safe. And doing everything he can to keep me sane. I let his strength and surety bolster me, and give myself a moment to forget it all, except for him.

21. Malakai

For just a moment, Ellis’s anxiety and fear fall away. And in their place … peace. Something I’ve never felt from her. I hold her tighter, grateful I was able to give her this small gift. It won’t last. Reality will creep in any moment now, but at least for a second she was able to let it all go.

“Thank you,” she whispers against my shirt, squeezing me like she’s scared of losing me.

I squeeze her back. “Don’t ever thank me for taking care of you. That’s what I’m here for.” My phone buzzes in my pocket, disrupting the moment. Pulling it out, I glance at the screen. “It’s Cade.” Ellis’s peace shatters like broken glass as I answer. “Yeah?”

“So, I can get past this ward. It will take some time, it’s fucking intense. But I haven’t been able to see anything that will help us. There are no guards outside that I can see. I have no clue the layout of this place, and I know it’s been renovated so I can’t even trust any blueprints I find online.”

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