Chapter Twenty

Everything was right in his world. Alexei had Cassie in his arms and the threat to her life was gone.

They could handle anything else fate threw their way.

She’d been willing to die for him. And no matter what she believed, he wasn’t as convinced he’d have come back if it weren’t for her. He might have drifted for eternity, never quite able to move on. He probably would have starved to death. Or maybe not. He really had no idea, but it wouldn’t have been fun.

Scary thought.

He needed to delve deeper, to understand all parts of himself. There were people he could reach out to for information. But that was for later.

They were covered in blood, so he carried her right into the bathroom. The flannel shirt she was wearing was ripped in the front and stained red. It was only fit for the trash.

When she’d sent the blade slamming into her chest to save him, it had almost destroyed him. He set her on the vanity and removed the tattered remains of the garment and examined every inch of her.

The wound was fully healed, but right above her heart was a four-inch scar. It was a mark of courage, of her love for him. He ran his finger over the mark before kissing it.

According to Death, she’d never been in any real danger. Alexei wasn’t so certain. The threat had been real.

Her father was too lax when it came to her protection. It was up to him to keep her safe.

“You’re awfully quiet.” Her continued silence bothered him. What was she thinking and feeling? Did she have any regrets?

She had a white-knuckled grip on the countertop, her eyes were half closed and her chin drooped. Rest was what she needed most, but he had to wash away the blood and sweat first.

He caught her chin and raised it until she was looking at him. “Let me take care of you.” When she nodded, he left her long enough to start the water running and strip off his jeans. She let him lift her down and followed him into the enclosure.

Steam rose around them. It was hot because she didn’t like the cold. He ran the bar of soap over her, paying special attention to her breasts and chest, making sure not a speck of blood remained.

Thoughts of the blood she’d lost made his teeth ache. He tossed the soap back onto the shelf, pressed his hands against the tiles, and lowered his head.

“Don’t hide from me.”

He briefly closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing her soft voice to wash over him. She was finally talking. Some of the tension eased from him, his muscles relaxed, and he could finally breathe easier.

She put her hands against his cheeks and raised his head. “I see you. I see all of you.” The tender kiss she pressed against his lips almost undid him.

“I hurt you.” And that would haunt him forever.

She frowned. “You didn’t do it on purpose.”

Maybe not, but it wasn’t something they could pretend never happened. “I took too much blood.” Shame threatened to drop him to his knees. “You’re back at full strength now, right?”

She nodded, looking so pretty with her wet hair slicked back from her face and her lips all full and rosy.

“Don’t let me do it again. Leave if you have to. Promise me.” He needed that assurance from her.

“It means that much to you?” Water droplets clung to her long lashes before she blinked them away. The green of her eyes seemed darker, more mysterious, as though she knew the secrets of the universe.

Maybe she did. But only one thing mattered to him—keeping her safe.

“Yes.”

The corners of her mouth tilted up. “I can do that.”

He released a huge huff of breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. “Okay then.”

A smile played at the corners of her lips as she walked her fingers up his chest. “What now?” The shower seemed to have revived her.

She was slippery and wet, her eyes practically glowing. She peeked down at his erection and licked her lips. Of course, the darn thing responded by flexing toward her.

Her laughter was a balm to his battered spirit.

“Think that’s funny, do you?” He loved that she was confident enough to tease him, especially after all she’d been through.

She trailed her fingers over the thick tuft of hair bisecting his torso, continuing down until she reached his erection. “I think it’s impressive.” His skin was slick from the water, and her fist glided up and down his hard length.

“Woman, you’re asking for trouble,” he warned. He hadn’t planned to jump her gorgeous body. But maybe it was what she needed. What they both needed.

Yeah, he was ready to sacrifice himself to whatever it took to make her happy.

He was a real giver.

Hands on her waist, he backed her against the wall. She gripped his biceps for support. “Whatever is wrong?” She batted her eyelashes at him as she asked.

He loved this playful side of her.

“You created a problem.” His fully erect shaft nestled against her belly.

“It’s my fault, is it?”

He gave her a solemn nod. “It is. It’s only fair you deal with it.”

She tilted her head to one side and seemed to consider his words before giving a curt nod. “You’re right.”

Then she pressed her lips to his and things got serious in a hurry. When he lifted her, she wound her legs around his waist, aligning their bodies so the head of his cock nudged her opening.

Taking the invitation, he forged his way inside.

Her inner muscles squeezed him, accepted him. It was pure bliss.

“Don’t ever leave me.” By showing Cassie just how vulnerable he was when it came to her, he was handing her a powerful weapon. But she’d been willing to die for him. He had to trust her, trust them. Burying his face against her neck, he fucked her.

“Never,” she whispered. She threaded her fingers through his hair and held him to her. “Never,” she repeated.

Then there was nothing but the sound of the water hitting the tiles and their bodies, their wet flesh coming together, his groans mingling with her moans. There was only two people in love celebrating it in the most primal way possible.

The urge to bite her became almost too much to endure. He reared back to keep from digging his fangs into her tender flesh.

“Take my blood,” she ordered. “I trust you. Now you need to do the same.”

She was right, but that didn’t stop him from worrying. He continued to pound into her, his cock swelling to the point of pain. His balls were being squeezed in a vise of pleasure.

He struck, piercing the fragile skin of her neck. Her blood filled his mouth, nourishing his body, even as her lovemaking fed his soul. Letting go, he fucked her as he drank.

Not too much.

But the warning wasn’t necessary. Not this time. He was ultra-aware of her every reaction. Her arousal perfumed the air. Her nails dug into his skin. Her sheath rippled around him.

When she cried out, it was due to pleasure, not pain. “Yes. Yes,” she chanted over and over.

His orgasm shot through him, the pleasure so huge it brought him to his knees. He withdrew his fangs and roared. It was a claiming of his mate and a warning to any who sought to take her from him.

Panting hard, he thrust once more. When she cried out, he slammed his mouth down on hers, capturing the sound, kissing her until they were both breathless. Sitting on the floor of the shower, he cradled her in his arms as she shivered and shook. He leisurely ran his tongue over the puncture wounds in her neck, but they were already healing, her body now able to repair any damage swiftly and easily.

“You taste different.” Shit, not exactly the most romantic thing to say after banging her in the shower.

Her shoulders began to shake. Was she crying? What should I do? He was still buried inside her, and while he might have come, he was still as hard as a rock.

“Cassie,” he began, only to pause when she raised her head. There were no tears, only laughter.

“I taste different?” Her feet kicked against his butt. Her breasts jiggled as her body shook. His dick was squeezed by her tight channel.

“Yes.” He managed to turn off the water and get them out without dropping her or falling on his ass, not an easy operation with her squirming so much.

She grinned and playfully tugged on his hair. “Good different or bad different?” He could tell she was trying to be serious but failed completely. Her joy seeped into his pores, becoming part of him.

“Good. I taste all of you now.” And it was amazing. “I don’t need as much.” That was a plus, considering he’d been worried about taking too much.

“It was amazing.” They stood in the middle of his bathroom with their bodies still joined, staring into each other’s eyes. “Umm,” she finally said. “Are we going to stay here all day?”

Alexei threw back his head and laughed. He hadn’t been this happy since he was a boy. “Maybe.”

“Just checking.” Then her stomach growled. Not a bad idea. He was pretty hungry, too.

“How about I feed you?” He managed to get a towel around her, which wasn’t easy since he didn’t put her down.

“That might be a problem,” she teased.

“Why?” He walked into the bedroom.

“You’re still hard.”

Yes, yes he was hard. He couldn’t imagine a minute of any day when he didn’t want her.

“Call me crazy, but you might have to put me down if you plan on cooking.”

He stood beside the bed and fell backward, bouncing on the mattress. She gave a small shriek. “Eventually,” he promised. “I’ll release you eventually.”

…

True to his word, he finally did let her go, but not before making love to her a couple more times. Her man was very thorough, leaving no part of her untouched. Any other woman likely wouldn’t have been able to pull herself out of bed for at least a week. As it was, she was sore, but it was a good kind, and it was quickly fading.

They were dressed and in the kitchen, both of them hungry. “We should go back to Nome.” They’d have access to more food there. She didn’t mind frozen meat, but some variety would be nice.

Alexei was in the process of frying bacon. He paused and, for the first time in hours, appeared concerned. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

She was sorry to destroy his good mood. “We can’t hide out here forever.”

“Do you think your father has sent out word about you?” He removed the pans from the heat. The sight of him in a pair of jeans and a tight T-shirt had her hungering for more than the food he was cooking. The seams of the shirt were tested by the bulk of his biceps and the breadth of his shoulders. His feet were bare, and his hair was pulled back into a short tail. He looked good enough to eat.

“He doesn’t waste time when he makes a decision.”

“It might take a while for word to get around that the contract is null and void.”

She leaned into his side. “And being Death’s daughter might make me a target.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Let’s eat and talk.” She’d do better if she had something to keep her occupied.

With the two of them working, it didn’t take long to assemble the bacon burgers they’d decided on.

“I’ve been trying not to think about it,” she finally told him after devouring a burger. Using a piece of paper towel as a napkin, she wiped her mouth. “How messed up is it? Death is my father and he slew my mother when she betrayed him. And by the way, I have no idea who she was. All these years, I’ve been working alongside him, accepting that I was the first reaper. And believe me, that was weird enough.”

“Do you have any memories now that you know?” Alexei took a big bite of his fifth burger. The man could eat. He enjoyed his food more than anyone she’d ever encountered.

She rested her elbows on the counter and thought about it. Considering her age, it wasn’t easy to search her memory, which contained eons upon eons of information.

“If it’s there, I can’t find it.” It was upsetting not to know who her mother was. Maybe her father would tell her someday, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath. After all this time, it was still a sore spot, which showed her just how much he’d loved her. It made her heart ache for both her parents.

“Give it time.”

“My memories might have been suppressed for too long. I have to face the fact that I may never remember her. It shouldn’t matter. I always thought I was created, not born. In a sense, Death was my parent, just not in the traditional sense. Only now he is.” She dropped her head into her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. Trying to work it all out was making her head throb. “I don’t know what to think.”

Alexei swiveled on his stool and pulled her into his arms. As always, he was there for her. “You have time,” he repeated. “And you’re free to choose your path from here on.”

There was that. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” It seemed wrong to simply do nothing.

He shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “We’ll figure it out.” Not that she’d figure it out, but they’d figure it out.

“What about you? You came up here to investigate me. You’re done with that now.”

He looked thoughtful and shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Will you go back to being an assassin?” Not a conversation she thought she’d ever have with anyone.

“It’s a good job. I help rid the world of bad people and get paid.”

It wasn’t that simple and they both knew it. “It helps keep your bloodlust at bay, doesn’t it?” She wouldn’t allow him to ignore that part of himself any longer.

He gave a curt nod. “It does.”

“We need to find out more about your vampire side. I’ll help you.”

“I’d like that.” His blue eyes were steady. “You also need to test yourself, to see just how different you truly are.”

He was right. There was no hiding from what she was. “I’m not even sure what it means to be Death’s daughter.”

“Do you feel any different?”

“I do. It might be psychological or it might be real.” And that was an odd thing. Being a reaper had been such a part of her identity for so long.

“I want to go back to Nome.” Now that the idea was planted, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“It’s safer here.”

“I need to clear up the loose ends of my life there so no one launches a manhunt. And I want to get online, see if there’s any lore, maybe question some people about my past. Do you think any of your brethren would be willing to talk to me?”

“Cassie, baby, they probably don’t know any more than I do.” Concern radiated from his big body. As much as she wanted to soothe him, she had to do this.

“I need to know.” It was as simple as that.

“You could ask your father,” he pointed out.

“I’m not ready to see him.” Maybe that wasn’t fair, but emotions weren’t always logical. “He lied to me. Yes, he thought he was doing the right thing, but he kept a huge secret from me. Then there was him allowing me to think I’d escaped. And me being gullible enough to believe it.”

“You wanted to believe.” He stroked one of her hands before linking their fingers together.

“But that set off this whole chain of events. Yes, Egan is responsible for the assassins hunting me, but Death could have stopped it all by telling the truth about me sooner.”

“Then I wouldn’t have met you.”

A frisson of surprise jolted her. “You’re right. I know better than most just how fickle destiny is. Change one tiny thing and send a ripple out into the universe that will change a million things.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Do you think he did it on purpose? Allowed us to meet?”

“Maybe. I don’t know the extent of his strengths and abilities.”

“Neither do I.” Even though she’d worked and lived alongside him for longer than anyone could fathom.

“You really want to leave here?” Alexei brought her hand to his lips.

“I need to.”

“Okay then. We’ll go as soon as we’re ready. I’m not sure any of the Brotherhood will talk with you, but I’ll ask.”

“Thank you.” She slipped off her stool and hugged him. “Fate or accident, I’m so glad I found you.”

He kissed her then and she tasted love. Bacon, too. A winning combination.