Sabaan has waited years for Nikolas to realize they are meant to be. But after months of watching him give his attention to another, Sabaan is lost and unsure where to turn. An encounter with Lucien, Master of the Coven, leaves him feeling even more alone than ever. Before he can figure his next move, Lucien returns with a plan. A plan that could bring them together–or destroy everything.
Second Edition.
Read a Sample…
I shifted to lie on my stomach and grabbed a throw pillow from the lounge chair beside me to tuck beneath my chin. The pool lights were lit, and the water was a beautiful, clear blue. The rush of water from the waterfall had almost succeeded in lulling me to sleep. Only the loneliness kept me awake; that and the occasional guard who wandered past.
None of them recognized me in this human form and for that I was grateful. I had a feeling there was still some residual fear of association with me in a lot of the vampires due to my rocky past with Lucien. The first few times roaming the mansion in my true form, I’d managed to clear rooms in seconds.
Now, I thought it better to just try to blend in.
Nikolas hadn’t agreed, but then again, Nikolas didn’t agree with too many people on anything. He didn’t give a shit what people thought about him or anything he did – unless it made him look weak, which was probably what he thought about me, though he’d never actually said it.
I’d gone to Nikolas over an hour ago and asked him out to swim with me, or even to just chill by the pool, but he was still a no-show. Sometimes I knew I expected more from him than he was ready—or willing—to give, but I just couldn’t seem to help myself.
We had a good, solid friendship, but apparently that was going to be the extent of it. Over the years, I’d spent many a night pleasuring him in the ways that he would allow, but it never went both ways. I knew I was a fool to keep opening myself up for disappointment, but I just couldn’t seem to help myself.
“Quiet night.”
“Too quiet,” I whispered, then looked up to find Lucien, master vampire and owner of said pool I’d been staring into. The man still took my breath away, even after all these years. As usual for this time of night here lately, he was dressed simply in a black pair of silk pajama bottoms with a thin robe over his bare chest. Silver glinted in the moonlight off one of his nipple rings and I had to fight not to reach up and touch him. “How are you this evening?”
He sighed wistfully and looked away. “Good.”
There was no mistaking the loneliness in his voice. It matched my own so perfectly.
“Oh, my dear Lucien.” I sat up and patted the lounge chair. “Sit with me a while.”
He cleared his throat, but it sounded more like a growl. “I don’t think—”
“Come on, now. I won’t bite unless you ask me to.” He glanced down at me, suspicion clear in his expression. I patted the lounge again. “I give you my word.”
Lucien seemed to consider my words then turned toward me. Instead of sitting before me, he straddled the lounge behind me, arms going around my waist, his chin resting on my left shoulder. “We might well be on the road back to friendship, but I’m still not sure I can trust you at my back.”