Prologue
Seattle, Washington
Seven Years Earlier
“I have a bad feeling about this Luuk.” Nikulas Kreek touched his brother’s arm as he strode past on his way to the elevator door that would take him down to the garage under their apartment building. “I don’t think you should go.”
“I have to Nik. The bitch is never going to give it up until I deal with her once and for all.” Luukas shrugged off his brother’s hand from his arm. “Now, please, stop with all the melodrama. It’s not like you to be so serious. You’re freaking me out.”
Nik’s jaw muscles tightened, a sure sign of his frustration. Blood brothers from before they’d been reborn, they often knocked heads out of nothing but plain old stubbornness. But this time was different.
He tried again to convince his older brother that this was a bad idea. “You can’t trust her Luuk, you know this. Why would you want to risk yourself this way?” He let out an exasperated breath as his brother ignored him, as usual, and walked towards the door.
Following right on his heels, Nik grabbed his arm again as he reached for the doorknob. “I’m telling you, now is not the time to confront her. She’s up to something, Luuk!“ Forcibly spinning Luukas around, he shoved his face all up into his brother’s personal space, gritting out, “You are our Master. As in, the guy we need to lead us. What if it’s a fucking trap?”
Luukas bared his fangs at his brother with a hiss, eyes glowing an eerie green, a warning Nik did not take lightly. He immediately backed off and lowered his eyes, breathing hard as the threat of a fight had adrenalin flooding his system.
He tried one last thing. “At least take Christian with you. As your Guardian, it’s his job to protect you. Or take me. I’ll go with you.”
Luuk grabbed his brother by the shoulders, the aggression he’d just shown gone as quickly as it had come on. He gave him a slight shake. “Nothing is going to happen, and I need Christian here right now. And you too. Even if it is a trap, Nik, so what? She can’t contain me and you know it. I am a Master Vampire. As in ‘one with which you do not fuck’. No one can make me do anything I don’t want to do. Especially not that dried-up old whore.”
Nik would’ve laughed at that description of the forever young and stunningly gorgeous Leeha, if not for the fact that she was also extremely dangerous. More so, he thought, than Luukas liked to believe. She’d also been after Luukas for most of her immortal life.
The two brothers stared each other down, Nik’s baby blues testing Luukas’ aquamarines, until Nik, knowing he wouldn’t win this one, finally nodded in defeat and gave his brother a reluctant smile. “You’re right. I’m probably worrying over nothing. I’ve just had this weird feeling in my gut all day. Must’ve had some bad blood or something.”
“I keep telling you bro, bagged blood is risky. You need to find yourself a juicy, live vein. Preferably one belonging to a curvy little female.” Luukas grinned at his younger brother, showing strong, white teeth. Smacking him hard on top of both shoulders, he turned to leave. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Lock up when you leave.”
Nik clenched his fists at his sides and watched his older brother saunter out the door of his Seattle apartment, casually waving in his direction.
He had a really bad fucking feeling about this.
Chapter 1
Nikulas Kreek pushed himself off the ground and rose to his full height. He rolled his head on his shoulders and looked over toward the house he’d been watching.
Or rather, the female inside the house—Emma Moss.
He’d been here every night for the past week, watching, waiting, learning her habits and her routine, hoping to pick up on something that would confirm his suspicions.
So far he’d learned…absolutely nothing.
Except she worked too much and seemed to be a vegetarian.
This was the first time he’d spent the entire night there, though. Usually he’d find a good vantage point in one of the trees surrounding her place right after sunset, about seven or eight at night, and he’d hang out until she went to bed around eleven. There was nothing much to watch after that.
She had no family. No friends. She didn’t even have a pet. As far as he could tell, Emma was a loner. And wasn’t that interesting in and of itself.
In spite of the fact he’d learned nothing to support what he knew about her, he didn’t consider the past week a complete waste of time. Mainly because Emma Moss was fucking hot. Boring…but hot.
Even from halfway down her driveway and hiding under the cover of trees, he see her well enough to know the female had been blessed with some good genes. Her body was lean and petite. And her face could be on the cover of a magazine, framed by shoulder-length hair of some light, indecisive color. Blond, maybe.
He’d love to be able to see it in the sunlight…run his fingers through it…lift it to his nose. He'd bet she smelled great with all the showers she took. She took one every night as soon as she came home. And he’d bet she did it again in the morning.
Nik had just turned to leave when he saw her bedroom light come on. Curious as to what her morning routine was, he decided to stay just a bit longer. Leaning back against his favorite tree, he crossed his muscular arms over his hard chest and prepared to watch the show. His eyes followed the light trail as she made her way downstairs in the god-awful robe she always wore and walked into the kitchen and out of sight.
He waited where he was, thinking she wouldn’t be there long. Probably just getting a drink.
Yup, there she goes, back upstairs, glass of water in hand.
