He walked around to open the door for Riley, but the determined berserker had already exited and was grabbing her duffel bag from the backseat. When he moved to take it from her, she glared.
“Stubborn,” he murmured and preceded her into the house down a hallway toward the open dining area, which sat in front of the glass doors overlooking the deck under a moonlit night.
Outside, the lake sparkled like onyx, peaks of waves dashing to please the wind. More snow had been forecast for the week, promising for dismal traffic on the roads. With any luck, he’d keep use of the Land Rover for this mission.
“This place is huge.” Riley stared all around her. “It doesn’t look as big from the outside.”
“Yeah, Hecate’s quite the decorator. She’s big on nice things for the Night Bloode.”
“So you’re really her vampires? You belong to a goddess?”
“We belong to no one but ourselves,” he corrected. “Varu, the strongest of strigoi, is our patriarch. The six of us vampires make up the Night Bloode, and we work together for Mormo and Hecate to fulfill a debt. A bloode-debt must always be repaid.”
“Ah, okay.” She walked with him past the dining area into the upscale kitchen, one of the best rooms in the house beside the gymnasium in the basement. At all times, the full refrigerator held a bevy of cold andhotitems. Again, supposedly thanks to magic.
Kraft withdrew a platter of meat from the fridge in addition to two bottles of lukewarm blood. Though he’d been teasing earlier, he hadn’t completely healed. How the hell had that strigoi punched through his body so easily?
He turned to Riley. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine, thanks.” She watched him sit at the kitchen island to eat. “Aren’t you going to wash up first?”
“What? Oh, right. Yes.” He washed his hands and his mouth at the kitchen sink and dried off using a paper towel. “Though the germs won’t kill me, hygiene is a must.”
“You realize you’re still covered in dried blood and guts.” She gave him a critical onceover.
“And?” He drank both bottles of blood and sighed. “Oh, that’s nice. I needed that.”
“Ha. I knew you were more hurt than you’d let on.”
“Yes, I’m so weak. A nice pint of lycan would really make me strong.”
“Nope. Not even a drop.”
“Pity,” said a deeper voice from behind her.
Kraft watched her slide left and turn in the same graceful movement, facing this new threat.
“Ah, so you’ve brought me back a treat,” Khent said with a smile. “My thanks, Kraft.”
Kraft ignored the reaper’s words and said to Riley, “This is our resident undead expert. Khent, meet Riley, our lycan expert and berserker. Fuck with her at your own peril.”
Riley gave him a smile.
“Hecate said we’re not allowed to kill her.”
Her smile disappeared. Hmm. Riley didn’t seem so pleased with him anymore. “Screw you. I can defend myself.”
“WellIwouldn’t have killed you.” Kraft pretended to be offended, not sure what he’d said to annoy her but wanting to remain on her good side. “I would have gifted you with untold pleasures in bed. Much sex to please you. Then maybe I’d have taken a few sips of your blood. Not much, just a little.”
“That’s afterIallowed you to have her, of course,” Khent felt the need to add. “She is mine, after all.”
Riley watched them with narrowed eyes, her rage obvious and growing.
“Yours? Please. Hecate toldmeto work with Riley. Not you. Me.”
“Really? Because Mormo toldmeto keep an eye onyou.” Khent crossed his arms over his chest and looked Riley over. “She’s actually kind of attractive.”
“Kind of?” Riley steamed.
