The BlackBurne Legacy (The Bloodlines Legacy Series Book 1) (10 page)

“Ohhh, the Luka guy from the third floor?” Bree comes back, running a brush through her hair.

“Uh-huh.” Saidie shoots me a sly grin. “Our girl here blushed like a virgin when she heard his voice.”

Before I can respond, someone starts knocking on the door. “It’s open!” Saidie shouts.

Conner pushes the door open, five pizza boxes in his hand. Micah is behind him, carrying two smaller boxes that could be cheese bread, and Luka pulls up the rear, grocery bags clutched in each hand. Just the sight of him sets my pulse to hammering. Well, hell. How am I going to get through this torture?

Saidie should have been a general in a past life. That girl has those men jumping with her rapid orders. Before long, we are all settled in the living room, pizza and pop in hand, bags of chips within reach, and the pre-movie advertisements are playing.

Much to my dismay, Luka has taken up residence right beside me, the couch arm supporting my right side as I work hard not to touch him. Micah isn’t at all happy, but he’s not saying anything, at least.

They’re all loud and boisterous as they hassle the girls about liking sparkly vampires. I smile and nod where I think I should, but stay quiet. My panic calmed a little when Micah arrived. Whenever he’s near, I’m always calmer. For once, I’m not gonna question it. I’m just gonna be thankful. Even the worry about hearing the voice again is muted.

“Relax,
munya
,” Luka whispers in my ear. “I no bite.”

My eyes sweep up to meet his. They’re darker, full of something I don’t recognize. I turn my gaze back to the TV, trying my best not to let him see the shudder that goes through me. He laughs softly, and again the urge to hit him overtakes me. He’s laughing at me, and I feel that crazy rage start to build up. Jason and I both have been getting mad at the smallest of things. Thinking of Jason, I remember I
did
hurt my brother. I might hurt Luka if I get angry enough. I don’t want to go back to that place, so I focus on the movie and try to block him out.

Impossible to do.

“Vampires do no sparkle.” The disgust in Luka’s voice is palpable. Saidie and Bree shoot daggers at him, while the guys just nod. I secretly agree. Vampires are supposed to be scary, not sparkly semi-cute guys. Well, Emmet is cute, but Edward and Jasper, not so much. At least their on screen personas.

“You only wish you were as cool as Edward.” Saidie tosses her pizza plate to the floor and leans back, stretching.

“I’m cooler.” The simple statement is said with so much confidence, you can’t not believe it.

“No, you’re just more arrogant.” I want to slap my hand over my mouth. Where had that come from? I am not one to start arguments. I tend to stay in the background, where it’s safer.

“That too,” he agrees and winks at me.

Saidie has an I-told-you-so grin on her face, and Micah is frowning. He does that a lot around Luka. Conner remains deceptively silent. He’s been like that since about fifteen minutes into the movie. I get the feeling he’s not a quiet person, but for some reason, he’s gone still.

Before I know it, we are at the end of the second movie. I must have zoned it out. I’m attempting to look like I’m paying attention, but people turning into wolves is not my thing. Saidie and Bree are glued to the screen, though. Seriously, who would want to date a half-man, half-dog person? It’s ridiculous.

Micah snorts so loud, I hear him all the way over here. He’s looking at the screen, and there is no way he knows what I was just thinking, but somehow I think he does.
Get a grip
,
Alex
. Not possible.

Luka shifts beside me, his leg brushing against mine, and I yank it away. That earns me a mocking smile. The damn man knows exactly how he affects me.

When the credits end, I excuse myself to the bathroom. Stress eats away at me. I’m not used to being around this many people and I’m feeling slightly freaked. Even though I don’t have to engage in actual conversation, it’s the thought that I might that has me breaking out in a cold sweat. When I lock the door, I slump against it and let out a strangled sigh. I take several deep, steady breaths.

You’re fine
, the voice whispers.

Holy hell, there it is again. Not now. Not when I’m around people. Please, not now.

Confusion swamps me, but it’s not
my
confusion. It’s like the voice in my head is confused at my thoughts and I can feel it’s confusion. That’s not possible, though. Is it?

Oh God, oh God, oh God. What if Daddy is right? What if all this is too much for me? What if my personal brand of crazy is rearing its head? I don’t want to hurt anyone, and I know I could if I lose my grip on reality. Like last time with Jason. I’d sooner hurt myself than my brother.

A knock on the door forces a small scream out of me, and I clamp my hand over my mouth. Maybe it wasn’t loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Alex, you okay in there?”

Micah. “I’m fine.”

“I thought I heard you scream?”

“Uh…I just saw a spider, is all.” Girls are afraid of spiders, right? I take a deep breath and open the door, pasting a fake smile on my face. I’m really good at those.

“Saidie, you have spiders!” Micah shouts down the hall, and I hear a chorus of grumblings. “Best go to the Dollar Store and get some spray.”

I follow him back into the main room and sit down, noticing my phone on the floor. I must have dropped it. The girls are muttering about bugs in general, but it’s Conner who gets my attention. He’s staring at me, his eyes a little unfocused, the unique purple color glinting like jewels in the sunlight. He blinks and his eyes refocus. Shock replaces the blank expression and he looks ready to hurl. Is he sick?

“You’re really not into these movies, are you?”

Saidie’s question snaps my attention back to her. “Sorry, but no.”

“Why not?” Bree demands, more curious than anything, I think.

“Well, I just don’t see the appeal of a hundred-year-old guy hitting on a teenage girl. Pedophile is the first thing that comes to mind. Then you add in werewolves to the mix? Who in their right mind would date a half-man, half-wolf thing? It’s just not believable.”

“But that’s the point.” Bree filches a chip out of Conner’s fingers. “It’s not supposed to be real, just entertaining. You let yourself get lost in the world of the supernatural and fall in love with the story.”

“Maybe that’s the problem.” I laugh self-consciously. “I’m not a big believer in the supernatural. I only believe in what I can see and touch, in what’s real.” God knows if I let myself believe in anything else, I wouldn’t be able to keep my sanity intact.

“You don’t believe in ghosts?” Conner wiggles his fingers at me.

I can’t help but laugh at his silly expression. “Do you?”

He shrugs, his expression turning unreadable. “I didn’t believe in a lot of things until recently.”

“So you do believe in ghosts?”

“I don’t know.” The seriousness in his voice startles me for some reason. Maybe because of how he was staring at me earlier.

“Well, I don’t,” Saidie announces. “I may love to watch the stuff and read about it, but it’s not real. Don’t get me wrong,
Supernatural
is my favorite show on earth. Dean is just downright yummy, but stuff like that doesn’t exist in the real world.”

“There are lots of things in nature that can’t be explained.” Bree stretches, and the boys’ eyes zero in on her bare midriff. Except for Luka. He’s watching her curiously, his head cocked as if he’s listening to something we can’t hear.

“True, but once science catches up to it, then it’ll be explained.” Saidie stands, collecting empty pizza boxes. “Just because there isn’t an explanation for it
right now
, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”

“Saidie, girl, you moved to the wrong state,” Micah tells her, laughter in every word. “These mountains are full of ghost stories, legends, and unexplained phenomena. West Virginia is steeped in the supernatural. You live here long enough, you’ll run into something you can’t just shrug off. I guarantee it.”

He sounds so sure of himself.
Is
there something to all the stuff he’d just talked about, or is he messing with Saidie?

Bree is nodding, and even Conner has that knowing look on his face. I am going to have to do some research on the local history. My mom believes in all that, and she loved it here. A niggling thought in the back of my mind tells me if the supernatural does exist, then maybe I’m not so crazy after all. And wouldn’t that be the best news ever?

My phone chirps. I pick it up off the table and see a text from Luka. Frowning, I open it.

Luka:
Tell them u have 2 go meet ur brother.

Me:
Why? I don’t have to.

What is he up to?

Luka:
Do u want out of here or not?

Me:
Yes.

Luka:
Then do what I say.

“Hey, guys, I have to go.” I hold up my phone. “Just got a text and I need to go by my dad’s house.”

“I will bring you.” Luka stands up. “I am arriving that way myself.”

I stare up at him, nonplussed. It never even occurred to me he meant to go with me, only as a way of me escaping and settling down my nerves. “Going that way,” I correct him absently.

“She has her own ride.” Micah’s voice is sharp. He doesn’t like Luka, but I don’t know why. It has to be more than just him being a stranger here.

“Then she can drive me.”

Saidie laughs, and even I smile at the absurdity of the two of them facing off over something so silly. She gives me that knowing look. Heat creeps up my face, but before I can say anything, Luka lifts me up and herds me out the door. Micah looks like he wants to object, but he doesn’t have the time as fast as Luka is moving.

“Do you wish to drive?”

“Sure.” I dig my keys out of my pocket as we walk to my Jeep. “Is there someplace in particular you want to go?”

“Yes, there is something I wish to show you.” He slides in the passenger seat and turns on the air. I roll the windows down to blow the hot air out.

“What?”

A mischievous grin flirts with his lips. “You will see.”

What did I just get myself into?

Chapter Ten

It amused Luka to no end when I insisted we drive by my dad’s. I am not a liar and I refuse to be labeled one, even if we are the only two people who know I fibbed.

We end up driving down a dirt road that leads to the base of one of the mountains. I put my Jeep into park and stare up at the massive high rise of stone, dirt, and dark forest.

“Up for a hike?”

I turn my attention back to Luka. He’s looking very pleased with himself. The twinkle in his eye is unexpected. I’ve gotten so used to his eyes being cold, they take me by surprise when I see any emotion in them. He takes my breath away every time he looks at me.

“You are staring,
munya
.” Laughter laces his words, but the heat in his eyes brings out the devil in me.

“Well, if you noticed
I’m
staring at you, then that means
you’re
staring at me.”

“Am I?” His smile could turn even my old math teacher’s prudish knees to jelly. He leans over and my breath hitches. He finds my seatbelt latch and pops it. His nose brushes along my jawline, and I’m reminded of my dreams last night. Heat flashes through me and I fight to hold back the full body sigh at merely the smell of him. It’s an intoxicating scent and it’s all Luka. He’s never worn any type of cologne that I can identify. His scent is heady, spicy, and full of dark thoughts.

“Yes,” I whisper, trying not to sound as nervous as I feel.

Luka presses in close, his mouth inches from mine. “Do you like me staring, Alexandria?”

“It makes me nervous.”

“Why?” His breath feathers across my lips and I gasp, surprised at the heat curling in the pit of my belly.

Coherent thought flees as his lips brush mine. His tongue swipes over my lower lip, and I can’t help the moan that is pulled from my lips.

“Is good I make you nervous,
munya
.” He pulls back and opens the car door, unaffected. “Come, it is long way to where we go.”

I stare helplessly as he closes the door and turns away. Is he truly that unaffected? I can barely control my own breathing with just a small touch of his lips, and he’s off walking around like nothing happened?

Anger replaces the helplessness. I push the door open and slam it shut behind me with more force than I intend. I stalk over to where he is standing. Before I can open my mouth, he puts a finger to my lips. The urge to bite him is strong, and he chuckles, clearly seeing the intent on my face. “We must hurry. Come.”

“Wait,” I hiss. “You can’t just kiss me and then…”

“That was no a kiss. Only a taste.” He grabs my hand and starts hauling me toward a barely visible trail. “You will know when I kiss you.”

The absolute confidence in his voice shuts me up. It also causes me to be bombarded by all sorts of images. His lips against mine, his fingers on my bare flesh. My breath comes out in short gasps. I need to get control over this. It’s not like I haven’t been kissed before. I was in a mental institute, not a convent. We all fooled around. I’m quite a good kisser, actually. Luka just makes me forget myself.

The trail we are on is quite narrow and my attention shifts from his searing “taste” to not falling and breaking my neck. It’s a bit treacherous, truthfully. He’d let go of my hand about twenty minutes ago because the trail became so narrow we had to walk one in front of the other. Rocks and tree roots spilled out of the ground, reaching to trip us at every turn. Luka insisted I walk in front of him in case I fell. A likely story. He just wants to stare at my ass. I’m not
that
crazy.

You are if you’re with him.

Dammit, not now.
Lalalalalalalalalala
, I sing to myself. I’m not going to let the voice in my head ruin my day with Luka. Not a chance.

Relief sweeps through me when we reach the top. It had to be a good three-mile hike straight up. The view is stunning, though. It’s almost like I can reach out and touch the sky from here. I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking in all my life. No wonder my mom loved this place. It’s awe-inspiring.

“This is no my surprise.” Luka’s laugh is close to my ear and I jump. How had he snuck up on me?

“What else is there? I can stand here and look at this view for hours.”

“You will see.” That mischievous grin is back. I follow him deeper into the woods at the top of the mountain.

A few minutes later, I hear what he wants to show me before I see it. As we break through a patch of trees, my suspicions are confirmed. One of the most glorious waterfalls I’ve ever seen is before me. We are at the top of it and I hurry over to the edge to look. It has to be at least a thousand feet down. The water gushes over the side and hits the rocks at the bottom of the wide pool.

I couldn’t be more delighted at his surprise. I love the water. Absolutely adore it. We used to go to the beach all the time when I was little. I’d sit with my mom at night and listen to the sound of the ocean as the waves hit the rocks. Those are some of my best memories of her.

This is the most awesome thing anyone has done for me in ages, maybe ever. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the water crashing against the rocks and let my mind drift back to those nights by the ocean, to my mom before she ran off and abandoned us, before she made my life a living hell. I just let myself feel the glory of those nights and how much I thought she loved me.

There is a pressure on my back, pushing me, and I stumble. A scream escapes as I fall forward. My eyes snap open and I don’t even have time to try to save myself. I’m tumbling forward. Strong arms wrap around me, jerking me back. Luka’s heart beats the same rapid staccato as mine.

I can’t look at him. I have a sinking sensation the voice was right. “Did you push me?”

“Would I save you if I pushed you?”

That’s not an answer. I frown. Would he? Maybe.

“Why would I wish to hurt you, Alexandria?”

“I don’t know.” I pull away from him and take several steps back toward the safety of the trees. It would be so easy to kill me here and claim it was an accident.

Yessss
, the voice in my head hisses.
Run!

Luka doesn’t look upset or hurt. His expression is closed. He
did
try to push me. I know it as surely as I know the sky is blue, but why? I don’t understand why he’d even
want
to hurt me. Why save me after trying to kill me? It makes no sense. Maybe I’m just letting my own paranoia get the best of me.

“I will never hurt you,
munya
. I promise.”

“But you
did
push me.” I press him further, but his expression hardens.

“I want you to see the beauty I find. I thought you would like it. Let’s go down.” Luka turns and starts walking down a different path.

I stand there, frozen, unsure of what to do. I know he tried to push me, but he did save me. Will he try something again? I’m out here all alone with him. He really can do anything he wants, and there’ll be no one around to see it.

You’re not alone
, the voice whispers.

Me and the schizo voice. Yup, I’m definitely not alone.

“
Munya
!”

Well, I can’t just stand here all day. If I want answers, I have to talk to him, and that means following him down the rabbit hole. I wonder if Alice felt as confused and afraid as I do when she blindly followed her rabbit.

Luka is only about twenty yards ahead of me and I easily catch up. Neither of us speaks as we make our way down the path. The closer we get to the bottom, the more nervous I become. I can’t help it.

When my feet hit the bottom, instead of rushing over to run my fingers through the water like I want to, I stare warily at Luka. He rolls his eyes and sits down, his back resting against a massive rock. Then he waits. My move.

As much as I want to stay away from him, to turn around and run, I can’t. It’s the oddest thing, like I want to, but the thought of doing so makes me physically ill. I slowly inch closer, and with every step, the nausea goes away. What the hell is going on?

He pats the ground beside him and I sit, despite my better judgement. No matter how angry I get with Luka, or how suspicious I am of him, I find myself drawn to him like no one else. I’ve had crushes before, but nothing compared to the intensity of my feelings for the man beside me. Luka might be what I’ve been looking for, or he might be the death of me. Literally.

“Alexandria.” His voice is soft, but hard. The tone prompts me to look up at him. His eyes burn with an emotion I have no words for. It makes me want to cringe away from him. “Understand me. From this day, I will never hurt you. Ever.”

“But you might have before?”

His eyes glare at me balefully. What? I have to ask.

“Trust me,
munya
. You
are
safe with me.”

Looking into his eyes, knowing deep in my heart he pushed me over that cliff, I believe him. Whatever he had done, or thought he could, something changed in the seconds between when I fell and when he caught me. It’s written right there in his eyes.

“I trust you.” The words are out before I can stop them, and he smiles. Not just any smile, but that rare, genuine one I’ve only seen a handful of times.

“Do you like the waterfall?”

I nod, staring at the water. “It’s peaceful.”

“I find it a few days ago when I run and thought of you.” The rich baritone of his voice is as peaceful to me as the water. It lulls me, and I relax. “My mama loves the waterfalls. It reminded me of her.”

“You must miss your family.”

“
Arvah
.” The one word is full of longing and grief and speaks volumes.

“Then why are you here and not with them?”

“I must be here.” A deep sigh is wrenched from him. “I wish could be different, especially now, but I have made my choice.”

“What do you mean?” What is he talking about? What choice?

“Do you like the mountains?” He ignores my question and asks his own.

“It feels like home.” The honesty of my own words shock me. In the few weeks I’ve been here, these mountains do feel like home to me.

“They should.” He shifts, bringing his body closer to mine. “You were born here,
arvah
?”

“Yes, I was born here, but we moved before I was old enough to remember them. You need to say yes instead of
arvah
.”

“Why?”

“So it’s not so hard for your American friends to keep up with the conversation.”

“American friends?” he scoffs. “I have no need of friends.”

“We all need friends, Luka.” I turn to look at him. “Everyone needs someone, even when we think we don’t. It makes us human to need others.”

He laughs—a full belly laugh—and the anger from before boils up. My fists twitch with the need to hit him. I was being sincere, and he’s
laughing
at me.

“Easy, girl.” His voice is soft. He must realize how angry I am. “There is so much you do not know yet, things that will make you laugh when you remember this conversation.”

“And you’re going to teach me?” I try to sound sarcastic, but he grins wolfishly.

“
Si, munya
, I am going to enjoy teaching you many things.”

I shiver at the dark promise in his voice. He slides even closer, until his arm is touching mine. He’s a good foot taller than I am, and his presence makes me feel even smaller, but protected too.

“Doesn’t that mean yes in Spanish?” I ask to distract him and me from where this conversation could end up going. Last night’s dreams are too fresh, and if things get out of control, I don’t know if I have the strength to stop myself from going too far.

“Spanish and Italian. My father is Italian.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that. How did your parents meet?”

“My father was…” He frowns, searching for the right words. “Backing through Europe?”

“Backpacking through Europe, you mean. It’s when someone travels with just a backpack of their possessions through Europe or any country.” His English is a little more broken today. I’ve noticed his accent thickens when he’s relaxed like he is now. It’s all the more charming because of it.

He nods. “He see my mother when he stop in Bucharest. She and her family were there for a fair to sell their handmade clothing. He say he saw her and knew he marry her. My mother say he was pest, always there, and she did not like his telling her she was to marry him.”

I laugh at the image he paints. My grandfather would love Luka just for his storytelling ability in that accent. The old man is forever telling tall tales.

“Did he win her over with his charm?” I stretch my feet out and tilt my face up to the sky, letting the warmth of the sun soak into my skin.