Undone (The Amoveo Legend) (9 page)

“Solar heat,” he said, referencing the panels on the roof.

“Impressive,” she said with a nod. “I’m surprised that—”

She stopped midsentence as her line tugged downward, the unmistakable pull of a fish.

“Oh my God,” she shrieked with a wide smile. “I think I got one.” Giddy with the excitement of her first catch, she looked at Pete with wide brown eyes. “What—what do I do?”

“Stay calm, and reel him in.” Smiling at her childlike joy, he put his rod in the holder next to his chair and coached her along. “That’s it, nice and easy. If you go too fast, he could get away.”

“This is awesome,” she shouted as she reeled the line in slowly. The skinny pole bent in protest as the fish struggled to break free. Marianna’s face was stamped with concentration as she reeled in her prize. “It’s heavy.” She glanced at Pete and grinned. “I bet it’s a beast.”

The dark shadow of the fish became visible through the ice as Marianna reeled it closer. Pete took off his gloves and got ready to help her land it. She reeled the line, leaned back, and in one last pull the fish popped through the surface, and Pete scooped it up.

“Oh my gosh! I did it.” Marianna giggled as she stared at the perch that wiggled helplessly in Pete’s hands. “I caught a fish!”

“You sure did, and it’s quite the beast,” Pete said smiling as he held up her catch. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to carry this bad boy to the cabin.”

The two of them looked at the fish, then at each other, and burst out laughing. Her beast of a catch couldn’t have been more than six inches long.

“I think we better let this monster go.” Pete removed the hook from the fish’s mouth and held it closer, so Marianna could have one last look. “Any last words before I let him loose on the lake?”

“No,” she said, still giggling.

The fish slipped into the water with a plop, and Pete turned his attention to Marianna. The smile lit up her whole face, and seeing it made him grin like some kind of lovesick kid.

“That was awesome,” she said breathlessly. Her twinkling brown eyes latched onto his. “Can we do it again?”

“You bet your sweet ass we can,” Pete said as he picked up her rod and put more bait on the hook. “So, not as boring as you thought it would be?”

“Fine.” She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. “You were right.”

“That’s music to my ears.” Pete grinned broadly and handed her the newly baited rod. “See, even a simple human like me can teach an Amoveo beauty like you a thing or two.”

“I don’t think humans are bad, Pete.” Marianna’s smile faltered. “And by the way, you are anything but simple.”

“Maybe,” Pete said warily. He could tell that he was dancing around a land mine situation. One wrong word, and she was going to freak out and bolt to the cabin. “I’m not trying to insult you, Marianna. I’m saying that being human isn’t a death sentence. I’ve had a great life, and I’ve managed it without shapeshifting, telepathy, or any of the stuff you guys can do.” Pete leaned his elbows on his knees and looked at the fishing well. “Besides, you’ll have all your powers back in a few weeks anyway. This is just temporary.”

“No,” she said quietly. “It’s not.”

“What are you talking about?” His voice dropped to a whisper. “What do you mean it’s not temporary? I told you the binding powder only lasts for about a month.”

“I’m not talking about the powder.” She shivered and zipped her coat to her neck. It looked like now was as good a time as any to address the elephant in the room. “It’s… us.”

“Us?” Pete’s dark eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her intently.

She marveled at the color of his eyes. They were the same color as the ice in the fishing hole—iridescent blue. He’d shaved this morning, but the shadow of a beard was already beginning to form.

“Yes.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You are human.”

“Yeah, that part I got.”

“When a full-blooded Amoveo mates with another Amoveo or a hybrid, then there are side effects for both individuals.” She studied Pete carefully, but he was riveted to what she was saying. “Their powers are amplified, they become far stronger, and they age slowly, almost imperceptibly.”

“But I’m human,” Pete murmured. “So none of that would happen, would it?”

“We believe that when a human bonds with an Amoveo, then the Amoveo’s powers fade, and they age and die with their human mates. Up until recently, we didn’t know it was possible to mate with humans.” Marianna bit her lip. “I think, once we’re mated, I would become human just as I would if I’d never found a mate. At the very least, even if I aged slowly… you wouldn’t. You will still age and die, and then when you die… I will as well. I will live like a human and be considered a member of the Vasullus family, the other Amoveo who’ve lost their mates.” Her voice wavered. “Or the ones who never found mates at all.”

Pete’s features darkened. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She nodded and looked away. “Well, pretty sure.”

“I see.” Pete nodded solemnly, and his mouth set in a grim line. “Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”

Marianna glanced at Pete, and her heart broke at the anger and frustration stamped into his features. She didn’t need her Amoveo powers to know how upset he was. She couldn’t blame him. His whole life got fucked ten ways from Sunday because of her.

He probably hated her for dragging him into the crazy nightmare, and she couldn’t blame him.

“I’m sorry, Pete.” Marianna stood and put the fishing pole down as she struggled to keep the tears from coming. “You don’t deserve this, and I can tell that you don’t want any part of it. You are not Amoveo, and I won’t let you get hurt because of Artimus or any others. You can have your life back.”

She ran blindly out of the tent and toward the shore. She slipped on the ice as the tears streamed down her cheeks, and the bitter cold stung her face, cruelly adding to her torment. The wind howled in her ears, and she could hear Pete calling, but another sound stopped her dead in her tracks. She was about ten feet from the shore when she heard a groaning and creaking noise. Marianna looked down and panicked as she realized that the ice was cracking.

“Marianna,” Pete bellowed. “Don’t move.”

Pete’s voice was the last thing she heard as she fell through the ice and into the frigid waters beneath.

Bitter cold. Darkness. Silence.

She tried to swim, but her arms and legs felt heavy and cumbersome. If she’d had her abilities, she could’ve visualized herself out of the water, but not anymore. Panic welled as she tried to climb from under the ice, but it was no use. Just when she thought death would claim her, one strong hand grabbed hers and pulled.

She broke through the surface, gasping for precious air, as Pete dragged her onto the ice. On his belly, he yanked her by both arms and pulled her to the safety of the shore. Pete’s concerned expression was the last thing she saw before darkness closed in a second time.

***

Marianna sighed contentedly and snuggled into the warm, hard body wrapped around her—and then she froze.

What the hell?

Her heart raced as she struggled to get her bearings. The last thing she remembered was that Pete had pulled her out of the lake. She definitely wasn’t cold anymore, but she
was
naked… in bed… with Pete… who was also
naked
.

Her eyes flew open, and she sat straight up in bed, clutching the covers over her bare breasts. Pete lay next to her, his hands folded behind his head, wearing that cocky grin and nothing else.

“What the hell is going on?” she sputtered. She looked out the window and noticed the sun was setting. “How long have I been in bed? Why am I naked?
How
did I get naked, and why the hell are you naked in bed with me?”

“Number one. You almost drowned and have been asleep for the last few hours.” He adjusted the blankets, but Marianna smacked his hand away, which only made him smile. “Number two. I got you naked, and only peeked once, okay, maybe twice,” he added quickly. “It was a tough job, but someone had to do it, and Tramp still hasn’t come back.”

Marianna wanted to punch him.

“And number three. I’m naked in bed with you because using my body heat was the fastest way to warm you up, especially since you’d passed out.” He put one hand over his heart. “I promise I was a perfect gentleman the entire time, and believe me, it wasn’t easy.”

“Really?” she replied coolly.

“Yes, really.” His heated gaze skimmed over her barely covered body. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”

Before she could answer him, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his jeans off the floor. She looked away as he stood and stepped into them, but not before catching a glimpse of his perfectly formed ass.

“You are goddamn crazy, do you know that?” He glowered as he threw on the discarded flannel shirt. Marianna wasn’t sure if she was rendered speechless by his outburst or the sight of him as he dressed. “You hop out of moving vehicles. You run half-cocked onto a frozen lake you’re unfamiliar with, and you make assumptions about me that are dead fucking wrong.”

Marianna hopped off the bed while attempting to keep the sheet wrapped around her naked body. However, she wasn’t doing a good job, and Pete didn’t miss it.

“If you ask me, you deserve a good talking to.” He stalked toward her, and his voice dropped low. “Bears in the wild, real bears? They’re unpredictable. In fact, all those Hollywood animal trainers hate working with bears because they never know when they’ll freak out and do something nuts.” He zeroed in on her intently. Marianna backed up slowly, until she backed right into the wall, and had nowhere else to go. “You may not have your Amoveo abilities, sweetheart, but you’ve still got the bear in you.”

“I scared you?” she whispered as some of the pieces started coming together. “That’s why you’re angry.”

“You scared the shit out of me.” The heat from his body wafted over her in erotic waves, and the dark, five o’clock shadow flickered as his jaw clenched. “But that’s not the worst part.” He placed both hands on the wall on either side of her and leaned close, trapping her, caging her. “The worst part is you drawing conclusions and
telling
me how I feel instead of taking the time to ask me.”

“So tell me,” she whispered. Marianna clutched the sheet tighter. Her heart thudded in her chest as he inched his lips closer to hers. “Start talking.”

“No more talking,” he murmured.

She nodded agreement as his mouth crashed onto hers with a groan of pleasure. Stark need clawed at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Marianna hardly noticed as the sheet fell away and left her naked in his arms once again. Her breast crushed against the hot skin of his chest. He kissed her desperately as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the floor.

His hands slid down her sides, swept over her hips, and cupped her ass. In one swift motion, he scooped her up and pinned her against the wall as she wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him for dear life. He trailed kisses down her throat, along her collarbone, and finally, took one nipple in his mouth and suckled, sending white-hot pleasure to her core. Marianna ran her fingers through his hair with both hands and held him, urging him on.

“Pete,” she murmured. Deep carnal need swamped her, and pleasure fogged her mind as he suckled her almost to the brink of orgasm. She tugged on his hair and urged him to look at her.

Pete lifted his head and smiled, still holding her firmly against the wall. “What do you want me to do, Marianna?” he whispered seductively, as his nimble fingers found their way to her slick folds and the sensitive nub within. He brushed his thumb ever so lightly over the swollen flesh, while holding her heavy-lidded gaze with his. “Tell me,” he murmured between kisses, nibbling her lips. “Tell me what you want.”

What did she want?
Him.
All she wanted was him. Every. Wicked. Inch.

A loud pounding on the front door cut through the haze of lust. Both were breathing heavily, and Marianna was locked in Pete’s embrace. They stopped and listened again. The look on Pete’s face matched her
what-the-hell
feeling perfectly.

The pounding, more insistent this time, came again.

Pete let Marianna down gently and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to shoot that fucking dog,” he said between heavy breaths.

This time the pounding was accompanied by a muffled voice. Any humor in Pete’s expression vanished in a blink. He threw the sheet at Marianna and grabbed his gun from under one of the pillows on the bed.

“Stay here. I don’t care what you hear, don’t you dare come out unless I call you. Got it?”

Marianna nodded and wrapped the sheet around her as Pete cracked open the bedroom door and peered around the edge. Gun drawn, muscles straining, he inched his way across the living room, but saw her peeking from behind the door and waved at her to get back. Reluctantly, she shut the door and waited. Silence ticked by, and just when Marianna thought she’d scream from the suspense, she heard Pete’s voice.

“What the hell are
you
doing here?”

Marianna swung the bedroom door open to find Pete holding a gun on Olivia. Her friend stood in the open doorway with snow falling behind her and a look of annoyance. “Would you tell your boyfriend to get his gun out of my face and invite me in already?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” He kept his gun trained on Olivia, but glanced back at Marianna. “What the hell is she doing here?” He looked outside at the undisturbed and carless driveway. “How the hell did you get here?” He tightened his grip on the gun. “Someone better give me some answers, or I’m going to start shooting. I didn’t think you were Amoveo.”

“I’m not.” Olivia sighed. She turned her big green eyes to Marianna. “Would you please explain before he shoots me and puts holes in my favorite suit. I just got this at Bergdorf’s.”

Marianna held the sheet around her and eased up to Pete, who was wound tighter than she’d ever seen him. She placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “She’s not going to hurt me or you.”

“If she’s not Amoveo, then how did she get here?” The muscles in his chest flexed and strained as he continued to keep the gun pointed at Olivia. “There’s no car.”

“Oh, for christsake,” Olivia said with exasperation. “I’m a vampire. I flew—
really
fast
. Can I come in now?”

“A vampire?” He looked at Marianna for reassurance. “There are vampires too? Jesus Christ.”

“Yup. Vampires. Demons. Angels. Witches. Fairies. Werewolves. Shifters and all kinds of creatures.” Olivia ticked off the supernatural beings with her well-manicured fingers. “I’m a vampire. Now quit acting like such a baby, and let me in. If I’d wanted to drink your blood and kill you, I could’ve done it ages ago.” She glanced at his gun. “By the way, unless those are silver bullets, shooting me will only piss me off
and
ruin my suit.”

“Son of a bitch.” Pete dropped his gun to his side and shook his head in disbelief. “I am gonna kick Dante’s ass for not telling me.”

“Sucks—not being told the whole truth, doesn’t it?” Marianna smiled, but he didn’t find the humor in it. “Oh, relax. Olivia and I have known each other for years. Can you invite my friend in please? The door is wide open, and this place is freezing.” She shivered and rubbed at the gooseflesh on her arms.

“Fine.” He waved the gun. “You’re invited in… or whatever.”

“Thank you,” Olivia said as she stepped inside and closed the door. “Looks like I interrupted something.”

She smiled knowingly at Marianna, who blushed down to her toenails, and glanced at Pete, who was shirtless, barefoot, and clad only in his unbuttoned jeans. He didn’t seem embarrassed, and Marianna thought that he could’ve been buck naked, and it wouldn’t have fazed him. He was completely focused on Olivia.

“Sorry for barging in on the two of you like this but I was worried about Marianna. I tried telepathy with you but got nothing, and on top of that, your energy signature was gone.” She shrugged and sat gracefully on the couch with her legs crossed. “So here I am… but it looks like I worried for no reason. It would seem that you’re safe and in
very
capable hands.”

“I used a binding powder to keep the Purists from getting their hands on her,” Pete blurted out. He kept his distance and grabbed a log for the fireplace, but kept one watchful eye on Olivia. “Her energy signature is hidden, so how is it that you could find her?”

“I drank her blood.” Olivia’s green eyes glittered.

“What?” Pete shoved another log onto the fire, sending sparks flying. “You drank her blood?” His furious eyes landed on Marianna. “You let her drink your blood?”

“Easy there, big guy.” Olivia raised her hands in a truce. “I did it once and
only
so I could find her in case of an emergency. After we taste someone’s blood, we can find them no matter where they are.” She glanced at Marianna and lowered her voice. “But it’s actually a big
no-no
that I drank
her
blood, so I’d be really psyched if we could keep this between us.”

“Why is it a
no-no
?” Pete gave Marianna that scolding look as he brushed past her to the bedroom, presumably to get more clothes. “Do I even want to know the answer?”