Kiziah’s eyebrows drew together. “It’s not safe to do that. He’s sexually bonded to you. And you’ll attract a lot of unwanted attention until you’ve made the second exchange and can control the pheromones. Even then they can get out of hand. At least with the third it becomes more natural, so you don’t have to think about it.” Kiziah sighed. “Not that I ever go anywhere alone anymore.” She stood and gathered her dishes, carrying them to the sink.
Dakotah did the same, thinking about what she’d learned, mad at herself for feeling…hollow inside at the prospect of Domino wanting her only because he’d sexually bonded himself to her. He hadn’t meant to—she wasn’t going to lie to herself about it. He didn’t know her. Though he would—all too well if he could see her memories. And then what? She guessed there was no such thing as an amicable divorce from a vampire. “I’m going to head out for a while,” she said, and felt both the wolf’s and Domino’s protest.
The silverware Kiziah was washing clattered to the bottom of the sink. “Don’t. I mean, if you need to get out of the house for awhile, at least let Cable and I go with you.”
Dakotah pushed away from the counter. “Thanks for the offer, but I need some space.” She could feel Domino struggling, concentrating, and she guessed he was trying to take his wolf form. If he succeeded, he’d have her pinned before she could get out of the front door. If she left on foot, he’d just track her down.
She grabbed her backpack and delayed long enough to take his car keys. The wolf howling in protest as she drove away, the first hints of Domino’s will pressing in on her, demanding that she return.
She fought the wolf. She fought him. She fought herself and kept going, driving to the beach. Glad for the cold and the fog that was already starting to form as it got closer to sunset. It was weather guaranteed to keep people inside.
She hadn’t been lying. She needed space, time.
For a long while she just sat in Domino’s car, surrounded by his scent. Taking comfort in it though she saw it as a weakness in herself—a weakness she didn’t have the energy to fight.
In her mind’s eye she replayed events and conversations, analyzed them. Once again saw the spread of tarot cards. Death. Strength. The Emperor. Heard her challenge to Domino in the woods. I don’t care what the tarot cards say. And she hadn’t.
They only give one possibility, she’d once told Sarael. You can change that truth. And she’d believed her own words. Ignored both the promise and the warning that The Emperor card presented.
And in the end she had not only walked right into the future Helki predicted but escaped it and then willingly returned—twice.
Dakotah rubbed her heart. The tight knot returning when she thought about Kiziah’s revelations. About Domino having access to her memories. Memories she never visited.
A cold shiver slid up her spine at the idea of his gaining control to the point he could freeze her in place with a thought. That was more threatening than his ability to hypnotize—something she’d avoided thinking about.
Dakotah forced herself from the car. Forced herself to leave the warmth and security, the comfort. To step out into the cold. The act a physical reminder of her reality.
She walked. Not far. Just far enough to come to a decision.
Both Cable and Kiziah had told her she’d be fighting men off wherever she went. She had no reason to doubt them and every reason to believe them. Her blood burned, her body felt different, was different. And yet there had to be a way to turn it to her advantage—just as she’d done with the wolf. To use what she’d gained from Domino to help her survive. To help her do more than just survive.
For the first time since she’d learned that Victor Hale was determined to make her pay for killing his son, Dakotah let herself believe she could do more than just run and hide, do more than fight to the death when cornered. If she could gain control of the pheromones, use the vampire lure to get through the men Victor had guarding him, then she could end it once and for all.
One more death, just a little more blood on her hands and it’d be settled.
Or maybe she’d be dead.
Either way, she could stop running—at least from Victor Hale.
Domino was a different story. He may have ordered her to leave once and allowed her to leave a second time, inadvertently let her escape this time, but she doubted he would let her get away from him again.
Their wolves might claim to be mated. Domino himself may have come to accept it—but right now he was operating on the physical level, doing what nature had programmed him to do. She wished it was more than that. And for an instant, longing coiled around in her chest, wrapping her in hope—just as it had when Helki read the cards. But just like then, she tossed it off.
She wasn’t ready to trust in the cards. She wasn’t going to roll over and expose her belly and neck. To risk her heart.
Dakotah got in the car, grimacing at the thought of encountering Helki. But the carnival was the safest place to go, at least for what she had in mind. She couldn’t gain control over the pheromones by walking into a bar. The situation would be too unpredictable, too dangerous. Not that it would be fun fighting off carnies she’d come to think of as friends. But she thought she could subdue them without killing them. And though the prospect of asking Helki for help made Dakotah grind her teeth, she would ask for it if she had to.
If she could find the old fortune-teller and the carnival.
Dakotah got out of the car and looked around at the empty, moonlit field where only a day before the carnival had been set up.
The scent of it remained. Hot dogs and cotton candy. Metal and fuel. The unique smells of hundreds of strangers mixed with those of the carnies Dakotah had traveled with for the last year.
It got to her. Made her feel raw. The unexpectedness of seeing emptiness where her world had been solid and real was like a chilling glimpse into the future. And she turned away from it, had only a fleeting second to become aware of sound and movement before the sharp sting of a dart slammed into her chest, the tranquilizer taking effect, pulling her into darkness even as she ripped it from her body.
Domino came out of the bedroom growling, bristling, ready to bite when Fane shimmered into place in front of Kiziah, his eyes alight with amusement.
Cable walked in a second later. “We’ll help you find her,” he said, skirting Domino and Fane in order to kiss Kiziah.
Fane grinned. “We’ll help you after you drink your herbs. And while you do it, I’ll regale you with advice on the claiming and taming of a kadine so that you’ll be more successful the next time we return her to you.”
Kiziah reached over and pinched Fane’s naked ass cheek. “Or better yet, you’ll go get dressed before you make Domino mad enough to castrate you while I cheer him on. The claiming and taming of a kadine. That’s not a story you’re going to be telling anytime soon.”
Cable laughed, hugging Kiziah’s back to his chest as he curled his hand around Fane’s forearm, pulling him into the embrace, teasing Fane by saying, “We’re still on our honeymoon. It’s not a good thing to upset your wife when you’re on your honeymoon.” He glanced down at Fane’s erection. “Unless you plan on going back to same-sex-only encounters.”
Fane growled, kissing both Cable and Kiziah, then shimmered out of sight.
Kiziah sighed. “I’m sorry, Domino. I…”
Domino shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t say anything wrong. I’m grateful to you for telling her what you did. And for learning something about her enemies.”
Cable rubbed his cheek against Kiziah’s hair. “I can make enquiries. She’s got your mark on her neck. The Weres don’t want a war with the vampires. I can get the word out that she belongs to you.”