Annie Nicholas: Prima

“Call me.” Spice hugged Sugar even tighter. “Every hour.”

Sugar leaned her head against Spice’s as her ribs groaned under the pressure of shifter strength. “Thank you.” She managed to squeak out the words.

Spice loosened her iron hold. “For what?”

“For showing me how to protect him.” And for pulling her head out of her ass. In her stupid attempt to save him from heartbreak, she might have pushed him into an early grave. She’d only caused unnecessary pain.

Eric cut in and replaced Spice. He lifted Sugar in his arms in a bear hug. They’d been best friends since childhood, and she couldn’t imagine a better mate for her twin. “Sugarbear, watch your back. No one will sleep well until you return in one piece.” He set her back on her feet, supporting her weak side until she caught her balance. “Sam and Robert will follow Daedalus and Pallas as much as possible. Clementine and Esther will stay with you at all times. Your safety overrides all their other orders.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he placed a finger over her lips.

“Non-negotiable.”

She would just have to make sure she stayed safe then.

“Did you pack your gun?” Spice had made sure to teach her how to use one with her working arm, but it took a lot of her concentration to balance. She could reload it one-handed and had developed decent aim, however she wasn’t any good in most emergencies. It took her too long to pull out the gun and prop herself against a wall. There was a time she abhorred all forms of violence. All it had taken was a shifter attack to change her mind. A fine line existed between assault and defense. She skirted it carefully.

“It’s in my purse.”

Spice took Sugar’s cane and activated a secret button on the head. A wooden stake popped from its tip. Her sis had purchased the custom cane for her. Setting it to normal, she handed it back with a heavy sigh. “I don’t want you to go.”

Sugar kissed her cheek. Taking the stairs one at a time, she made her way to the door where Katrina and Tyler waited.

Tears spilled from Katrina’s eyes. “We should go too.”

“You have a pup to raise.” She hugged her and Tyler close. “I don’t plan on getting in trouble. It will probably be the most boring adventure in the history of adventures.”

Katrina chuckled half-heartedly.

Sugar tugged Tyler’s curly red hair. “Watch over them for me.” She gestured to Spice and Eric. Even alphas needed guarding sometimes.

He nodded and showed her his almost nonexistent yet wiry biceps muscle. “I’m on it.” Odd in comparison to his much larger beast when he shifted.

Someone honked the car horn, and Clementine raced from the basement. “I’m ready. Are you?” The pretty vampire’s cheeks were flushed.

“Let’s go.” Sugar followed her outside.

The others were occupied coordinating their GPSs. Pallas stood next to Daedalus’s car, running a fingertip along the curve of the hood.

She couldn’t suppress her smile. He appeared enamored. “Can you drive?”

“Not yet.” He gave her a wink. “I want you to understand that I think your coming is a terrible idea.”

“You’ve made that abundantly clear.”

He drew close, tilting his head. “Why would you take such a risk?”

“I have shifters to guard me.”

“They heal fast. Humans don’t.” He stared at her weak side. “You’re very fragile.”

A hot spike of fury exploded in her chest. She set her cane on his boot and released the mechanism before logic took over. The wooden stake pierced his foot.

His eyes went wide, but he remained still. “That hurt.”

“Good.” With a push of a button, the stake retracted into her cane.

He leaned against the car and swallowed before meeting her stare. “If you belonged to anyone else, I’d kill you.”

She clutched her fleeting anger as she faced off with the Nosferatu warrior. All her instincts screamed to apologize, but he’d never respect her if she cowered, and gaining Daedalus’s brother’s approval mattered for some reason. “I know.” Then she returned his wink before opening the passenger-side door and slipping inside the car.

Her pulse thundered. His vampire hearing would detect it, yet she couldn’t restrain a fleeting smile. She’d grown brave since returning from the hospital. Recovering from life-threatening injuries could do that. Sugar didn’t fear death like she used to. She feared the loss of herself more. Who was this new Sugar that prepared to do battle? If she wasn’t careful, she might begin to like this part of herself. Either way, Pallas recognized that she had the means to fight and was willing to use them.

Disabled did not mean vulnerable.

The driver’s door opened, and Pallas folded the front seat forward so he could crawl into the cramped back.

Daedalus sank into the driver’s seat with an uncertain expression. It had been a long time since she’d seen him nervous. “Ready?”

She followed Daedalus because she loved him. It was time for her to stop pushing him away and cherish him during the short period of time they had together. She set her hand on his thigh and moved it upward. “Very.”

Why had it taken Daedalus’s life to be endangered for the veil of self-pity to vanish from her eyes? Somehow she’d make it up to him.

On the interstate, the landscape quickly changed from urban life to rural as they left Chicago toward the small city of South Bend. Sugar squirmed in her seat. The dense silence within the car pressed in on her. She opened her mouth to start a conversation then shut it with a snap. She didn’t know where to start. What she wanted to discuss seemed too personal with Pallas in the vehicle. Trying to heal their relationship would have to wait until they arrived at Daedalus’s estate.

She shrugged out of her sweater, suddenly very hot. Time would crawl if she didn’t find a way to break the tension. “Uh, Pallas, how are you enjoying the modern world?”

“I’m not. It’s too loud and too fast. The air stinks.”

“Oh.” Sugar glanced at Daedalus. “Have you known each other long?”

He cleared his throat and tossed Pallas a look via the rearview mirror. “Yes.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Let me tell you a few stories about Pallas…”

The drive to Daedalus’s estate passed quickly. He regaled Sugar with tales of Pallas’s greatest deeds. Most of which consisted of pillaging, wenching, and drinking. Considering the amount of detail in the stories, she could only assume her fiancé had taken part in all of the above with his brother.

She twisted in her seat and watched Daedalus’s face grow more animated as he told her about a supposed hot spring in Siberia. He didn’t speak of his past often, and if she asked questions, he might stop. So she kept quiet and soaked in the details. She pictured her lover with a troop of Nosferatu warriors marching across the cold wastelands. The image stole her breath away and sent a foreign thrill of desire toward her lower abdomen.

Pallas lay across the backseat, his eyes closed as if asleep, but she caught a glimpse of a grimace at the mention of the springs.

They may not be related by blood, but from the stories she understood why they called each other brother. Daedalus had never mentioned him before tonight. How many others did he keep secret?

Through the windshield she spotted the great stone wall surrounding Daedalus’s estate. She’d been here once. Three years ago, she’d shown up uninvited, dressed to make him forget her naiveté and determined to bring Daedalus back to Chicago. A smile tugged at her lips. It hadn’t required much effort. She'd taken off her dress, and he’d been ready to leave with her. Could she find this kind of courage again? Maybe, she was here after all.