Page 37 of Fighting for Her Heart
Chapter Thirteen
Ember
Nerves scrambleinside me as I watch the front door of the house, through a crack at the edge of the black out curtains that hang between the living room and the hall. The sun rose hours ago, and Ryker’s outside.
We’re on day ten of Zuben’s experiment. I was glad when he agreed to accelerate the testing. Right now, Axe is the test subject to see if multiple feedings can make the effects permanent, while Ryker’s testing to see how long each individual feeding lasts.
Feeding from me every night for the last week, Axe has gone out into the sun each day without burning, but Ryker suffered burns the first three times he tried going out without feeding, so both of them took my veins on those nights.
But yesterday Ryker didn’t burn, and now this is the third day in a row that he’s been able to go out, and he hasn’t taken my vein for what feels like a very, very long time.
Near the beginning of this process, I secretly tested whether I could take any sunlight, but the sun immediately burned me when I pulled back the kitchen curtain. I healed, but it was so painful.
Every window and skylight in the house is now fully covered, letting us all use the entire space no matter the time of day. But because both Zuben and I can burn, we still have to be careful not to have an open front door during daylight hours.
So I wait for Ryker behind the curtain in case the door should open unexpectedly. Unexpectedly and quickly should Ryker start to burn.
“Hey.” Axe rubs my back from behind me in the hall. “Are you going to stand there watching that door all day?”
Heaving a deep sigh, I lean back into my mate’s warm body, loving the texture of his chest hair as it tickles the back of my neck and shoulders. “I’m worried about him. It’s been more than three nights since he’s fed.”
“But he’s okay.” Axe’s soothing voice rumbles in my ear. “Looks like your mom was right. The more times we drink, the more days we can walk in the light.”
“But what if three days is the limit? What if he’s too far away from the house to get back?”
“He’s on the porch.” Putting his hand on my belly, Axe pulls me in closer against him. “Ryker’s cocky, but he’d never do anything to risk not getting back to you.”
Closing my eyes, I try to focus on the porch outside. Ryker promised me he’d stay close to the house, and yet I can’t tune him in. Yet another vampiric skill I can’t master in spite of Zuben’s many, many lessons. I’m starting to wonder if my magic and vampiric powers cancel each other out, making me week in both areas.
I can’t master magic, either. Mom’s been working with me every night, but even using her amulet as an anchor, I can’t get the hang of it. All this talk of infinite states and changing how others perceive the world… In spite of the things I’ve seen Mom do, I’m still not sure I evenbelievehow it works—never mind being able to do it.
Behind us in the kitchen, Zuben and Nora are sitting at the table, talking as they so often do. The five of us have fallen into a routine of sorts over the nearly two weeks we’ve been here together, and they’re almost always talking about myths and science—often interchangeably. Soon, Zuben will go upstairs to sleep in my old bedroom until the sun goes down, and then we’ll all go out to enjoy some fresh air. And my lessons will continue.
Zuben’s the one my mom seems to like best. Maybe because he’s the only one not regularly drinking my blood or having sex with me? Zuben’s insistence that he shouldn’t feed from me is the only point of contention between them. She seems eager to have all three of the men drinking from me every night. Does Mom not realize that sex goes along with feedings?
Since that day when Axe bound Zuben up and I rode him, my handsome Egyptian has barely touched me, and some days it’s hard not to be a tiny bit jealous of the relationship between him and Mom.
Not that he looks at her the way he looks at me. I can see the desire and love in his eyes when he looks into mine, even if he refuses to do much more than look.
“Come,” Axe’s fingers slide over my belly, tugging me back. “Let’s get some sleep.”
I shake my head. “I can’t. Not until I’m sure Ryker’s okay. Can you hear him?”
“I’m too focused on you.” Axe nuzzles my neck.
Hearing footsteps outside, I turn and look into Axe’s eyes. “Is he walking?”
“Yes.” Axe nods. “But focus onhim, not the sound of his footfalls.”
Closing my eyes again, I try to cast my senses in the way Zuben’s taught me, try to let my heightened senses find Ryker, but now all I can hear is Axe’s thumping heart, so much closer, not to mention the hard, pumping rush of his blood.
Turning slightly, I slide my hand onto my big bear’s chest, feeling his pulse through my fingertips and palm, loving how soft his chest hair feels against my skin, how every individual strand feels alive, each creating its own trail of pleasure that ripples through me.
“I love you so much.” My cheek rubs on his chest.
Lifting me, Axe brings us face to face and then presses me back against the wall. My arms rest over his broad shoulders as he kisses me, and my fingers trail through his hair. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I’ve been living here with my men and my mom. I hope we can stay here forever.
“It is not time for Axel’s feeding,” Zuben says, interrupting our kiss. Axe and I turn toward him.
