Storm (Blood Haze: Book Two) A Paranormal Romance Read online

  your house, and when you contact me, I’ll bring

  it to you.”

  “Are we being tracked?” I asked.

  “Christian is not a Viewer,” he answered.

  “Christian,” I muttered. “That’s the hunter

  who found me?”

  He nodded. “He’s a Zephyr.”

  “Oh, right,” I agreed. “That’s how he caught

  up to the van. But how did he find us if he isn’t a

  Viewer?”

  “I really don’t know,” Max admitted. “The

  only reason I even knew where you were being

  held is because someone called my father and

  asked if he knew how to contact Glass.”

  “Who’s Glass?” I asked.

  “He’s known as the Magnifying Glass,

  because he’s the best we have at figuring out

  who is human and who is vampire,” Max

  explained. “They call him Glass for short.”

  “I see,” I nodded. “Is it really that hard to tell?

  I thought it would be pretty easy.”

  “It is generally,” he said. “But if we think

  there might be humans involved we have to take

  extra precautions. We have to leave no room for

  doubt. Our biggest rule is that we never harm

  humans, even if it means letting a vampire get

  away.”

  “Kind of like your Prime Directive,” I noted.

  “Yeah,” he agreed.

  “I wish you knew how he found us,” I

  mumbled.

  “So do I,” Max replied.

  I was really worried. We knew now that

  Christian was a Zephyr, which meant he couldn’t

  track us. But Max had no idea how Christian was

  able to find the van. Not only had he eluded

  police, but he’d found us on the road. Maybe I

  was reading too much into things. Maybe he

  simply followed us and waited to the perfect

  opportunity. Still, I was anxious.

  Max dropped us off at the airport and told

  Jamie to go purchase tickets for everyone. We

  would have to make it a point not to look at

  anything that might give a Viewer a way to track

  us. As far as we knew, aside from Max’s father

  meeting Kai, no Viewers had ever met any of us.

  But we couldn’t take any chances.

  As he was about to pull away, Max shot me a

  look that spoke volumes. He nodded his head at

  me and, without a sound, clearly mouthed, “I

  love you.”

  I made sure no one was looking, and I placed

  two fingers to my lips and kissed them, then I

  waved at him with those two fingers. I wanted to

  hug him and thank him for his help, but there was

  no time. His father would be suspicious if he

  woke up and discovered Max was gone at the

  exact moment we were breaking out of the

  holding house.

  We boarded an airplane a little over an hour

  later, and we were on our way. Once we got to

  our destination, we would have to wear

  sunglasses and pretend to be blind so Jamie

  could lead us through the airport with our eyes

  closed. There was no way we could risk seeing

  which airport we landed at, because that would

  certainly give away our location.

  Jamie rented a minivan when we landed, and

  she led us out two at a time. Once we were safely

  in the van, she rented three generic hotel rooms

  where we would stay until Jamie could find a

  house for us to rent.

  I was so glad I had Kai there with me. The

  hours dragged on in our little room, but he made

  things so much easier. We played cards, talked,

  laughed, and spent a lot of time just lying in bed

  together. It was so natural and uncomplicated – a

  nice change from our usual hostile discourse.

  The only thing that had me really worried was

  my lack of communication with Max. He was

  our only link to the hunters, so we had no way to

  find out what was happening. My phone and

  laptop had been in the van, and Max said he was

  going to get our stuff and take it back to our

  house. I could call him from a pay phone, but the

  hunters might find out, and then they’d know the

  general area we were in. Or a Viewer might see

  the location on the phone.

  “I have an idea,” Kai said.

  “About what?” I asked.

  “How you can contact Max,” he replied. “To

  find out what’s going on.”

  “How?”

  “Why don’t you get a new laptop and you can

  use Skype to call him,” Kai suggested. “It won’t

  use a local number for the caller ID if you

  choose a phone number in another area code.”

  “I’d have to use one of our credit cards,” I

  reminded him.

  “But it’s not like using it at an ATM,” he

  explained. “It won’t show up as used at any

  specific location.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said, feeling completely stupid.

  “Duh.”

  Without looking at the phone too much – in

  order to keep any potential Viewers from seeing

  our location – I called Jamie.

  “Hey,” I said, when she answered. “Can you

  go pick me up a laptop from somewhere?”

  “And a headset,” Kai interjected.

  “And a headset,” I added.

  “Yeah, sure,” Jamie replied. “What kind do

  you want?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered, looking to Kai for

  help. “What kind?”

  “I’ll write down some specs for her,” Kai

  offered.

  “Kai said he’ll write down specs for you,” I

  told Jamie.

  “Okay, I’ll be over in a minute,” Jamie said.

  Kai wrote down some general guidelines for

  Jamie, and she headed out to shop for a

  computer. She picked up a laptop, a laptop bag, a

  USB mouse, and a headset so I could use Skype.

  “Thank

  God

  I

  have

  Max’s

  number

  memorized,” I mumbled, as I connected.

  Kai grimaced at the thought of me calling

  Max often enough to remember his number.

  “Hello?”

  “Max?” I responded.

  “Alice!” he said excitedly. “Where are you

  calling from? Wait, don’t answer that. Are you

  okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “We’re all fine. Have you

  heard anything?”

  “No,” he answered. “Not a thing. My father

  got a call earlier that I think may have been about

  your escape, but I didn’t want to ask him about

  it.”

  “You were right not to ask,” I said. “The last

  thing we want is for people to get suspicious of

  you.”

  “Alice?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I really miss you.”

  Apparently, Kai heard Max, because he started

  grinding his teeth.

  “I miss you, too,” I told him.

  “I wish I could come see you – bring you

  some of your stuff,” he said.

  “He doesn’t know anything, so hang up,” Kai

  growled through his t
eeth.

  I shot Kai a warning glance.

  “I should go,” I told Max. “I have a computer

  now, so you can email me.”

  “Check your email,” he said. “I sent you one

  earlier.”

  “Oh, okay,” I responded. “I’ll talk to you

  later.”

  Kai pressed the button to hang up

  immediately, probably not wanting to give Max a

  chance to say anything else.

  “Kai, I’m really surprised at you,” I

  admonished. “After all Max has done for us, you

  should be a little nicer to him.”

  “I should be, I suppose,” he agreed. “But I

  have a little trouble being nice to the guy who

  wants to take my girl away.”

  I frowned. He was right. Max would definitely

  take me away in an instant if he thought he had a

  chance.

  I checked my email.

  Dearest Alice,

  I miss you already. :(

  I’ve been trying to find out anything I can

  about you, but I’m not finished with training,

  yet. I don’t have access to anything until I

  finish.

  I’ll keep trying. I won’t let you down. I hope

  you get this.

  All My Love,

  Max

  Kai read over my shoulder, his teeth grinding

  loudly.

  I had another one.

  Alice,

  I don’t care if Kai reads this. I love you. I’m

  so afraid something’s going to happen to you

  and I won’t have the chance to say it again. I

  just wanted you to know.

  Max

  Kai picked up an empty soda can and

  crumpled it into a ball, chucking it across the

  room so hard it chipped the paint on the wall.

  I stood up and walked over to him, wrapping

  my arms around his waist, and pressing my cheek

  against his chest. He stood there motionless for a

  moment, and then he sighed and put his arms

  around me.

  “You know I love you,” I told Kai.

  “I know,” he admitted. “But what about

  Max?”

  “What about him?”

  “You love him,” he said.

  “Let’s not get into this.”

  “You don’t deny it.”

  I sighed. “I can’t do this right now. I don’t

  want to fight with you.”

  “So you admit there’s something to fight

  about.”

  “Don’t put words into my mouth,” I snapped,

  stepping away from him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “Don’t leave.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He stepped forward and put his arms around

  me again.

  “I can’t handle this,” Kai whispered into my

  hair.

  “I’m so sorry this is hurting you. I love you so

  much.”

  “If you’re going to love him, just don’t leave

  me,” he pleaded.

  “I’m not going to leave you,” I promised.

  “Can we lie down together?” he asked.

  “I need a shower.”

  He nodded reluctantly, and I headed for the

  shower. The warm water was soothing, and it

  helped me relax a little. A few minutes later, I

  heard the bathroom door open.

  “Alice?”

  “Yes, Kai.”

  “I…” he started to say, but paused.

  “What is it?”

  The shower curtain opened, and Kai stepped

  into the shower with me. My eyes widened. I had

  never seen him naked before, and he’d never seen

  me. I started to object, but the fear and loneliness

  in his eyes broke my heart. With great

  trepidation, I slowly turned toward him.

  I expected his eyes to wander over my body,

  but he was focused intently on my face. He

  pulled me close to him, and I felt his naked body

  pressed against mine. Feeling his skin against me

  was electrifying. As the water from the shower

  poured over my face, I felt his wet lips press

  against mine. The water enveloped us both in a

  warm, wet sheet. It trickled over our bodies and

  cascaded around us.

  His gentle lips closed over mine, and I felt his

  left hand at the nape of my neck – his right hand

  still pressing against my back, pulling my body

  against his. I parted my lips and he slipped his

  warm, soft tongue into my mouth and kissed me

  deeper. My whole body began to tingle with

  excitement.

  I moved my hands over his biceps, feeling his

  rigid muscles hard and strong under his skin. I

  moved them up over his shoulders and around to

  his back, then back up to his neck. With my

  hands, I pulled him further into the kiss.

  Kai pushed me back against the wall of the

  shower, and he his kissing grew more passionate,

  more intense. I gasped aloud, beginning to lose

  control. He pushed my arms above my head and

  grasped each of my hands with his own, pushing

  them against the wall as he kissed me.

  He moved his mouth down to my neck, and I

  moaned softly as his kisses touched every inch.

  His breathing was ragged and heavy, and it

  excited me intensely. I wanted him desperately.

  Suddenly, he stepped back. He looked

  horrified.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, barely able to speak.

  “I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

  “Kai!” I exclaimed, as he stepped out of the

  shower and made a hasty exit.

  I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a

  towel, following him out of the bathroom. He

  was sitting on the bed, dripping wet, with his face

  hidden in his hands.

  I sat beside him, and I placed one hand on his

  back. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I didn’t want to lose control that way,” he

  mumbled through his hands. “I didn’t mean to do

  that. I just wanted to be with you. I never meant

  to take it that far.”

  “But I wanted you to do it!”

  He turned his head toward me and started deep

  into my eyes. “I wanted our first time to be

  special. I didn’t want it to be some fling in a

  motel bathroom.”

  My eyes darted around his beautiful face,

  gathering in each and every detail. He was so

  intensely beautiful I could hardly stand it. I

  placed my hand on his cheek and stroked it

  tenderly.

  “Any time with you is special,” I whispered.

  I leaned forward and kissed him softly on the

  lips. He kissed me back for a moment, and then

  backed away.

  “Alice,” he argued. “Please just let me find the

  right time.”

  “Now is the right time,” I pleaded. “I promise

  you, it’s the right time. With all we’ve been

  through, any moment could be our last. A hunter

  could find us any time, and we’d die never

  having known each other that way.”

  “But…”

  “No buts,” I said firmly. “I want you. Now.”

  I let the towel drop away from my body as I

  got up on my knees beside him a
nd pressed my

  naked body against his. I kissed him passionately,

  and he wrapped his strong arms around me.

  I could feel some resistance in his touch, so I

  whispered in his ear, “Please, Kai. I love you. I

  want this.”

  He surrendered. He pushed me back onto the

  bed and pressed his lean body on top of mine. His

  kiss was intense and blinding hot. I struggled to

  keep from rushing things, wanting to savor every

  moment, but I burned with passion for him.

  My fingernails dug into his back as his kisses

  grew even more intense. I gasped aloud when his

  hand found my breast for the first time. My

  nipple stiffened against his palm, and I shivered

  with pleasure.

  I could feel him pressing against me, hard and

  ready. I felt a fire raging inside of me, and I

  thought I would go crazy if I couldn’t feel him

  soon.

  “Please, Kai,” I whispered. “I want you.

  Please.”

  Kai shifted his body and used one leg to

  fiercely push my legs apart. He put both of his

  arms behind me to brace himself, and he pushed

  his manhood against me. I moved my hips,

  helping him maneuver, and it pressed hard

  against my maidenhood.

  His lips closed over mine as he thrust deep

  inside me. A searing pain burned through my

  loins and made me gasp, but the pain soon

  subsided and was replaced by intense passion.

  His thrusting grew faster and harder, and I

  struggled to thrust against him.

  “Oh, Kai!” I gasped. “I love you!”

  “I love you, Alice. I love you, always!”

  I could hear his breath begin to quiver, and he

  began to pant and grunt. This fueled my burning

  passion, and I felt a strange sensation building

  inside me. It started out like a tightening, but it

  built and spread. Soon, my legs were quivering

  and waves of pleasure rolled through my body

  like a tidal wave. Moans of pure pleasure

  escaped my lips, and I heard him begin to growl

  as he thrust deeper inside me. I never knew

  anything could feel so intensely magical.

  We shuddered together, and then he collapsed

  on top of me, exhausted. His lips found mine,

  and with ragged breath, he kissed me. We both

  struggled to calm our panting breath, and when I

  could speak again, I said, “That was the most

  incredible moment of my entire life.”

  “Mine, too,” he agreed.

  I looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It

  was 12:47 AM on February 13th. It was my

  eighteenth birthday.

  I hugged him close to me, enjoying the weight