Shadowed Read online

  “What? Why?” Nina finished another bite and licked the fork. “Did a mouse fall in the batter or something?”

  “No, nothing like that, but the signs on the layers got mixed up.”

  “It was my fault,” Maggie explained guiltily. “I’m so sorry—I just wanted to help. I never meant to cause any trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Nina was beginning to get a very bad feeling about all this.

  “The kind where you want nookie so bad you’re crawling out of your skin,” Olivia groaned. She looked at Lauren. “Are you telling me we’ve been stuffing our faces with bonding fruit cake?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Lauren twisted her fingers together. “How much have you eaten?”

  “Pretty much the whole slice. I thought it tasted familiar.” Olivia frowned and shifted in her seat. “Oh my God, what’s going on? This is working fast.”

  “It’s because it’s so concentrated,” Lauren nearly wailed. “When I cooked the fruit down, I pretty much quadrupled its potency. I have to go warn everyone!” She rushed off again, making the rounds of the other tables. “Stop eating,” Nina heard her yelling. “Not another bite!”

  “Okay, now I have to find Baird.” Liv hopped up. “Fast.”

  “I should find Saber too,” Lissa confessed, crossing her legs uncomfortably.

  “I thought he didn’t make it in time for the ceremony,” Liv said.

  “He didn’t, but just as they were cutting the cake, he bespoke me through our link and told me he was landing.” She uncrossed her legs and recrossed them. “Oh dear!”

  Oh dear was right. Nina looked down at her plate and realized that she had somehow managed to consume almost the entire slice. And now she was beginning to feel the effects.

  “Nina?” Maggie looked at her with concern. “Are you all right? Your face is all flushed.”

  “Oh no, Nina!” Liv shook her head. “I’m so sorry—I didn’t even think about you eating the cake too.” She looked at Lissa. “She’s not bonded to anyone—what is she going to do?”

  Lissa shook her head and shifted in her seat. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know.” She looked at Nina. “Are you okay?”

  “I…don’t know,” Nina confessed. “I feel hot all over and…and sensitive. Almost itchy. Could I be having some kind of an allergic reaction?”

  “I don’t think so—I think that’s just the bonding fruit,” Lissa said. “Although I’ve never tried any before…”

  “I did once, on a dare from Kat,” Liv said. “And what we’re all feeling is perfectly normal—although this is a much faster reaction than I had when I just ate the fruit.”

  “What can I do?” Nina was shifting in her chair now as well. In addition to being hot all over, her nipples were suddenly so tight they ached, and the spot between her legs was throbbing with need.

  “There’s nothing you can do but wait it out,” Liv said grimly. “I’m afraid you’re in for a rough time, hon. I’m sorry.”

  “We need to get her back to her suite,” Lissa said. “Otherwise, if she comes in contact with any unmated Kindred males…”

  “You’re right!” Olivia nodded. “She’s got to go back and lock herself in for at least twenty-four hours.”

  “A whole day?” Nina groaned. “Are you serious? That’s how long it takes this stuff to wear off?”

  “Afraid so.” Liv nodded and shifted again. “Oh my God, I’m going crazy over here. I have got to find Baird.”

  “But someone has to take Nina back to her suite,” Lissa objected. “She still doesn’t know her way around the Mother Ship yet.”

  “I do,” Maggie volunteered. “I’ll take her back.” She looked at Nina apologetically. “It’s the least I can do since this whole mess is my fault.”

  “Great—you girls get going.” Olivia was already out of her seat, followed by Lissa.

  “I’m sorry.” Lissa pressed Nina’s hand briefly. “Really sorry, Nina but I have to go.”

  “That’s all right—I need to go too,” Nina said through gritted teeth. The tingling and tenderness had been joined by an empty sensation—the feeling that she needed to be filled. If I can just get back to my suite maybe I can take care of this myself, she thought desperately. Right—if she could resist the urge to rip of her clothes and touch herself before she got there. “Come on,” she told Maggie, rising unsteadily to her feet. “Let’s get out of here—show me the way back to my place. I, uh, need to be alone. Now.”

  * * * * *

  “I’m telling you—just go talk to her,” Saber said for the fifth time. “She’s probably down by the sacred grove. Lissa told me they were having the after joining celebration there.”

  “I don’t want to just burst in on her,” Reddix objected. “What if she doesn’t want to see me? What if she hates me now?”

  “Well, she’ll never get over it until you explain,” Saber said patiently. “In fact—wait…” His eyes got a far-away look, and he nodded and then said, “All right—I’ll be right there.” Frowning, he looked back at Saber. “That was Lissa calling on our link—she’s back in our suite, and she needs me to come at once.”

  “What about Nina? Did she say where she was?”

  Saber concentrated again for a moment. “She says she’s in the visitor’s wing in Suite B 1245. Go knock on her door and make your apologies. See what happens.”

  “What’s going to happen is Nina slapping my face and kicking me out,” Reddix growled. But he knew he needed to talk to her and apologize. If she wanted to hit him, it would only be exactly what he deserved. Might as well go and take my punishment.

  He made his way up to the visitor’s wing and walked down the corridor scanning for B 1245. Once he found it he had to stand in front of it for a full minute before he could make himself knock. Then, taking a deep breath, he rapped his knuckles against the thick metal sheet.

  There was no answer, but he could hear someone stirring inside. He knocked again and heard a shuffling sound, as though someone was trying to make their way to the door.

  “Who is it?” Her voice was muffled by the metal door, but he could tell it was her.

  “Nina?” he called. “It’s me—Reddix. Are you all right?”

  There was a long pause as though she was trying to decide if she should open the door or not.

  “Nina, please, I just want to talk.”

  “I don’t know.” She sounded hesitant. “I don’t think this is a good time.”

  Reddix leaned forward, his senses completely attuned to her. He could hear the sound of her shifting from foot to foot just inside the doorway, and then he began to smell something to. A warm, familiar, feminine scent he would know anywhere—the scent of her desire. It drifted up from under the tiny crack at the bottom of the door and assaulted his nose, making him instantly hard. What the hell was going on in there? Was she with another male? Why else would she smell like that?

  A possessive anger flashed through him. She was his, damn it! If any other male dared to so much as lay a finger on her he would die…slowly.

  “Nina!” he roared, banging on the metal door with the flat of his hand. “Damnit, open up—now.”

  “All right, all right.” The door slid open, and she stood there, wearing a thin silky black robe which she’d wrapped tightly around herself. To Reddix, it didn’t look like she had anything on under it. He took a step toward her, and her scent got even stronger—heat, need, desire—it drove him crazy. Especially when he thought that it might be directed at another male.

  “All right, where is he?” he growled, stalking around her and looking into the empty suite. “Where the hell is the bastard? I’ll fucking kill him for touching you, I swear.”

  “What are you talking about?” Nina looked at him like he was crazy as he made a quick sweep of the suite. But she was the only one there—in fact, Reddix didn’t even smell even a trace of another male. So what the hell was going on? Her scent said she was deep in need and ready to be bonded. Why would she s