10. Kali

Ididn't even make it to the water before his arm banded around my waist. My heart beat unevenly when he crushed my back to his chest, making it impossible to slip away. The way my body reacted to him—the way I reacted to him—was not fucking good. After everything, I should stay as far from him as possible. Yet here I was with a shiver running through me when his breath tickled my ear.

"I caught you," he murmured roughly. "Now what?"

I swallowed thickly. "You're faster than I thought."

"You've never seen me run," he informed me, amusement in his voice. "You've fought against vampires, but not Shadows. And never one with Kane blood. I'm faster than most."

"I'll have to remember that," I muttered, trying to ignore how just his lips brushing my cheek was flushing heat through my body.

"Why?" His question was taunting. "Are you planning on running from me, Kali?"

"Not right now."

He didn't respond with some smart remark like I thought he would. We both knew that even if I tried to leave, he wouldn't let me get far. For right now, I was stuck with him. I might as well make the best of it.

His fingertips grazed me, tracing my hip bone. Goose bumps raced down my skin, and I rested the back of my head on his chest as I watched the waves. My pulse was hammering away, and I raised my hand to cover my breasts, rethinking my entire stripping idea. There was no denying how vulnerable I felt. But there was no fear. Not when it was Zan who was behind me.

He caught my wrist, bringing it back to my side, keeping me from hiding myself. "Tell me something that makes you happy," he said in a low voice.

"Right now, your fingers do," I mumbled as he continued to trail his hand lightly over my lower stomach.

He chuckled. "Good to know. But I want more."

I craned my neck to look up at him, shooting him a wicked smirk. "So do I. Your mouth is good for more than talking. Why don't you remind me of how happy you made me that night in bed?"

"Fuck," he growled, his voice hoarse. "Don't say things like that unless you mean them."

"I want your tongue between my legs?—"

I let out a cry when he swept me into his arms before spinning around and striding back to where his backpack was. His gaze lowered to my body, his green eyes dark with hunger. If I were smarter, that look would have me terrified. He was a vampire. One who'd already admitted how much he liked the taste of my blood. But I had a feeling it wasn't my blood he was after right now.

"I get to take another one of your firsts," he declared as he set me back on my feet.

I frowned, watching as he crouched down and opened his backpack. "What?"

He pulled out a large blanket and spread it out over the sand. After standing back up, he grabbed my hand, tugging me closer and pulling me down until I was sitting on the soft fabric.

"Since you've only been to the beach with me, then that means I get to be the first to give you an orgasm while you're sprawled over the sand." He smirked, cocking his head to the side. "Have you ever been naked outside?"

My cheeks heated, something he didn't miss, and he let out a satisfied laugh before pushing me onto my back. He reached behind his head with one hand and pulled his black T-shirt off before tossing it next to us. Fire jolted through my veins when he climbed on top of me until his face was inches above mine.

"I didn't bring you out here for this," he admitted quietly. "I did it to tell you the truth that Amaros is my father."

"Why did you want to tell me?"

He paused. "Because…you are the first person I've ever felt compelled to be honest with, apart from my brothers. I want you to know about me."

My heart pounded harder. "But why?"

"I don't know, Kali." His eyes bored into mine. "Why did you keep the secret about my blood? Why did you stop the Clovers from killing me that night in Impulse?"

"Because you were worth more alive." My lie sounded weak even to my ears, but he didn't reply, seeming content to just stare at me in a way that made me squirm. My real answer was the same as his. I didn't know why, but I did know that the thought of him dying was worse than being trapped here with him.

"I do know that I fucking love feeling my body against yours," he said, lowering himself down on top of me until his inked chest was brushing mine. "Hearing your heartbeat go crazy like it is right now. If you want me to stop, now would be the time to say something."

I didn't say a word, letting challenge flood my gaze. He gave me a heated smile before dropping his head, kissing me. The second my lips parted, he pushed his tongue in, letting it dance with mine. He tasted so damn good. I brought my hands up, running them through his hair.

He broke the kiss, only to drag his lips over my jaw before bringing them to my throat. His kisses were so light. Soft. A complete contrast to the ruthless vampire I knew he could be. He traced my collarbone with his tongue, and I let out a small moan, tingles racing down my spine.

"Tell me something that makes you happy," he demanded, his words muffled because he was still kissing me, his mouth now between my breasts.

"What?" I panted, unable to comprehend his words.

"I want to know what makes you happy," he repeated. "Tell me something."

"Umm…" I trailed off when his hand landed on my thigh, his fingers slowly trailing higher. "Can we talk about this later?—"

"Right now," he cut me off.

I huffed out a frustrated breath when his hand halted. "Why?"

"Because you are so hot and cold with me. In a half hour, you might close back up and not want to talk. Tell me now."

"Keep moving your hand, and I'll answer."

He chuckled, resuming his movements, and I arched my back when his fingertips reached my clit. He was still kissing my body, and sensations were rushing through me.

"Books," I choked out. "Reading makes me happy."

"What kind of books?" He rubbed my clit, his strokes slow.

I brought my hands over my face. "Any kind."

He tsked. "Not enough. I want details."

"Zan. I can't concentrate?—"

His lips brushed against my stomach right under my belly button, and I cried out when he slid a finger inside me. His thumb circled my clit, shooting pleasure through my body.

"What kind?" he asked again, barely lifting his mouth from my skin.

"Stories," I panted. "Fiction. A world I can get lost in."

He halted his movements, and I bit back my protest.

"What else other than books?"

Before I could say a word, his hot breath covered my pussy, giving me only a second of warning before his tongue replaced his fingers. He licked softly, making my pussy throb for more. My palms slammed onto the blanket, and I clutched the fabric, his hold on my hips the only reason I was staying still.

But then he stopped.

His silence had me guessing he wanted me to answer, and I let out a groan, rocking my body against his mouth.

"Good food," I mumbled.

"You have food here."

"No one cooks here," I countered. "I live off fruit and packaged food."

Since being here, I'd learned that vampires could eat human food, but they didn't need it to survive. As long as they had blood, they never needed human food. Which meant my meals consisted of packaged food that they'd stolen from PARA installations. We didn't have the best meals in Project Hope, but the people who worked in the kitchen always tried to make fresh food when they could.

He attacked my clit again, and I writhed against him, my thighs squeezing his head. Then he pushed two fingers back inside me, his tongue working its magic. He was working me up just as fucking good as he did the first night we spent together.

He didn't lift his mouth from me when he spoke again. "What's your favorite food?"

"Burgers," I moaned before biting my lip. "They made them for the holidays one year. I've wanted another one ever since."

Instead of asking another question, he continued to tease me, licking and sucking until I was gasping for breath. His teeth nipped at me, and I let out a scream as pleasure tore through me. Until he slowed down again.

"Don't stop," I pleaded, my voice high. "Please."

His laugh vibrated over my pussy. "I think that's the first time you've ever said please to me. I have to admit, I like it. I want to hear you beg."

Defiance lit a fire inside me, but the second his tongue touched me, all sensible thought was gone. He ate me like he was starved, his strokes turning frantic.

"Yes," I breathed out. "Fuck, it feels so good."

He upped his pace, his teeth grazing me as he sucked hard enough for me to see stars. His arms stayed wrapped against my thighs, locking me in place as I tried escaping the overwhelming pleasure.

Apparently, he was serious about teasing me, because when he slowed down again, I nearly lost it.

"Zan," I pleaded, my voice thick. "I'm so fucking close."

"Oh, I know." He pumped his fingers in and out of my pussy. "Seeing you on the edge is my new favorite thing. Other than how good you fucking taste."

I attempted to slip out of his hold, but he didn't let me move an inch. He lifted his head just enough to meet my eyes as I looked down at him. His hair was a tousled mess, and his eyes were bright with need.

"One more thing," he said gruffly, "that makes you happy."

I groaned. "This. Your mouth."

"Something else."

He was still fingering me, keeping my mind clouded. I stared up at the sky, trying to concentrate, realizing dusk was coming as pink and yellow clouds swirled together.

"Nature," I mumbled. "Seeing the beauty of this world."

"What do you want to see?"

"Everything."

He sat up, and I lifted myself onto my elbows, about to demand he keep going until he grasped my hips and rolled us over until I was straddling his hips. My hands fell on his inked chest, and he caught my wrists to keep me from moving.

"You might hate being stuck with me," he murmured. "But I can take you everywhere. Show you everything."

His words sounded like a promise, but they only slammed reality back into me. The haze of pleasure faded slightly, my walls coming back up.

"How will you have time to do that when you're planning something against the humans?" I clipped out.

His eyes narrowed for a second before he let out a small laugh. "Not yet, Kali. We're not going back to arguing until after."

"After what?"

He yanked me up higher until I was sitting on his stomach. Then he reached down, unzipping his jeans and tugging them down. My eyes stayed locked on his as I felt him kicking them off.

"I want to fucking feel you," he said in a strangled voice.

I couldn't stop the wicked smile that crept onto my face. I affected him just as much as he did me. A realization I enjoyed far too much.

I scooted back and raised up on my knees until I was hovering over his hard cock. He let out a groan when I slowly lowered myself down until I could feel him at my entrance. His hands went to my hips as he filled me, and I sucked in a breath once he was buried inside me. I'd never done this position, and I could already tell it was going to feel fucking amazing.

"Move, Kali," he demanded roughly. "Grind on me like you did in the basement."

"This is slightly different," I panted.

"Better," he muttered. "It's so much fucking better."

His fingers dug into my skin, and he rocked me back and forth. My clit rubbed against him with each move, and I let out a moan as I threw my head back. He felt so deep, and when he raised his knees, I shifted forward where he hit an entirely new angle.

Waves of pleasure washed over me, the wind hitting me and whipping my hair around. All I could hear was our heavy breathing and the water crashing into the beach. The salty air engulfed me with each lungful of air I took. There was no reason to be quiet or careful this time. Which was probably a good thing, because I wasn't sure I could control myself right now.

I moved with Zan, finding a fast rhythm that had me almost dizzy with pleasure. He took control, his strength never waning as he rocked me on top of him. My body spasmed, my muscles locking up before a scream tore from my throat as my orgasm exploded. I clenched around his cock, and he let out a curse, thrusting harder as pleasure invaded every inch of me.

I fell on top of him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He didn't stop, holding me tightly against him. Until he suddenly flipped us over, keeping our bodies pressed together. He slammed back into me, his lips finding my throat. He kissed me hungrily, his breaths coming out ragged.

"You make me happy," he rasped, kissing my jaw. "Fuck. Nothing feels better than this."

"Sex makes you happy," I forced out, unable to let myself believe his words. "That's not a surprise. It could be with anyone, and you'd say the same thing."

"Pretend all you want," he ground out, his voice tight. "But you know that's not true."

He let out a groan and suddenly pulled out of me. His hot release hit me on the inside of my thigh, and he stayed still for a few moments before collapsing on top of me. I could tell he was still supporting some of his weight, but I couldn't move out from under him, even if I wanted to.

My chest heaved, and Zan finally rolled off me. I tracked his movements as he snatched his T-shirt before grabbing my legs and spreading them apart. He cleaned me off, gently wiping until my thigh was dry, and then fell next to me, lying on his back.

"Now that I know how happy my tongue makes you, I'll use it anytime you want," he said, tilting his head to look at me. "All you need to say is please."

I rolled my eyes at his smug tone. "Maybe next time I'll make you say please."

"You're probably the only one who could make me do that."

His quiet admission was swallowed by the wind, but I still heard it. It made my heart skip, and I purposely didn't look at him. His fingers trailed down my arm, and he lightly massaged me as we both lay there. Were his words the truth? I didn't know. I shouldn't trust him with anything. But I did in some sort of way. If I didn't, I wouldn't have slept with him.

I stared at the darkening sky. My body was spent. But in the best damn way. My life was fucked. I was stuck with vampires and had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow. But moments like this made it easier to deal with. Even the nagging thought that I was doing this with a vampire didn't dampen my mood.

Zan suddenly stiffened, and he muttered a curse while reaching for the blanket we were lying on. He scooted off it and threw it over my body before I could say anything.

"Fuck off, Pax," he called out, looking over his shoulder. "We're busy."

My heart jumped in my chest when I followed his gaze to see Pax standing at the top of the steps that led back toward the city. I could see his mouth moving, but I didn't hear a sound over the waves. Apparently Zan did, because he suddenly grabbed his jeans and slipped them back on. I stood up and resituated the blanket around me, making sure I was covered. I wrapped it under my arms like I would a towel, but still felt exposed now that I knew we weren't alone.

"What's wrong?" I asked in alarm, gripping the blanket tightly. I stared at Pax when another man stepped up beside him. They were far away, and it was getting darker by the second, but even from here, I could tell it wasn't Viggo.

"I need you to stay out here until I come back…" He trailed off when he looked back at Pax, and a muscle in his jaw flexed when he realized his brother wasn't alone. He spun back around and grabbed my arm, tugging me close. His lips brushed my ear as he spoke in barely a whisper. "Be very careful with your words, Kali."

Confusion rocked me as he pulled away. What the hell did that mean? I glanced past him, seeing Pax and the other man striding closer. The wind whipped my hair around my face, but I kept my hands in the blanket, keeping it tight against my chest as a slice of fear shot through me. My survival instincts were screaming.

My gut churned as I snuck a glance at Zan. My emotions were feeding off his, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. He was stressed, and I could feel it. In turn, it was putting me more on edge. As much as I hated to admit it, I could read him. I could read his moods before he even opened his mouth.

It had always been easy to tell when he was annoyed because that was his usual emotion. But I could sense when he was angry too. Or happy. Turned on. When he was content like he was before we were interrupted. My mood changed with his. The only other person I had this type of relationship with was Warner. I swallowed thickly when it hit me that this was different from with my best friend.

I could read Zan better.

Zan stepped in front of me, breaking into my thoughts. I caught Pax's eye, and my stomach bottomed out, seeing a frown on his face. He was worried. My gaze cut to the other man, and I studied him silently as they stopped in front of us.

He looked oddly familiar, even though I'd never seen him before, but I didn't have to put the pieces together anymore because when I met his stare, a chill ripped through me. His green eyes were a couple shades darker than Zan's, but it didn't matter. They were still identical. The more I studied him, the more I could see Zan in him. His black hair was cut shorter than Zan's, and he was maybe half an inch taller.

I could see the twins too. When he smirked, I saw Viggo's grin. Except there wasn't anything nice or playful in it. His smile was rooted in nothing but evil and cruelness. He hadn't spoken a word yet, but there was no doubt in my mind about who was standing only feet away from me.

Amaros Kane. Zan's father. Leader of the vampires. Who was notoriously known for how he treated humans.

"Son, you've been holding out on me." Amaros's voice was the same as the night he was in Impulse. I had been scared then, but it was nothing compared to how I felt being face to face with him right now. "Who is this?"

"Her name is Kali," Zan said, his voice strained.

After a second of hesitation, Zan shifted to the side, letting his father get a look at me. It took everything not to squirm under his hard stare. His eyes traveled down my body and then back up before abruptly stopping on my chest. Right where Zan's necklace sat. My heart seized despite me trying to control it.

"Kali." The way he repeated my name had ice sliding through my veins. "How very nice to meet you."

I licked my lips, unsure of how to answer. I still had the lotion on, and I wasn't sure if he thought I was a vampire or human. The blanket around me did nothing to make me feel better. I'd never felt so vulnerable in my life. Zan was right next to me, and as much as I hated to admit it, his presence was giving me a slice of comfort. But would he stand up to his father if Amaros tried something? I didn't know.

"We have a lot to talk about," Amaros said, an unsettling smile on his face. "Zan, walk with me. Pax will stay with Kali while she gets dressed…unless she's comfortable to stay in that blanket?"

"I'll stay with Kali?—"

"That's not what I said." Amaros cut Zan off sharply. "I want to talk to you. Your brother will make sure she gets back to Impulse. Won't you, Pax?"

Pax's smile was forced. "Of course, Dad."

Zan didn't move a muscle, his eyes darting to mine. His jaw was clenched tight, and he finally took a step away from me. Amaros followed Zan back toward the stairs, and I watched them as they climbed higher before disappearing into the darkness. I whirled around to look at Pax, and he shook his head, putting his finger to his lips.

"Get dressed," he said as he turned around until his back was to me. "Hurry up."

My hands shook as I crouched down to look for my clothes. I found my leggings first, and I slid those on while keeping the blanket around me. It took me longer to find my bra and shirt, but Pax didn't say a word the entire time, keeping his back to me.

"My boots are near the steps," I muttered. "You can turn around now."

Pax spun around and strode closer until I could see his grim expression. He tilted his ear away from the beach, and then nodded.

"They're far enough away now," he mumbled. "Sorry, Kali."

"Sorry for what?"

Pity filled his eyes. "Zan never wanted our father to know about you."

My stomach knotted. "Is he going to kill me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "No, I don't think so."

His words did not make me feel better. There was something he wasn't saying. But apparently, he was done talking, because he strode toward the stairs, clearly expecting me to follow him. Biting my lip, I glanced down the beach. Every instinct was demanding that I run. There was nothing good that would come out of being near Amaros Kane.

"You wouldn't get far," Pax called out. "You don't want to piss off my dad. He's expecting you at Impulse. Let's go."

My steps were heavy, my body filled with lead as I made my way toward the stairs. Pax was standing there, waiting for me. I sat on the bottom step and slipped on my socks and then my boots. Reaching around, I pushed the sand around until I found my stake. I could feel Pax's eyes on me, but he didn't say a word when I shoved it into my boot.

He sighed. "Come on, let's get this done."