Something moved next to a mound. One of the women? He teleported closer. Yes, a woman, dressed in green and brown linen that blended into the hillside so well she was scarcely visible.
He teleported to a tree close to her. Was it Neona? It was hard to tell when all the women had long black hair and slim bodies.
She sat very still, her hand resting on a dirt mound, her head bowed. With her other hand, she wiped her cheeks. She was crying.
Zoltan winced. Five of the graves were new. As far as he knew, only six women remained. Russell had said they’d been taking heavy losses when he’d joined the battle. Why was Lord Liao fighting these women?
The leopard approached her, bumping his head against her leg. She gave him a pat, then lay back on the grass, staring up at the sky. Neona.
Whom was she crying for in the middle of the night? A family member or close friend? His heart squeezed as he watched her. He knew how it felt to lose all his family and his closest friend.
He would have to be careful with her heart. It was already raw with pain. And he’d have to make sure Lord Liao didn’t kill any more of these women. An inner voice warned him that once again he was taking on the responsibility of protecting mortals, but he ignored it. Neona was special. He couldn’t let anyone harm her.
The next time Russell came for supplies, he’d have to answer some questions. Who were the women of Beyul-La? And why was Lord Liao and Master Han’s soldiers attacking them?
Cat, he mentally nudged the leopard.
Zhan looked around, its golden eyes gleaming, till it spotted him in the tree. You fool. If they catch you here, they will kill you.
I left a note on the tree branch where you sat while Neona and I were talking.
You did more than talk. The cat glared at him. Hurt her and I’ll gnaw your foot off.
Zoltan ignored the threat. Help her find the note tomorrow. I want to see her again.
The cat thumped its tail on the ground. Why should I help you?
Because she’s sad. And I want her to be happy.
The cat blinked slowly. Maybe I’ll help. Maybe I won’t.
Fair enough, Zoltan conceded. Watch over her, okay?
Zhan didn’t respond, but rested a paw on Neona’s leg.
Zoltan took one last look at her, then teleported back to his office. Three minutes till the meeting. He smiled to himself, straightening his tie. If all went well, he’d be with Neona tomorrow night.
Chapter Six
“You smell rabbits around here?” Neona asked her pet leopard. “I haven’t seen any tracks.”
Zhan trotted ahead of her, presumably following the scent of some sort of prey. According to Tashi, who could communicate with him, the cat wanted his favorite meal again. So Neona had taken him hunting at dawn.
She stopped, recognizing the clearing they were in. This was where she’d met Zoltan. The rising sun shot fractured rays through the trees, causing the morning dew to sparkle on the grass. It was a beautiful place, the perfect setting for a memory that continued to haunt her. Who would have known a man could be that strong, yet kiss that sweetly?
A deep sense of longing enveloped her heart. God help her, she wanted to be special to someone. She was surrounded by friends in Beyul-La, but with her sister gone, she felt so alone. There was no one to open her heart to, no one to hold her when she ached inside. Of course, as a warrior woman, she wasn’t supposed to need comforting. She certainly wasn’t supposed to seek comfort from a man. Even an exceptional man like Zoltan.
Where did he come from? He didn’t look like any villager she’d ever seen. Had he truly wanted to kiss her? Or had he merely tricked her into closing her eyes so he could escape? Why did he run away? Did he not enjoy the kiss? Maybe he didn’t like her.
She shook her head. Why would he like her when she’d clobbered him? She exhaled slowly, reminding herself once again that his disappearance was for the best. She couldn’t fall for a man and shirk her sacred duty. Especially now, when they were at the beginning of a new cycle.
But why did she have to keep reminding herself? Even now she found herself peering carefully into the forest, hoping for a glimpse of him.
The leopard drew her attention when he suddenly scrambled up a tree.
“What are you doing? You won’t find a rabbit up there.” Her breath caught when she noticed a piece of paper stuck to the branch with an arrow. “What is that?”
Zhan ripped at the paper with his claws.
“Don’t destroy it!” Could it be a note from Zoltan?
A piece of the paper floated down, and she grabbed it.
Dear Neona,
I’d like to see you again. Please meet me here at midnight.
Zoltan
Her heart leaped into her throat. “He wants to see me!”
Zhan made an annoyed huffing noise and jumped down to the ground.
“How clever of you to find the note.” She hugged the leopard, then rubbed his ears. “You must have recognized his scent.”
Zhan butted his head against her.
“Good kitty.” Her heart thudded as she folded the letter and slipped it into her tunic pocket. Did she dare meet Zoltan? And the even bigger question, did she dare take his seed?
She swallowed hard. Why not? He had agreed to mate with her. It would be cowardly to run away from such a golden opportunity. Still, she needed to think this through. “Let’s find something for dinner.” She could make her plans while they hunted.
She strode down the hill toward the stream. It was easier to spot tracks in the muddy areas there. Her heart pounded with each step. She could see Zoltan tonight! An inner voice warned her that it might be unwise, but she shoved it aside. She wasn’t shirking her duty. If she had a daughter, she would be fulfilling it.
Should she take him to Frederic’s old cabin? It wasn’t far from here. The women had used the cabin two weeks ago to house the vampire, Russell, when he was injured. They had felt honor-bound to take care of him after he’d saved Queen Nima’s life during battle.
Neona figured the cabin was a more suitable place for mating than the woods. She would have to take fresh sheets and some supplies from Beyul-La without anyone noticing. And she would need to bathe and wash her hair.
She pressed a hand against her chest, where her heart continued to pound. This was exciting! Be careful, an inner voice warned her. You could lose your heart to him. She pushed those thoughts away. She’d lived with gloom and despair for two weeks. It was time to think more positively. This had to be for the best. Because for the first time since losing her sister, she felt alive.
After waking from his death-sleep in the bedroom of his castle, Zoltan’s thoughts immediately turned to Neona. Would she be waiting for him at their meeting place? Had the leopard helped her find the note?
His excitement grew as he showered and dressed. This time he wore more suitable clothes—jeans, brown T-shirt, hiking boots, and a green hooded jacket with zippered compartments. He teleported down to the kitchen for a quick meal.
“There you are,” Howard said as he materialized.
“Good evening.” Zoltan nodded at the were-bear and his wife, who were seated at the kitchen table, sharing a bowl of ice cream.
“We thought we’d find you here after sunset,” Howard said, his gaze drifting down to Zoltan’s hiking boots. “Going somewhere?”
Ignoring him, Zoltan took a bottle of AB negative out of the fridge, twisted off the top, and set it in the microwave.
“We heard you were taking a vacation,” Elsa said.
“Yes.” Zoltan rummaged through the fridge till he found some bagged blood. He zipped it into one of the large pockets on his jacket. Emergency rations, just in case.
“Milan is in shock,” Elsa continued. “He said you haven’t taken a night off in five years.”
“Guess I’m overdue.” The microwave dinged, so Zoltan removed the bottle and poured the warmed-up blood into a glass.
Howard spooned some ice cream into his mouth. “Let’s get to the point, okay? I need to know where you’re going.”
Zoltan gave him an annoyed look. “I’ll take a sat phone with me this time.”
“So you’re going back to Tibet?” Howard set down his spoon. “You’re going to see the Amazon warrior again?”
“Maybe.” Zoltan upended his glass, guzzling down the blood.
“Why do you want to see a woman who beat the crap out of you?”
Zoltan swallowed so hard that his eyes watered. “She didn’t beat the— Look. Whomever I choose to see is none of your business.”
“It is my business when it affects security,” Howard argued. “From what I can tell, you have no regard whatsoever for your personal safety. There are no guards here. No working surveillance cameras. You let strangers roam about the castle that you publicize as a vampire castle, and you let everyone in the vicinity know you’re a Vamp.”
Zoltan shrugged and drank more blood.
Howard sat back, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and I think I know what’s going on here.”
“Really?” Elsa’s eyes widened as she ate more ice cream. “What?”
Howard leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “Gregori explained it to me. When a Vamp reaches his five hundredth birthday, he normally falls into a state of deep depression.”
“Oh no.” Elsa gave Zoltan a worried look.
He snorted and drank more blood.
“And Zoltan here is about eight hundred years old,” Howard continued. “So he could be seriously depressed.”
Elsa winced. “The poor man.”
Zoltan gritted his teeth. “I’m not so old that my hearing is gone.”
Howard leaned closer to his wife. “It explains everything. Why he’s so careless about his own safety. Why he’s no longer interested in his job. Why he insists on seeing a woman who beat the crap out—”
“She didn’t beat the crap—” Zoltan took a deep breath. “This is ridiculous. I’m not depressed.”
Elsa gave him a sympathetic look. “You won’t be able to get better until you admit the problem.”
“I’m fine!” Zoltan tossed the empty bottle in the recycle bin so hard that it shattered. He winced. Sometimes he forgot how strong he was.
Howard and Elsa exchanged a knowing look.
Zoltan groaned. “I’m not depressed. I’m just . . . tired.” And lonely. “I’m going now.”
“Wait!” Howard jumped to his feet. “You can’t leave without a sat phone. And you shouldn’t face the Amazon warrior without some weapons. You’ll need a knife, a sword, and a handgun.”
“I can’t go on a date fully armed!”
Elsa’s eyes lit up. “This is a date?”
Zoltan winced. Now he’d said more than he had intended to. “Maybe.”
Elsa looked at her husband. “This is a good sign. If he’s dating, maybe he’s not so depressed after all.”
“But if he were thinking clearly,” Howard whispered back, “he wouldn’t date a woman who beat the crap out—”
“She didn’t beat me!” Zoltan strode toward the door. “I’m getting the sat phone, then leaving.”
“Wait!” Elsa rushed toward him. “You shouldn’t go on a date empty-handed. Do you have flowers or something?”
Zoltan paused. Elsa might have a point. “What should I bring?”
Elsa frowned, considering, then her face brightened. “I have a box of chocolates I haven’t opened.”
Howard stiffened. “That was my gift for you.”
“You can get me some more.” Elsa squeezed her husband’s arm. “This is an emergency. Zoltan needs something now.”
Zoltan nodded. “Chocolate might be good. I doubt she gets much of it.”
“Maybe it’ll keep her from beating the crap—” Howard stopped when Zoltan glared at him.
“The box is in our bedroom.” Elsa started out the door. “I’ll be right back.”
“We’ll be in the armory,” Howard called after her.
Zoltan made his way quickly to the armory with Howard right behind him, asking questions along the way.
“What’s her name? Where does she live? Does she look like Xena, the warrior princess? Why did she beat you up?”
Zoltan ignored him and selected a sat phone off a shelf in the armory.
“Let me see that.” Howard grabbed it and started pushing buttons. “Okay. It’s charged up and working well. I’m putting in my number and Angus’s and Mikhail’s. If anything goes wrong, I want you to call. Either Angus or Mikhail should be able to teleport to you right away.”
“I understand.” Zoltan reached for the phone, but Howard kept pushing buttons.
When Howard’s cell phone went off, he smiled. “Okay, now I have your number.” He handed the sat phone to Zoltan. “I recommend you take at least one knife.”
“I’ll be fine.” Zoltan dropped the sat phone into a pants pocket. “If I’m really in trouble, I’ll just teleport back here.”
“Does she know you’re a Vamp?”
Zoltan shook his head. “I don’t think so.” Although her cat knew he wasn’t normal. Fortunately, she wasn’t able to communicate with her pet.
“Does she know about Vamps?”
“Probably. They were fighting Lord Liao and some of Master Han’s army two weeks ago.”
Howard’s eyes narrowed. “What does Lord Liao have against them?”
“I don’t know.” Zoltan shrugged. “There’s a lot I don’t know. That’s one reason I want to go back.”