Niccolo (Blood Brothers) by Eve Vaughn Page A

do to make myself better?”
    “It’s quite simple, young one. You must feed and you must unleash your vampire side. Tonight there will be bloodshed. And you have to do what comes natural to us. Feed.”
    “No innocents.”
    The older vampire chuckled. “No one is truly innocent, young one.”
    “But —”
    “No buts. Listen to me ... I am your father, after all.”
    <><><>
    When their flight was underway, Sasha’s nerves felt as though they would snap. Throughout the plane ride, not only was she worried about her son, she wondered what could have happened in Germany that resulted in this hasty visit.
    Niccolo only gave her snippets of information even when she demanded that he tell her more. She thought he was probably trying to shield her from the truth, but keeping her in the dark was a sure way to drive her insane. It didn’t help that despite the gravity of their circumstances, there was an undeniable sexual tension between them.
    Sitting so close to him on the plane, hearing him breathe, smelling his cologne, and wanting to touch him was torture. She remembered their stolen night together and it made her want more. She tried to ignore it by feigning sleep, except after several minutes, she really did fall asleep.
     
    S asha walked into Niccolo’s room to find him packing. “You’re leaving so s oon?” she asked tentatively. She devoured his handsome face with her gaze. He was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. It almost seemed unfair for one man to be so appealing . From the moment she’d laid eyes on him, she loved him.
    At six-foot-three, he was an entire foot taller than h er. Though he was lean, he had broad shoulders , the kind that women wanted to rest their heads on. His wavy black hair was clipped short in the back, while thick dark locks rested casually on his forehead.
    He had the face of an aristocrat with his high cheekbones and long , straight nose. His dark brows were thick, but arched attractively over his amber eyes. One smoldering look from him made her body quake with need . And his lips. Sasha had lost count of how many times she’d imagined them pressed all over her body.
    Even the tiny gap between his two front teeth gave him a boyish charm when he smiled. She could find no fault in his countenance , but his looks weren’t the only thing she found attractive about him. He was genuine, smart, and she often found herself smiling at his dry wit. She’d known from the beginning a man like him would be loyal to those he loved for all eternity. Her soul called out to his. He might not realize it , but they belonged together despite everything that had happened.
    Niccolo answered without turning to face her . “I am hardly welcome here anymore, not that it matters. I have nothing to stay for now that Petra  —” He stopped mid-sentence.
    Sasha felt a lump rise in her throat. She still couldn’t believe her beautiful sister was gone. Despite their differences, she’ d cared about her sister . “ I know my parents were harsh in blaming you for what happened , but don’t take it to heart. They   lost their daughter and when you hurt, you say things you don’t mean.”
    “Is that so, strega? ” He shrugged and continued to pack.
    She walked all the way into the room and closed the door.
    “What do you want?” He still didn’t turn around.
    “I thought maybe you’d want to talk about your feelings with someone. I know how badly you must feel and I wanted to apologize for the way my parents treated you at the crossing over ceremony .”
    “What makes you think I would want to discuss how I feel with you? What’s to discuss? She’s gone. Now I begin to understand why your parents seemed so annoyed when you’re around. ”
    Sasha gasped. It was probably the grief talking, but he had never been rude to her before. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. My family is still taking care of some last minute formalities , but on their behalf, I wis h you a safe journey