Kai lost all self-control over his laughter, nearly bringing himself to tears. Once he composed himself, his lips curved into a mischievous grin.
"Just because you're my first, doesn't mean I lack the experience to please you," he chuckled playfully. "I've certainly crossed some sinful boundaries with the opposite sex. I'm more experienced with foreplay, but I never took it any further because it was sinful lust, which was wrong on my part. So, I strictly restricted myself from playing the full melody on the harp when I had no intentions of making her my wife, and I avoided the harlot vampiresses. However, discovering you as my mate erased any temptation known to me."
More out of curiosity, I asked as my heart warmed by his honesty, "How did you manage your desires? I'd imagine temptation hits harder for vampires."
With a chuckle, Kai shared, "It does, but I didn't give in to casual flings because my grandpa taught his bloodline to wait for marriage just as he did. My brother and I listened, while most of the males in my family didn't bother to wait. Plus, the war made it easy to burn off that extra stamina."
"No need to explain it any further!" I giggled, and a lighter chuckle eased passed his lips.
Unexpectedly, his grasp on my waist tightened as he pulled me closer, and our heads tilted when his lips latched onto mine in another deep, intimate kiss. As his tongue explored the depths of my watery mouth, the smell of his dreamy scent enveloped me like a comforting blanket.
Under my shirt, his hands wandered up my spine, skillfully unhooking my bra with a well-practiced flick with his fingertips as our kiss deepened. Our tongues glided smoothly over our texture, and we moaned every time our lips parted for a breath. Passion burned a high fever between us, making our hearts play a desirable symphony with each increasing pulse.
Just as my fingers began to fumble with the buckle on his belt, Kai gently caught my hands and eased them away as he broke the kiss, being nearly breathless. His eyes grew darker with longing as he held my gaze.
"We can't, my love," he whispered. "Normally, I'd never deny you, but right now, I need to stay alert."
His voice was a husky murmur that sent shivers down my spine, freezing me in his embrace. Gently, he re-traced his fingertips down the curve of my spine, sending a trail of tingles throughout my body as he leaned in once more and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.
"I... understand..." I trembled, merely able to speak as he eased his hands out from my shirt.
"You should get your bath so we can leave. Glenn heated the water, and Rome filtered it through his gift to make sure it was sanitary," he breathed, barely brushing his lips against mine as he continued to speak, leaving me yearning for more as he held my waist again.
Inhaling another breath, I collected myself and stripped out of my clothes. Once I stepped into the water, I bathed with the ancient oils they once used to wash with while Kai guarded me for my protection.
"I'm surprised these oils have kept so fresh," I remarked, massaging the aromatic oily soap into my shoulder.
With an unmistakable pride flaunting his tone, Kai replied, "Vampire-made products never go bad. We use top-quality preservatives that surpass what mankind has developed."
"Don't gloat too much! Woman-made products are near flawless," I couldn't help but tease him.
Kai nearly burst into laughter, visibly biting his tongue to hold it back. Despite his disdain for the human race, he certainly wasn't about to criticize my gender when he had me as his human mate.
Once he regained his composure, his voice softened, "Only if you crafted them yourself, my love," Kai finally managed to reply.
After my bath, we regrouped with the others before journeying off in search of Vlad's resting place. Unfortunately, the places we checked were all empty, yet Kai remained undeterred as he revealed there was one more spot to check.
As we approached a daunting cliff, Kai stopped and looked up. "This is it," he revealed, fixing his gaze on the towering heights above our heads.
"Lead the way," Jack responded with a grin as his mood lifted cheerfully with the hope of soon being reunited with his grandparents.
After Kai picked me up bridal-style, he ascended the cliff. On a ledge, he planted his footing midway up onto a flat surface that wasn't necessarily at the top, but far from the bottom. Without the proper climbing gear, the ledge wouldn't be accessible, but for a vampire, it is the ideal hiding spot to hibernate. Effortlessly, Kai and Jack pushed aside the boulder, uncovering the hidden passageway of a cave.
"It's so dark," I muttered, peering into the dingy depths of the cave.
By the second, the entrance seemed less inviting because of the exuded
quintessential, vampiric eeriness emanating from it.
Aware that I lacked their keen night vision, Glenn offered, "Let me create a light so you can see."
Rubbing his hands together, he wielded this small, glowing fireball that hovered above his palm that would illuminate my path just enough for me to navigate through the cave more safely.
"Shall we proceed?" Glenn asked, looking back at our group.
Most of us swapped glances, and with a collective nod, we prepared to delve into the unknown. Taking the lead, Kai held my hand, and we ventured inside. Along the way, Glenn's flickering fireball cast these creepy crawling and lurking shadows on the oddly misshapen stalagmite as we moved. Water then eerily dripped into unseen puddles, sending a chill up my spine as each droplet ominously echoed like eerie whispers. The deeper we ventured, the stranger and more unsettling the surroundings became.
"We've reached it!" Kai exclaimed, turning us inside another large enclosure.
He dropped my hand as the light from Glenn's flame shimmered across the room, shining on these deep bed shapes carved directly into the stone floor. In silence, Kai stepped forward, surveying the enclosure. There were over hundreds of beds here, but not one of them held Vlad or his clan.
Overcome with frustration, Kai bellowed and absurdly punched the cave wall. "They should've been here!"
Further back, we stood in a single file, silently watching Kai's every move very closely from behind him.
By little steps, I cautiously inched forward, making the first attempt to approach him. Although, this action immediately put Glenn, Rome, and Jack on high alert.
Ever since Kai had awakened, his unruly rage had become notorious. Before he lost himself from not having me, he used to be more level-headed and sensible. Therefore, as his mate, I felt confident in our connection to be the one who could tame his fury.
"Kai, it's ok. We can try somewhere else," I whispered, gently grazing my fingers on his loosened fingertips.
Unmoved, he only stood there, staring at the carved bed I assumed his grandparents would be resting in if they had been here.
"How about we check the museums in Egypt to make sure the humans haven't found them?" Glenn suggested, trying to offer a solution to calm his troubled mind.
"Let's go to Egypt," Kai finally responded, though his voice sighed with heartsickness as he intertwined our fingers together.