BLOOD YELLOW
Book Two of the Blood Series
Ashley Nemer
BLOOD YELLOW
Book Two of the Blood Series
Copyright © 2013 by Ashley Nemer
Cover design: Tracey Weston
Book Design: Ashley Nemer
Editor: Katia Vodin
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced except small excerpts for review
purposes without the expressed written consent of the author. This includes
any reproductions by forms including but not limited to electronic and
mechanical.
All characters inside this book are works of fiction from the author, and any resemblance to a real person is purely coincidental.
ISBN-13: 978-0615818849
ISBN-10: 0615818846
A product of the
Art of Safkhet
Published July 2013
Other Works By Ashley Nemer
Blood Series
Blood Purple – Book One
Holiday Romance
Bud’s Christmas Wish
Poetry
Whispers of the Heart – Found inside Whispers in the Dark
Maverick Touch Series
Maverick Touch: The Cat
Sekhmet Series
Sekhmet’s Revenge- Volume One & Two
Dedication
This book is dedicated to four women whom I consider family. One I have known my most of my life. The other three I met through our shared love of books. You four each brings me inspiration, comfort, love, and sisterhood. Thick or thin, in some form or fashion you all have stood by me in my craziness. I love all of you. I am blessed to have each of you in my life.
Laura, Stacy, Sandie, and Jen -My Sisters.
I’d like to thank Gabi Eissa for all of the assistance with the Arabic phrases, and Anne, Tevya, and Teri for all of my pre-editing assistance.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE – THREE MONTHS LATER
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
arabic translations
used inside of the text
Abb- The formal use of the word 'father'
Baba - The informal use of the word 'dad'
Omm - The formal use of the word 'mother'
Mama - The informal use of the word 'mom'
Gedi – Grandfather
Siti – Grandmother
Ebn' – Son
Bent- Daughter
Hafeeda –Granddaughter
Hafeed -Grandson
Akh – Brother
Okht – Sister
Amm – Uncle
Amma - Aunt
Bent Amm – Niece on Father Side
Ebn' Amm - Nephew on Fathers Side
Bent Amma - Niece on Mothers Side
Ebn' Amma - Nephew on Mothers Side
Bent Amty - Female cousin from fathers side
Eben Amty - Male cousin from fathers side
Shebeen – Godfather
Shebeena-Godmother
Every time you think you have life figured out,
something happens, and your world is changed from that
moment on. My Omm and Baba knew this, and that’s
why they taught us how to fight and lead, together as a unit.
-- Nikole
PROLOGUE
Zayn could feel the water pounding on his back as it poured from the walls. He sat in his own living hell. His servants and ghuls ran through the house, trying to turn the pipes off. Plaster and woodwork collapsed all around him. His world no longer mattered. He had just watched anyone he cared about walk out of his life without giving him a second thought. What more could be done to prove to them that he could love them both and protect the species? His pain and anger poured out of his psyche, the mansion slowly flooding itself from the emotional wreck he was in.
“King Zayn, help!! Stop this!!” he heard someone yell. Who was it? He didn’t care. It was not one of his girls; therefore they did not matter.
Tears ran down his face, landing on his lips so he could taste their salty flavor. They tasted of heartbreak and pain.
“Sire! Snap out of it. Come on.”
He felt someone touching him. He did not care whom it was, but no one touched him. He stood up on the stairs and slowly turned around, eyes bright yellow. “Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Me!” Zayn pushed the Algula back away from him, sending him into the water on the floor running down the stairs. He leaned over, grabbing the body by the collar, and threw him to the left. The man crashed into the wall, the sound of pictures and paintings falling to the floor and shattering echoing in Zayn’s mind.
Down in the foyer, Nasir watched as Zayn attacked one of the servants, the man not moving but lying in the water. Shit.
Nasir started heading for his king, taking the steps two by two. Reaching the top, he watched as Zayn aimlessly walked down the hallway. “Sire, please,” he heard the servant whimper. Kneeling down, Nasir grabbed the man in his arms and lifted him out of the water. One of the ghul’s came up the stairs. Nasir handed the servant off, instructing the guard to get him medical help. Nasir looked back down the hallway and could not see Zayn anymore. Where did he go? Walking down to Nikole’s room, he opened the door and saw his king lying on her bed, holding something in his hands. Nasir couldn’t make out what it was. Stepping into the room and closing the door, he made his way over to the bed and looked down at Zayn, a man whom he considered an ebn’.
“Zayn, you have to stop the water. You have to get your emotions under control.” Nasir watched him lying still, not responding, giving no indication that he was listening to what was said to him.
“Zayn, please focus. Listen to me; this isn’t going to help anyone. You have to stop the flooding.” Nasir watched Zayn turn his head to the side, his eyes looking back up at him.
“You are like my own ebn’. Please, let me help you. Stop the water, and I’ll help you.” Nasir could see now that Zayn was holding a picture of himself with his family close to his chest. He knew the pain Zayn must be feeling right now was crushing.
The water from the pipes started to slow, eventually shutting off. Nasir saw the pain in his yellow eyes, his heart aching for the ones he loved. He felt the elements one by one start to dissipate out of the house.
“Alone, that is what I am. No one to love me or to care. Why should they? Look what I so easily did. Undeserving, that is what I am.” Zayn took the picture of his family and laid it against the pillow that Nikole used to lay her head on. “I do not deserve them anyway. I was never good enough. Maybe if I had just let the Algula be ruled by Haydar three centur
ies ago, thousands would still be alive, and I would not have to worry about this pain because I would be dead.”
Nasir sat next to him on the bed. Never having been shy in the past with affection, he wrapped his arms around Zayn and pulled him into his embrace. Holding him tight, he watched the heart of a man he loved like his own flesh and blood break and shatter. “Ebn’, we will get through this. I’m not letting you go through this alone. We will get them back. You will be complete and whole again.”
Zayn allowed his arms to wrap around Nasir. He knew it was a sign of weakness to accept comfort for one’s own mistakes, but what choice did he have? This man had been an abb to him for the last three hundred years, and before that he was his shebeen, family, always had been. Maybe what he said was true, and they could get his life back together.
“I do not understand what happened, Nasir; I just don’t. All I wanted was for Nikole to stay here, with me, where she could remain safe. I did not want her to fight; I didn’t…” Zayn tried to choke back the tears but couldn’t. He leaned into Nasir’s shoulder and cried. Gods, I am so pathetic, crying like a woman about love and pain. Could my life get any worse? They might as well castrate me right now; put me out of my misery. Zayn knew his abb was looking at him in disgust. He had let his parents down; he’d lost everything. Literally nothing was left in this world to make him worthy of the crown. “Nasir, how did I become like this?”
Nasir stood and pulled Zayn up with him, shaking him soundly, then pushed him back onto the bed. “You have not let anyone down. Your baba and mama would be so proud of the man you have become. This is just a momentary hiccup. Do not lose faith in the man or the king that you are. Nikole wasn’t going to necessarily live with you forever; maybe it was time for her to go out on her own. That does not mean you were a bad akh or an ebn’ who let his parents down. You have ruled the Algula with pride and honor. That is all they ever wanted.”
Zayn stood up from the bed and walked to Nikole’s dresser that was now covered in water, the wood absorbing the moisture. Looking around the room, he saw the wall damage with the pipes sticking through them. Ashamed, that was how he felt. He’d really blown it this time. “Nasir, I need to go. Take care of things while I am gone. I’ll be back soon.” Zayn vanished before Nasir’s eyes with no indication of where he was going or when he would be back.
CHAPTER ONE – THREE MONTHS LATER
“Have you heard from him yet?” Nikole said into the phone.
“No, Nikole, I haven’t. I told you, as soon as I do hear from him, I will call you immediately.”
Nasir never gave up information willingly when it came to her akh, but Nikole believed him this time. Something about his tone, or maybe it was simply because she was ruling in his absence, and he had no choice but to obey, led her to believe him without question.
“The moment he contacts you, I am to know. I cannot keep avoiding everyone’s inquiries about where he is. We need to find him. I need him back.” She felt the anger at the situation grow when she spoke of her akh’s disappearance. This wasn’t like him at all. He had always been the one to be responsible and take charge. She blamed herself really, she’d chased him away. Hanging up the phone, she looked over to Alec. His hard lean body lying out on the couch always made her mouth water. She couldn’t believe it had been three months with him. Moving from her desk and heading to the end of the couch, she sat on the armrest, looking over him as she took in his masculine beauty.
“They haven’t found him yet?” He moved his body around, giving her room to sit with him.
“No, they haven’t. Of course Nasir promised I will know the moment anyone finds or hears from him, but it still worries me that he has been gone for so long.” She knew her face always changed when she spoke of Zayn.
Alec leaned forward to take Nikole’s hands into his and pulled her down on the couch with him. He brushed her hair out of her eyes, kissing her cheek softly. “He’ll come home. He wouldn’t leave you forever. You know that.” Taking his finger up to her chin and tilting her head up to his, he looked into the clear violet shade they were giving off.
Nikole blinked for a few moments, taking in the mesmerizing sight of him.
Alec leaned in again, kissing her. He let his tongue push through her lips and scrape across her teeth.
She reached around his back with her hands while he pulled her into his lap. Breaking the kiss, she looked down at him. She still could not believe she was staying with him here in his cabin.
“Thank you for how wonderful you have been. I am not sure what I would have done had you not been around to help me.” Nikole knew she needed to leave and go home to her house. She had been away far too long. “It isn’t right that Nasir had to rebuild our home alone. I think I should return tomorrow.”
Alec took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it. “If that’s what you want, Nikole, I won’t stop you from leaving. You’re completely healed, and you don’t need assistance anymore. I will miss your company; I’ve grown accustomed to you being here.”
She let out a soft laugh while he kissed her hand. “Would you like to come with me?”
Alec nodded a yes to her. “Of course I’ll take you. I wouldn’t want you venturing down the mountain alone, my sweet princess.”
Nikole knew he was teasing. He knew what she meant. “Don’t be coy. You know damn well I meant for you to come stay with me at my home.”
“Of course I knew you wanted that, but I wanted to hear it. It warms my heart knowing you want me with you.”
It was her turn to lift his chin with one finger; she moved to place a kiss on his lips and veered off to his neck. She let her tongue play along his vein, teasing his skin and increasing his need and desire.
“Mmhmm, Princess, you know we talked about this. You can’t tease me like you do, and I might have to do something bad if you keep it up.”
Nikole purred into his neck, letting the vibrations of her sound send shivers down his spine. She ran her teeth along his skin, the fangs marking him from his jaw line to his shoulder. She felt his hands cupping her bottom as he stood up. She wrapped her legs around his hips, and he walked them to his bedroom.
“What do you think you are doing?” she laughed while wiggling against him.
“I told you I was going to do something bad if you didn’t stop. Well three months is enough teasing. It is time for the princess to pay for her room and board.” Wandering hands caressed her backside a bit more and trailed up to the small of her back before he sat her on the bed.
“You think I am going to let you ravish me all evening on my last night in the cabin?” she asked, grinning and biting her lip, hoping that was exactly what he was planning. She had been trying for weeks to get him to take their relationship to the next level, but he never had.
He looked down at her, smiling. Letting his hands drift to her pants, he slowly unbuttoned them, pulling them down her long, muscular legs. “If that is an order from my princess, then I have no choice but to obey.”
She had no other option but to enjoy the look of pure need and desire in his eyes. Everything she wanted in a man, she had found in him. Nothing he did caused any strife between them. “You know what you haven’t done yet, my dear sweet Mr. Palermo?”
He ran his hands down the inside of her thighs, watching her face as she resisted the urge to smile. Her teasing always excited him, but he didn’t want to admit that. “I thought we were rectifying that right now, Princess. Have you changed your mind?”
She blinked a few times, watching his hands on her skin. His fingertips, Gods his fingertips. Looking for the words that had been misplaced by his delicious distractions, all she could manage to mumble was something about his pledging loyalty to her.
Alec’s lips pressed against her neck, his hot, wet tongue teasing her soft skin. As he ran his fangs down her vein, he felt Nikole give herself over to him. He watched her collapse in his arms, like she was giving up all of her stress and anxiety.
&nbs
p; “Alec, please say you will not leave; tell me you are mine.”
Her hands roaming his body and sent chills down to his knees, he had no desire to deny her, so he gave her what she wanted. “Yes, Princess, tonight I’m yours, and I pledge myself to your service.”
CHAPTER TWO
Adara seemed to live in the bathroom lately; you’d think they would make things easier for women with her condition. But no, no knee pillows, no nice warm porcelain thrones for her to hug as her stomach tried to decide if it was going to live or die. Just kill me now. Three more months of this nightmare, and she would lose her mind. How did the humans do this year after year? Never again would she make this mistake. This was a once in a lifetime event, and no one was going to change her mind.
Hearing her cell phone go off again, she already knew whom it was. Idiot. Like she wanted to talk to him now. Look what he’d done to her!! Besides, he’d left. Why should she even care about him? He’d chosen to leave and run rather than to come find her and Nikole. Fuck him. He didn’t deserve her time.
The sound of the cell phone ringing continued to echo in her bathroom. He wasn’t stopping to leave a message this time; he just kept calling and calling. Deciding she wasn’t going to talk to him but that she would listen, she stood up from her tile floor, took the phone out of her pocket, and moved to her bed.
“Hello, Zayn.” There was curt shrillness in her voice. She hoped he felt her pain, her anger.
“Adara, thank Gods you answered. I have got to talk to you.”
“Oh you do? Well, it’s so kind of you to speak to me after three months of no one knowing where you were. I’m sure if you had needed me, then you would have at least told me where you were going. But seeing as you just vanished, no, no you don’t need to talk to me.”