Crimson Ties

by V L Moon

  “I want information on the human, Gabriel Palmeri. I want his location. The one to bring me the correct information will be rewarded.” At the edges of his vision, shapes moved though none spoke to him. He surveyed the suddenly deserted square before dropping onto a bench and pulling his cell phone free.

  He sent a quick message to Saul informing the guard he was following a lead. He knew the resourceful male would use the GPS locator and realize Malachi wasn’t in Rome. He expected another quiet lecture from the Captain; another he would ignore. The next message went to Arial. “Find Darklon. Be glue until dawn.” After hitting send, he shoved the small bit of technology in his pocket. He forced himself to sit still, but ignoring the raging monster inside proved impossible.

  Loz was being tortured. He’d suspected as much given Darklon held her. What he didn’t understand was why the angel was allowing it. A simple shift into male form, a showdown with Darklon after ‘rescuing’ the female, and he was back in the enclave where he belonged.

  During the dawn hours when the enclave fell into the Sole Dormire, he lay on their bed and shoved those thoughts at the barrier. Other nights, especially in the latter part of the month, he pushed the hunger pains that stabbed into his gut. He was not above guilt and blackmail to get his angel back. And finally, there were the nights when the loneliness overtook him. Those nights, he welcomed the sleep despite the nightmares that plagued him.

  “Sire.”

  He glanced up to see a petite female on her knees before him. Head bowed, she clasped her hands in front of her chest as if in supplication. Long auburn hair fell in ringlets from the top of her head to brush against the ground. Her entire body trembled.

  “You have the information I seek,” he asked gruffly.

  “The male you seek is mine,” she said softly. “He is no longer human.” If possible, the trembling increased.

  Malachi surged to his feet. Anger radiated from every pore. “A turning must be cleared through the enclave; through my court. No requests have been filed.” Still on her knees, the female shook her head, but didn’t look up. Her shoulders slumped even more as she tried to fold into herself. The scent of grief mixed with tears.

  “He came in while we were sleeping and killed my mate,” she whispered. “He showed me the dagger he’d used. He said he would use the Nephilim blade on me if I didn’t turn him.” A sob shook her shoulders. “When I refused, he threatened to carry my little one into the sun.” She looked up and misery swam in her eyes. “I couldn’t let him kill my son, too.”

  Malachi took her hands and pulled her to her feet. “What’s your name?”

  “Valentina, Sire,” she said and bobbed a curtsey.

  “Valentina, I just need to know where he is, and he won’t bother you again.” He tried to soothe her, but the savagery was too close to the surface.

  “He still has Loren.” Her fingers curled around his hands. “If I try anything, he’ll kill him.”

  “Just take me to where he is. I won’t let him hurt your son.” Malachi stood firm under her scrutiny. When she ported away, he followed.

  He wasn’t surprised to find them reappearing in a more neglected part of the city. Valentina led him down the street to face a very small cottage tucked between two larger businesses.

  “He will be in the basement. As a newly turned, he’s terrified of the sun and seeks shelter well before anyone else.” She said softly. A new thought occurred to Malachi.

  “How many has he killed?”

  The female’s head dropped, and she twisted her fingers together. “At least six if he’s telling the truth. I would guess more.”

  “Are there any wards or protections I need to know about?” he asked. When she shook her head, he hit her with the next question. “You’ve burned the pyre for your mate?”

  “Yes, tonight before you arrived.” Grief once again rose around her slender form. For the hundredth time in the last forty-eight hours, Malachi wished the angel was at his side. He was shit at offering comfort.

  “I’ll be right back with Loren, and then I suggest you port yourselves to my enclave, or to somewhere you will be safe.” Her eyes widened. “If you go to my enclave, you will need to see Kimberly Stroner, she’s my assistant. If you decide to stay here, contact her about the reward.”

  Turning back to the small dwelling, he expanded his senses. Two heartbeats registered, but in separate rooms. One flitted light and fast while the other resonated heavier and slow. Fear leeched from the faster one; the child.

  As quick as the thought entered his mind, he stood beside the bed where the child lay shaking in terror. Malachi judged him to be five or six years old. He flinched when Malachi reached for him. Before he could scream, Malachi slid a hand over his mouth and lifted him up high against his chest.

  Little hands pulled at his large one. Awe, instead of fear, stared back at him. “You’re the King,” Loren whispered in amazement. At Malachi’s nod, the trembling stopped. Tiny arms wrapped around his neck and squeezed. “We learned about you in school.” The boy shot back nearly out of Malachi’s grip. His gaze zeroed in over Malachi’s left shoulder. “Is the angel here? I wanna see Laziel.” The childish request arrowed a dart of pain straight into Malachi’s chest. He wanted the same thing.

  Movement in the other room locked those arms around his neck again. He didn’t have to tell the child to hold on as he ported them both out of the house. Silent tears tracked down Valentina’s cheeks when she took her son.

  “Thank you, Sire,” she said and bobbed another curtsey.

  “You have my appreciation and my sympathy. Now get yourselves out of here.” He brushed away her thanks intent on getting back into the house where Gabriel waited unaware. Loren struggled in his mother’s arms until she put him down. Standing tall, shoulders back, Loren looked way up to meet his eyes.

  “You have honored our family, King Denali,” he said as formally as a child’s voice could manage and bowed deeply at the waist. Nonplussed, Malachi stared down at the male child. When Loren straightened, Malachi inclined his head in acknowledgement. Satisfied, Loren twirled around to face his mother. “Did I do it right? Did I? I did it just like you showed me.”

  “You did it perfectly, Loren,” Malachi spoke up. “Now, take your mom away from here so I can get rid of the bad male.” Loren twisted back around to meet his stare. Young eyes held far too much understanding. It added more fuel to the fire already scorching Malachi from the inside.

  After they were away, he turned to face the dwelling. His rage preceded him like the front of a tropical storm. Wind battered the house hard enough to rattle the windows. The metal ironwork above the door sagged and melted. He regained his form downstairs facing Gabriel’s back. Glass around the room shattered and anything plastic went the way of the iron. Loose papers whirled around him.

  “Your IOU to Hell is due and payable, mother fucker,” Malachi growled. “And, they’ve sent your own personal demon to collect.”

  Gabriel turned slowly and had the audacity to smile at him. “You’re my personal demon are you? Good, I could do with a cup of AB negative. Could you run out and get that for me?”

  Malachi lunged across the room, but Gabriel evaded him. “Aww, did the little bitch forget to tell you she changed me? I’m one of you now; no more puny human.” The smile that spread over Malachi’s face should have warned the male to shut his trap, but the bastard had never been smart even when human.

  “Oh no, she told me, and that makes things even better.” Without moving, he mentally seized Gabriel by the throat. The male’s eyes bugged as his feet left the ground. He struggled uselessly. “Because as vampire, you are now one of mine to deal with, dickweed. No human frailties or law to worry about.” His will slammed Gabriel into the wall. “And then there’s the mind control. As your King, I can do whatever I want with you such as bleeding you dry, dismemberment, castration and…death.”

  Gabriel crashed to the floor when Malachi released him. A vicious snarl erupted,
and he launched himself at Malachi. The extended fist connected with Malachi’s jaw, snapping his head to the side. His punch landed in Gabriel’s gut and sent the newly turned vampire flying across the room. The taste of his own blood snapped the cord leashing Malachi’s beast and he attacked. The fight raged around the basement. Bones broke, blood spewed and Malachi’s rage exacted fierce punishment.

  When he came back to himself, Gabriel lay sprawled at his feet. Flat on his back, his legs and arms twisted at odd angles. Blood smeared his chest likely from the hole in his throat. Malachi spat, hoping like hell he hadn’t swallowed any of the male’s vileness. A groan of pain told him the bastard still lived.

  Malachi squatted next to him. “Where is Lorenza?”

  “Fuck…you…,” Gabriel gasped.

  “You know the great thing about being vampire, Gabriel. You can take massive damage, suffer tremendous pain, but still regenerate and live,” Malachi said. Almost casually, he pressed down on the male’s femur and snapped it like a twig. The scream drew a satisfied purr from Malachi’s savage nature. “One more time. Where is Lorenza?”

  “Darklon…has…her.” Gabriel’s pained breathing did wonders for Malachi’s dark heart.

  “Well, no shit, fuckwad,” he drawled. “I already knew that. I want to know where he’s holding her.” He placed his hand on the other thigh and bore down.

  “I don’t know,” Gabriel said on a whimper. Malachi pressed harder. Tears leaked from Gabriel’s eyes. “I swear I don’t know. But, if you let me go, I’ll find him and her.”

  Malachi laughed derisively. “No fucking way in hell, I’m letting you go. You and me, we’re going to take a trip back to Rome. You have quite the list of crimes against the race. I’m sure the Elders will have some very torturous attention to mete out to a traitor.”

  Malachi leaned over the male. “Make that two traitors. You’re my ticket to ensuring Darklon gets what he deserves. You did know he was an Elder when you consorted with him to kidnap my fiancé? Of course you did. You lived above my enclave. You knew exactly who and what you collaborated with and all so you could be a vampire.” Malachi sneered. “You chose the wrong mentor you little fool. All he’s done is ensure you an immortal life of torture and delivered you into my sadistic hands.”

  Malachi rose slowly to his feet and dragged the male up by his collar so they stood face to face. His eyes glowed crimson with his rage. “Everything that he’s done to Lorenza, every mark on her body, you will suffer one hundred times worse. You’ll pray for death every day when I’m done with you.”

  “You going to fuck me too? I’m sure he’s raped her by now. Over and over. It’s been two months and he’s a randy old goat. I wager he’s rutted between her spread thighs and fucked her so hard she begs for him now.” Madness whirled in Gabriel’s eyes and voice, but his words pulled the trigger of Malachi’s control.

  His free hand plunged into the male’s stomach, ripping into his flesh to wrap greedy fingers around his intestines. He yanked them out and pulled them up into Gabriel’s line of sight. “Kiss your ass goodbye, literally,” he growled and wrapped the innards around Gabriel’s throat before stuffing the excess in his mouth. He ported them outside into the newly rising sun. Gabriel’s scream bounced off the walls before he turned to ash and blew away in the fabled winds of Catanzaro.

  Arial’s words returned to Malachi and he cursed. His rage had destroyed the one thing that could have exposed Darklon’s duplicity. Gabriel had played him and played him well. Although the male had named Loz, Malachi had the disturbing and horrifying image of Darklon defiling his Laziel. It had been more than he could bear to imagine.

  He pushed to his feet. An uncharacteristic weariness weighed him down. He glanced at the horizon where the sun inched higher. He’d never been susceptible to the sun, but as of late, he felt the buzz of alarm most vampires described. He needed Laziel; his blood, his laughter, his touch. Malachi wasn’t whole without him and every minute spent apart only enforced that fact. His one lead had just dried up and blown away. He was back at square one and quickly running out of time.

  ~*~*~*~

  Chapter Fifteen

  ~*~*~*~

  Appalachians, Virginia

  The view from where he stood overlooking the vast expanse of the Appalachian Pack lands never ceased to amaze Tobias. Its splendor rolled out before him in an ocean of vibrant beauty that, for want of a better word, held Tobias utterly captivated. And yet, as he looked out over the vast array of pine covered mountains, a heavy sense of unease weighed him down. Crouching, and leaning back onto the heels of his feet, Tobias wrapped his arms around his legs and placed his chin atop the curve of his knees.

  The weeks following Roman De Sangue’s first visit to his pack lands had rushed by in a blur. With plans for a new treaty to be signed between the wolves and the vampire races within the next few days, it had been all work and no play for Tobias. As envoy to Jorn Tobias took on the necessary work load that came with being an emissary for his race.

  The treaty would see a rebirth of the old alliance between the two races, one both leaders were showing an avid interest in strengthening further. Any issues voiced by the pack had been ironed out, talked through together as a whole. But ultimately, everyone except Khurn was in agreement with the Pack’s plans. The only bonus point to all of the work he’d taken on was Roman.

  Roman was acting envoy for the vampire King, and thus used his ability to transfer the molecules of his very fine self over land and sea to ensure that any wrinkles in the upcoming union were thoroughly ironed out. Tobias made it his life’s work to create an awful lot of wrinkles. And, true to his word, Roman excelled in smoothing out every single one of them until Tobias resembled a wrung out quivering wreck.

  Tobias moaned and looked up at the moonlit sky. Christ what that male could do with his hands. And, there lay the crux of all of Tobias’s problems, and the reason behind the mantle now weighing him down. For years, he’d used his charm to get by and his good looks and wit to get on with his life. He’d used his blatant cocky persona like a mask to hide behind. And now, he’d met someone who possibly held the power to see behind the façade Tobias used; someone who could strip him of his soul and leave him bare and needy for more.

  The fearful possibility of the truth facing him and the hardship he’d have to endure scared him. Yet, Tobias couldn’t forsake Roman or the challenges they’d have to fight to overcome. As long as they were together—nothing could deter them from sharing each other or sinking into the euphoria that came from the sweet sting of fangs piercing his flesh. Tobias shivered with repressed need remembering every time Roman fed from his wolf, swallowing him down and sealing their love.

  A slight smirk played across the planes of his face as Tobias thought back to the last hours he’d spent with Roman. The vampire had excelled in showing Tobias exactly how much he’d been missing him, leaving Tobias drunk on their kisses and literally pining for more when the male had to go. Each time Roman took his leave, Tobias was left to pick up the pieces of his heart and battle the dominance of his wolf as it writhed and snarled beneath his skin. The snatched hours together and time spent hiding how they both felt while in the company of his Pack was beginning to take its toll.

  Tobias’s wolf was becoming harder to control. It bayed with the need to stake its claim on its mate; mark Roman, cover him in his wolf’s pheromones and scent. Natural instincts that when denied drove the wolf in Tobias wild. Left with no other antidote to the feral need spiraling inside of him, Tobias changed, took the form of his wolf and ran until his lungs threatened to explode. He slept away from the Pack unable to bear the closeness. The loneliness ate at his insides; yet, Tobias saw no other choice.

  If his father or the rest of the pack found out he had no intentions of taking a female, he’d be ostracized from the den. Just the thought of increasing the heartbreak suffered by his family was enough to keep Tobias balancing on a proverbial knife edge. Still, there was no way he’d give up
Roman. He had to make it work, make his father and the rest of the pack understand that this was who he really was. His mind was made up.

  As soon as the ceremony to sign the new treaty was over, he’d talk to his father, tell him everything and take it from there. If they banished him, so be it. He’d help keep the treaty effective and work from Roman’s enclave or the King’s enclave in Rome. With his mind at ease, the wolf in him settled. His fur still bristled just beneath his skin, but the rage had dimmed, for a while at least.

  Tobias stood, arching his spine and stretched the muscles of his limbs. He felt good. The air he breathed in was cold and crisp and helped cast out the last of the fog addling his thoughts. Tobias filled his lungs with the purity of his surroundings and turned on his heels when the bitter scent of fear and tears caught the back of his tongue. Inside his mind, Tobias’s wolf rose and shook its mane of golden fur. He knew the scent as did Tobias. Sage was close, and from what he could tell, she was frightened and hurt.

  Tobias took off for the trees. Drawing on the in-depth well of his strength and speed, he tracked the scent of his kin through the forest and headed west toward a series of caves they’d played in as kids. He knew Sage well and loved the striking female so much. As he ran, Tobias remembered the countless times they’d spent together, hunting, searching, and crying when Khad, Tobias’s little brother, had first disappeared. His vanishing had torn a hole in the pack a mile wide. It had been as if the Earth itself had opened up and swallowed Khad. No tracks, no scent, nothing. Just there one minute and gone the next. Nothing had been the same since then, except for the relationship he shared with Sage.

  Together, they’d scoured the surrounding Pack lands, covering every inch of the cave system they’d played in as pups. They’d gone deeper and deeper, hoping and praying that maybe Khad had slipped through one of the many fissures and was lying somewhere hurt but alive waiting for his big brother to come and save him. He never did. And now, years later, the memory of Khad’s beautiful face was etched into his heart; never to be forgotten.