Bound by Danger (The Alliance, Book 6)

by Brenda K. Davies

  They set the other SUVs on fire to remove any evidence they may have left behind before pulling away. By the time anyone arrived to put out the fires, little would remain of the vehicles.

  Almost an hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of Ronan’s hotel on the Cape. It was where they established the Alliance.

  So much had transpired since then, but on the day the vampires and hunters first met here, he never would have guessed they would be as entwined as they were now. Then, both factions were extremely wary of each other, but now they were a joined, single unit.

  And they were bringing a demon into their midst.

  Killean drove around the circular entranceway and parked behind the two SUVs already sitting in front of the large, gray building. At one time, the building had retained the charm of a Cape building while promising five-star luxury, but the chipping paint and boarded-over windows no longer spoke of luxury.

  Though the five-star luxury hadn’t existed in years, the building remained mostly in good repair as Ronan hired people to look after the property. With its oceanfront location, if it wasn’t maintained, it would fall apart fast.

  The glass front doors opened, and Ronan, Kadence, Nathan, Vicky, Saxon, and Elyse greeted them. Ronan opened the back door of the SUV and handed Lucien bags of blood.

  Lucien’s stomach rumbled as he took them. His injuries were healing, but they’d sapped his strength. The sight of the blood renewed his energy.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “How is she?” Ronan asked.

  “In pain, but I think it’s almost over.”

  “Good.”

  When Ronan closed the door and Killean and Simone exited the vehicle, Lucien tore the top off the first bag and downed its contents in one big gulp. It took him three gulps to finish the second bag, but only two for the third. The blood flowing into his system imbued him with strength as it sped up his healing.

  He was about to open the fourth bag when the others opened the back door of the van and removed the demon. Even draped in blankets, smoke rose from it as they ran with it to the hotel and disappeared inside.

  Lucien finished the last bag, tossed it aside, and gathered Callie into his arms. He shifted her to open the door, but Killean did it for him. He nodded his thanks to his friend before slipping from the vehicle.

  Cradling Callie against his chest, he strode beside Killean and Simone toward the front of the building. Killean opened the door for him, and he stepped into the open lobby. If boards didn’t cover the windows, the sun would spill inside, but instead, it was full of shadows.

  The pale blue walls brought to mind the sea and sky. In some places, the paint was a darker blue from where pictures once hung, but those pictures were long gone, as were any other decorations that once adorned the place.

  To his right, the front desk ran the length of the wall. What remained of the furniture was draped with white cloths meant to protect it. A thin layer of dust coated everything, but he would guess someone had cleaned the place sometime within the past month. Otherwise, the dust would be a lot thicker.

  They made their way through the lobby and into the dining area. Protective cloths were also draped over most of the tables within, and plywood covered windows that would have looked out on the sea. He couldn’t recall if boards covered those the last time he was here, but that was years ago, and things had changed since then.

  From the large dining room, they moved into a hallway with doors to some of the first-floor rooms. As the three of them stepped into the hall, the others slipped into one of the rooms.

  When they arrived at the room, Lucien looked inside to discover Ronan and Saber tying the demon to a chair. Lucien turned away when Saber lifted the creature’s head so they could wind chain around its throat.

  He walked three doors down, grasped the knob, and pushed the door open. None of the locks were engaged on any of the rooms. There was no reason for them to be locked when there weren’t any guests staying here. Having them unlocked made it easier for the cleaning crew to go through the rooms.

  He carefully placed Callie on the bed and caressed her forehead while he studied her. She’d settled down as the worst of her transformation ebbed, but her mouth remained pinched, and her fingers twitched on the bed. Soon, she would wake looking to feed.

  CHAPTER 46

  Lucien shifted her as he stripped her blood-soaked clothing before removing his. Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. He kicked the door closed behind them, turned on the water, and waited for it to warm before stepping beneath the spray.

  Callie flinched when the water hit her skin, but she soon calmed again, and she didn’t wake. He set her down in the tub and knelt to massage muscles he knew had to be sore after everything she endured. He worked his way up her legs and over her back and shoulders as he leaned her against him.

  Blood streamed from their bodies and swirled around the drain before vanishing. It took a good five minutes before the water ran clear. The wound in her chest was healing, but it remained a gaping hole. However, he could no longer see her heart beating inside her as bone and muscle had knitted closed over it.

  He fought against the emotion burning his throat and eyes as he gazed at the injury. He’d come so close to losing her, and now that they were finally safe, the reality of how close was sinking in. His shoulders hunched forward as he drew her into his arms and crushed her to him as his tears mingled with the water streaming over them.

  “I love you,” he whispered over and over.

  The words were so difficult for him to say for so long, but he would make sure she heard them every day for the rest of their lives together. She was his everything, and his brother had sunk a sword into her beautiful heart. He’d almost lost her, but he’d been granted a miracle, and he would cherish it for eternity.

  The water was turning cold by the time Lucien shut it off. They didn’t have any shampoo or soap, but he felt infinitely cleaner by the time he stepped out of the tub.

  Steam choked the air and coated the large mirror over the sink as he opened the door. With no towels available, they dripped water across the wood floor as he carried her to the bed.

  When a knock sounded on the door, he settled her on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. He made sure she was completely covered before tugging on his boxers and walking to the door. She was covered, but he used his body to block the room as he opened the door.

  Declan stood on the other side with his and Callie’s bags in hand. “I thought these would come in handy.”

  Lucien took the bags from him. “Thank you.”

  “How is she?”

  “Okay. I think she’s going to wake soon.”

  “Good.”

  “How’s it going with the demon?”

  “It’s still unconscious.”

  “We’re never going to get any information out of it.”

  Declan ran a hand through his auburn hair and tugged at the ends of it. “No, but maybe, if we can get it talking, I’ll be able to sense something from it.”

  Lucien’s eyebrows lifted. He’d always suspected—he was sure they all had—that Declan possessed an ability to understand and feel more than the rest of them. They’d worked together for centuries, but this was the first time Declan ever confirmed it to him.

  With a jolt, he realized how much Willow had changed him. But then, finding their mates had changed all of them. They were all far different than the Defenders who existed before Ronan discovered Kadence and the Alliance formed.

  They were always close, but they’d been shut off to each other and trapped in their thoughts, memories, and troubles. Now, they were closer and more open. Ronan had taken his rightful position as king, Killean was nowhere near as cold as he once was, Saxon was happier, and Declan was revealing more of himself than ever before.

  And he… well, he was nowhere near the asshole he was before being taken prisoner. He glanced over his shoulder at Callie. Before her, his he
art had felt like a lead weight in his chest. Now, every beat of his heart pounded for her, and he didn’t loathe the world as much as he once did.

  She’d made him stronger; all of their mates had made them stronger. However, having their lives and their hearts tied into the well-being of another also made them weaker.

  That weakness nearly destroyed him when he saw the sword plunge into her heart, and without her, he would become a monster the likes of which none of his brothers had ever seen. But he welcomed the weakness she’d brought into his life if it meant having her by his side.

  “Do you think you will be able to sense anything from it?” Lucien asked.

  Declan shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not really sure if that thing is capable of experiencing anything I could sense, but we’ll find out.”

  Lucien studied Declan as he set their bags on the floor next to the door. “We’re not the same anymore, are we?”

  A small smile played at the corners of Declan’s mouth. “No. Nor do I wish to be.”

  “Neither do I,” Lucien admitted.

  “Let us know if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  Lucien closed the door, stripped out of his boxers, retreated to the bed, and curled up beside Callie to draw her into his arms. He held her close while he tried not to think about how close he’d come to losing her. Even with her in his arms, he still might go mad from the memory of Yannis stabbing her if he focused on it.

  Another hour passed before he felt the flutter of her lashes against his neck. When she stirred, a low groan issued from her, her nails bit into his back, and she whimpered.

  “Shh,” he soothed as he ran his hands over her back. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  Callie’s eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into the curve of Lucien’s neck as his body warmed her and his thick muscles ensconced her in safety. When the vein in his neck throbbed, something inside her stirred, but the sudden tidal wave of memories bombarding her buried it.

  Jerking back, her hand flew to her chest, and she released a strangled cry as her fingers fell on the hole there. There was a hole in her chest!

  She ignored the pain as her fingers prodded at the frayed flesh and animalistic sounds filled the air. It took her far too long to realize those sounds were coming from her, but she couldn’t pull herself out of the memory of her death.

  She could still hear the crunch of her bones as steel pierced her body before the sword buried itself in her heart. Once again, she saw the sick smile twisting Yannis’s mouth as he relished her anguish.

  Lucien clasped her hand. “It’s over now. You’re safe, and you’re alive.”

  “How?” she croaked. “How am I still alive?”

  “Simone got to you,” Lucien said as he ran his thumb over her trembling bottom lip. “She was able to get some blood into you before the Savages stopped her. And then, I managed to get more blood into you. Between the two of us, you received enough blood to ensure you didn’t die.”

  Callie’s eyes flew up to his as he pulled her hand away from the hole in her chest.

  “He stabbed me through the heart,” she whispered.

  Red flickered through his eyes. “I know.”

  “I felt myself dying.”

  His hand squeezed hers as he used his other hand to grip her nape. “But you’re alive and still here, with me.”

  “Am I… am I a vampire?”

  “The transformation isn’t complete yet. You have to feed, but once you do, you’ll finish becoming a vampire, you’ll feel better, and you’ll heal faster.”

  Her gaze returned to her chest, and she shuddered. “So close… I was so close. I felt it all slipping away. It was all being torn away from me and… and….”

  “And?” he prodded when she stopped speaking.

  “And I was so scared.” She met his gaze again. “I didn’t want to lose you, but I was so glad I found you and got to experience real love before I died.”

  “And you’ll get to experience that love every day for eternity.”

  She gave him a wan smile as she rested her fingers on the solid wall of his chest.

  “Don’t think about it,” he murmured as he kissed her forehead. “It’s the past; it’s over, and you’re safe, but you need to feed to complete the transformation.”

  Callie’s eyes dipped to his neck again. This time, when she saw the rhythm of his pulse, she understood the strange sensation fluttering in her stomach; she was hungry… for blood.

  She should be repulsed, but a strange tingling started in her canines, and saliva flooded her mouth. A part of her recoiled from her intense reaction to drinking his blood, but another part was desperate to ease the hunger building inside her.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I fed extra to prepare for this, and we have to complete the bond.”

  “It’s time,” she murmured as she nestled closer.

  “It’s time,” he agreed and closed his eyes when her breasts flattened against his chest.

  He stopped breathing when her lips peeled back, and his dick hardened when her fangs grazed his skin. Then she sank those fangs into him, and pure, unadulterated joy shot through him.

  He cuddled her close as a sensation of rightness stole through him. This was it. This was why he’d spent his entire life fighting. This moment of happiness was why he’d waged such a relentless battle against the ever-increasing evil in the world and the increasing dark instincts inside himself.

  And he would spend the rest of his life fighting for her, and this world, because no matter how awful things were, he believed there was still more love than hate out there. His overwhelming love for her hammered that point home.

  As she fed on him, she hooked her leg over his thigh and drew him closer while her hands gripped the muscle etching his back. She remained sore from Yannis’s attack, but Lucien’s blood helped ease the ache in her muscles.

  Yearning burned through her as his blood eased her hunger, but it didn’t sate her desire. Thankfully, he sensed what else she needed, and rolling her over, he slipped his cock into her.

  Callie gasped as he stretched and filled her until he was deep inside and they were joined together. With him inside her, she could shut out all the bad memories.

  As he moved within her, she forgot the awfulness of her death. She focused on him and the strength of their love. When the Savages kidnapped her, she was sure her life was over, and in a way, it did end. The life she’d always known was gone forever, and she would miss it and her friends, but she wouldn’t change anything.

  This was where she belonged.

  Lowering his mouth to her shoulder, Lucien bit deep as he thrust within her again. He wouldn’t take much from her; she couldn’t give much right now, but he needed to be a part of her in this way.

  He had to complete the bond.

  As their bodies joined, their blood filled each other, and their thoughts mingled, he felt the bond uniting them forever.

  CHAPTER 47

  He and Callie didn’t emerge from their room until the next day. Sometime during the night, Ronan brought them more blood, and she was doing well, but Lucien insisted she rest until her wound was better. Now, though a hole remained in her flesh, it was much smaller.

  He’d told her about capturing the demon and how he held out little hope it would do them any good. This morning, she insisted on getting out to see the others so they could learn what was happening.

  When they emerged from the room, he spotted Asher standing outside the room a couple of doors down. When their door clicked shut, his head turned toward them, and he grinned.

  Lucien draped his arm around Callie’s waist and led her down the hall. “How’s it going in there?” he asked when they stopped in front of Asher.

  “It’s almost over,” Asher said. “That thing isn’t going to tell us anything, and the longer we keep it alive, the more danger we’re all in.”

  Lucien agreed, and as he recalled its eerie, howling cry, he wo
ndered if it was crying out to its brethren. Perhaps it was, but no help arrived for it.

  But then, he had no idea how these demons traveled or what they were capable of doing. Maybe they knew exactly where their missing fellow monster was, but they had no way of getting to it.

  Either way, he didn’t think it was a good idea for them to keep it alive much longer or to spend another night in this place.

  “I want you to stay out here,” he said to Callie.

  “No,” she said. “You can’t keep me sheltered from this, and I want to see it. I’m a part of your world now; this is my battle too.”

  Lucien opened his mouth to argue but closed it again. She was right; he wouldn’t let her stay in that room to witness the torture he was sure was unfolding within, but she had a right to see their enemy.

  “Okay,” he relented.

  He knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, Killean opened it. The scar on his face was pulled taut, and his golden eyes glittered with malice. That malice wasn’t directed at them, but it hinted at the awfulness within.

  Over Killean’s shoulder, he spotted Declan, Nathan, Logan, Saxon, Willow, Saber, and Ronan gathered around the demon who remained chained to the chair. Beyond them and through the sliding glass door that opened onto the beach, Kadence, Simone, Elyse, and Vicky sat around a table while they stared at the sea.

  Lucien’s hand tightened on Callie’s hip. The four of them were also part of this fight, but they couldn’t handle what was happening in this room, and he knew Callie couldn’t handle it either.

  However, when Killean stepped aside, Lucien led her into the room. She kept her chin held high but stiffened when she spotted the demon in the chair.

  At some point during their interrogation of the thing, they’d removed its cloak to reveal the pale, hairless body of the maggot-like creature. Its bones stood out sharply against its nearly translucent skin, and when it lifted its head, its white eyes blazed with fury.

  Bruises and burns mottled its pale skin. Lucien suspected the injuries were once much worse, but as he watched, the bruises faded. This thing was a fast healer.