by Iris Abbott
Zoe and Tara averted their gazes and grimaced. They should feel guilty she thought to herself. Kara couldn’t help but wonder what else they were keeping from her. She’d never felt more different or so left out before. Her heart ached, and her vision blurred. She rapidly blinked to hold the tears at bay.
She unwound the scarf she’d wrapped around her neck before she drove to Raphael and Tara’s home. “Nobody said anything to me about bites, healing agents, and near immortality,” she pointedly remarked.
The room exploded in noise as the other four occupants began speaking at once.
“Finally!” Zoe exclaimed.
“About damn time,” Drew emphatically stated.
“That better be Alexander’s mark,” Raphael warned, “or blood will be spilled.”
Tara pulled her close and hugged her tight. “I hated keeping such a big secret from you, but it was Alexander’s place to tell you.”
Kara returned the hug, but she frowned. “How could you be so sure he would.”
Her twin waved a hand in the air. “Oh, please. The way you two dance around each other, it was inevitable. It’s your stubborn nature that kept him from claiming you before now,” Tara insisted.
“He didn’t claim me.”
“Yes, he did,” the others said in unison.
“It’s what the bite means,” Zoe told her with a confused look.
“Didn’t he explain any of this to you?” Raphael asked in disbelief.
“Not really, but in his defense, we’d just faced down and killed five robed, dagger-wielding nut jobs who attacked me. He explained the healing powers of his saliva, which is how I know about your immortality,” she told her sisters. “He ordered me to leave so he could clean up the mess, I haven’t seen him since. It’s been two days,” she added to prove her point. She didn’t feel claimed at all, not that she wanted to, she reminded herself.
“Feeling neglected?” she heard the smoky and seductive voice she knew all too well. “I can remedy that,” Alexander promised with a purr.
She had no doubt he could if she’d let him. Sometimes it was hard for her to remember why she still fought the attraction that simmered between them. But one look at her sisters reminded her. They found their mates and settled into domestic bliss, shedding hunting as easily as a snake sheds its skin. The life of a homebody was not for her.
It wasn’t that she craved danger, though she did. It was much more. A soul-deep need, one that was threaded into her very DNA. The need to stand up against evil was an intrinsic one that she couldn’t ignore. The call was much stronger in her than her sisters, and she couldn’t disregard it.
“Where’ve you been?” She snapped out the question, hoping to turn the conversation back to him.
“Taking care of business,” was his crisp reply.
“Efficient as always.”
“Not as efficient as I could have been. We’ve got a problem.” He hissed out.
Everyone in the room stood to attention. Onyx, probably recognizing a predator, yowled and ran from the room.
Alexander’s mouth fell open, and he cocked his head. “Was that a cat?”
“Yes, she’s mine.” Kara crossed her arms over her chest and silently dared him to disagree.
“Always knew you were a cat person,” he said with a satisfied grin.
“Save the flirtation and foreplay for later,” Raphael insisted, “and tell us what kind of problem you’re talking about.”
Her brother-in-law’s words sank in, and Kara swallowed the need to needle Alexander in favor of getting the answers they wanted. “What happened after I left the alley?” she asked with a sigh.
He shrugged. “The alley and the bodies aren’t a problem. It’s the one that got away.”
Kara took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I was afraid of that. What’d you find out?”
“As you probably guessed from the ritualistic killing of the woman…”
She heard her sisters outraged gasp, but ignored them.
“It’s a cult,” she said in a flat, hard voice.
Alexander nodded. “I don’t know the man’s identity, but I do know he was the leader, calls himself the Messiah, and he thinks he’s coming for you.” His rigid stance, clenched jaw, and locked fists implied it would happen over his dead body.
“Was?” Raphael picked up on the important word that Kara missed.
“I found their compound and destroyed it and the four members left behind. I eavesdropped enough to know their self-proclaimed leader is trying to find Kara. He’s out for blood,” he informed the group.
“Doesn’t matter,” Zoe harshly spat out between thinned lips. Her nostril’s flared, her legs were planted wide, and she bared her teeth, looking more and more like the kick-ass hunter she used to be. “No one messes with my sisters and lives,” she declared.
Drew rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. “We’ll be waiting and ready. No mentally unstable, bloodthirsty idiot with a God complex stands a chance against the beings in this room.”
“Let him bring it,” her twin said in defiance of the unknown enemy. “It’ll be the last thing he ever does.”
Kara knew it was true and breathed a sigh of relief. Her sisters and everyone else in the room had her back now and for always. It didn’t matter if she lived a few more decades or centuries, she could count on them forever. It was a strangely comforting feeling that relaxed her body and got her brain going. “We need a plan.”
“I’m going to want to bring in Lucian and the rest of the council no matter what we decide,” he warned. Kara nodded her agreement. The council was made up of the twelve oldest and strongest Guardians alive, including Alexander. Lucian Petrakos headed it.
“And Gannon Security,” Drew offered up his family business. His cousin Mitch was the CEO of the company and most of the employees were part of the Enigma wolf pack. Gannon Security was one of the top security companies in the country. They would be an asset in any fight.
“Brianna and the other witches won’t be left out,” Zoe reminded them.
“Not a chance,” Tara agreed.
Kara pushed up the sleeves of her sweater. “Tomorrow should be soon enough to touch base with everyone. I saw Brianna earlier. She knows I’m in town, but she probably doesn’t know trouble’s gonna follow.”
“Wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Alexander spoke up. “It is Brianna you’re talking about.”
She sighed. “I’m positive I wasn’t followed.” She would not knowingly lead danger to her sisters’ home even if the paranormal citizens of Enigma were more than capable of taking care of their own. “Unless this so-called Messiah is some kind of psychic, how would he know where to find me?”
“We’ll just have to tell him exactly where you are,” Alexander said with a gleam in his eyes. “Only, he’ll be the one caught by surprise, and there won’t be anything pleasant about it.” His innocuous tone turned to a menacing hiss that sent shivers up and down Kara’s spine.
She wrinkled her forehead. “How? We don’t even know where he is.”
“Easy peasy!” Zoe exclaimed. “I’ve got a plan, and it’s perfect!”
FOUR
Alexander skirted the group of onlookers gathered around the Welcome to Enigma sign until he found an unobstructed view of Kara. She wore tight-fitting jeans and an orange tank top covered by an unbuttoned, orange and brown plaid shirt. Her fair skin glowed whether from makeup or excitement he wasn’t sure. Her glossy, Cupid’s bow mouth invited kisses, but if anyone other than Alexander tried to claim one, there’d be hell to pay.
Her long, lustrous, straight hair was loose and cascaded down her back. She always wore her hair in a tight braid tucked into the back of her top when hunting so it couldn’t be used against her. It had been a while since Alexander saw it down, and he forgot how glorious her silky-smooth locks were. He wanted to see her hair spread out on his pillow and feel it’s luxuriant length caress his skin. Alexander yearned to run his fingers t
hrough the silken strands.
His sex hardened at the thought, and he shifted his stance. He’d been watching her, wanting, and waiting for months. Still, the pleasure of her body was a well-kept secret. One he was going to discover soon, or he’d go mad from unfulfilled desire.
Every set of eyes in the area were glued to her. Several were filled with lust, and the scent of desire perfumed the air. He stretched and flexed his fingers, surprised that they didn’t sprout into claws.
“Contemplating murder?” a familiar voice asked.
He turned his head to glance at Lucian Petrakos. The oldest known living being and head of the council was only one of three who could sneak up on Alexander unnoticed. “Don’t think it’ll come to that. The production company and the Chamber of Commerce had the good sense to hire Gannon Security for the duration of the filming. Drew knows better than to let anyone get too close to Kara.”
Lucian nodded. “The other council members have been alerted.” He glanced to Kara who waved a graceful arm toward the Welcome to Enigma sign as she spoke into a hidden mic, extolling the virtues of the town and imploring visitors to give Enigma a try.
“The commercial is scheduled to hit the airwaves in a couple of days, blanket coverage. The odds are good our target will see it and come a calling,” Alexander warned.
The head guardian rubbed his chin. “Stroke of good luck, this campaign and commercial already being planned.”
“As small business owners, Brianna, Brittany, and Zoe are heavily involved with the Chamber of Commerce. It was Zoe’s quick thinking and Brianna’s powers of persuasion that made this happen. I kicked in some big bucks so that the project’s completed ASAP.”
“You’re looking mighty calm for someone whose mate is trying her best to lure a sadistic killer out of the shadows using herself as bait,” Lucian observed.
Alexander snorted. He was anything but calm. On the inside his cat was feral, doing his best to scratch his way to the surface, ready to fight for and defend Kara to the death. “As much as I hate it, this was the best plan. Besides, it’ll take a lot more than some kind of psychotic, self-proclaimed messiah to end her now. I saw to that.”
Lucian arched his brows. “You marked her? Surprised it took you this long.”
Alexander shrugged. “I tried to give her the time and space she seemed to need, but hunting is a part of her. She’s not going to give it up. I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“She’s different than her sisters,” the head guardian agreed. “She’s never going to get hunting out of her system.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” Alexander answered with a heavy sigh. “It’s why I waited as long as I did to claim her, but enough was enough. I was in danger of losing control, becoming reckless.”
“I have a solution that I think will work well for everyone involved,” the head guardian told him.
His gut tightened. “Everyone?” Lucian had piqued his curiosity.
“I could offer her a position as a contract hunter for the council,” he proposed.
The hiss slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. Lucian was one of the few beings he might not be able to beat in a skirmish. Antagonizing him wasn’t smart, but he’d face-off with anyone when it came to Kara’s safety.
Lucian held up a hand. “Of course, as she’s not a guardian she would need to partner with one, preferably a council member.” He smirked. “That’d be you. She’d never be on assignment without you.”
“Damn right,” Alexander muttered. His gaze drifted to Kara. She was listening to advice from the director before they did another take. “It’s an intriguing offer.”
“You don’t have to give me an answer now. Mull it over, discuss it with Kara. There’s no hurry. The offer isn’t going anywhere.”
“Thanks, Lucian.” The other guardian may not realize it, but he’d given Alexander a solution to a dilemma that plagued him for months. Then again, Lucian hadn’t ascended to his position by age and power alone. Alexander had a feeling the other male knew.
He cleared his throat. “I turned a house and the four people inside it to ash, using nothing but the energy I gathered from the atmosphere around me,” he confided to the head guardian.
“Still no diminishment of your new-found magic?” Lucian asked in an uncertain tone.
It was disconcerting to sense confusion from the one many considered the leader of immortals. “Negative. If anything, it’s stronger.”
Lucian touched the base of his neck. “Brianna’s been researching the witches’ archives for any reference to a similar phenomenon.” He held out his empty palms and shrugged. “So far nothing.”
“Anyone else reported related side effects recently?”
“The magic in Dante has always been strong, stronger than most. He says he can feel a difference, a spike in natural energy that’s taken his powers to an all new level. If I remember correctly, you and Dante were the closest to Jillian when she acted as a conduit. Proximity may have something to do with it.”
Lucian’s answer made as much sense as anything else. Only time would tell if his new-found ability was permanent. Meanwhile, he disciplined himself not to depend on it in battle, just in case.
****
“And that’s a wrap!” the director shouted.
“Thank God,” Kara muttered under her breath. She briskly walked over to Tara and Zoe. Her sisters stood directly behind the main camera. They flashed her big grins and thumbs up signs.
“You’re a star in the making!” Tara exclaimed.
“The commercial and tourist campaign is gonna be a big success,” Zoe agreed, rubbing her hands together. “The actress they originally hired could not have done a better job.”
Kara frowned. “I don’t want to be a star.” She wrinkled her forehead. “As a matter of fact, anonymity is an asset in my line of work.”
Though, she did see the necessity of doing the commercial. She couldn’t go through life waiting for the nut job to finally catch up with her. Better to lead him to a trap and end it as soon as possible. Kara knew overconfidence could get a hunter killed. However, she didn’t think the man could sneak up on her in Enigma, not with guardians, shifters, and witches on the job.
The bite Alexander gave suddenly tingled. She reached out a hand and absently rubbed it. She was trying her best to keep it hidden from prying eyes, especially during the filming of the commercial. It was one of the reasons she’d decided to wear her hair down. It served as the perfect veil to hide the mark.
Out of habit, her gaze wandered around the crowd, assessing the danger level. No surprise, her stare met the familiar coffee brown one that belonged to Alexander. Her body tingled, heart pounded, and breath quickened. Sexual heat unfurled in her belly and spread outward. Her body always reacted to him.
He winked at her, and she shook her head to break the spell. That’s when she noticed Lucian Petrakos. She shivered. The guardian stood for justice and tirelessly worked to keep immortals and mortals alike safe from evil rogues and other lurking dangers. Still, he was the scariest being she ever encountered. That was saying a lot because a rogue vampire killed her parents, and she battled with the Puppet Master and his disgusting zombie-like minions.
“So,” she moved closer to her sisters and linked arms with them. “We didn’t get to talk too much about this before because everyone was focused on drawing out the so-called messiah, but about this healing thing?” she whispered, making sure no one else could hear her.
“You doubt it?” Tara asked with a raised brow.
“Not at all.” She shrugged out of the plaid shirt and showed her sisters her upper arm. “I got sliced during the fight with the cult. That was just a few days ago, and there’s no scar, no mark, nothing that implies a blade touched my skin. I’ve always healed fast, but this is something else entirely.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I still can’t believe the two of you would keep something so important from me.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Wha
t? You didn’t think I’d notice you weren’t aging?”
Zoe gave a long-suffering sigh that the twins had become more than familiar with over the years. “We already told you last night that we knew it wouldn’t come to that.”
“And there are rules about that kinda thing,” her twin quickly added. “And I don’t ever plan to do anything to get on Lucian’s bad side. Raphael would protect me to the death, but that guardian is the stuff of nightmares.”
Kara couldn’t agree more. “Just be glad he’s on our side.”
Her sisters murmured their agreements.
“So, I hear there’s a fall festival today. Brianna mentioned it when I stopped by the Witch’s Brew yesterday. Let’s go check it out.”
The three women cut through the milling crowd gathered to observe the making of a commercial. It was a big event in Enigma. Kara heaved an inward sigh. If the human citizens knew half of the things that happened in there so-called sleepy New England town they’d run screaming into the night.
FIVE
Main Street was alive with the sights and smells of the season when they arrived. It’d been so long since the sisters attended something as frivolous as a festival that Kara didn’t know what to expect. What greeted her was more than she could have imagined. She stood at the end of the street, which was blocked off to traffic, and stared open-mouthed for several seconds. “It’s incredible,” she finally breathed when she found her voice.
Tara placed an arm on her shoulders. “You should have seen this place at Christmas.” There was no condemnation in her twin’s voice, but Kara still felt guilty about skipping out on her family during the holiday. “We went to the tree lighting ceremony in the town square. ‘Bout froze our butts off, but it was beautiful.”
“Maybe I’ll see it this year,” and she silently promised to make an effort to be in Enigma near the end of December. “I missed you guys too, but I did save a life.” When she wasn’t hunting down vampires, Kara searched for missing persons. Last year on Christmas Eve, she’d found and saved the kidnapped daughter of a district attorney.
