by Isobael Liu
Anoria.
Lilian rolled her eyes and blocked Matthias from her thoughts. “What do you want, Anoria?”
“Don’t even speak my name,” Anoria snarled. “You’re nothing more than a human, a whore. Do you really think you’ll keep him?”
Lilian lifted a brow. “Just because you didn’t doesn’t mean I won’t.”
Anoria’s eyes darkened in her rage. “I’ll kill you!” She launched herself at Lilian.
Anger and aggression kicked in and she dropped into a defensive posture. She was sick of this, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to stand here and take it from this bitch.
When Anoria closed in on her, she ducked her body low, and used her legs to thrust her body upward, throwing Anoria up and over her. The woman hit the ground, landing on her back, and shrieked with rage. Anoria surged to her feet as she took a swipe at Lilian’s face, her fingers curled like claws, her nails looking as sharp and dangerous as talons. Lilian lifted her right hand and shoved it, palm out, toward Anoria, throwing her back a few feet. Followed by a thrust of her left palm, which a blast of swirling blue and red energy ball shot out, hitting Anoria and blasting her backward a bit further.
By this time, the noises had drawn a crowd, but they stayed back to watch, curious whether or not the “human” would be able to defend herself against a Lupine. Money changed hands as well, Lilian noticed with wry amusement.
Anoria came at her yet again, this time shifting to her war form as she did so. Not quite as tall or bulky as Matthias’s form. Anoria was light colored whereas Matthias was black.
Lilian wasn’t used to fighting this form. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Anoria, only wanted to protect herself and perhaps teach Anoria she wasn’t going to be pushed around, but the rules had changed.
Lilian waved her right hand, palm outwards, from left to right, as though sweeping the air with her hand. Anoria charged at her again, hitting the invisible shield, and it crackled with blue light. Anoria snarled with teeth bared. She tried to use her claws to shred the shield and Lilian knew it was only a matter of time before the shield would fail. She had to stop this!
She raised her left hand, drew it back, and at the same time she dropped the shield, and used her telekinesis as a weapon. She punched the air toward Anoria and hit her square in the mouth with enough force to have broken a few teeth.
Anoria gave a loud bellow of pain and rage and she took the moment to gather some of the energy around her for the next round. However, just as Anoria gathered herself for the next attack, a large, black creature tackled Anoria and drove her down to the dirt.
Before Lilian could catch her breath, Tiberius was at her side, trying to draw her away. She took an instinctive, defensive stance and almost sent him flying before she realized his identity. She gave him a weak, apologetic smile.
“Come on, you need to move away.”
“No way,” she said.
Tiberius lifted a brow at her, but said nothing else, nor did he try to force her.
The battle between Anoria and Matthias was rather short. He managed to get a grip of her throat and clamp down on it with his teeth. With a shake of his head, he growled aloud in warning, and waited.
Anoria went slack, giving a soft whine of submission. Matthias snarled and released her. He lumbered to his feet and swept the gathered crowd with glaring eyes. They all lowered their heads in submission and he turned toward her.
Lilian’s heart raced. Seeing this beast, this creature, as he approached her, fierce and primal, both frightened and excited her at the same time. Before Tiberius could stop her, she burst into a run toward Matthias and threw herself at him, ignoring the gasps from around her.
“Matthias!”
Matthias caught her and held her with care, keeping his claws from scoring her skin. He leaned in with his great head and sniffed at her.
“Are you all right?” He checked her over as he asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied, and touched his muzzle with her fingertips.
He drew her close to his body and shifted back to his human form. Before she could speak, he kissed her, hard and passionately. She had no time to respond; he broke the kiss to look at the gathered crowd.
“Lilian is my mate.”
There were soft gasps, and she saw some money changing hands again.
“I expect her to be treated in a manner befitting her station,” he continued, as he glared at Anoria.
Anoria said nothing, just lowered her head. He turned and carried Lilian toward the truck, Tiberius on their heels.
She could tell Matthias was still seething inside. She didn’t need her telepathic connection with her mate to know. Her empathy picked it up just fine.
“I’m okay,” she said. “No harm done.”
He set her down beside the truck and exploded.
“What do you mean ‘no harm done’? She could have killed you! Do not ever block your mental connection with me. How am I suppose to know if you’re dead or alive if I you’ve blocked me out?”
Lilian blinked at the onslaught of his words, and lifted a brow.
“Just because I’ve been easy on you, doesn’t mean I don’t have the means to protect myself, Matthias. I was trained to be a soldier, if you remember.”
“Little good it did you with those agents,” Matthias sniped.
Lilian gasped. “I can’t believe you said that! You’re an ass, you know that? I already told you I’d been hiding my abilities, trying not to use them. You and your gang showed up and I wasn’t about to put on a show!”
Tiberius got into the driver’s seat of the truck, saying nothing, but she was sure he listened in.
“Hmm. Get in the truck, since you’re bound and determined to put yourself in danger by going to work.”
Lilian bristled. “Well, excuse me. Not everyone can live in a recreated Roman palace and have servants at their beck and call, you arrogant bastard!” She fumed as she spun around and opened the door to the truck.
Matthias grabbed her, spun her back around, and pressed his body against hers, so she was trapped between him and the truck. He kissed her. Hard. Demanding.
As his lips pressed against hers, she realized he had been worried about her, afraid for her, and the bickering had been nothing more than a verbal outlet for his fear.
Truth be told, she rather liked it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head for him, kissing him back. He growled and pulled her into him, holding her against him.
“You two going to get in soon or you gonna suck face all day?” Tiberius asked.
Matthias groaned as he broke the kiss. “Tell me again why you’re my Beta?”
Lilian laughed, albeit a bit out of breath, and pushed at Matthias. “I have to work, Matthias. Plus, I need to talk to the police.”
Matthias let her go and she smiled at his reluctance. They climbed into the truck and were on their way.
* * * *
“Thank goodness you’re here!” Maria exclaimed as Lilian entered the diner. “Peggy didn’t show up for her shift and we’re shorthanded.”
Lilian frowned as she grabbed an apron. “That’s not like Peggy. Has anyone called her apartment?”
“Yeah, no answer.”
Lilian tied the apron around her waist. “Matthias? Could you go by an apartment and see if Peggy is all right? She waited on us the night my house was vandalized.”
She sent him the address and reminded him what Peggy looked like.
“Got it.”
Lilian smiled and picked up an order pad.
“So, how’s that man of yours?” Maria asked.
Lilian blushed. “Good. He’s good. We’re good.”
Maria grinned. “Hmm. Oh! Something was delivered for you. I left it in the office.”
Lilian frowned. “When was it delivered?”
“Yesterday, I think. It was left at the back door and I brought it in when I opened. No return address or name. Think you got a secret admirer?”
&nbs
p; “If I did, why wait until I’m seeing someone before making themselves known?” she asked, although she mused more to herself than to Maria.
Maria shrugged and went back to cooking. “If it’s flowers, they’re probably wilted.”
Lilian smiled at her and headed off to the office to see what the delivery was.
The office wasn’t used much, more of a storage room than anything. It had a small desk, a chair, and shelves which held odds and ends, spare aprons, cookbooks, and the like. Maria used the office to do closing bookwork on occasion, but more often than not, she’d just do it all in the kitchen after everything had been cleaned up.
A white box tied with red ribbon sat on the desk, about the size of a standard shoebox. A card had been tucked into the ribbon, and her first name written on it, nothing else.
Lilian had a sudden sense of foreboding and something told her not to touch the box. Was it from Stephan? What was in it? With shaking hands, she untied the ribbon and set it aside. She removed the lid. White tissue paper covered the contents and she moved it aside to find a small teddy bear staring up at her. She smiled at first and picked it up. It wasn’t the teddy bear, however, which caused her to scream. Blood soaked bandages and what looked to be a human tongue and eyeballs were nestled in bandages, hidden beneath the teddy bear.
“Lilian!” Matthias called to her.
Maria burst into the office, a large knife in hand, ready to do battle. She wasn’t sure which sight was more horrifying, the “presents” or Maria brandishing a butcher knife. It shut her up though.
Maria took one look at her, looked at the box, paled, grabbed her and pulled her out of the office. She released her to shut the door, and herded her into the kitchen.
“Sit down. I’ll call the police.”
Lilian sat down, trying to keep the nausea from winning.
“Lilian, what’s happened?” She could hear and feel Matthias’s worry.
“I’m fine, I just...someone left something for me.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Lilian clenched her eyes closed, not wanting to think about it.
“Lilian, stay with me.”
“It's horrible!” She shuddered.
Maria was on the phone with the police. She could hear the urgency in her friend’s voice, but the words sounded muffled, from a distance.
“Just breathe, baby. I’m on my way.”
Maria hung up the phone. “The police are on their way. They said not to touch anything until they get here.”
Lilian nodded.
“What’s going on, Lil?” Maria whispered.
Lilian opened her eyes and looked at her friend.
“Your house was burned down, now this?” Maria continued.
“Maria, I…” she started, but stopped.
How much should she tell her? How much should she keep secret to protect her?
“I have a stalker,” she said.
Maria lifted her brows. “A stalker.”
Lilian nodded a bit. “An ex-boyfriend. I ran away from him after I got tired of getting beat up.”
“And this is all from your stalker ex-boyfriend?”
She nodded again. “He’s psychotic. I don’t know how but he’s managed to track me down here.”
“Then your name really isn’t Lilian?” Maria asked.
“It is. My last name isn’t Quinn though.”
Maria turned away and checked on the steak she was cooking on the kitchen’s indoor grill.
Lilian knew she should say more, apologize or reassure her somehow, but no words came to mind. She was spared by the arrival of the police.
She stepped outside to answer some questions while a couple of officers questioned Maria in the kitchen.
What had she been doing before she received the present? Who else might have touched it before her? Did she think it was tied to the arson?
Stupid, stupid questions!
She just wanted to get away, to forget the horrifying sight, but the questions were never ending. She stared at the officer in exasperation.
“Don't do anything.” Matthias, the voice of reason.
Lilian took a slow, deep breath to calm herself.
Maria mentioned Peggy being missing. An officer was dispatched to Peggy’s apartment, but Lilian knew they wouldn’t find her there.
She leaned against the wall of the diner as the officers made notes and moved into the kitchen. Crime scene technicians had arrived and inspected the gruesome present. CSIs were taking prints and other forms of evidence. She had a few minutes to herself to try to just breathe.
A curious, keen, intense sensation oozed into her mind, insidious in its method, slick like oil. She at once slammed down her mental blocks, to keep the intruder from going any further. Whoever it was, was good. The single intrusion branched off into multiple tendrils, each going in different directions, and all trying to breach her mental barriers.
As she concentrated on trapping and destroying the intruder or intruders, she missed the approach of two men.
“There she is,” a pale, pasty man said, his voice thick with disdain.
A dark-skinned man smirked and looked down at her. She knew he was the intruder in her mind, trying to gain control.
These were Knights. The agents had failed and Custodes Secreti had sent the big guns. So, she struck first, and hard.
Using what little energy she could gather, Lilian attacked the dark man as she bolted for the back door. It was enough to knock his concentration off and his tendrils left her mind.
Mr. Pasty, however, was still a threat. He darted into her path, blocking her from the diner’s door. She jerked aside as not to run into him or allow him to get his hands on her.
Mr. Dark had his own tricks. He assailed her mind with what felt like a sword, slicing through the barriers. She cried out from the pain, but would not, could not allow it to distract her. Mr. Pasty came up hard and fast and she spun and jumped, using a roundhouse kick to catch him in the side of the head. Her balance was a little off, her concentration divided, and she fell to her knees when she came down. Mr. Pasty was pissed when he hit the ground and spat curses as he scrambled to his feet.
Lilian was on her feet just as quick. Their anger and hatred was a palpable sensation and she pulled the energy into her, feeding on it, using it to fuel her as she fought them.
“I’m almost there, baby! Hold on!” Matthias was near frantic in his need to protect her.
“I’m capable of fighting my own battles, you know.”
Mr. Dark came at her then and she blocked everything out of her mind other than her two attackers. He tried to throw a telekinetic punch at her, but she used an energy shield to block it by waving her right hand across the air in front of her. Still, the blow had been hard enough to knock her back a few steps.
Before she could decide her next course of action, Mr. Pasty yelled in pain and both Lilian and Mr. Dark turned to look. Mr. Pasty had a short arrow sticking out of his upper shoulder blade. He dropped to the ground, writhing as he tried to reach for it. When Mr. Dark turned to look for the shooter, she took the moment to attack, firing off a volley of energy bolts at him. With each hit, Mr. Dark wobbled back, but before he could retaliate, a large bird came diving out of nowhere and raked his face with razor sharp talons.
Mr. Dark shrieked with pain, echoed by the bird, a hawk, with its kee-eeeee-arr sounding scream.
Mr. Dark managed to knock the bird away and to the ground, his bleeding face marked by gouges caused by the hawk’s talons. She was nauseated at seeing the blood, but she put herself between the downed bird and Mr. Dark, sending another volley of attacks his way.
Mr. Pasty got to his feet, favoring his wounded arm, the arrow still protruding from his shoulder blade. When he took off running, Mr. Dark gave her a glare and ran after his partner.
Lilian was weak. The world rocked on its axis, but immediately someone grabbed and held her steady.
“Easy,” she heard a masculine vo
ice say.
“Don’t let him take you anywhere!”
She turned her head to look at her rescuer.
“They were shielding the diner in case you screamed. They didn’t want the police to come out. If you cried out now, they’d hear you.”
The man was gorgeous. His eyes were dark yet intense, his hair a reddish brown. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him.
“Your mate will be here in a few moments,” he said, smiling.
“Who are you?”
Before he could answer, the screeching of tires could be heard and he released her. With a slight bow, he turned and darted off into the woods, away from the parking lot. She watched him until he was out of sight. She turned to see Matthias jumping out of the moving truck before Tiberius could apply the brakes, to race toward her.
The moment he touched her, she sent everything that had happened into his mind, smiled, and let the soothing arms of unconsciousness take her.
Chapter 8
Well, at least I'm not in the forest again, she thought as she found herself in a bed.
Not just any bed. No, this bed was a scrumptious thing, with an explosion of colored sheets, and contrasting colored, silk covers. Above her head a canopy of material so sheer it looked very much like gauze, yet shimmered like silk. The drapery which surrounded the bed was also the same.
Lilian sat up and checked to make sure she was wearing clothes, and noticed it wasn’t what she’d been wearing before. Now, she wore a chemise-like gown, sheer, but not as sheer as the drapery, thank goodness. It was white with silver embroidery along the hem and neckline.
The door opened and she started. Her father walked into the room, smiling.
“Sleep well?”
“I’m still sleeping, so I suppose I am.”
Amras chuckled, swept back a side of the drapery, and tied it into place on one of the corner poles.
“I thought perhaps you might like this rather than the usual forest scene.”
“Very much, thank you.”
He climbed onto the bed and leaned back against the footboard. He stretched his legs out in front of him and watched her.
