by S. K. Yule
He gave her the impression of someone portraying an illusion of being at ease while a fierce cauldron of emotions swirled and boiled beneath that fake facade. She sucked in a sharp breath when he suddenly bent his head toward her and put his mouth close to her ear.
“I think you and I could have some fun, sweetheart.”
Before she could say a word, Uriah was flying backward and a furious Aldin was standing over him as he lay sprawled on the floor. Before she could blink, Uriah was up and cold-cocked Aldin in the nose. The sound of cartilage crunching turned her stomach.
Uriah winked at her from over Aldin’s shoulder and gave a cocky smile. But in an instant, that smile was treated to a return punch from Aldin. After that, the two went at each other with a ferocity that she was sure would end with one of them seriously hurt…or worse.
She couldn’t stand the thought of Aldin being hurt, and before her mind could make her understand the illogicality of what she was about to do, her heart spurred her into action. She ran toward Aldin and Uriah and jumped in between them just as Uriah took another swing at Aldin. Fortunately, the punch missed Aldin. Unfortunately, it didn’t miss her. Her cheek exploded, and the force of the punch spun her around and knocked her against Aldin’s chest. She looked up, thinking she’d be lucky if she came out of this without being permanently disfigured. The horror and anger on Aldin’s face was the last thing she remembered before she sank deep into the blackness that claimed her.
Chapter Fifteen
Trinidad tapped the ends of his fingers together as the drifters gathered around his chair in the basement of the new building he’d chosen for their hideout. Rage roiled inside him. He shouldn’t have to hide like some rat in the sewer. Soon he wouldn’t. Soon he would lead the drifters into a war with the hunters that he was determined to win. Once he won, he would have everything that he rightfully deserved.
He pined for the day his half-brother realized who and what Trinidad was. Ragnor was nothing. How could he be? After all, the great Vampyre King had no knowledge of Trinidad’s existence. Ragnor had no right to the title of king anyway. He’d not led the vampyre for hundreds of years. His existence was merely a legend among the vampyre. But Trinidad knew the truth.
And soon he’d rid Ragnor of everything he held dear. Soon he’d make his half-brother suffer as he had. He’d take great joy in taking all of Ragnor’s sons, daughters-in-law, and even his grandbaby, Marcus, from him. Marilena would pay the most. She should have been his as well. Trinidad’s mother may have been scorned by Christos, may have been outcast by her lover and shunned by the village she once called her home, but he couldn’t deny that she’d deserved it. She had been a whore, after all, consorting with a married man.
However, as much as she was within her rights to cast the curse upon Christos and his wife Riella, she had inadvertently cast it upon him as well. No matter how unfortunate that little mishap had been, it made him Christos’ first born. Not Ragnor. Trinidad. But, of course, the great Christos would never acknowledge a bastard from an outcast whore.
Now was time for Ragnor to pay for what his father had done. Christos and Riella had deserted Earth for the God Realm and were unreachable. Therefore, someone must pay for his carelessness. Ragnor would soon find out what power was. He was a true blood. A true blood that also carried his mother’s witch blood. Once he rid the world of Ragnor and his repulsive family, there would be no one that could stop him from taking his rightful position as King of Vampyre. But not only would he be King of Vampyre, he’d be king of the drifters as well. He’d be unstoppable. The world would become his personal playground.
It was the first time in his life that he felt giddy. The only other time he’d come close to that feeling was when he’d made the great Malachi Mannering his bitch. Malachi would be back in town soon to help the Aleksandrovs. Maybe he would spare Malachi from death and keep him for more amusing things. At least until he tired of him.
He could hardly wait to see Ragnor’s despair as he witnessed the torture of his whole snot-nosed family. And the ultimate blow would be when he found out that Trinidad planned to keep Marcus and raise him as his own son. He would bring Marcus up to understand the true meaning of power. Power was meant to rule. Power was meant to instill fear into the weak.
He looked at the leader he’d chosen to replace Grady. Grady would be dealt with as well. No one crossed Trinidad without suffering consequences. No one crossed him without paying.
* * * *
Grady watched from the shadows of a deep corner of the basement of Trinidad’s new hideout. Earlier, he’d simply walked in with four other drifters. His black hoodie covered his head, and he kept his eyes downcast so no one could see his face clearly. None had been the wiser to him.
Luckily for him, drifters were not friendly by nature and most wouldn’t know who was supposed to be there and who was not. They’d assume he was another one of Trinidad’s good little rookies.
“Blane, is everything ready for tomorrow night?” Trinidad inquired.
The room became deathly quiet. Grady didn’t blame the drifters. Trinidad’s voice alone was tainted with enough malcontent and evil to make Satan’s skin crawl.
“Yes, sir,” Blane answered with a surprisingly solid voice.
Grady had to listen closely to pick up on the hint of quiver that gave away the nervousness he was trying hard to conceal. He understood that feeling all too well. He’d been on pins and needles every second of every day that he’d been under Trinidad’s thumb. The vampire was capable of snapping at any given moment over any little thing. And when Trinidad lost it, it wasn’t pretty.
Things got fucked up fast when Trinidad was pissed. Things like bones being broken, heads being torn off of bodies, and excruciating death.
“You did everything exactly as I instructed?”
Grady hated it when Trinidad tapped the ends of his bony fingers together.
“Yes, sir. Tomorrow night as per our informants, Aiston Aleksandrov and his mate will be at Drake’s. At precisely midnight, they will be lured to the back room. I have the tranquilizers you provided, and they will be used to bring the two in.”
“Excellent. And, Blane?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Do not fail me. If you fail me, there will be dire consequences. Do you understand?”
Blane nodded.
“While it is not necessary for me to have Aiston and Avril to proceed with my plans of taking down the hunters, it will give me an advantage in the war I’m about to wage. Do not underestimate the hunters. Do not fuck this up.”
Blane gulped before nodding again.
“I will expect my delivery shortly after midnight tomorrow. Dismissed.”
Grady quietly slipped out with the same drifters he’d slipped in with. Once outside the building, he casually turned and started in the direction that would take him to the Aleksandrov mansion. This was his chance to prove to the hunters that it was in their best interest to keep him alive.
He was seriously beginning to doubt the greatness Trinidad touted about himself. If he was the most powerful vampire, a true blood supposedly even more mighty than the legendary Ragnor, why didn’t he possess the simple ability to detect an enemy in his lair?
Probably because he’s too damned cock-sure of himself. He shook his head. The downfall of every great leader was ego and over confidence in the belief that no one could touch him.
* * * *
“I’m going to fucking kill him!” Aldin thundered furiously.
Aiston and Ashe held him back to keep him from ripping Uriah to shreds. Ragnor and Marilena appeared in the dining room shortly after Aiston and Ashe had.
“What the hell happened?” Marilena rushed over to a limp Wilhemina lying on the floor.
“He fucking hit her!” Aldin strained against his brothers’ hold.
“I didn’t mean to,” Uriah said. “I’d never hit a woman. She stepped in between us and I clocked her one that was meant for Aldin.”
&
nbsp; “Why were you two fighting to begin with? You just met. You barely know one another. You have nothing to quarrel over,” Ragnor said through tight lips.
“He was all over Wilhemina,” Aldin growled.
“She’s my viata amant,” Uriah said.
“Like fucking hell!”
Thunder shook the house with such force a large, framed picture fell off the wall.
“Uriah! She is not your life mate,” Marilena said.
“Yes. She is.”
“She is not.” Marilena glanced at Ragnor then back at Aldin.
“How would you know, Mother?” Uriah asked.
“She is Aldin’s, and I think he’s more than proven that with his actions,” Marilena answered.
“No, I can tell. There is something familiar about her.”
“There is an explanation for that.”
Aldin stared at his mother for a long time. His instincts kicked his gut into a churning of dread. “How could you possibly have an explanation for that?” he asked. He shook his brothers off and jerked his head toward Uriah. “He’s safe for now. I want to hear what Mother has to say.”
Aldin went to where Wilhemina was and scooped her up into his arms. She was warm, breathing normally, and the beat of her heart was strong and steady.
Marilena sighed and hung her head. “I know where Uriah’s viata amant is. I’ve had her for several years now. She is Wilhemina’s sister. That is why Wilhemina seems familiar to Uriah. It is his instincts reacting to her because she is connected to his mate.”
“How could you?” Uriah stood straight.
“I had to make sure there was no possibility of you two ever meeting,” Marilena sobbed.
“Let me get this straight. Not only did you keep our brother a prisoner since his birth and lie to us about our father, but you have also kept his viata amant a prisoner?” Ashe questioned in a disgusted tone.
“What the hell does Wilhemina think happened to her sister?” Aldin asked.
“As far as she knows, Lindsey disappeared several years ago after her car broke down while she was on her way to enroll in college. She doesn’t know what happened as there have never been any reliable leads.”
Aldin stared down at Wilhemina. Her jaw was already black and blue and her eye was nearly swollen shut. His heart ached for the pain she must have endured over her sister’s disappearance. “How am I supposed to explain to her that my mother is the reason she hasn’t seen her sister for years? How do I begin to make her comprehend the reasons behind it? How will she ever be able to forgive me for being the son of the woman who caused her so much misery? She will hate me, and I won’t blame her.”
“No. She will not hate you. She will hate me, but she will not hold my actions against you. No life mate of any of my sons would do such a thing.”
“I hope you are right, Mother.” Aldin shifted Wilhemina so she rested against his chest. “Because if you are wrong, I will never speak to you again. I will never forgive you.” He turned to make his way to his room, but stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back around. “Get her sister here. I don’t care how you do it, just get her here.” He didn’t wait for his mother’s response before turning back to the stairs.
When he got to his room, he eased Wilhemina onto his bed. He cupped her swollen cheek and gently kissed her. He could help her injuries heal quicker than normal, and while he didn’t wish for her to be unconscious, he was glad he wouldn’t have to explain to her why he was about to lick her bruised face.
If she hadn’t been slightly turned to the side when Uriah hit her, if she had taken a direct hit to the face, she might have died from the blow. He swallowed hard. He couldn’t fathom the thought of her dying. Was his mother right, though? Would Wilhemina withhold blame from him when she found out what Marilena had done?
He hoped because he was beginning to realize that no matter how much better Wilhemina deserved than being stuck with him, his ability to let her go was long past. Even if he could miraculously muster up the strength to somehow walk away from her, he’d never be able to sit back and allow another man to touch her. He groaned and closed his eyes as rage washed through him. He’d kill any man who laid a finger on her. She was his. True, she hadn’t seen him shielded, which would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was his mate, but he didn’t need that last bit of proof.
If he was honest with himself, he’d known from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her that she was his mate. He’d been drawn to her for some unexplainable reason. The pull had been impossible to refuse. She was his, he was hers, and he’d have to figure out how to subdue his dominant nature where sex was concerned. He’d somehow find a way to become the gentle lover she deserved.
Chapter Sixteen
Wilhemina didn’t dare open her eyes for fear her head might explode. She groaned softly and flinched when something cold settled against her cheek.
“Don’t worry, Wilhemina. You’re going to be fine.”
Aldin’s silky smooth voice instantly comforted her. She kept her eyes closed and reached up to remove what she determined to be an ice pack from her face. Memories of the awful fight between Aldin and Uriah and her stupidity rushed her. Note to self: Never jump between two men who are fighting.
She was certain Uriah hadn’t meant to hit her, but that information didn’t make the pain in her face one bit better. She carefully felt her cheek and jaw, surprised that it wasn’t more swollen than it was. Maybe he hadn’t hit her quite as hard as she imagined. Maybe he’d just rung her bell good.
She winced. Nope. Her memory was crystal clear on how hard he’d hit her. She thought he’d broken at least her jaw and possibly her cheekbone, yet even as sore as she was, she didn’t think she was in enough pain to account for broken bones. Long, warm fingers wrapped around her hand, pulled it from her face, and she finally worked up enough courage to open her eyes. She immediately sighed when she found the room was dim.
“Hey.”
She made the best attempt at a smile she could under the circumstances. “Hey.”
“I’m sorry. I swear to God I’m going to beat Uriah’s ass.”
“From what I saw, you were both doing a fine job of beating each other’s asses. But if you are planning on doing it because of me, I’d rather you not.”
“But the bastard hit you.” He scowled.
“It was an accident, Aldin. I shouldn’t have jumped between you two. And somehow, I think that if you actually thought he’d meant to hit me, you would have already beat his ass as you say.”
“He should have missed,” he mumbled.
She chuckled softly. “I’m okay. A little sore, but okay.” She frowned. “Which is surprising because I was positive I’d wake up with at least one broken bone.”
She sat up and winced before realizing she was lying in Aldin’s bed. He’d brought her to his room and had taken care of her. That had to say something, didn’t it? Didn’t that mean he had to care about her at least a little? And the way he was threatening to tear Uriah a new one. Wasn’t that something men did when they were being protective of their woman? Was she? His woman? The thought wasn’t unappealing, that was for sure.
“I’d like to take a hot bath to see if I can soak some of the tension from my poor body. While I’m not as bad off as I thought I’d be, every muscle seems to be screaming from the force of getting punched.” She laughed to try to make light of it as she didn’t want Aldin any more upset than he already was, but he didn’t seem to find the situation amusing.
“Yes. Stay here and I’ll start a bath for you.”
“Thank you.”
She watched him disappear into the bathroom and heard the taps turn on. He returned a few minutes later and scooped her up.
“I think I can manage, Aldin. Besides, I’m too heavy.” She really shouldn’t protest because being pressed up against him was delicious.
“I’ll carry you. And you aren’t heavy at all.”
“How long was I out for?”
“About an hour. Ebony checked on you several times. I’ll let her know you’re awake after I get you settled.”
“Thank you.”
His tub was no less impressive than the one in her room, and she couldn’t wait to soak in it. She smiled when she saw that he’d added bubbles. After gently depositing her on the side of the tub, he showed her how to use the different settings for the Jacuzzi. Once he left to tell Ebony she was okay, she stripped.
She couldn’t help but moan after she stepped into the water and slid under its steamy surface. After fiddling with a couple of the buttons, she got the jets set just right against the sorest parts of her body. She could soak in this tub for hours. As the warmth of the water began to ease her achy muscles, she closed her eyes and automatically thought of Aldin.
She wondered if he ever soaked in this tub. It was certainly big enough to accommodate his large frame. Heck, it was big enough to accommodate both of them. Now that was a picture for her brain. Aldin sliding into the tub with her. The thought of him naked heated her skin faster than the water had, and a throbbing ache started to pulse between her thighs. They’d come so close to making love, and she wanted him more with every breath she took.
She must have dozed off for a few minutes because she jumped when soothing hands began massaging her shoulders.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Aldin’s words were husky and sent shivers of need through her.
“If you keep up the massage, apology accepted.” She smiled then sighed in utter contentment as his magical fingers worked out the kinks left in her muscles that the Jacuzzi hadn’t found.
He leaned closer, and she caught his scent. She didn’t understand how a simple, subtle smell could put every hormone in her body on alert, but his did. It was as if every cell was attuned to him, as if every part of her fit and blended with him in perfect harmony.
