Secrets (The Serenity Series Book 1)

by Dawn Kirby

  I wondered what kind of life she had after that. It couldn’t have been a happy one. Their childhood couldn’t have been much better. The little bit of time I’d been around him, gave me a window into his mindset. The pain he enjoyed inflicting surely flowed over into home life.

  “I’m so sorry, Raine,” I told him. “I can’t imagine having to live with that man. It must have been miserable.”

  “When he was there, it was.” His body temperature began to rise. “He was as mean to her as he was to you. She never let him put his hands on us though.”

  “That didn’t bother your grandfather?” It was infuriating to think he’d sit by and watch that happen.

  “He didn’t see it. When they were married we lived in California,” he said bitterly. “It wasn’t until they got divorced that we moved back here.”

  “I take it y’all weren’t close with your mom’s parents.”

  “She wrote them off the day Mason was killed. She didn’t even tell them when we were born. Dane didn’t volunteer the information either,” he said dryly. “Not that it mattered. May and Marshall loved us like their own. They called and came to visit all the time. Dane was never there anyway. He was always too busy chasing other women and flying back and forth to stay up on how things were within the pack.”

  “I bet she was happy when he asked for a divorce.”

  “She was, but she wouldn’t go through with it unless he agreed to let us go.” His fingers were in my hair again. I was beginning to think it relaxed him as much as it did me. “He agreed to it and Mom legally had our last name changed from Logan to Thomas. Mom wanted us to have Mason’s last name. She was adamant that no one in the pack know Dane was our father.”

  We lay there quietly for a while. It was so relaxing to feel him gently twist strands of my hair around his fingers. Every now and then his fingertips would brush the side of my cheek. As much as I wanted to reach out and hold him, I knew he wouldn’t let me.

  It was easy to see now what May had been so upset about. He hadn’t said Dane had shot Mason, but it was a pretty safe bet he had. He’d wiped out the rest of his competition that way. May must have been beside herself when her one and only son died. I could see how much she loves them. I could only imagine how stronger the love for her son had been.

  It occurred to me as I lay there thinking that while I was in the clear, Drew may not be. I knew for a fact she had been with Mark. There may not be more than lust between Drew and Kale, but Mark may not see it that way.

  “Raine, what about Drew?”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, Leah,” he warned. “There is nothing either of them can gain by fighting over her. She’s not a werewolf. Besides, Mark hasn’t accepted the challenge yet.”

  “Good, I’d hate to see Drew go to jail.”

  Raine laughed for the first time since Sunday night. It was the most wonderful sound in the world. The dark blue haze came back and his smell filled up the room. There was even a little twinkle in his eyes again.

  “Do you really think she’d hurt him?” His voice was as unsure as the look on his face.

  “She’d shoot him dead,” I said confidently. “Nobody forces her hand.”

  The word ‘force’ brought Raine’s mother back into my head. All this time I’ve never heard him say her name. Maybe it was still too painful. Or maybe it was a way to distance himself from the whole tragedy. I wasn’t sure. There was still so much I didn’t know about him.

  “What was your mom’s name?” I asked timidly.

  “Kara. She was a lot like you,” he said, snuggling up to me. “I just wish she had done more for herself.”

  “I’m sure she did what she thought was right,” I said soothingly. Given her circumstances, I’d say she did what she had to.

  “That’s not what I mean,” he said patiently. “If she would have gotten past the hate she felt for Dane, she could have seen him for what he really was. She could have saved herself. All she had to do was open her eyes.”

  I didn’t know what to say to him after that. It was his opinion and he was entitled to it. Then again, it’s always easy to see other people’s faults when we look back. I could think of several things Mom and David could have done differently. But I wasn’t the one making the decisions at the time. Ultimately, I decided it was best just to leave it alone.

  “Losing her when y’all were so young must have been devastating,” I said softly.

  “It was,” he whispered. “But unlike you, I didn’t have to find her or watch her die. I’m so sorry you did.”

  “David was so calm,” I said, tears welling up again. “He knew without a doubt, you would come.”

  “Leah, I’ll always come for you.”

  He wrapped one strong arm around me and held me gently while I cried. His warm body close to mine was so comforting. So was the stormy smell washing over me.

  A sharp stick woke me up. It felt like someone had stuck a small knife in my arm. My eyes shot open. The room was dark, but I could clearly see a man sitting on Raine’s stool beside me. His stench was unmistakable. It was Raif.

  He was a very simple looking man. The suit he had on looked expensive, but he gave the appearance of a child in his father’s clothes. His fine silk jacket hung off his slender shoulders. The leather belt he wore was synched so tight the waistline of his pants looked like a giant piece of bacon. Radiant long blond hair flowed down the middle of his back and over his shoulders. His eyes were brown and hard.

  While his head was down, I looked at my arm to see what he had stuck me with. There was a needle stuck in it and vial connected to it filling with my blood. Apparently, Judith was able to teach him her little talent before she left this world. When that vial topped off, another one took its place.

  Silently, I moved my hand towards Raine. If I could just pinch him, I could get some help. There was no way I could stop Raif, but I knew Raine could.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Raif warned, keeping his voice low. “I could kill him in a second, and from what I understand, you wouldn’t want that.”

  “How did you get in here?” I asked quickly. I could hear noises coming from Kale’s room and I was sure Declan and Donovan were downstairs somewhere. “Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?”

  “Not really,” he shrugged. “Kale’s busy doing what he does best. May’s so far away in her little apartment she can’t hear a thing, and the others are feeding. I have plenty of time to get what I need and get out without anyone but you ever knowing I was here.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I asked as he replaced yet another vial. “Michael is gone.”

  “Yes, I am aware of that,” he said. “Fortunately, he was only a tool. We needed his involvement to eliminate a few obstacles and draw you out. Michael would have met the same fate with or without your help.”

  Great! I thought Michael was bad enough.

  “So what’s the plan? Drain me completely,” I said contemptuously.

  So far he was up to four full vials of my blood with another empty one ready to go. I wasn’t real sure I had all that much left after leaving Michael’s house of torture.

  “Oh, no. We need you alive. I am simply taking a sample for future use. My employer must have an assurance that you are worth his trouble.”

  “And who might that be?” Hopefully his arrogance would allow him to slip up.

  “He is a great vampire,” he said proudly.

  “If he is so great, why does he need me?”

  “You are needed to perform an unprecedented task. It’s your unusual conception that may hold the key we need,” he said watching the blood flow into the fifth vial. Sidetracked he neglected to censor himself. “If it doesn’t, we will simply seek another alternative to produce a Day Walker.”

  “In case you missed the memo, vampires can’t reproduce,” I reminded him. “I’m a fluke.”

  “Perhaps. It is curious, is it not, that if the timing were precise, what kind of offspring you and
a changing vampire would produce,” he said thoughtfully. All the sudden his eyes began to glow. “Then again, your abilities coupled with Raine’s would be fantastic.”

  So that was it. His boss wanted me for my reproductive capabilities. Now Raif’s bright idea was going to pull Raine into it.

  “Unfortunately for you, I have a pulse. Raine also has a pulse. Any child we might have isn’t likely to be a vampire,” I said seriously. “The traits I’ve inherited don’t include blood sucking.”

  “That’s what makes it so perfect. His strength and ability to shift into any animal combined with all your senses would make an invincible ally for any vampire.”

  Deep down I knew he didn’t mean an ally in the traditional sense. The way he said it sounded more sinister. If it were possible to have a child with all of our traits, and this mysterious vampire got a hold of the child, he would no doubt have absolute power.

  “Don’t you mean assassin?” I asked harshly.

  He smiled and put another vial in the fifth one’s place. He didn’t say another word until it was full. Finally, he put five of them in a padded case and secured it with a heavy padlock. As if he were carrying an invaluable treasure back to his unseen partner.

  “You are a very smart woman,” he said as he removed the needle from my arm.

  I quickly pulled my arm up to my chest so he wouldn’t be tempted to see how much blood I had left. He put the needle carefully into his oversized jacket pocket and patted it for good measure.

  “What’s keeping you from taking me now? I’m sure your great vampire would prefer to put his demented plan into action as soon as possible.” I had to keep him talking. If I were lucky he’d divulge their plan completely.

  “You’re right where you need to be. Until you heal, you would only be a burden. When you’re well, you can be sure I will be back for you.”

  Raif’s eyes fixed on the one vial of blood he had left out. He tilted it from side to side, watching the contents flow fluidly from one side to another. There was a now all too familiar glaze settling in his hard, brown eyes. My stomach turned somersaults as a prickly warm feeling washed over me.

  “How will you know when I’m better?” I asked hesitantly. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know.

  “I’ll know,” he said dreamily.

  He popped the top off the vial and put it to his lips. His eyes closed in ecstasy as he poured the blood into his mouth. When it was gone, he licked his lips. A shiver went through me when I heard the points of his fangs rake across his tongue. His eyes were on fire when they finally snapped open.

  Raif leaned into me with a lustful grin on his languid face. This wasn’t the reaction Donovan had had when he took blood from the blond woman. Donovan looked healthier, not drugged. I pressed myself further into the bed; scared he was going to sink his fangs into my neck. There was no way on earth I could keep him from biting me now.

  “You taste like a fine wine, Leah. I’ve never had blood so pure,” he whispered in my ear. One of his fangs brushed my earlobe. Chills ran down my spine. “I can feel your pain. Hear the blood flowing through your veins. Through this fantastic connection I will feel every emotion you feel. When you are well, I’ll feel that, too.”

  He rose up and looked over towards Raine’s sleeping body. Something about it pleased him very much.

  “Pure genius, that man,” he said smiling approvingly. I wanted to ask him what he was talking about, but the close call with his fangs left me unable to speak. “I must say I’m glad I won’t be here when he comes to.”

  Raif casually put the stool back behind the easel. Before he came back around, he stood over Raine and snapped his fingers right over his ear a few times. Raine didn’t respond. He smiled again and was back in front of me in a flash.

  Before he left the room, he planted a kiss on my forehead. He looked back down at me, his eyes still blazing. “Good luck waking Sleeping Beauty.”

  “Leah, what the hell are you doing?” Raine asked forcing my body back down. I’d done everything but jump on him to get him to wake up and now my body was screaming out in pain. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

  “Raif was here,” I said trying to stop the shaking. “In here. In your room.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up? I could have done something.”

  “I tried, but you wouldn’t wake up,” I said. “Raine, I know what they want. Please go get Donovan; I’m not sure how much longer I can talk.” My ribs were on fire.

  He jumped over me and turned on the light and ran back to the bed. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No,” I answered. “Now please, go get Donovan.”

  Raine turned my neck at an awkward angle, looking for bite marks. When he let go, he saw a bit of blood that had crusted up from the needle Raif had jabbed in my arm. The hole it left was about the size of a pen tip.

  “What happened to your arm?” he demanded. “That wasn’t there before.”

  “He took some blood,” I admitted. Raine’s eyes went from blue to gray in a flash. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop him.”

  “Don’t be sorry.” He sat heavily down in front of me. I knew he wasn’t mad at me, I could see that without him opening his mouth. But he was worried. “There’s nothing you could have done without getting killed.”

  “He took five vials with him,” I said. I really didn’t want to tell him what happened with the last one, but I wasn’t about to start keeping secrets from him now. “The sixth one he drank.”

  That revelation sent him over the edge. The dark blue haze surrounding him turned black. Bolts of lightning invaded his eyes. I thought his heart was going to explode it was beating so fast.

  “I know what you’re thinking and no, I’m not mad at you, Leah. I’m furious with myself,” he said, clenching his teeth. “Even at home, I can’t protect you. How in the hell did I sleep through it? When you woke me up I felt drugged.”

  “Do you have any needle marks,” I asked quickly. “Maybe he gave you something before he stuck me.”

  We looked all over his body, but came up empty. It didn’t make sense. Raif called him Sleeping Beauty. He knew Raine wasn’t going to wake up. He even tested it right there in front of me. If Raif didn’t do it, who did? And why on earth would they help him?

  “If he didn’t inject you with something and you didn’t take anything, how did he know you wouldn’t wake up and go after him?”

  “Nobody here would help him,” he said. “Donovan’s already had his room cleaned out. He did that the night we got you home.”

  Raine ran down the hall, stopping in front of Kale’s room. A second later, I heard him bust through the locked door.

  “Go away, Raine,” Kale growled.

  “Put your clothes on and go get Donovan. I’m not leaving Leah alone,” he told him. “Sorry, Drew.”

  I couldn’t help myself. Giggles came out of nowhere. It was killing me, but it felt great to be able to laugh. The tears I had rolling down my cheeks were from both pain and happiness.

  “Why, would I want to do that?” Kale asked, “I’m perfectly happy right where I am.”

  “Raif was just here and he took her blood,” Raine shot back.

  “Oh, shit!” Kale’s feet hit the floor. I heard him fumbling around the room for clothes. Not long after, he ran down the stairs towards Donovan’s room.

  “How did he get in here?” Drew asked Raine. “I thought you guys said this place was safe.”

  “Raif knows our routines, Drew,” he told her. “I’m sure he’s been watching the house every night since Michael died.”

  Raine came back to the bedroom, pacing back and forth in front of the door. After taking a few steps he calmed down. That beautiful dark blue haze settled around him again.

  “While you’re calm, will you please help me sit up? I don’t want to lie back down yet.”

  “What makes you think I’m calm?”

  “The haze I see around you is dark blue again,” I told him. “W
hen you’re as mad as you were a few minutes ago, it turns black.”

  “I forget sometimes you can see them,” he said, smiling warmly.

  Once about twenty pillows were placed behind me, I was able to lean back. Some of the pressure had finally eased off my ribs. It didn’t feel great, but it did make the pain easier to take. As soon as I assured him I was comfortable, he sat beside me and held onto my hand.

  “If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I would do,” he said quietly. “Raif could have killed you.”

  “First of all, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. And secondly, he needs me alive.”

  “He already got what he wanted, didn’t he?”

  “Not until I give it to him. Well, to his boss.”

  “I’m not following, Leah.”

  “They want to see if I can conceive a Day Walker,” I explained.

  “That’s not possible,” he said, almost laughing, “You’re only half and I’m, well, I’m me.”

  I took a breath before I opened my mouth again. This wasn’t going to go over well. “They want to time the change and conception perfectly. If I got pregnant by a vampire near the end of his change, they think it may be possible. Or so Raif thinks.”

  Raine’s body temperature shot through the roof. Anger like I have never seen before replaced his calm mood. A vicious glow shined in his eyes. Behind that was a hurricane of blue and gray. He grabbed my shoulders firmly and looked me straight in the eye.

  “That will not happen,” he said slowly. “The only child you will carry will be mine. I promise you that.” His voice was so deep and dangerous, it sounded almost murderous. “No other man will ever put his hands on you again.”

  “I plan on holding you to that,” I told him.

  He pulled me closer to him and kissed me deeply. Every bit of emotion came through in his lips. His body cooled down. The longer he kissed me, the calmer he got. When he pulled away his eyes were clear and his haze was dark blue again.