Inevitable Darkness

by Cassandra Lawson

  Mitchell considered what he’d said. It wasn’t as if he liked the idea of leaving his cousin to fend for herself. He wanted to help her, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get Winter or Vexx to help. Both had suffered when Kish had been working with the old leader of the jaguars. While Kish hadn’t been a willing participant, she’d still caused many deaths, including Vexx’s. “I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”

  Legion looked pissed. “Is this because you’re mad at her for what happened before? My sister didn’t have any choice. She was forced to help that bastard jaguar. You can’t hold that against her or sentence her to death over it.”

  “In case you’ve forgotten, the only way I can get there is if Winter and Vexx agree to help me. We’re not allowed to travel from this country.” Mitchell opened his mouth and tapped his fangs. “The rest of the world doesn’t want people with these infecting their citizens, so a portal is the only way to get there.”

  “I can see why other places wouldn’t want this virus spreading,” Legion agreed. “Vampires freak me out. You’re not as bad as the other bloodsuckers, but it’s still creepy that some of you don’t eat solid food. That must suck balls. I love a good steak.”

  “Could we stick to the subject of Kish?” Mitchell asked.

  “Are you going to help Kish or not?” Legion asked.

  “As I said before, I’ll try to help Kish,” he told Legion. “I’ll go out to the cougar settlement tomorrow to talk to Vexx and Winter, but I’m not making any promises. They may not be willing to help, and I can’t do it without them.”

  “Fair enough,” Legion agreed with a nod. “Maybe I should go with you to talk to the witch and mage. I can help you convince them.”

  “Even if they could see you, I don’t think you have the people skills to convince them to help Kish,” Mitchell replied.

  “In that case, I’ll be in touch in a day or two, I hope,” Legion replied.

  “What do you mean by you hope you’ll be in touch in a day or two?” Mitchell asked. That seemed like a strange way to phrase it.

  “It’s harder for me to gauge the passage of time when I leave a dimension and stay in another,” Legion admitted. “To be honest, I thought it had only been about a month since I last saw you.”

  “That’s weird,” Mitchell mused.

  “Time is like that,” Legion told him on his way to the bedroom door. “If I don’t make it back before you go, be careful. You need to stay far away from either of our fathers. If you run into them, don’t let them know you’re a demon.”

  “Won’t they recognize it like you did?” Mitchell asked.

  Legion turned and shook his head. “I recognized what you are because you’re able to see me. If you hadn’t been able to see me, I wouldn’t have studied you closely enough to recognize that about you. Just don’t draw any attention to yourself. You can hide behind your Fae side if you choose to.”

  “How?” Mitchell asked. “I don’t even know the difference between the two sides.”

  Legion shrugged. “Spend some time looking at your power. Separate it into its parts and focus on the Fae side.”

  “Sure,” Mitchell replied dryly. “That seems simple enough.”

  “You’ve been creating small portals on your own with no training. This is easy compared to that.”

  Mitchell disagreed, but arguing with Legion wouldn’t do any good. “Is there anything else I need to know? Otherwise, I’d like to get some sleep.”

  “Your father looks a lot like you,” Legion explained. “My dad looks like a clean-cut version of me. I figured you should know what you’re trying to avoid.”

  “Good to know,” Mitchell told him.

  “Try not to get killed,” Legion said on his way out the door.

  “Asshole,” Mitchell muttered. “Why can’t I have a simple life?”

  Chapter 16

  Abram hadn’t been able to focus for shit since he’d kissed Mitchell. He still had no idea what the hell he’d been thinking when he’d allowed himself to get so carried away. More than once over the last few months, he’d told himself Mitchell was off limits. Abram had no business getting involved with someone like Mitchell, and he knew damn well that Connor wouldn’t approve. Everyone loyal to Connor treated Mitchell like a treasure they needed to protect, not that Abram blamed them. The problem was that, no matter how bad Mitchell’s life had been in the past, no matter what kind of messed up genes he had, Mitchell was still good. Abram didn’t want to be a better man. He was fine being a dick, and Mitchell deserved better.

  When he’d first started seeking out Mitchell, it had all been about Kishara. She was more his type—fucked in the head and not afraid to get her hands dirty. His initial attraction to Mitchell had shocked the hell out of him. It’s not that he didn’t like guys. While he generally preferred women, he’d been with guys. Mitchell was both attractive and powerful. Power attracted Abram. There was more to it, but Abram wasn’t ready to explore all the reasons he felt drawn to Mitchell. Going down that path brought up memories of Mitchell’s suffering, and Abram wasn’t prepared to face those demons from his own past.

  Shaking his head, Abram pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. No fucking way was he about to deal with that mind fuck. Looking out across the bay, Abram wondered if he’d been a fool for blowing up the bridge on the west side of the island. He’d ordered it done because he didn’t have enough people to guard both sides. Still, he often wondered if it would have been best to cut himself off from the vampires to the east. Tactically speaking, he’d made the right choice, but had he blown up the other side, he wouldn’t have to deal with the emotional shit regarding Mitchell.

  He should regret the decisions that had led him to Mitchell, but he didn’t. He’d already jerked off half a dozen times while thinking about their kiss.

  “There’s a guy at the entrance to the bridge who says he needs to see you,” Dahlia announced as she approached Abram.

  “How many people are with him?” That was always Abram’s first question since he wanted to gauge any potential threat.

  “He’s alone,” Dahlia replied.

  “Shifter?” he asked.

  “Vampire,” she replied.

  “What the fuck?” Abram muttered. Vampires didn’t wander around alone. It simply wasn’t safe. He went out alone on occasion, but he’d been flirting with death for years. He knew who was at the bridge entrance without asking, knew he should tell Dahlia to gather some others and escort Mitchell home. That’s what he should do, but instead, he said, “Bring Mitchell to me.”

  “How’d you know it’s Mitchell?” she asked.

  “He’s the only vampire who’d come out here alone,” Abram explained.

  Dahlia nodded and headed off to get Mitchell.

  Abram hadn’t expected to see him so soon after his disappearing act. It had only been two days, and he’d figured Mitchell would keep his distance. Mitchell had to see that the kiss was a mistake—one Abram desperately wanted to repeat.

  After several minutes, Abram took a deep breath and released it slowly. Mitchell’s scent surrounded him.

  “Hey,” Mitchell said as he approached him from behind.

  “Why are you here?” Abram asked before realizing what an asshole he sounded like. What surprised him was that he cared about how he sounded. He let out a frustrated breath as he turned and ran a hand through his hair. “That didn’t come out right. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to show up here, especially after you disappeared into thin air. It seemed obvious you wanted to get away from me.”

  “I wasn’t trying to get away from you. I’m not even sure how that happened,” Mitchell explained. “One minute, I was leaning against that tree, and the next, I was falling onto my bed.”

  “Has that happened to you before?” Abram asked. Had anyone else told him that, he’d think they were telling him some bullshit story to avoid a confrontation. He didn’t doubt Mitchell’s explanation.

  “Never
,” Mitchell replied. “After I got back, I wanted to call you to explain, but I don’t have your number. I’m not sure how I would have explained needing your number to Connor.”

  “Is that why you’re here?” Abram asked. “Did you come here to explain what happened?”

  Mitchell shook his head. “I should have come out here to tell you what happened, but that’s not why I’m here. My cousin, Legion, came to see me last night. He’s Kish’s brother.”

  Abram nodded. “He’s the demon no one but you can see.”

  “That’s the one,” Mitchell confirmed.

  “What did your cousin want, and how do I fit into this?” Abram asked.

  Mitchell hesitated. “Can Kish stay here?”

  Abram said nothing as the words sank in. At one time, he would have jumped at the opportunity to have Kish stay with him. He’d fantasized about bringing her to Treasure Island where he could feel like her hero. There were other fantasies involving Kish staying with him, all just as deluded.

  “Why here?” Abram asked. A thought occurred to him—one that pissed him off big time. Mitchell didn’t believe his feelings for Kish had changed. Abram wanted to grab Mitchell and kiss him until he figured out that he was the only one Abram wanted.

  “I already know Connor won’t let her stay there,” Mitchell explained. “You were the only person I could think of who might help me.”

  Abram struggled to hide his emotions. Mitchell’s response surprised and pleased him. The last was stupid since it stemmed from some ridiculous desire to be the person Mitchell came to when he needed help. “Where is she?”

  “Still with the jaguars, as far as I know,” Mitchell replied with a shrug.

  “And how do you expect to get her here?” Abram asked.

  Mitchell looked relieved. “Does this mean you’ll let her stay here?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Abram admitted. “First, tell me why she needs to come here. What kind of trouble is she bringing with her? If Connor wouldn’t let her stay at his settlement, I doubt he’ll be happy about her staying on Treasure Island.”

  “This is complicated, and I’m not even sure where to begin,” Mitchell admitted. “I need to help her. I know staying here isn’t a good long-term solution. It’ll just be until I come up with a better plan. Kish is in danger.”

  “From whom?” Abram asked.

  “My demon father,” Mitchell replied. “According to Legion, he’s looking for Kish. When she used her demon magic while she was here, it sent out shock waves that other demons noticed. My father wants to use her like the old leader of the jaguar shifters did. Either that or he wants to kill her. Legion says it could be the latter. It may depend on how cooperative she is.”

  After hearing Kish was in danger, Abram still only focused on one thing. “That means you could be in danger if they find out about you. It seems to me, you’d be better off staying out of this one. Why put yourself at risk? If Legion knows Kish is in danger, why can’t he help her? She’s his sister.”

  “Legion can’t protect her. Considering how you feel about her, I figured you’d want to help her,” Mitchell replied.

  “I don’t know her,” Abram told him. “I get that part of the reason you’re asking me is because I had some weird obsession when I met her, but I’ve had a lot of obsessions, and they never resulted in me protecting anyone. Being Kish’s hero doesn’t appeal to me in the least.” But I want to be yours, he silently added before cursing himself as a fool.

  Mitchell nodded. “I’ll find somewhere else.”

  When he turned to walk away, Abram stopped him. “Wait! She can stay here.”

  Mitchell turned to regard him curiously, not that Abram blamed him. His response was crazy. Yet, here he was offering. “Why? You said it yourself. You don’t want to be Kish’s hero. Why do you suddenly want to help her?”

  “Do you really want to know?” Abram asked as he closed the distance between them.

  Mitchell swallowed hard when Abram stood directly in front of him. “Yes, I want to know.”

  Reaching out, he brushed Mitchell’s cheek with the back of his knuckles. “I’m doing this for you. For some insane reason, I want to do this for you.”

  “Aren’t all of your reasons insane?” Mitchell asked with a slight rasp to his voice.

  Abram chuckled and let his hand fall to his side. “That’s true. Did you seriously come out here alone?”

  Mitchell nodded. “I couldn’t think of anyone to bring with me. I’d better go so I can make it to the cougar territory and home before anyone notices I’m missing. Sneaking around like this makes me feel like a complete jerk after I promised Ian I’d tell him if I needed to go out.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him?” Abram asked.

  “He was already out on patrol and not answering his phone,” Mitchell explained. “I didn’t think this could wait.”

  “Did you steal a jeep?” Abram asked.

  Mitchell shook his head. “I walked.”

  “I’ll drive you to the cougar territory,” Abram announced. So much for staying away from Mitchell.

  Chapter 17

  “What are you doing here?”

  Those weren’t the words Jase had hoped to hear from Vexx. He’d given her a couple of days to get used to the idea that he planned to pursue her. Zane had urged him to go back the next day and mark Vexx. No matter how many times Jase explained that Vexx would likely castrate him for it, Zane seemed convinced that plan would end well, likely because he’d marked his mate shortly after meeting her.

  “I told you I was coming by,” he reminded her.

  Vexx was sitting outside her home, sewing, meaning she was in trouble. She winced when she stabbed her finger and then cursed quietly before responding. “It seemed like you were in a rare impulsive mood that day, so I didn’t expect you to follow through.”

  Jase took a seat beside her and inhaled deeply, barely suppressing his shudder of desire. She smelled incredible, but he decided to keep that to himself. He also intended to avoid arguing with her about his intentions. “What did you do this time?”

  She stopped sewing to glance at him as her lips lifted into a slight smile. “What makes you think I did something wrong?”

  He gestured to her sewing. “This is your least favorite punishment.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “How do you know that?”

  “You told me,” he replied.

  “I hate sewing,” she stated.

  “Maybe I could talk Cord into giving you a different punishment, like spending a day with Zane,” he teased.

  “Anything but that,” she replied with a laugh. “While your brother is a perfectly nice lynx, he has no internal filter.”

  “How about if I offer to spank you when you get in trouble?” he asked.

  Vexx glared at him until she saw the teasing twinkle in his eyes. “I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

  “So, what did you do?” he pushed. Their conversation was going well. They were joking, and Vexx had even smiled at him.

  “My dad found out about some of the runs I took alone,” she replied. “He’s still worried about me getting hurt.”

  “Can you blame him?” Jase asked before quickly adding, “Sorry, that came out wrong. I meant that what happened scared us all. I can only imagine how Cord feels. You’re his daughter, and he loves you. This is still coming out wrong. I’m not lecturing you.”

  “It’s all right, Jase. I understand why my dad’s upset,” she said with a sigh. “When he talked to me about it, he seemed to understand why I go out for runs, so I figured I was off the hook. At least, that’s what I thought until I got the sewing delivery. It’s annoying because I’m an adult. Other females don’t have to put up with this from their fathers.”

  “That’s the part that sucks when your father is the leader of your clan,” Jase told her. “I can’t tell you how many times I got punished while my friends got away with whatever stupid thing we’d done. We have to follow the rules more t
han anyone else.”

  “And now you’re the leader,” she added. “I guess that means you have to punish yourself when you don’t follow the rules.”

  Jase chuckled. “Nah, now I can do whatever I want.”

  Vexx snorted. “I know enough from living with my father to realize that’s not true. Leaders have a lot more rules.”

  “True,” he agreed. “You’d still have more freedom and power living with me as my mate.”

  “Now, that’s an interesting ploy,” she remarked. “I never expected you to offer freedom in exchange for me agreeing to be your mate.”

  “This isn’t an offer,” he replied with a smirk. “I’m telling you all the perks you’ll have once you finally agree.”

  “Why is this so important to you?” she asked. “We both know it would drive you up a wall if I was out running on my own.”

  Jase’s amber eyes darkened as his gaze drifted to her mouth. “Maybe I’d be able to give you something else to do with all of that pent-up energy.”

  Vexx sucked in a sharp breath.

  Jase had tried hard to pretend he was over Vexx. He’d given countless excuses for why he hadn’t taken a female to relieve his lust in over a year. He’d never lacked offers of female companionship even before taking over the clan. As the leader, he had even more females offering to ease his ache, but he didn’t want them. He only wanted one female.

  “We should get this out of our system,” she blurted out.

  Jase’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Could you spell this all out for me so I don’t make an ass of myself by assuming I know what you’re talking about.”

  “We should have sex,” she replied. “It’s what we both want. You’re thinking about it, and I’m sure that’s partly why you’re coming around.”

  Jase opened his mouth to tell her she was completely wrong, but she wasn’t. “Sex is part of why I want to see you again, but I want more than sex.”

  “What if all I can give you is sex?” she asked. “I never wanted to find a mate. You already know that.”

  “But you did, anyway,” he reminded her. “We can’t always plan out every aspect of our lives.”