by Lynn Landes
The four men flanking him shift to tigers and turn to face the creature. “Keep going!” one of the shifters shouts and they leap straight at the wolf. Their roars echo through the night.
Brody reaches the long wooden dock to the waiting boat at a sprint and doesn’t look back.
The four shifters leap at the wolf creature only to land on empty air as it launches itself over them. It arcs gracefully through the air and lands on the dock between Brody and the boat with a crash of splintered wood. The mass of its body is too great and causes the deck to break beneath its feet sinking up to its chest. At first glance, it appears to be a werewolf hybrid, but the writhing mass immediately begins to pour to the deck as snakes flow towards the stunned group.
Brody shouts and clutches Magdalene to his body as he skids to a stop. “What the hell!”
The four shifters move in front of him as armed men to provide protection and buy him enough time to escape. Drawing their guns quickly they begin to fire. Some of the snakes explode while others swirl up and over two of the men.
A howl rips free from the werewolf and when it tilts its head back, snakes continue swirling over and around its body working to release it from the shattered wood decking. Its hate filled red eyes never leave Brody.
Watching from the deck of the boat, Brody’s father and brothers each grab a spare gas can. They run forward breaking the cans open and pouring it over the writhing mass of snakes. Backing up out of its reach one of the brothers flips open and strikes a zippo lighter, he mutters, “Burn you ugly bastard!”
Tossing it onto the gas soaked deck the flames erupt with a whoosh of heat and light. The snakes race back to the creature. A blood curdling scream of pain escapes its lips as the volatile fuel burns its flesh with bright flames and inky black smoke.
“Stop playing boys, we have to go now! That won’t hold it for long!” The boat is moving when they all leap down to the deck. As they pull away from the dock a splash and hiss of steam echoes across the night as the creature drops itself into the water below the docks, extinguishing the flames and cooling its burning body.
Brody stumbles to his knees, still clutching Magdalene when his father steps beside him. “What the hell was that?” he demands over the roar of the twin engines as they watch the creature fade from sight.
“I don’t know but let’s pray it can’t swim or fly,” he looks up at his father and grins.
“It’s good to see you son.” His father grips his arm and helps him stand. “What treasure have you brought home?”
“She’s hurt, Pop. The bastard tortured her. He damn near killed her in the process. Is Eric ready?” he asks moving quickly to the cabin doors.
“He is.” Opening the door, he follows Brody below deck and smiles when his boys greet each other. Eric looks his brother over, before turning to look at his patient.
“Eric, he poisoned her. I used a shot of adrenalin to help us escape, but she isn’t waking up. You have to help her.”
Magdalene has lost all color and if not for the rapid breathing of her chest, Eric would have thought her dead. “Brody, tell me what the poison looked like? What color and how much? How long ego?” Brody quickly explains what he saw and how Mag’s tried to drain her body of the contaminated blood.
“Clever girl,” Eric turns and grabs his medical scissors. “Neurotoxins destroy brain cells, Brody. She stopped the path to the brain, but her body will need to rid itself of the remaining poison. If even one drop remains in her system, it will kill her. You go and get cleaned up. Dress your wounds. I will call you as soon as I’m done.”
Brody grabs his brother’s upper arm and struggles to calm his anger. “I’m not leaving her,” his eyes flash from tiger to human and back again.
Shock flickers across Eric’s face but only for a moment. “Let me go, she doesn’t have much time left. I will drain her of all the blood in her body, which judging by the look of her shouldn’t take long, then we will give her as much fresh blood as we can.”
Brody’ snarls fighting back the beast inside of him and stumbles backward. He takes a seat next to Magdalene and watches as his father and brother, strap Magdalene down and begins the process of draining her body. With every drop of her blood, that spills her heart rate begins to slow. His body trembles with the need to help, he grips her small hand, rubbing the pale skin and his family watches with growing concern.
“Drink this,” Brody’s dad gives him a bottle of vodka. “Who would’ve thought your mate would be a vampire.” His father grins and stares at the stupefied expression on Brody’s face.
“Mate?” both brothers exclaim at the same time.
The old man laughs out loud and grabs the bottle from his son to take a pull. His smile fades when he glances at Magdalene. “It was the same man, wasn’t it? The same man who hunted our people, killed your mother and did this to her?”
Brody pushes his long blonde hair out of his eyes and glances at his father. “Yes, and he did much worse than that. He has secret facilities all over the world which house creatures like the one hunting us or worse. It will not stop until it kills us, or we destroy it.”
“Let it come, we will be put it out of its misery,” his father snarls.
Eric works quickly setting up an I.V. and begins the long process of a transfusion. “Brody, this will take about four hours. I added a sedative to this bag to help her rest. You should sleep while you can.”
“Thank you,” he says staring at Magdalene. “Her heart is pounding hard, is that normal?”
Eric glances at her and shrugs his shoulders. “She’s not human, Brody. Vampires heal rapidly. Their strength mirrors our own,” Eric’s voice fades as he glances at his father.
“His sins are not hers,” Brody snaps. “He tortured her and when he couldn’t break her, he sent me in to kill her. She will be protected.”
Eric nods back. “It will be so, brother.” He scrubs his hands in the sink and cleans up his instruments before turning back. “So, you’re telling me that this tiny female whipped your ass.” He grins and grabs the vodka to drink. “I look forward to hearing her side of the story.
The three men laugh, and Brody stretches out on a bunk to sleep until they dock.
Chapter 29
Vampires don’t dream, but Magdalene is different. She dreams in rich, vibrant, colors, sounds, and scents. When the call of a seagull registers a sigh flutters from her lips. A frown creases her porcelain brow and she turns her face towards the source of her confusion.
A balmy breeze blows the sheer curtains and the wave’s crash on the salty shore outside her bedroom door. Ocean? “Sea,” she murmurs without opening her eyes. Her first attempt to pry her eyes open is too difficult, but her soul is crying out for her to wake up.
Again, she tries and this time, she squints against the morning sun. Her eyes burn from the glare of a bright light and she turns her head slowly glancing around the bedroom. Two French doors are open to allow in the fresh air and she is laying on a large clean bed. Magdalene wiggles her toes and flexes her fingers, relieved to feel them move on command.
The constant ebb and flow of the sea pulls at her, forcing her to sit up. She waits for the room to stop spinning as her sheet slips down to her waist. Wearing only a white cotton nightgown she glances at her arms and finds no injuries. Edging to the side of the bed, she places her feet on the floor and stumbles towards the door.
Gasping in awe, Magdalene takes a step outside into the morning sun. On weak legs, she steps further out onto the warm green grass that leads down to the beach behind the small house. Her gasp is heard by Brody’s mind. He stands quickly from the breakfast table in the dining room, shocking his family, and runs towards the back of the guest house where Magdalene is supposed to be resting.
The wind is blowing her hair wildly about her shoulders, but she doesn’t care. Standing with her face in the warm sun, she savors the sting of the sunshine on her pale skin. Brody reaches her just as her knees give out. He sweeps her up
in his arms, surprised by the emotions that rage through his body.
His snarl of frustration freezes on his lips when she lifts her tear stained face to his, with eyes full of joy.
“It’s so beautiful, Brody.” She rests her head on his shoulder, laughing and crying at the same time. He turns to take her back inside, but her protest stops him. “Please, not yet. I need to feel the sand.”
Brody nods and walks to the beach with her held safely in his arms. Magdalene stares at his profile and grips the back of his neck. She inhales his scent into her soul and nips at his neck with her teeth. Brody skids to a stop and stares down at her.
“You should know better than to tease a beast, Magdalene.” He presses a hard kiss to her mouth as he settles into a large chair on the beach.
“I’m not afraid of you, Brody. Thank you,” she whispers and sinks her feet into the fine white sand. She closes her eyes and falls back to sleep content for the moment to be safe in his arms once more.
He holds her in his arms, looking up at his family as they all gather around to look at her. “Have you told her yet that you are keeping her?” Eric whispers.
“Not yet. She’ll come around. How long will she be so weak?”
“I’m not sure. She’ll need to feed and see how she feels. Rest is the best medicine, for now.” Eric replies, like the doctor he is.
“Her skin is burning,” Pop says, “you should take her inside.”
“Never seen skin so white before,” another brother comments.
“Go away, before you all scare her off,” Brody grumbles. Magdalene mumbles his name and smiles softly in her sleep.
She sleeps for ten hours straight and wakes famished. Her eyes whip open and her fangs elongate. “Brody?” She whispers and her mouth fills with saliva at the thought of his rich metallic blood.
“Good you are awake.” Eric walks into her room with a tray of food. He hesitates when he sees the way her hazel eyes are glowing. “Brody will be along shortly. My name is Eric. I am his brother and your doctor.”
Magdalene pushes herself to a sitting position and pulls the covers up to her neck. “Where am I?”
“Drink this, it will help with the… craving.” He watches as she takes the goblet and sips at it. “It should help regenerate you. You are in Niihau, Magdalene. This is our family cottage, situated near the main lodge.”
Mag looks him over. He is large, muscular and blonde like Brody, but that is where the resemblance ends. Quickly she drains the glass of blood and glances around. “Okay, Eric. I need a phone.”
Surprise registers for a second, “We don’t have phones on the island.” He pours her another glass and watches as she drains that one quickly. Already she can feel her strength returning and with it, clarity of mind.
Magdalene frowns at him. “What?
“Is she giving you a hard time little brother?” Brody asks, stepping into the room. His scent envelopes her instantly, turning her body on and sending her thoughts scattering in a second.
“Brody,” Magdalene begins to shake and her eyes stare into his. He can smell her intentions, the way her body reacts instantly to his and his own heart beats faster looking at her.
“Did you miss me, sugar?”
Eric glances at them and begins to back out of the room.
“I need a phone.” Magdalene waits for Eric to leave and then drops the covers. Standing up, she tests her legs. Still a little wobbly, but better. ‘Don’t think about him, Mag, block his scent. Don’t think about licking the sweat from his body and savoring the way he tastes,’ she tells herself.
Brody steps closer and she instantly backs away from him and stumbles into a side chair. “Easy now, you are still healing. We don’t have a phone on the island.”
Magdalene loses what little color she has. “But Sebastian must be warned.” Instantly she is on her feet and looking for her clothes. “Never mind, I will just call him from the mainland. Where are my clothes?” She demands.
Brody grabs her arm and both of them freeze. “This Sebastian is so important to you that you would risk your life again?”
“I’m sorry Brody,” she whispers trembling.
“For what?” He asks, staring down at her lush, pink lips. One second, he’s holding her arm and the next she is on him. Brody doesn’t fight her, he has been counting the seconds till he could taste her.
Magdalene leaps up and wraps her legs around his waist. With a fist buried in his hair, she jerks his head to the side and licks the throbbing vein in his neck. “Yes!” He hisses and Magdalene sinks her teeth into his throat.
Never has anything tasted as good as Brody, the fragrance, the essence, it flows into her, fueling her, healing her and taunting her. Brody flips her to the wall and pins her against it. “My turn!” The moment his teeth sink into her throat, she screams clasping him to her throat.
“More!” she groans as he sucks on her throat, drinking her blood. Magdalene grinds against him, “inside me, Brody. I want to feel all of you!”
Brody pins her hands to the wall and stares at her, trying to stop his tiger from taking her against the wall and claiming her for eternity. “Not yet, Mags, you need to heal.” He drops her arms and she stares at him, trying not to show her hurt and confusion.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You taste so…” the scent of her lust is driving him to distraction. She can feel the fur erupt beneath her hands and he drops her to her feet and backs away in fear.
Afraid he will hurt her, he bursts from her room, through the doors and straight out onto the beach. By the time he reaches the water he’s in full tiger mode. Cold waves wash over him and he desperately swims trying to wash away the taste and scent of her from his soul.
Mag follows slowly to the beach and wonders at him. He is not anything she has ever seen or heard of. A tiger, a shifter that drinks blood. “What are you, Brody?”
‘I am yours,’ is the answer her mind hears. He climbs from the ocean, staring at her and she is afraid that she will never be the same again. Magdalene turns to run but finds her feet will not move on their own. She can feel the heat from his body behind her, his hand is reaching for her.
“Brody, I have to warn my brother. Sebastian is all I have left. I can’t lose him.”
“Brother?” Relief floods his body and he stops short of touching her.
Magdalene spins and looks at him. “You can’t keep me from helping him. I have to warn him.”
Water drips from his beautiful body, “I will help you, Magdalene but you will have to trust me.”
“Trust you? I don’t even know you. Who are you, Brody? What are you?” she demands.
“I will show you, but first, we will go call your brother.”
Brody pulls her along by her hand, around to the main house. Eric and Pop are waiting for them when they enter. “Brody?” Eric asks quietly.
“Magdalene needs to use the phone to call her family.” Pop tosses him a towel and stares at them before pulling keys from his pocket.
“Follow me,” he leads the way to a closet. In the back of the closet is a hidden door, which leads to a basement below the house. The moment the door slides open a light illuminates the large room. Tables line the wall with varying computers. Pop leads the way to a locked black case. He pushes his thumb on the key pad and it pops open, revealing the sat phone inside.
Brody towel dries his hair and moves to a locker on the wall where they keep a change of clothes. “This is a sat phone, it connects using satellites. It is not the best connection, but it should work. We will give you some privacy.” Eric and Pop leave, locking them alone inside the small shelter.
“Thank you,” she whispers as they leave. Turning back to look at Brody her mouth goes dry at the site of him stripping out of his wet clothes. It takes all her self-control not to leap on him, consequences be damned.
“Well, damn,” she murmurs, and he smiles as he rubs the towel over his sculpted body.
Brody zips up h
is jeans and pulls on a shirt before striding towards her. Punching in the access codes he shows her how to work the phone. “It’s ready, just type the number in.”
Sebastian is working out a plan with Vorn and Keane when his cell phone rings. He frowns at the number before answering it. “Sebastian, listen carefully. I don’t know how much time I have,” Magdalene speaks quickly, and tells Sebastian about the council and Caius. Then she gives him the address of his base in Hawaii. Brody scribbles down the address of another of Caius’s bases in India and slides it to her. She smiles and recites it to her brother.
“Excellent, Mags. Are you safe?” Sebastian asks.
Magdalene looks at Brody and smiles. “I am now. I’m going to stay put. You call me when this is over. Promise me that he will pay, Sebastian.”
“I promise Mags and if you need me, call. I will come for you,” he promises.
“Wait.” Brody is quietly listening and decides to give them all the help he can. He sketches out the floor plan for the building in Hawaii. From what he remembers it is identical to the one in India. Using the phone number Mag’s dialed he sends a picture of it through to them.
“Sebastian we are sending you a floor plan to the buildings. I can come home if you need me to,” she says softly.
“No. I want to know you are safe. Stay where you are.” Sebastian replies.
After a quick goodbye, she hangs up.
Magdalene hands the phone back to Brody and sits quietly in a chair. “Thank you.”
Brody squats in front of her. “Magdalene, I would like for you to stay with us. Take time to heal and enjoy the island. Here you will be free to just… be.” She reaches up and plays with his hair.
“I would like that, but I will need a promise from you first,” she says in all seriousness.
“Anything.” He answers immediately.
