by Tina Folsom
“She must have told him who you were,” Amaury stated.
Zane closed his eyes, pushing back tears he wanted to cry for Portia’s pain. “We have to find her … before he kills her.”
“He won’t.”
Zane turned at the sound of Quinn’s voice coming from the door, fury instantly taking over his mind. His erstwhile friend was the reason this situation had gotten to this point in the first place. Had he not sold him out to Samson, Zane would have never had to take Portia away.
As Quinn stepped inside, next to him, another person appeared. Instantly alert at the appearance of the unknown vampire next to Quinn, Zane jumped up and reached for his stake. He’d have to deal with Quinn later.
Quinn quickly raised his hand. “This is Cain. He’s the man who identified the pin you found on the assassin.”
“Assassin?” Samson interrupted, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Long story. I’ll fill you in later,” Zane quickly replied.
Samson nodded curtly. “I’ll hold you to it.”
Zane gave a short nod in agreement and turned his attention back to Quinn and Cain. The vampire was a little over six feet tall, well-built with short dark hair and a permanent shadow where his beard would have grown were he still human.
Cain nodded in greeting. “Quinn flew me in today so I could help.”
Quinn shrugged toward Samson. “I borrowed one of the jets.”
“We’ll talk about that later,” Samson replied. “How is Cain gonna help, no offense.”
The stranger nodded. “None taken. I might be able to identify some of the members of the breeding program.”
“We already know who the head is.”
Quinn nudged the vampire. “Tell Zane what you told me.”
Cain cleared his throat. “There’s going to be a big event in two or three days.”
“What kind of event?” Zane asked impatiently.
“A blood-bond. Apparently the leader has found a suitable hybrid to mate with the princess.”
“Princess? What the f—?” This wasn’t England with royal families and all.
“They say, it’s his daughter. She’s supposed to start a dynasty of superior hybrids. He’s found a hybrid she’ll mate with.”
Zane’s heart stopped. Portia was supposed to blood-bond with some hybrid her father chose for her? “No!”
“That’s why he won’t kill her,” Quinn added. “He needs her. She is his ticket to his master race.”
Zane tried to shake off the thought, but couldn’t. “He can’t do that. She’s mine! Portia is mine!”
Voicing it in front of his friends and colleagues, brought reality home. He couldn’t kid himself any longer. Without Portia, he was nothing, merely an empty shell without a heart. Only with her, he had a chance at life. Her father might need her to create his master race, but Zane needed her to survive.
“We don’t have much time then,” Amaury said. “We have to find her before the ceremony or …”
Amaury didn’t complete his sentence, and he didn’t have to. Zane knew the implications only too well. If Portia was blood-bonded to another man, she was lost to him. Only killing her mate would set her free. And even then, would Portia open her heart to Zane again? Would she be able to forgive him for what he’d done? Because, after all, it was his fault that she found herself in this situation. He’d been the one to cast her out without considering the consequences. He’d driven her back to her father and into hell. Had he thought things through for a moment, he would have seen that it didn’t matter who her sire was. She was pure and good despite the seed she came from.
“Do you know where this ceremony will take place?” Samson asked Cain.
“It’s somewhere on the West Coast, that much is certain, but I never got to find out where. The location is kept secret. Only a few people know.”
Zane glanced at Quinn, remembering something. “You left me a message that you found some phone numbers on Brandt’s cell. Was that just bait to get me to come back?”
“Thomas extracted some partial numbers. We have an area code and a prefix.”
“Where?”
“Seattle. The prefix identifies a neighborhood called Queen Anne. But—”
“But what?”
“We can’t be sure that’s the place where Müller went.”
“It’s all we’ve got.” Just a straw, but Zane clung to it for dear life.
Samson nodded. “It’s the best we can do.” He turned to Amaury. “Mobilize the troops. We need everybody we can get.”
“I can help,” Cain interrupted.
Zane perused the vampire. He’d helped them so far, but could he be trusted? “You wanted to be part of the breeding program. I understand that you’re disgruntled about being rejected, but why would you help us now? What’s stopping you from running back to them and warning them that we’re onto them?”
The tall and well-built vampire ran his hand through his dark hair. Zane silently wondered why Müller had rejected him. He appeared strong and intelligent, and from what Zane could tell, he was fairly decent looking too.
“Listen, I know this must sound odd to you guys, but when I heard of the breeding program I figured it would give me purpose in life. You see, I’ve been drifting. No family, no friends, no clan.”
“Why is that?” Zane shot back, suspicion rising. A loner always meant trouble.
“It’s because I don’t know who I am. I woke up one night, and I just ‘was’. I have no idea when I was turned, by whom, or how. Nor do I remember my human life. Nothing. I’ve been searching for an answer, and when I heard about the program, I thought it was as good as anything I’d ever be part of.”
Zane nodded. He understood the need to find a family, to have friends, to not be alone anymore. “The breeding program, did you believe in it when you applied for it?”
Cain shrugged. “They promised the most enticing women would be at the disposal of any vampire or hybrid who made it into the program. It’s not something somebody like me can afford to turn down. I don’t understand why they didn’t want me. Hey, I’m strong, I’m smart. And I’m told I’m not too bad looking. Beats me what they were looking for that I don’t have.”
“I think it’s your lack of commitment that made you ineligible,” Zane mused. “Müller only wants men who believe in his cause. He’s a fanatic. He likes to surround himself with other fanatics. You wanted in for the wrong reasons.”
“I guess. Well, never mind. Seeing that they’re going down anyway, it's just as well that I’m not a part of it.” Then he made a motion toward the door. “Well, good luck, guys. Seeing that you have no use for me, I’ll be moving on.”
Before Cain could exit through the door, Zane blocked it. “Not so fast. I’m sure you can understand that we can’t let you leave and risk you alerting Müller.”
Zane glanced at Samson who nodded in agreement.
“That’s why,” Samson chimed in, “we’d rather have you on our team. Fight on our side, and if you prove yourself, maybe we’ll have a place for you in our midst.”
Zane noticed Cain’s eyes widen in surprise. Then a smile spread on his lips. “You won’t regret it.”
“Now tell us everything you know, every detail,” Samson ordered. Then he turned toward Amaury. “Organize the jet, get everybody up to speed. We’ll be leaving before sunrise.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Portia tried to move her arm to relieve the ache in her shoulder but realized she couldn’t move. Her eyes flew open. Panicked, she stared into the semidarkness. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out her surroundings.
She lay on a large bed in an average sized bedroom with two windows, which were darkened by both heavy curtains and thick blinds. There was an old fireplace with a gas fire burning in it. A dresser sat at the wall near the foot of the bed, and there were three doors. One, she assumed led to a closet, one most likely to the hallway, and the third one, which was ajar, seemed to lead into ano
ther room.
Portia craned her neck to get a better look and managed to get a glimpse of the room, which appeared to be a study. But her movements were severely restricted. She jerked her arms, but they were tied around a heavy bar.
Twisting her neck once more, she looked at her restraints. Shit! Her father had handcuffed her with silver handcuffs. However, he had protected her wrists from the effect of the silver by wrapping bandages around them so the silver wouldn’t burn her skin. And what she’d thought was a bar, was actually a steel beam that appeared to have been used to retrofit the old house for earthquake safety.
Portia cursed. She couldn’t get out of the restraints. Even though the silver didn’t hurt her at present, she couldn’t break it, not even with her superior hybrid strength.
Frustrated, she let her head fall back onto the pillow and listened for any sound. On the floor beneath her, mumbled voices indicated the presence of others in the house. She was in a house, for sure, an old one, maybe Edwardian or Victorian, evidenced by the crown molding she saw between wall and ceiling. But where she was, she had no idea.
She’d been out cold after her father had beaten her senseless, and she’d welcomed the escape into darkness where she’d felt nothing. Now that she was awake, the memory of her father’s beating and Zane’s rejection came back full force, even though her physical injuries had healed.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t gotten to eat the pizza Zane had ordered for her. A sob escaped her at the thought of him, and she swallowed it down quickly, not wanting to fall apart once more. She needed to be strong now. She had to help herself; nobody else would come to rescue her.
Her father was the evil Dr. Franz Müller, a man so vile and heartless she couldn’t believe that he’d ever loved her or her mother. And he wanted to force her to blood-bond with a vampire he’d chosen for her, something she could never accept. If she couldn’t have Zane, she didn’t want anybody.
A sound from the other room made her snap her head toward it. A door opened, and footsteps entered the study. Two men from what she could tell.
“You should have told me immediately,” her father hissed, his voice low and dangerous.
“With all due respect, I was only looking out for Brandt. When he didn’t get back like he was supposed to, I followed his trail,” a second male voice answered.
“Respect? I’ll teach you respect! You should have warned me about Eisenberg!”
Eisenberg—that was Zane’s name.
“I didn’t see Eisenberg! The man who tinkered with Brandt’s locker didn’t look like the man you described. He wasn’t bald. I didn’t know who he was.”
“You should have still called me the minute Brandt’s locker exploded. We could have made sure to destroy any trail that led to us.”
Portia remembered that night only too well.
“Trust me, the locker was blown to bits. Brandt rigged it just like he was taught, so that in case somebody found it, all evidence would be destroyed. He didn’t compromise us.”
“He was a fool!”
“He simply wanted to prove himself,” the stranger contradicted. “When he found out that you were looking for a mate for your daughter, he wanted to—”
“Enough! Brandt wanted to avenge his father, that is all. I wish he had spoken to me before. Eisenberg can’t be underestimated. He’s grown too strong and too smart. Despite all our efforts, he’s found my most trusted supporters. He eradicated them.”
“That’s unfortunate, but now that we know who and where he is, we’ll send a contingent after him,” the man suggested.
“I’ll give the orders here. Nobody will do anything until after the ceremony,” her father barked.
Ceremony? Portia felt bile rise from her stomach.
“Once this is over, we’ll get him. And then this chapter will be closed forever. I can’t have a filthy Jew interfere with my plans any longer.”
Suddenly, heavy steps came toward the door. Portia quickly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
“Leave me!”
She heard the other man scurry from the room and close the door behind him.
“Did you hear that, Portia? I’m going to kill your lover and make him regret he ever laid his dirty hands on you.”
The door swung open fully, and Portia opened her eyes, glaring at her father who stood in the doorframe. “You’re a monster, just like he said.”
Her father crossed the distance to the bed with several large strides. “Don’t confuse me with him. I’m a creator. I’m creating a new world here, a new race, a dynasty that will rule forever.”
Portia shook her head. “No.”
“Oh yes, and you’ll help me with it.” He sat down at the edge of the bed.
“I won’t do it.”
He slapped her hard with the back of his hand, but she didn’t flinch.
“You can’t force me to blood-bond with anybody.”
“Oh, I can.” He flashed is fangs at her, his eyes glaring red with fury.
“What are you gonna do? Hold me down while he fucks me and digs his fangs into me?” she yelled. “You can’t force me to take his blood. I’ll never do it.”
“You’ll sink your fangs into anything or anybody I wish once it’s time.”
“No!”
“You won’t have a choice. In two days you’ll be so starved for anything, human food or blood, that whatever food source comes within your reach, you’ll take it.” He let out a sinister laugh.
Shock coursed through her veins. “You can’t do that.”
“Watch me.” He rose.
“I’m your daughter. I thought you loved me.” A single tear threatened to dislodge from her eye, but she pushed it back, not wanting to show her weakness. She had looked up to him her entire life. How could he betray her like this?
“That’s why I’m giving you this opportunity. If I didn’t love you like I do, I would have chosen somebody else to become head of this new race. Don’t you see? You’ll be a queen.”
Portia pressed her lips together, trying to prevent them from trembling. To no avail. She didn’t want to be queen or princess or leader of anything. She wanted to be Zane’s woman, his mate. Forever.
“No …. no,” she whispered and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the world.
“Rest. Two nights from now your mate will be here and you’ll see things differently.”
He stomped out of the room and shut the door behind him. When she heard his footsteps disappear down the hall, she allowed her tears to flow down her cheeks. She’d awakened to a nightmare, and it was only just beginning.
Chapter Thirty-Six
The well-oiled machine of Scanguards was once again in operation. Within two short hours, everything was organized. Every available vampire in Scanguards’ employ had been mobilized and was now sitting on the specially equipped jet. Even Haven, the ex-bounty hunter, was ready to join the fight.
Maya, Gabriel’s mate, had been left behind to guard Delilah and the baby, much to her chagrin. She would rather have been by her husband’s side, but Samson had learned from experience never again to leave his wife without protection.
Zane understood only too well now. He knew what it felt like to lose the one person that meant everything to him. He promised himself never to leave Portia unguarded after this, no matter whether she took him back or not. If she didn’t, he’d simply hire a bodyguard to protect her from afar, to always watch over her so no harm would come to her.
He’d had a long conversation with Samson while they’d waited for the plane to be readied. He’d told his boss about the men he’d chased down, the assassin he’d killed only recently, and his lifelong quest to bring the monsters of Buchenwald to justice. Samson had understood, and Zane was relieved to know he had his boss’ full support.
Zane put his seatbelt on when Oliver took the seat next to him.
“You owe me one, bro,” he said quietly.
Zane turned his head to face him.
“Listen, Oliver, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” He swallowed hard. “But I’d do it again if I had to.”
Oliver glared at him. “You could at least have let me in on it. Damn it! I would have covered for you had I known!”
“You what?” Had he heard right? Oliver would have had his back?
His colleague leaned closer. “You know I looked up to you. Why didn’t you trust me? Between the two of us we could have made sure nobody knew what was happening. But no, you had to trick me with that stupid phone call.”
Oliver jabbed his index finger into Zane’s chest, disappointment shining in his eyes.
“I didn’t know …”
Oliver turned and faced forward. “Did you mean any of the things you told me?”
“What things?”
“What you said on the phone about being a vampire. That if I wanted it, you would help me.”
Zane ran his hand over his bald head and sighed. “God, I’m such an ass.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Then why would you possibly want to be like me? I lead a miserable life.” And it would only get worse.
Oliver spun his face toward him. “Miserable? Do you have any idea what you’re saying? You’ve been given a gift. Do you know how many people are out there who would give anything to get an extra few years of life? A chance at immortality? A life without illness?”
Zane shook his head. “It means nothing when you have to live that life alone.”
“What are you talking about? You have Portia. Quinn told me how she looks at you.”
Zane suddenly felt his old anger return. “Uh, yeah, Quinn. I still have to settle a score with him. He sold me out to Samson in the first place.”
Surprise flitted over Oliver’s features. “Quinn didn’t sell you out. On the contrary, he kept his mouth shut about you and Portia, even after Samson already knew.”
“But then who—?”
“I said nothing, not even that she was at your house that day,” Oliver said defensively.
Zane raised his hands. “Hey, I wasn’t accusing you. I just want to know.”
