Dark Alpha's Embrace

by Donna Grant

  “River could go to the Fae realm,” Talin said.

  Kyran shook his head, his steps slowing as they returned to the library. “There’s no place there that would offer her safety.”

  “Neither does this realm.”

  Kyran’s attention was jerked to River as he heard something that reminded him of the Reapers. There was nothing spoken directly about them, and if he hadn’t been a Reaper, he might not even associate it, but he made the connection.

  He grabbed the pad of paper he’d been making notes on and saw where he’d scribbled a similar set of words. He began to wonder if the Reapers, like the Netherworld, were mentioned in all the books as well.

  Perhaps he should pay better attention to what was being said. It wasn’t just family history and accounts being written about, but important information sprinkled throughout. Too bad the families didn’t make it easy by having a chapter on just such information instead of throughout the massive tome.

  “Did you hear that reference to Death’s crew?” Talin whispered.

  Baylon walked to them and nodded. “I did. And it isn’t the first time.”

  “Aye,” Kyran said and held up the paper. “I heard it both times.”

  “Why not just state Reapers?” Talin asked.

  Kyran shrugged. “Perhaps they thought it wise not to mention us directly.”

  “Each family goes into great detail about everything else,” Baylon said with a frown.

  “That’s true. They talk of Fae doorways, where they’re located, where they go to, and which ones that particular family erected,” Kyran said.

  Talin raised his brows. “So why not mention the Reapers?”

  “Maybe we didn’t have a name?”

  Kyran’s frown grew. “These books are ancient. Death was around, but the Reapers hadn’t been formed yet. The families couldn’t mention us because we didn’t have a name.”

  “Not true,” River said as she stopped reading.

  Kyran’s head swung to her. “What do you mean?”

  “Aunt Maureen told me tales of the Reapers.”

  Talin’s face twisted. “So did my family.”

  River’s smile was patient. “Every story Maureen told me came from these books. Remember when I said not everyone could read them? They learned to memorize the stories and pass them down until another one of us could read them.”

  “And the Reapers were mentioned by name?” Baylon asked.

  “Yes.”

  Kyran shook his head as he tried to line up everything he knew. “That’s not right. It’s not what we’ve been told. There was only one group before us, and they were gathered together well after these families ceased to exist.”

  “I’m just telling you what I remember. It’ll be in one of these books, and all of you will know the truth. Death is cited several times already. Whatever the Reapers were, they were greatly feared. Just as the Netherworld was,” River said.

  A bad feeling churned in Kyran’s gut. Could this revelation about the Reapers be why Bran wanted the books? He had no need of learning about the Netherworld since he escaped. And though Kyran fully expected each of the thirty books to hold some vital facts or evidence on different things, none of that mattered at the moment.

  River returned to her reading while Kyran listened aptly, trying to take it all in—the important and the nonsense. Because what was nonsense now might become important later. The families must’ve known the books would be needed later. Why else would all thirty write them down, each touching on the same subjects multiple times within the volumes?

  Kyran first thought the idea of finding the tomes was silly, but once they had them everything would be fine. He now suspected they just opened a huge can of worms.

  Chapter Fifteen

  River lost track of time as she read one book after another. Her throat began to hurt, and just when she thought she might have to stop and take a break, Kyran was there. He handed her a mug and told her to drink.

  She should’ve known it would contain some type of magic. Within a few sips, her throat no longer ached. She continued reading and sipping on the brew. Kyran never let her mug empty. Again and again he refilled it.

  When her eyes became itchy and her voice harsh, they took a ten-minute break where River did nothing but sit there with her eyes closed, listening to the others go over all she’d read aloud.

  With each word read, the stories came flooding back as Aunt Maureen had told them. There was very little changed from the telling to the book. It was human nature to embellish a story, but her family had done the opposite. Somehow, they kept the original stories through the generations from the last one who could read the books.

  “How do you feel?”

  River turned her head to the sound of Kyran’s voice. She nodded but kept her eyes shut.

  “Good. Keep drinking. It’ll help your voice as well.”

  He sounded calm, but River knew it was a front. There were thirty huge books to be read, and only four of them had been translated. If she managed five a day, it would take her nearly a week to complete.

  They didn’t have that kind of time. Every day that passed was another day that more and more half-Fae were killed by Bran and his men.

  River hated the human part of her that needed rest. She could work well past a mortal, but she couldn’t keep up with a Fae. If only the Fae part of her was stronger, then she wouldn’t need to rest.

  “You’re doing great,” Kyran said, as if sensing her thoughts.

  She appreciated his words, but that didn’t stop the worry that surrounded her. River opened her eyes and leaned forward to grab the next book. She opened the cover and took a deep breath before she began reading.

  It wasn’t until she finished the fifth book that River realized something was amiss. She was still tired, but there was something different in the air that she couldn’t explain.

  River finished the last of the hot drink. When Kyran went to mix more, she found Talin staring at her from his spot near the wall. He sat on a stool and leaned back against the stone wall while he propped his feet on the table holding the books.

  “Can you get through all of these?” he asked.

  River stood and walked around to get the blood flowing in her body. “Of course.”

  “Tonight?”

  “I read fast, but not that fast.”

  He gave her a flat look. “We’re Fae, River. We’ve used magic to pause time.”

  “Excuse me?” Was that even possible?

  Baylon mumbled Talin’s name. “What he means is that here, in the caves, time is paused so we can get this done.”

  River frowned, her mind jumbling at the thought. “If time has stopped for us, won’t it keep going for everyone else?”

  “Yes,” Jordyn said. “Pausing is the wrong word. Think of it as stretching. We’ve taken this day and stretched it. When dawn comes on the following day, we’ll be back in alignment with everyone else.”

  No wonder River always hated science. It didn’t make sense to her, but the rest of them accepted it as truth. Who was she to argue the point when she didn’t even understand it?

  She spotted Eoghan pass by the library entrance without looking inside. It was like he didn’t care what they were doing, then again it was hard to read the Reaper since he didn’t speak.

  River piled the books in the order she’d read them, then she went to the next. The sequence had been ingrained in her mind from the very beginning. She hadn’t understood why it was so important, and even now she wondered why Maureen had cautioned her to read them in succession.

  Already there was much she hadn’t remembered from the stories she read. How much more had she forgotten? Maureen told her it was all important, that she must retain it all, but River hadn’t.

  Because she’d been able to read the books, she hadn’t retained the stories as her ancestors had. There could be a critical piece of knowledge that could help Kyran if she’d done as Maureen instructed.

  She re
fused to think about it, because it wouldn’t help any of them now. All she could do was get through each of the books as fast as she could.

  River picked up the next book and returned to her chair. She gave Jordyn a nod to start recording, then River began to read. She hadn’t gotten through the first page when Kyran returned with another mug of his special brew. She didn’t know what was in it, and it didn’t matter. It made her feel good so she could finish what she’d begun.

  The idea of being able to help the Reapers gave her a purpose—something she needed. She hadn’t realized she wanted it until it was there, but there was no denying it now.

  At one time River thought gathering the books stolen from Maureen—or merely keeping away from the Fae—was her purpose. But the truth stood before her.

  She had a chance to help the Reapers make a difference in her world as well as theirs. She wasn’t going to let it pass by.

  * * *

  By the time the sun rose the following day, Kyran was antsy for River to finish the last of the thirty books. It was only the use of magic—and lots of it—that allowed her to get through all of them in one day.

  And it had taken its toll on her.

  A Fae wouldn’t have needed magic. A mortal wouldn’t have been able to handle the dose of magic used. A half-Fae could only take so much before the mortal part of it shut down completely.

  “She’ll be fine,” Talin whispered.

  Both Talin and Baylon had been saying that for hours, but no one believed it. Even Eoghan looked upon River with worry on one of his many passes.

  When River read the last sentence of the thirtieth book, Kyran grabbed it from her and closed it, setting the book on the table with the others. He turned and found River already standing with a smile on her face.

  Then her lids fell shut and she crumpled. Kyran easily caught her up in his arms before she hit the floor and strode from the library to her cavern.

  Once there, he used magic to pull back the covers and remove her boots before he laid her upon the bed. Kyran pulled the covers up, then he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  When he turned, Eoghan stood in the doorway. Kyran glanced at River’s sleeping form. “I’m worried.”

  Eoghan gave a small shake of his head before he walked to River’s side and rested the back of his hand upon her forehead. After a moment, he looked at Kyran and gave a thumbs-up. As if that was supposed to make everything all right.

  Kyran followed him out, asking, “What’s that mean?”

  Eoghan held up his thumb again and added a nod.

  Kyran moved in front of him to block Eoghan. “Are you telling me she’ll be all right?”

  In answer, Eoghan gave a single nod.

  Kyran let out a breath. “I gave her a lot of magic, but she’s strong.”

  Eoghan merely stared at him.

  “I know, I know. It’s absurd to fret so. She’s half-Fae. Each holds a different Fae aspect. I’ve seen her fight. She moves like a Fae. But we’ve never given so much magic to a half-Fae before.”

  There was no response from Eoghan. He merely slapped Kyran on the shoulder and walked around him.

  To take his mind off River, Kyran went looking for Cael and Fintan in the hopes they’d returned, but they weren’t in the caves.

  “What is it?” Talin asked when he caught up with him.

  Kyran didn’t want to tell Talin what he was going to do, but someone had to know in case things went bad. “I’m going to see my family.”

  “What?” Talin shouted in shock. His hand landed on Kyran’s arm, jerking him to a stop. “What the fuck do you mean, you’re going to see your kin?”

  “They’re the ones who’ve been hunting River’s family. I’m going to make sure they stop.”

  Talin stared at him for a long moment with a mixture of alarm and concern. Then he ran a hand down his face. “You know you can’t see them. It’s one of the rules Death gave us. No contact.”

  “I have to do this.”

  “Death will kill you. Or throw you in the Netherworld.” Talin blew out a breath. “I know why you want to do this.”

  Kyran highly doubted that. “Do you?”

  “Aye,” Talin said, his gaze narrowed slightly. “You care for River, probably more than you should. You want to fix things for her, especially since it’s your kin causing her so much pain. But you can’t.”

  He looked at Talin more closely. Had the time his friend spent at the Light court wooing a certain Fae affected him?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Talin said. “It vexes me.”

  Kyran ground his teeth together at that word. “Did you fall for the Light Fae Cael wanted you to seduce?”

  “How the hell did this come back to me? We’re talking about you.”

  “Now we’re talking about you.”

  Talin snorted loudly. “I don’t think so. You want to get out of talking about what you shouldn’t be doing by turning this on something you think I’m doing or not doing.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You’re vexed.”

  Kyran wanted to strangle Talin. “I am now. Stop using that word.”

  “If you go, I’m going with you.”

  Kyran closed his eyes in an effort to remain calm. He knew Talin was looking out for him, but what Kyran had to say to his family wasn’t for anyone else to hear.

  When he looked up at Talin, he was in control once more. “Nay.”

  “You won’t be able to stop me. Besides, Cael told you to stay here and protect River. What will she think when she wakes and finds you gone?”

  “I intend to be back long before then.”

  Talin scrunched up his face. “Why? So River can see Death kill you for disobeying one of her rules. She spared Baylon. Do you really want to test her again so soon?”

  Damn Talin for making a good point. Kyran didn’t want to die, but he couldn’t stand there and not do something about his family.

  “We go using glamour,” Talin said. “You get to confront your family without letting them know it’s you, and I’ll be just another Dark watching your back.”

  It wasn’t how Kyran had wanted to do this, but it was the right way to do it. “All right. Be warned though. Don’t trust anything you see or hear from my family.”

  “The way your face darkens each time you speak of them already vexes me.”

  Kyran let out a growl of frustration. “Say it one more time and I’ll hit you.”

  Talin merely laughed in response.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cael arrived back at the caves in a foul mood. The Nighttails were as atrocious as he’d expected. And just as Fintan said, they couldn’t get close enough to learn anything.

  Until Cael used glamour to get inside.

  Within the confines of the Nighttail house, Cael couldn’t wait to get out. Evil fairly bled from the walls. How anyone living with such maliciousness every day could manage not to be as vindictive as the monarch of that family boggled his mind.

  Yet the youngest Nighttail daughter had done just that.

  Cael stood in the large cavern quietly going over everything in his mind from gaining entrance into the house, to speaking to Nolan, the head of the Nighttail family, to learning the darkest secret of the family.

  “How’d you do it?” Fintan asked.

  Cael had forgotten he was there. He faced Fintan and smiled. “I told Nolan exactly what he wanted to hear. I led him to believe he was the greatest Dark who ever lived, and that he ran his family exactly as a Dark should.”

  “You fed his ego,” Fintan said with a grin.

  “Nolan isn’t as tough as he lets everyone believe. Men like him are all the same. They want their egos stroked.”

  Fintan flattened his lips. “That’s all it took to get him to divulge family secrets?”

  “It took a little more finesse,” Cael said with a grin. “Let’s find the others, and I’ll fill everyone in.”

  He turned and Erith was suddenly sta
nding before him. This time her black dress faded to gold from her knees down. It plunged deep at the front, giving him a glimpse of the swells of her breasts—and made his balls tighten in response.

  “You need to find Kyran and Talin immediately,” she stated.

  Cael frowned at her words. “They’re here.”

  “No,” she said. “They went to Kyran’s family.”

  Fintan growled, then said, “Fuck. I knew he’d do it.”

  Cael pointed to Fintan and said, “Remain here. Don’t leave until I return.”

  In a blink, Cael put his Dark glamour back in place and teleported to the Dark side of the Fae realm and the Lightslayer clan. Despite both Kyran and Talin using glamour to disguise themselves, Cael was able to pick them out.

  He appeared in front of them as they approached the large mansion that used to be Kyran’s home.

  “Fuck,” Kyran mumbled.

  Talin jumped back before running into Cael. “I do believe he’s vexed, Kyran.”

  “No shit,” Kyran replied.

  Cael looked from one to the other. “You know you can’t be here.”

  “I have to do this,” Kyran said. “I disguised myself.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Kyran moved closer until they stood nose to nose. “It does. And you know why. All of that, and then to learn it’s my fucked-up family who has been hunting and killing River’s? I have to do this.”

  Cael swallowed and looked away. He understood why Kyran felt such a need. Cael would as well in his place, but that still didn’t change anything.

  “None of them will know it’s him,” Talin said. “The whole point of Death wanting us to stay away from our families was so they didn’t know it was us.”

  “I know exactly what my rules mean,” Erith said from behind them.

  Cael wondered how long she’d been there. She wouldn’t look at him, however. Her gaze was locked on Kyran as she walked around him to stand next to Cael.

  “May I plead my case?” Kyran asked.

  Death inclined her head.

  Kyran looked at the house and grimaced. “I never wanted to see this place again. I never want to see anyone in my family again. After what they did to me, I chose not to be a part of them even before I was killed.”