Tourmaline Truth

by Khloe Wren

  She once again began to tremble in his grasp.

  "I don't understand. Why are you after him? What did he do to you?"

  Interesting. She truly didn't know much at all about the world she was now a part of. Maybe he should answer a few of her questions. He could use it as a way for her to become familiar with him. He leaned in close to her ear so only she would hear him.

  "As a Noble it's my job to keep you protected from Vampires."

  Her body stilled against his.

  "Let me get this straight. Your 'job' is to protect me from someone who swore he would never hurt me?"

  Ahh, all Brides had this disillusion in the beginning. Toki wondered what the Vamps said to make them so gullible?

  "You know, the first Noble was the son of an Eternal Bride and a human. In the few years his mother's vamp allowed him to live with her, he saw how the vamp mistreated her. It was probably worse for her because she'd had another man's baby, but it didn't change the truth that Eternal Brides need protecting from Vampires. This man, the first Noble, knew what he needed to do. So when he was grown, with the aid of his biological father, he came back for her. Knowing that her life was linked to the vamp, the vamp was caught and held prisoner while his mother had limited freedom to live her life. Bit like you, although, you'll have less freedom for a time."

  "For a time?"

  "Hmm, that first Noble was fathered by a Viking, who have a proud tradition of stealing their wives. Once he got his bride back from the vamp, she needed to be kept restrained for a while. As soon as she learned her place and submitted to her Viking, she was permitted some freedom. Did I mention I was named after that Noble? Toki is such a good strong name, don't you agree?"

  He looked out the windshield as they pulled into the garage, not expecting her to answer him. "And here we are. Your new home."

  "How long do you think you can keep me here?"

  He put his mouth even closer to her ear, so she'd feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. He smiled as she shuddered and goose bumps rose on her neck.

  "You're going to be staying here for a very, very long time, doll-face. Because you are now my bride, and I'm your Viking. The sooner you get used to it and forget about that Vampire, the easier it will be."

  ~ * ~

  Barret groaned as vicious cramps rolled through his stomach. Squeezing his eyes closed in an attempt to lessen his physical pain wasn't his best idea. Emotional agony rode him hard as his mind brought forward an image of his Sharon—her beautiful, sweet face with her blonde waves spread over his pillow as she lay beneath him. Naked and sated. Was it only three days ago that he'd held her? With her image still in his mind, he focused on the fresh bite mark on her neck and he groaned anew at the torture of being without his Eternal Bride; not only was his body craving her blood, but his soul was screaming out for her.

  The buzzing of the intercom had him releasing the fantasy of Sharon and reaching slowly for the receiver.

  "Yes, Madison?"

  "Sir, a letter has just arrived."

  "Leave it with the rest of the mail. I'm not in the mood to be dealing with bills and things just at the moment."

  The beat of silence had him paying attention.

  "Ah, I really think you'll want to read this one. It was hand delivered. I only just noticed it on the floor in the foyer. Someone slipped it under the door. I went outside but couldn't see anyone. There's nothing on the envelope besides your name, in big black-ink cursive script."

  "Nobles." He groaned the word out as he dragged himself from the bed. "Leave it on the dining table. I'll see to it at nightfall. Thank you, Madison."

  He hung up the receiver and stumbled to the shower. He had around half an hour until it would be dark enough for him to venture upstairs, and he needed to get himself fully alert if that letter was what he thought it was.

  Thirty-five minutes later, he opened his lair's door to the dining room. As he sat at the table, he stared at the crisp white envelope sitting on its surface. Slowly, he reached forward and picked up the stationary. He half expected it to explode or poison him, when nothing supernatural happened, he turned it over and froze when he saw the seal. The envelope had an old-fashioned wax seal affixed over the flap edge. The red insignia had a large cursive 'N' in the center.

  His mouth dried up as he broke the wax and opened it. A small card sat nestled inside. He couldn't help that he held his breath as he removed it. His lungs, like his heart, had seized up in anticipated horror. The ink used on the note was red. Blood red. As his lungs began to burn and his body forced him to take a deep breath, he shuddered as the smell of his Sharon filled his senses.

  They've used my Bride's blood as ink!

  The very thought of her being hurt had him feeling a little dizzy. Forcing his mind to focus, he began to read.

  Such a pretty little thing is this Eternal Bride.

  I've always been a sucker for blue-eyed blondes.

  I have her a little tied up at the moment.

  She didn't want to wait for you.

  But don't worry, I found a tree with a nice view of the ocean for her.

  Portsea Golf Course has such lovely views.

  Do hurry down to join us. If I get bored, I may need to find some way to occupy myself.

  PS. We used her blood as ink so you could get a little taste to give you the energy to visit us.

  No wonder no one ever found any evidence of Noble involvement in Vampire disappearances. Barret couldn't resist. The sweet smell of Sharon's blood together with his body's craving for the cure it needed, forced his hand. Mortified at his lack of control, he raised the paper to his mouth and licked at the blood. Even though tears ran down his cheeks, his stomach rejoiced at the small taste of the elixir he'd been craving. Each stroke of his tongue brought further relief. When there was no more left, he slumped in the chair. He was still weak but he'd be able to travel south to Portsea now. As his eyelids slid shut, images began flickering across the darkness of what the Noble who held Sharon could be doing to her. With a low growl, he flew to his feet and rushed toward the front door and out into the cool night.

  With his mind on autopilot, he used his supernatural speed to head south. He could run faster than any vehicle could take him. The small amount of Sharon's blood he'd consumed would be enough to get him to Portsea. Houses, shopping centers and cars were nothing but smudges of color as he made his way to his Bride. He slowed as he reached the entrance to the Portsea golf course. He took deep breaths, searching for his Sharon's sweet scent as he passed the tall hedges of the homes near the main gate. Unable to detect anything of use, he headed into the darkness of the closed fairway. Within minutes he became panicked at the lack of evidence of Sharon being anywhere near him. He thought back to the note. It had said she was tied to a tree that overlooked the ocean. He turned south and continued his search. The moment he smelled rich berries his blood lust slammed into him, shutting down any hope of rational thought as he raced forward toward his Eternal Bride.

  He roared as he came out onto a smoothly mowed patch of grass. His Sharon was sobbing as she pulled and twisted trying to get free. The moment she saw him her eyes went wide and she increased her movements.

  "Run, Barret! Please, run away, this is a trap."

  Of course it was a trap. He'd known that before he'd left his home, but he'd never be able to leave her. Her voice was hoarse, probably from screaming, but it was still the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. With his focus solely on what was his, he dashed forward. His lips peeled off his fangs as he felt a sting in his shoulder followed by another in his thigh. Glancing down, he saw a dart inserted into his leg. As he spun around, he tore it free from his flesh and threw it with vampiric speed back toward the hooded man who held a gun. With an oomph the man dropped his weapon and hit the ground. As far as he knew, Nobles were human and no doubt the darts were filled with some concoction designed to take down a Vampire. Unable to reach the one in his back, he chose to ignore it and he focused back o
n Sharon. His fangs throbbed with his need for her.

  Barret growled low as he saw she was no longer alone. He tried to run to her but his legs gave out. He refused to allow it to prevent him from getting to his Bride and used every ounce of his willpower to crawl over the perfectly cut grass toward her. A hooded Noble stood beside her, gently wiping tears from her face. The pain in her eyes tore at his heart. The man thrust a hand into her hair and forced her head to tilt, revealing the elegant length of her neck. The bastard traced Barret's bite mark with a fingertip.

  "She is quite the beauty, is she not?"

  Barret responded with another growl, his body now all but useless as he was forced to watch helplessly as this asshole touched his Bride.

  "And you managed to claim her within a few hours of meeting her. Now, that sounds like my kind of woman. Such a pity I have to wait three years. The tragedy of it is, if I were the man I was named after, I wouldn't have to wait. The original Toki would have just taken what he desired, whenever he desired it. My pretty little Tourmaline here would have spent much of her time naked in my bed awaiting me to provide her with the gift of my attention. Alas, that will have to wait until the next twenty-ninth of February."

  Tears stung Barret's eyes as he watched the bastard lower his hand to cup Sharon's breast. He tweaked her nipple through the material of her shirt and a shudder ran through her body as her sobs grew louder.

  "Hmm, since your vamp kindly took out my assistant, I suppose I can have a small taste now. No one will know, and you are now officially mine."

  Sharon's feet were bound together and strapped to the base of the tree while her arms had been wrapped around the trunk behind her. She had no way to fight off the Noble as he slid her top up and her bra cups down. Barret roared out in anguish and fury but no sound left his throat. Whatever drug they gave him had his muscles paralyzed. He couldn't even close his eyes. His heart shattered as Sharon cried soul-wrenching sobs and called out to him while she was violated by this asshole.

  ~ * ~

  Sharon's chest hurt and it had little to do with what Toki was doing with his hands and mouth to her flesh. Her gaze was fixed onto Barret's. It was filled with impotent rage and anguish. Toki had told her how Barret's life would be spent half starved locked in a small cell with the other Vampires the Nobles held captive. She would likely never see his face again, never feel his gentle caress. Never have him make love to her. Sobs that shook her whole body overtook her. Her heart felt bruised and battered and seeing Barret, her strong confident Vampire, lying helpless on the grass in front of her added to her torment. He was so close, yet too far away to free her.

  What felt like an eternity later, Toki finally seemed to have had his fill of her.

  "Oh yeah, you taste as good as you smell. I can't wait to taste you elsewhere, but I'm guessing you're not in the mood to spread those pretty thighs for me, are you, blondie?"

  Apparently, arousal brought out Toki's inner sleaze-bag. Great. Fury burned deep and she turned her gaze toward him with a low growl.

  "I will never stop fighting you. No matter how long you keep me. I will never give in to you freely for anything, least of all spreading my legs."

  He grinned at her. "Oh yeah, I really like you, blondie. Maybe I will have a taste of you now. Give your Vampire a full show, seeing it's the last time he's going to see you."

  She went still, shock keeping her frozen. He'd made it clear her future included a night filled with rapes and violations every four years. Did he really plan on starting three years early? Break the rules to further torment Barret? She inwardly cursed, of course he would. Fear and determination kept her unmoving as he untied her waist and feet. The moment both ankles were free she kicked her right leg out with all her strength. Toki tried to move out of the way, but her foot still caught him hard in his stomach. He fell back winded and unfortunately out of her range. Damn! She'd wanted to get in a few kicks to keep the bastard down.

  With her lower half free, she twisted and pulled until the rope loosened and fell from her wrists. Fortunately, she'd been tied with a single length of rope. While Toki remained on the grass curled in the fetal position and struggling to breathe, she fell to the ground before Barret and stroked his face. His eyes begged her, but she wasn't sure what he wanted. She pressed her wrist to his lips, but he didn't move. Using both hands, she massaged his jaw until she could pull it open. She then carefully pressed her flesh against his fangs, piercing her skin. Ignoring the moment of pain, she watched blood drip into his mouth and hoped it gave him enough strength to fight the drug he'd been given. She'd love to be able to drag him off to safety, but he was simply too big and she knew she wasn't strong enough.

  "Please, Barret. Drink. They're going to lock you up, keep you starved if you don't get away."

  His eyes blinked and she nearly passed out with relief. He was fighting off the drug. His mouth latched on to her wrist, and he pulled two deep swallows of her blood before he released her.

  "And what of you? You worry about me being in a cage, but I dread to think about what that bastard has planned for you."

  She shook her head as tears streamed down her face. She didn't want to think about what her future would hold.

  "We both need to run. Drink more, you need to move. I can't lift you, and we need to go before Toki recovers."

  "Oh, I've recovered, you little bitch."

  A fist in her hair pulled her away from Barret. She raised her hands to grab at Toki to release the pressure on her scalp. Her skin stung where he was tugging her hair. But she didn't get far. A sudden wash of pain flowed through her and held her entire body paralyzed.

  "Didn't you know? Elder Nobles have some neat little tricks. Pity they don't work against Vamps. However, they work just fine against Brides. Now, there will be no escaping for either of you. Your Vampire will spend the rest of his very long life in a cage. Not only starved of food and blood but also with the mental images of what I'm going to be doing with you, blondie. I think I may just find a way to have you more often than once every four years. Oh, and did I mention what happens after the twenty-ninth?"

  Sharon was filled with fury and disgust, out of self-preservation she wanted to block out what he planned to do to her. She certainly didn't want Barret to be focused on it the entire time he was locked up. To no avail, she put her energy into breaking through the agony keeping her body motionless.

  "No? Well, you see, I'll get you pregnant. Maybe not every time but still, you'll eventually birth my sons. Then they'll be taken away to be raised by Lower Level Nobles. So, your sons will be the ones that hunt and capture Vampires when they're grown. The irony is so lovely, isn't it?"

  His free hand pushed her shirt up from where it had fallen back into place and began to knead her breasts that were still pushed out of her bra. Toki removed whatever he did to paralyze her with agony, moments before he tugged her nipple until she gasped in pain once again.

  "Hmm, yes, I think me and you are going to have some fun together. Often."

  Even with the constant physical pain gone, Sharon was numb. No way could she block out the things Toki was telling her. She'd be forced to birth children that would be stolen from her. Just like Darcy, she wouldn't be able to watch them grow. Taking advantage of her distraction and shock, Toki retied her to the tree before he returned her bra and shirt to their correct positions. Through her blurry gaze, she watched as he went to Barret with thick iron shackles that he'd collected from near where she was tied up, to clamp on his ankles and wrists. Then he pulled out a face mask and buckled the leather and metal device around his jaw. Sharon did nothing to stem the flow of tears as she saw the same white panel-van from earlier come toward them across the grass. This was it, no more chances to escape. She and Barret were well and truly caught. Her mind ran rampant with questions as she stared at Barret lying helpless on the ground.

  How in the hell am I going to survive this? Do I really want to? How is Barret going to cope being starved and locked up? Will w
e ever be able to break free?

  Chapter Four

  28th February 2012

  Toki stood with his back against the far wall of the large ball room at the Nobles' Portsea Compound. He swirled the brandy in the crystal glass he held before lifting it to his lips. All the Elders were here, sipping their expensive alcohol as they waited for the Head Noble to arrive to start the proceedings. In a few short hours, Toki would have his Sharon beneath him again. A grin spread across his face. Unlike the others, he wasn't completely strung out with sexual frustration. He hadn't waited four years to touch his Bride like they had. No, he'd been more cunning than that and had arranged it so he was present for all her blood donations. Once a month he got to glory in his woman's body.

  Claude nudging him, brought him from his thoughts of what the night and following day would bring. He turned to the other Elder with a raised brow.

  "Listen to them. The new Guardians are stirring up trouble as per usual."

  Toki turned to face the group of younger men in the center of the room. The Lower Level Nobles were not here. They hadn't earned the right to have access to the knowledge or privilege to prepare the brides for the Elders. The young men before him were Guardian Nobles, a middle tier between the lower and Elder levels. Some had been a Guardian for years, and he could see they were attempting to answer the queries the new ones had.

  "How many new Guardians do we have since last time?"

  "Not sure, Toki. Not many. You want to take over and explain things? Because that Guardian speaking now is not helping."

  Claude was right, the man currently attempting to explain why Nobles kidnapped Vampires and their Brides to the newer Guardians, was stumbling over his words and seemed to be having trouble recalling why he was here. With a nod of his head, Toki moved forward to take over.

  "It would seem many of you have forgotten why we are here."

  His loud, clear voice silenced the room.