Captive By Night: A Dardanos, Co. Taken Collection

by Calle J. Brookes

  Chapter Eight

  “I’m not helpless, you know.” Kindara tightened her arms around the demon’s neck when he stepped over a large log. His body was warm and she was chilled. October in Colorado was not the warmest of times. But when was the last time she’d been carried around like a babe? Not since she’d been carrying Iavius’s babe thirty years ago. He’d gotten such a kick out of hauling his family around that she’d let him. A wave of grief hit her and she dropped her head to the demon’s shoulder.

  She missed him. Had he still been alive, he’d have torn this demon and the wolf to pieces to rescue her. But he wasn’t, and it was up to her to get her and Jierra home safely.

  “You are Dardaptoan and...”

  “And what?”

  “Female. Weak. It is my responsibility to ensure your safety until you are returned to the proper men folk.”

  “I didn’t know demons were such chauvinists. I’m not an object and I’m not a child.” She pulled back to look into his demon-dark eyes. She kicked her legs once, then froze when she felt how aroused he was. “The only reason I’m cooperating with you at all is because we had a deal. Not because of any antiquated ideas you have about ‘me man, you woman’.”

  “I’m twenty-three hundred thirty-six years old, pet. I’m allowed to be antiquated.”

  He dropped his hands and Kindara felt his strong fingers clench on the muscles of her behind. He canted her hips, pushing against her, pulling her into him. Her thin cotton pants were little barrier between their bodies. Warmth filled her stomach. He knew how to arouse and she knew he was doing it to her deliberately. “So? I’m your hostage. Hos-tage. That’s a temporary position, as far as I’m concerned.”

  His face tightened, a look of evasion entering his eyes. Kindara felt her own narrow. Was the demon plotting something? Demons were known manipulators, schemers, yet he had made her an oath.

  A squeal from Jierra diverted their attention. Kindara jerked toward her daughter as Jierra fell—had it not been for the demon’s grip on her, she would have followed Jierra to the ground. “Ji!”

  “I’m ok, Mother.” Jierra struggled to her feet, wiping mud from the palms of her hands. “I just slipped.”

  “Rand!” The demon barked the word, then followed up in another language. It was obvious he was angry with the wolf. Kindara squirmed, wanting Rathan to let her down, let her check on her daughter for herself. He refused to let her go.

  The wolf cursed, long and low, before jerking Jierra into his arms. Jierra didn’t struggle, just wrapped one arm behind his neck and lay her head against the wolf’s shoulder. Her eyes dropped and Kindara saw her give a visible sigh. The wolf’s face was stormy, but his hands were gentle on her daughter. Kindara released some of the tension holding her body and relaxed against the demon once more.

  “She’s too frail for this. We should have planned differently.” The demon’s tone was apologetic and angry. “I’m sorry, pet. We’ll get her to our home and get her settled soon, I promise.”

  ****

  Rathan made good on that promise; they reached the compound just minutes after sunset. He still cradled her in his arms, but now she refused to speak to him. She’d been stubbornly silent for the last two hours since he’d refused to put her down so that she could walk and have some dignity. He’d told that as his hostage, she had to do what he said. She hadn’t liked that.

  He sat her on her feet as they hiked up the long driveway to the six-story vacation cabin that housed the Taniss family during their holidays and vacations. A few lights were on in the house, signifying that at least one Taniss had arrived while they were gone. Rathan hoped it was Jason, Rand’s uncle who’d also become a Lupoiux twenty years earlier. With anyone else, how were they to explain the presence of two female hostages dressed in the strange white garb of Dardaptoan royalty?

  Rand entered first, calling out to see who was present. Rathan stood back with the females, using one hand to hold the daughter up and the other to restrain his own female. Just in case.

  Feminine footsteps clattered on the fourth floor landing, and a blonde head peeked over the railing. The girl rushed down the stairs. “Rand, Rathan. I thought I was the only one up here.”

  “Dammit, Jade! You came up here alone? Where’s your father?” Rand grabbed the blonde by the arm and pulled her to face him. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is right now?”

  “Who are they? Why are they so filthy? Did their car break down?” Jade studied the two Dardaptoan females curiously. “And I just couldn’t stay in Denver. I kept expecting my sister to walk through the door or Free to bark.”

  “Within a week, hopefully, she will.” Rand’s tone had softened. No one stayed angry at Jade for long, and Rand was no exception.

  “You’ve found them?” Hope-filled green eyes stared at Rand and Rathan. “Where? What happened to them? Can I talk to her, them?”

  “Slow down. We’re not ready to get into that.” Rand laughed and kissed her cheek. Rathan saw his little mate’s eyes widen at the change in the wolf. Had he treated with no tenderness? It was not like Rand to be cruel.

  “Rand, they are asleep standing. Can this wait until they’ve had a chance to rest?”

  “They need baths, too.” Jade took Kindara’s hand and pulled her away from Rathan. Kindara didn’t object and that told him more than anything how exhausted she was. “I’ll show you to the guest suites. They share a bathroom, but there is a walk-in shower and a separate bath area. It’s nice.”

  Rathan started to protest but stopped. How could he tell sweet, innocent Jade that Kindara was to be put in his rooms? What would his female say to that? It was better not to risk it. He’d just wait until the house was quiet for the night, then carry her to where she belonged. “Kindara...”

  “Yes?” She looked at him and he stepped closer, bending down to whisper so Jade could not hear.

  “She is Josey’s sister and very young. Don’t do or say anything that may upset her. And no feeding from her, either. Please?”

  “Provided you keep your bargain.”

  “I am a demon of honor, pet. Of course, I’ll keep my word.” Until she changed her mind and released him from his vow—as soon as he could convince her to do just that. “Take your bath; I’ll bring food to you. You’ll sleep in a bed this evening, with actual silk sheets and blankets.” His sheets, his bed, his body keeping her warm through the night.

  ****

  Kindara followed the young woman through the ornate cabin that was unlike any home she’d ever been in. The hotel she lived in did double duty as her people’s government building, but this structure was a true showcase of wealth. Not that her people weren’t wealthy—they just chose not to display it so openly. Jade kept up a running conversation with Jierra, though Jierra answered in monosyllables.

  Jade led Jierra into the bedroom suite first, obviously sensing that Jierra was closer to exhaustion than Kindara. Jierra thanked her and slipped into attached bath. That left Kindara with her sister-in-law’s younger sister. Jade favored Josey though the blonde hair was a shade or two lighter, longer, and curled in a mass of crinkles. She was a very pretty girl, no older than twenty or twenty-one.

  Jade studied Kindara for a moment. “You’re different, aren’t you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re not human. Either of you. But you’re not like my cousin or like Rathan, either.” Jade pulled two pairs of pajamas out of a drawer and handed them to Kindara. “These are my cousin Mickey’s. I don’t think she’ll mind if you and your friend borrow them. So what are you?”

  “And just what do you think your cousin and Rathan are?” The one thing that all beings in the Kind agreed on was that humans should not know about them, if at all possible. The human numbers were astronomical compared to those of the other Kind. If they were known about it could prove dangerous. What could this child have learned about their peoples and from whom?

  “I’ve given it a lot of thought. Rand is a werewolf, just
like my dad is. I don’t know what Rathan is, but sometimes when he gets mad you can almost smell sulfur, and sometimes his eyes turn red.” Jade sank onto a white plush loveseat and stared at Kindara. “But I don’t know what you are.”

  There was something about this girl that had Kindara smiling inside. She reminded her of Jierra in a playful mood or when she was excited about something. “And how do you know your cousin and father are werewolves? And how do you know I am different?”

  “Because I sense these things. I always have. Some people are just different. I have a friend at Colorado State who claims to be a witch. Not a Wiccan, but an actual witch.”

  “Is she?”

  “Hmmm. I’ve watched her do a few rituals, I guess you’d call them. She’s different, too.” Jade’s eyes narrowed. “But not like you different.”

  “Honey, does your dad or your cousin know what you think?”

  “No. I think it would bother them if I told them that I know.”

  “I think you should talk to your cousin, soon.” Kindara frowned. With the girl’s sister being Dardaptoan and her cousin Lupoiux, the girl would have to be told eventually.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?” The girl practically vibrated with excitement. “You are different.”

  “Jade,” Kindara sighed. This was so not her place, but she sensed the girl wouldn’t give up. And the last thing Kindara wanted was her grilling Jierra. Her daughter wouldn’t know how to answer and would be too exhausted and mentally drained to resist the girl’s questions for long. “Some people, some races or species I guess you can call them, are different. They’re more than human. Your friend sounds like she may be one of them. Your cousin is one of them. Rathan, too. But it’s not my place to tell you more. That’s something you need to hear from family.”

  Jade studied her. “Just how old are you? You talk like a parent yet you don’t look any older than thirty.”

  “I am a parent.” Kindara nodded in Jierra’s direction. “That’s my little girl. And I’m over four hundred years old. Now, I really need a shower and sleep.”

  “Why are you with Rand and Rathan?”

  The questions with this girl never ended and Kindara felt a rush of humorous sympathy for the girl’s parents. Her father, rather; hadn’t Josey told her that the girls’ mother had abandoned them several years ago? That was one thing Kindara didn’t understand—no Dardaptoan would abandon their children. It just wasn’t done. “That’s something else you’ll have to ask your cousin. I promised I wouldn’t discuss it.”

  “Darn it, now I’ll never get any answers.”

  “Have you tried just asking them?”

  “No. I’ve always tried to work up to it, or work around it.” Jade hopped to her feet just as Jierra returned, clean and wrapped in a towel. Kindara handed her daughter a pair of the strange human pajamas. “I’ll do that now. While you’re in the shower. I’ll just ask them flat-out if they're werewolves.” “You do that.”

  ****

  Rathan waited until the females were out of his sight before turning to the wolf. “We need to alter our plan.”

  “I still want them dead.” Rand’s rage was a quiet fire in his words. “They took my sisters and cousins. Do you know how terrified they probably were?”

  “Probably as terrified as Kindara’s daughter was, is. Or as Kindara was when she realized who you were.

  We were wrong to take them.”

  “I’m not giving her back. She’s staying here.”

  “For how long? You want her angry and terrified of you for centuries? That’s how long she’ll live, how long you’ll live. You want to keep her prisoner that long?”

  Rand’s eyes blazed. “That’s our business, not yours.”

  “It became my business the instant I decided to claim her mother as consort. That makes Jierra near as my child without blood. And I can only say I hope the Dardaptoans treated Mickey and Josey and the others better than we’ve treated our captives.”

  “So you are saying we should just give them back? And what...let Mickey and the others stay there? Give up their entire lives to be with these bastards?”

  “I say we simply let them have a choice. If we follow our original plan and kill the Dardaptoans, who do you think that will hurt the most? Your sisters and cousins. The bond between Dardaptoan Rajnis are incredible; they are just as strong as Lupoiux bonds. To break one would be horribly painful. Almost excruciating. Do you want to do that to your sisters?”

  “Do what to his sisters?” A feminine voice had them both jerking to face the stairs. “Where are his sisters? Where’s mine? And what’s a Dardaptoan and why were you planning to kill some?”

  Rathan looked between Rand and his cousin. They hadn’t sensed her presence, but Rathan had long accepted that this particular Taniss female had the ability to mask her presence in a way most humans didn’t.

  “It’s nothing, Jadie. Just go on up to bed.” Rand settled on the leather couch and tried to look casual.

  “No. I don’t think I will. Something is going on, something besides our sisters being kidnapped. Who are those women and why did you bring them here?” Jade had the stubborn look that Rathan recognized. Most of the Taniss females shared that look and were near on impossible to budge from their goals.

  When Rand remained silent, Jade stalked to him and stood arms crossed over him. “Look, I know you’re a werewolf and so is my dad. I figured that out back when I was like ten, so that doesn’t surprise me. And Rathan is obviously not human, although I can’t figure out what he is. Is he a Dardaptoan?”

  Rathan hadn’t been surprised by someone like this in a long time. “You’ll have to tell her. If not, she’ll just try to find the answers on her own.” And if a member of the Kind found out about her curiosity, they would eliminate her to protect their peoples. “And that will be dangerous.”

  “What is a Dardaptoan?”

  Rand sighed. “First, you need to understand that what I tell you can’t be repeated.”

  “Big surprise.” Jade rolled her eyes before settling on the couch across from her cousin. “I won’t tell anyone.”

  “I am a werewolf, a Lupoiux. We’ve existed since before humans,” Rand said.

  “How did you end up being a wolf?”

  “Your dad took me camping when I was eight. We were attacked and bitten. A month later your dad turned into a wolf. I first turned when I was sixteen.”

  “So the werewolf legends are true.”

  “Yes,” Rand told her more, explaining about Dardaptoans and the other Kinds before answering all the girl’s other questions.

  “So who are those women? And where are Josey and the others?”

  “Those women are Dardaptoan.” Rathan figured it would be better for him to explain the events leading up to Kindara and her daughter’s presence than Rand. Rand’s anger was still palpable when he mentioned Dardaptoans. “Your sister and cousins were taken by the Dardaptoans.”

  “Why?”

  “Your grandfather has been hunting Dardaptoans for decades and has...hurt...many of them,” Rathan remembered the scars marring his female’s body, thought of the tattoo on her daughter’s skin, and his own anger rose. “Josey and the others were taken to...lure...him out.”

  “And it hasn’t worked? They’ve not hurt them, have they?”

  “Not that we think. Dardaptoans have something a little different than a human courtship. They find the one they are destined for and keep them. They can also convert humans, just like Lupoiux can. I don’t know how, though, so no questions about that. But Kindara said—she’s the blonde woman upstairs—that your sister and cousins were all converted. And all were mated.”

  “Wow. So they’re ok? Why did you bring those two women here?”

  “We...took...them...” How did he tell this child they’d kidnapped and terrorized them?

  “So you did the same thing the Dardaptoans did.” Jade frowned at them. “So now what, are more Dardaptoans going to come and take me, or Bec
ca, or Cass? And then you go take more of them?”

  “We’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen now. Rand and I need to discuss some things. We didn’t know Emily was mated to the Dardaptoan king, or...”

  “Remember, Rathan, two kidnappings do not make it right! You and Rand need to fix this somehow. Bring our girls home and send those two back! And if they have a problem with Grandfather I say give them the old creep. We certainly don’t need him.”

  ****

  Kindara sat by Jierra’s bedside watching her sleep like she’d done when Jierra was sick as a child. Her daughter was young now, but a child no longer. She’d cried herself to sleep, and nothing Kindara could do settled her. Damn that wolf. If he wasn’t her daughter’s Rajni, Kindara wouldn’t rest until he was dead. But she’d never do that to her daughter.

  Her daughter already loved him; it was the nature of the Rajni bond. Jierra already loved the babes growing within her, too. She’d just need time to adjust to the changes the wolf had forced upon her.

  Kindara stood, brushed a hand over her daughter’s hair, then crawled into the second bed. She was just as exhausted, felt horribly weak, and even though she was in the home of the enemy, all she wanted was to sleep. She’d deal with everything else in the morning.

  ****

  Rathan stared down at his female as she lay curled on the guest bed. Exhaustion was clear in the dark circles beneath her eyes, but now she was clean and dressed in flannel pajamas. She looked so deceptively young and sweet. He swept her into his arms as carefully as he could. He wanted her in his bed, though he doubted he’d wake her long enough to feed from her. She slept so deeply.

  His suite of rooms was on the top floor and he carried her there, depositing her in the center of his bed. He stripped off his clothing, then slid in beside her. She snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest like they’d slept together a thousand times before, instead of a handful. He closed his eyes and gently slipped into her dreams.