Undone (The Amoveo Legend)

by Sara Humphreys

  Before she could utter a word, Artimus stood on his hind legs and bellowed triumphantly into the air. To Pete it was just a bear in his dream, but Marianna knew it meant far more—Artimus was gloating. He’d invaded Pete’s dream realm with ease, and Marianna knew that if Pete were attacked in the dream plane, he wouldn’t have a fighting chance.

  A mortal wound in the dream meant he was a dead man.

  Holy shit, Pete said under his breath. I know this is only a dream, but that is one big goddamn bear.

  You have to wake up, Pete. Marianna gripped his arms and shook him. Right now!

  Artimus bellowed louder, but Pete laughed. It’s only a dream. Right, Yogi? He laughed harder. Where’s Boo Boo?

  Marianna spun him to face her. I mean it, Pete. Wake up! She glanced at Artimus, who had dropped to all fours and was advancing with slow, deliberate steps. Fear clogged her throat, and she shook him harder. Wake up, you stubborn son of a bitch!

  Artimus growled louder and started running toward them. In one last-ditch effort, Marianna hauled off and slapped Pete across the face as hard as she could. Wake up, she screamed.

  The mist swept in and swallowed Pete’s shocked face from her sight. Shaking with fear, relief, and fury, she searched the swirling clouds for Artimus. Come out, you coward. How dare you try to assassinate a human in the dream realm?

  I came out tonight looking for you, but imagine my surprise to find a human man here with you? His gravelly voice barreled around her like a storm. I am wondering how it’s possible that you’re dream-walking with a human? How and why?

  Silence surrounded her as Artimus’s question hung in the air. Panic swamped her. He knew. Artimus knew that Pete was her mate, and he was going to kill him—dream or no dream. She had to say or do something, something to make him think that Pete was of no importance to her.

  He’s just some clueless human that works for Dante. He’s been insisting I have him around, but I can’t imagine why. I was curious to see what a human’s dream might be like, so I did a little peeking. She kept her voice light and playful, hoping to keep him away from the truth. You went to all this trouble to come and find me in the dream realm, so why are you hiding? What’s the matter, afraid to face me?

  Don’t flatter yourself, Marianna. His rumbling baritone filled her mind, but he remained hidden. And if you think, for one minute, that I don’t believe that human is important to you, then you’re not as smart as I thought you were. One more word of advice, I think it would be wise not to dream-walk with this human. It won’t end well for either of you.

  Is that a threat? she shouted to the blackening clouds, hoping her fear wasn’t as obvious to him as it was to her.

  No, my dear. You know as well as I do that it’s simply the truth. A gritty laugh rolled around her as she spun in circles, struggling to find him in the stormy realm. I’m two hundred years old, and killing you would be as easy as breathing. I have far more productive plans in mind.

  Thunder rolled and lightning flared in the gray clouds as his energy signature vanished in a blink. Standing alone amid the now-empty dream plane, Marianna shuddered at Artimus’s ominous message. She didn’t know what the sick bastard had in mind, but she was relatively certain it was a fate worse than death.

  ***

  Pete snagged the gun from under his pillow, sat straight up in bed, and pointed it at every corner of the studio apartment. Blinking the sweat from his eyes, and breathing like he just ran a marathon, he scanned the messy space as though his life depended on it.

  Nothing. No woods. No fucking bears, and unfortunately, no Marianna.

  He let out a long breath, flipped the safety back on his Beretta, and flopped onto his rumpled bed with a combination of relief and embarrassment. He hadn’t had a nightmare like that since he was a kid, and it would be fine and fucking dandy if he never had another one like it again.

  A smile crept over his face as he remembered the beginning of the dream. Well, he thought, the first half was great, and the whole thing was on a fast track to one sexy-ass dream—until that stupid bear showed up. He frowned. Why would he do that? Why would his subconscious sabotage such a hot dream about Marianna with a bear?

  “Probably because you know she’s an Amoveo in the Bear Clan, and you can’t have her,” he said out loud. “Must be some kind of self-preservation mechanism or something, but it still sucks, and now I’m talking to myself.”

  Pete glanced at the clock and swore loudly. It was almost noon, which meant he’d practically slept the day away. What the hell was wrong with him?

  He put the gun on his nightstand, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and rubbed his face in an effort to wake up. He winced and touched the left side of his face. His cheek was tender from where Marianna had slapped him in the dream, and if he didn’t know better, he’d think she’d smacked him for real.

  Pete rubbed the early morning scruff along his jaw, grabbed a probably dirty towel from the chair, and made his way into the tiny bathroom. He glanced at the tuxedo in the plastic rental bag that hung from his closet door and grimaced. Putting on that monkey suit for the benefit at the Waldorf was going to suck—he’d almost prefer to get smacked. A grin cracked his face as he turned on the shower, especially by Marianna.

  ***

  Pete rode the elevator up to Dante and Kerry’s penthouse apartment and tugged at the collar of the tuxedo shirt. He could swear the bloody thing had gotten tighter by the second, or maybe it was his guilty conscience that was strangling him. He’d not only made out with Dante’s twin sister, but he’d also had a dirty dream about her, and hadn’t been able to think about anything else since he woke up. He’d tried everything. A cold shower. A five-mile run. Another cold shower—but nothing worked.

  He couldn’t get away from the taste of her. Peaches and champagne lingered along the edge of his senses since that kiss last night. That kiss. Holy hell, all he’d done was kiss her, but it felt like she’d put him under some kind of spell, and the only thing he could think about was her.

  The ding of the elevator brought him back to reality and the foyer of Dante and Kerry’s spacious penthouse apartment. Grateful to find the hallway empty, he willed himself to think about something other than Marianna. He opened the white-paneled French doors at the end of the hall and found Dante and Kerry snuggled up together on the red sofa.

  “Jesus,” he teased with a big smile. “Don’t you two ever stop mauling each other?”

  “Pete!” Kerry’s face turned as red as their sofa as she sat up and straightened her long ebony hair.

  “We didn’t hear you come in,” Dante said quickly.

  “I’m not surprised.” He smiled and sat in the oversized chair across from them.

  “You look absolutely gorgeous.” She whistled and wiggled her eyebrows as Dante pulled her into the crick of his arm. “You clean up very well. Maybe you should wear tuxedos more often.”

  “Yeah, well, I feel like a waiter.”

  Kerry laughed loudly and hopped off the couch. “I’m going to grab a glass of wine. Would you like some?”

  “No thanks.” He waved. “I’m driving.”

  “Of course, be right back.” She sauntered toward the kitchen and threw a wink to her husband as she disappeared around the corner.

  “She’s right,” Dante said as he looked at Pete more intently than usual. “You seem… different.”

  “It’s the tux,” Pete said abruptly. He pulled at the stupid collar again and adjusted his position in the chair. He was busted. Dante knew something was going on. “You know I hate wearing these things.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Dante narrowed his eyes and studied him. “It’s more than that. Did something happen with Marianna?”

  “Like what?” Pete started to sweat.

  “I’m not sure,” Dante said quietly. “But I’m getting the sense there’s something going on that you’re not telling me.” He leaned both elbows on his knees and peered at Pete over laced fingers. “Your energy signature is
practically nonexistent, invisible almost. Yours has always been unusually strong for a human, but now, it’s almost gone.”

  “Don’t ask me. Energy-whatever-you-call-them, are your specialty. Not mine.” Pete shrugged and desperately wanted to change the subject. “You said that you wanted to talk to me about something. Did you find out anything else about this list that Marianna is on?”

  “Not exactly.” Dante shook his head and sat back, but didn’t take his sharp eyes off of Pete. “However, I am concerned that Hayden is so persistent in his pursuit of Marianna. He even went to that club. He and Artimus are getting bolder, and that worries me.”

  “Yeah, well, they’re both going to be at the benefit tonight.” Pete’s gut clenched, and those all too familiar alarm bells started ringing again.

  “I know.” Dante grabbed a folder off the table and handed it to Pete. “Pictures of Artimus, Hayden, and few other Purists from the Council. I included a list of the top clan members who have declared themselves Purists.”

  Pete flipped through the folder and stopped at Hayden’s picture. “This guy is bad news. I don’t like the way he speaks to Marianna. The son of a bitch acts like he owns her or something,” he bit out. Pete knew he sounded like a jealous lover, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was Marianna’s safety.

  Dante leaned back and smiled. “I dare him to try. My sister is not a woman who would allow herself to be owned by anyone. I pity the bastard who attempts it,” he said with a laugh. “If her mate ever does turn up, the poor guy has his work cut out for him. I tease Marianna that maybe he did find her, but decided she was too much of an unpredictable handful and split.”

  “Uh-huh.” Pete tried to ignore Dante’s comments about Marianna’s mate. The mere idea of another man touching her made him want to punch someone’s lights out.

  “She can’t get out of her own way sometimes.” The smile faded from Dante’s lips. “I am particularly worried about the latest development.”

  “What is it?”

  “We have at least five more pure-blood females who have gone missing—all from different clans and all unmated.” He ran a hand over his tired face. “One is a friend of Marianna’s from grade school—Courtney Bishop. She’s a member of the Coyote Clan. She disappeared a few days ago. Like Marianna, she never declared a side. Her family hasn’t been able to find her anywhere. Her energy signature has vanished, and they can’t connect with her telepathically.”

  “I see,” Pete said grimly. He tried to squelch that bad feeling, but it only grew stronger. “Could she be dead?”

  “No.” Dante shook his head. “When one of us dies, our energy signature flashes brightly, and it’s sensed by our family members. It’s like a bolt of lightning that goes directly to the hearts of those you’re most connected with.” His features darkened. “I felt it for the first time when my father was killed.”

  “I see.” Pete kept his attention on the contents of the folder, knowing that Dante wouldn’t want to linger on unpleasant memories. “Were these women on this acquisition list you’re referring to?”

  “Yes.” Dante nodded and pointed to the folder. “The missing women’s pictures are in the back of that folder, and I want to be sure we don’t add Marianna to this group.”

  “Not gonna happen.” Pete flipped the folder open on the table and looked through the photos as he wrestled with his anger. “You think Artimus and the Purists are behind their disappearances?” He locked eyes with Dante. “Don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Dante replied grimly. “But I can’t for the life of me figure out why they’d target these women. By the way, don’t tell Marianna about this. I’d rather not worry her more than necessary.”

  “What’s this?” Pete asked, pulling out a list of names. He didn’t relish the idea of keeping anything else from Marianna. He already felt like a shit for pretending that he didn’t know about the Amoveo.

  “It’s a list of Amoveo men who mated with and had children with human women. As far as we can tell, the numbers indicate how many children they had, and we think the initials are the states they were raised in. For example, Kerry’s father’s name is there, and it has a one and R.I. next to it. She’s an only child, and she grew up in Rhode Island. The same pattern fits for Samantha and Layla, who are both hybrids as you know.”

  “I see,” Pete said quietly as he studied the list. “I’m not sure what use it is to me.”

  “I just want you to have as much information as possible while you keep an eye on Marianna. Artimus is far less likely to make a scene around humans, so I’ll feel much better knowing that you’ve got her back.”

  “If Artimus and Hayden really want to get to her, they’ll find a way.” Pete closed the folder and leveled a serious gaze at Dante. “I think we should get her the hell out of the city. It’s too difficult to protect her here. There are too many nooks and crannies where one of these bastards can hide. Besides, they can blink in and out of any place that they fucking want.” Anger and resentment flared fast. He hated feeling like he was somehow handicapped against these guys, but he was.

  “We had one of our elders place a shield around Marianna’s apartment building,” Dante said seriously. “No one can use their visualization skills to enter, except for her. So we know she’s safe in her apartment.”

  “Great,” Pete bit out. “What about the stuffy-ass event tonight? Any shields going on over there?”

  “No.” Dante shook his head. “I wasn’t planning on attending the event tonight, but maybe Kerry and I should go.”

  “Not necessary.” Pete shook his head and took a small plastic tube out of his pants pocket. He held it up and smiled. “I’ve got a backup plan.”

  “Is that what I think it is?” he asked warily.

  “Yes sir,” Pete said with more than a little satisfaction. He wiggled the small bottle, full of the precious silver powder. “I got myself some binding powder.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Dante laughed loudly and pointed at his friend. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

  “What?” Kerry asked as she came back in and handed Dante a glass of red wine. “What reason? Well, of course, aside from because he’s one of the only humans on the planet who know about the Amoveo?” Kerry resumed her place on the sofa next to her husband.

  “Pete is one of the smartest and prepared men I know. Which is exactly why I hired him,” Dante said as he draped one arm over his wife’s shoulders.

  Kerry sipped her wine and glanced at the bottle Pete was holding. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “Yes,” he said as he slipped it back into his pocket. “This silver powder will bind a shifter in their human form for one month with no other powers. No shifting, no telepathy. Zip. Supposedly it makes a shifter a regular person for about a month. This is only for emergencies anyway, but I’ll tell ya, I feel better just having it in my pocket. It’s kind of like having my gun.” He adjusted the weapon under his jacket. “I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want us to go with you tonight?” Dante asked again.

  “Absolutely.” Pete tried not to let his pride and ego take over, but he wasn’t having much luck. He may not be some supernatural being, but he was a damn good cop, and he wasn’t going to let either Hayden or Artimus get their hands on Marianna. “I don’t think they’re going to try anything in the middle of the Waldorf Astoria, and if they do, they’re going to get a face full of this shit or some lead in their ass.”

  “Understood,” Dante said firmly. “I’ll let you know when I hear more about this list that Artimus has put together. Prince Richard has an informant in Artimus’s camp. He won’t tell any of us who it is, but this individual is gathering information. From what I understand, this person can rarely use telepathy to contact Richard for fear of being discovered, so the information is coming in small doses.” Dante smiled at Kerry. “But at least that’s something.”

  “Good.” Pete stood
from the chair and saw Kerry looking at him curiously. He cleared his throat and looked away. “I better get going. Marianna will be pissed if I’m late.”

  He suspected that Kerry knew something was up. If he didn’t get out of here soon, he would confess everything and risk getting fired or getting his ass kicked. Neither sounded appealing.

  “Take good care of her, Pete, and watch your back. She’s a member of the Bear Clan, and they’re known for their unpredictable behavior.” He shook his head. “You never know what she’s going to do.”

  Pete started to go, but stopped short. “Wait a second. I thought you two were twins. Why isn’t she a fox like you are?”

  “My mother is from the Fox Clan, and my father was from the Bear Clan. We don’t know which clan our children will favor until they go through puberty.”

  “Lovely,” Kerry mused. “As if puberty isn’t crappy enough.”

  “Huh.” Pete shook his head and chuckled. “You Amoveo are full of surprises.” He turned on his heels and headed out. “I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how it went,” Pete said.

  Kerry followed him into the hallway. The penthouse elevator was open and waiting for him, as if conspiring to help him escape.

  Pete stepped into the elevator, hoping to make a quick exit, but Kerry threw one arm out and prevented the doors from closing. She arched a dark eyebrow at him and wordlessly extended her other hand toward him.

  “No way,” he said firmly and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not peeking into my brain.”

  Kerry had the gift of second sight, and with one touch she could see right into a person’s soul, stripping away all facades and uncovering buried secrets.

  “Pete.” She sighed. “Cut the crap, and give me your hand. Don’t make me shift into my panther and claw up that handsome tux,” she said sweetly. “I can usually read your energy signature, but it’s—”