In the Beginning...

by Calle J. Brookes

  Mickey and Mal waited outside the suite Josey had been sharing with Cormac.

  "Em!" Mickey threw her arms around Emily and held tight. "Oh God, we were so worried. Are you ok?"

  "Bruises. Josey?"

  "The doctors, healers, are with her." Mal rubbed the chill from her arms as she stared at the closed suite door. "They won't take her to a hospital, Em. They say it would be too hard to keep Josey safe there after blood tests have been ran. That the human doctors can’t help her now anyway."

  "Have either of you seen her?" Emily shoved the thoughts of her and her cousins not being human away.

  When they shook their heads no Emily opened the door. No one stopped her, and she hadn't expected anyone would. Rydere had said she was their queen, after all. "Come with me."

  Cormac stood by the head of the bed, his face harsh and pale. Terrified. The female doctor—healer—and another hovered over Josey.

  "How is she?" Emily asked.

  "Hanging on," the blonde woman said. "She's young and healthy and seems to be fighting to stay with us. She has a chance."

  "Just a chance?" Cormac demanded, his eyes still trained on Josey's blood and dirt-streaked face.

  Her cousin looked so young and vulnerable on the green silk comforter.

  "I won't lie, Cormac. You could lose her; they intended to kill her in the most painful way possible and they got a good start. If she had been alone in the gardens, we wouldn't be here now. Whatever—whoever—distracted them saved her life. See she's fed as often as she will take it. Keep her wounds clean, and she should pull through. Her recent humanness is in her favor. You're looking at a month minimum recovery time. Probably closer to twice that."

  An hour later the doctors left, after having examined Cormac's injuries. He sat by the bed, his eyes trained on Josey the entire time his hands were being stitched.

  Aodhan and Theo arrived shortly after. Mickey threw herself into Theo's arms, sobbing. He rocked her until she calmed. Aodhan's hand rose to hold Mal's shoulder and pull her closer; for once she didn't pull away.

  Emily was afraid to ask the question on the tip of her tongue. Aodhan seemed to understand. "He's...better. He's sleeping, now. But he asked me to check on you one more time."

  "I'm fine, just bruises." They'd almost died, just that quickly, and she had only bruises to show for it. "I need to change clothing. I need...I need...to see..."

  Mickey hugged her. "Go, Em. I'll stay here with Josey. So will Mal."

  ****

  The suite had been darkened, only one light burning when Emily entered. Guards had been posted outside their door and bars covered the windows.

  Rydere slept, stretched over the center of the bed. His large body took up so much of the space. Large and strong. Thank God or the goddess he was always mentioning. Cotton pants rode low on his hips, barely covering anything. His bandaged chest rose and feel with even rhythm. His body was strong, healthy, toned.

  She shuddered as she remembered how he had looked fighting the wolves; how fiercely he'd battled. How he'd yelled at her to get inside where she would be safe. Was that why he'd rushed outside? To save her?

  Instinctively she knew it was. Her fingers were gentle as they ran over the bandages, over the damage he’d gained while protecting her and Josey.

  His body stilled beneath her exploring hands. She looked at his face, seeing his eyes burning as he stared at her. He lifted his hand to her face, rubbing at dirt she hadn't realized she'd missed. "Emily, my love? Are you hurt?"

  "No."

  "How is your cousin?"

  "They say she should pull through." Emily's breath shuddered out as she pulled her hands back. "In time."

  "Guess you won't be leaving soon, after all." His words were soft, his hand gentle as it traced the cut on her lip. "If I could, I'd kill those Lupoiux bastards all over again for what they've done to you and your cousin."

  "What were they? And why...Werewolves."

  "Lupoiux. We've fought with them for millennia. I knew you'd be a target as soon as word of your existence got out. I'm sorry, Emily. For not keeping you safe. I should have."

  "You couldn't have predicted what happened."

  "Your home wasn't safe from me, was it?"

  "No." And it hadn't been, but she understood him now. It might not have been noble, or honorable, what he'd planned for her, but she understood it now. Wasn't she now feeling her own stirring for vengeance against the creatures who'd harmed her cousin, harmed her…harmed Rydere? "But I almost understand why you did it. My grandfather must be stopped."

  "And I had no right involving you in my battles with him."

  "But if you hadn't, we wouldn't be here right now," Emily said.

  "No." He tightened his hold on her hand. "I wouldn't have found you. I wouldn't have known I had my Rajni in this world. I cannot regret that, Emily. I regret what's happened between us; that I've hurt and frightened and taken from you. That your cousin was unprotected and nearly killed because I failed you. But I cannot regret having found you."

  Emily didn't doubt he spoke the truth. It was in his eyes and the tension of his body. She'd moved closer as he spoke, until she was curled against him. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

  "No. But you can't stay long." His tone was filled with regret as he brushed his lips over her forehead.

  "Why?"

  "Because I am not strong right now, and I need you too much."

  Emily tensed, then before she could stop herself she leaned closer and covered his lips with her own. He jerked in surprise. His hands wrapped around her upper arms and he pulled her over his chest, careless of the bandage. He took control of her like he'd done from the very beginning.

  Emily didn't care. He was alive, she was alive, and she wanted to feel it.

  Her hands slid into his hair, pulling his head closer to her.

  He tried to pull away. "Emily...I won't be able to stop myself again."

  "Shh. I don't want you to." She recovered his mouth with hers, then pulled back when he shifted to lean over her. "But don't hurt yourself."

  "I won’t hurt myself by loving my Rajni." He pulled her tunic over her head, then flicked open the front clasp to her bra.

  His hands were just rough enough as they cupped her breasts and squeezed. Emily arched against him, hungry for him to take her in his mouth. He obliged.

  “Do not stifle how you want your Rajni, my dove. Tell me. Better yet—show me.”

  Emily did just that.

  *************

  THE SEER’S STRENGTH

  Copyright © 2012

  Chapter One

  Theodric Sebastos felt a rush of anticipation like no other he had ever felt, but for once the prognosticator could not determine why. All he knew was that this place was where he was supposed to be at this exact time in his life.

  The man at his side was also supposed to be there. For a moment, Theo tried to read Aodhan’s future; the darkness he saw surprised him not. He had so rarely seen the fates of those closest to him.

  “Let’s get this over with, then.” Aodhan instructed the wolf Tajic to stand guard by the van, then started toward the small house with purpose. Determined as Aodhan always was.

  Theo agreed it was best to meet the future head on. He kept pace with the warrior easily. “Are you sure this is something you wish to do?” he asked of his friend.

  “Vengeance is needed for what their family has done.” Aodhan’s tone was hushed as they moved toward the small house on the corner of the Taniss

  Industries compound. “Am I looking forward to killing Taniss’s granddaughters as much as Cormac is? No. But I have lost far fewer relatives to this war than he.”

  “We will not be killing anyone this night.” Theo spoke the words before he realized what they meant. “That is not what our true purpose is now.”

  Aodhan slowed. “We will not? What will we be doing? Will we be facing death, then?”

  “No. Though there will be a struggle. Several. Of many Kinds
.”

  He followed the shadow that was the other man until they were just outside the door of the house they had staked out for several hours. Theo may not have been able to see the details of the house—the price of his clairvoyance was the loss of his physical eyesight—but he could make out shadows.

  He knew what Aodhan expected of him—they had fought side by side for more than five hundred years and despite Theo’s near blindness they communicated well—and he carefully approached the back door of the house.

  The occupants were two lone females. Humans. Young. Sisters. Theo had no war with these women, but knew they must be viewed only as a means to an end. Sacrifices. How was it that Rydere, their king, had put it? War was cruelty, and cruelty was war. Sacrifices must be made.

  The door was unlocked, something he had not expected. Still, these girls lived on their grandfather’s property, complete with security fence surrounding the entire fifteen hundred acres. There were armed guards patrolling those fences. Why would these girls feel the need to lock their doors?

  Their innocence and the fact that he was about to victimize that innocence almost sickened him. What Kind of monsters had they become when war involved young women only in their twenties?

  Theo prayed for guidance from his Goddess. Kennera was the goddess of love and innocence; she would not condone such actions if she watched.

  His king had ordered it done, and Theo had agreed to the plan. These girls would have died tonight to send a message to their sociopathic grandfather.

  No more would Leo Taniss be allowed to hunt and kill Theo’s Kind. No more would his friends and companions, his colleagues and neighbors, be tracked like vermin and exterminated. It would have ended tonight. His footfalls were silent as he used the vague shadows and light he could still see to guide him into the home. It was a warm place; he easily sensed that. The two occupants loved each other. The house smelled like females, sweet and tantalizing. One scent was more alluring than the other and he wondered at it, while breathing her in. Sweet.

  A female scream split the air, followed quickly by the sound of a scuffle. Of a woman calling out for the other to run. He would have to work immediately, then. Aodhan had struck quickly. His query was near. He felt her presence, heard her footsteps as she hurried down the stairs. To her sister’s aid. Instead of away, toward safety. Poor little love, had no idea of what she was running toward.

  He stepped into a hallway, certain he was on the right path.

  A feminine scream echoed through the room. He could see the shadow of a young female. He feinted left, blocking her as she tried to run past him. She swung at him, calling for her sister. Calling for help. Her fear was so clear for him to hear.

  Theo wrapped his hands around slim arms and pulled the woman against him. A feminine face appeared in his mind. One he had seen in his dreams many years past.

  She had green eyes unlike any he had ever seen, a slim body with sweet curves, and a red-gold halo of hair around a delicate face. Her lips were soft and rose in color. She was beautiful, delicate.

  His.

  His Rajni. His mate. The woman he had waited more than five hundred years for. He had found her.

  He ignored her struggling, knowing no human female would ever be strong enough to defend herself against a Dardaptoan male, even a blind one. “Shh, my dearest little love. I will not harm you this night.”

  His words had the opposite effect of what he had intended. She struggled harder, until he feared she would hurt herself. With a whispered word he sent her into what amounted to a catatonic state. She could still see him and feel him, but she could not move to fight.

  He would follow his king’s orders to bring this girl back to their city, but he would harm her no more than that. He would love her for the rest of her life. That her human life had only a fraction of years compared to his mattered little. He would cherish the days they did have together.

  She whimpered when he lifted her into his arms, and he hugged her close. She smelled like gardenias and chocolate. He curled one hand in her hair, pulling her gently toward him. He kissed her brow before he carried her out of her home and into the night.

  Aodhan waited. Theo felt the presence of his Rajni’s sister. She stood near Aodhan. Her blood smelled heavy on the air. Aodhan had tasted her, then.

  “It is done?” Aodhan asked.

  “I am ready, yes. We must get them back to Dardanos; we have much to plan.”

  The shadows of Aodhan and the other woman began to move. Theo studied the movements closely. “You have bound her hands?”

  “She is fearsome. I thought it best to prevent her from hurting herself. Her sister not so vicious?”

  “No. It was a simple matter.” Theo snuggled her closer, not wanting to drop her in the night. “She is mine.”

  “As her sister is mine.”

  ****

  Michaela Taniss heard the men talking, knew there were two of them and that they also had her sister, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move her head to look at any of them. She couldn’t move her limbs either. Had the man holding her drugged her? What had he given her? When had he done it? She’d heard her sister yelling at her to run, to get out of the house. Then Mickey had run right into the man carrying her. And he carried her as if she weighed nothing, instead of the one hundred and thirty pounds she knew she was. He was so much stronger than she. How was she supposed to get away?

  His hand was hot on her spine as he carried her; occasionally, he ran his fingers over her hair and down her back. He was so gentle; was he going to hurt her, then?

  Mickey could hear Mal cursing and yelling at the men, but she could not join her sister, or even tell Mal to be quiet. Mal sounded mad, but Mickey knew her sister was just as terrified. And why had the big man tied Mallory’s hands? One thousand questions continued to run through Mickey’s mind, but no answers were coming.

  A van waited, dark in color. Mickey’s heart rate sped up when she saw it.

  No…

  Mickey fought against the strange paralysis that held her. She couldn’t get in that van. She couldn’t. Her eyes met her sister’s, and she saw the same fear in Mal’s eyes.

  A whimper escaped. “Please…”

  The man carrying her tightened his arms around her. His hand ran over her hair again. So gentle. Mickey felt shivers shake her body, the only movement she was capable of.

  She felt his lips move against her cheek when he spoke. “I will not hurt you, never hurt you. You must believe that.”

  Somehow she found her voice. “Let us go, then.”

  “I am afraid we cannot do that, my little love.”

  Why did she think the man meant it? Was that true regret in his tone? Mickey closed her eyes as the other man slid the back doors to the van open. The other man picked Mal up and slung her over his shoulder. He didn’t seem to even notice how Mal kicked and fought him. Strong. Mallory wouldn’t stand a chance against him. A tear slid from Mickey’s eyes.

  Her sister didn’t deserve to be a victim again.

  A surge of strength that surprised even Mickey flooded her body. Her hand lashed out, her nails raked across the man’s face. He cursed, but he didn’t loosen his hold on her. His arm wrapped around both hers and he held her in place. “We are secure, Aodhan. Let’s get them home.”

  The big man wrapped the rope in his hand around Mal’s arms, binding them to her sides and down around her waist and knees. Mickey watched her sister struggle, though the dim interior light allowed her to see very little detail around her. Her glasses were still on the bathroom sink. She’d been removing her contacts when Mal had screamed. He tied off the rope, then slid into the driver’s seat. Mal was left against the van’s large side panel.

  The man holding Mickey was a more cautious type. He settled into the bench seat in the back after placing Mickey in the far corner seat. He even slipped the seatbelt around her waist. Her arms were still numb, but she was starting to regain feeling. His hands were hot when he ad
justed the belt around her.

  His tenderness and care scared her more than the other man’s callous attitude. What would he want from her in exchange for his kindness?

  “Aodhan, we are ready. Let us get out of this place.”

  His voice was steady, calming, but Mickey still shivered. Still felt the tears trailing down her cheeks. Why were they doing this? Was it something she or Mal had done? They lived on the family property, their home behind eight foot tall stone gates, manned by security teams, cameras, and dogs. They were protected.

  Her brother and uncle ensured that. Her brother Rand took his position as head of security very seriously and spent countless hours checking and double checking. He’d taken her and Mal’s safety very seriously, and had since Mal was attacked and raped when she and Rand were only twenty-one, and Mickey sixteen.

  He would find them. Rand would not stop until he had her and Mal home again.

  Chapter Two

  Her fear, and that of her fierier sister, was heavy on the air as the van traveled toward the Dardanos hotel and resort that served as the Dardaptoan city hall. Theo touched a finger to the scratches on his cheek. His woman had a spirit that her quietness hid. He resisted the urge to run his hands over her again, to shape her body with his fingers so that he would remember the feel of her always. She had not felt very substantial beneath his hands, by any means. She was tall for a human woman, he had sensed that, but she was narrow of build. So fragile, his female. He would have to take care of her.

  He hated that she feared him, but knew it would take them some time to know one another enough that her fear dissipated.

  She still shivered, her fear and shock making her even more susceptible to the cold. He cursed himself for not considering…why had he not brought a blanket for her? He should have; it mattered little that they had planned to kill the women once they arrived back at the hotel. He should have thought of how frightened and cold she would have been on the journey.