Secrets of Night

by Virginia Cavanaugh

  “Oh, look what we have here,” Kale stated from his squatted position on the floor as he held up the nine millimeter Glock he found on the shifter.

  “Do you think that’s what he came back for?” she asked, placing the invoice back into the basket.

  “Could be.” He stuck his hand into the shifter’s pocket and then pulled it back with a low growl.

  “What?”

  “Titanium bullets,” he replied, holding his burned fingertips up for her to see. “Apparently someone wants to go after a vampire.” He tilted his head in an act of concentration.

  “What—” She stopped speaking as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

  The doorknob twisted. She looked at Kale, and he grimaced as the door began to open, revealing two shifters.

  “Damn it, Dave, I told you to get Eric’s gun. Not—”

  "Sorry, Dave's taking a little nap," Kale growled

  The one who had been speaking stood at a medium height with thick muscles covering his body. Kierra believed that when he shifted it would be into some large animal. His eyes gleamed with a savage light as his upper lip twitched on one side with the clenching of his jaw. The other male had a much smaller, thinner build. She seriously hoped he was a house cat.

  With a loud growl and a shrill cry, the two shifters bounded into the room, shifting in mid-air into the forms of a lion and a falcon.

  Kierra’s gaze locked on to the falcon as it headed for her, claws bared for flesh tearing. So much for him being a house cat. She tucked into a ball, rolling out of his path as he swooped down at her. The air stirred above her as the falcon flapped its wings, passing over. She regained her feet as her hand found the handle of the dagger strapped to her thigh and quickly unsheathed it. She took aim, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the silver dagger flying through the air. It clipped the falcon’s wing, and it let out a shrill cry that reverberated around the room. She spared a glance in Kale’s direction as the lion leapt at him. Kale kicked out forcefully, landing one booted foot in the large lion’s chest, sending it through the air to crash on top of one of the desks. A massive thud ripped through the air, followed by the sound of wood cracking as the desk became kindling under the lion’s weight.

  Papers fluttered in the air as the falcon swooped in again. She swerved but wasn’t fast enough. A burning sensation tore through her upper arm, and she ground her teeth to keep from crying out. She glanced down and found a deep cut now marked her right bicep; a stream of crimson ran from it. Furious, Kierra called upon her powers. A blinding light flickered and flashed throughout the room as she conjured a ball of lightning. She released it with a swift outward motion of her hand and arm, shooting it straight into the falcon, who transformed back into his human form in the air and dropped to the ground unconscious.

  She spotted Kale log-rolling on the floor with the lion. Her heart pounded as she stared, transfixed by the battle for dominance. She stood across the room by a large window. They stopped rolling, Kale on his back, holding the lion by its throat. The lion snapped, snarled, and growled, saliva dripping from its bared teeth as it clawed Kale’s shoulder. He pushed on the large cat’s throat, rolling him to the side, where Kale gained the upper hand by moving in behind the lion. The large muscles in Kale’s arm flexed, and his grip tightened. The sickening sound of bones crunching and ligaments ripping reached her ears as Kale broke the lion’s neck and tossed the creature aside.

  She stared in awe at Kale as he sprang to his feet. His eyes glowed, and his fangs were bared. His muscles were tense and battle ready. He turned his head toward the door. It sounded as if a stampede approached.

  Shifters filed into the room. Kale ran toward her, legs pumping hard.

  She barely heard him growl, “We’re leaving” before he jumped and scooped her into his arms, twisting in mid air. He hit the window with his back, shattering it. Slivers of glass caught the light of the moon and twinkled as they fell like rain beside them.

  Kierra held her scream as they fell, trusting in his capability and being rewarded as Kale landed on his feet with a nearly nonexistent jostle. But he didn’t put her down. Instead he ran at a preternatural speed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her head against his heated skin just below his ear. A tremor ran through her body. Had it been fear or desire that had caused it? She now knew what Owen Wilson had meant in Armageddon. Ninety-eight percent excited, two percent scared. Or was it the other way around?

  She felt the rise and fall of his chest, his every breath steady and even, belying his pace and the burden of her added weight. The trees they passed looked like one big blur as he ran with her through the woods.

  If she had guessed this morning what she’d be doing tonight, being held in Kale’s arms as they made a fast getaway wouldn’t have been on the list. The adrenaline running through her, coupled with the heat of his body, made her skin tingle. She’d never been more aware of him than in this moment, nor had she been more fearful of the danger it represented.

  She sucked in a deep breath as she looked forward and saw their intended destination. Kale’s Harley Davidson Night Rod Special was parked beside the curb ahead. She’d never been fond of motorcycles, but she didn’t have much choice right now. He sat her on the back of it and then straddled it himself. The V-twin motor roared to life, and she wrapped her arms around his waist as the back tire squealed, sliding them sideways before they sped off into the night.

  ****

  Kale pulled into the garage of his two-story Victorian home and parked next to his black Lotus. He shifted the bike into neutral and turned the key, silencing the twelve-fifty cc engine. Kierra swung her leg over and dismounted, and he immediately missed the heat of her body against his back. His lips tightened as he too got off the bike. It had probably been a mistake to bring her here, but he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. He had a fierce need to protect her. The question was, who was going to protect her from him and the growing lust he felt for her? Even in her disheveled state, she stirred his body like no other. Her hair had begun to escape from the bindings that had held it in place, and one side of her face was now smeared with the blood from his shoulder wound.

  “Where are we?” Kierra asked as she gripped her injured arm, applying pressure to stave the blood flow.

  “My home in Edinboro or, at least, one of my homes. I picked this one because nobody knows about it. Well, except for you now. Come on. Let’s get inside. I need to make a phone call.” Kale hit the button for the automatic garage door, and it began to glide toward the pavement as he turned and led the way inside.

  He glanced behind him at Kierra as she crossed over the threshold into the empty living room with its sterile white walls and carpet. His lips turned up in a smile as he noticed her curious expression. “As you might have guessed, I really don’t have any need of the upper two floors. The basement is this way.”

  He continued his path through the living room and into the kitchen, coming to a stop in front of a secure door. With nimble fingers, he punched in the security code on the keypad. “After you,” he stated, holding the door open as she passed through it.

  Kale secured the door behind them before descending the stairs. Kierra’s scent of jasmine filled the stairway. He knew she’d been wounded, but it must have been worse than he thought because blood still flowed freely from her arm. The alluring scent of it filled him, causing his jaw to clench and his fangs to throb as he reached down and adjusted his erection. It had driven him crazy with want as she rode behind him. He couldn’t help but think of her legs wrapped around him in a different manner, her arms encircling him in passion instead of necessity.

  He suppressed a groan as he strode around the corner at the base of the stairs and was greeted by the familiar surroundings of his bedroom, thankful for its dim lighting that would help conceal him. The cinderblock walls had a fresh coat of black paint. His king-sized bed in the corner of the room sat unmade, its crimson satin sheets in disarray. A black and whit
e marble desk held his computer and phone. He knew the décor was a little cliché, but what the hell.

  “I built a bathroom over there if you need it,” he stated, gesturing across the room. He hoped she’d avail herself of it, separating him from her so he could rein in his treacherous body. He needed to think clearly.

  “Thanks,” Kierra replied, holding her hand over her wound as she walked into the bathroom.

  He stood in front of the desk and watched as she disappeared through the doorway; a mixture of anger and frustration running through him. He silently cursed himself for not sending her home when he found out what she’d been planning. At least then she wouldn’t be here bleeding and tearing away at his self-control.

  He’d never trusted Eric and had already planned to launch a full investigation on the shifter. It had come to his attention that several complaints had been filed about forced prostitution and drug manufacturing by some of the prides in area four. Somehow Eric had managed to brush them under the rug, but recently, one of those complaints had been filed with Kale. The female shifter had also brought signed statements from others who had filed complaints with Eric. The abductions and the immigrants tipped the scales. He couldn’t wait any longer to present it to the triad. Something had to be done now.

  As the leading captain of the vampire guardians in this area, Alexander would need to be aware of the threat the shifters now posed. He picked up the phone and dropped into the black leather office chair. After he dialed the number, he cradled the receiver between his face and shoulder, releasing a pent-up breath as he leaned back in the chair. Alexander answered on the second ring.

  “Why are you not answering your cell?” Lex shouted.

  Kale stuck his hand into the front pocket of his pants and found his cell phone. He pulled it free and noticed several cracks in the screen. “It’s out of order. Listen. Some serious shit is going down. I just left the shifters’ place—”

  “Did you find the women?” Lex interrupted.

  Kale sat up in the chair and grabbed the phone. “How did you know about the sorceresses?”

  “My man, I don’t know anything about any sorceresses. I’m talking about vampire women. Do the sorceresses have something to do with this too?”

  “What the hell do you mean, vampire women?” Kale could tell that Lex was pissed off by the way he half growled at him.

  “A group of shifters attacked a small colony on the edge of Erie about thirty minutes ago. They kidnapped two women. I arrived with my team after the furballs escaped. Good news is the rest of the women and a few males who survived were able to take one shifter down before we got there. He’s injured, but alive. We have him locked down. So what’s this got to do with the sorceresses, and why were you at the shifters’ place if you didn’t know?”

  “I went to check up on them after their lack of attendance. I ran into someone while I was there and found out there had been an incident earlier today involving five sorceresses. Three of them were taken.”

  “Ah, the plot thickens. So, who did you run into?”

  “That isn’t important.” His gaze drifted to the closed bathroom door. He sure wasn’t going to tell him about Kierra, or about her continued presence with him for that matter. “There were a lot of shifters there I’ve never seen before. They’re not from this area. Oh, and they’re packing titanium rounds. Or at least Eric is.” Kale looked at his now permanently scarred fingertips.

  “That is a violation of the treaty.”

  “Well, me killing one of theirs tonight is too.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned if this isn’t turning out to be a real clusterfuck.” Lex sighed.

  “Work the shifter over. I want to know everything the sonofabitch knows,” Kale ordered as he turned to look at the clock. “The sun will be up soon, so we can’t do much right now, but I want to be on the move ASAP when the fireball sets.”

  “On it. Catch some Z’s while you can. It may be a long night.”

  Not nearly as long as this day will be, Kale thought as he placed the phone back into its cradle, his eyes fixed on the closed bathroom door.

  Chapter Three

  Kierra heard the clanking of hard plastic coming from the bedroom as Kale ended his call. She’d only heard bits and pieces of Kale’s conversation as she worked to clean up the wound on her arm, but that was enough to spark her curiosity. There were now vampire women involved, and whoever was on the other end of that call now held a shifter captive. She could only hope his captivity would lead to some answers. But will Kale be willing to share what information he gets, or will he try to avoid me?

  Blood dripped into the white porcelain sink, and Kierra laid aside the bloodstained washcloth. The cut would probably require sutures. She pursed her lips, not wanting to leave and search for a healer. She decided it would have to wait. Right now, she wanted to know more of what Kale had found out.

  She opened the wooden cabinet next to the sink and drew out another clean white hand towel. She placed it over the cut then applied pressure to stop the bleeding and wrapped it around her arm, tying a knot with her teeth. Her wound now covered, she took a deep fortifying breath and moved to open the door, prepared to do battle with Kale once more on her right to pursue answers and justice on behalf of her people. Her gaze caught her reflection in the mirror. “Oh, God. I look like I could star in The Clan of the Cave Bear,” she whispered, using her free hand to try and smooth her hair into some assemblage of right. Half of her hair had fallen down and now hung in matted strips around her neck and face. She gave up quickly, deciding that she would get nowhere with the naps in her hair without a good sturdy comb. Shoulders back, she opened the door and strode into the room, taking a seat on the rumpled bed across from him.

  She fixed her gaze on him. The claw marks on his left shoulder were mostly healed, looking more like minor scratches than the gouges they had been. It would be only a matter of minutes before his tan skin became smooth and unmarred once again. She wondered if he missed the sun. His skin had remained the pigment it was when he turned. And from the looks of it, he’d spent a lot of time in the sun. It also stood as a testament to his age. He’d either been turned during the wars in centuries past, or he’d been around when it had all began.

  Her eyes dipped lower, moving over the broad expanse of his chest, and she found it increasingly harder not to think about what the red satin beneath her would feel like against her bare skin as he made love to her.

  She drowned that thought as quickly as it had surfaced, stiffening her spine as she sat up straight. If he’d noticed her brief perusal of him, he didn’t betray it in his expression.

  “Did you hear any of that?” he asked, running his hand through his hair.

  “Some. I heard you mention something about vampire women, so I’m assuming the shifters took some of them hostage as well.”

  “Correct.”

  She waited, but it became clear she’d have to drag the information out of him, as his silence filled the space between them. “I also heard you say something to the effect of having a shifter captive.”

  “That’s also correct.”

  “So what are we going to do about it?” She crossed her arms.

  “We are not doing anything about it. I can’t let you get any further involved with this than you already are.”

  She uncrossed her arms and sat forward. “Last time I checked, you don’t have the authority to let, or not let, me do anything.”

  “You don’t get it.” He sat forward, bracing his arms across his knees. “This could turn into another bloody war. It’s better if it can stay between us and the shifters.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “And what? My people are chopped liver? I assure you we can handle ourselves!”

  His gaze moved to her injured arm, and one brow rose. She pursed her lips, annoyed at his reminder. If she hadn’t gotten distracted checking on his progress with the shifter, her reaction time would’ve been spot-on. She could’ve handled herself just fine without
his disturbing presence. She huffed, ignoring his silent question, and continued.

  “And need I remind you that if it weren’t for my race the vampires and shifters of this world would not even exist. You wouldn’t possess any power at all if Morganna had not cursed your people in the first place. Besides, they involved us when they took hostages. So I’m going after them, with or without your help!”

  “Damn it, Kierra!” He bolted out of the chair. “When that stupid bird clawed you tonight, I wanted to rip its head off. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  Silence stretched between them. She blinked in shock. Her heart fluttered, wanting so badly to believe that he cared for her on a deeper level, but what good would it do? He would still be forbidden to her. More than likely he was just as concerned for her safety as any leading member of the Order would be.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” he whispered as he sat on the bed next to her. “You have to understand. I was around long before the Order of Night was created. I fought in those battles. If this situation were to come to war…” He trailed off, turning to look at her.

  She felt the weight of his gaze like a light caress upon her face. Even though his skin carried no sign of the numerous battles he’d no doubt fought, she knew his soul had not escaped unscathed. The elders of her people carried such scars. This knowledge only increased her admiration. “We’re not going to let it come to that,” she replied, her gaze moving up to meet his.