by J. C RIMELL
“I just meant...”
“You are not so different.” She brushed him off coolly, turning her back on him before his lingering gaze would melt her from the inside out. Make her weak and vulnerable. If there was one thing Valerie wasn't ever going to be again, was a plaything, not for any man.
Jack wanted to reach out, to feel those curves pressed into his body. But her temper rubbed his wolf the wrong way. Made his animal want to retaliate. Jack brought the beast to heal―but only just. Jack was being an idiot. The ache he felt in his groin was just a visceral reaction. She was a vampire for chrissakes, and whatever he was feeling was just pure lust. Who could blame him? She was a goddamn knockout. On this his wolf was in agreement.
He broke out in a sweat. Shit. “Anything you need before I go?”
The thought of her mouth poised over his vein filled Valerie's head. Her fangs speared into her mouth with the temptation. Yes, she would like that very much. Far too much. She had to fight the undeniable urge to turn around and sink her teeth into his carotid and draw from him the warm, rich blood she knew would taste like nectar. Valerie resisted the temptation to turn around and strike.
“Just leave me alone.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Maria drank the last drop of Merlot from the crystal wine glass and sat back deeper into the lounge chair. She watched the fire dance in the marble hearth until her attention was distracted by her brother-in-law's arrival.
“You look exquisite tonight as always my dear.” Alex Warden bent low toward her and taking her hand he kissed the back of it.
“Alex, forget your flattery.” She brushed him off, withdrawing her hand from his hold. “I hope you're here with some news that's worth my time?”
Alex moved over to the fireplace, giving her his back, his tall, athletic body partially blocking the flames and veiling her in shadow. He was maddened by her ability to deflect his compliments, though, after all these decades, he should be used to it by now.
“It seems my brother believes we have a new threat to worry about.” He glanced back at her over his shoulder. “If we're wise, we could use it to our advantage.” The truth was, his brother was behind the times. Alex had his own eyes and ears in various parts of the country informing him that vampires were beginning to crawl out of the woodwork in Louisiana. Two had already been questioned to within an inch of their supernatural lives, and some very influential contacts had since been made.
He saw the flicker of interest spark in her gaze. Her pale gray eyes hooked his and held him captive, just as they'd always managed to do.
“Do tell.” A cruel smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Her only goal was to see the downfall of her mate, to witness his suffering. Unable to forgive him for the loss of their son and their only grandchild, her sorrow had turned to hatred and hardened her heart.
Alex had hoped it would be his chance when she'd left his brother, that it would lead her straight into his own arms. But alas, he was nothing more than her puppet, the strings of his heart helpless in her hands.
He turned to face her fully, allowed his eyes to roam her beautiful face. Her ebony curls fell loosely over her shoulders, her fitted, turtleneck sweater hugged her body and accentuated her generous breasts and small waist. He wanted her. He'd always wanted her and she damn well knew it. Even before she was mated to his brother, he'd made his feelings clear to her. The fact she had laughed at him, believing his love to be folly only stoked his fire further.
“I will give you what you want so badly, Maria, but it will come at a price.” For once he wanted to be the one with the upper hand. Without him now she would never be able to see Christopher fall to his knees. Alex could get closer to his brother than anyone, he trusted him. He could have killed him time and again, it would be the easy option, free Maria from his bond once and for all.
But it was too dangerous. Alex could not be suspected, he needed the trust of the Society, or both he and Maria would end up dead.
She tilted her head to the side, her gaze catching the amber firelight. “Ah,” she said, placing her wine glass aside on the oval table next to her. She stood up and moved closer until she was but a breath away. With her eyes locking onto his, she ran a hand down the front lapel of his suit jacket. “I wondered how long it would take you, Alex.” Her voice was a seductive brush of velvet across his senses, awakening his inner beast.
He kept his composure in check, even though his body was aching, riddled with a need so desperate he couldn't dare hope she was about to give in to him. For if he allowed her to see his despondency now she would only use it against him and torment him more.
He leaned in so his lips were almost upon hers, she didn't move as he'd expected her to and he was tempted...
“You understand, Maria, if I do this… if I give you what you want, you will owe me a very great debt.” Alex's voice was low, the ultimatum left snaking in the air around them. He watched her diligently, but her eyes gave nothing away.
“Are you blackmailing me, Alex?” Her sweet voice was suddenly acidic. She backed away slightly as though surprised by his unexpected change of character. Yes, he had always done everything she'd asked, would have died to try to move heaven and earth. But he was tired of her demands and now he wanted control, and he deserved something in return for his efforts.
He laughed, glimpsing the anger it inflicted flare behind her gaze. “What's wrong, Maria? Does the taste of your own medicine make you a little… nauseous?”
“If you can bring down Christopher and the Society, I will gladly give you anything you wish for within my ability to give it.” And she knew exactly what that wish would be. Maria knew that killing the Overseer would be one thing. Bringing the Society to its knees was completely another, one which was unlikely going to happen. Now she permitted the smug look to break out across her face. She had the upper hand once again, and she would rather die than be bonded to another male.
Alex's smile faded a little, but he had yet another card to play. An ace he'd kept very close to his chest since discovering the news only days ago. “You're asking the impossible, Maria!” He thrust his hands on his hips and speared her triumphant gaze with a razor blade glare. “What if I was to tell you that your bloodline may be next to take Christopher's place?” The words stung, tasted bitter on his tongue. After all, until the recent revelations about the grandson, it was him that should be the one stepping into his brother's shoes.
Maria's stare narrowed suspiciously. “That's not possible.” Her brows crashed together as though reflecting over deep memories. “We both know my only grandchild was killed in the accident.” She moved away to retake her seat, her victorious mood suddenly far more somber.
“Ah, that is what we were both led to believe,” he informed her. Maria's gaze latched onto him and he held her attention. Edging forward, he leaned down and braced his hands on either side of the chair.
“That's… impossible.”
The gasp that left her lips was the assurance that he had won their little game once and for all. “Is it, Maria?” He let the question to hang in the air, watching as she tried to piece together the plausibility. “Cade, is very much alive and about to become the most powerful shifter among the Society.”
Alex studied the column of her throat as she swallowed hard. Saliva filled his mouth as his fangs skewered his gums. He pulled away, allowing her a moment to process the information fully.
“I have to meet him, Alex.” Maria felt deflated, like having the wind knocked out of her sails. But it was clear she would have to give away the only thing she had left. “If it's true, you can have anything you want from me. Just bring me, my grandson.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Leon prowled the lively club like the predator he truly was. Wary eyes gazed fleetingly upon him and all gave him a very wide birth. Now in the French Quarter of New Orleans, he was in need of transportation. A flight that would carry him and his remaining coven out of the States to some other place. Any oth
er continent where he could start over, taking Josephine with him.
He was growing irritable. Leon had left the woman with his remaining clan, in a rundown apartment above a row of tacky souvenir shops on the outskirts of the town. He'd acquired the shabby dwelling from three drunks who had also served as a meal. Now he wanted nothing more than to get back to the female still under his trance.
Scanning the darkened corners of the room, he received a nod from one of his male subordinates. He swiftly delved between the hot and sweaty couples on the dance floor grinding to some local Cajun music, their bodies parted like the red sea before him allowing clear access to reach the two males.
Leon observed the stranger with caution. His supernatural senses told him at once the male was not human, and he was not a local either. With skin as pale as snow and flame red hair hanging in dreadlocks past his shoulders, he stuck out a little from the crowd. Leon let just a hint of fang show in warning as the stranger reached out to shake his hand.
Accepting the male's hand in an unforgiving grip, Leon kept his voice low as he spoke. He would be easily heard by the stranger, even over the blaring music. “Your hair coloring is unusual for a vampire.”
The red-headed vampire smiled lazily and shrugged. “From my mother's side.”
Leon noted the stranger's French accent, he guessed from Northern France as it seemed to match his own. “What's your name?”
“Tristan.”
“Do you have what we need, Tristan?”
“Sure, at a price.” His eyes skirted sideways to roam over Leon's companion. “I can get you to France, where I am sure my sire would welcome you.”
Leon gave his subordinate a cursory glance, seeing no contention in his gaze he agreed. “Granted, he's all yours on our arrival.” Letting Tristan's hand fall free, he surveyed the room before turning his attention back to the red-headed male. “And who exactly is your sire?” Leon asked, quite sure that whoever it was stood little chance against a vampire of his caliber.
The young vampire chuckled. “You mean, you don't know the name of your own Vampire King?”
Leon raised a hand to quieten his servant's forthcoming comment. His own nostrils flared in a sudden temper. “Looks like I've been living in the sticks for too long.” He forced a friendly smile. “Perhaps you would care to enlighten me.”
“Sure, man.” He shrugged, turning to grab his beer perched at the end of the bar. “Simeon is King, I thought every fool knew that.” He took a swig of his drink. “He rules and his Council enforces the codes.”
“Simeon?” Leon asked, unsure if he'd heard the male correctly.
The young vampire nodded in confirmation before cocking his head to one side. “Shit, you okay man? You look as though you've just seen a ghost.”
Leon bristled with unease, the name was once as familiar to him as breathing, now it prickled his senses anew like a live wire. It couldn't be, he thought. It was impossible. No others had escaped the raging fires that killed most of his clan and destroyed his home. And he was sure that his younger brother Simeon had died that day. He'd been assured by a clan member they had seen him fall to his death in burning flames.
His chest suddenly felt tight.
“How long?” he asked, brushing aside his sudden reminiscence.
The vampire downed the rest of his beer in two long pulls before he answered. “Be ready at dusk tomorrow, there's an abandoned airfield just outside of town. I'll be waiting there.”
“Very well,” Leon replied with an acrid taste on his tongue. “I look forward to meeting your King.”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Kit had no idea what day it was. How long had she been out? Her head was thick with what felt like cotton wool padding. Her throat was parched and her eyes stung against the fluorescent lighting overhead. But the one thing she did notice as she came around, was that the pain had gone.
She lay still. Waited for a twinge or the uncomfortable, agonizing ache and the heavy, wooden feeling of her limbs. And when, after several long heartbeats it didn't come, she opened her eyes fully and tried to sit up. Everything seemed sharper, clearer, more pronounced. Even the ticking of the clock on the opposite wall seemed too loud. In her periphery, she saw Cade stretched out on a gurney beside her. His eyes were closed, his broad, naked chest rising and falling in steady momentum. He looked peaceful and unexceptionably handsome. She felt her cheeks heat as flashes burst alive in her mind. Explicit images of them together intimately. Photographs of memories that seemed too real not to have happened. Her body tingled as she relived the thoughts of his touch, his kiss, their lovemaking.
“You're awake.” Madeleine's voice proceeded her as she entered the med room. “And you look well.” She smiled and came around to the gurney and checked the drip in Kit's arm which contained Cade's blood. She didn't like the questioning look on Kit's face and thought she'd better explain. “It's Cade's blood, the reason you've bounced back so fast. And thank the Gods, haven't changed into a vampire.”
Kit swung her head around to look at Cade, who was now sitting up and staring straight back at her. “Your body's healing, Kit, with my blood you'll start to feel a little different.” He took her hand and kissed the palm tenderly.
The two of them fell silent. Time seemed to stretch on and the air became thick with unspoken emotions. Madeleine cleared her throat, consciously aware that her own eyes were tearing up. “Guess I'll come back later, then?”
“Yeah. Thanks, doc,” Cade said without shifting his gaze from the only person that mattered to him in the world right now.
Smiling, she made a quick exit only to find Ryker on the other side of the door.
“How're they doing?” He asked with genuine concern.
She shrugged, peering back over her shoulder to look at the pair through the small window. “Oh, I think they'll be fine.”
Ryker brushed aside a stray curl from her cheek. “And what about us, Madeleine, how are we doing?”
The touch was as soft as a fleeting breeze, but it left her skin alive and ablaze with a desire for him. Her gaze lingered on Cade and Kit, who were now locked in a lovers embrace and a kiss she imagined being blissful. “I don't know, Ryker.” She turned to fix her steely gaze on his face, his eyes shaded by the peak of his cap as usual. “Why don't you tell me.”
He rocked back on his heels, his head hanging a little lower as he muttered a curse.
“I don't know,” he finally said, “I thought before I left, what happened between us...”
She waited with bated breath. Hanging on to every word, wanting him to scoop her up into his strong arms and kiss her again.
Cade couldn't take his eyes off of Kit. She looked healthier than he'd ever seen her and goddamn, possibly even more beautiful. Questions swam in her blue eyes, and every one of them he would answer. But not before taking her into his arms and stealing a kiss from his female.
Fire.
All Kit could think of was fire and flames and heat saturating her body as Cade engulfed her in his embrace. He took her mouth in a possessive kiss that left no room for doubt. She belonged to him. She felt it through her veins, connecting the two of them. Cade's thoughts, his inner voice ran through her just as hers did through him. The feeling consumed her to the very core, and all she knew was that she needed him right then and there or she would surely self-combust.
Easing himself back from her, Cade's chest was heaving with a shortness of breath.
“Whoa, we need to er… slow down a little.” He chuckled, disbelieving his own restraint. “Jesus, Kit, you're so fine. Baby, I want to do unimaginable things to you. But we need to get you fixed up and out of here first―okay?”
She nodded a little bashfully before her face turned more sullen. “I do feel different Cade. What's happened to me?”
“You'll be fine, Kit, I swear it.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It's just my blood. Nothing will happen to you physically until we… until I mark you for real.” A dark fl
ash of desire spiked in his eyes before he pulled her back into the safety of his embrace. “I'll be with you every step of the way, baby, I promise.”
She nodded against him. The cotton T-shirt he'd slipped into soaking up the stray tears that had sprung into her eyes. She felt incredibly overwhelmed. But the pain that speared her chest was for her aunt. “Please tell me they've found Jo,” she asked, feeling his chest expand against her cheek as he took a deep breath. Fear splintered her heart like a broken shard of glass.
“Ah, shit...” he cursed low, “… Kit, we'll find her. Hey, look at me.” He held her face in his hands tugging her back gently so she'd look at him. “We will find her.”
Kit wanted to believe him despite the dread that flooded her conscience and turned her blood cold.
Chapter Sixty
“They're all gone.”
Zach looked at his brother. “Aye, and good riddance,” he said. It was clear after inspection of the hunting lodge that something or someone had driven the vampires away. Seth's remaining five brothers turned to Zach, the eldest of the group for leadership. His brothers cheered, elation at being free from the bastard who had chained them to his every whim.
Only, they were still cursed and had received no word from neither Seth nor Daniel. It would be easy to disband their group, go their own way, but the brothers had grown tight and each of them shared the same bane.
“We'll go back, re-track our last location and try to pick up a trace on one of them.” Zach looked at each of his brothers in unfamiliar hosts. He, himself stood in a male's body that felt too alien, too tight, too foreign. The ex-con had been strong, though, and Zach knew it would serve him well as a host for the next few months. His shit kickers crushed the twigs and branches into the soil beneath him as he moved forward through the woodland. With his brothers following close behind, they headed back out into the night in search of their fellow walkers.
