His witchcraft hadn’t been perfected either, the Leader before the boss only allowing a select few to garner any magical strength. Gritting his teeth, Steve continued on and into his car, cursing under his breath as he drove away.
*****
Pregnant? Hmm, the Master thought on that and the possibilities it brought to his mind. Possibilities that had him hard almost immediately. Now, what to do? Kill her now? Wait and kill her after she gave birth? Rip the baby from her swollen belly as she lay screaming? Or, pry the child from her arms as she was overcome with terror at the child’s fate? All possibilities that had him hard and aching to dole out some punishment.
His smile was almost feral as he turned towards the corner of the room. The younger sister of the previous girl he had used was now curled into a tight ball, useless tears streaming down her perfect face. Her baby-blue eyes widened in panic as he watched her closely...she obviously knew she was in for some more of his loving!
“Come here now!” he snarled. The girl shook her head from side to side, whether in denial of his command, or at the thought of what was to come, he wasn’t sure.
He raised an arm and stretched it out towards her, words spilling from his mouth almost silently. His eyes narrowed as he watched the pain hit, and her scream was torn from her throat, as he knew her head would feel as if it was about to explode. Her hands flew up to either side of her head, as if she could halt the excruciating pain that now engulfed it. How pathetic...she should’ve learned by now that nobody could stop him.
Lowering his arm, he let the spell vanish and growled low in his throat. “I said come here now. If you don’t, I will get your brother, sister, mother all in this room and every one of them will suffer far greater pain than that pitiful amount you just encountered.”
His words had the desired effect, he saw the defeat enter her tear-filled eyes as she tried to get to her feet. “Crawl,” he spat out at her, and she did, on her hands and knees, slowly towards him.
“That’s better, now up on your knees and open that pretty little mouth of yours.” His smile widened as she did so, and he held his hardness with one hand as he grabbed her hair roughly with the other.
No better way for him to think and decide what he was going to do about that Witch than by indulging in his favorite games. Now what would he do to her next? Plenty...she just didn’t know it yet.
Chapter 6
The ride from the doctor’s office was rather strange to Peri. She could feel the exuberant excitement in Gabe and the calm manner of Josef, although he too was excited. Her Vampire just hid it a hell of a lot better than Gabe. She hoped he would take over the things that Gabe wasn’t the best at. Her Wolf was rather unpredictable and hot-headed at times.
A baby would need stability, rules, and boundaries as the child got older, and she sure as hell didn’t see Gabe being a disciplinarian. She saw Gabe as the fun-loving father, doing all the good stuff, like playing in a park, playing ball – things like that. Whereas she saw that the other, not-quite-as-fun stuff, would probably be left up to Josef. Rules, manners, schoolwork…her Vampire would probably be the one taking on that side of things. It’s not as if she had much experience in any of it, she would need to rely on her men for guidance.
With her mates so different from each other, she hoped that with both of them together, her child would have the best of both worlds. She prayed that would be the case anyway.
“You have nothing to worry about.” Josef’s voice interrupted her thoughts, she then felt him take hold of her hand.
“I can’t help it, it’s not as if I have the first clue what being a mother is. I’m just nervous I’ll make mistakes...”
“Of course you will, babe, everyone makes mistakes, and parenting…shit, that’s where most of ‘em happen. Kids don’t come with a handbook, we just work together to do our best, that’s all we can do. I’m sure everything will be just fine, so please try and not worry, the stress isn’t good for you – or my pup!” Gabe’s excitement had grown as he spoke and by the end, his voice had risen quite a bit.
“Calm yourself, Wolf, we have a good few months to go and I, for one, don’t relish this state of excitement from you for all of it.”
She giggled, thinking Josef was probably right. “Oh,” popped out of her mouth as something entered her head.
“What is it, baby?” Gabe asked worriedly.
“How long? I mean, is a Wolf/Witch pregnancy as long as a human one? I didn’t even think to ask the doctor!” She realized there were probably a whole host of things she had forgotten to ask.
“I don’t know about Witch pregnancies, but Wolves’ are shorter than a human one – seven months. But guess we’ll just have to ask the doc at the next appointment.”
“Seven months? And I’m already nearly two…jeez, that doesn’t give us long.” Her mind whirled around, thinking on everything that needed to be done, bought, organized. Five months didn’t seem a very long time, under the circumstances.
“You do not have to worry about anything, I’ve already texted about some things while you were being sick. I was certain you were with child, so I have a woman coming at four p.m. with brochures. We’ll all sit down together and pick what will be needed. I’ll also get an interior designer to change Gabe’s old room into a nursery. His room is nearer ours than my old one. I’ll get a digital monitoring device set up, too, with visual capability, of course.”
She looked over at her Vampire, he had really thought about what they would need, she shouldn’t have doubted that for a minute. She saw his lips twitch, he had obviously heard her thoughts.
“We’ll be okay? Won’t we? The three of us and the baby?” She realized just how nervous she was about becoming a mother.
“We will,” Josef said quietly, but his tone spoke volumes. He was certain they would be fine.
“Of course we bloody will! We’re gonna be a family – a real family!” Gabe’s tone was still full of excitement, and she wondered if they would need to medicate him to calm him down.
“Now that’s a thought,” Josef replied and smirked, cheekily. “There’s a pharmacy just up ahead, we’ll stop and get your script filled, then I think we’ll go for some lunch.” Josef slowed the vehicle, then pulled in to a small row of stores, one of which was a pharmacy.
It took less than ten minutes to get her medication, and as soon as they had it she took the required dose. She really didn’t want to puke again. She was also starving and was looking forward to lunch, hoping she actually kept the food down.
“Where are we going?” she asked as Josef drove on, realizing she hadn’t been in this part of Vegas before. It was more residential and suburban than she was used to seeing, like a nice neighborhood on the outskirts of any large city. The large houses were all detached and expensive looking, some with walls and security gates, others you could see the rolling lawns leading up to very large properties.
“I’ve been thinking – and this is up for discussion – however, living in the penthouse may not be the best environment for bringing up a child. I was considering moving to a more suitable location, somewhere like here, perhaps.”
“Goddamn!” Gabe exclaimed, and she knew how he felt. This area was affluent in the extreme, like nowhere she had ever seen before. To contemplate actually living here? Well, she thought Gabe’s word summed it up well.
“Uhm, I’m not sure. I mean, we have a home. It may not be what could be classed as typical, but it’s ours, it’s where we really met for the first time. Where we mated, bonded, fell in love. I’m not sure I want to leave that – not yet, anyway.” She actually got a pain in her chest when she thought of leaving the penthouse. It was home...her first, proper home.
“As I said, it is up for discussion, and it doesn’t need to be something done now, or even in the near future. However, I think for later, when the child is growing, a home away from the Las Vegas strip would be more suitable. I though
t I would just bring you here to have a look, see what’s on offer, and let you both think things through.” Josef looked over at her and then at Gabe, a small smile on his face.
“Well, that’s okay then, ‘cause I don’t want to move now. Maybe when the little one is older, say getting to school age or something like that, but not now.” Her arms moved of their own accord, her hands rubbing her belly, as if in a comforting gesture, and she wasn’t even aware. Her two men saw it, though, both smiling...their little Witch was pregnant.
“Good, now I think we will go and eat, are you feeling okay now, Peri?” Josef asked with one eyebrow raised.
“Yes, I feel fine, just a little tired and I’m starving!”
“Lunch it is then,” her Vampire said as the vehicle picked up speed.
She looked out her window as they drove away, wondering what it would be like to live in one of those mansions. Jeez, they would need a housekeeper at least, she couldn’t keep house in something so large. Then there were the gardens – huge – and she couldn’t see Gabe or Josef out cutting the grass.
A giggle escaped her as she envisioned Josef sitting on one of those drive-around lawnmowers. The sight in her mind so funny, she was trying not to giggle even more.
“That, of course, would not happen. Money buys people to do those things,” Josef replied in a firm tone, one which showed he did not find it funny.
“What? Are you doing that mind-reading thingy again? Guys, it’s just not fair!” Gabe all but whined from the back seat, which set her off, giggling like a schoolgirl until she had tears on her cheeks.
“That is the most perfect sound in the world,” Josef whispered as he drove on.
“It sure is,” Gabe said, laughing alongside Peri, even if he had no idea what had set her off.
Josef looked between the two, and a smile was even on his stern face, seeing them laughing so freely. It made him happy, something he had been lacking in his life for a very long time...happiness.
After a few minutes they settled down, Peri wiping the tears from her face as she tried to control herself. Her sides ached from laughing so much. She was pretty sure that had never happened before, ever. How far I've come in such a short time, she thought.
Her stomach took that moment to rumble loudly, breaking her contemplative mood. Luckily, she saw Josef was pulling up to a restaurant with valet parking, thank goodness. She really was hungry.
Gabe was out and helping her down before she could even attempt it on her own. She gave him her hand and smiled into his cheeky, grinning face. “Why thank you, kind sir,” she quipped and he smiled wider.
“You are most welcome,” he replied back at her, now ushering her towards the door, where Josef waited.
As they reached Josef he took her other arm and they went inside. Totally unaware they were once more under surveillance.
*****
After Steve had ‘spoken’ to the boss, he had planned on going back to the hotel and waiting for their return. However, he thought better on that, not wanting the boss to know he had let them get out of his sight. He knew the punishment would be severe, although he was quite a distance away, he wasn’t quite sure just how powerful he was. Better not to take chances, not if he wanted to keep breathing.
So he did a quick locator spell and picked them up at a pharmacy. Probably getting something for the Witch, he thought. Staying well back, so as not to be noticed, he followed them to a fancy restaurant, parked across the street, and waited.
Steve opened a packet of chips and a bottle of water, that was his lunch. Not a nice meal in an expensive restaurant, one he had no hope of ever eating in. Life sucked at times, and this was one of those times.
He wondered what was going to happen to the Witch. She looked so happy walking in through the door with her Wolf on one side and her Vampire on the other. He actually felt a little sad that she was probably going to suffer – badly – at the hands of that psychopath now running their little group.
Once again, he cursed ever having joining this sick little sect. However, there was no way out, not now he was in. Not alive, anyway. So he settled down with his crappy lunch, waiting on them to leave.
He didn’t have too long to wait, the three appearing in just over an hour. All smiles, well, the Witch and the Wolf smiling, the Vampire with only a trace of one. Steve’s body shivered as he watched, the Vampire was powerful and deadly. He sank down in his seat, trying not to be noticed.
As the valet brought their large, new SUV the Vampire’s eyes moved around, as if looking for something...or someone. Steve hoped it wasn’t him.
He waited until they had pulled away before starting his own car, pulling out into the traffic a couple of vehicles behind theirs. Close enough to keep a tail on them, hopefully far enough back so they didn’t notice.
*****
Their lunch was fun, Gabe on form with his jokes and anecdotes, Peri as high as a kite as the prospect of being a mother sank in, and even Josef smiled at times. Gabe ate like a horse as usual, or rather, like a Wolf, and Peri ate more than she had managed in the last couple of days.
Josef drank some fine wine and watched the other two, enjoying their company, their laughter. Now that Peri was on medication for her sickness, he was sure she would flourish and bloom during her pregnancy. He would make sure of it.
His arm at the small of her back as they left the restaurant, he stilled for a second, sensing something that had his hackles rising. Magic. Close by, and it felt like another Witch. He moved his eyes around as if looking for someone, and there, in the disgustingly filthy junker across the street, sat a man. A man that was also a Witch, according to his senses. Just what the hell was he doing there?
It looked suspiciously like he was watching them.
Josef carried on as if nothing was wrong, letting Gabe help Peri up into their vehicle before driving away. He kept his senses and his eyes alert, seeing the car pull out after them, staying a few cars back, but definitely following them.
He kept track of the vehicle all the way home until he lost sight of it as they pulled into the underground parking area. Parking the SUV, he got out and saw Donovan working on one of their other vehicles, looked as if he was doing something electrical. Didn’t matter, he was there, and that’s all Josef needed.
“I have a couple of things I need to speak to Donovan about, you two go up, I shouldn’t be too long.”
“Oh, okay, don’t be, remember you made that appointment with the lady for four,” Peri said as Gabe led her to the elevator.
The Wolf wasn’t fooled, knew something was up, but his only priority was to get Peri to the penthouse and safety. He inclined his head to Josef who did the same back, letting his friend know he knew something was wrong.
“Yeah, don’t be long,” he said, and Josef only nodded his head before the elevator doors closed, so that he could no longer see him.
Josef moved quickly to Donovan’s side, his guard obviously knowing something was wrong, too. Josef was holding his body even stiffer than normal, and he had pulled some more power inside him, getting ready for who knew what.
“Something up?” Donovan asked.
He nodded his head. “Yes, we seem to have picked up a tail, a male, and I’m pretty certain he is also a Witch, so I think we’ll go and ask him some questions.”
Donovan didn’t answer, only started to follow Josef as they left the parking garage. As they went outside, the strong Vegas sun beat down, not even full summer yet and it was hot as hell. Josef’s senses were on high alert in case of danger. After all, he had no idea who this man was...or if he meant harm to Peri.
He had no doubt it was Peri that was in the man’s sights. No ordinary Witch would dare to come after him, he would destroy them easily. Peri was also more powerful than any other Witch he now knew, however, she would most probably be slow to react against a new and unexpected threat.
“I see him, the ol
d car parked just outside the entrance.” Josef spoke quietly, knowing Donovan would hear every word.
“I’ll go right and come in from the other side.” Donovan moved quickly, not quite using his Vampire speed in public, but most certainly moving quicker than anyone else around them.
Josef stopped, took his phone out as if making a call, held it to his ear and walked slowly towards the car. He moved as if he didn’t have a care in the world, preoccupied with his phone. He saw Donovan coming up towards the vehicle on the driver’s side, so he placed his phone back in his pocket and moved...fast.
The man reached forward, turning the ignition, the car sputtered – then Donovan had the door open and hoisted the man out roughly, just as Josef reached them.
“Please, please, don’t kill me,” were the first words the man uttered, which told both Donovan and him a lot.
It meant he knew who, and what, they were...and their capabilities.
“I think we will continue this conversation in private.” Josef held onto the man’s arm as Donovan reached in, turned the ignition off, and took the keys.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” the man was mumbling as they led him back down into his private parking area.
As soon as they were away from any prying eyes, Josef pushed the man forward, hard. He stumbled, fell down onto his knees, and scrambled to get up again, doing so as fast as he could. He turned around, his arms out in front of him, palms facing forward. As the two Vampires moved towards him, he shuffled backwards, glancing to check he wasn’t going to fall over anything. He did this until his back hit the wall, and he almost whined as he realized he could go no further.
The Witch, The Wolf and The Vampire Series Boxed Set Page 37
