Desire the Night

by Amanda Ashley

  She growled low in her throat when she recalled the way Victor had looked at her, as if she was some kind of whore. Where did he get off judging her when he had kidnapped her? She frowned, certain he wouldn’t have dared such a thing without her father’s approval. And just as certain that her father had given it.

  As if conjured by the thought, the door opened and her father stepped into the room.

  One look at his face, and she went cold all over. She had only seen that expression once before, when he had sentenced a rogue werewolf to death.

  He closed the door behind him. “We need to talk.”

  Those four words always meant bad news. Unable to help herself, she began to tremble.

  “You have defied me at every turn. You have humiliated me in front of our people, and what’s worse, in front of the Green Mountain Pack.”

  She stared at him, her mouth dry, her palms damp. She would have been less frightened if he had slapped her or yelled at her. Anything would be better than his soft words, the quiet menace in his eyes.

  “You ran away with that bloodsucker, and then you shamed yourself, and me, by sleeping with him.”

  “We … we’re …” She took a deep breath; then, hoping the truth would make him think better of her, she said, “We’re married.”

  “I guess you’ve forgotten that marriages performed outside the pack aren’t valid. In nine days, the moon will be full. You will wed Victor at that time.”

  Gathering her courage, she said, “Father, I’m begging you, please don’t make me do this.”

  He squared his shoulders, his hands clenching at his sides, his expression implacable. He wasn’t her father now, but her Alpha. “If you openly defy me again, Kiya Marie, I will have no choice but to sentence you to death. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, unable to speak past the thick lump in her throat.

  “I have rescinded the vampire’s invitation. He will no longer be able to enter the compound or any of the houses inside the fence. Nor will anyone else be able to invite him in. If I see him again, I will destroy him.” He fixed her with a hard stare. “I am aware of his ability to communicate with you telepathically. If he contacts you, you will tell me immediately. Is that clear?”

  Kay bit down on her lower lip.

  “Is that clear?” the Alpha repeated, his warning as sharp and clear as glass.

  She nodded. It was hard to lie while meeting her Alpha’s gaze, but Kay knew she would die before she betrayed Gideon into her father’s hands.

  * * *

  Chapter 27

  Verah glared at the Alpha’s son. “I gave you the information you desired. Alissano has the girl. Now, let me go.”

  Victor shook his head. “Not yet.”

  “What more do you want from me?” she asked impatiently.

  “I find I rather like having a witch at my disposal. I have plans for the future and it occurs to me that, with your help, I’ll be able to achieve them much faster.”

  “And if I refuse, will you threaten my familiar again?” She shook her head. “You can only play that card so many times.”

  He scowled. She was smarter than he gave her credit for. “Perhaps we can strike a deal.”

  “What do you have to offer?”

  “What do you want?”

  She held out her bound hands. “My freedom.”

  Victor made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “What else?”

  “I need the vampire that accompanies the girl.” She was addicted to his blood, not only the vile taste of it, but its effect on her health and outward appearance. Vanity might be a sin, but she didn’t care. She had always been proud of her fine, clear skin, her thick pale blond hair, the slender figure that growing old had stolen from her.

  Victor frowned. “What possible use can you have for a bloodsucker?”

  “My reasons are my own.” And they grew more urgent with every passing day. “I need the girl for bait.”

  “That’s why you broke into the house?” Victor exclaimed. “You were looking for Kiya?”

  Verah nodded. “If I have the girl, I’ll have the vampire, as well.” And she needed him desperately. She didn’t have to see her reflection in a mirror to know that she was growing older, more feeble, more hideous, with every passing day. Her ugliness was evident in the revulsion in the boy’s eyes every time he looked at her.

  Victor frowned thoughtfully, then nodded. “Agreed, but with one condition.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Once you have the vampire, I want you to kill the girl.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Victor grinned. “There’s just one other condition. The girl must live long enough to give me an heir. Until then, you’ll remain here.”

  “No!” she shrieked. “I need the bloodsucker now!”

  “That’s my deal, witch. Take it or leave it.”

  She hissed at him, but in the end, she knew she had no other choice. Forcing a smile, she said, “I’ll take it.”

  “Make that two conditions,” Victor decided.

  “What else do you want?” She hissed the words at him.

  “Tell me why you need the vampire.”

  “I need his blood.”

  “Very funny,” he muttered, then frowned thoughtfully. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  She didn’t answer, just glared at him.

  With a shake of his head, the Alpha’s son left the basement.

  “You’ll rue the day you were born,” Verah murmured. “When I am free, you will curse the man who spawned you and the woman who gave you life.”

  * * *

  Chapter 28

  Kay sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing. She was, for all intents and purposes, a prisoner in her own home. She wasn’t allowed to leave the house. There was a guard outside her bedroom window, and another at her door. She was never alone, except in her room. She supposed she should be grateful her father hadn’t left her in the dungeon, but at a time like this, it was hard to summon any feelings of gratitude.

  At her father’s request, Victor had moved into the house. If her father hoped that spending more time in Victor’s company would make her care for him, he had been badly mistaken. The more she saw him, the more she despised him. He was a vain and selfish man. And he was hiding something; she was sure of it. Why couldn’t her father see that?

  Not only was she forced to endure Victor’s company at mealtimes, but her father insisted she remain downstairs on those nights when he called the pack together, whether it was for a movie night or to discuss pack business.

  Victor, who had always been arrogant, grew more so with every passing day. And the days leading up to her wedding were passing far too quickly.

  She had never been more miserable in her whole life, not even when she’d been locked up in Verah’s basement.

  She spoke only when spoken to. On the few occasions when she was given a choice, she opted to stay in her bedroom, preferring her own company to that of her parents, members of the pack, and most especially Victor Rinaldi. The thought of being his wife, of having to bear him a child, made her physically ill. She longed for someone to talk to, a girlfriend she could confide in. For the first time, she realized she had no close friends within the pack. And even as she wondered why, she knew it was because she was the Alpha’s daughter and that her standing placed an invisible gulf between her and everyone else.

  The only bright spot in her life came late at night, when Gideon opened the blood bond between them and spoke to her mind, promising her that, somehow, he would get her safely away, assuring her that he loved her, would always love her.

  But the days hurried by, one after another, and all too soon, eight days had passed. She was in tears when Gideon opened the link between them the night before she was to marry Victor.

  He didn’t have to ask what was wrong. We still have time, he said.

  She shook her head. I’m to be married tomorrow afternoon.

  Gideon swore a vil
e oath. He should have expected that her father would arrange for the wedding to take place during the day, thereby assuring that Gideon couldn’t crash the wedding and steal the bride. Hardly necessary, since Alissano had revoked his invitation. Damn the man.

  Tomorrow night, the pack will run, and I’ll have no choice but to run with them. And then … she couldn’t say the words, not even in her mind.

  Jealousy sprouted like a noxious weed in Gideon’s soul as he imagined Victor and Kay running side by side through the night, mating under the light of the full moon. The sound of her tears was like a stake through his heart.

  I’ll think of something, he promised, and hoped to hell he could keep his word.

  Filled with impotent rage and a bitter sense of helplessness, Gideon stalked the dark streets of Jackson. Anger and frustration fired his hunger and he attacked the first man he saw. He felt a rush of guilt for the brutal way he assaulted his prey. Usually, he spoke to their minds, telling them not to be afraid, assuring his prey that he meant them no harm. But not tonight. Tonight, he was the monster of myth and legend, a predator without equal, without mercy, who took what he wanted, what he needed, with no regard for the mortal he preyed upon.

  It was only when the man’s heartbeat grew slow and erratic, when his eyes rolled back in his head, that Gideon came to himself.

  Tamping down his anger, Gideon ripped into his own flesh and let a few drops of his blood drip into the man’s mouth. Dammit, he had almost killed the guy.

  As color returned to the man’s cheeks, Gideon spoke to his mind, erasing the horror of what had happened before sending the dazed mortal on his way.

  Gideon stared at his wrist, watched the edges of the ragged wound knit together, leaving no trace of injury. He shook his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he had given in to the lust for blood. He didn’t count the years he had spent locked up in Verah’s basement. The women and occasional men he had preyed on back then had been a matter of survival. The people the witch had brought to him were fated to die, either at his hands or by slowly starving to death, since the witch had never seen fit to feed any of them.

  Gideon shoved his hands into his pants pockets. He regretted taking those lives, but like every other creature on the planet, he had a strong sense of self-preservation. Given the same choice, he knew he would do it all again.

  Moving silently through the drifting shadows of the night, he thought about the lives he had taken in the last 360 years.

  In the beginning, he had kept track of every kill. He had hated himself for what he was, for the lives he had taken to sustain his own. But, as he’d told Kay, as time went on, he had learned to control his hunger. He had discovered that he could enjoy the thrill of the hunt and satisfy his thirst without sacrificing a life.

  Gideon glanced around. Without noticing it, he had made his way back to the Alissano compound. He opened his senses, searching for Kay. She was in her room, asleep. A young male werewolf stood guard outside her door. Another paced restlessly below her window.

  Gideon raked a hand through his hair. He couldn’t get into the main house, or even inside the perimeter fence. Alissano had made sure of that. Of course, he could try a little mind control on the werewolf standing guard below Kay’s window, but even if he managed to get inside the fence, the odds of compelling one of the werewolves inside the house were slim, since Gideon was certain that Alissano would have chosen men with strong powers of resistance to guard his daughter.

  So, getting inside the Alissano house was not an option, at least not for him. But what if someone else could get inside the Alissano residence, stop the wedding, and steal the bride away? Even if Gideon couldn’t have her for himself, he might be able to arrange it so she didn’t have to marry that ass, Victor Rinaldi, or spend the rest of her life in servitude to a man she hated, forced to submit her will to that of another.

  Gideon scrubbed a hand across his jaw. He knew just the person he needed. Someone who would be willing to spirit Kay away if the price was right.

  Gideon stared at the single drop of dried crimson on his wrist. His blood, he mused. It was a small price to pay for Kay’s safety.

  All he had to do now was figure out how to free Verah and then persuade her to do what he wanted before it was too late.

  Shit. Who was he kidding? His odds of getting inside the Rinaldi compound weren’t any better than his odds of getting into Alissano’s.

  Her wedding day. Kay stared at her reflection in the mirror. She recalled Gideon remarking that she was the most unhappy-looking bride he had ever seen. He should see her now, she thought glumly. She looked even worse, if that was possible. There were dark shadows under her eyes, caused by a week of restless days and sleepless nights.

  Her stomach growled loudly, a reminder that she had refused breakfast and lunch; but how could she be expected to have a hearty appetite on this, the worst day of her life?

  There was a knock at the door, and then her mother peeked inside. “Kiya, you’re not even dressed yet!” Dorothy entered the room, a frown creasing her brow. “You need to hurry. The ceremony starts in thirty minutes.”

  “Mom, can’t you get me out of this?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Dorothy removed Kay’s gown from the hanger. It was long and white, simple in cut and design, with a floor-length veil. “Keeping your father waiting will only make things worse.”

  “How could they possibly be worse?” Kay muttered. She pulled the gown over her head, then turned her back so her mother could fasten the long row of cloth-covered buttons. She didn’t know who had chosen the dress. She didn’t care. “My father is forcing me to marry a man I despise with no regard for the fact that I’m already married to someone else. Someone I love. Someone I will always love.”

  “You may come to love Victor.”

  Kay snorted. “That will never happen! He’s nothing but an arrogant ass.”

  Dorothy released an aggrieved sigh, then squared her shoulders. “Kiya, we don’t have time for this. I knew it was a mistake for Russell to let you leave the pack. Now, brush your hair and put on your shoes and your veil. Your father will be here in a few minutes.”

  Kay stared at her mother, shocked as much by her words as the tone of her voice. Blinking back her tears, she ran a brush through her hair, set the veil in place, stepped into her satin pumps, then sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded tightly in her lap.

  Dorothy moved toward the door. Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder. “And try to smile.”

  Kay shook her head after her mother left the room. Smile, ha. What did she have to smile about?

  All too soon, her father knocked on the door. “Kiya?”

  “Come in.”

  His gaze swept over her. No doubt to make sure she was presentable. It didn’t matter that he was forcing her to marry a man she despised. No, what mattered was that she make a good impression on the pack.

  Stubbornly refusing to take his hand, she swept out of the room, her head held high.

  She stopped outside the dining room, where the wedding was to take place. Fresh flowers, candles, and a long white runner made the room look more like a chapel than a place to eat. The tables, laid with a variety of cold cuts and cheese, had been pushed against the walls to make room for a piano. A woman Kay didn’t recognize played softly. The invited guests were seated, chatting quietly. A white arch stood at the far end of the room. Victor waited beneath it. Her mother and Victor’s parents occupied the front row, along with Aunt Greta and Uncle Brett.

  Kay flinched when her father came up behind her. “Ready, daughter?”

  “I will never be ready.”

  Taking her hand firmly in his, he said, “We will proceed, nevertheless.” At his nod, the piano player began to play the wedding march. The guests rose and faced the aisle. All of them smiled at Kay as she passed by, except for Selene Thomas, who glowered at her.

  Before Kay could wonder at the woman’s sour look, they reached the arch. Her father placed
her hand in Victor’s, then took a step forward and turned to face them.

  “As Alpha of the Shadow Pack, I hereby dissolve my daughter’s previous union to one not of our blood or our faith. With that matter no longer an issue, and with the authority that is mine by right of blood, I now give my daughter, Kiya Marie Alissano, to Victor Rinaldi, to be his life mate according to the laws and dictates of our pack. Victor, do you swear to honor and protect this woman and no other all the days of your life?”

  “I do.”

  “Kiya Marie, do you promise to honor and obey this man and no other all the days of your life?”

  She stared at her father, silently begging him to end this before it was too late. He stared back at her, a silent warning in his eyes, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

  Kay yearned to say no, would have said no but for the sure knowledge that defying her Alpha now would be the last thing she ever did.

  His eyes narrowed ominously at her silence. “Daughter?”

  His power rolled over her. When she spoke, the words that passed her lips were a barely audible “I do.”

  Her father smiled faintly. “By my authority, I now pronounce you, Kiya Marie Alissano and Victor Rinaldi, life-mated.” His smile widened. “Victor, you may kiss your bride.”

  With a triumphant grin, Victor pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his lips grinding into hers.

  “As is our custom,” Russell said, “the pack will celebrate this union with a hunt as soon as the moon rises. Until then, help yourselves to food and drink.”

  As a dutiful husband, Victor brought Kay a plate and a glass of wine even though she had no appetite for either.

  For the next three hours, Kay pasted a smile on her face and pretended she was having a good time. She endured the hugs of her pack mates. She accepted gifts and good wishes and bawdy advice. She dutifully danced with her father, then with Victor, then with Victor’s father, and Greta’s husband.