Taken in the Night
Promise Me #3
by Tara Fox Hall
Published by
Melange Books, LLC
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
www.melange-books.com
Taken in the Night, Copyright 2013 by Tara Fox Hall
ISBN: 978-1-61235-848-2
Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States of America.
Cover Art by Caroline Andrus
Table of Contents
"Taken in the Night"
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
Previews
Taken in the Night
When Theo disappears, Sar is left bereft, the uncertain guardian of Theo’s newly born werecougar daughter, Elle. As months pass, clues emerge about Theo’s disappearance, yet the twisting trail ends repeatedly without answer. In her grief, Sar turns to Danial and hesitantly begins to build a life with him and Elle.
Chapter One
Danial’s dark brown eyes stared down into mine. I was hyperconscious of his body as it lay on mine; the weight of him, the coolness of his skin, the way we fit together so well.
“Relax, Sar,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck with his soft lips. “Let me in.”
“I’m trying,” I said irritably.
I’d been trying for the last twenty minutes. Yet I remained tense and as pliable as a board.
Danial sighed and rose. He went to the bedroom door and opened it. “Theo, you may as well come in. It’s not working.”
Theo quickly entered the bedroom and sat next to me on Danial’s bed. “Sar, what is it?” he said, giving me a concerned look.
“She’s too nervous,” Danial said, leaning against the wall and looking at me. “Just like she’s been every time we’ve tried this.”
Theo glanced at him, and then back to me as if he didn’t know what to say.
I sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m doing my best.”
I didn’t add I had every reason to be nervous in the presence of a vampire. I’d nearly been exsanguinated on this very bed a little over two months ago by Danial’s brother, Devlin. While I’d been saved in time by Theo and a sorcerer half-demon friend of mine, Terian, I still bore two scars on my throat from Devlin’s fangs. I wanted them gone. The easiest way was for Danial to bite me in the same exact spot just as deeply, and then use some of his saliva to heal me. That would ensure complete removal. The trouble was the pain would be substantial.
“I haven’t even been able to touch you with my fangs, Sar,” Danial said, breaking the silence. “You’ll never be able to relax enough for me to heal those scars.”
“She has every reason to be leery,” Theo said defensively. “Just be quiet a minute.”
Danial shrugged.
Theo leaned in and hugged me. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to rush.”
I leaned my head on his shoulder. “Thanks.”
“He’s right,” Danial said softly. “Take your time.”
I glanced up at him, studying him for a moment.
Danial’s hair was back to a little below shoulder length, falling in silky curtains down the sides of his face. It was almost straight with just a hint of a wave in it. His body was tall and lean, with a powerful chest. His face was so sculptured to be almost beautiful, yet the arrogance and sexuality that radiated from him was all male. His skin shone like a pearl, lustrous, which meant he’d fed before Theo and I had arrived. He was dressed in one of his old-fashioned shirts, the red one made of heavy cotton, and some dark jeans. The one he’d promised to wear for me some night when we’d been together.
“You didn’t have to dress up,” I said meaningfully. “It’s only me.”
Danial narrowed his eyes and glared back at me. Yet his lips curved into a faint smile, pleased I’d mentioned the shirt.
We had history to put it lightly. Danial had been my lover, and, at one time, we’d been oathed, a.k.a., what vampires called married. It hadn’t lasted long, only about twenty-four hours. I’d miscarried our child when I hadn’t known I was pregnant and then left him for a while to think things over. When I’d returned, I’d found a rival wearing my clothes in his bed. I’d broken up with him for good then. To make matters worse, I’d fallen in love with his best friend, Theo, shortly after.
“Do you want to come back in a couple days?” Theo gave me a smile.
I gazed back at him, his blue eyes like an overcast day in fall. His strong features had just a hint of feline grace to them. Theo was not beautiful like Danial. He was traditionally handsome with a touch of ruggedness in the cast of his face. While he was almost as tall as Danial, he was far more muscular. He worked out hard almost every other day to be that strong and ensure he could handle whatever or whomever might come looking for trouble with either Danial or with me. He was and, had been, Danial’s bodyguard and head of security, as well as Danial’s best friend when I first met Danial. He was also a werecougar and had been since he was nineteen. He was still those things only now he was my lover instead of Danial.
Despite how much Theo and I were in love, our coming together had happened entirely by chance. Terian had dosed me with a potion to find out if I liked him. I hadn’t, and he’d been okay, if not exactly happy. Later the same night, Theo and I had inadvertently reactivated the potion, revealing his feelings for me and mine for him, feelings we had kept hidden until then, especially from each other. That night, we’d shared a dream of being together, one where we had no limits, guilt, or consequences. In short, in the dream we had done all the things we wanted to do with each other. It had driven Theo half mad, and I’d felt so guilty we’d stayed apart for months afterwards. Then Terian admitted plying me with his spell. He mentioned any dreams I’d had later that night could’ve been shared by anyone of whom I dreamed. I called Theo, and he’d come to my house. We’d been together ever since.
“Sarelle, do you want to try another day?” Theo spoke again.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “That would be fine.”
Theo’s phone rang. He flicked it open, his eyes still on me. “Hold on a minute,” he said, standing up. “I’ll be right back, Sar.”
That meant, “Don’t do anything with him while I’m gone.”
“Okay,” I answered.
Theo went out, curiously closing the bedroom door behind him. Wondering why he had, I pushed myself up to a sitting position.
“Sar, you know why this isn’t working,” Danial said.
“I know,” I said heavily. “Because he’s right outside the room. I heard you and Angelica having sex that night—”
“You would have to bring up that,” he muttered darkly.
“—and I don’t want him to hear me moaning, even if we aren’t being intimate,” I finished.
“Are you worried he’ll hear you or that we might go too far?” Danial said seductively.
“Stop it,” I said. “There’s nothing sexy about this.”
“I’m sorry.” Danial came over to the be
d. He put his arms around me, and I let him, leaning into his shoulder. “I’m worried because you won’t be moaning,” he whispered anxiously. “I don’t want to hurt you. I was always apprehensive about biting you after we’d been together so long that it started hurting you—”
Danial had taken enough blood from me in the months we had been together that I had become resistant to whatever substance it was that numbed pain in his saliva. His blood would still heal me. The problem was Danial had usually only bitten me during sex and used pleasure to offset the pain. I’d hardly felt it. In the best circumstances, it had heightened my arousal the way it did his.
“I know you’re scared, too, because of what Devlin did to you—”
Devlin had bitten me deeply with no prep work, not that I’d wanted any from him. I’d been in agony and scared to death. He hadn’t cared how much he hurt me because he was trying to kill me at the time.
“Please know I won’t bite until you ask,” Danial whispered gently. “You have nothing to fear from me.”
“I know,” I replied. “I’m scared anyway.”
“Some of that is your memories of us,” he said, kissing my cheek. “They come back to me unbidden when in your arms.”
“Yes,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder.
“Maybe I’m not the best vampire to remove your scars,” he said, tilting my head up to look into my eyes.
“Who else could I trust?” I gave him a smile. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to bite me, Danial.”
He didn’t return the smile. “You’re worried about Tawny, too. About how Theo will react when he becomes a father. She is scheduled to give birth in two weeks.”
Tawny and Theo had been lovers for years before I came along, getting together whenever he was in Europe. Two months ago, almost six months pregnant, she’d showed up at my door looking for him. The baby was his. She was set to deliver in a few weeks. Danial, Theo, and I were all going to be in Europe for the birth. It made me more than apprehensive.
My smile evaporated. “I’m scared, Danial. Scared he’ll want her and not me.”
“Your fears are groundless, Sar. He loves you the way I’ve never seen him love anyone else since I met him. He’ll love the child to be sure, but that’s as it should be. He isn’t going back to her.”
“I know, Danial, but I still have this fear—”
“Tell him, Sarelle. Don’t keep it from him,” Danial said, the old pain in his voice. “If I had shared more of my fears with you and given you a chance to ease them...” He trailed off with a sigh.
Theo came back, slightly mistrustful. “Did you make any progress?”
“No. I think we should forget it for tonight,” Danial replied, rising to his feet. “Sar’s not ready. If I bite her now, it will hurt her. At worst, she’ll have a new scar. We can try again another time.”
“Okay,” Theo said. He held out a hand for me. “Ready to go?” I took it, and he pulled me to my feet.
“Thanks for trying anyway, Danial,” I said.
He nodded once to me and looked away. “Have a good night.”
Theo and I left, heading out to Theo’s truck. We got in, and he drove us towards home.
“I’m sorry,” I said, when we’d reached the road. “That was a waste of time.”
Theo took my hand in his. “It’s not your fault. I know you’re remembering how you got the scars. Without the, um, usual distractions, it’s going to be difficult to remove them. Danial understands it, too. This way is easier than surgery and much safer for you. We’ll try as many times as it takes.”
I lay my head back, closed my eyes, and drifted, listening to the hum of the engine.
“You don’t have to worry about Devlin either,” Theo growled. “He’s remained at his estate since being dethroned. No one’s seen him since.”
That didn’t comfort me. Just knowing he was still alive was cause for fear.
Devlin, Danial’s older brother, had been turned with him over four hundred years ago. Yet Devlin had been more powerful than Danial for most of their existence. His ability to create vampires was a rarity. At least a century ago, he’d assumed control in the United State.
Since then, Danial had gone along with everything Devlin demanded until it came to me. Even then, Danial had not been powerful enough to fight his brother directly. Devlin had been the Vampire Ruler of the United States until recently. Then, Danial had taken his blood and his power with it. Devlin blamed me for his fall from influence. I’d seen it in his golden eyes that night. He was not the type to forgive or forget.
“Terian is going to stop by later, isn’t he?” Theo said.
“No, he said he’s too busy to do dinner anytime soon.”
Terian had moved in a little south of Theo and me, and was currently living with a woman he called Sundown. He claimed he was only looking for fun, but, the way he talked about her, he was beginning to love her. I was happy for him. He’d been alone a long time. It was high time he got a break.
“Want to pick up some takeout?” Theo offered.
“Sure,” I said gratefully.
* * * *
The two weeks flashed by. All too soon, the three of us were boarding the plane for Europe. I was apprehensive about the visit and not just because of Tawny. Last time I’d been to Europe, a man had accosted me in the hotel’s Jacuzzi, and an unknown vampire had come to my rescue, scaring him off. Despite not being harmed, I was not eager for any more adventures. That trip had lasted only a couple of nights. This trip would last a week, far more time for mishaps to happen.
My boss hadn’t been crazy about it. After I explained some of the particulars—boyfriend plus another woman, married, equaled a baby being born in another county—he told me to take the time, but to be prepared to come in extra the next week. I didn’t argue. He’d been flexible about my hours when I’d needed it. I owed him a lot for letting me work part time anyway.
Danial, accompanied by Lander, one of his bodyguards, met Theo and I at the airstrip at dusk. Lander was prone to suggestive remarks.
“We’ll be racing the dawn the whole way,” Danial said irritably, buckling his seatbelt. “Lander, get some sleep. You’ll need to be awake most of the next few days.”
The plane lifted off in a few moments. As soon as we were airborne, Theo and Danial began to discuss the cases and meetings they would be handling in the coming week. I tried not to listen in on the business end. It really wasn’t my business anymore; it was Danial’s. Yet my ears picked up enough to get an idea of the danger they faced.
One of Danial’s meetings was with the CEO of a company called Gemini GmBH. The CEO suspected a rival company had murdered Gemini’s COO, a close, personal friend of his. He’d hired Solutions, Inc., Danial’s company, to find the murderer and deal with him―no police, no court, just justice.
I didn’t know how I felt about Theo and Danial being the dispensers of said justice. In terms of Danial, it wasn’t my business anymore. As for Theo, he had done this type of work when I met him. Adding to that, was his new ranking of number five in the who’s who of the bodyguarding world. Theo had made it clear when we got together that this was his life, and he wasn’t going to give up what he did. One of the driving reasons was his righteousness was fairness was so important to him. He’d spoken to me bitterly of more than a few past cases where justice had fallen by the wayside, undermined by the law. I was contemplating the pros and cons of private justice when I fell asleep.
I awakened when we touched down. The jolt of the wheels snapped me from my slumber. After a hurried drive to the hotel, we checked in and made our way upstairs to our suite. I quickly drew the curtains in Danial’s room, he went inside, and then Theo and I crashed in the other bedroom. We were both too tired to do anything more than sleep though Theo teased me that tomorrow night he’d make it up to me.
We slept the day away, waking at the night. After dressing, Theo and Danial went out to attend their first meeting, and I stayed in and watched some
TV. I wasn’t about to wander around without a chaperone at night, especially because this time I wasn’t wearing the proper identification on my neck, a.k.a, a mystical choker that signified a human belonged to a particular vampire.
I’d worn one while dating Danial, at his request. It had been made of gold with his symbol, a fox head charm adorned with ruby eyes. I’d brought it along at Theo’s urging in case I needed to go out at night. It seemed senseless because Danial was the only one who could fasten or remove it. There was no way I was letting myself be “collared” again, not even for a gourmet dinner. Bringing it had been easier than fighting with Theo.
Danial returned at midnight, but Theo didn’t. With barely a hello, Danial went back out to feed. Disgruntled, I dozed, only to be awoken by Theo’s phone call at two in the morning.
“Hi, Sar. Tawny has gone into labor early. She’s having a difficult time, at least that’s what the doctors say. I wanted to tell you so you weren’t worried.”
“How long will it last? Is she close to giving birth?”
“They don’t know. They think in the next few hours, maybe more. They’re afraid to speed up her delivery, but they’re also afraid to stop it.”
“Okay,” I replied, not knowing what else to say.
“Stay with Danial. He’ll keep you safe. He’s back, right?”
“He went out to feed, but I’ll tell him what you said if that’s what you’re asking.”
“What I’m telling you is not to go outside by yourself. Danial told me about the strange vampire you met last time you were here. I don’t want you leaving the room unless Danial or I are with you. You don’t have any marks, or a collar, or a ring now.”
When he said it like that, I felt bad, as if I’d lost something. I reminded myself I’d fought to get free of all that. I couldn’t have it both ways.
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