Taken in the Night

by Tara Fox Hall

  “You have your child, Theo. That’s what matters,” Danial replied, putting his hand on Theo’s shoulder.

  “By the way, Danial,” Theo said anxiously, “I’ll need your help.”

  “With what?” Danial said cautiously.

  “Getting Elle home.”

  Both Danial’s mouth and mine dropped open.

  Danial glanced at me and then back to Theo. “I thought Tawny wanted the child?” he said cautiously.

  “You named her Elle after me?” I asked in wonder.

  “Yes,” Theo said, giving me a warm look. “It was the first thing that came to mind.”

  I was so floored I couldn’t reply.

  Theo turned back to Danial. “Tawny does want the child, but I’m afraid to leave her here. I love her already, Danial, I’m desperately afraid something will happen to her. Tawny’s still critical, and she’s not up to taking care of Elle. I know with Sar and me, she’ll be safe.”

  I moved to the nearby chair and sank into it, my legs suddenly weak. Theo wanted to bring his child home with us to live. Everything would change if he did that. I’d feared this almost as much as I’d feared him falling in love with Tawny again. Yet with Tawny so bad, what other choice was there?

  “Theo, how long will it be until she changes form?” Danial stared at him.

  “I don’t know,” Theo said, shrugging. “This is the first time I’ve heard of a were-baby being born in animal form to a were-mother in human form. The doctor who delivered Elle said he’d never seen this before either. Tawny never had an ultrasound, so no one knew. They weren’t prepared.”

  “We could maybe ship her in on a commercial flight in baggage—” Danial began.

  “I’m not putting her alone in some plane’s baggage hold—” Theo retorted.

  “There is no way we are going to be able to sneak a cougar cub onto an aircraft, even one of my chartered ones,” Danial said, exasperated. “Even then, customs, the airport, and a slew of other authorities are going to want to know where she came from! She’ll need real shots, in addition to forged papers. Why didn’t you mention you wanted her to come back with us?”

  “I didn’t plan on taking her home,” Theo replied, desperate. “You know that, but I can’t leave Elle here. I can’t stay here with her for a few years, hoping she’ll change form. I’ve got to bring her back to the United States. The doctor at the hospital is a friend of Tawny’s husband. He’s covering the bases with the hospital and taking care of the paperwork, making sure she’s got a birth certificate and the normal human baby shots. For a price, he said he could forge some other documents for me showing she was orphaned in the wild and is destined for a zoo. I’ve paid for him to give her animal shots already.”

  “He’s Tawny’s husband’s friend. Why would he help you or the baby?” I said, confused.

  “Despite the circumstances, he wants what’s best for the baby and knows it is not to stay here with a critical mother and a stepfather that already doesn’t want her,” Theo replied angrily. “I can’t believe you two could think I’d let that happen with how things stand now.”

  Danial met his gaze and then looked away, rubbing his hands over his face. “Okay, Theo,” he said in capitulation. “Let me make a few calls.” He snapped open his phone and began pacing, dialing as he moved. Then he spoke once more to Theo, without turning around. “Meanwhile, I need you tomorrow night. We will leave at dusk.”

  Theo nodded. “Fine. I’m going to get some sleep.” He headed back towards the bedroom.

  I sat there with my head in my hands awhile, thinking. Finally, I went to bed, too. What was the point in staying up?

  I crawled in next to Theo, who was asleep. An hour later, lulled by his slow deep breathing, I slept.

  * * * *

  I woke at dusk to find Danial and Theo had already left for their meeting. Irritated, I resolved never again to go on a trip overseas with them again, no matter what the reason.

  I couldn’t handle pancakes again, so I ordered some fettuccine. After devouring the entire plate, I showered and got dressed, resolving to go for a walk to the lobby. I peeked outside the door hesitantly. Lander was there, still in his chair, looking bored.

  He noticed me at once. “What is it, Sar?” he said, trying not to look at me.

  “Lander, just look at me, why don’t you?” I said, frustrated. “No one cares what you did or said in Danial’s kitchen half a year ago.”

  My words pricked his pride. His head came up, and he looked me square in the eye. “Fine, Sar, what do you want?” he said flatly.

  “Better,” I said approvingly. “I want you to escort me downstairs. I want to work out, sit in the lobby, or just walk the hallways. I’ve been in this room for three days and nights.”

  “Danial instructed me not to let you leave the room, even with me,” Lander said apologetically. “Theo said the same thing. Sorry.”

  I swore and went back inside. “Some fucking vacation.”

  I paced for a while, fuming. I tried to calm myself, rationalizing Theo had thought he’d be around, not holding Tawny’s hand in a hospital. Thinking about that, I wondered if at this moment he was sitting by her bedside holding her hand. That image gave me a slow burn, after all she had done to ruin us.

  I took a deep breath and let it out. There was no point in getting angry, at least not while there was no one here to yell at. Resigned, I opened my book and lost myself in its pages.

  About an hour later, at approximately eleven, the phone rang. I picked it up, hoping it was for me.

  “Hello?”

  “Sar, it’s me.” It was Danial, sounding uncertain.

  “What?” I said, apprehensive. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Theo and I did a little recon. We’re planning on hitting the guy tomorrow night. It should be relatively easy,” Danial replied, relieved.

  I grimaced. I didn’t want to know about hits. When we were together, Danial had promised to give up this kind of work. Yet he’d gone back readily enough to it when I left him. That meant Theo was involved with it, too.

  “Sar?”

  “Okay,” I said, reaching for words that weren’t disapproving. “That’s good for you.”

  “Theo went back to the hospital, but he feels bad you’ve been stuck here in the hotel for days.” Danial paused. “Have you eaten yet?”

  “Yes, I got room service.”

  “Then would you want to go out with me tonight?” Danial said hesitantly. “We could do something fun.”

  He didn’t have to ask me twice. I didn’t care where we were going, so long as I got out of this room. “Yes,” I said very quickly. “What should I wear? How long do I have?”

  “Something you can dance in, of course,” Danial said, relaxed and suddenly happy. “Casual dress is fine. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

  Hanging up, I shed my jeans and old shirt, went quickly to my suitcase, and tried to decide what to wear. There was only one thing suitable―the red dress. I picked it up, smoothing it out. It was a Lycra cotton blend, perfect for traveling and conforming flatteringly to my shape. It also happened to be the dress I’d worn for Danial when we’d went out dancing back when we were dating. I’d brought it in case I’d needed to get dressed up and also as payback for Danial for wearing that red shirt of his when he was trying to heal my scars at his house.

  I slipped it over my head and smoothed it down over my hips. It still looked good on me.

  Taking out a small box from my suitcase, I opened it to reveal the fox head choker and the earrings that matched it. Though my conscience told me it was wrong, I dumped the box out onto the sink and put on the fox head earrings. Their ruby eyes winked at me the way they had all those months ago on Christmas Eve, the night I’d given myself to Danial. Why not wear them? They were the nicest earrings I owned. When else would I get the chance?

  The choker I left on the edge of the sink, the gold shining in the overhead bathroom light, the ruby eyes of the fox spar
kling.

  Studying my reflection, I decided to fluff up my hair. I put my hands in the roots—the way a good witch friend of mine had showed me to—and pulled lightly, slowly, all the way back and through, murmuring a few words under my breath. My hair fluffed up, as if I’d just washed it, some of the curl returning to the bottom.

  I studied myself in the mirror. Pretty sweet. I still owed Tatiana big time for showing me that little trick. As I was congratulating myself on my appearance, it occurred to me with something like shock I’d never fluffed up my hair for Theo.

  I also never wore the sexier things for him either, like bustiers or garters, because he preferred me naked. Theo was loving and sexy, but he wasn’t seductive. Danial was, and his seductiveness brought out my own. I enjoyed flirting with him, knowing he still desired me, but was that fair to Danial? He didn’t have someone to burn off all the lust we generated together. I had Theo.

  I was again ashamed. What exactly was I trying to prove, dressing like this? I should take off the dress and wear something else. Danial didn’t need a reminder of what he’d lost...

  There was a knock at the door.

  Shit. I wasn’t going to have a chance to change the dress now. I did remove the earrings quickly, leaving them on the sink, before I hurried to the door.

  To my shock, it was not Lander standing there, Danial, or even Theo. It was the vampire I’d met by the side of a Swiss hotel Jacuzzi almost seven months ago, the courteous one who had saved me from a jerk who’d crossed the line between annoying and dangerous.

  He was facing away from me, pondering some artwork across the hall from the doorway. It was a different hotel, a different city, even a different country, but it was him, without a doubt. I had maybe a few seconds before he turned around and saw me.

  Why hadn’t Lander said something? Where was Lander?

  The man turned around with a quick motion and saw me. Recognition dawned in his eyes immediately.

  “Good evening, Lady,” he said, his blue eyes locking on mine.

  Chapter Two

  I stared at the vampire. He stared back, curious, clearly trying to remember where he’d seen me before.

  “You,” he said, after a moment with a trace of surprise. “You were the Lady I met that night in Switzerland, by the Jacuzzi—”

  “Yes,” I said quietly. “My thanks again for your assistance. My name is Sarelle.”

  “I’m Samuel.” He reached for my hand and kissed it, his eyes holding mine. “I’m looking for Racklan,” he said, dropping my hand gently. “Is he here?”

  “I thought you were him,” I said smoothly. “I am waiting for him to return.”

  “I’ll escort you downstairs to the lobby,” Samuel offered, extending his elbow elegantly. “You will be safe with me. I promise you, we will not leave the hotel, Sarelle. You should not be alone, even in your hotel room. These are dangerous times.”

  “I had a guard—” I began.

  “Who has left you alone for at least the last five minutes,” Samuel interrupted darkly. “Much can happen in five minutes, Lady. Need I say more, or may we leave?”

  “Thank you,” I said nervously, not knowing how to refuse his offer. I took a step forward.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” he said, a hard question in his tone.

  “Yes,” I stammered, more than a little panicked. “Thank you. Excuse me for a moment, please.”

  I retreated into the bathroom and grabbed the choker, holding it to my throat with trembling fingers. I’d almost died to get it off. Now I might be dead if I couldn’t get it to stay on.

  I’d never attempted putting it on myself. Still, I had to try. I put the choker around my neck and brought the ends together. Nothing happened.

  “Shit!” I swore vehemently

  “Sarelle?” Samuel called. “Is everything alright in there?”

  “I’ll be right out,” I called back.

  I held the choker tightly around my neck, bringing the ends together again, and envisioned the ends reaching for one another, wrapping around each other, fastening to complete the circle. Closing my eyes, I shouted mentally PLEASE GOD, LET THIS WORK!

  There was a soft sliding sound of metal on metal. Fingers shaking, I took away my hands, then looked into the mirror. My shoulders slumped with relief.

  There was another knock at the door. “Sarelle?”

  I grabbed the earrings and my purse, bolting for the door. I hurriedly put them on, then opened the door. “Sorry about that. I’d lost one of my earrings under the bed.”

  “That sometime happens,” Samuel said, nodding, a faint grin on his face.

  Heat reddened my cheeks. I didn’t reply.

  Samuel beamed at me. “Your blush becomes you. You look lovely, my dear,” he said, again offering me his arm. “Shall we go?”

  I locked the door behind me, took his arm, and we rode the elevator down. Samuel was silent. I contemplated what small talk to make with him, remembered his silence by the Jacuzzi that night, and decided not to speak. I had enough to think about anyway, like where in the hell was Lander?

  The hotel elevator reached the lobby floor, and we disembarked. To my abject relief, Danial had just come through the double doors and was striding towards us. He noticed me in the next second, pausing as his eyes took in the dress, the choker and the earrings. Desire flared briefly. When he saw my escort, his eyes narrowed as he moved quickly to intercept us.

  “Racklan,” Samuel said, dropping my arm and holding out his hand. “I’m Samuel. I know you must have heard of me, now you’ve become Ruler in the States.”

  “I am glad to see you, Samuel,” Danial said smoothly, taking hold of my arm to draw me to his side and slightly behind him. “Sarelle told me what you did for her that night. I’m grateful, and I have long wanted to thank you.”

  I had to be looking at the Ruler of France, if not of Europe. I held my breath and squeezed Danial’s arm with a death grip.

  “It’s no more than you would have done for any oathed female you saw in your travels, Lord,” Samuel said with a slight nod of appreciation. “I merely did what is expected of a gentleman.”

  Danial held out his hand. “Please call me Danial or Racklan if you must, Samuel. That is formal enough. It’s good to finally meet you.”

  They shook hands and then stood apart from one another, sizing each other up while still appearing sociable.

  “Danial, I’m here about the Jonas murder you’re working on,” Samuel said next, switching topics without preamble. “It is in my interest that the killer be caught and punished. So I’m here to offer what help you need while you’re here, one Ruler to another.”

  Danial’s face registered surprise and then quickly smoothed into a casual smile as he regained his composure. “I thank you, but it has been handled already. Justice was done this very night by my own hand.”

  “Then I thank you,” Samuel said, offering him a business card. “Still, call me if you need any help while you are in my territory.”

  Danial took the card, pocketed it, and offered Samuel one of his own business cards.

  Samuel took it. “Are you off dancing?”

  “Yes,” Danial said, smiling politely. “Sarelle loves to dance and so do I.”

  “If you have time then, please try a place called Hyde. I own it, and, if you show the card I gave you, they’ll make sure you have a great time.”

  “Thanks,” Danial said with a smile, “We’ll stop by later tonight.”

  Samuel turned to go and then turned back, his light blue eyes locked on Danial. “Racklan, please excuse my forwardness and understand it is out of concern. Your Sarelle should not be without her choker. I understand taking it off to feed from her, but she could be in danger, especially if you leave her unattended.”

  “I left her guarded,” Danial replied evenly. He turned to me. “Lander left you alone?”

  “I’m not sure,” I said worriedly. “He wasn’t at the door.”

  “Then I t
hank you for watching over Sarelle for me yet again,” Danial said cordially to Samuel. “I will address the matter of the guard.”

  “There are a lot of newer vampires who would not pause at her scar, especially as she seems to be missing the other one,” Samuel continued, as if Danial hadn’t spoken.

  Samuel clearly wanted to know why I was missing my right scar, one he had seen with his own eyes less than a year ago. I shifted uneasily.

  “It was my fault, Samuel,” Danial replied easily. “In my exuberance to get going tonight, I forgot to help her put it back on, after our loveplay. As for her oathing marks, that it not your business, though I appreciate your candor. Be assured Sarelle will wear her choker from now on anywhere outside the bedroom.”

  “She managed to put it on herself tonight,” Samuel said curiously, smiling. “Adieu.” He gave my hand a final kiss and left, striding out the lobby doors onto the street.

  My knees went weak with relief, as I held onto Danial.

  “Come, Sar,” Danial said gently, escorting me outside to the waiting limo. “Let’s get out of here.”

  When we were sitting inside, I leaned into him. He put his arm around me, even as he dialed his cell phone with the other hand.

  “Lander,” he said sharply. “Where are you? Get your ass up and go guard my room. Don’t leave your post again, not for any reason.” He hung up abruptly, then hugged me hard. “I should’ve brought Ivan. He’s had more experience.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, regaining my composure. “What does Samuel rule?”

  “Europe,” Danial said with a sigh. “He’s one of the oldest and most influential vampires around. I hope I played my cards right.”

  “You sounded fine,” I assured him.

  “Why did you leave the room with him?” he abruptly demanded.

  “What was I supposed to do?” I said angrily. “If he’d wanted to bite me before, he could have. I was worried when Lander wasn’t there.”

  “He’ll be sleeping in the room in front of the door for the rest of the trip,” Danial said grumpily. “Theo can discipline him later.” He lay back on the seat. “I must have looked like an absolute idiot.”