Stalking Fate

by K. R. Fajardo

  Cold and calculating, Vincent pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to the wound on his face. Then to Duncan’s utter surprise, he motioned for his men to stand down.

  “You have a lot of balls little lady, a lot more than many of the buffoons currently working for me.” With the white cloth pressed to his cheek, Vincent slowly abled his way toward Senka. “So do tell, what exactly is it that you need from me that has graced me with this reprieve on my life?”

  “Senka, don’t…”

  “No, Duncan. We tried this your way already. Obviously that didn’t work.” She snapped, gesturing to the mayhem around them. Shifting her attention back to Vincent she continued. “You were right, Duncan was lying. He didn’t come here to make a deal with you. Nor did he bring me here for his protection.” Hearing Senka’s confession, Vincent’s cold blue stare fell on him with frightening intensity. “The truth is Duncan would have never returned here if it hadn’t been for me asking him to help me get my sister back.”

  “Your sister?”

  “Yes, my sister.” Senka bit out. “The one your men kidnapped from our camp.”

  Stopping only a few feet away from her, Vincent pursed his lips, “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Oh cut the bullshit.” Senka growled. Head held high, she faced down the much larger man with unwavering confidence. “Everyone knows you are trafficking girls, how the hell is it you think I found you?” Vincent scowled, clearly not happy with the knowledge his unsavory business was not as secretive as he thought. “I am standing here before you, my life and my sister’s life on the line, being brutally honest with you, the least you could do is return the favor.”

  “You are right.” His voice low, Vincent stepped closer to Senka. “Such honesty is a rarity these days. And I must admit, I find it quite refreshing coming from someone so beautiful.”

  “So you do have my sister.” Senka said hurriedly, ignoring the last part of what he said.

  “Unfortunately, no.” Vincent shrugged. “I haven’t seen any Night Stalker girls come through here. Actually you are the first Night Stalker I have seen in years.”

  “My sister isn’t a Night Stalker… she’s a Seer. And she would have just arrived here in the last week or so.”

  Duncan watched as Vincent’s lips curled in a knowing grin. “The pretty blonde with the gorgeous eyes.”

  “Yes.” Senka snapped. “And I want to strike a deal to get her, the Elemental girl from our camp, and Winston’s daughter returned to us.”

  Vincent’s eye brows shot to his hair line. “That’s a hefty demand for a girl who is vastly outnumbered.” Pausing, Vincent’s eyes roamed over Senka’s body in a way that made Duncan’s blood boil. “And you don’t appear to have that sort of cash available to you.” Senka glowered and Vincent held up his hands with a chuckle. “Honesty, remember?” Closing a bit of distance between himself and Senka, he looked down at her with a predatory look that Duncan knew all too well. “So tell me sweetness, what exactly is it you have to offer that would make giving up that much of my expensive merchandise worth my wild?”

  Overcome with the sudden uncontrollable desire to separate Vincent’s head from his body, Duncan rushed forward only to be stopped by a dozen or more of his men. Wrestling him to the ground, the gang of men pinned him face first on the ground, with his hands secured behind his back. Unable to shift without risking severe injury to himself and his bear, Duncan was forced to lay there and watch as Vincent continued to close the distance between him and Senka.

  With a knowing grin, Senka slowly devoured every inch of Vincent’s lithe frame. “Hmmm, let me think.” Pulling her bottom lip into her mouth, Duncan watched in disbelief as she pressed her body snug against Vincent’s, eliciting a low growl from deep in his chest. “Whatever could a girl like me do for a powerful man such as yourself?”

  Vincent’s grin widened as he snaked a hand around her waist. “I am sure we can come up with something.”

  Infuriated at the sight of another man’s hands on the body of his girl, Duncan struggled to free himself from the pile of the men pinning him down. Unfortunately he was severely outnumbered and all he succeeded in doing was pissing them off and getting his arms wrenched tighter behind his back. His struggles did however gain the attention of both Senka and Vincent.

  “Is that jealousy I scent?” Vincent laughed. Inhaling a huge breath, his grin grew wide. “You have got to be kidding me. The Butcher, slayer of Night Stalkers, has fallen in love with a female of the very race he helped eradicate?”

  Duncan froze, his gaze immediately going to Senka, who stared back at him questioningly. Vincent, watching the silent exchange between them, laughed heartily. “Oh this is good.” He snarled, grinning from ear to ear. “Not only do you love her, you haven’t bothered to tell her… have you?”

  Duncan looked away. Placing a single finger under her chin, Vincent pulled Senka’s attention back to him. “So tell me sweetness, do you return the bear’s affection?”

  Swallowing hard, she glanced back at him. Still refusing to face her, Duncan locked his eyes on a fixed point in the floor. “He lied to me.” The words, uttered from her mouth were like a dagger in his chest. “He’s been lying to me since the day we met.”

  “So the answer is no?” Vincent prodded.

  Senka bit her bottom lip, then shook her head. “How can I? I don’t even know who he is.”

  If he thought her words hurt him before, Duncan was sadly mistaken. A pain, the likes of which he never experienced before, clutched his chest, causing him to cry out. He struggled against his captures, determined to get to Senka, to explain why he had done the things he had done, to explain why he had hidden the truth from her. He needed to beg her forgiveness. He needed to profess his true feelings. He needed to get her back.

  Kicking and writhing beneath the pack of men, Duncan managed to break free for a split second. Unfortunately, before he could crawl to his feet and steal back the girl of his dreams, more men were on top of him. Determined not to let the only person he had ever loved escape from him so easily, Duncan fought to stay upright. He was actually doing a pretty good job, when out of nowhere someone knocked him in the head with a heavy metal object. Falling face first into the hard floor, he laid there as the men pinned him once more and this time restrained his arms with blocking bands, enchanted steel engraved with magical runes, to prevent Shifters from using their powers.

  “Collar him and take his ass to the dungeon.” Vincent could be heard somewhere in the muddled recesses of his mind. “I’ll deal with him later.”

  Dizzy and disoriented, Duncan felt two thick arms slide underneath his and hoist him to his feet. And though he fought hard to stay conscious, he could feel himself slowly slipping away as the blood drained down his face from the wound in his head. Not willing to go without seeing her one last time, he managed to raise his half opened eyes and locked them on Senka’s torn expression.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Those were the last words Duncan spoke to her just before his body went limp and they dragged him down the stairs. Torn between her desire to rush to his rescue and leaving him to his just punishment, she watched as he disappeared from her sight.

  “What are you going to do with him?” she asked, swallowing back her tears.

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about him.” Vincent remarked. “He’s going to get exactly what he deserves.” Tightening his hold on her waist, he pulled her snug against his firm body. “I’d much rather discuss what it is you are going to do for me.”

  Returning her attention to Vincent, Senka stared up into his handsomely beautiful features. Unlike Duncan, whose thick beard acted like a mask for his emotions, Vincent was cleanly shaven leaving all the lines and hardened edges of his jaw line on clear display. Combine that with the prominent cheek bones, blond hair, and icy blue eyes, and she had to admit he had a dangerous charm about him that was somewhat alluring.

  Seeming to read her m
ind, Vincent smiled knowingly down at her. “So what do you say? Shall we go to my room and work out a deal to get you your sister back?”

  As his smile widened, his eyes narrowed. She could almost see the wheels of his mind turning, no doubt planning all the vile ways he could use her body. Yeah, that was not happening. Handsome or not, the man radiated a vibe so evil it could make a demon shudder from across the room. No, this was not a man you should turn your back on… and it definitely wasn’t a man she wanted to be locked alone in a room with.

  “I think we can negotiate just fine out here.”

  “Have it your way.” Vincent chuckled. In a move that took her completely by surprise, he kicked her feet out from under her and pinned her to the floor. Grimacing as her umbrella and quiver pressed painfully into her back, she tried to push herself up, only to be forcefully shoved back down again.

  “If you don’t mind an audience, I damn sure don’t.” Straddling her, he grabbed a hold of her shirt at her neck and ripped it apart, sending buttons flying in every which direction. Looking perturbed by the fact she was wearing her tank underneath, he reached for the thin straps and was about to pull them off her shoulders when he froze.

  “I think you might have gotten the wrong idea.” Senka said calmly as she pressed a knife against the bulge in his pants. “Now let go of my shirt and get the hell off of me.”

  A snarl pulled up the edges of Vincent’s mouth as he reluctantly followed her orders. Following him back to her feet, Senka kept the knife firmly in place. “Good, now pay close attention you sick pervert. You will stand there quietly and listen to my offer and not do anything stupid… that is unless you would like to use the bathroom in the seated position for the rest of your life.” Pressing a bit harder on the blade she accentuated her point, “Understand, sweetness?”

  Vincent’s men moved to intervene behind her. “No, no, no fellas.” Senka tsked, I promise, I will do it.” A few of them hesitated, but the majority of them inched forward a little more, testing her resolve. Shrugging, she pushed the tip of the blade through the thin fabric of Vincent’s dress pants. Vincent’s eyes widened.

  “Do as she said and stand down you assholes.”

  Reluctantly the men backed off. “That’s better isn’t it.” She smirked, easing off his manhood a bit. “Now it’s my understanding that there is a Night Stalker that has been giving you problems.” Senka paused, as if struggling to recall the name she knew all too well. “What was it? March… Mor… March de Mort?”

  “Marchand de Mort.” Vincent corrected, his voice betraying his anger.

  “Oh, yes. That was it.” Staring Vincent square in the eyes, she narrowed her gaze. “So here is my deal. You agree to release my sister and her friend, and I’ll get rid of your assassin problem for you.”

  “Will you now?” With a tilt of his head, he crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her doubtfully. “And what makes you think you can accomplish what a dozen of my finest men, including Duncan, were unable to?”

  “I think that should be obvious.” Senka scoffed, but Vincent wasn’t so easily swayed. Rolling her eyes as if she was bored by the entire conversation, she continued. “Who better to get close to a Night Stalker, than another Night Stalker? As you yourself said, our numbers are few, so he won’t be expecting one of his own to come after him.”

  “Have you done this sort of thing before?”

  “No, I just carry a small arsenal of knives on me for all the chopping I do in the kitchen.” She spat sarcastically, earning her a glare from Vincent. Figuring it was best not to push him too hard, she quickly changed the subject. “But the issue is going to be finding him. I will need time to hunt him down… unless you already know where he is?”

  “He lives with a tribe of Wanderers near the Vanterian border.”

  Well that hurt. All this time searching for her father and he was living less than a week’s travel from her in a fellow Wanderer village. “Good. Once I see my sister is alright I can be on my way.” Senka continued, maintaining a calm exterior despite the rage burning inside her. I bet the asshole has known where we have been this whole time and never bothered to come check on us.

  “I don’t think so sweetness.”

  “You want this done or not? Because the Vanterian tribe is located in the middle of a desert and the sun will be up pretty soon, which will make flashing considerably more difficult. So unless you know someone else who can use their photographic memory to show me a point I can safely flash into, then I will need to see my sister.”

  Silence descended as Vincent rubbed his smooth chin. “Your sister can do that?”

  “Yes, she’s a Seer with a photographic memory. She can remember every detail of every place she’s either seen in person or through the eyes of someone she has read.” The words spilled out before she could stop them. Mentally slapping herself, she prayed she hadn’t just made a huge mistake.

  Vincent’s silence was deafening. Fully expecting him to deny her, she had all but given up hope when, to her surprise, he waved at one of the men behind her. “Go get the blonde and bring her here.”

  Senka’s heart raced as she heard the man descend the metal stairs. Meanwhile, Vincent stood there casually, arms over his chest, staring down at her in a look that made her more than uncomfortable. A few minutes later, the sound of Chloe’s voice greeted her ears.

  “Unhand me you giant ape.” She yelled as sounds of a struggle rose from the stairs.

  Concerned, Senka mistakenly turned to check on her sister. In that split second, Vincent yanked the knife from her hands, spun her around, and pressed it to her throat.

  “You’ll have to do better than that if you want to kill the assassin.” He growled, pressing the blade hard enough against her throat to draw blood. “Now let’s get back to our negotiation shall we?” Running his free hand underneath her tank, he painfully squeezed her breast.

  “Senka!” Having finally spotted her in the hands of the monster, Chloe halted her own struggles with the towering male. “Let my sister go! I’ll do whatever you want, just let her go!”

  Vincent’s eyes lifted to hers. “Will you now?” Behind her she could feel his growing erection press into her back as his eyes racked over her sister’s body.

  “Shut up Chloe!” She snapped, before addressing Vincent once more. “Leave her alone, please. You can have me, I won’t fight you, just don’t touch my sister.”

  “Well, well, well.” Vincent purred. Like literally purred, causing Senka to frown. “I have two sisters both willing to throw themselves at me to save the other one.”

  Releasing her breast, he lifted her shirt exposing her to all the men in the room and proceeded to knead each one in turn. “Tell me Senka, do you like to gamble?” Biting back her fear and rage, Senka remained silent and still as he continued to grope her in slow steady movements while his men watched on with hungry grins smeared across their faces. “Because I do. And I would like to make a little wager with you.”

  In front of her, Chloe broke down in tears watching what was playing out in front of her. “Senka,” she squeaked, covering her mouth with her hands. “I’m so sorry Senka.”

  Ignoring her, Vincent continued. “So here’s my offer. If you succeed in killing and bringing me back the head of Marchand de Mort…” Recognizing their father’s name, Chloe’s eyes shot wide. Thankfully she remained silent and did nothing to give away their secret. “I will release not only your sister and the girl from your camp, but I will release Winston’s daughter as well. I might even be persuaded to let you have Duncan back… that is if you want him.”

  “And if I fail?” she asked, trying to suppress a cringe as his warm breath moistened her ear.

  “Duncan dies and the three of you become my personal harem to do with as I wish.” Leaning down, he ran his tongue up the side of her neck and dropped his hand to aggressively cup her between her legs. “So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

&n
bsp; “Not really.”

  “Then I guess we have a deal.” She growled. “Now if you would kindly get your hands off me and let me get the information I need from my sister, I can be on my way.”

  “Don’t act like you don’t like it.” Vincent chuckled as he lowered the knife.

  “About as much as a person enjoys having their finger nails pulled off.” She remarked, attempting to pull herself free of his wandering hands.

  Quickly the hand that had been groping her, encircled her neck and squeezed. “Careful who you piss of little girl.” He growled, tightening until he cut off her air. “For that little remark you now only have until tomorrow night to get the job done.” Releasing her, Vincent shoved her roughly to the floor.

  “That’s impossible.”

  “Not my problem,” Vincent huffed, “Should have thought of that before you pissed me off. And know this sweetness, if you so much as think about double crossing me or running away, be assured your sister and her friend are the ones who are going to suffer my wrath.”

  Pulling herself back to her feet, Senka straightened her clothes. With her head held high she pushed her way through the wall of sneering men to retrieve her bow from the floor before making her way to Chloe. Glaring up at the giant man, who did very much resemble an ape, she pulled her sister from his grasp.

  “I need you to find me at least 5 landmarks between here and the desert tribe camp that’s near the Vanterian border.” She said once they had put some distance between them and the men. “And an anchor I can use when I get there. Do you think you can do that?”

  “I-I think so,” Chloe sniffled. Closing her eyes, Chloe held out her hand for Senka to take. Within seconds the entire journey to the camp flashed before her eyes as well as the complete layout of the camp.

  Picking out a few locations that looked promising, Senka nodded and broke the connection. “Thank you, Chloe.”

  “Senka are you really going to…”