Illusions (Night Roamers #4)

by Kristen Middleton

  Nikki’s eyes hardened. “I really don’t think that’s fair, Duncan. Faye said she’ll let us go, and I believe her. You don’t have to be a jerk about it.”

  Duncan studied her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. “So, how did that thing go?”

  She looked confused. “The thing?”

  “Yes, you know, the thing with Victor,” he replied, still watching her carefully.

  She stared at him wide-eyed. “Oh, well, he wasn’t home. I think he may have left town for a while, so nothing became of it.”

  Duncan looked at Ethan and then back at Nikki. His grin was sardonic. “That makes sense.”

  “So, Ethan,” she turned back toward him and sneered. “I want you to know, that I blame everything on you and I don’t care about your pathetic excuses. In fact, I don’t even care if you’ve been holed up here and didn’t take part in Victor’s plan. You were the reason my life has been a living hell. A lot of people have died because of you, and that’s why I’m glad you’re rotting away in here. For all I care, you can stay here for eternity because I can honestly say that you… you repulse me.”

  Ethan could barely breathe as she continued squeezing the life out of his heart.

  “Duncan is my soul-mate. He always has been and always will. Whatever you think that we had is long gone. So, just do us all a favor and… die.”

  He struggled to find the words to make her change her mind, but was too distraught to answer.

  “Die? That’s a little harsh,” said Duncan, his eyes narrowing. “I mean, I agree, he’s been an asshole in the past, but he did save both of our lives.”

  Her head whipped around. “Don’t stick up for him, Duncan. He would probably still try and steal me from you if he had the chance.”

  “No,” said Ethan, quietly. “I wouldn’t. If you really love Duncan, then… I guess I’m willing to accept that. Especially, now that you’ve made your feelings for me quite clear.”

  “I’m glad you finally understand,” she said, smiling broadly. “Because Duncan is everything to me and you can’t replace him.”

  Ethan didn’t reply. Instead, he glanced over at Duncan, who was staring at Nikki with an odd expression.

  “Well, then,” said Nikki, sitting down on the bench in her cell. “This place is horrible. I hope they release us soon.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” said Ethan under his breath, still trying to get over the shock of her cruel words.

  Then, something hit him like a ton of bricks. Something he hadn’t noticed at first. Obviously, the shock of seeing her had dulled his senses. But, now, everything became much clearer.

  Her scent.

  It was missing.

  Female Roamers gave off an intoxicating smell all of their own. Something that was missing from the dungeon. From the way Duncan was eyeing her warily, he’d obviously noticed some kind of a problem, too.

  Ethan’s lip curled up as a plan began to take shape in his head.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Anne

  Anne woke up in a cold sweat, the images of Nathan and Nikki still fresh in her mind. They’d been running from Victor and his pack after trying to rescue her. Although it was only a dream, in her heart she knew her children – they weren’t stupid and they’d never believe that she’d killed herself. It would only be a matter of time before they started searching for her, and although it gave her hope, it also frightened her. Victor wouldn’t stand for them interfering and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to talk him out of killing them if he decided. She almost hoped they’d fail at tracking her down.

  One week ago, Victor had brought her back to Las Vegas, this time to a gated mansion in the northern suburbs. From the feminine décor and extravagant furnishings, she could tell that the owner was a woman, and one with expensive tastes. Who she was, Anne had no idea. Nor did she care. The fact was that she was once again under her ex-husband’s thumb, only this time, she knew that the consequence of disobeying him would be deadly. To try and keep her family safe, she was resigned to doing what he wanted until she could figure a way out of the horrible mess.

  She sat up, and suddenly, her stomach tightened up with cramps. Alarmed, she lightly placed her hand on her belly and pushed aside the covers. When she noticed the blood on her inner thighs, she couldn’t breathe.

  The baby!

  She scooted out of bed and went into the bathroom, only to find her worst nightmares confirmed.

  A miscarriage…

  Not only did this mean she’d never get to hold Caleb’s baby in her arms, it also meant that she was no longer useful to Victor. He’d kill her the moment he found out.

  She covered her mouth in horror and began to sob.

  ***

  Thirty minutes later, she somewhat managed to collect herself. She knew she needed to hide the evidence of her miscarriage before Victor found out. Not only to save her life, but Nikki’s and Nathan’s, too. She focused on that to try and block out the unbearable pain of losing the baby. She didn’t want to lose her other children and had to pull herself together.

  Anne quickly changed out of her nightgown and then rinsed the stain out in the bathroom sink with hot water. After she hung it up on a hook to dry, she went back into the bedroom and stripped the linens from the bed. She then filled up the bathtub with hot water and shampoo, placing the soiled sheets inside to soak. Afterwards, she stepped back into the bedroom and re-made the bed without the sheets. As she was about to check on the sheets, there was a soft knock on the door.

  She cleared her throat and tried to appear calm. “Yes?”

  The door opened and one of the guards, a man named William, who had dark hair and a closely trimmed beard, stepped inside, carrying a silver tray. He’d been nothing but polite to her, and she relaxed slightly.

  “Hello,” he said. “Brought you something.”

  She forced a smiled. “Breakfast?”

  He put the tray on the table and turned to her. “Well, it’s just after one p.m., so technically it’s lunch.”

  “Thank you,” she said, staring at the pitcher. Although she’d been consuming blood now on a daily basis, Anne was still trying to adjust to the idea of her new diet. Even though she enjoyed the taste, it also disgusted her. She felt like a monster.

  “Here,” replied William, noticing her hesitation. He picked up the pitcher and poured the thick, red liquid into her glass.

  The coppery scent made her mouth water. “Thanks,” she replied, not meeting his eyes.

  He handed her the glass. “Of course. You need your strength. So does the baby.”

  Her other hand went to her stomach. “Yes.”

  His brown eyes softened. “You know, you’re very pale. Almost too pale.”

  She smiled grimly. “I’m a vampire now, right? It’s normal.”

  “Yes, I know. But, I haven’t seen you this pale before. You have been feeding every day?”

  “Yes. A few times a day, actually. Victor has made sure of that.”

  “Yes. He wants you healthy. By the way, Dr. Shepard will be here later this evening. He is going to run a few blood tests and do an ultrasound. You’re three months pregnant?”

  “I… I think so,” she replied, noticing that her hand was shaking. She put the glass down. “I’m really not positive, to be honest.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be able to help determine how far along you really are.”

  She was silent for a few seconds and then cleared her throat. “Victor told me that it’s very rare for a vampire to have a baby. Is that true?”

  William shrugged. “I’m sure he’s right. I personally haven’t met too many vampires, so I couldn’t tell you one way or another.”

  “You’re a lycan, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Were you born that way?”

  “No. I was bitten several years ago.”

  “By one of Victor’s group?”

  He shook his head. “No. I was bitten by someone else. I met Victor a f
ew years ago, after it happened. He offered me a place with his own pack and a job. I’ve never looked back.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Certainly.”

  She sat down on the bed. “Is it true that lycan and vampires are adversaries?”

  “Let’s just say, there’s tension between us.”

  “I don’t feel it with you,” she replied. “You seem different than the others, I guess. Not as volatile.”

  “Look,” he said, lowering his voice. “I’m just doing my job and I mean you no harm. But, it’s true that there are others here who would jump at the chance to put you in your place or …” He looked away.

  She gave him a puzzled look. “Or what?” she answered. “Kill me?”

  “Let’s just say that there are worse things than dying,” he said, their eyes meeting again. “You’re in a very vulnerable position, pregnant or not. Victor isn’t due back here for a few days and some of the others are getting restless.”

  “I don’t understand,” she replied, frowning. “Restless?”

  His eyes darted to the door and then back to her. “Sometimes it’s hard for them to control their urges. And, for some reason, the thought of dominating a female vampire makes it even harder for them.”

  Her eyes widened and she sucked in her breath. “You’re talking rape?”

  He nodded. “Yes. That’s why they’ve made me your guard.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He let out a long sigh. “Just know that I’m not a threat to you.”

  “So… you don’t have the same urges?” she whispered, looking uncertain.

  “No,” he replied, with a small smile. “I guess you could say that I prefer my mates in much the same way as you.”

  It took her a minute, but then she grinned back. “Oh, how silly of me – you’re gay?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the others know?”

  He nodded. “It’s why Victor posted me at your door.

  “He doesn’t trust his pack?”

  “Victor doesn’t trust anyone,” replied the man himself, stepping through the doorway.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Nikki

  Martin followed me to the ranch. Fortunately, by the time we arrived, the snow had begun to taper off and the dark skies were now starlit and clear.

  “Yes, if you’re still wondering, it’s definitely my place,” he said before I had a chance to ask.

  We were standing in the shadows, next to the barn. The house was dark and I wondered if Faye was lurking around inside or if she’d left again. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the latter.

  “You haven’t been back here in a while?”

  “No. Once a month my father would stop by and check the place out. Make sure nobody had robbed or vandalized the place.” He sighed. “Now that he’s gone, I might have to sell it.”

  “You’re not moving back here, I take it?”

  “No. I’ll be returning to Europe as soon as this business with Victor is finished. I suppose I could ask Celeste if she wants it, although she’s more of a city girl.”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t imagine her living in a place like this, which is crazy. It looks like a nice ranch.”

  “It is. I used to own a few horses many years ago. I guess it reminded me of normal life.”

  “What was normal for you, before all of this?” I asked.

  He grinned. “Believe it or not, before we were vampires, we were farmers.”

  “Really? I can’t picture Celeste raking hay or feeding chickens.”

  He smiled. “She didn’t. Our father always babied her.”

  You mean spoiled? I wanted to ask, but bit my tongue. “What about your mother?”

  “She died when Celeste was really young. She became pregnant and we lost her and the baby.”

  “I’m sorry. That must have been really hard.”

  “It was. I guess you could say it was one of the factors that made us decide to become vampires. That and my sister ended up getting Typhoid.”

  “So, I assume there was a vampire living up the road and you went to him or her for help?”

  “A whore in town,” he replied, smiling grimly. “Our father didn’t like to think of her that way, but she was. She worked in the saloon and he made a few visits, I guess you could say. She turned him into a vampire and the rest is history.”

  “Huh, I never knew that.”

  “It’s not something we talk about,” he replied.

  “So, what are you going to do with this place?”

  “I’m probably just going to sell it. You interested?” he asked, smiling.

  “Nathan and I don’t have any money,” I replied.

  “Well, we might be able to discuss other options,” he replied. “Maybe you could rent it?”

  I stared at the house and a shiver went through me. Here we were discussing selling his house when Duncan was locked inside of it. Truthfully, there was no way in hell that I could ever live in it. I’d have nightmares about it as it was.

  “Martin, thanks for the offer, but I think we’re going to be staying in Shore Lake. We might help Duncan run the marina.”

  “I understand.”

  “Speaking of which, but what should we do about getting inside?”

  He smirked. “It’s my house so I’m going to walk through the front door. You, on the other hand, should probably wait out here.”

  “You really think you’re going to just walk inside and free Duncan?”

  “No, but I do have a plan. Just wait out here and hide. Keep out of sight. If Faye sees you, I’m pretty sure it won’t work.”

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it won’t either. Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” he said and then flew to the porch.

  He pulled out a set of keys from his jacket, and I watched him try to unlock the front door. Unfortunately, whatever key he was trying to use didn’t seem to be working. Glancing back at me with annoyance, he rang the doorbell.

  I crouched down and waited breathlessly for Faye to answer the door. Instead, a large man with long, dark hair opened it.

  “Who are you?” asked the stranger.

  “My name is Martin and I think the real question is – who are you?”

  “I’m Godrick,” the burly man answered, still blocking the doorway. “Are you here to see Faye?”

  “I’m here because this is my home,” he replied stiffly. “And you’re obviously trespassing.”

  Godrick was silent.

  “Excuse me,” said Martin, trying to push past him and into the house.

  Godrick held his ground and wouldn’t budge. He crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to wait outside while I get someone to help you sort this problem out.”

  “If you don’t step aside, you’re going to regret it,” said Martin, glaring up at him. It surprised me because Godrick stood almost a foot taller, but Martin didn’t seem to be very intimidated.

  Godrick smiled coldly. “I think you’d better chill the fuck out, Martin. In the meantime, I’ll get Faye and you two can discuss who really owns this place.”

  Martin folded his arms across his chest and nodded curtly. “Fine. Better get her out here quickly.”

  Godrick shut the door and Martin turned around. I expected him to look angry, but instead, found that he was smiling.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ethan & Duncan

  “I’m glad that you and Duncan have consummated your relationship,” said Ethan, staring at the shape-shifter in the next cell.

  “We’ve more than consummated it,” she replied, smiling. “We’ve fallen in love. Madly in love, haven’t we Duncan?”

  Duncan closed his eyes.

  She raised her voice. “Duncan?”

  He cleared his throat but didn’t look at her. “I love Nikki with all of my heart.”

  Faye’s smile was forced. “See,” she said, looking at Ethan.

  “Good, because I�
��ve also come to the realization that I’m in love with someone else, Nikki. I guess it just took me a little time to think about it and now, I guess, things are quite clear. So, the fact that your heart belongs to Duncan is actually a relief.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Let me guess, you’re still in love with Miranda?”

  He laughed. “Miranda? No, she’s been gone for many years. And, I don’t think she’s ever coming back. I’m not talking about her.”

  “Who, then?” she snapped, walking up to the bars. She grabbed onto them and her eyes drilled into his. “Who is it that you think you’re in love with?”

  “Faye,” he lied. He smiled wistfully. “I guess I’ve always loved her.”

  Her eyes softened and then became guarded. “Faye? How could you love her after everything she’s done to you? Obviously she’s held you here against your will and from the look of you, has treated you poorly.”

  “I know, but in actuality, I’ve deserved it,” he replied. “I guess I’ve felt that it’s my penance for hurting her.”

  “Is that right?” she answered, staring at him. “You think she owed this to you?”

  “I don’t expect you to understand,” he answered. “What Faye and I have isn’t even explainable. But obviously, it’s too late. She’ll never forgive me for the choices that I’ve made.”

  Nikki licked her lips. “You could always try talking to her. Like I said, she’s much more reasonable than I’d imagined. Who knows, she may even forgive you.”

  Ethan’s face lit up. “Do you really think so?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s worth a shot.”

  Before he could answer, Godrick burst through the entrance to the dungeon. He rushed to Nikki’s cage and took out the keys.

  “What’s happening?” she asked, feigning fright.

  “Faye needs to speak with you. It’s urgent,” he replied, opening the cell door.

  “Oh, okay,” she answered, stepping out of the cell.