“Come near me and I swear I’ll slit your throat,” Renee snarled, every muscle in her body tensed in preparation. She would rather die than let him touch her. The thought of bonding to this beast made her feel physically ill.
But when her stomach roiled again she wasn’t as sure of the cause. It felt almost like the terrible reaction she’d had to the bagged blood. What had they done to her? Her muscles started a slow burning, an ache which quickly built to pain.
Niko laughed at her threat. “There’s no need to fight us, young one. And please, scream all you like. It won’t help you.”
She tried harder to shove him out of her mind without much hope of success. Her mental blocks were clearly suffering from whatever poison they’d given her. She hardly dared hope any of Eli’s Slayers were nearby. If they did respond to her scream, would they save her or slaughter her alongside her attackers?
Niko shook his head, his next words confirming that her mind was still open to him despite her efforts to lock him out. “There are none of your precious Slayers in the area, and even if there were, no one will come to the aid of an Outcast.” His lip curled as if the word tasted foul.
“I’m not a damned Outcast.” The denial was automatic.
Kalen smiled. “Perhaps not yet, but soon.”
She tried not to panic. There was no hope of anyone coming to save her, and panic would only seal her doom. She tried to concentrate on everything she’d learned during her fighting lessons, every dirty trick, every pressure point.
Eli’s words echoed in her mind. You are strong, little one…you no longer need my protection. How she wished that were really true. All the same, the memory of his faith in her gave her the strength to hold her head high and the courage to die fighting if she had to. “I won’t go quietly,” she promised, dropping into a fighting stance.
Kalen smiled. “Oh, I think you’ll come quietly enough.”
There was no warning. A searing flash of pain sliced across both her wrists as Myra and Lisette darted in from the shadows, each flicking out a talon and cutting deeply. They were gone so quickly, Renee never had a chance to dodge or retaliate. Blood poured to the filthy pavement from her torn flesh.
Renee tried desperately to seal the gaping wounds, but her healing magic was frozen, too. Horace and Dabir took advantage of her momentary distraction to leap forward and slash long gashes down her back. The women circled and stabbed again.
There was no escape from the attacks. No matter which way Renee turned, a vampire was behind her. She couldn’t guard against all four at once, and none of her kicks or punches dissuaded them. Any wounds she inflicted were quickly healed. She couldn’t block them, couldn’t escape, and she refused to scream for help and perhaps draw mortals into this.
Niko and Kalen watched dispassionately as the others cut her again and again. Renee felt her strength rapidly ebbing with blood loss. When she stumbled, fighting with every bit of strength to keep from losing consciousness, Kalen moved at last. He grabbed her and hauled her against his chest before sinking his fangs into her throat, drinking deeply of what little remained in her veins and ignoring the weak gouges she left in his cheeks as she tried to force his head away from her.
Niko’s voice reached her from what seemed like a great distance. “If you want to live, you will take what Kalen offers. The antidote is in his blood, just as the poison was in the humans’.”
She tried to shout a denial, to scream that she would rather die, but she couldn’t. It felt like Kalen was draining her very life away.
When dark spots danced before her eyes, Kalen finally pulled away and cut a shallow gash in his wrist with one long nail. The scent of the blood dripping from the wound was almost overpowering. Every cell in her body cried for nourishment, but she knew that to taste his blood was to be damned.
“Drink,” he commanded, and she recognized the compulsion in his voice.
She didn’t even have the strength to snap defiantly back at him. Despair choked her. She couldn’t fight such a strong compulsion in this condition and they all knew it, but she would rather die than take his blood and be bound to this beast.
There was only one way to escape. Closing her eyes, she gave up the struggle and let the darkness take her, leaving herself helpless but avoiding this most deadly peril. The last thing she heard as she passed out was Kalen’s outraged cry of fury.
Renee woke to a symphony of pain screaming from every part of her body. Her veins were on fire, her clothing unbearable against her aching skin. Weakness threatened to overwhelm her again and her knees buckled.
Somehow she didn’t fall. She forced her streaming eyes open and looked down at her body. Fine golden chains crisscrossed over her, binding her hands to her chest and her legs together. She couldn’t see what she was tied to but the chill hardness at her back felt like stone.
Looking around provided her with no clues to where she was. It looked like she’d been chained up in a war zone. Broken walls and shards of glass lay crumpled in piles all around her. At the edge of her vision she saw a high fence and part of a sign. CONDE—NO TRE was all she could read, but given the condition of the ruins around her, she was certain it said, Condemned, No Trespassing. Either the earthquake or a demolition crew had almost completely destroyed this building.
Niko glanced up as soon as she regained consciousness. “Have a nice rest, young one?” he asked cheerfully.
“Go to hell,” Renee whispered, her neck trembling with the effort of holding her head up.
“Such spirit! But come, you must be hungry. Would you like a little appetizer before tonight’s main course?”
Renee clenched her jaw, nauseated by the false concern in his voice, and didn’t answer.
As though Niko’s words were a cue, Horace stepped into her limited range of vision and led a terrified human toward her. His eyes rolled wildly in their sockets. The scent of terror and adrenaline bled from his pores. Her stomach churned with foreboding. “Dinner is served, princess,” Horace said, shoving the human at her.
Renee turned her face away, trying to deny her vicious hunger. Horace grabbed the man by the back of the neck and pushed him back at her, his long nails piercing the skin, forcing the scent of blood and fear on her as he pressed the man’s throat to her face. The man moaned in terror when her fangs lengthened despite her best efforts.
She clenched her jaw, trembling from the effort. “No, damn you. I’m not hungry. Let him go.”
The Outcasts laughed, and she knew she was fooling no one. They’d bled her almost dry and she needed to feed. She had no hope of fighting back when she was this weak, and she’d already been poisoned. If they’d tainted this mortal too, it made no difference. With a murmured word of apology, she summoned her frail powers and slipped into his mind, stealing his fear and replacing it with tranquility before biting him.
His blood hit her like a blast of lightning, flowing down dry and aching veins to cells starved for the life-giving substance. She drank deeply, unable to help herself. Instinct drove her on as the Outcasts goaded her to gorge herself, and it was too hard to resist. I’m sorry, Eli, she thought in despair.
His face filled her mind. What would he think of her if he saw her like this?
Some semblance of sanity returned to her with the thought. Her eyes snapped open. What was she doing?
There was a roar of laughter when she wrenched herself away, still achingly hungry but stopping short of killing the man. “Go on, finish it!” Horace commanded, shoving him back at her.
“No,” Renee gritted through clenched teeth. “I am not a killer.”
Horace simply dragged the man to him and sank his fangs deep, not bothering to hide his disgust at her restraint. Renee watched helplessly, tears standing in her eyes, but she was helpless to save him. All she could do was to remain in the man’s mind and make sure he didn’t feel the terror of his last moments. Only when she felt his life force depart did she release the mental compulsion.
Horace dropped
the body to the ground at her feet and walked off. Niko stepped forward, idly picking at his fingernails with the point of a wicked-looking dagger. “You know,” Niko said conversationally, as though what had just happened was the most normal thing in the world, “if you would have taken what Kalen offered, this man would have lived. You are a killer, Renee.” He smiled, his eyes glittering with triumph.
She shook her head, sickened by his words. “Horace killed him, not me. I am not a killer!”
Niko smiled at her denial. “Have it your way. We’re not interested in having you join us now, anyway. You hurt Kalen’s feelings, rejecting what he tried to give you. I don’t think he wants you anymore.”
“Good for him,” she replied hoarsely. She lost the battle to keep her head up and it fell limply to her shoulder. “He can see reason.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t hold out too much hope of that,” Niko told her, still smiling. “He still wants your heart. He just prefers it on a platter now.” The others laughed at his joke but Renee was too exhausted from fighting back the bloodlust and quieting the mortal’s mind to feel any emotion at his taunts.
Her chin was suddenly grasped with bruising force. Renee opened her eyes to see Kalen glaring down at her. “What do you think will happen to your precious Slayer when he comes looking for you?” he asked coldly.
His question sent the first shiver of true fear down her spine. She no longer cared what happened to her, but she couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to Eli. “He won’t come,” she said, praying it was the truth. “He’s done with me. He kicked me out.”
Another burst of laughter filled the shattered landscape. Kalen’s eyes glowed with intense evil. She shuddered at the sight. “You must think we’re very stupid if you expect us to believe that,” he hissed. “He will come for you and well you know it. Do you think we can’t smell him on your skin? His claim in your blood?”
Renee tried to jerk her chin from his hand but she was too weak and his grip was too strong. “Let me go,” she demanded, trying to infuse her faint voice with the compulsion to obey her.
Kalen smiled. It sent ice down her spine. “Do you have any idea how much it will please me to cut out your lover’s heart before your eyes? To watch you burn in the dawn?” Her horror seemed to thrill him. “You have no idea how dearly you will pay for rejecting me, but you will. Oh yes, Renee, you will.”
She closed her eyes, horrified. She was bait in a trap, nothing more. Eli, she thought despairingly, praying he wouldn’t look for her tonight. Don’t come. Please, if you love me at all, don’t come.
Niko’s voice floated tauntingly to her. “He will come, child. And when he does, we will be ready.”
* * *
Eli felt Renee awaken, lonely and confused.
He cut off contact at once. He didn’t want to know what she thought of him for leaving her alone. It had been too difficult to force himself to do it at all. He couldn’t even hope she’d understand why it had been necessary.
After all, it wasn’t like he’d explained anything to her.
He wandered aimlessly through his underground lair, too restless to be still. Knowing she was out there alone was torture, pure and simple.
This unfinished bond was driving him crazy. The bonding ritual set a male on edge, heightened his natural possessiveness to a terrifying degree and exposed every primitive, raw instinct to protect and defend his mate. He’d seen others go through this a thousand times and had watched their angst with amusement, but he was far from amused now. He hadn’t understood the agony of it and had certainly never expected to experience it himself.
Never would he have believed that he would turn his Chosen out of his home, either. It felt empty without her here, and yet every room held the ghost of her presence. He paused beside his fireplace, seeking comfort from staring into the flames until he remembered their long talk here. He couldn’t bear to look at the couch, knowing he would be swamped with memories of her acceptance of him and the earth-shattering lovemaking which followed. He couldn’t try to lose himself in a hard work-out because her essence lingered there, every mock-battle they’d fought taunting him. The memory of the first time he’d surrendered to weakness and tasted her sweet lips waited to ambush him in that room. No, he couldn’t go there.
The guilt he felt at tying her to him without her consent threatened to crush him. He had no right! she’d cried, and though Eli knew she hadn’t been speaking of him, she might as well have been. He had no right to do this to her.
But sending her out on her own, unprotected, was just as worthy of contempt.
Still, he had no choice. He couldn’t trust himself around her. If they made love again—and there was no way they wouldn’t—Eli would bind her with the third exchange. His heart wanted it and instinct demanded it. Renee would never have a chance to live her own life and make her own mistakes, to fall in love with someone who deserved her and choose her own mate. He’d take the choice from her, his noble vow be damned.
No. He had broken too many promises trying to protect her. This one he must keep.
He slammed his fist into the wall, wishing he could smash the ache in his chest. Renee said she loved him, and though a part of him thrilled to her words, it was too fantastic to be believed. The only male vampires she had ever met besides him were Diego and Ronin—one already bonded, the other filled with poisonous hatred—and a pack of Outcasts. Given those choices, of course she thought she loved him. He was all she knew. He had to give her the freedom to find a man worthy of her.
And only then would his real test begin, Eli knew he would have to fight the urge to slay her man every day for the rest of his eternal life.
Time crawled by until Eli thought he would go mad. The night seemed endless. Abruptly he spun on his heel and launched himself through the fissure and out into the darkness.
Eli glided over the city, his senses open to the night. He had no desire to feed, but he found himself gravitating downtown to the area where they’d always hunted anyway. He didn’t let himself scan for her—she would be all right. He had to have faith. She was strong and he had taught her well. Gareth, Patriarch of the Arachnid Clan, would be coming soon to discuss accepting her into his Clan, which was more than he’d hoped for. Now the best thing Eli could do for her was to leave her alone.
Repeating the mantra did little to alleviate the tight knot of worry in his chest.
The nightclub district still thrummed with life despite the late hour. Eli materialized there, entertaining some notion of losing himself in the revelers, but every sense suddenly went on full alert when the heavy scent of blood and fear abruptly assaulted him. His nostrils flared as he drank in the night for information. In an instant, the beast inside him roared to the surface, fangs bursting into his mouth as every muscle tensed with a raging desire for revenge.
Renee’s blood. Renee’s fear.
Shoving humans aside without noticing them, Eli sprinted down the street, following the terrible trail. When he found the alley, he froze, his heart pounding, almost afraid to look inside, afraid he would see her broken body lying discarded there. The scent of her blood was overpowering in the night air.
Pushing his fear down, Eli strode into the alley, scanning every hidden nook and shadow for any sign of Renee. His nostrils flared, leading him unerringly to the pool of blood.
There was no body, only far too much blood spilled on the cracked pavement. Rage took the place of any other emotion. His mind filled with the horrible vision of Renee fighting for her life in this filthy place as faceless attackers bled her almost dry. Fighting alone when he’d promised she would always have his protection.
What had he done?
A new scent, much fainter than Renee’s, caught his attention. Eli concentrated on it, drawing the foul air deeply into his lungs. His fists clenched. Another’s blood had been spilled here. A male’s.
An Outcast’s.
He would know the foul taint anywhere, would have noticed it at once
had he not been preoccupied with his fear for Renee’s safety. A red haze of fury momentarily obscured his vision. How had he been foolish enough to discount this danger? She had told him one of the Outcasts had claimed first right to her. Why had he thought they would leave her alone after she’d defied them and escaped?
Ruby drops of her blood led in a taunting trail down the alley. Eli’s eyes narrowed as wrath burned through him. Blood paid with blood and Renee’s was sacred. He had no doubt the Outcasts had sensed his mark on her, their nearly-completed bond. They had issued their invitation to battle in the most unmistakable terms—they had his Chosen, and they were hurting her. It was a challenge no vampire could misread and one no bonding male would possibly ignore.
Eli turned and followed the trail just as they had meant him to, his lips pulled back in a predatory snarl. They had gone to such trouble to request his presence and he had no intention of disappointing them.
They had no idea what they were playing with.
Chapter Thirteen
The trail had led him in a labyrinthine path through the city and his rage grew with each passing minute. The fools were taunting him even as they drained Renee’s strength further. Dawn was nearing but Eli had no doubt he would find them before it came. They had gone to such trouble to ensure he’d come. They wouldn’t risk the chance that he might go to ground with the morning light and deprive them of their game.
At last he sensed the ambush. He had been led into the most heavily damaged section of the city after the earthquake. Broken buildings surrounded him. One, almost totally demolished, was encircled by a high chain-link fence. It was nearly impossible to see through it due to all the warning signs hanging on it.
He knew he’d found their lair even before he saw the heavy smear of Renee’s blood across one of the signs on the gate. Enraged, he tore the gate completely off its hinges, easily snapping the thick chains which bound it in place and tossing it furiously aside. He sprinted through the opening without a thought of the Outcasts who had to be lying in wait. All that mattered was finding Renee and getting her out of here.
Amelia Elias - [Guardian's League 02] - Outcast Page 22
