by A C Warneke
It was as if half of her soul was missing and that bothered her far more than the feeling of being suffocated. Yet this was what she thought she wanted, what she told Feryn she wanted. Why did he have to listen to her when she didn’t know what she wanted? If she weren’t so miserable, she would smack herself for that thought.
To make matters worse, Toby wanted to spend all of his time with Jack, which gave Malorie way too much time alone with her thoughts. That was always dangerous because in the silence, she started to think about Varick and the caves and she was almost certain she knew the snaking route through the caverns to reach him. That is, if he was still alive. Her deepest doubts liked to whisper in her ear that Feryn’s son was long dead and she was a cruel, heartless bitch to give her mate false hope.
Glancing down at the stone that she never let very far out of her sight, she debated whether or not she wanted to risk Feryn’s wrath by showing up at the caves. If she was able to find his son, he might be so overcome with joy and gratitude he wouldn’t think twice about what she was doing there. Or he’d never trust her again.
It had been days since she had heard from Feryn so it was obvious he was having little luck in locating his son. But she knew how to get to Varick, as long as she ignored her pervasive fear that he was no longer alive. If she could just talk to Feryn….
Wrapping her hand around the cool stone, she closed her eyes and debated whether or not she was foolish enough to chase after Feryn, chase after the danger that surely awaited her if she did. Taella was weakened after Feryn wiped out all of her vampires but she wasn’t defeated. Would she, could she, take retribution against an Aradian’s mate? The woman had been afraid of Malorie once she saw the mark on her stomach, and Taella had only seen a small portion of it. By now, Taella had to be aware of Malorie’s importance to Feryn by the loss of her vampires and the woman wouldn’t hesitate to take out her revenge on Malorie.
Or maybe she would use Malorie as a pawn against Feryn to bring the emperor down. That’s assuming Feryn cared enough to give everything up to save his wayward mate. He’d already destroyed an entire vampire horde on her behalf but that was before Jack, before Hunter. It would probably make it easier on him if Taella did capture Malorie and she was being maudlin because she was pregnant and miserable.
Licking her lips, she glanced out into the empty bedroom, knowing that the rest of the house was just as barren. Jack had taken Toby for a few days to do some male bonding, not that they needed to bond any more. The two of them were thick as thieves and while Malorie was grateful they got along so well, it left her feeling even more lost. Hence, her foolish idea that she could find Varick when Feryn and all of his Aradian resources couldn’t.
Staggering out of the bathroom, she collapsed onto the bed with the stone still in her hand. Since she was going to be sick either way, what difference would another trip through Netherspace make? As long as she concentrated on Feryn, she’d end up in his arms and then she’d be able to kiss him and maybe then everything would be better.
A slight smile curved her lips as she thought about her fantasy reunion because she knew the reality would be far, far different. If she showed up, stepping through Netherspace dazed and confused, Feryn would just send her right back. If she was lucky. Hell, he might decide she wasn’t worth the headache and just leave her in the sprawling caves with no way out because her dreams were only dreams and she didn’t actually know Varick’s location.
Or she’d end up in some foreign land because the caves had some sort of shielding around them and she’d be just as far away from Feryn as she was at present.
Her stomach rumbled but she was too exhausted to get out of bed and eat something. It hardly mattered since she’d probably just throw it up anyway. Fuck, she couldn’t use the stone to find Feryn; she barely had the strength to make it to the bathroom to puke. As the world spun around her, she gave into the oblivion of unconsciousness, her brows puckered into a frown.
~Feryn~
Feryn scowled as Malorie suddenly appeared on the ground at his feet. He was angry at her for setting the male free, he was angry that she went behind his back to do so, and he was angry that he couldn’t navigate the damn caves. Then she had to appear, defying him once again. But she wasn’t moving and, in fact, she seemed to be asleep. Kneeling down, he frowned as he pried her fingers open and found the stupid key he had given her. It was created from dark matter and was manipulated by thought and if he had been thinking at all he never would have given her one, let alone two. But she had asked for a way to travel and he could deny her nothing, even when he knew she might steal off with the young Bre… with her brother.
He had assumed they’d be able to track the boy since they had put two tracking chips on him, one in his arm and the other grafted to his rib. After they brought him back, he would have told Malorie that the boy was going to be given as much freedom as possible within reason. He wouldn’t have been kept in captivity at any rate, though he would have been expected to do his Breeder duty. Unfortunately, Malorie somehow managed to hide the boy very well and he had no idea how she had done it.
Fuck, he was a god among men. He had lived for thousands of years, he had seen so much, done so much, and yet this mere slip of a girl could light up his entire world with a simple smile. No matter how often he told her, she had no idea of the power she had over him and it terrified him. The girl should have been nothing but a means to an end for him but she had become his everything. Staying away from her had nearly killed him but he had had no choice. If she ever truly understood the power she had over him, he would be at her mercy.
He had hoped that by removing the mark, she wouldn’t have this hold over him but he hadn’t been able to do it. Even before she begged him not to take it away, he couldn’t do it because it would have been like cutting out his heart.
Gods, he missed her.
Jiro sneered, “Can’t you control her?”
He looked up to see the fury on his brother’s face as Jiro glared down at the girl and Feryn sighed, “I don’t think she meant to use it. See? She’s asleep.”
“Idiot,” Jiro growled beneath his breath and Feryn wasn’t sure if his brother was talking about him or Malorie.
Brushing a strand of hair from her face, he truly looked at her and his grimace turned into a scowl. The poor thing wasn’t getting enough sleep. She probably wasn’t getting enough to eat, either and it was his fault because he couldn’t be in the same space as her without remembering what she had done and getting pissed off. It pained him to see her suffering but he didn’t know how to make it better. He didn’t know how to deal with his anger at her betrayal because no matter what she did, he still loved her.
As she stirred, she blinked her beautiful gray eyes and looked at him. A radiant smile curved her lips, making his chest ache with love and longing. Why couldn’t she understand how foolish it was to let the boy go? But then his name came out in her husky whisper and he was lost. “Feryn.”
“What are you doing here, Malorie?” he asked, his voice rough with anger and concern.
Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she glanced around the opulent cavern room and blinked again. He knew the moment she realized where she was because her expression turned into a moue of contrition. Her eyes dropped to his hand where he held the stone and before he knew her intentions, she grabbed it out of his palm and thrust it into her pocket.
“What the hell?”
“I don’t want to be left behind,” she said, as if she expected him to abandon her in the Aradian caves. Why would she ever think he would leave her behind? Wasn’t he the one always going after her? The daft girl. He simply didn’t understand her crazy logic. Raising her chin, she looked at him and he saw the fierce determination in her eyes that caused him such grief, a look that tormented him because as much as he resented it, he also loved it. “I didn’t mean to use the stone. I mean, I thought about it but then I realized it would be a tremendously stupid idea and decided to sleep instead.”
“And yet here you are,” Jiro thundered, rage turning his face red.
Before anyone could say anything else, Malorie’s eyes flew open and she grabbed onto the front of Feryn’s shirt, bringing her body upwards as she pulled him down. Her lips smashed against his as she poured her overflowing energy into him. Power surged through him, bubbling and boiling with feral savagery. His arms automatically wrapped around her slender body, crushing her to his chest, unable to get enough of her. Pleasure fried his brain and he was lost, wondering how any mortal could have possibly survive this kiss.
Her tongue wrestled with his as sexual hunger devoured his soul. As he deepened the kiss, he pressed her tongue down with his, asserting his dominance. His cock swelled until he thought it would burst and pleasure twisted his balls into knots until it was almost painful. Jerking at the fastening of his pants, he released his furious erection and wrapped his fist around it, making sensation rip through his spine.
Grabbing the waistband of her pants, he tugged the soft material down and realized it would take too much effort to strip her bare. Tearing his mouth from her, he flipped her over and thrust into her making her cry out. Sliding his hand up her back, he curled his fingers into her hair and tugged until her neck arched and her body bowed. He leaned over her and found her mouth with his once more, fucking her with savage desperation as he plundered her mouth.
In that moment, he forgot everything except how it felt to be buried deep within his mate’s delectable body. Every time he slammed into the depths of her, she moaned, fueling his lust, his desire, and he pushed harder, pushed further until she was mindless with pleasure. Sweat beaded on his brow and his muscles strained as he reached for his release, desperate to fill her with his seed even though she already carried his child.
Holding her hips with a painful grip, he pushed as far as he could go and with a grunted roar, he came. Power surged through his body and fired up synapses in his brain that had been dormant for too long. In that moment he knew where Taella was holding his son. He knew.
A whimper brought him back to reality and he winced, pulling his fingers away from Malorie’s tender flesh, regretting the bruises that were already forming. Slowly, he eased out of her warmth and lowered her to the soft ground before he straightened her clothes. Leaning over her, he pressed a kiss to her temple, “Are you all right?”
“Better than,” she breathed out, a lazy, sated smile curving her lips. “You’ve never lost control like that, Feryn. It was… wow.”
Despite his earlier doubts, he smiled and pressed another light kiss against her hair line. “I know where my son is.”
“Oh, thank God,” she said on a sigh, her eyes fluttering against her cheeks as she struggled to keep her eyes open. “Give me a moment and I’ll come with y….”
Brushing a strand of damp hair away from her face, letting his fingers linger a little longer, he whispered, “Stay here, Malorie.”
She let out a quiet grunt, her ribs rising and falling with each steady breath she took. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if he could trust that she was truly asleep. Standing, tucking his penis away, he faced Jiro, taken aback by the emotion on his brother’s face, a combination of rage and lust and longing. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Will you watch over her for me?”
“Of course,” Jiro grumbled, sparing him the briefest glance. Crossing his arms over his chest as he glared down at Malorie, his brother growled, “I want a Breeder, Feryn. I want one so badly I can almost taste it and she just let the boy go.”
“I know,” Feryn said softly, understanding his brother’s lament. There had only been a handful of babies conceived and there was no guarantee that any of them would be Breeders. Of those that were Breeders, they would be lucky if there was even a single female. It could be generations before a female was born, which made each Breeder that much more valuable. “She’s young and idealistic, Jiro. Don’t take it out on her.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Jiro promised, exhaling noisily as he looked up at Feryn. “Go find your son.”
Feryn’s heart trembled in his chest and he was almost afraid to hope but he straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath, “Keep her safe.”
“As much as I want to strangle her, you know I’ll protect her.” Jiro plopped down on one of the plush chairs and sprawled out. “But if she does anything, I’m sending her home and I don’t care how sick she gets on the other side.”
Feryn arched an eyebrow at that but didn’t comment before he left the decadent room. Retracing the steps he must have taken a hundred times since Malorie told him his son was alive, he went down the familiar hall and stopped when he hit the dead end that had stymied him every time.
With a grim smile, he reached out and ran his fingers along the wall, looking for the miniscule trigger that would return the solid wall to its fluid state. His father told him that the best secrets were hidden in plain sight and had even pointed out several of the hidden triggers. It only made sense that Taella would hole up in the rooms used as a prison, since they had rarely been used and few remembered their existence. Hell, Feryn had forgotten until Malorie’s kiss reminded him. Since Aradians were able to communicate telepathically, they had built neural inhibitors into their prisons, which prevented the prisoners from learning their fates. It had also kept Feryn from sensing his son, making him believe Varick was dead.
Quietly, he made his way through the chambers, cringing at the proof of recent inhabitation. The cavern walls were dry, low fires burned throughout the empty corridors and the dank smell wasn’t present as it was in some of the other tunnels. He could hear his heart pounding and he was afraid that the sound would give him away. Until he realized that there was a second heartbeat, a faint echo that he hadn’t heard, hadn’t felt, in six years.
Varick.
It took everything in him to not run through the prison maze and find his son but he knew that stealth was in order. There was no way of knowing how powerful or dangerous Taella was, even though she had lost all of her vampires. He should have listened to Malorie when she told him Taella was a threat.
Making slow progress, he cringed as the caverns became more and more hospitable and less damp and chilly. Finally he stumbled upon the center of Taella’s secret hideaway. The living area was opulent, almost as opulent as her rooms back at the Aradian compound. Furs lined the floors and walls, interspersed with priceless works of art and glittering jewels. Taella had obviously added to her collection over the years and Feryn wondered just how long the woman had lived in these caves. He wondered why none of the other Aradians had considered using them for their home.
Aradians preferred their time beneath the sun and the thought of living deep in a cave probably held little to no appeal. Plus, the caves were nearly inaccessible and any Aradian who created vampires shouldn’t have been able to make the trip. Taella was far craftier than he had ever given her credit and he was almost afraid to learn how she had been able to fool them all. How she had been able to fool him.
Slowly, he pushed the furs covering one of the doorways aside and looked in, almost retching at the sight that greeted him. A scantily clad Taella was curled around his son’s emaciated form, cuts and bruises coloring his pale skin. Even in sleep a distressed frown marred Varick’s face, which was covered in a thick, black beard. His naked body had thin ropes around his wrists and ankles, his skin oozing blood, and it was painfully apparent that he was not there of his own free will. Fury speared its cold, hard claws through Feryn’s gut and in that moment he wanted to tear Taella limb from limb and bathe in her blood.
Without conscious thought, Feryn wrapped his hand in Taella’s long, black hair and jerked her to her feet, ignoring the screams coming from the treacherous bitch. In a quick, fluid movement, he had spun around and slammed the woman against the cave wall, a low growl coming from deep inside, “I’m going to kill you.”
“Feryn!” she squeaked, her eyes large with fear as she stared at him in shock. “What are
you doing here? How did you find me?”
Shaking her, he thumped her against the wall a few times, making her recoil with each thump. “You are in no position to ask anything.”
Raising his hand, he stopped when a soft voice cried out, “Don’t kill her!”
In disbelief, he slowly turned his head to face the stubborn owner of that voice. “Malorie. I should have known you would defy me. Again. What are you doing here?”
Color flooded her cheeks as she scurried across the floor to his son. Going to her knees, she started working on Varick’s bonds before she answered, “Well, shortly after you left, I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep. I tried talking with your brother and I could’ve handled the taunting but when Jiro’s eyes rolled up into his head and he lost consciousness, I was concerned about you so I followed.”
“Ah, my alarm system worked,” Taella said almost to herself.
“How?” Feryn asked, ignoring the traitor. He was going to kill Taella and then he was going to tie his mate up and never let her out of his sight again. How could she keep disobeying him? “How did you follow me?”
“I’ve dreamt about this place,” she said softly, turning her attention to a stubborn knot. As she worked, she lightly brushed her hand over Varick’s face, comforting him without words. It was surprisingly poignant and infuriating at the same time because she wasn’t supposed to be there. As she finished untying the bonds, she stood up, helping Varick to his feet. His son still hadn’t said anything and it seemed as if he had forgotten how to speak. His eyes were shuttered and weary and filled with suspicion and reluctant relief, as if he didn’t quite believe he was no longer at the mercy of a mad woman. “I was worried you were unconscious and defenseless.”
