Who names their son Ashley anyway?
Vampires I guess.
She nodded but wisely didn’t say anything. He laughed and I couldn’t help myself I started laughing too. Her face was so serious. I didn’t like that she was dating a Vampire but I really wasn’t one to throw stones and I very nearly… oh I wasn’t even thinking about it. Except I closed my eyes and could smell his cedar scent, I licked my lips and could taste his mouth, still. I was in serious trouble.
Laith’s head snapped up his nose twitched, “You gotta quit that Macyn, if you don’t I’m gonna have to go kill that Vampire for you. I don’t think we can live in the same house with you that worked up all the time.”
Laurna grinned like an idiot. “You worked up Mace? What Vampire? Ohhh, Tameron,” her eyes lit up to match that smile. For a moment I hated her I mean really hated her, “Really Macyn?” She giggled I looked around for something to throw at her. I settled for a throw pillow.
“I don’t like him. I really don’t like him.” I stuttered. “I just have a really unhealthy attraction to his… well everything, but I don’t like him,” I protested. I didn’t like him; he was a huge ass, as well as a Vampire. Uh, hello can anybody say unhealthy relationship.
She ran into the kitchen before shouting. “I don’t know Laith I think the lady doth protest too much!”
“How’d you like to see just how strong I am,” I yelled back.
More laughter, “you can’t kill me Macy I brought food and coffee.” She pointed out. Oh yeah, if I killed her who’d bring my coffee?
Laith followed her into the kitchen. I heard them whispering. “I know you’re her best friend and women like to give each other a hard time about men and such but this is really hard on her. She was raised in a world where we are the monsters now she’s got a brother who’s a Shifter and a mate who’s a Vampire. She’s not adjusting well.” Mate? UH uhh, He was just sexy. He was not my AoLi! I knew that. I was sure of it; at least, I thought I was. Maybe, I wasn’t.
“He’s not my mate,” I growled at them and myself, they weren’t listening. I took my coffee and one of the bags of the food and went into the living room. Okay so I huffed out of there like a little kid who’d been told to go to bed and didn’t want to but I didn’t want to hear them discussing me anymore. I didn’t want to talk about sexy half-breeds I just wanted quiet. I flicked on the TV and vegged to the horrors regular humans dealt to each other. It always helped me calm myself. Today it didn’t seem to be working.
I went to hunt that night. I took down two Dream-walkers both were in the middle of using their fear power on helpless humans. A Vampire I caught actually finishing off some poor girl. Then I chased a lone Shifter but she ran like hell from me. I didn’t chase her too hard though I hadn’t caught her in the act of anything and I was having issues with killing those who I hadn’t caught doing anything wrong.
I kept telling myself they were demons but I just wasn’t buying it so much anymore. If they were demons, how were they able to breed with humans? I fell to my knees in the middle of some dark alley and prayed for guidance. Something cool and wet soaked into the knees of my pants while I was kneeling, I didn’t care.
The stone was hard beneath me, bruising. My lips moved fervently and found that I was weeping.
Weeping? I was supposed to be the tough AoD, what the hell was wrong with me?
Please, please, help me, I am trying but I don’t think I am doing it right, I thought. Where is the hardness? How can I just let the Shadow-born go? How can I be so attracted to a Vampire that I can’t even think in his presence?
Nothing… Not that I really expected it I’d listened to my dad pray often enough to know God doesn’t really give direct answers but I was hoping for something anything. I rode home in a funk, tired, bloody, wet kneed, and miserable.
When I got home, Laith was cooking again. I was really liking the whole having a brother thing. He took one look at me and pointed towards the stairs. “You smell like blood and sewage. What have you been up to,” he asked. I noticed he was wearing the blue shirt Laurna had sworn would look so good on him. She was right my brother was a handsome man; of course, I think I’ve pointed that out before. He also wore a brand new pair of jeans. He wore socks but no shoes. His hair, however was a mess, the blond mass was growing out and looked like it could seriously use a trim.
I put up my hands in submission. “Yeah, you have room to talk are you aware of how your hair looks,” I announced. He grinned amiably at me as if the last thing on earth he was concerned about was his appearance, which struck me as odd. He always looked so perfect. Like Laurna I’d assumed he’d put in at least half the effort she had but apparently not.
After I showered, I spent some time looking in the mirror. The bruises had faded to bare shadows. I had some new bruises but they weren’t so bad. I went back into my bedroom; I dragged my feet along the plush carpet. It was something I’d done a lot as a child but hadn’t done in quite some time. The smell of tomato paste and meat rose up the stairs, my stomach growled and I had learned my lesson when it came to ignoring the hunger. I wasn’t going to be doing that again anytime soon. I dressed and rushed down the stairs.
Laith had set the table. It was weird to me. I spent my whole life thinking of Shifters as more animal than people but he had better manners than most people I knew. My relationship with him was affecting my purpose I knew it was, but after today, I had to let that girl go. I couldn’t help but wonder had mom felt this way to? I knew she’d been conflicted she had been meeting with Laith in secret. Why hadn’t she told my father? I didn’t remember her too well but I knew she’d loved him and he’d worshiped her. Had she been afraid he’d reject her? I didn’t know. I wished to God I did.
I fell asleep still wondering what it would have been like. When I dreamt, I dreamt I was the Dream-walker again. He, no we, stood behind Kinsley who sat in an enormous wood chair. Wolves were carved carefully into the thing. At the arms they came off snarling at whoever the chair was facing it was the kind of chair old kings used to use to intimidate their enemies. So, who was Kinsley trying to intimidate. I studied the other man.
He was gigantic. His black hair was longer than Dayton’s even and he had blue eyes very pretty in color but they were lifeless, the eyes of a killer. I shuddered a little; I never wanted to meet up with that guy in a dark alley. “So we are in agreement,” Kinsley asked the giant. I watched Kinsley it was strange to look on him now knowing he was my brother’s father. Laith had mom’s hair blond and soft but those eyes, those near ebony eyes he’d gotten from his father. His massive form and chiseled features he’d gotten from Kinsley as well. The man was attractive in a, after we have sex I’m going to go cannibal and eat you literally kind of way.
It was funny to me how quickly Laith had stopped being that Shifter and become my brother but hey, I’d always hated being an only child.
“Yes,” The big guy answered barring fangs. Oh, boy a Vampire, I thought Shifters and Vampires didn’t really get along. “I will bring you the Reece girl and you will kill Tameron for me.” Uh oh, I didn’t want to hear that. Gigantor there was coming for me. Shit, I could have done without this bit of precog. “I still don’t understand why you want the girl alive. It would be easier to just kill the bitch.” The giant suggested.
“That is my problem, not yours, bring the girl alive. I will send my men for Tameron.” Kinsley growled at the Vampire. “And Sumner, I don’t take failure well,” he threatened. Wow, Laith’s daddy had some steel ones because the Vampire was a good foot taller than he was and built like well, Mr. Universe comes to mind. I wondered if Vampires could use steroids and if a Vampire who was slim could put me through concrete, what could a Vampire that looked like that do? I was pretty sure I didn’t want to find out.
Sumner the Vampire shrugged. “I don’t either.” He stood and lumbered from the room. Nothing that big could walk it was lumbering.
“Nikissos,” Kinsley growled.
“
Yes master,” came from my mouth. Eww, I so didn’t want to call him master.
“Have you heard from my son,” he looked up at me. Anger seethed from his very being.
Yep sure have lots and lots but I wasn’t tell him that. “Nope,” I answered.
“Nope,” he asked incredulously his dark brows climbing into his hairline. “Nope,” he repeated, “What the hell has come over you Nikissos,” he growled.
Oops! “I meant, no master, nothing.” Okay I didn’t like the Dream-walker but I so didn’t want Kinsley to beat him to death while I was still walking him. I mean shit like that leave some psychological scars. I had enough scaring to deal with.
Kinsley clawed the table in front of him leaving long gouges in the wood. There were other similar marks apparently; this was something he did when he was agitated. “Do you think he will bring me the girl,” he almost sounded hopeful.
Bring him the girl, I wondered. Was Laith going to betray me? Aw, fuck I so didn’t need this. Before I could respond the Dream-walker whose skin I was riding answered. “He said he would not,” Yay, Laith. I thought, but doubt had been planted and I was never very good at hiding my anxiety.
“Go,” Kinsley grumbled as he raked his claws along the wood again, “and tell me the moment you hear from my son.”
I nodded, “Yes, master.”
I woke. Well hell Nikissos the Dream-walker had helped me out again, why? What was he getting out of it? Laith knew him they were friends weren’t they? I threw off the covers and padded down the hall to the room he was sleeping in.
Laith lay in the guest bed like an overgrown octopus. Limbs sprawled everywhere his blond hair slashed across the pillow he snored softly.
I wondered if our mother had tucked him into bed when he was little. He’d said that Shifters told each other Ao tales to frighten each other did they have fairy tales with Shifter heroes as well. Had my mother told him those bedtime stories when he was little? Suddenly I was jealous; he’d gotten to know Iris. I had a few pictures and cloudy memories he had a lifetime. “Hey sleeping beauty,” Somehow I managed to keep that bitterness I was feeling from my voice as I spoke to him from across the room. I knew better than to sneak up on a sleeping Shifter. He opened his eyes, abruptly.
“Sleeping Macyn,” he snorted. He ran his hand through his hair, clearing it from his eyes so he could focus on me better.
“Yeah, so was I but I had a dream and thought you’d be interested.” I moved over to the bed and sat on the edge now that he was awake. I didn’t know why I was here. What good could come of this?
He rolled toward me. “Yeah, what kind of dream,” he asked like someone who didn’t want to be awake but was making the effort just for you. I felt guilty for not trusting him. It didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure of him but I felt guilty nonetheless.
“Do you know that once an Ao has ascended he or she sometimes has precognitive dreams?” I said looking down at him.
He ran his hand through his hair again. “No, I didn’t know that. Mom never said anything.” He sat up a little more alert now.
“Yeah, it’s more common for AoD than AoLi but sometimes they get ‘em too. I have at least one a night. That’s pretty rare.” I guess I should have been kind of proud but honestly sometimes I just wanted to sleep you know deep dreamless no blood or gore sleep.
“No wonder you always look like hell in the morning,” He laughed. I glared at him, smug bastard.
“Tonight I dreamt of your father.” That wiped the grin off his face right quick. “He asked a Dream-walker if he thought you were gonna bring me in.” I lifted my eyebrows at him. “So you gonna?” I asked. I needed to know for sure not, what some Dream-walker thought.
“No,” he answered abruptly he looked irritated at me for even asking. “I promised mom I would do everything in my power to protect you from my dad. I don’t do light promises Macyn.” His eyes begged me to believe him and for some reason I did.
“That’s what Nikissos said,” I sighed. “You know I think he killed our mother? Nikissos that is,” the words were hard to get out and still sounded slightly accusatory, like I was somehow blaming Laith.
He frowned at me. Then very slowly, he nodded, “He killed Mom. He didn’t have a choice.” His voice was laden with regret. “The collar he wears, it’s a Shifter secret. We make them to control other Shadow-born.” He hesitated, “it works on Ao too.” His hand slid across his throat as if he could feel the weight of such a collar just by describing it. “It’s rare that a Shifter is born with the ability to make one and even if he can, it’s only the one in an entire lifetime. My father was able to make one he put it on Iris. She broke the curse but it’s nearly impossible. Nikissos has been wearing that collar for a century and a half. He is forced to comply with ever order Kinsley gives him. No matter how much he doesn’t want to.”
“So he’s cursed,” I asked. I was not going to feel bad for the man who had taken my mother from me. I had to be the most screwed up AoD ever!
Laith nodded, “He’s really pathetic. You know when our last King put that damn thing on him; he had a pregnant mate at home. Dream-walkers mate with humans he’s been captive for like a century and a half so she died never knowing what happened to him. He doesn’t know if the baby survived if it was a girl, it would have been human so she would be dead by now as well. If it was a boy, he might have survived but can you imagine being human and trying to hide a Dream-walker son. No, the kid is probably dead. He really hated my grandfather, now he really hates my father. I have a pretty screwed up family,” he cursed softly.
I didn’t want to feel bad for the bastard but I did kind of did. “Urgh, he killed our mother,” I reiterated.
“Nikissos and Iris were friends. Kinsley made him kill her to punish him for gaining what he never could, Iris’ respect. With that collar, he couldn’t stop himself. Mom could have killed him if she really wanted to; she had cared too much about him to do it. I wish I had been there. I like him but I would have killed him to protect mom.” I could hear the anguish in his voice. A single tear slid from one of those black eyes and trailed down his cheek, “I failed her. He came to me first. I wasn’t there; I was out with my pack. He even left a note telling me where he’d gone and what he’d been ordered to do. I was in your home when Caden found her body. He was so distressed he didn’t even sense me. I knew she loved him, until that day I didn’t realize how much he loved her back,” He sighed more of a broken sound leaving his chest. “Sometimes I miss her so much. She was all I ever really had.” He closed both eyes, his shoulders shook slightly, it was the only indication of the true depth of his distress.
I smiled at him it was a sad smile. It was easier to know I wasn’t the only one who viewed themselves as a failure. “Well now you’ve got me, right?” I took his big hand in mine. “And I’m not gonna let anyone just kill me, promise. I don’t care how much I like them.” I winked at him. He smiled back.
“I really appreciate that.” He leaned forward, “You sure when your dad gets back you won’t change your mind?” I shook my head no.
I put his hand against my cheek. “I can’t unlearn all that I’ve learned in his absence and I’ve learned that not all Shadow-born are bad. I don’t know how I am going to be able to do my job. I’m gonna get in trouble with the council just like mom and dad. Hey maybe we’ll start a tradition.” I laughed a little. Speaking of breaking with tradition, I had to warn Dayton. I didn’t really want to, but ah hell…Dayton? If he could reach me maybe, I could reach him. “I’m gonna go down to the kitchen. Want anything?” I asked I was hungry again, surprise!
“Sleep,” He suggested slyly. I stuck my tongue out at him and left the room.
I toasted a couple of eggos and ate them.
Chapter 14
Dayton? I tried again. He still didn’t answer. Well crap, I guess it didn’t work both ways. I went back to my room and got dressed. Low riding blue jeans and a black corset. Yes, I dressed to distra
ct Dayton if he could do it to me I could do it back. I put in the silver hoop earring Laurna had gotten me for Christmas. I actually put on makeup, and a really naughty shade of lipstick. I checked myself in the mirror about three times before I left. Then laughed at myself, I didn’t want to impress Dayton, really I didn’t. Okay maybe I did, a little, and was that such a bad thing? He impressed the hell out of me every time I laid eyes on him.
I arrived at Tamcorp at about three o’clock in the afternoon. He would still be holed up in his room. I smiled. I’d teach him to ignore me. I went inside. Rode the elevator to the top floor and marched up to the receptionist sitting outside his suite, which was both office and apartment. I smiled at her. “I’m here to see Mr. Tameron.”
The receptionist was a Vampire. Poor thing looked like her eyes were going to pop right out of her head. She hit the intercom button. “Mr. Tam…Mr. Tameron, there is a woman out here wishing to see you.” Took her two tries to get his name out, well at least somebody was afraid of me. I smiled at her again.
“Tell her I am not interested. Send her on her way.” He said plainly annoyed.
“Sir it’s, it’s the AoD.” She said her voice almost panicky. I wanted to laugh. I wondered how she would be dealing if she knew I was just as scared of her as she was of me?
“Which AoD,” he asked like he didn’t know it was me.
She looked up at me. I took pity on her. I punched the intercom button myself, “Tameron get your ass out here. I’m not going to stand around all day. I have Vampires to kill and stuff.” I winked at her. Her mouth fell open.
He came through the door his face stiff unhappy but his eyes gave him away. Laughter shined through those eyes. “Ms. Reece,” he said formally. Behind him, several Vampires stood on their toes, peeking through the rapidly closing door like schoolboys, trying to get a look at me.
“Hi ya, handsome,” I answered. “We need to talk.” I crinkled my nose at him. “Without the fang gang if you don’t mind.” I waved a dismissive hand at the group behind him. God for just a moment I knew what it was like to be Laurna.
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