Into Death's Arms

by Mary Milligan

  “Holy shit,” I heard Kane, the Vampire, exclaim. I glanced back at the Vamps and smiled Dayton was covered in white light very like my own, I knew he hadn’t done it. I could feel my power connected to it. I smiled.

  “You alright, baby?” I asked, while I punched another knife into the big ass bear again. The bear reared back, and managed to get a grip on my left arm and wrenched me around trying to get me in front of him. I stopped fighting his grip and he slung me across the room instead of right in front of him.

  I slid to a stop right by Dayton’s feet. He reached down and took my arm, lifting me up. “Yes, I am fine. You?” He answered flexing his claws. Oh yeah I thought claws and fangs. My AoLi was tough. Shit, did I just think that? Yep, I guess I did. Ah, I was screwed. The silver spike had hit him in the shoulder. Apparently, he’d seen it coming too.

  I gripped it. “Can I borrow this?” I asked. He nodded. I pulled it loose, and turned back toward the Shifters. “Thanks.” I said lightly before turning back to face the Shifters again.

  Human words tore themselves from the lion’s throat. “Kill the Vampire, I’ll bag the bitch.” He ordered. They moved together like it was choreographed. Yikes, they must work together a lot. Why oh, why did I keep leaving the house without all my weapons? I needed my sword and while I was wishing, I wanted my automatic weapons. I thought to myself as the enormous werelion prowled towards me.

  I moved away from Dayton I needed room to move and he was going to have problems of his own real soon. I braced myself. The lion roared it was that real lion-sounding roar you know the one that in the jungle would have all lesser animals running in all directions.

  It made me freeze in my tracks. I guess that was what it was supposed to do because he sprang forward like he’d been thrown and landed bodily on top of me. I was not expecting that. He pinned me beneath all that massive weight. I couldn’t move. Crap, his head came in and he bit through my shoulder. Then he shook his head tearing away a chunk of flesh, my flesh. Think, I told myself. It’s hard to think when a 300-pound werelion is trying to eat you. I looked up as he reared back to take another bite out of me. Oh hell no, I turned my knife in my hand hilt first and slammed the handle into the bridge of his big furry nose. He made a kind of screeching sound and brought his head back again. “Bitch,” he snarled. Woo hoo at least he hadn’t bit me again!

  I plunged the blade toward his throat. “You already said that,” I spat. I really didn’t like being called a bitch.

  He jerked to side and I only nicked him. He seized my wrist and squeezed. Holy mother of…I could actually feel the bone giving way beneath his powerful grip. He breathed heavily above me, his hot breath blasting my face like a furnace. “Damn, Shifter ever heard of Crest. Your pharmacist can help you pick a toothpaste that is right for you,” I quipped. I had to do something blackness threatened to overcome me. People just aren’t made to stay conscious while their bones are smushed.

  “Keep joking after our King is done with you it’ll be my turn.” He licked my face. EWE! My other hand was still free but so I drove my thumb into his left eye. He yowled but didn’t let go. His other hand closed around my throat. What was up with Shadow-born always trying to choke the life out of me? I closed my eyes.

  I was fortunate he didn’t really want to kill me. Kinsley wanted me alive. Otherwise, I would have been toast. He was leaning heavily on my chest trying to make me lose consciousness and he was succeeding. I wedged my legs up behind him and shoved with every ounce of strength I had in me. He flipped over my head. I scampered away as fast as my now overextended legs would carry me. He growled and leapt at me again. This time I was more prepared I dodge at the last moment and cut his throat wide. He staggered toward me again. He was losing a good amount of blood now. He lunged one final time trying to take me down with his enormous weight. I let him pin me again this time with one major difference. I put my Sig to the side of his neck and pulled the trigger. I kept pulling it until his spine gave way. His eyes went wide. He rolled away from me. Well he wasn’t dead but at least his throat now matched my poor tore up shoulder. Also, he wasn’t squishing me anymore. I tumbled into a standing position. He took a minute or two to get up which was okay with me. I needed some recovery time too. When he turned to face me, he was completely healed. My jaw dropped.

  That was not normal. He must be powerful, really, really, powerful. My hands shook. I was still leaking like a sieve and he was up and moving toward me again. I braced again. He lowered his head a growl rumbled through the room. He pounced again this time I was expecting it. I turned so he went past me. I brought my blade in as he went by. Driving it hard into his right side, blood sprayed me. He snatched at my arm again. God, his reach was long. I jerked back barely avoiding him. I didn’t want to be in that grip again. He swept out a leg and I was forced back once more. I was breathing hard the copper scent of blood filled my nose. I really hated Shifters, Laith aside. The wound on his side wasn’t healing so good. Thank God the silver was working. The Shifter looked over my head at something he spat, turned, and leapt through the reinforced tinted window. Sunlight streamed into the room and I heard screaming behind me. Kane and Dayton were pasted against the wall avoiding the suns deadly rays. Both men were covered in blood. The secretary was no were to be found. Shifters lay in puddles of their own cooling blood throughout the room. “Aren’t you glad I came to warn you?” I asked before my whole world got dark again. I really was spending too much time unconscious lately.

  I came to in that big satin bed yet again. I heard Dayton’s voice not too far away. It was faint and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I rolled out of bed and snuck towards the door.

  “Jesus, Tameron, what the hell is going on here. That female really is an AoD I thought you were playing some kind of kinky game but this is…” Kane’s voice paused, “How did you convince her to…” Whoa, did many Vampires have kinky Ao fetishes? I’d have to ask Dayton later.

  “I will not discuss my relationship with the AoD with you.” Dayton’s tone was harsh as he cut off the other Vampire. I liked that he wasn’t going to discuss me with Kane

  “What are you going to do when she tires of fucking you and decides to kill you Tameron?” Kane’s voice was almost shrill very unbecoming of a Vampire besides I didn’t like he assumed I was sleeping with Dayton.

  I strolled into the room. “Who says I’m fucking him?” I asked as I fell into one of the overstuffed chairs in Dayton’s living area. “Maybe he just likes my sparkling personality.” I suggested.

  Kane looked like his eyes might just pop out of his skull. He actually backed away from me. I snickered. Dayton crossed the room to me. He was limping slightly. “You get hurt baby?” I asked. Very real concern laced my tone. Great just great I was worried about one of the most powerful Vampires in the world and it wasn’t the, hey is he going to eat me, kind of worry.

  He smiled at me. “No less than you,” he said softly. That is the second time you have called me baby. I like it. He growled mentally. He knelt before me, placing his hands on either thigh.

  “I hate that you guys do that,” I complained. “Did you like take a class on how to not answer a question directly?” I reached out and petted his hair. I couldn’t help myself I loved that hair, the dark cool silky feel of it. I took a strand and brought it to my lips.

  Kane shuffled a little in the place he had fled to. Dayton looked up as if he’d forgotten Kane was in the room. Maybe he had. Was I that distracting to him?

  I liked that.

  I glanced up at him. “Kane looks tore up,” I stated.

  Dayton looked back at Kane. “He fought beside us. He fought well,” he sounded proud. Almost like a father. Kane bowed his head in acknowledgement.

  I crinkled my forehead at him. I was pretty much healed up, he was still limping, and Kane looked like he’d fought with a lion which he had. Are you out of juice or are you not telling the Vamps you can heal?

  He leaned in pressing his mouth to my inner t
high. I lost a great deal of blood during the fight then used all of my power to heal you. Once again, you were badly damaged, He admitted. I need to feed again before I can heal anymore. Ahh, no wonder he was being all cuddly.

  I licked my lips. Are you asking or informing?

  His eyes lit up. Asking, but I want you to fully understand what I am asking. If I feed on you in the presence of Kane, other Vampires will hear about it. It will make me look very powerful. I am afraid it will not help your reputation amongst the other Ao should any of them hear about it. He watched my face intently.

  I fisted his hair. So you are using me to make a power play? I asked feeling just a little hurt. I shouldn’t have but I did.

  He shook his head violently. Say no and I will respect your wishes because I care deeply for you but it is a unique happenstance and I would be a fool not to take advantage of it. Huh, did he just say he’d be a fool if I told him to be? I played his words over and over in my head.

  You’re wrong. I dragged him to his knees by that lovely hair. The Ao are too conceited to ever believe that one of them would give herself willingly to a Vampire. It’s really not the sacrifice you seem to think it is. I scooted forward in the chair until I was off the end of the chair and kneeling with him between my legs. I still had that grip on his hair; I dragged his head to my throat. For the benefit of our observer, I said aloud in a voice that had gone sultry thinking about the last time he’d taken from me, “Take what you need.” No grinding like last time though, I felt the need to stipulate.

  He groaned audibly. You had to remind me about that didn’t you? He sank his fangs before I could formulate an answer. I heard Kane gasp but I really wasn’t in a position to care. Like before, my entire world narrowed to Dayton and his beautiful searing mouth. He made small greedy noises as he took in my blood. God they were sexy. I had told him he wasn’t allowed to make this sexual. I hadn’t said I wouldn’t. I ran my hand down between our two bodies where Kane couldn’t see and stroked his erection. He pressed me into the chair trapping my hand, and then tore his mouth reluctantly from my throat. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be evil? He hissed in my mind. I laughed aloud.

  He scowled at me, moved back, and lifted me back into the chair. “You taste like ambrosia, AoD.” He said tenderly, he brushed my hair back from my eyes. Then he rose. His limp was gone. He faced Kane. “I would like to offer to heal you old friend.”

  Kane’s forehead crinkled. He didn’t know what Dayton meant. Dayton began to unbutton his shirt at a leisurely pace just as he had done in my bedroom the day he’d shown me his mark. Kane’s eyes widened as Dayton’s tattoo came into view. He pointed, “That is not possible,” he denied, shaking his head hard enough to rattled his teeth.

  “Tell me about it.” I mumbled from my chair.

  “Allow me to prove to you it is possible Kane.” His voice was just a whisper. For a brief moment, I felt Dayton in my mind. There were no words but he was afraid Kane would reject him. He was always rejected in the end. I took his hand. He looked down at me surprised. I wanted to give him support. So help me I did.

  Kane pointed at the markings on his belly. “How long,” he asked shakily.

  Dayton sighed heavily. “Since September 16, 1557.” He answered. Holy shit, I thought I knew he was old but somehow hearing the year, he had turned twenty-one made it more real.

  “Always,” Kane asked his forehead scrunched up in confusion. Dayton nodded. “She didn’t somehow convince you to go through the change or whatever they call it,” he eyed me suspiciously.

  “As if,” I snorted. “Yeah, I woke up one day and said how can I make my life more difficult, Oh I know I’ll go find the world’s most powerful Vampire and convince him boinking me was the thing to do. Then as like an added bonus I’ll get him to go through the ascension cause hey, it only burns like the fires of hell for a little while right?”

  Dayton looked down at me and mouthed the word boinking at me. I shrugged I wasn’t taking it back. He could disapprove of my verbiage all he wanted, I didn’t care.

  Kane sighed heavily, poor Vampire he just wasn’t taking this well at all. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded. “I trust you with my life Dayton. I will allow you to heal me.” Whoa, I thought he’d just called Dayton by his first name that was something Vampires never did. It had some kind of significance but I wasn’t sure what it was. I was up on killing them not societal interaction.

  Dayton beamed. He glowed so perfect and white for a moment it was easy to believe he was all AoLi and not a Vampire at all, but I was deluding myself. “Thank you my friend.” He laid his hands upon the wounds Kane was still sporting and the flesh beneath his hands closed almost instantly. Kane watched on in amazement. I could feel Dayton’s pleasure at his friend’s acceptance. How could anyone who needed acceptance this badly be evil? Evil didn’t need acceptance did it?

  If Vampires were all evil, why had Kane helped us? Why had Dayton saved my life more than once? As attractive, as I am I just didn’t believe it was because he wanted to get laid. Damn that Vampire anyway I had been perfectly happy with my belief system and he had just screwed it all up.

  With that comforting thought, I stood up. “This has been real fun guys but I got to get going.” I started for the door. Dayton caught my arm. Damn it why couldn’t he just be too busy healing to try and stop me?

  He pulled me against him. I sense your turmoil Macyn so I will let you go for now but expect me to visit tonight. He whispered softly into my mind.

  I ran my hand through my short hair. A gesture of frustration I recognized it I had caused my father to do it often. “Yeah, sure we’ll discuss it later. It was nice meeting you Kane and, umm, thanks for not letting me get eaten,” I nodded at Kane.

  “It has been an interesting day and it has been oddly nice to meet you as well AoD,” He answered. Yeah, what he said odd. I bolted for the door. Dayton was true to his word let me go.

  Chapter 15

  By the time I got home, I was so confused I didn’t know what to do with myself. I knew a few things. A) Not all Shadow-born were the monsters I’d been taught they were. B) I was not the AoD I thought I’d be. C) My mother had understood what my father probably never would. D) I wanted Dayton Tameron. No, I needed Dayton Tameron he was my AoLi. I would not get another. Not if I lived to be a thousand, which was unlikely, as I didn’t want to hunt the Shadow-born anymore. Fuck, my dad was going to be disappointed with me! I stumbled into my room tears filling my eyes. I didn’t know what I was going to do. You are upset I will come to you. Dayton’s voice somehow made it worse.

  No, I need some time away from you. Time to think, I sighed aloud and then did something I never thought I would do. I asked for something from a Vampire. Please just a little while? A week not much more, let me have some time to accept all the changes going on around me? I felt his disappointment.

  You are worth a week Macyn I can wait. He assured me. His presence left me.

  I felt the tears threaten to overwhelm me again. I wasn’t sure whether I was more upset he’d agreed or that my entire world had ceased to be what it had once been. My comfortable assuredness was gone. I was no longer sure who was the monster and who was the hero.

  Laith came into the room very quietly. He sat down in the chair my father had found himself sitting many nights when I was a girl. He waited patiently for me to start the conversation.

  “I let Tameron bite me,” I whimpered. I was so ashamed of myself. Did I really have so little self-control?

  “Yeah,” he said. That was it no condemnation, no accusation, just a statement. He waited for me to say something more.

  “Yeah,” I answered.

  He shifted slightly in the chair. “You like it,” he asked softly again there was no opinion in his tone just concern.

  I shrugged, “Yeah.”

  “I don’t trust Vampires.” He said, finally something like an opinion.

  I laughed it was a loud bark in the otherwise very qui
et room. “Me neither.” I answered. I rolled toward him. “Now I’m all confused and don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

  He nodded knowingly.

  “What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?” I asked needing someone something I could identify with.

  He looked at the floor. “When Mom died I thought Caden would give you up to the other Ao. I knew the only reason he’d agreed to raise you here in the first place was because Mom had wanted it. As I told you before I was here that night.” He ran his fingers through over his jaw something I had noticed he did when upset. “He was distraught; he locked you in the garage. You were so little at the time. I could have taken you.” His black eyes bore into mine as if to say seriously I could have. “No one would have ever known. I could have ensured you were raised the way Iris wanted you to be. I could have raised you the way I wanted to,” He shrugged.

  “But while watching Caden I realized that to do that, to take you when he had just lost Mom would have completely destroyed him.” Laith shook his head. His eyes still filled with the kind of loss I often saw in my father’s eyes. My mother had been one hell of a woman; I regretted missing that.

  “I thought while Mom might be gone those things she loved most were still here you, Caden, and me. I stayed until right before dawn. In the end, I chose to leave. I am so thankful it turned out almost as I hoped.” He laughed a little bitterly.

  Caden always let you think for yourself, he protected you better than anyone else include me could have. He raised you to be an amazing woman,” he paused giving me time to digest that, I wasn’t so sure he was right I didn’t feel amazing I felt raw and broken, “and then he did the most amazing thing he stepped back and let you be that person. He left town and left you alone here with Dayton fucking Tameron on the loose. I’m not sure I would have been so okay with letting my little girl go out and kill the monsters, and make no mistake AoD those you have killed have been monsters.” Once again, those black eyes the kind of eyes I’d had nightmares about for years bore into me, “Those who prey on the helpless, whether they be human, Shadow-born, or Ao are monsters.” He shrugged like the subject was a little too heavy for him and he had to get some of the weight off, “I am proud to call you my sister. In the end I know you will make the right decision.” He stood, put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. I smiled back. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore, well that wasn’t entirely true. I was sure I loved my brother and he loved me, and if I could love one Shadow-born, surely I could love another. If he could love me than another could love as well, right? I picked up my phone and dialed Laurna’s number.