Dangerous Retaliation (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 4)

by Kelley, Morgan

  Damn it!

  Jolie wanted to go back and fix this mess.

  Flynn moved toward her, willing to risk her wrath. Instead of getting close, he walked into some barrier.

  “Oh god! We have to get to her,” he said, ramming the invisible energy with his shoulder.

  Jolie stared down at her hands. The rage she was holding in wasn’t being kind to her body. Instead, bubbles of skin began forming. The anger was boiling to the surface. There was the scent of blood in the air, and she knew it was hers. Reaching up, her fingers brushed the wetness on her cheeks, and everything began to move in slow motion around her.

  The popping sounds were the bubbles breaking as her skin snapped and crackled under the weight of the power. Jolie glanced down at her arms, watching helplessly as the seeping blisters moved toward her neck and face.

  Immediately, her hands went protectively over her stomach and the little lives growing within her body.

  ‘I love you, little ones,’ she whispered, praying the tiny sparks she felt there wouldn’t go out.

  Next were the calls of the men she loved as they fought to get to her. Jolie stared at both mates, her voice echoing into their minds, “I love you,” and then hell exploded around them.

  It was like an explosion of power, blowing out in a white light. They heard Jolie, but couldn’t see her.

  When the glow was gone, they saw her on the ground.

  She wasn’t moving.

  Jacques slammed into the barrier to get to her.

  Flynn knew they needed the big guns for this. “Vanth! I summon you here to my side!”

  It didn't take long.

  “Yes, Flynn?” she asked, materializing beside him.

  “Help us get to her!” he demanded, never taking his eyes from Jolie’s prone form.

  Just as Vanth made the barrier disappear, Jolie screamed. Jacques saw the quivering statue and knew that their mate was about to be harmed.

  Moving fast, he threw his body over hers, keeping her and the children safe.

  Flynn moved too, turning to tackle Mathew and Tommy. He slammed them to the ground, hoping he didn't hurt them.

  The power pulsed again, and then slowly died all around them. When Mathew looked up, he saw the clearing was a mess including Jolie’s mates.

  “Flynn, are you okay?” he asked, touching his master’s back with his hand.

  “Yeah, just in a little pain. Go check on Jolie and Jacques,” he ordered, smelling the scent of his own blood. There had to be some statue shrapnel embedded in his flesh. “Are you okay, Tommy?” he asked, the man housed beneath his larger frame.

  “Holy bloody hell! What was that?” he asked.

  Vanth relit the candles in the clearing with a wave of her hand.

  “Jolie.” Flynn pushed off his friend, careful to not roll onto his back.

  Tommy didn't understand how he could be so damn calm. They’d just had a bomb go off around them. They were lucky to be alive.

  “Does this happen often?”

  “On occasion.”

  “Flynn! Jacques isn’t well!”

  “Well shit!” he muttered, trying to get to his felled mate.

  “There’s a big shard in his back by his heart.”

  Jacques stared up at his mate. “I’ll be fine. Pull it out,” he replied being careful not to move.

  “Holy God! It’s impaling him!” said Gress, kneeling beside the vampyre. “I think it’s impaling her too.”

  “Is it near her stomach?” asked Jacques, his voice full of fear that he didn’t save her. If anything happened to their little ones, it would kill all of them.

  “I can’t tell, but there’s a lot of blood. You might want to get that out and get some pressure on it ASAP.”

  Mathew grabbed the spike and braced his knee on Jacques’s back. “Ready, Master?”

  “Yes, hurry.”

  Mathew pulled and the spike was torn from his body with a vicious sucking sound. As soon as the hole was healed, he pushed off of Jolie.

  There was a communal sigh of relief.

  She was unharmed.

  “Let me get the pieces out of your back, Master. You’re losing blood,” Mathew offered, trying to help the detective. It was what Jolie would want.

  “Thanks,” Flynn replied, turning so Mathew could pull the pieces of Artemis from his body.

  “Shit, Flynn! You heal just as fast as they do,” exclaimed Tommy.

  He didn't say anything. What could he add to that?

  Jacques swept Jolie into his arms. “We’re going to have to clean up this mess. If she sees this, her heart is going to break.”

  Flynn stepped in. “No more statues, Jacques. I don’t want to risk that this is going to ever happen again.” He hoped his friend understood. “We need to make this Jolie-anger proof.”

  “Yes. I completely agree.”

  “I’ll call the landscapers tomorrow,” he stated.

  Tommy wanted to do something. “I’ll start cleaning up now,” he offered. “It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for me.”

  “Thank you,” said Jacques, as he continued out of the clearing. “Vanth, please stay with Tommy and keep him safe.”

  “Yes, Jacques,” the Demoness said, scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary.

  The three returned with Jolie to their room. She was a mess. Her skin was covered in drying blood and blisters that wouldn’t heal until she fed. Right now, they needed to clean her up and themselves.

  “Mathew, can you remain here to guard Jolie while we both shower?” Jacques asked, waiting for his answer.

  “Yes, Master.”

  He would guard her with his life.

  Flynn’s eyes met Jacques and a message passed between them. He nodded when his mate chose their shower to remain close to Jolie. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Mathew, but they just believed in their skills a little more.

  “I’ll use your shower, Mathew. Do you mind?” asked Flynn.

  “Feel free, Master,” replied Mathew, confused why the man was asking permission. The house was theirs, so he could use whatever shower he wanted.

  “Call for me if you need me,” Jacques stated from their bathroom doorway.

  Mathew rested his head on Jolie’s body, feeling the heat escaping her flesh. A part of him knew he shouldn’t touch her, but he couldn’t resist running his hand softly down her arms. Her flesh was still petal soft, even marred by the blisters.

  When no one was around, he began nuzzling her with his cheek.

  “I wish you understood that none of this is your fault. She died because it was her time. You can’t carry the weight of fate on your shoulders.”

  He stayed curled against Jolie, putting his arms around her. In his mind, if caught, he’d swear it was for protection, but it was so much more.

  “I’ll keep you safe because I love you, Mistress,” he whispered. “No one will ever hurt you while I’m around. No one.”

  Jacques listened from the other room. He could hear the young vampyre talking to Jolie, and it made the hair on his neck stand.

  He was professing his love and undying devotion to her, but somehow, it didn't sound like a faithful follower.

  He sounded like a love struck boy.

  This was bad.

  Clearing his voice, he wandered back in with a towel slung around his hips. “Thank you, Mathew,” he stated, trying to keep his voice calm.

  “No problem, Master,” he stated, still holding her hand.

  There was that uncomfortable silence.

  “You can go, Mathew.”

  It took him a second to register. “I can help you bathe the mistress, if you wish.”

  “No. We’re good. Here comes Flynn now.”

  The man walked in, a towel around his waist too. “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing,” Jacques said, his eyes flickering toward Mathew.

  Flynn caught it. “Hey, you can cut out. We’re good. Thanks for babysitting.”

 
The man lowered his head, hiding behind the veil of hair. As soon as he was gone, Jacques moved closer. He dropped his voice before telling him what he overheard.

  “This is bad,” Flynn stated. “He’s obsessed.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  “What are we going to do about it?”

  “Not tell Jolie, that’s for sure.”

  Flynn stared at him like he was three days past crazy. “What? Why not?”

  “She’ll laugh it off, thinking it’s cute. He’s dangerous, Flynn. I don’t know how, but I have that feeling here,” he said, pointing at his gut.

  “So we watch him?”

  “Yes, and I hate to say this, but if you believe in prayer, start praying.”

  “Why?”

  “We need a miracle. Mathew needs to fail at being a guardian, or we’re screwed. There’s no doubt in my mind that if given the title, he’s going to want to collect the rewards.”

  He understood, and it made him sick. His mate had a very good point. Jolie was soft hearted toward the vampyre. She’d never send him away. It wasn’t her style.

  “We’re screwed.”

  “Yes, we certainly are.”

  * * * H a r c o u r t e * * *

  Sunday Evening

  Jolie began pulling away from death, and her only hope was that no one had gotten hurt in her little ‘episode’. If they did, she wouldn’t forgive herself.

  Opening her eyes, Jolie noticed that Flynn’s side of the bed was empty, and Jacques was still beside her with death. Sitting up, she checked her body, making sure the little life was still flickering deep within her body.

  At that moment, Jacques took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

  “My love, are you better?” he asked, taking her fingers and bringing them to his lips.

  “Did I kill anyone?” Jolie prayed he’d say no.

  Jacques laughed, pulling her down to his body. “No, it was a minor incident. There were no major injuries, and we all tucked in safe last night.”

  “Good.” Jolie curled into him.

  “You need to feed, my love. You drained yourself last night. We tried to wake you after giving you a bath, but you were out cold.”

  She crawled up his body until her lips touched his throat. Sinking into his artery, the pulsing of blood called to her. Jolie gulped greedily from him.

  “That’s my girl,” he whispered, trying not to think about the chilly naked woman on top of him.

  It wasn’t easy.

  When she pulled away, a sigh escaped her lips.

  Jacques stroked a hand down her back. “Now tell me what’s causing you so much distress.”

  “Did we hear from Zola again? Has she killed Ariel?”

  Jacques kissed her throat. “No, we haven’t, and no one’s found the baby yet.”

  “There’s only one thing left that I can do to help us find Ariel alive,” she said softly, knowing her mates were going to hate this.

  “What’s that, my love?”

  “I have no choice, Jacques. I have to go to the council and beg for their help.”

  And here they thought last night was terrifying.

  They had no idea.

  This was bound to be bad.

  Very…very…bad.

  ∞ Chapter Nineteen ∞

  A battle was raging.

  When Flynn entered the room, he found the two vampyres facing off in what appeared to be an epic argument.

  It didn't bode well. It wasn’t like Jacques to get so angry or to direct it at Jolie.

  Immediately, Flynn was on edge. He knew it had to be bad if Jacques was willing to argue with the woman presently carrying their children.

  Yeah, the shit was about to hit the fan.

  He only hoped that he could be the voice of reason.

  “Absolutely not!” exclaimed Jacques, crossing his arms defiantly over his chest. The action was punctuated with a torrent of profanity in French.

  Jolie was pacing and at the outburst, she stopped directly in front of Jacques, placing her hand on his chest. “I have no choice in this matter! Oh wait! That’s wrong. I do have a choice. We can sit here and wait until Zola calls, and I can trade myself for Ariel’s life. I’ll make the exchange, and I think that you know that.”

  Well, so much for being the voice of reason.

  “What the hell is going on in here?” Flynn asked. “Please tell me that the snippet I just heard isn’t the direction this argument is taking.”

  Jolie spun to face her other mate. “I need to go to the council and beg for their help. It’s the only logical way to get Ariel back in one piece. Zola has to be getting help from someone in the city.”

  “Okay, I get this, but why the shouting match between you two?”

  Jolie pointed at Jacques. “Apparently, he’s declared that I’m only going over his dead body.”

  Flynn might have laughed if this whole thing wasn’t so dire. “Okay,” he began, before Jolie started again.

  “That’s not the part that pissed me off. It’s where he’s telling me what to do…AGAIN.”

  Flynn still wasn’t getting it. “I’m missing something here. Why is the council far more dangerous than Jolie trading herself to Zola for Ariel?”

  “Remember when we came to town and Delina challenged her for us?”

  “Yes, I do, and it still isn’t my fondest memory. She almost died, and that’s burned into my nightmares forever.”

  Jacques started pacing, obviously agitated. “She’ll be forced to face council, and any challenge that anyone wishes to throw at her--yet again. Only this time, they’re well aware of every trick up her sleeve.”

  “Well shit!” declared Flynn, as he started pacing himself. “You can’t do this!”

  Enough was enough.

  Jolie had been bossed around plenty the last few weeks by these two. She was primus, and she was taking action. Picking up her cell, she ignored the sputters from Jacques, and protests from Flynn.

  They’d have to get over it.

  After speaking to the head of council, she hung up.

  It was done.

  “They’ll meet with me tonight at midnight, and if I pass the challenges, I will be allowed to ask for assistance.”

  She looked far too calm.

  Flynn had to be the voice of reason, since his mates were on the edge. “Okay, so we go in again, you call Death, and we kick some ass. That seems pretty straightforward. Besides, who in their right mind will challenge you when they know you’re the harbinger. They’d have to be insane.”

  Jacques knew why. That’s why he was so adamant about this not happening.

  “I can’t call Death. Master Morris has declared it to be excluded because it is an unfair advantage.”

  Flynn stared at her, trying to find a way to heal this tear in their family.

  “Well, shit! Okay, we can still win this anyway. We’ll go in as a unified front, kill anyone who challenges us, and then come home all in one piece.”

  Then she dropped the bomb.

  “I can’t bring either of you. I’m only allowed my guardian, and council is aware that neither of you are my protectors anymore.”

  Flynn looked horrified as he glanced over at Jacques. “You have to be kidding me.”

  “I wish I was.”

  “No! I won’t allow you to head in there with him. He’s simply not ready. The boy has to be compelled to enter a private home. What do you think we’re going to have to do to him to get him to go into a fight?”

  Jolie didn't speak. She was well aware that he was going to be her liability. She’d gone into worse with less, so she had to believe she had a shot.

  “You’re carrying our children. Do you see how this is our problem, and we should have some say in it?”

  “Jacques.”

  “No! You’re willing to risk three lives for one child. You can’t do this.”

  “He’s right, Jolie. This is a bad idea. I feel bad about Ariel, but the cost is too great.”

&
nbsp; Jolie growled in frustration. “You think I’m blissfully unaware? I know I have to go in and risk our children to get back Ariel, and it makes me sick, but I have no choice. I’m the primus, and with that comes so much responsibility. I have to put the needs of the whole over the needs of us.”

  “I’m sick of their needs coming first. What of ours?” hissed Jacques, storming toward the dresser. With one angry swipe he pushed everything to the floor.

  Flynn jumped.

  This was something new.

  Jacques was generally calm.

  Jolie’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Jacques. I know how much this means to you,” she whispered, as her hand was placed protectively over her stomach.

  Then she left.

  Flynn couldn’t do this to her.

  Instead, he decided to be the rock they could both cling to in this storm.

  Approaching his mate, he whispered in his ear. “Don’t do this. If this is her last moment with us, don’t let it end like this. Go to her and tell her you love her.”

  “If anything happens to Jolie, I’ll be a monster, uncontrollable, and destructive. She’s my life, and I can’t even go and help her when she’ll need us most.”

  “She needs you now, Jacques. I was able to give her my ring and spend some time alone with her, and you should too. I don’t like to think about the worst case scenario, but you need to make your peace with her.”

  He stared into his mate’s eyes.

  “If this is our last moment, make it meaningful.”

  He patted his mate on the shoulder. “Thank you, Flynn. I know what you’ve just sacrificed for me.”

  “I love you both, and she’ll be going in with a disadvantage. We don’t need to make it worse.”

  Jacques knew he had a point.

  “Yeah, I do don’t I?” he said, grinning.

  “Thank you, Flynn, for putting this in perspective for me.”

  “Yeah, well go. I’ll go make sure Mathew is ready for his worst freaking nightmare.”

  Jacques let out the breath he was holding.

  “He can do this, right? We’ve taught him enough.”