Cherished: A Perri & Hans Spin-off Novella (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 4.5)

by May Freighter

  Nyx’s touch healed his wounds and took the burning pain away in his veins and limbs. Once healed, he stood up and tested his shoulder and neck. The bites from the possessed vampire were gone as well.

  “You can heal any wound but not resurrect,” she said with an edge of warning. “For every wound you fix, that person’s pain will transfer to you. The burden is great, but I know you will be able to withstand it. And, when the need arises and you are able to reverse your power, you can inflict great suffering.” She stood and cupped his cheek. “The wedding bands I gave you, I stole them from Eros. He may one day come looking for them, so make sure you’re ready.” She winked. “Because if they’re removed, what once was love will turn to hatred as deep as an ocean.”

  “That’s…” His words failed him and the vision of the goddess vanished along with the moonlit field. He had never come across true gods in his four hundred years. They chose to never show themselves to other beings, so why did Nyx decide to appear before him? And, more importantly, what did she mean by Lucious becoming powerful enough to destroy their world?

  Hans opened his eyes to the sight of Andrea’s shocked expression. He looked down to his chest where the challenger had pierced him with a poisoned blade. The wound he had received was nowhere to be found. A dark blood stain remained in its place along with a sizeable cut in his suit jacket.

  “Master Hans, there was this golden light and now you’re—”

  “Healed?” he finished for her. Standing, he adjusted his wet jacket and reached for his phone. He dialled the number of the Council building, waiting for someone to pick up. When one of the hounds did answer the call, he ordered, “Locate Lotte this instant. We believe she has conspired against the Council and may fight back upon discovery. If possible, capture her alive for questioning.”

  “Lotte was behind this?” Andrea whispered to herself. “That’s impossible…”

  Hans ended the call and planted a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “These attacks were planned from the very beginning. The ones behind it lured Lucious away from the Council to assassinate me in his absence. There is a good chance that he and Helena are also in danger, which is why I have sent Grim to his side. I am just too upset with myself that I did not see Lotte’s manipulations sooner. If anything happens to Perri, I—” He clenched his jaw, suppressing the onslaught of curses that wanted to leap out of his mouth. “Let’s hurry to find Daniel and Nusa. We must make sure they are safe before we look for Perri.”

  “Agreed,” Andrea said, and they started heading back to the main gate of the cemetery.

  8

  SPIRIT GUARDIAN

  PERRI

  The second Perri whispered the prayer that Morna told her about, her chest began to hurt as if someone drove a dagger through it. Her heart squeezed painfully, sending its sorrowful serenade to the other parts of her body.

  Hugging her sides, a cry escaped her dry lips that echoed in the woods.

  Lotte took two steps back from Perri, her eyes widening. “What did you do?”

  Perri couldn’t understand what Lotte was referring to until she realised that her body was glowing with a strange golden light. Something separated from her being and the pain suddenly stopped. A second later, by her side, stood a see-through shape of a female knight in silver armour. The emblem on the knight’s shoulder of a roaring lion appeared as a tattoo on Perri’s left wrist. The knight’s golden hair fell around her shoulders and her stony expression gave Perri no comfort.

  “What is that thing?” Lotte demanded, taking out a dagger from its sheath in her boot.

  “Your order, Master?” the voice in Perri’s head asked.

  She looked at the knight’s face. The question must have come from her, but where did that spirit come from?

  Lotte attacked the knight. Her dagger passed through the spirit’s form as if it was a hologram.

  The knight asked again in Perri’s mind, “What is your order, Master?”

  “Whatever it is, it’s not real,” Lotte concluded aloud. She pointed the dagger at Perri and snarled, “Quit playing games and come with me, or I’ll cut you bit by bit into tiny pieces that I’ll send to your beloved Hans.”

  Perri narrowed her eyes on Lotte. “Protect me.”

  “What are you talking about?” Lotte grumbled.

  The knight raised her sword and drove it through Lotte’s chest in a single swing.

  The blade pierced the vampire’s skin, splattering Perri’s coat with blood. Lotte stared at the sword for an unblinking moment. She cursed and spat out blood. “What the hell…is this?”

  The knight pulled the sword out and raised it a second time. With an emotionless face, she swung the blade and cut the vampire’s head clean off, sending it rolling along the forest floor. The rest of Lotte’s body collapsed and slowly started to age until a wrinkled body of an old woman remained behind.

  Perri collapsed to her knees. Her body hadn’t stopped shaking. She never enjoyed seeing others suffer, not to mention witnessing the death of someone she knew.

  “Your next order, Master?” the knight inquired. This time, she moved her mouth.

  “What—what are you?” Perri’s strength was leaving her, and she sat next to the fallen tree to catch her breath.

  “I am your spirit guardian—a part of your soul that wishes to fight.” The knight sheathed her sword and went down on one knee. “The longer you use me, the more energy you’ll expend. I can sense you growing weaker.”

  Perri nodded. “Thank you. Do you have a name?”

  “Do you wish to give me one?”

  “You are someone who protects me. I think it’s only fair.” Perri pursed her lips and stared at the beautiful female warrior intently. The word that seemed to describe her spirit guardian and escaped Perri’s lips was, “Celena.”

  The knight inclined her head and smiled. “Thank you.” Her expression turned serious, and she instantly was up on her feet with her sword in her hand.

  Perri turned her head in the direction her knight was glaring at. Behind the trees, she saw two blood-red eyes glowing in the dark. The shape of the black hunched over creature was almost seven-feet-tell. Its low growl reached her ears, and her breath caught in her throat.

  “Run, Master. It appears that a werewolf has come,” Celena warned her.

  Perri attempted getting up, but as Celena had mentioned, she was becoming weaker. Her limbs were refusing to support her and her vision was slowly blurring the forest around her. “I don’t think I can move…”

  Celena looked at Perri with a worried expression on her face. “You’ve reached your limit. I can’t stay…much…longer.”

  Just like that, her knight disappeared and the forest around Perri darkened with the missing glow that Celena irradiated. Turning her head to one side, she watched as the creature that was hiding earlier was making its way towards her.

  Up close, the werewolf’s jaws snapped shut and opened again in an open threat. Its muscular body covered in black fur from head to toe reminded her of monsters in horror movies rather than the novels where they were portrayed as pretty wolves.

  Its heated breath fanned across her face. The werewolf most likely had killed something recently due to the stench of blood coming from it. The ruby eyes were the last thing she remembered before she could no longer force herself to stay awake.

  Perri awoke on the soft white sheets of a four-poster bed. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around for any clues as to where she was. Outside the large window on the far end of the room, she spied endless rows of trees, which meant that she wasn’t taken far from the forest where Celena had killed Lotte.

  She got out of bed and looked at her clothes. For some reason, she was wearing a large green rugby jersey and someone’s oversized shorts. There were bandages on her knee and the hand she cut in the forest. She scratched her head and opened the door on the right side of the room that led to the en-suite. Someone was kind enough to leave a spare toothbrush for her and towels.
She brushed her teeth and washed her face. Whilst she contemplated whether she should jump in a shower, the door to her room opened. A powerfully-built man with broad shoulders and an uncompromising scowl entered.

  “I see you’re awake, kid,” he said in a gruff voice. Even though he was gorgeous to the eye, his attitude and pools of open distrust in his light-brown eyes unnerved Perri.

  She edged back into the room where he waited for her.

  The man sat on the bed, crossing his legs, and folded his arms over his chest. His long dark blonde hair was tied into a ponytail behind his head. “Who are you and what are you doing in my territory?”

  “Your territory?” What have I gotten myself into?

  “I can smell vampires on you, and not just one or two. You must have been surrounded by them for quite some time to stink like that. Are you their donor? A groupie?”

  Perri wrinkled her nose at the implied insults. “That’s none of your business.”

  “It is my business if you’ve killed a Vampire Council’s hound on my territory. They carry a particular scent to them because of their initiation process.” His eyes narrowed, making Perri shuffle back a step. “What kind of magic did you use to kill that vampire?”

  Her body trembled under his scrutinizing stare, but she wouldn’t back down. She had to know what happened to Hans last night. “Can I make a call first? I have to make sure someone important to me is safe.”

  The man stood and closed the distance between them. He towered over her at his six foot five height. Until now, she hadn’t noticed the energies around people. After awakening Celena, she sensed the pressure of this man’s inner energy and strength. He was powerful and dangerous.

  “Answer my questions, girl, if you want to live long enough to make that call,” he growled.

  “I—I…” She swallowed and licked her lips. There was no point in lying to someone like this. What if this man has a grudge against the Council? She shook her head. He said it was his territory, which meant he was an alpha. She couldn’t take him lightly and dismiss his inquiries. “My name is Perri, and I live in the Council building. I’m not a groupie or a donor. I serve only Master Hans.”

  “Did you say Hans? Hans Schultz?”

  Perri gave him a slight nod.

  “And the power I’ve witnessed last night?”

  “I don’t know much about it. That was the first time I’ve used it…”

  He rubbed his dimpled chin and stepped away from her. His brows drew together in thought as he moved to look out the window. Then, he said, “If you are Hans’ woman, why did you kill the hound?”

  “Lotte was trying to kidnap and use me. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “I will contact the Council and verify your story. Until then, you will stay where I can keep an eye on you.” Perri’s stomach rumbled, and he sighed. “Come. I will give you something to eat.”

  He walked to the door, and Perri called after him, “What is your name?”

  Stopping, he said with a straight face, “I am Theodor Bates, Alpha of the Northern London pack. My wolves call me Theo. You may use that if you like.”

  Her mouth hung open. She was right. This man was one of London’s alphas, after all. From what she had heard around the Council building, he was the less agreeable of the two and, unlike the southern pack leader who was elected democratically, this man fought his way to the top.

  That’s just my luck.

  He led her downstairs. The mansion he was staying in was empty and grand. The ceilings were high, the walls were painted with a coat of white paint, and the flooring was expensive and rare African Blackwood. On the way to the kitchen, she noticed scarce modern art on the walls and carefully selected furniture that made the rooms seem more spacious. This werewolf didn’t seem to like crowded environments.

  The kitchen they arrived in rivalled the one in Master Vincent’s castle. Every metal and marble surface shined. Through the opened French doors that led to the dining room, the white leather chairs around the table were neatly arranged.

  Perri rubbed her hands together and sat down in the chair Theo had pointed to.

  He marched off to grab a box of cereal out of the cupboard and a carton of milk from the fridge. He dumped both items in front of her before handing her a bowl and a spoon. “Eat.”

  She nodded, careful to make her food without making a mess. Theo obviously preferred a sterile environment. She wasn’t about to try and irritate him needlessly.

  He grabbed a seat opposite her and assessed her with a burning stare.

  She lifted her head after she finished chewing. “Do you have more questions for me?”

  “If you truly are Hans’ woman, I will treat you well until he comes for you.”

  “You know him then?”

  His expression softened a little. “I knew Vincent. He always tried to maintain peace between my pack and Lucas’.”

  Perri lowered her spoon and took in the haunted look in his distant eyes. “Does this mean that there is a problem between your two packs again?”

  “There always will be until one of us takes control. Lucas is weak. He even intervened in the fight between the hunters and the vampires, losing over thirty of his pack members.” He sneered. “That damned idiot.”

  At the time of the mentioned fight, Perri was in Master Vincent’s main home. She knew that Helena, Lucious, and the Vampire Council were involved in the battle against the hunters, but she never expected the werewolves to take part in that massacre. Judging by the way Theo was talking about the other pack leader and the vampires, they didn’t get along. Yet, this man didn’t seem like an entirely terrible person. He could have not fed her and locked her up in one of the many rooms of this mansion. Instead, he chose to give her sustenance and clothes.

  Is he truly the terrifying man the hounds were discussing?

  “Wait here while I call the Council,” he said, getting up. “If you try to run, I will chain you to a radiator.”

  “I won’t run,” Perri replied, looking him straight in the eye. Not like I could outrun a werewolf in an isolated forest.

  He left her alone to finish her food. When she was done, she stood and went to look for him. She couldn’t find him in any of the three sitting rooms. The massive living room was empty, too. She glanced at the golden damask curtains with a sigh. They needed to be cleaned or taken to the dry cleaners. On the mantel of the white marble fireplace, she also noted some dust accumulating. This was such a beautiful home. Too bad no one cared enough about it to clean it regularly.

  The next thing she knew, she discovered a closet with the cleaning supplies and started wiping the dust off the windowsills and the mantelpiece. Most of the furniture had a lot of glass or expensive wood that had to be treated with care.

  “What are you doing?” Theo’s harsh bark came from behind her.

  She turned on the spot with a dirty cloth in her hand. “I…I’m sorry. I couldn’t stand the dust piling up and ended up cleaning.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have people coming here to clean this place in the afternoon. There is no need for you to do this.” He took the cloth out of her hand and discarded it on the coffee table. Then, he brought her to one of the many bathrooms and pushed her towards the sink. “Wash the chemicals off your hands. It appears that Hans will arrive this evening to collect you.”

  As she washed her hands, she smiled. He’s fine. Thank God. “Did he say anything else?” Perri saw Theo’s smirk reflected in the mirror.

  “He didn’t say much; only that I should keep you alive.”

  “Oh,” she mumbled and wiped her hands on the fluffy towel. “So, what are we going to do until sunset?”

  Theo shrugged. “I have a TV in here somewhere. You can entertain yourself by watching something on it.”

  “Do you have any books? I prefer to read.” She took in his stiff posture and quickly added, “But I’m sure whatever you chose for me to do is fine. It’s better than being chained to a radiato
r.”

  For the first time, Theo gave her a brief smile. “Follow me. I have a few books in my office.”

  She trailed behind him, taking in his purposeful strides. He was much taller and had longer legs than her, so it was a struggle trying to keep up with his pace. “What do you do outside of being, you know, a werewolf?”

  He paused next to a door at the end of a corridor on the first floor and opened it. Moving aside, he allowed for her to enter first. “Why does it matter? You are not here to get to know me.”

  She pursed her lips and nodded. Heading for the large bookcases at the back of the office, she spied an array of best-selling romance novels some of which she had read in the past. She grinned and selected the first book in the series. He had every single release, even the most recent ones.

  “Do you like romance?” she inquired.

  Theo rubbed the back of his neck and collapsed into his office chair. He slipped on a pair of glasses and opened his laptop. “If you are going to read that, do it quietly in the corner.”

  She did as she was told, taking a seat on the settee by the window. It was a perfect place to read and enjoy the sunshine that came in through the panes. Her body warmed in the sun, and her mind wandered to Hans and what he was doing. She hoped that he wasn’t hurt. At the same time, Perri couldn’t believe that the woman who was with her every day since she arrived in London was someone who had murdered Master Levile’s childe in cold blood and assumed the role of a hound. Lotte… No, that wasn’t Lotte. Whoever that woman was, she deceived, hurt, and possibly tried to kill Hans for her evil goals. Although Perri regretted killing her, she knew that it was inevitable. She had to defend herself. Her heart clenched, tightening with every second as if someone was squeezing it with their fist. Tears reached her eyes, and Theo groaned.