Cain's Identity (Scanguards Vampires Book 9)

by Tina Folsom

  “Show them to me,” he demanded, and gazed at Faye’s lips as they parted.

  Razor-sharp fangs peeked from her upper gums. The sight sent a jolt of desire through him, making his cock jerk impatiently. His eyes shifted, homing in on the vein that pulsed at her neck. He felt his fangs itch more urgently now, eager to drive into her flesh.

  Sucking in a steadying breath, he locked eyes with her once more. “You’re mine.” No sooner had the words left his lips, did he press his mouth onto her neck and pierce her soft skin with his fangs.

  Beneath him, Faye arched into him, rubbing her body against his.

  Her sweet blood spread on his tongue and ran down the back of his throat. He swallowed greedily, taking her essence into him. Then he felt her lips on his shoulder, just below where it connected to his neck. At the contact, a shudder charged through his entire body. Then her fangs touched his skin, and inside him the fire raged more violently.

  Trembling with need, he waited for her fangs to finally pierce his skin. When they lodged in his flesh and he felt her drawing from his vein, pleasure shot through his blood vessels and drove more blood to his cock. It hardened more than it seemed possible, and the tempo of its relentless movements quickened.

  Perspiration now covered his skin, making him slide even more smoothly against her. Faye’s breathing too had accelerated, and her sighs and moans became more pronounced, just as her movements turned more demanding.

  Yes, he loved this woman, loved her with every fiber of his being. And as he took more and more of her blood into him, just as she took his blood, he could sense the changes happening in their bodies. He could feel the vines of love wrap around them to bind them together, to make them one. Their hearts now drummed with the same beat, their breaths filled their lungs with unerring synchrony. And farther below, where they were joined by his cock inside her, another heartbeat drummed steadily, driving them higher with every second.

  Cain swallowed down Faye’s intoxicating blood and let himself go. A wave of pleasure washed over him, catapulting him to a place where only love and ecstasy existed. Faye’s body spasmed at the same time, her pussy gripping him tightly and milking every last drop of semen from him.

  His orgasm was more powerful than he’d ever experienced before, but something else was even more amazing. He could sense her now. He was in her mind, in her thoughts, in her heart. Warmth wrapped around him, protecting him like a soft cocoon, just like he was protecting her. They were one, free to share their love, their thoughts, and their hearts with each other.

  I love you, Cain, he heard her words echo in his mind, though her lips hadn’t moved.

  Always, he responded by sending her his thoughts.

  Then something white flashed in front of his eyes, shot through his head like a spear and made him jolt backward. Pain shot through his head. He pressed his hands against his temples, trying to stop his skull from exploding.

  “Cain! Oh God, what’s wrong?” Faye’s panicked voice brought him back to earth.

  Slowly he released his head. The pain was gone as quickly as it had come, but it had left something with him.

  “I remember everything. Faye, I remember us.”

  38

  Fully dressed, Cain took Faye’s hand and looked at her. Faye had given him his old life back. His memory was fully restored. He remembered every moment of their time together, their love, their plans for the future. But he also remembered what had happened in the night of the assassination attempt. And that knowledge demanded that he act immediately.

  “God, I wish we could stay in bed and celebrate our bond, but—”

  Faye put her finger on his lips. “You don’t have to explain anything, my love.”

  He pressed a quick kiss on her lips, contentment filling him. To know that there was a person who instinctively understood what was going on inside him was a blessing.

  Cain opened the door into the hallway. Wesley still stood at his post outside the queen’s suite and immediately straightened when Cain and Faye stepped out.

  “Wes, get Gabriel and Maya and have them come down to my suite. Immediately.”

  Seemingly alarmed by the curt command, Wes asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “I think I know who the assassin is.” Still holding Faye’s hand, Cain rushed past him, heading for the king’s suite. He ripped the double doors open and entered the foyer. “Haven? Thomas?”

  A sound came from the room Haven was occupying with Blake and Wesley, and Cain stalked toward it. The door opened before Cain reached it.

  “Cain?” Blake stared at him.

  “Is Haven up?”

  “He went back to the cells to see if he could find any other evidence about the assassin.”

  “Get him. Now!”

  Blake pulled his cell from his pants pocket and tapped it. “Uh, shit, I’m out of juice. Forgot to charge it.” He shoved it back into his pocket. “Back in a jiffy.”

  When Blake hurried toward the double doors leading into the corridor, Cain called over his shoulder, “Thomas back?”

  “They’re on their way. He and Eddie should be here any moment,” Blake answered as he ran outside.

  Alone with Faye now, Cain turned to her and pulled her into his arms.

  “Why do you think your memory suddenly came back?” she asked.

  “I can only assume that your blood did that to me. It was one of the last things I did that night before I was attacked. I drank your blood for the first time. Perhaps it triggered something in me that made everything rush back.”

  “I’m so relieved that you have your memory back.” Faye smiled at him, though her smile faded quickly and her face became serious. “But I’m so sorry about—”

  “What’s so urgent?” Gabriel’s voice came from the open door, interrupting their conversation. Behind him Wesley appeared, too.

  Cain released Faye and waved Gabriel and the witch to enter. “Thank God you’re here. Where’s Maya?”

  “She went to check on her patients to see whether they are fully healed yet. Shall I get her?”

  Cain shook his head. “That’s fine. Let her take care of them first. We’ll fill her in later.” He listened for any sounds coming from the corridor. “Let’s wait for Haven and Blake, so I don’t have to go over it twice.”

  Gabriel tossed him a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

  Rubbing a hand over his head, Cain searched for an answer. He was okay. More than that. Having bonded with Faye had made him whole again. But remembering the events of the last night of his old life now forced him to take action. Swiftly and without mercy.

  Before he could find the right words to answer Gabriel’s question, Haven and Blake stormed into the foyer.

  “Shut the door,” Cain ordered Blake, who followed his command instantly.

  All his friends looked at him expectantly, nobody saying a word.

  “Something’s happened,” Cain started, and glanced at Faye. “Faye and I blood-bonded.”

  Several mouths opened, obviously to congratulate him, but he raised his hand to stop them. “Thank you. I’d celebrate with you, but there’s no time right now. I have my memory back. I don’t know how, but I assume it has something to do with Faye’s blood. In any case, it doesn’t matter right now why I remember, just that I do.”

  “That’s great news!” Haven said.

  “It is. But that’s not everything. I think I know now who is behind the assassination that caused my amnesia.”

  Haven took a step toward him, stunned. “It’s Abel, isn’t it? That bastard.”

  “It’s not him. It’s John,” Cain interrupted.

  “John?” The question wasn’t just asked by Haven, but also echoed by Gabriel, Blake, and Wesley.

  “But that can’t be,” Blake protested. “He saved you and came back for you.”

  Cain glared at his human friend. “Then why did he send me into a trap?”

  “Hold it,” Gabriel cautioned. “Tell us exactly what happened back then
. Don’t leave anything out.”

  Cain felt Faye squeeze his hand in reassurance and exchanged a quick look with her. “Faye and I were in my suite. It was around sunset when I got a text message. It was from John. He asked me to come to the plantation kitchen, alone. He wrote that he’d uncovered a conspiracy and that I could trust nobody. And that we had to act quickly before the guards involved in it could cover it up and destroy all evidence.”

  Faye nodded, addressing the men from Scanguards. “I knew something was seriously wrong when Cain got the text message. He said that heads would roll that night before he rushed out of the suite. It was the last time I saw him alive that night.”

  “And you’re sure it was John texting you, not somebody else?” Gabriel wanted to know.

  “Absolutely. It was his name on the caller ID. It was John luring me there.”

  “What happened when you got to the kitchen?”

  “It was empty. John wasn’t there. When I turned to leave, a vampire I’d never seen attacked me. We fought.”

  “Were you armed?”

  Cain nodded. “Yes, but I never got a chance to even draw my weapon. He was strong. I knew it was a fight to the death. I’d thought I’d gained the upper hand, but then a second person appeared. It was John. I turned my head, and saw him. I told him I knew it was him, and then he aimed his gun at me and pulled the trigger. I felt the impact in my skull and everything went dark.”

  Haven shook his head. “A silver bullet would have killed you. Yet you’re not dead. And apparently the remains of a vampire were found there.”

  “That’s true. Even though nobody in the palace remembers hearing any shots, we found the ash,” Faye said, putting her hand on Cain’s forearm. “It was unmistakable. And since both you and John are alive, the assassin must have died. John must have killed him.”

  “Yes,” Cain bit out, “to cover his own ass, so nobody could testify against him.”

  “Then why didn’t he kill you, too, if that was his intention in the first place?” Gabriel challenged.

  Cain shrugged. “Maybe he got cold feet in the end and couldn’t do it. And when he realized that I’d lost my memory, he simply carted me off to another part of the country with me being none the wiser.” While it was a possible explanation, there was however none for why John had then come to bring him back to the kingdom. Cain sighed, frustrated. He knew something didn’t add up. However, one memory was crystal clear in Cain’s mind: John had aimed his weapon at him and pulled the trigger. “I have to confront John. I need to know the truth.”

  He stared at his friends and issued his orders without hesitation. “Gabriel, Haven, you two come with me. Blake, Wes, stay with Faye.” Cain stalked to the door, but it was opened before he reached it.

  Thomas and Eddie marched in. “Hey,” Thomas greeted them, his eyes glancing at the assembled. “Did we miss something?”

  “Cain has his memory back.”

  “Excellent!” Eddie exclaimed and smiled.

  Cain nodded. “Yes, and I believe that John was the one trying to kill me. He lured me into a trap with a text message where I was ambushed by the assassin.”

  Thomas and Eddie exchanged a quick glance, before Thomas whistled through his teeth. “Well, that would explain why Nicolette has disappeared. We can’t find a trace of her. He must have stashed her away somewhere, expecting trouble.”

  “You sure?” Cain asked.

  “Absolutely. She hasn’t been seen since the night we arrived in New Orleans. We followed every lead, and used a little mind control on the neighbors to make sure we got the truth from everybody. Nobody saw anything, which makes me think that John made sure to wipe the memory of anybody who’d seen him usher Nicolette away.”

  Eddie scratched his neck. “But if John is behind this, don’t you think it odd that he brought you back?”

  “We’ve been over this already before you got here,” Cain answered impatiently. “He probably got cold feet in the end. Who knows?”

  “You sure John lured you into the trap?” Thomas pressed.

  “The text was from him.”

  “Let me have a look at the cell. Do you have it?”

  Cain shrugged. “What’s the use of it? I remember clearly that it was from him. Besides, he shot me that night.”

  Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Just covering all angles. Do you have the phone?”

  “It wasn’t with the things we found with the vampire’s remains that night,” Faye interrupted. “I don’t know where it is. Maybe John destroyed it because it could have led back to him.”

  “No, he didn’t. Last night I saw something under the bed in my suite. It must have fallen down and been kicked underneath it the night of the ambush. I never took it with me. I was in too much of a hurry.” And according to Faye, nobody had used the king’s suite since.

  “Give me thirty seconds.” Thomas was already charging into the king’s suite to retrieve the cell phone.

  Mentally Cain shook his head. Looking at the phone wouldn’t serve anything but to confirm that John had sent the message and set the trap for him. But he also knew that Thomas was thorough and always insisted on verifying all information presented.

  Impatiently, Cain tapped his foot when Thomas came back, the cell phone in his hand. “Got it.” He already pressed the on button, then cursed. “Shit! Battery’s dead.”

  It didn’t surprise Cain. After all, the phone had been under that bed for over a year. “I’m not gonna wait any longer.” He motioned to Gabriel and Haven. “Let’s go.”

  He almost bumped into Marcus when he ripped the door open to rush outside.

  “Excuse me, sir,” Marcus said, breathing heavily. “I thought you should know: the delegates of the Mississippi clan have been spotted about a half hour away. My scouts believe they’re armed and hostile.”

  Cain cursed. “Fuck!” This was bad timing. He stared at the guard. “Make sure everybody is at their post. Reinforce the perimeter.”

  He turned to his friends. “Gabriel, I need you to stall them when they arrive. Take Eddie with you. Marcus, you’ll take your orders from Gabriel. Haven, Wes, Blake, you’re coming with me.” He cast a look at Thomas then at Faye. “Thomas, protect Faye. And nobody utter a word about the two Mississippi clan members out in the kitchen.” Cain stared down Marcus. “Do you understand me?”

  Marcus nodded quickly.

  “Go!” Cain ordered him.

  The moment the guard was hurrying down the corridor, Cain addressed Gabriel again, “Warn Maya to keep her patients out of sight. I don’t want any confrontations. Not right now.”

  Gabriel nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Then Cain stormed into the corridor, his three friends following him.

  39

  The guards’ common room across the entrance hall, where the guards received their orders and hung out between their shifts, was humming with activity. Guards were suiting up, strapping on their weapons and getting ready for a confrontation with the Mississippians. Cain stopped at the open door and let his eyes wander over two dozen vampires in the room, until he spotted John.

  “John!” he called out to him.

  The leader of the king’s guard looked over his shoulder, his face tense. “Yes, Cain?”

  “A word. My office.”

  John frowned. “Can’t it wait? I’m getting the men ready. Haven’t you heard? The delegates of the Mississippi clan are on their way. And they don’t look friendly. I expect an altercation.”

  Cain clenched his jaw. “My office. Now, John!”

  Several heads snapped in Cain’s direction, staring at him in stunned silence. Waiting for John to comply with his orders, Cain glared back at the men. “What are you looking at? Get ready.”

  The men hurried to continue with their preparations, while John marched out of the room and into the hallway.

  “What is this about?”

  Cain didn’t answer and simply walked across the foyer into his office. At the door he wai
ted for John to catch up with him. He motioned him to enter, then followed him and closed the door. Haven, Wesley, and Blake were already waiting for them, and Blake now moved in front of the door, blocking it.

  John cast a curious glance at the human before turning his head back to Cain.

  “I have my memory back,” Cain announced without preamble, watching John’s facial expression intently.

  To his surprise, his personal guard appeared pleased about that fact. His words only underscored that impression. “That’s wonderful! What happened?”

  “That’s not important right now,” Cain cut him off.

  Clearly taken aback by the brusque tone, John’s forehead pulled into a frown, but he didn’t comment any further.

  “I know what you did, John. I remember every second of the night I was nearly assassinated.” Cain paused, waiting for John’s face to show that he was caught. But it appeared that John was a better poker player than anybody else Cain had ever met. “What have you got to say for yourself, John? Why did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  Cain shook his head. “I never expected this from you. We were friends. I trusted you.” They’d always had each others’ backs when they’d both been guards. Cain had trusted this man more than he’d ever trusted his own brother. This betrayal felt like a stab in the gut.

  “What the fuck are you talking about? If you have your memory back then you know what happened.”

  Frustrated about John’s refusal to confess his crime, Cain lunged at him and slammed him against the wall, pinning him there. “You lured me into a trap, and then when the assassin couldn’t finish me, you aimed your gun at me and pulled the trigger. Damn it, you shot me!”

  “I didn’t shoot you!”

  Cain flashed his fangs at him. “Stop lying and stand by your actions like a man, and not like a sniveling weasel. You betrayed me!”

  “Never!” John ground out.

  “You lured me into that trap.”

  “No!”

  “Then you’re denying that you sent me a text message that night to inform me about a conspiracy?”