Emotionless, Althea stared the demon in the eyes. “I’ll finish you off once I’ve destroyed your precious incubus!” Satisfaction coursed through her veins as she realized she was on the right path. “Viktor, this realm is not meant for you. There is nothing here for you anymore. You can’t corrupt me with your promises of sexual gratification.”
The demon roared as his form immediately disintegrated.
She then turned to her mirror image. “Aehtla, I bind you forever, through time and space. You are forever lost to this place. The power that was mine, I bury in the sands of time, encased within this ring, send it away, I no longer need it!”
“Nooo!” Aehtla screeched as her true form showed through. “You can’t do this to me! You need me! Without me, you’ll cease to exist!”
“Not falling for your lies.” Sucking in a breath, Althea repeated her chant one last time. “I bind you forever, through time and space you are forever lost to this place. The power that was mine, I bury in the sands of time, encased within this ring, send it away I no longer need it.”
“Fool! What are you doing?” Aehtla screamed. “You’ve destroyed my beloved, Viktor, now you try and kill me too! How dare you! I’ve made you what you are today!”
“No, what I was someone who lost their way. You took advantage of me at my most weakened state. Now, I will make amends to those who deserve it, including Rufus. He was an ass, but he didn’t deserve those things you made me do to him!”
Althea watched as the spiraling black cloud was pulled into her into the gold ring. The sparkling emerald flipped back, latching into place. She squinted, swearing she could see her mirror image tapping against the jewel that held her firm in place.
She smiled solemnly. Feeling like her old self, her thoughts centered on the wolf and the vampire and how they’d given their lives over to save her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she sank to her knees. “Were they real?” She asked herself. “Vukasin and Quinton gave up their existence to preserve mine.” She thought as she returned home.
Althea stared into her mirror for what seemed like hours. Angrily she swiped at her tears, showered, and prepared herself for work. She had amends she needed to make. She promised the men. She wouldn’t be at peace if she didn’t live up to that promise.
* * * *
Once at work, Althea called an emergency staff meeting. Before that, she’d written out bonus checks for everyone.
“I don’t mean any harm, but I think she’s possessed or something,” she heard one of her employees, Mimi, say.
Althea looked up and smiled. “Or something.” She rose and handed everyone a check. “Look, I know I haven’t been the nicest person on the planet.” She paced back and forth as shamed washed over her. “I’ve been going through some—shall we say, personal problems?” She glanced up at the women who still said nothing. “It isn’t easy to explain. I just lost myself along the way, that’s all.” Her throat became dry, and she wished the floor could swallow her up. Did she really deserve their forgiveness? “Can you guys ever find it in your hearts to forgive me?”
“What was wrong with you?” Mimi asked. “You seemed like some kind of female ogre. Hell, I couldn’t even stand to be in the room with you.”
“There’s so much that I can’t explain right now.” Althea nervously wrung her hands as she paced back and forth. “You guys know I’m not such a bad person. If you have it in your hearts to forgive me, I’m asking you all. Please, forgive me.”
Althea was beside herself as her employees, including Dimples bum rushed her. “Of course! But you know, if you keep writing us bonus checks like this, you can turn Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde all you want,” Dimples said as everyone busted out laughing.
After the party, Althea’s mind drifted toward Vukasin and Quinton. For some reason, she could not let them go so easily. Suddenly, someone knocked on her door.
Figuring it was Mimi or Dimples, she opened it up quickly. Two large men clad in expensive suits smiled at her. One held a box of chocolates, and the other held a large bouquet of bloodred roses.
Althea frowned. “I’m sorry, can I help you?”
“Yeah”, the large blond-haired man said with a grin. “We’re looking for Althea May Johnson. My name is Jack, and this is Frank.” The man’s chiseled features and knife-blade cheekbones were enough to make her swoon, but for some reason he made her think of Quinton. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and small, neatly trimmed sideburns adorned his face.
The other man was darker, and seemed to hail from somewhere overseas. When he smiled, it looked as though they had canines. They both did.
“Oh, Althea,” the dark-haired man murmured. “I’m really disappointed in you. Don’t you remember us?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Oh, bloody hell,” the blond man snapped. “Dammit woman, it’s me, Quinton. And Vuk, how could you forget the annoying wolf?”
Althea gasped, and almost fainted, until the men caught her in their arms. She looked in their eyes, and sure enough, it was her vampire and wolf man clad in human bodies.
“Oh my darlings!” She flung her arms around both men, hugging them tight. She never wanted to let them go. “What happened?” She stepped back, eyeing them up and down. They sure as hell were a sight for sore eyes, even in different forms.
They walked into her office, chuckling. Vukasin shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I’m glad it did. I swear to you, I woke up one morning and I was this well-to-do executive of a large marketing firm downtown.” He looked at himself and grinned. “Pretty sharp, huh?”
“Yeah, same thing happened to me,” Quinton claimed. “I don’t remember anything after that bitch unleashed sunlight upon me.” His gaze darted around the room. “She is gone, isn’t she?”
Althea laughed. It’s okay Quinton. She can’t harm us anymore.” She’s trapped in my ring. “So, you were saying.”
“Yes, oh, just like Vuk, I awoke to the fact that I’m a big shot lawyer downtown.” He frowned and scratched his head. “This concerns me.”
“The spell that entrapped Aehtla in the realm forced everything into the ring,” Althea stated. “But—who’s bodies are you inhabiting?” Her gaze swept over both men. Vukasin wore his hair in a black ponytail. Coal black, familiar eyes stared back at her. They no longer reflected silver.
“Well, I’m afraid there was a little backlash. Positive backlash, if you will,” Quinton stated. “In the past few days, I’ve been accused of fucking around on a woman who I’ve never laid eyes on.” He rubbed his cheek. She’s slapped the hell out of me twice. Had to call law enforcement to cart her away.”
A shard of jealousy sliced through her being. “Another woman?”
“Oh, my darling,” Quinton stated. “There’s nothing to worry about. I only have eyes for you. Apparently, she thinks I’m her cheating boyfriend. It’s going to take some time for that to simmer down.”
A feeling of knowing crept over Althea. “Oh, now you must make amends for the prior souls who inhabited your bodies. Those souls are now being recycled—so to speak. They’re being prepared for returning to earth. To another time, in another life,” she stated.
Quinton nodded before continuing. “Well, their souls weren’t exactly good. You see, the person whose body I’ve taken over was a criminal defense attorney who has been winning cases on behalf of the guilty. Knowing these men perpetrated crimes like rape and molestation, he continued representing them. His greed knew no boundaries.” Quinton sighed. “Now, I must clean up his mess and run the firm honestly. I just hope it isn’t too late.” He folded his arms across his massive chest. “I have so much work to do.
“Now everything my grandfather told me makes sense. But why have you both been placed in such difficult situations?”
She sat down, and Quinton patted her on the shoulder. “To live as a human in your realm, with you, it’s all worth it.” He massaged Althea’s neck. Relax and I’ll summon you some water
.” He smiled nervously. “Hell, apparently I don’t possess the power to do that anymore. Althea, where’s your fridge or the water cooler.”
“Apparently, living in the human realm has had an adverse affect on your brain,” Vukasin bit out harshly.
“Don’t start with me, man,” Quinton said in a low growl.
Althea doubled over in laughter. “You two, what am I going to do with you?” She looked at both men. “I’ve missed you guys so much.” She looked over at Vukasin. “Vuk, what’s your deal?”
“Apparently, this guy was embezzling money from his brother’s company. I don’t know how long he’s been doing it, but from the look of the paperwork, I have one hell of a mess to clean up. I just hope I’m not too late.” Vukasin shook his head. “Althea, I may need some of your accounting experience to get myself out of this mess. Hopefully I won’t get arrested.” Vuk grinned nervously.
“Think nothing of it!” She hugged both men, planting kisses on their faces. “I’m sure between the three of us we can put our heads together and come up with something.” Her stomach rumbled. “Um, if you ever do get arrested, Quinton’s a criminal lawyer.”
“Gee, thanks Althea.” Vukasin laughed nervously.
She swatted him on the shoulder “Oh, come on. You know I’m just messing with you.” She looked at them. It’s a nice day to go to Little Italy. “You guys hungry?”
“Ah food,” Quinton said dreamily. “I cannot express how good it is to be able to eat solid food.”
“If it wasn’t for you challenging and conquering the demons, we wouldn’t be here now. We would have perished within that realm, along with—what’s her name.” Vukasin grinned. “Sorry, but I’m not taking any chances.”
“I really don’t think it was due to my quick thinking. Sorry guys, but I don’t think I can take on the responsibility of you becoming human. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say a higher power played a hand in this one.”
Vuk shrugged. “Perhaps. Or, Taylor may have had something to do with it.”
“Look!” she whispered while checking out the rings on the men’s fingers. She pointed at them. “Do you know what those are?”
Both men shook their heads, looking puzzled. “We just know these rings are similar to the ones you and Taylor wear.”
“Well, whatever you do, don’t open them. If you do it’s like opening a can of worms.” She looked at them, but the men had no clue what she was talking about.
“We’re all Guardians,” she continued. “My grandfather appeared to me nights before I banished Aehtla.” She held up the ring for the men to see. “The lawyer and marketing dude were evil entities, just like Aehtla.” She smiled as a twinge of happiness and knowing ignited inside her. “The men they overpowered were weak-minded.”
“So, what exactly are you saying? Are we supposed to spend the rest of our lives capturing demons?” Vukasin asked. “Aren’t we demons, technically? After all, I am a wolf, and ole Quinton here is a vampire.”
“I think so,” Althea said with a whisper. “I know I’m supposed to continue doing this type of work because it is my destiny. I would have never guessed in a million years you two would become Guardians.” She shrugged. “Guess we’re paying off a debt to the universe. Or, I am, for my past actions.” She cleared her throat.
“But, it wasn’t your fault.” Vukasin grunted. “She made you do those things.”
“No—I gave her power over me. That’s why it was so easy for her to control me. I was a puppet, she the puppet master.” She frowned. “Guys, seriously. I don’t want to talk about this again.”
“Do you still have your powers?” Quinton asked.
“Oh no. I gave them up. Didn’t need or want them. That wasn’t a part of me; they came from her.”
The men nodded in agreement.
“So—I guess you’ll know the next time we’ll need to banish demons from the human realm.” Vukasin scratched his head and looked at his watch. “I only have an hour left for lunch. Let’s grab a quick bite to eat at the deli across the street.”
He scratched his head again, making Quinton wrinkle his nose. “You got fleas or something? Because, I saw this really awesome flea dip in the pet store the other day—” Quinton froze as Vuk cast him a cold glare.
“Really guys, you never cease to amuse me,” Althea said with a laugh.
Suddenly, Taylor appeared beside her. “Granddaddy Taylor.”
The old man hugged his granddaughter. “I’m so happy you finally found the strength inside you to fight them. You don’t know how much you truly accomplished, do you?”
“You never told me our work as Guardians would be unraveled if Viktor and Aehtla were successful in destroying me.” She cocked her head to the side. “Why?”
“What purpose would that serve?” Taylor asked. “I had faith in you all along. Our line is strong. Your intuition is now stronger than ever. This is your true power and one of many strengths of being a Guardian and Collector.”
The men cleared their throats. “What about us?” Quinton asked. “What are we to do?”
“My dear boys,” Taylor strolled toward the men. “You both are to assist my granddaughter in her efforts. You will Collect and Guard the evil entities that plague mankind.”
“But how?”
“Never question the power of a Collector. Didn’t I tell both to have faith?”
“So, you knew their souls would be transformed into human bodies? But—why?” Althea asked. “I’m not complaining, I’m just trying to understand.”
Taylor smiled at her. “Because what the three of you have is true love. Quinton and Vukasin will sacrifice themselves for you a thousand times over if they believe it will keep you safe from harm.” He turned to look at Althea. “And you. I felt your pain after Viktor claimed them. Instead of giving up and submitting to despair, you continued to fight—like a true warrior. You’ve made me so proud.”
“It wasn’t easy,” She confessed drily. “I thought they were lost to me.” Vukasin and Quinton hugged her firmly.
“You deserve complete happiness. You all have a second chance now,” Taylor assured her. “Now, I must go.” He held out his hand to Quinton and Vukasin. “It has been a pleasure meeting you. I know you’ll take care of my grandbaby, and I look forward to one day fighting by your side.”
“Looking forward to it, sir,” Vukasin said with a wolfish grin. “Thank you so much.”
Quinton stepped forward, shaking Taylor’s hand. “It was nice meeting you. I hope to see you again, some time soon.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Taylor vanished.
“I want to go home,” Althea said sadly.
Quinton stroked her cheek before swiping a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Cheer up, beautiful. He’ll be back.”
“I miss him already,” she confessed. “It was so nice having him here, in the flesh.”
“Come on, let’s get something to eat and go home,” Vukasin urged.
Quinton frowned. “Which home? Between us, we have three houses.”
“What are you proposing, vampire?” Vukasin asked with a grin.
“Um, we’re no longer vampire and wolf,” Quinton snapped.
“Oh, but we are,” Vuk said. “I’m sorry, but Taylor has left my memory intact. My sense of smell is stronger than when I was a wolf. When the moon is full, there’s this urge to shed my clothes and run wild through the woods.”
“Why did you think he did that?” Althea asked with curiosity. “Shouldn’t you guys have asked him this while he was here?”
“Actually, I’m glad he did,” Quinton said with a smile. “I too remember the other realm. Perhaps he did it so we don’t forget where we come from. I kind of like to think that the wolf and vampire essence will allow us to resist demonic temptation.”
“Makes sense.” Vukasin nodded in agreement. “Taylor isn’t one to provide too much information. It would seem that he prefers for us to discover answers on our own
. He glanced at Althea. “You should get used to calling us by our human names.
“Personally, I’d like to still call you guys by the names I gave you,” Althea confessed. “Jack and Frank, that’s going to take some time to get used to,” she said with a laugh.
Quinton lifted her up in his strong arms. “Making fun of our names, now?” He looked over at Vukasin. “She needs to be punished.”
“Promise?” Althea giggled as the vampire carried her up the stairs and into the room. Vukasin followed close behind.
“We more than promise,” Vukasin assured her as they carefully undressed her like she was a rare piece of candy.
Althea sighed as Quinton pushed her down on her back. “It’s Vukasin’s turn to take me from behind. She looked up at Quinton. “You get to take me from the front.” She looked at them both, and even as human, they appeared to have canines and incisors. For a brief moment, she could have sworn their eyes changed colors.
“What’s the matter, sweetness?” Quinton asked as Vukasin slipped behind her.
“Nothing—“ She moaned as both men planted kisses along the sensitive part of her neck. “I’m just— “Oh, dear God.” She panted as their hands explored her flesh. “Just getting used to your human forms.”
“Is it a bother?” Quinton ceased his ministrations.
“No. You both still invoke the same feelings within me. I wouldn’t trade this for the world. I’m just so happy we have a second chance.”
“Me too.” Both men agreed as they thrust their cocks deep inside her.
The End
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The Darkness Within Page 5
