Dare to Believe: The Gray Court, Book 1

by Dana Marie Bell

  Ruby looked at Aileen, who had “stubborn refusal” written all over her face. She shrugged. “It was just a thought.”

  “Perhaps he meant Duncan could help us get Kaitlynn off my back.” Leo ran both hands through his hair, tugging on it in frustration. “I just wish Shane was back already.”

  “Can we take the Hob’s word for it that Shane is free?” Sean’s voice and expression were skeptical.

  Leo nodded. “Yeah, Robin still feels he owes Mom for something, so I believe him. Besides,” Leo shot an irritated look at Ruby, “he likes my wife.”

  Ruby grinned. “Your wife likes him, too.” And despite their conversation that one word sent a thrill through her. She was married to Leo Dunne.

  Granted, in the human world it wasn’t legal, but they’d be taking care of that once Shane was home.

  Leo tried to stare her down, one black brow rising arrogantly. “Don’t like him too much.”

  She blew him a kiss just as Sean bolted up from the sofa.

  “Sean?” Aileen’s face was full of fear as she stared at her husband.

  “I feel Shane!”

  Ruby got to see just how quickly a leprechaun could move on his land. Sean disappeared so quickly she didn’t even see a blur.

  Leo said something to his mother in that lyrical language Ruby didn’t know then ran out the door after his father at a much more human pace. Aileen and Ruby stared at each other, Aileen’s eyes filled with hope and dread.

  “What’s happening?” Moira’s voice came from the top of the stairs. She made her way down, a light frown on her face. “I just saw Dad run like a bat out of hell down the drive, with Leo right behind him.”

  “Shane.” Aileen beamed at her daughter, tears in her eyes. “Your father sensed Shane.”

  Moira gasped, her hand clenching on the banister. “He’s sure?”

  At Aileen’s nod, Moira let out a war-whoop that practically shook the house. “Where is he?”

  “Right behind me, darling.”

  Jaden watched the human, Ruby, turn to face him. He was leaning against the doorjamb, making sure to keep his body out of the Dunne house. Some vampires really did have to be invited inside, and he was hoping this would lull the women into a false sense of security.

  “Shane?” Ruby tried to peer around him, her expression happy. He hated that very soon he’d be forced to wipe that expression from her face.

  “Shane’s not there,” Aileen answered. She stepped forward, her Sidhe power wrapped around her like a golden cloak. “Get away from my house, vampire.” Aileen began to glow. The golden flecks sprinkling her skin held a life of their own as they danced in a hypnotic pattern, one that Jaden ignored. He smirked at Aileen, keeping it smug even though he felt anything but.

  “Of course.” His gaze drifted over to Ruby. “As soon as the girl comes out.” His eyes changed, black growing impossibly blacker, pulling his prey to him. “Come here, girl.”

  His voice was seduction itself, a promise that coiled around the woman’s senses and tightened, drawing her forward one hesitant step at a time.

  “I don’t think so, vampire.”

  He blinked at the vision of redheaded fury standing between him and his prey. Moira Dunne growled, positioning herself in front of Ruby, ready to defend her sister-in-law to the death.

  Jaden tsk’d. It wouldn’t do to let Moira know he was impressed. It took a lot of guts for a Sidhe that young to stand up to a fully mature vampire, no matter the circumstances. “Get out of the way, sweetheart. I’m not here for you.”

  “Are you kidding me? Do you know what my brother would do if I let someone like you touch his mate? Hell, he’ll probably be pissed you breathed the same air.”

  Jaden didn’t bother to hide his fangs as they dropped down. “Sidhe. So stuck up.” He focused his will on Moira and pulled. “Come out here, my pretty. Come to me, sweet.” His gaze remained locked on her face though it longed to roam over her luscious curves. “I’ve always been partial to redheads.”

  Moira began to move forward. He heard a gasp of fear.

  “No!” Aileen pushed Ruby out of the way in a desperate attempt to get to her daughter, causing Ruby to stumble. Moira turned and, without blinking, backhanded her mother into the wall.

  Huh. Wonder what that’s all about. Apparently Moira had some unresolved issues with her mother. He didn’t bother hiding his grin. Aileen had already made her opinion of him known.

  Aileen slumped to the ground, dazed, as Moira continued forward.

  “I thought you preferred brunettes?” Ruby asked, obviously trying to get his attention off Moira.

  Jaden kept his eyes on what he suspected was the real prize in the Dunne house. “Sorry, sweet. I’ve always had a thing for feisty redheads.” Moira started to step over the threshold and into the vampire’s waiting arms.

  “Oh, hell.” Ruby ran forward, pushing in front of Moira. “Leave her alone, Bunnicula, I’m here.”

  Jaden blinked, accidentally breaking his thrall on Moira. “Bunnicula? Bunnicula? Do I look like the type to suck on carrots?”

  Moira shuddered and stepped back. “I don’t know. Bunnicula seems pretty appropriate. How many carrots have you sucked on?” And she smirked in that annoying way that men everywhere recognized.

  “Women.” Jaden shook his head sadly. “They don’t pay me enough for this shit.” He glared at Ruby. “Come on out here and let’s get this over with.”

  “No.” Moira pulled Ruby back, once again standing in front of her.

  Jaden sighed. Damn. Now I’m going to have to bruise that porcelain skin. “You know, I tried to do this nicely. Now I’m just going to have to do it the other way.” And with that, he stepped over the threshold, his eyes once again glowing red.

  “Um, I thought he couldn’t come in here without an invitation.” Ruby backed up warily.

  “Wrong kind of vampire, apparently,” Moira breathed, backing up along with her.

  “Apparently.” Jaden crooked a finger at Ruby, allowing the nail to grow into a long, black claw. He had no intention of actually using his claws on either girl, but damn if they weren’t great for intimidation. He only hoped they worked. “Come here, girl. Someone wants to see you.”

  “No!” And Moira rushed him, determination in every line of her small body.

  Moira knew some kick boxing from the way she used her feet. Jaden was beyond impressed. She lashed out with a spinning heel kick that would have knocked the head off a lesser being, one not meant to be a soldier in the Dark Queen’s army.

  Fortunately, thanks to his son-of-a-bitch sire, her ploy didn’t work. All it did was rock his head on his neck. He moved to block her next strike, holding his greater strength in check. It had to be obvious to Moira that she was going to lose. He could see it in her face that she knew she couldn’t defeat him, but that rock solid determination to keep him away from her sister-in-law still burned brightly enough to really impress him.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ruby dash out of the house, screaming for lover-boy at the top of her lungs.

  Perfect.

  Time to end this. Jaden put Moira down as gently as he could, knocking her out with the least amount of damage he could inflict.

  He stared down at Moira with a wicked smile. “Beautiful, brave Moira.” He brushed his hands through her hair, reluctant to leave her behind.

  She’d proven herself to him. Now he was going to prove himself to her.

  He pressed a soft kiss to her lips just before he sank his teeth into her neck.

  That kiss promised that they weren’t done. Not by a long shot.

  “You shouldn’t have interfered, beautiful.” He stroked her hair away from her forehead, his expression hot and possessive. He licked her sweet leprechaun blood from his lips. He’d forgotten that about her, though he’d never forget it again. He pressed a soft kiss to her unresponsive lips. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

  “Leo! Leo! Help me!” Ruby ran screaming, knowing somehow
that hiding wouldn’t work against the creature that pursued her.

  Ruby felt a strong wind pass her by and she stopped, hoping against hope that Sean was heading back to the house.

  The roar that came from the Dunne house had the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. The ground beneath her feet buckled and heaved. Sean was letting loose his anger in a very visible way. Ruby gasped out a sob and turned back towards the house, every fiber of her being calling out for her mate.

  “Ruby?” She turned, nearly falling. Leo’s arms came around her, protecting her. “Shhh. It’s okay, kitten, I have you.”

  “There’s a vampire in the house with your mother and sister,” she gasped out, falling against him and hugging him to her so tightly she was surprised his ribs didn’t crack.

  She felt him stiffen. “Vampire? In Dad’s house?”

  She nodded, still gasping for breath. Running was so not her forte. “Uh-huh. Moira fought him.”

  “Holy hell.” And Leo took off running towards the house.

  Leaving her alone on the dark driveway, half a mile from the house. “Oh no.”

  A dark figure stepped onto the driveway, its eyes glowing an eerie red. “Hello, beautiful.” The vampire sighed, his voice pulling her into his arms.

  “Ruby!” Leo ran back down the drive, horrified. His mate was in a strange car, being driven away. Being taken from him. The ground at his feet rippled with his anger. If he’d been faster, he could have stopped the vampire. But this wasn’t his land, and what little leprechaun blood that did run through his veins wasn’t enough to save her. Leo gritted his teeth, knowing his own stupidity in leaving her in the driveway had led to her abduction. He began running back towards the house and his car, his only thought to get to his wife.

  The vampire would pay for taking what was his.

  Jaden looked at the woman sleeping next to him and grimaced. Leo was going to take his head off his shoulders for drugging his bondmate, but it was the only way he could think of to get the woman to Kaitlynn without hurting her. Her mind was fairly strong. Getting her to walk calmly off Dunne land, without alerting Sean Dunne to his presence, had taken most of his strength. He’d had just enough left to get her to swallow the roofie he’d brought with him before seating her in the car and taking off.

  Thank the gods he’d had a taste of sexy leprechaun before leaving the ole homestead, or he would never have pulled it off.

  Damn, but Moira made him hot. Just picturing her lips in that maddening sneer gave him a hell of a hard-on. Add that glorious red-gold hair, that pale, smooth complexion, and blue eyes a man could drown in, and you had one happy, horny vampire. She fought like a she-cat to defend her sister-in-law and mother, something Jaden could admire even as he deplored the need for it.

  Damn Kaitlynn for making him meet a woman like that under circumstances like these. He wished he could tell her he was on her side, but he couldn’t.

  Not yet.

  He could feel, through the light blood bond he’d established, that Moira was well. He could feel her irritation at being fussed over, her fear of what he’d do to Ruby, and did his best to send his reassurances down the light link he’d established with his bite. He’d keep Ruby safe, if only because she meant something to the feisty redhead.

  If Duncan didn’t come back soon Jaden was going to kill Kaitlynn personally and damn the consequences. Either way, he had every intention of coming back to Dunne land and finishing what he’d started with their daughter.

  With a grin, Jaden wondered how Duncan would react to his blood-bonding the leprechaun. He couldn’t wait to find out.

  He had the feeling the two of them were going to like each other.

  By the time Leo made it back to the house, Shane had arrived. The vampire had told the truth about that, at least. Once they had a weary, battered Moira and an equally weary Shane settled in the kitchen, the vampire was well away from the farm. But at least Leo now knew where the vampire had more than likely taken his wife.

  Leo, his eyes filled with equal measures of fury and fear, dialed the number his mother handed him.

  “Duncan Malmayne? My name is Leo Dunne. I’m going to kill your sister.” Leo quietly shut the phone, ignoring his mother’s gasp. He turned on his heel and headed towards his car.

  Kaitlynn Malmayne had gone too far, and now she was going to die.

  Chapter Nine

  Using the directions Shane had provided, Leo made his way into Omaha. His blood was boiling with fury and guilt despite Moira’s weird assurances that somehow she knew Ruby was currently safe. When Leo asked her how she could be so sure, she’d blushed and refused to answer.

  Something else the damn vampire would have to answer for. The wounds on his sister’s neck had healed quickly, but the fucking vamp had left a hickey.

  Leo knew from his brother’s description that the Malmaynes had kept him on a plush property just outside the Omaha city limits. Apparently, they’d bought the property some time in the nineties and built a house with over twelve thousand square feet of living space on around twenty acres, most of which was heavily wooded. The only areas not wooded were the pool area and the formal garden the Malmaynes had insisted be put in and maintained.

  Shane had also said the house, while structurally quite beautiful, lacked a soul.

  Leo pulled the Navigator to the side of the road about a mile from the Malmayne’s mansion. Getting out, he grabbed his flashlight and Shane’s tire iron. Jogging into the night, he counted on his own magic to get him in the front door.

  If even one hair on Ruby’s head was hurt, the vampire wouldn’t be the only one Leo went after with the tire iron.

  Ruby opened her eyes to a white, sterile room. She tried to lift her head, but found she couldn’t. It felt like it weighed a ton. She could barely turn her head, but when she succeeded the wave of dizziness and nausea made her glad she hadn’t been able to lift it. She stared at the large mirror that graced one wall and barely restrained the urge to roll her eyes.

  “I’ve either been abducted by aliens or the Feds.” Her speech was slurred. She vaguely remembered swallowing a pill a handsome, dark-haired man handed to her, but everything else was a blank.

  A male voice chuckled softly from behind her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Dizzy, weak, pissed off. You?”

  The voice chuckled again, and then replied, “Fine, thanks.”

  “Oh. Glad to hear it. Not.”

  The vampire sighed and stepped into view. “I don’t have a great deal of time, so listen well, Ruby. Kaitlynn’s insane.”

  “Oh. Really?” Ruby licked her lips. It tasted like something had crawled into her mouth and died there some time ago. “Didn’t notice.”

  “Hard to miss, actually. I’m going to drug you again.”

  Ruby couldn’t quite hide her wince. “Why?”

  “She can’t get inside your head if you’re drugged out of it.”

  She thought about that briefly, about what an insane Sidhe could force her to do in her own mind. Her little dance with Cullen backed up the vampire’s words. “Drugs are good.”

  The vampire smiled. “Thought you’d see it my way. Open wide, sweetheart.”

  Ruby opened her mouth and allowed him to place the pill on her tongue. When he gave her a drink of water to swallow it down, she nearly choked.

  “Careful.”

  “Why are you helping me now?”

  The vampire threw a quick glance at the door, and then leaned down over her body. With a start she realized that he really was incredibly handsome, something she hadn’t had a chance to notice before. “Kaitlynn is a bitch. I work for Duncan, but he’s gone missing. Kaitlynn decided to appropriate my services in her brother’s absence, and holds something over my head to force my compliance. However, I don’t like what she’s doing here, so I’m going to do my best to stop her at every turn without getting myself killed in the process. Simple enough?”

  “Did you help Shane escape?”

/>   He nodded happily. “I knew you were a smart girl.”

  Ruby blinked sleepily and yawned, her head beginning to spin. “Did you hurt Moira?”

  His cheerful façade dropped away immediately. In its place was a ruthless predator. “The only people who are completely safe from me are Duncan Malmayne and Moira Dunne.”

  “Kaitlynn might hurt her, to get to Leo.” Her speech was barely human. The medication began to take effect, making it nearly impossible to keep her eyes open.

  Red flames danced in his eyes. “No. She won’t. I’ll kill her first.” Ruby felt a cool hand smooth her hair down as she drifted into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was the vampire’s departure as he left the cell she lay in.

  Jaden stood outside Ruby’s cell, watching her sleep. Duncan hadn’t contacted him yet; soon, he’d have no choice but to remove Kaitlynn permanently. He couldn’t risk Moira’s life, or Ruby’s, on the whim of the madwoman his bond-brother called sister.

  Ruby slept peacefully, her heart rate normal, her blood flowing smoothly through her veins. Moira lay awake somewhere in her house, scared for her sister-in-law and…brother? Ah, Leo is on his way.

  Surprise, surprise. He wondered how close the Sidhe was to the Malmayne estate. He did his best to send his feisty little blonde reassurances, but until he deepened the bond between them fleeting impressions was all he could send her.

  He did his best to convey that Ruby slept peacefully. Unfortunately, not knowing where Leo was, he couldn’t help her there.

  It was with real pleasure he felt his little leprechaun relax a little.

  For that small amount of implied trust, he would ensure Ruby’s life with his own. For the first time in over a century, someone other than Duncan had a hold on his cynical heart.

  Kaitlynn stepped into the room and he watched out of the corner of his eye, curious to see her reaction. She glided over to the one-way glass, her eyes glued to the sleeping figure of Ruby Dunne.

  “When will she wake up?”

  The sick anticipation in her voice made him shudder. “I don’t know.”