Sanctuary at Midnight (Wardens of Midnight Book 1)

by Helen Scott

  “I feel like the memories of me having a daughter belong to someone else, and whoever they are had been there a long time, long enough to be thinking about giving up hope. I don’t just want to find out what happened to me—I mean, yeah, that’s my end goal—but I want to find out who these memories belong to and how the hell they got into my head.”

  “I can tell you part of that, but not all of it.” She took a deep breath as though preparing herself to impart bad news. “Shifters have the ability to pass memories on when we turn someone. There is something in the bite that allows us to send a message to help with the transition. Most use it to give instructions on how to shift, or anything they feel they need to impart about their specific animal. I think whoever bit you was trying to tell you who they were by giving you impressions of their life.

  “I’m not sure why the images and memories are so jumbled, but my guess is that it has to do with him being knocked out repeatedly and not having any way to focus the images. Whoever he is, his life has become a repeating cycle of fight and recovery. From what you’ve said, I’m sure when they knock him out, they also induce the shift so the human side is completely absent, and then they can get the animal to attack and turn whomever they want.

  “I want to help you figure out what happened, but I also want to rescue anyone there and put a stop to whatever is going on. This man has a child who is missing her father. If I can, I want to reunite them.” A fierce passion shone in her eyes as she spoke, and he could see her in all her alpha glory. There was no doubt in his mind that she would accomplish her goals. He just wished she wasn’t putting herself in a vulnerable position to do so.

  Chapter 17

  Valentina could feel Elijah’s eyes on her as she spoke to him, and she liked it. His attention gave her something she hadn’t had in a long time—it made her feel desired. Using that as a launch pad, she picked up the phone and redialed Victor. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but it was what she needed to do, not just for her own piece of mind but for the pack and her territory as well.

  “Hello again, Alpha,” his smug, irritating voice answered on the second ring.

  “Victor.” She paused and waited to see if he would ask, but all she could hear on the other end was static and light breathing. “I accept your terms.”

  “Good to hear. Bring the person whose whereabouts you are trying to follow to my house, along with a map of the area you have narrowed down. I will be anxiously awaiting your visit.”

  The line went dead.

  “Damn it, he gives me the creeps.”

  “So, I take it we are going over there?”

  “Yep. He doesn’t like to leave his property if he can help it. When you feel the wards, you’ll understand. Victor is an extremely private man; he is also a very formal man. Did you bring anything nicer than T-shirts and jeans?”

  Elijah looked at her wide eyed. “No, I can’t say I thought we would be getting dressed up for anything.”

  “Well, you have an excuse, but I need to go change,” she said before she got up to leave.

  For some reason, she had expected Elijah to stay on the couch downstairs, but she could feel him trailing behind her. His warmth and his emotions were all battering at her like the sea against the shore. She had never felt so in tune with anyone. Usually she had to focus to pick up on what people were feeling, but with Elijah, it was like he was standing in front of her holding a sign that displayed whatever he was feeling in that moment. Right now, it was confidence with a light bit of trepidation and that same undercurrent of lust that she’d felt ever since he’d woken up.

  Once they were in her bedroom, she heard him close the door behind them with a soft click. Her familiar scent filled the room, but this time, it was intermingled with his since their intimacy last night and this morning.

  “Kitten.” He growled that dumb nickname for her, and her whole body came alive. She could feel heat pooling between her legs, and her heart beat in a staccato rhythm in her chest. “Stop, stand right there, princess, and let me look at you.”

  Her body froze at his command. Why did it turn her on? She had always been the dominant one, always. With him, though? Everything was different.

  “You’re so fucking sexy, kitten,” he said as he came into her line of sight. “I’m going to undress you and pick out your outfit for seeing Victor. That way, you’ll know the whole time we are there that I can’t wait to peel it off you and lick that sweet pussy of yours.”

  Her body quivered in anticipation. The whole idea was so completely erotic to her that she wanted to press her thighs together to try to relieve some of the ache. Why did she follow these commands that he gave out? She was an alpha, dammit, not a beta or an omega. As though he could feel the war raging within her in that moment, he stepped up to her and slid his hands under her T-shirt.

  “If I told you to get on your knees right now, would you?” His lips brushed the shell of her ear, sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. When she didn’t respond, he said, “Answer me, kitten.”

  She gulped in air as her breaths were turning to pants with what his hands were doing over her skin. They were trailing lines of fire around her stomach and her hips. When he stopped and stepped away, she wanted to protest, but she kept it in. Just barely, but she did it.

  “If you don’t answer, I won’t get you off before we leave.”

  “I don’t know, Elijah. I don’t know why I listen to any of these orders you’re giving me.”

  He chuckled darkly. “You listen because you need a break from being in charge all the time, and your body remembers the pleasure I gave it.”

  “A break?” The thought was confusing.

  He tugged her T-shirt off and began unbuttoning her jeans, slowly sliding them down her legs. “You are constantly making decisions for your pack, for your territory. Sometimes it’s nice to let someone else take the reins, at least in a situation where the outcome doesn’t affect anyone but you.” His hands grabbed her butt on both sides, pulling her against him so she could feel his erection pressing against her through his jeans, before he released her just as quickly and got on his knees to finish taking her jeans off.

  Once her feet were free from the denim, she said, “We really don’t have time for this. Victor is expecting us.”

  “I promise it won’t take long. Besides, wouldn’t you rather get some of those nerves out of your system before we get there?”

  “Elijah . . .” she breathed, unsure what she wanted to do. She craved his touch, but she knew the adult thing, the practical thing, was to get dressed and leave without indulging in the pleasure he was offering.

  “Trust me, kitten, you won’t regret it.” His teeth nipped at her lower lip before he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. His arms were thick, corded muscle wrapped around her, and though she knew she could get free, she didn’t want to. He lifted her legs and pulled down her panties, letting them drift off one foot while his fingers slowly slid up her leg toward the apex of her thighs. “Open,” he said, and in that one word, she lost all her ideas about being an adult and being responsible. The promise of pleasure was too alluring, especially the pleasure he provided. She had never felt anything like it.

  “If I thought you didn’t like being told what to do, I wouldn’t do it, but this”—he ran his fingers across the delicate flesh of her pussy—“shows me that you do.”

  She could feel her wetness on his fingertips, and she knew he was right. Whatever it was about him and the way he took control in the bedroom, well, it worked for her.

  “Now, let’s see if we can make some noise, huh?” He slid his index finger into her wet heat and began rubbing her clit with his thumb while his other hand reached up and squeezed and massaged her breasts through her bra. She wanted to feel the warm dry skin of his hands against the delicate skin of her breasts, so she reached behind herself and unhooked the clasp of the bra, removing the offending material.

  The heat of an orgasm was licking
through her, sending tingles down her spine and making her hands and feet clench, and the man had barely touched her.

  “So close already, princess? I think you like me.”

  Her body ached for him. She needed him to fill her, to pound into her as he had done the night before. When he slid a second finger in and began swirling them within her, she barely had time to take a breath before her orgasm crested. The sound of her pleasure wrenched from her throat in a grunt that turned into a scream as another wave hit her. She was vaguely aware of his fingers and thumb still moving, of the scent of his own arousal, but it was all background noise compared to the roar of the orgasm that still pulsed through her.

  As it faded and the world came into focus around her once more, she looked up and found Elijah licking his fingers. “You taste fucking amazing,” he said unapologetically.

  She felt as though she should have been embarrassed, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. If he liked the way she tasted, then he was welcome to eat her up any day he so chose. As she pushed back further onto the bed to make room for him, he walked away, going to her dresser and retrieving first a bra and then a thong. He walked straight into the closet and came back a moment later with a dress that happened to be one of her favorites. It was navy blue with bright flowers all over it in pale pinks, reds, teals, and various shades of blue. The bodice was solid all the way up to the boat neckline, and the solid skirt came to just above her knees, flaring out in a flattering way. Technically, the dress had sleeves, but they only consisted of a sheer material that covered the whole dress the flowers were embroidered onto, along with the flowers themselves.

  “Stand up, kitten.” He grinned at her.

  “We aren’t going to have sex?”

  “No. Now, stand up.”

  She did as he asked, and he had her step into the panties before sliding them up her legs, followed by having her put on the bra before he hooked together the clasp at the back. Next, he slid the dress over her head, carefully making sure she got the arms on before zipping her up at the back. She was about to turn around so she could kiss him when his hand came around to her front and pulled her tight against him. His other hand found her breast, and with one squeeze, she could feel the moisture soaking the thin strip of fabric of her panties.

  “No sex right now, but as soon as we get out of there and somewhere private, I’m going to lift this skirt up, rip off that scrap of material you call a thong, and fuck you up against a wall until you’re begging me to let you come. Clear, kitten?”

  As he spoke, the images played in her mind, and it was better than any porn she’d ever seen. She wanted it, no, needed it to happen. Otherwise, she was going to jump him at some point, and then he would see who was truly alpha. “Clear,” she whispered with a voice husky with need.

  He stepped away from her then, and she immediately missed the firm wall of muscle that had been behind her. Her jaguar pouted and paced inside her, urging her to take Elijah to bed anyway, but the human part of her liked the game they were playing, so instead, she went to find some shoes.

  As they were leaving, Elijah turned to her and said, “You look stunning in that dress, and don’t forget that I know exactly what’s under it, or that less than fifteen minutes ago, my fingers were knuckle-deep in your pussy.” He adjusted his pants as he spoke, his lust-filled eyes staying locked on her own. “I can’t wait to be inside you again.”

  She felt her own body flush with need, and for a moment, she debated having sex with him in the back seat of her new car. The idea of him being sexually frustrated the whole time they were talking to Victor was more than a little entertaining, though, so she slid her keys into the ignition and they left to see the mage.

  There was no way for her to park in his driveway, since it was impossible to tell where it was through the glamor, so they parked on the street and walked until she felt the space he had opened in his wards for them to enter. Elijah could feel it too; she could tell by the way he rubbed his arms as they went through, as though there was a cold breeze passing by them when there was no wind at all.

  Once they were through his wards and glamor, the house that stood before them was unlike anything else in the area. Half of the house was domed, while the other half looked like something straight out of Victorian times. The intricate woodwork and almost scaled-looking sides of the house were for the most part a deep blood red, while all the window frames and doorframes were done in a navy blue with the occasional gold accent.

  As they approached the ornate front door, it opened for them. Valentina glanced at Elijah, who was staring at everything with wide eyes as though he’d never seen a house before. Quickly, she elbowed him in the ribs and whispered, “Don’t act so surprised.”

  He simply shrugged, but his eyebrows lowered and his eyes didn’t look so shocked anymore.

  Chapter 18

  Valentina took a deep breath and walked forward. The wall to her left opened up to a sitting room decorated in dark reds and golds, just like the outside of the house. Red velvet curtains had been pulled back from the window, letting the light in, illuminating the strange collection of things scattered around the room. A gramophone with a big faded gold bell sat just to the side of the window, while three different clocks adorned the walls, each with a different time, and a large tufted settee took up one side of the room. There were candles and bowls of fruit, flowers, and sweets all over the various surfaces. A mirror sat above a fireplace, and as they walked into the room, the smell of the burning wood finally reached her, along with the scent of pipe tobacco and old books.

  A throat cleared from a doorway she hadn’t seen until it drew her attention. Victor stood in all his mage glory as though he were awaiting a tribute from them. His long silver hair shone in the light from the window, making it look almost white, while his silver eyes locked onto her.

  “Alpha,” he said as he entered the room, his robes flowing around him in an unseen wind. The purple and silver were accented with a pale turquoise sash. It was the most color she had ever seen him wear, and it somehow humanized him a little more. The material was still starkly contrasted. The deep amethyst color was adorned with an intricate pattern, while the pale silver and turquoise were without any embellishment. Instead of the long flowing sleeves she had seen him in before, this time his sleeves were bound to his wrists by pale gold cuffs, preventing the billowy material from going anywhere, and also making him look like he was considering going to the Renaissance fair.

  “Victor, it’s good to see you again.” She smiled at him.

  His blood-red lips parted as he smiled back, and she had to stiffen her spine to prevent a shiver from making her shake in front of him. “And who did you bring me?”

  “This is Elijah Berridge. He was recently turned, and we are trying to learn the course of events that led to such an occurrence.”

  “Please, have a seat.” Victor gestured to the overstuffed settee.

  Valentina smoothed out her skirt and sat. Elijah followed suit, sitting a little closer than she would have liked. The mage sat opposite them in an armchair she didn’t remember noticing before.

  “So, you need to figure out where this young man was within a certain area, yes?”

  She nodded.

  A large, as in unnaturally large, Siamese cat walked in, carrying a golden bowl between its teeth. A turquoise sash adorned its neck like a collar, but more decorative than functional. Victor took the bowl, and the cat sat next to his chair, curling up as though they weren’t even there.

  “I will need some blood.” He smiled again, and she thought he might have been trying to put them at ease, when in fact, it had the opposite effect.

  Elijah nodded, and the mage stood, bringing the bowl over with him and kneeling next to the panther’s side. Victor reached into his robe and pulled out a dagger that was viciously curved and so sharp, the edge looked like it vanished into nothingness. “Your hand, please?” he asked as he held out his own in expectation while setting the gold
en bowl on the floor underneath.

  Valentina’s heart was in her throat as Elijah extended a hand to the mage. When Victor clasped it, the difference between their skin tones was much more obvious. The mage was so pale, he was almost translucent, while the panther looked so tan, she would have thought he had been on vacation for a week. She could see Victor’s white-knuckled grip on Elijah’s hand from where she was sitting. What she didn’t see was that he had repositioned the dagger so that when he whipped his right arm over their two hands, it sliced into both Elijah’s and Victor’s hands.

  The metallic tang of blood filled the air, making her jaguar nervous. A bright-red stream flowed from Elijah’s hand into the bowl, while a few drops of dark silver dropped from Victor’s hand. As the cut kept bleeding, her nerves turned into concern. It should have clotted and begun healing by now.

  After a few tense moments, Victor ran the flat side of the dagger’s blade over Elijah’s skin, and when the wound was visible again, Valentina could see it closing. Relief flooded her. The bowl was almost full of blood, and it sloshed as the mage stood and walked over to the small table by the fireplace.

  “Have you ever seen a mage summon his power before, Valentina?” Victor asked, his voice oddly distant.

  “No,” she breathed, and knew she sounded nervous.

  “There is nothing to worry about so long as you don’t disturb me. Now, the map, if you please?”

  From her purse, she withdrew the map they had marked and handed it over. Even connecting with him through paper made her feel as though the world was shifting underneath her feet, as if she was standing on sand and the tide was pulling it out from under her. When she released the paper, everything went back to normal. The ground felt solid under her once more.

  He opened the map so it only showed the section they had marked and a few miles all around it, almost up to Woodhaven. The silver of the dagger flashed in his hand while his other hand held the golden bowl. Something shifted in the room, and suddenly, the air smelled of ozone. Victor’s hair was blowing in an invisible wind that had his robes flapping around his legs. The cat, who had seemingly been asleep up until that point, got up and moved to sit by Valentina. The three of them watched as the mage’s head rolled back and he rose off the ground.