“Because he denies truth.”
She studied the pained expression on his face. “He wouldn’t hide something like this from me. You must be lying.” Why? Why would this man do such a thing? “I don’t know you. I don’t even have a name to put with your face.”
“Kaden, and Tegan, I’m not lying to you. Please...”
She turned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself, going back to the scene at hand. The other her now lay face down in a pool of blood with Markus’ boot pressed into her back.
Closing her eyes, Tegan thought about all the nightmares she’d suffered and how Kaden had always been a soothing presence. “How can you appear in my dreams?”
“I’m a dream demon.” Kaden’s voice was soft, “it’s kind of my thing. Something in you called out to me, so I came.”
She swallowed. “I can only remember you in my dreams, but you seem to know me as so much more.” She turned to look at him and found him drifting away. “Kaden?” She called out, but he disappeared into the darkness. There was no response from him, but Markus’ voice rang clear from the memory playing in the background
“Why won’t you die, Tegan? Tell me?”
A stabbing pain went through her chest and she cried out.
Kaden woke when Tegan’s body arched against his and she cried out in pain. He cursed her nightmares and ran his hand through her hair and whispered to her. “It’s okay Tegan. They are just dreams, they can’t hurt you.” But he knew better. If someone like him controlled her dreams, they could cause major harm. Markus wasn’t a dream demon though, only a vampire.
One who haunted all her dreams. No wonder the woman hated to sleep. He’d risked visiting her dreams several times before she disappeared, only to check on her, but she rarely slept. Only a few hours here or there. He needed to call Lucius and let the vampire know Tegan had woken, but a glance at the clock told him the vampire would still be dead to the world.
He pulled Tegan close to him and tried to calm her. Taking a deep breath he caught her scent. Not the scent of the hospital or soap. No, the scent of Tegan, a mixture of earth and heaven. He wouldn’t be able to keep her or be this close to her for long, but for now he would hold her. For now, he could savor being close to her.
Lucius woke and something felt out of place. He looked around his room and could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Tegan in the doorway, but he knew better. But a comforting feeling in his mind told him that his human was awake. Her thoughts, though dwelling in the past, were coherent. He shot out of bed and grabbed his phone. The damn device was the only way to contact Kaden while he stayed with the Hunters.
He managed to get the thing to call the demon and waited...three rings later Kaden picked up.
“She’s awake, I’m just trying to get her to come see you.” Kaden gave a frustrated sigh.
Lucius frowned. “She’s not willing to come home?”
“Something’s off with her, Lucius. She’s not sure where home is nor does she understand why she is here. It’s like...when I first met her. She’s so skittish.”
When he first met her. Years ago...no centuries, right after Lucius took her from the Father. “Does she remember you?”
“No, which makes me wonder what else she’s forgotten. She keeps saying that she feels out of place, she doesn’t know terms for everyday items.”
Something similar happened before, when Orion brought her out of Markus’ torture, something about the trauma blocking everything out. She slowly started to remember as her mind and body were prepared to accept everything. “It’s just trauma. Bring her here. Please.” Lucius dragged a hand through his hair and hung up the phone. He would have time to feed and get ready before Kaden showed up with her. Unless they took a demon portal. He highly doubted Kaden would take Tegan through one after she’d just spent so much time with demons.
He knew why Tegan didn’t remember Kaden and she never would. So he kept telling himself and yet he made sure to keep the two far apart, yet in the same territory. He stormed out of his room and came face to face with Victoria. The immortal who came to his aid when he called his meeting a few weeks ago.
The woman smiled at him. “I could feel your anger down the hall. Need to feed?”
He didn’t bother with a verbal answer but shoved her up against the wall. The woman was all soft womanly curves and slender toned muscle where it counted. Nuzzling her neck, he took in the scent of ancient forests and dirt before striking her vein. Letting his power surround her insured the feeding would be more on the side of pleasure. With each pull of blood his strength increased and the anger in him receded until his mind cleared. He hadn’t fed much since Tegan’s disappearance and the lack of blood took a toll on him.
Pulling away from Victoria, he licked the wound to seal it. She looked at him with hooded eyes and smirked. “I normally ask for a man to buy me a drink before we get that personal.”
“I thought your words were an offer. Next time—“
“I didn’t say they weren’t. A little warning next time would be nice though.” She straightened her black dress, moving the slit to expose the side of her leg that went up to nearly her waist. “Have you heard any more on Tegan?”
“She woke today, Kaden will bring her here. I don’t want a great fanfare when she gets here. Just her and I until I can assess the damage.” The mental and physical. He rubbed his chest as a phantom pain shot through him. What had happened to her?
Victoria bowed her head. “I’ll send Mae to work at the club then. Kassity is healing, but she’s not well enough to leave the manor yet.”
The now ex-queen of Fae had attacked his panther and tried to kill her. With Kassity still on the mend, Jaxon, her mate, wouldn’t let anyone near her. Not even if Lucius demanded. “I know, but I don’t think her or Jaxon will rush to the door when Tegan gets here.”
And with Orion in the Fae world and Renee in school, that only left Coran to worry about, but of course, Coran was probably stalking around the school to make sure Renee stayed safe. Ever since her brother’s death the wolf had become twice as protective and twice as useless.
Everything was a mess.
Victoria crossed her arms. “I’ll stay out of the way, she doesn’t know me and I don’t want to freak her out.”
“Thank you.” Lucius turned to go to Tegan’s room. She wouldn’t be leaving the manor after this. Hell, she’d be lucky if she left his sight after this.
Kaden paced outside the doorway while the doctor checked over Tegan. Lucius had called already and wanted Tegan back now, but the Hunters’ doctor resisted. They wanted to run more tests, they hadn’t seen anything like Tegan before. The Hunter Kaden worked with promised that things would be kept under wraps but something had made plans change and Joey refused to tell him what.
He closed his eyes and recalled the terrified look in her red eyes. Red eyes and white hair, she fit a creature of myth in his world. A dream walker, but having been in her dreams he knew she wasn’t one. Though being one was the only thing that made sense about why Lucius kept her eyes covered.
“Her vitals are still low.” The doctor’s voice pulled Kaden out of his thoughts. “I will release her only because Master Joey is putting pressure on me.”
Thank God Joey owed him a huge favor. “Thank you, doctor, for everything. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she rests and heals when I get her home.”
Home to Lucius...Kaden would never see her again. A pain hit him in the chest. He could only hope after all this the vampire would let him see Tegan. With a sigh, he moved past the doctor and into the room. Tegan sat on the bed with her eyes closed and her fists balled up in the sheets.
“It’s me, you can open your eyes.” Kaden said gently. He forced himself not to rush to her and pull her into his arms. The urge to run his hands through her long hair came over him and he shoved his hands into his pockets. If she couldn’t remember him, if she didn’t know about him, he couldn’t let himself get attached to her.
&nbs
p; Her eyes flickered open, her long lashes framing them. “I can go home now?”
“Yes.” He held his hand out to her. The confusion on her face nearly broke his heart. “You need a hand to keep you steady.”
She swallowed and took his hand. He didn’t like how cold her skin was against his. She should be warm and full of life. He helped her stand up and waited to make sure she steadied.
“I’m okay to walk.”
He could feel her body shaking and wanted to pick her up, but he wanted to respect her wishes. “Okay, slow steps.” He promised and walked with her.
She hissed in pain her first couple steps, but then adjusted her weight. Kaden kept a grip on her hand and supported her at her elbow while they walked out of the room and he led her to the parking lot.
Tegan’s eyes grew wide at the sight of all the cars and her body started shaking. “I...I don’t understand.”
“Tegan?” Kaden moved to face her. “Talk to me.”
She shook her head. “Take me home. Now.” Her hand tightened around his.
“We either have to drive or we have to take a demon portal.” He kept his voice even and steady to not frighten her or increase her panic.
“Demon portal.”
He frowned. After her staying with the demons, he would have sworn she wouldn’t want to travel through one. “Are you sure?”
“I need to be near Lucius now.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze and when someone walked by she closed her eyes completely.
Something was off, she’d been trying to tell him that, but he had ignored her pleas. “Okay.” With a wave of his hand he summoned a portal, a large black swirling hole, and pulled her through.
The world disappeared around them and in a dizzy rush of wind they appeared in the foyer at Lucius’ manor. The vampire wasn’t in the room, but Kaden doubted it would be long before Lucius sensed Tegan’s return.
Tegan put a hand to her stomach and her knees buckled. Kaden caught her and walked over to Lucius’ throne. “I’ve got you.” He sat her down in the chair and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. “You okay?”
“That was awful.” She muttered and closed her eyes. “I said take me home. This isn’t home.”
Kaden frowned. “This is where Lucius lives. Don’t you live with him?” Did he screw up, should he have taken her somewhere else?
“I don’t remember this place...” She paused. “No, wait we just recently moved here.”
“Tegan,” Lucius’ voice made them both look up. “We moved here around three hundred years ago. You don’t remember? You made a huge fuss over—“
“Over the kitchen.” She put a hand to her head. “That wasn’t that long ago. It...it was—“
“It’s okay,” Kaden soothed. “You’ve been through a lot.” He wanted to pull her into his arms, but figured Lucius would try to kill him.
“Kaden, you are dismissed. I need to...examine Tegan, see how her wounds are healing.”
Kaden pulled away reluctantly and Tegan reached out to him before wrapping her arms around herself. “Of course, you need to take care of your human.”
“Will you be back?” Tegan asked, her voice soft.
Kaden’s eyes slid to Lucius who shrugged. “She’s in need of a new guard and I have a feeling you’re up to the spot.”
“Then I will, but you two have some catching up to do.” Kaden smiled and summoned a portal to take him home. He couldn’t be around when Lucius inspected the damage...he’d be more likely to lose his temper than the vampire. Seeing her at the hospital almost set him off.
Tegan watched Lucius pace the room. The anger and fear rolled off him in waves and she knew her situation caused it. “Sir, I...” She couldn’t think of what to say, but knew she needed to try to say something before his temper exploded. “I am sorry.”
Lucius paused and looked at her. “Stand up.”
She took a deep breath and slowly raised herself off the throne, holding on to the arms for balance. She tried to put her full weight on her leg only to cause feel pain to shoot shooting through her. Tegan tried to hide the wince, but couldn’t. From the look on Lucius’ face she knew he’d seen it. His brow creased and he approached her. “What else hurts?”
How could she describe everything she felt? Her body ached and heat scorched through her, yet she was cold and shaking. Things started to heal, but the damage would take time. “Everything.” She muttered. “Lucius, sir. Something is wrong.”
“You haven’t called me sir in over three hundred years.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She went to him and put a hand on his arm, ignoring her pain. He needed her right now, needed the comfort only she could provide. Even his skin felt warm against hers. He looked at her and picked her up. “I’m taking you to your room where I can look over you without fear of someone walking in.”
How many people lived in this place to make him worry about her being seen? And how dare he push off her concerns. “Sir, I don’t remember—“
“I know, Kaden told me, but it’s just the trauma.” He took her down a hall, stopping only when he reached a light purple door. Shouldering it open, he let out a sigh. “I know you hate it, but I need to see your wounds.”
She crossed her arms, trying not to cry out at the pain that shot through the wounds on her back. “Listen to me, I am trying to tell you what is wrong. The wounds will heal.” She couldn’t let him see the wounds, his temper would grow worse.
“Tegan, I can smell the fresh blood—“
She growled. “Master, listen to me.” She snapped and tears formed in her eyes. This was getting her nowhere closer to understanding what was wrong with her head. “Let me talk to Zaaren please, my brother will understand.”
Lucius froze. If she didn’t know better she would have thought he looked shocked. “Tegan, Zaaren is sleeping.”
“It’s nighttime, do not be silly.” Why wouldn’t he let her see Zaaren? Lucius rarely interfered when she wanted time with her brother.
He shook his head. “Sit, please. I’m listening now.”
“What do you mean that my brother is sleeping?” Fear rose in her. She’d never seen Lucius so unsettled and she could feel his nerves.
Lucius pulled up a chair from a desk and faced her. “Your brother has been asleep for a few hundred years. He and the other Originals went into a hibernation of sorts about a month after the Circle took you and Trisha.”
Her stomach churned at the name. “She’s dead...it’s my fault.” The memories swam to the surface. She could see the wolf arched and crying over the body of the human.
“It was a long time ago. You weren’t with them this time, you were with demons. They took you from here, from Renee’s wedding. I don’t know what happened when you were with them, but...”
She frowned, something flashed in her mind and a blinding pain followed. “Markus.” She hissed and cradled her head. The sound of Markus’ voice echoed in her ears and she gasped at the new pain. “Please, please make it stop.” Blood, all she could feel was blood and her vision started disappearing. The pain crashed through her body at the memories of being tied to a table.
Strong arms wrapped around her and held her shaking body. The pain slowly faded and she gasped into Lucius’ chest. He stroked her hair and whispered to her. She paid no attention to the words, but concentrated on his touch. “He messed with my mind.”
“That’s what it seems like. There are only two vampires that are capable of doing that, Markus and your brother.” Lucius sighed. “I don’t know how to undo this damage.”
She didn’t like how that sounded. “I...I need rest. To take care of the physical damage before the mental.” Pulling away she touched her eyes, frowning. “My eyes...”
“I’m assuming they were uncovered when you were found. In this time, you have glasses with tinted lenses that allow you your sight, but block your eyes from everyone.”
She’d been wearing them in her last dream, something somewhat familiar to her. “Where are t
hey?”
“There’s a set on your dresser. You don’t have to worry about them in your room and it’s not like you’ll be leaving any time soon.” He motioned to her. “Please, your wounds.”
She took a deep breath and took her shirt off in a quick motion. Pulling one arm over to cover her chest, she stared at him. She hated being naked, it brought back memories of him...the Father. Lucius stepped up and draped a blanket around her shoulders as she shivered.
“Just a quick look.” He promised, his eyes scanning over her body, taking in every bruise and slice in her skin. She hadn’t managed to keep track of the injuries. “What hurts beyond tolerance?”
She took a moment to consider his question. “My left leg, my head, and my back, sir.”
Lucius sighed. “No, no more sir.” Something in his voice broke her heart. Had she moved past the idea of ownership and forgotten? He pulled the blanket all the way around her then went to examine her knee.
He put pressure on the joint and she couldn’t stop the whimper. Adrenaline allowed her to walk before, but now the pain was unbearable and she found herself wishing that human pain remedies worked on her. “Why no more calling you sir?” She asked, trying to think of something else. He straightened her leg, pain exploded and her vision wavered. “Don’t.”
Lucius looked at her. “It’s healing from a break still. Why didn’t the Hunters splint it?”
“They had a splint on it while I slept. I, um...I panicked when they tried to put it back on after examining the injury.” She looked down, not meeting his gaze. “I didn’t understand what was going on.”
“It’s okay. I’ll have someone splint it and have you on crutches for a while.”
The words didn’t make sense, but she nodded anyways, trusting him. “Will you answer my question now?”
“We have worked on building a partnership instead of an ownership together. We had gotten so far, where you would only call me master or sir on needed occasions, meetings and formal events. I...I allowed you simple freedoms that meant the world to you, you wanted to be as human as you could. As much as I could allow.”
Dark War Chronicles Box Set One Page 48
