Gideon scanned the crowd for the hundredth time, looking for anything out of place. That earlier straggler male was nowhere to be seen. All other parties in attendance fit in. It was time to check the perimeter and to ensure that the males securing the rear of the club weren’t distracted by talk of the humans as well. Aside from their alluring scents and lush bodies, human females held one more even greater temptation, they were forbidden. There was something about something you couldn’t have that just made you want it more.
His rebellious days were long behind him and so were his interests in humans. He wasn’t so much as looking at any of the females. It was important that he set an example.
Gideon shook his head as he made his way around the side of the building. Guards were spread out at regular intervals, their eyes on the surroundings. Although there was the odd straggler, most of the crowds were focused on the front of Aorta.
There was a screeching of tires and then the smell of burning rubber filled the air. The acrid scent permeated the area along with another even thicker scent.
Blood.
Congealed. Cold. Animal. He breathed out as the sound of screaming punctured the air. There were at first just a couple of shrieks followed by many in chorus. Loud and terrified.
“Hold your positions.” Gideon screamed both at the surrounding guards who had turned towards the scents and into his handheld radio. Every member of the guard had such a device.
Beneath the sound of footfalls and screams, he could hear another screech of tires, this time as the vehicle retreated. In less than three seconds he was at the front of the club and he just managed to catch the tail end of an unmarked, nondescript van as it sped away. He gestured for Scott and Tyler to take one of the SUVs and to follow the vehicle.
It was fucking mayhem. An animal carcass lay at the door of the club. Humans were running in all directions, they gave the piece of butchered meat a wide girth, allowing him a clear view. It was spiked with stakes that looked to be silver tipped.
Fucking hate groups.
“Team two, I need you inside that club. Cover all exits and ensure that the occupants are well guarded. Team one, hold your positions. Stay alert.”
Several humans were screaming and shrieking wildly. One female stood with her arms spread wide. She was drenched, from head to toe, in sticky blood. Even her face was completely covered. She was sobbing noisily. There were others that had been splashed or that were all out covered in the sticky, congealing substance as well.
“Eyes fucking peeled,” he said over the radio. “This could be a diversion. Heads up and report any sightings.”
Next, he pulled out his phone and dialed Brant. “I hope you have a good reason…” Brant stopped midsentence. He would be able to hear what was going on. His king sighed. “What the fuck happened?”
There was a noise of a baby crying in the back followed by cooing sounds as the queen tried to quieten him.
Gideon quickly relayed the events of the last few minutes.
“Motherfuck it!” Brant growled.
“I’m sure it was just an act of vandalism but I don’t want to take any risks.” Gideon watched as one of his males tried to help the sobbing female, but she only screamed louder at his approach. It looked like she was having some sort of panic attack. Thankfully, one of the humans came to her rescue.
“Are you saying that you want to pull the plug on the meet and greet? They’ve only been in there for an hour. Not fucking much of a meet and greet is it?” Brant growled.
“No, my lord. Everyone has been reassured inside, but this has to have put a damper on the whole thing. Might I suggest a continuation tomorrow? On vampire territory? The females are all packed and ready to move into their new accommodations for the next few weeks.”
Another heavy sigh. “Fine.” He made an irritated noise. “We knew this wouldn’t be without compli-fucking-cations…I’ll have Allison schedule a breakfast in the morning. Get them out of there…” he paused and Gideon could hear that he was thinking. “The males arrived on their own steam?” Before Gideon could reply, Brant continued. “They should leave separately. The females can travel together as planned. They will be less of a target that way.”
Gideon felt like rolling his eyes. “I will stick to the original plan. It’s well thought out and will definitely go a long way in lowering risks.” Since vampires were believed to be the main target, the plan was to keep the vampires and humans separate while traveling outside their territory. “I will oversee the evacuation and will follow the convoy myself.”
“Good,” Brant growled. “And Gideon?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I don’t want any fuck ups. Am I clear?” Brant barked.
“Crystal.”
“I’m counting on you big fucking time.” The line went dead and Gideon shoved the phone back into his vest. He put the two-way radio to his mouth and barked a few orders of his own, deciding to use the back of the club to evacuate the females. Within minutes, the vehicles would be lined up and ready to enter and exit. There were two ways in and two out to avoid getting trapped. He placed guards at strategic points to ensure sufficient cover if all hell broke loose. There were no tall buildings in the vicinity, so there was limited chance of a sniper attack. Just to be sure, he had males lined up to flank the females. They would take the bullets instead of the vulnerable humans. He doubted it would come to that though. The whole meat throwing incident had been a cowardice act, designed to scare. Humans could be such yellowbellies.
Once everything was set up and ready, he signaled the guard at the door to have the first female come out. This needed to happen quickly and quietly. The vehicles would move in a convoy, with vampire guards at the front and rear of the procession. He would oversee the operation and watch the tail end of the convoy…just in case. If anything went wrong, it could spell disaster for the covens. Hell, if even a single human got hurt, let alone killed, the entire vampire race might just end up on silver spikes looking much the same as the pig carcass on the pavement.
The nine remaining elite males had been instructed to stay inside until all of the females were clear before leaving intermittently. Apparently, York had already fucking left. He would need to have a serious word with the male. Leaving without authorization was not permitted. It was about fucking time he started obeying the rules. The male wouldn’t be in the shit he was in if he had done so in the first place.
The first female came out. He couldn’t see her because of the guards that flanked her on all sides. One by one the females continued to arrive. Once a vehicle was full, it would leave and the next one would arrive. He had counted sixteen females as the next vehicle pulled up.
Another tight formation left the building when her scent hit him. Deep in the nostrils, deep in the gut. He was motherfucked if his dick didn’t spring to attention. Right here. Right now. A low growl escaped him.
Cinnamon and spice and all things nice.
A scent that was branded into his memory.
Fuck.
It couldn’t be. No fucking way. His mind went back to a time in his life, all those months ago. To how he’d buried his nose into her hair. The strands were a mousy brown sprinkled with pure spun fucking gold. With the texture of the softest silk.
Gideon swallowed thickly as his heart rate picked up. Everything in him tightened as he took in another nose full. More memories rose up in him. Buried but not forgotten. Scenting her now made him realize how close to the surface they had been. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. He had to suppress another growl.
A year and a half ago. It was not a very long time. Not to a vampire. Not to him, since he had already lived nearly one hundred human years. The last eighteen months had felt like a lifetime, yet not nearly long enough. Certainly not long enough for him to forget. Her. Gideon stumbled forward, forgetting about the very real threat, forgetting about the evacuation plans. He pulled the closest guard to the side so that he could see into the center of the formati
on.
Her small, delicate frame was burned into his memory, as were her large brown eyes which flew to him as he growled. They widened in both recognition and longing. Her succulent mouth rounded as she gasped, trying to pull away from the male next to her.
Jenna.
At first, he completely froze, sure that she was some kind of apparition because there was no way that his Jenna was here. No fucking way. The guard clasped her arm tighter, not allowing her to escape. The little green flecks in her irises brightened as her eyes blazed in anger and she gave her arm another yank, her whole body pulled towards Gideon. Everything angled towards him. Gideon took a step forward as a snarl was ripped from his throat. “Let her go.”
Her beautiful eyes stayed wide, only now he recognized fear in their depths and she shrank back from him. Gideon felt himself frown. Jenna was afraid?…of him? Unacceptable. The realization made him take pause. It was enough time to regroup and to calm the fuck down. He saw that all eyes were on him.
“I need to question this female.” He said, working hard to keep his voice devoid of emotion. Gideon stepped forward and gripped her elbow, pulling her into his side. Thankfully, she allowed herself to be drawn to him.
Fuck.
He tried not to notice how perfectly she fit against him. That harsh clench was back and he held his free hand to his chest. “Keep loading the vehicles. Titan,…” His second in command was already looking his way. “Take over for a minutes.”
The male nodded immediately before stepping into position. “You heard our leader,” Titan growled. “Bring the next female…stay focused.”
Thankfully, no one questioned his motives. He could hear that her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. Her breathing came in sharp little pants. She allowed herself to be led back into the club. Gideon moved with long strides down the hallway and Jenna had to jog to keep up. He turned a corner and pushed her up against a wall, careful not to hurt her in any way.
He could scent her acrid fear and as his eyes settled on her, he realized that she was not only afraid, but she was afraid of him.
What the…
He may still be angry with her, and with good cause, but she had no reason to fear him. Gideon clenched his jaw for a few beats, fighting for control. Seeing her here, right now, in this situation, had adrenaline coursing through his veins. The need to protect her rode him hard, followed by the need to rut her as a close second. “Jenna.” It came out on a low growl and some of the tension drained from her.
Her eyes were still wide in her head and her breathing was a little shallow.
“What are you doing here?” Gideon kept his eyes locked with hers.
“I had to come.” Hearing her soft, sweet as honey voice almost brought him to his knees.
He swallowed hard, gripping her by her elbows as if to keep her there. It was a guise. The truth was that he really needed to touch her, even if just for a few seconds. It was so fucked up but he couldn’t make himself let go. “Why are you here?” He repeated, his voice a little harsher this time.
Jenna flinched but quickly regained her composure. “Why do you think I’m here? Surely it must be obvious.” Two grooves appeared between her eyes when she frowned.
Gideon shrugged. “I’m fucked if I have even the slightest clue.” Then he made a low growling noise. “It had better not be for the breeding program.” His grip on her tightened and he watched as her eyes clouded in fear. The scent permeated the air. “Why are you afraid? We have the situation contained. I will protect you. My team will keep you safe.” He quickly added the last, not wanting to give her false hope that there would ever be anything between them again. It was not going to happen.
She swallowed thickly, squeezing her eyes shut for a few beats. His eyes were drawn to her long neck and to the strong pulse at the base of it. His mouth watered.
Sugar and spice…
When she raised her lids, the fear was gone. “I’m sorry…it’s just…never mind.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m not afraid of you. I know you would never hurt me.” She said it as if to convince herself, which didn’t make sense to him. Gideon let it slide.
“I really need to know why you are here. There is not much time.” Any second now, one of the males would call for them. Most of the females would already be on their way to the castle.
She grit her teeth for a few seconds and her eyes hardened with determination. “For you. I came for you, Gideon.” Her eyes stayed locked with his. “Why else?”
It was his turn to suck in a ragged breath. “No.” Another loud growl was pulled from him and she whimpered. He couldn’t take her reacting to him in this way, so he gently cupped her jaw. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t,” she whispered.
Like fuck he didn’t scare her.
“You must return home.” Gideon let his hands fall away from her. He had no business touching this female. None. “You are a mated female…what of your child? You lied on your questionnaire.” Anger rose up in him.
If only he had obeyed the rules eighteen months ago, this wouldn’t be happening now. He wouldn’t be going through the agony of sending her away all over again.
Footfalls sounded. Their time was up.
Jenna wiped a tear away. “You have it all wrong. You are mistaken.”
He shook his head. “Bullshit.”
Her eyes misted and her lip trembled just as Emmet rounded the corner. “The last vehicle is being loaded now.”
Gideon nodded. “You may take the female.”
“Are you done questioning her?” A quizzical look crossed the male’s face.
“Yes…for a second, I thought”—he held up a hand and shook his head—“forget it. I was mistaken, you can take her.”
“Give me a chance to explain.” Jenna implored him with her eyes.
“There is nothing to explain. Apologies for any inconvenience. You may return to the rest of the females. Enjoy your evening.” The males would be wondering what the hell had happened. They could fucking wonder all they wanted. He’d be damned if he was going to give them any more to think on though. “I’m right behind you.” He said, his eyes on Emmet.
“You have it all wrong,” she whispered.
It almost killed him to do it, but he ignored her, moving his gaze to the hallway up ahead. Humans were forbidden. Totally off limits. Especially lying, sneaking, cheating ones. It was crazy how he still struggled to see her in that light. Even now. Even knowing what he knew.
They moved quickly. Gideon clenched his jaw as he watched her being escorted and deposited into the waiting vehicle. Emmet fell in next to him as they waited, watching the SUV pull off and another take its place. “Fuck,” Emmet growled. “I didn’t think you were into the human females.”
Gideon remained silent while opening one of the rear doors.
The male made a humming noise. “She wasn’t nearly as lush as some of the others but she had a set of tits on her that could make a—”
Gideon didn’t wait to hear the rest of what Emmet had to say, he pulled back and punched the male hard in the face. Not expecting the onslaught, the male landed on his backside, his nose streamed with blood and his top lip was a busted up mess. His eyes were wide.
“If I hear anyone disrespecting the human females in any way, I will personally put a fist through their teeth.” He paused, looking around to ensure that he had the attention of every male in the area. They all looked at him with shocked expressions on their faces. “There will be no mention made of any part of their bodies or how good they would look on the end of your cock. It is fucking rude. They are guests. I hope that I’ve made myself clear.” Gideon folded his arms across his chest. “All of this mouthing off to one another instead of doing your jobs is getting on my nerves as well. Do your goddamned duties or I will have you cleaning toilets.” He turned to Titan. “Make sure that my entire team is briefed accordingly.”
The big male nodded.
Gideon
got into the waiting vehicle. Two other males got in next to him, and a still bleeding, Emmet climbed into the front. The male glanced back. “I’m sorry.”
Gideon knew that he had acted harshly. The churning anger that burned holes in his insides was being misdirected. He should be shouting at Jenna. Demanding answers, but there was no point.
Jenna.
Here.
Part of the Program.
Gideon clenched his teeth, only just holding back a growl. Here for him…yeah right. He wasn’t buying that. Neither was he buying the whole it wasn’t what you think thing. It was exactly what he had thought. Exactly how it had looked. The fact of the matter was, if she didn’t end up getting him, she would probably settle for any of the other vampires without a second glance at him. He was a fool for still being so cut up over her. A fucking idiot.
Chapter 3
Jenna looked down at her plate. At the two-egg, cheese omelet and slice of brown toast. The problem was that she wasn’t hungry. There was no sign of Gideon. Although she had expected that reaction from him, it still really hurt.
He refused to see her as anything other than some two timing hussy. How did she make him understand that it wasn’t like that at all?
She must’ve sighed deeply because Lazarus gave her arm a nudge. “Why the glum face?”
It was weird, he was so big and so imposing that she really should be scared of him but she wasn’t. She looked around the room, at all the big vampires. Any of them could snap her like a twig without even trying but she knew they wouldn’t. Vampires nurtured and protected women, they didn’t beat on them.
A Mate for Gideon (The Program Book 2) Page 3
