by Cara Lake
Fuck! He’d followed her outside like some kind of dog on a leash. And then, Chaos be damned! He’d been all over her. She hadn’t even spoken before he had her pushed up against the wall, ready to fuck her brains out. And he would have too.
If she hadn’t said his name.
That fucking name.
Fucking Lorcan.
His fingers tingled with sensation. He lifted his hand to inhale her scent that still clung there. He breathed in deeply, savoring her fragrance. Chaos be damned! His palm could still feel the slide of soft silken strands of that fiery red hair and those eyes! Crystal amethyst pools framed by long dark lashes. Chaos, the bewildered look on her face! Of course she wasn’t to know that Lorcan was his brother.
His twin brother.
His fucking bastard of a twin brother.
He hated him and now he hated her.
What really burned him most was not how she had responded so passionately to his kiss all the while believing him to be Lorcan, but how he had ignited for her.
“Fuck!”
His body had responded to hers in a way he’d never experienced with any woman before. And he’d fucked lots of women. When he’d touched her, he couldn’t explain it, but his whole body had seemed to recognize hers. He felt as if he knew her on an elemental level with every bone in his body. He knew her and he wanted her. She was his! She damn well wasn’t his—she was Lorcan’s. She was a bitch and right now he hated her even more than he hated Lorcan, if that was possible.
No one was going to make him feel that way. Not ever. Rage was his alma mater, his BFF and no bitch whore of his brother’s was going to change that.
* * * * *
Tani stood at a loss, wretched, dazed and confused as Lorcan strode away, ignoring her calls. What the… He’d kissed her like that and now he was leaving! Gah! She was so horny—how could he do this to her? She knew he had desired her; he’d practically devoured her, almost given her what would probably have been the best orgasm of her life and now he was walking away! She could barely stand! The throbbing ache between her thighs wept at the loss of his attention.
Her hand found the cold stone as she steadied herself, heart still racing wildly. What had made him walk away? It was as if he’d had a moment of sudden enlightenment or maybe, horror of horrors, he hadn’t actually enjoyed the kiss. Maybe she repulsed him? No! No way!
That kiss had been a riot, a volcanic eruption. Forget fireworks, she had experienced a nuclear explosion, and now she was left sizzling. Lorcan had lit a fuse that he really needed to ignite.
“Tani!” Morana’s voice cut through the chill of the night. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing out here?”
“N-nothing.” Tani could hear the tremor in her own voice, her legs still unsteady beneath her. She tried to mask her emotions. “Just getting some air.”
Morana’s catlike eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Lorcan was looking for you.”
“He found me,” Tani replied as evenly as she could. “He just left.”
“Oh!” Morana’s expression turned to one of surprise. Tani straightened her stance. “Morana, I’d like to go now if that’s okay? It’s been a long day.”
“Sure,” said Morana. “But are you all right? Did something happen?”
“I’m fine.” A blatant lie. “I’m very tired. I think the excitement of the last few days is catching up with me. I just need to sleep.” To sleep. But not to dream. Tani returned to Morana’s, knowing that the minute she closed her eyes, his face, his arms, his lips would be all she could see. All she could feel. His imprint so strong it was tangible even now, seeping right through to the core of her being. He had branded her with his kiss and now its fire was burning out of control.
* * * * *
“So. Has the Taijitu materialized yet?” Lorcan Rodach’s voice growled across the room at his hostess. They were in Morana’s library, Lorcan having arrived at the townhouse moments earlier after missing Tanith at the club. His excuse to the tired servant who opened the door in the early hours was that he was returning an item of jewelry Morana had accidentally left behind. His profuse apologies had led the servant to show him into the library where Morana, still awake, sat perusing a book by the fire. And if she appeared rather flustered and disheveled, he made no comment, his mind luckily for her more focused on the other female who occupied this building.
It was now early morning, and the light from the purple Ophiuchi dawn cast shadows that filtered lazily through the gauzy curtains that Morana had flung open with a flourish when Lorcan was announced.
Morana gazed at Lorcan speculatively. He was voracious in his need to know. Eager. So eager it made her laugh. She knew what game he was playing. She had always known what kind of man Lorcan Rodach was. As she considered Tanith Laska, upstairs sleeping and innocently unaware of how many predators were circling for a kill, she almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
But Morana didn’t do sorry. She wouldn’t feel bad about playing both sides of the equation. Eunomi—Discordants, who cared, as long as it gave her power? The wealth was good too. But it was the power she really craved.
“Be patient, Lorcan. You have only recently met. These things take time to unravel. Have you kissed her yet?”
“Of course.” His reply was indignant that she should think otherwise. “In your garden, earlier today. That should have triggered the marking.”
No visible signs of strong emotion. Lorcan really was cold. Selfish. Well, that was to be expected. But he had his uses. As the son of Phenex’s mistress, he was an occasional ally. She watched his back and he watched hers. She didn’t need to like him.
“How do you find her?” asked Morana, curious as to his reaction on meeting the female who was his destiny.
“What do you mean?” Lorcan’s brows snapped together in confusion at the question.
“I mean, do you like her, do you find her attractive?”
“She’s desirable. There will be plenty of interest. Ultimately she will go to Choronzon and he will claim her essence either by persuading her to the cause or by force.”
No regret. No pity. Utterly selfish. Lorcan did not appear to care that Choronzon, leader of the Discordants, would suck the girl dry, siphoning away her essence to gain control of The Balance.
“And so you will give him control of your essence also. Your rewards will be great. Has your Taijitu materialized?” Morana asked, her eyes narrowing as he shifted uneasily.
“No. Not yet.”
Now that was a concern. The Taijitu mark, the yin-yang symbol of duality would appear only when an Esseni potential met and kissed their partner. It was a way of recognizing which Esseni belonged to each other. It was rather strange that Lorcan’s was not yet showing after he had kissed the girl. Morana concentrated her vision on Lorcan’s tall frame to get a reading. Hmmm.
“Lorcan. The Esseni signature, the aura I sensed in you seems weaker than before, not stronger. If you have kissed, the aura should be stronger and the Taijitu mark should have appeared by now.”
“Damn!” Lorcan’s fisted his hands in anger.
“Lorcan,” Morana paused as a thought crossed her mind. “Were you with her outside the club tonight?”
“No, I told you I didn’t see her there. Why?”
Morana’s eyes widened with an unwanted realization. This would complicate things.
“Ah,” she said, taking her time, torturing him a little with her superior knowledge.
“What?” Lorcan’s tone was sharp, suspicious.
“You did realize that there was always a possibility that both you and your brother carried the potential to house the essence.”
“So?”
“I’m pretty sure that your brother was at the club last night and that Tanith found him. She told me she had seen you and then wanted to leave.”
“Fuck!” Lorcan punched a fist into the wall in rage. “This could mess up everything! What do you think he told her?”
Morana p
aused, her brain swiftly considering Tanith’s actions that evening. “I don’t think she realized he wasn’t you. She distinctly told me it was you she had met, not your brother.”
“Do you think something happened between them?”
Morana nodded. “It’s possible. She seemed preoccupied when we returned.”
“We need to check him out for the mark.”
“I agree. It is imperative to find out which of you is the true Esseni. As twins you have both carried the potential since birth, but inevitably it will be stronger in only one of you and it is in that one that the duality will manifest. If it is your brother, he will need to be controlled.”
“You know my brother; he’s uncontrollable for anyone but Phenex, and who knows what Phenex would do with this power.”
“There is another option,” Morana mused, wondering what Lorcan would say.
“What’s that?”
“It has happened before with Esseni twins. If one dies—the essence will automatically transfer to the other.”
“Then, if it is my brother—he must die.”
Morana laughed. “You really hate him that much.”
Lorcan spat. “He’s scum. Nothing but an animal. You know his reputation.”
“I wonder what made him that way,” murmured Morana pointedly. “However, you can’t kill him or even be involved in his death. Someone else has to kill him and without your knowledge or the essence will transfer to another.”
“And you know this how?”
“I have extensive understanding of the Esseni lore, Lorcan, which is why I agreed to help you with your enterprise, but don’t expect me to tell you all my secrets.”
“Fine.” Lorcan waved his hands dismissively. “What do you suggest I do if he has the Taijitu?”
“That’s easy.” Morana smiled. “You take it from him.”
Chapter Eight
Theft
Tani awoke, having spent a restless night. Her body ached with the imprint of Lorcan’s touch. She could feel his hands everywhere, still taste him on her lips, the wild heady flavor of dark spices intoxicating her already confused brain. Why? Why? Why? She still had no answer to his leaving. And not just leaving. He had thrust her away as if she disgusted him. The more she thought about it, the expression on his face, his savage swearing, the more she was convinced of his anger. But his eyes—oh Gaia—his eyes! She would never forget the beauty of those silver mercury eyes and the desire sparking to intensity the indigo darkness surrounding those molten irises. There had to be a reason for his actions.
She remembered his confession in the gardens, that his passions ran deep and he feared to lose control. Maybe that was it. Hope bubbled in her chest. Maybe all was not lost after all. Lorcan was a gentleman and there was no way he would have taken her in the damp squalor of a back alley. Her cheeks heated at the thought that she wouldn’t have cared. At that moment she had been lost and the connection Irina had described, the intensity of it, the overwhelming strength of desire had been the only sensations controlling her brain. What brain? Instinct had taken over, her body dancing to the rhythm of their beating hearts. She could hear the pounding beat even now, the echoes of those brief moments vibrating through every cell in her body. Energy thrummed beneath her skin. A tingling sensation, raw and crackling, pinpricks of heat burning into the skin of her hip.
Tani yelped and jumped out of the bed. She hardly dared to look but as the sensation intensified, Tani realized the truth. A wave of ecstatic joy washed over her and trembling fingers moved to peel back the fabric of soft silk at her waist. Creamy tan skin gave way to a dark circular design etched right beside the pelvic bone on her left hip. The Taijitu mark! Finally! There was no doubt about it. Lorcan was her Esseni partner, her duality—her Hate.
A sharp rap on the door brought Tani’s brain back to ground level. Heart still soaring with wonder, she opened the door to find Morana outside, dressed and ready to go out. “Tanith!” she exclaimed, pushing her way into the room. “Have you forgotten our day at the spa? We are late as it is!” Tani groaned but hid her frustration. Morana had indeed organized a day of pampering, saying it would be just the thing expected of a rich heiress in search of a husband.
Personally Tani would rather have spent the day in the pits of Choronzon’s abyss, a lava-filled cesspit of sulfurous acid, than spend her time being waxed, primped and polished. She had also planned to visit Antares with a progress update and assuage her curiosity by seeking out the little boy, Sami, and his mother to glean a more personal insight into Lorcan’s association with them. She realized it would have to wait. Morana did not look as if she would take no for an answer. “We have to prepare ourselves for this evening’s entertainment,” continued Morana. “It’s a surprise that I think you will enjoy. Oh, and I have a message for you, from Lorcan Rodach.”
“Oh yes.” Tani tried to keep her tone measured and even, wondering what he could possibly say.
Morana D’Ath’s eyes narrowed at her lovely guest’s attempt to feign disinterest. She knew the truth. She had sources who had confirmed sightings of Tani and the other Rodach in the alley but for now she would let nature take its course. “He came by earlier and apologized for leaving you so abruptly last night. He seemed very happy when I told him you would be present at tonight’s gathering and requested the pleasure of your company.”
Tani’s expression didn’t change but Morana caught the ghost of a smile cross her lips as she turned back inside to dress for their outing. This was turning into a very stimulating assignment. Who knew Esseni could be such fun, particularly when twins were involved!
Hours later, Morana had the confirmation she had expected. Tanith Laska was an Esseni. The proof sat squarely above her hipbone. Morana had finally spotted the circular design as Tani exited the steam room. She was conscious that Tani had been very careful to keep her body covered. Anyone spotting the mark would have been an idiot not to have informed Phenex of its existence, thereby earning his thanks and a hefty purse. But no one else was looking for it. Morana knew it would be somewhere on Tani’s delectable frame and had watched her like a hawk through numerous treatments, enjoying the sight of her luscious skin, particularly when she glimpsed parts of her body that Morana itched to bite.
She had spent a pleasurable day wondering what Tani would taste like, feeling satisfied that those thoughts were almost helping to purge images of a different leaner, taller, more muscular body that drew her like no other. His blood was still sharp on her tongue, refusing to dissipate even though she had taken it more than twenty-four hours ago. Now as she dashed off a note to Lorcan with the news that he would welcome, her thoughts insisted on returning to the one man she could not forget. Could never forget. He was her secret. Her weakness. No one could know about her association with him. Ever.
* * * * *
Lorcan read both notes again. The first was as expected. The second had him fuming. He was furious. Why him? Why would his brother have manifested as the Esseni and not himself? Jaro. Bane of his life. He hated him almost as much as he loved his mother. Still, Morana had come through for him so he could now put his plans into action. She had confirmed in the first note that Tanith Laska had manifested the Taijitu as expected, that it was located on her left hip. Lorcan touched his right hip, seething with anger at the absence of the mark from his skin. And Jaro had the corresponding Taijitu! That fucking bastard was her partner duality! It was lucky that Lorcan had a trusted friend in Phenex’s employ who had been able to get a visual for him. And now that he knew for certain it was true—he would do everything in his power to take what should have been his.
All that Esseni power. The Discordants craved it. He craved it! He could have put that power to good use and become someone they would respect. He would have had more power even than that bastard Phenex. He still could. Jaro would die one day and hopefully that day would come soon. According to Morana, he couldn’t kill him, but someone would do it eventually. It was inevitable. How Jaro had surv
ived this long anyway was a mystery.
Lorcan had delayed sending the message to his friend at the training pits where he knew Jaro would be practicing for the gladiatorial battles that evening. He had held on to the faint hope that the mark might still appear on his own skin but by midmorning, when it still hadn’t appeared, he had dashed off the note. It hadn’t taken long for the reply to confirm what he already knew in his soul. Jaro had the mark. His anger increased tenfold as he dwelt on the paper in his hand. That also meant that his brother had kissed Tanith Laska, that she had kissed him. He didn’t care so much about that. She meant nothing to him but as a means to power and wealth. What really made his blood boil was the fact that his brother was apparently more worthy than him. His brother was the Esseni. His brother—the pitiful self-sacrificing slave! Even his mother thought his brother was a dog! Jaro was nothing. He would follow Morana’s advice and take back what rightly belonged to him.
* * * * *
They waited for him in a dark alleyway, one of many in the ghetto. Lorcan knew his brother’s path. Jaro never failed to pass this way once a week on his journey to the gladiatorial pit and the regular visits he made to that bitch Liana and her son, Sami. Bastard! Why the fuck his brother bothered with her was beyond him. The sniveling bitch was trash. He wished, and not for the first time that Jaro had left her to die along with that bastard son of hers. He glanced at the five burly men waiting in the shadows. His hired thugs were itching for the fight, cracking knuckles as they waited.
“Remember,” spat Lorcan. “Don’t kill him. I don’t care what you do, slice him up as much as you like but leave him breathing.” Growls of anticipation.
“He’s coming!” Their lookout on the roof whistled down. Lorcan clenched his fists and waited for his prey to arrive. It was dark and raining. Perfect. He stood back and let his mercenaries do the work. As the familiar muscular frame strode past, all hell broke loose. Five pairs of hands dragged their prey into the pitch darkness of the side alley. The frenzy began.
