Hunted (Scarlet Dawson Book 1)

by Nicola Chadwick

  I watched them leave and then say to Bastian and Roan. “Where are the Fae?”

  “The Fae? What happened to Bryn and Bronwyn?” Bastian replies sarcastically. I give him a withering look.

  Roan takes the hint. “There out on the decking, eating.”

  “We need to take them into custody but they can’t know that is what’s happening until the last minute, they may be able to give us the slip if we let them, some Fae have power this side of the Vale that they don’t have in Faerie. I’ve seen some teleport before.”

  Bastian stands there his mouth hanging open. Even though he hated the Fae and thought them to be tricksters, he had obviously never expected me to turn on the very people I was meant to be working for.

  I knew they had heard my interview. “The interview was faked up to a point the real one is here.”

  I hand him the piece of paper and watch him read, Roan is watching me and I wonder whether he believes what I’d said to him earlier. Hopefully he’d take the hint quickly I really didn’t want him to lose his standing with The Pack.

  Bastian crumples the paper in his hand, returning my attention back to him. He speaks but I know he is also speaking to The Guardians that were dotted around the bar. “We are taking the Fae in for questioning, make no sudden movements. They are eating on the decking on the right corner, one row in from the outer edge of tables. Quinn go and speak to your sister, wait for my signal. Andrew, take your mate and children home, but don’t look suspicious make something up, I will sort the bill out for you later. Jessica, Steve take the table next to the Fae you’re having a romantic dinner and as much as it pains me to say this you and Roan need to pretend you’re still having your date.”

  Bastian walks off leaving me stood there with my mouth hanging open. Roan looks smug.

  He crooks his arm and offers it to me. “Well my lady it looks like we are having dinner as well as drinks.”

  We walk out onto the deck and I quickly scan the area, it may have looked like I was looking for a free table but I wasn’t. Everyone was exactly where Bastian had asked them to be I looked over at Bryn and Bronwyn and although it pained me to I smile at them and wave.

  We take a table on the outer edge which would have had a lovely view of the lantern lit stream, I look down trying to act my part and see Cain climbing up the side of the decking, he grins at me and I look back up, taking the menu that Roan offers me.

  I look up at the exact moment The Pack decide to move, if I’d have blinked I’d have missed it. One moment they were sat down the next they were crowded around the Fae. I get up and move in for a better view.

  Cain has Bryn pinned to the table with one arm twisted around his back and Jessica is holding Bronwyn with her hands behind her back. Neither of them struggle. As I near Steve moves to let me get closer.

  Bryn sees me. “Scarlet, what are they doing? Don’t they know who I am? Tell them to let me go. We have done nothing wrong.”

  Cain draws him upright and I get right up into his face. “They aren’t the ones you should be worrying about right now. They hold you on my behest.” I watch Bryn waiting for any reaction, he shows none. “Take them to your cells.”

  Cain and Jessica shove Bryn and Bronwyn back into the bar followed by Steve and Quinn. Roan turns to me. “I’m sorry honey but it looks like our date is over, you wana try again next week?” He grins at me and jumps onto the railing and over the side just as Bastian decides to make a grab for him.

  I roll my eyes at him. “I know you heard me tell him I’m not interested, so get over yourself for five minutes. He’s not a threat to you.”

  “You may have told him you weren’t interested but he had every intention of getting you drunk and changing your mind.” He growls at me.

  Again I roll my eyes. “Oh please. This is yet another reason why we should not be mated. You don’t know me at all, I’m not that easy.”

  “Well I’m currently looking into if our mating can be reversed. No one wants a mate that can’t stand the sight of them. Even if that person saved their life by infusing their blood with the extra strength of forming a bond.” He looks disgusted as he towers over me.

  I was actually disappointed, I didn’t know what at and it was probably the disappointment I felt at being betrayed.

  He turns and starts walking back into the bar, so I follow.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  We walk back through The Manor gardens and then almost double back to a rear entrance. Once we go through I see that we weren’t going into a part of The Hotel I’d seen before we were headed underground. We go down a few flights of stairs and come out into a small room which has a locked metal door. Pipes run along the ceiling so I assume we were actually underneath The Manor and this was the basement.

  Bastian unlocks the door by passing his hand over a sensor panel at the side. Once we are through there are a series of other doors very similar with one exception, Roan was stationed outside the farthest one from us at the end of the small corridor.

  Roan steps aside as we near the door. Bastian swipes his hand in front of another sensor. In the room was a caged off area which holds Bryn and Bronwyn, the rest of The Guardians stand in the space in between. Inside the cell was a bench and on one wall a set of chains with manacles. I guessed this was where Strays ended up if they were causing trouble.

  I walk over to the bars and sense they were iron, so they would be making the two inside really uncomfortable. “Tell me, where is Brook?”

  “On vacation with friends last time we heard.” Bronwyn answers, earning a look from Bryn. She turns to him. “I told you it was all going to go wrong when she called us a few days ago. She was meant to be locked up in the caves.”

  Bryn stalks over to her and back hands her. “Shut up bitch.” He was really showing his true colours now.

  “Put them in separate cells.” Bastian orders Cain.

  Cain takes Bronwyn out and back through the door. I turn back to Bryn. “You wanna to tell me why you orchestrated the kidnapping of your own sister to get me to the caves. Whatever your reasons they’ve back fired.”

  Bryn just comes up close to the bars and spits on the floor. Bastian’s arms shoots through the bars and grabs him by the throat. He leans in really close until their faces are only separated by the bars of the cell. “You will tell her everything you know. Or I will kill you.” He growls out the words with utter menace. He lets go of him then, flinging him away from the bars.

  “I will tell you nothing.”

  Bastian touched my arm. “Come on we will talk with them some more tomorrow perhaps more time behind iron bars will loosen their tongues.”

  He begins leading me out when Bryn speaks. “I’ve just figured it out. You’re his mate that’s why you rejected me? He tied you to him when you were dying didn’t he?”

  I walk back over to the bars. “So you’re saying what? I’d rather be mated to him than have had you save my life. Oh right, you were never going to save me you were going to make sure I did die. What have I done to you to deserve this?”

  I just shake my head and walk out.

  I head straight back to the bar and order a bottle of fire whiskey. When it comes I pour myself a really big glass and take a large swallow. Questions start to form in my head.

  Why did the Fae want me dead? And what was my role in all this?

  What were Bryn’s reasons for affiliating with The Lazarus, the same Demons that had been trying for centuries to take away his mothers throne?

  I drain the glass and pour myself another. I was missing something but I don’t know what. Drinking probably wasn’t going to help me find those answers. But it was helping me feel better.

  It had been a really bad day all around, not only was I now mated to the Lycan King, who seemed torn between trying to kill me and saving my life. Hating me and keeping me from everyone else. I was also on the hit list of a horde of Demons and some Fae. What I needed to know was why?

  There has got to be a good rea
son, why else would they go to such lengths to get me where they wanted me. They could have just kidnapped me instead of fabricating a story to lure me to the caves.

  Bastian slides into the booth, I never even saw him come in. The Fire whiskey has started to kick in and I was starting to feel soft around the edges. “Any ideas.” I ask him.

  He shakes his head.

  “The woman at the Shelter, Alexi, she gave me a number for a coven of Witches, The Coven of Isis. Hopefully they can help us work a counter curse but the risk is really high.”

  “You don’t have to stay now, you know. We can take it from here.”

  Was he really saying this, my kidnap case my have burnt out, but I was still a major player, I couldn’t stand by and let anything happen to his sister, his Guardians, the Humans that would start to suffer when they had a big enough army to take over this world. There was the small argument that I had been ordered to stay here by Delaney.

  I drain my second glass. “Like I said earlier you don’t know me.”

  “They want you, I don’t know why. You’re a part of my Pack now whether you like it or not until this get’s reversed and there’s no way I’m losing my sister my friends and you to these assholes.”

  “You’ve never had me to lose me and I will see this through to the end.” I get up ready to walk out, and the fire whiskey hits me full force. The room spins and I feel myself falling to the floor. Strong arms envelope me and hold me tight to a rock solid chest.

  “Do you really want to push me? I may not have ever had you but that can soon change.” He holds me close his face inches from mine. I could feel his muscles tense against my skin. If he kissed me now it wouldn’t matter how much he pissed me off I’d kiss him back. He pulls away and straightens so we are both upright. I don’t know if I am disappointed or not that he’d chosen not to follow through.

  “Come on I’ll walk you back to The Manor, you need to sleep off that fire whiskey.”

  He grabs me by the elbow and practically marches me back to my room door. He leaves me there and I shut the door on his retreating back. On my bed nestled in the shirt I’d worn to sleep in the night before was the little black kitten.

  I sit on the bed and pick her up. “I’m going to call you Jinx. You should have a name even if the Brute can’t be bothered to name you.”

  She must approve as she wakes up and gives a tiny meow, then curls up and goes back to sleep. I follow shortly after.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  As I shower the next morning I think about what I am going to do. I need to find a way to make Bryn and Bronwyn spill. I make a mental check list as I soap up.

  Number one, find the connection between the Fae and the Lazarus. Number two, what did they want with me? Number three, why lie and make an elaborate plan when all the Lazarus did was beat me? And lastly why were the Fae royalty working with the Lazarus after years of feuding over Vyr?

  I rinse off while planning how I was going to get these answers. It wasn’t going to be easy, I had no way of knowing whether Bryn or Bronwyn would lie to me or not.

  I need a computer.

  I get out of the shower and dry off, thankfully my metabolism had kicked some serious fire whiskey ass and I wasn’t hung-over. I exit my room and walk up the hall to Bastian’s office, not surprised to find it unlocked. The Pack were way too trusting. I move into the office and around the desk to sit in Bastian’s chair. His computer was at an angle to the door so I kept my eye out for any sudden movements. I switch the machine on and thankfully find it isn’t password protected.

  I open up a message link with The Guild and inform them that I was holding The Fae Royalty in suspicion of conspiracy against The Guild and other various crimes including conspiracy to kidnap. I ask for the message to be passed to Delaney so that he knew to send the right person for collection. I knew once they where taken into custody and transferred back over to Faerie they would be released on some sort of technicality, which was why I needed answers. I was also going to have to make up some story to tie this into the web of lies I was already weaving.

  A message comes straight back from Delaney

  Why are The Pack holding Fae Royalty does this have something to with The Lazarus?

  I immediately shut down the link, I’d never told Delaney The Lazarus Demons were involved. There was a lot more to this than I knew. Delaney obviously knew something he wasn’t letting on.

  I push it to the back of my mind for now and search for information on the Seelie Royal Court. My search comes up with information I wished I’d had before, information that comes directly from The Guild news report archives.

  The Seelie Royal Court Celebrates: Queen Shia gives birth to triplets, the Eldest Brae born just after midnight followed shortly by a brother Bryn and Little Sister Bronwyn.

  Heir to the Throne Disappears: Prince Brae Heir to the Throne at Vyr disappears after party. None of the Royals will comment on this most tragic day.

  Queen in talks to halt Demon uprising: Queen Shia hosts new treaty talks with the three most prominent Demon Lords of the area. It is rumoured that the Queen plans to halt The Demons attack by joining with them, her aim, to use her newest allies to take over the Unseelie territories.

  Does anybody know about this, these things happened years ago, but still how could I not know any of this? It can’t be common knowledge. Didn’t Brae only die a few months ago when Bastian killed him, so why has he been missing for years?

  I search the news databases and archives for similar printings but find only altered and partial reports. None mentioning Brae, his birth and subsequent disappearance wiped from all reports. Some mention of talks with Queen Shia and some Demon Lords but the talks lead only to more fighting.

  My head hurt, which reports were correct, had I stumbled upon a big conspiracy? Were The Guild involved? I bang my head down on the desk. It was only then that I hear the soft inhale and exhale of breath coming from inside the room. I swivel my head keeping my forehead firmly planted on the desk. The door was still shut but to its side leant against the wall eyeing me curiously was Bastian.

  “This room is private.” He says eyeing me with amusement as I lift my head.

  “Oh bite me you arrogant ass.” He grins at me.

  “Now tell me do you have a hangover or do the files you’ve been looking at cause you pain.”

  “I suppose you best have a look.” I say as he moves to stand behind me, a little bit too close behind me. I don’t think he understands what personal boundaries were.

  “Does anybody know about any of this?” He asks.

  “No, I assume. There’s definitely more going on here than some Demons attempt to take over our world.” I push him out of the way and get up.

  “I’m coming with you to question them.” Another order, one I was hoping for.

  “Fine, I want you to be the animal that you are and scare Bronwyn into telling me what I want, we’ll get nothing out of Bryn.” He must have expected me to argue with him again. He stands there his brow furrowed eyeing me. “I told you that you didn’t know me. The sooner you accept that the better.”

  “Oh and I know you think the Fae have some conspiracy against you and keep popping up everywhere so here’s an advance warning that The Guild will be sending someone over, and I don’t know who or what race. We also need to keep an eye out for anyone wishing to free our captive Seelie Royal Court members and make sure all documents from visitors are verified with The Guild.”

  “You take the Role of Queen very seriously.” He watches as it dawns on me why he’s calling me Queen then he grins at me again. I find it really disturbing when he does that.

  “If you want to piss me off you’re heading the right way.” I stalk out, Bastian following on my heel.

  We enter the cells again, Cain is stood in front of one door Roan in front of the other. I smile at them both. Cain moves as Bastian nears the cell he guards. We enter and find Bronwyn sat in the corner, her knees drawn up and her head resti
ng against them.

  “Bronwyn, I’ve come to talk.” I start walking over to open her cell door. “I’m going out on a limb here opening the door so you can come out here and talk to me. I figure you were only acting on your brother’s wishes, you being twins. I trust you to come out and just listen to me, you don’t even need to answer any questions if you don’t want.”

  She gets up and moves around her cell, not coming out yet though. Bastian stands against the outer door as if guarding her escape. When he was really poised to kill her if she merely touches me, glancing at the way he watches her pace, I knew I wasn’t far wrong.

  “I know you are a triplet and not a twin, its been about ten years since your brother Brae disappeared, but you knew all along where he was didn’t you. You preferred him to Bryn, he was your best friend. Was it something you did that made him go away?” I asked, walking into her cell. “Did your mother blame you when he left or was he wiped from history because your family planned to take over the Unseelie Courts and when everything backfired he was blamed and shunned? That didn’t sit right with you though did it, so you came to find him to finish what you both started together.”

  I’d moved so that I was really close to her. I saw the moment she cracked, her face contorted and she reached out to push me. I flew against the bars of the cell as the momentum of her push carried me backwards. Bastian makes a loud noise and within seconds holds Bronwyn with her arms behind her back. She was extremely scared of him, you could see the fear in the way she tried to flinch away from him even while he held her fast.

  I grab her neck and dig my nails in. “It isn’t him you should be afraid of. I’m the one that’s going to kill you if you don’t give me the answers I seek.”

  Her eyes widen as if she just assimilated the fact that I was an actual threat to her. “What’s the point you’ve obviously already got your answers from Bryn so why torture me too.”