Yanko offered a half smile. “Because you claimed my niece. Your system took a bit to adjust to the new gift, but it is there, and will forever be there.”
Thor tensed. “I didn’t claim Emi. In fact, I made a point not to claim her.”
Yanko grunted. “Then consider yourself an epic failure in that department. Now, if you would be so kind as to keep that madman away from Emi…”
“Not a problem,” said Thor, his attention moving to Chilton. “I don’t care who he is to her, he’s not touching her.”
Emi shook her head. “He can’t be my father. My father died in a fire when I was little. He died with my mother. He killed them!”
Chilton hissed. “Lies that Yanko told you.”
“No,” she whispered.
Yanko sighed. “Emi, he speaks the truth. I tried to hide it from you. I thought it would be too much for you at such a young age—to know your father was not only a creature of the night, but a man who killed for pleasure.”
Auberi grabbed Emi as she tried to come down the stairs. “No, Emi. Chilton’s mind is broken,” said Auberi. “Blaise and I can sense it upon him. He’s not only drinking blood, he’s eating the flesh of his own kind. That makes a vampire’s mind snap quickly.”
Thor’s stomach churned at the idea of anyone eating vampire. The fact Chilton had resorted to cannibalism to gain power shouldn’t have shocked him. The man had never been right in the head.
Chilton spit as he shouted, “Lies! All lies to twist my daughter against me! Come, my beautiful Emanaia. We will be a family together!”
Emi stared at Auberi. “Can you sense if he’s really my father?”
Blaise touched her shoulder. “Yes. The vampire side of you is so faint, we both would have missed it had we not smelled you and Chilton in the same room. And then there’s the fact you can control the Franken-beasts. Like a master vampire would be able to do.”
Auberi grunted. “Chilton is no master.”
Thor cleared his throat. “He killed Gérard.”
“This is not good,” said Auberi. “Toov, he is far too broken to be permitted to live.”
Yanko nodded. “It is true. His mind went long ago, before he fully mated to my sister. Before he left Emi growing within my sister’s body. The death of my sister pushed him over the edge of reason—not that her death had far to shove him. The small piece of humanity he’d retained back then died the same day she did. From that point forward, he has only grown into a darker evil. One that cannot not be permitted to continue onward.”
Thor’s mind raced with the repercussions of killing Chilton. “He’s Emi’s father. If I kill him, she’ll die.”
Blaise lifted a brow. “Since when?”
“Pierre explained in detail how it all works! A sire, either blood or biological, holds the lifeline of all those under him,” said Thor, wanting to gut Chilton but fearing for Emi. “A direct connection like father and daughter, or a blood bond, means they’re tied. Bound to one another. Like I’m bound to Pierre and will die without his blood.”
“Bullshit!” yelled Blaise. “Fuck him up. She’ll be fine. My brother is a liar. He needs you to obey, and the only way to do that is by forcing his blood on you. You’ll need blood to live, but you can feed from your mate, or live off bagged shit. Your choice.”
What?
Could it be true?
Could he be free of Pierre and get to keep his mate?
His moment of jubilation was cut short as Chilton charged him, hitting him in his midriff and lifting him into the air. The pair collided with the brick wall and the entire home shook. Chilton sank his fangs deep into Thor’s neck and attempted to tear his head back, taking Thor’s neck with him.
Thor grabbed hold of his head and held him there. He was about to snap the man’s neck when, all of a sudden, Chilton was ripped free by an unseen force.
Vaguely, Thor heard Auberi and Blaise yelling for Emi.
Worry cut through him.
He looked over to see Emi near him, her arms out wide, her eyes fully black, like a vampire’s would be when their demon was in control. But he didn’t sense a demon in her. Only dark magik.
She stared at Chilton. “Are you really beyond redemption?”
The vampire hissed and tried to lunge at Emi. Thor reacted, ripping Chilton back and keeping him from harming her. Some father the asshole was. From the way he fought against Thor’s hold, he intended to kill his own daughter.
Thor would not allow that to happen.
He raised his clawed hand toward Chilton’s throat. A second before he attacked, Yanko was there, thrusting Thor from Chilton.
Yanko stopped looking solid and actually went into Chilton’s body.
Stunned by what he was seeing, Thor simply stood there, mouth agape.
Emi remained where she was, arms out, chanting softly in what he could only guess was Latin.
Chilton fell to the floor—and then burst into a pile of ash.
Yanko rose up from the ashes, reforming into a man, his gaze on Thor. “Stop her! She calls upon all of Chilton’s creations. The creatures who hunt the streets. She is summoning them here so they can harm no others.”
“W-what?” asked Thor in stunned surprise. “She’s calling the hybrids here? How?”
“They were gifted to Gérard, and he fed them his blood to keep them enthralled. When he perished by Chilton’s hand, Chilton took over feeding them—controlling them.”
Thor gasped. “And because Emi is his daughter, she shares his bloodline. That’s why she could control Frank?”
“Frank?” asked Yanko.
Thor held up his hand. “Long story. How do I stop her?”
“Shit! There are a whole lot of hybrids showing up!” yelled Blaise. “Tell your woman to stop whispering to them. They’re coming in numbers we’re going to have issues with.”
“Emi, sweetheart, stop,” said Thor, moving toward her.
She didn’t budge or acknowledge him.
He touched her shoulder. “Emi, I can feel how much energy this is taking from you. Stop before you hurt yourself.”
He ignored the commotion from above. The PSI guys would do what needed to be done in regards to the hybrids. His only worry was his mate.
She kept whispering the chant, her arms still out.
“Emi, stop,” he said again, before dragging her into his embrace. “Enough.”
She shook in his arms. “My father is responsible for them. For the deaths they’ve caused. For so much pain. I have to stop it. I have to stop them.”
“Not at a cost to yourself,” Thor said. He took hold of her chin and forced her face upward. “Woman, I didn’t go through hell and back and end up some crazy vampire’s lapdog, all to watch the woman I love sacrifice herself because she feels guilty her biological father was a nutcase. He’s dead and gone now, Emi. The man who raised you like a daughter wasn’t like him. You told me Yanko was important to you.”
“He was.” She teared up. “He still is.”
“He’s like a father to you, not Chilton,” said Thor, running his thumb over his mate’s lower lip. “And he just made sure Chilton could never harm you again. I’d say that is a big fucking gesture of just how much you mean to him. He transcended death to protect you.”
She cried harder. “Turns out he’s been haunting my house for years.”
Thor laughed slightly. “So, what you’re saying is, my in-law is going to give me a hard time for, like, ever?”
She smiled through her tears. “Yes.”
“Sweetheart, stop drawing the hybrids here,” he said softly.
“They were told to go out and kill as many humans as they could. I can sense the directive on them. I had to summon them here.” She closed her eyes a moment, and then opened them. The black was gone. “I’m sorry. But they couldn’t be allowed to kill people.”
“Son of a bitch!” yelled Blaise from above. “That hurt!”
“Sorry!” said Hector. “I didn’t know you’d be s
tanding so close to it when I lit it on fire.”
Thor hid his laughter. While they’d have their hands full, they would come out victorious. He knew it deep down. He bent his head and pressed his lips to his wife’s mouth—and then froze.
My wife?
He gasped against her mouth. “I claimed you.”
She smiled. “I heard.”
“That means we’re mated. We’re husband and wife.”
She snorted. “Yeah, heard that too.”
“And now you’re going to go assist your friends while I spend time with my niece,” said Yanko sternly, reminding Thor they weren’t alone.
Emi took hold of Thor’s hand. “Uncle Yanko, I want to introduce you to my husband. His name is Lance, but he goes by Thor.”
Thor took a deep breath. “Actually, I’d like to be called Lance.”
Emi squealed and threw her arms around his neck. “That a boy, Lance!”
He heard Searc shouting at Daniel and knew he should go up and help the men out, but he didn’t want to let go of his mate. “Pretty sure I need to lend a hand up there.”
Emi winked and took his hand in hers, turning his hand palm side up. “Hurry, and then we need to make sure Hector is going to watch Rocky while we’re in Virginia.”
“Virginia?” asked Lance.
Emi nodded. “We’re heading there after you kill all the bad guys. We’re going to meet up with your family—the men you think of as brothers. They’re there now, pacing, worried about you. They wanted to come but the men here said no. They’d bring you home to them.”
Lance watched his woman. “You got all that from my palm?”
“Some from you and some from when Blaise touched me. He’s like an open book. And really, can I just say, he should talk to a professional. If you knew some of the weird thoughts that guy had, you’d all sleep with one eye open.”
Lance kissed her forehead, his gut churning at the idea of going home to his Immortal Ops team.
Emi hugged him. “It will be fine. They’ve missed you, Lance. They love you and want you back with them. And they’re going to be really good uncles.”
“Uncles?” he asked.
Emi glanced to the side, and a middle-aged woman appeared, dressed in clothing from the past. She was plump and grinning.
“I wondered if you’d see your own future when reading his,” said the woman.
Lance gasped at the sight of her.
Emi laughed. “Lance, meet Mrs. Pumpernickel.”
The woman winked and then raked her gaze over him. “You have the best backside.”
Lance blushed.
The woman pointed to the rubble at the back of the basement. “Emi, while your handsome husband goes up to handle the bad men, go over there and get my jewelry. Take it all with you. I want you to have it. You’re like family to me.”
Lance glanced at Yanko, who was giving him the stink eye. “I’m never going to get used to seeing dead people.”
Emi laughed. “Sure you will.”
Lance thought about what she’d said about his teammates. “Hold on. What do you mean, they’ll make good uncles?” His gaze slid down and landed on her abdomen. “You’re pregnant?”
“I will be soon,” she said with a wide smile. “Well, only if you hurry up and get on with killing the enemy. Then we can get to Virginia and get busy in other ways.”
Lance bent and kissed her quickly and then rushed for the stairs. He was halfway up them when he heard his mate’s laughter behind him.
“Well, I guess that’s one way to motivate the boy,” said Yanko.
Chapter Twenty-One
Emi held her husband’s hand as they were led through the halls of what they’d been told was Immortal Ops Headquarters. A voice came through speakers mounted throughout the building. It was pleasant sounding enough, but what it spoke of was anything but. It gave a casualty update and mission report from something that happened overseas. Her gut churned as she thought about the lost lives of the soldiers and the loved ones who would be left without them.
Lance lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles, one by one. “Sweetheart, it’s an automated system that keeps us informed on missions from every branch of the military, both US and ally forces.”
“It’s heartbreaking to hear,” she confessed.
He nodded. “I know. Some days are like that. But it’s important we hear about it all. The good and the bad. The men and women fighting out there may not know us, but we worry about them. We want them safe and their missions to be a success.”
She leaned against him, happy he could remember so much from his past. The private flight in had been comical, to say the least, as they’d been accompanied by Auberi, Blaise, Daniel, Searc, and Malik. They’d been delayed at takeoff for a bit as bad weather blew through New Orleans, but once they were in the air, Auberi went to the fully stocked wet bar and began mixing drinks for everyone. As the liquor flowed, so did the questions. The other men wanted to know what all that Lance could remember from his time before a man they’d called Pierre had come into his life—or rather death.
Emi didn’t know much about Pierre other than the fact he seemed like a giant tool and that none of the men cared for him. Auberi and Blaise especially seemed to want his head mounted on their walls. She’d gotten the gist of Pierre being a master vampire, one who’d had Lance under his thumb for a good deal of time. And one Lance wanted to exact revenge upon. From the sounds of it, Lance would have to line up after Auberi and Blaise to get his pound of flesh.
Emi squeezed her mate’s hand when she felt him tensing as they continued to walk down the long hallway. The building and the facility looked state of the art to her. Like something she’d seen in a science fiction movie, and it was certainly a far cry from the run down, abandoned house she’d called home.
Lance let out a low breath. He was nervous, and she could tell. She couldn’t blame him. From what she’d gathered on the plane ride to Virginia, the men they were about to see had not just been fellow teammates to him. They’d been like family to Lance. And for a chunk of time, they’d thought he was dead, only to find out he was alive, part-vampire, and working for Pierre with no memories of his past.
Of before he crossed over the threshold of death.
Blaise and Auberi walked ahead of them, each taking turns mocking the décor at the I-Ops headquarters, all the while comparing it to the PSI offices. Apparently, they thought PSI was better. She wasn’t sure how that could be, but they seemed sure of it.
“Where is he?” someone yelled from behind them. A tall man with black shoulder-length hair ran past Malik, Searc, and Daniel. The man came to a grinding halt, his blue gaze widening. He had on a pair of faded jeans that fit him just right and a pink T-shirt that was snug, pulling over his muscles. Apparently, he was the world’s best father, as noted by his shirt. “L-Lance?”
Lance didn’t budge. He merely stared at the man and clutched Emi’s hand in a death grip. “Hey, Roi.”
Emi hid her smile as she remembered the crash course on the men she’d received from Lance before landing. Geoffroi “Roi” Majors was second in command of the I-Ops team, and often something of a pain in the ass, and who had a thing for the ladies. Blaise had mentioned Roi was mated to a woman named Missy and that they had twin girls. That only made the shirt funnier, knowing the alpha male had two little girls at home.
Roi flashed a wide smile that lit up the hall. “Aww, I knew they were all full of shit when they said you forgot us. See, you may have forgotten everyone else, but I’d like to think I make a lasting impression.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” said a man with white-blond hair as he strolled in from other direction. “Try as I might, I can’t forget you. And you should know, I try really fucking hard every day.”
“Who invited you to the party, Eadan?” asked Roi, looking annoyed. “Fae’s aren’t welcome.”
Lance hadn’t said much about him. It had been Malik who had filled in the blanks on that
team member, mentioning that Eadan Daly had come on board after Lance’s departure to assist the I-Ops and was now a full-fledged member of the team.
“Then Emi will need to leave,” said Malik, staring between the men. “I can smell hints of it on her. Well, and I can smell Lance’s claim on her too.”
Emi perked. She had Fae in her? She wasn’t even entirely sure what Fae was, but she knew she’d find out soon enough.
“We thought you were dead, Lance.” Roi looked like he was about to tear up. Instead, he lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. “Fucking rag weed count is high. My, uh, allergies are acting up.”
Eadan snorted. “Mr. Sensitive here is all in touch with his feelings and shit.”
“Is he here yet?” asked a man with close cut brown hair and a couple of days’ worth of growth on his face.
Eadan nodded in Lance’s direction. “Yes, and he’s barely shut up. Kidding. I don’t think he speaks.”
Lance looked at the newcomer, and a lopsided smile appeared on his face. “Wilson.”
Wilson beamed and rushed Lance, pulling him into a giant hug, seemingly unconcerned with the fact he was showing emotion. Lance released Emi’s hand and returned Wilson’s embrace. Wilson drew back and patted Lance’s shoulders. “We missed you, brother.”
“You can say that again,” said a man with long, wavy dark brown hair. His blue gaze was so similar to Roi’s that Emi wondered if they were brothers. “It’s really good to have you home, Lance.”
Lance stiffened and then nodded, looking as if he were fighting the urge to cry. “Lukian.”
Lukian Vlakhusha covered the distance between them quickly and did a manly version of a hug with Lance as well. He drew back and kept an arm over Lance’s shoulder. “Heads up, Green is scrambling to get all the tests he wants to run on you in order.”
Emi hid her grin. Lance had told her of Dr. Green and how he prided himself on putting science before nearly everything in life. He also said that he shared panther DNA with Green, making him closer to an actual brother to him than the rest of the team.
Roi composed himself, kind of, and strolled over to them. “It’s his way of saying he missed you. The egghead can’t help but bring science in to cover his feelings.”
Area of Influence (Immortal Ops Book 8) Page 18
