Table of Contents
Blurb
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
Arcanum: What Evils Lurk in the Heart of Men
Torquere Press Publishers
PO Box 2545
Round Rock, TX 78680
Copyright 2012 by Mychael Black
Cover illustration by Alessia Brio
Published with permission
ISBN: 978-1-61040-333-7
www.torquerepress.com
All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.
First Torquere Press Printing: June 2012
Printed in the USA
Detectives Jonah and Riley Pierce are back in another case for Arcanum, the US government's paranormal police agency. This time, however, they're headed to Berlin when a series of murders points to the enigmatic leader of a research institute. Things turn personal very quickly, though, and they find themselves in a race to stop a psychopathic mortal hellbent on finding the daywalker gene.
Prologue
Germany, November 2009
“Er kommt.”
The young man paced, gave the door a cursory glance every few seconds, then continued his incessant fidgeting. Wulf would've liked nothing more than to gut the little shit right now, but Jerrik would have his balls-- and possibly his head.
“Wann?” Christ, the fucker just wouldn't shut up his whining.
Wulf tightened his grip, hands behind his back. He figured he made the picture of a dutiful guard. In truth, he did it to keep from ripping the idiot apart himself. “Er sollte jeden Moment hier sein.”
On cue, the door opened and his charge snapped his head up. Jerrik gave his best smile, but behind it lay unfathomable cruelty. Wulf had witnessed it time and again: stupid fucks coming to their compound, expecting to join the ranks of the vampires. Little did they know meeting Karl Jerrik would be their last pleasant memory on earth.
“Come.” Unlike some of the others, Karl only spoke his native language with those he trusted. For “guests”, he used English. “I apologize for making you wait. You must be hungry.” Arm firmly around the young man's shoulders, Karl led him out of the holding room and into an open space with a grated floor. Beneath the grate sat a large steel drum, ready for their prize.
“Are you going to turn me tonight?” the man asked, following suit and switching to English. Few of them bothered.
“I'd hoped we could get to know one another...” Karl stopped and turned.
Wulf watched the nonverbal exchange, marveling at its subtle complexity. The young man blinked and shook his head as if fighting drowsiness. They all came thinking Karl Jerrik would turn them. They craved strength and immortality. Karl smiled and this time, there was no hint of pleasantness about it. Their guest gasped and stumbled backward, but Karl seized the back of the man's neck in an iron grip.
“Wenn ich du wäre, ginge ich nicht,” Wulf warned.
He blocked the only exit--the door leading back to freedom.
“Wh-what?” The frightened captive looked frantically from Wulf to Karl. “I don't...”
The movement came quick, faster than any mortal should be. Terrified eyes widened in disbelief as blood rushed from the man's neck in a steady, thick stream.
The vat below caught every drop before Karl let the body fall into a heap on the floor.
Karl rubbed his temples and sighed. “Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.”
A moment later, others entered the room, working quickly to remove the body and clean the floor before the next “guest” arrived. Karl studied them in silence, then turned and left the room, the door closing behind him with a click.
Chapter One
United States, December 2009
“Got him?”
Riley's voice crackled over the walkie talkie. “He's heading down 5th.”
“Good. Keep on him, but out of sight.” Jonah motioned to the team. Two groups of three men each took off toward Riley. “On our way.”
“Roger that,” Riley whispered. “Going silent.”
Jonah forced himself to ignore the brief twist in his gut. This was the part he hated--when Riley went into “vamp mode” to track someone. This particular quarry had been a pain in the ass, leading them on a wild goose chase all over the fucking town. They'd been after him for nearly six months and Riley couldn't track him. After countless arguments, Jonah had finally agreed to let his brother taste the guy's blood. It hadn't been easy to get, but it worked.
In the dead of night, most normal people slept. Not Jonah, and certainly not Riley. He often wondered if Riley even did sleep, but then, he'd spent a few nights just watching his brother. The absence of breath still unnerved him.
Jonah joined up with the second team and both groups flanked Riley's position. Jonah spotted Riley on a rooftop, black clothing blending in seamlessly with the shadows. Below him, their target stood talking to someone, occasionally glancing in either direction down the street. Jonah waited with his group while the others moved in closer.
“Now!” The shout came out of nowhere.
Jonah bolted out of his hiding place, his men behind him. “Riley!”
Riley dropped to the ground, landing on his feet with surprising grace, but before Jonah and the teams reached him, four others grabbed him. Riley hissed and fought, snapping one neck before slashing another's torso open from shoulder to waist with his knife. Blades kill; bullets don't. It's what Riley swore by, but watching one of those motherfuckers draw a gun and aim it at Riley's head didn't help matters. Jonah slammed into the attacker and team one took down the other. When Jonah looked up after cuffing the cursing man under him, he found Riley farther down the alleyway.
His brother, for all his youth and sweetness, scared the shit out of him sometimes. Riley's eyes glowed red in the shadows and he bared his fangs. The man they'd been after shrank back, his pale skin going even lighter.
He darted around Riley, but Riley snarled and caught him by the neck. The guy shrieked, his own fangs dropping as he struggled.
Jonah skidded to a stop and watched in morbid fascination as his brother went from monster to man again. Riley pinned his captive face-first against a brick wall and held him there while team two cuffed and gagged him. Then Riley stepped back. He rolled his shoulders and shuddered.
“You okay?” Jonah asked as both teams took care of the rest.
“Yeah. Just...” Riley gave him a look that should've made Jonah's blood run cold. Instead, it made him hard as a rock. “Hungry.”
Jonah stopped himself before he took a single step closer. Work. They still had work to contend with once they got back to the precinct. He wasn't looking forward to the mountain of paperwork waiting for him.
“Detective, we found something of interest,” one of the officers said before handing Jonah a medallion of some sort. “It was in his pocket when we searched him.”
“Thank you. I'll meet you back at the station in a bit. I need to get Riley home--it's almost dawn.”
No one knew the truth, and Jonah and Riley decided it best to keep it that way. Daywalkers were rare among vampires, something about a mutation in their blood that gave them the ability. Riley's sire had been one. Mike Tanner had been one. Riley was one. If it got out into the public they still existed, they'd have a massive problem on their hands.
Once the others left, Jonah and Riley headed back to their own unmarked car. Jonah had the feeling he'd be returning to work later rather than sooner, if the energy and tension radiating off his brother had anything to do with it. Safe in the car with its dark windows, Jonah didn't resist when Riley grabbed him and kissed him to within an inch of his life.
“Drive.”
Nodding, Jonah started the car and headed home.
Before he realized it, they were pulling up in front of Riley's loft. Jonah had officially moved in a few months ago, and everyone just assumed it was to share expenses.
Jonah let them believe it.
The front door barely had time to shut before Riley shoved Jonah against it. The kiss came fast, Jonah's bottom lip splitting under the assault. Riley growled and licked away a tiny drop of blood.
“I can smell you,” Riley whispered. He wedged his knee between Jonah's thighs, bringing it up tight. “Your blood, your come...”
Jonah shuddered, unable to say a word. He lived for moments like this--when Riley's vampire nature came out full-force. He grunted when Riley's leg threatened to crush him. Christ, he'd never been into pain before, but now...
Riley's tongue traced a line down Jonah's throat, hovering over the pulse point. Sharp fangs scraped the sensitive flesh, and Jonah didn't dare move. “I saw you watching.” Riley fisted one hand in Jonah's hair and tugged Jonah's head back, exposing his throat. Jonah swallowed convulsively. “I wanted to drown in his blood...” Riley murmured, voice dropping several octaves. His other hand lowered to Jonah's zipper, easing it down inch by torturous inch. “But it's nothing compared to yours.”
Jonah gasped, arching when Riley's fingertips skated across the head of his cock. “Riley.”
Riley chuckled softly and nipped Jonah's neck. “I could drink you forever.”
Jonah wanted nothing more than that. He'd yet to turn, but the more they did this, the more he saw this side of Riley, the harder it became to deny the inevitable. His eyes rolled back as Riley's fingers closed around his cock, giving it a long, sensual stroke. He tried to speak, desperate to tell his brother what he needed, but every glide of Riley's hand over his shaft short-circuited Jonah's brain.
Riley rolled his thumb over the head of Jonah's cock, drawing one shudder after another up Jonah's spine.
Jesus. Jonah was damn close to coming already. He leaned against the door and watched in rapt attention as Riley sank to his knees. Jeans tugged to the floor, Jonah found himself unable to move. He groaned and gripped Riley's long hair in both hands.
Riley flicked his tongue over the tip, then slowly sucked the head of Jonah's cock into the unbelievable heat of his mouth. Jonah's head hit the door with a loud thud and it took everything he had to remain standing.
Riley moaned around his shaft, the vibration traveling through Jonah's body like a wave.
Fangs barely touched the sensitive skin, and Jonah couldn't decide which way to go: in or out. Riley soon chose for him, drawing Jonah deeper into his throat before pulling back to roll his tongue around the crown.
Jonah fisted his hands in Riley's hair and, unable to wait any longer, started fucking his brother's wickedly talented mouth with quick, deep strokes.
“Oh, fuck... fuck...” he panted. “Riley.”
Riley hummed and cupped Jonah's balls, caressing them before giving them a firm tug. Jonah bucked and shouted, back arching from the door as he shot come down Riley's throat. He hissed softly as Riley licked him clean. Those damn fangs would be the death of him one of these days.
When Riley finally stood, Jonah caught his brother's lips in a kiss. Riley's tongue swept through Jonah's mouth and Jonah chased it with his own. He managed to get Riley's pants open and wrapped his fingers around the thick cock when it pushed into his palm.
“Harder,” Riley whispered, thrusting into Jonah's fist.
Jonah obliged and tightened his grip, pumping Riley harder and faster. Riley growled softly against the sensitive flesh of Jonah's neck. “In me,” Jonah muttered.
“God, Riley, I need it.”
Riley wasted absolutely no time. He spun Jonah around and spit in his hand. “Not going to fuck you right now,” he said, pressed two slick fingers into Jonah's ass.
“Not yet, anyway.”
Jonah damn near whimpered. Riley hadn't been this aggressive before, but Jonah sure as hell wasn't going to complain.
“Do you know how many times I've wanted to do this?” Riley did something with his fingers that made sparks bolt straight up Jonah's spine. “Always wanted to touch you,” Riley continued, “feel you inside and out.”
“Fuck...” Jonah braced himself against the door, his knees threatening to give way any moment.
“Love seeing you like this.” Riley added a third finger and Jonah gasped. Behind him, Riley groaned, cock hard on Jonah's hip. “Promise you'll wait for me?”
Jonah nodded frantically. Riley withdrew his fingers and left. A few moments later, he returned. “Love a man who does what he's told.”
The comment's effect on him surprised Jonah. His cock swelled again and he forced himself to stay still, despite the urge to bare more of his ass. A tiny voice in his head begged for more than just fucking, but the thought of saying it out loud mortified him. Slick fingers sliding into his hole jerked his attention back to the matter at hand. He grunted and rocked backward, shoving Riley's three fingers deeper.
“Yes...” Riley added a fourth and Jonah rose up on his toes, eyes going wide. His heart pounded in his chest and he prayed he'd survive the night. “Soon,” Riley whispered. “I promise.” His fingers slipped free and he gripped Jonah's hips, tugging back. Both of them moaned as Riley's cock thrust home, filling Jonah perfectly. “Promise...”
Jonah nodded. He wanted to say he had no idea what Riley meant, but his brain was too addled by lust to lie.
Riley set up a steady, hard rhythm, every stroke going deep before withdrawing almost completely. Jonah fought the need to come; he wanted it to last. Riley would have none of it.
“God, what I wouldn't give to fist you,” Riley growled in Jonah's ear.
“Riley!” Jonah threw his head back and barely had time to grab his cock before he shot a thick stream of come onto the floor. Riley's fingers dug into his hips and a few quick, hard strokes later, the cock in Jonah's ass pulsed thick and hot.
***
“What is that?”
Jonah studied the medallion from all angles, but damned if he knew just what the hell he held. “I have no idea. You?”
Lane Wallace, Arcanum's newest addition after the incident with Mike Tanner, took the odd token from Jonah. “It's definitely not ancient, but it's not new either.
My guess is something tribal.”
“Like a calling card?” Jonah asked, leaning back in his chair. “Riley said something about not feeling right about our latest catch.”
Lane nodded before handing the medallion back to Jonah. “His intuition is good. He's much younger than I am, and much more up to date on things. I'm considered... old school--not part of the 'in' crowd, even within vampire society. Your little trinket,” he said, gesturing to the piece, “is definitely not from my generation, nor any generation before. Has Riley seen it?”
“Not yet. He should be awake when I get home. I'll show it to him then.”
“It's a trait of daywalkers,” Lane said, almost in a whisper. At Jonah's raised eyebrow, he elaborated. “The need for less sleep. But as rare as we are, we must keep up appearances otherwise.”
Jonah wasn't too surprised at the revelation. Lane had sired Riley's creator, and since the daywalker gene tr
aveled via the blood, it only made sense that Lane would be one, too. “Why are you so rare?”
Lane's smile turned wry. “We were nearly hunted to extinction, by mortals and vampires alike. Mortals wanted the ability to live forever, and vampires wanted to be rid of the 'sun weakness', as they called it. At one time, many centuries ago, there were many more of us.
Now, our numbers dwindle to nearly nothing. Riley and I are the only ones left in the States. There are twelve others scattered around the globe.”
A shiver snaked its way up Jonah's spine. He'd always known Riley was different, but hadn't realized just how much.
“Make no mistake, Jonah,” Lane said, “Riley is stronger than many others--mortals and vampires alike.
But he's not invincible. None of us are. You know that.”
“Yeah.” As much as he hated to think about it, Jonah remembered what happened with Mike Tanner. The man had been his best friend for years, only to turn out the worst traitor Jonah had ever known. Riley had ended Mike's life after Mike nearly ended both of theirs. “I know.”
Chapter Two
Wulf didn't want to be the one to break the news.
Karl Jerrik had a nasty temper even on his best days, and when something didn't go right, it only went downhill from there. Finding those who appreciated their services was easy; finding good people to work for them directly wasn't. Their last operative in the States had been one of the better ones. Then the bastard went and got himself captured--not just by mortals, but by other vamps, no less.
When he reached the door to Karl's office, Wulf stopped and took a deep breath. Either this would go smoothly, or...
“Come in.”
Wulf opened the door and closed it behind him before turning to face the only mortal he'd ever feared.
What Evils Lurk in the Hearts of Men DNS Page 1
