They drove all day and night to get to Oaksvale, then camped overnight in the forest. Neither slept well and so relaxed themselves by making love until dawn when they finally both fell asleep for a few hours. When they woke, they left their camping gear where it was and hiked up the mountain.
When they reached the barrier separating vampire territory form Brotherhood land, Frieda paused and turned to Stewart. “This is going to be unpleasant. You need to keep your wits about you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a handle on it.” He smiled at her, that cocky smile that she found so reassuring she couldn’t even tell him not to get cocky.
They knew where to find the entrance to the underground kingdom, a slit in the side of the mountain that would have been unremarkable except for the utter darkness within. As there was no good way to lure Rudolph from his kingdom, the only way to get at him was to crawl into the beast’s belly. Frieda’s stomach wound itself into a series of knots as she reached for his hand. She was pretty certain the vampires already knew they were here.
But from here on out? This was what was going to be the true test. The plan was lunacy, she already knew that. Chances were they weren’t going to survive this. She only hoped that Rudolph would be curious enough as to why a couple of shifters would walk into his kingdom that he didn’t have them killed right away.
The things I do for the Brotherhood, she thought grimly. “Are you ready?”
Stewart nodded, his expression grim.
She bumped his shoulder with hers and, hoping to lighten the dark look on his brow, whispered. “I wish we had time for another stretch before we go in there.”
The tension lightened from Stewart’s brow. He turned toward her with a grin and reached for her hand. “Oh, really? If I had known that, I would have put you up against every tree we saw since we crossed that blasted barrier.”
The image of her against the rough bark came to her mind. She could just imagine herself, half-sitting in some branched-off area, Stewart kneeling before her while her glistening parts were open for the whole world to see. There was something appealing about that image, really… A giggle started to build up in her throat, and she quickly stuffed her fist into her mouth to stifle it. Her eyes flashed a warning to Stewart, but he only smiled and leaned in closer.
“First,” he whispered, tracing his hand over her hip, “I’d spend a little time just kissing you. I’d stick my tongue in your mouth and only when you started rocking your hips and grinding against me would I move my hands from your sides. I’d feel my way up your body, testing the weight of each soft breast before pinning you in place and ripping off all your clothing. I’d catch your gasp in my mouth. Then I’d find your pulse.” Here he put his hand around her neck, two fingers pressing into her pulse, which was going pretty fast already. “And I’d find your clit. I’d stroke it into a little hard nub, and then when you were panting and moaning, I’d—”
“What makes you think I’d let you get there without my own actions?” Frieda interrupted. Her whole body seemed to be on fire and her voice was breathless. If it wasn’t for the possibility that a vampire was watching them right now from the inky darkness, she would have suggested that they find a tree right now. “Before we got to that point, I’d be ripping off your clothing myself.”
Stewart hummed, then shook his head. “No, not for this fantasy. Don’t get me wrong, I like you taking control. I really like it,” he winked, “but there are times when I’m going to be the dominant one. Only as far as you are comfortable, of course, but I do want to dabble with some BDSM once this is over.”
And if it ended with them dead? Frieda pushed that thought away. They’d just have to survive it. That’s all there was to it. “I have never tried BDSM. Can’t say that I haven’t thought about it from time to time, though… Never found anybody I trusted enough to try it out with, I suppose…”
One of his big, warm, strong hands cupped her face. He bent in close and brushed his lips across her cheekbone. “It’s a date then.”
Frieda nodded, breathless once more. “Yeah. Once this is over, we’ll get some cuffs and ropes and whips…”
“Sounds good.”
They stood there staring at each other for a long time. Frieda could see in his eyes there was more he wanted to say. She wanted to say more, too. She wanted to tell him things she had never told anybody before. That he was her best friend, that she would give up everything if it meant she could be with him forever. That her feelings had run deep and true for a long time. That if he was still human, she wouldn’t have been able to hold herself back anymore anyway.
“I…” Could she tell him that she loved him? Would she have regrets if she didn’t?
“I know. I do, too.”
Warmth spread through her body. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself so close to him that their clothing hardly seemed a barrier at all. Their mouths crashed together with a hungry ferocity. Teeth clinked together as Stewart’s hands roamed all over her body. She didn’t even care if there was a vampire in the darkness watching now. They’d been here long enough for a whole gaggle of them to be waiting. She didn’t care. She just wanted this last kiss. Full of the passion and words that she couldn’t speak aloud.
When they finally broke apart, the two of them stared into each other’s eyes, clinging to one another for a long moment before they stepped back. Then, holding each other’s hands, they descended into darkness.
The sunlight quickly faded as they entered the long tunnels. The smell of blood and rotten fruit surrounded them, and Frieda breathed through her mouth so as not to smell it. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as her eyes struggled uselessly to adjust to the utter black. There was no sound around them, not that it made a difference. In this darkness, vampires could see as well as day and with their flying abilities, they didn’t have to make a noise.
She squeezed Stewart’s hand tighter as they continued. And she couldn’t help but wonder what they had gotten themselves into.Chapter Nine
Cyclone
The pitch darkness around him made his hair stand on end. Stewart fought against his wolf, growling and snarling in his chest. It wanted to come forward, to take control of his body and tear apart the unseen threats in the black. He was well aware of Frieda beside him, her warmth, her scent, the soft sounds of her breath. He clung to her hand in a way that a pulse throbbed in his fingers, but whether it was hers or his or both he wasn’t sure.
“So…” He whispered, unable to stand the silence anymore. The vampires probably already knew they were there, after all. “Do you think we’ll come to some light soon?”
“Honestly,” Frieda sighed, sounding a touch put-out but he could tell it was due more to nerves than anything else, “We should have brought a flashlight. It’s not like we could evade the vampires for very long, anyway.”
A chuckle sounded from right behind them, making the hair on the back of Stewart’s neck prickle. He whirled, even though the tunnel behind them was as pitch-black as the darkness in front of them. A cool breeze brushed over his face and he could just imagine a vampire leaning forward, lips pursed as it breathed outward at him. He snarled and swiped at the space before him, but his hand hit nothing.
“A bit late for that, don’t you think?” the voice came from above them now. “What are two shifters doing strolling so casually into a vampire kingdom? Not just strolling casually, but knowing that they are entering a vampire kingdom… One would think that you have a death wish.”
Stewart snarled again, tugging Frieda a little closer to him. She gasped, and he whirled, pulling her tightly into his arms as he growled at the unseen threat. Frieda elbowed him in the chest, growling herself.
“Cool it,” she snapped at him.
The vampire chuckled, this time right before them. “This is interesting. So she’s the one that does the mounting, eh mutt?”
Stewart worked hard to get himself back under control. He could not flub this up. Keep calm and don’t panic
. It was cliché, but it was what he had to remember to do right now. “We want to see—”
“I’m sure you do.” The vampire interrupted and laughed. “Luckily for you, my king wants some new shifters for his latest experiments… and you have to be living for his purposes. Hold out your hands and surrender and I’ll take you where you can see. Otherwise, I’ll have to kill one of you to make the other behave. Is that going to be necessary?”
Stewart snarled again. His wolf told him to shift, to find the fucking vampire who dared threaten Frieda and tear him apart. However, this was their plan… being taken prisoner by the vampires so that they could get close to the king. It had seemed like lunacy before, but now it was downright stupid. Why had he agreed to this again?
“I don’t suppose we have a choice,” Frieda said dryly.
She gently removed her hand from his and he could sense her holding her hands out. Reluctantly, he did the same. His eyes hurt from squinting in the darkness so hard. His hands clenched as bands of cold metal snapped around his wrists. Once more he had to wonder at how wise this course of action was, but it was too late now. The metal was right against his skin, and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to break free if he tried.
One hand rested on his shoulder, warmer than he expected, and propelled him into the darkness. Frieda’s breathing stayed even beside him, so he knew she was still there, but it didn’t mean that he was any happier with the situation. He kept his footsteps timed with hers, breathing in her scent and reminding himself that she was alright.
Light stabbed into his eyes so suddenly that they began streaming and stinging instantly. Stewart flinched back, squinting as the white light burned against his retinas. By the time his eyes adjusted, the vampire had dragged him forward and thrown him into a chair. It was only then that he realized it wasn’t just one vampire… There was a good dozen of the creatures around them. All chalky-white, with gaunt features and waxy skin.
He glanced at Frieda at once, making sure she was still there. She looked a little nervous, but her expression was hard and determined. He released a soft breath and faced the vampire standing before them again. He was slightly shorter than the others, stockier. Surprisingly, his face was covered in scars. A chill stole down Stewart’s spine. How much fighting must he have done in order to scar?
The vampire looped his thumbs into his belt and considered the two of them. A small smile spread over his face and he shook his head, chuckling. “This was not what I was expecting today. It’s times like this that I love my job… Tell me, shifters, what are you doing here?”
Stewart glared at him a moment before he remembered that they weren’t supposed to be antagonistic. It was just difficult, with that guy’s smug face and the feeling of danger prickling up and down his spine. He glanced at Frieda. She didn’t speak, and so Stewart did.
“We came here to deliver information. It will be very valuable to the king.” He emphasized the word valuable, so that the vampire would know exactly what they were after—or at least, pretending to be after.
The vampire arched a brow and leaned forward, his gaze sweeping from Stewart to Frieda, then back to Stewart. “Valuable information, you say? I hope it’s not just your sexual preferences. As interesting as it was to hear about how you want to tie up this lovely puppy here and fuck her senseless, the king is centuries old… hearing about your kinks will be nothing new.”
Stewart’s lip curled back from his teeth. So, the vampires were listening. And calling Frieda a puppy? Infantilization much?
“What sort of information do you have?” the vampire continued, this time focusing on Frieda. “I know you. You’re a member of the Savage Brotherhood. So. Do you have information on Typhoon or has he sent you here on one of his little schemes?”
Frieda tossed her head back, her long hair flowing down her back. It had been done up when they entered the tunnels. Stewart’s wolf howled and raged as he realized that the vampires must have let it loose. What else had they done? He hated the thought of them touching her while he was mere feet away, oblivious to it all. A snarl started to work its way up his throat, but she shot him a look. He forced himself to quiet.
“We have valuable information,” Frieda repeated. “And yes, it does have to do with the Brotherhood… and your king’s experiments. But we won’t negotiate with anybody but him.”
The vampire’s brow arched. “Negotiate? You think that you can negotiate with vampires, sweetie? Oh, my… Aren’t we full of ourselves?”
Stewart frowned. “If you want our information then we will only speak to the king.”
“Speak to the king,” the vampire repeated in a mocking voice. “Well, now I know Typhoon isn’t the one that sent you. He’d never be so stupid as to send a couple of his people to my kingdom without even letting them know who I am.”
Stewart’s eyes widened. His head jerked toward Frieda instinctively. She looked just as shocked as he felt. This was King Rudolph? Hadn’t Typhoon told Frieda, at least, what he looked like? Stewart had assumed that she would know the king on sight… apparently, they hadn’t discussed everything in as much detail as they should have. He could have kicked himself.
This mission was suicide. He already knew that, but now he was beginning to feel it. Maybe, if he shifted, he’d be able to hold off the vampires long enough for Frieda to get out. She had a good nose; she’d be able to track the path they took back out of here.
But before he could even start to try to shift, Frieda spoke. Her voice was cool and calm. “Well, your Majesty, it is an honor that you would choose to interrogate us yourself. Now, as for the information that we have—”
Rudolph’s hand snapped out. It slapped over Frieda’s face with a smack, causing her head to jerk back. She cried out and Stewart lunged. Several pairs of hands seized him and thrust him back into his chair. White fur started to creep out from his skin, and he barely choked back a growl. His eyes narrowed to slits, though.
“A woman’s mouth is good for only one thing,” the king sighed, sounding bored. “And it’s not talking. Don’t you agree?”
Stewart snarled, hating the way this bastard was talking about Frieda. At the flash in the king’s eyes, though, he forced himself to relax. The vampire guards still held him in place, but their grips weren’t quite as tight. He forced himself not to think about ways he could break free and pulverize the king as he stood there…
“I said, don’t you agree with me?” Rudolph narrowed his eyes at Stewart.
He sucked in a deep breath. “Well, I suppose that depends. Polaris here does have a problem knowing when to shut up sometimes.”
He could feel her glare boring holes into the side of his face but didn’t dare look at her. He knew he was going to have hell to pay for that comment, even if he was just playing along with Rudolph for now. Hopefully, she would understand… The king at least seemed to be appeased. A smirk came over his face as he leaned back on his heels. He, too, flashed a glance at Frieda, and Stewart wondered if this was more about humiliating her than anything else.
A growl started to work into his throat again, but luckily, he was able to stop it from becoming full-fledged.
“Now. What is it that you two have brought to me?” Rudolph focused on Stewart again. “In all the years since the Savage Brotherhood formed, I have only known a dozen shifters willing to betray their own kind. Since Typhoon took over, it’s become even less. He’s a clever boy, that one, and I’ve never been able to figure out where exactly he’s come from. So. How did it happen that you two decided to turn on him and he didn’t kill you before you had a chance to get here?”
Stewart inhaled deeply. He couldn’t be certain that Rudolph was telling the truth about this. In any case, they had worked out their cover story, as well as the information that they were going to feed the vampires.
“You know Polaris. So you know about the attack that vampires made on her, where they wiped out a bunch of cops. Well, Typhoon decided to throw her under the bus. He was going t
o hand her over to the cops, as though she was responsible for those deaths. If that happened…” He bunched his muscles and growled under his breath. “I’m not going to sit back and watch her take the fall when it wasn’t her fault. If Typhoon won’t protect his own people, then I have no use for him. He’s always talking about doing what has to be done, taking care of business. But when there is something that he can actually do to help? He acts as though it’s not his problem.”
Rudolph cocked his head and studied him.
Stewart met his eye. “So… if he’s going to hand her over so easily, then he can go fuck himself. We need money, so that we can disappear from this place. Go to Argentina or somewhere. Get away from Typhoon and his tyranny so that we can live our lives together in peace.”
“That is quite the story. Except I know that there was a cop who survived and is blaming a new gang in the area.” Rudolph smiled. “So. Try again.”
“I know that cop survived,” Stewart snarled. “But that’s not good enough for Typhoon… I know that he—"
“I’m not an idiot,” Rudolph interrupted. “You have something else up your sleeves… Or did the female tell you that Typhoon was going to hand her over? This reeks of feminine wiles…” He leaned over Frieda and cupped her face in his hand. “Did you bring him to me for some reason? Not as a bodyguard, otherwise you wouldn’t be tied in my chair… Hell, you wouldn’t have even come in the first place. You’d have sent him by himself. So what are you up to?”
“I’ve already told you—” Stewart started.
Rudolph held up a hand. He glared down at Frieda for another moment before he turned on his heel and grinned at Stewart. “I don’t think she’s going to say another word when you’re here. I’ll have to find out how willing she really is to deal with vampires in another way, I suppose.”
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