“Sabin?”
Figures her mind would conjure a hallucination of the thing she wanted most. Was she that desperate for her mate to come and whisk her away? She pried one eye open and focused on the cell door.
“L-Lucan?”
“You are in pain?”
If she didn’t hurt so damn bad, she would have laughed. As it was, she couldn’t force any words from her mouth. All she could do was shiver until she swore her teeth would shatter.
“Sabin,” he snarled. “I smell your blood. What have they done to you?”
Swearing this was all a nightmare, she watched through slits as Lucan gripped the bars of her cell door. His eyes glowed like the night’s brightest star and his anger filled the room until it became an entity of its own and then… Then a shadow swirled into a funnel whipping up its own fury. Even in her pained state, Sabin pushed herself up as best she could to witness the event. With power she had no idea this vampire held, he turned the bars to powder. Dark ash fell to the floor and Lucan stormed inside. The darkness swarmed to him and followed like an obedient pet until he reached her where the storm stopped and waited. Even time appeared to still in the presence of this powerful vampire.
“I smell blood,” he repeated.
She swallowed. Fearful that in this moment he might kill her.
“I… I was tortured.”
His eyes glowed brighter, and a snarl curled his lips to reveal a hint of fang.
A commotion in the corridor reached them as three demons stepped through the opening, guns pointed. One growled a command.
“Move away.”
“I don’t fucking think so.” Lucan curled his fingers into tight fists. The shadow split in two, one flanking each side of him. He stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders. “Protect the female at all costs.” His command was low and clear. The darkness formed a mist around Sabin and she wasn’t sure what to think.
“These guns carry special bullets that will kill your kind, guardian.”
“I’ve already been dead, you twisted fucker.” He surged forward, darkness all around him. The demons fired, but the bullets stopped mid-air then fell to the floor with a clank, never hitting their intended target. Lucan reached for the demon who issued the threats and gripped him by the throat. As he did so, the shadow split again and two demonic, claw-tipped, black hands reached out from the darkness and latched onto the other two before they were able to flee. All three demons were lifted off the ground as power filled the room.
“Which one of you touched her?” Lucan’s voice was low and full of hatred, near demonic itself and it made Sabin shiver. Who was this man she had been fated to mate with?
The demons couldn’t speak, the hold on them too tight as they struggled to gasp for air. Lucan had ripped it from their minds because a moment later…
“I will find that one and make his life hell,” Lucan spoke right before he and the darkness ripped the heads from the demons’ bodies, tossing them to the floor. He spun and stormed back to her, the shadows that clung to her receded and in front of her was a man so different from the one who stood outside her cell earlier. His eyes filled with a glowing light and his fangs so large she shrank back when he reached for her.
Was that pain on his face?
He inhaled and dropped his head, eyes closing and he breathed deep several times. His muscles relaxed and when he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes were back to dark blue and his fangs gone. He looked more like the man she had seen earlier. Again, he reached for her and this time she didn’t balk. With a gentleness that seemed out of character for a vampire who had just created such destruction, he lifted her from the cot and pressed her to his firm chest.
“I apologize for the blood.” Then he strode out of the cell.
Blood? She hadn’t noticed his shirt was dark with it. Not that it mattered. Her mate was here and taking her away from this prison. Finally, events were set in motion. She snuggled into him and let his strength wrap around her. There was much more to this man than she ever imagined and she intended to learn everything about him.
Chapter Four
Lucan got them out of the prison without further confrontation which seemed off to him. No matter, he needed to get Sabin to safety and look at her wounds. Moments later he had a portal open and whisked her to his cabin. By the time they arrived, night had fallen over the mountains of Romania so he remained under the cover of darkness. He pushed open the door and stepped inside and headed to his room where he laid Sabin on the bed.
She mumbled. Either she had fallen asleep or was unconscious. He was betting on the latter because there was blood soaking through the blanket she still had clutched to her. With as much gentleness as he could muster––which wasn’t much since he was clueless on such things––he pulled away the blanket. What was revealed had his anger on the rise again. Her entire chest and stomach were marred with angry, still-bleeding wounds that gaped open to reveal her tormentor had tried to gut her.
His hands shook.
Dark shadows swirled about the room; a screech unleashed from its black depths.
He tried to remember to breathe and calm his ass down before he did something stupid. First thing was to help her heal. Why she hadn’t begun to already meant they were also starving her.
His fury mounted higher.
Pull your shit together!
He managed, tossing the blanket to the floor before he sat on the edge of the bed, bit his wrist and shoved it to her lips.
“Drink.”
She never moved, so he parted her lips and let his blood drip into her mouth. Coaxing her to swallow. Soon his wound healed, and he stopped bleeding but he hoped she had enough for now. Already her color was turning from pale to rosy. Her wounds, however, they would take more time. He contemplated calling in Marcus or Cassie to help heal her, but he didn’t want his brethren to know he’d rescued her. Not yet. He wasn’t in the mood for the ribbing he would get after the fuss he made insisting he would leave the female there to rot. There was also a part of him that wanted to keep everyone away from her. He chalked that up to the fact she was now his prisoner and he would get any information she held from her himself.
He moved off the bed and went to the bathroom, gathered the supplies needed to clean her up and bandage her wounds until she could heal. When he got back to the bed and began running the sponge over her body, thoughts he should never have about this female entered his head. If she were anyone other than Lowan’s sister, it would thrill him the gods had destined her as his. Her skin was smooth as silk and he couldn’t stop himself from touching her hair to see if it felt the same.
It did.
He shook the devious thoughts free and hurried with the cleaning and covering her wounds. When done, he grabbed one of his t-shirts and gingerly slipped it over her head. He felt about as gentle as a baby dragon learning to fly––he’d witnessed many crash landings––as he shoved her arms through the holes. Somehow, he got the shirt on and pulled over her breasts. Unrolling it all the way to her thighs. Satisfied he’d done a good job, he pulled the covers over her. Now he was both disappointed and satisfied that she was no longer naked. The thought of how she looked in his shirt quickened his breath. Visions of her on her knees in front of him, wrists bound and at his utter mercy filled his head. She had vowed that very thing to him if he came for her, but dare he partake of the forbidden fruit?
“Fuck,” he snarled and jumped to his feet. He needed to get out. Away from her. He nearly ran to the kitchen and leaned against the counter trying to get his shit together. He wanted to leave, but didn’t want Sabin here alone. What if something happened while he was away? Not on his watch. He’d rescued her so now he had to make sure she healed. After that, he would figure out what steps to take next. It was all he could do at the moment to wrap his head around the fact he’d really gone after her. It was almost like he’d turned into someone else. A dark, vicious beast and he didn’t like it one damn bit.
He took one m
ore peek into his room and found her still resting, so he slipped outside and gazed up at the sky. The stars were extra bright and the air calm. A wolf cried, to be answered by two more. The pack was on the move and for a moment, Kaldaka was spotted through the trees where he stopped and stared at Lucan.
“Go to your pack, my friend. The hour is late.” He watched as the wolf ran off to join his pack and Lucan wished he could run with them. He was delighted his lone wolf had found a family of his own. For Lucan knew all too well the touch of loneliness. He had his brethren, yet the darkness made him different. Tonight, was a prime example of just how much. When he had realized they hurt the female inside, he turned into something that had given even him pause. Some kind of beast was unleashed, and he had nothing more than a thread of control over it.
He turned to look through the open door and down the hall to the room where his female slept. She was supposed to be his salvation. The one who would take away the stain on his soul and make him whole. It was almost laughable because her family history proved she was probably as fucked up as him. How was one evil supposed to cancel out another?
He tore his gaze away, leaned against the porch railing and continued staring into the darkness.
Lowan stared into a cold fireplace and swirled the Brandy in his hand while he contemplated his next move. “Nephew. I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality.” The voice pulled Lowan from his thoughts.
Lowan turned and smiled. “Think nothing of it. Have any of your memories returned?”
Aidyn took a seat in a wing-backed, leather chair. “I have flashes of someone stabbing me. A female.” He scrubbed his face. “Rather beautiful and I feel as if I should know her.”
Lowan advanced and took a seat across from his uncle and studied him. The once vampire king was also the long-lost Phoenix god. Both the guardians and the gods had been awaiting the rebirth of Pyros for years and now the man sat here across from him. Lowan sipped the amber liquid in his glass.
“May I speak freely, uncle?”
“Of course. I insist.”
“The female you recall stabbing you, in fact did, and she is your destined. It would seem she was more into killing you than becoming your mate.”
Aidyn or Pyros––he wasn’t sure what to call him––had a rather shocked expression on his face. Lowan hid a smile.
“My mate would murder me?”
“So it would seem.” He sipped. “They all wished to see you dead. It is my understanding your own brother gave your mate the blade to kill you.”
The god scowled. “Why?”
“I’m uncertain, but it seems he wanted you out of the way. All of your brothers did because they did nothing to stop it. They simply watched events unfold.” Lowan’s spy had been adamant about the details.
“How many brothers do I have?” Aidyn asked. “I want to know how many I need to kill in case I never regain my memories.” His eyes flashed red for a brief moment.
“Three, but why wait? You are the most powerful and right now hold the element of surprise. Strike when they least expect it.” He took a calculated gamble with choosing his words now rather than later. There was no way to know if the Phoenix would regain his memories today, tomorrow or never.
“I like your strategy. It makes sense, but first one should study their enemy and find their weakness.”
Lowan grinned. “That’s easy. All but one is mated. Their females hold their own power but they are not as strong and can easily be taken. Especially by someone with your power.”
“You don’t have much love for this family, do you?” Aidyn asked.
“No. They have cast me out just as they have you.” Lowan leaned forward. “They are not like us, uncle. They are jealous, petty beings who place themselves far above everyone else.” Lowan rose from his seat and walked to a wall of books. Running his fingers along the spines. “You can read about your family history in these volumes. You will find the reason you were killed the last time was because of your brother, Argathos.”
Aidyn raised his chin. “Thank you. I will read every word. You can count on that.”
Lowan was counting on just that. There was no need to tell the god the journals had been changed slightly.
The man who swept her into his arms was powerful. Sabin swore it was real, but it had to be a dream. No way had a knight in shining armor come and rescued her from the torment she faced daily. It was a wish she made every night that never came to pass.
She moved and realized something felt wrong. What was that softness beneath her? She forced her eyes open, fearful of what trickery she might discover. What she saw convinced her that Lowan had pulled out all the stops this time.
Sabin was tucked into a massive bed with the softest covers she had ever felt against her skin. When she pulled them down, she found herself dressed in an oversized t-shirt. One inhale and she recognized the scent.
Leather and dark chocolate.
“Lucan?” she whispered while she glanced around the room. It was dark, but she could see that the walls were bare and painted a light color. On her right was a large window and through the glass she spied mountains.
“You’re awake.”
Dear gods. He cut a sight leaning against the doorframe.
“Where am I?” Dare she hope he had sprung her?
“My cabin.” He stepped closer. “Before you even think about it, I have a spell placed around the property. You cannot get out.”
She blinked. Why would she want to leave this paradise? She lifted the shirt and saw her wounds were healed. “How did I heal already?”
“I gave you some of my blood.”
“Thank you.”
“Before you go thanking me, know that I don’t like you and I don’t trust you.”
And here she thought he’d reconsidered. “Then why did you come for me?”
“Because you did something to me when I was there last time. Some kind of spell.”
“I cannot do anything to you, Lucan.” She didn’t stop the irritation in her voice. Even though her wounds were healed, she was still in some pain. “My brother has taken virtually all of my power from me.”
He eyed her with suspicion and if she took a minute to think about it, she understood why he was cautious. Her brother had done terrible things.
“What do you mean he’s taken your power?”
“Anything I have from being a guardian and a demon he has locked up in a bead he wears around his neck. He’s kept me starved as a measure of precaution and his amusement.”
He studied her, and she knew Lucan was scanning her. Searching for any sign she was lying.
“I sense only a little pop of power from you that I had not noticed in the prison.”
“I have just enough to heal. Eventually.” She looked away from him. Unable to face the man who was supposed to be her destiny. Why would she think he would want her? Her family history was enough to send any man running, but she was weak. She tried to move and winced.
“What is wrong? I thought you were healed.”
“I am mostly, but there is still some pain.”
“When was the last time you had actual food?”
She laughed then winced again. “You mean other than the disgusting gruel they served me? I don’t remember.”
He straightened. “I have little in the cabin, but I can go out. What do you desire?”
She brought her gaze back to his. Stared into a pair of eyes that had lightened to a brilliant blue and she wanted to say she desired him. For so long she had thought of nothing more, but she realized he was not ready for anything with her. She would have to gain his trust. She licked her lips and swore he let out a low growl.
“I would love a thick, juicy steak. I can’t even recall what one tastes like.”
He stepped to a dresser and pulled something from it. Handcuffs? When he moved toward her, he spoke.
“You must remain confined while I’m away.” He slapped the cuff on her wrist and attached the other
end to a chain she’d not noticed on the headboard. She felt the immediate pull of any power remaining in her system, drain away.
Silver.
The bastard had confined her with silver.
Chapter Five
He knew the second he slapped the cuff on Sabin he had fucked up. The hurt in her eyes almost had him taking the damn thing back off, but he remained steadfast.
She is the enemy.
She is your mate!
This arguing with himself was a waste of time. She was evil, and he needed to remember that. However, that was much easier to do when he wasn’t staring at her soft curves and those pools of blue. This female was a she devil who would not hesitate to take what she needed. He only had to figure out what that was. She had to be helping her brother in some way.
She has the power of a puppy.
He’d scanned her and confirmed she was indeed without all but the slightest power. Still, she might be hiding it from him. The cuffs were a precaution because if she was lying to him, the silver would weaken her. Between that and the spell on the property, he was confident she couldn’t escape. He had to remain smart when it came to her. Giving one last glance back to be sure everything was in order, he flashed away to the best steak house in the Midwest and placed his order. While he waited, he took care of a few other errands.
An hour later and he was heading back with an arm full of bags, worried he had been gone too long. When he entered the kitchen, he set down the food then headed to the bedroom. Sabin sat on the bed and glared daggers at him.
“Did you butcher the cow? You were gone long enough.” Her anger bubbled to the surface, and he had to suppress a chuckle. She had spunk.
“I brought you clothes.” He tossed the bags into a nearby chair. Her gaze followed his every move.
“That is supposed to appease me? You left me here bound and helpless. What if my brother or his henchmen came?” Her gaze narrowed until it bore a hole straight through him. “I had no way to defend myself!”
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