by SF Benson
I squirmed, trying to free myself. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Relax. This won’t hurt. Much.”
Damn!
Ronnie was right. Alexander was just another wealthy creep wanting what didn’t belong to him. I should have listened to her. I should have listened to Jerome and waited for him to take me home. Pushing aside the shouldas and couldas, I focused on getting the hell out of that alley.
“I’m not into public sex, buddy. Get off me.”
I pushed against him, but Alexander didn’t budge. Instead, he clasped my wrists in one large hand and pinned them over my head. My heart pounded so hard I thought it could be heard from blocks away.
Fight!
Raising my knee, I aimed for his crotch, but the asshole dodged the blow. He pressed me firmly against the wall and held me in place with a muscular thigh. Cold sweat etched a path down my back as my short life began flashing before my eyes.
I don’t want to die.
“Look at me, Tabitha,” he demanded.
A fleeting thought disrupted the movie reel in my head. If I obeyed Alexander, maybe he’d make it quick. After he raped me, he might even let me live. Reluctantly, I made eye contact. As soon as I did, something powerful passed between us. It wasn’t a sexual heat, but it was just as intense. His steely gaze was mad with lust, but he didn’t touch me.
Oh, just do it already.
The sooner he fucked me, the sooner I’d be free to go to the cops. Report his ass and try to reassemble my shattered soul.
Alexander lowered his head, and his cold lips grazed my neck. Why are they cold? He licked the flesh, and my skin crawled. This joker is into some freaky shit. I tried to move, but something paralyzed my body. Did he inject me with something? When? How? My brain screamed at me to fight, but I didn’t know what I could do in that moment.
Alexander mumbled words that sounded like, “You’re going to be a sweet morsel.”
What the fuck?
While I pondered what he meant, he traced the delicate hollow of my neck with a pointy object. Without warning, the thing plunged into my flesh, and I gasped. Slurping sounds hit my ear as nerves fluttered in my belly.
“What…” Speaking was difficult. I couldn’t string together a sentence.
Then, I heard his voice in my head. “Have no fear. I’m not here to kill you. Beloved, I’ve chosen you to spend eternity with me.”
His words should have scared the hell out of me. Instead, they soothed me. A wave of pleasure danced through my body, and I tingled beneath him. Passion ignited within me. Suddenly, Alexander was all I wanted. All I could think about.
“You are exquisite, my darling.”
Every inch of me was on fire. I had an urgent need to be possessed by him.
Alexander moaned as he suckled my flesh. Even though I grew weak, I didn’t want him to stop. My body shuddered, and a whimper escaped my lips. An overwhelming fatigue hit my body. My energy felt like a fleeing breath, and then everything went black.
* * *
Later, I came to with my cheek against the wet ground. Slowly, I sat up. A mind-numbing fatigue filled me, and for some unknown reason, my neck ached.
Where am I?
My surroundings were black. Reaching out, I felt a wall. Bricks. Keeping my hand in place, I pushed to my knees. A car rolled by. My eyes bounced from the vehicle to the bricks.
The alley.
How did I end up in it?
Massaging my temple, I tried to remember what happened, but my memory was fuzzy, like someone had drugged me. Sadly, it was something I was vaguely familiar with. It only happened once. Afterward, I swore I’d never accept another drink from a stranger.
I concentrated harder. My foggy brain cleared a little, and I recalled a handsome man from the club. He introduced himself, but I couldn’t remember his name.
Did we have sex in the alley?
My pants were still on.
Maybe he robbed me?
I crawled around, searching for my purse. My oversized bag was on the other side of the alley. Rummaging inside the pouch, I discovered my tips still tucked within the lining.
Talk about confused.
We hadn’t had sex, but I felt aroused, like the man didn’t satisfy me.
The stranger hadn’t robbed me physically, but I felt empty all the way to my core. As if something precious was removed.
Whatever happened to me didn’t matter at the moment. Getting out of the alley became my priority. Pushing to my feet, I blinked several times and tried to focus as I stumbled out of the alley.
Thankfully, passersby barely paid attention to me as I shuffled down the street. They probably assumed I was just another drunken whore. If my condition was from alcohol, I’d never touch another drop of booze as long as I lived.
Common sense pushed at the corners of my mind. Go to the hospital and get checked. But my gut screamed back. I would have known if someone had raped me. My clothes were intact. My thoughts were the only thing out of place. Random images—blood, teeth, unknown faces—kept running through my mind like a bad horror flick.
Finally, my building came into view. I pushed open the door and headed for the elevator. When I reached my floor, I had to shield my eyes with my arm. The lights seemed brighter than usual and burned something awful.
Why am I sensitive to the lights? Maybe I should have gone to the ER.
I opened the door to my apartment, grateful for the dark. Normally, I was super clumsy without a lamp. My sight seemed perfect as if I had on a pair of night vision goggles. I made a beeline for my bedroom and collapsed on the bed without removing my clothes. I told myself to call Ronnie in the morning. She might know what happened to me. Unable to keep my eyes open, I fell asleep.
3
Trouble Lurking
Morgan
* * *
Although Ace had taken me to my favorite restaurant, I couldn’t relax. I had the eerie sensation we were being watched. No. It was just my imagination. Whatever was creeping in the background had me in its sights.
“Something wrong, dawlin’?” Ace asked around a mouthful of burger.
My gaze bounced around the narrow room before glancing down at my plate. The quirky diner on Bourbon Street was busy—even the fifties’-style stools at the counter were full. Anyone who was following us wouldn’t necessarily stand out in that crowd.
I shrugged it off and stared at my half-eaten club sandwich. “Just tired.”
He reached for his soda. “Understandable. We’ve been going nonstop trying to manage the shitstorm. Maybe we could slip off to the cabin for a couple of days. Have a little quiet time.”
“Sounds nice, but you know we can’t leave. Kragen would have a fit.”
Ace polished off the last bite of his food. “Then let’s go home.”
I nodded. It was probably for the best.
After the turmoil with the Merciers, Ace and I moved into my parents’ house. Colby was comfortable there. Plus, it gave us a roof over our heads while Ace had his family’s mansion renovated. Personally, I hated giving up the apartment. It had been our little slice of paradise away from prying eyes.
Living with my parents was interesting—for lack of a better word. Mother expected us to dress appropriately for dinner, which we couldn’t miss. We were also expected to eat breakfast with her. Thankfully, Father only appeared for the evening meal. No traditional vampire would be caught having breakfast with the sun up.
It was late enough that Mother should be in bed. Father would be at the Bloody Bastard handling business. Opening the front door of the mansion, I discovered I was wrong on both accounts. Mother and Father were in the drawing room with Kragen.
Could the night get any worse?
Yes, it could.
I glanced down at my left hand. My parents knew about the engagement ring. The slender gold band was something different. I slipped it off and tucked it into my hip pocket.
Ace quirked an eyebrow. “Morgan.”
Mother, decked out in her customary black suit and heels, sat in front of the fireplace. Father stood behind her, sipping a glass of crimson. Kragen, sitting across from Mother, had his own goblet of blood.
“I’m surprised to see all of you here,” I said as we entered the room.
Kragen replied, “We were discussing the turn of events in the Quarter.”
Father lowered his glass. “I find it intriguing that so many rogues keep appearing.”
Mother shook her head. “There’s no mystery behind it. The coven has examined the situation. Tavi opened numerous gateways before she died. The BlackGuard must find each subsequent portal and shut them down.”
Well, that explained a lot.
Ace and I sat on the sofa, keeping a respectable distance between us for Father’s sake. “Mother, is there any way to expedite the matter? The agents are working as fast as possible, but without knowing where the portals are—”
“The task seems fruitless,” Kragen drawled. “I’ve called in Edwina. She’s a skilled witch. I’m sure she can help locate the sites.”
Great.
Consulting with her about Alexander was bad enough. Did we really have to work together?
“Not to change the subject,” started Father, “but have you followed up on the tip regarding St. John?”
Ace said, “We tracked someone who matched his description. He was at Club Sensualle tonight.”
“The strip club?” exclaimed Mother. “Morgan, really?”
I rolled my eyes. “I was just doing my job, nothing more. Besides, we weren’t there long. If the male we saw was Alexander, we lost him.”
Kragen pushed to his feet. “I should alert the Elders. Precautions must be taken if the bastard has indeed returned.”
Father nodded. “I’ll walk with you.” He gave Mother a peck on the cheek and then strode out behind my boss.
“Deianira, what’s the big deal with St. John?” asked Ace.
Mother crossed her legs. “Alexander has always been a disreputable creature.”
Seriously? All vampires were shady characters.
Her eyebrow quirked up. “Not all, my dear daughter. Alexander is simply the worst. Most of his species only feed when necessary. It’s not an act meant to murder, but it happens. Alexander, however, is more mercenary than vampire. He’ll side with whoever can pay his price.”
Ace sat forward. “Which is?”
“It changes like the wind. Typically, he hires himself out to exact revenge.” She stared at me. “Connect the dots yet?”
Yeah. The Merciers could have summoned Alexander to New Orleans.
“Which Mercier would have brought him here?” I asked.
Mother steepled her hands. “The death of Tavi and her sons left Gannon in charge. But the odiferous sorcerer hasn’t been seen.”
“Which makes Melisande the head,” Ace said.
“Yes. Of course, it should be Gannon’s son, but Marsilius is inexperienced.” Mother rose from the chair. “Melisande is evil enough to employ someone like Alexander. The male gives all vampires a bad name.” My mother headed for the door. “Be sure to turn off the lights before you go to bed.”
As she glided out of the room, Ace reached for my hand.
“Dawlin’, I’ve never heard of a vampire-for-hire.”
“Neither had I. What did Melisande offer him?”
My husband wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side. “If she hired him, her offer would have been substantial in order to risk Edwina’s wrath.”
I thought about the possibility for a moment.
The hybrid wanted her own revenge against Alexander. If I were in her shoes, only ending him would satisfy me. Sitting up tall, I said, “What if he didn’t have to worry about Edwina?”
“What do you mean?”
“Alexander can’t be harmed. Only beheaded. For vampires, if you take the head, you have to destroy the body. If the two are united, you can revive the vamp.”
“I’m not following.”
Facing Ace, I added, “A vampire is cursed with immortality. You can’t effectively kill it, but decapitation is a step in the right direction. Think of the body like a two-part magnet. If one of the parts is lost—”
“The magnet fails to work,” he said.
“Right.”
“So, if you separate the head from the body, the curse is broken temporarily. Only by permanently destroying one half can you annihilate a vampire.”
“Exactly. Now, imagine if there was a way to avoid annihilation. The same vampire wouldn’t have any fear.”
“Someone could have promised Alexander that he couldn’t be obliterated.” Ace’s eyebrows knitted together. “Are the Merciers that powerful?”
“They practice dark magic. Anything is possible.” I wasn’t certain. It was only speculation on my part.
My husband stood and went over to the corner bar. “How can we find out?”
Blowing air through my cheeks, I knew what had to be done, but I didn’t like it. “Edwina has to get involved. If she threatens Alexander and he doesn’t flinch, then we know he has some sort of protection.”
Ace handed me a tumbler of bourbon before sitting down. “Dawlin’, that doesn’t tell us what or who is guarding the vampire. We can’t even confirm that the Merciers are involved.”
“I know, but it’s the best I have for now.”
* * *
Confirmation came with the dawn of a new day. It came without warning or fanfare. It slithered up to our front door and made its presence known.
Mother practically choked on her grits and grillades. She dabbed at her mouth with a black linen napkin.
“What is it, Mother?”
Her sapphire-blue eyes widened as she rose to her feet. Without a word, she ran from the room.
I exchanged a glance with Ace, and we followed in her wake. Mother stood in the foyer with the front door open. A body lay at her feet.
My jaw dropped, and my heart raced.
Ace touched my arm before going to see what the problem was. “Deianira, is this someone you know?”
She nodded.
“Mother?” I pushed past the two of them and looked down.
It was a witch from Mother’s coven. I’d known her since I was a kid. Darkness clung to the female like a shroud.
“Is she…dead?” I asked.
Before anyone could answer, the witch’s eyes popped open. They were murky white and unfocused. A grating noise filled the space as her head turned toward me. In a distant voice, she said, “The Merciers are coming for you. They want their revenge.”
I staggered backward. Those were the same words Great-gran said to me when we thought the Mercier feud was over.
The female’s eyes closed. Tendrils of smoke lifted from her body, and then it burst into flames. Seconds later the fire died and only a fine black soot remained.
Mother staggered out of the doorway and stopped in front of me. “We have to find some way to protect you.”
Ace thrust out his chest. “That’s my job.”
She glanced up at him. “Admirable words, but brawn is no match for Mercier magic. I’ll contact the coven and then Kragen. Until we work out some solution, the two of you stay put.”
“Mother.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m serious, Morgan. We don’t know what Melisande has planned. Until we get some insight, stay the hell inside.”
She stormed up the winding staircase, leaving Ace and me behind.
“I hate to say it, but she has a valid point.”
“Not you too.” I placed my hands on my hips. “How the hell am I supposed to sit in one spot?”
Ace gave me a whisk of a smile before saying, “Who said anything about sitting? We can spend the whole time in bed.”
I looked past him. Mother wasn’t in sight, but that didn’t mean she wasn
’t eavesdropping. “What about Colby? He could be in danger too.”
“We’ll alert Clint. Make sure they take all necessary precautions before venturing out.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tapped my foot. Honestly, I didn’t like inaction. I was responsible for the trouble in town. It was up to me to put an end to it. But how? There was only so much I could do hiding out in my parents’ house.
Ace pulled me into his arms. Reluctantly, I hugged him. He leaned down and said near my ear, “I heard you. We’ll figure this out, wife. For now, indulge me. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t. I have to do something.”
“Let’s go upstairs. I’ll call the pack. See what can be done on their end.”
* * *
By noon, the mansion had become a fortress. Ace’s pack members guarded the perimeter. Mother’s coven had strengthened the wards around the property. Kragen and the Elders along with Edwina and Hank were in the study hashing out plans. As a parent, I felt it imperative I warn Colby myself.
We sat on the veranda with Clint.
“Mom, you’re sure the warning came from Aunt Melisande?”
I’d conveniently forgotten she was also my son’s family. Colby was in an unenviable situation. Any actions I took against the Merciers could be construed as hatred toward him too.
“Yes, Colby.”
He rubbed his dimpled chin. The young man looked so much like his father—dark-brown wavy hair and intense green eyes—that it was unnerving.
“Any chance Grandmother collected the ashes?”
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“The cinders may have contained a message as well. Aunt Melisande is a clever witch. Her father taught her well. She knows tricks Grandmother Tavi didn’t.”
It suddenly occurred to me I had a choice to make. I could either continue treating Colby like a child, which he still was, or allow him to be the man he appeared to be. Patronizing him meant keeping my son in the dark. If I involved him in the problem we faced, then I’d have to accept he was an adult capable of handling issues.