Mistletoe & Mayhem

by Brenda Trim

  Isis shuddered at the thought of the archdemons and their skirm and the destruction they were capable of causing. She and her sisters owned a shop where they sold magical accoutrements, potions, and did tarot reading for both supernaturals and humans. Black Moon had seen its share of devastated individuals in their store searching for ways to help their loved ones heal from injuries or ones looking for ways to ease the grieving process.

  Suvi’s voice intruded into Isis’ musings. “How many calories would they have burned if they’d been fucking for three days straight?” Isis wanted to smack her sister upside the head for encouraging Paula. They’d never get rid of her at this rate.

  Plain Paula cocked her head to the side and considered for a fraction of a second, oblivious to the fact that Suvi was poking fun at her. “Approximately twenty-one thousand, six hundred calories. Now, that’s a serious workout. You need to come down to my gym and let me put you through the paces. You’ll feel like new witches.”

  “Och, female. Are you really a nymph? I canna understand how you think of nothing but your exercise,” Bhric harangued as he approached the table.

  They turned their heads and ogled the six-foot-three, drop-dead gorgeous, Vampire Prince. His amber eyes gleamed with humor as he ran a hand through his buzzed hair. She heard Suvi inhale sharply and understood the feeling. He was a fine specimen with his bulging muscles, black leather pants, and tight blue t-shirt. Not to mention, Isis loved his thick, Scottish bur.

  Isis was certain Plain Paula was about to begin another diatribe about the benefits of being a personal trainer, but Bhric saved them. “Come, my lovely lasses, let’s dance.”

  Isis eagerly jumped up and grabbed her sister’s hand, following the big, burly warrior onto the dance floor while Plain Paula called out to their retreating backs, “You know dancing is another great way to burn calories.”

  “That female is a wee bit obsessive aboot the exercise, is she no’? ‘Tis disturbing and most definitely no’ natural. Her da must have been human,” Bhric observed as he turned to them when they reached the middle of the floor.

  A smile spread across Isis’ face, thinking obsessive was too mild a description. “Thanks for saving us. I almost grabbed the gun from my purse and shot her between the eyes.”

  Bhric shimmied his hips and sauntered closer to them. The male really was a sexy beast and was built like a brick house. “Ah, lass, my motives are no’ entirely selfless. I plan to have you both pay me back.” He waggled his eyebrows, making Isis laugh.

  “I’m happy to pay you anything you want,” Suvi replied, gyrating against the prince. Her little sister had a thing for vampires and Isis was certain she would be happy to take one, or ten, for the team.

  Isis shook her head and threw her hands up, quickly losing herself in the music. She jumped and wiggled and moved her hips, having a blast. She and Suvi danced close to Bhric, arousing the Prince, if his erection was any indication. She stepped back into Bhric and rubbed her backside against his groin while her sister stood behind him caressing him. Suvi maneuvered her way in front of Bhric and they continued their movements. The dancing ended when her sister cupped Bhric through his pants.

  When the growling and nipping started, Isis left the dance floor, heading to a table far away from Plain Paula. She was hot and sweaty, needing a drink, and rethinking her stubborn choice to wear jeans given they were sticking to her skin.

  She lifted her long hair off her neck and scanned the room for any of the other Dark Warriors, especially Rhys. Her body had been amped up since she entered the club, and Rhys, a cambion, would be just the ticket to sate her need.

  While Suvi had a thing for vampires, Isis enjoyed a cambion. They were the offspring of a human and a sex demon and had many sensual powers. Given that they needed sex frequently to keep their strength, they were always searching for someone, and all that experience made them incredible lovers. They were notorious creatures of heat, fun and passion, all three of which she needed at the moment.

  She didn’t see the Dark Warriors, so she headed for the far bar and ordered a vodka tonic. Isis turned her back to the bar and leaned against it with her foot propped on the stool next to her. She contemplated re-buttoning her shirt as it pulled tight across her breasts when she rested her elbows behind her. A surreptitious check told her that her breasts were spilling out of her black bra. Given the sheen of sweat on her skin, she decided to unbutton a couple more instead. When she looked up, a particularly sexy male caught her attention. They locked eyes, staring at one another for several moments, before he began walking toward her.

  Chapter one

  “I didn’t fucking do this! I am innocent,” Caine DuBray slammed his fists on the table and looked Zander, his vampire king, in the eyes. He took several deep breaths to calm down. Disrespecting his king would only have beheaded head that much sooner. It was all still so surreal and he couldn’t believe the mess he was in. He had been casually dating a human named Sally for several months, and the image of her lying lifeless with her throat ripped out was imbedded in his brain. Her skin had been a sickly shade of grey, telling him that she had been drained of blood.

  “I cared for her, I would never hurt her. Or any female for that matter, it goes against everything I am.” In fact, his father would tan his hide if he ever dreamed of it. He may be an adult but Ellis DuBray wouldn’t hesitate to beat him senseless for disrespecting any female. Besides, he would never risk suffering the consequence for such an act.

  Caine gritted his teeth as his eyes roamed the large conference room in the famed Zeum compound. He had fantasized about seeing the inside of the mansion and he couldn’t believe he was finally there. However, in his dreams, he was there because the king had asked for his help with the Vampire Nation’s finances. Even in his worst nightmares, he would never have been there under such shitty circumstances. The rich, wood floors and the high, coffered ceilings may be elegant and immense, but at the moment, they were closing in on him.

  Zander pinned him with a hard stare. He felt the power of compulsion coming off his leader in waves. The sharp sting of the force almost had him wincing and lowering his head, but he held his position. He needed Zander to see that he was telling the truth. Not for a moment did he fear Zander would see anything to implicate him.

  Zander sighed and placed his hands on the table, clasping them together. His exasperation was obvious. Zander cared about his subjects, but to see his upset over this drove that point home. He’d grown up hearing stories how Zander had been the saving grace for the realm. The development of the Dark Alliance and the Dark Warriors had been nothing short of genius in protecting the humans and realm members.

  “All the evidence points to you, Caine. You must see how bad this looks. You were found passed oot in her home, seemingly from draining the puir lass dry. The human authorities were called and you are lucky that Orlando and Santiago arrived at the scene first and sensed your presence. Shite,” the king raked his hands through his hair, disheveling his shoulder-length black strands. “Had they no’ removed you from the home it would have been all over the media. The Tehrex Realm could have verra likely been exposed by this.” The more agitated the King became, the thicker his Scottish accent became.

  “I swear to you, Liege, the last thing I remember is going to her house. We had opened a bottle of wine and were talking on her couch and then…nothing. I have no recollection of anything after that. The next thing I knew, I woke up here in the dungeons thirty minutes ago. I swear to you, I did not kill Sally. I know it sounds crazy and I have no idea who would have done it, but I think I was drugged. My head hurts, my stomach is upset, and I’m parched. There is no reason for me to have these symptoms. Test my blood and see what you find.” Vampires were immune to human illnesses and when they had symptoms like these it typically indicated drugs or heavy alcohol use.

  Zander had to believe him. He wasn’t ready for his life to end yet. He had too much he still wanted to do. Caine felt as if his body was coiled
so tight he may fracture from the tension and had no idea how to relieve it. Nothing in his life had prepared him for a situation like this. He had great parents who loved him and a good job making decent money. Banking wasn’t fraught with life-and-death possibilities in the Tehrex Realm.

  “You could be feeling like this because you did the forbidden and killed while you fed, ending up in a blood-induced black-out.” Zander snarled as he stood up, his black combat boots echoing loudly as the large male crossed to a long table at the back wall that held several computers and telephones. The king was intimidating even with his back to him. He wore black from head to toe and strength coiled in the ropes of the muscles covering his body, but it was the power that emanated from the king that grated across Caine’s nerves like razors. He didn’t doubt that Zander could pop his head from his shoulders without breaking a sweat.

  Caine’s stomach knotted up when the king picked up the phone. “Jace, I need you to come down to the war room. And, bring your medical bag.” Caine held back his relief at the thought that maybe Zander believed him. He wasn’t going to allow himself any hope until he had something firm to grasp onto. Still, it was a good sign that he was asking the Dark Warrior’s healer to come down.

  The king replaced the receiver on the cradle and turned back to face Caine. The leader of vampires and Dark Warriors sat on the edge of the table, bracing his weight with his hands. “Here is what’s going to happen. Jace is going to take your blood. Och, speak of the devil. Jace, you are aware of the situation regarding Caine. He believes that he has been drugged. Take his blood and analyze it for everything. Doona leave any possibility oot. This matter is far too serious.”

  Caine was sweating and his heart raced with fear, but maybe there was a way out of this nightmare. “Thank you, Liege,” he replied, genuflecting before Jace approached him.

  “Have a seat, Caine. You are shaking far too much for me to do this while you are standing. It won’t take long.” Caine didn’t know why he was shaking so badly. Even if he had no memory of the evening, he knew deep down he was innocent. Jace pulled out a chair and Caine sank into it, allowing some of the tension to leave his shoulders. He rolled up his sleeve for him to draw the blood as the Dark Warrior opened a bag and placed several tubes and a needle on the table.

  Zander’s voice brought his attention away from what Jace was doing and his words had the tension returning ten-fold. “That willna be enough to prove your innocence. It may prove that you were under the influence but that doesna mean anything. You could have taken drugs of your own accord, after all. We need more proof than that or you will face the sentence. My hands are tied.” Zander spread his arms, palms up and shrugged his shoulders. It was clear the king wanted to believe he wasn’t responsible, but there was only so much he could do. Just the fact that he had allowed him to voice his position spoke volumes about Zander.

  It was one thing to be given the chance to prove his innocence, but he had no idea how he was going to go about it. Zander was right. The circumstantial evidence was damning and there were no witnesses he could call on. The only other person that had been in the house was dead. Caine’s gut dropped to the floor and he was having difficulty breathing. This couldn’t be happening. It was a nightmare that would never end. “How much time do I have?” Jace withdrew the needle and swiped the drop of blood that escaped before his natural healing took care of the wound.

  Zander glanced down and pinched his forehead with his thumb and first finger. “I can give you seventy-two hours. No more.” He looked up then and Caine saw the regret and sorrow in his blue eyes. “Jace will place a tracker under your forearm that will allow us to know where you are at all times. If you try to remove it, it will kill you. It will also compel you to return for sentencing at the end of that time.”

  As a full-blown panic attack struck him, Caine hardly felt Jace implant the device. His head was swimming, he couldn’t draw a breath, was sweating profusely and his pulse was racing as if it could escape this reality. “Seventy-two hours isn’t enough time. You know I really only have half that amount of time, since I can’t go out during the day. What am I supposed to do?”

  Jace placed a compassionate hand on his shoulder and drew his attention. He found it difficult to focus on what the Dark Warrior was saying and had to shake his head to clear the fog. “Only magic will be able to solve this mystery. I suggest going to the Rowan sisters. They helped me with a rather ugly situation and they’ve helped many others in the realm, as well. In fact, if rumor is to be believed, they are next in line for Wiccan leadership. Anyway, it hurts nothing to ask and they can investigate during the daylight hours.”

  Zander walked into his line of sight. “Jace is right. They are a valuable resource. They have a shop downtown, Black Moon Sabbat. Bring me that evidence, Caine. You have seventy-two hours or I will be forced to put you to death.”

  *****

  “Oooh, look at this silver Druzy. I bet it sparkles in the sunlight. I love it. I’m keeping this one for me, it matches the color of my shoes perfectly,” Suvi yelped excitedly as she and her two sisters unpacked their replacement shipment from RockCandy Leatherworks. She’d bet that they were Shannon’s best customer given that they’d had to place an extensive order twice in less than a month. Between the car bomb and the skirmish with Cele, their store had seen its share of destruction.

  “You’re right. I never thought there would be a stone that sparkled as much as those shoes, but it does,” her sister Pema added. She heard the incredulity in her sister’s tone. Pema was the oldest of the triplets and by far the most practical.

  “You should call your BF Plain Paula and see how many calories you would burn running around in those six-inch stilettos,” Isis, the middle sister said, laughing. Suvi joined her laughter and soon all three of them were crying from laughing so hard. Plain Paula was a running joke between her and her sisters. The female was beyond annoying with her constant lectures about fitness.

  Suvi sobered and glanced around their shop. Only with the help of Isis’ mate, Braeden, had they been able to make as much progress, and in such a short amount of time, in repairing the shop. She was glad to see it finally open for business after the explosion that resulted from their magic colliding with Cele’s. That incident had been the second time in weeks that the shop had been destroyed. The first time, it had been Cele’s daughter who had attempted to kill Pema by planting a bomb in her car that was right outside their shop. In short, they may have lost everything, but it was replaceable. What mattered most was they hadn’t lost their lives.

  Suvi watched Ronan and Braeden, her sisters’ mates, roll their eyes at the gushing that was going on over the interchangeable stones for the jewelry they carried. Pema and Isis had gone back to unpacking while Suvi mused at how much their lives had changed in the past few weeks. Pema had found her mate, a bear shifter with a penchant for growling, and now Isis had her mate who brought his son. To say that their house was full was an understatement, but Suvi wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Don’t you have enough stones? And, aren’t you supposed to be selling those?” Ronan asked Pema with a husky laugh as he crossed to her side and crushed her in an embrace. Suvi sighed at the sight. It was terribly romantic to watch them. They adored each other and couldn’t seem keep their hands off one another.

  Isis and her mate, Braeden, were also madly in love, but they didn’t express it as openly. Theirs was a stolen touch, followed by a heated gaze, probably because it was difficult for them to be more openly affectionate with Donovan around. The stripling had been through an ordeal, almost dying at the hands of Cele, and needed constant reassurance from his father and his new mother that he was safe and no one was going to hurt him again. They all doted on the stripling. It was hard not to love him with his curly, brown hair and big, blue eyes that would steal anyone’s heart.

  Donovan dropped the bags of tea and began jumping up and down, waving his tiny, little arm in the air. “Aunt Suvi always says that f
emales can never have too many jewels. Don’t you know that, Uncle Ronan? Kids too. I love the Lil’ Rock that Shannon made me,” he squealed, holding his wrist out for everyone to see the leather strap with a black, onyx stone. Suvi couldn’t help but ruffle his hair and smile.

  “You are correct, little one. And, don’t ever forget that, either. The grumpy, old bear still doesn’t get it. What has Auntie Suvi told you about that?”

  “That I must shower my mate with love and affection and lots of jewelry and shoes. Oh, and all that growling I hear is really just Uncle Ronan play-wrestling with Aunt Pema,” Donovan responded. Suvi winked at her sister and her mate. Too many times she’d had to entertain the boy and explain what the noise was. No doubt his budding cambion senses understood the truth on some level.

  “Is that what my dad and mom were doing the night of their mating ceremony?” he asked innocently. It warmed Suvi’s heart to hear him calling Isis mom. She had worried that it would be difficult for him to embrace her sister given his loyalty to his birth mother. Not, in Suvi’s opinion, that the female deserved his allegiance in any way when she abandoned the boy as a baby and hadn’t tried to contact him even once.

  Isis choked out a laugh. “Well, Donovan. What your dad and I did was…uh,” Isis faltered and Braeden came to her rescue.

  “We were completing our mating, son. You know there are many steps to cementing our union and earning the Goddess’ blessing. The ceremony is a public part and the blood exchange is private.”

  “The best part was seeing the magic that made mom’s stone grow into her palm. It was cool,” he said grabbing Isis’ hand to look at the sapphire embedded into her sister’s palm. Suvi considered the chocolate diamond in Pema’s palm and looked down at her own, empty one, wondering when she’d find her Fated Mate and what color hers would be.