by Katie Reus
Chapter 13
Are you planning on talking to me again anytime this century? Aiden asked, his frustration at Larissa’s silence building inside him each second that ticked by. It had been a little under two hours that she’d been giving him the cold shoulder and he was sick of it.
Larissa didn’t look at him, just kept her jaw clenched tightly as they strode down the sidewalk toward the hotel where she’d been staying with Magda. Now is not the time for a discussion of your idiocy.
He growled at her frosty tone and spared a glance behind him. Brianna and Angelo were about twenty yards back, keeping a decent distance between them in case there were any more surprise vamp attacks. They were going to be the lookouts while he and Larissa infiltrated the hotel, then they planned to bring Angelo in to check the scent too. Now more than ever they needed backup.
Connor had contacted both him and Angelo about a vamp breach at the ranch. Aiden was just thankful that no blood had been shed and that the breach had nothing to do with Larissa. His very frustrating mate. My idiocy? What the hell are you talking about? he demanded as they reached the first set of the spinning glass doors of the hotel’s multiple front entrances.
She looked at him and raised one dark, perfectly arched eyebrow. “Perhaps you’d like to show me how to use this fancy contraption?” she purred, her voice dripping with ice as she motioned to the entry.
These types of entrances had been around when she was alive. She was obviously trying to piss him off. “I was just trying to help earlier.” He couldn’t understand why she was so mad. It was like he’d accidentally flipped some imaginary switch and he couldn’t turn it off. Ever since they’d left the diner she’d refused to speak to him, only answering questions he asked aloud, and he was positive she did that only because the others had been in the SUV with them. But if he’d dared talk to her telepathically she’d completely ignored him. And forget about touching her. He’d tried to put his arm around her shoulders once but she’d shrugged his hand away.
“If I need your help, I’ll ask for it. But don’t hold your breath,” she snapped out before turning on her heel and stalking through the door. She moved quickly, not giving him a chance to join her in her section of the spinning door.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he followed. His inner wolf clawed at him, demanding he make things right between him and Larissa but he didn’t know how. They’d never argued when they’d been together. Not truly and not once after they’d bonded. And he didn’t know why they were now.
The hotel lobby was all plush marble floors and gold and white furniture that practically gleamed under the vintage-style chandeliers. He found it interesting that the witch had brought Larissa to such a nice establishment. Maybe it had all been part of her plan to keep Larissa happy before she put whatever her plan had been into motion. Larissa had been accustomed to only the best and this place was definitely that.
By the time he reached the front desk Larissa was already talking to one of the females there. Another human man was helping a man and woman who stood a few feet down and wasn’t paying attention to them.
The human shook her head in answer to something Larissa had asked. “As far as the computer is showing, no one has been in either room even to clean. The instructions were very clear and we pride ourselves on catering to our guests’ every need.”
“Thank you so much for your help,” Larissa said softly. “Have there been any calls to either room?”
Aiden leaned against the counter, blocking Larissa from the couple and employee at the other end of the long, white marble-topped reception desk. Even though they weren’t paying attention, he didn’t want anyone to inadvertently notice the soft glow coming from her eyes as Larissa slightly mesmerized the human woman. The gift that some vampires and some fae—like Brianna—had to persuade humans to be truthful was damn handy. Something Aiden wouldn’t mind having.
The woman clacked away on her keyboard and eyed her computer screen. “Two were made to your friend’s room. No messages were left.”
“Thank you. I’d like to ask you for one more favor and it needs to stay between the two of us.” Larissa’s voice dropped, taking on a stronger tone. “You’re going to give me a master key and not tell anyone about it and make sure no one sees what you’re doing. I’ll return it when I leave.” Her demand was low enough that only Aiden and the human could hear.
“Okay, no problem.” The woman’s eyes slightly glazed over as she reached into a drawer and picked out a white card with a black magnetic stripe down the back and the gold emblem of the hotel stamped on the front. “This will get you anywhere you need to go.” The woman slid it across the marble to Larissa in one smooth move.
“Thank you again. You’ve been most helpful,” Larissa said as she palmed it. “I’m going to be leaving now and you’re going to forget this entire conversation and that you even saw me here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I’m going to forget I saw you here and what we talked about.”
Larissa nodded once and stepped away, her low-heeled boots making a soft sound against the floor as she and Aiden headed toward the elevators. She still didn’t glance at him when she pressed the button to go up. When she continued to ignore him as they stepped inside, he reached his limit on patience. He didn’t care if he should give her space. That wasn’t happening.
Not after being separated from her for so many years. She could be pissed at him all she wanted, but she wasn’t going to ignore him.
Moving lightning fast, he pinned her against one of the shiny, mirrored walls of the interior. She gasped in surprise, her palms landing on his chest as he rolled his hips against her in a purely sexual move. Let her ignore that. Even pissed, she got him hot for her. Hell, when did he not want her.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, her voice an angry whisper even though they were alone.
“What does it feel like? I don’t care if you’re angry at me; just don’t shut me out.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You treated me like a child in front of others. And not just anyone, but your packmate and another royal who’s centuries younger than me.” Her voice vibrated with her rage, her indigo eyes glowing that bright electric blue as she glared at him. “The fact that you treated me like an unequal makes me want to claw you up, not fucking talk about it.” The elevator dinged at their floor and taking him by surprise, she shoved at his chest with incredible force. Moving with that beautiful, vampiric speed, she was out in the hall a moment later, her expression haughty as she glared at him.
Turning from him, she practically stomped away, her sweet ass swaying in a rhythmic motion that almost made him forget his damn name. As she strode down the hall, something slammed into him through their link before she put a lock on it again. It felt a lot like embarrassment.
That was when her words and actions registered. She was embarrassed, not angry. Okay, she was still freaking pissed at him. Of that, he had no doubt. But she was also embarrassed. He couldn’t understand why. He’d just wanted to help in case she was nervous about feeding in a strange place, in a completely new world. And yeah, he’d been terrified to let her out of his sight for even a moment. He hadn’t thought about things from her point of view. She was one of the oldest vamps of her race, definitely from one of the most powerful lines, and he hadn’t treated her with the respect she demanded and deserved. But he wasn’t ready to apologize for caring about her.
Still trying to come to terms with the Larissa he’d known and the Larissa currently walking away from him, he hurried after her with a burst of speed. Snatching the master key card from her back pocket, he danced back when she growled and tried to grab it from him.
“What game are you playing? We don’t have time for this,” she hissed.
Ignoring her, he knocked on the closest door. He couldn’t scent anyone inside, but that didn’t mean anything. After a few moments, he opened the d
oor and said, “Housekeeping,” just in case it was occupied. Luckily it wasn’t.
Ignoring Larissa’s muttered protests, he continued inside, pulling his cell phone out as he glanced around the pristine room that smelled of subtle cleaning supplies. Nothing harsh though. A place like this would use natural stuff. He fired off a text to Angelo telling him they’d had a slight delay but would be searching Larissa’s room soon. Once his packmate responded that everything was clear downstairs, he shoved his phone in his pocket and turned to face his very sexy mate. It was time to talk.
* * *
At the sound of her phone buzzing across her nightstand, Magda rolled off the naked, sweaty body of the human male she’d been fucking. She didn’t recognize the phone number on the caller ID but it was a local one. “Hello?” She stretched out against the soft sheets, letting the cool air rush over her bare body.
Next to her the male stretched out and flipped the television on, but at least he had the good sense to mute it. So many of these humans were idiots.
“Ms. Smith?” a man whispered, as if afraid to be overheard.
She instantly sat up. She’d given the obviously fake name to a few people at the hotel she’d checked Larissa into days ago. “Yes?”
“That woman you wanted me to keep tabs on showed up. And she’s not alone.”
Her heart sped up. “You’re sure it’s her?”
“Yes. I even took a picture with my cell phone. Long, black hair, really beautiful, kinda intense blue eyes.”
Yes, that was Larissa Danesti. “Who was she with?”
“A man with blond hair. He’s pretty tall and muscular, a little scary looking. I think . . . he might be one of those shifters.” He whispered the last part. “It’s hard to tell on sight, but he’s huge.”
Magda had no doubt who it was. “Did you get a picture of him?”
“No, just her. The man was watching everyone and I didn’t want him to get suspicious if he saw me.”
“When did they arrive and where did they go?” Magda wondered if they’d gone up to Larissa’s room. Or Magda’s supposed room. She’d just checked into the neighboring room so Larissa wouldn’t know she had her own place in Winston-Salem.
“They got here just a few minutes ago, but I’m not sure where they went. I asked Jenna—that’s the other concierge working with me today—and she acted as if I was stupid. She said she hadn’t talked to anyone in the last couple minutes. It was like she couldn’t remember helping them. I think they probably paid her off or something.”
Of course this fool would think that. Magda could have easily spelled this guy, forcing him to contact her if he spotted Larissa, but she’d gone with the easier option. Cold, hard cash. The human probably took bribes all the time, and considering what she’d paid him, she knew he’d call her immediately. “Are they still there?”
“I saw them head toward the elevators, but I’m not sure where they went. Maybe to her room. I don’t have access to the security room and besides, there aren’t any video cameras on the individual floors.” He was back to whispering.
Of course there wouldn’t be any cameras. It was one of the reasons Magda had picked the high-priced hotel. Guests there valued their privacy, so while the security was good, they didn’t record all of their guests’ comings and goings. “You’ve been very helpful. Like I promised, I’ll owe you a tip when I see you again. For now, just keep an eye out. If she leaves, call me.”
“I will.”
Once they disconnected, Magda found her human lover watching her with curiosity. He was twenty-two, in fantastic shape, and could fuck for hours. Unlike her master, this human let her dominate him and she could come as much as she wanted. Which was a lot, with his stamina. Good sex fed her natural powers, something her bastard of a master knew, so she fucked these humans as much as possible to remain strong.
Excitement hummed through her at the thought of capturing Larissa. The female would have regained more of her strength by now, which was good and bad. Taking her captive would be harder, but definitely not impossible. “I have a task for you and Donovan. Go get him.” At her demand, lust flared in his eyes as he raked a gaze over her naked body and she knew what he thought she meant. He quickly slid off the bed and left her bedroom in search of his friend, no doubt telling Donovan to get naked too.
But a threesome wasn’t going to happen now. Not until the two humans completed their mission. Luckily she wouldn’t have to waste the energy on spelling them. She fed their addiction to vamp blood and they were having what they considered fun playing with supernaturals. Idiots. Amazing fucks, but idiots nonetheless. She wasn’t going to contact her master about the Larissa sighting just yet. Magda would send these two males to trail Larissa, and once they’d located her, Magda would then move in and spell the female. But if Aiden Nicholl was with Larissa—and she had no doubt the shifter was—she had a feeling they might have backup from his pack. Just in case they did, she wasn’t going to take the chance of losing Larissa again and incurring her master’s wrath. Her humans were disposable, and if they failed, the master would never need to know.
Besides, she had tracking ink on her two males also. If something happened to them, she could just track their bodies, dead or alive.
Chapter 14
“Think Juhani and Narek know we own this property?” Liam murmured as they drove down the long, winding dirt road to their meet-up place.
Connor shrugged. He’d had his brother buying up property all over the state in the past couple of weeks. None of it was under the pack name, but that didn’t mean members of the Brethren couldn’t figure out who the owner was if they did enough digging. “I’d say there’s a fifty-fifty chance they know.” He didn’t give a shit if they did. Especially not after what had just happened at the ranch.
“I don’t like this,” Jayce muttered from the backseat where he sat next to his mate.
Connor glanced in the rearview mirror to see Kat roll her eyes. “You don’t like it because I’m here.”
Jayce grunted and linked his fingers through hers, holding her hand possessively.
As they drew closer to the dilapidated barn he planned to demolish in the next couple of weeks, they all tensed. There were two SUVs already there. Connor glanced around the expansive property. The barn sat in the middle of the land with nothing but snow-covered grassy plain surrounding it for about eight acres. It would make an ambush damn near impossible. Unless the vamps had a sniper waiting somewhere. Good thing Connor had that possibility covered.
“West-side tree line, about twenty yards left from that gnarled-looking oak,” Liam murmured. “Saw a flash. Could be nothing.”
Connor tapped his earpiece to turn the volume up and repeated to Erin what Liam had said. Once she gave him an affirmative she went silent. They’d dropped Erin and Noah off at the main road and the two had trekked onto the property on foot. If these vamps thought to attack with snipers, they were going to get very dead.
“We knew they wouldn’t come alone,” Connor said in a small attempt to ease the tension he felt building in the vehicle.
But Kat was a witness to the killing. Though he hadn’t planned to bring her originally, after the shit that went down at the ranch, he wanted her to give her firsthand account to the two Brethren members. They’d be able to sense if she was lying. Unfortunately her presence made Jayce slightly unpredictable. The enforcer might live at the ranch, but Connor wasn’t his Alpha and the male didn’t take orders from anyone. Except Kat. If it remotely seemed as if she was in danger, Connor was worried Jayce would kill first and ask questions later. And that would cause a war. Killing powerful vamps was one thing. Killing a Brethren member . . . hell no.
As they neared the other SUVs, Erin’s voice streamed through the earpiece. “Two vamps down, both had sniper rifles. We’ve got them cuffed. They’re not talking, but they’re also not being aggressive. They didn’t f
ight back once I identified myself.”
The lack of aggression was a good sign. “One of you, secure the rest of the perimeter.”
“Noah’s already on it.”
“We’re going in. Keep your volume on.” If anything happened, he needed her to know immediately. She could communicate with her mate telepathically and the two of them could either back them up or get the hell out of here if the situation demanded it. But Connor already knew neither Erin nor Noah would ever bail.
“Will do.”
Connor parked and the two SUVs carrying half a dozen of his warriors parked next to him. After scanning the area again, he and his group exited the vehicle. He motioned for everyone else to stay put, including the group of warriors holding the three vamps from the ranch. They’d bring them out when necessary. Only he, Liam, Kat, and Jayce would attend the meeting.
Moving with stealth, they crossed the thirty yards to the entrance in seconds, barely making a sound over the snow-covered ground.
He and Liam went in first, with Jayce and Kat behind them. Upon entering they found Juhani, the tall blond Finnish vamp lounging on a bale of hay with his hands behind his head as he leaned against one of the rickety-looking stable doors. He wore faded jeans, black boots, a black T-shirt, and a green bomber jacket that had seen better days. Narek on the other hand, stood next to him, arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. The man wore a three-piece suit complete with vest and pocket watch and looked as if he’d stepped off the cover of a magazine.
Seriously? Liam asked telepathically.
Connor’s lips twitched but he didn’t respond or look at his brother because he was afraid he’d laugh if he did.
“Is there a reason you insisted we meet in this hovel? And is there a reason you arrived with . . . backup?” Narek sneered in a cultured European accent as he flicked a disdainful glance Jayce’s way.
Behind him Jayce growled so low in his throat Connor could barely hear it. All humor evaporated and he let his wolf show in his eyes. “Is there a reason three vampires breached my ranch an hour ago in an attempt to take Natalia?”