With that, Max gave her a quick salute and they left, leaving her with a sudden feeling of unease settling over her.
Melinda rattled around the house feeling more and more edgy as the evening wore on. She nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a loud rapping on the front door. Cautiously, she walked over, afraid to answer it, yet a part of her afraid not to. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she reached out and opened the door with a hand that shook, only to find Stacy standing there. Her mouth dropped open in shock at the sight of her friend.
She was deathly pale and easily ten to fifteen pounds lighter than she had been when Melinda had last seen her. Her body was covered in deep, angry purple bite marks that were swollen and vicious looking.
“Oh, my God…” Melinda rasped, feeling as if someone was sucking the air from her lungs.
“Melin…” Stacy whispered as her eyes filled with tears, “run! He tracked you here by your phone. He…he made me call you. I’m so sorry…” Her words came out as a low-pitched guttural cry and Melinda’s terror hit her full force. Roland was here!
She reached out for Stacy, but her friend shook her head, her eyes begging her to run.
“Too late…” With that, Stacy collapsed to the ground and Melinda screamed when she saw the group of vampires standing in the yard behind her... Roland at the front, his white eyes gleaming with humor and just a hint of malice. There were at least four that she could see.
Melinda took a step back intending to slam the door shut, but Stacy’s brutalized form prevented it. She could hear the faint rasp of her breathing as she lay there and Melinda had no other choice but to take off running. She ran toward the stairs, praying she could get to the bedroom and lock herself in while she thought of a game plan. But just as she hit the first step she was grabbed from behind and thrown roughly across the foyer and into the living room, landing on the marble floor near the Christmas tree with a sound smack, causing stars to flash in front of her eyes and the room to spin.
Chapter 12
“What’s got you so wound up?” Max asked as he and Colin headed out of town. Max could feel the tension rolling off his friend in waves.
“I don’t know. Somethings wrong,” Colin responded, his eyes staring straight ahead at the highway as Max drove.
“Perhaps guilt for not manning up enough to tell your mate that she is actually your mate?” Max chuckled, but Colin shook his head.
“It’s not that. I can’t explain it. Something seems…off.”
The laughter died on Max’s lips as he glanced over at Colin and slammed on the brakes. The car skidded, the sound of the tires squealing almost deafening.
“What the fuck?” Colin yelled, glaring at the vampire. “You might already be dead, Max…but I’m not!”
Max threw the car into park and stared at Colin. “Are you really that dense?” he asked incredulously. “Jesus, Colin. Your mating bond is telling you that something is wrong. You’d better damn well learn to listen to it, my friend.”
With that, Max threw the car into gear and started heading back toward the cabin, and Colin had the sudden, sinking feeling that they might be too late.
Melinda fought to lift herself up as she watched Roland come walking toward her. Geez, where in the hell was a stake when you needed one? She shook her head, trying to put a stop to the ringing in her ears and glared at him. His flunkies followed close behind, but Roland held up a hand, stilling them in an instant.
“My sweet, sweet witch,” he cooed, and Melinda felt the bile rise up in her throat. “You have been rather difficult to find.”
“Good,” Melinda ground out defiantly as she pushed herself up to her hands and knees. “I didn’t want to make it too easy for you, asshole.”
He took another step closer and sneered. “Do not speak to me like that,” Roland hissed, his voice dripping venom. “It will only make this that much more painful.”
“Go to hell.” She straightened up and snarled right back at him. “You’re a parasite, and I’ll die before I let you use me as your own personal blood bag!”
One of Roland’s family members lunged forward, his teeth bared, and Melinda instinctively raised her hand to ward him off, trying to remember everything Colin has taught her. There was a loud pop of light and the vampire screeched in pain before falling to the ground and turning to dust. She saw the look of surprise on the vampire’s faces and her lips turned up in a determined grin.
“Stay back, you bloodsucking pieces of shit!” she warned with a straightening of her spine and as much conviction as she could muster under the circumstances. No matter what…she was outnumbered at the moment.
Roland brushed a piece of lint from the sleeve of his shirt and glowered at her indignantly. “You can’t take us out all at once, Witch.”
“I can sure as hell try,” she countered with a defiant lift of her chin. “And guess who I’ll go after next?”
“My, my,” Roland laughed. “It seems that your mate has trained you well.”
“My…what?” Melinda gasped, wondering what in the hell he was talking about.
“Oh…so he hasn’t told you yet? Interesting. Perhaps he plans on leaving you behind then, once this is all over and done with. That half-breed never liked to stay with a piece of ass for very long anyway.”
Melinda narrowed her eyes as she tried to clear her head. What did he mean…mate? Her attention went to the doorway as Stacy moved, trying to pull herself toward them. Roland gave her a smile and waved his hand. In the next instant, one of the vampires had Stacy by the throat and was holding her up against his body as if she were a shield.
“Leave her alone!” Melinda screamed, and she raised her hand yet again, but Roland shook his head, his eyes gleaming devilishly.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he warned softly. “My brother will snap her neck.”
Melinda looked to Stacy and realized that her friend trying to speak. Her friend’s eyes caught and held hers as the tears rolled down her cheeks and she shook her head at Melinda. “Kill him,” she mouthed.
Before Melinda even had a chance to react, Roland flew across the room at an ungodly speed and slammed her up against the wall by her throat, his other hand grabbing her wrists and yanking them above her head in a painful grip.
“Do not think that you are smarter than me, Witch,” he spat at her, his eyes glowing now, and Melinda felt true terror hit her with all the force of a hurricane. It was a sobering, gut-wrenching reaction that reverberated straight through her body and right down into her very bones. It was the feeling of impending doom.
She slammed her eyes shut as she prayed that she could think of something, but she was getting light-headed as she fought to breathe.
Her eyes snapped back open when she heard a growl and watched as the large wolf came charging across the room, fangs bared, and she knew in an instant that it was Colin.
Roland dropped her to the ground and spun around as Colin lunged through the air and knocked him across the room. She hit the floor once again as all hell broke loose.
Max came through the doorway next and flew at the vampire holding on to Stacy. The vampire threw her friends frail and battered body away from him as the two men battled amidst a flurry of snarls and curses. The other vampire started toward where Colin and Roland struggled and Melinda lifted her hand and shot another ball of light, hitting him square in the chest and taking him out with a deadly precision that surprised her.
She watched as Colin’s jaws snapped viciously, and Roland struggled to get the enraged wolf off him. Finally, with a screech that caused Melinda to place her hands over her ears, Colin got the vampire by the throat and ripped it open, ending him in a flash.
Max threw the vampire across the room and grabbed a stake from his boot, rushing over to where he had landed and hitting him square in the chest as yet another high pitched shriek filled the air.
Suddenly, a deathly silence filled the house and Melinda watched as Colin shifted back and came rushing to
ward her. She felt the room beginning to spin as his arms wrapped tightly around her and then only blissful darkness.
Melinda forced her eyes open and quickly glanced around. She was in the master bedroom, she realized with a grateful sigh, and she was suddenly aware of that familiar form lying beside her. Warm, steady…comforting. She turned her head to find those amber eyes staring into hers and a smile touched her mouth.
“Hey,” she murmured, feeling as if she had swallowed nails.
“Hey, yourself, warrior girl,” he laughed softly, the relief clear on his face. “It’s about damn time you woke up. I was afraid that you’d be out forever.”
“Is it over?” she asked, and he nodded.
Colin leaned up on his elbow and held her gaze. “I’m sorry,” he husked, and the pain in his eyes was like a kick to her gut.
“For what?”
“For not being here. Good God, Melinda,” he groaned, as if he were in physical pain, “when we came in and I saw him with you…”
“Stop,” she said, placing her finger over his lips. “There was no way that you could have known.” She felt a rush of guilt hit her full on. She should have told him about Stacy’s call. She never should have hidden that from him. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “Stacy!”
“She’s going to be all right,” he told her, and a genuine grin touched his lips. “It seems that Max is quite taken with her,” he chuckled. “He hasn’t left her side for a moment. I’ve never seen him like this before.”
Melinda struggled to sit up and Colin was quick to help her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her securely against his side and she could feel the pounding of his heart. Strong. Steady.
“Colin,” she whispered, feeling the guilt overwhelming her. This was all her fault. “He…he must have tracked me by my cell,” she confessed softly, unable to look him in the eyes. “Stacy called a few days ago…and I didn’t tell you. I’m so sorry.”
He was silent for a very long moment and Melinda swallowed hard, afraid that he would never forgive her. Finally, he pressed his lips to her temple and sighed. “Your forgiven, but,” he husked against her hair, his breath warm, “…no more secrets.”
“No more secrets,” she promised quietly. “How long have I been out?”
“Well, it’s Christmas Eve morning.”
“Holy shit!” she responded and his grin widened. “I must really need a shower.”
Colin shook his head with amusement as he slipped from the bed and lifted her in his arms. “Your wish is my command, my sweet,” he whispered as he carried her toward the bathroom.
After they had showered and eaten, Melinda was feeling almost normal again. She and Colin were sitting in the dining room finishing up and talking quietly when Max came down to check on her. When he saw that she was up and as feisty as ever, he gave her a quick hug and went straight back upstairs to tend to Stacy.
“It’s light outside. What is Bela Lugosi doing wandering about?” she asked Colin as Max left the room and headed back upstairs.
Colin took her hand as he led her over to the sofa, snuggling her up against his body as if afraid to let her out of his sight.
“That’s why all the drapes are drawn,” he explained. “I told you, he isn’t straying too far from your friend’s side. It seems that Roland forced her to call you, and she’s been inconsolable. He and his family put her through hell.”
Melinda burrowed closer and sighed. Suddenly she sat up with a jerk. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed.
“Melinda, what is it?”
She looked at Colin a moment, her mouth set in a tight line. “It’s something that Roland said.” She stood and walked over to the Christmas tree, staring at the twinkling lights as she tried to get up the nerve to confront him. But…he had said no more secrets, and that didn’t just apply to her. Truth worked both ways.
She felt him walk up behind her and only a moment later his arms slipped around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Oh Lord, she thought with a tiny shiver, this just felt so right.
“What did he say, Melinda,” Colin asked against her neck.
“Something about my mate teaching me well when I annihilated that first vampire.” She turned in his arms and looked up at him, noticing with a sinking feeling in her gut that his face had gone pale. She took a small breath and sighed. It seemed as if she had her answer. “And that you hadn’t told me because you planned on moving on after…” She finished with a small shrug, already planning her next move.
She guessed that it would be safe enough now to go back home. Back to her old life, and that thought brought on a sadness she wasn’t prepared for. It was deep and almost crippling.
She felt her eyes sting with tears and stepped away from him, walking over to the window and looking out. She couldn’t let him see how much pain the thought caused her. He had done so much for her already. Her feelings had no business coming into play.
“Melinda…”
“It’s all right, Colin. You did your job. You kept me safe, and I can never thank you enough for that.”
Colin’s hands grasped her arms and he turned her to face him and the anguish that she saw in his expression took her by surprise. It was deep, raw…honest.
“I’m an idiot,” he stated, his gaze locking with hers, and she gave him a gentle smile. “Melinda, you are my mate. I knew it the first time I touched you, and I’ve been too much of a coward to tell you.” He sighed, shaking his head slightly. “With everything that had been dropped on you, I didn’t want to add to it. Besides, I was trying to take it all in myself. I never expected…”
“So, you aren’t exactly thrilled with the idea?” she asked, still not quite understanding what it all meant. The word mate brought images of stud services to her mind, and she swallowed hard. In this crazy new world she was now a part of, the word could mean a million different things.
Colin pulled her back over to the tree and wrapped his arms around her. “I was thrown for a loop. I never thought…I never thought that I would find my mate. And to think that I was lucky enough for it to be you…”
“What does it mean, exactly?” she asked quietly when he grew silent.
“It means that we are destined to spend a very long life together. That for me there will never be another. I hoped that in time you would come to care for me.” He said the last quietly and Melinda threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, nearly knocking them off of their feet.
She pulled back and smiled up at him. “Good Lord, you are such an ass,” she giggled. “Colin Bane, I am so in love with you that I can’t hardly see straight! I just keep thinking that this has to be a dream!”
She felt the tension rush out of his body as he swept her up and dashed toward the stairs. “Christ, Melinda,” he husked as he carried her to their bedroom. “You don’t know what it does to me to hear you say that, and I promise you, this isn’t a dream.”
He set her down next to the bed and she looked up at him. “Well?” she said finally, and he looked at her with unmistakable heat in his eyes and just a hint of confusion.
“Well, what?”
“Shouldn’t you say something back? I mean, geez. I put myself out there and… Men!”
His lips turned up in a grin, but the look in his eyes told her the truth, and she felt a shiver of longing creep across her. “Melinda, I love you so damned much, I can’t believe I even existed before you.”
Melinda felt her eyes well with tears. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” she said softly before pushing him down onto the bed.
“Merry Christmas,” Colin said, kissing Melinda’s neck as they snuggled in bed. She flipped over so that she was facing him and kissed him…slowly, thoroughly, and with all the love that she felt.
“Merry Christmas,” she murmured against his mouth.
“I have something for you,” he said, reaching over and opening the drawer of the nightstand.
“Oh, Colin,” she sighed. “No. I didn’t get you anything
.”
He laughed as he held out a small velvet box and Melinda felt her heart sputter. He opened it and she gasped when she saw the beautiful oval diamond twinkling back at her.
“Sweetheart,” he said with a smile. “You have given me the most precious gift that I could ever ask for. Now, please, say you’ll be my wife as well as my mate.”
Melinda nodded, unable to speak because of the tears streaming down her face. She waved her hand and the room was suddenly filled with sparkling lights, as if a million stars had exploded, and Colin burst out laughing.
“You, my darling mate, are learning. So, is that a yes?”
“Yes,” she choked out and once again threw herself into his arms, knowing that her life had taken a path that was going to be amazing. She had the love of her life, she had forgiven Stacy…and Max was actually growing on her. Life was wonderful, and with this man by her side, she had no doubt at all that it would just keep getting better and better.
The End
Books by Darlene Kuncytes
The Supernatural Desire Series
A Vampire’s Saving Embrace
A Wolf’s Savage Embrace
Marcus’ Mortal Embrace
Coming soon… Harper’s Heavenly Embrace
Other Books
I’ll Be Seeing You
Novellas and Anthology Stories
A Witch’s Hearts Desire
Summer Sin
Wolf Bane
About the Author
Darlene Kuncytes is a Bestselling author who was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. She has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as she can remember - and has always had a love for romance. She’s got a wicked sense of humor and loves finding the humor in everyday life.
A Vampire's Saving Embrace is her first novel in The Supernatural Desire Series.
Book 2!! A Wolf's Savage Embrace - Read Luke and Kat's story!!! Funny, sexy, romantic!!! A definite must read!
Wolf Bane (The Anthology Novella Series Book 3) Page 9