Dante’s Circle Reborn: A Dante’s Circle Collection

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “And if you kill me, then you’ll never discover what the Conclave seeks.”

  She narrowed her eyes and lifted her lip in a snarl.

  “Tell me what you are and what exactly you want from the Conclave so I can get rid of you.”

  “Is that really what you want?”

  He moved closer, and she raised her chin. She didn’t back up, and he liked that.

  “What do you want?” she asked again.

  “If I were to say you, what would you say?”

  “I’d say you’re delusional,” she snapped.

  “Well, then, I’ll just have to live in those delusions for a while longer. I need your help, mermaid.”

  “My name is Caly. Use it.”

  Caly, he liked that. She looked like a Caly, and he could imagine saying her name as he plunged into her wet heat, but he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He had other things to worry about.

  “I will tell you what I am, but first, I need your help.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. If you don’t tell me, and if I don’t figure it out, I’ll go back to the Conclave empty-handed. And then they’ll take everything from me. Do you understand that? They’ll take the one thing that I’ve been striving for my entire life.”

  He shook his head. “If that’s the case, perhaps you need more in your life.”

  He didn’t know why he was being such a dick to her. In fact, he didn’t know why he was being an asshole at all. Just her presence got under his skin, though. He didn’t like it. How was he supposed to protect his people if he had to deal with this? He didn’t feel like himself.

  “Excuse me?” she growled.

  He winked. “I like when you growl. It’s cute.” And then he leaned down and lowered his lips to hers. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it until he was kissing her, and she had her hands on his chest, the pressure increasing with each passing moment.

  She tasted of the sea and home, and he wanted more, his predator pushing at her. She pushed at him again, and he freely took a step back, knowing he was in the wrong.

  “What the hell was that?” she snapped.

  He was surprised that she didn’t wipe her mouth. “Well, I might as well be honest.”

  “That would be different.”

  He grinned. “You’re my mate. And I’m going to have you. But first, we need to help each other.”

  He didn’t even register the slap until he blinked, and she looked down at her hand. “Did you just hit me?” he asked, a little perplexed, and a lot turned on.

  “Don’t throw the word mate around. How dare you say that? You come into the Conclave and throw your weight around as if we’re supposed to fear you. You break into my home, you tease me, you kiss me without my permission, and now you’re calling me your mate? All the while, you want something from me. Who are you?”

  He raised his chin and smiled at her. “I am Misha, one of the last of my kind. And, yes, I am your mate. If you look beyond the turmoil within your soul, you’ll feel the connection. And I will tell you exactly who I am, and what I am. First, though, as I said, I need your help.” He paused as she blinked at him, rubbing her hand along her chest, her towel sliding just a bit. “I need your help to make sure my people are safe. Even from the one who is one of us.”

  She blinked at him then and shook her head. “What do you mean?”

  Right then, he knew he needed to trust her, even if he had only been baiting her before. Because his people were dying, and he didn’t have time to court her, didn’t have time to play around.

  He needed her to save his people, and then maybe, save his soul.

  Chapter 3

  Caly did not trust this Misha as far as she could throw him. And considering this unknown paranormal was insanely built, she wouldn’t be able to throw him very far.

  As soon as she had put on clothes, thankfully out of Misha’s view, she had taken him to another part of the underwater world. She hadn’t wanted him to be anywhere near Seth or his mates. Or the baby.

  Oh, this man might be her mate, though she wasn’t a hundred percent certain on that, but she didn’t know his true intentions. After all, he’d shown up out of nowhere, was a cocky son of a bitch, had threatened the Conclave, and was the person standing between her and a job she loved.

  So, no thank you, Misha. If he truly was her mate, he wouldn’t be an asshole. Right? Wasn’t that the way things worked? Mates were once in a lifetime. Considering that supernaturals could live for thousands of years, that was a long time to be alone if you never found your other half.

  Seth had been lucky, he’d not only found his mate, he’d also found another part of his soul along the way. His mates were sweet, loving, and could kick the ass of anyone who dared come after their family.

  That was something she had always secretly wanted deep down, though she had never voiced it.

  But now, this man had shown up, threatened so many, and was now claiming that she could be his? No, she didn’t want to believe that. And, frankly, she wasn’t even going to try.

  “Nice cave,” Misha drawled, sounding like the egotistical asshole he probably was.

  “Not to your liking?” she snapped, her nerves on edge.

  “It’s just fine, Caly. I understand that you want to keep your family safe, and I don’t blame you. I’m just trying to keep my family safe, as well.”

  Her gaze shot to his. “What’s with the nice tone? Are you trying to lure me into a sense of security?”

  Misha ran his hands through his hair and growled before he paced the cave. The cavern was underwater, but they were in an air pocket where he could breathe. She was back on two legs, having brought an extra pair of clothes so she could change after they had swum. She didn’t know how he had made it down to where she lived, and she hadn’t needed to use the kiss of life on him during their swim.

  What kind of supernatural could breathe underwater like she could? Or perhaps he didn’t need to breathe. She didn’t know, but she was honestly a little worried. She didn’t know this man, didn’t know what kind of magic he had. However, something deep within her wanted her to trust him. And considering who she was, and the power she held, she didn’t ignore that instinct. Because sometimes she could see prophecy, could sense the future. It wasn’t a significant part of her powers, but it was enough that she knew when she could trust others. And the fact that her senses were telling her that she could trust him worried her. Because she didn’t know him, and she shouldn’t feel like she could trust him at all. But here she was, alone with him, with no one else around, somewhere he could hurt her without anyone knowing.

  And yet, she stood here. Oh, she might be a warrior, able to fight well, and she had fought endless wars for other realms—even once for her own—but this man, this stranger, seemed far stronger.

  “What do you want?” she asked again.

  “I need to protect my people, and to do that, I need to tell secrets, things that we have hidden for countless years.”

  “Why tell me? Why are you here?”

  “I have other plans,” Misha said, continuing to pace. “I was going to talk with that dragon, Dante. He seems to hold a lot of power, and I thought maybe he could sway the Conclave to help my people.”

  “And who are your people?”

  He didn’t answer. “But then I saw you, and I knew exactly who you were to me.”

  “I’m nothing to you.”

  He met her gaze, his eyes glowing red for an instant, and she froze.

  “What are you?” she whispered.

  “You can feel it, can’t you? Who we could be? It’s not just one-sided. It can’t be. You know that not everybody can feel that pull. Sometimes, it takes years for it to grow between people. But a bond can be made, and it didn’t even surprise you. I feel it already, and I’ve only been in your presence for moments. We have the potential to be true halves, mates in truth. But I didn’t plan on this. I didn’t plan on you.”

  She swallowed hard, trying t
o ignore the feeling inside. Because she felt the tug, that pull. The fact that he could be the one person to complete her soul.

  But she didn’t want that. She couldn’t.

  “It doesn’t matter what I feel, not when I have a mission. And that is to find out exactly what you want, and who you are. You keep neglecting to mention that, so, why don’t you tell me?”

  “I haven’t told anybody who we are for so long, it’s hard.”

  “Just say the words, and then we’ll figure this out. Though the fact that you threatened the Conclave means you’re not on the right side. You’re the one I need to protect my people from.”

  “Your Conclave has ignored my people for centuries because of their prejudice.”

  “I am part of the Conclave. So, watch your tone.”

  “My apologies, Caly. I was merely speaking of your elders. The ones who hide their secrets.”

  “Everybody’s allowed to have secrets,” she whispered.

  “And yet you want me to divulge mine?”

  “Because you’re playing games. You want your people to be recognized by the Conclave. And you threaten to do it. Yet you won’t tell anybody, you won’t tell me what kind of supernatural you are. How are we supposed to want you to be part of us and give you a voice when you won’t even make your true intentions known?”

  “You’ve got me there, but the elders know who I am. The fact that they sent you on this wild goose chase means that they want to look as if they’re trying.”

  She froze, blinking. “They can’t know, they wouldn’t have done that.” But she knew she was lying. She didn’t like the elders. Never had. They had forced some of the Conclave members to do things that nobody in their right mind would ever want to do. They’d stayed back from wars when it served them, and they hid behind their shield of power.

  It was only because of the lightning-struck, and Dante himself that the actual apocalypse had ended before it began. The elders would have let it happen, stating that nature needed to run its course.

  “I’m an immortal,” he said, his eyes narrowed.

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s a good one. We’re all immortal, you asshole. That’s what being a supernatural means.”

  “No, the supernaturals appear immortal. I’m a true immortal.”

  She froze. “You can’t die?”

  He shook his head. “You can’t kill what’s already dead, can you?”

  Fear crawled up her spine. “Tell me what you are.”

  “I’m not what they say I am.”

  Before she could question him further or shake him to get the answers she wanted, there was a sound behind him, and he whirled, the red of his eyes lighting up the cave.

  “Damn it, he found me.”

  “You brought danger to my realm?”

  “I thought I was the danger,” he drawled, and she cursed under her breath.

  “Who is it?” she asked, ignoring his taunts. He was on edge. And if he was, she needed to be.

  “One of my kind who wants to eradicate the rest of us. And then wipe out the rest of you. He’s dark, but I won’t have you hurt.”

  “Because you want answers from me? You want help?”

  He looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “Because you’re mine.” And then he jumped, and a blur moved across her vision.

  She let out a shout as a man in dark leather pants and a leather jacket came at Misha, his hands outstretched, clawed fingertips slashing.

  She slid the water from the crevices around her and let it wrap around her arms and legs before she pushed it at whatever blur was attacking Misha. She might not trust the man, but she wasn’t going to let him die on her watch. After all, she had to find out exactly who he was.

  The dark blur shaped like a man hit and slashed at Misha, who ducked out of the way in time. They weren’t using weapons. Instead, both were using immense strength and fighting skills.

  They were far faster than she could ever hope to be, but she tried to lash out with her water at them, attempted to use her strength. However, the two were just too fast for her.

  She watched as Misha gripped the other man around the neck and squeezed, and then the enemy sliced his claws down Misha’s side. Misha shouted, blood spraying all around him, and Caly moved closer, trying to help. She wasn’t going to just stand back and watch Misha die. She might not trust him fully, but she didn’t want him dead either. And the part of her that was pulled towards him, that wanted him, refused to let her stand back either.

  She moved forward, using her water to slam into the unknown man. He didn’t budge, but then she used her strength and punched at the man’s face. His head shot back, and he hissed at her, fangs dripping.

  She blinked. Fangs? What kind of paranormal was he?

  He let go of Misha as Misha staggered back, putting his hand over his side, trying to stanch the blood. She kicked, lashed out at the other man, and got one good blow in before he swept his arm out and hit her so hard in the face, she saw stars. Her back hit the rocks behind her, and she blinked, spitting out blood as she tried to focus.

  Misha roared and attacked the blurred man again. The other man kicked, still fighting Misha. She shook her head, wincing at the ache, and then stood up, trying to regain her balance.

  She wasn’t the strongest mer-kin out there. In fact, she was better at using her brain than her fists, but she went at the enemy again. Fighting, kicking. When he sliced his fangs along her arm, she shouted, pulling her hand back as it stung. It burned, but she ignored the wound, trying to help Misha.

  Misha clawed at the man again, then the shadow winked and disappeared just as Misha had before.

  She looked down at her arm, the blood welling, and she cursed. “What the hell was he?”

  Misha staggered towards her, took her hand in his, and placed his mouth over her arm.

  She pushed at him. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I need to get the venom out before it kills you. He left a paralytic agent in your veins. Can’t you feel the burn?”

  As soon as he said it, she felt it, as if molten silver slid through her. Her hands shook. “My goddess, what is it?”

  “Poison. It won’t turn you into one of us, but it will kill you,” he said as if being one of his kind was worse than death. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She couldn’t focus, however, because he latched his mouth onto her arm. She could feel the poison sliding back out, and she went to her knees, her body shaking. It was as if Misha were sucking on a snakebite, trying to get all the venom out. He spat out the blood, along with the silver venom and toxicity.

  She rested her head on the cave wall, looking down at him as he kept spitting out the death coming for her.

  “There, clean blood. You’re fine.”

  And then he leaned against the floor, his hand at his side, and cursed. “Well, that went a little deeper than I planned.” Then he slid to the ground, resting his head on the floor.

  She moved to him then, wiping his hair from his brow, looking down at the wound. It looked as if someone had taken a butcher knife to his side, four long gashes so deep that she could see his ribcage.

  “Oh, my goddess. We have to heal you.”

  “Bandages won’t help,” he whispered, his body shaking.

  “Is it the venom?”

  “No, it’s just deep. Lost too much blood. I need…food.” There was a pause as he said it, and he looked at her. She frowned.

  “Food? What can I give you?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t take from you.”

  And then he passed out. She looked down at him, her hands shaking. Fangs. Venom. Biting. The fact that he wouldn’t take from her.

  He wasn’t supposed to exist, a true immortal didn’t exist.

  But this man, this Misha, had to be a vampire.

  The one paranormal the elders swore didn’t exist.

  As she looked at him, her body shaking as the tug within her that wanted to save him as her mate desperately
tried to retain its hold, she knew she had to help.

  “I hope I’m doing this right,” she said as she put her cut arm closer to Misha’s face. “Drink,” she whispered.

  She parted his lips for him, letting the blood drip into his open mouth. It seemed to trigger him.

  Fangs dug into her arm, and she gasped, the pain intense before it turned to pleasure that almost made her legs shake.

  He bit down, sucking, pulling her life force from her. His arms clamped around her, bringing her closer. Her whole body shook as pain and pleasure wrapped around each other as he fed.

  Fed. Because he was a vampire.

  And, apparently, he was her mate.

  Chapter 4

  Misha felt as if he were in a dream, his cock hard, blood sliding down his throat. It tasted of honey, a sweet elixir that was going to send him right over the edge. He tugged more, loving the shocked moan and gasp of his partner beside him. He licked, sucked, imagined plunging his cock deep into her wet pussy as he bit down on her neck, her arm. Nibbled and took.

  Blood was his energy, his life force, his intoxication.

  He thrust his hips, pressing against the woman, wanting more as he ground against her as if he were a rutting animal. And he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was fuck her, take her blood, and bring them both ecstasy. And then a hand pressed against his shoulder, pushing at him.

  “Misha, it’s too much. I need you to stop.”

  Dread slid over him and wrapped around his body like an iron fist. He froze, his fangs still deeply embedded in the woman’s arm. He recognized that voice. His eyes shot open, and he growled like a shifter, an animal, his vampire senses electrified.

  He slid his fangs out, kissed the wound, and lapped it shut before he looked at Caly, who blinked at him, her body pale, her lips almost white.

  “Fuck,” he growled. He pulled Caly into his arms as he ran his hands down her body, checking for more injuries. The only wound on her that was of any consequence were the two fang marks on her arm. There were still a few cuts and a bruise on her forehead, but he was the one who had harmed her, who had almost ended her life because he had taken too much. He hadn’t done that since he was a babe, learning how to control his hunger and his needs using the humans who had willingly given their blood. There were always humans within their compound, even when they were on the run, families who gave their life force and were given families of their own, as well as payment. They were not their slaves or workers. They were their helpers, their life mates.