Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2016 Emma Anderson
ISBN: 978-1-77233-675-7
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Jessica Ruth
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To my readers, I send my full appreciation. Without your continued support and encouragement I wouldn't have the courage to continue sharing my stories.
Thank you all!
Happy reading. I hope you like Judge's story.
MATED TO WAR
The Fall of the Four Horsemen, 3
Emma Anderson
Copyright © 2016
Prologue
Welcome to Sin City. Where the stakes are high and playboys are many. A place where bets are laid and deals are made. The paranormal world thrive in this environment, wheeling and dealing, living and loving. The Four Horsemen are no different. The people of Las Vegas feed their hunger without even trying. They are known by many names—Death, Conquest, War, and Famine—but those close to them know them as Devil, Viper, Judge, and Chaos. They run their business, Celestial Desert Paradise Hotel and Casino, the way they live their lives, ruthlessly. They are unforgiving when wronged and never fail to obtain that which they desire. As alpha of the local pride of mountain lions and head of security at the hotel, Judge lays down the rules that are to be obeyed by everyone. However, nobody told his mate.
Charli ran toward her little sister’s room just as another scream sounded. Racing through the tiny apartment, she came upon the closed door. The sight that greeted her when she opened it had her moving to Emily’s side. Her sister’s delicate, tear-streaked face was etched with fear.
Pulling Emily into her arms, Charli asked, “What is it, honey?”
“Hurt, I can’t move,” came the reply before Emily threw her arms around Charli’s neck. “I’m scared, Charli.”
“It’s just a bad dream, honey. Why don’t I lay with you while you go back to sleep.”
“No, not a dream. It’s Nurse Nikki.”
That had Charli’s back straightening and her worry increasing. Nikki was the nurse who had spent a lot of time with both Emily and Charli during Emily’s most recent hospital stay. Charli had come to view her as a friend. She was the only person in Las Vegas who knew the truth about them. That it wasn’t epilepsy causing the seizures that had once again landed Emily in the hospital, but her developing psychic abilities. Both sisters were clairvoyant. It was a gift and curse, offering them insight but also throwing them into danger.
Running from the danger had landed them in Las Vegas, where they were lucky enough to meet Nikki. Like Charli and Emily, Nikki had her own scary past. Her ex-boyfriend had attacked and raped her. Now with that knowledge in mind Charli had to establish whether Emily’s dream was picking up on Nikki’s past attack or something more recent.
Rocking Emily, Charli closed her mind off to everything except Nikki. Darkness enveloped her. An ominous feeling stirred in her stomach, telling Charli that something was either about to happen to Nikki, or had already.
Moving from Emily’s bed, she looked down at her little sister. Worry was evident in her angelic face. “Honey, I’m going to check this out and make sure Nikki is okay. I want you to stay here. I’ll go ask Mrs. Evans if she can look after you. Don’t worry about Nikki. I’m sure everything will be okay.”
Charli quickly turned away from her sister, hoping to hide the guilt she felt from the lie she had just told. The ominous feeling turned to dread. Racing next door, she felt comfortable that her elderly neighbor would be up. She barely slept, claiming that she had plenty of time to sleep when she was dead.
With Emily now in Mrs. Evans’s care, Charli sat in the taxi she had ordered, heading toward the only place she could think of going. It wasn’t her first point of call, but she’d tried contacting Nikki on the phone number her new friend had given to her, only to be put straight through to voicemail each time.
Less than twenty minutes later she was being dropped off in front of the hotel Nikki’s boyfriend owned. It was a building she knew well, though few people, if any, would recognize her within it. This time, however, she did want to come to the attention of those who worked there.
Worry had her racing into the lobby without coming up with a plan to access either Nikki or her boyfriend, whose name held no place in Charli’s memory. Pushing through the throng of people, she headed toward the front desk. On arriving she asked for Nikki only to be told that she wasn’t available.
“Fine, let me speak to her boyfriend.”
“I’m sorry, miss,” came the almost automatic response from the woman behind the desk. “Maybe if you tell me what this is in regards to I can direct you toward the help you seek.”
“Look, I know you have a job to do,” Charli said, raising her voice, not caring who heard her outburst. “But this is a matter of life or death. Now are you going to direct me to either Nikki or her boyfriend?”
A hand landed on her shoulder. Assuming it was security, Charli tensed, ready to fight them off. “Maybe I can help you,” came the soft voice from behind her. “I’m Gabby, Nikki’s best friend.”
“Oh thank God.” Charli slumped and turned toward the blonde woman. “You have to help me. I think Nikki’s in danger.”
“Danger?” Gabby asked. The woman must have read the urgency in Charli’s eyes because panic formed in her own. “Shit, come on. I’ll take you up to the guys.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Charli said, relief consuming her whole body as she followed the woman toward a lift.
Her respite was short lived. As soon as the doors parted she was yanked away from Gabby by one of the scariest men she had ever seen. His dark eyes were full of menace. An image of Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld, popped into her head. Then his true nature came to her when the man spoke.
“Have you come to steal some more from us? Well too bad, we don’t allow cheats in our casino,” the man said, his fangs slowly dropping from his gums.
It would seem that her previous trips to the casino within this hotel hadn’t gone unnoticed after all. Her guilt about using her power to win at the many tables downstairs resurfaced, along with fear. But she refused to show her true feelings to this vampire. She had long ago learned to hide her fear.
Looking straight into the man’s terrifying face, she challenged, “You need to prove to me and everyone else that I cheated first. Since I also won on the roulette wheel, the only way I could know the outcomes was if your tables were fixed and I had an inside man. And I bet you re-vetted every single employee and came up empty-handed.”
Another man came storming through the door behind the vampire. His emotion-darkened face should have scared her. Instead she found herself wanting to see more of this scruffy-haired, green-eyed man. Her gaze swept over him, taking in his thick, denim-covered legs and solid chest. Too shocked by her unusual response to the man, she almost missed his angry words.
“Get your hands off my mate, Devil!”
Did he just say what she thought he had said? She had heard the term “mate” before. Her limited knowledge suggested that if this fiercely gorgeous man spoke the truth then her life was about to become a lot more complicated. Could she truly be destined to live out her life with him as his fated mate?
“Well, I didn’t see that one coming,” she mumbled to herself in shock. Though she shouldn’t have been too surprised. Her ability rarely gifted her with insight into her own future.
“Charli?” asked another man. He was the one she had come to see—Nikki’s boyfriend.
As soon as her attention landed on him, she was brought back to the reason she had come here. “Please tell me she’s here, safe,” she all but pleaded.
“She’s at work. Why? What have you seen?” Nikki’s boyfriend asked.
Before she could respond, the man claiming to be her mate angrily demanded, “What the fuck’s going on, Viper? How do you know my mate?” Charli felt his anger. It rolled off of him in volatile waves.
The man she now knew as Viper curled his fingers into his palm as he moved his focus away from her. “This is Nikki’s friend from the hospital. The one who warned her about Watson being at her house. Now stop interrupting while I find out what the hell she knows.”
He looked back at her and waited. It was time to find out whether Emily’s vision and her own sense of feeling were correct. “Can you contact her?”
“I can call the hospital. Our link has been blocked be her privacy wall.”
Charli focused, forcing all of her energy on finding Nikki. She once again hit darkness. She was barely aware of mumbling, “Not wall, unconsciousness.”
Then the answer came to her. A face flashed through her mind. It was one she had seen before when she’d warned Nikki of a man’s presence in her house—the same man that had previously hurt Nikki.
“He has her! His plans are unclear, muffled by his anger,” Charli informed flatly. The fear and pain she saw in the not-too-distant future dampened her emotions, leaving her cold.
As she willed her body to allow warmth once again to be carried by her blood, heating her from the inside, she became aware of Gabby talking on the phone. All eyes seemed to be on her. Whatever was being said to Gabby had her distress increasing.
Once she had hung up, Viper asked, “What did they say?”
“Nikki got a call down to the ER. There was an emergency out at the prison. Sharon, my boss, didn’t realize that she hadn’t made it until I asked. No one has seen her,” Gabby said, turning into the arms of the man Charli had heard being called Devil. It was a name that suited him. “That was a couple of hours ago. He’s got her, hasn’t he? He’s going to kill her this time.”
The fourth man present, a giant by anyone’s standards, asked, “What are you feeling, Viper?”
“Pissed off!”
“No, I meant from Nikki?” the giant pushed.
Silence followed as Viper tried to connect with Nikki. Charli felt the nudges against her own mind, but that was only because she was trying to remain connected to Nikki. Finally his shoulders stiffened. His back became ramrod and pure fury seeped from every one of Viper’s pores.
“Charli’s right, she’s unconscious,” he replied, turning back to her. “What else do you know?”
Once again closing her mind off to everything that wasn’t Nikki, an image rose in her mind. A dank, empty building appeared. It looked like the industrial area over near Henderson. Her job had taken her over there a few times. Thankfully if she was right, it was only about twenty minutes away.
“I think I can find her,” she replied. “But I’m going to have to show you. It’s a feeling, nothing more.”
“Like hell you’re putting yourself in danger, mate,” her supposed mate snapped. He had moved to stand in front of her. “Paul Watson is dangerous. I won’t have you anywhere near him.”
That pissed her off. She had sworn long ago that no man would dictate her actions again. And here this gorgeous yet infuriating man was trying to do exactly that. Standing on the tips of her toes, she decided to take the fight straight to him, ensuring there would be no misunderstandings.
“Listen here, you overgrown buffoon. I consider Nikki a friend—something I have very few of—and I don’t plan on abandoning her when she needs me just because you said so. I’ve dealt with danger most of my life. This is nothing new to me!”
“Danger? What fucking danger?” he demanded. His body began to physically shake, while movement appeared under the skin on his face. It suddenly dawned on her. He was a shifter. One who was about to change forms.
“That’s none of your business!” Charli replied quickly before stepping back toward Viper.
Her progress was halted by Judge’s hand on her arm. “You’re my mate. That makes it my business!”
Chapter One
The situation had quickly turned dire after her confrontation with the shape shifter who seemed to be fighting with himself to remain in human form. Viper was struck by pain. Nikki’s pain. This intensified what Charli was already feeling. She could now sense the agony Nikki was in through both her and her mate. It took everything within Charli not to curl up and give in to the pain. The knowledge that Nikki’s life hung in the balance had her back straightening and her resolve firming. Nikki needed her now more than ever, and so did these strong, aggressive men if they were going to find her in time. And she would be damned if this stranger was going to dictate her actions.
Instinctively, she moved back toward the lift, confident in the knowledge that the others would follow. On the ride down, she tried to numb the pain by concentrating on something else. Her gaze fell upon the man claiming to be her mate. From the argument that was still going on between him and Viper about her involvement, she ascertained that his name was Judge, and by the constant reference to him as “cat,” Charli assumed that he was some sort of cat shifter.
All thought of the man flew out the window as soon as they arrived at a large black BMW. It was time to concentrate on getting Nikki the help she needed. Though he wore his displeasure at her involvement in this journey for all to see, Judge still held the passenger side door open for her.
“Thank you,” she said, unable to hide her surprise at his actions. “You need to head toward Henderson.”
With the destination shared, Charli sank into the luxury car. As soon as the leather seats welcomed her body, she was transferred back to the building which held Nikki. Only this time, she forced her body away from Nikki’s exact location and onto the surrounding streets. Her mind was intent on calculating the fastest route. Once she sensed they were close she began directing with a left and right when needed. Her mind still focused on the map that was invisible to everyone but her.
“How far, Charli?” Viper demanded from the back seat. The building was close. She didn’t need the map to tell her that. Before she could respond to Viper, he added, “Damn it, woman! Tell me, are we close?”
“Watch your tone, fae!” came Judge’s growled response.
Instead of getting between them, Charli opened her eyes and took in the street they were speeding down. “There! There it is!” she shouted as soon as the building came into view.
Before the car had come to a complete stop Viper had the back door open. A sword Charli was only just noticing was in his hand as he stepped toward the dilapidated building. Judge rushed out of the driver’s seat to stop Viper. Devil and the giant she now knew to be Chaos joined them. A short, heated discussion ensued, followed by Judge looking back to where she still sat in the car.
On a gasp Charli took in the man whose gaze held hers. Right before her eyes he was changing. He was the same man who had driven them here, yet he had grown impossibly larger in every way. His face had altered, making him appear more animal than human.
Her “magic eye,” as Emily liked to call it, sparked to life. Her ability gifted her with the knowledge of Judge’s other form. In her mind she saw an impressive mountain lion, larger than any she had ever seen. His sheer beauty was enough to hold his prey in thrall while he planned his attack. If she wasn’t careful, she too would fall prey to this dangerous man. She couldn’t allow that. Her life was complicated enough without adding Judge to the mix.
With a look she could only describe as pleading and con
cern, Judge walked away from the car with the other three men, oblivious to her inner turmoil. She didn’t need her psychic ability to know what he was saying with his expressive eyes. She was reminded of his ordered words as he’d exited the car. “Stay here and stay safe.” Words that had her guarded heart fluttering in response. It was enough to have her resolve setting. She needed to get as far away from this creature as humanly possible. But before she could think of her own safety she needed to know Nikki’s fate.
Once again closing herself off to her surroundings, Charli went in search of Nikki’s future. It was enough to allow her a short break from the pain that still swamped her body. An image of Nikki flittered through her mind. She was still the stunning, tiny woman Charli knew her to be, yet something was different. She gave off an energy that held Charli captive. Something within her told Charli that Nikki was no longer human in her vision.
Forcing the image away, Charli was relieved that her friend would survive this ordeal. It mattered little to her how, or what she would become. Charli had dealt with enough otherworld creatures to know their true selves were carried over into their new lives. Nikki would be exactly the same woman she was before, just a little harder to kill.
Now Charli just had to figure out how she was going to escape from her mate. She’d had enough contact with the man to know he spoke the truth about their intertwined futures. She had never responded to a man the way she had Judge. That fact alone had her refusing to pull him into her crazy and dangerous life. She couldn’t protect Emily from it, but she sure as hell would protect her mate.
She considered calling for a taxi, but she doubted one would arrive before the men had saved Nikki. That left her with two options—remain where she was and try to escape Judge when they returned to the hotel, or take his car. The idea of waiting for his return had her heart skipping a beat. His very existence offered her a future she had never thought possible. One in which she had companionship. But what could she offer him? A lifetime of running.
Mated to War Page 1