by Gena D. Lutz
“What happened to Brady is terrible.” Nathan commented. “We need to find his sire or there will be no chance of saving him.”
That sounded simple enough. “Do they know who sired him?” I asked.
Nathan’s lids lowered and he hesitated to answer for a brief moment. And when he spoke, his words floored me. “Tyson is the one who sired him, Rox.”
Apprehension rolled through me. I have to admit, I wasn’t prepared to hear that certain vampire’s name said out loud. Nor did I ever want to hear it again. My mind briefly wandered back to the night when I almost died by that vile vampire’s hand. I could still feel the bite of cold steal from a knife piercing the flesh of my neck, and hear Tyson’s phantom laughter ringing in my ears while he slid that blade across my throat. He had taken his time with it; wanting to make sure he wrenched as much pain from Nathan, who had been stuck watching on, as he did it. I had never been so scared in my life. Never felt so helpless. Under no circumstances did I ever want to feel like that again. Unfortunately, the nightmarish event was one I lived over and over in my memories, a memory so poignant that it almost brought me to my knees at times.
“Well this just isn’t my day is it?” I said, pushing back the flood of emotions swamping me.
“Maybe not,” Nathan said. He reached over the middle console and laid his hand on my leg. “But I’m here to weather the storm with you.”
As soon as his calming touch registered in my brain, my whole body relaxed and I settled, with a less anxious comfort, into my seat.
“That means everything to me, handsome.” I whispered.
“I guess that’s one question answered.” Ariel piped in. She leaned even closer to us, almost wedging her petite body between both front seats. “Would you mind answering one more question?” She probed.
“Is there a reason why I should?” I asked with a bit more attitude than was necessary or meant.
Her face blurred in my vision for a moment and her once brilliant green eyes swirled silver. If I hadn’t been staring straight at her I probably would have missed the color change altogether. This creature had a way about her, something that warned me to tread lightly, it was really creepy. Ariel was beautiful, with sharp features and long hair that flowed around her pale face like a golden aura of light. Nonetheless, I knew by pure instinct alone that she was incredibly dangerous; an exquisite menace that I decided right then and there to never purposefully piss off...again.
“Some women from my ancient line would consider you ill mannered. I would imagine that they would go as far as to eliminate you if it meant not having to deal with such blatant disrespect. I am royalty, you know.” Ariel stated matter-of-factly.
It was evident that she was used to getting her way in all things by the way she eased gingerly back into her seat. Her body moved like the element her species was named after.
“Lucky for you, I am more like my father when it comes to my temperament. But tread lightly, wolf. I am still my mother’s daughter.”
Considering the nightmarish stories I heard from the wolves at the pack house about her mother, Orea, I probably should have been a little more subjugated by who she was. If I were still human, I most likely would’ve been. But I wasn’t a mere mortal anymore now was I? I was a vampire and wolf hybrid. And I was beginning to understand that that meant I demanded a certain respect of my own. Still, like I said before, I wasn’t stupid so I did what anyone would do when dealing with an uninvited, dangerous, and entitled princess. I calmed my ass down and gave her what she wanted.
“Go ahead and ask your question.” I said, a little nicer this time. Okay, maybe a lot nicer.
Ariel smiled smugly. “I need to know how I can find this Tyson character. It sounds like his blood is the answer to all my problems.”
Nathan shook his head as he looked at me then back at Ariel. “No one has a clue how to find that guy. Believe me; we have been exhausting all of our personal contacts and sure fire avenues trying. That vampire is considered public enemy number one to the Adelphi. There’s no holding back.”
“Is that why you popped in at the restaurant and now here in my car? Do you think we know where that bastard is?” I asked her.
The Nymph flicked her hand dismissively. “I took the chance that you might be able to help me with my quest. My options are to help this vampire out of his death sleep by finding him the blood he needs, apparently. Or, I can wish him awake. Considering that bequeathing a wish drains a nymph of her magic which will subsequently kill her. I would much rather go with option A.”
“I don’t get it. Why are you going to such lengths to help Brady?” Nathan asked, confused.
Ariel looked down and then back up at Nathan. I could've swore I caught a glimpse of worry etch her brow and tiny lines web her forehead. But like her changing eyes, the expression vanished quickly.
“The moment I brought that human from the lake, allowing him to survive his trip to my world, I became Brady’s guardian.” Ariel ended her explanation there.
She left me curious as to what being a human’s guardian entailed, but whatever. I could tell she wanted to be done with all of this by the way she dragged a hand through her platinum locks, letting loose a labored breath. She looked away. Her expression was one of annoyance and it seemed as though she wanted to be anywhere else but here with us. Considering that she was stirring up a crap load of bad memories that starred Tyson killing me, I felt the same way.
Nathan wasn’t so accepting of Ariel’s cryptic explanation though. His hand absently stroked my leg as he said, “I had always wondered why the Queen forbade humans from approaching the island. Now it’s all coming clear, except for one thing. How can a Nymph become a human’s Guardian?”
I looked at Ariel through my rearview mirror. I was anxious to hear the answer to this question myself.
“Like I said before, I am now responsible for him. He has a certain control over me now, a command that no other species is capable of acquiring over a nymph. It doesn’t matter if he is sleeping or awake, as long as Brady still breathes I am drawn to protect him, even if that protection comes at the cost of my very life. Is that explanation enough for you, wolf?”
I closed my eyes and took in the musky smell of wolf that overpowered the air around me. Oddly enough, I could pinpoint where every single one of the wolves from my pack there. Their very essence radiated a searing flash in my brain of red silhouettes bordered by a white glowing outline. That was the only way I knew how to describe how I could see them through the stone and steel the house was built out of. There were ten Prime wolves here and just their presence alone had an overwhelming hold on me. Even though we weren’t home on Ash Island, there were enough of my pack members here to keep my beast content. As I went to grab a few of my bags out of the back of the car, Nathan took my hand in his. He gave the back of it a quick kiss and reached up to shut the trunk.
“Just leave everything in the car. I was hoping that you would come back to my place after this.” He said shyly.
He kicked a couple rocks around and watched them skip off down the driveway. I reached over and lifted his face by his chin, our eyes connecting.
“I would love to see where you live. Maybe I will even be able to uncover some of your deepest, darkest secrets. Where do you keep them hidden, huh? Let me guess, in the deep abyss of your kitchen cabinets?” I joked.
Nathan cursed under his breath. My plan worked, he was cheering up by the second.
“You caught me! I knew I should have hidden my murder weapons somewhere else. Oh, well. You had to find out sooner or later. I am a serial killer of germs and grime. I mercilessly spray and scrub them out of existence. I hope that’s not a deal breaker.” He said, very seriously.
“Hmmm. So you are a handsome serial killer?” I tapped my chin, “Fair enough. I must warn you though. I leave my towels all over the bathroom floor,” I said with a chuckle.
Nathans smile vanished and a horrified look replaced it. “You’re kidding, right?
” He said.
I shook my head and tried my best to hold back a laugh. I couldn’t tell if Nathan was joking anymore. My guess would be that he wasn’t. He obviously took his cleaning very seriously.
“Maybe I am…maybe I’m not. I guess you’ll just have to find out for yourself.” I replied.
I was about to turn around and head for the house when the white van that was transporting David pulled up. My good mood dropped into my gut and was replaced by a sickening chill. Ember and Collin hopped out of the truck and made their way over to us. Their clothes were a bit wrinkled from the long drive here, but they looked refreshed, contrary to their wardrobe’s bedraggled state. I could only imagine the puffy bags that had formed under my own eyes. I wasn’t handling the constant drama, like the rest of them, very well. But I knew I had to get my butt in shape fast because the fun had only just begun.
“I received a call from Sadie a few minutes ago,” Ember announced as she came to a stop in front of us. “She said that hysterical wolves are showing up at Haven in large numbers. And that’s not all. It seems that all these wolves belong to packs in surrounding territories.”
Collin gestured at Nathan. “One of the wolves is asking specifically for you. Her name is Paige. The wolf wouldn’t say what about, just that she would only speak with you. That’s all Sadie could get out of her.”
My wolf’s first instinct was to bite a big chunk out of her mate’s ass at the mere mention of another she-wolf’s interest in him. A small growl even made its way out from between my lips. I needed more information about this Paige chick before I would allow myself to get jealous, so my avaricious wolf would just have to chill out. The world wasn’t going to come crumbling down at the first mention of another woman’s name. Not yet anyway. I would wait and see what Nathan had to say first.
There was an excruciatingly awkward beat of silence. Finally, instead of directing his answer to Collin, Nathan turned to face me. His hands came to rest on my shoulders and he slightly shook his head. I looked down at both hands, then back up into his worried face.
“I don’t want any secrets between us,” Nathan began.
My heart skipped a million beats at the tone of his voice. This couldn’t be good. I reached up and pulled his hands from me. “Maybe I like secrets,” I said.
This seemed like a pretty good time to end this conversation while my heart was still intact. Desperation made me try and walk away but I was stopped short when he grabbed my hand.
“Fine,” I said, turning back around. “Lay it on me. Is she your girlfriend, your ex, a friend with benefits hook up? Let’s hear it.”
“No…it’s nothing like that.” He said.
Nathan’s face flushed red. If I wasn’t mistaken, he actually looked embarrassed. He swallowed hard.
“She is an old friend of mine who just happens to be harboring some, shall we say, more than friendly feelings for me.”
Ember cleared her throat. “Come on, Collin. Let’s give these two a moment alone.”
Collin looked from Nathan to me, then back at Nathan again. A half smile ticked up at the corner of his mouth and he shook his head.
“Good luck, man. Oh, and just in case Roxanne ends up killing you, I would just like to say…It was nice knowing ya, buddy.”
Then, with barely contained amusement, Ember and Collin disappeared into the house.
“You’re not funny, man!” Nathan yelled at his cousin’s back.
Collin stepped back from the doorway and grinned. His green eyes twinkled in the sunlight much like Santa Claus’ might have if Santa was a big burly werewolf decked out in tight black fatigues.
“Meet us in my office after you’re done groveling. We have a lot of shit to figure out,” he yelled back at Nathan.
“We’ll come now, we’re finished here.” I announced, walking around Nathan.
He didn’t try to stop me this time, he just stood there with an uneasy look.
“Don’t worry, love. I know to whom your heart belongs. I am okay with us shelving this conversation for later. But there will be a later. You can count on it,” I assured him.
I strode up the steps and proceeded to walk straight through a set of large wooden doors. My boots came to a stop on rich cherry hardwood as I reached the middle area of the compound’s massive foyer. The receiving area was decked out in lavish adornments. I took a second to admire them all and to also enjoy the warm, welcoming feel this wolf den provided me. There were large paintings that decorated the walls. From what I could tell, the works of art appeared to be painted by hand, a very talented one at that. The images that were portrayed in the vibrant paintings featured several different kinds of landscapes. Every image, in its entirety, had one thing in common, the addition of wolves. Some of them were even posing in human form alongside fully shifted wolves. The collection was stunning. I pulled my eyes from the room’s appointments and tried to figure out how I was going to find my Alphas. Considering that I had never stepped foot in this part of the house before let alone Collins office, I had no clue where to begin. I found my eyes traveling up a grand staircase that stood imposingly before me. It had a scarlet runner trimmed in gold that blanketed the steps from top to bottom. The stairs divided about halfway up before branching off into opposite directions, the separate pathways stopping as they reached the second floor. I spied a wide open space that was slightly hidden behind the staircase. That was one of the only areas that I had ventured in before and was somewhat familiar with. The room was three times larger than the foyer and happened to be filled with pool tables, a fully stocked bar, and a few lounging chairs. I knew for a fact that Collins office wasn’t anywhere near there. I looked down a long hallway off to my left; it was empty. Frowning, I decided to take my chances and head down it anyway. For some odd reason, I abruptly changed my mind and veered off course, following a nagging instinct that pointed me, instead, in the direction of the stairs.
“Wait up.” Nathan said as he walked into the house. He was holding my overnight bag in his hand and had a blue backpack dangling off his shoulder. I admired his physique for a moment as he stood by the entryway watching me with those probing dark eyes of his. He had a gladiator build, one that wasn’t overly muscled. His hair was wild like always, pieces of it falling into the corners of his eyes. His features were a perfect mixture of masculine lines, calmed by the soft curvature of full lips and a perfectly angled nose. He was a resplendent specimen of werewolf and man. My fingers ached to touch him, to feel the corded muscles that covered his body underneath them. I had no clue why I always seemed to feel like a nymphomaniac overdosed on ecstasy whenever I was around this man. One thing was for certain. I was going to show him exactly how much I desired his tempting body, just as soon as I got him alone and out of all those bothersome clothes that covered him.
I grinned through my secret thoughts of desire. “Is Collin’s office that way?” I asked, pointing toward the top level of the compound where I somehow ‘knew’ it would be.
“Yeah, that’s where the nerve center of this compound is; the place where my pain in the ass cousin watches over all of us hapless wolves.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I don’t envy Collin. Hunting down and judging supernatural beings can’t be a fun filled job. I will remain hapless if it’s all the same to you.”
Nathan snorted softly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I would much rather fill my days with the spoiling and ravishing of your sexy body. Now that’s a job I can take seriously.”
I bit down on my bottom lip trying to suppress a groan. The man before me was making it really hard to concentrate on anything other than him and all the erotic pleasure I knew he was capable of delivering. I was curious to know if this increase of carnal need was normal, or if it had been somehow heightened by the fact that I was a wolf hybrid. Either way, I wasn’t complaining.
“Let’s go see what our Alphas want to speak with us about.” I said huskily.
Sunlight streamed in through the few windows sca
ttered around the large room, the beams bathed Nathan’s hair, making his dirty blonde highlights stand out against a mop of darker locks. He walked over to me and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I reached up, entwining my fingers through his hair, giving him a heated kiss that could have rivaled the very sun itself.
***
The door was closed when we reached Collin’s office, so I knocked. There was flirtatious giggling going on in there so I didn’t expect an immediate answer.
“It’s unlocked!” Collin’s voice boomed through the wall.
The door was built out of thick wood with carvings of what looked like runes and a form of old world hieroglyphics bordering its edges. It gave off the impression of being heavy and hard to open, and I also sensed that the markings were a sort of protection measure, an otherworldly alarm system. I pushed the door forward with ease. Ember was sitting on the corner of the desk, the same desk that her mate was sitting imposingly behind. Her face was flushed red and she was busy trying to button up her shirt.
“Uh, oh shoot. Sorry, I can see that your, ah…busy.” I said, neglecting to close the door all the way, just in case a quick exit was necessary. “We can come back later if you’re busy.”
“No, no…it’s okay. You can stay. We would never get anything done if we waited for Collin to stop being ‘busy’.” Ember said, directing us over to a set of wing backed chairs that sat in front of the desk with the swing of her hand. “Park it.”
“Damn it, woman. They could have waited thirty minutes. It wouldn’t have killed them,” Collin grumbled.
Collin smoothed his hand over Ember’s thigh, making sure to press his thumb along the inside of her legs as he worked his way upwards. He growled low in complaint when Ember pushed his hand away.
Ember’s face flashed about twenty shades of red as she shook her head at her mate. “Don’t mind him. The big oaf is always like this.”
I hesitated for a moment, but did as she asked. Nathan was already seated. His face was a bit red too, but for entirely different reasons. He was out right laughing at his cousin’s obvious pain. It amazed me how much those two liked to torture each other.