* * *
Garth moved through the crowd of people, men clapped him on the back, woman grinned, and sometimes blushed knowing what they planned. His cock was hard, the beast ready to claim his mate, and the man couldn’t wait to tan her hide for taking off in the first place. That night in the courtyard she had seemed so sad and beautiful. All he had wanted to do was hold her, but again she had slipped away from him.
Two months they had searched for her and Allie, but nothing, not a word, nor call to her sister Whitney, even. To say he was surprised about the announcement from Frank, was an understatement. It had been two long painful months. Once they had smelled and tasted their mate, no other female was attractive to them. He was sick of hand jobs, and after tonight the only hands on his cock would be hers.
“This is a wonderful party, Garth. How did you ever have the time to put such a thing together, while looking for us?” The southern twang gave Allie away. She hurried off laughing, knowing Marci’s scent lingered on her, and before he could question her, which only antagonized his beast. Garth closed his eyes for a minute and inhaled her faint scent, the one he still remembered from that courtyard that seem so long ago.
For the next hour Garth moved in and out of tunnels looking for Marci, but to no avail. A few times Marci had teased him, letting her scent surround him to only disappear in the crowd, his cock hard and painful. Turck stepped up next to him and snarled. “This is like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
Frank Stein moved up between both of them and put his arms around their shoulders. “I’ve been given permission to give you the first clue of the evening, now that Marci has eaten, and is ready for the hunt.”
Garth waited for the clue still scanning the crowd. “My feet slowly move around your body, while you are distracted. The deep red color, of the Michael Antonio, pumps make no sound when I walk, but entice every male to scan up my body taking in the exposure of my naked skin. How much do they see? How much skin is exposed? Oh, in case you are wondering these are her clues, not mine.” Frank released their shoulders and moved into the crowd, only the top of his head of his seven-foot frame could be seen.
If it was even possible, Garth swore his cock swelled further under the loincloth he wore. “Split up, and Turck don’t wait for me, take her, because once I corner her there will be no waiting.” His tail switched behind him, his sensitive ears listened for any sound that might give Marci away. Garth’s gaze dropped down to the floor as he strolled around the dance floor careful not to run into anyone.
A large hand grabbed onto his arm and whipped him around. “What are you going to do about this? Someone killed my brother?” Stanley Darksnoot snarled, fresh blood covered his shirt.
“They just tossed his body into the dumpsters by the grills and not one person saw them do it! It took me and two others to pull his body out of that dumpster.”
Garth snarled and stared down at the man’s clawed hand on his arm. Stanley slowly removed it and ran his hand through his hair. “He was my partner, Sir, we’ve been together for over a hundred years. We’ve done everything together.”
He snorted and made his way down to the grills, the area had already been tapped off as his brother Snaid snapped at two men. “Damn it, don’t take the body out through the main entrance. Do you want to cause a panic?” All five of them were on edge, and now with this murder on their hands, they were all ready to explode.
The smell of fresh blood and cooked pig filled the air. Garth scanned the surroundings and focused on a small red symbol painted on the far wall. Marci’s scent was here mixed with the smell of death. He made his way to the wall, ignoring everyone and knelt down studying the symbol. Garth knew the symbol well, the royal family crest, and it was still wet when he traced it with his finger. He lifted his finger to his nose and sniffed. Blood. Human blood. “Why were you here Marci?” He snarled, and scanned the area around him as he stood. “What does all this have to do with your family? Why hide?”
Chapter Three
Marci stood in the back tunnel within the crowd that gathered around the scene. Garth kneeled at the wall where someone had used blood to paint her family crest. A shiver went up her spine.
Someone knew she was alive, but didn’t know who she was. They were hunting her as were her mates, but for different reasons. She had smelled the blood and had investigated, but what she saw in the dumpster only made her stomach almost heave.
The man had been sliced to ribbons, but she had recognized the tattoo on his face. Someone else was there cleaning up the last pieces of her life and that meant they would soon be after her.
She stiffened, but didn’t move. “The game has changed. It seems someone is also hunting me other than my mates, but this one won’t win. The one that was killed murdered my mother with his partner, his scent has almost made me lose my supper.” Marci glanced behind her. “I didn’t kill him, someone else did.” Marci informed Whitney and Allie who stood a few feet from her. Twice she used their personal telepathic link they had formed years ago. They would need it tonight. “And if he is here, his partner must be too.”
Marci handed the crumbled paper that she had found near the body to Frank who stood behind Whitney. “It seems my identity has been exposed. They might come after you two, my sisters, so watch yourselves.” She nodded to the paper Frank now held.
“It seems my parents’ old enemies have come back to finish the job that they started over fifty years ago. This time I’ll win, but they will try to kill those that are loose ends.” She nodded to the man near Garth. “He is the other one who killed my mother, if you hold him we might be able to find who is doing this, but I’m not sure if they will show their hand or not. They have hidden for over fifty years. I don’t know if they will risk coming out now.”
Frank moved up next to Whitney and stared down at her. “What are you talking about? You need to be protected. Come with us.”
A small smile formed and she glanced up at Frank. “You are a wonderful man Frank, but no, this is my battle and has been for the past 50 years, ever since my mother was murdered.” Marci put her hand on Frank’s arm and released the spell that covered her marking.
He stared down at her then his gazed flashed to Whitney. “You knew she was royalty and you didn’t tell me?” Frank snarled.
Whitney laughed. “Sweetheart it wasn’t my right. Marci had only told my parents and myself two weeks ago, but Marci, Frank is right, you should come with us.” Whitney reached over and placed her small hand on her shoulder.
“No Whitney, this will be played out tonight. I need to know who’s stalking me and who killed my family.” Marci stepped into the shadows as Garth and Turck turned to Frank. “Plus, you’re forgetting these men haven’t seen me since I was six. I’ve changed since then. They just know I’m alive, but don’t know what I look like.” Marci whispered in Whitney’s ear. “I need some air, I’ll be back. Frank, keep my family safe.” She held his gaze before she left and he nodded.
“If you need me, I’ll be here. We’re not going to leave you alone, but Marci, I’m informing Garth. He has the right to know what’s going on.” Frank’s words drifted to her as she moved down the tunnel.
Marci sighed. “They won’t believe it, Frank, no one will until they see the marking themselves, it’s been too long.” She whispered into the dark tunnel, but Marci knew he had heard her. She pulled off her shoes, and curled her toes into the warm sand.
She walked out into night air. “Allie, is Emanuel here tonight?” Marci gathered her dress in her hand and jumped to the tree limb above her, waiting, as she sat down dangling her legs over the limb.
“Yes, he’s speaking to Garth right now. They’re both looking at the symbol. It seems two more were placed around the ballroom, one on the balcony where Garth and his brothers had been and one where we had been standing together. I don’t know how, but I think they know what you look like Marci.”
“When he’s alone, ask him to dance, Allie, I’ll cut in soon
. If they know, they would have already made their move. I think they smelt me since I made sure my scent was on you before I left, but I don’t think they know what I look like.” Marci jumped down from her perch and stretched. She slipped on her shoes and made it down to the tunnels which were lit by torches on all sides. Her shoes sank in the sand as Marci moved down the one of the tunnels she had run through as a child. She smiled as she traced the pictures on the wall remembering her mother telling her the legends. The animal inside of her paced, ready to fight in case attacked, but her heart broke remembering her mother and father. She stopped and leaned against the wall, tears sliding down her cheeks, and a lump formed in her throat.
“Are you okay?” Whitney asked. “We can come to you?” Marci pulled the mask off and wiped the tears that had fallen.
“I’m fine. It’s just hard being here and knowing that they are gone.”
Marci covered her face once more with the mask and moved towards the ballroom. The music from the live band grew louder, voices mingling with the music, and the scent of one her mates, Turck, drifted to her. He was close, but she needed to talk to Emanuel, before any of them found her, though that didn’t mean she couldn’t play first.
Slowly she moved onto the dance floor, matching Turck’s moves and letting her scent, only briefly drift to him. He was only inches in front of her when Marci grinned and slid a finger up the length of his hard cock, before she dashed away from him and giggled.
Marci heard the growl as she moved to the center of the room. “You are playing with fire sister.” Whitney laughed and teased her.
“We’re to the left of the dance floor. Be warned, Garth is watching and his brothers are close. Also they know something is up and Frank has talked to them.” Allie smirked.
“Damn, is there any way you can get him into the center of the dance floor?” Marci danced, mixing with the crowd and slowly making her way towards the center of the floor. She smiled when Allie met her there, with Emanuel.
“You don’t have much time; Whitney ran interference with Garth. I’ll stay in the center of the room and make it seem as if I’m still dancing with him.” Allie nodded and took off to the left of the room away from them, keeping in the crowd so Garth and his brothers would not see her.
Marci glanced up at Emanuel and he smiled down at her. “So you are the Metathis’s mate. You are beautiful.” The older gentlemen swept her into his arms trying to dance her towards Garth.
“Please, I need to speak with you before Garth or his brothers find me.” She slowed their movements and smiled at him. “You once told me as a child if I ever needed any help you would be there for me.” Marci swallowed and stopped dancing, glancing up at him.
“You remind me so much of my father, what little I remember of him. Momma always drilled into me that if I ever needed help, to find you. That you were one person I could count on.” Emanuel stopped and glanced down at her, frowning
Marci reached up and unclasped the locket that lay flat on her chest. Inside held the family emblem and a family picture that had been taken two weeks before the assign had killed her father. “I believe if I remember right you were there when we took this picture. You kept making faces at me trying to get me to smile, but I was mad at Papa for something. I can’t remember now. It seems so long ago, like another life time.”
The man reached up and fingered the locket. “Your father wouldn’t let you ride your horse that day, because of the threat against you all. How? Where is your mother?” He glanced around and she shook her head.
A single tear slipped down her cheek again. “Momma took me away the night Papa was killed. We went into hiding. She took me from my room, and we ran, never stopping. That was over fifty years ago, and then they found us.” Marci glanced back up and saw Garth standing behind Emanuel with his brothers.
“The man that was killed tonight was one of the men that murdered and raped my mom thirty years ago. The other one was beside Garth earlier, I informed Frank about him.” Marci reached up and unhooked the locket from around her neck.
Garth moved behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and watched as she opened the back of the locket. “My mother told me to give this to you if I ever saw you again.” She unfolded the tiny piece of paper and handed him a small computer chip.
“It has everything on it you’ll need to find those who started the uprising. It will also give you the means to contact my grand-parents.” She leaned back against Garth. “I didn’t want to risk exposing them, plus the rightful rulers are in place.” Marci patted Garth’s arm.
“Mom and I were in my bedroom, she was reading to me when we heard the explosion. She ran to the door ordering me to hide, and to stay hidden till she came back. When she came back Mom was covered in blood, but she called for me, and I came out of my hiding spot. That’s when she shifted, grabbed me, and ran through the window, covering my body with hers to protect me from the glass. She flew for miles until she knew it was safe. For weeks we stayed hidden, making sure no one showed up. We ended up in New Orleans.” Marci laughed and turned in Garth’s arms. “She kept telling me to trust only the Undisclosed Ones.” She traced her finger around Garth’s mark.
“Show us Marci.” Garth moaned when she kissed the small tat-too mark, marking him as one of the Undisclosed ones.
He reached down and removed her mask. “Not much of a hunt was it?” Marci released the magic letting only her mates see her markings.
* * *
Marci stared up at him, the scroll markings appeared on her right side of her cheek, announcing to anyone that saw her who she really was, one of the last of the royal family bloodline, alive.
“We need to get you out of here and some place safe. Emanuel, our fathers are in the security room looking over tapes. We’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” Garth twirled her around on the dance floor, his hands cupping her ass, pressing her body against his.
Turck pushed in behind her and nibbled on her neck as Garth raised his hands cupping her breasts. “You do know we have you now? We can claim you anyway we please?” Turck teased her while his hand slid in the slit of her dress and he moaned. “She’s naked under this dress.”
“Of course I am.” She laughed and kissed down Garth’s chest to his nipple where she bit down on his nipple. “How do you think I could do this otherwise?” The dress fell to the ground and Garth stared down at empty arms. He growled and glanced around him. He knew the royal family had special powers, but now was not the time to test them.
“Where are you Marci? This isn’t the time to play games. Your life is danger!” Garth snapped and glanced up to see her standing on the balcony he had stood on earlier. Naked except for the marking on her face, she stood tall and glanced down at the guests.
The music stopped playing and Marci stepped out of every-one’s view for a minute before she moved back into view. Wearing the exact same dress her mother had worn in the picture in the locket. “I’m going to tan her hide.” Garth snarled and flew to-wards the balcony, but stopped mid-air, hovering over the balcony when Fisher moved in behind her, a knife at her throat.
“I knew you would surface sooner or later tonight. I do have to say you are more beautiful than your mother. I wonder if you’ll be just as tight as she was when we killed her? Too bad someone had to kill my partner; he would have loved sinking his cock into your ass.” His gaze held his. “Stay where you’re at Sir, this has to end today. All royalty will finally be dead today, as it should have been, fifty years ago.”
Garth landed in front of them, his brothers next to him. “Do you really believe we’re going to let you kill our mate?” Turck snarled and Marci laughed.
Of all the things she could have done, Marci laughed, sending a chill down his spine. “Not to worry gentlemen, Fisher just sealed his death.”
One minute Marci was laughing, the next she had turned completely around in Fisher’s arms and ripped his throat out, pushing his body away from her. Marci turned to him with tears in h
er eyes, blood dripped down the dress she wore and her small hands shook as she wiped her mouth. “It’s done, my promise to my mom is fulfilled. They won’t rape or murder another woman again.”
Garth stepped towards her to once again see her disappear be-fore his eyes. “Come back Marci!” He snarled and glanced around the tunnel then out at the ballroom below him. “Take the body out of here. Have it burned with his brothers, and Snaid, have security tightened. Now that everyone knows who Marci is we’re not taking any more chances with her safety. If we can ever keep hold of her.” He snapped and jumped down onto the floor below making his way towards Frank and Whitney. Whispers and cries of happiness filled the room as the stunned crowd once more started to move around.
“Okay Whitney where is she?” He nodded to Frank who folded his arms over his chest and stared down at his mate.
“Well tell him, her life is in danger and he has the right to know where she is.” Frank ordered.
Whitney glared at him, then sighed. “Marci didn’t like showing you that part of herself Garth. I’ve seen her kill someone only once, and that was to protect me a while ago. When she did that, Marci took off for weeks, scaring the crap out of my parents and me. She promised not to leave and gave me these to give to you. They’re part of her journal. We all keep journals to help us deal with things, my mother started all three of us at the same time and we’ve been doing it ever since.”
Whitney turned, and started to dig through a large leather purse.
She pulled out three pieces of notebook paper. “Marci has never let anyone see her journal. Don’t hurt her Garth or you’ll answer to me.” Whitney snarled and held his gaze, before Frank wrapped an arm around her.
“Whitney, he is her mate. He’ll know how to handle this. Trust him.” Frank kissed the top of her head and she sighed releasing the papers to him.
“Marci went to some watering hole in the jungle she found yesterday. She said she needed to clean the death from her skin.” Whitney grabbed onto his arm before he could leave.
Masquerade Menage: Book Two of the Wicked Sisters Series Page 2