by K. Grey
“See…. I should just lock her up somewhere…” he sighed shaking his head.
“I can’t let you do that, sir…” Alfred said with a chuckle from the doorway. “I like her too much. She brightens the place up.”
“And that is why you should give Alfred a raise and why he is my favorite.”
“What? Why?” Darius asked. “He isn’t even immortal...”
“Exactly!” Ava nodded hard.
Alfred laughed. “Dinner is about ready….five minutes.”
Ava stood in between Lucien and Darius in the doorway of the dining room looking at the dozen or so immortals of the legion who stood around the table. Darius was introducing each one of them. When he reached Talon and Rhage who stood at the end of the table she nodded at them. Ava then turned to look up at Lucien. Hell! She had to look up to all of them because they towered over her five foot eight height.
“I’m not going to remember all those names, you know…”
“I could make them wear name tags if that will help you. You will be here quite some time so you need to learn their names.”
“Really?” she arched an eyebrow. “That would be helpful… “She added a nod. “I think I should have it all down path in a month or so…”
“Do you need big ones? You know the ones that say ‘hello my name is---“
“Pink ones.” She nodded excitedly. She was trying not to laugh.
“Oh hell!” Darius shook his head. “You two are just fucking sick in the head…” he walked further into the dining room laughing. “Every one of you might want to be scared... she has Lucien warped sense of humor… we all are in for it.”
Both Lucien and Ava laughed at the scared dumbfounded looks on the men’s faces when they realized they were being teased. They mumbled and grunted shaking their heads. Lucien escorted her to the head of the table where Darius held out her chair.
Once Alfred brought in the last plates of garlic bread he too took his seat among the men at the table. Several of the men praised Alfred for his lasagna as they ate. Ava sat there watching and listening as all of them acted like a big huge family having a regular dinner together. If she didn’t know any better she would think they were all normal, but of course they weren’t. They were all old as hell and would live a damn long time. They had fangs and weren’t exactly vampires. She sat eating and listening to all of them discuss the areas where they would ‘hunt’ tonight. Lucien was making comments here and there.
As she sat there Ava began to hear a slight pounding--- thumping in her ears. It felt like her own heart was beating in her head, but it was different. Her heart wasn’t racing and she was calm. This was a steady thump with an easy beat to it. She closed her eyes for a minute thinking if she focused it would go away, but it didn’t. It sped up and thumped harder. And suddenly she heard her name. Her eyes opened and she found everyone staring at her and Lucien had spoken her name. She smiled not wanting them to think she was crazy or something was wrong.
“Yeah?”
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Oh yeah…” she nodded. “I was just thinking that’s all.” Lucien nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand. Ava suddenly felt a wave of anger. It was like a vise grip making her stomach knot up. She had to bite her lip to keep from making a sound. She didn’t want anyone else to know something was going on. She knew that feeling didn’t belong to her. Lucien nodded and when Ava smiled at every one they all went back to talking and eating. She listened and began looking at the men at the table. The ones she could anyway without looking like a nut. When she heard her name mention she perked up. It was Sloane who spoke.
“I’ll keep Ava company tonight while everyone else is out hunting.” He looked at her. “You ok with that? We can watch a movie.”
“Sounds good to me…” she then felt the anger again. This time it felt like it was coming from her right at the end of the table. She couldn’t see down there unless she leaned forward and looked down. She even felt as if she wanted to get angry and she didn’t know why. She wasn’t doing anything wrong.
When the meal was over the men began to clear the dining room for Alfred. She heard each one of them thank him for the meal and how good it was. Alfred in turn told them to be careful and he would see them in the morning.
When the men left the room, the feeling left with them and Ava still couldn’t figure out which one made her feel pissed off. Lucien looked at her.
“Are you sure you are alright, Ava? I can stay behind tonight if you need me to.”
“Oh! No, I’m fine staying with Sloane, Lucien… don’t you and Darius hunt every night?”
“Yes, but staying behind one night will be fine.”
Ava shook her head. “I’m good and Alfred had my phone replaced and put all your numbers in it. So I can call you if I need to.”
“Alright. Sloane will take care of you.” He reached out and tugged a stray curl slightly. “Just so you know…. Despite the circumstances I’m glad you are here. I like you already.”
Ava smiled. “Thank you… and me too…” she then grinned even more. “Do I say break a leg? Or go buffy? Or how about stake em good?” Lucien chuckled and Darius rolled his eyes. Ava giggled as they left the dining room together. Darius chuckled as they entered the tunnels.
“What is it?”
“She makes you smile and that has been rare lately.”
“She reminds me of Lissette. She doesn’t think twice about speaking her mind.
I like it.”
“Do you really think she is a blood mate?”
“I don’t know. But she is in danger from whoever is siring half breeds. I won’t allow anyone to hurt her. She will be protected and we are going to find the bastard.”
“I agree…” Darius nodded. “Do you still think it is one of the council who is behind all the siring?”
“It has to be…. No one else has the connections and it would be the perfect cover. If Ava is a blood mate then we need to find out her linage. There has to be a connection to an immortal somewhere.”
“And if there isn’t.”
“Then we need to figure out how a female blood mate can become pregnant by a human. If THAT is true then it changes everything.”
“The council will demand for her to be given into their custody.”
“Yes, I know and I’m not going to allow THAT to happen either. They will lock her up and treat her like an experiment. Their experiments would be three times worse than anything humans can come up with. Or they would determine she be destroyed as a threat to our existence.”
Lucien shook his head. “We need to find out who is behind these half breeds. We find him and we can put a stop to it all. She didn’t ask to be drug into our world.”
“I agree….” Darius nodded. “Do you still think its Vincent?”
“He is at the top of my list. Ever since he took his father’s position on the council he has been trying to convince the others that we need to use our blood to convert others to multiply especially the females. He also thinks that we should expose ourselves to humans. He has a superiority complex. So he is my prime suspect.”
Lucien also thought Vincent was behind the whispers among the council to have him removed as king. Granted he didn’t use his role to govern or rule like his father did. That is why he established the council centuries ago. So each of the main families had a voice. There were twelve members and he was at the top of the chain. He always had the final say even though he took the council’s decision into consideration. The council came up with most of the laws they lived by. He also had to live by those laws because his decree was on them. “We also need to know everything about Ava. I know she will tell us if we ask, but I think it would be a good idea if we look into her past. Try to find out why and how they targeted her.”
“I will get on it. She said she was adopted right?” Darius asked.
“Yes… abandoned.”
“Tra
cing her linage might be harder, but I will take care of it.”
What is going on with you, man?” Talon asked when he and Rhage reached their Harleys in the underground garage. The rest of the men had already filed out. Talon had known Rhage for most of their lives and he knew when something was going on with him. The others avoided Rhage because they thought he was antisocial, but Talon knew Rhage’s reasons for avoiding others. His past was never hearts and flowers. Talon considered him more than a brother. He trusted Rhage above anyone else.
“Nothing…” Rhage shook his head.
“I know better….” Talon looked around to make sure no one was around and he didn’t heard anyone. “Don’t think I have forgotten you could hear her heart beating in the SUV. She’s yours isn’t she?”
“No…” Rhage grunted. “I didn’t hear anything. I can’t read her.”
“And you’re lying…”
“Just drop it, Talon...”
“No… you should be upstairs with her, not Sloane, and not going out.” Talon told him. “Come on, man! She’s yours! You should be happy about that! I would be!”
“She isn’t my mate, Talon….she isn’t mine.”
“Bullshit…” Talon shook his head and then rubbed the back of his neck. “You damn well know you can feel her and heard her heart beating. Don’t lie to me… I know you and what I don’t understand is why you don’t want her?”
“Talon…..” Rhage growled. He didn’t want to talk about this. He just wanted to go out and hunt. He’d feel better if he beat the hell out of someone.
“Look… you know blood mates are only fated for one immortal. And you know first-hand what happens when a mating is sanctioned. Are you going to do that to her?”
“Talon….” Rhage swore clenching his fists at his sides. Only Talon would dare to bring it up and only Talon would get in his face about it. Rhage did know what happened when a blood mate bonds with another male who wasn’t her true mate. His parents were a prime example. His mother denied her true mate and bonded with his father because he was wealthy and she thought he would be a better mate. It did happen. And there were times where a male grew lonely or tired of waiting for his blood mate and he would turn a human female. Some of them lived happily together and then there were cases like his parents. The two of them were selfish cruel and never---- he meant never should they have had off spring. His childhood had been hell! The only decent couple he knew was Talon’s parents. They always treated him like he was one of theirs. When Talon’s mother wanted to have a family dinner she always called Rhage and made sure he was coming. She even told him she loved him and to be careful! He hadn’t spoken to his own parents in years and yet he spoke to Talon’s mother when she called the other day. She asked to speak to him.
He had no idea about relationships. His parents had been the parents from hell! He never once ever remembered his mother ever telling him she loved him. She usually referred to him as the second worst mistake she had ever made. Any chance he got when he was growing up he was at Talon’s house. They rarely realized he wasn’t there.
Rhage looked at his best friend and his brother in all the ways that really mattered. “Yeah I do…. And you know better than anyone I’m the last immortal male who should have a blood mate. What the fuck can I give her? I don’t know a damn thing about being a good mate.”
“Then you will learn. You can’t just deny her.”
“It would be better for her than she is stuck with a bastard like me.”
“Dammit! You are a fucking idiot.”
“She WOULD be better off with any of the brothers. Or even you. You would be a better mate for her than me…”
“You damn right! I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“Look Lucien will take care of her and he wouldn’t sanction a bonding to someone who would treat her badly. You see how he already adores her.” The last few words he said through clenched teeth. He knew Lucien was honorable, but he didn’t like Lucien touching her. The two of them looked like brother and sister. And attacking his king would get him killed. “And I will make sure she is always safe. I will find out whoever is after her and I will kill them. That’s what I’m good at. That’s all I can offer her.”
“You are a fucking idiot….” Talon repeated shaking his head.
“I’m done talking about it… it’s the best thing for her. I have decided. Can we go hunt? I need to kill something.”
“Fine…., but you are a fucking idiot and someone needs to beat some sense into you. When Lucien figures it out and he will. I will gladly bet money on HIM beating the fuck out of you…”
“Lucien will understand it is the best thing for her. He will see there are a dozen brothers better for her than me.” When Talon opened his mouth Rhage growled. “If you call me an idiot again, we are gonna have problems.”
“Between us I’m the only one who has any sense. I need that t shirt that says ‘I’m with stupid’. It suits you.”
Rhage and Talon were roaming the south side of town. Rhage was glad when Talon stopped bitching at him about how stupid he was. Talon just didn’t get it. Rhage knew he was right. And eventually Talon would agree with him. He didn’t like being at odds with his friend. Even though it would kill him to watch it, Talon would be a good mate for Ava. He did want the best for her and wanted her to be safe. And the best thing for her was a life without him.
They reached the clubs that peppered the south side and the music blared around them. Half breeds seemed to follow the rave clubs a lot because of the drunk people and the druggies. They were easy prey for them.
“You smell them?” Talon asked in a low voice.
“Yep… at least three of them.” Rhage wanted a challenge. He needed it. He needed to work off some steam and frustration. Maybe this was just the beginning. He wanted a good fight. They split up to keep them confined to the alley. Rhage took the front which meant he would be behind them. As he entered the alley he had to focus on the scent of the half breeds instead of the stench of the alley. Both being horrible and both threatening to make his head hurt. Half breeds had a distinct odor which humans rarely would notice, but immortals did. Half breeds smelled like a mixture of rotting flesh and sulfur. Half breeds were devoid of humanity and always hungry for blood. The hunger was what was making them die from the inside out. That’s why their blood was blacker than red and silver would kill them. It burned them like acid destroying them. Silver didn’t effect an immortal the same way. The only real ways to kill an immortal were inflict so much damage that he was too far gone and blood didn’t have time to repair the damage or cut his head off. Otherwise than that they were tough bastards. Rhage could hear them in front of him.
“Seriously….” One of them said. “We can eat first…. And I don’t want another junkie.”
“Well… deal with it. Do you want the sire more pissed off than he already is...? “
“No…. he ripped Harry’s heart straight out of his chest when harry told him about that girl getting away from them and the legion attacking.”
“Exactly… we don’t need to draw any more attention. We need to find the girl again.”
“Don’t the legion have her?”
“Don’t know for sure… “The tall one answered. “All I know is the sire is pissed off that she got away. And we need to find out where the legion has her if they do.”
“I ain’t scared of those bastards. I can take em… they’re pussies.”
Rhage couldn’t help himself. He laughed out loud which made the three of them swirl around to face him. Rhage stepped out from the shadows and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Why don’t you come over here and call me a pussy to my face…?” the three half breeds looked at each other. “What? Haven’t you ever seen a brother of the legion before? --- Well I’ll be your first and last. I’m gonna kill you…”
The three half breeds then puffed up and hissed at Rhage before rushing toward him in a blur. They
were a blur to the human eye if a human saw them at all, but to an immortal who had enhanced vision he could see them perfectly. Rhage side stepped to the right grabbing one of them and swinging him around to crash into the other two sending them sprawling into the wall of the building. One of them got to his feet quickly. The bad ass who call the legion a bunch of pussies. He charged forward toward Rhage throwing his fists and growling like a rabid dog. A second one joined in with a knife then the third one. As Rhage dodged the knife and throwing punches he saw Talon standing off to the side just watching.
“You gonna help here?” he called out just before one of the bastards got a punch in and then the knife sliced his arm. Rhage side kicked him down.
“Naw…. You can handle it…”
“Sorry bastard...” Rhage hissed before pulling his own knife and stabbing the bastard on his left square into the heart. The other two froze watching their friend turn to ash right in front of them. The ash floated in the air around them. The taller of the two shoved his friend toward Rhage and taking off in a run. Rhage threw his knife and it embedded in the bastard’s back not killing him, but taking him down. The other one took advantage and managed to slash Rhage again before Rhage grabbed his wrist snapping it quickly causing the knife to clink on the ground. Rhage grabbed him and pinned him to the wall by the neck… Rhage hissed with his fangs clearly visible.
“You wanna die like your friend?” Rhage demanded. The half breed looked at his friend who was screaming and melting on the ground not far from them. His body was writhing on the ground. His clothes had already melted exposing his back which was a bloody mass of black tar blood substance and flesh. He was trying to pull the knife from his back with the one arm that was working.