THE IMMORTAL: A Novel of the Breedline series

by Shana Congrove

  Great timing, Mr. Roman Kincaid, Lawrence thought. “It’s open, Roman,” he said with a slight groan. “Come on in, buddy.”

  Roman pushed open the door with a tray on wheels and muttered, “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I? I mean, I can come back if—”

  “No, no,” Tara quickly replied. “You’re fine, Roman. Thank you.” She inhaled deeply. “It smells wonderful.”

  As Roman wheeled the cart into the room, he glanced over at Lawrence, who sat close to Tara’s bedside with a look of contentment on his face. A surge of pride washed over Roman as he thought of his close friend. After all the years of putting everyone before himself, this time, he was finally getting what he deserved—a bonded mate. That particular notion brought Lailah to mind. He wondered if he would ever see the beautiful, redheaded angel again.

  “Thanks for bringing us breakfast, buddy,” Lawrence said, bringing Roman back to focus.

  “It’s no problem,” he replied. “It’s my pleasure. Besides, it gave me an excuse to stop by and see how our guest is getting along.” He placed his hand on Tara’s shoulder and said, “You feeling better, Tara?”

  Tara had to force herself not to grab for the cup of coffee on the tray full of covered dishes. Instead, she smiled and said, “I’m feeling much better. Thanks for asking, Roman.”

  Roman noticed her eyeing the cup of coffee. “Would you like some coffee, Tara?” He picked up the mug and held it out to her.

  “I’d love some.” She reached for the hot beverage and took a slow sip, then moaned. “Oh, my. This is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted.”

  After a couple more sips, she briefly paused, her shoulders sagging a bit as if all the air escaped her at once. “I’m glad you stopped by, Roman. I want to tell you how thankful I am to you and Lawrence for saving my life. If it weren’t for you two, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

  Roman’s expression softened. “I’m glad I was there to help. And you’re very welcome, Tara.” He included Lawrence in his gaze as he looked between them. “And in my opinion, it was fate that brought us there that night. Just looking at the both of you is enough proof to believe in destiny.”

  “I think we should give the good Lord all the credit,” Lawrence said as he looked away from Roman and focused his eyes on Tara. “I believe he’s the one that led us to you, Tara. I have no doubt about it.”

  Tara teared up, her eyes going glossy and bright, but there was also a joyous smile on her face. “I believe it too,” she said.

  Lawrence leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to her lips.

  “I think that’s my cue to hit the road,” Roman said. “Enjoy breakfast.”

  “Thanks, buddy.” Lawrence chuckled. “I’ll catch you later.”

  As Roman left the two lovebirds alone, he headed back to the kitchen where everyone gathered for breakfast.

  He could hear chatter, laughter, and bustling around, all the way down the end of the hall. When he got to the opening of the kitchen, the thirty-foot-long table in the center of the room was full of nearly everyone in the Covenant, except for Lawrence and Tara.

  On the far side, he noticed an empty chair next to Jena and her friend, Angie, who was staring at Bull with a flirtatious smile. Hmm, he thought. He would definitely have to ask Bull about that later.

  As he sat down next to Angie, he stared across the table at Bull and batted his brows.

  Bull looked at Roman with a shit-eating grin.

  When a plate full of food was set in front of Roman, he looked up and saw that it was Tim Ross’s beloved standing over him. Angel was beautiful. She closely resembled the country singer, Crystal Gayle, except for her eyes. Angel’s eyes were the color of fire with gold specks around the irises. And her black, almost-floor-length hair, reminded him of the fairy-tale story of “Rapunzel.”

  “I hope you’re hungry,” she said. “We made enough to feed an army.”

  “Thanks, Angel,” he said, patting his stomach. “I’m famished. The food smells delicious.”

  As Roman chewed his food, he listened to everyone while they engaged in conversation and watched as the mothers at the table fussed over their children. So far, there were two sets of twin boys, one belonging to Jace and Tessa and the other twins were Eve and Sebastian’s sons. Since Sebastian was... well... supposedly with the battle angels, everyone in the Covenant, especially Sebastian’s sister, Anna, helped Eve with the boys. Over the last few weeks, he’d noticed Zeke Rizzo—the owner of the Cat Club, and a.k.a. the sin eater—stopping by to visit Anna. It was obvious the two had some kind of love connection. Ever since Yelena quit her job at Zeke’s bar and moved in with Apollyon’s mother, it was like Zeke had accepted the fact that she had moved on. He didn’t blame her for falling in love with Apollyon. In fact, they’d recently found out Yelena was carrying his child. Sometimes love took you on a journey that couldn’t be explained. It was fate’s way of deciding for you. Besides, Zeke had Anna on his mind, and things seemed to be moving in the right direction.

  Tim and Angel’s little girl, Natalie, was the oldest child in the Covenant, nearly two years now. Soon, she would have playmates. Jem and Mia were expecting a little girl soon. Since Mia was half-succubus, the fetus grew at a phenomenal rate, even after it was born. Her species carried a child for no more than four months. Once the child reached the size of a two-year-old, they would then develop at the rate of a normal child.

  Steven and Abbey were expecting too, but they didn’t know what the sex of the baby was. They wanted it to be a surprise, although it was apparent they were hoping for a boy. Abbey was born a Lupa, and if the baby happened to be a girl, she would inherit her mother’s genetics. Even so, it wouldn’t make any difference. Everyone in the Covenant would love her just the same. But there would have to be precautions when she reached adulthood. A Lupa, also known as a she-wolf, can be a threat if provoked into shifting. Anger was the creature’s worst adversary, and the Covenant made sure they kept tranquillizer darts well stocked.

  As Roman roamed through all the faces at the table, his eyes stopped at the couple sitting at the far end. They looked the complete opposite. Drakon was a mountain of a man, who had to be at least six-foot-seven with a black, three-inch Mohawk on top of his shaved head and a look that said without words he wasn’t a person you wanted to piss off. His wife, Cassie, was a tiny thing, and full of life. She worked in prenatal care at the Bates Hospital. She was the type of person that would give a stranger the shirt off her back. And she adored everyone at this table, especially her husband. Eager to be married, Drakon and Cassie decided to skip the traditional ceremony, and instead said their vows on the Courthouse Steps. They had been married for a year, and now they were ready to start a family of their own. Roman envied their relationship. He had always admired his and Drakon’s friendship for years and hoped he would have the same kind of luck his friend had.

  For no particular reason, Roman took note of how attentive the men were with their mates. Sitting next to Drakon was a young couple that were obviously smitten with one another. He had met them when he came to help the Covenant track down the ruthless and notorious drug and weapons dealer, Valkin Steele. Casey Barton was a professional male model and was the keyboardist in the band Chaos. His girlfriend, Lila Demont, worked as a lab technician and was well known for her family’s wealth and prestigious bloodline. Her father, Victor Demont, was a retired council member of the Pennsylvania Covenant who wasn’t too happy about his daughter dating Casey since he was not a full-blooded Breedline. Casey was a Theriomorph. That was definitely not something the Demont family accepted. Due to certain circumstances which Roman was not aware of, Victor had suddenly reasoned with his daughter’s decision to be with Casey.

  Then Roman’s attention went to another young couple sitting across from Casey and Lila. Clearly, by the way they looked at one another, it was evident they were in a serious relationship. Kyle Jones was Casey’s best friend and worked as a mechanic and the bass player in the band Chao
s. Kyle’s girlfriend, Celina Baldolf, was not only a Breedline, she was a white Wicca. She worked as an editor at a local publishing company. The couple seemed head-over-heals for one another.

  Roman noticed Detective Sanchez—who was sitting next to Celina—reach for his cell phone. When he answered, it wasn’t long before his expression turned grim. Whatever was being said on the other end didn’t appear to be good news.

  As the chatter surged among Roman’s newfound family, he felt himself receding, stepping behind an invisible screen that dimmed the sounds and the senses. His mind was on Lailah, wondering when she would come back to earth, and if he would get to see her.

  “Hey, Roman,” Tim said as he stood next to Roman. “You okay?”

  When he didn’t answer, Tim gave Roman’s enormous shoulder a squeeze.

  Roman flinched and looked over his shoulder. “Oh, sorry, Tim. Did you say something?”

  Tim chuckled and said, “You look like you’re miles away. Is there something you want to talk about?”

  “Ah, nah,” Roman muttered, waving it off like it was nothing. “I was just admiring all the couples here. It must feel good to have someone special, you know, to be in love.”

  “Yes, it is,” Tim replied. “And you’re next, Roman.”

  A female voice called out from across the room, distracting them. “Honey, your daughter wants you.”

  As Tim turned to the sound of Angel’s voice, Natalie slipped out of her highchair and took off at a dead run, smiling at her daddy as she ran in his direction.

  Tim scooped her up in his arms and pressed kisses to her forehead. “Hey there, sweet pea.”

  Natalie giggled and kicked her feet.

  “Just think, Roman.” Tim looked down at him, arching a brow. “This could be you someday. It’ll happen before you know it. When you least expect it.”

  Roman nodded and smirked. Yeah, he thought. He had no idea how to make that happen. It was impossible to be with Lailah. She was a battle angel for crying out loud. How could he be with someone he could never really have?

  When Detective Manuel Sanchez rose from his chair and began to address the table, Roman shifted back to focus.

  “I hate to interrupt everyone’s meal,” Manuel said. “But I just received some news from my captain. The surveillance footage of the incident at the precinct is missing.”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re talking about the footage of Jimmy Fratianno shifting into his rogue wolf,” Tim reluctantly said.

  Manuel nodded. “The evidence storage facility was compromised.”

  “I don’t understand,” Tessa spoke out. “I thought you were going to get rid of that video.”

  “I’m sorry, Tessa,” Manuel regretfully said. “I was going to take care of it first thing right after our meeting. I was sure the video would be secure until then. Apparently I was wrong.”

  “Do you have any idea who could have taken it?” Tim queried.

  “There are only two other people, including myself, my partner, and my captain that have access to the precinct’s property and evidence room,” Manuel replied. “And I know Perkins and my captain are the two most trustworthy people I know.”

  “Who are the two others?” Tessa asked Manuel.

  “Detectives Nicolas Ratcliff and Meagan Lacher.”

  “Do you think one of them could be capable of taking it?” Tessa asked.

  “I’ve known Detective Ratcliff for fifteen years,” Manuel said to Tessa. “He’s not the type of man that would betray anyone. I’m not so sure about Detective Lacher. She’s only been with the precinct for a year,” he went on to explain. “It’s possible someone made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. After all, the love of money is the root of all evil. In my line of work, I’ve seen people do just about anything for it.”

  “Whatever the case, we’ve got to get that video back,” Tim demanded. “If this gets out to the press—” he released a deep breath. “I’m going to have faith you’ll get this taken care of, Detective.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen,” Manuel said. “But before then, prepare yourselves for the worst. If this gets out, they’ll link it to the cemetery attack. It’s a possibility we’ll have a mass panic on our hands.”

  “What’s done is done,” Tessa simply said. “Besides, we still have all those witnesses at the police department, of which some were human. If we’re lucky, most people will think it’s fake.”

  “Yeah,” Manuel sighed. “If we’re lucky.” Then he added, “There’s something I want to bring up about this mysterious creature that’s been bugging the hell out of me.”

  Tessa shrugged. “What do you mean, Detective?”

  “If this is the same creature that killed my sister and Carla Rosi, I don’t think it acted alone.”

  “Are you saying there’s another creature?” Tim asked.

  “I’m not positive, but I do know the last time I saw my sister she got in a car with two males.”

  “Did the police ever get a lead on who they were?”

  “The two suspects were never found,” Manuel told Tim. “There was no evidence at the crime scene, no fingerprints, nothing. It was eventually listed as a cold case.”

  Tim shook his head. “Let’s hope to hell we’re only dealing with one creature. For now, let’s focus on getting that surveillance video.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It was almost one the following morning when Sebastian used his powers to conjure a portal to get inside the Breedline Covenant. The place was quiet, not a single person stirring. Lailah had agreed to let him visit his sons while the others took refuge at the estate where Apollyon, Callisto, and Electra’s mother lived. Their next plan of action was crucial. It would include the Breedline Covenant. Sebastian was not only here to see his family, he came here to inform everyone in the Covenant of their plan to destroy the creature. Although, killing it involved the human female. She was the only key to the destruction of the creature, and they weren’t going to like what had to be done.

  As Sebastian stood outside the door to Arius and Tidus’s nursery, tears formed in the corners of his eyes. It had been so long since he last cried he barely recognized what tears were. He quickly reached up to wipe them before they spilled down his cheeks.

  God, he felt like shit for not being there when his family needed him, just because of his greed for power. He was ashamed of himself now... ashamed of missing precious time with them. His past had affected the decisions he made, replacing the light in his heart with anger and darkness. Now, he wanted more than anything to be the father they never had. His sons deserved nothing less.

  Sebastian took a hard breath and reached for the door. As he slowly opened it and walked in, an overwhelming sea of emotions swept over him. His face transformed into an absolute glow of happiness. Arius was standing up in his crib with one hand locked on the rail and the other outstretched as though he was reaching for him.

  “Arius,” he said in a low, trembling voice.

  He closed the door quietly and went over to the crib. When he scooped Arius into his arms, he settled instantly in Sebastian’s hold, wrapping his arms around his neck and cuddling into his chest. Having his son in his arms was so natural, and he realized how much he needed him.

  Sebastian put his mouth to Arius’s ear and whispered, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

  With Arius snuggled against him, Sebastian looked over the lip of the crib. The instant he peered down at the toddler dressed in a blue-footed pajama sleeper, his chest filled with renewed purpose.

  When Sebastian reached inside the crib and lightly stroked his hand over Tidus’s arm, he opened his eyes. As he looked into a stare the exact golden color of his own, Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat. “Hello, son,” he whispered as he bent down with Arius in his arms.

  From out of nowhere, Tidus mumbled, “Dada.”

  “They’ve missed you,” a soft, but all-too-familiar voice said.

  As Sebastian
looked to the door, the rhythm of his heart skipped again, but for a different reason.

  “Eve,” he gasped.

  Tears were streaming down Eve’s face and her trembling lips pursed tight as if she were trying her best not to fall apart.

  Sebastian reached out to her with his free hand. “Come here, beloved.”

  Without further hesitation, she went to him freely. “Oh, Sebastian,” she quietly sobbed as he tucked her in against him. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  As Sebastian held on to Arius and Eve, his world seemed complete. His family completed him by filling a gap in his heart he lost so many years ago.

  He leaned in and inhaled the scent of her hair. “I love you, Eve.”

  While embraced, Sebastian felt the brush of a tiny hand. When he looked down, Tidus was standing in the crib with the most adorable look on his face.

  Sebastian reached down and caressed Tidus’s cheek with his thumb. “You make everything wrong in this world right.”

  At that very moment, everything seemed to fall into place. Sebastian felt as though his life had a new meaning and a fresh beginning. One was his heart and the other two a piece of himself, and they all gave him a purpose to be the man he needed to be.

  Now all he had to do was convince the Breedline of his changed ways, even after all the low-down, rotten things he had done to them, and pray they would give him a second chance. He wouldn’t blame them if they killed him outright. Especially his half-brother Jace. Betraying others you hardly knew was one thing, but betraying your own family... that was another.

  * * *

  It was almost dawn, and Yelena found she couldn’t sleep, so she decided to get up. Her mind seemed consumed with worry and her chest ached with sadness. She wondered when or if she would ever see Apollyon again. Would their unborn child grow up without a father? The succubus side in her said he was coming back, but the rational side said otherwise. She had less than a month—to think, to plan, to process everything—before the baby was born.