by Claire Marta
Raven frowned. She had been hankering for lemon lately and she couldn’t remember when it first started. It wasn’t something she normally ate a lot of.
Cravings.
The signs of her condition had been there but she hadn’t seen it, putting it down to other things.
Killian fussed over her, helping her sit up, fluffing pillows, and tucking them behind her. Fetching the tray from the nightstand, he folded out the legs and set it over her lap. The surface was loaded with covered dishes holding all things lemon. Whole grain toast with lemon marmalade. A lemon Danish. Lemon pudding with real whipped cream. Four strips of thick applewood smoked bacon and one egg scrambled with vegetables and cheese. There was a tumbler of almond milk and one of orange juice. No coffee, though. Cayden knew she needed to limit it now that she was expecting.
The men refused to let her feed herself. They sat on either side of her, keeping enough distance that she didn’t feel overwhelmed but close enough to take turns giving her bites, watching for triggers, letting her slowly get used to them again, caring for her, showing her that she could trust them.
The lure of lemon proved the magical key. Her body’s cravings were strong enough, she was able to override most of the triggered responses when they started to surface from her subconscious. The couple of times that they managed to take hold, the men gave her the room and support she needed to work through them.
She ate a little of everything but her stomach had shrunk. “Maybe put the leftovers in your refrigerator,” she told Killian. “I can snack on them later.”
“Whatever ye wish, will be,” the Irishman swore. “My order of the day is to take care of ye, no more, no less. Cayden’s to check on Casey and Morgan and report back here.”
The Scotsman left them to attend daily orders but he didn’t return alone.
Tobias was with him.
“I hope that you are recovered sufficiently enough to tell us what happened,” their leader began, his tone compassionate and his smile reassuring. “Zana has been searching for your ex-husband but he has vanished into thin air.”
Knotting her fingers together, Raven gathered her thoughts. “Colin was at the park. He had Willow’s unicorn and told me he had her. You know from Cayden what happened when he tried to intervene. The house you found me in was one of Colin’s safehouses. I’d been there once before with Willow. Colin took me upstairs and beat me… He was… he was so angry..., acting like he did when we were married, jealous and violent, only worse.”
Releasing a shaking breath, she tried to steady her frayed nerves. “Jaysus, I don’t think I’d ever seen him like that before. He left me afterward… told me he’d be back to finish what he started. He didn’t lock me in. I searched the house for Willow. I overheard Colin talking on the phone. Whoever it was, he was angry that Colin had promised to give him Willow and he’d failed to deliver. When I realized he didn’t have my daughter, I tried to escape. He caught me outside and dragged me back.”
Killian untangled one of her hands and held it, his thumb rubbing soothing circles over her knuckles. “And that’s how you ended up in that hole?”
Raven nodded sharply, sick with dread at the memory. “I think Colin must have used it for other people. He said he was going to leave me there all night. I couldn’t get out. He came back God knows how many hours later... drunk. He told me that he… that he’d killed Michael to have me.”
Pressing her lips together didn’t stem the tears that trickled down her cheeks. “God forgive me, it’s my fault.”
Killian sat on the bed, letting her feel the warmth of his presence but taking care to not crowd her. “No, it’s not. He took Michael’s life. ‘Twas his hand that fired the gun. Ye aren’t responsible for that.”
Sobbing, she reached for the Irishman, clinging to his shirt and burying her face against his chest. Aware of her triggers, he kept his hand down and whispered against her hair, assuring her that she was safe and sound.
Home.
He let her cry. No one stopped her. Cayden whispered reassurances and words of love, too, but when he sat on the bed and reached to rub between her shoulders, she freaked. Pushing away from Killian, she scooted back against the headboard as far away from them as she could possibly go.
“Too close,” she rasped. “Being surrounded. Having my legs trapped by covers… I had triggers before, but there are new ones now I’ll need to identify. Process. Desensitize. Jaysus. I refuse to be the mother who freaks out when her child gives her a hug. I won’t let Colin win.”
Squaring her shoulders and steeling herself, she turned to Tobias who was patiently waiting for her to finish her story. “Someone came. A Frenchman. Colin was scared of him. I’ve never seen my ex-husband that nervous before about anyone. There was something about the man. Just his presence had my hair on end. He kept calling me my little bird in French, and the things he said…”
“Ye're doing so well,” Cayden praised, giving her a warm smile. “I ken it's hard, but we need it all.”
Releasing a deep breath, she fought through the emotions and memories that haunted her. “The Frenchman wasn’t happy that he didn’t have Willow. He… he raped Colin. Sodomized him and took him with him. He vowed he’d make an example out of him to the others. He planned to kill him and leave me to starve. He was going to come back with Willow and show her my corpse… Claimed she was special. He’s a sick, sick man. Twisted and evil. He still wants my daughter, and he sounds like a man who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. He needs gone,” she told them firmly. “Permanently gone. As long as he’s out there, Willow will never be safe here.”
Not like on the other side, where she was out of reach of mortal man. Although she hated to be separated from her daughter, leaving Willow with Calodin was better than losing her.
“Can you tell us anything?” Tobias asked. “A name? A description? Anything he said that could help us identify and find him?”
“He was blond. Tall. Strong. He raped Colin on the stairs and again over the box. The second time made Colin pass out. The Frenchman held him up like it was nothing. But he was always out of view or behind Colin. I never saw his face, and he never called him by name.”
Tobias looked troubled. “I will have Zana continue his online search for any whispers regarding your ex-husband or this Frenchman. In the meantime, if you remember anything else, please tell us immediately. Knowing the help she gave Casey after her kidnapping, I have already asked Morgan if she would counsel you. If you agree, she is ready to talk whenever you are.”
“We plan to take Raven to the infirmary for an ultrasound,” Cayden told him.
Their superior nodded his approval. “Keep me updated. For now, you are both to remain here and look after your mate. If the other females need you, I will send someone to find you.”
He left them without another word.
Killian angled his head and studied her for a long, telling moment. “Do ye think ye’re up for company? I don’t know how much longer we can keep yer cousin at bay. Zana and Lukas have been using their voices to keep her from storming the place, but Darcy’s proving a bit more immune than other women. They were tempted to have Iosefa put her to sleep but...”
Raven smiled, knowing her cousin much better than these men. They’d learn—eventually—that Darcy could be the best of friends and a frightening enemy. If they were wise, they’d do what they needed to stay on her good side.
“Call her, please,” she told them. “Ask if she can come up. She’s not going to be satisfied until she speaks to me.”
Two minutes later, Darcy charged into the room like a samurai warrior. “Out!” she ordered the men. “Girl talk! You can have her back when we’re done.”
Killian and Cayden bit their tongues and filed out, closing the door behind them to give them privacy.
A string of Japanese flew from her cousin’s mouth. “Mother of Mercy,” Darcy grated, scanning her battered face and visible bruises. “That worthless son of a bitch. One way
or another, he’ll pay for this and every other time he’s hurt you. I swear it.”
“I’ll heal,” Raven promised. “But I’m letting Willow stay with Calodin and his mother until I look half-human, at least. I don’t want to scare her—and I don’t want to keep you here when you have clients…, patients…, appointments…, classes to attend to....”
Darcy offered a smile meant to humor her. “Unlike a midwife, I have the luxury of rescheduling. Meanwhile, what can I do for you? What can I get you? Maybe more of that lemon-cookies-and-cream ice cream that you polished off?”
Raven was full but the ice cream was so good, her mouth watered at the mention of it. “I wouldn’t say no to that. How are you? What happened at the park? I’ve heard what Killian saw but he wasn’t there for everything.”
Darcy got pissed all over again. “There were four men, one with a gun. At first, I thought they were dognappers. One of them tried to grab Prince—but then two of them went after Willow. Billy was with us. I told the kids to run. I needed to get them away from the gun. My superpowers only extend so far, and stopping bullets isn’t one of them,” she joked. “I disarmed the one, laid them both out, and ran after Willow. Billy was dragging her away from the path when the strangest thing happened. It was like someone caught him by the back of the collar and tore him away from her. A split second later, Willow disappeared. Billy freaked and ran off. Killian found a polished sphere of brown jade where she’d been standing. Said she was safe with a Fae prince named Calodin. We headed in your direction and you were gone. Disappeared without a trace.
“They said later that Calodin had his falcons following you both. He didn’t even realize the one was still gone, he was so focused on Willow, reassuring her, keeping her calm and safe. When he got Killian’s message, he connected with his bird, tapped into its memories, and saw where you’d been taken. The men came to your rescue and made me stay here with Cayden, Lukas, and the dog.
“Elijah has Prince, by the way. Just so you know, the man’s a dog whisperer in addition to being a master gardener. I’m still trying to figure Lukas out. I don’t think he likes me. Or maybe he doesn’t like that his partner Zana quotes Persian poetry to me. Maybe he sees me as competition. All he does is stare. I don’t know.”
Darcy didn’t know if she thought Lukas and Zana were intimate. They were looking for the right woman to complete them, the same as the rest of the men who’d found fated mates.
“Lukas just takes longer to open up,” Raven assured her. “Trust issues, I’m guessing. Maybe Morgan can help him with that. I’m seeing her after an ultrasound. Check on the babies, then take care of Momma.”
Darcy blinked like an owl. “Babies? What’s this about babies? I thought—”
“According to Theo, the blob we saw is twins. Eventually, an ultrasound will prove him right or wrong, but it seems to be the trend here. Meanwhile, I have new triggers,” she sighed. “I’m hoping Morgan can help me like she did Casey after she was kidnapped.”
Darcy had been here long enough to know some things, even if she didn’t know that the men of the cadre were supermen of sorts. “Morgan was kidnapped. Casey was kidnapped. You were kidnapped.” She shook her head, sending her dark ponytail swinging. “If that’s a requisite for dating someone here, I think I’ll pass.”
She said it as a joke but it rang too true. Of the three women who had been transformed, each of them had survived a kidnapping. All of them had walked through the fires and emerged like phoenixes from the flames.
If passing a test was what it took, she prayed that the fated mates to come faced easier ones than she had.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Darcy volunteered to move her afternoon appointments, stay at the Citadel, and be Raven’s personal assistant for the day. She went down with her for the ultrasound, and both cousins held their breaths until the images showed that all was well, even if two distinct forms had yet to appear.
Conscious of her bruising, Raven opted to eat lunch in Cayden and Killian’s apartment. Gael fixed four trays and had them delivered by Elijah, using the Citadel’s recently-restored service elevator. He knocked on the door and wheeled in a stainless steel cart with Prince at his heels.
The Irish wolfhound puppy bounced with excitement to see Raven and Darcy. By the time she suffered through doggie kisses and Elijah got him settled down, she had to wash her hands all over again before eating.
Bless Gael, he’d prepared a chicken dish with fresh spinach, halved grape tomatoes, and whole wheat orzo pasta, flavored with lemon juice, garlic, and basil. He’d added warm, crusty bread with butter and lemon marmalade and made lemon cheesecake for dessert.
In a show of solidarity, the other three trays were identical to hers, with larger portions for Killian, who needed the extra calories when he worked. Eventually, he’d get back to it. Right now, daily orders called for him to stay here with her.
Raven’s appointment with Morgan had been arranged for two pm, allowing time between meals so that they could take as long as they needed. Cayden had volunteered to sit with Casey while Morgan came here, but Darcy nixed that idea. In the end, Killian introduced the other two women to Darcy. Her cousin stayed with Casey while Morgan made a house call to Cayden and Killian’s apartment, a notepad and ink pen in hand.
The sight of her battered face made tears well in Morgan’s eyes. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry,” she crooned. “I’d hug you if I knew it wouldn’t hurt you.”
Raven’s vision blurred, and she blinked her eyes, stopping herself from touching them. She had accelerated healing but was still sore from her beating.
“Thank you. Come in. Come in. We can talk in the living room. I’ll call Cayden when we’re done.”
He’d volunteered to give Elijah a break and play with Prince while they were in session.
“Have a seat wherever.”
Not surprisingly, the psychology major took the recliner and had her take the sofa. Raven smiled, thinking of the movies she’d seen. She imagined herself stretched out on it, pouring out her secrets.
Morgan was the soul of patience with a heart as big as the ocean and an empathic nature that made her sensitive to Raven’s needs. Right now, she needed to talk, and Morgan’s personal experience made her the perfect sounding board. She’d been kidnapped. Abused. Rescued.
She’d survived.
Raven had, too, but so many things weighed heavily on her soul. Her concerns about Calodin. Her worry over Willow. The loss of her first husband at the hands of her evil ex. Morgan understood her pangs of guilt but assured her that Michael’s murder was no one’s fault but Colin’s.
Wondering if karma was at play when her abusive ex was raped, she made a confession. “As awful as it was to hear what was happening, I think part of me felt like it was Divine justice being meted out. At the same time, I was scared to death that I was next.” She shuddered, remembering the Frenchman’s threats. “He called me mon petit oiseau. His little bird. He described how I’d starve to death and how he’d bring Willow in a week to kiss me goodbye. Sick bastard. And he’s still out there. Still wants my daughter, which is another reason to leave her with Calodin’s mother for a while. God knows what he would do to her. He threatened to rape me. He did rape Colin—twice. The first was on the stairs. When that wasn’t enough, he forced him onto his hands and knees above the box Colin had put me in and raped him again.”
Morgan didn’t reply.
When Raven glanced her way, she saw that all the blood had drained from the other woman’s face. Lips trembling, she was shaking visibly.
“Morgan?” she questioned, seeing her obvious distress.
Shaking her head violently from side to side, Morgan pulled her feet up onto the chair and curled into a ball, hugging her legs tightly to her chest. She looked petrified. Eyes wide, there was a faraway look in her gaze that reminded Raven of Willow.
“Oh, my God.” The words were choked. One hand pressed to her mouth, Morgan whimpered. “On the stairs, taunting hi
m, he was watching your box and feeding off your reaction. He could hear your heartbeat even when you tried to stay quiet. Knowing you were there just excited him more.”
Raven felt her heart stop for a beat, a sick feeling of dread churning her stomach. “How… how do you know that?”
A shimmer of tears swam in Morgan’s eyes. Blinking hard, they spilled down her pale cheeks. “He called me mon lapin. Etienne… they aren’t just nightmares. Oh, my God!” It came out in a sob. “I can see him, I can see him!” she keened. “It’s not over.”
Before she could ask anything more, the apartment door flew open. Zac stood in the doorway with Cayden. Sprinting across the distance, Zac dropped onto his knees beside the recliner, gathering his distressed mate into his arms.
“What happened?” he demanded. “I felt your spike of fear downstairs.”
“He’s alive,” Morgan whispered, tears still streaming from her eyes. “Etienne. They aren’t just nightmares…. His blood…. He’s out there, and I’m connected to him.”
Cayden moved to join Raven on the sofa, drawing her down by his side and checking her over with a worried glance.
“We… we were talking about what happened,” she fretted. “And then she just… I don’t know. It's like what happens to Willow sometimes when she sees things. Who’s Etienne?”
The men shared a look before Zac spoke. “He’s a vampire. The one who took Morgan. Tobias needs to be informed.”
“Etienne is a vampire? You’re saying Colin promised Willow to a vampire?” Raven looked at the other three, still finding the concept hard to grasp despite what she’d been told. Vampires were something out of fiction… or so she’d always believed until she’d come to the Citadel and heard about Morgan’s experience, ingesting vampire blood and being kidnapped by one. A human predator was one thing. How could she begin to protect her daughter from the undead?