by Lynde Lakes
Kyle brought Kindra into the room and Valerie pulled her onto her lap. She looked down and winked at her. “Did you have fun?”
She nodded, still sad-faced.
No doubt she was thinking about her mom and worrying about her brother.
As Rick lowered the lights, they all went silent. Victoria gave a few details as Rick flashed pictures onto the double-wide TV screen. When they’d seen all the pictures, Valerie hugged her mom who still looked shaken like an earthquake had rocked her world. Maybe it would do her good to have something else to worry about.
“Mom, would you mind taking Kindra under your wing for a while this evening so Victoria and I can have some girl talk time without little ears listening.”
“It’ll be my pleasure,” Mom said, smiling.
“Thanks, Mom,” she said, grabbing her sister’s hand and heading up the spiral stairway.
She closed the bedroom door. Once they were comfortably stretched out on the twin beds, she glanced at her vibrant, raven-hair sister and forced a smile. “Let’s forget all of that depressing talk for a while. Tell me the juicy stuff about your wedding….your honeymoon.”
Victoria laughed. “The wedding was perfect. The only thing that could have made it more perfect was if you and the family could’ve been there.”
With stars in her eyes, she described the music, the flowers, the way her heart raced during the ceremony, and the magic when they slipped rings on one another’s fingers.
“Rick has really beautiful, strong fingers,” she said dreamy-eyed.
“Boy you’ve really got it bad.”
“Oh, no, Sis. I got it good. Real good.”
“Are you going to do the big ceremony here so we can all share in the beauty of it?”
She frowned. “With all that is going on here, the timing is wrong. But we’ll see how much pressure the folks put on us. I’d just as soon move on. As far as I’m concerned, I had my dream wedding.”
“Let’s get to the knitty-gritty. Is making love with your biker everything you hoped for?”
“Oh, God, yes, yes, yes. There’s something to be said for waiting. I had all this passion just bursting to come out. And, Sis, it did, better than any fireworks.”
“Did your wolf counter-part come out and play, too?”
She nodded, grinning. “But with my moon-poppy herbs, I achieved a wild control that absolutely heightened the pleasure.” She paused and winked. “When we finally crawled out of bed, ten hours later, we indulged in the full Vegas experience. Then we flew to San Francisco and played there for a while. Next, we flew to San Diego and looked at homes. Sharing and merging our idea’s made me feel really married.”
****
Sin, if it wasn’t so much a part of him, Reeves would curse it. Outside the sun was setting low in the sky and threw the dorm room in shadows. He turned on a light over the mirror and basin. At first, he hadn’t noticed the darkness slipping in. He was in too much pain. But now that he’d treated his deeper wounds with a magic healing compound he’d learned from Lazar, he was more aware of his surrounding and even his host’s reflection in the mirror. The handsome face glared at him. “What are you glaring at?” he mentally asked his counterpart. “At least your face isn’t scratched or full of bites.”
When Rory’s glare darkened, Reeves decided his alter-ego needed a pep talk. “Glorious sin,” Reeves mentally told the glowering face in the mirror, “gives spark and danger to otherwise dull days. I was born in sin and will no doubt die over and over again in it. But if a guy’s gotta go—going in sin is the cool way to go. The danger…the thrill and fear of getting caught…”
“Look, Man,” Rory said, “I don’t want to die in sin or any other way. I’m young and, without you, I’d probably have a long, unscarred life. So my face is unmarked, but what about the rest of me. Look at all the scratches and bites on my once perfect body. And besides the damage, I don’t like the way you conduct yourself. If you weren’t in control, maybe I’d be engaged to the hot, blonde, very rich Lamont-twin by now. You’re really messing with my life and my mind.” He ran his hand through his blond, uncharacteristically messy hair. “I don’t like killing innocent people. All that blood…all that screaming. And that poor kid, Kindra, will probably be traumatized for life. And for what? After all that, you turned tail and ran like a coward.”
“Shut up! Shut up! I need to think. And, I only ran because I decided the plan had flaws. And that was your fault. You harassed me so much with your sissy objections that I wasn’t able to think clearly and prepare for the unexpected. Brian wasn’t supposed to show up. At my specific orders, Kindra warned Valerie to come alone. Now, she’ll pay double for not obeying.”
“You were going to kill her anyway, so how do you die double?”
“If we weren’t housed in the same body, I’d show you, college boy.”
“Well, sadly we are. So tell me.”
“With torture my irritating friend—long, excruciating torture.”
“I don’t want you to hurt her.”
“Tough. Now shut up. I didn’t have all this aggravation with my host, Lazar, a cleverly evil man I grew quite fond of. You are far more troubling. Your obsession for Valerie and her dad’s money is getting in my way.”
Menacing thoughts filled Reeves’ mind. The next attack had to be flawless, perhaps something he could do at a distance. Explosives came to mind. And he knew where he could get everything he needed. March AFB munitions building, or maybe at Cohen’s Construction site. He’d seen a help wanted ad for the construction firm a couple days ago.
Chapter Thirteen
Eerie silence hung in the mansion like a cloak of uncertainty as Valerie tiptoed barefoot down the hall, wearing only the filigree cross Brian had placed around her neck and a flimsy shortie pajama set dotted with little golden angels. She shivered and hugged herself. When would Reeves strike again and where? It was great to have her sister back home, yet she felt misgivings about it. It placed Victoria back into the reach of evil.
She tapped lightly on Brian’s door. Her heartbeat accelerated. If he was asleep, she didn’t want to disturb him. But she really needed to see him…thank him…talk with him…be with him, if only for a little while. She put her ear to the door and listened. Disappointment washed over her at the absence of padding feet answering her tap. She waited a moment more, then turned away.
She jumped when the hallway grandfather clock struck its first cord. The bonging toward midnight echoed around her and she didn’t hear the door open behind her.
“Valerie?” She barely heard his low, velvety voice. She turned to face him, her heart thundering in her chest.
His unruly midnight black hair fell dangerously across his forehead. Stubble darkened his strongly etched cheekbones. The dim hallway light threw enticing shadows across his bare torso and wide shoulders. It was obvious that he’d hastily pulled on his jeans. She stared at the open zipper and flat stomach. “I…I…” She willed her face to hide the desire that inflamed her. “I wanted to thank you.”
“Like to come in?” he said, zipping up and stepping back.
“I thought maybe we could take a swim.” She could hardly speak past the lump in her throat.
He glanced down at his bandages. “I could watch you. I know you love the water.”
What am I thinking? She forced a smile. “Swimming can wait a few days. How about a walk in the garden?”
“You’re the doctor,” he said with a sly grin. “And this patient thinks it’s just what he needs.” He closed the door behind him and stepped out into the hallway, his well-formed bare feet silent on the carpeting.
They walked down the winding stairs holding hands. For a moment, Valerie felt that all was right with the world.
Leaving the house and entering the garden with its fragrant floral scents wove magic around them. Was he feeling it, too? In the distance she heard a piano rendition of Claire De Lune. The sky was dark, moonless. She lit one of the lanterns with the matches ke
pt in a nearby can. Brian’s ink-black hair came alive with dancing blue highlights.
He stared at her a moment, then blew out the flame. “If you don’t mind, I don’t feel like being on stage to whoever might be peeking out the mansion windows.”
He gently drew her into his arms. “You’re tense.” He massaged her back with strong fingers. She forced herself to breathe. The heat of his touch deepened her desire and almost closed out the trauma of the day. Was living wild with a pack of wolves in his youth the alpha momentum that gave him all this confidence as a lover? She’d believed that at first. But now she wondered if it was more than that. His dark-lashed, intense feral eyes glinted with love. When his lips touched hers, they were firm, his mouth open and moist. In a fervent dance of love, they sought and entwined tongues. Fire flooded her veins. His heat surrounded her until every inch of her flesh was on fire. She drew him closer. They could’ve died today. And the evil monster was still out there. What benefit was there in denying themselves if in the next few days they lost their lives?
Brian’s mouth grew hotter, more demanding. She clung to the dizzying euphoria as his lips trailed down to the swell of her breast. He lifted his head and hovered close, his warm breath mingling with hers.
She pressed against him, inviting his passion, his power. “Make me forget,” she whispered. Her core heated to a shivery liquid as their kisses grew more frantic. They quickly shed their clothing and he gently laid her back on the stone bench. She squirmed. It was hard and uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. Wild with fever, she arched her back and thrust her hips forward, inviting him to love her.
Suddenly, he stopped. “Okay. You win. I’ll let them test the serum on me tomorrow. As much as I desire you, we can’t do this tonight and risk a pregnancy.”
“God, Brian. You can pull out or something. But don’t leave me like this.”
“Momma Maggie said that doesn’t always work. It’s probably going to kill me, but I’ll just pleasure you and sit this dance out.”
She was too far gone to protest. She moaned in ecstasy as he explored the smooth contour of her belly and the moist triangle of curly hair with his hands, his lips.
Kissing and caressing, he slid his hand between her thighs. She arched her hips to meet his seeking fingers. Her limbs went weak, her core, receptive, quivery. She clung to him as he gently used his fingers to excite and enter her. When she thought she couldn’t stand a second more of her rising and agonizing desire, she clung to him, muting her cry against his shoulder.
As the tremors of pleasure eased, she felt selfish…guilty. She sat up. “Oh, Brian, I’m so sorry. What must you think of me?”
He laughed and drew her back into his arms. “I think you owe me, big time.”
She forced a smile. “And I always pay my debts.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said, his tone light.
The sky grew darker. Thunder echoed in the distance and it started to rain. After they scurried back into their clothes, she kissed him firmly, more in love with him than ever. Still stricken with guilt she said, “I think we’d better get back to the house before the full impact of the storm hits.” As they entered the mansion and slammed the door against the sudden wind, she heard a crack and then lightning lit up the windows.
“I’ve got to get to Kindra. She might wake up scared. This place can be real spooky in a storm.”
****
By two in the morning the violent summer storm had hit the MT Baldy area full bore. It was impossible to sleep. Valerie held a trembling Kindra close as lightning lit up the glass doors to the terrace. She closed her eyes briefly. If she could just help Kindra through this night and tomorrow, when she had to be told the truth about her mother, and be turned over to Child Welfare the healing could start and they could all work together to get their lives back into balance. She hoped her good intentions in delaying the turnover didn’t turn into a serious deal. It surely could. But there was so much to worry about—and now Brian was going to allow himself to be injected with the untested serum just so he could be with her. Guilt hit her again. He’s making all the sacrifices and I’m letting him. What kind of woman does that make me? And if the serum doesn’t work, will I love him less? No. Whatever the outcome, I’ll always love him, but if we’re trapped in the lycanthropy curses forever will we have to sacrifice our expressions of that love for the sake of future generations?
****
In the wake of the lightning flash, a roll of thunder boomed overhead. Reeves felt a chilling thrill. Tonight the wind would uproot many small trees and whip the larger ones until their trembling boughs bent beyond reprieve and broke. Some higher trees had already tangled in the electric lines and darkness blanketed much of the community. This was the kind of night he missed living in the mansion the most. He found strength in the contrast between the turmoil outside and the eerie silence hanging in the halls and tunnels like the dark cloak of death.
Rain pounded the earth and filled the holes with muddy water. His wolf counterpart craved to feel the water on his back, to let it splash up on his belly…to run free. If he could call up the wolf on command, he’d run up to the mansion and see what devilment he could bring to this menacing night. The tunnels had been closed off, but maybe there was a weak spot where he could bore through. Or, perhaps, if he knew Hugo…Hugh, as well as he thought, the idiot would have left an opening somewhere for himself.
Using Lazar’s formulas and knowledge, he’d been trying to gain the power to call up and shut down the wolf in him on command. Then, no one could stop him.
He tried to conjure up a mental image of the moon, tried to imagine reveling in the throes of morphing, and tried thinking nerve-raking thoughts as he was aware that stress brought forth the symptoms. He forced himself to relive the previous stress he’d felt while planning to bring Valerie to him—of breaking into the woman’s apartment unseen—of battling his own lightweight, weakling counter-part in this unequal partnership during the killing—of struggling with that agile and adept werewolf challenger.
Why did gaining complete control have to be so complicated? Where was Rory’s needling? It might just give me the stress I need. “Hey, Rory, you asleep up there in our head? Wake up and hassle me.” The stupid college boy was purposely quiet, deliberately trying to defeat me. “I’ll get you for this.”
Dammit, I need to get inside the mansion again. It inspires me. It excites me to roam the snaking tunnels and spy on the temporary occupants—occupants who, collectively, will soon draw their last breaths.
****
Lightning lit up the darkened room. Victoria jumped and forced herself to think of something besides the storm. The arcing light had fallen across wispy flounces and elegant vases, which her mom promised to fill with fresh flowers soon. Mom said they’d have already been brimming with glorious colors and fragrances if she’d called and shared her date of return. But how could they? They hadn’t planned a specific date. Everything was wildly and wonderfully spur-of-the-moment. It hadn’t occurred to her to touch bases. She hadn’t expected her parents to do anything special and certainly not decorate a room honeymoon-suite style for them. But it warmed her heart that they did.
Was that a thud on the other side of the wall? She froze. Yes, there it is again…the sound of metal digging into concrete was echoing up from the basement area. But Dad and Uncle Hugh had sealed off all the tunnels. It must be the wind-whipped trees slamming against the lower part of the mansion.
She shivered and snuggled closer to Rick. “I hate storms,” she said. “They remind me of my childhood and the tunnels that used to wind through the mansion—and the night a man kidnapped my sister right out of the twin bed next to mine.”
Rick kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure hearing about Kindra’s kidnapping today didn’t help.” He stroked Victoria’s thigh. “Imagine what your sister went through, living the experience again through the child, knowing firsthand the terror the child faced.
“She didn’
t even mention it. She’s made of tougher stuff than I thought. We all thought of her as the gentle vulnerable one.”
“Apparently, although vulnerable, she’s a courageous young woman. But then, in her gentle way she always was. It just wasn’t as evident with a super alpha sister like you around, my love.”
Victoria scooted away from him. “Is that a slam?”
He pulled her back into his arms. “No. It’s merely an observation. I wouldn’t change a hair on your head, a muscle in your agile, sexy she-wolf body, or your alpha personality and hot-blooded nature. Speaking of hot-blooded, do you know what I like to do on stormy nights?
She grinned through the darkness. “I suppose what you like to do every night only, in a storm like this, probably indoors.”
He lowered his head and hovered inches from her lips, his warm breath mingling with hers. “You got it babe,” he said in a ragged voice and slid on top of her.
Eager for the hot, hardness that throbbed against her apex, she arched to meet it. He thrust her hands above her head and kissed her with a ferocity that awakened and excited the wolf within her. She gave him soft little love bites then lowered her hands and clung to him, sliding her long nails down his muscled chest. When he moaned, she slipped her hands around his waist and dug her fingers into his hard, unyielding buttocks.
He entered her and rode her fast and hard like he rode his Harley. The wolf in her liked the roughness. When she thought she couldn’t stand a second more of her rising and agonizing desire, he brought her to another soaring climax. Lightning flashed into the window as she exploded again and again, as though she’d become one with the raging electrical storm. Then, together they plunged over the edge into a grateful release that left them weak but still clinging to one another with their last ounce of strength.
He rolled off her and they lay side by side, breathing hard and trying to catch their breaths. After a few moments, he drew her into his arms. She relaxed and found the storm no longer troubled her. But the fate of her family did. She wanted to help rid them of the evil that plague them. But how?