by Aline Hunter
“You saved his mate’s life,” Nathan reminded her. It was an important detail. “Ava means more to him than anything. Without you he’d have lost her. He owes you and he knows it. His pride won’t allow him to turn you away.”
“If you say so.” She lifted her arms in mock surrender. “You don’t have to hold me. I’m not going anywhere. We have the same agenda.”
“If you say so,” he chimed, throwing her words back at her.
Her glare of sheer disdain wounded him more than a solid punch in the gut ever could have. Fuck it to shit. He’d meant to be playful, not push her buttons. He approached her, strides steady. Once he reached her he wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He knew it pissed her off when Nathan let her go and Trey pulled her into his arms but fuck if he cared. She was here, in his world, where she belonged.
He wasn’t letting her go.
“Until I know that for sure,” he lifted her from the ground and marched toward the door, “I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Glancing over his shoulder, he told Nathan, “Get her amazing Ginsu knife and bring it along, would you?”
“What are you? A caveman?” She snorted and shook her head, waves of her thick blonde hair cascading down her back. “Why don’t you just drag me out of here by the hair?”
Maybe he was a bastard for laughing but who could blame him? His mate was feisty, smart and ballsy as hell. The pack had no idea how lucky they’d just become. This woman wouldn’t back down from anyone or anything, including him.
Striding for the car, he bent his head. “I’m going to be whatever you want me to be, Sadie. No more running away. No more bullshit. You’re mine, darlin’. All mine.”
“Barbarian,” she huffed, sounding indignant.
“If that’s what you want.”
Nathan opened the door and Trey sank into the passenger seat, situating Sadie on his lap. He gave her hair a soft yank, chuckling when she wriggled her ass against him. His body responded, the wolf reminding him they’d yet to fully stake their possession over her. The quick and sensual act against the wall had only been a prelude of what was to come. He wanted to see his female beneath him, her blond hair fanning over the pillows, and look into her eyes when she came next time.
Soon.
Even with danger knocking at their door—despite the threat of Shepherds, Aldon Frost and everything else he had to deal with—the future looked brighter than it had in weeks.
Chapter Five
A multitude of thoughts ran through Sadie’s mind as she tried to formulate a plan. Nathan had been correct. The coven wouldn’t have come for her. Even if Leigh had pleaded Sadie’s case and attempted to sway them to take up arms for the cause, they weren’t strong enough physically to face a threat. As a whole, her sisters-in-magic weren’t the most powerful nest of vampires in the world. That was the reason they’d approached her so long ago. Up until then Sadie had remained with her family in Alaska. Many supernatural creatures lived there, in a place far from mortal society.
She recalled accepting their offer, bidding her mother and father farewell, knowing there was a decent chance she’d never see them again.
Some vampires attached themselves to covens. Others—who found their brides or grooms and wanted to live their lives in harmony—generally floated from place to place. She’d assumed that one day she’d see her parents again but there was no guarantee. The opportunity to live her own life had been too tempting, so off she’d gone in search of adventure and her own place in the world.
Leigh.
That poor girl’s situation had been so different. No one knew who’d bitten her, changed her and left her to face the transformation alone. Anyone else probably would have died. Leigh’s heritage—one she didn’t know about—and having mage blood advanced the transition.
Much like Ava Brisbane…
Diskant’s mate was telepathic but Ava’d had no idea of her mage heritage when Sadie had mentioned the possibility to her. The Omega’s partner had seemed confused, wanting to know more before Sadie had been forced to leave. Often mortals with abilities didn’t know they came from a magic wielder somewhere in their bloodline. It wasn’t unheard of for traits to skip generations and manifest decades later in family trees.
A nagging feeling ate at her gut.
Had Geneva—the leader of the coven and vampire in charge—known what Leigh was capable of? Had the secretive and oftentimes bitchy head of their nest suspected something? Usually the coven voted on who entered their home. With Leigh, Geneva had simply held a meeting, told them of the young girl and her circumstances and pretty much welcomed the fragile vampire into their domain. It wasn’t unheard of but it was suspicious. Not to mention Geneva had seemed too protective of the girl—encouraging Leigh to stay indoors, indicating it was good that she take her time to accept what she’d become.
Recollections of her meetings with Geneva flashed before her eyes.
Her leader had seemed so intent on destroying Aldon the last few months. Sadie agreed a rogue vampire was a danger but what if there was a reason behind Geneva’s fear? What if Leigh somehow played a key role in Geneva’s plans? All of the members of the coven had secrets. Despite their bond, they didn’t share everything. Their leader was more aloof than most, appearing mostly when the coven gathered to address issues.
They lived under the same roof. How often did she really see Geneva?
Her heart raced and her palms went clammy.
Not much.
Driving for several miles, they came to an enormous set of gates in the middle of nowhere. Nathan rolled down the window, said something to the man who approached the side of the car and suddenly the mechanism keeping the barrier in place parted wide. Nathan drove past the guards, hands clutching the steering wheel, his knuckles almost white.
Like it or not, her heart went out to the man.
He’d said Leigh was his mate. She hadn’t wanted to believe it but his behavior told her he hadn’t been lying. He hadn’t spoken as they’d driven, jaw clenched, eyes pained. She knew how possessive and protective werewolves were of their females. Before Trey, she’d thought nothing could keep a shifter from its mate.
Maybe Trey hadn’t meant to be a total douchebag.
He’d been drunk as hell when he’d attacked her harshly with his words. Maybe she’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe there was a reason they’d found each other again.
Or maybe your brain is fried and you can’t think worth a damn.
Listen to yourself. Yuck, yuck, yuck!
“Promise me you won’t run.” Trey’s unexpected rasp against her ear sent a prickle down her spine. All of her mental observations flew out the window. “If you do, I don’t know what’ll happen. Think about the people this could impact. Not just Leigh. Not just me and you. This will hurt everyone in the pack, including men, women and their children.”
Damn him.
The magic words—women and children.
White mage vampires never harmed the innocent. It went against everything they stood for. Knowing she could be the cause of suffering sent a pang through her chest. Once again she didn’t have much choice in her decision. Hurt others and save her own ass? Or stand and face the firing squad? Neither option seemed all that promising.
Her word meant everything to her so it wasn’t easy to whisper, “I promise.”
Putting her thoughts on hold, she surveyed her surroundings.
Well, well, well. Trey hadn’t been kidding.
Diskant Black had pulled out all the stops. She wasn’t able to see the shifters guarding the area but she sensed them. An enormous house appeared in the distance, large enough to be a freaking mansion. A building had been erected nearby, possibly for livestock, although she didn’t see Diskant Black as much of a cowboy. The man liked to ride motorcycles, not horses. Glistening water reflected rays of the sun, drawing her eyes to a swimming pool.
Damn. The sun.
Unlike stories depicted, she could venture out in the day. All vampires coul
d. But the sun drained their strength quickly and their skin had a definite aversion. She’d been shielded inside the vehicle but that would all end once they climbed out of her Camaro. If necessary she could bear the rays for up to an hour, but no more than that.
Relief rushed through her.
Thank Goddess Leigh had driven Sadie’s vehicle when she’d gone to see Nathan and Trey. The windows were properly tinted, keeping her safe as she drove around New York and the surrounding areas. If it had been any other mode of transport she probably would have been forced to duck and hide in the back.
Where was the fun in that? She had the best seat in the house.
She flexed her ass. Trey rewarded the movement by squeezing her thigh. He’d been hard as a baseball bat when they’d first settled in the car. Slowly his erection had stopped poking her buttocks. Now, however, she felt the hard ridge resurface.
Her eyes drifted closed.
She’d waited so long to feel him lodged inside her. After seeing him fully nude and witnessing his impressive build, she knew he’d have to force his way into her body. Once there she’d feel every single inch, his thickness more than enough to tease her pussy. She’d come harder than she ever had in her life, she was certain.
Trey chuckled and she winced. Rookie mistake. He could smell her arousal.
Stop acting like a horny teenager!
Nathan pulled to a stop several yards from the domicile and cut off the engine. “We’re here. Get your shit together. It’s game on.”
Before they made it from the car, Diskant Black appeared. Huge, foreboding, angry. He stormed toward the vehicle with a tiny pixie behind him. He stopped moving and spun around to face his mate, his shoulder-length dark hair whipping around his face. Ava didn’t back down, her blue eyes blazing, short blonde hair with pink tufts scattered all over her head. She placed one hand on her hip and rested the other over her slightly bulging belly as she gave him hell.
Dread swamped Sadie, giving her an ample dose of fear.
She hadn’t known. She’d had no idea.
No wonder the Omega seemed so pissed.
The last time she’d seen Diskant’s mate she’d been slim and teeny. Not so much now. With her petite size, it was easy to see her condition. Ava—the tiny female who’d brought the most powerful shifter in New York to his knees—was pregnant.
“I told you!” Ava snapped, easy to hear as her voice rose. “She’s not a threat. I listened to her the moment they arrived at the gate.” Taking the hand from her hip, she tapped her temple. “I’m able to do that, remember?”
Considering her age and experience, Sadie didn’t usually get embarrassed about sex. But knowing Ava had heard her thoughts about Trey made her cheeks burn hot. She knew the tiny female was powerful telepathically but she’d never imagined she could listen in to others’ minds from such a long distance.
Then she remembered the locket she’d learned was in Ava’s possession.
How could she have possibly forgotten something so important?
With a zephyr Ava’s powers would magnify tenfold. No wonder she’d been able to hear Sadie’s thoughts so easily. Craig Newlander—the master of the Villati who researched and stored information about the paranormal world—had told her that Ava possessed the thing. Apparently Aldon had been too late to get his hands on the relic. Sadie decided it was for the best. Ava wasn’t power hungry enough to unlock the darkness of the magic and Diskant could keep his mate—and therefore the locket—safe. She’d thought it was the proper place for the mystical thing.
Before she could dwell on her monumental slip-up Trey opened the door and climbed out of the car. Guards appeared, all of them armed with weapons. They surrounded the three of them, eyes darting from the Omega and his mate to their unexpected guests. Sadie’s senses went on alert. The sun did drain her but with Trey’s blood she’d be able to protect herself. She gauged the threat, thinking of who she’d take down first. She wouldn’t kill them but she could cause enough damage to keep them down.
“She knows about me,” Ava continued, pointing a finger at Diskant’s chest. “She can answer so many questions I have. You will not send her away. She needs our help. Stop being a Neanderthal and pull your head out of your ass.”
“I guess Ava told you we were coming?” Trey asked, seeming totally at ease.
He cautiously lowered Sadie to the ground. She wondered if he’d put space between them. He’d indicated he wouldn’t unless they were pried apart by a tire iron. Their bodies brushed and she felt her feet settle against the hard earth. Ready to step back, she gasped when he took her hand and twined their fingers together.
Holy shit.
That was a public display of affection and he’d done it in front of everyone.
“What are you doing here?” Diskant snarled, whirling away from Ava to face the car. “Isn’t there a pack meeting you’re supposed to be in charge of?”
“Cade’s got it covered,” Nathan replied, maintaining his sense of calm. “We had to come here. You need a heads-up about some serious shit.”
“You know better, Trey.” Diskant’s fury didn’t ebb, his irises prismatic as they shifted into various colors. “You know not to bring danger to this place. I’ve killed men for less.”
“Diskant.” Nathan inserted himself into the conversation. “You should listen to him. Don’t let your temper override reason.”
“If I want your opinion,” Diskant rounded on the werewolf, “I’ll fucking ask for it!”
“Take a chill pill, D,” Trey said. “We’re not the enemy.”
“Like hell you’re not!” Diskant snarled.
Shit.
Tempers would only escalate. Sadie knew that. She’d been in the middle of enough conflicts with her coven to see where things were headed. Diskant would defend his interests. Trey and Nathan would do the same. There was one way to communicate everything that had happened and show Diskant everything he needed to know. But that would require taking an enormous chance with her coven, Nathan, Leigh’s life and Trey’s future. Even if she showed Diskant the past in images, would it be enough to persuade him to help?
She glanced at the enraged male.
He wasn’t functioning on a sensible level. He was in full protective mate mode.
How could she take such a plunge if the reward wasn’t worth the cost? What if her plan backfired and she didn’t avoid a fight but instigated one?
What other choice do you have?
A yank of her hand was all it took to get free. Her fingers slipped from Trey’s and she stepped away. She phased the moment she was no longer physically tied to him, reappearing behind Diskant. She grasped the ginormous man’s arm, collected her thoughts and sent them into his mind.
For the first time he’d see Ava’s attack through Sadie’s eyes. It wouldn’t be pretty. Ava had almost died thanks to Shepherds. When Sadie had given her blood to survive, her intentions had been pure. There had been no agenda. No hope for a debt owed. She’d done it simply to give Ava another lease on life.
Once those memories had passed, she allowed other memories to rush into Diskant’s head. She showed him why she’d had an interest in Ava in the first place, clarifying the reasons their paths had crossed.
Ava’s amulet.
The zephyr.
When she’d tracked Aldon, she’d discovered he’d been after something valuable. It had taken time but eventually she’d uncovered what the vampire had wanted—the zephyr Ava possessed, cleverly hidden inside an amulet passed down from Ava’s mother. With it he could kill millions of people. Control the world. Dominate everyone and everything he pleased.
Holy fuck! She heard Diskant’s thought, felt his alarm.
Relieved he was finally getting the picture, she redirected her thoughts to her capture and rescue and the threat Aldon posed. Making sure she included every single moment so Diskant could see who he was dealing with—a vampire undaunted by shifters. She made sure she added Nathan’s link to Leigh in her thoughts, h
oping that the Omega—even if he didn’t have any sympathy for Sadie’s position—might soften when it came to the other couple.
For added effect, she also gave him brief portions of Leigh’s past and how much the young vampire had suffered following her change, including the pain and heartbreak Leigh had yet to overcome.
Someone snatched her away from Diskant. Her yelp of alarm carried through the open area. She hit the ground as she spun, driven away from the Omega. Lifting her head, she saw Trey crouch in front of her. His growl was feral, his fingernails forming into claws. Diskant looked like he’d been waylaid with a dummy stick. Swaying on his feet, he shook his head.
“No way,” Diskant murmured, “not possible.”
“She showed you the truth.” Ava sounded shaken. Chancing a glance at her, Sadie saw Ava had paled. “Think about it. The night we met you saved me from vampires. We never knew why. Then the locket and Thomas…it makes sense.”
“Thomas?” Sadie had to ask, determined to put the puzzle pieces in place.
“My brother,” Ava sighed and raked a trembling hand through her hair. “I don’t have the necklace. He took it when he left town.”
“He took it?” Horror, disbelief and terror poured over her. “Where did he go?”
“We don’t know.” Ava reached for Diskant and in an instant he was there, wrapping an arm around her. She leaned against him, revealing just how small she was in comparison. “He disappeared. We were going to hire an investigator but I decided it wouldn’t matter. Thomas is Thomas. He does what he wants, when he wants. If he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be.”
He doesn’t want to be found.
There was one way to find him, whether Thomas liked it or not.
Just like that—click-click-boom—Sadie saw the future.
The visual made her stomach churn.
Leigh could locate a person using a personal possession. Aldon had learned Leigh was capable of doing so the moment he’d taken Sadie’s blood.
No wonder he’d taken her captive.
Sadie was the only real friend Leigh had. As such, Aldon had known Leigh would come to rescue her. Then he’d have everything he needed to find Thomas and locate the zephyr.