“I most certainly did not use those words when addressing how she was able to get herself into such a cushy job.” Harold watched the man with the baton as he started to walk away. “Is there no one here that can help me? I’m in a great deal of pain.”
He was left alone again. Even his cell mates moved to the other side of the cell away from him. Harold was getting highly sick of this stuff. He was somehow being targeted for what he was. A man on a mission.
“I’m going to have to start making notes, that’s all.” His arm was throbbing now, and he was sure that it was broken. “This is not the way to treat a man who is an FBI agent.”
Time to make plans on how to get this fixed, he thought. How, he wasn’t sure, but he had to plan. First and foremost, he needed to get that woman and prove to these people that he wasn’t a fool. Somewhere along the line that had been overlooked. Harold was sure that they still thought of him as a fool, but that wasn’t right either. He was an FBI agent, and people needed to remember that.
~~~
Chase woke crying out Emerald’s name. As he came hard, his body bowed up from the bed, he grabbed her head and held her to him. Christ, her mouth was hot and wet, and he loved it. As he came down, no other way to describe how he was feeling, he pulled her up over him and held her.
“You’re officially trying to kill me.” She laughed, and Chase smiled. “I love you, my dear. And anytime you want to wake me up like that, you go right ahead. So long as you know, I can play that way as well.”
“I should hope so.” He rolled her to her back and moved to fill her. “Chase, I have to go work today.”
“Yes, so do I, but you started this, and now I find that I can’t leave you hanging. What sort of mate would I be if I did that?” Her moan only fueled his need to satisfy her. “Christ, love, you’re so responsive. I love that in you.”
He touched her everywhere he could reach. Running his fingers over her smooth skin. Touching the tight nub of her breast, which made his cock stretch and fill more. Everywhere he touched her, everyplace that he felt her need, she gave him more. More love, more need, and especially more of herself.
As her peak began to rise up, so did his own. There was never a time, he realized, that he hadn’t loved her…even before she came into his life, Chase had loved only her. It seemed silly, he knew that, but he would never feel this way for another person forever.
The release for them both came at the same time. Not only did she cry out, but he cried as well. Love, it was grander than anything he’d ever felt, and he wanted her to know it.
Kissing her, holding her body to his, he lifted his head and looked down at her. His mate, his other half. Telling her that he loved her didn’t seem enough in that moment, and Chase closed his eyes at the overwhelming need to say something. When he looked at her, he knew just what he wanted—no, what he needed—to ask her.
“Be my wife, Emerald. I want to tell the world that I have found not just love, but everything that goes with it. Happiness, joy, companionship, and so much more that I’m sure there are no names for.” Chase looked at her then, his heart now and forever hers. “Marry me and be my wife.”
“Yes, I’ll marry you, Chase. I love you so very much.” He held her, not knowing what else to say, his heart and mind focusing on one thing, that she was going to be his and that she loved him.
He must have fallen asleep again. Her side of the bed was cold where she’d been. Getting up, he took a second shower, almost hating the fact that he’d awakened alone. But he knew that today was important for her; she was going to go back to the plant with Jewel and his brother to figure out what they could do to make the place friendly.
Getting a late start, he was in the car on his way to a job site when his phone rang. Pulling over, he answered it on the second ring and talked to his buddy Mac. Mac was in town for a hit, for Bates. But Chase knew that instead of killing the people he’d been hired to kill, he turned them over to the Justice Department. In turn, they could be questioned, and if needed, relocated. That was what he did for a living. Being a hit man was only a front to help out with murderers bent on making a killing, both figuratively and literally, with insurance claims.
“Your buddy, Bates, he’s bat shit crazy to find your mate.” They both laughed. “He is also looking for Nash and his wife. He has a very poor opinion of women, in the event you didn’t know that. He’s insulted the president of the hospital, along with a few of the nurses that work there. The security squad is a good one, and since they’re campus, they have as much right to maim and kill as most cops do, so they’re on the lookout for him. Also, and this is funny as fuck, the guy asked me for a refund on the money he paid us. He’s off his fucking noodle, Chase.”
“I do know that. Sort of pissed off Emerald too. He has it in his head that she’s not smart enough to have come up with some formula to live forever. That’s the reason that he’s been chasing her. Nothing to do with dragons, as we thought, but just that her image showed up someplace long ago.” Mac laughed. He too was an immortal, but not a vampire. He was a pack leader that had been around for a great many decades. “You should come by and meet her. Hell, the entire family would love to see you again.”
“Not this trip, but the next one for sure. We’ll be hanging out around here for a while, by the way. The men that came into town to confront the ex-agent asked us to do backup for them. They’re sure that he’s going to cause more trouble than just with your family.” Chase told him to be careful. “We are. Oh, before I forget to tell you, there is a building in the lower east part of town that needs some people, like your family, to go in and get rid of the nest that’s there. They’re a bad bunch of vamps, and are going to hurt some people soon if they haven’t already. I only heard about it because I happened to be at the pack meeting here, and they were warning them to stay close to home at night. You know as well as I that were blood is better than sex.”
“I’ll tell the family. And be careful. Crazy people do crazy things.” After hanging up with Mac, he told his brother about the house. Mac said that they’re out to hurt someone. I’m betting that they’re the new vamps that were talking at the last meeting we had.
You mean the group that kept telling us we needed to be more aggressive? I would bet that you’re correct. Jason paused a little bit, but Chase wasn’t worried. He’d take care of them. I’d like for you to go with me, if you don’t mind. And Emerald as well. Hell, we might as well have all of us there, just to show them that we don’t care to be fucked with.
We can do that. When would you like to do this? He pulled into the parking lot of the first building he was looking at today. Emerald is at the plant today with your wife. So any time after they’re finished, that would be all right with me.
So the plan was set up and they were going to meet at the building they were hidden in around six. Chase glanced at the clock on his phone and figured that he had plenty of time to do everything on his list. But, like he’d had happen before, he also knew that something would come up somehow and mess up his entire day. Laughing, he got out of his car.
Chapter 8
Sometimes it just felt good to get out of the house for a bit. Franklin knew that he should be getting ready to confront those young vampires, but he needed a breather. Some time to himself. As he made his way through the dense woods, he paused when he heard something. Someone was coming his way.
Tensing for the person, he moved to stand close to a big tree. With the shadows drawn around him, he wasn’t worried about anyone coming up on him. As he stood there, hearing the crashing sounds coming closer, he saw her as soon as she fell to the ground.
Franklin wasn’t stupid enough to go to her. This was the sort of thing that he’d heard had been used to catch a vampire since before he’d been born. But when she stood up, he noticed some things about her. Terror was like a blanket around her, and she was bleeding.
When she was close enough for him to see the extent of her wounds, he heard more sounds and knew that she wasn�
��t alone. But when the six men, all of them young vampires, came out of the woods behind her, he watched them carefully but contacted his family as well.
I think we might have a problem here. Jason asked him where he was. In the woods behind my house. The vamps are here, and they’re chasing a young woman through the woods. She’s been beaten up pretty badly, and she’s been bitten a few times too.
We’re on our way. Dad, don’t confront them. If you do, they might hurt you. They’re young and incredibly stupid. He said he could tell that. If they harm you or her, they’re as good as dead.
You got that right. When the young woman started running again, they began to surround her. I’m not going to be able to wait on you, son. They’re going to kill her if I don’t miss my bet.
Franklin went to the woman as the men began to call to her, telling the human that she could trust them. As soon as he appeared by her, he knew immediately that these men had done this before. They had a system, their plan to kill her nearly flawless. Circling their prey, having one of them stand back, being the good guy of the group. And once the person went to them, having no other choice, he would take her first, holding her for the rest of them to drain. It might have worked this time, but he’d interceded on her part.
“Hello, boys. What are you doing to this woman?” They laughed and told him that he needed to move on. That she was theirs. “The problem is, boys, this is my land that you’re hunting on, and I do believe you were made aware of that when you moved here. Plus, someone might have mentioned that we get along with the people in this town. We don’t feed from them unless they are all right with it. This little lady does not look like she’s all that keen on you having another taste of her. Now, as I said, you need to—”
“Listen up, old man. We decide what we do and when we do it. And we do not follow the old ways.” The rest of them laughed when their leader looked around. “You go on back to your crypt and let us handle this woman our own way. She likes, it, don’t you, honey?”
“Please, don’t leave me here with them. They’ve been hurting me for days now.” He nodded and tried very hard to keep his own beast under control. “They’re vampires. And they said that they were going to kill me.”
“Don’t you know what you’re there with now, honey? He’s the oldest vampire around these parts. He’s probably thinking that he’s going to chase us off and then have you all for himself.” The woman looked at him, and he nodded when she asked him if he was a vampire. “See, I told you. Big bad asshole is going to get himself killed too. Right along with you. I’m thrilled to be able to help him too.”
“Don’t listen to him, my dear. Yes, I’m a vampire, but I’m not going to hurt you.” She struggled to get away from him, but Franklin held her. Putting her to sleep seemed the best possible solution when he heard from Jason. They were there with him. Laying her on the ground at his feet after putting her into a deep sleep, he looked at the men.
Jason and Jewel appeared first, then the rest of his family. Chase was alone, but before he could ask him where his lovely mate was, she appeared beside him. Franklin let out a long breath and told them what the men had said to him.
“You called our dad an old man? Christ, kid, do you have any idea who you’re talking to? Not only is he the father of the kiss leader in these parts, but he’s not weak either. You’re morons.” Elliot laughed when the men did, saying that he was an old man too. “Yes, and you know, it’s a real shame that you’re not going to get as old as any of us are.”
“You think you can hurt us? There are six of us, and we’re much more powerful than we look. You are barking up the wrong tree, jackass.” Elliot looked at Franklin and asked if he was all right. He told him he was pissed, but all right. “What do you care if he’s all right or not? Christ, you guys need to be getting with the program here. We’re much more superior to humans than anything in this world. We need to rule. Now, give us our dinner and be gone.”
“Not necessarily.” They all turned to Emerald, and she looked at him. “Franklin, pick up the woman, please. We need to make sure that she’s not hurt any more than she is now. I can hear her heart beating slowly. It might have been too much on her, I’m afraid.”
Picking the woman up, her scent hit him right between the eyes. Franklin thought that he was wrong and leaned into her throat and sniffed her more. Christ oh mighty, he was holding his mate. His second mate.
He wanted to put her down. To go back to what he’d been doing and just forget this whole thing. The men, they couldn’t have her, but Franklin needed to think. To…well, he wasn’t sure what he needed, but thinking seemed to be the best thing. But before he could get a thought in his head that made sense, the little dragons appeared behind the young vamps.
“As I was saying, you’re not the big fish around here. None of us are.” The leader of the group of young men laughed at Emerald. “You see, you’ve been fucking around with the wrong family here. I would tell you that you’re going to regret coming to our town. Or that you should be nicer. But we all know that you’re not going to abide by the laws of this realm, are you?”
“Fuck no.” The other men shook their heads, and Franklin wanted to tell them to think about it. That the being that they were messing with right now was even older than him, not to mention more powerful than all of the rest of them together. “We’re going to take over this little town. Make us a bunch of baby vamps and then take over the state. It’s what we should have been doing all along. Not trying to fit in, but to rule them. They should be slaves to us. If nothing else, they should be food for all vampires until we say differently.”
“Is that your final say in all this?” The leader looked at his men, and when they said yes, he told Emerald it was. “Well, if you’d give me the name of your makers, then we can proceed.”
“Proceed with what, bitch? You think you can take us on? Well, I got news for you, we’re younger and much better than you’ll be any day of the week. We’re going to kill you all.” Emerald didn’t say anything, but she did lift her hands up and over her head. When two little dragons came to her, Franklin took a step back with his burden. “You gonna hurt us with your little bugs? Ah, look at them, they’re so cute. And as harmless as you are. I’m telling you, we’re shaking in our boots right now.”
The word, one that he had never heard before, made the dragons move as one. Had he not been looking directly at them, Franklin was sure that he would have missed it.
The change from small cute creatures to large dangerous monsters was immediate. Their skins changed from a silvery white to solid ice in the same instant. Scales made their appearance along their backs, and spikes replaced the softness of their hands and feet. Tails as long as the tallest trees around them whipped out and took out several bushes, a few trees, and snow. Franklin nearly moved back again when Emerald warned him to stand still.
“These men have violated the laws of their kind, threatened my family and humans that did nothing to them but to live. I, queen of the ice dragons, sentence them to death by ice.” The leader snickered. It was forced, and he looked terrified. “Kill them.”
Franklin knew for as long as he lived the image that was set before him would forever be one that kept him up at nights. That he’d see it in the darkness of the night, and be both awed and horrified by what he had witnessed.
No one moved, not even to go home, except the monsters, this time shifting back to their original selves. But Franklin would never see them as cute and harmless again. They were just as they were meant to be…large, dangerous killers. Their bodies would mean death; their breath, as cold as anything he’d ever seen, would now mean something more to him. Franklin looked at the small creature as it landed on the woman in his arms.
“Don’t harm her.” He looked at Franklin, then back at the woman. “She’s my mate. I’m not sure how that is to work, but she’s mine.”
The dragon licked his small paw then pressed it gently on her throat. He could see the mark there, small and
nearly invisible to most other creatures, but Franklin knew that for whatever reason, this dragon had marked her as his own, and he wasn’t entirely sure what it meant.
“Her passage will be safe.” Franklin asked Emerald what she meant. “Her passage from human to vampire. They nearly changed her, but in a few more hours, she would have died because they would have drained her and not finished the task. Those men, they hurt her in ways that she would surely have perished from.”
Left standing alone in the woods, he lifted the woman more in his arms and walked as far around the circle in the ground as he could. He would never come this way again. The woods, for all their beauty, had lost something to him this day.
~~~
Harold wasn’t sure what the big deal was, but he wanted more than anything to go home. He wasn’t going to forget what he was on a mission for, but he was going to have to regroup and figure out a better, safer way. As he sat in his cell awaiting his hearing, he thought of all the things he’d been told not to say to the judge, so he could get out on bail rather than a longer sentence.
The list included things like not mentioning that he was far smarter than him. It would go over badly since he wanted to get out of there. He wasn’t to mention the woman, nor his plans to capture her and take her back to a lab to interrogate. This one bothered him, because to him it was lying, but he had agreed to the terms of the attorney that he’d been assigned when nothing was forthcoming from his old boss.
His cheap suit that had been purchased for this meeting was a little loose, and that bothered him too. Harold prided himself on looking smart in suits, and having an ill-fitting one made him feel less perfect. Actually, less at a great many things. But his things at the hotel were being held for non-payment of the bill. Like he’d been staying there instead of this cell he’d been in. To charge a man who’d not been there was robbery, but he wasn’t to mention that either.
When his name was called to go into the van, he did so without speaking to the officers. He was sure that someone was playing tricks on him again, but he kept his opinion to himself. There wasn’t any way that this jail only employed women. Not to mention, women of color. In his day these people knew their place, and it wasn’t working with the whites. Harold knew that it was a way of thinking that would get him into trouble, but he didn’t care right now. He knew the way things should be done.
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