Imagining Lucas naked would be like getting a private show from a Chippendale dancer. A thrill, how could he not be, but nothing she’d want to develop further than that. Sebastian held her heart and even the thought of another naked man posing in her mind smacked of disloyalty.
What had Lucas said? Pick another topic. Mary picked through what she could think of, tossing aside stray thoughts, but only one topic seemed strong enough to distract her.
Sullivan Lake Campground, the place where her family had died and her life had altered forever. Grief broke like a tall wave over the flames of her arousal, dousing them until her blood ran cold. The intensity in Lucas’ gaze relaxed to a mix of sympathy and gratitude. Of course, he was relieved. He wouldn’t really want Sebastian’s ward, whether he knew they were lovers or not, and responding to her couldn't be comfortable.
Mary replaced her earbud and stared out the window. The road began winding and curving. Despite the iPod, she could hear her dad, with his smooth tenor, and her mom’s soft soprano mixed with her brother’s squeaky kid voice as they sang road trip songs during the long drive. Veggie Tales had been a big hit at the time.
Dad had always been working, paying bills or doing Dad stuff. Mom was always stressed and running from activity to activity. She’d chosen to stay home, her online journal said, but when she’d made that choice, she’d determined to be the executive of her home, just as professional as she’d been at work. Everything had been clean and organized and run with clockwork precision.
With memories bolstered by every bit of information Sebastian’s people could gather, Mary knew most of her childhood story. Like their joy every year when they all escaped life and spent an entire week with just the four of them. Tents, campfires and roasted marshmallows. Sunny days splashing in clear blue water with mountains and trees all around.
Until Grath Van Sykes, rogue vampire with a taste for children’s blood, had found her brother roaming the woods and taken him. Starving, he’d drained her brother in moments. He’d eliminated her father next, quickly, assuming he’d be the biggest threat. But, with her mother he wanted to play, dragging out the anticipation and building his craving before he took Mary.
Each day, while he slept, her mother fought through their bindings and took Mary from the cavern he’d held them in only to become lost in the maze of tunnels. But she was a brilliant woman who memorized every turn, using small piles of rocks to mark dead ends. Again and again, they escaped and searched for the exit. Again and again, Mary prayed for their salvation, desperate as she’d never felt before or since.
Grath allowed their attempts, considering them an amusing game akin to a treasure hunt. And the pain he’d dealt her mother when he punished her for her failures to escape…he’d liked that, too.
After three weeks of torture and imprisonment, they’d found the exit. Mom had pushed Mary ahead, putting herself between Mary and the vampire stalking them. They made it all the way to the mouth of the tunnel before he caught them. Her mom’s last action had been to nearly throw Mary ahead, screaming, “Run, Mary! Run!”
Mary had run, despite the haunting sounds of her mother's last fight with the monster. She'd run, her heart screaming to go back with every step. She'd been ordered to do so, if she could, every day since their vacation had gone so horribly wrong, but never had doing what she was told seemed so impossible.
Her mother had even explained that if Mary ran and hid, her mother would have a better chance to escape. Since Grath had loved using her to manipulate her mom into behaving, Mary knew this to be true. So she’d run, stumbling straight into Sebastian’s arms.
Before she could panic at the sight of his fangs, he’d thrust her into Lucas’ hold. Though Lucas tried to shelter her, Mary twisted to watch over his shoulder, her head resting safely, her hands gripping his shirt in terror, as Sebastian tore Grath to shreds. Afterwards, heedless of the blood that bathed him, she’d run to him and clutched him tight. Grateful. Safe.
There at Sullivan Lake, she’d died to her innocent human life. And she’d been reborn as the protected human child of the Murder. Now, as a woman fully grown, she would be tested there. Her strength and capabilities would determine if she could be a Crow, a soldier of the Murder: a group of vampires and werewolves that policed the rogues of their kind. Vampires, werewolves and maybe soon, one human. The legacy of her mother's strength during an impossible situation.
Lucas covered her fist with his supernaturally warm hand. Mary looked down at his strong fingers and solid wrist. He was scenting her emotions again. Closing her eyes, Mary leaned her head against the same shoulder that had comforted and helped keep her safe so long ago.
* * *
It was late afternoon by the time they ate lunch, beat traffic out of town, and finally reached the Campgrounds. The sun was up, but it wouldn't be for much longer.
This time of year the grounds were deserted, with large patches of snow flat and unmarked by feet, of the human or animal variety. Occasionally, they saw tracks of deer and elk, but otherwise even the trees were empty. No birds and no leaves, just long, skinny, black- and white-covered branches. Except the evergreens that thrived in winter. They bushed out, heavy with dark green boughs and white frosting.
The normally paved, now icy, white road wound around in loops, empty camp sites with snow-filled fire pits branching off to either side. Deeper in, the silver river sparkled through the trees, with tall mountains running up the other side of it. Snow crunched under the tires when the SUV rolled to a stop.
Mary zipped on her coat and emerged into the freezing air. The cold wasn’t just bitter; it cut through the aura of residual warmth surrounding her, slicing straight to the bone. This was one of those times when being human and greatly susceptible to weather sucked.
And then a breeze swirled straight through her. Great. Mary bit her tongue, refusing to whine or whimper. This was a test, damn it. No wussing out because of a little breeze.
Lucas rounded the tail of the vehicle and joined her, looking plenty toasty, as he studied their path through the trees. He didn't even wear gloves. Damn werewolf heat. Yes, jealousy was pathetic. She'd care later.
Benjamin pulled a pack of supplies from the back hatch and Travis locked up, tucking the keys into his pocket. They were her normal bodyguards, but before that they were highly trained Crows. Between them and Lucas, how much of a test was this, really?
It was the safest one ever.
Mary sighed and followed Lucas into the trees. Ben and Travis fell in behind her, their wolven steps quiet despite their sizes and crisp-edged snow compacting beneath their boots. They were stronger than any human, faster, could heal most anything, and vampires couldn’t read their minds. But she’d proven during Halloween that a human could have a place in the Murder.
Mary took a deep breath, trying not to cough as it cut into her lungs. They were all at least two hundred years older than her, only younger than half of Sebastian’s vampires. Their attitudes about humans wouldn’t change overnight. She wouldn’t be able to prove herself that quickly. Seriously. She knew this. Getting discouraged by half-assed attempts to test her wouldn’t hurry this process along. Nor would it earn her any brownie points when her relationship with the Murder King became public knowledge.
Again, Mary breathed deep. One thing A&P taught was how necessary air and water were in every chemical process of the body. If deep breaths helped her warm up, hallelujah! No doubt the guys were picking up all the subtle scents of the forest, but she was happy not to. She’d only been here when she was a kid, but the less familiar this place seemed to her now, the better. Safe as this test was, distraction on a mission was bad.
They had a rough map of the area to follow, great eye sight, hearing, and smell. What did she bring to the equation? A heartbeat and the vulnerable scent of humanity.
Mary eyed the path and the trees. "I'm bait, huh?"
Lucas grinned. "Think you can handle it?"
Mary snorted. "I'm more worried about
you three with your overblown sense of protectiveness. Can you handle it?"
Travis laughed, as if he considered it a game, but Ben closed his eyes and sighed, saying, "This is going to suck."
Lucas pointed at the map. "We're looking for tracks here, here and here. When darkness falls, get lost."
Mary nodded, already preparing a mental dialogue to fool the vampires. Stick as close to truth as possible, and it read realistically. She’d learned that lesson long ago. "Okay. Can do."
Her bodyguards groaned at the same time.“We know!”
Chapter Three
A loud crack brought Mary's head up and her gaze snapped toward the sound. Lucas made a hand signal she caught from the corner of her vision. Ben took off, Travis immediately behind him. Lucas watched them, examining the direction of the noise, then his gaze met hers, focused and filled with meaning. A brief pause, then he turned, running after them.
Mary’s eyes widened. She’d been deserted. Damn those men, see if she'd ever go "hunting" with them again. Mary looked around the clearing. The light had faded too quickly in the last few minutes. With a thick swallow and a deep breath, she tried to calm her rapid heartbeat. No use attracting attention too soon.
Choosing the opening Lucas disappeared through, Mary stepped through and promptly got lost. Enormous fir, pine and birch trees surrounded her, branches piled with snow. In the middle of winter, it was so much quieter. Without birds and crickets or the scamper of chubby-cheeked chipmunks, it was creepy. Only the sound of her footsteps in the snow followed her.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if all the trees were thick and green, like the Evergreens, instead of blackened and empty, but then, it made spring even more of a miracle since it could bring life to this cold, dead place.
But then, the full, thick trees in summer hadn't kept her safe either.
Mary shivered and rubbed her hands together as she walked; looking for some sign she really wasn’t completely alone.
She could hear nothing of the guys. Had they discovered what made the noise? Something snapped closer by. A too heavy branch? A footstep? Wind rushed past her, ruffling her hair against her neck. The brush of frigid cold sent a shiver of unease down her spine and her heart pounded against her ribs.
Any warmth from the car had dissipated long ago, but now even her coat and gloves did nothing. Mary hugged herself and stepped behind a tree, leaning against the rough bark and using it for a wind break. It reminded her of the scene in Twilight when Rosalee wore Bella’s thick, padded, silver coat as she left a false scent trail for the tracker. That comparison didn’t fit now since, of course, she wasn’t being hunted, but she sure wished she had that coat. Hers just wasn’t getting the job done.
Not that being warm had saved her family.
And it was so dark now, without the haze of city lights to brighten the area. There wasn't a full moon and the sliver that was there didn't accomplish much. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with the darkness and the nightmares it brought with it. She'd be damned if she'd allow it to conquer her again.
All remained silent, even the "deer" and "elk" avoided the area, as if they knew her "hunters" had invaded their land. The men were hungry. Roasted deer meat was a steady staple during the winter. Sometimes, even the raw meat revved their engines. They loved the chase, as their prey ran with their little heart pumping frantically. As hers did now. God, she was terrifying herself. What was so scary about being alone and freezing in the middle of a forest while men with guns went hunting?
Or was the problem that she didn't know how far or close they were? What if they shot a deer, but it wasn't a deer? What if it was her, standing against a winter-dead tree as if it offered protection?
Mary gasped and left the tree, pushing forward, but not knowing what to run toward. She still couldn’t hear them. Not a single shot, cry or distantly broken branch signaled their whereabouts. Should she search for them? What if they crossed, her and their prey? She wore black, blending with the trees, not a hunter’s orange. Should she run farther? Should she climb?
One likely tree with a thick branch and solid base stood guard in front of her. If she got high enough, she might see something. Or at least be higher than any bullets aimed at a deer. After checking the nearby trees for a better substitute, Mary stood under the branch she’d chosen and reached up, closing her gloved fingers around the thick wood and knocking snow to the ground. This was so going to freeze right through her jeans. With a grimace, Mary curled up and threw a leg over the branch.
This was a mistake. Why had she come with them, believing she could hunt like them? She was so much weaker and far less skilled. In this place, especially, it was only easier to slip into the mind of her seven-year-old self. To feel the powerlessness she’d felt then. The terror of being lost, whether in the bright light of a snow-covered day, or the coal-black inside of a mountain, was overwhelming. How could someone, adult or child, not bow beneath such a weight?
Mary blinked, long and slow, letting her eyes moisten. The wind had blown so dry, so harsh, they burned. The opposite happened at her crotch as snow melted into her jeans and chilled a place incredibly hot only a few hours ago.
Seeing a branch just above her head, Mary reached for it. Almost immediately, her balance shifted precariously and she had to scrabble at the slick branches for a firm hold. Her heart pounded into her throat.
She nearly had it, one hand holding the branch her knees squeezed as her left hand held the branch above her, when something large impacted her side and knocked her from the tree. Mary landed flat on her back, fighting for air. Her side burned, a sharp and fiery sensation as if something might have broken, and her back radiated a pain that grew the longer she couldn’t breathe.
A man leaned over her, grinning wickedly. “Well hello, pretty prey.”
Mary couldn’t say the words, but she thought them really loud. Who’s the prey now, bitch?
Lucas was so going to kill him.
Clearly not believing her, the vampire chuckled, but decayed to blackened ash before he finished it. Behind the ash, Lucas opened his jacket and put away his stake. “What the hell were you thinking about? Your fear filled the entire area and even I almost went into a frenzy, wanting to chase.”
Mary tried to grin, but still couldn’t breathe. Her vision was turning black at the edges.
Lucas knelt beside her, frowning. Reaching a hand to the back of her head, he raised her up a little, his hands gentle, his voice concerned. “He really hurt you, didn’t he?”
Mary attempted a nod, but movement behind Lucas made her eyes widen in horror. As darkness descended, her last thought was a simple fact. Lucas would be too slow.
Chapter Four
She’d already lived this nightmare, damn it. Tied and helpless inside the black depths of a cavern was getting old. First as a kid, then every night since in her dreams, she fought desperately against a sadistic captor, remembering the tricks her mother had taught her and inventing a few more of her own. The most important thing was to not panic.
“Oh no, by all means, please panic.” From her left, a deep voice laughed with genuine enjoyment.
Great. Mind-reading, homicidal vampires were so fun.
A higher-pitched giggle sounded from her right. There was more than one? Meaning there had been three? What, had a whole hunting party been turned?
Straight in front of her, a match sparked and lit the cavern. Lucas, Travis and Ben were shackled at their necks, only a foot or two of chain between their collars and the cavern wall. Silver rods pierced their shoulders just over their hearts, deep enough to immobilize them without bolting them to the wall. A werewolf’s blood tasted gamey and too thick to most vamps, but it kept them alive. Now these three vamps had a human and three wolves to last them all winter.
“She’s a smart one, isn’t she, boys?” the fourth voice was feminine, full of pride and horrifyingly familiar.
Mary twisted to look behind her as a tall woman entered. Wavy blond h
air, cut in shaggy layers, fell to the small of her back. With a final step of her slim, high-heeled boots, she spun and faced Mary, her familiar brown eyes causing so many questions to crowd Mary’s mind, she barely had enough brain power to comprehend her situation.
Her mother was alive.
Sarah bared her fangs in a bitter smile and Mary had to amend that thought. Her mother was undead.
Years of history rewrote itself in an instant. Years of nightmares, remembering those last hours spent in a desperate search through endless blackness with only her mother’s hand to guide her. She’d heard the screams, every one of them, from their capture, through the torture, down to her mother’s last choking gasp.
Mary had watched her interment, deep beneath Sanctuary. Seen the frosty, gossamer lace draped over her body, then gently over her face. Her lips had been stained with whatever blood had crossed them at the moment of her death. When Sarah’s body never moved, much less rose from her slab of granite, her death had become fact. Either the vampire’s blood had not been strong enough to revive her, or Sarah’s body had rejected the transformation. Mary had cried and Sebastian had comforted the motherless child.
Mary had always thought herself orphaned. Now she knew she’d been abandoned.
Sarah’s lips twisted. “How like a child to believe the world centers around her. I see you still haven’t grown up.”
Mary held up her bound wrists. “This doesn’t exactly scream ‘loving mother eager to reunite with her daughter’.”
Lucas snapped his head up, his gaze swinging between the two women. His frown denied what was unaccountably true. Sarah was a vampire; she was Mary’s mother; and she was obviously the rogue Sebastian had sent them to find today. Even those who camped out of season were guarded from rogues by the Murder. Especially after Mary had come to live with them.
The Murder King's Summons Page 2