Master of Darkness

by Susan Sizemore

  “Of course I do,” she answered. “Even though there was a time when my well-meaning matri tried to make me forget.”

  “I don’t think you’re lazy,” Eden said.

  Laurent was awake, but he’d been pretending otherwise. He and Eden were cuddled together spoon fashion, and he’d been relishing the simple comfort of being with her. They’d both slept, but he’d roused and taken bittersweet pleasure in being with her for a peaceful interlude before the next storm broke. He’d absorbed her warmth, tried to ease her bad dreams, adored the way they fit perfectly together even when they weren’t engaged in sex.

  Though he’d certainly thought about sex. He’d seriously wanted to wake her up by arousing her, and go on from there. But she’d been through a lot, physically and emotionally. She needed the rest.

  He’d known the instant she woke, but her words were unexpected.

  “If I wasn’t lazy I’d have spent the afternoon arranging your escape. If I wasn’t lazy I’d have already had my way with you instead of lying here thinking about it. If I wasn’t lazy—”

  “You said you’re too lazy to be a bad guy. I don’t think that’s it at all. I think you use being lazy as an excuse to keep from being a bad guy. You pretend to yourself that it’s too much trouble to bother working up an evil act.”

  He kissed the back of her neck. “You give me too much credit.”

  And it was rather sweet that she did.

  “You’re touched at my vote of confidence,” she said.

  “You are not psychic,” he reminded her.

  “Superpowers are not necessary to read people. Body language can be telling.”

  He stroked a hand down her waist, caressed the curve of her hip and the length of her thigh. “What can you tell from my body language?”

  “You’re horny. But before that you gave a contented sigh, and relaxed even more than I thought possible. You’re heavy, you know. And I’m still mad at you,” she added.

  “I don’t think I need superpowers to figure that out. And you are still angry with yourself,” he countered. “Don’t be. You see I told you a lot of things that were true, but out of context.”

  She squirmed and wriggled in his embrace, and for a few seconds he thought she was trying to arouse him, because that’s exactly what her movements did. Then he realized she was trying to turn to face him and he loosened his hold enough to let her. Then he pulled her close again, relishing the feel of her breasts against his chest, and the way his erection pressed up between their bodies.

  “Nice,” he murmured.

  “Animal,” she answered, but her tone was more teasing than hostile.

  “Your nipples are very hard,” he approved.

  “You have a hot body. You get me hot. That doesn’t signify anything other than—”

  “I love you,” he said. “Just let me love you.”

  “You—”

  He kissed her to keep her quiet. And to prove that there was something more significant than mutual arousal between them. He could taste the anger that lingered in her, but she craved him as much as he did her, and that was a start.

  A start for what? What was the matter with him? Was he still nursing hope for some sort of normal life? They’d had an interlude of a few peaceful hours while the day bled away, that was the most he could hope for.

  He drew away from her before his body suppressed all brain function in the need for release. He didn’t have the luxury of losing himself right now. Because, if he gave in to indulgence, he was certain Justinian would find a way to use it against him.

  “I cannot love right now,” he said as he sat up. And that he used the word love was dangerous—and frightening.

  Eden sat up and put a hand on his shoulder. “I should get out of here. How long until sunset? How many Primes use Dawn?”

  “You assume I’m going to help you escape?”

  “You did mention something about it earlier.”

  “So I did. Perhaps I was taunting you.”

  “You’re too lazy to be a villain, remember? And of course I’m not leaving without you, so we’ll have to wait until dark. Does Sid use the daylight drugs?”

  “So, you’re planning my escape as well.”

  She patted him on the shoulder. “My plan is to rescue you. There are a lot of connotations to that.”

  Yes, there were. But before they could discuss any of them, there was a knock on the door.

  Their interlude was up. It was time to face Justinian.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Eden was shoved into a new room so hard that she ended up on her hands and knees at the foot of a wide bed. The treatment was infuriating, but she stayed where she was until she heard the door close with a firm bang. After she was sure the Prime who’d pushed her was gone, she rose to her feet. That was when she saw the blond woman seated on the bed. She watched Eden with a cool, familiar expression.

  “You’re Sid Wolf.”

  “And you are Eden Faveau. We’ve actually spoken on the phone. It was a bad connection, if you recall.”

  Sid’s voice was rich and deep, and also familiar, though with a more feminine timbre than Laurent’s. Her eyes were the same color as her brother’s as well.

  “It’s…” Eden looked around the room where they were both being held prisoner. “Interesting to meet you at last.”

  “I take it you’ve been sent to keep me company while the boys enjoy blood and cigars and masculine camaraderie.”

  Eden nodded. “That’s about right.”

  Sid patted the space next to her on the bed, though she had to use both hands to do it, because she was wearing thick silver cuffs connected by a short chain. Eden didn’t know why she was shocked to see that the other woman was restrained. After all, they were women in Tribe territory. She was certain the cuffs were silver.

  “Do those hurt?”

  “A little.”

  “Let me see what I can do.” Eden sat down. “I see you’ve been working on them,” she said when Sid placed her wrists in Eden’s lap. Silver was soft, and one of the links holding the cuffs together was strained and slightly twisted.

  “I’ve had some time on my hands.”

  “How long have you been a prisoner?”

  “Since a few minutes before I was supposed to meet you Friday night. I take it my brother showed up in my place and did exactly the opportunistic things I’d figured he’d do?” When Eden gave the vampire woman a shocked look, Sid smiled and went on. “I can be a very subtle telepath when I try. But I underestimated the number of Primes Justinian had in town when I let both my and Laurent’s whereabouts be known. The original plan was that he’d show up while I was fighting the bad guys, and lend a hand. He would then discover his long-lost sister. Tearful reunion would follow. He’d prove he was worthy of Clan Primehood by helping us wipe out the Dawn dealers. When it didn’t work out exactly as I’d hoped, I then considered that maybe he’d meet you anyway, and right and justice would come of it. Has it?” she ended.

  Eden almost laughed. She tried to feel used and outraged, but since she wasn’t the one who’d been Justinian’s prisoner for days, she couldn’t work up too much ire at Sid Wolf.

  “He’s a handful,” she admitted. “A mess.”

  “But I think I see glimpses of potential,” Sid said. “Don’t you think so?”

  Eden couldn’t bring herself to comment on this. Her feelings for Laurent were still too confused to talk about with someone else. Especially his sister.

  She continued tugging and twisting the silver links, but did steal a glance at the Wolf female. Sid was beautiful, of course, as all vampires were. And Eden was almost ashamed of the flash of jealousy that momentarily went through her.

  “Laurent absolutely doesn’t want me that way,” Sid read her thoughts. “But Justinian assumed that he would.”

  “Why?” Eden thought about her own question for a moment, and answered it. “Because you look like your mother.”

  “And Justinian s
till has it bad for Mom.”

  “That is so sick.”

  “Yes, from a moral point of view. And no, from a biological and psychic one. His attachment to Antonia is the closest thing Tribe Primes allow themselves to bonding, though what he did to her burned her out.”

  “So I was right about that. Laurent was wondering,” Eden added to Sid’s questioning look.

  “Really? He thinks about Antonia? Another point in his favor.”

  “Laurent told me that he thought your mother was dead.”

  “Justinian got rid of her when he realized he was getting too close to feeling something for her. My guess is that Justinian transferred the love/hate attachment to Laurent. And Laurent’s got his own attraction/repulsion thing going with Justinian.”

  “And you know this, how?”

  “Come on, hunter, you know we vampires need each other, need to belong to a kin group. Justinian’s pack is the only kin group Laurent’s ever known. He wants to escape them, but didn’t think he had anywhere else to go. And I know this because about two months ago I finally tracked him down. I wasn’t going to tell Mom about him unless he proved worthy. I’ve been spending some time in Los Angeles and not even telling Joe why. Have you met Joe?”

  Eden nodded. “He’s been looking for you.” But it wasn’t the werewolf Eden was interested in. “You found Laurent?”

  “Yes. But Justinian found him first. He’d been living away from the pack for years, but Justinian lured him into a revenge scheme against a renegade hunter that had stolen a fortune from the Manticores a long time ago.”

  “Would this be the Patron person Laurent told me about?”

  Sid nodded. “It turned out that the Clans were looking for the Patron as well. I thought it was a good sign that Laurent spent some time with the Shagals and Reynards.”

  “He said they were boring.” Eden chuckled. “It’s amazing how cleverly he didn’t lie to me. I know about the laptop. Did he steal it from the Patron?”

  “No, actually. I hate to say it, but the Manticore have every right to the information on that computer. Of course, Laurent wants it for himself rather than letting Justinian have it.”

  “He traded the computer for you.”

  Sid smiled happily, and she looked impressed. “I hid in the background and tried to influence him to come to San Diego when he took the computer. Of course, Justinian came, too. I had a plan. Which was totally screwed when the whole tribe showed up to take advantage of this new drug. They’ve gathered around Justinian because they need the Patron’s money to feed their Dawn habit.”

  “And my people came into it when all the Tribe people started showing up in our town,” Eden added.

  Sid looked hopefully at Eden. “Will your people be showing up to rescue you anytime soon?”

  Eden drew herself out of her awe at the Wolf woman’s machinations to sigh. “Doubtful. I quit the corps just before getting captured. They won’t think I’m missing, they’ll think I’m just gone.”

  “Pity. We’ll cope on our own.” Her gaze shifted to the door. “Someone’s coming.”

  Eden stopped working on trying to free Sid and scooted to the end of the bed. Within moments the door opened and a couple of Primes came in to hustle them out of the bedroom.

  “A change of scenery at last,” Laurent heard Sid whisper under her breath as the females were brought into the room and led his way through the parting crowd.

  It was a large, bare room with beamed ceilings, tall, heavily curtained windows, a tiled floor, and a large stone fireplace along one wall. There were a few chairs scattered about, but Justinian was the only one seated, on a throne-like affair in front of the cold fireplace.

  Laurent remembered art hanging on the walls in here when he was young, and heavy dark furniture like in the great hall of a castle. The old velvet curtains were faded and shabby. He’d played in here when he could, because the place reminded him of what the Clan citadels in Antonia’s stories must be like.

  Maybe he shouldn’t have listened to Antonia so much. Because here he was, still a romantic at heart, and romantics got into trouble. He held in a sigh as he looked at Eden and Sid, regretting that they were in trouble as well. Eden seemed especially vulnerable, a mortal trapped among monsters. The urge to protect her burned in him.

  What the hell was he going to do to get them all out of it?

  The room was packed with Primes, many of them eyeing him with less than friendly intentions. He’d noticed at dinner that some of them were on the nervous side. He was used to hostile looks from pack members; testing the limits of other males was how place was determined. But the atmosphere generally wasn’t so explosive. It bothered him that normally strict disciplinarian Justinian didn’t seem to notice, or was ignoring the tension.

  He hated the hungry looks turned on the two women as they were brought forward, but he pretended they weren’t important and faced Justinian.

  “Quite a crowd,” he said. “It looks like a Manticore reunion. Except I notice that old Anastasius isn’t here.”

  “Anastasius is dead.”

  “Did you kill him?”

  “That is how one becomes king of the whole tribe,” the smiling Justinian answered. “I killed him two years ago.”

  “You didn’t mention this when you lured me back to the pack in Los Angeles.”

  “You didn’t need to know it then.”

  “When Belisarius was still alive, you mean?”

  “Yes. Now you need to know that I am king of all the packs. And you, son, are my heir.”

  “Congratulations—Dad.”

  Even trying the word on for size Laurent found he didn’t like it. Heir, my ass, Laurent thought. It was clear from being among this crowd that Justinian wanted someone completely beholden to him to act as an enforcer.

  In Laurent’s opinion this proved that Justinian was one desperate vampire king.

  When Justinian stood, Laurent turned back to face the room. By this time the women were in front of them. The guards made a show of pushing Eden and Sidonie to their knees. Laurent found this whole S&M D/S melodrama embarrassing, but he didn’t let his feelings show. He managed a faint, almost indifferent sneer for the benefit of the avidly watching audience.

  Justinian put a hand on Laurent’s shoulder. Laurent disliked the touch on several levels, especially on the psychic one. Justinian made no secret of the attempt to probe past Laurent’s mental shielding.

  Oh, please, Laurent thought. And received the sensation of a mental shrug in reply. The games never stopped. Somehow, Laurent had to make them stop.

  He couldn’t help but look at Eden. But she was being smart and keeping her head down. As was Sid. They were aware that it was up to him to make the play that would get them out of here. At least, he hoped that was why they were behaving so passively, rather than having been drugged or hurt.

  “I present to you my son, and my second, my beta Prime,” Justinian told the gathering. “Laurent of the Manticore.”

  Loud rumblings came from the crowd in response. Laurent hadn’t expected a spontaneous round of applause, but the hostility was much more than usual for this sort of announcement. He remembered the night Justinian had made this same announcement about Belisarius. There had been some applause that night, but Belisarius had been the main bully of the pack for years. That gave him a certain amount of respect and popularity among his peers.

  Even so, a fight had broken out, and someone had died.

  Laurent surreptitiously flexed his fingers, testing his claws; knowing it was only a matter of time.

  “These females are my gift to my heir,” Justinian told the gathering, with an expansive gesture toward Eden and Sid.

  That should do it, Laurent thought.

  Sure enough, a big Prime with a fresh tan stepped forward to get into Laurent’s face. “I’ll take the human bitch.”

  “Go ahead,” Laurent answered. He waited for Eden’s gaze to flash angrily up to meet his, then he smiled at her. He gestur
ed casually toward the other Prime. “If he wants to commit suicide, who am I to stop him, sweetheart?”

  Eden laughed.

  Sid said sternly, “Laurent.”

  “I love you, Laurent Wolf,” Eden added.

  The challenging Prime stepped toward Eden, hand raised to strike her.

  “I can’t have that,” Laurent said, grabbing the Manticore by the wrist.

  She loves me.

  The glow of pleasure burning in him was ridiculous. It added an extra fillip to the joy of sinking his claws deep into the other vampire’s tough hide. Laurent used the hold to swing the Prime away across the room, taking the fight away from the women.

  Space quickly cleared in the center of the room. After that things got ugly. Laurent concentrated on what had to be done. All right, he took a certain amount of pleasure in mauling the bastard who’d tried to claim Eden. He was Prime.

  When it was over, and Laurent was standing over the body of his dead opponent something nagged at him about the fight. The other Prime had been a Dawn user, Laurent could tell by his sun-kissed California tan. His reflexes had also been a bit slower than normal. There’d been a wild look in his eyes that couldn’t be accounted for simply by his being a Tribe vampire. It hadn’t been an easy victory. But it should have been harder.

  We can use this, his sister’s words floated as the merest of faint whisper of thought into his head.

  Maybe, he thought. But he turned around to find trouble still getting in the way of any escape attempt. Hell, even if the Dawn users were a little on the wussy side, the Manticores still had his team outnumbered three to one.

  Right now Justinian was holding Eden, his fist twisted in her hair, her head pulled back exposing her throat. He had a look of sheer maddened fury on his face.

  “She called you Wolf,” he said to Laurent. “The bitch dared call you—!”

  “Let her go,” Laurent said, taking a careful step forward. He’d never been so afraid of Justinian before, not in a long lifetime of being afraid of his sire. “Let her go.”

  Justinian raised his other hand, long, fierce claws extended. He touched them to Eden’s cheek. “Not before I mark her.”