by I. T. Lucas
"Don't you dare harm him! Pull out your fangs out of his throat! Now!"
She was ripping his fucking hair out, pulling on it with all her strength.
What the fuck?
"And do it slowly," she hissed in his ear. "If even a little of his skin tears… I'm never going to forgive you. Ever!"
Classic Stockholm syndrome…
Still, Kian did as she demanded. And not only because he believed she would deliver on her promise. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off with the scenario he'd created in his head.
"Why are you defending him? That monster had tied you down, tortured you, or raped you, or both, until you screamed and passed out from the pain." Kian held on to the Doomer, who stopped struggling.
"Not pain, you moron, pleasure. I screamed because I was having the best orgasm of my life. With your vast sexual experience, I would think you should be able to distinguish between a cry of pain and a cry of pleasure."
"But he had you tied up…"
Amanda got off his back and faced him, assuming her angry pose of hands on her hips and a foot tapping the floor.
With one significant difference—this time, she was doing it butt naked.
"It was a shirt. It took me how long to rip it apart? A second? You think I could be restrained with a piece of fabric?"
"I don't understand…"
"Really? Oh, wow, I never thought I'll have to explain sex games to you, Kian…"
"Oh…"
Kian was speechless as he attempted to process what she was telling him. Everything that felt off from the moment he had leaped into this room was starting to make sense.
There had been no bruises on her because the Doomer hadn't been abusing her. She had been having sex with that scum, willingly. And as incomprehensible as it was, the fucker hadn't attacked because he'd been protecting Amanda from perceived danger and then held back when he realized it was her family who’d come to rescue her.
Fucking unbelievable.
Amanda had a lot of explaining to do, and hopefully, it was along the lines of letting the scum touch her to prevent him from killing her… not because she'd wanted it.
Though, the way she'd protected that filth, she must have developed feelings for him.
Fucking hell.
Standing naked in a room full of males, Amanda was still glaring at him. It didn't faze the brothers, but the humans were staring at her with gaping, drooling mouths.
And that included Andrew.
"Get dressed, Amanda," Kian hissed, getting up and turning away from her.
Right now, he couldn't see the beauty the others were admiring.
Amanda disgusted him.
"Anandur, slap some cuffs on the scum. He is coming with us. And bag that laptop."
Leaving them all behind, on his way out Kian stepped over the debris and marched downhill toward the spot where the helicopter was supposed to be waiting for them. It was all he could do not to say—in front of a crowd—things Amanda would never be able to forgive.
Once they were alone, though, he was going to tell her exactly what he thought of her.
CHAPTER 30: AMANDA
This was bad.
No, it was good—she was getting her old life back. But there was no place for Dalhu in it. And that was bad.
Ignoring Kian's order to get dressed, Amanda crouched over Dalhu instead. Slumped on the floor with his back propped against the sofa, his arms flopped uselessly at his sides. He wasn't moving.
He looked wasted.
But although his eyes were heavy-lidded, he didn't look venom-drugged or euphoric.
He looked defeated. Drained.
"Are you okay?" she whispered, aware of the five sets of eyes trained on her naked ass.
"It's over," he whispered back. "You are free, and I'm dead whether your people kill me or not. Just let them do it. It would be a mercy. There is no point for me to go on without you."
"Don't talk like that. Nothing is over until it's over. I'll figure something out."
"Even if you decide you want to keep me, they will never allow it. I saw how he looked at me."
"Who? Kian?"
"Yes."
"He was just angry. He thought you’d been hurting me. Once I explain what was going on, everything will be okay. Don't worry about it."
"You're wrong. You've explained and he believed you, but he still wanted me dead. And I saw the disgust in his eyes when he looked at you. Like you were dirty because I've touched you."
Yeah, she had seen it too. Not that Kian's reaction surprised her, but still, it hurt.
"He'll get over it. He always forgives me, no matter what I do."
"Not this time."
"He has no choice. I'm his little sister."
"I'm so sorry," Dalhu whispered as he closed his eyes. "You must tell him that it was just about survival—that you've done it only because I've threatened you. I don't want you to lose your brother on my account."
Anandur cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, princess, but I suggest you get dressed. We need to get moving." He touched her shoulder.
"Get up," he addressed Dalhu in a much harsher tone. "Put on your boots and a shirt. Where are your clothes?"
"They are upstairs. I'll get them," Amanda said as she picked up her things from the floor and headed for the stairs.
"Didn't your mamas teach you not to stare, boys?" she threw over her shoulder to the three humans still ogling her naked butt.
"They will stop staring if you put some clothes on." Anandur chuckled.
Loath to leave Dalhu at Anandur's mercy, Amanda hurried into the bathroom, taking only a moment to clean up with a washcloth before getting dressed. She grabbed her purse and a shirt for Dalhu on her way down.
"Here you go." She handed it to him.
Anandur waited for Dalhu to put it on and button it up before cuffing him.
He was treating Dalhu better than she would’ve expected, not roughing him up or shoving him, and Amanda wondered if it was because she was watching. Otherwise, Anandur probably wouldn't have been as nice.
"Let's go," he said after Dalhu pulled on his boots.
The brothers led the small group out with Dalhu between them.
Amanda tried to squeeze in, wanting to be by his side, but Anandur shook his head and she was relegated to walking behind them.
The three humans were apparently still in a state of shock from seeing her naked because none of them said a single word as they trailed after her.
Well, they would get over it. She had bigger problems than that.
What the hell was she going to do?
She knew Kian would forbid her having any contact with Dalhu, and if she insisted, he would eventually cave in but despise her for doing it.
What a mess.
She didn't want to forsake Dalhu, especially not to her brother's merciless clutches.
Fates, Kian was probably going to torture the poor guy. Which was entirely unnecessary since Dalhu had promised to reveal everything he knew voluntarily. But Kian wouldn't believe him and torture him anyway.
But more than that, she wasn't ready to let the little flame that had sparked between them die before it had a chance to flare.
And if she was honest with herself, that flame wasn't so small.
It wasn't that she had fallen in love or anything, but for the first time in her life, there was a chance she might.
With a Doomer…
Fates, why? Why out of all the men in the universe they had matched her with a Doomer? Was it some kind of a cosmic joke? A punishment? Was throwing the two of them together a source of amusement for the fickle fates?
But was he even her match?
Who knew?
But after all, he was the only one out there she could have.
She felt more than saw as Andrew picked up his pace and sidled up to her.
"How are you holding up?" he asked with a sidelong glance at her face.
"Just peachy."
>
"I'm sorry Kian is being an ass to you, and I want you to know that I'm here for you. The whole ordeal must've been traumatic, but you've handled it beautifully. Survival justifies the use of any and every tool at your disposal. And as your beauty is your best weapon, I'm glad that you used it."
"Dalhu didn't force me. In fact, all the poor guy did was to pleasure me. We were interrupted before we had a chance to do the deed."
"I got that. But even if you had to seduce him to gain some kind of advantage, it was still a smart move. I would've advised my own sister to do the same."
Andrew was being such a sweetheart, so supportive at a time when she really needed a friend. Amanda was loath to tell him the truth and lose that support—as well as shatter his illusions.
"I'm so sorry, Andrew." She choked a little as tears welled in her eyes. His compassion was her Kryptonite, making her weak. It was easier to be strong when there was no one to lean on.
"For what?"
"You're such a nice guy. Too nice for someone like me."
"What are you talking about?" He frowned.
"I did what I did because I wanted to. Not because I was afraid for my life, or because Dalhu had threatened me or demanded anything other than being given a chance to woo me. So if it proves that I'm a slut and have absolutely no self-control, so be it. I never claimed otherwise. I'm not going to apologize for it."
"I see." Andrew dropped his head, keeping his eyes on his boots as they made their way downhill.
"Do yourself a favor and forget I've ever flirted with you. It meant nothing. Not that you're not a great guy, you are. But there could've never been more than a casual hookup between us. We are, um… incompatible." She took a furtive peek at his hard face.
She had no idea how much he'd been told, and as the mortals had showed up after Dalhu and Kian's fangs had already retracted, they probably had seen nothing out of the ordinary.
Well, except for her in all her naked glory.
"Syssi has turned.” He pinned her with a challenging stare.
"What?" Amanda froze, halting their little procession, and turned to face him.
"Sh… keep walking." He took her elbow, propelling her forward. "I know everything, but my men are on a need to know basis only. Kian is going to scramble their memories once we get back, but the less they know, the less he will have to mess with."
"When?" she whispered.
"It started at the restaurant we all had lunch at. Syssi began feeling sick right after you left and lost consciousness during the night. They were not sure she was going to make it. Lucky for me, I didn't find out until she pulled through, otherwise I would've tried to kill your obnoxious brother and we both know how that would've ended… Anyway, when I couldn't get a hold of her on the phone, I got worried, hoofed it to your building, and demanded to see her."
"How did you find where she was? Did you have her followed?"
"It was the necklace. I've known her location all along." He pointed to the small heart pendant Amanda was still wearing. "Syssi had no idea I had a tracking device installed inside the thing. That's how we were able to find you. You are very lucky that she gave it to you."
Amanda flashed him a sideways grin. "Or not. Dalhu grabbed me at the jewelry store I went to, to have it duplicated. But be that as it may, I'm glad you're a paranoid, overprotective brother. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
For the next couple of minutes, they walked in silence. As the terrain got rougher, she stumbled a couple of times. The soles of the plain sneakers Dalhu had gotten her weren't providing much cushioning for her feet—she felt every little rock. Watching her step, she was slowing them down, and the gap between Dalhu and the Guardians and the rest of the group was widening.
"Do you want me to carry you? It seems you're suffering," Andrew offered.
Such a sweet guy.
She thought of dubbing him Andrew the Sweet, though not to his face, of course. It wouldn't sit well with his tough guy image.
Instead, she gave him an incredulous look. "Thank you. It is very sweet of you to offer. But really? You think? I'm not a small woman. I'm almost as tall as you. You’ll fall, and both of us will end up tumbling down the hill. I'm fine, just being careful."
"Let me at least hold your hand. You scare the shit out of me every time you list to the side."
Rolling her eyes, she took the hand he offered. "Now that you know what I am, you should be aware that I'm not exactly fragile."
"Yes, I know. Just let me be a gentleman and deal with it."
Andrew's hand was large and warm, and his strong arm saved her from painfully twisting her ankle a few times. But for some reason, it felt awkward to hold it. He was really nice, and she liked him, but…
It felt as if she was being unfaithful… and how ridiculous was that.
Ridiculous or not, she nonetheless stretched on her tiptoes, trying to ascertain if Dalhu and the Guardians were indeed too far away to see or hear her exchange with Andrew.
"Don't worry about losing them. I know the way." Andrew misunderstood her concern.
Well, she wasn't going to explain what she was worried about—he would think she had lost her freaking mind. "I'm not worried. So, how is Syssi taking it? Being immortal, I mean."
"I don't think she’s time to process it yet. Right when she got back on her feet, she had to deal with your kidnaping and us going on a rescue mission."
"It seems that I always manage to steal the spotlight, providing all the drama and excitement. But at least it's never boring with me around. Right?" She grimaced.
"Of that I'm sure," Andrew's voice dropped and he squeezed her hand, his hard face softening as he regarded her…
Fondly…
Fondly wasn't the right word for what she saw in his eyes, but she was going to stick with it anyway.
"Kian offered to activate my dormant genes…" Andrew glanced at her from under his long lashes.
That's right, she hadn't thought of that. As Syssi's brother, Andrew was also a Dormant. Her brain must've turned into mush. But who could blame her?
It is not everyday that a girl gets kidnaped, starts developing feelings for her kidnaper, has him give her a brain-scrambling orgasm, gets rescued, and catches the eye of another sexy guy. All in the span of what? Thirty-six hours?
What a mess.
She smiled and gave his hand a little squeeze. "Congratulations, you must be very excited."
His answer surprised her. "I'm not sure I'm going to do it."
She halted. "Why the hell not? If I may ask?"
"Syssi is fourteen years my junior, and she barely got through it. I would rather live out the meager years I still have than die attempting immortality. Not unless I have one hell of a good reason to take such a risk." He looked at her pointedly.
Oh, boy, twist the knife, why don't you.
He couldn't have been more obvious if he'd spelled it out and had submitted it in writing. So now she was responsible for him attempting, or not attempting the change. Great.
What to do. What to do.
When in doubt, play it dumb.
"There is no rush. You can take your time and think it through. And if a compelling reason were to present itself, you could always change your mind. One never knows. The fates are fickle."
Sadistic bitches is a better description… I'm sorry… please don't punish me… Amanda looked up, squinting, afraid of the bolt of lightning they might hurl her way.
"You sound like Syssi. Only when she says stuff like that, she scares the crap out of me. Her predictions always come true—one way or another."
Thank you, sweet fates. Andrew shifted away from dropping his boulder-sized hints to talking about his sister.
"When I tested her precognition ability and found how amazing she was, I suspected right away she might be a Dormant. That is the real story behind my research. I'm searching for people with special abilities in the hopes that some might be Dormants. Until now, I only found Syssi and on
e other guy."
"Yes, I know, Michael, he transitioned at the same time as Syssi."
"I knew it! I was right!" Amanda couldn't help herself and did a little victory dance.
"Shush…" Andrew rolled his eyes toward the two mortals behind them.
"I can't help it. I'm so excited," she whispered. "I can't wait to get back to work and start searching for more Dormants. You have no idea what that means to us."
"I think I do. Good luck."
"Thanks."
The good news brought a new spring to Amanda's step. Forgotten were the little rocks poking at the soles of her feet, the look of disgust in Kian's eyes, and the whole mess with Dalhu. She felt invincible as she hurried to get to the helicopter as fast as she could without breaking a leg.
After all, if she had single-handedly found the solution to her people's greatest problem, how hard could it be to unravel the tangled knot of this mess?
Piece of cake.
CHAPTER 31: DALHU
Plodding between the two Guardians with his hands cuffed behind his back, Dalhu contemplated his options—or lack thereof.
Running would achieve nothing except some serious damage from the big redhead's fists or a knife between his shoulder blades from the blond. Probably both.
Though, in the mood he was in, he would have welcomed the pain.
Anything to override the horrible sense of loss, of failure—something to fill the empty hole in his chest.
Unfortunately, that required energy he couldn't muster in his current state. Maybe if he just goaded them, they would beat him up for mouthing off.
He wondered if that would work.
Nah. The brother, maybe, but not these guys. Guardians were not known to be hotheaded—too disciplined.
Was the brother a Guardian? It seemed he was in charge of this operation, which would suggest he was, and he was a strong motherfucker—well trained. But Amanda only mentioned the female Guardian, she said nothing about having a brother on the force.
Dalhu suspected he was missing some puzzle pieces.
And what was the story with the mortals they had brought with them? Since when did the Guardian Force employ humans? Was it some new strategy? A way to boost their measly ranks? And how the hell had the Guardians found him anyway?