To the right was a massive doorway that led into a den. Everything was masculine in the room. Antlers hung on the wall, as well as one of those silly singing fish plaques. A massive stone fireplace covered part of the wall. The stones had a hint of soot that suggested it was used often, but the fireplace was clean of any ash. It was clearly a man cave in an otherwise elegant house.
They walked out of the oak trimmed entry though, and down a hall to a room with double glass doors. It led into a large office. A man who looked like a wall of muscle sat at the desk in a white T-shirt. He was typing on the only desktop computer in the room with a frown of concentration. “I need a secretary that can type,” he muttered without looking up.
His office reminded her of a general’s office from an old war movie. Large maps of Texas and counties lined the wall. One wall had a line of wooden shelves that reached floor to ceiling. Folders that reminded her of the type that the voting office kept for personal information filled the shelves. Only a few at eye level held his personal effects. Pictures of himself with an older couple led her to believe were his parents, a young woman that looked much like him could have been his sister and children.
Were they his? They were beautiful children and surely, a man as striking as him was married. She glanced at his ring finger and didn’t see one. Maybe he didn’t wear one, though. Just because Anna and Marcus exchanged rings didn’t mean everyone did.
Wyatt put a beer on the desk and took the other one to a padded chair. He fell into it and put his feet up as if he’d done so many times over the years. He opened the bottle and took a sip before saying, “The vamps and their missing lady are here, Sam.”
Sam looked up and met Wyatt’s eyes first. “You found her, great.” His gaze hit Devon and then Rachel. His eyes widened for a moment and then he straightened. “You! Shit.” He smacked his forehead. “Rachel.” Sam shook his head. “I don’t know why I didn’t connect it the other night. Shit.”
Wyatt sat forward with his elbows on his knees as he loosely held the beer in his hand. “Do you mind clueing us in, Alpha?”
“How much does she know?” Sam jerked his chin over to Rachel.
“Everything, she’s our mate.”
“Figures. I wiped her memory the other night when a pack of hellhounds and a demon were trying to make a snack of her.”
“What?” Everyone turned their full attention to Rachel and then Sam.
“Sorry. I didn’t even put two and two together. I just saw them attacking her, and several were getting away. I didn’t have time to stand around and socialize or anything. I did a wipe and had one of my enforcers leave her at the house.”
Kieran stepped forward and his gaze moved from Sam to Rachel. “How much did you wipe?”
“I tried not to get the whole day, but I was in a hurry. I couldn’t have her running around the Texas countryside talking about Lycans, demons, and hellhounds. I know I got at least four hours wiped. Maybe a bit more.”
Kieran leaned his hip against Sam’s desk. “Well, this explains a lot.”
Devon nodded. “Your little conversation and grope session got wiped out.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry? Your what?”
Kieran waved him off. “Nothing. Just something I have to repeat now, since she doesn’t remember.”
“Sorry about that. I didn’t even think she was your Rachel. There are a lot of girls with that name around.”
Devon shrugged. “What’s done is done. I am more concerned about now. Why can’t we see what she is until we kiss her?”
Sam stood and walked over to her. “I don’t know. I have some experience in breaking barriers down. Let’s find out, shall we?”
She trembled as the massively huge man approached her. He had to be at least six foot seven, if not taller, and his muscles rippled as he walked. His black, intimidating eyes focused solely on her. He pulled up a roller desk chair and sat down in front of her. Using his feet, he pulled in closer until she was so close she could feel his body heat and his face filled her features.
“Don’t move, okay. This might feel a bit odd, but if you move, it’ll break my concentration.”
Shivering, Rachel whispered, “Okay.”
Nothing happened at first and she started to relax. Maybe he was wrong and she wouldn’t feel a thing. It felt like ice-cold water on her head at first. It almost tickled and she wanted to shake it off, but she couldn’t move. Her limbs were completely powerless to move. Then a tingling started in the same spot and washed over her, and all she could do was stare into Sam’s eyes. They glowed almost an amber color and she lost herself in their depths. She heard the murmur of conversation, but all she could hear was Sam whispering deep into her mind, “Open to me.”
Something tugged that secret part of her that she’d always known was there, but the door remained closed. She felt Sam trying kick it down, but fear had her shoving hard against it. She began to shiver with cold, realized sweat ran down her face and back, as if she’d just run a marathon on the hottest day in Texas.
The connection broke and Sam leaned back.
“Sorry.” She gasped for air when the force holding her paralyzed snapped and she could move again.
“It’s okay, Rachel.” He smiled at her and she saw the terrifying man who scared her melt away. In his place was a man who cared deeply for those under his protection. She could almost see the weight of so many lives weighing down on him. Every life, both human and supernatural, mattered to him. If someone got hurt, he took it personally. It was odd, how she felt like she had a connection to him now.
“What did you see?” Devon asked from behind her.
Sam shook his head. “You know, looking on her surface, she’s completely human. No average supernatural would think to look farther. When I pushed though, there is something there. Yerel isn’t far from here. I gave him a call this morning and he is on his way with Enon.”
She felt her eyes widen. “Is he mad?”
“About what, love?” Kieran asked. “You didn’t know you had supernatural abilities.”
“No, I felt completely normal until I met Anna and Marcus.”
“No, love, he’s not mad. It’s very rare for supernaturals to end up in the care of humans. Most are raised with full knowledge of what they are and how to protect themselves.”
Another tall and well-built man entered the office. “They’re here, Alpha.”
Sam turned his head and nodded. “Thank you, James.” His attention focused on her again. “Let’s go and see if we can figure out this mystery.”
Sam led them down the hall and into a back bedroom with a large queen size bed, two bedside tables and matching dressers. Yerel sat on a cedar chest at the end of the bed and a woman pulled some bowls and ornate looking knives out. She stopped outside the door. Those knives looked wicked sharp and her eyes jerked from the knives to the healer to Sam. What were they going to do with those?
Yerel smiled when Devon pushed her in. “Well, hello, child. It’s good to see you again.”
She studied Yerel’s face for any sign of anger, especially with that knife in his hand. She had caused quite a stir in the pack when she left. “Hi, Yerel.”
He pointed at the woman in a white linen tunic and Capri stretch pants. “This is my mate, Enon. She is going to help us figure this out.” He held his hands out to her. “May I?”
She nodded. He’d had his hands all over her when she was ill, so there was no reason to get shy now.
He gently gripped her arms and led her over to the bed. “Enon is going to help me with something. I’m sorry if this gets uncomfortable, but if it works, it will help figure out why only Devon, Kieran, and Mortef can see who you are.”
Apprehension had her stiffening. “Will it hurt?”
Yerel looked uncertain. “Not physically, child. If I could do this on my own, I would have seen it already though. I really need Enon’s help.”
Enon walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. Kiera
n helped her onto the bed. “I will be right here, love.”
Devon stood at the foot of the bed and stroked her calf as if to comfort her. Dread filled her as Enon picked up the knife and a ceramic bowl.
Kieran squeezed her hand until Yerel moved to the side of the bed and sat in a chair. He grabbed the hand that Kieran just relinquished and Enon took the other. Breathing hard, she focused on Devon, whose smile remained calm and serene.
When Enon had started speaking, she looked up. Her eyes had turned gray, like the snow on an old picture tube television that couldn’t pick up a station. Her voice was hollow, as if she was talking into a tin can as she held the knife high.
Rachel’s mouth went dry as she stared at the wicked sharp knife. What was she going to do with it? Stab her? When she glanced over at Devon, he watched with a touch of worry on his face, but she didn’t sense any danger from him.
“Ow!” she gasped as her wrist stung. Swinging her gaze back around, there was a slice on her wrist and blood leaked out of the wound like water from a dripping faucet.
Still chanting, Enon then sliced her own wrist, seconds before slicing Yerel’s. Her voice got louder as she poured some powder into the bowl with all three of their blood drops in it, and added water from a copper kettle.
Kieran leaned over Yerel and wrapped her wrist tightly without a word. He placed her bandaged wrist by her side, and backed away as Enon chanted and swirled the blood in the bowl.
“Drink,” she said in an otherworldly tone. She shuddered at the thought, but her actions were not her own again. Enon took several sips, and then Yerel, and finally Rachel drank the last of it from the bowl. It was bitter, like the dandelion leaves that grew in the ditch. Her stomach churned and she started to feel nauseous. She cried out as she suddenly grew dizzy and the room began to fade.
Anna’s old house began to appear and Rachel screamed in horror. “No, I can’t do this again. I won’t go back.” She struggled against the strong hands that held her. She felt Devon’s hands on her legs and she thought Kieran might have held her midsection down.
“You must.” Enon’s voice sounded like a ghost. “You can never move forward if you don’t ever face the past. You need our help to truly understand.”
As she sobbed in terror for what she was about to see once again, she felt Enon take her hand. “Your mates and I are all here. We will be with you. Together, we will face your demons.”
They said they would be there, but suddenly she was alone and in the hands of a man three times her size, with the strength of a grizzly bear. She kicked and screamed as he threw her down on the floor in front of a tall man with silky black hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes blazed red as he stared at her. “Welcome, my slave.”
Rachel’s quick wit failed her as she stared into the face of evil.
“I’m your new master, Mortef. You can thank your friend for sending you in her place.”
She knew Anna well enough to know she’d never do such a thing. She shook her head and Mortef simply grinned. It did nothing for his appearance since every facial expression simply made him more sinister looking.
“Shall we play a bit before we eat?” Mortef looked around at several others who were obviously Vampires and they all grinned with their fangs elongated.
“This one is mine. No one touches her unless I allow it.” Mortef’s hand swept out. “Every other female here is yours to do with as you wish.”
Horror washed over her as the Vampires grabbed the women in the room. She couldn’t watch, but the sounds they made would haunt her forever. Shrieks of unrestrained terror filled the room. As the Vampires ripped open the throats of their victims, some of the people became unable to scream. Their mouths were open in pain and horror, but no sound came out. They just convulsed as the Vampires fed from their necks. Mortef watched and stroked himself while his Vampires murdered people. He actually seemed to get off from their pain and death.
Her stomach emptied as the horror show went on. She closed her eyes when one Vampire ripped the clothing off one woman he’d captured. Her screams pierced Rachel’s heart in a way she was unsure she would ever heal from. She couldn’t watch, so she closed her eyes and hummed tunelessly with her hands over her ears. She screamed as strong hands ripped her own away from her ears.
Mortef’s blazing red eyes bored into hers. “That was fun, but now it’s my turn. I am in a painful kind of mood tonight. Sorry, girl, you will not die in the throes of passion.”
Despite her screaming and thrashing, Mortef effortlessly picked her up without as much as a grunt of effort. Her feet kicked hard, but his hold had her arms pinned. His other arm gripped her hair and forced her head to the side. Branding hot teeth sank deep into her artery, making agony spread throughout her body. The unbelievable pain of it stole her breath as she trembled in his unbreakable grasp. She felt his powerful suction draining her blood. It wouldn’t be long now, and it would be over. It hurt so badly though, as his needlepoint fangs moved within her artery. Without the venom that caused pleasure, all she felt was the pain of the chemical that kept her blood from clotting as the Vampire fed on her.
At least this time she felt the memory of the pain, and not the actual pain all over again. Still, she heard herself screaming and didn’t even recognize the agonized wail coming from her throat.
Mortef suddenly dropped her and she stared up at the ceiling, gasping for air. Dizziness swamped her and she felt like she was spinning in a sickening spiral. Was that it, was she going to slowly die now?
“Channel.” Mortef wiped the blood, her blood, from his mouth. “Oh bless me, I found a channel. Veer. Seal her wounds, make sure she survives the blood loss. A fucking channel!” His laugh was giddy and almost sounded like the laughter she would expect to hear at an insane asylum.
She tried to turn away as another Vampire picked her up and licked her where Mortef had bitten her. He licked over her wounds while groping her breast. She tried to wiggle away, but he pinched her nipple hard. More tears flooded her eyes. “Once Master gives permission to fuck you, I am going to fuck you hard and have some more of your sweet blood.”
She was far too dizzy and weak to even care anymore. Veer held her by her hair and forced her to drink some kind of black liquid. It burned like fire, but she knew it wouldn’t kill her. Mortef wanted her alive now.
It did its job. For hours, scene after scene of Mortef using her replayed in her mind while Enon held her hand and whispered to her she was safe now. The hot wind, her hair flowing over her head, and the searing pain that was as bad as the bite encompassed her. They saw the times she rocked and cried that she was evil, and the times she hid her face to try and block out the horrors happening around her. The only thing that kept her sanity was the hands that felt like blue, pure light holding hers. She almost felt Enon inspecting that blue energy, and then Rachel felt her smile as if she recognized it as the torture and death all played out in front of her once again.
Her skin felt like it was burned to a crisp when Mortef dropped her on the floor by a young woman who shivered in the corner. Mortef reached for the other young woman, and she started to scream. She knew by now what would happen. The poor woman would suffer terribly before she died.
“Awaken. I have everything I need.” The voice cut through the nightmare, waking her up. She was still sobbing when her eyes opened. Enon and Yerel both wept, as well, and encased her in their arms.
It had been so real, Rachel was stunned her skin didn’t feel burnt. None of the pain lingered, but the memories were still rampaging and she couldn’t stop crying. Enon stroked her hair. “My sweet child, precious child. I am so sorry you endured that.”
“What? Tell us what happened to our mate,” Devon demanded. “You told us she wouldn’t be harmed!” His voice was a low rasp, but Rachel heard the menace as clear as the tornado sirens blaring during a storm.
“Calm down, Devon. You’re not helping,” Enon said as Yerel stood up.
Enon pulled Rachel up as if
she was little more than a toddler. Rachel’s arms locked around her knees as the full horror of everything she’d just seen washed over her once again. The pain filled her, anguished cries echoed in her head all over again and she sobbed as the full horror of what had happened to them washed over her. Evil, so evil, her mind chanted over and over again. Rachel covered her ears, trying to drown out the accusing voice.
“Whatever you have done to her, reverse it now!” Kieran demanded. His usual gentle tone was gone and in its place was a harsh tone full of rage. He sat down next to her, and pulled her into his lap. “Sweetheart. Shh. I’m here.” He rocked her and his hand smoothed down her hair.
“Dear warrior. It was necessary. We had to see for ourselves if there were any clues. I saw them in my sister’s hand. Her suffering was not in vain.” Enon’s gentle voice filtered through her sobbing.
“It had better be.” He rocked her and she heard Devon’s voice join Kieran’s as they rocked and caressed her skin and hair.
Enon’s clear voice rang out as her Vampires soothed her on the bed. “Rachel is a full-blooded channel. She also carries a witch’s spell that cannot be seen unless blood or saliva is shared. I saw my sister protecting her child through the worst of the horrors. As you know though, channels are extremely sensitive. When they are misused, they internalize the trauma.”
“My mom was here and she is your sister?”
“It was not the mom who gave birth to you, but all the witches that came before. She called on them to keep you safe. However, your parents worried you would be left unprotected, so they cast an ancient spell of protection over you.”
Yerel was quiet a moment and he shook his head and added, “Mortef did bite her, intending to either kill her or make her a slave. Once the spell was broken for him, he could see her ability to channel energy.”
There was a quiet pause as Rachel heard glass clinking. “Here, give her this to drink. It will help to calm her and numb the emotional pain. She is going to struggle with feeling responsible for a while. It is impossible for a channel to not absorb the energy of the supernatural using them. She feels Mortef’s evil nature inside of her,” Enon said while handing over a glass.
Vampires' Embrace [Southern Supernatural Alphas] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Page 15