by Claudy Conn
I laughed. “I guess not as much as you, Rosie doll,” I said as I bent to hug her.
“Do you know how to get there?” she asked. “I think I should come with you and help you find Devin the Vampire. My mother said he is supposed to be a very nice vampire. I would like to meet him. I have never met a vampire before.”
“No, Rosie. Your mother will note your absence and get worried. We don’t want her to worry, right?”
She sighed. “Right. It was very nice meeting you, Bobbie. You better hurry now, I sense movement. I sense the Elfin…driving their stupid trucks. They won’t cross the border to get to the foothills, but they will take the highway as far as they can and then sneak onto our mountain. They break the rules more than we do,” she said, and then put her fingers into the air. “I better leave now.” She snapped her fingers and was gone.
I went into my purple cloud and immediately cloaked it as I traveled. When I ‘poof’ somewhere, I have to imagine where I want to go, and so I thought of the foothills in the distance. I wasn’t sure it would take me that far, but maybe, as my Shama was sure getting stronger every time I used magic.
When I emerged from my now invisible smoke, I stood on the peak of what appeared, for all intents and purpose, to be a mountain. Okay, all right, Devin, where are you?
~ Nineteen ~
FINDING DEVIN PROVED TO BE easier than I thought. I spent about thirty minutes wandering around looking for a cave when it dawned on me to use magic feelers.
Devin and I have a connection, which makes it easier to ‘feel’ for him and track his scent at the same time.
But before I actually found his cave, his strong husky voice swooped in and made me feel alive.
“Bobbie lass,” he said.
I turned and dove into his arms.
“Och aye…lass,” he said, and held me tightly, kissed my head, my ears, my face, my lips, then whispered my name again.
“Devin,” was all I was able to say as he then crushed me so tightly I nearly couldn’t breathe.
“I picked up on yer scent, sweetheart…it was like being swept into paradise. Ye cannae know what yer voice, yer face, yer scent does to me.” He then pushed himself away from me while he still held my shoulders. “But what are ye doing here?”
“I have it. I have the way for us to return to MacLeod together,” I told him excitedly. “It is all so simple…”
And then, disaster.
“Take them,” we heard, and looked to find Rana in a military uniform with a platoon of Elfin soldiers surrounding us.
“Rana,” Devin said quietly.
“Are you wondering how we knew where to look?” she said superiorly, and I wanted to zap her into hell, and did, in fact, raise my hand with magical intent.
“Tomin…” Devin said resignedly. “When we first became friends, I told him how I had managed to brave the elements by living in a cave and hunting the foothills.” He stared at Rana. “Did your father give me away?”
“No, but Loli had overheard the two of you talking once when you mentioned your time in the foothills. Loli gave you away.”
Devin looked at me. “I am sorry, love…I had forgotten that I talked about…”
“Shut up,” Rana interrupted. She motioned to her soldiers, who came towards us with chains and cuffs.
I should just whisk Devin away, but I tried reason instead. “This is silly, Rana. I am not Draoidheil. Yes, I am a witch, but not from Trinity. And, by the way, do you actually think your cuffs and chains will hold us?”
“They have been spelled by a witch…a Draoidheil Witch who wants to avoid war. She agreed to help us if we would stand down and not attack their village,” Rana said.
“Ah, of course,” I said, and then went into my Shama and spoke telepathically to Devin. “No worries.”
He frowned. “Get out of here, lass…do it for me. Go…do that thing you do…and go.”
“No can do. We are going together,” I told him. A calm had come over me. Suddenly, I felt really one with my Shama. It was no longer a separate entity I went to for help. MY Shama was now in my soul, my brain, and my heart. I knew just what to do.
We stood quietly as they cuffed our wrists behind our backs and chained our legs. However, I was irritated when they dragged Devin off and dumped him roughly into the bed of one truck and took me towards another.
That was a complication I had not expected.
A few moments later, we were lumbering down the mountain on a narrow road. As it turned out, and as I suspected, Draoidheil magic doesn’t work on me. With a thought, my cuffs and chains were undone. With another thought, I was in my invisible purple smoke and in the bed of the truck transporting Devin. I didn’t bother to undo his chains as I held his shoulder, closed my eyes, damn if I know why, and whispered the spell that would open a very different portal to MacLeod. Siubhail air astar.
In the flash of a moment lives change and one jumps from one mud hole into another.
We landed in the library of MacLeod. Devin was still in his cuffs and had chains around his ankles.
He gasped. “Bobbie…ye did it!”
Something was wrong.
I saw that it was nearly six o’clock, and yeah, I was hungry, but it was already dark outside. Ah, the sun had vanished and the clouds had taken over. Uh-oh.
That fact immediately made me jittery, but it was the scent that caught my attention and held me in place.
Allora!
She stepped forward, ignored me and spoke only to Devin, “Well, well, your little witch has done it. I had not realized Lisa MacForly had any descendants left.”
With a thought, I removed Devin’s restraints. He was on his feet and standing between Allora and me.
“This ends now, Allora. Ye took a great deal from me, dinnae ye? I have always meant to coom home and tear yer head off yer elegant neck, but I’m open to making a deal with ye instead. Leave us be and I’ll let ye live.”
“No, it does not end. I can’t believe how the sight of you still warms me…but I can’t forgive you, won’t forgive you,” she snapped, then hissed like a vicious, feral cat. “I mean to make you suffer for eternity for hurting me.”
“There ya go,” I stuck in. “Whatever deal Devin here meant to make with you would not be binding on me. So let’s forget making peace deals. You and I—we are in it to the end. You killed my grandmother. I am going to kill you. Simple, and don’t doubt for a moment my resolve or my ability.”
“Bobbie!” Devin said in a voice filled with dread.
My heart sank as I looked in the direction of his gaze.
Jeremy sat in a brown leather winged chair in the dim light. He was gagged, bound, and I could see the glitter of magical threads wound around him.
How? How had she captured him, and how had she used magic to restrain him?
“Jeremy!” my voice was hoarse with dread. I started towards him, but she was faster than I and had her nails digging into his throat.
“I have often wondered what it would be like to taste a warlock and then suck him dry. I never have, you know. He would be my first,” she said, and licked her lips.
Could I reach her before she sank her fangs into him?
I had to think.
Devin was at my side and held my arm. “Steady, lass,” he said, then he spoke to Allora. “How did ye manage to get this particular warlock?”
Allora laughed. “Cars have tires. His went flat…oh my, in the pouring rain on his way back to his house with his little human. He got out to change it. I got inside and got her. We drove here together. I left her outside with two of my vampire guards. Right now, she is safe enough, as I left her on the other side of your silly ward. If he is very good and does everything I ask, perhaps I won’t feed her to them.”
“So…that is how you got them here…what about the magical ropes holding him in place?” I asked, also stalling for time as I inched closer to her.
“I told him if he didn’t restrain himself…I would feed on her m
yself,” Allora said.
Jeremy, still gagged, met my gaze full on. He was trying to tell me something.
Allora pulled the gag out of his mouth. “Is there something you need to tell your little witch friend?”
All Jeremy did was close his eyes.
I knew what he was trying to tell me. He wanted me to save his girl, Tina, before him.
He did say, “She has my Tina…Bobbie, the bitch has Tina.”
“Careful,” Allora said on a hard note, and pinched his arm.
“Welcome home, Devin,” Jeremy said, looking at Devin, desperate for someone to save Tina.
There was only one thing I could do. Only one thing I could think of.
“Allora,” I said, and lunged at her. I had a chunk of her blonde hair and with a thought, just one thought, I opened my silver portal to Trinity and pulled her through.
We stood in the jungle, the sun had faded in Trinity, but its light was still enough to cause her pain. She screamed at me, “What have you done?”
“This is where you sent Devin for so long. Now it is your turn, but I don’t think you will manage as well.”
I didn’t see what happened next coming.
She released a bellow of pure rage as she pushed me backwards and held on tight to my arm. With a sinking heart, I realized I had not closed the portal. It was still open at my back.
We fell back into the library, and rolled, but I saw at once that both Jeremy and Devin were gone. They had gone off to save Tina—thank goodness. At least I had bought them some moments.
I was off in a puff of purple smoke.
Allora followed at vampire speed, but what met her gaze, and mine, made her give up the fight with just one last shout, “This is not finished!”
I knew as I watched her flash away that she would get to her car and drive off into the coming night. Would she return to London, or would we have to deal with her tomorrow here at MacLeod?
I then saw everything in full view.
My huge gray wolf with black markings stood on all fours. At his feet were the ashes of two dead vampires. “Hawkeye,” I said out loud. “Thank you.”
I expect you’ll do the same for my pack when the time comes. We are off for London, where Ramon is digging his claws into the humans. Do you mean to help, Red? Will you come and lend us a hand in this fight?
“If I can,” I said.
I need all of you, the warlock…and even your vampire friend, he added.
“Yes, we won’t forget your help today, Hawkeye,” I answered.
Do you think of the day-walker as your forever mate? Hawkeye asked as he lingered.
“Yes, yes, I do,” I answered, and smiled.
If a wolf could grin, he did. Not for long…I mean to change your way of thinking, beauty.
Tina was crying as Jeremy held her in his arms and Hawkeye looked their way before adding, Tend to your needs and I will contact you, Red, as soon as I can.
Devin came to stand beside me and stared hard at the wolf shifter.
Hawkeye looked into my eyes and said, Your eyes glow with violet light—and whisper of love and peace. Your heart glows pure, as does the light that surrounds you. We, you and I, are destined, Red. We are destined. Don’t fight it. Later. He turned, howled long and loud for his pack, and vanished into the woods.
I dismissed his words. We had shared some wild moments with vampires. I was the new girl on the block and so he was interested. That was all it was. Nothing to concern myself about.
“Jeremy,” Devin said. “See the lass home and stay with her. Make certain she forgets…understood? We’ll talk later, much later.”
Jeremy took Tina with him to the car.
Devin scooped me into his arms. “I am nae going to argue with ye, lass. I know the wolf has heart for ye. Dinnae encourage him and we’ll do fine.”
“I didn’t—I wouldn’t…” I said.
He grumbled and I said, “Put me down, vamp, put me down now.”
“Nae going to happen until I have ye in m’bedroom and in m’bed…” And so he took me vampire speed and set me down in his bed none too gently.
“Hey!” I said.
“I dinnae like the way ye let his eyes meet yers. I wouldna have it, lass,” he said.
I reached up and got hold of his neck and pulled him to me. “No…don’t have it. Have this, which he never will.”
Later, much later, Devin said, “Ye will be m’bride, and I trust ye. I will deed the castle to ye, in yer name only, and Allora won’t be able to enter.”
“Yes, I think that is a good idea, but we have a bigger problem than just Allora,” I said, and told him everything Hawkeye had told me about Ramon and the humans in London.
“We have to help,” I said.
“Aye, we will help stop Ramon, but there is something I need to do to keep the Elfin from attacking the Draoidheil.”
“And what is that? For I think we must absolutely help them keep the peace,” I said.
“I’ll tell ye after,” he said, and snuggled my ear, and fondled my breasts as he pulled me on top of him.
“Later?” I eyed him because I knew exactly what he meant.
“Ride me, Bobbie lass, ride me hard,” he said.
“But food…I am starving…”
“Fuck me now and I’ll feed ye later…deal?”
“Oh yeah,” I said, and started a slow pumping waltz.
An excerpt peek at Book #3
Craving-Unrestrained
Coming in February
~ ~
Hawkeye, Alpha Shifter of the Wellsly Pack!
I DON’T LIKE COMPLICATIONS.
For me, it has always been simple. You either are, or you aren’t. I guess I see things in black and white.
My beautiful little sister, Dalia, used to try and color the world for me, but because of him, my sister is gone. Because of him, my world is now blacker than ever. Justice will never bring her back, so instead, I will have my revenge.
I will never understand how she came to fall in love with a bloodsucking, human killing vampire, but she did. She once told me, he was wisdom, sophistication, and beauty all wrapped up into one man. I told her he was no more than an ancient vampire. I told her he was a murdering, ruthless killer. I told her he had cunning, not wisdom.
So she left my pack.
She left my protection and she went to him.
She told me he loved her. She believed his lie. She couldn’t see he didn’t love her, how could he when he wanted her to take part in an experiment that would never bode well for a wolf.
She said he wanted her to be a hybrid because it would make her stronger than all vampires and Shifters alike.
I asked why she would want that. She shrugged. She was too infatuated with the ancient, Ramon.
She couldn’t see that all he wanted was to use her. I told her he was another’s lover. We all knew he was Allora’s lover. Dalia never believed me. She died not knowing what a craven ugly soulless beast he was.
I discovered too late that he was about to administer the serum to make her a hybrid. I knew she would never survive its effects. Stronger werewolves and Shifters had died at Ramon’s hands because of his experiments.
Too late, the ugliest two words I have ever known. Too late, I arrived to free her…but Ramon had already injected her and left her alone to suffer her end. He knew the serum had failed. He knew she would die an agonizing death, and he left her to it.
For that—for leaving her alone, I will torture and torment him. For all the rest he killed, I will make him beg for death.
There are only a few ways an immortal Shifter can be killed. The serum he used is one of them. I was helpless as I watched her writhe in agony for hours. She screamed as her veins popped out of her skin, as her jaw extended, as her fangs, too enlarged for her mouth, broke out of her gums.
Blood poured out of her nose, her eyes, and her mouth before the serum Ramon had injected her with, allowed her to die. I adored my young sister and I praye
d for her quick end. That feeling is something I shall never forget.
When I think of how it was my fault that Dalia met Ramon, that it was I who invited him into our home, it drives me mad with the need to get him alone. My fault she met him because I was the one who allowed him to enter our home!
That was when she first saw him. I didn’t like the way he looked at her and sent her out of the room immediately.
She gave me hell for that later and I remember how she wagged her finger in my face. I laughed it off. I never realized she was already taken with him.
She was light, she was a bubble of pure joy, she knew just how to open me up and make me smile. She was my last connection to our parents. She was mine to protect and I failed.
My pack and I have sworn vengeance against Ramon and his clan of ancients. They are everything that is wicked and perverse. We learned recently they are trying to find a way to walk in daylight because they want to infiltrate and dominate the human race.
I have no love of humans. They are rash, they commit atrocities in the name of religion, for power, and for money. They divide themselves up into sects and are intolerant of other sects. They are capable of great kindness and just as capable of great cruelty, but all we Shifters and Lycans really want is to live in quiet harmony and peace—in secrecy, as they would not tolerate us should they discover we exist.
My pack and I have seen enough of war.
My pack is the last of its kind, from our realm.
We came, all of us, when the Lycans went to war with the demons in my realm. They had the numbers, the magic, and the ruthlessness that, in the end, diminished our kind.
But, as in all creatures, there are exceptions. One such exception was a female demon named Tessla. She went to the remaining Lycan families and opened portals for them to the realms of their choice.
My family, as a few others, chose the Human Realm. It had been my father’s decision and I often wonder at it.
That fateful day, Father sent me to retrieve a sacred Lycan Hallow from the barn. He told me to take Dalia with me. I know now, because he was a Lycan seer, that he knew what was about to happen.