“I’d hoped you would like it.” Paul sat up slightly. “First loves and all that…”
Damien held the skull close to him a moment then turned to Paul, “My lord, who is Rachel?” he asked bluntly.
Paul’s brows creased. “Rachel? I don’t believe I’m familiar with a Rachel.”
“Voluptuous, powerful, insatiable…” Damien added.
Paul’s brows rose. “Someone like that I’d definitely remember. No, I don’t know a Rachel that meets that description.” He absently picked at a nail.
Damien studied him and didn’t think he was lying to him. Still… “What about a Lilith?”
Paul froze a moment then turned to Damien. “Lilith who?”
“It’s just a name, my lord.”
“No, not that name,” Paul hissed. “Where did you hear it?”
“From Rachel.”
“And who is this Rachel?” Foster demanded.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I only just met her and I was hoping you could tell me more of her. She…intrigues me.”
Paul’s eyes narrowed as he studied Damien. Suddenly he no longer trusted the young vampire, yet he couldn’t say exactly why. “Where did you meet this Rachel?”
“Here, in this underground structure. Only a bit ago. She is most beautiful and she has the most delicious body…”
“But who is she?” Paul demanded.
“I don’t know.” Damien sat beside him, his eyes giving him their most innocent of looks. “There have been so many new vampires added to the fold of late, I had hoped you knew her.”
Paul sat up and tapped at his chin in thought for a moment. “Voluptuous, powerful, delicious…you fucked her, I take it?”
“More like, she fucked me,” he admitted with a sly smile. “More than once.”
Paul was instantly jealous. “What the hell would a vampire like that want with a newborn like you?”
“A sex slave,” Damien answered. “Or…so she said.”
Paul glared at him. “The next time you meet up with her, inform her that you are mine. If she wants to use you for a roll in the hay, that’s her business. But if she wants to make you a sex slave, she needs to talk to ME about it. Got it?”
Damien nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
“And no more talk of this Lilith either. We do not speak of her.”
“Why not?”
Paul shot him a warning look. “We just don’t,” he said. “If your Rachel wishes to discuss Lilith, I want to know why.”
“Of course, my lord.”
*****
Mitchell and Tufo stood side by side watching the tech crews finish running the systems checks on the last two POD systems installed outside the OpCom. The two PODs were on either side of the large concrete bunker and faced out toward the dry lake bed. Anything that got past the gauntlet of the other four PODs set up on the surrounding hillsides of the dry lake bed, the drones that would be in the air, the C130 that was planned to bring the rain, not to mention the scores of wolves, hunters and whatever others that Loren the Wyldwood had talked into joining them…they would have to make it past these last two POD emplacements in order to get to the command center.
Tufo smiled as he patted Matt on the back. “For the first time since this whole thing started, I think we not only have a chance at winning, but I actually feel sorry for the bastards coming at us.”
Matt continued to stare out past the dry lake bed, a cold chill giving him shivers in the dry desert heat. “I dunno, Mark, I have a real bad feeling.”
Mark looked up at the taller man and shook his head. “I don’t see how. We have every avenue covered. We have ground pounders, air support, weapon emplacements—”
“I know,” Matt interrupted. “I know, this is just a feeling.”
Mark thought a moment, scratching at his chin. “Is it because you’ll be shifting and you’ll have to entrust me with the troops?” He was unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.
Matt continued to stare off toward the end of the dry lake bed. “Perhaps, partly. The shifting part, yeah.” He waited a moment longer than Mark would have liked before he added, “But I trust you with the men. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be my XO.”
Tufo stood there a moment and contemplated his statement. “I know you aren’t thrilled about the shift. And even less thrilled that some hippie is going to be able to ‘direct’ you in battle, but consider this…” he turned to Matt and got his full attention, “this guy has been around for a couple of thousand years. He’s military, Matt. Maybe not modern military, but he knows tactics and he knows you’re important, so he’s not going to use you as cannon fodder.” He patted his old friend reassuringly on the back. “You’ll be back, large and in charge before you know it.”
Matt nodded slightly his eyes still gazing off at nothing. “I hope you’re right.”
“I’d bet money on it.”
*****
Laura pulled up to the hangar that had always been her home away from home. As she sat behind the wheel of her Jeep, she shook her head and thought, Hell, who am I kidding? This IS my home! and laughed at herself. She stepped from the vehicle and went to the guard shack.
“Miss Youngblood,” the guard greeted her, tipping his hat.
“George, how ya been?” Her voice reflected an honest concern.
“Busier than I thought we’d be, ma’am.”
Her eyes narrowed. “How so?”
“Didn’t Gunnery Sergeant Tufo fill you in, ma’am?”
“I was pretty busy before I left there. Why don’t you tell me.”
“Well, ma’am, Tinker Actual has been chomping at the bit to reacquire the hangar for some damned reason. We can’t figure out why. They’ve been out here three times since y’all pulled up stakes and headed to Nevada. The last time, Miller gave it to them with both barrels, if you catch my drift.” He gave her a smile and a wink.
Laura returned the smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure he did. So what then?”
“They backed off. Miller told them that until the colonel came and finished cleaning out their stuff, it was still his.”
“Good for him.” She started to enter the hangar.
“Then Mueller’s family showed up…” he added, stopping her in her tracks.
“What was that?” She backed up.
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned again. “Mueller’s family showed up. The colonel called ahead and cleared them for VIP treatment. Miller went and picked them up at the gate himself. Can you believe they hitched here all the way from—”
“Where are they now?” She was suddenly all business.
“Oh, um…inside somewhere I guess.” George seemed confused. Laura wasted no time getting inside and noticed all of the equipment crated and stacked along the walls of the hangar. It actually choked her up to see all of their work waiting to be shipped out.
She marched to the end of the hangar and saw Miller signing off on the daily reports. “Sergeant? Where is Bob Mueller’s family?”
“Miss Youngblood? I didn’t know you were coming back—”
“Where are they, Sergeant? I need to speak with them.” She planted her hands on her hips in her ‘all business’ pose.
Miller thought a moment. “I think they’re in their room.” Laura gave him an expectant look. “Oh, um, room nine of the JO’s quarters, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” she yelled as she darted for the elevator.
As Laura approached the door of Room 9, she suddenly got a knot in her stomach. She paused just as she lifted her hand to the door, then knocked softly.
“Is the food done alrea—” Barbara paused and looked up at Laura, taking in the nearly six foot tall, dark haired beauty. “Bob didn’t tell me they had models working here,” she said with more than just a hint of jealousy in her voice. She put a hand on her hip and struck a defensive pose. “I swear to God, if you tell me you’re here to fight for him, I’m just going to shoot you and be done with it. I’ve been thr
ough too fucking much already.”
Laura took a half step back and gave her a wide eyed stare, her mouth hanging open. “Umm…no!”
“Then you better have a good reason, because I’m really feeling inadequate and I have a gun,” Barbara quipped.
Laura couldn’t help but smirk on that one. She measured up the tiny little woman with her dark pixie haircut. “I can see why he finds you so adorable.” Her smirk slowly turned into a smile.
“Don’t patronize me, Amazon. I’ve had a rough couple of days.”
“Mom?” Bobby asked, his voice sounding sleepy, “Who’s at the door?”
Barbara turned and gave her a curious look, waiting for Laura to announce her intentions. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Laura Youngblood. I’m the...er, well, I was the Executive Officer of the squads.”
“Was?” Barbara’s brows rose in question.
“I recently quit,” Laura admitted. “I just came back here to clean out my office and I heard you were here. I wanted to speak with you.”
“Okay. Speak.” Barbara still held the door and acted uninviting.
Laura stared at the woman a moment, then sighed. “Fine. If you want to stay here with a handful of underpaid military guards and no other females to talk with, that’s your choice. I just thought I’d make myself available to you. I guess I should have known better. I’ll just get my things and leave.”
She turned to go when Barbara opened the door and stepped into the hall, “Wait,” she sighed. Laura paused in the hallway and turned back around. “Okay. Maybe I came across a little…”
“Bitchy?” Laura finished for her.
“I was going to say ‘strong’, but…”
“No, I think bitchy is closer.”
“That’s probably what Bob would say.”
Laura stepped back to the door and extended her hand, “Do over?”
Barbara shrugged. “Why not? Hi, I’m Bitchy Barb, want to be my friend?”
Laura laughed and shook her hand. “Hi, I’m Luscious Laura, here to steal your husband…”
Both women chuckled, until Barbara looked up and said stonily, “I’d shoot you dead.”
“I’ve got a man that I’m quite happy with, thank you,” Laura said defensively.
Barbara sighed. “Oh thank goodness. I read a book once about Amazons and they were all…”
Laura shook her head. “They were what?”
Barbara almost blushed. “L-E-S-B-I-A-N-S,” she spelled the word then pointed to her son. Laura snorted and shook her head.
“Not a problem,” she replied. She glanced over at Bobby who was trying to drift back asleep in front of a television with cartoons playing. “But I did want to ask you about who or what was after you.”
“Vampires,” she said softly. “At least, I think they were.”
Laura nodded. “And the colonel knows about this?”
“Bob does, so I’m sure he does.”
Laura nodded. She looked over her shoulder and did a mental count of the security that normally watches the hangar. “If you don’t mind, I think I may stick around here for a while. Just to make sure you and your son are safe.”
Barbara’s eyes widened. “Do you think they followed me here?”
Laura shook her head. “Highly doubtful. But just in case there’s any trouble, one more calm head in the fight won’t hurt.”
*****
“That one?” Damien whispered to empty air. “Are you sure?” To an observer, the young vampire would appear to have lost his mind. But in Damien’s mind he could both see, hear, and feel who he spoke with and she was becoming his mentor, his master, his lover, his… everything.
“Yes, that one, lover. He has almost two centuries behind him. Can’t you feel the power from him?” He ran his hand along the silky smoothness of her thigh and felt himself hardening at the thought of them wrapped around him again.
“No, I can’t feel him at all,” he chuckled.
She smiled at him and patted his hand. “In due time, lover. First, we must gather for you as much strength as you can hold,” she whispered into his ear. “If you are to fulfill your destiny, you will need to take baby steps.”
“And what exactly IS my destiny?” He licked at her earlobe.
“All in due time, lover.” She giggled and pulled away. “You need to build your strength.”
Damien stared at the heavily muscled vampire and his mouth watered at the idea of chewing on his pecs. “How do I tempt him below?”
“Lucky for you, this one likes little boys…” she teased.
“Oh, for the love of…” he groaned.
“Just tease him with it,” she whispered. “You don’t have to give it up to him.”
Damien growled low in his throat and swallowed his pride. “Tell me again why I’m doing this?”
“Doing what, lover?” she whispered as she stroked his chest.
“This. Debasing myself to eat assholes like this. There are plenty of others that I could get below much easier.”
“HE is powerful. You have to consume more powerful vampires in order to prepare yourself for the most powerful of them all…” she whispered, tickling the fine hairs on his neck.
“Thorn,” he breathed, a smile crossing his lips.
“Thorn is nothing,” she chided. “Once you’ve consumed the powers of this boy-lover, you’ll have as much power within you to handle someone like Thorn by yourself.”
Damien’s features narrowed. “Then who?” His confusion was evident.
“The Sicarii…” she whispered.
Damien’s eyes flew wide and his breath caught in his throat. “You jest.”
“No, lover,” she breathed in his ear again, a nail tracing lazily across his throat. “Once you have absorbed HIS power, added to your own, then you will be ready to fulfill your destiny.”
Damien smiled. He was beginning to believe what she was telling him and he was liking it. A lot. “Tell me, Rachel…what IS my destiny?”
She danced around him, rubbing her breasts upon him, running her hands about him, sending his senses into overdrive. “You’re not ready, lover.”
“I am ready, Rachel. Tell me,” he moaned, his lids half closed.
“You’re not ready…”
“I am. Tell me.”
She paused and lowered herself into his lap and kissed him deeply, sucking on his lower lip. “Do you love me, Damien?”
He opened his eyes slightly and smiled at her, “More than you’ll ever know.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, “I don’t know what kind of spell you’ve put me under, but yes. I am yours forever…for always and no matter what.”
She smiled and sat up, pushing him to the ground with her hands. “Then maybe you are ready.”
“Tell me. What is my destiny?”
“To resurrect me. To restore me to my rightful place.”
Damien cocked his head to the side and studied her. “You’re not real, then?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, lover, I’m real. I’m oh so real.” She leaned down and kissed him again, hard and allowed her fang to pierce his lip and draw his dark blood. “Tell me I’m not real.”
“Nobody else can see you though?” He was questioning his sanity.
“You can, and that is all that matters. You have a destiny, and that destiny is to free me.”
“And until then?”
“Until then, I shall mentor you, teach you, love you and direct you. I will make you the most powerful vampire in the world. But until then, do not speak my true name to any other vampires. There is power in a name. Only you are to know this power. For now, anyway.”
“Why would you do this?” Damien asked, staring deeply into her eyes.
Her gaze softened as she stared down at him. “Because only the most powerful vampire can stand by my side as my equal.”
*****
Max hovered at the edge of the celebration, the pride for his son showing on his face only occasionally
. He would allow a smile to crack his veneer only to mask it again, but as the party wore on, he found himself smiling more and tapping his foot to the music. Once Viktor found the opportunity to tear himself away from the others, he approached his father.
“Where is she?” he asked between breaths.
“She slipped out shortly after you won,” Max said, pointing to the stairwell behind him.
“Do you know where they lead?”
“No, but she’s close. I can smell her.” He stole a glance behind him.
Viktor headed toward the stairwell when Max reached out and grasped his shoulder. “Not yet.” He shook his head. “Let her come to you.”
“I need to know why she warned me.”
“She’ll come to you,” Max reassured him. He stole another glance behind him and sniffed the air. “She’s not alone and there’s tension there. Let her handle this.”
Viktor growled deep in his throat and shot a glare at his father. “I’m the alpha now.”
Max shook his head. “Actually, no,” he corrected. “I’m the Alpha. You’re the Pack Master. There is a difference.”
“Are you going to usurp my authority?” Viktor’s eyes narrowing.
Max smiled at him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Just offering some advice, son, that’s all.”
Viktor studied him for a moment then stepped back. “Very well. She can come to me when she’s ready.”
The two men stayed along the edge of the party and waited, watching the festivities. Natashia and Nadia slipped in through the steel blast doors and saw the party going on, wolves drinking and dancing throughout the facility. Viktor and Max nodded and waved, motioning them over.
“It is done, my darling?” Natashia asked as she sidled up next to him, taking his face in her hand and turning it side to side inspecting for damage.
Viktor smiled and kissed her. “It is done.”
Max gripped his son’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’d have been proud, Tasha.” He shook Viktor’s shoulder. “It took him a little longer than I would have wagered, but he still did a fine job.”
Viktor turned a steely gaze up on him. “Longer than you would have wagered? The fight was over in a matter of moments.”
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