Prima

by Annie Nicholas

  Her wide-eyed gaze never broke from his as he set the point on her chest.

  His thoughts traveled over her memories to confirm her guilt. Destroying one of his own never used to bother him, but time had tempered his soul.

  He jabbed the stake through her heart then touched the minds of all the vampires in this nest, allowing them to watch their mistress flake into ashes. They now knew he was taking his territory back with force. Either they fled or submitted. Or died.

  Clementine and Sam entered through the window.

  “Let’s go greet the household. Anyone gives you trouble, Sam, kill them. Clementine, try to point out the ones you know who remained loyal.” He kicked open the office door. It wasn’t necessary, but it felt good. They still had four more houses to clean before dawn.

  ***

  Stephen set a steaming cup in front of Sugar.

  Gripping it, she stared at the swirling dark liquid. “Cocoa?” When had she last had this to drink? She gave him a shy smile.

  “With tonight’s situation, I thought coffee would just place you more on edge.”

  “I’m not on edge.” The sharp words sprang from her mouth.

  “Sure,” he drawled, clearly not convinced. Neither was she.

  “Okay, maybe I’m a little tense.” She gave an uneasy laugh and loosened her hold on the cup before she could shatter it. “I hate being left behind.”

  “Then you should try to be more useful.” Pallas, king of kind words, strode into the kitchen and examined the night through the windows. “This place is too exposed. We’ll move to the library.”

  “There’s a library?” She glanced at Stephen for confirmation, and the shifter nodded. “Let’s go.” She handed her cup to Stephen and rose to her feet. Her weak side ached from the bed play with Daedalus yesterday. Against her best intentions, she would still need to nap again this night.

  She hated the way Pallas’s stare followed her unsteady gait out of the room, but she couldn’t ignore the call of books. She’d been away from this passion for too long. Daedalus hadn’t mentioned his house contained a library. He might have drawn her here sooner if he had.

  Stephen walked ahead, waiting for her before turning into another hallway so she wouldn’t lose her way. They headed to the center of the house and stopped at a set of large iron doors. Sugar had seen the locked doors while searching for the kitchen yesterday. She’d thought it might have been an armory.

  Stephen fiddled with a key ring, trying each one unsuccessfully.

  She pressed her hands against the cold metal. “Why the security?”

  “Knowledge is power, and Daedalus likes power.” Pallas plucked the key ring from Stephen’s hands and singled out the plainest. “Try this one.”

  “What kind of knowledge are we talking about?” She fought the urge to snatch the key from Stephen as she watched him struggle with the fucking lock.

  The muscles on his forearm strained with the effort to twist.

  “Careful, don’t break it.” Dangling the promise of reading treasured books that required iron doors and locks, then stealing it from her, would send her over the proverbial edge that Stephen had mentioned in the kitchen.

  With a clank, the lock opened, and Stephen breathed a sigh of relief. “Never been in this room.”

  She pushed past him and twisted the handle. “Why ever not?” The question came out as a whisper.

  Musty air swept over her face. Darkness barred her from seeing any further than where the light from the hallway landed on the wooden floor.

  Pallas gripped her shoulders. “Easy, let me investigate first.” He squeezed between her and Stephen with a small flashlight in hand. Where it had come from she couldn’t imagine. The bright stream touched upon overstuffed chairs, wooden tables, then the walls before stopping on the switch close to the doors. Pallas flipped it, and a massive chandelier lit the room.

  Her mouth hung open, and she could only manage a garbled noise of excitement. She shoved Stephen to the side and entered for the full affect.

  The circular room was lined with wooden shelves brimming over with books and scrolls. She ran her gaze over the curving staircase that led to a second floor lined with more shelves. “I think I died and went to heaven.” If not for the cane, she would have skipped in glee.

  Pallas systematically searched the room from shadow to shadow while Stephen pulled a chair away from the closest table.

  She waved it away. “Are you kidding?” Striding as quickly as she could, she laid her fingertips on a set of aged, leather-bound books.

  “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll bring them to you?” He set his hands under her elbows, guiding her back to the chair. “You can’t carry it safely with your cane.”

  A knot formed in her chest as she drew away from the shelf. He was right, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. She plopped on the chair and tossed her cane against the table.

  Stephen rubbed his hands together. “Do you want to start with this one?” He pointed to the book she’d been caressing and opened it.

  She bent across the table with her good arm. “Careful. It looks old and might crumble with rough treatment.”

  With deliberate care, he set it in front of her. “It’s not English.”

  From the smell of the paper she knew it was old. She brushed the tips of her fingers over the ink. She couldn’t read a word. Sighing, she leaned against the back as disappointment weighed her heart.

  “Give me a chance to look around. Maybe I’ll find something for you to read.” Not waiting for her response, Stephen scurried away. He reminded her of Eric when they’d first met. Eager to please, staying in the background not wanting much attention. Did she have the strength to pull another omega under her wing?

  She chuckled. From the way he hovered around her, the tables were turned and Stephen wanted to help her instead.

  Pallas popped from behind a shelf, stalking the aisle before climbing the staircase. “I don’t like this. Daedalus shouldn’t attack until he can coordinate simultaneous assaults on the houses. This leaves us vulnerable.”

  “That could take forever, Pallas. His nest is scattered.” She watched as he circled the room along the balcony framing the second floor. “What are you looking for?”

  “Defensible positions.” He leaped over the railing and landed in front of her.

  All the air left her lungs. “Don’t do that!”

  He smirked. “My bones are tempered by time. I don’t break.” He closed and locked the library doors. “We’ll stay here until the others return. This room has one doorway and no windows.”

  “Or a bathroom.” She rested her chin on her hand. “Are you expecting trouble?”

  His eyes narrowed. “I don’t like surprises. Better to be prepared than caught with your pants down.”

  “I highly doubt that’s ever happened to you.” The tremble in her voice annoyed her. Where Stephen was trying to keep her calm, Pallas was making her nervous.

  Sweat made the palms of her hands slippery as she gripped the arms of her chair. Dark memories slipped past her defenses. Yellowed eyes glared at her from within her thoughts before an echoed snarl startled her back to reality. Breathing hard, she blinked as the library came into focus. It had been awhile since she’d been blindsided by the traumatic recollections of her attack.

  “No, it hasn’t.”

  “W-what?” She cleared her throat.

  “I’ve never been caught with my pants down.” He placed a set of wooden stakes on the table. “These are in case we get attacked, not if I piss you off.” Their gazes met, and he winked.

  The cold claws of fear sank deeper in her spine. “Do you really think we’ll be attacked?” If Daedalus had confidence in Pallas to guard her, then so should she. Right? Most of her roommates had been home when the Asian pack had attacked, yet she’d still sustained the worst injuries. Her eyes wandered to her paralyzed hand tucked in her sweater’s deep pocket. Collateral damage.

  “Whatever you and
your friends think, this is war. Unlike humans, vampires don’t require bombs and armies. Daedalus is taking back his territory tonight. Anything is possible.” He rested his hand over hers. “Which is why he left me here to protect you. I’ll do my job.”

  She took a deep, shaky breath. “Thank you.”

  “I do this out of fear, not the goodness of my heart.” He laughed out loud, and it echoed within the room. “Daedalus can be quite creative when angered. If anything happens to you, I will suffer for a very long time.”

  “He loves me.” Setting her hand over her chest, she steadied her breathing. Her statement wasn’t a brag, but more of a reminder of what she had to live for. She’d finally dragged her head out of her ass and recognized what she was about to lose. It only took her lover placing his life in danger to do it.

  Pallas settled in a chair next to her, facing the door. “Why would you deny Daedalus his Prima?”

  She ground her teeth. “What, pray tell, is a Prima? Then I can explain why he can’t have her.” Like she would share? She wanted to shake Pallas until he spoke plainly, instead of in cryptic hints. One didn’t assault a Nosferatu and expect no repercussions.

  His eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “You would be, if you’d become vampire. Daedalus never spoke to you of this?”

  Leaning forward, she supported her weak side against the table. “He told me females couldn’t become Nosferatu.”

  Pallas laughed. “They can’t. A Prima is the vampire wife of a Nosferatu Prime.”

  “A regular vampire, like Clementine?” She tugged at her earlobe, an embarrassing habit from childhood that she did when thinking. To cover the move, she tucked some hair behind her ear. “I’ve never heard of the term Prima.”

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. There never have been many. Primes are not exactly sought after as husbands.”

  “Why not?” She’d been with Daedalus long enough to see past the shields these old vampires used. Pallas’s pain wouldn’t have been obvious to most.

  “Most are not as stable as Daedalus.” He gestured to his bald head and pointed ears. “And we’re monstrous to look at.”

  “Well, maybe once you were considered so, but times have changed. I can’t tell you how many women have tried to steal Daedalus from me.” Especially in the nightclubs, they couldn’t keep their slutty hands off him. Vampires were becoming popular in the night scene. “I never considered him monstrous.” Just some of the things he did.

  “Love is blind.” He focused his gaze on the locked doors. “Wives tend to be killed in retaliation against their husbands.” He shrugged. “Another reason why most of us never bothered to marry.”

  “Oh.” Her gaze joined his on the locked door. “Good thing I’m not a Prima then.” She tried to ease the tension with a laugh, but it sounded weak.

  “No, you’re not, but like you said, times have changed. The others may consider you one. It’s obvious Daedalus cares for you like a wife.” He jumped to his feet and grabbed a stake all in one smooth motion.

  She startled in her chair, almost falling to the floor. “What is it?”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  Chapter Ten

  The first four houses went smoothly. They broke in, located the leader, and then killed the idiot. Most of the nests cooperated with the takeovers, and those who didn’t were executed. Things didn’t go as planned at the last house though.

  It was empty.

  Half-opened drawers with clothes hanging out greeted his entry into the building. He sensed no one here. Pressing his earpiece, he spoke to Robert. “Are you sure we’re at the right location?”

  “Yeah. We were just here yesterday.” He could hear Robert clicking at his computer. “Do you think they spotted Esther and Sam when they were taking pictures?”

  “Maybe…” He did a slow three-sixty in the foyer while Sam sniffed around. “Or word of my return is spreading faster than we’re moving.” He reached out to Pallas. “Is she safe?”

  Nothing.

  A heavy dread settled in his gut, and he closed his eyes to concentrate his power. “Pallas?” His telepathic shout would be heard around the world by his brothers, except he couldn’t sense the most important of them all. The one guarding Sugar.

  “Shit.” He raced from the house using his supernatural speed, leaving the shifters to devil knew what in that empty building. Fear dug its sharp talons in Daedalus’s heart as he ran to his home on the other side of town.

  ***

  Pallas tossed Sugar over his shoulder with one hand, gripping a wooden stake with the other. “Stephen, get your hairy arse down here and shift.” He strode toward the library staircase and set her on the bottom step with her cane. “Can you climb to the second floor?”

  She nodded. “What is it?”

  He gave her a hard look then tapped his head. “I tried to contact Daedalus, but he’s not answering.”

  Her legs gave out, and she sank onto the steps. “Is he…?” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is he dead?” The edges of her vision went dark, and nausea rolled in her stomach. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to die first.

  “I don’t know. Sometimes, if enough vampires concentrate, they can block telepathy.” He shook her shoulder. “Get it together, woman, and move.”

  A knock echoed through the library. They both jerked at the loud noise and turned toward the doors.

  Stephen raced down the steps behind her. “Who’s here?”

  “Trouble.” Pallas yanked her onto her feet. “Get upstairs and hide. Don’t make any noise. No matter what you hear, you stay hidden.” He pointed to Stephen. “Shift, I said.”

  “I don’t know how to fight.” The young werewolf pulled his shirt over his head. She could count his ribs.

  Pallas handed him the stake and retrieved the other ones from the table. “You’re about to learn.” His glare traveled to her. “Why are you still here?”

  Her mouth moved, but nothing came out. She used the banister to ascend the steps. It had never crossed her mind that Daedalus would fail. Love truly was blind. A tear slid down her cheek.

  An explosion shook the room, and she fell to her knees. Dust and smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe. She watched her cane roll down the stairs out of reach. On her stomach, she peered through the stair railings.

  Pallas lay motionless on his back with iron and wooden shrapnel protruding from his body. He looked like a vampire pincushion.

  She couldn’t see Stephen from this vantage point, but movement by the blown doorway caught her gaze.

  A group of strangers entered, led by a man. He grinned as his gaze fell upon her, fangs sharp and long. “Sugar, I presume?”

  Chapter Eleven

  The front gates to Daedalus’s estate hung open. He didn’t pause in his race home. His worst fears were becoming reality.

  Again.

  Sugar…

  He roared as he stormed through the broken front doors. Everyone would know of his arrival and either face him or flee.

  Vampires stood in his home. Strangers. Those who followed a traitor. He didn’t have Clementine to point out those who might be loyal to him, so he took Pallas’s advice and killed them all. Like his brother had said, if they were loyal, they shouldn't be here.

  Not bothering with wooden stakes, he tore heads from shoulders of the first idiots to attack. He didn’t care about finesse. All he wanted was to rescue Sugar.

  The sweet scent of her blood drifted in the air, and a black hole of despair ruptured in his chest. He couldn’t move. It hurt too much.

  Someone grabbed his arm, and he tossed them out the window. Following her scent, he arrived at the library alone. All those in his way were dead. He stepped over the threshold and focused on the back of a male hovering over someone on the stairs. The slow beat of Sugar’s heart stuttering to a halt reached Daedalus’s ears. Blonde curls lay across the steps, under the vampire feeding.

  The muscles in his che
st contracted into burning knots, and the chandelier hanging from the center of the room rattled from his hoarse roar. He sped across the room, wrenching Sugar’s assailant off her, and heard him hit the opposite wall of the library.

  Pale skin splattered with scarlet blood filled his vision. He gathered Sugar in his arms and stumbled down the stairs only to melt to his knees. She weighed nothing, but he couldn't move.

  Bending over her motionless body, he rocked. “No, no, no.” He’d failed her again. She was supposed to live to a ripe old age. They were going to watch Eric and Spice’s pups grow up. Spoil them rotten. Maybe travel, if Sugar recovered enough strength.

  “I couldn’t save her.” Pallas spoke, his voice cracking.

  Daedalus jerked his head from resting on her chest. In his delirium to reach Sugar, he hadn’t noticed his brother pinned to the floor by thick metal and wood splinters. Stephen lay under the table, unconscious not far from him, but it appeared Pallas had taken the brunt of the explosion’s damage.

  Pallas opened his eyes. “They used weapons I’m not familiar with.” It hadn’t occurred to Daedalus that Pallas wouldn’t know much about bombs or guns.

  His hands shook as he set Sugar on the floor and brushed the hair from her face. She hadn’t wanted to become a vampire, and he hadn’t possessed the ability to do it. Nosferatu couldn’t change females into vampires. They always died in the process.

  When he’d offered Clementine a home in the brownstone, it was for more than her safety. He wanted a regular vampire he trusted at hand in case Sugar changed her mind. But like a fool, he’d left Clementine on the other side of the city with the shifters. She was too young to race here in time to save Sugar.

  Weak moans came from the attacker. His limbs twitched as he regained consciousness.

  Hope crept from under the shattered pieces of Daedalus’s heart. He had a regular vampire at hand after all. Striding toward him, he dragged the traitor’s semi-awake body across the floor to Sugar.

  Pallas plucked a long splinter from his gut with a tortured groan. “Son of a bitch, I forgot how much wood burns.”