Strange Lake Falls Volume 1 (Strange Lake Falls Series)

by KD Jones

  “Mistress, are you okay?” Adrian asked from across the room.

  Lila sighed. She had gotten lost in her thoughts again. “I’m fine. But I think we need to do something about how you address me.”

  Adrian frowned. “I do not understand. I call you Mistress or Master, since that is what you are.”

  “Yes, but every time you say it in front of your mate, she grinds her teeth. Mistress and Master have a different meaning now.”

  “What would you have me call you?” Adrian asked.

  “How about … Lila?”

  “This would not offend you?” He looked shocked.

  “Not at all. We are family, yes?” Lila reassured him.

  “Yes, but I have to address you formally when I introduce you to your clan tomorrow evening.”

  “You can introduce me as Mistress Lila for formal occasions, but when it is just us and your family and friends, refer to me as Lila.”

  The tension left his body. “Thank you for doing that for my mate. She feels threatened by you, for some reason.”

  “I am a woman from your past, one that you shared a closeness with. I would feel the same, if I were in her place. This is a small thing we can do that will ease her fears.” The idea of meeting a great deal of people bothered her. “Are you sure this party is necessary?”

  Adrian walked over to her and rubbed her upper arms, gently offering her comfort. “Our people need to meet you and welcome you back to this world. I would not subject you to this if it wasn’t important. I am setting up your modern-day identity, complete with a hefty bank account, stocks and bonds, and a share in all my businesses.”

  “That is too much, Adrian. I have done nothing to deserve any of that.”

  “When you turned me all those centuries ago, I was the one who had nothing, no means to support myself. I had lost my family and my very reason to live. You took me in and cared for me. You provided for me when I could not provide for myself. Most importantly, you gave me hope that I would one day have a family. If not for you, I would have died long ago and never lived long enough to meet my true mate. What I do for you is not nearly enough to repay you.”

  Lila reached up and cupped the side of his face gently. “You owe me nothing. Seeing you happy with your Jacqueline is all the thanks that I need.”

  Chapter 5

  “Now that dinner is over, what are your intentions, Mr. Carrington?” Alpha Ric asked, getting right to the point. Laws appreciated that about him.

  “I request to join your pack as Beta,” Laws responded honestly.

  “Why would I give this position to you, a stranger, when I have those in my pack who have proven themselves loyal?” Ric leaned back in his chair, staring intently at Laws. He didn’t move restlessly, as most would do under the stare of an Alpha. He was a Beta and could withstand the power.

  “Your pack has no Beta. If any in your pack wanted to be Beta and you felt they were capable, they would be already. Hence, I would be challenging them to a fight for the position.”

  “Just because there is no current Beta for you to challenge doesn’t mean you don’t have to prove yourself.”

  “Ric ...” The Alpha female Mary tried to intervene, but Ric held up his hand silencing her.

  “I’m ready,” Laws told him.

  “Then let’s go outside and begin the challenge.” Ric stood up and walked through the kitchen to the back door and into the back yard. Everyone else followed behind him.

  The pack formed a loose circle with the Alpha in the center. Laws entered the circle and stood there waiting. He watched as the Alpha waved two large twins into the circle.

  “I hear and accept your challenge, Laws Carrington. We have no Beta, but we have two of our own that could be good acting Betas.”

  “What are the rules?” Laws asked. There were many packs that made the challenges to the death. He hoped this was not one of them. He liked both brothers.

  “You will fight until someone breaks the circle. Let the challenge begin.” Alpha Ric took his place with the others at the edge of the loose circle.

  At first he took them on one at a time. One brother would come forward, meeting him in clasped arms. They would wrestle or fight. Then the second brother would trade places, keeping each other from getting overtired. It was a smart move and they were good fighters. The Alpha had trained them well. But Laws had years of experience and the strong desire to be Beta. Just when he thought he might get the upper hand, the twins came at him simultaneously. There was only one way he could beat them.

  Laws ripped off his clothes and shifted to wolf. As a Beta wolf, he had a great deal of strength and power. The ground under his paws seemed to shake a little. He waited for the younger men to shift into their wolf forms. They circled him, nipping at his legs. He growled a warning. Then the twin wolves launched themselves at him at the same time. He quickly lowered himself to the ground and let the wolves collide with one another. Then they were three furry blurs rolling around, nipping and growling. He got one wolf by the throat and growled a warning to the other wolf, which backed down and submitted.

  “The challenge has been met. Laws Carrington is the new Beta. Pack, shift and welcome him into our family,” Alpha Ric called out, using his Alpha powers to ensure everyone could shift properly. They hunted as a pack most of the night. It had been a long time since Laws had hunted with a pack. He found that he had missed it. As dawn approached, the pack shifted back and Laws was told to return that evening to learn about some job opportunities. Everyone in the pack was expected to do their part in supporting one another.

  Laws was hurting all over as he fumbled his way back into his hotel room. It had been a long time since he had to participate in something so pack oriented. He could have simply requested to join Ric’s pack. But no, he wanted to reclaim his Beta position. He let the hot water in the shower wash away the blood. He had cuts, bite marks, and scratches all over, but they would be gone after a few hours. Though he felt the pain, he also felt renewed. Taking back his Beta position was a big step in reclaiming his life.

  He closed his eyes, letting the water run over his body. An image of a woman long forgotten rose to his mind, the image that had set him out over twenty years ago. Her face was always hard to see, but he knew she had long dark hair and moved with such alluring grace. He shook those thoughts out of his head. He would not be taking that path again. No more searching for imaginary women. There were plenty in this town and some right there in his new pack for him to spend time with. What more did he need?

  Chapter 6

  Lila felt sticky from the heat inside the nightclub. Why did so many bodies try to come together in one tight place? The nightclub wasn’t small by any means and it had two levels. But no matter where Lila went, there seemed to be a crowd surrounding her, pressing in on her, touching her, taking away her very breath.

  “Mistress, are you alright?” Adrian asked, coming to her aid and pulling her away from the throng of vampires vying for her attention.

  Lila gave him a wan smile. “I must confess, this is a little overwhelming. All of your people filling the place is astounding.”

  “They are your people. You are Mistress of the Clan.”

  “Adrian, I no longer wish to rule a clan. I simply want to live my life.” She searched the club for Adrian’s mate. “You need to dance with your mate. She looks a little sad this evening.”

  “Her daughter Samantha could not come because she is flying out to visit Mary’s son, who is out of the country.”

  “I hope she is not traveling alone.”

  Adrian shook his head. “I sent two of my security people with her, and a couple from the wolf pack is also chaperoning.”

  “Good. I very much like young Samantha. Spending time with her and Mary have made be less fearful of the werewolves.”

  “That is good to hear, because I have arranged the day time guards for you. Alpha Ric is bringing them here tonight so we can introduce them to you.”

  Lil
a sighed. There was no arguing with Adrian when he felt he was protecting those he loved. It was one of the things that made her want to turn him to begin with. His heart was so warm and generous. “Very well.”

  “I will check to see if Ric is here yet. Wait for us upstairs, where there are fewer people.”

  Lila turned and headed for the curved staircase. She started up, but halfway to the top she felt something that made her stop. She turned and watched as a pack of werewolves walked into the club. The Alpha, Ric, was in front, a very attractive man who exuded strength and power. The twins she had met before followed him, flanking him as true enforcers should. But it was the man bringing up the rear that had her ages-old heart beating at a rapid pace.

  Anthony? Could it really be him after all these centuries? Did he survive somehow? This man looked so similar, with the same bulky build and square chin. But as he looked up at her, she was startled by his eyes, they were so different. A true green, like the forest. They seemed to be studying her as well. Then, as if dismissing her, he turned and looked away, breaking their connection. She felt a deep loss. She managed to continue up the stairs to the upper level, but it felt like all her energy was suddenly gone. She took a seat on one of the large sofas and waited. It didn’t take long.

  A few minutes later, Adrian came up to the second level, followed by the werewolves. “Mistress, you remember Alpha Ric?”

  “Yes, it is a pleasure to see you again, Alpha.” Lila made an attempt to stand, but Ric smiled and motioned for her to stay seated.

  “Mary has enjoyed getting to know you. She hopes that you will come over for dinner to the pack house soon.”

  “I would love to.” Lila did her best not to look at the Anthony look-alike, but it was hard, especially since he seemed to be almost as tall as the Alpha.

  “Adrian has asked us to head up daytime security to watch over your apartment while you are sleeping. I brought three of my pack members who will alternate as a security detail for you.” He turned to the side and motioned the twins forward. “This is Rod and Jay Baker.”

  “I believe Samantha introduced me to you two before.” She gave them smile as they took turns reaching down to shake her hand. One of them winked at her, which made her blush. They were very flirtatious.

  Ric then introduced the next man. “This is our new Beta, Laws Carrington. He also will be trading off with the brothers.”

  Not Anthony then. His power and energy were different, a telltale sign that the two men were not the same. She forced a smile she didn’t feel as she offered her hand to the stranger. “Good to meet you, Mr. Carrington.”

  “Call me Laws.” His deep voice seemed to ripple over her skin, making her shiver. Then he took her small pale hand in his large warm one and instantly she felt waves of electricity shoot up her fingertips, up her arms, and then down her entire body. When she looked into his green eyes, they widened as if he felt it, too. She pulled her hand back and rubbed it, trying to remove the strange feeling. It wasn’t painful. It was like her whole body had been asleep and his touch somehow shocked her awake. She felt everything around her; in fact, it was becoming too much and she was starting to feel disoriented.

  Mistress, if you do not like them, I will find human guards for you. Adrian spoke using their telepathic link.

  She gave Adrian a reassuring smile before turning back to the werewolves. “I am grateful for your assistance. I think you will find that I am quite boring. Adrian may have to pay you extra for that.”

  “I cannot imagine you boring anyone,” Laws answered.

  ***

  Laws could not take his eyes off the beautiful woman before him. His wolf had spotted her as soon as they had entered the nightclub and immediately pushed for him to go to her and claim her. But his wolf, having been dormant for so long, must be confused. This female was a vampire, of all things. But his wolf had noticed her scent and made sure that Laws paid attention. Did she feel the pull when they touched? It shocked the hell out of him. Who was this woman and why did she make him have this kind of reaction to her?

  Had she been a female werewolf, he would have thought she was his mate. But that was ridiculous. She was a vampire and he was a werewolf. Until recent times, the two species rarely came to be in the same place at the same time.

  His previous Alpha had many times told the pack to never trust vampires, to steer clear of them. His previous Alpha’s common quote was, “Blood suckers could not be trusted,” so it was a shock to Laws when his new Alpha enlisted his assistance to guard a master vampire.

  He had no idea that the vampire would be a woman—the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He tried to keep his heartbeat steady so no one would know the reaction she caused in him. But from the moment he stepped into the club and scented her, his body had become alive with need.

  Had it been so long since he had been with a woman that anyone, even a corpse, would do it for him? But that thought didn’t ring true. He had been around many beautiful women over the years. The women in his new pack were spectacular. But none of them made his heart race, his breath catch, or his wolf howl with desire. Not like this woman did. There was something about her that drew him to her. Damn her and damn Ric for putting him in this awkward position. He needed to leave.

  “Excuse me, I’ll go check the perimeter of the club.” He didn’t wait for anyone to respond as he turned and left. His wolf fought him every step of the way. Damn it! He couldn’t let himself have feelings for this … vampire.

  Chapter 7

  Lila watched as Laws briskly walked away and tried not to let her disappointment show. “Interesting fellow. He’s new to your pack?”

  Ric glared at Laws’ retreating back. “Yes. I apologize if he is a bit blunt. I will have a talk with him about it.”

  “No need. He’s to guard my apartment, not to make friends with me. I think I will go down to the lower level and speak with Jacqueline and Mary. Excuse me, gentlemen.” Lila smiled a fake smile as she walked past them. She could hear Adrian as he questioned the Alpha about the new Beta. Lila stopped on the stairs and listened to make sure they didn’t fight.

  “Where did he come from?” Adrian asked.

  “He used to be the Beta for the previous pack here at Strange Lake Falls. He left here about twenty years ago to look for his mate. He just returned to this area a few days ago and found that his old pack was no longer here. He then sought me out,” Ric answered.

  “You just gave him the Beta position back like that? You don’t even know this guy.”

  Ric’s voice became sharp. “I don’t tell you how to run your clan, you don’t tell me how to run my pack. Laws will answer to me for his behavior tonight, and he will fall in line or he will leave this area. He fought my two best wolves and beat them both, so he is more than qualified for the position.”

  “Sorry, Ric. I’m just concerned because Mistress Lila has not been in the world for very long and I don’t like the idea of her being away from me. I know she needs her own space, and God knows that Jacqueline and I need our own space, too. But I am worried for her.”

  “I will make sure my guys take very good care of her,” Ric reassured him.

  “Make sure Carrington learns to show respect.”

  “He will or I’ll kick his ass.”

  Lila walked down the rest of the stairs and headed towards the bar where Adrian and Ric’s mates were sitting. She sat down beside Jacqueline. “What types of drinks are good?”

  Jacqueline turned in her seat. “We were just debating which is better, a Screaming Orgasm or Sex on the Beach.”

  Lila could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. “I hope those are names of actual drinks.”

  Jackie and Mary laughed. “They are.”

  Lila shook her head. The names of these drinks were ridiculous and some of them were obscene. “Please tell me they have wine.”

  “They do. Do you want red or white?” Mary asked.

  “Red,” Lila said to the bartender passing by. Whe
n a glass of red wine was placed in front of her, she took her time, taking small sips. Having been in the ground for so long, her body was overly sensitive, mostly wanting blood to replenish her cells, but she was still able to take in small amounts of other liquids. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of the wine travel through her whole body.

  It helped to focus on something small like the wine to help drown out all the other sounds and smells. She watched people’s reflections in the big mirror behind the bar. The dance floor was packed full of gyrating bodies. Was that even dancing? It was nothing like what she had grown up with. She was so out of her element. She wasn’t sure if she would ever truly adjust to modern times.

  “Oh, that’s our song!” Mary exclaimed as she pulled Jacqueline with her to the dance floor.

  Jacqueline stopped and looked back at Lila. “Do you want to come with us?”

  Lila shook her head. “I’ll sit this one out.” She watched as the two best friends rushed to the dance floor and started waving their hands in the air to the song called “YMCA.” How strange.

  Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of two male vampires making their way over to her. She sighed. Adrian’s people were determined to meet her. She plastered another fake smile on her face as she turned to greet them.

  “Hello, gentlemen.”

  “You are Mistress Lila?” The taller vampire looked her up and down. He licked his lips, liking what he saw.

  Lila was quite insulted by his overly suggestive behavior, but she didn’t want to hurt Adrian’s feelings just because one of his people offended her. “Is there something you wanted?”

  “Yes, you are to come with us to meet with our Master.”

  They were not Adrian’s vampires. Her flesh tingled and her instincts began warning her of danger. “I’m afraid I am busy this evening. Tell me, who is your Master?” She used some of her mind control to get them to answer. Both men shook their heads as they tried to fight the compulsion. Fascinating.