Strange Lake Falls Volume 1 (Strange Lake Falls Series)

by KD Jones

  “The Prince does not want his name used,” the younger man answered reluctantly.

  Prince? There was only one Prince she knew of, Prince Vladrinski. Somehow he knew she had risen from her slumber. This was not good. Adrian and all those she cared about would be in danger. She had to handle things quietly.

  “I will go with you.” She stood up and walked with the two men out of the club. As soon as she was outside in the parking lot, she used all her powers to freeze the men and read their minds. She could see Vladrinski in the men’s minds. He looked much the same, yet he was dressed as a modern man. His image seemed to turn and look directly at her. Then he seemed to speak directly to her through the men’s memories.

  “My dear Lilia, I have waited so long for you to return to me. I cannot tell you how anxious I am to finally claim you as I wished to all those centuries ago. I will see you soon, my love.” His voice was deep and raspy and made her feel sick all over. She released the two men as if they were diseased.

  The men each grabbed one of her arms and dragged her to a nearby car. Lila kicked and screamed. She should have been stronger than these two, but she suspected that Vladrinski gave them his ancient blood to make them a bit stronger.

  “Let her go.” The menacing voice came from behind her. She craned her neck and saw that it was the rude werewolf from earlier, Laws Carrington. The look on his face was one of rage. His eyes glowed and she heard popping sounds as his muscles tried to contort. His wolf was about to emerge and he looked hungry.

  Chapter 8

  Laws had just come back around from circling the building for the fifth time when he caught Lila’s scent mixed with two other vampires. He was planning to avoid them, but the scent of her fear and anger reached his wolf first and the wolf took control, forcing him to seek them out.

  He had to fight his wolf to keep from changing, as the sight of two men with their hands on Lila was bringing out his protective side. When he heard Lila scream and fight, he knew he would kill anyone who hurt her in any way.

  “Let her go.” Laws spoke with gravel in his voice, partly due to the wolf being so close to the front.

  One of the male vampires looked back at Laws. “Go away, dog. This has nothing to do with you.”

  Laws growled. “You will let her go, blood sucker, or I will rip you apart, limb by limb.”

  Lila heard a sound from the main entrance of the club and looked up to see the Alpha and Adrian coming their way. Laws must have communicated with his Alpha. Damn it, she didn’t want Adrian involved in this.

  Seeing that they were about to have company, the two vampire goons resumed pulling Lila, trying to push her inside their car. One hit her across the face, trying to weaken her strength.

  The strike against Lila was his undoing. Laws could no longer contain his wolf. He morphed into a large brown and red wolf and attacked the vampire who had hit Lila. The vampire released Lila to defend himself.

  Lila fell to the ground and scrambled away from the fight. She turned and looked for the second vampire, but he had disappeared, realizing he was outnumbered. Adrian and the Alpha began searching for him, but they returned to help her stand and to watch Laws.

  Adrian turned to Ric. “We need the vampire alive to question him about why he attempted to take Lila.” But he spoke too late. Laws had already ripped open the vampire’s chest and pulled out his heart with his wolf teeth.

  There was so much blood everywhere. Lila thought she would be sick. She had not seen anything so violent in a long while. The last time had been on a battlefield after the fighting had stopped. She had walked through the bloody remains. Soldiers were dying and they called out to her, thinking she was some kind of angel. But she was no angel; she was looking to feed and needed to find someone healthy enough to feed from. She remembered thinking it was such a waste of life. She had seen many battlefields like that. It was what made her finally commit to going to ground. She had seen enough violence to last her a lifetime. Yet here she was, once again, witnessing more blood, more death.

  ***

  Laws’ wolf finally retreated enough to allow him to shift back into his human form. He was breathing hard and had the taste of foul vampire in his mouth. He turned to look at Lila’s pale, horrified face. She had seen him kill brutally and it bothered him that she would fear him.

  Ric came forward, offering Laws a pair of pants that Mary kept in their truck for emergencies like this. “Thanks.” Laws used the dead man’s shirt to wipe most of the blood off his hands before he pulled the pants on.

  “You killed him before we could find out what he wanted,” Adrian said angrily.

  Ric stepped between Adrian and his Beta. “Laws protected her. You need to step back, Adrian.”

  Laws watched as Lila reached for Adrian’s arm, pulling him to her. He took her into his arms gently, lovingly. Who was this guy to her? Were they lovers? They looked way too familiar and his wolf was growling on the inside.

  “I know what they wanted,” Lila said as she pulled out of Adrian’s arms.

  “What did they want?” Adrian demanded.

  Laws didn’t like his tone of voice at all. He held his wolf back. He was in no shape to shift. He needed rest. But he also wanted answers. Another female vampire stepped forward.

  “Perhaps we can take this conversation somewhere less public. I am sure Lila would like to sit and get comfortable. She is clearly shaken from what happened here.”

  Laws watched as Adrian took the other female vampire in his arms and kissed her forehead. How many women did this vampire have? He looked at Lila to see if she was upset, but found her staring at him instead. He knew he looked horrible, all covered in claw marks and blood, not to mention the bruise he felt rising up on his right cheek. She looked so vulnerable, standing there with her long dark hair cascading down her shoulders. She was almost angelic. No one would ever think of her as a vampire, much less a Master vampire.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “Thank you for coming to my aid.”

  Her voice was soft and silky. It caressed his entire being, making his wolf sit back, satisfied just to listen to her. Fuck! What was he thinking? “It’s my job.”

  Adrian wrapped his arm around Lila, pulling her along with him and the other female vampire, and headed towards the entrance for the apartment. Laws started to follow, but Ric halted him.

  “You need to go home and get cleaned up.”

  “I’m not leaving until I hear her explanation about who these guys are.” Laws knew he was walking on thin rope with his Alpha. He had been rude to Lila for no reason earlier, and now he killed an unknown vampire.

  “You’re a mess.”

  “Here, use these to clean yourself.” Mary thrust a bottle of baby wipes at him.

  Laws raised an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t mess my diapers.” The three of them laughed. Feeling the tension around them lessening, Laws took the wipes and cleaned the blood off his hands, arms, and chest. “Better?”

  “At least you don’t look like a walking nightmare,” Mary replied with a smile.

  Aptly put. That was how he felt, like a walking nightmare to anyone who would dare harm Lila. Why was he being so overprotective where this vampire was concerned? He was afraid to even think of the reason behind his behavior. He chose to ignore it for now.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 9

  Lila sat on her sofa, shaking. She couldn’t help herself. The shock of what happened was wearing off and her body was reacting to it. She needed blood.

  “Here, Mistress, take my blood, it will settle you more quickly.” Adrian offered his wrist to her.

  Lila looked over at Jacqueline, who nodded for her to go ahead. She didn’t want to upset Adrian’s mate now that they were just starting to get along. “Thank you, Adrian. And please stop calling me Mistress.”

  “Sorry, old habits are hard to break.” Adrian smiled at his mate, communicating with her the whole time Lila fed. He wanted her to know there
was nothing sexual about it.

  She heard the door to her apartment open behind her and knew without looking that the Alpha, his mate, and Laws had come inside. She finished feeding and licked the puncture wound so that it would heal. She looked up and was caught in a green-eyed glare from Laws. A spark seemed to boomerang between them. He did look very similar to Anthony, but there was a difference that was so obvious to her now that she would never get the two confused. Laws was just … more. Larger, stronger, more intimidating, and definitely more sexy. Then there was the way this electric current ran between them. She had never felt that for Anthony. Not once.

  “I have the twins guarding outside for now, in case the other vampire returns,” Ric told them.

  “Thank you.” Adrian turned his attention back to Lila. “Did you know these vampires that attacked you?”

  Lila shook her head. “I didn’t recognize either of them. They were relatively new vampires, no more than twenty years or so. Low-level power and strength.”

  “If they were so young, then why did you not dispose of them?” Adrian demanded.

  “I am still weak from being in the ground for so long. Also, I believe an older vampire, a master vampire, fed them. One I do know. One that you know as well.”

  “Who?”

  “Prince Vladrinski.”

  “Vlad? Are you sure?” Adrian looked over at his mate with concern.

  “I’m sure. He left a message in their memories for me.”

  “Who is this Prince Vladrinski and what does he want with Lila?” Laws asked, stepping closer.

  Lila looked down at her hands, feeling small and helpless. She hated that feeling. “I am a natural born vampire. Not many of us exist any more. Just me and one other.”

  “Vladrinski,” Laws said.

  “Yes. Many centuries ago, when I was but a young girl and had yet to come into my vampire powers, Vlad tried to get my parents to agree to a joining. He wanted me to breed new natural born vampires so that he could rule as King. But my parents refused the match. They could sense the evil in him. So he killed them and took me anyway.”

  “What did he do to you?” Laws was now mere inches from her. She wouldn’t look up into his eyes.

  “He planned to force the joining. The ceremonial leaders advised him to wait until after the ceremony before he claimed me physically so that no one could deny the union. But I kept trying to escape. He punished me harshly each time. I nearly died, and the last time he locked me in the dungeon.”

  “How could people not know he was keeping you against your will?” Mary asked from the corner of the room.

  “They knew. But he kept me at his palace, which was filled with his servants and his slaves.”

  “How did you escape?” Jackie asked.

  “It was one of his slaves that helped me finally escape.” Lila risked looking up into Laws’ handsome face. “His name was Anthony. He was a werewolf whose family had been attacked by Vlad’s vampires. He was told that if he didn’t serve Vlad, his daughter would die next.” She couldn’t help but watch Laws to see if he remembered anything. No recognition at all.

  “Why do you look at me like that?” Laws asked.

  She shrugged, trying to play it off. “You just remind me of him.” She didn’t want him to know that for a moment that evening she had thought he was Anthony. Laws would not understand it.

  There was an awkward silence as Lila and Laws stared into each other’s eyes. Thankfully, Jackie prompted her to continue her story. “So this werewolf, Anthony, helped you escape?”

  Lila nodded breaking eye contact with Laws. “Yes. He wanted to protect me. He said that I reminded him of his mate who had been killed. Both of us were forced to be there against our wills. We became friends. One morning, Anthony came to me while the rest of the vampires were down for the day. I was more human than vampire at that time, so the sunlight had no effect on me. Anthony said that he had to get me out of the castle before Vlad woke for the evening. There was a joining ceremony planned.”

  “So this Anthony guy helped you escape. Did he go with you?” Jackie had moved closer and was listening to her intently.

  “He planned to, but then Vlad’s soldiers gave chase. Anthony sent me down the river ahead of him so he could redirect the soldiers away from me. He never made it back.”

  “Vlad killed the werewolf?” Adrian asked.

  Lila nodded her head. “He cut off his head and put it on a spike so all would see what would happen if they betrayed him. I gave money to Anthony’s remaining family and told them to run far away so Vlad could not find them.”

  “What did you do? Where did you go?” Jackie was completely caught up in the story.

  “I hid and waited. Within months, I got my full powers. Vlad would no longer have power over me unless he was able to catch me in a weakened state or he threatened someone I cared about.” She looked again at Adrian.

  Adrian frowned. “You went to ground to protect me from Vlad?”

  “I went to ground mostly because I was tired of always hiding. I was able to keep my distance from Vlad for centuries. Then he began to threaten to find my blood children. I didn’t have that many, but I felt that going to ground would help keep everyone safe. I was especially worried what he would do if he came after you. I always had a special connection to you. I saw the destruction Vlad wrought with his wars. He was trying to draw me out. To protect those remaining in my clan, I had to go to ground.”

  Lila felt so tired. Maybe it had been a mistake to rise up. Mate or no mate, she was putting people she cared about in danger. “I am tired.”

  Adrian stood up and took Jackie’s hand to help her stand as well. “We’ll leave you for now. The sun is almost up and we need to get rest. Your security detail is in place. I will come back tomorrow evening and we will strategize how to handle this new threat.”

  “Thank you.” Lila didn’t bother to stand. She stayed on the sofa and waved goodnight to everyone as they left her apartment. Everyone but Laws left. He paced back and forth across the floor.

  “What is it, Mr. Carrington?”

  “Did you put a spell on me or my wolf?” His eyes looked haunted.

  “Of course not. I’m a vampire, not a witch.”

  He snorted. “Then tell me, why do I feel this way?”

  “What way is it that you are feeling?” She wouldn’t give away her own feelings. He was too volatile.

  “I am hungry, starving, for you.”

  Was he feeling the same thing that she was? “I don’t know why you feel that way.”

  “Take a guess,” he demanded.

  Did he really have no clue? It obviously wasn’t one-sided. But he seemed to be in denial of the situation. She sighed as she stood up and began walking to her bedroom.

  “You didn’t answer me. Why is my wolf acting so crazy for you?” Laws growled at her.

  She didn’t turn around. She spoke softly, but knew he would hear her. “As much as it displeases you, you know the answer to that question. I am your mate.” She left him standing there, staring after her in silent shock.

  She could hear his response. “Fuck no!”

  Her heart ached at the rejection. She could tell he had a problem with vampires. She couldn’t fight his prejudices that night. She felt too tired to do anything, even to put her pajamas on. She climbed on the top of her covers and let sleep claim her.

  Chapter 10

  Laws paced for a while in the main part of the loft apartment. Then he went to the bedroom to check on Lila. He felt bad for reacting the way he did. He knew not all vampires were soulless, blood sucking demons. He liked some of them. But it was hard overcoming the prejudices instilled in him. Seeing the two male vampires with their hands on her had brought things into perspective. He would not tolerate another touching her, regardless of whether she was a vampire or not. It didn’t matter anymore.

  He reached for a quilt nearby and covered her up. He brushed her dark hair from her face. She had the face of an a
ngel and the body of a seductress. How could any man not fall for her? He looked at her one more time. He double-checked the locks on the windows before he left the apartment to go to his hotel room. He had a great deal of questions to ask her, but that would have to wait until that evening. He was determined to get answers from her.

  ***

  Lila was dreaming one of her favorite dreams, lying on a sandy beach in daylight. The ability to dream was something that was unique to her bloodline. She could also pull others into her dream. She had done that with Adrian and even Jacqueline. She turned to look at the man coming out of the ocean. Obviously she had done it again, as she recognized who the man was: Laws.

  She didn’t bother covering her bare breasts; it was a dream after all. “It’s a beautiful day.”

  He looked her up and down, his eyes catching on her breasts. “Yes … beautiful.”

  She felt heat rise to her cheeks. How could this man, not even a century old, make her respond to him so easily? She fought her natural modesty. This was her dream. She could be a seductress here. She stretched her arms up above her head, making her breasts move with her.

  “Is this real? How did we get here?” Laws’ voice thickened with desire as he knelt down next to her.

  “It is a dream.” She reached out a hand and caressed his cheek. She could be bold in her dreams.

  He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “It feels real.” He whispered it as he slowly nibbled at her lips.

  “Does it matter?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “No.” His grip on the back of her head became more sure and pulled her to him for a deeper kiss.

  Lila groaned. He was definitely a take-charge kind of guy sexually. He may be a Beta in the pack, but she could tell even by the way he kissed that he would be all Alpha in the bedroom. She liked that a lot.

  “Tell me how this is happening.” He worked his way down her neck, licking the sensitive area between her neck and her shoulder.