by Bianca D'Arc
“There’s no outright prohibition against shifters having vampire mates,” Slade added. “But there are consequences. The shifter gains from the exchange of fluids too. They heal faster. They gain strength and speed. Things like that. While the vampire in the couple gains the power of her shifter mate.”
“How do you know this?” Miranda was shocked. Here they were, talking about mixed mating as if it was fact, and not just forbidden fantasy.
“There have been mixed matings in the past, you know,” Slade winked at her.
“Actually, I don’t know anything of the kind. Where did you learn this?” She really was intrigued now. Intrigued, and feeling rather as if she’d been blindsided. Were they saying there was a way for her and Mag to be together? She almost didn’t dare hope.
“It’s in our histories. Far back, when the forces of Light stood against the darkness. When Elspeth roamed this realm with her supporters who later became the Venifucus. When she tried to rule the world, and was damned to the farthest realms for the destruction and devastation she caused.” Kate recited the words as if they came out of a history book. Maybe they had. The priestesses had access, it was said, to a vast store of knowledge not entrusted to any Others. “When Elspeth last threatened us all, much power was given by the Goddess to a few, very special people who served Her in the fight against the darkness. So it’s not completely unheard of for a shifter and a bloodletter to mate. It has been done in the past.”
“In the distant past,” Miranda countered, unable to really believe where this conversation was going.
“And in the present,” Slade added quietly. “Have you ever heard of a very old bloodletter called Dante d’Angleterre?”
“I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know him,” Miranda confirmed. Dante was one of the most powerful and reclusive bloodletters in the States.
“He recently found his One. She’s a werewolf.” Slade gave the news in grave tones.
Miranda didn’t know what to say as silence fell in the room. Grif looked surprised. Miranda didn’t have the courage to turn and see what Mag might be thinking.
“When were you two going to tell me this?” Grif demanded, but not in an angry way. He seemed more amused than annoyed.
“We just got confirmation,” Kate said. “I talked to the High Priestess before we left the house.”
Miranda started to panic. “Why are we talking about mating?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Nobody said anything about mating.” She backed up a step but Mag was there, his arm going around her shoulders, halting her retreat and offering comfort.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Everybody,” he addressed his family and friends. “Thank you for your concern, but I really think you’re going too far here and presuming too much. Miranda has had a hell of a time since she was freed. Tonight was her first night out and so far, it’s been a doozy. I asked for help with my car, not with anything else, and much as I appreciate your concern, I think we’ll be going now.”
“Not so fast,” Grif spoke just as Mag turned with his arm still around Miranda. Bob was standing in the doorway and he didn’t look likely to move without some kind of altercation. Miranda heard Mag sigh as he turned back to his eldest brother.
“What now? Feel like interrogating a woman who’s still recovering from months of captivity and torture just for fun? I warn you, if you keep on with this, I’ll fight you.”
The rest of the room went deathly quiet. Open defiance of one’s brother was one thing, but open defiance of the Clan Alpha was quite another.
Luckily, it appeared Grif wasn’t a hothead. He seemed to think through his words before speaking.
“Miranda, I apologize if this all seems heavy handed. We don’t mean to put you through any more difficulties. To the contrary, you have friends among my Clan—and one very big protector in my brother. That’s clear. What I wanted to accomplish by cornering you both, was to find out what’s going on, and what we can do to help. I’ll admit, I also wanted to get a better read on you. It’s not often that my brother spends so much time away from the family, holed up with a woman. And our introduction to you was violent, to say the least.” Grif tempered his words with a half-grin that she found endearing. She could easily see the resemblance between the brothers. “Please sit down. We won’t keep you long, but I think a few points need to be clarified.”
Miranda could see that Grif wasn’t going to budge and now that he was being polite, she didn’t see a way to refuse. She didn’t want to come between Mag and his family. She’d have to see this thing through to the end. Moving forward without waiting for Mag to follow, she took a seat at the wide conference table.
Chapter Seven
“Let’s get on with this, shall we?” She saw their surprise when she took the bull by the horns. “We’ve already established that I’m not sleeping with Mag. He’s been taking care of me. Nursing me back to health, in fact. I took his blood only on the night of the rescue. Since then, I’ve had a steady diet of blood-laced wine on the advice of someone named Sebastian, who I believe is a friend of yours.” She looked rather pointedly down the table to the youngest looking of the five sandy-haired men in the room. All five of the Redstone brothers were gathered together and she took it as a sort of weird compliment that the other four had come to see about the vampire in Mag’s life. “You’re Matt, right? Thanks for hooking Mag up with your friend. His advice has worked wonders.” She was a big proponent of giving credit where it was due.
Matt nodded to her, then met Grif’s questioning gaze.
“Is this true, Matt?” Grif asked, betraying the fact that not all the brothers had been communicating every point where she was concerned. Interesting.
“Sebastian is a friend,” was Matt’s reply. “Mag asked for help and I got it for him.”
Grif nodded with a tight movement. “As it should be. I just wasn’t aware you were still in such close contact with your bloodletter pals in Napa.”
“They’re friends, Grif. We stay in touch. And if I need help, they’re there.” Matt paused for a moment before adding. “Just like I’m there for them.”
Wow. So Mag hadn’t been kidding when he said his little brother had close ties with a few, select bloodletters. Sounded like he was a loyal friend to Sebastian and perhaps some of the others in the hierarchy of the Napa Valley vamps. She wondered what they had done to earn such loyalty and vice versa, but that was a question for another time.
“What happened tonight?” Grif changed the subject. “This was your first night out since the rescue, right?”
Miranda nodded. “I knew my first duty was to report to the leadership. I’m too young to flout their rules. Mag took me into town, and I chose to go to Raintree’s.”
“The vamp bar?” Grif asked, as well informed as she’d expected. “How’d that go?”
“Raintree wasn’t pleased by the company I’m keeping, but he’s only the second in command. I expect a summons from the Master any time now. It’ll be up to him if any action is to be taken.” She knew her duty, and though she hated to think of the consequences of that summons, she also knew she couldn’t go against the Master with impunity. If he said to leave Mag, she’d have to leave him, no matter how much it broke her heart. Again.
Mag had taken a seat at her side. Mercifully, he took over the explanation. “Everything was going okay until we left. Miranda had her first real meal in months, and I managed not to kill the guy,” Mag chuckled, but it was a dark sound. She heard the truth in his admission, though he’d meant to mask it with a joke. She’d known he hadn’t liked watching her feed from another man, but he had to know the human prey she’d fed from meant nothing to her. She would make that clear to him, once they were alone.
“Raintree—or someone at the club, probably working on his orders—definitely bugged your car.” Another of the brothers spoke after glancing at his smart phone. He was probably the second eldest, Steve. He was the one Mag had said was in charge of security and had men that were going to pic
k up the car and check it over. “Both GPS and audio. They were very thorough,” Steve reported. “My guys took your car to a jobsite in the city. It’ll stay there until we’re sure we got everything.”
Mag nodded at Steve. “Thanks, bro. I owe you one.”
“So I take this to mean that your people don’t really know where you’ve been staying?” Grif took over the questioning again.
“They haven’t known where I’ve been since before I was taken prisoner,” Miranda replied, a bit of her bitterness coming through in her tone, though she fought for neutrality. “I’m not very important in the hierarchy. I’m too young to really be on anyone’s radar. They don’t consider me a threat. More likely, they expect me to do something stupid and end up truly dead sooner rather than later. Most of the young ones do, or so I’ve been told.” She tried to be nonchalant about it, but she had a real fear of dying so ingloriously, with no one to mourn or even mark her passing.
“Why all the interest now? Is it because of Mag?” Grif asked astutely.
“Undoubtedly,” she agreed. “To them, I’m young and probably stupid, but suddenly I’m keeping company with a shifter. Now I need to be watched.” She couldn’t hide her bitterness that time. “Nobody gave a damn when I disappeared. They probably thought I was gone for good, and not one of them cared to find out for sure. Nobody was looking for me. I either turned up again—or not. They didn’t care either way. But when I turned up with Mag, they damn well took notice. Now I’m interesting. And maybe a threat.” She was getting pissed off just thinking about it. Her people were cold. Not physically, maybe, but inside, they were cold as ice.
“Are you a threat?” Grif asked in a very careful voice that calmed her right down.
She took a deep breath. “No,” she answered in a quiet, strong voice. “I’m not a threat to anyone. Not to them. Not to you. The only person I have issues with is the evil mage who captured me—and those like him. After what I’ve suffered, and when I regain my strength fully, if I run across evil, I’m going to do my damndest to stop it.”
“I knew it.” Kate smiled as she seemed to light up from within. “I see the goodness in you, you know. It’s why I dropped the shield. It’s why I forgave you for hurting my mate. The Lady’s Light shines in your soul now, Miranda, and She guides your steps. You have been tested by Her fire and have come out stronger.”
“If those months of torture and starvation were some kind of test, please tell your Lady I didn’t really appreciate it,” Miranda answered with a bit of reluctant humor.
She was pleased by the priestess’s praise, but wasn’t sure what to make of her words. Miranda didn’t feel any different inside. She’d always tried to be a good person—before and after her change to drinking blood to survive. She’d never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it, and she didn’t think she ever would.
Becoming a vampire had given her killer instincts, but they’d always been tempered by her human heart. The others thought her weak because of it, but she had always thought her compassion made her strong. The killers among her kind were the weak ones. They couldn’t stand against the instincts that drove them. They gave in and deluded themselves into believing that was ultimate power. To her way of thinking, that was ultimate evil—to give in to the darkness, to take the easy route.
Grif sighed and took control of the conversation once more. “The priestess speaks well for you, and Slade seems to concur. I respect their opinions.” Grif nodded at the mated pair who both seemed to give their approval of Miranda, much to her shock. “You also seem to be recovering well in Mag’s care, and he apparently found out what to do for you from Matt’s friend. I see no real reason you can’t go on as you were, regaining your strength.” He turned his gaze to Mag. “I know you haven’t been on Clan lands and I think that’s wise for now. Many of our people aren’t fond of bloodletters. But you have my approval and backup when you need it, Mag. As usual. I just needed to see for myself what was going on and meet your lady, now that she’s able to speak for herself.”
“Fair enough,” Mag acknowledged his brother’s ruling. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you before, but I wasn’t sure of our welcome.”
“And you wanted to keep her to yourself a bit longer.” Grif smiled. “That’s okay. I understand. But you really need to trust me a little more. We are family, after all.” He stood and came around the table as everyone else got to their feet. He shook Mag’s hand and pulled him in for a big hug. Shifters were very tactile—something her own people were not.
He let his brother go and turned to her, offering her a hand in friendship. She was surprised—and pleased. The Alpha of one of the most powerful shifter Clans in the country was way above her pay grade, but he didn’t seem to look down on her at all. In fact, if anything, he seemed openly accepting of her and friendly. She was floored. And honored.
She took his hand and met his gaze. “Thank you for your welcome and I meant what I said. I owe you and your Clan a life debt I will never forget. You saved me when you could have as easily ended me, and been well within your rights to do so. I cannot thank you enough, Alpha.”
“One thing you need to understand about my family and my Clan. We serve the Light. We take our vows to the Mother of All very seriously and we don’t kill unless we must. I’m glad we were in the right place at the right time, and that Mag was able to pull you back from the edge. He’s the one you should thank. You have the protection of my Clan for as long as you need to heal, Miranda.”
She was doubly impressed. The Alpha had just given her something few outsiders were ever granted. Protection of the Clan was not something to shrug off. She shook his hand with deep respect.
“You are a kind man, Griffon Redstone. Thank you for your understanding.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, unable to contain her emotional response. She knew she surprised him, but he didn’t back away, and that little sign of trust meant the world to her. A tear was in her eye when she stepped back, releasing his hand.
The meeting broke up and people were talking among themselves a bit, now that the potential crisis had been averted. Kate and Slade came up to her and Mag stepped to one side to consult with his brother Steve—probably over arrangements for his car. Kate snagged her attention as Grif moved away.
“It’s not forbidden if you want to renew your relationship with Mag. It might help you heal faster, in fact,” Kate said without preamble, diving right in where angels feared to tread.
“It’s almost like cheating,” Miranda answered without revealing her real reasons. “And shifter blood can be addictive, from what I hear. I’d rather not become dependent. This thing with Mag can only be temporary. Shifters might—and I emphasize might—accept me, but I doubt the Master would welcome a jumped up youngster in his domain.”
“Tony might surprise you,” Slade put in, using the Master’s nickname. She was a little taken aback. Did this oddly magical shifter know the Master well enough to be on a first-name basis? He just might. And she’d clawed him. Darnit. She still felt awful about it, and could barely meet his penetrating blue gaze.
“Just know that it’s not forbidden. It never was. The Lady would not let you find your mate only to deny him to you. She doesn’t do that to Her servants. And you, my new friend, will most definitely be one of the Lady’s servants in time. I’m not all that clairvoyant, but I can see the glow of your spirit and it’s very familiar to me. Give it some thought.”
Miranda’s eyes widened and her first instinct was denial. She wasn’t worthy of such thoughts. She was a vampire. A killer. One who had to fight her instincts every time she fed. She was no angel. She was a predator. One of the deadliest that walked the earth. Even weak as she was right now, she was still dangerous, and she could never forget it. She could never lose control again. She’d almost killed Slade the last time she’d lost it, and she’d have to live with that for the rest of her life.
Mag came back and put his hand on her shoulder, joining their small group. He hadn�
�t heard what Kate had said, but he definitely clued in to Miranda’s mood. His hand rubbed little, comforting circles on her shoulder, squeezing gently.
Kate turned her attention to Mag. “I think she should feed from you,” the priestess said bluntly. “She needs to regain her strength—and then some—before you face that summons from the Master. They need to see what she can become. They can’t see her weak. Do you understand?” She seemed very insistent on that point. Miranda was confused. So, it appeared, was Mag when Miranda turned to gauge his expression.
“I’ll take good care of her, Kate. Thanks for your concern.” He wouldn’t say any more on the subject and for that, Miranda was glad. Kate had sewn a seed of temptation in her mind and she found herself contemplating drinking from Mag as they took their leave. Bob met them at the door and led them to a big SUV waiting in the drive.
The men talked security measures for a moment while Miranda took her seat on the passenger side of the dark vehicle. She heard something about raptors following their path and being stationed around the house, but she mostly tuned out their conversation as thoughts of drinking from Mag filled her mind. It was such a temptation. Such a lure.
Why would the priestess and her mate tell her such things about d’Angleterre and his new werewolf mate, and those other unions in the distant past? Was it really true?
Miranda knew the Venifucus were back. She’d heard enough about them from her captor. She knew he’d worked for them, and that he had friends among their evil number. She had sworn vengeance on the ancient group if she was ever freed, and she would follow that path as soon as she regained her strength. But if the Venifucus were back, and working toward restoring Elspeth to this realm, were the ancient unions between shifter and bloodletter going to make a comeback too?
They’d told her those ancient powerful unions had been allied against the Venifucus in the last battle against Elspeth. Miranda was already against them and she thought Mag was too. They’d discussed how the mage who had held her prisoner had been part of the team that had murdered his mother. From all reports, the Clan had caught and brought to justice both of the mages who had killed the Redstone matriarch, but the Venifucus were an ongoing threat. Others had been targeted by their agents, and each day new reports seemed to come in about their plots.