by V L Moon
“Sire?”
“He’s got about ten minutes to get his ass in here, or he’ll miss me. I’m meeting Laz.”
“He sounded pretty upset about something.”
“Ms. Stroner, ten minutes and I’m out of here. You can make him and whoever it is an appointment for tomorrow.”
“Yes, sire.” The intercom clicked off. Malachi leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
He and Laziel were still finding their footing after the long separation and the birth of their daughter. They’d managed to settle into a routine with Destahny, but they had yet to carve out time for just the two of them. Malachi needed to re-establish the foundation of them, fighting and fucking with a healthy new dose of the feels. He made a conscious effort to express himself, and the change in the angel’s glow was apparent even to his jaded view. The planned gym session was their first training time since Laziel’s return. Malachi had no intention of missing it. Not for anyone.
Nine and half minutes later, he closed the laptop and stood up from his desk. He snagged his leather jacket from the back of his chair and started to port when a wave of aggression and power flashed through the enclave. A strange scent stung his nose. At first, he thought Tobias was with Roman as the unmistakable musk of a wolf stained the air. But, something more subtle drifted to him. Familiar.
Malachi dropped the jacket back onto his chair. It couldn’t be. Darklon had him. The buzzer on his desk sounded, but his visitors didn’t wait for his answer. The double doors swung open with enough force to bounce against the walls. The guards held a struggling male down against the floor. Roman was bent over talking fast and low. Ms. Stroner was behind her desk with Saul stationed between her and the scuffle.
“Damn it. You’re going to get yourself killed.” Roman’s shout halted the struggle. The Elder sucked in air and blew it out harshly.
“Someone want to explain to me what the fuck is going on out here?” Malachi demanded. Roman immediately straightened and offered a quick bow.
“My Liege, I’m sorry for the intrusion. We’ve come a long way and…”
“Where is he?” The as yet unidentified male ground out through lips smashed hard against the floor.
“You get answers after I get answers, asshole. This is my party and you’re crashing the gates.”
The struggle started all over again, but the well trained guards were more than a match for the lone male.
“Copi, just stop. Damn it. I told you, Malachi isn’t like Jorn. You’re going to have your ass up around your ears if you keep up with the attitude.”
The male bucked hard and twisted so his amber eyes locked on Malachi. “I just want what’s mine. Tell me where Vischeral is and I’ll leave.”
Malachi’s gaze snapped to Roman. The Elder had been full of questions about Bourne before he’d left for his own enclave. And now, he delivered a stranger bearing Bourne’s scent. Malachi inhaled again, sifting through the scents and the information they conveyed.
“Release him.”
From the corner of his eye, Malachi saw Saul open his mouth to object and just as quickly close it. The guards let go and stood up. The stranger gained his feet.
“He vowed never to change a human; yet, I can sense that Bourne is your sire. I smell him on you, but there’s something else there. A presence I can feel pushing against my mind.”
“I am half vampire and half wolf. Vischeral saved me from a psychotic rogue wolf and then turned me to save my life.”
Malachi shook his head. “Damn Laziel and his all-knowing shit. Get your asses in my office. Ms. Stroner, no one comes in here except Laz unless something happens with my daughter.”
“Yes, Sire.”
The doors slammed at his will as he turned to face the pair. “I know you want answers.” He addressed that to Roman before meeting the newcomer’s eyes. “You, I don’t know.”
“Cophious Dane, formerly of the Anchorage Police Department and before that an officer with the NYPD. Vischeral was my partner in Anchorage.”
“You’ve verified this?” His ebony gaze shot to Roman. The Elder flushed.
“What reason do I have to lie?” Cophious snapped. “I just want to find Vischeral. Some apparition or angel or something told me to find Azarian and he tells me that’s you.” The hybrid pointed at Roman. “We don’t have time for this shit.”
Malachi bared his fangs and hissed. “As your vampire DNA seems to be dominant, let me remind you that you are in my fucking house, at my fucking discretion and I am your fucking king. You want to live long enough to find Bourne, you better fucking know your place, whelp.”
Roman coughed what suspiciously sounded like ‘told you’ and fell silent again. Maybe it was the cop in him, maybe it was the wolf’s desire to dance with danger, but Copi wasn’t backing down.
“My place,” he gritted. “My place is beside Vischeral as his partner. Not just on the force. I love him and some freaked out, screeching vampire snatched him out of my arms and out of our bed. I have been searching for him for weeks while trying to learn how to cope with this insatiable blood lust and a demented wolf inside my head. You want me to bow down to you. Fucking fine.” Dane hit his knees and threw his arms out wide. His head dropped back exposing the bronze column of his throat. Thanks to his wolf make up, his pulsed ticked strong against his skin.
“I’ll swear fealty, blood, honor, whatever the fuck you require.” Copi lifted his head. Blazing amber eyes locked on him. Malachi lifted a brow. “Just help me find him. Please.”
“Get off the damn floor,” Malachi growled. “Sit, both of you.” While he circled around to his chair, Malachi yanked his phone from his pocket and sent a quick text to Laziel about his visitors. Although, the saucy angel probably already knew who and why.
Malachi depressed the buzzer and wasn’t surprised when his assistant immediately answered. “I need blood for our guest.” He held up a hand when Dane started to protest. “I can feel your hunger. Do you want bagged or fresh?”
“Bagged.” Roman answered when Dane pressed his lips together.
“Two, no, make it three bags and a fresh bottle of Glenfiddich. And, tell Saul to quit hovering. I’m fine.”
Malachi leaned back in his chair. “So, we waiting for the nibbles, or are we starting now?”
“Do you know where he is?”
Malachi arched a brow at Dane. “Persistent aren’t you. And no, I don’t know where he is. I’ve got tendrils waving in every enclave under my crown. No one has seen or heard from Darklon. His cronies deny any contact and so far their claims hold true.”
“That’s who took him?”
“Yes. His sire. Vischeral was born human; Darklon turned him. Because of me.”
A knock sounded on the door. Kimberly slipped in with the requested items, placed them on the desk and hurried out again. Malachi waited until the door was closed.
“Drink,” he ordered Dane.
The male pressed his lips together and shook his head though his eyes strayed to the blood bags. “You want the story, you’ll drink. I have an enclave full of vampires. One uncontrolled blood lust can trigger a feeding frenzy. You will drink, by your own hand or by mine.”
“Just do it, Copi,” Roman interjected. “I promise you don’t want to fight with him. If he doesn’t rearrange your internal organs, Laziel will take your head off your shoulders. Trust me. It’s easier just to give in.”
With a frustrated snarl, Dane snatched the first bag and bit into it. Malachi waited for the second bag to be drained before he continued.
“Vischeral was the first friend I ever had besides Laziel. At the point in my life when we met, I was…rebelling against Laziel’s training, testing my skills and my limits.” He cast a rueful glance at Dane. “And, other boundaries.”
The low throbbing growl indicated Dane well understood what he meant. “It never went further than a kiss.” One gut wrenching, terrifying kiss. For all of his days, he would never forget Laziel’s fury that night an
d the wretched pain in those mercurial eyes. He’d known in that moment as Vischeral bled out between them that he loved Laziel. He’d known it before Vischeral’s lips had ever made contact with his own. But, he hadn’t been able to let an innocent die to prove his love. To present day, Bourne was a wedge of contention between them, an insecurity Laziel couldn’t seem to overcome.
The two males in front of him were going to raise those insecurities again with their quest to find Bourne. Because, there was no way he would allow them to search without his help. Bourne’s haunted existence was Malachi’s fault.
“We settled into an easy friendship, but I never told him I was vampire. It was safer in those days. One night, we were attacked. Check that. I was confronted by two of Darklon’s minions. They thought to have Vischeral as a snack. I objected, strenuously, and my secret was out. Vischeral handled it all very well for a human.”
Malachi’s shoulders tensed. The next part of the story always chewed at his gut. Guilt was a nasty bastard to carry around for a couple of millennia. “Darklon took his vengeance for my defiance. He intended to kill Vischeral, of that I have no doubt. But, there is something about Bourne that draws you to him. Even as a human, he possessed strength of will to rival any vampire. Darklon turned him and then enslaved him.”
The second growl from Dane vibrated the pens and paperclips on Malachi’s desk. “It took many years for Laziel and me to find him and free him. He left Italy with nothing but the rags on his emaciated body.” Roman sat forward, almost vibrating with questions. “Given vampire law, I couldn’t stay in contact with him even though I was already on the throne.”
“Wait, what? You’re the fucking king, or was that display earlier just for show?” Copi interrupted. Roman groaned and dropped his head in his hands. Malachi let the comment slide.
“Under our law, no individual, not even the king, has the right to interfere between a vampire and his vassal. In a very real sense, Vischeral belongs to Darklon. If the crazed fucker could have proven my involvement or tied me to Vischeral’s escape, the throne would have been at risk.”
“So you turned your back on your only friend?” Copi shot to his feet. The empty blood bags fell to the floor. Copi stalked forward, rage in every line of his body.
“Careful there, little pup.” The resonating voice echoed in the room. A brilliant flash of light heralded Laziel’s appearance. He placed a hand on Malachi’s shoulder and bent to brush his lips over Malachi’s mouth before facing the enraged hybrid.
“You’ve done it now,” Roman muttered. “That death wish you’ve been sporting is about to get good and granted.”
Laziel winked at Malachi before lifting his head to eye Roman and Dane. “I gave you the knowledge to find my male, but I will cut your balls off and give them to Rhys for earrings before I let you hurt him. Be a good little wolfie and get back in that seat before I have to find a leash.”
“I am vampire,” Copi bit out.
“Vampire, wolf, hybrid, oh my!” Laziel’s face hardened. “I don’t care if your Saint Fucking Theresa, ya get one step closer to my vampire with that little ball of aggression boiling in your gut, and I’mma have to show you my nasty side.”
Malachi worked hard to hide the tilt of his lips, but he did run a possessive hand up the back of Laz’s denim clad thigh and squeezed the firm flesh just below his ass. “Angel mine, we were just discussing Vischeral and his whereabouts.”
Beneath his palm, he felt the angel stiffen. Expecting just that reaction, Malachi used his grip to tumble the angel into his lap. His throbbing purr of approval caused Laziel’s eyes to darken. “Did I mention I missed you?” Malachi closed the small gap between their mouths and kissed him. Uncomfortable throat clearing almost made him draw back, but Laziel tasted too damn good. He nipped at the firm, soft lips and licked away the pearlescent drop of crimson that appeared. He held Laziel’s gaze a few seconds before transferring his attention back to the younger males.
“I did not turn my back on Vischeral by choice, and he never contacted me once he was away. When Darklon hauled him into my court, it was the first time I’d seen him in centuries. I kept track of him as best I could through the enclaves, but Bourne was a loner. He avoided the vampire world to protect himself. If there had been any real danger, Laziel would have warned me.”
“So, how then did he get taken?” Copi demanded.
“Because Laziel had just given birth to our daughter and nearly died in the process,” Malachi snapped. “I was distracted and so was he. You want answers, drop the fucking attitude. Vischeral’s vassal you may be, but the male himself you are not.”
Roman grabbed Copi by the back of his shirt and the seat of his pants and dragged him back to the chairs. He shoved the irate hybrid into one of the leather seats. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath before he turned back to face Malachi.
“Is he, is it possible…”
“He’s your father.” Laziel’s answer didn’t surprise Malachi as he’d expected as much. Dane’s expression went from fury to absolute shock. Roman lost every bit of color in his face and swayed on his feet. The angel squirmed to be let go and Malachi lifted his arms. Laziel rounded the desk and stood in front of Roman.
“You are one instance where I might have, just a tad bit, interfered with Fate.” That news most definitely shocked Malachi. He sat forward in his chair.
“Your mother’s destiny was to die giving birth. Her courage in the birthing bed would give you life or take it. She labored hard to have you, Roman. It is no easy feat for a human female to birth a vampire young. She prayed so valiantly for your safe arrival even at the cost of her own life.” Laziel stroked the young vampire’s cheek with a finger.
“I was there the night she delivered. As her soul lingered between Heaven and Earth, I saw her kindness in dealing with a male she didn't know. She saved Vischeral’s life by her actions. She gave her life to bring his son into the world because she wanted you from the very first moment she knew she was pregnant. She cared not it was a stranger’s child, or that the father wasn’t exactly human. My father was disappointed with me, but I would not change my actions that night.”
Tears formed and rolled down Roman’s face. Laziel took a breath and continued. “Later, I came to take you both to Mendeeto. You needed to know things she couldn’t teach you. The rest as they say is history. Darklon found you and here we are.”
Malachi was dumbfounded. He stared at Laziel’s back while his chest pumped full of powerful emotion. Despite his own heartbreak and insecurities, his angel had taken care of Bourne’s young son. From birth.
“Thank you.” It took a moment for him to realize Roman had spoken aloud the words he’d been thinking. The shrill ring of a phone interrupted the moment. Roman fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his cell.
“I’m okay. Tobias, I swear I’m fine. I’m in Denali’s office with him, Laziel and Copi. Yeah, just…I’ll call you in few minutes. I love you, more. I promise. Bye for now.” He hung up and disappeared the phone.
“Really, I can’t thank you enough. Mother told me she met you, but I didn’t realize.”
Laziel waved off the gratitude. “No thanks needed, Elder. Just love your wolf, serve my vampire with intelligence and loyalty and we’re good. My pops forgave me years ago when he witnessed the lovely relationship you and your mother share.”
His head swung to Dane. “Congrats, motherfucker, you’re a step-daddy.”
Malachi chuckled at his audacious mate. “Laziel, I think there have been enough bombshells and drama tonight. Roman, your usual room is ready. Cophious, my assistant will show you to your room.” He held up a hand when Dane opened his mouth. “I’ll be here tomorrow for both of you. I had a date with my male that the two of you interrupted.” Malachi stood up. Laziel came to his side.
“Do not leave this enclave, or Rome, until we’ve talked again. You won’t find Darklon on your own, and I will not risk either of you to the demons, Nephilim or whatever else might
be roaming around out there. We do this together for our safety and for Bourne’s. Have a nice evening.”
With a thought, he ported out of the office and into the night with Laziel tight at his side.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Fifty
~*~*~*~
Appreciative of some much needed time alone, Arial settled in against the plush leather seats and closed his eyes. The silence helped ease his troubled mind. He’d done exactly as he said and commissioned a flight as soon as Roman arrived, purposely forgetting to inform Bastian of the task they’d been asked to perform. Kicking up his feet, Arial sighed and turned his head to look out at the clouds.
“Closest you’ve been to home in a long time.”
Arial shot up from his seat as a wave of heat rippled through the inner cabin. Bastian stepped through the wall of heat wearing a sardonic smile and a wanton gleam in his eyes.
“What are you doing here? Why can’t you just go and annoy someone else? I’ve got shit to do. And, I don’t need you distracting me.” Arial scowled. Despite his anger and scorn, Bastian simply dismissed it and went about fixing drinks.
“Fucking Hell!” Arial lashed out. Why couldn’t Bastian back the fuck off?
“From what I’ve gathered, it’s a regular pastime down there. Want to give it a whirl?” Bastian purred letting the tip of his forked tongue peak through his slightly parted lips. Arial groaned and fell back into his seat. It was going to be a very long flight.
~*~*~*~
The bump and jostle of the cabin roused Arial from his nest in the back of the plane, as far away from Bastian as he could possibly get. Duty called, namely the Nephilim. Malachi had been right with regards to their safety, and as much as he despised his mother, the Nephilim shouldn’t be made to pay for her sinful betrayal. He looked up as Bastian approached.