by Isa Fae
Eric brought one of his hands up, tracing his finger over her cut, knowing he was right. The blood in the alley was definitely hers. More than likely she had more bruises hidden under that mask. And he wanted to rip it off her and kiss every single one of them. “What if everything wasn’t a lie? What if, you happened to change him? Made him feel things he’d never felt before? And what if, what you actually saw the day he left you was a ploy. A distraction so the other woman who embraced him couldn’t read how he really felt. Maybe, you meant so much to him that he couldn’t risk losing you to the wrong people. Because if that happened, he’d have no reason to live anymore.”
“Eric, please stop.” She shook her head and released his neck, placing them on his chest. She was going to push him away. “I know what I saw. You’re with her now. You were just dancing with her.”
Her name was on his lips, but before he could say it, a hand touched his shoulder.
“Eric, it’s time.” Matryx’s voice came from behind him. “The Lord wants to see you.”
“It can wait.” He didn’t take his eyes away from Miranda when he answered her. And with Matryx’s very presence, her body began to tremble. Her teary green eyes looked over his shoulder, and then they came back to him.
He wasn’t sure what Matryx silently communicated to her, but he needed Miranda to look at him. See the truth he held in his eyes. The love. The want. The need to have her with him.
“Eric, the songs over. It’s done.” Miranda dropped her arms to her side, waiting for him to release her. She didn’t see it. Or, if she did, she chose to ignore it.
No. He knew what she was saying. This wasn’t about the song. It was about them. The way they felt for each other. Eric shook his head, refusing to let her go. “Don’t say that. Don’t you ever say that.” There had to be a way to show her that she was the only air he wanted to breathe.
“Eric, now!” Matryx pulled on his shoulder this time, causing the blood to boil up inside of him.
Eric spun around to her. “Fuck, Matryx!” He snapped, directing his frustration out on her. But she clearly deserved it. “I said it can wait!”
She drew in a breath and stepped back. Yes, this is what Miranda needed to see. This woman meant absolutely nothing to him. She’d only be a huge pain in his ass. The reason why he lost Miranda the first time and threatened to take her away for a second.
When Eric spun back around, he was met with emptiness. Miranda Sage was gone. Again.
Fuck! He brought his thumb and index finger up, pinching the bridge of his nose. His head felt as if it were about to explode. He’d fucking lost her again.
42
Miranda
She rushed into the crowd of people, tears raining down her eyes, desperate for an escape. Why did she have to run into him here of all places? He could say what he wanted, but words didn’t mean a thing when Miranda witnessed it with her own eyes. She even saw it in the Fae woman’s expression. The way she looked at her. Jealousy and rage. There was something between the two of them. She was right, Eric didn’t want her now. And she wasn’t exactly sure if he ever did.
Running into the wide hallway, she took a left right before the main doors, putting her in the narrower hallway. Lucky for Miranda she knew the place by heart. If not, she would have been lost by now. Once she felt she was far enough from Eric, she pushed herself against the wall and dropped to the floor, sobbing into her hands.
She just needed a few minutes to pull herself together. Eric would be meeting with Mason, more than likely about him not delivering her to him. But she couldn’t let this distract her. Mason wouldn’t kill Eric because he thought he lost her. A punishment was all he’d deliver. Time off from the Division, maybe. Nothing more than that because Eric was Fae, and Mason wouldn’t risk Eric going back and saying something to others of their kind. No, Mason Manchester had a reputation to keep, even if it was a lie.
Meeting. Mason. The words came together. Mason was meeting with Eric, which meant the Lord would be distracted. Not just distracted, but he’d be in the downstairs meeting room. Which meant Miranda could sneak upstairs and find Tessa. She was sure she went back to her room. Once she told Tessa about her plan and the cabin in the woods, she’d have her gather everyone up and sneak them out the back. This was a perfect opportunity for Miranda.
She stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes and drawing in a long, deep breath. This was it. The moment she not only feared, but the moment she was looking forward to. The reason why she came back to this horrid mansion in the first place.
She walked quickly down the narrow hall, knowing she had to get out of sight before Eric saw her. He’d be coming this way to get to the meeting room. Once she passed the room, she took a left down the next corridor, but stopped, turning around and peeking around the corner.
After what seemed like forever, there he was. Eric Winters walked toward her in the distance, his stride confident and strong. She hadn’t had time to take in his full appearance on the dance floor. But the man wore a suit very well, even if he didn’t have a tie. The material of the jacket tightened over his broad shoulders as he walked, one hand in the pocket of his pants as his other arm swung beside him.
Warmth circulated inside of her, tingles settling in between her thighs. Her mind flipped back to the times he’d touched her, claimed her, and made her his. The way he took care of her when they weren’t fighting. And even when they were fighting how he’d caused the weird feelings to spark inside of her.
He turned and disappeared into the meeting room, and Miranda shifted back around the corner, leaning up against the wall, knowing she had to stop thinking about all of those things. There would be no more Eric Winters in her life. They were done.
“Excuse me,” a man’s voice came from behind her. “Guests aren’t allowed out here.
Miranda turned to see a hunter approaching her. Boy, Mason really had the ball covered. Hunters were everywhere. But she knew one place they wouldn’t be. And that was the place where she was headed.
“Sorry.” She flashed him a smile. “I got lost trying to find the restroom. Would you be able to point me in the right direction?”
“In the ballroom next to the bar.”
The man sounded grumpy. Miranda thought that must be a requirement to be chosen for the Division. “Thank you.” She walked back around the corner, picking up her pace as she passed the closed meeting room door.
Back in front of the doors of the mansion, she glanced to her right and left, making sure nobody was around. Then she darted past the stairwell and down another hall. Miranda raced through the house until she reached the kitchen. It was dark and empty, just as she thought it would be since the Lord wasn’t serving food tonight, only drinks at the bar.
Kally stepped out from the shadows in front of the back stairwell. “It’s all clear, sweetie.” She took Miranda in her arms and hugged her tightly. “Good luck.” She pulled her away and held her at an arm’s length. “Not that you need it.” Kally smiled.
“Go back to the ballroom.” She looked at her friend as she stepped away from her. “Remember, you never saw me.”
Miranda didn’t wait for her to answer. She kicked off her heels and then took the steps two at a time, knowing she didn’t have long to complete her mission. Maneuvering through the second floor, she desperately searched for Tessa, but then Tessa walked out of a doorway and they collided into one another.
Miranda bounced off her and lost her balance, hitting the floor. “Shit.” She glanced up at the trembling witch.
“I-I’m so sorry,” she said, showing no recognition to Miranda.
Miranda jumped up. “Tessa it’s me, Miranda!” She took the witch in her arms and hugged her. She wished she would have been here when she learned about Sarah’s death. It had to have been hard on her losing her sister.
“Y-you can’t be here!” Tessa pulled away, her eyes wide. “T-the Lord will k-kill you!” Her anxiety pressed into Miranda.
“Tessa, I’m n
ot worried about him right now. I came back for you guys. And I need your help. Gather everyone up. There’s a cabin in the forest not too far away from here that you need to lead them too. We can all create a barrier to keep us safe from the Lord.”
“Y-you came back for us?” Tears invaded her eyes, her bottom lip quivering.
“Yes, Tessa. Now, I need you to go. We don’t have much time.”
Miranda watched as Tessa ran down the hallway in the opposite direction, a sense of relief washing over her. The plan was finally in motion. And nothing could mess it up.
She spun around, knowing she had to get back down to the ballroom to inform Kally. But before she managed to take a single step, the woman in the red dress stepped out of another doorway, holding her mask in her hand.
“Miranda.” Her eyes became daggers as she focused on her. “Miranda Sage.” She said her full name now, a smirk lifting the right side of her lip. “I should have known.”
Miranda drew in a deep, rigid breath, and lifted her hands, palms facing the bitch in front of her. While she should have been scared, she wasn’t. She’d been waiting a long time for this. She released the magic from her palms, and as soon as the Fae woman went down, she turned and ran, heart pounding in her chest.
43
Eric
Eric sat in a chair on the far side of the room as Lord Manchester opened the door and stepped in. He’d been waiting for almost an hour. And as much as he wanted to inform the asshole about how long he’d been waiting, he kept it to himself. Instead, he’d take it out on Matryx later. She was the one who pushed him away from Miranda in such a hurry. So, she’d be the one who would receive a majority of his fury.
The Lord walked over to table with a glass bottle filled with a dark liquid, three glasses sitting upside down next to it. He took one of the glasses and flipped it over as he wrapped his hand around the bottle. He turned to Eric. “Whiskey?”
Eric shook his head, and as the Lord poured the glass of alcohol, he glanced at the watch on his wrist again. He was happy this man thought he had nothing else to do.
“Winters.” The Lord fully turned around to face him now. His dark eyes sizing him up. “The witch I sent you to hunt, the Division has informed me you lost her trail in the storm. Something about you being stranded in a Renegade shelter in the middle of the forest?”
“Yes.” He wanted to rip this man’s throat out. All he could think about were those hands on Miranda. Hurting her and making her cry and scream. “That is correct, sir.” Fuck. Sitting here in front of him was killing him.
“Losing her trail actually doesn’t surprise me.” The Lord’s voice showed lack of interest and emotion. “Miranda has always been a slippery one. She’s a very smart witch. Disobedient. But smart.”
Eric balled his hands into fists under the table. “Lord, I apologizing for asking you, but why did you call me into this meeting? Clearly, the Division has discussed my failure with you. I can’t see of another reason for you to be speaking to me. Unless, you want to punish me.”
The Lord tossed his head back and laughed. “No, Eric. We’re not having this meeting for me to punish you. I want to give you a promotion so to speak.”
“A promotion?” He lifted his brows, wondering where this crap was going. “After I lost the witch’s trail?”
“Like I said,” he sat his glass on the table, “she’s always been a smart one. I believe the storm took her side. I don’t blame you at all.” He placed his hands on the table and leaned over, his dark eyes focusing on Eric. “The promotion I have to offer is to come work for me. You’re the best tracker, Eric. I need you. Even after I find the witch, I could use your strength for other purposes.” He picked his glass up and took a sip, waiting for Eric to decide.
Other purposes. Eric was sure he knew what that meant. To harm other Fae who went up against him. What the Lord didn’t know, was that he already knew the secrets he kept hidden from the faction. But he was also well aware nobody ever told the Lord no. Except, for Miranda.
Before he could deny his offer, the door burst open and Matryx rushed in, six hunters behind her. “Sorry for the interruption, Lord Manchester. But we have a security breach. Miranda Sage is here in the mansion somewhere. I almost had her, but she knocked me down and ran.”
The Lord’s nostrils flared, his eyes growing darker as he smiled wickedly. He slammed his glass on the table and it shattered from the impact. He turned, taking long strides to the door, parting Matryx and the other hunters.
Eric jumped up, not liking the look on the Lord’s face at the mention of Miranda’s name. He headed for the door, but Matryx dodged in front of him, her eyes crazy with anger.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Her words were sharp and cold. “I should have picked up on it. I knew something was different about you.” She glared at him. “Since we rescued you, you’ve become a stranger, distant. And it was because of her. She was in the cabin that day, wasn’t she?”
Eric refused to answer her. He didn’t need to explain himself to anyone except Miranda. Everyone else could just fuck off. “Get out of my way,” he growled the words through his clenched teeth.
“Not a chance.” She smiled, taunting him. “You’re staying here. The Lord can deal with your betrayal when he’s done with her.” She snorted a laugh. “I can only imagine what he’ll do with her. And you know what?” She lifted her finger and poked him in the chest. “The bitch deserves everything he gives her.”
Eric grabbed her finger and twisted, causing her to go down on her knees. She glanced up, terror now in her eyes. “If anything happens to her, bitch, I swear I’ll be hunting you next.”
Three hunters surrounded him, grabbing him and pulling him off Matryx. She stood up and smoothed her dress out with her hand. Then she looked at him. “If you’re a good boy, Eric, the Lord may let you watch.”
She turned away and Eric lurched forward, but the hunters’ grips tightened and pulled him back. “No, way, Winters. You’re staying here with us. Matryx’s orders.”
“When the fuck did she start giving orders?”
“The minute your name came across our phones from the Division,” one of them answered.
The hunters attempted to drag him over to a chair, but Eric tossed his elbows back, knocking them off. They all stumbled but gained their footing. Before they could grab him again, he snapped his fingers and they fell to the floor. “Fucking newbies,” he spat the words as he glared down at them. “Matryx should have known better.”
Eric walked over to the door and opened it, sticking his head out. A few more hunters were running in his direction, and he brought his head back in until they passed the doorway. He slipped out of the room, walking down the hallway, knowing he had to reach Miranda before they did. Lucky for him she wasn’t that far away.
44
Miranda
Trapped.
That was the only way Miranda saw herself. While she did know every corner and crevice in this mansion, there were hunters swarming around everywhere.
She’d managed to make it down the backstairs and into the kitchen, but right now, it was as far as she got. She didn’t know where else to go. She was no longer worried about getting to Kally. Miranda didn’t want to risk her being seen with her. Not with red dress bitch on the prowl.
Miranda felt around in the darkened area, her hands sweeping over the counters. If she went to her left, she’d find herself in the Lord’s sitting area. Beyond that, the living room, the dining room, and then even more rooms. If she decided to go right, she’d end up in the hall parallel to the grand staircase. While the main doors were in that direction, she knew more than likely they were being guarded.
She stopped, taking a deep breath while she sorted through all the thoughts in her head. If she could get past all the rooms to her left unnoticed, it would take her to the back door. She could escape into the forest again and hope Tessa and all the servants made it to the cabin. Right now, that was her only option.
Something lacy suddenly slipped over the slits in her mask, a warm breath blowing against her ear. Miranda stopped breathing as her body locked up. She’d been caught.
“It’s not over until I say it’s over.” He pressed his body against her back and wrapped an arm around her waist while his other hand hand held the material covering her eyes.
“Eric.” His name was but a whisper on her lips. Her body relaxed, and she leaned into him, liking the sensual way he was holding her.
“Did you honestly think you could hide from me? I’m a hunter, remember?” He held her tighter against his body, his want for her apparent against her backside. The heat stirred inside of her again as he pressed his hips into her. “You may have somehow caused your impression to be hidden from others, but I always know when you’re near.”
“You left me,” she answered in a soft voice. “I begged you not to go, but you went any way.” She swallowed hard, trying to form the words. “I’m no longer yours, Eric.”
“You’re wrong, Miranda.” He spun her around in his arms until she was facing him and lowered the handkerchief so he had her by the back of the neck. “You’ll always be mine.” Eric lifted her mask off her face and dropped it to the kitchen floor. “Forever.” He pulled the handkerchief, bringing her forward and claiming her lips.
Her legs weakened, and she brought her arms up, grasping either side of his shoulders to steady herself as her lips parted, giving into the needs and wants her body desired. The needs and wants he demanded from her. The urgency to taste him took top priority over everything in her mind. He was warmth and comfort and the piece of her that had been missing for way too long.
Lost in their passion, he had to have released the fabric he had bound around the back of her neck, because his hands roamed under her dress as the kissed deepened, his palms a silky-smooth yumminess caressing the bare skin of her ass. A finger slipped up inside of her, and she gasped, leaning into him and melting in his arms.