Tempest of Vengeance
Promise Me #11
by Tara Fox Hall
Published by
Melange Books, LLC
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
www.melange-books.com
Tempest of Vengeance, Copyright 2015 Tara Fox Hall
ISBN: 978-1-68046-083-4
Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States of America.
Cover Design by Caroline Andrus
Table of Contents
“Tempest of Vengeance”
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
About the Author
Previews
TEMPEST OF VENGEANCE
by Tara Fox Hall
A chain of tragic events cumulating in the shattering of the magical “dream bond” between Theo and Sar turns the lovers against one another, as Ulysses attacks from all fronts, hoping to destroy Devlin for good. The return of Lash reignites the fire between he and Sar, even as he saves her daughter Elle from certain death. Finally joined under Oath, Lash, Devlin, and Sar face the storm of Ulysses’s wrath, knowing it will take their combined strength and courage to save all they love from his tempest of vengeance.
To Lash
***
In Memory of Macavity, who will live on in the pages of this series.
Chapter One
I woke still clinging to Devlin, all my strong resolve of the previous night gone like so much thin fog evaporated by the harsh light of dawn.
Danial, my Danial, had been delivered to the front gate of Hayden a drained corpse. Now my always perfect and proper vampire lay unconscious and unresponsive just down the hall, watched over by Devlin’s demon, Titus. Danial was just the latest casualty in Devlin’s war with Ulysses, the brother of one of his former “turns” who’d died at the end of some vampire hunter’s stake. He almost certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Last night, after a monster fight with Devlin—and a lot of cutting words neither of us had truly meant—I’d decided to leave Hayden and go back to living with Danial. Sure, this step seemed like just another tawdry chapter in my imperfect, supernaturally-influenced life of trading one handsome superhuman man for another, but at the time, it had seemed like the most rational decision. Theo, my husband by law, had his hands full with keeping our young werecougar son Devon safe from this tempest of vengeance that Ulysses was wreaking on Devlin and all of his allies. There was also the question of his new sex partner, Jenny, a recent werecougar herself via Theo’s bite, which he had dispensed to save her from the ravages of late stage cancer. Our resulting “threesome” was its own messy tangle, one I’d have to sort out later. I had enough to worry about right now.
Everything had been going well until this fall, when a moonlight bike ride for Devlin and I had ended in us both being taken prisoner of Ulysses. While I’d been unharmed, Devlin had been tortured terribly, something that still scarred him psychologically if not physically. Lash, Devlin’s right hand man—actually weresnake—had arrived in time to save Devlin and wreak his own vengeance, but the cost had been speeding up his own demise, even with eliminating many of Ulysses’ men and an older vampire lover of Devlin’s—Catherine—who had allied herself with him. I had been the one to step in at the 11th hour to save Lash with my blood, but had paid my own price of temporarily losing my vampirically-enhanced abilities, and possibly accentuating my demon-taint, something I was worried about. According to my doctor, I was human now, probably more human than I’d been in years. I should have been enthused about that, but I wasn’t. I’d gotten used to being able to teleport, heal minor injuries with ease, and other cool abilities like seeing in dim light as if it were bright daylight. Who wanted to be human when all it did was make you more vulnerable?
I did feel vulnerable, even here in the arms of my golden-haired god of a vampire who’d sworn on his life to protect me. Everything had gone wrong, like dominos knocking into one another in a huge pattern whose ultimate design I couldn’t fathom. Terian, a friend with unrequited feelings for me, had turned from part to full demon, nearly assaulting me, and spending months in magical recovery before recently emerging with a fraction of the power of his old self. Lash was serving a month in prison because of a misunderstanding with human police that had stopped just short of murder. Several of Devlin’s employees had been killed and skinned, among them a recent friend, the werewolf housekeeper Robin. My son, Theoron had been beaten and left for dead, escaping only by the thinnest of margins. Now Danial, my Danial, might be lost to me, if he didn’t awaken soon from the coma he was in.
Earlier this morning, Devlin had spoken of war, and pledged to not only kill Ulysses, but also to bring Danial back to us. While I knew how much Devlin loved his brother, I wasn’t sure he had the power to bring Danial back. A massive “transfusion” of Devlin’s blood had saved Danial’s life last night. But it hadn’t been enough to waken him. Devlin had been badly weakened as a result, so he wouldn’t be able to do that again anytime soon. Ulysses, so far, had remained not only out of Devlin’s grasp, but also beyond the reach of all the other powerful vampires of the Ruling class.
I had always been an optimist, even in the times of my life when tragedy had struck me down like a pine sapling before a Cat 5 hurricane. However, Devlin’s warning that things would get worse before they got better felt like the footsteps of doom for me.
As if sensing my fear, Devlin stirred in my arms, pulling back slightly to look down at me. “I’m glad you’re with me,” he whispered. “This is not a good morning. But it would be worse if I did not have you here beside me, Sar.”
I bit my lip, and swallowed hard. “I’m scared, Dev.”
“You’ll be safe here,” he assured me with a chaste kiss on my brow. He got out of bed, then put on his robe.
“I’m scared for Danial.”
Devlin’s self-assurance faded before my eyes, as he turned to me with a haunted expression. “He may never wake up,” Devlin whispered brokenly. “I don’t know if we got to him in time, to save his brain from cell death. His body will heal rapidly, but until he wakes up, I won’t know if he’s my brother or someone different now.”
The bedroom door opened. Titus shifted uncomfortably, his clawed hand remaining on the knob. “I’ll be in the nursery nights, if you need me, Devlin,” he rumbled. “I’ve set up a mattress there on the floor. I’ll be near Venus. She’ll be safe. I just checked and she’s still sleeping—”
Venus appeared in the doorway behind Titus, clutching her stuffed cougar, looking afraid, and very alone. “Mom, can I sleep with you and Dad today? I’m having bad dreams. I want to be in here with you guys, not Titus.”
We both looked at her, then at each other. Titus shifted his weight, uncomfortable.
“Sure,” I said finally, with a lot of false bravado and sternness. “But just for tonight, V. You’re a big girl; you’re too old to sleep with Mommy and Daddy.”
I caught a glimpse of Devlin regarding me from the corner of my eye, a tender look again on his face. Venus came over and climbed into bed, sliding under the covers between us as Titus shut the door. We all snuggled together, Venus in the middle. She was asleep almost instantly. Devlin was still watching me with that affectionate look in his eyes.
“You know, you just looked at me like Danial always does,” I said, reaching out to caress his face. “I’ve seen you wear that expression for Lash, but I’ve never seen it before for me.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say ‘Mommy and Daddy’ in the same sentence, when it meant you and me,” he replied, giving me a radiant smile. “I’m happy to have heard it. Also happy I wore pants to bed last night, because I almost didn’t.”
We both hugged Venus, and it wasn’t long after that I fell back asleep.
When I awoke for the second time, Venus was sleeping on Devlin’s chest, and he had his arms around her. I was off to the side, not touching them, but I didn’t feel excluded. I took pleasure, watching them both sleeping together, so ethereally beautiful, like a god and a nymph out of a myth.
Venus stirred, and Devlin did as well. He looked down at her, and then started, and I laughed, as I knew he’d expected to see me in his arms. He looked to his left, and then whipped his head right, relaxing when he saw me beside him. Venus had meanwhile settled back to sleep. “There you are.” The relief in his words was a living thing. I came closer, and he put his free arm around me, kissing me. “Thank you,” he said softly as he drew back, tears in his eyes.
“For what?” I asked curiously, tilting my head as my brow furrowed.
“For making me a father. For forgiving me. For loving me, even when I’m a bastard.”
I leaned up and kissed his tears away. “Thank you, Dev.”
Now it was his turn to look confused. “For what?”
“For giving me my little girl,” I said, caressing Venus’s sleeping form. “I love my sons. But I wanted a girl, and it’s true that I couldn’t have had one more beautiful.”
Devlin hugged me to him, and kissed me again. “I wish you could have more children,” he said huskily. “I wish we could undo that operation you had. I would love to make another child with you, no matter if it was a boy or girl.” There was an abyss of desire in his words.
I trembled in his arms, thinking of how quickly I’d be Oathed by force, if he but knew I was still fertile.
Devlin saw my shaking, and took it for sadness. “Shh,” he consoled me. “I just meant I’m very happy, being a father. It’s okay, Love.”
I knew that hadn’t been what he’d meant. And a coldness in my blood remained that his arms around me didn’t ease.
* * * *
In the morning, after feeding the dogs, cats, Venus, and myself I called Theo. We hadn’t talked since the scene with Devon, and I decided I should make amends. I’d been too hard on him, and as his wife, I should be there for him, especially now, when he’d lost his best friend.
I got Brian, who in a curt and standoffish way told me Theo was still with Jenny, and he had orders not to disturb them. I told him that was fine, but that I’d like Theo to come to Hayden later, or I would teleport there. That I wanted some alone time with my husband, and also to visit both Devon and Elle. They had to all be reeling under the blow of losing Danial.
Brian gruffly said he’d tell Theo, and I hung up, unsure of what my next step should be. I was afraid to get into anything too much at Hayden, as Theo might call at any time, and I didn’t trust Dev to tell me if I missed the call. After some brief thought, I decided to work in the basement, doing some filing. I’d mess up the stitches on anything I sewed, with the mood I was in. I would call back later at noon, if Theo hadn’t called by then.
Venus’s assistance took my mind off things; watching her carefully give me one file at a time a welcome distraction. I made it a point not to let her look inside them even though I doubted she could yet read, not wanting her asking me what “demolition” meant.
We paused for lunch, and I made her a tuna fish sandwich, and some chips. We liked it so much we both had two. Before we had time to clean up, Serena came to take her from me, and I decided I couldn’t wait any longer for Theo to return my call. I notified Dev that I was going to Danial’s, and he called first, to make sure Theoron was there. As soon as he confirmed it, I teleported.
My eldest childnow more of a man than boyT, was waiting for me in the great room when I arrived. I hugged him hard as soon as he was within reach. He looked his normal self, a state I was grateful and relieved to see him in even as it brought back the pain of Danial’s current condition.
“I’m sorry, about your father,” I said raggedly, as we separated. “Devlin says he may recover, but right now, he is still in a coma-like state. But his heart is beating.”
Elle, my werecougar daughter in all ways but biological, came in at that moment, her eyes and face reddened from crying. I hugged her, too, and she began to cry again. I sat with her for a while on the couch, reassuring her that Danial would regain consciousness, trying hard to invest my words with believability. T sat with us too, but he was lost in thought, his forest green eyes serious and also a little determined. “I don’t know what to do,” he said finally. “Dad did this all alone for a lot of years, with only Theo. But I feel like I’m in way over my head, Mom. There are three meetings tonight, and I have no idea what to say to these clients.”
“You are not going, not alone,” I said firmly. “Cancel them!”
“Dad would expect me to go,” T said stubbornly. “I have to go. But yes, I’m not taking any more appointments. When you answer the e-mails from now on, you can tell everyone we aren’t taking cases anymore, not for the next month at least.”
How long had it been since I’d done e-mail? A week? Since the night before Lash was arrested? Had it only been a week? It seemed like years. Shit, I would have to work on that later...“I will. But cancel the night meetings, don’t go alone!”
“He won’t be alone,” a strong voice said behind me. “I’ll be with him.”
I turned to see Terian standing there, looking just as he always had. His cherrywood-colored eyes looked a little hesitant, but he was smiling. I ran to him without a thought and hugged him hard, so hard he let out an “Oof!” Terian hugged me back for a long time, and neither of us said anything.
“I’m sorry, for what I did to you, the things I said,” Terian said quietly, his deep voice gentle in my ear. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough.”
“I forgive you,” I said automatically, suppressing a shiver at the memory, even as I quickly stepped back from him.
“It won’t happen again,” Terian assured me. “I want you to know that, Sarelle.”
“Call me Sar, Tears,” I said, giving him a smile.
He gave me one back, then turned to T. “We need to leave. The first meeting is at three. Sar, please come and see me, if you would, later in the week? I’ll be working nights, but I’ll be up by noon.”
I nodded, uneasy knowing I’d have to visit his lab. Maybe I’ll ask Titus to go with me.
As Terian left with Theoron, I turned to Elle. “Where’s Devon this morning?”
She gave me an unhappy look. “He’s with Jenny and Theo,” she said bitterly. “They’re outside, playing. They do it every day around this time, and usually every morning, too.”
“It’s okay,” I said tiredly, forcing a smile. “Theo and I talked about this. We’re trying to get anyone watching to believe Devon isn’t my son, so he’ll be safe.”
Realization dawned in Elle’s eyes. She hugged me. “I didn’t know, Mom, I thought—”
“Elle, do you want to come and stay at Hayden with me?” I interrupted. “To be near Danial? I know you think of him as your father. You’re welcome to come.”
Elle said nothing for a while. “No,” she said finally. “I’m okay here. Devon needs me, and so does T.”
“I’m very proud of yo
u,” I said tearfully. “You are right, they do need you.”
I gave her a last hug, then left. I knew I should wait and face Theo and Jenny, but I couldn’t do it. What if Devon wouldn’t leave them to come spend time with me? I couldn’t bear seeing that. It was better to leave well enough alone, since I was popping in unannounced anyway. There was no point ruining the façade of the happy cougar family I was trying so hard to bolster.
The rest of the week passed that same way. I tried to call Theo, and he didn’t return my calls. I finally asked Elle to give him a message that Devon be available for me to visit on Friday afternoon. When I arrived, my little cougar son was waiting with Elle, and the three of us spent the afternoon playing games, and watching a movie. Devon was on good behavior, and I was shocked to see he looked even bigger. He had to be at least eighty pounds now for sure.
At dusk, I hugged Elle and he good-bye, and apprehensively went to see Terian at his lab. We exchanged pleasantries for a while, until I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Why did you want to see me?”
Terian looked at me, and said nothing.
“Just say it, Terian.”
“You know I love you,” he said quietly.
I nodded, uncomfortable. “I know it.”
“You know I’m marrying Sundown, that she’s having my child.”
I nodded again. “Congratulations, by the way.”
“She’s asked you to be her maid of honor,” he said in a rush. “Would you step down?”
I got it completely, without his saying the reason he was asking me. That he couldn’t marry her with me there as her second, that it was too much, especially after what had happened between us. Everyone in our circle knew his desire for me was the reason he’d succumbed to his demon half, and it would detract from the wedding, if I were up at the altar with him and Sundown.
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