Reign of the Vampires

by Rebekah R. Ganiere

  Doc checked the rogue’s eyes, and then his pulse. “I can’t, he’s dead.”

  “He was fine a moment ago. What happened?”

  “I’ll have to check.”

  “You do that.” She turned on her heel and stalked out of the lab. Her body shook, and her hands trembled. She had to keep it together till she got to her room. She was at the elevator when a warm hand fell on her shoulder.

  “Danika,” Mason said.

  “Don’t.” She turned to him.

  “How long has this been going on?” he pressed.

  She stared at him ready to tell him to back off, but it was no good. She had to tell someone. “Since Xenock...” She couldn’t finish the statement.

  “You think someone else made Xenock turn on you.”

  “I saw he wasn’t well, but I didn’t want to believe it. In the end, when he attacked me, he was in the same rage that rogue was. He just kept chanting over and over.... ”

  “Chanting what?”

  Flashbacks stormed her brain. Xenock pacing at the end of her bed. “She’s mine. I deserve her. We belong together.”

  “Danika?” Mason placed his hands on her shoulders.

  She blinked rapidly and then swallowed hard. “Yes, I have thought someone was after me. But I don’t have a clue whom.”

  “Garon?”

  “Until this week I never knew Garon had that much influence or reach. But now... Now I’m not sure.”

  Mason pushed a stray hair out of her face. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Danika lifted her gaze. His hand was so warm on her cheek, and the small rune scar on her breast began to burn from the nearness of him. It comforted her. He stared deep into her eyes; she wanted to bury her head in his chest and feel the security of his arms wrapped around her. He leaned his head closer.

  “Lord Danika.” Neeman called from down the hallway.

  She stepped away from Mason, relaxing her features to assume a look of complete boredom “Yes, Neeman?”

  “I think we should talk about this rogue problem; it’s getting worse.”

  “Meet me at my office in two hours with a game plan, please.”

  Neeman gave a tight nod and glared at Mason. The elevator opened and Danika and Mason stepped inside.

  She was staring at Mason’s broad shoulders when he turned to her and pinned her with his fiery gaze. She wanted to melt right there.

  “Danika, about last night—”

  “Don’t, Mason. Last night was just both of us blowing off steam. I was overcome with the emotions of the day’s events, and passion took over. It was a mistake. I get that. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again. Especially now that I have to find a mate.”

  “You know you don’t have to. You have—”

  “You? Yes, I do have you. And I have William. But you’re a sort of human who cannot be turned, and William is a fledgling.”

  “We can protect you. I can—”

  “Like Sherman said, I need a mate who’ll keep Garon away.” It sounded harsh, because if she weren’t, he would end up in her bed again this morning.

  “I’ll keep Garon away,” Mason said.

  She wanted to believe him. She wanted to say yes, but she didn’t. “Only a male of my society will keep him at bay. You aren’t that man.”

  Mason searched her face, but Danika held her resolve. That wasn’t what she’d intended to come out of her mouth, but it was the truth. She could no longer deny it. She had to choose a mate, and Mason wasn’t it.

  The bell sounded and the elevator opened. Without a word, she slid past him and out of the elevator into the hallway. William waited for her, a piece of paper clutched in his hands.

  Chapter 18

  “You did this all by yourself?” Danika asked William for the third time. She looked over the paper again.

  “I told you, I did.”

  “But how did you get this list so fast? I don’t understand.”

  “I went into your personal computer at your desk, for which I apologize yet again. I took your registry of the US and I narrowed it down by those who were mated, and then again by those who had children, and finally by financial statement. These are the top ten most influential males in the States.”

  Danika recognized every male on the roster, but she hadn’t realized that some of them were as well off as they were. Branford, from New York, was the first on the list. A Vampire lord in his own right, Branford was known for liking his women: Vampires, vampyr, vamps, and humans alike, and not always one at a time. Not her thing.

  Jossef, second on the list, was a shrewd businessman, but older than Danika’s father had been, and as dull as he was dusty. Roth, the third candidate, was interesting. He’d been the head of the Tracking Squad before Neeman, and now spent his time picking up humans for the slave market. She wondered if he’d been the one who’d found Mason.

  The rest on the list were not as powerful as she would’ve liked, except for one name. A name she found surprising. She hadn’t realize that Neeman had amassed so much wealth from being Head Tracker. But she assumed his services were in demand, and everyone respected him, though he was a vampyr.

  She chewed her lip. Of all the men on the list, she was more likely to make things work with Neeman than anyone else. She’d been harsh to Neeman lately to try and get him to search elsewhere for a mate, ironic now that she was about to ask him to be hers. Her heart sank. Heaven knew they had chemistry; that was undeniable, but she did not love him. She closed her eyes and lifted her head, sucking in a deep breath. At least she’d be able to bear sharing his bed, unlike the other men on the list. Her cheeks flushed at the thought, and she opened her eyes to see Mason studying her.

  “What?” she asked.

  He said nothing, simply turned and walked into the kitchen.

  * * * *

  Mason was so conflicted he thought he might combust and set the whole house on fire. Every part of his being wanted her, but he knew what it would mean if he were to take her. Keeping his beast under lock and chain every time they made love would be impossible. That was a problem in itself. He’d attacked her the previous morning, and he hadn’t even been in his true form. He didn’t want to think about what it would do to her if he ever was. And someone hurting her was bound to set off his true form at some point. It was just a matter of time.

  Danika needed to find a mate, of that there was no doubt. Now more than ever it was apparent that she needed protection, and not only the kind he gave her as a bodyguard. He could keep Vampires and vamps away from her, no problem. But if a war broke out, he’d be useless to her. No matter how he’d want to protect her, he’d have his own problems to deal with at that point. Mason wasn’t sure whose names were on that list, it didn’t matter. She was his now. Calling another male her mate would never change that. He pounded his fists on the granite counter top making the slaves scamper from the room. He’d made his choice. He’d chosen her instead of freedom; he wouldn’t leave now. But one thing was certain. Whomever she mated, sooner or later Mason was bound to end up killing him.

  * * * *

  Danika sat in her office for an hour and a half trying to get the real estate holding file from the county courthouse. Since the outbreak, records had not been what they once were in the city, something else that she put on her docket to take care of. She finally got the woman on the other end to agree to find them and have them sent over first thing. Danika hung up the phone as William entered, followed by Mason, Neeman, and Ian. She’d forgotten about Neeman, and the thought of him being on her list made her flush.

  She didn’t stand. “Have a seat.” She pointed to the two chairs in front of her desk. Mason seated himself on the couch a few feet away, and William turned to leave.

  “William, I’d like you to stay, please,” she said.

  William nodded, then pulled in the chair in from his desk.

  “Well?” She looked at Neeman. “What’s the plan?
”

  Neeman rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I’m not sure there is one.”

  “How did you find the rogues?”

  “By accident, I’m afraid. We’ve been going out at night since we heard of the others attacking Mason. Scouring the streets, going from bar to bar looking for anything out of place. On our way home, we ran across them. We were driving to the barracks when we hit one with the car. He came out of nowhere. We got out to see what we’d hit, and saw a bloodied rogue. As we were putting him down, we were jumped by the rest of them. Had we been two minutes later, we would have missed them.”

  “Where did they come from?”

  “Main Street heading north. Two of our trackers took off in the general direction, but all they found were a lot of abandoned buildings and businesses closed for the night.”

  “William.” She turned toward him. “Have Ian tell you where they found the rogues, and then I want the city records for all buildings within a two-mile radius.”

  “That would take you forever to figure out where they came from, if they came from the area at all,” said Neeman.

  “Possibly, but I want to check it against some other records I’m looking into. I’m hoping by the end of the week to narrow down our search. Right now all we know is that someone or someones are feeding vamps human blood. We need to find out why.”

  “What if it is a distraction?” said Mason.

  “What?” She looked at him for the first time.

  “What if the rogues are meant as a distraction to throw you off the trail of something else?”

  “Like what?” Neeman asked.

  “I don’t know. But someone is toying with Danika. Testing maybe, to see what will happen.”

  “The rogue did say someone was coming for you.”

  She shifted in her seat. “I heard him.”

  Neeman’s eyes narrowed. “You knew someone was after you. That’s why you bought Mason.”

  “The thought had crossed my mind.” She looked down at her hands and twisted her ring, so as not to meet his gaze.

  He stared at her in disbelief, then fell into his chair, shaking his head. “Danika, why did you not tell me? I would’ve sent extra guards for you.”

  “Because, Neeman, at the time it was none of your business.”

  “At the time?” he questioned.

  She sighed. “William, please go and exchange information with Ian.” Danika waited until the two men left and the door closed before she looked at Neeman again.

  “As you found out this evening, Lord Garon has requested my mating rights with the three kings. In an effort to avoid an all-out war, they’ve granted his petition, pursuant to my not finding another suitable mate. They’ve given me two weeks to find someone who’d be able to withstand Garon and any...pressure he might place on me.” She sat forward and lifted the piece of paper William had given her. “This paper holds the names of the ten most eligible males in the States. I’ve already ruled out six of the names, due to age, or proclivities. Your name is on this list.”

  “Who else is on there?”

  “Roth.”

  “Of course, he’s making quite a good living at the slave trade. And he’s deadly as any tracker I’ve ever seen.”

  “Owen Mist is on there.”

  “I don’t know Owen.” Neeman shook his head.

  “He’s about two hundred and twenty. He has a relocation business for vamps. He helps with their transitions. Lastly there is Mikal Chess.”

  “The former Congressman from Louisiana?”

  “Yes, he now deals in real estate and has holdings all over the world. He arranged the divisions of the States to the lords in the areas. He’s well-respected and fair to a fault.”

  “And I’m number four.”

  “You are.”

  There was a long silence between them as they stared at each other. Danika sat back in her chair for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she spoke. “I haven’t made any kind of decision one way or the other. But it’s obvious that I have to make a decision, and I have to do it quickly.” She twisted her ring again and pushed forward. “So I figured while I have you here, I would ask whether you would even be willing to entertain the idea of possibly—”

  “My feelings haven’t changed.” Neeman’s voice held the same sincerity that his eyes showed.

  Danika nodded. She glanced at Mason; he was lounging on the couch feigning sleep, but his clenched jaw and tightened fists gave him away.

  “We have our differences. I wouldn’t expect you to give up your Tracking Squad position for me. You’d be allowed to stay at the barracks, if you wanted.”

  “I would give it all up for you.”

  “Neeman...” She didn’t know what to say. It was more emotion than she’d ever heard from him before. He would give it all up for her, but to her, this would be little more than a business arrangement. She didn’t love him. She cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I haven’t made a decision yet, like I said. I just wanted see where you stood.”

  “You have my answer.” He rose. “Let me know. I’ll be wherever you need me.”

  “Thank you.” They stared at each other for another minute, and she thought he might come around the desk and try to kiss her, but instead he turned and strode out.

  Danika watched him go, let out a huge breath, and hung her head in her hands. She wanted to cry, but to do so would show everyone how weak she was, and she couldn’t take the chance. Maybe being mated to Neeman wouldn’t be as bad as she thought. She cared for him, worried about him. Wasn’t that what mating was about? A mutual respect?

  Mason still pretended to sleep. “Don’t pretend with me, Mason.”

  He opened his blazing amber eyes and stared at her blankly.

  “Don’t look at me like that either. What do you want me to do? I have to find someone to mate with.”

  “Let me kill him.”

  “Neeman?”

  “Garon. Let me kill him, and then you won’t have to mate with anyone you don’t choose.”

  Danika shook her head. “You don’t get it, Mason. The males on this list are the best shot I have at securing my position. Not just from Garon, but from everyone. From the European covens looking to get a foothold here in the States. From other lords getting the same idea, and from the kings interfering with me and my company anymore. I have to do this. If not now, then soon. I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. I’d thought that if I waited, I would find someone with whom I wanted to be mated, but—” She stopped, looking at him sadly. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. “If I tried to turn you, it wouldn’t work, would it?”

  “No.”

  She nodded. “Then it doesn’t matter, does it? At least with Neeman, I know what I’m getting into. He and I were together for years. I can learn to deal with it again.”

  “Then why did you not accept his proposal before?”

  “Because I don’t love him,” she said. “The difference between Neeman and the others is Neeman already loves me. And not just what I look like, or my money or my position, but me. And he’s strong enough to protect me and my coven, even though he wasn’t born a Pureblood.”

  “Then will you set me free when you mate with him?”

  “What?” A cold chill raced over Danika’s skin.

  “Will you free me? Once you have Neeman, you won’t need me anymore. Will you free me, or sell me off to someone else?” Mason’s eyes betrayed no emotion.

  Every fiber of her body wanted to scream ‘No!’ But he was right. What would he do once Neeman, or any of the others, was in the picture? “No, Mason, I won’t sell you; you will still be my guardian.”

  “And so you and I’ll what? Go on the way we’ve been? Pretending that there’s nothing between us?”

  “There is nothing between us. You are human…ish. I’m a Vampire lord. You’re my guardian, no more,” she said.

  “Really?” He crossed the room in a qui
ck movement. She hadn’t realized he was off the couch before he was standing less than inches from her. Danika froze at the nearness of him. Mason bent over her, letting his lips linger an inch from her throat. She clutched the side of her chair to keep from grabbing him.

  “Nothing? Not a thing?” he whispered into her ear. “And when we made love, was that nothing? When you gave yourself to me, and took my blood into you as I made you—”

  “Stop.” Her voice came out breathy. His warm breath tickled the hairs on her neck. The fog of desire overtook her senses. Her stomach quivered and her thighs tingled at the memories of him.

  “I know you want me. Deny it. Tell me you don’t feel anything when I’m near you.”

  Her brain tried to formulate the words, to tell him she didn’t. But it was a lie. The scar on her chest warmed. “I—”

  She wasn’t able to get the rest out. Mason grabbed her by the hair and pressed his hot lips to hers. She melted like an ice cube on hot pavement. She wanted him. It didn’t matter what he was, or who he was, all she wanted was to mate him and make him hers forever. Her fangs burst from her gums as he kissed her. They grazed his hot tongue and blood poured into her mouth. It mixed with her saliva and sent her into a frenzy. More, she needed more. Ripping away from his mouth, she sank her teeth deep into his neck. Mason sighed and pulled her close as she drank from him. His blood exploded inside her. She would never let him go. He was hers. Her hands roamed the front of his pants for the belt buckle, but she couldn’t get it undone.

  “Danika,” Mason whispered, kissing her cool neck. “Danika, stop. You must stop.” He kissed her, his tongue roaming her flesh.

  Danika drew from him again. She untucked his shirt, running her hands across his abs.

  “Danika, stop. Stop!” Mason pulled away.

  “Why?” She growled in frustration. “You started this. You’re the one who wanted to prove that there is something between us. You want it as much as I do. So why stop, Mason?”

  “Because—”

  Danika pushed him away from her. “Because why? Why can’t you be bonded to me? Why can’t you be turned? Why do I now have a scar that warms when you near me? Why did you make love to me only now to tease me and say no?”