She nodded. ‘I’ve never been able to find him,’ she admitted. ‘There are too many of our kind here. This is our daily hell.’
Yeah, he noticed.
‘Let’s find him together.’
As she was tucked against his chest, Flynn carried her into the darkness, seeking their other mate. He wasn’t sure they could do it, but they’d try.
‘Are our children here?’ he asked.
He watched Jolie touch her now flat skeletally thin body.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, we’ll find them too if they are.’
She held onto him, afraid he’d slip away. ‘Flynn…’
He hushed her.
‘I have you, baby. I promise.’
She believed him.
With that, they began the arduous search for their mate and children in that chaotic hell.
Flynn wouldn’t give up.
Family came first.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Tuesday
Mid-day
Vanth patrolled the house like she’d been asked. It was early in the day, and she knew the Master wanted to make sure they were all safe.
As she went room to room, she found Percy beside Mina as she slept. It was funny, since she knew their donor had gone to sleep alone.
As she approached the bed, there was a low growl from Percy. When he opened his cat like eyes, he focused on her.
“Sorry, I was watching over Mina.”
Vanth found that amusing. “Does she know you’re here?” she whispered.
He shook his head.
Since he’d bonded her to him, after she was hurt, Percy felt the strong need to protect her. When the Tueur had taken her, he realized his feelings for the woman were more than just concern. He was crazy about her.
“She’s going to yell at me later, but that’s okay. I like it,” he admitted, grinning wickedly.
Vanth didn’t get it but what did she know?
“Are you patrolling?” he asked.
She nodded.
Then her body went still.
Percy heard the fluttering of wings. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Vanth focused on the disturbance.
“We have company, and the person is heading this way. I’ll go make sure we’re safe. Wake the Master.”
“Jacques or Flynn?”
She tipped her head as if she was confused.
“Flynn, of course.”
He moved off the bed, cautious not to disturb Mina. When he was gone, Vanth popped out of there to hide in the trees. She’d not smelled this one before, and if she was lucky, when the master killed her, he’d let her have a snack.
She was hungry.
And human flesh was best.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Flynn and Jolie walked through the darkness of the howling souls. They’d yet to find their mate or the little lives growing inside Jolie. It bothered Flynn that his child and Jacques’s were forced to live through this.
‘Maybe they’re not here,’ he offered silently. ‘They have my blood and are demon. I hope they aren’t forced to survive this.’
She did too.
‘I hope not. Thank you for finding me. I can’t tell you how good it feels to not be left alone here.’
He could only imagine.
‘I won’t leave you. I promise.’
As they trudged through the shadowy world of pain, Flynn felt an odd tingle.
Jolie looked up at him. ‘You’re leaving. Oh God! You’re leaving. You just got here. Please stay with me, Flynn! Don’t leave!’
He struggled to stay there.
Only the force pulling on him was a million times stronger than his ability to fight it.
‘Jolie,’ he whispered.
‘Take me with you. Please! Take me with you!’
He didn’t know how to do that.
She fell from his arms. He was being pulled away from her, up through the darkness, away from his mate. He watched her morph from normal flesh to the decay she’d been when he first saw her.
He could hear her pleas to him, and he was helpless to stop them.
As the light became brighter, he finally clawed through to the surface.
Flynn gasped in a deep breath.
Shit!
How did they do this every time they woke?
As he opened his eyes, Percy stood beside the bed. Flynn knew something had to be going on if he was there.
Something bad.
“What is it?” he asked.
“We have company, and it isn’t a vampyre.”
That was all he had to say.
But first…
Flynn called to Jolie, pulling her from death. “Baby, come to me.”
She took a breath and gasped.
Immediately, he pulled her into his arms.
“Flynn! Was it a dream?”
He cuddled her against him. “No, baby, I was there. I’m sorry I had to leave you.”
She held onto him.
“We need to wake Jacques. Hopefully, he’s had enough rest.”
“What’s wrong?”
Flynn knew it was early in the day. He could feel the sun high in the sky, and that was going to make it hard for Jolie and Jacques.
“The witch approaches the house.”
Jolie dismissed Percy, so he could go watch over Mina. As she stood, he touched her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going with you,” she admitted.
Oh, he didn’t like that, but what choice did he have? He couldn’t leave her there.
“I’ll wake Jacques, you get dressed, and we’ll all go down together—as a unit.”
She touched his cheek. “I love you.”
Flynn left a kiss on the inside of her palm. “I love you.”
“Where is Vanth?” she asked.
“She’s following the witch through the trees. So far, she’s not leading anyone to us, so we might be okay. I don’t like that she found us.”
Jolie didn’t either.
It looked like they’d be leaving soon.
She headed into the closet to begin dressing, and Flynn touched his mate on the chest, pushing energy into him. He wasn’t sure why he could call Jolie from death, but not Jacques.
As soon as the man’s eyes opened, he looked around.
“Flynn! Did I hurt you?” he asked.
“We can discuss it later. Right now, Kiera, our not so friendly witch, is on her way to the house. We need to be ready to greet her at the door.”
“She should stay here.”
“She’s coming with us. I’m not leaving her here alone.”
“Vanth…”
“Is tracking the witch, making sure there are no stragglers following her.”
He got quiet.
“We can discuss your anger later. Let me rephrase that. WE WILL discuss it.”
Jacques was up and began getting dressed after Jolie handed him some clothes.
Flynn didn’t need a gun, but he grabbed one anyway. He didn’t trust the human—not when it came to Jolie’s life.
When they were ready, they headed down.
At the door, Jacques and Flynn protectively flanked their mate.
“If this gets bad, I’ll take her out the back,” Jacques offered.
“I’ll hold them off.”
Jolie laughed. “It’s one human. Yes, she’s a witch, but really. She’s one person. I think you’re both going over the edge with this one. How about we try to be nice? You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
Probably, but it was better safe than sorry.
“She’s here,” Flynn said, moving toward the door. He used his body as a shield to protect his mates.
Before she could knock, he opened the door.
It surprised her.
“How did you find us?” he asked, still keeping the door mostly closed. He didn’t want to be caught off guard and be surprised by anything she could t
oss at them.
Literally.
Her blend of spell herbs hurt like a bitch.
“I used magick to find you.”
“Why?” Flynn asked, making sure to watch her hands. The last thing he wanted was a handful of herbs to the eyes. It would make it hard to protect his mates.
“I came to apologize to Jolie. I was rude and that’s not like me. I’ve been compelled to finish her card reading.
Flynn let his fangs slide into his mouth, and his eyes bled black. “Yes, you were very rude.”
Kiera wasn’t happy to be there. She was scared shitless to be walking into a house where vampyres were living. They weren’t exactly friends.
Hell!
She’d never met one before.
Yes, she’d heard stories from her grandmother, but this was a firsthand meeting, and it freaked her out.
“Why would want to do that?” Flynn asked. “Didn’t you upset her enough? Did you feel the need to make her hurt more?” he asked with his voice full of venom.
She understood his anger.
She got it.
“You must be one of her loves. The cards said there were two.”
Flynn reached for his mates. ‘She wants to apologize. Do I let her in?’
‘Is it a trap?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘I told you this was over the edge,’ Jolie stated. ‘Let her in. I’m sure two demons, and a vampyre can keep me safe.’
She had a point.
When Flynn invited her in, he watched her carefully. He was unsure of the trickery and trouble she was bringing with her. Jacques had said witches and vampyres didn’t get along, and he could see why.
“I won’t hurt her, I promise,” she said, moving past him to see Jolie.
“Hello, Kiera,” Jolie said.
“I’m sorry about how I behaved. I was scared, but I shouldn’t have lost it like that.”
“It takes a brave person to face us down here,” Jolie admitted, “and one to apologize.”
Yeah, didn’t she know it?
“Why are you here?”
“After you left, I kept reading your cards, and I need to finish the rest of the reading.”
“The rest?”
Kiera nodded.
“You’re in danger. In fact, you’re going to die.”
Well, that certainly set the mood.
And it wasn’t good.
At all…
∞ Chapter Nine ∞
Jolie led her into their family room. Behind them, she could feel her mates approaching. While she wanted to be welcoming to the woman, she was feeling out of sorts. This whole thing was messing with her.
As she sat, Flynn moved closer.
“Jolie, you’re not doing this until you’ve fed. You’re pale and shaky.”
Jolie wasn’t going to argue.
He was right.
Jacques moved closer. “You can feed from me first, and then I’ll get energy from Mina.” He would have preferred Flynn’s blood, but they had somethings to talk about before he even tried to venture back down that road.
She glanced over at the witch. “If it’ll bother you, I can leave the room.”
Kiera was curious.
Curiosity was always her downfall, and she knew it.
“No, by all means. I’m fine.”
Jacques sat on the couch and Jolie stood behind him. She would have rather been in his lap, but she wanted to see how the woman reacted to the feeding.
Maybe with Flynn, she’d try. Well, if Kiera didn’t run from the room screaming.
Gently brushing his hair aside, she ran her lips across his throat. When she found the sweet spot, Jolie sank into his flesh.
The taste of mate overwhelmed her.
She’d missed it.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ he whispered into her mind.
‘Why?’
‘I wanted Angelique to be strong like Azriel will be. I used him, and it’s caused this rift.’
She knew Flynn was in her mind.
He always was.
While he might not say anything, he would lurk. It was comfortable for her, knowing he was right there.
‘You don’t know him then. He would have shared his life to give Angelique the world. You have to see past this, Jacques, and you need to stop seeing him as anyone but Flynn.’
He was aware.
It was hard to have a conversation when she was sucking on his throat. It was slow, torturous, and making him hard.
‘I try not to but I feel lost in our relationship. I feel like the third wheel.’
There.
He said it.
‘You are the third wheel, Jacques, and that’s the wheel that steers us in the right direction. Flynn is battling this demon. He’s struggling to fit into our world and now this one. He needs a break. Before, he was human trying to assimilate. Now he’s demon trying to assimilate. He’s part of us. You have to just let this go and accept it, and once you do, it’ll be so much easier.’
He didn’t know if he could.
Jacques was the one who always protected her. Now she was being guarded by Flynn. He was more mate than he was.
‘That’s not true. You’ve begun pulling away, abandoning me. You’re the one who made yourself less of a mate. You have to participate in our relationship. You can’t be a spectator. You can’t keep secrets.’
That hit home.
Had he been doing that?
‘Yes, you really have.’
Jacques stared at his other mate. Flynn watched him with very calm eyes.
It hurt him that he was angry with the man for no reason. They had a common goal, and it was this family. Keeping Jolie safe was important.
She released his throat and stood. “Not so bad, right?” she asked Kiera.
“That was fascinating. Did it hurt?”
Jacques shook his head. “If it’s your mate, it’s filled with pleasure. That’s one of the ways we know when we’ve found our other half. It’s the easiest way to tell.”
She watched him stand.
“Flynn, do you have this?” he asked.
“I do. I can feed Jolie and watch the woman.”
Jolie was glad he was calming down. At least he wasn’t calling her ‘the witch’.
It was a step in the right direction.
It was progress.
Flynn moved toward the couch, and Jolie came around to sit in his lap. It surprised him, since she’d fed behind Jacques. Still, Flynn didn’t hesitate to open his arms. Their other mate moved to stand behind them.
“Thank you, my love.”
She tucked his hair behind his ear and teased his earlobe.
“Jolie,” he growled.
The witch jumped.
“Sorry, it’s a habit.”
She lapped at his throat. When she found the spot that she loved most, she sank into the feeding. The warm gush of blood coated her tongue and offered so much pleasure. It was hard not to squirm in his lap. As his hand gently stroked her baby belly, she felt him tickling her mind.
‘Do you want me to talk to him?’
‘I think he’ll come to you. Jacques tends to get upset, then he rationalizes, and finally, he does the right thing.’
Flynn let it go. He was going to have to bring up a lot of things with the man, but Jolie didn’t have to be privy to it. He was glad Jacques had confided in her.
He needed someone.
They all did.
As he watched Kiera, he noticed she was smiling. “Are you entertained?” he asked.
Her melodious laughter filled the room. “I’m seeing the beauty in it. I find it lovely.”
He relaxed.
Jolie was nearly stuffed, and she didn’t want to start waddling from blood, so she set her mate free. When she kissed him on the lips, she reached for him once more.
‘Thank you for finding me while I was with death. I remember it all.’
‘For you, I’d live in Hell for millennia. That was n
othing, my love.’
Jolie turned but remained in Flynn’s lap. She felt safe, and as long as she sat there, he wouldn’t do something irrational—like kill their guest.
‘Don’t bet on it.’
She wanted to laugh.
Kiera studied the stunningly handsome man who was staring at her suspiciously. It wasn’t as if she could blame him. After the spectacle she created at her shop, she likely deserved it.
In her defense, she was so surprised and caught off guard that she hastily judged.
“What do you need to tell me about the cards?” Jolie asked. “I’m ready.”
Kiera explained, “The cards continue a reading after they are shuffled whether the person is there or not. When you left, I didn’t touch them until I was calm.”
She glanced over as the other male moved. When he took a seat beside Flynn, the man released Jolie.
“Since you know so much about me, you might as well get a full introduction,” she stated. “These are my mates, Flynn Brogan and Jacques Degaul.”
Kiera offered her hand.
“Can’t I have a redo?” she asked.
Neither man spoke.
“Okay, then.”
This was about Jolie’s life. They weren’t going to screw around. The cost was too high.
“You should start,” Jolie stated. “My mates are suspicious of humans, let alone witches.”
Mina strolled in, and Jolie took a cup of tea from her. As Kiera was offered one, she stared at it. “It’s not poisoned, is it?” she teased.
Flynn blinked, his eyes going black. “I don’t poison. I eviscerate.”
“Duly noted.”
“I’m listening,” Jolie stated, reminding the woman why she was there. Jolie was nervous about what the woman had said earlier. She wanted to know about the dying part.
As did her mates.
“Very well, Jolie. It looks like a trial is coming. You must be prepared. You’re being hunted, and someone wants not only your children killed, but you too. They are not going to stop until they get their wish.”
She wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t know.
“You feel very isolated and alone. You’re losing hope. Inside you grows two miracles—the two shall be stronger together than apart, and you will see them born.”
Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 11