“It was just a taste or two. I mean, everyone has to try double-fudge peanut-butter caramel cake. And I’d be happy to make your cake, little guy.” She kissed his cheek and handed him over to his mom.
“I don’t know about you two,” Whitney said. “Come, little man, it’s time for your bedtime, and I need to feed your sister.” Whitney looked at the guests. “If you’re here to help, then you are welcome. There is another guesthouse we can set up for you. Frank, would you have a couple of your men get the rooms ready for them? I’d do it, but I really need to feed Allie’s namesake.”
“Go on, it will be done.” Frank stood and stretched before holding his hand out to Alastor. “I have heard much about you. Welcome to our home.”
“Oh please.” The woman who Lance had said was Darwin’s mom pushed Alastor out of the way. “Thank you for inviting me. I had no idea they would follow. Again, I’m sorry.” She shook Frank’s hand, then turned and glared at her father. “I mean it. Behave.”
The man didn’t say a word, but his gaze left his daughter’s and landed on Allie again. “We would like to meet my grandson’s woman. She must be good enough for him, and from what I can see, she needs to eat more.” Alastor stepped forward and moved his daughter aside as he came toward Allie.
Darwin put his hand on hers. “What are you doing?” she yelled and jumped away from him. “You burned your hand again, didn’t you? Damn it, Darwin. Mom, you have any of that stuff you made for me when I burned my leg?” Allie asked, but was interrupted when she was lifted away from Darwin.
Alastor took his grandson’s hand, frowning at it. “You can’t touch your woman?” HE ran his hand over Darwin’s, instantly healing it.
Lance stepped to his side as Steel once more lifted her up and moved her back to the couch. “You almost dumped your food, now eat, Allie Cat,” Steel grumbled, putting the plate back on her lap. “You can listen while you eat.”
“Fine, thank you for healing Darwin,” she said to Alastor.
“She does move fast. I bet at one time she was good at fencing too,” Alastor said, looking at her. “How long did they have you?”
“Almost a year. She claimed to be my mother, but I don’t know. I look nothing like her. But then again I could take after my father. I have no idea what he looks like though. I do know my stepfather won’t give up. He wants me for something other than sex,” she said, earning growls around the room.
Marci touched her shoulder. “Are you sure he didn’t?”
“No, I would have known if he raped me. Even when he knocked me out. Of course there were bruises where he grabbed me, but that was on a daily bases. It’s funny what you get used to so you don’t have to feel the pain anymore,” Allie said, lifting her gaze to meet Lance’s.
“He’ll pay, poppet, I promise.” Lance reached out to touch her but stopped. “This is really pissing me off. We need to feel her skin and we can’t.” He turned and stared at Alastor. “Have you ever heard of the Dark Moon story?”
Alastor stepped back as if shocked, which had even Darwin looking back at her, then back to his grandfather.
* * *
Lance didn’t like the way Darwin’s grandfather was staring at Allie, and the way Frank and the others started to position themselves around her made him a little nervous.
“Relax, I will not hurt her. Boy, you have landed yourself a prize. No wonder I couldn’t read the child.” Alastor looked back at his other partner, who nodded and moved slowly toward Allie.
Lance stepped in front of the man. “Can I help you?”
“My name is Cassiel. I would like a word with your mate. I promise not to hurt her, but I would ask to see her hand so I can see what gifts will be granted her.”
“Cassiel, as in the ruler of Saturn?” Allie whispered and looked at Darwin, shaking her head. “Damn, Darwin, could you have warned me a little? I mean, you come from royalty here.”
Darwin snorted. “Does it matter?” He looked back at the other man.
She groaned. “Okay, spit it out, who is the quiet one in the corner?”
“Yes, I would like to know why I wasn’t informed either. We’ve been together how long?” Lance growled.
“It never came up, and we’ve been so busy setting up the pack and getting our house in order.” Darwin shrugged, making Lance want to smack him upside the head. “His name is Dracula.” Darwin actually stepped back, and Lance was glad he did.
“The actual man all the movies are made about? The one and only?” Lance asked as Allie shook her head.
“This is getting good. I take it that’s where the blood bond comes from?” Allie asked.
“Yes, and other things,” Darwin actually looked down at the ground.
“Come here, Darwin,” Allie said, swinging her legs to the floor, which earned a growl from Steel. “Relax, I’m not going anywhere, Teddy Bear,” she purred.
Darwin knelt in front of her. “I’d wrap my arms around you if I could. It doesn’t matter now, but in the future it would be nice to know ahead of time if famous people show up. I mean, I look and feel like crap, so now isn’t a great time for me,” Allie said. “Not to mention Whitney is going to flip out.” She smiled and glanced at the man in the corner. “My sister is a fanatic when it comes to Dracula movies.”
Marci snorted. “That’s an understatement.”
“Are we going to watch Dracula movies? I can pull mine out,” Whitney said, coming back into the room.
Frank moaned. “Please forgive them,” he said and shook Whitney before he turned her to face said man. “Whitney, that is Darwin’s grandfather, Dracula. The original.”
Whitney glanced at Allie, gaping, and Allie nodded. “Well fuck me. Okay, make sure they get the good sheets, and hire four more men to make sure they get whatever they need.”
Eve laughed. “Only my daughter can turn this conversation away from what is important. Could one of you please tell us why they can’t touch their women, my daughters?” she asked, getting everyone back to the subject at hand.
Lance glanced down at Darwin, putting his hand on Darwin’s shoulder. “Relax, Darwin, we are all here for you.”
Cassiel moved to Darwin’s other side and held out his hand to Allie. Lance’s beast stirred inside him as he watched, and Darwin’s body tensed too. Even the bear growled.
“Hush, all three of you. He’s trying to help.” She reached out but yanked her hand back. “I can’t touch you, shit. I’ll burn you.” Allie shook her head. “Sorry, I won’t risk hurting you.”
Darwin’s grandfather laughed. “She is a cute one. Don’t bite my head off,” he said, before reaching down and grabbing her hand.
He didn’t hold it long, but Lance could smell the odor of burned skin.
“No! What the hell did you do that for?” She pulled back.
“Okay, you three you had your fun. Move away from our granddaughter before I get pissed off. You’re upsetting your daughter,” the other woman growled and stomped her foot, which had the whole room shaking.
Chapter Six
Allie was mentally and physically tried. Darwin’s grandfathers sat in the kitchen talking while his grandmother and mother sat across from her and Eve and Bran sat next to Allie. Frank and Whitney excused themselves to get the children tucked into bed.
“I really want to apologize for my family. They are so protective of all my children. With my husband’s being hunters, they have taken it upon themselves to protect us while they were gone. Honey, are you feeling okay?” Sara asked.
“Just a little tired, but I’ll be okay,” Allie said.
“Bran, something isn’t right. Look at Allie’s color. She’s actually a little gray.” Eve got up and moved to her side, then placed her hand on her forehead. “Damn it, she’s cold, too cold.”
At once, Lance was at her side with Darwin and Steel. “What’s wrong?” He looked at her, frowning. They reached out to her, but she shook her head.
“No, you’ll get burned.”
“Alastor, Cassie
l, we have a problem in here,” Darwin’s grandmother, Helena, yelled, coming to Allie’s side. “Fae. Do you smell it?”
“I’m tired,” Allie said, pulling the blanket over her. “Need to sleep, sorry.” She lay down on the couch, not having the energy to sit up anymore.
“What is wrong?” Whitney came running into the room with Marci.
“Our link to her is fading in and out,” Marci growled, but Allie couldn’t do anything, even move.
“Sorry,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
* * *
Lance shook he was so furious. The beast was strong in him. Steel growled and circled around their mate while watching Darwin’s grandfather’s work on her, trying to figure out what was wrong with their woman. None of them cared if they got burned.
“What is going on?” Darwin asked.
“Someone, a Fae, is draining her powers and her life energy from her,” Cassiel told him. “We’re trying to stop it while your fathers are tracing the spell. They are close, and we’re trying to give them time to find these people, but if they don’t hurry, we won’t have a choice but to break the spell.”
“I’m sorry, but her health is more important than those assholes. Bring my sister back now!” Whitney snapped.
“Easy, Whitney. Don’t you think Allie would want to find these assholes, instead of having to look over her shoulder every time she goes outside?” Frank said, wrapping his arms around her.
“But look at her, Frank. She’s dying right before our eyes. How is she going to live through this?” Whitney said.
“I have to agree with Whitney. It’s too risky to continue this,” Lance growled. Darwin nodded, and Steel just bared his teeth, too furious to talk.
“They’ve located them,” Cassiel stated, and at once, Lance and his mates started working on Allie. For two hours, they said nothing, but slowly her color was returning and Lance could hear her little snores.
Alastor leaned back, signing. “Any other female would have died, but your mate is a strong one, a fighter. Put her in bed and allow her to sleep. The energy that was sapped out of her is slowly coming back.”
Steel moved to the couch before anyone could stop him. He grabbed the blanket and carefully picked up Allie and hugged her tight. At once, her moans stopped as she turned toward him, rubbing her face against his chest, sighing.
Darwin stiffened next to him, right before he growled, claws extended and fangs poking out from his mouth. His demon was too close to the surface. He turned to Lance. “The stepfather got away, but my fathers have the mother and sister.”
Frank stepped into the room. “We just got Whitney and Marci to sleep with a little help from Eve. If you can have Allie’s mother and sister brought here outside by the pool, I want to know who the hell they are and what the hell they did to Allie.”
Theodore stepped up next to him. “Do you think it’s wise to bring them here, where we live?”
“They won’t remember anything if they’re allowed to live. It’s one thing my fathers are well equipped to do,” Darwin stated, already moving toward the door leading outside as Steel looked at him.
“Go and stay with Allie. Make sure she doesn’t get out of that bed. I don’t want her near these two, especially her so-called mother,” Lance said.
Eve walked past, them heading toward the back doors, and Frank stepped in front of her. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“That woman hurt my child, and, yes, Allie is mine. We may not be blood-related, but she is mine. I will face this the bitch and check out this so-called sister. Plus, I would like to hear what she says.”
“Only if you allow Frank and the others to handle this.” Bran wrapped his arm around her. “I know how much this hurts you, but we need answers. She might be able to tell us where her prick of a husband is.”
“Fine, but she better not say anything to piss me off,” Eve grumbled.
Lance followed Darwin outside. The wind was blowing fall leaves around. The smell of campfires reached him, and he sighed. This was one of his favorite times of the year, seeing all the trees turn different colors, having bonfires, and just enjoying the evening, but this night wouldn’t be one of those evenings.
Darwin stopped and nodded. “They’re here,” he said as his three fathers showed up just as his grandfathers moved outside to join everyone. Eve and Darwin’s mom and grandmother glared at the two women as his father Seth pushed the one of them forward. “Move it,” he snarled.
“I have no idea why we’re here, and you have no right to revoke my powers.” She glared at the three demons.
Frank stepped forward. “They have every right after what you’ve done to my sister,” he snarled.
Never had Lance seen the king so furious. Even his face was now a dark red to match the blood in his eyes. “You don’t think holding Allie prisoner for a damn year, whipping her, and starving her is wrong?”
The woman stepped back, showing some fear. The other woman cringed but held her ground. She looked up at Frank with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t know.”
“Don’t! Save your damn tears. Do you honestly think Allie wouldn’t mention you? Where is your husband, lady? What were you waiting for? Why did you hold her hostage?” Frank moved fast, lifting the woman up and shaking her.
“Fuck you,” she hissed and tried to kick Frank in the mouth.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lance watched Alastor move up next to Frank. “If you will allow me,” he said, not taking his eyes off the woman.
“Now we’re going to get answers,” Darwin’s grandmother growled, showing her fangs.
Frank glanced at her and then at Alastor, who smiled and looked back at his wife. “What can I say? She’s a vicious thing when one of her family members is threatened, and Allie is family now, as you all are.”
Darwin snorted. “And you aren’t?”
Alastor shrugged, his eyes turning almost black. “You always stand beside your family, as your fathers have taught you.”
Frank dropped the woman and stepped back, but not before the other woman looked around. “Where’s my sister?” she asked.
Lance stepped forward. “Do you think we’d tell you? We all know you helped Allie in the end, but that doesn’t excuse the rest of the year she was hurt,” he snapped.
“Enough! You will not touch my daughter.” The woman stood and started to strip. She didn’t say a word, but her injuries Lance even had him cringing. “Allie wasn’t the only one ruled by that man, and he wasn’t my husband.” She raised her head high as everyone stared at her scared body. Fresh lash marks and what looked like a knife cut on her backside had even Frank snarling.
“Put your clothes on. If he treated you this badly, why didn’t you leave?” Frank asked.
“He has my brother,” Allie’s sister whispered as her mother glanced back at her before dressing.
“I made a mistake after I left Allie’s true father. It’s one of the reasons I left her where someone would find her. I knew what the man that trapped and held me captive would do to her. I honestly didn’t think he’d be able to find her, but he was at that big party with his buddies. Bryant paid them to grab her.”
Eve stepped forward. “If you were able to free Allie, why didn’t you stay with her?”
“Would you leave your other child?” Allie’s mom asked. “I had two children, twins. Allie and Garret. To this day I still have no idea where her brother is. But he knew, plus once I was pregnant with Missy, Bryant had a blood bond with me and Missy. I couldn’t leave.”
“I have a twin, brother?” Allie said from behind them, her voice a bare whisper. Everyone turned to see her in Steel’s arms.
“She woke as soon as they arrived. It was like she knew they were close. Nothing was going to stop her from coming down here, even the threat of her butt being spanked,” the bear growled.
“Kinky. We’ll try that later, my big Teddy Bear,” she said. “Put me down.”
He shook his head. “I bro
ught you here, but I will not put you down. You don’t have enough strength to stand on your own.” Steel glared at her.
Chapter Seven
Allie watched as Darwin’s father, Kirk, placed his hand on her biological mother and disappeared along with her sister, Missy.
“Wait! Damn it, Darwin, I wanted to ask questions!” She glared at him. “What if all of that was true?”
Darwin and Lance moved to her side. “Darwin’s father’s will find the answers. If what she said is true, you will see them again. Kirk is going to call in the queen’s guard. They will be able to help with this, but until then, they will not stay here. It’s too risky.” Darwin leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Damn it, don’t do that.” She glared at Darwin as his lips bubbled up from the burn, but once more Alastor was there healing him.
“We found out some information about the Dark Moon, but it’s not good news.” A strange man who had eyes like Darwin’s stepped up next to his son.
“Allie, this is my father, Link,” Darwin said.
“Well, tell us,” Whitney said, coming out of the house with Marci.
“Damn it, you’re supposed to be sleeping,” Frank growled as Garth stepped up to Marci, glaring down at her.
“Don’t give me that look. I will always be there for my sister, so get used to it.”
“In more ways than you’ll know,” Darwin’s father grumbled as all eyes turned on him. “Since the first Dark Moon when the three worlds collided, special children were born, but only every couple hundred years is a trio of children like this born. They are the ones to bring together all the races—well, their men are. This is the part you’re not going like,” his father said, looking at Darwin.
“None of you will be able to touch your women ’til the Dark Moon, if you win,” Link said.
“Win?” Frank asked.
Link nodded. “On the Dark Moon, all eligible men will come to this spot, looking to mate with your women. Each will challenge you for the right to be her mate, or mates. It’s going to be a very long night.” Link looked around. “They are already starting to come. Can’t you feel them? Men from all around will be here, wanting to claim these ladies. You having a child with Whitey doesn’t matter,” he said to Frank, “because whoever wins these battles will have possession of her.”
Desire Under the Dark Moon Page 4