Dare To Be Loved

by Stacy Lee

  “I will never obey you and I will never hurt a human. You should follow through on that threat and just kill me.” I spit out.

  “We will see. I am very persuasive.” His eyes begin to swirl once more. I slam mine shut before he can influence me. His icy hand wraps around my throat, immediately pain rips through my body. “That way was painless, this way isn’t. Your choice.” He drops me back to the door gasping. Rage the likes of nothing I have felt before engulfs me from Dare. He was livid.

  The whomp-whomp-whomp of helicopter blades can be heard overhead before two loud thump-thumps hits the roof. Monty looks up and shakes his head with disgust, as if a gnat had landed in his bowl of Cheerios. He sighs then looks to me.

  “I will have you, Naveen. Your Uncle was an angel compared to me. Come with me now and I will spare your lover.” I shake my head and plaster myself against the door again. He raises his hand and points to the Stroli, never taking his eyes from mine. “Kill him.” He says it with joy dripping from his tongue. Does he not realize killing Dare killed me?

  No, I don’t think he did. He only knew what Striker had told him and that was I needed blood to live. I had no doubt Dare could take the lone Stroli but could he take the Vamp who was claiming to be my father?

  Suddenly the front door burst open admitting Archer, Emmitt and Fin. I stare for a minute at Archer, awed by the blue glow of power that surrounds him. It pulses along with his heartbeat, emitting bright flashes of pure light with each throb. I knew Archer had power however, no one had let on exactly how much.

  I noticed earlier all the brothers had a similar shimmer around them but I was too shocked by Dare’s announcement that I was pregnant to pay much attention. Dare’s white glow rivaled but didn’t surpass Archer’s blue. Compared to Archer, Dare and Monty the other four men’s were faint. With them it’s as if someone had dumped a different color glitter for each man into a fan then let it swirl around them. Whereas Dare and Archer radiated light and power, Monty was evil darkness, and the others were illuminated by a faint glimmering hint of otherworldliness.

  When Archer and Monty meet gazes Archer’s lip curls in disgust and pure hatred drips off the even tempered man. The light and dark pulses around each man intensify. As if a bell is rung they fling themselves toward each other, swords materializing in their hands. With a loud clash of metal they join. Emmitt and Fin skirt the battle to stand guard in front of me blocking my view. I really didn’t care to watch anyway, I knew who would win this. Or at least I hoped.

  Crashing from upstairs drags my attention to the steps. In a mess of monster and legs the Stroli and Dare come rolling down the steps collapsing the rotten stairs as they went. Cash stands at the top looking down. His eyes find mine, relief rolls across his face before he jumps to the first floor, nimbly landing in a crouch. He strides to me and joins the mass of men guarding me.

  “Did the Vamp bite you?” He asks quietly in front of me.

  “No, the Patronus did.” All three grow rigid and turn to me with questioning eyes.

  “Patronus? Are you sure?” I nod to Cash. I almost felt like I was being rude since it was Emmitt who asked the question but Cash’s blood had just saved my life and I felt I owed it to him to speak to him directly.

  “Of course, I am. He took off out of here about five minutes before you guys showed up.” I wasn’t about to tell them that he ran when the Vampire said he was my father. No way in hell. They exchange a look between the three of them then turn back around, all but Cash.

  “Did Striker or Monty hurt you?” He asks softly. I shuffle nervously. They both had but I wasn’t sure I wanted Cash to know this. I didn’t want him knowing how weak I was or how his blood made me strong enough to fight or what the Patronus said about that being a sign I was his, not Dare’s.

  I didn’t want to be his.

  “Who is Striker?” I ask innocently. I was stalling, exactly what I hated them doing to me. But if I could prolong the questions he would never get to the ones that bothered me most. Was Monty really my father? Was I meant for Cash?

  “The Stroli.” My eyes close on a nod. A growl rips from his throat. “What did he do?”

  “He hit me. He helped hold me down and force the blood down my throat…..cut my face….threw me. The Patronus did most of the abusing.” The look in Cash’s eyes was nothing short of murderous. I think he had been content to leave him to Dare until that moment. He turns sharply on his heel and marches towards the two who are fighting beyond Archer and Monty.

  With Cash’s departure a spot opens up allowing me to see the two fights. Dare swings two daggers in his hands as he dances around Striker. He slashes with one drawing blood across the monsters chest. Striker roars in pain then swipes out with his claw barely missing Dare’s head. Dare meets Cash’s gaze while sidestepping another swing, his gaze narrows on Cash then cuts to me and back to Striker. It only takes a split second but in that moment a plan is formed between the brothers. Dare begins to turn, leading Striker he starts to swing and slash with his daggers. He wasn’t trying to hit the creature, only to position him for the incoming death blow from Cash.

  “This is for my sister.” Cash says in that same deathly whisper Dare uses. Coming up behind Striker, with one swing of his sword he decapitates the monster. His head drops to the ground and rolls away. The turquoise aura immediately vanishes from around the body, proving he was dead. As one they turn to Archer.

  Archer swings out with his sword, Monty blocks with his own. They dance together for a minute before shoving at one another and breaking apart. Archer immediately spins, catching the Vampire across the side and drawing blood. Okay, so that answers my question about if Vamps bled or not.

  With an inhuman cry Monty lashes out at Archer, who blocks each thrust expertly and easily as if he was playing a game with a child. Monty drops back and in an instant Archer is pushing him further back with his own blows. The Vampire isn’t as skilled as Archer, who gets in two more hits before a third tears open Monty’s leg. The Vampire lets out a shriek of outrage.

  “This isn’t over daughter.” In an instant, he is gone. All six men turn to me.

  “Daughter?” They ask in unison. I shrivel under their stares.

  “I didn’t know. He says he is, but I never knew my father. Mom never told me anything, Uncle neither. I have no clue if he is lying or not!” I shriek out, my nerves finally getting the best of me. Dare sprints forward and catches me as I collapse unto the filthy floor. “Take me home, Dare. Please, take me home.” He lifts me into his arms and jogs from the house.

  “As you wish, Parvulum.” I bury myself into his chest, taking his scent deep into my lungs.

  Woods and man.

  My man.

  ****

  As we settle into the Chopper I pull my shirt over my head and slip it on Marnie to cover her tattered dress. I glance discreetly at her chest and notice the wound where she’d been bitten was healed but had left a small scar, same as her neck and face. In a few days or possibly sooner, once she was stronger, even the scars would be gone. The physical ones anyway. The mental ones might take longer. I knew I should wait till we were alone but I couldn’t stand it anymore and had to know who touched my mate. I lean down to her ear and whisper as quietly as I can, hoping only she will hear me over the blades.

  “Who raped you?” Every man in the chopper freezes. Her face blushes a pretty pink. She shakes her head.

  “He didn’t….. I mean he said he would after all the blood was tried but then I got away and ran into Monty downstairs, that’s when he fled. When Monty said I was his daughter, I think he was scared he’d kill him if he knew what all he’d done. But he never did um… he just rubbed hard while he waited for the blood to digest so I couldn’t throw it up. I knew that’s what you thought was happening but….” I place a hand over her mouth to stop her nervous babbling.

  “Who’s he?” I growl. She jumps and I try to soften my expression but it doesn’t help.

  “A Patronus. I hadn’
t seen him before. But he had fangs, his bite didn’t kill me or make me sick and he growled like you do. From here.” She places her hand low on my chest.

  “He bit you, is he the same one who hit you?” She nods. Her eyes refusing to meet mine.

  “He did most of the abuse. He also got a kick out of my reactions to the different bloods.” She shrugs but cuts her eyes to Cash before quickly looking back at me. I can feel her confusion about something but from her nervousness when she looked at him I think I better wait to ask her. Archer cocks his head obviously listening to her inner thoughts. Bewilderment filters across his features as he looks between Cash and I.

  “What difference?” Fin asks oblivious to her state of mind.

  “Well, um…. Archer smelled sweet like candy and tasted like peppermint. His blood healed me but it took longer than normal and only closed the wounds. It left the ache and bruises from the beating.” I tense around her and she stops to look at me nervously with a question in her eyes.

  “Continue, I’m fine.” She nods then looks to Bane.

  “Bane smelt bittersweet but tasted like honey. His didn’t heal me at all and I was hungry much faster.” Her gaze goes back to Cash and she wiggles in my arms when he meets her eyes. Knowing she was caught she continues. “Cash, I almost laughed when I tasted yours. It was chocolate.” No one holds back their laughter when she grins at Cash who smirks at her.

  “Um…it smelt like smoke and… um… yours also had something else… You must have been using magic before Angie took it because the same thing I call power in Dare’s blood was in yours. It healed me completely before I was done drinking it and made me stronger. It was immediately after I drank yours that I broke the Patronus’s jaw and escaped the Stroli only to run into Monty.” Her blush was a deep crimson now and I wonder what she was leaving out.

  “You broke his jaw?” Cash asks impressed. She nods not meeting his eyes. Actually she hasn’t looked at him since she mentioned his taste. Her nerves were everywhere and something had her scared of his or my reaction to something unsaid.

  “What about Fin and I? What do we taste like?” Emmitt laughs out. She shrugs.

  “Didn’t make it to you two. Thank God. All the tastes and smells confused me. No offense boys but I would rather never have to drink your blood again. I’ll stick to my mate.” She snuggles into my chest her eyes locking onto my neck. Her stomach grumbles loudly causing a flinch.

  “Do you need to eat?” I ask her, catching her eye. That pretty blush grows deeper as she glances around the chopper.

  “I can wait.” She says on a gulp, her eyes locking back onto my neck. Chuckles come from around us.

  “Marnie, you have been through hell tonight. If you want to latch on to his neck then go for it. We will even look away if you want.” Cash laughs out, an unknown tension underlying his words. She meets his eyes directly, more emotion than is warranted in her voice.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.” His smile is slow but honest.

  “Soror, no matter which one of us had the woman on our lap the rest would be uncomfortable. I’m not going to lie to you, it is arousing for you when you do it and it is arousing for us to watch. That being said, we would rather you be well fed and taking care of our nephew than to sit there and wait just to make us feel better. Now eat up and feed that child.” She glances around to see their agreeing nods and encouraging smiles.

  “When you put it that way….” Her hand flutters over her belly for a moment before she turns her head and sinks her teeth deep into my neck as if she was starving for me. Maybe she was, I sure was for her but I held myself in check because of all she had been through today. Also we were in a chopper with my brothers and if I tasted her I would take her.

  My head drops back on the seat with a moan as power begins to ripple over my bare chest. The chopper is completely silent while we sit there, her feeding and me steadily growing with energy. After about ten minutes her head drops back, her eyes closed, her scars gone, her breathing deep and even, she was asleep. I was alive with power, on a helicopter, with her in my arms, and I couldn’t move for risk of blowing us out of the sky.

  “Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.” Bane mutters prompting me to lift my head and open my eyes. The inside of the chopper was well lit by the power crackling over my skin.

  “Nope. Not the best idea until I know how to control this. How much further Jack?” I ask meeting his wide eyed look. He clears his throat before looking back forward.

  “Twenty minutes till touchdown but I’m not rushing. You want me to step on it?” I laugh.

  “Yeah, that would be a good idea. If I sneeze we’re done for.” As I wanted the tension is cut as everyone but Jack laughs at the reminder of me blowing up the TV.

  Within five minutes we touchdown at the temporary housing. I didn’t believe they would attack here twice in less than two days so we returned here for the remainder of the night. The compound would be ready by tomorrow evening and we would move then. Cash jumps from the chopper then reaches up to me to take Marnie. He volunteered to carry her inside while I dismissed this power somehow. Fin offered to throw apples at my head but that was a little too messy for this late at night or early in the morning, however, you wanted to look at it. For now I was just going to try to blow a hole in the ground.

  I watch as Cash enters the house after Emmitt comes back out to let him know it’s clear. Watching them rally around Marnie tonight like she was truly their sister filled me with pride for my brothers. I realized once she was taken how much the woman had come to mean to me. I had always heard that love came eventually with our mates, some even got lucky enough to have it come as quickly as a couple of weeks after The Claiming. It had barely been a week since she rescued me in that forest and I was head over heels in love with her. If I stopped lying to myself I’d say I was in love with her as I carried her through the forest away from the Stroli and Vamps attacking our campsite.

  Now I just had to find a way to tell her.

  ****

  I wake in warm, strong, arms that feel all wrong. Cash’s deep smoky smell washes over me as we enter mine and Dare’s bedroom. My body tenses remembering the monster holding me here.

  “It’s alright. You’re home. We checked the house, it’s clear. Dare will be in soon. Go back to sleep, Soror.” No, I’m not home. Not yet. He lays me on the bed and covers me up then turns to leave.

  “Cash?” He pivots back to face me. I pat the bed. “Sit for a minute. I need to talk to you about something rather embarrassing.” He quirks a brow with a smug smile as he sits.

  “And what could that be?” Humor drips from his voice.

  “Um… The Patronus, he said something and I need an honest answer from you. You will probably lie to me anyway but I have to ask. I will wonder forever if I don’t.” I keep my eyes averted from him while I babble. He lays a hand on my cheek turning it to face him.

  “I told you the day we went shopping I would never lie to you. Now what has you tied up in knots? I could see something bothering you on the chopper but didn’t want to push you. Was it the fact my blood was different from theirs?” I slide my hand over his in comfort.

  “Sort of. I fought theirs. The minute yours touched my tongue I wanted more. I think it was the fact I could feel it healing me because it wasn’t anything like what Dare’s does to me but it was relief. The wounds closed, the pain abated, I felt alive again, you know?” He nods when I pause in thought. “The Patronus…he said that he thought the reason the woman was given a choice is more than one brother could have been my mate and my reaction to your blood says it was you. You didn’t speak up because I had already chose Dare and he claimed I was his. Is this true? Did you feel what Dare did?” His face softens and a small smile creeps up his lips.

  “I don’t know what answer you want Marnie but the truth is no. I felt a pull, yes. But it was an instant like, a brotherly kind of like. Dare’s claim is the rightful claim. You were meant for
him and only him. I don’t know why this man thinks this but it simply isn’t true. I love you as a sister and I will be here for you when you need me but that is all. I did not and will not claim a mate that isn’t mine.” A knot that had been in my stomach since hearing the man talk unties itself and finally lets me relax. Relief flies through me that I hadn’t upset my brother by not choosing him when only Dare had ever held my interest.

  “Thank you. You don’t know how bad what he said scared me. I love you like a brother and nothing more but to think I hurt you made my insides tight. I might not agree with all that’s happened with Dare but he is mine and I love him.” I whimper and throw a hand over my mouth. “Oh shit! I said that out loud again and it wasn’t to Dare!” Cash throws his head back and laughs.

  “I won’t tell him if you don’t. But you do need to tell him those words. He is a hard man to understand but he loves you too, Marnie. If you don’t believe me go check out what he did to Emmitt’s room while we were searching for you. It is destroyed.” He chuckles. I rub my knuckles awkwardly.

  “I felt that, I don’t need to see it.” His smile fades some.

  “Are you okay after….” His fingers begin to thrum rapidly on the bed and I cover them gently with my hand.

  “I will be but if you don’t mind will you stay till Dare comes in?” With his nod I snuggle down into the bed then add almost as an afterthought. “And leave the light on please. Only till I fall asleep.” I yawn and let my eyes close.

  “You got it, Soror. No more worries tonight. You’re safe now.” He gently caresses my hair comfortingly as I drift into a state of in between. Several minutes later footsteps can be heard entering my room and bringing with it the strong scent of woods and man. I want to see him however, my eyes refuse to open.