If I wouldn’t go to my sons, they decided to come to me and they brought the twins with them. Sierra looked like a tiny version of her mother and my heart ached. It wasn’t the same, though. The pain was dull compared to the usual stabbing loss since Alba’s death.
And… I fucked up again. Talya was going for my head with the rolling pin. It wouldn’t have killed me, so maybe I should have allowed the wood to connect. It might have knocked some sense into me. Conner and Asia couldn’t stop laughing once we got upstairs.
“Remember when mom took a two-by-four and started beating us all?” Asia said between bursts of laughter.
“And when she cut up all the sweatpants because we left them all over the house,” Conner joined him.
I remembered all that and more. Alba was a worthy mate and so was Talya.
I shook my head trying to focus on the two boys. Rondy and Treson had several hours’ head start. They didn’t know where to look, so I was sure they headed out in no particular direction. My scent was too prominent to figure out which way I came from last, so I figured they had no chance of finding the poachers.
I held on to that thought until we came across a fresh kill. The boys’ scent was all around the skinned alligator. Shit. We followed their trail for another mile before stopping. The smell of blood was fresh. Human blood. Rondy’s.
We could see from the drag marks that the poachers took the boys. Why hadn’t Treson shifted and taken care of the men? He was more than able. As soon as the thought processed in my brain, I knew why. He wasn’t trained to harm humans. He’d been trained to hide and never show his beast form. Hell, he and Mase hid from the cats who threatened the women in order to keep them all safe. Other cats were their enemies as much as they were mine.
Fuck.
Blood dripped along the trail until the trail met tire tracks. They were gone and they had my pack with them. Unless they’d taken Rondy for medical attention, the humans sealed their fate.
Talya was silent, which for her was unusual. I glanced her way seeing terror and anger in her eyes.
“We’ll find them and you’ll get your friend back.”
Now her anger centered on me and the terror took a backseat. “What, so you can deck him again?”
“Talya, that’s enough. Both of them are part of our pack whether they’ve chosen to stay or not. I take care of mine.” But I hadn’t. Alba died and I wasn’t there to stop it. A sense of dread filled me, but at the same time, I swore to myself that Rondy would survive.
“I’ve never followed the tire tracks for more than a few miles. There’s no way we’ll be back before dark. I’ll notify The Moor so he’s ready and he can fix Rondy’s injury when we find him.”
Talya shook her head. We both knew the amount of blood we saw and the larger amount that the swampy land absorbed would probably seal his fate. We followed the tracks for miles before the vehicle crossed out of our territory. It didn’t matter; we were finding them tonight. As we came closer to a small town, we shifted and put on our clothing. Talya remained silent. Conner and Asia kept me from reassuring her. I didn’t want her to snap at me or worse, cry. I knew she held back tears because of my sons.
There were no longer tracks to follow as the streets turned to concrete. We knew what we were looking for, though. If we were lucky, the men lived here. If not, we might never find them. At the third house, we caught the boys’ scent again and found spots of blood leading to the back door. No lights were on inside. A back window was open and we climbed through. The bed in the small room was empty. The other bedroom was empty of humans, but stacks of dried alligator skins rested on the floor. They’d been stealing from other places, not just our territory. Conner signaled me to a door that was open a few inches. It led down into a cellar. I could hear snoring from below.
Alba died in a cellar. Sweat dampened my palms. I looked at my sons and they knew exactly what I was thinking. Talya touched the back of my hand. I turned my palm toward hers and squeezed. I took the lead and silently went down the stairs.
We could easily see in the dark. Two cots were against the far wall; the smell of alcohol strong. In the corner, Treson was tied up. They hadn’t bothered with Rondy and I couldn’t hear him breathing. With Treson’s arms tied behind him he couldn’t shift. He nodded his head toward the cots. The guy lying in the one closest to me had a large handgun resting on his chest.
Talya didn’t care; she went to Rondy.
“Death,” I whispered to my sons.
The poachers didn’t have a chance. They were lucky Conner and Asia made it quick. I untied Treson. Talya cried softly and it broke my heart.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Treson said over and over.
They were fucking kids and never trained to fight. I sent my thoughts out to The Moor, “We need you here.” He could easily find me, and a second later he stood at my side. He bent down to Rondy and lifted his hand.
“No, no, no, Goddess no, please let him live.” Talya’s sobs grew louder.
“He is too close to death for my bite to cure him, Talya. I am sorry.” The Moor released Rondy’s wrist.
Talya looked at me. The horror of each and every devastation in her life poured from her eyes. No sparkle left there. My power built as I tried to share it with her and make her stronger. “Change him,” I said to The Moor. “He’s her friend and he has a pure soul. Change the boy, Morris, please.”
Hope filled Talya’s eyes.
“Without beastkind blood for a time, he will age a few years. But then he will stay that age forever. Is that what he would choose?” The Moor spoke only to Talya.
There was no doubt on her face. “Yes, he would want to live as vampire.”
“I cannot promise to save him. It may be too late, but I will try.” The Moor lifted Rondy’s arm again and turned his wrist. His teeth came down at the same time he struck. Rondy never moved. I knew the tricky part was judging death. The Moor drained Rondy’s blood and within seconds of his final heartbeat, The Moor’s blood must enter Rondy’s body. Could The Moor pass enough of the vampire enzymes to Rondy to save him?
Talya cried but kept Rondy’s head in her lap as his life faded. The Moor withdrew his fangs and looked at me. There were so many problems with what he was doing. Future problems, but I knew he did it for me. He’d stood by me through all my pain and suffering. It’s why I accepted him as my liege. I owed this man everything.
He bit into his own wrist, tearing away a jagged piece of skin, muscle, and vein. Blood poured forth. He held his wrist to Rondy’s mouth, which was partially open, and let the blood drip past the boy’s lips. Nothing happened. The Moor’s flesh healed and he bit into it again. Nothing.
The boy was dead.
Talya’s eyes met mine. She knew it was over. Her shoulders slumped as she held Rondy tighter. I wanted to hold her and never let go. Her crying filled the room. I hated basements—hated that another person who was under my care died.
Talya sucked in a breath when Rondy’s entire body jerked. A minute later, the kid’s hands came up and wrapped around The Moor’s arm. Talya laughed and hugged him even tighter.
Rondy fed as vampire.
Chapter Forty-One
Talya
We were home. Rondy was upstairs in a small room on the third floor being cared for by Becca. The rest of us were downstairs explaining what happened. Conner and Asia disposed of the human bodies and joined us at the tail end of the conversation.
Ivan stood next to me while I reclined in a chair; everyone else was in chairs or on the floor. He took my hand and pulled me up. “My mate and I will return in an hour. Meet us back here at that time.”
He didn’t give me a chance to protest. We left the house and within a few minutes I realized we headed to the cabins. Ivan lit a candle after we entered. The look on his face was not friendly, sexy, or welcoming. He began to pace and my heart sank. I couldn’t take rejection from him again.
He finally stopped. “I can’t picture her face. Her smile
is forever gone to me. You fill my head.” He grabbed his head and at that moment I wanted to die. But Ivan wasn’t finished. “I hate you. Everything about you. Your smell. The way you follow me with your eyes. I hate that look of fear you get sometimes when you see me.” He drew in a long breath. “I hate that I love you so fucking much.”
I couldn’t breathe. This was not the way I needed to hear these words. Ivan was at a crossroads. My previously broken heart shattered into small bits of pain that squeezed my chest. The Moor’s previous words entered my mind, “He needs you so he can live.”
This was all I had. The last time I would give him my shattered heart because I would die without him. I took a ragged breath. “Then hate me. Hate my body until I can’t breathe. Hate the way my eyes follow you. Hate my fear. I do. But never stop loving me.”
He took a step forward and went to his knees. He lifted his hand to mine and I put my hand out. He gripped it like a lifeline. “I don’t hate you. I hate myself. You shouldn’t love me.”
I wanted to laugh. To Cry. To scream. “Just love me until the day we die. I will never leave you. I want your children. I will raise them as my own. If you share stories of their mother, I will make sure they never forget her. I will never forget her.”
Ivan, the alpha of the Southeast clan, cried. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me while crying heart-wrenching sobs into my chest. He needed to cleanse his soul and fill mine. I was made for him. All the pain I’d suffered in my life was for this reason. I held my mate and shared his pain. I was Talya. An alpha. A survivor.
He finally pulled back enough to look at me. “You will never break that promise. I will not take another breath if you leave me.”
“I swear it.”
He stood and pulled me up leading me to the bed. We fell on the comforter, our hands everywhere. Touching. Seeking. Learning. This was mating. Two people who loved each other. Two people destined to be with each other forever.
His lips were everywhere. He nipped my flesh and growled when I nipped his. Laughed when I tickled his ribs and then returned the favor. Moans, sighs, laughter, and love filled the cabin. My heart filled with him, the pieces weaving together as our heartbeats synchronized. Two souls became one.
***
He pulled me back to the house against my protests. I wanted to stay the night at the cabin. Our special place. Hell, I wanted to live there forever.
Everyone waited in the great room. Ivan circled his arms around me standing before curious eyes. Four females, two males. The children were upstairs sleeping, including Ivan’s twins. Cecily had put the children to bed and retired for the night. She said little when she learned Rondy was a vampire. I was glad to put off the discussion to when we were alone. Her eyes told me she wasn’t entirely happy with the decision. It was Rondy’s opinion I cared about, though. Cecily would calm if Rondy forgave me for making the choice to save his life.
Ivan’s sons stood back from the circle. I was so glad they were here. Ivan needed them even if they were here for only a short time.
“We will have an official ceremony with The Moor and Becca within the next few weeks. Tonight I ask you to make a decision.” He slowly looked at each one of them. “Isa and Mitty, I have failed you. I provided protection, but I did not give you what you needed more. Unconditional acceptance. For that I ask your forgiveness. I would be honored if you gave me your allegiance. If you choose not to, I will understand and respect your decision. My sons will see you safely to Canada and assure that you are cared for.”
Mitty was shaking. Isa looked at me and I smiled softly to let her know I too would respect her choice. Isa took Mitty’s hand and walked forward. “We wish to stay.”
Ivan nodded. “Then look up and meet my eyes.”
The women slowly raised their heads. Ivan let no power seep out. He released me and reached into his pocket. His hand came out holding a small knife I’d seen in the cabin. He placed his palm up and sliced the skin. He took my hand and repeated the cut. His hand went out to Isa and she placed her hand in his. Mitty was next. Ivan took my hand and mixed the blood into my palm. He then reached for Isa and Mitty again so we all touched and he sealed their allegiance. Blood dripped to the tiled floor, but I didn’t care. The faint power of a clan grew.
Ivan turned to Lacy and Marisol. “I offer you the same.” They both stepped closer and the ritual was repeated. Mase and Treson were next. When the blood ritual ended we began removing our clothing. Ivan would call our beasts and the ceremony would end.
“Wait a minute, old man,” said Asia. “We didn’t come all this way to be left out. We came to join you, our father, and help you build a new life if you will have us.”
Ivan approached his sons and spread his arms gathering Conner and Asia to him. Asia looked at me over his father’s shoulder and put his arm out. I walked into the embrace. Ivan twisted his head. “Everyone, group hug.”
We laughed and hugged. Conner and Asia gave their allegiance to their father. Then they undressed too. We should have been outside for this, but no one cared. Ivan threw his head back and howled. He released his power and let it soar. I could do nothing but release mine. In twos and threes everyone shifted until it was only Ivan and me standing as human among the beasts.
“You have untapped power and I can’t wait to see it grow,” he said before he shifted to wolf. My cat flowed over me until only beasts stood in the room. The wolves howled and the cats growled.
“What is all this racket?” Cecily demanded as she walked into the room. “It’s one thing to run around like animals outside, but if this is how you behave inside, I’ll be posting rules in the morning.”
Our minds linked and we all laughed together inside our heads.
“I’m going back to bed, so keep down that caterwauling or I’m ordering flea baths for each of you.”
Ivan shifted and opened the front door so we could run outside. He closed the door and shifted back to wolf before leading his new pack on our first hunt.
“I love you, mate,” he said into my mind.
“I love you more.”
“Impossible!”
Chapter Forty-Two
Talya
I went upstairs in search of Rondy the following morning. I could hear the vampire talking as I approached. Rondy looked exhausted. I knew the change would be difficult for him at first. He looked at me with amber eyes. He would gain control of the color as he grew stronger.
I knew better than to take his hand. He had no idea how strong he was. I kneeled on the floor in front of his chair. “I’m sorry I took this decision from you. I couldn’t lose you, Rondy.”
His slight smile turned into a wide grin. “You know I can kick your man’s ass now, right?”
The smartass. “Is that all you care about?”
“It’s only one of many things. I have so much to learn and now I have lifetimes to learn it all. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.”
“I love you, Rondy.” I did. He was my friend. My brother.
“I’m told I can’t touch anyone yet, but if I could I would hug you. When I gain control, you will give me that hug.”
I saw him glance behind me and I knew Ivan stood there. “I will give you a hug every day.” I got the desired growl. “My mate will understand or you will kick his ass for me if he doesn’t.”
“That’s a deal. That flea bag needs a lesson in friendship.”
“Are you both finished pushing my buttons?”
“Not even close,” we said at the same time and then started laughing. Ivan had a smile as did Becca and The Moor.
I left the room with Ivan, the weight of Rondy’s life lifted from my shoulders. Footsteps up and down the stairs surprised me. “What are they doing?”
Ivan placed his arm around my shoulder. “Cecily is taking over the room off the kitchen. Her knees ache when she climbs the stairs. Our place is with our pack. There is a large bedroom at the end of the hall with a private bath. Your room awaits, mate.”
>
“Is it the same bed from below?” I asked.
Ivan gave me a curious look. “Yes, we carried it up.”
“Well, it’s in a new location and that means it must be christened. How fast can you clear everyone out of the room?”
“Hell, not this again,” Conner said. “Come on everyone, we need to find something to do to occupy ourselves a few miles away. Take my word for it.”
Everyone followed as quickly as possible. I heard the giggles and didn’t care. I was giggling too. Ivan scooped me up and carried me into our new bedroom. Nothing was organized which didn’t matter in the least. We pushed clothes and other items from the bed.
“Remove your clothes kitten.”
No fear. Nothing but desire filled me. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Six month later…
Rondy
No one told me being a vampire was such hard work. Human blood held little delight. The bags, even warmed, tasted like shit. I understood the reason for my months of abstinence, but it was just plain cruel. Treson was the first beastkind I shared blood with. The rush was incredible, and Treson was now my best friend. He was the brother I lost.
I teased Treson constantly because I no longer looked like a kid. He had a few years to go before he settled into becoming the continued diet for vampires that would make him stop aging. My new identity showed my age as twenty-four. It might be stretching it, but I had a birth certificate to prove it. The Moor pulled a lot of strings to set me up in my new life. Not that I was leaving; I would spend another six months with the Southeast clan and then go to Vorlyk’s Northeast clan where Nicolas and Zenya were. I knew the longer I was vampire the harder it would be to stay around other vamps, or bloodsuckers as Talya liked to call me. When that became a problem, I was joining Amy and Marcus. Amy had no problem with other vamps and The Moor said she might rub off on me. At least that’s what we hoped.
Fang Chronicles: Ivan Page 19