by C. M. Owens
“I need to learn how to fight,” Leah says, snapping me out of my reverie.
“Right now?” I ask as she adjusts her sheet.
“No time like the present.”
Her sheet vanishes and clothes appear in its place. Roslyn smirks before walking away, and Leah and I are left alone in the darkness as she takes in her tight pants and sports bra.
Fucking hell. Like I can focus on fighting while she’s wearing that.
“No,” I state, backing away.
She blurs to be in front of me, reminding me how fucking fast she already was before I turned her. Her eyes meet mine, and she throws a punch I’m not prepared for.
The air abandons my lungs in a rush when she hits me right in the side, and I stumble forward. I cough and glare back at her while she smirks at me.
“I’m not going to fucking hit you.”
“Then kicking your ass will be less fun,” she states flatly, jumping up and kicking me in the chest.
I stagger backwards, cursing all the strength she has now. The night stalker combined with the anointed strength… She packs a fucking punch.
She struts a slow circle around me, and I watch her with narrowed eyes. She’s poised, in control, alert… She’s sure as hell not acting bound by me.
She spins, throwing her leg out, but I catch it and jerk her against me. I feel my eyes light up in warning, and she smirks like she just won something.
“There’s my scary vampire,” she whispers before shoving me off her and then kicking again.
I grab her leg and sling her down to the ground, watching as she smiles up at me from all fours. Fuck me. She looks like a predator and prey all at once, and I want to remind her who she belongs to, even though I hate myself for it.
She stands slowly, running her hands up her sides, seducing me… distracting me.
“I don’t like being a damsel in distress, Zee. I’ve never had to fight. Despite who or what I am, it’s not as easy to defend myself as everyone thinks it should be. Next time, I want to save myself.”
I blur across the yard, taking her by surprise when I slam her back against the tree and press myself against her, pinning her in place as she struggles.
“There won’t be a next time. You’re fucking staying right beside me,” I growl, feeling every protective instinct in me trying to drag me back to the darkness… To the place where all my control rests in her hands.
“I guess that means you can’t leave then,” she says with a more pronounced smirk, once again acting victorious.
She needs to stop acting like she’s won a prize and taunting me. She has no clue what she’s gotten herself into.
Fate is one twisted bitch for throwing her into my lap. Didn’t it know what I would do to her? Didn’t it know I’d ruin her?
There’s no control.
She’s my trigger, my switch, and my fucking detonation button all in one small, feisty package.
Tugging her head back by her hair, I brush my lips against hers, teasing her. Toying with her.
“Fight me,” I whisper, using my other hand to grip her hip and grind myself against her.
“Make me,” she whispers back.
My lips crush against hers, and she moans into my mouth as her fingers thread through my hair. The leg I’m holding slides up my waist, and I push her into the tree even more, claiming her mouth the way I feel like claiming the rest of her body.
Suddenly I’m falling backwards, and a small pain radiates from my side as I catch myself. Leah is smirking, seeming pleased with her sucker punch to my side as she struts a little more.
“You look like a wet dream right now,” I point out, narrowing my eyes at her. “That’s hardly intimidating.”
“It’s easier to draw your prey in than to have to chase them,” she reminds me, essentially throwing some of our own words back at me after the many times she’s pointed out the way we look.
My lips twitch, and I straighten my back, preparing to catch her off guard. I can feel the eyes on us, watching us as we play this fucked up game of ours.
“You spend too much time seducing, leaving yourself open to attack,” I say, acting as though I’m teaching her.
No fucking way am I ever letting her fight someone again. Not for real.
“Oh?” she muses, running a hand through her hair as her eyes heat with lust, promising me she’s all mine if I take her. But I’ll have to take her, because she’s not coming willingly.
She wants to be taken.
She wants me to be the predator.
She’s seriously crazy.
But it’s not like anything worse can happen. Already I’ve done the unthinkable, and now there’s nothing left to do but to own it. Own her.
I launch myself at her, grabbing her at the waist, but her knee comes up, slamming into my side and knocking me off her. She has the advantage, since I refuse to actually strike her.
Her eyes move down my bare chest, sliding down to where my jeans are unbuttoned, and her bottom lip folds between her teeth.
The second her gaze doesn’t move back up, I attack again, and this time I tackle her to the ground, pinning her arms above her head while using the rest of my body to hold her down, anchoring her in place.
Her half-ass struggles tell me she’s ready to be caught, and I kiss her hard, fucking her mouth with my tongue as she arches into me instead of trying to push away.
Her hands go from fighting my grip to curling, pressing her nails into her palms, while I keep her wrists restrained. Her sexy moans and pants fall into my mouth, and I drink them down like I can’t get enough.
I’m the worst thing for her, but she’s the best fucking thing to ever happen to me.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Drackus—the fuck?—says, startling both of us as we look up and see him looming nearby with an amused expression, “but we have a problem.”
I groan as Leah rolls out from under me and stands up on shaky legs. As I climb to my feet, I mutter, “Always a fucking problem.”
Chapter 27
ZEE
“The anointed group attacked an underground fight facility. Only five fey were killed. The rest were human,” Drackus announces, and everyone goes still.
“Why would they go there?” I ask, confused.
“Because there’s blood, so obviously bloodsuckers go there,” Chaz mutters. “Stupid fucks. I told them to shut down until we had the anointed group isolated or gone.”
“You know them?” Gage asks.
Chaz ignores him and turns his gaze to Drackus. “Any messages this time?”
Drackus slowly nods, and he glances at Leah in a way I really don’t fucking like.
“They took hostages this time. The fight club was just a public spot to send the message.”
“What hostages and what message?” Ella prompts.
Again, Drackus’s gaze drifts to my girl, and he gives me an apologetic look. I don’t want her to hear this. But before I can get her out of here, he answers.
“Bring the Aquarius, or never see them again. They stole twelve fey children who were recently rescued from the rings. The children were in a temporary home until they could find permanent living arrangements, since their parents were dead. Now… Now they have them. And they know how to restrain them, even the ones who have already started using magic.”
Leah goes stiff in my arms, and I curse while pulling her tighter against me. Her body is too rigid to loosen up though.
“How did they get those children?” Thad growls.
“We didn’t know about them. They were under Slade’s protection,” Drackus states flatly, and I go stiff this time.
That motherfucker still has to die.
Drackus blows out a weary breath. “We only know because one of the children escaped and was picked up by a human. The child tried contacting Slade, but couldn’t get ahold of him. It was a shifter—a new-to-power shifter.”
Thad groans, and I scrub my face.
“What does that mean?”
Leah asks quietly.
“It means the kid didn’t have control over his or her shifts, and emotional distress really fucks with you,” Thad explains, then turns back to Drackus. “Did the kid hurt the human?”
Drackus shakes his head. “No, but the human panicked and called 911. One of our dark users overheard the call while keeping tabs on the emergency lines. Kane had the boy shifter picked up and brought to a safe house. Then he sent me here to you. This is big. It needs big attention.”
“It needs my attention,” Leah states calmly, standing up.
I grab her arm, and everyone else stands too.
“Fuck no. You’re not going to them. We’ll save the kids. This isn’t our first ransom rodeo,” I tell her, jerking her to me.
The bonds… She shouldn’t be able to defy me. She shouldn’t be able to lie to me. Hell, she shouldn’t even have the ability to disappoint me.
But she’s not bonded. Or at least she doesn’t act like it. Somehow I didn’t bond her when I sired her, and I half blame her bloodline’s hex for having side effects.
“I can’t just sit here and pretend as though those kids’ lives aren’t in jeopardy because of me. I can’t pretend as though people aren’t dying because of me. I have to do something, Zee. My life isn’t more precious than any of theirs.”
She looks up at me with sad, pained eyes, and her lip trembles before she turns back to Drackus. She defied me, and she seems to be in no pain.
“Where are they?” she asks.
“Fuck no!” I bark, jerking her around to face me again.
“Zee’s right,” Chaz interjects. “We’ve handled these situations numerous times. If you go in, they’re not going to stop. They’ll keep doing what they’re doing, only they won’t be doing with a ‘purpose’ anymore. This isn’t because of you. They’re just tagging your name onto it as a way of getting what they want. Those kids will still be locked up. They’ll—”
“They’ll keep them to study,” Karma says as tears fill her eyes. “Like they did me. Like they did Kya. Like they did so many others.”
Kimber stands and grabs a knife from the table.
“What are you doing?” Gage asks her, grabbing her at the elbow.
“Going to find out more information. I have contacts all over.”
“You’re sure as fuck not going alone.”
He threads his fingers with hers, and they disappear through a portal without another word.
Roslyn picks up her phone, and she looks around warily. “I’m going to call my mother. She might know something or someone who will help.”
I still don’t trust Sadie, and Sadie sure as hell never wants to be alone with me again. I don’t regret torturing her, and Roslyn knows it. It’s why she usually keeps her distance from me.
“So everyone else is about to go on a mission to find out how to save these kids, when the answer is going to stay here?” Leah asks defiantly.
Thad looks over at me, clearing his throat as he stands. “I’m just gonna go… anywhere else. Holler if you need me.”
Jackass.
He’s gone almost as soon as the words are out of his mouth, and Drackus clears his throat before looking at Leah. “Believe it or not, this is where we shine. We’ll handle this. It’s why Kane wants this group dealing with it.”
Karma walks over and places her hand on Leah’s arm. “Trust us. They got me and Kimber out not too long ago. We’ll get the kids, and we’ll win.”
I wrap my arms around Leah’s waist, holding her to me as she remains a stone in my embrace.
“I’m not losing you,” I murmur against her head, kissing her softly.
She sighs hard while looking away. “I just talked you out of walking away from me, Zee. You were prepared to lose me an hour ago for a far less noble reason.”
Drackus walks out, apparently finding the air awkward now. I spin her around as Dice kicks up his feet and crosses his arms over his chest, preparing to watch the show. Karma slaps his shoulder and grabs him by the hand, pulling him out as he pouts.
We’re alone when Leah’s eyes meet mine.
“I didn’t want you to suf—”
“You didn’t want to feel guilty for doing this to me,” she interrupts, using her eyes to dare me to say otherwise. “You were going to leave me over guilt, and now you act like you can’t allow me to go do something good? My guilt outweighs yours a hundred-fold, Zee. People are dying because of me. A lot of people.”
“That’s not your fucking fault!” I yell, getting closer. “That’s on them. Not you. They’re going to kill anyway. Don’t let them get inside your head. We will handle this, Leah. We will.”
She turns away from me, and she stares out the window. Life would be easier if we could start predicting the future, but Kimber’s visions have almost dried up. She barely even sees scrambled images anymore.
Which is why she took off immediately to go track down facts. She felt guilty.
We’re all full of guilt apparently.
Chaz calls my name from somewhere down the hall, and I kiss Leah’s cheek before walking off to find him. As soon as I round the corner, he’s standing there, looking every bit as defeated and exhausted as I feel.
“I need some juice, more than Dice’s power can offer,” he whispers. The look in his eyes lets me know this isn’t easy for him to ask. I’m still coming down off a power high, so I have plenty of excess, which is why I’m sure he’s asking. Not to mention, I’ve had more than enough of my girl’s blood.
“Take what you need,” I tell him without hesitance.
He glances over his shoulder, and his eyes go back to a book.
“I said take it,” I whisper again.
“I am,” he says with a small smile. “You won’t feel a thing.”
“Think you could do this to Slade? Weaken him?” I ask, feeling a bit of inspiration strike.
“I’ve tried. It’s like he’s barred himself against it. Considering he lived next door to two red jinn for a while, I’m not surprised he figured out how to do that.”
Damn. Always something.
Standing there, I let him silently feed, even though I can’t even tell he’s doing anything, and I try to come up with a plan that includes Leah staying with me. No way in fucking hell am I turning her over.
Chapter 28
LEAH
I hear everyone talking in various rooms throughout the house. No one even involves me in any of the conversations, as though I won’t be useful. There’s one thing I’m really damn good at.
I just don’t know how to make it happen right now.
Grabbing my knives, I glance around, soaking in the view of Zee with his head down as he talks with Chaz near the kitchen. Neither of them notice me slipping out.
This could be the last time I see Zee, but there’s no way he’ll let me go through with my plan. He doesn’t want to risk my life.
He doesn’t want to lose me.
He wants me protected at all times.
That makes a thousand unexplored feelings try to surface, but this isn’t a time for selfish feelings and desires.
Even if it was short lived, I got to have something special. I got to have something I never thought I would.
I got to have him. And he has given me more than I even thought to want.
But now it’s time to give back, even if it’s not what he wants in return. My ancestors chose a side. It was the side they were designed to choose, and they chose to be brutal, merciless, vengeful, and callous.
History isn’t repeating itself with me.
It’s a suicide mission, but I turn on the GPS tracker on my phone, something I never told them I had. Something I never planned to use.
Kya has done nothing but be a savior and a friend. I’m about to betray her trust with this action, but I think she’ll understand.
My phone guides me toward the beeping signal, and I run faster and harder, trying to gain a lot of ground quickly before they notice I’m missing. My legs move fa
ster than ever before, and I thought I was quick back then.
The wind buzzes by me, and the signal grows stronger with every bit of distance I cover. But I stumble to a halt when I see the last person I was expecting to see.
Silver eyes narrow on mine, and his jaw ticks.
“You,” he growls.
“Yeah. I know. You hate my ancestors, and you want me dead. Kill me later. I’m trying to save all those kids. I need Kya, and it says she’s supposed to be here.”
I hold my phone up, and he cocks his head like he’s studying me. The last time I was around him, he slit my throat and beat the hell out of me. Then he left me for dead.
Now, I’m having to talk to him like he’s not thinking of skinning me alive.
He holds up a phone, and he snarls at me again.
“That’s Kya’s?”
He nods once, like he’s still waiting on retribution or a trick. His eyes shift from side to side, and I half wonder why he’s out here alone.
“Shit,” I grumble, looking around. “I was trying to ask her if she could help me track them.”
“You want to join your friends?” he asks, but I ignore the accusatory tone.
“I want to free those children. Kya is the only one who would be willing to help me.”
When I look back, he’s still watching me, as if I’m going to grow an extra set of legs at any second and run away. Or run right at him.
“They took her,” he finally says.
“What?” My brow furrows in confusion.
“I just found her phone. She was assigned to watch the children as punishment for siding with you. They fucking took her.”
The blood in my veins goes cold, and my temper snaps before I realize it. My fist flies into the nearest tree, and splinters splash all around me. Shock rattles through me when I realize I just slammed a hole in its center.
As I pull my hand back out, I look up to see Slade has moved to be in front of me, still gauging me.
“You care for Kya.”
It’s a statement, not a question. “She’s the only good thing you have in your shithole group. Yes, I care about her. She’s real. Unlike you.”
I turn to walk away, ignoring his growling and snarling. I’ll call Marilyn. She might ask questions, but she’ll know how to fucking track someone. She can walk me—