Gravity (Mageri Series: Book 4)

by Dark, Dannika

  “Cross,” Tarek bellowed. “I see you made it, and not a moment too soon. The little woman was getting tired so I had to give her a little waking up, if you know what I mean.” He winked and kissed my shoulder.

  Logan stared at him, a man bored by childish attempts to instigate a reaction. When his voice melted out, it was so sincere that my chest burned. “Congratulations to the both of you.”

  I looked up at Tarek, whose eyes were fixated on the woman clutching Logan’s arm. I tried not to look at her, but I knew who she was.

  Red Dress.

  When I had gone to the Gathering where Chitahs went in search of their kindred spirit, I’d found Logan encircled by a group of women. Red Dress was the blonde in the red gown who had decided Logan was hers.

  Now he was.

  She delivered the most satisfactory smile when she recognized me standing beside Tarek. I imagined a glint of light sparkling off her tooth to the sound of a bell.

  “Sire, I would like you to meet Eva.”

  Eva lowered her head respectfully at Tarek. “It’s such an honor to meet you,” she spoke softly. “This is an exquisite home; you are a man of great taste.”

  Tarek would have enjoyed the compliment had he not been so perplexed with what exactly was going on.

  Logan’s hand cupped just below her ribs and he leaned into her in a familiar way. “Eva and I have known each other for many years and she has accepted my offer to be her mate, bypassing the traditional courtship.”

  Tarek froze, and his hand squeezed my waist painfully, but I was numb.

  “Mate, you say? But how can that be when Silver here is your kindred spirit?”

  Eva laughed with closed lips. “Surely you’re kidding? Didn’t you claim her at the Gathering?”

  “I did,” Tarek boasted, pulling me against him, a trace of his scent leaking onto me. “Silver is my mate, and I had every right to claim her. Not before Logan tried, but he was not man enough for her. Silver made the wiser choice, as I’m sure you would have.”

  Tarek’s words softened and I realized his backup plan was to woo Logan’s woman. If I had to share a house with Eva as Tarek’s mate…

  Logan shook his head lightly. “Silver could never be my kindred spirit—this I know now. She’s not a Chitah, and I can’t be sure what influence her Mage energy had on me. Eva embodies a selfless quality that I admire, and any man would be lucky to have a woman who is so attentive to a male’s needs.”

  I couldn’t help it, but I involuntarily snapped my gaze at Christian standing at the far end of the room. His shoulders lifted in a guilty shrug until he saw how pissed off I was. Then I got his nasty glare. Surely Logan didn’t come to his own conclusion that Eva was perfect in every way. Christian had only planted the idea for him to find a mate—at least, that’s what he told me. If Logan could fall this quickly for another, then I had doubts that his feelings for me ran as deep as he once proclaimed.

  Tarek scratched his chin and studied Logan in a serious manner. He looked up because he didn’t match Logan in height. He was huskier in size and exuded strength in other ways.

  “A fine woman Eva appears to be, but I’m surprised, Cross. Silver has only recently broken it off with you. Mated?” Tarek snorted. “Surely not.”

  “You’re not mistaken,” Logan replied, eyes piercing Tarek like arrows. “I’m pleased to see Silver has found someone who fulfills her needs as I have. What’s between you and I will never be right, but my interest in pursuing the Mage is over. You have my best wishes for a successful mating. If you don’t mind, I promised to show Eva around.”

  Logan bowed his head and stepped back, disappearing into the thick crowd with his new woman. Before losing sight of them, I saw Logan lean in and nuzzle against her neck. I hadn’t been as prepared for that moment as I thought.

  Tarek looked like he had a timer in his eyes, seconds from detonation.

  He yanked me into a private room and as he slammed the door, I released a sorrowful breath, devastated by Logan’s resolve. Weak in the knees, I sat in a plush chair and stared at my shaking hands.

  “What is this game he plays?” Tarek ground through his teeth. “Why is he not strung out on you?”

  “I don’t know,” I whispered, looking at my hands, turning them to fists.

  “Don’t you?” he roared.

  “No, I don’t! Do you think I want to see him standing in the arms of some tramp? You think it’s so easy for me to sit here and accept everything I’ve had to give up because of you? It doesn’t look like it went your way, and now you’ve ruined my life and made an ass out of yourself,” I shouted. “His feelings for her are not a lie; I could see it on his face and I’m certain you could scent it.”

  Tarek held on to the fireplace mantel as if he wanted to pry it from the wall.

  “Maybe he’s the biggest liar of us all. I thought he would have loved me more,” I whispered. “I honestly believed that he was willing to wait for me.”

  “I apologize for the intrusion, Your Lordship. The guests are asking for you,” a man interrupted from the door.

  “Stall them,” Tarek replied, and the door closed. “What kind of worthless woman are you that a Chitah who claimed you would not fight for you? Do you know the resolve of a Chitah for a claimed female, even if she is not his soul mate? We do not back down that easily.”

  “I’m not a Chitah.”

  Despite the women who must have offered themselves to Tarek over the years since Katrina’s death, he had never mated. The instinct among males was strong to have a family. Yet here he was, settling for a Mage in a plot gone awry.

  I cupped my arms tightly. “I can’t give Logan children or satisfy him the way he deserves. It would have never worked out. I guess you were right all along—I was just a curiosity.”

  “Fuck.”

  “What’s the matter, honey? Cold feet?” I began laughing maniacally. “Your friends may shake your hand for toting me around like a prize, but they laugh behind your back. You’re making yourself out to be a joke. No dignified Chitah would settle for a Mage. Let’s get back to the party. I’m beginning to like the idea of having caviar and champagne all the time.” I walked past him.

  He snatched my arm bruisingly and flung me across the room. I stumbled, catching myself on a marble table.

  “Careful, Mage. Nero is also in the house. I’m sure he’d love nothing better than to juice you up. I’m possessive over what’s mine, but I might be willing to make an exception if I’m pushed far enough.”

  Chapter 21

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Tarek announced from the main room. “I want to express my deepest gratitude in having you here this evening to recognize my chosen mate. However, it is with regret…”

  I pressed my ear against the door, anticipating words that I’d waited so long to hear—words that would release me.

  “I must tell you that the celebration will have to be cut short.” A few groans sounded amid the crowd. “Please, yes, I know. There will be a more elaborate celebration at a later date. Silver is not feeling well, and I must tend to my female. I’m sure you can understand my concern. Our valet attendants have your cars ready. Please take a complimentary bottle of champagne as you leave, and thank you for coming.”

  The murmurs grew louder—talking… moving… leaving. When I attempted to leave the room, Tarek pushed his way in.

  “Where’s Christian?” I asked.

  “Taking a walk,” he answered. “My Vampire employee cuffed him with that wonderful metal that hangs from your neck so he won’t be a nuisance to us. A Vampire’s cockiness makes them so easy to bait. He didn’t know the cuffs were… special.”

  “Why didn’t you tell everyone that the engagement was off?”

  “Because, Mage, I’m not a pussy. We’re going all the way.” He reached out and brushed his knuckles down my chest. I hopped back a step and his eyes widened.

  “Logan won,” I said.

  “Sorry, sweetie, you’re talking in a l
anguage I don’t speak.” The doors opened and two of his men stood at his side. “Take her upstairs,” he ordered. They gripped my elbows and Tarek announced, “You’ll be spending the remainder of your engagement in my home. It’s time that we took things to the next level. I’ll have your Ghuardian properly notified and one of my men will pick up your things.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I shouted, struggling against the guards hauling me away.

  “Because I can. Because I will.”

  “Let me go! Walk away with some dignity!”

  His fingers snapped and the men stopped. Tarek walked up and narrowed his hateful bright eyes on me. “Dignity is exactly why we’re going to follow this to the end.”

  “I’m still in my Ghuardian’s care and you can’t take me without my consent. Without his consent!” I said, still struggling.

  “Of course I can,” he replied indifferently. “You are to be my mate and that makes us practically married. Husband trumps Mage daddy.”

  “Please, Tarek, just let it go. Let me go,” I begged.

  His face filled with understanding. “I’m a man of my word, unlike Cross, who so readily dropped you like a soiled handkerchief. I’ve already seen to your accommodations. Take her away,” he ordered the guards.

  The men shoved me into a room upstairs and locked the door.

  Tarek was not only going to keep me, but he was going to try to win Logan’s woman. I fell against the door and slid to my knees, staring at a windowless room with pumpkin walls. A large canopy bed made of wood sat against the wall with oval mirrors on either side.

  The necklace not only blocked my Mage abilities, it also prevented me from visiting the Grey Veil—the in-between realm where I could speak with Justus. Then again, what could I tell him that wouldn’t land me in hot water with Tarek?

  My fingers clawed at the silver chain and I cursed. Tarek should have conceded defeat, or at least realized that his efforts with me weren’t worth the trouble. I had gone over this a million times with Christian, and this outcome had not been expected.

  If only I could speak with Simon.

  The door swung open without warning and I backed into the corner of the room. Tarek turned the lock and threw his black jacket over a beige chair.

  “What do you think of your boyfriend now?” he seethed, coming at me like a hurricane out of control.

  My heart leapt when Tarek threw me onto the bed. He snatched the end of my long dress and ripped it all the way up to my waist. Hearing the fabric tear brought back a memory I had long tried to bury, one that made my mouth dry and caused me to fight harder. One that had never played out in its entirety, but still gave me nightmares.

  I kicked out my legs and Tarek descended over me, slapping my face until I was temporarily stunned. I punched my fist and clocked him good in the eye and then got him again in the jaw before he nearly knocked me out.

  The moment I felt a tug at my panties, he froze.

  “What the f—”

  Dizzy and nauseous, I ignored the sting on my cheek and realized what he was looking at.

  “Do you like it?” I smiled and laughed silently.

  Tarek rose from the bed, immovable for what seemed like an eternity.

  His eyes locked on to a tattoo of two cheetah paws that were inked just beneath my panty line. Being that I mostly wore boy shorts, that would be a little higher than most women’s panty lines. An indelible mark that not only staked my claim on Logan, but served as a reminder to Tarek that I would never be his.

  Paul was one of the best tattoo artists in the city, and instead of a solid black design, it was detailed with dark edges. Inside the left paw was the letter L, and inside the other was a C, but not inked. The shading was carefully done around it so the letters stood out as my skin tone.

  The more Logan Cross slipped through my fingers, the more I wanted to hold on to him. Through all my indecisiveness, it wasn’t until I had lost him that I knew without a doubt that I loved him.

  The liquid fire had burned like hell and Christian had been forced to hold Finn back from attacking Paul. In the end, the pain of the tattoo hadn’t hurt near as bad as the pain in my heart.

  I shut my eyes, waiting for the next moment to come. One that would either seal my fate or dismiss it. As it turned out, it was dismissed.

  Tarek pivoted around and stalked out of the room.

  ***

  “Check the surveillance footage,” Justus ordered. “There are four cameras set up and I want everything analyzed.” He slid the lock shut on Page’s front door. He’d already gone through the apartment four times from top to bottom, but came up with nothing to explain her disappearance.

  Abduction was more like it. Justus had arrived, dressed in his finest suit, hoping she would be available to escort to the party. Instead, he found her front door ajar, the kitchen chair turned over, shards of glass all over the floor, and everything inside him shifted to something dark.

  One of his HALO brothers was a Sensor and stopped by as a favor to confirm that from the residual emotions, there was a confrontation, but not as much fear as he would have expected. She must have opened the door to him as the alarm had been disabled. Leo didn’t recognize the scent and said the trail cut off at Twenty-Second Street and Marsh.

  Simon dropped a large bag on the table. “It’ll take a minute to load and transfer the data over. How far back you want to go? Twenty-four hours?”

  “Minimum,” Justus said. “Dust the doors and everything in the kitchen.”

  Simon didn’t just have the equipment to dust for fingerprints—he had the technology to compare the prints in any human or Breed database.

  “Who do you think did it?” Simon asked. “What kind of manky bastard would mess around with a Relic? They’re healers, for Christ’s sake.”

  “I want to know everything about Slater, starting with where he lives.”

  Justus hadn’t stopped pacing since he arrived over an hour ago. They searched the building and reviewed the messages on her answering machine. Simon thumbed through her appointment book and suggested a client could be the culprit.

  “Sit down, mate. You’re going to end up touching everything in this whole bleeding house and make my job a nightmare.” The long chain on Simon’s black jeans clinked from his seated position on the floor in front of the television.

  Justus went into the kitchen and sat down, scrubbing his hands across his bristly scalp. He stared at a broken cup on the floor and then glanced up at the mistletoe hanging above her doorway. When his phone vibrated, he quickly yanked it out of his pocket. Christian had left him a text message.

  Had he been a worthy Ghuardian, he would have gone to the event to celebrate the new life of his Learner. Silver would soon be leaving his care, and Justus hadn’t sat down to decide how he felt about it. Taking her under his wing in the beginning was one of moral responsibility, but over the course of the past year, he had grown fond of things he hadn’t expected. Not just her progression in training, but listening to her slide down the hallway in her socks, the sound of her laugh erupting during a movie, and even the blow-dryer late at night when he was trying to sleep. It was having another life in his home—one to care for, one to guard, and one to mentor. Now he would be alone again.

  Justus could not overlook that Tarek had attempted to end her life. He’d almost watched her die in his arms. Their world was different from the human one, and with their extended lifetimes, men changed. Even Logan had earned himself the right to be trusted, all things considered.

  No matter how much Silver tried smoothing it over, Justus still wanted to wrap his large hands around Tarek’s neck and squeeze until there was no more breath.

  He sent Christian a vague message of an emergency that would prevent him from attending.

  “Justus! Take a look at this,” Simon shouted.

  He shot out of his chair and walked in front of the TV where Simon sat, watching the images play out like a silent movie.

  A figure in
a dark jacket spoke with a woman outside the building. He helped with her paper bag and slipped through the main door. The next shot was in the elevator. The hood on his jacket obscured his face. The next angle was in the hallway, and he slowly walked down the hall until he reached Page’s apartment.

  Simon fast-forwarded through a thirty-minute time lapse as the man stood by the door and occasionally paced around. He was holding his phone and sending messages, and sometimes he’d place his ear against her door.

  “Who is he calling?” Justus wondered aloud.

  Simon put it on pause. “Two calls to the Relic’s house phone match up, but I haven’t tapped into her cell phone. The number on caller ID was blocked.” Simon resumed the video and Justus nervously folded his arms.

  Page opened her front door and the man pushed himself in.

  “Hit pause!” Justus roared. It was that split second moment when he wanted to stop it from happening—as if he could stall a moment in time with a press of a button.

  Simon warily looked over his shoulder as Justus blew out a controlled breath. He didn’t know if he was ready to see what was about to unfold on the video.

  “Play it,” he said in a caged voice.

  Page walked backward in the kitchen, defensively holding out her right hand. There was arguing and then… he pulled a gun on her.

  When the man glanced into the living room, Justus immediately recognized the attacker.

  “It’s good we got this on video, Justus. Evidence,” Simon pointed out.

  Justus was too transfixed on the screen to hear a word he had said. Slater’s arm stretched all the way out, leaving a foot of air between the gun and her chest. A few moments passed of swaying as the two spoke calmly. Page was trying to defuse the situation. He could see it in her relaxed face and casual body language. Smart woman.

  Until she panicked. In a split second, Page dodged his aim and ran toward the door. Slater came up from behind and threw her to the ground, pressing the barrel of the gun against her back. A chair tipped over along with a glass that sat precariously at the edge of the table. The last thirteen seconds of footage showed him dragging her to the door, forcing her onto her feet, and them leaving the building side by side.