Surrender: Immortal Protectors, Book 2

by H. M. McQueen

  Hopefully, she’d make it to the ferry in Larne without incident. She’d catch a flight back to the United States from Glasgow and lay low until she could talk to the Queen. Long distance.

  She didn’t mind sacrificing her future for the greater good of the Fae. It didn’t matter who she married, as she would always love Kieran. And there was that rule that she could not marry anyone other than a Fae male, so she had no choice.

  Patrick, however, he still had choices but only if she was out of the picture. Somehow, she would convince the Queen to let Patrick out of the agreement to marry her. She’d agree to marry another Fae male, hopefully an American one.

  Then, Patrick and the Queen’s maid girl could be together.

  It began to rain again. The roads out of Dublin were well maintained, and she didn’t feel too uneasy, not about the drive anyway. Patrick’s car was nice and solid. Her telephone rang, and she yelped. She eyed the caller ID and saw it was a call from overseas. Wendy pushed the answer key and listened without speaking. There was mostly static, and she almost hung up. What if the Fae were trying to track her? She should throw the contraption out the window.

  Emma’s voice stopped her.

  “Wendy? Can you hear me?”

  “Oh, my God, Emma!” Wendy cried. “I’m so glad to hear your voice! I’m on the lamb. I’m running away to Scotland.” She told her friend, the words tumbling out as she tried to explain. “They want me to marry some fairy guy. His name is Patrick. It’s an arranged marriage. Can you believe that?”

  “You’re getting married?” Emma asked. “To someone you’ve never met? Wow, that sucks, Wendy. I don’t blame you. I’d run away, too.”

  “Finally, someone that makes sense! Everyone here, my parents included, all accept it like it’s an everyday thing.”

  Emma took an audible breath. “Wendy, I have something to tell you.”

  “Wait,” Wendy told her and pulled off the road. She looked around and saw a small pub and pulled in around the back of it and parked the car. Her heart was thumping. Something was wrong. “Okay, what’s wrong, Emma?”

  “Kieran, he’s gone,” Emma’s voice shook. “He went rogue.”

  “What?” Although she had no idea what “going rogue” meant, Wendy could tell from Emma’s distress that it wasn’t good. “Where did he go? What does it mean?”

  “He refused Julian’s orders. Julian punishes them severely for that. He left. We don’t know where. Cyn is worried sick. He’s afraid Julian will send hunters after him.”

  “Hunters?” Wendy’s heart sank. “You mean to kill him?”

  “Yes.” Emma began to cry, and Wendy wished she had Patrick’s ability to teleport. Her friend was pregnant—this couldn’t be good for her.

  “Calm down, Emma. Please, think of the baby,” Wendy’s voice cracked as she fought to keep from crying as well. “Does Cyn have any idea where he could have gone?”

  “No. He’s been searching for him. None of the Protectors have been getting any sleep. After work, they go looking for Kieran. Yesterday, Julian found out and ordered them to stop. Julian has been working here in Atlanta since Kieran took off. Gerard is up to something.”

  “What about Kieran’s wife?” Wendy almost choked on the word. “Did he take her with him?”

  “Oh, no,” Emma gasped. “That’s the order he refused. He refused to get married. Said he wasn’t marrying someone that didn’t love him. Like his first wife. It was also an arranged marriage. Oh, Wendy, you’re our last hope. You have to find him before Julian sends the hunters.”

  Kieran didn’t get married. In spite of the dire situation, Wendy’s heart lightened. “What can I do, Emma? I don’t have any idea where to find him.”

  Emma was quiet for a moment. “Cyn believes that Kieran cares for you. Maybe you can try to contact him….You have a link to him since you’ve made love and he took your blood.”

  Hearing Emma sniff again, Wendy blurted. “Okay, just don’t cry, and don’t stress. Think of my little niece or nephew. I will try to see if I can sense where he is. I will call you later today, Emma. I promise.”

  After they disconnected, Wendy went into the pub. She grabbed a sandwich along with a coke and ran back to the car. Now, she had a bigger reason for getting to Glasgow. And she had a larger motivation for getting away from Dublin.

  Hours later, nearing the ferry docks, her cell phone rang again. She knew who it was before she answered it. Why had he waited so long to call? She answered, all the while scanning the people wandering near the docks. She tried to sense if any were Fae.

  Nothing. Damn her lack of Fae training.

  “Gwendolyn, this is Patrick.” His deep voice resonated in her ear. The lack of emotion in his tone made her even more wary.

  “Oh, hello there. How are you?”

  “You must return immediately. I’ve made excuses to the Queen, told her and your parents that you woke up ill. I can’t put them off for long.”

  “Why did it take you so long to call me?” Wendy asked, really wanting to know.

  “When I returned and found you gone. I knew you had escaped on purpose. I called your parents and the Queen. I have been teleporting and looking for you for hours. I have to rest before I can start again.” He sounded tired.

  “Oh. Well, stop it,” Wendy replied, not sure what to say to him. “I am not going to come back. I will not marry someone that loves someone else. I refuse to marry you. You deserve to marry for love.”

  “I will step aside for another Fae male,” Patrick replied matter-of-factly. So much for worrying about his feelings. “But it is still my duty to protect you. You can’t go around unprotected.”

  She didn’t believe him.

  Wendy snorted, angry. “I am not some weak creature. Besides, I know how strongly you feel about this honor thing. You won’t step aside unless I force you. You love that girl. Marry her.”

  “You can’t be with the man you love,” he told her softly. “Your destiny is here.”

  Tears sprung to her eyes. “I know.” Wendy drove forward, a dock worker signaling her onto the ferry. “I’m sorry, Patrick. Please tell my parents I will do my duty and protect the key. Tell them I will marry a Fae male. But there is something I must do first.”

  She disconnected.

  She’d obtained directions to Glasgow before driving off the ferry in Troon. She breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way into Scotland. Thankfully, Julian had replaced her passport prior to arriving in Ireland, and she still had some money from what she’d taken from her parents. She didn’t anticipate any problems flying out of Glasgow.

  Forty-five minutes later, at dusk, she finally arrived in Glasgow.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Rain and more rain. No wonder Scotland and Ireland were so freakin’ green. Wendy pushed her sopping hair away from her brow as she made her way into a coffee shop.

  She’d decided to park Patrick’s car in a parking garage to ensure it wasn’t vandalized or stolen and take a taxi to the airport. She sloshed to the counter and ordered tea and a slice of some delicious looking cake and then found an empty chair by a window, where she dug out her laptop and began to search for the earliest flight out of Glasgow.

  A few minutes later, she huffed and sat back, rolling her head to stretch stiffness out of her neck. No flights until morning, just her luck. She eyed an inn across the street, trying to decide if it would be safe to stay there without getting caught by the Fae. A chill went through her, and she looked around the small café, trying to sense if someone was watching her. Other than a couple of older ladies talking loudly over some pictures and a young couple too busy looking at each other to notice her, the only person in the establishment was the woman behind the bar, and she was on her cell phone looking out of the window with a wistful expression. It was probably the dampness of her clothes and the chill from the window.

  A car drove by slowly, and Wendy watched as two men emerged. She watched for telltale Fae characteristics and saw
none as they spoke for a few minutes and then walked off in opposite directions. Wendy slouched, pulling her damp hood over her head as one of them walked past the window. When he kept walking, she let out a breath.

  The panic would not subside until she got back to the good U.S. of A, but then demons were hunting her there. That was probably worse; they would surely kill her. Okay, so her life sucked at the moment.

  Kieran didn’t get married. She remembered how he’d told her his first marriage had ended. His first wife loved someone else, but surely, this time, it would’ve been totally different. Emma had told her once that when Julian picked a mate for a Protector, they became bonded for life. Neither he nor his wife would be able to cheat on the other. Cyn and Emma were bonded and happy, but of course, they’d fallen in love before receiving permission from Julian to get married. Julian had granted it after telling Cyn he’d found his true mate, that he and Emma were destined.

  Maybe marriage wasn’t for Kieran. That he would rather be killed than get married made no sense. Boy, talk about commitment-phobia. No matter how much she loved him, he was never going to be hers, not just because of the darn key thing, but he was obviously totally anti-marriage.

  A thought occurred to her, causing her to smile broadly. She had a small inkling of where Kieran could be. If she found him before Julian’s henchmen, she’d talk him into going back. As hard as it was to picture Kieran in another woman’s arms, she would rather do that than see him dead.

  Energy restored, panic forgotten, she Googled some data and scribbled notes in her journal. Then, after stuffing her small laptop into her backpack, she exited the coffee shop.

  She’d need Patrick’s car for a few more hours.

  The garage attendant listened with a bland expression as she explained that she was not going to leave the car after all. He handed her the keys in exchange for payment and walked away without a word.

  “No personality,” Wendy mumbled. “Like he’s hypnotized or something.” As soon as the last word slipped through her lips, panic gripped her, and she froze. “Oh. My. God.”

  Wendy turned to flee, but it was too late. A dark hood was pulled over her head. When she reached to yank it off, her arms were pinned tightly to her sides.

  She kicked wildly. Hearing a grunt, she knew one attacker was male. When someone pulled her arms back and held them, she tried to kick again, but the move was anticipated, and her legs where bound together. Through tears of frustration, Wendy screamed as loudly as she could, only to be slapped across the face. She tasted blood and became dizzy, but she screamed again.

  “Shut up, bitch,” a deep husky voice screamed next to her ear. “Or be responsible for the death of whatever poor idiot comes to your rescue.”

  Wendy replied with another loud scream. They yanked the hood off her head as she let out a wail and shoved part of it into her mouth. Wendy gagged, her eyes watering, as they lugged her to an idling car. No one was coming to her rescue.

  One of the males sat with her in the back seat. Wendy could sense evil, but she had no idea if he was a demon or not. She was pretty sure he wasn’t Fae. They wouldn’t hit her.

  These men didn’t seem too concerned about her well-being. The male turned to meet her stare. His red-rimmed eyes almost bulged with hunger. When he sneered at her, she saw the tips of his fangs.

  Demon, definitely demon.

  Great.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  They ambled for a few miles, and neither one of her abductors spoke. The driver glanced a time or two at her in the rearview mirror. He seemed to be the calmer of the two. Her leg touched the male’s next to hers each time the car jostled. She tensed, afraid he’d give in to his hunger and feed from her. One thing seemed obvious, whoever had sent them didn’t want her dead and didn’t want them to feed from her.

  Must be a pretty powerful guy.

  Finally, they reached a large estate, and she was dragged from the vehicle. Since her legs were bound, she couldn’t walk, so the driver picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Angry tears spilled from her eyes. Her legs and arms were numb from being strapped so tightly, her mouth was dry, and she was terrified.

  No one knew where she was this time. She was at the mercy of whomever her captor was.

  Inside the estate, Wendy was taken into a large sitting room. The demons cut the straps and pushed her not so gently into a cushioned chair. She was grateful when her gag was removed but continued to cry at the intolerable throbbing in her arms and legs when the circulation began to return to its course.

  The demons remained, standing guard around her. She wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve, refusing to look at either of them. A female entered, but she barely acknowledged Wendy’s presence. She spoke to the larger, meaner demon.

  Wendy strained to hear, but they spoke softly and in what she suspected to be Gaelic or some other language. The demon that carried her in went to a bar and poured a glass of water. She watched greedily as he drained it. To her surprise, he noticed her gaze and poured another and brought it to her.

  “What are you? A servant now?” the mean one grunted. “She’s a prisoner, not here for tea.”

  The nicer one didn’t reply. He put the glass to her lips and waited for her to drain the glass without a word. Wendy wanted to ask questions. Were they planning to kill her? Were they after the key? How could she possibly stop them from taking it? If only she’d stayed in Dublin, under Patrick’s protection, she wouldn’t be in the situation she was in now.

  The door swung open, and a commanding demon walked in. Not that he had to tell her this. She felt his evil resonate and fill the entire space upon his entrance.

  Each movement seemed like that of a hunter, calculated and measured. The demon was a large man, not so much tall as bulky. His dark slacks and black jacket did not hide his mass. He seemed out of place in his modern dress, his demeanor not from this time. He wore his dark hair cropped in a short cut, his square jaw was emphasized because of it. When his eyes met hers, Wendy swallowed and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Marlon, it’s her. The Fae Gerard wanted.” The mean demon was quick to kiss ass and point out the obvious. Wendy would have rolled her eyes if she hadn’t been scared stiff.

  “I’m aware of that.” Marlon’s voice was like an ice pick at her temples. “Well done.”

  Wendy turned to stare at the mean demon. He preened at the compliment. What an ass-kisser.

  Marlon gave her a knowing look. He must have heard her thoughts. Wendy began to purposely keep her mind blank.

  The imposing Marlon closed in and studied her through narrowed eyes. “Tell me, little Fae, why is Gerard so interested in you?”

  “My-my parents will pay for my release, I can…,” Wendy began.

  “I have no need for money and don’t wish to start any conflicts with your kind,” Marlon interrupted. “Just curious why my associate is so interested in you.”

  Wendy was about to start singing Christmas songs when a large-breasted blonde flounced in, and thankfully, Marlon turned away, dismissing her.

  The blonde’s glare raked over Wendy. “What is this?”

  Marlon strode to the woman. “Get out of here, Camilla.”

  Camilla wasn’t deterred. “I just got here. I traveled far to be with you tonight, Sire, “she draped herself over Marlon dramatically. “You’re all I have thought of.”

  Wendy saw the guards tense but not with fear, more with anticipation. Things were about to get interesting for Camilla.

  A smile curved Marlon’s lips as he looked down at the sniffing woman. Camilla yelped when Marlon’s hand gripped her chin and lifted her off her feet. Swinging her mercilessly, he took her mouth in his for a kiss that was meant to punish, then shoved her at the mean demon. “Don’t enter any room in this house unless you are invited. Wait for me in the bedroom.”

  The mean demon was more than pleased. He greedily grabbed the now-whimpering woman and half dragged her out of the room. She managed to wre
stle free to turn to Marlon. “I love you.”

  “That is your mistake,” Marlon replied, not looking at her. This time she didn’t fight the demon taking her from the room.

  Wendy could not stop shaking. Even her teeth began to rattle from the fear that took over.

  Marlon turned his full attention to her. “Now, to the matter at hand.” He looked to the remaining guard. “Lock Miss O’Sullivan in a room on the third floor and stand guard.” Next, he spoke to Wendy. “If Gerard doesn’t come for you, I will have to kill you. You are not worth a clash with the Fae.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  “You will serve me well.” The words resonated in Fallon’s head as he watched the shocked look on the face of a demon he’d just thrust his sword through.

  For a second, the demon’s expression relaxed. Like any living being, he refused to believe his time was up, and then, he evaporated.

  Breathing heavily, Fallon swirled around at the sound of footsteps behind him, only to see that Cyn had just dispatched his opponent as well.

  He’d heard the words over and over in his head since the Master demon’s visit. He could no longer ignore the restlessness inside, the sleepless days where he tossed and turned, needing to be out, needing to fight and kill. He stormed over to the end of the alley and studied the empty street, not ready to hold a conversation. When Cyn approached him, he tensed. Reading the Protector’s mind, he knew that Cyn was about to question him.

  “Fallon, let’s talk.” It was not a request. “Something is wrong, and damn it, I am not about to lose you, too.” Cyn grabbed him roughly, swinging him around to face him. “What the hell is up with you? You go nonstop with a blood-thirst like I’ve never seen. Julian is going to notice the change in you.”

  Fallon’s eyes flew to search the shadows. Cyn continued. “I know you’ve been avoiding him. He’s probably noticed by now as well.”