“It’s not so easy now, is it, Daniel? We know all your tricks, can do all of them. You’re not going to get away from us this time.” Marcus’ voice sounded cheerful.
Serena’s was glad they were prepared for those tricks. She still had spots flashing in front of her eyes. They felt dry and irritated. The urge to rub at them was almost overwhelming but she knew it would probably make it worse. She focused on the fight and ignored the sensation as much as possible. Marcus stepped forward out of the group and began circling toward Daniel. She had to peer around one of the men in front of her to get a clear view of what was happening.
Daniel began circling opposite Marcus. Both men’s bodies had lowered into a crouch. Marcus looked confident and relaxed. Daniel seemed edgy. She just hoped Marcus wasn’t underestimating the rogue. She knew that Marcus didn’t consider Daniel much of a threat. Well, at least not to himself physically. It was always Daniel’s threat to anyone weaker that concerned him. Marcus had seemed certain of his own abilities in a fight.
“Not going as planned, is it?” Marcus’ grin revealed the tips of his fangs.
Daniel scowled. “I’ve gotten out of tougher situations. All I’ve got to do is get out of this club. And I will.”
Serena kept her mouth shut. He was so wrong and she was sure that he wouldn’t get anywhere near the door. He wouldn’t get past Marcus probably. She knew he wouldn’t get through all the Council vampires sent after him.
Marcus darted forward. His fist slammed into Daniel’s cheek. It didn’t even seem to faze the rogue. Daniel’s fist hit him in the ribs. She winced but Marcus barely flinched. He pressed forward. His clenched fists pounded into Daniel’s body and face. Daniel spun wrenching away, dancing out of reach.
Marcus followed, determined to end the fight. Daniel was trying to keep his distance. That wouldn’t work for long. Marcus smiled. Daniel’s eyes slid around the men who’d formed a loose circle around them. He was obviously looking for a way out of the battle. A way to escape but it wasn’t happening this time.
Marcus saw when Daniel realized it wasn’t going to be as simple as slipping away from them. Daniel squared his shoulders and leapt toward Marcus. Marcus met him in the air. He wanted the rogue stopped now. Daniel’s fist slammed into his jaw. Marcus saw sparkles of light flashing in front of his eyes just as his own fist collided with Daniel’s chin. Daniel stumbled back. Marcus didn’t follow. He needed the time to clear his vision. By the time, he could see clearly again Daniel was once again barreling toward him. Daniel tried to tackle him and take him to the ground. Marcus stepped to the side managing to avoid those grasping hands. He wasn’t about to let the bastard have any advantage.
Marcus gritted his teeth. This was taking longer than he’d expected. He really hadn’t expected Daniel to get in even one good punch. He pushed down his irritation, not wanting to let it give Daniel an edge. He wanted this over quickly. He had a feeling something would go wrong if this took too much longer. Daniel had nothing to lose. He knew the Council would never let him free again.
Marcus went on the attack. He slammed punches into Daniel’s gut. Daniel fought with desperation. He didn’t block any of the blows, just kept swinging. Marcus couldn’t believe the man’s endurance. Daniel didn’t seem to feel any of the punches. Marcus blocked what he could and kept fighting. He slammed a kick into Daniel’s gut.
A scream of pain seemed to echo in the silent club. Marcus heard the fear in the female voice. It sounded like Serena. His head swung toward the sound. He saw Serena clutching her side and Jason wrestling with a woman. Marcus reeled as Daniel’s hand slammed into the side of his head. Marcus staggered. He expected Daniel to press his advantage and prepared to block. Marcus saw Daniel’s back as he slipped through a gap in the ring of men that had formed when Serena was hurt.
“Get him!” Marcus yelled. Daniel wasn’t going to escape not this time. He didn’t know what had happened but he knew that if it was serious, Jason would have signaled to him.
Marcus lunged to his feet and sprinted after Daniel. Daniel made it to the club door but just as Marcus thought he’d slip out of the door and run into the night, he seemed to hit a wall. Daniel staggered and fell back onto his ass. Before Daniel could get to his feet, the vampire operatives were on him. The cuffs were clamped onto Daniel’s wrists.
“Serena, you can call your friend now.” Marcus called watching with satisfaction as Daniel was hauled to his feet.
“Marcus, get over here!” Jason called.
He heard Serena speaking softly on the phone even as he turned. He saw Jason holding cloths to her side. She dropped the cell phone back into her purse. She looked a little pale.
“Claire’s on her way,” she said. “Keep the pressure up, Jason. That knife went deep. As soon as she gets here, you can take Daniel to your Council.”
“Someone else can take him to the Council.” Marcus shook his head and crossed the space between them. He gently peeled the cloth away to look at the wound. He saw not one but two deep stab wounds in her side.
“You were the vampire in charge. You need to do it. I’ll be fine. Jason can take me to the doctor. It’s a wound. It’s not anywhere near fatal. I’ll be fine.” She gave him a small smile. “It’s your duty and I understand that.”
Marcus frowned. Why would she think that he’d just leave when she was hurt? The Council wouldn’t care who brought Daniel as long as he was caught.
“Marcus, I know you’re worried about me. I also know you won’t be really satisfied unless you’re there when he’s handed over to the Council.” She touched the side of his face.
“They will take him. You’re more important than he is.” Marcus waved that argument away and glowered at her. She must have hit her head too. That was the only reason he could think she’d believe he’d just leave her. “I’ll talk to them after I’m certain you’re going to be safe.”
She looked at him and seemed to decide he wasn’t going to budge on that. He nodded and looked impatiently at the doors. When would her friend get here? And how long would it take for her to undo what Serena had done?
Serena’s phone rang. She dug it out of her purse and spoke on it. “Claire, wants to make sure that everything’s secure before she unlocks the spell.”
“Tell her to take it off. Daniel’s not going anywhere,” Marcus said. He watched the door, waiting. “How will we know when the spell has been taken off?”
“She’ll come into the club,” Serena answered softly. “It shouldn’t take more than a few moments.”
Marcus watched the doors, anxious to get Serena to the doctor. She was swaying on her feet. He put his arm around her and applied a little more pressure to the wound. He looked over at Jason.
“You take Daniel. I’ll be there to give my report as soon as I’m sure Serena is safe,” Marcus said.
Jason nodded. “I’ll make sure he’s locked up securely.”
Serena leaned heavily against him. The door pushed open and a black-haired woman walked into the room. Marcus scooped Serena off her feet and began striding for the doors. The woman stopped, the smile on her face slowly fading.
“What happened to her?” the woman asked.
“She was stabbed. We had to wait for you to arrive before we could get her out of here,” Marcus said tersely as he strode past her.
“She didn’t tell me she was hurt. That there was anything wrong.” Claire shook her head and began following them. “How badly is she hurt?”
“She’ll be fine but I have to get her to the doctor now. I’ll have her call you later.” Marcus didn’t have time to reassure her any further.
He pushed past the men crowded near the entrance of the club and went straight to the car. He put Serena in the passenger seat and rushed around to the driver’s side. On the way to the doctor’s office, he drove as fast as he could and still get there safely. He stopped right in front of the entrance doors. He scooped Serena out of the seat and carried her toward the entrance. The door opened and th
e vampire guard held it open until he’d carried Serena into the building.
The doctor was ready for them in the waiting area. He led Marcus back to the exam room after a single glance at Serena’s pale face.
“It’s been a dangerous hunt for you two.” The doctor said as he slipped on gloves.
“The danger’s past now. We got the rogue and the woman who did this to her.” Marcus stepped back and waited for the doctor to begin his work.
Serena gave him a small smile and slipped her hand into his. He squeezed back just to let her know that he knew she was going to be all right.
Chapter Fourteen
Marcus walked into his house. He was tired but he knew he probably wouldn’t get much sleep. The house felt empty and quiet. It had since Serena had left. The woman hadn’t even told him she was doing it. If she had, he’d have stopped her. She’d left while he was meeting with the Council. The multiple meetings had given her the opportunity. Now that he was finished with the conferences, he’d finally find and show her that she belonged with him.
He’d tried to talk with her but she hadn’t answered her home phone or her cell phone. He was tempted to just go after her and get her but he wanted to talk to her. She’d been happy with him. He was certain of that. It was part of the reason he couldn’t understand why she’d left. He needed to know why she’d decided to walk away from what they had. After that, he’d decide how to change her mind. He wanted her to choose to be with him. He didn’t think he could just let her go. Not now, he felt too much too intensely for the woman.
He dialed her number as he sat down on the couch. He tapped his fingers on his thigh as he waited to see if she’d actually answer this time. He heard three rings and just when he thought it would go straight to voice mail again, she answered.
“Hello.” Her voice sounded hesitant.
He could hear voices and soft music in the background. Where was she? He felt irritation rise up inside him. The woman should be here. Didn’t she realize how special what they had together was?
“Hello, Serena, are you ready to talk?” Marcus asked. He restrained himself from asking her just where she was and what she thought she was doing there.
“Hi, Marcus, checking up on me already? You don’t need to worry. I’m not in denial. I’ve already contacted the Council,” she said easily.
Marcus raised an eyebrow. Very definitely nervous. “I’m not checking up on you. It’s good that you have contacted the Council.”
“Not checking up on me.” She chuckled as if she didn’t believe it. “They’ve assigned someone to guide me through the changes. You don’t have to worry or be so protective. I’ll be fine.”
He heard laughter, a distinct, “Like that will happen” in the background. Where was she and who was with her?
“Where are you? We need to talk.” Marcus sat forward, eager to hear the answer.
“I’m out with some of the vix. I’m getting to know them. I’ll have to call you later. Bye, Marcus.” She ended the call before he could say another word.
Marcus clicked the phone closed and glared at it. He wished he could go to her right now but he had no idea where she was. He could almost hear her as he replayed what she’d said. Like hell would anyone else teach her about being a vix. The thought of another male vampire anywhere near her nearly sent him into a rage.
He dialed Devon. As a Council member, Devon would be able to change the person set to be her guide. She would learn that when she went for her first lesson. He’d get his answers then. His thoughts ended abruptly as Devon’s secretary answered. He spoke briefly with her and then she transferred him to Devon.
“Hello, Marcus, is there something you need?” Devon sounded relaxed and happy.
“I need some help. Serena Blackwell recently registered as a vix and I want to be her guide.” Marcus waited tensely. He knew it was an unusual request but Devon was a friend and newly married. Devon hadn’t had a smooth road with Jessie and would understand.
“Hunters don’t usually volunteer to be guides after their first hundred years. Is there something special about this woman?” Devon asked.
“Yes, she’s very special. We spent weeks together and the woman even shared her magic but now she’s decided she’s not talking to me.” Marcus could have cheerfully shaken her at that moment. However, if she’d been close enough to grab, he knew shaking her would be the last thing he’d be doing, even though he was angry and frustrated. He’d be kissing her, holding her.
“She shared her magic with you? Are you certain?” Devon’s serious tone drew Marcus’ thoughts away from holding Serena.
“Yes, I’m sure. I was there.” Marcus wasn’t going into the how and where of the magic sharing. That wasn’t something Devon needed to know.
“Do you know what that means?”
“It means something?” Marcus frowned. He remembered that he’d been curious about why she’d done it at the time but she’d deflected his questions.
“Oh yes. A witch doesn’t share her magic with just any lover. He has to be very special. The man has to be her witch-mate or someone she loves deeply,” Devon said.
Marcus felt as if he’d been hit with a hammer. Why hadn’t she told him? Her witch-mate or someone she loved deeply, which one was he?
“I’ll have her guide changed and call you with the meeting time. Good luck.” Devon’s last words barely registered as Marcus stared straight ahead.
* * * * *
Serena sighed as she stepped onto the sidewalk outside the brown brick three-level building. The vampires seemed to have a thing for nondescript buildings on out-of-the-way streets. Just as that other building didn’t look like a medical clinic and who knew what else was housed there, this didn’t look like any building that should house the Vampire Council. With the conversion fully complete, it was time to begin learning everything she needed to know about being a vix. She was supposed to meet the man meant to be her guide here. That had surprised her. Serena had expected a female guide since she was a woman, but had been told that since feeding could be very sexually arousing, they tried to pair the newly changed with a guide of the opposite sex. Plus, she had a feeling there was more than a little tradition involved. She didn’t know anything about the man. She hadn’t asked for even his name. It hadn’t mattered. It wouldn’t be Marcus. She’d been told that the higher level hunters didn’t do guide work. That was both a relief and a disappointment. She missed being with him but knew she couldn’t have stayed. The relationship had to end sometime. It was better to end it now while she could walk away relatively whole.
Pushing one of the double glass doors open, she looked around the room. She stared and almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing. A long, waist-high desk sectioned off one part of the room. With gray carpet and the dark brown wood furniture, the room reminded her in ways of a bank lobby. She almost stepped out of the building to check that she’d gotten the right place. She knew that she had. Only a few people were in the large room and most of them were behind the counter. She’d double-checked before she parked. Just where was she supposed to go? The place didn’t have any signs and no obvious guards. This wasn’t what she expected. She’d thought it would be like the Protectorate.
“Can I help you?” A blond man in a dark gray business suit stopped at her side. He seemed every inch the businessman and for a minute she wondered if he was even a vampire.
“It’s just not what I expected. I came here to meet my guide.” Serena smiled and brushed her hands over her gray slacks. “It reminds me of the lobby of my bank.”
“It serves as a bank too. There are advantages to using it. You must be Serena Blackwell.” The man smiled broadly.
“How did you know who I was?” She’d thought there would be more than one woman needing to be guided.
“You are the only woman who’s starting with her guide today. The others have been here before,” he said easily. “Come with me. Your guide is waiting. I’ll take you to him.”
&n
bsp; “Thank you.” She followed him to a door near the long desk.
It led into an office with a cluttered desk and two plants on one side of it. Another door in that office opened onto a stairway. She climbed the stairs slowly. This probably wasn’t the main access. There had to be an easier more public way to get to the second and third floor. She wondered why he’d used this stairway but decided to wait and ask the man who’d been assigned to be her guide. On the third floor, the blond man urged her into a hallway. Numbers were etched onto plaques and that relieved her. She wouldn’t be wandering around lost here. The man obviously knew exactly where he was going. He didn’t even hesitate to look at the numbered plates. Finally, he stopped at the door bearing the number 316.
“Your guide is waiting inside, Ms. Blackwell. He’ll escort you down when your meeting is finished,” the man said, and turned on his heel, heading back down the hallway.
Serena raised her eyebrows. Well, she was just going to have to introduce herself to her guide. Maybe the man had other things he needed to do. She pushed open the door and entered the room. Her eyes searched the office. A dark-haired man stood in front of the window behind a large, black desk. His back was to her and he was dressed in a dark blue suit. She frowned. Those broad shoulders and the way he stood seemed familiar. She closed the door.
“Hi, I’m Serena.” She took a step forward.
The man turned. Her mouth dropped open. Marcus smiled at her, apparently enjoying her surprise. At first she wondered what he was doing there. Then it finally hit her. He was supposed to be her guide. It was impossible. It didn’t make any sense. Hunters didn’t serve as guides. The man she’d talked to had been very specific about that when she’d asked.
“You’re surprised. You shouldn’t be. I wouldn’t let another man teach you.” He came around the desk and walked over to stand just in front of her.
Part of her wanted to jump up and down with excitement. He really had to want her to come after her. She resolutely pushed that thought back. She tried to think logically. He couldn’t feel as strongly as she did. They’d been pushed together by dramatic circumstances. For her, she’d found her mate. A life-changing experience. For him, it had probably only been lust.
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