by Aliya DalRae
Unable to find anything on the telly to distract her, Sasha threw the clicker on the coffee table and unfolded herself from the sofa. Before she knew what she was doing, she had her purse in her hands and was frantically digging through it. She bypassed a receipt from Perky’s Pizza, a pack of spearmint gum and Mason’s business card, given to her by the Warlord with the offer of assistance should she ever need it. Only when she felt the slip of paper brush her fingers did Sasha relax.
She pulled it from her bag and glanced at it long and hard before coming to a decision. He was the one person she knew wouldn’t turn his back on her, the only one she trusted. Not with her real reason for being there. Even he would be hard pressed to understand her desire to locate Ulrich Fuhrmann. But for everything else, she knew without a doubt that he would do anything he could to see her safe. He’d proven that with the Primeval, this time anyway. She had no doubt Nox would be there for her now, if for no other reason than that he owed her.
Chapter Nine
M artin woke from a hazy dream. In it, he’d been with Merlin, completely and totally with him. It had been so real, the feel of soft lips on his cock, a slick, wet tongue lapping at him, a hot mouth sucking and pulling him inside, tugging at him until his balls tightened and he thought he would explode.
The mouth had disappeared, leaving him exposed to cool air that only intensified his desire. Then more of the hot and wet, only this time it was tighter, the pull more demanding. He’d pounded himself into it, into Merlin, and when he’d orgasmed it was with the male he loved wrapped in his arms.
It had been a beautiful dream. But now he felt sluggish, his mouth full of cotton and his arm was asleep, some unknown weight pressing down on him. He cranked his eyes open, and as they adjusted his stomach filled with horror.
Where the fuck was he?
He’d never seen this room before. It was small and cramped with just a bed and a dresser jammed into what was no more than a walk-in closet. The weight on his arm moved. He didn’t want to see, absolutely did not want to know, but it was like a car wreck. He couldn’t stop himself from staring at the grizzly aftermath.
The person weighing him down moaned, and it was a decidedly feminine sound. Martin felt his balls shrivel up inside him. What had he done?
From what he could tell, the woman had long dark hair and a lean, boyish build. He tried to focus, but it was like someone had put a window blind over his eyes, blocking his ability to see clearly…
The contact lenses. Vampahol.
Oh, shit.
Martin pulled his arm out from under the woman, and she twisted on the bed, reaching for him. “Where you going?” she mumbled, her voice smoky with alcohol and sex.
“Sorry,” Martin mumbled as he made a frantic search for his pants. “I have to go.”
“Your friends said they’d come and get you before they left. Come back to bed.”
Kyte and Oz. Those bastards had let him drink himself into oblivion and sleep with some random woman. Murderous thoughts clouded his already fuzzy mind, but one thing was clear. Death was too good for those idiots.
The girl sat up and assumed what he supposed she thought was an alluring position. The sheet was twisted through her legs, and her back was arched, pert nipples pointing out from her tiny tits. She touched a red-lacquered nail against her lip and pouted.
Martin couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Where the hell were his pants?
“Are you into those roll playing games or something?” she asked.
It was such an odd question, Martin briefly forgot about his clothes. “What?”
“Most guys just say ‘oh, God. Oh, God.’ When you came you shouted to the gods of Merlin, or something like that. I figured it was one of those on-line dragons and wizards things that the gaming geeks are all into.”
Martin felt his face heat as the blood rushed to his head. He’d called Merlin’s name while having sex with someone else. A fucking woman.
He ignored the girl’s question and continued his search for clothes, anything to cover himself. The girl moved to the edge of the bed and before he knew it, she had his cock in her hand, squeezing it. He didn’t think his balls could retreat any further, but they were making a helluva go at it. He tried to pull away, but she was a persistent little thing.
“Where you going?” she purred. “I wanna make you scream to your wizard gods at least one more time before your friends show up.” She was on her knees so fast he hadn’t the time to react, let alone prevent her from wrapping her mouth around him. He jerked away and her teeth scraped the sensitive skin at the head of his cock before it popped from her lips. It hurt like hell but was nothing compared to the acidic pain currently ripping through his chest.
He located his pants under the bed and yanked them on before she could regroup. She was mumbling something about him not being so shy last night, but he didn’t want to hear that. He had to leave, escape… run. Shit! What time was it?
He found his shirt and pulled it over his head, socks and boots followed. He was lacing up when the door burst open and Oz stuck his head in.
“Ready to go, loverboy?” he said.
“Do your friends play too?” the girl asked, still on about the RPGs.
“No, it’s my own thing,” he said. “Uh. Have a good night?”
He was nearly out of there, escape mere inches away, when she stuck her foot in the door. She was naked, and probably quite lovely had anyone asked Kyte or Oz, but the sight of her made his stomach heave and roil against what he knew he’d done.
“Don’t you want my number?” she asked.
Martin’s mind spun in a circle, landed on what he hoped was a believable lie. “You gave it to me last night,” he said. “Uh, before.”
The girl smiled, her thin lips stretched over huge white teeth. “Okay then,” she said. “I’ll see you soon.” She jumped up on her toes and smashed her mouth against his, doing her damnedest to get him to open up. Instead, he pushed her away, and stumbled down the hall.
“Goodbye,” she called from the doorway, apparently unaffected by exposing herself to the three males.
Martin didn’t say a word. He just ran, Kyte and Oz’s laughter stabbing his ears like horrible little ice picks.
Chapter Ten
“T ry again.”
Merlin dropped his face in his hands and shook his head. They’d been at it for hours, Merlin summoning the Shade and Viper adjusting the cuffs when they failed to camouflage the effects.
At Merlin’s suggestion, they’d turned off all the lights and equipment in the lab and moved into the firing range. He figured with the heavy door and thick glass, he’d be able to control the Shade enough to keep its effects to the enclosed area. Beyond what he was doing for Merlin, Viper’s work was too important to the Legion to have it destroyed because of their experimentation with the Shade.
They left the lights burning on the range, and so were aware the minute the Shade broke through the cuffs’ concealment. Merlin had been a fool to get his hopes up. Their first attempt, he’d barely felt his eyes blacken before the cuffs warmed and the lights grew dim. Viper swore under his breath as he fiddled with the bands and they tried again—and again and again. This last time, Merlin had had to push quite a bit before the lights were extinguished, their energy drawn into his black eyes. But in the end, the Shade had proven to be stronger than the shiny black bands.
“It’s no use,” Merlin replied to Viper’s umpteenth demand. “All we’re doing is sending Morse code messages to the nearest Dark Warrior.”
Viper leaned against the ammo counter and folded his arms over his chest. The irritation reflected in the sharp V between his eyes had worked its way down to form a frustrated frown. “It’s not the tech,” he said. “It’s got to be in the magic.”
“And the only way to adjust the magic is to find a Sorcerer willing to help.”
“Because Sorcerers eager to assist the Legion are low hanging fruit in Fallen Cross.” Viper slapped his palms
on the edge of the counter and pushed himself away. He paced the width of the range, punched a hole in the target at the far end, then worked his way back to Merlin in the center of the room.
“Okay, I’m not giving up on this. I think we have the cuffs calibrated well enough to at least protect you while you sleep. The rest of the time, you’re just going to have to avoid stress, or whatever it is that’s harshing your mellow.”
“Tas did offer to help me with that,” Merlin stood and picked up the stool. “I guess if I’m going to stick around, I should probably take him up on it.” He walked toward the door with Viper just a beat behind him.
“Have you been working out?” Viper asked. “I mean, I know you’ve got the studio in your suite, but what about lifting weights? Sparring? Maybe you should think about training with the Soldiers. I’ve heard Tas wears their asses out.”
Merlin thought about it, about the odds of running into Martin at one of those training sessions and what that would mean for his control. Still, he couldn’t disagree with Viper. Perhaps actually hitting someone would go a long way to restoring the calm he lost the minute that Soldier walked into his life.
“I’ll talk to Tas.” He returned the stool to the first work station, then headed for the exit.
“Merlin.”
Merlin turned to find Viper standing in the middle of the lab, watching him with a keen, calculating eye.
“I don’t know what’s happened, why after all these centuries you’re having trouble controlling the Shade.” He held up a hand forestalling any comment Merlin might have had. “I don’t have to know. What I do need is for you to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid, like you tried to do tonight. Leaving your home is not an option, and frankly, neither is suicide. We’ll get you through this together, just like we’ve been there for Raven and Nox. For all of us.” He took a minute to rub a hand over the stubble on his shaved dome. He opened his mouth to speak again, closed it, and started over. “I’ll keep working on this,” he said. “I’ll find a way to keep you safe.”
“Thank you,” Merlin said, and reached once again for the door knob.
“And Merlin.”
“Yes?”
“Seriously, go hit something.”
Merlin turned away to hide the smile that crept to his lips. “Thanks, Viper. I’ll think about it.”
Chapter Eleven
T he call came in before Merlin reached his suite. He did an about face, returned to the Sub T Level and landed in the War Room where his fingers now flew over his keyboard. Raven and Perry had returned from their patrols with disturbing news regarding a new Sorcerer in town, this one going to great lengths to disguise herself. While it seemed unlikely she had anything to do with Fuhrmann and his crew, they couldn’t be too careful.
The German Legion was keeping an eye out for any sightings of Fuhrmann or his feral cohort, Maxx, as were the African and South American branches. However, the British Legion was still a little salty over having their Primeval deposed and weren’t inclined toward being cooperative. Still, Merlin had eyes and ears practically everywhere, and as the Warriors discussed their next move, he reached out to his contacts for any information they might have.
“Could it be Nox’s friend?” Tas asked.
Raven growled, shook his head. “I tagged Nox. He hasn’t heard from her.”
“Nor have I,” Mason added. “She has an open invitation to join us here. I would think she would have contacted us were she in town.”
“Exactly,” Raven said. “And she wouldn’t run from us.”
Tas laughed. “She wouldn’t run from us. You?”
Harrier snorted and Viper said, “Raven’s been sending girls running the other way screaming for centuries.”
Raven’s eyes sparked as another growl rumbled in his throat, but he didn’t appear to be nearing beast mode. Fortunate for the others, as they weren’t letting up on the male.
Merlin smiled to himself as the others bantered. Tas was probably right, though. If Sasha had come to town and the first Legion Warrior she encountered was the twin of the male she’d helped torture for centuries? Chances were, she might be rethinking her decision. Especially, given who that Warrior was. With Raven’s nefarious past, even Merlin might think twice about asking him for help. If Merlin were a normal Vampire, of course.
Messages were coming in at a clip now, and Merlin read through them quickly. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. No one had seen or heard rumors of Fuhrmann anywhere in their area, not so much as a whisper. The Sorcerer seemed to be deep under cover, planning his next move against Nox and Raven, to be sure. He passed the information to Mason and the others, and the Warlord stood.
“Let’s give it a few days. Tell the Soldiers to be on the lookout for the female, and Raven, extra patrols for you. See if you can sense her brain signature again. If you see her, try not to scare her away. She could be our Sasha, or simply a Sorceress who wandered into the wrong town at the wrong time. Either way, we’re not at war with the entire race. Let’s try not to start one.”
Mason stood and walked out of the War Room, leaving the others to follow.
“Tas,” Merlin called as the Warrior neared the door. “You got a minute?”
Tas stepped aside, giving Harrier a fist bump as the larger male passed by.
“That was a good one,” Harrier said. “Later.”
Tas grinned. “See ya.”
Harrier walked out, leaving Merlin and Tas alone.
“What’s up?”
Merlin hesitated, rethinking the impulse to talk to the emo Vamp, but Viper was right. These people were his family, and they were putting their lives on the line to try to protect him. The least he could do was, well, everything he could to do his part. He stood and joined Tas on the other side of the table.
“Viper suggested that I talk to you about training with the Soldiers. He thinks if I hit something, or someone, on a regular basis it might help me control the Shade.”
Tas nodded. “Not a bad idea. Is this something you think you can handle without, you know, breaking lightbulbs and stuff?”
Merlin fingered the cuffs he wore and lifted a shoulder. “These things seem to provide a bit of a damper. At least I can feel when it’s getting close and know when to back off. I think it will be okay. If it’s not? At least we’ll have given it a go.”
“Sounds good. When do you want to start?”
“I guess tomorrow is as good a time as any.”
“Excellent. I’ll see you then. We have groups going throughout the night, before and after patrol shifts.”
Merlin drew a breath, held it for a minute, let it out. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Probably one of the later sessions.”
“Perfect. Hopefully, this will help.”
“Yeah,” Merlin said. “Hopefully.”
Tas started out the door, but Merlin stopped him again. “Is your offer still open?” he asked.
“What, to help with the emotional stuff? Absolutely.”
Merlin sighed. In for a penny, in for a pound. “Might as well run the whole gamut.”
“Of course. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Something you said a while back has been bothering me. Well, not bothering, really, but I wondered.”
Merlin crossed his arms and took a step back.
“You asked me if I’d ever been in love. If it was worth risking everything.”
Merlin nodded.
“Is that what this is all about? Have you met someone? Because if you have… Christ, Merlin. There’s no reason you need to be alone. Viper’s still working on ways to protect the Compound, make it Shade-proof. He’ll find a solution.”
Merlin felt himself closing down, regretting his commitment to the training, to everything.
“Don’t do that,” Tas locked eyes with him. “Don’t shut yourself off. Let me help you. If it’s about a female, we’ll figure out a way to make it happen for you. Talk to me, Merlin.”
Merlin held
his eyes for a second longer, then turned to gather his laptop. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” he said, and walked out the door.
Chapter Twelve
M artin dragged his ass into the training center, dreading after-shift drills. Generally, he was anxious to hit something, especially if his patrol shift resulted in zero action. Tonight, however, went from boring to monotonous to brain-numbing as hell in the course of six long hours. It didn’t help that his head wasn’t in the game. All he could think about was what he had done. How could he have been so stupid?
He knew who he was, who he was attracted to, hell, he knew who he loved. Never in his wildest dreams did he believe there would be a drug capable of making a Vampire go against everything he knew to be true about himself. If he had known the Vampahol would take away his inhibitions to the point of screwing whoever—whatever—was in front of him, he never would have taken a sip.
Distracted by another round of “How the Fuck Did This Happen to Me?” playing around in his head, Martin nearly missed the gaggle of Soldiers gathered around the bulletin board. Curiosity overrode the perpetual guilt trip he was riding, and he headed that way to see what had them all whispering like school girls.
At the sight of Kyte and Oz, he did a U-ey, not at all interested in dealing with their back-slapping congratulations, or any other crap they had to offer on the Vampahol debacle. The fates were apparently against him, though, because Oz called out to him.
“Martin, over here. You gotta see this.”
Martin stopped, his escape thwarted, and did an about face. He screwed on a mask of indifference to hide the animosity he still carried for the two and joined them at the edge of the ever-growing group.