by Creator
Recognizing the glint in her eye, Gabriel soaped her stomach and reached for the curls between her legs. The moment his slick fingers touched her clit, he knew they were going to miss lunch.
Chapter Seventeen
One Week Later
Kiera had noticed the backyard was a little barren when it came to plants. Thanks to Ramsey and a few of the other guards, she now had a plethora of flowers.
Starting with the flowerbed closest to the backdoor, she planted snapdragons, hibiscus, marigolds and columbine. When she was finished, there was a myriad of color on either side of the back stairs.
The werewolves had cleared grass around the trees, making a ring shaped bed, trimmed in stone. Kiera planted more marigolds, columbine, and moss roses around the trees. It took several hours to get all the flowers planted and watered. By the end of the morning, the backyard was awash in color and Kiera’s back was aching.
Dusting the dirt from her clothes and hands, she climbed the back steps. Just as her hand touched the knob to open the door, rough hands grabbed her from behind, wrenching her from the stairs. Before she had a chance to cry out, her attacker was flying through the woods with her grasped in his arms.
If she had any doubts previously of who had grabbed her, she didn’t now. Only the vampire could move so quickly, making all of the trees blur as they sped past them.
He ran for what seemed like hours, but finally stopped and set Kiera down on her feet. He turned her so that she had no choice but to look at him.
“I told you that it wouldn’t be long before I saw you again,” he told her, his cold eyes staring down at her.
“Well, you have me now. Just get it over with,” Kiera said with more bravado than she actually felt. Inside she was quaking, but she hoped she was projecting a façade of calm and acceptance.
The vampire chuckled. “All in good time, all in good time. Did you ever think I might want to savor the moment? I’ve watched you, hunted you for months now. It would be rather anticlimactic if I were to just kill you right away.”
Kiera swallowed, trying to hide her fear. “What do you plan on doing with me?”
He trailed an icy finger down her cheek. “I think the first thing I’ll do is take a little sample,” he said, bending his head to her neck.
Kiera felt his cool lips touch her neck right before she felt the prick of his fangs as they punctured her skin. She cried out in pain, feeling her life force flow from her and into him.
The vampire forced himself to stop. He didn’t want to take too much at once; he wanted to make this last all night. Her warm blood flowed across his tongue like nectar from the gods, warming his cold dead body. As it slid down his throat, he fought the urge to take more, to take it all. Releasing her, he stepped back and watched her.
Kiera grabbed her neck, covering the wound. Silent tears trailed down her cheeks, her skin a shade paler than before from the loss of blood. She stumbled to her knees, sinking into the soil, unable to stand any longer.
***
On the other side of the woods, Gabriel and over twenty werewolves were searching for Kiera. Ramsey had seen her vanish into thin air, or so it had seemed, and had immediately reported the event to Gabriel.
“She has to be around here somewhere,” Gabriel growled, terror gnawing at him from the inside out, tearing him to pieces.
“We tried to follow them, but the vampire moved so fast we couldn’t even see him,” Ramsey assured the alpha. “We want to find him just as much as you do. Kiera has come to mean a lot to all of us.”
Gabriel sighed. “I know, I’m sorry if I snapped at you. I’m just worried about her.”
Ramsey nodded. “We’ll find her. Several of the wolves are tracking her now. I’m sure it won’t take long to pick up her scent.”
“If he was carrying her, she might not have left any scent,” Gabriel said, not even wanting to admit that small truth to himself, much less to anyone else.
Ramsey knew the alpha was going crazy worrying over his mate. He wished there was something more that he could do.
Gabriel and Ramsey joined the men in the woods, searching for any small clue as to where the vampire had taken Kiera. A broken branch, a scent, a footprint… anything!
Almost an hour later, someone called out, “Over here! I’ve got something!”
Gabriel, his brothers and cousins, Ramsey, and Hunter all rushed over. It was light, but there was a footprint. The scent matched that of the vampire. They finally had a lead on Kiera!
“Excellent work; now we at least know in which direction to start searching,” Gabriel said.
***
The sun was setting and Kiera was starting to think no one was coming for her. Since the vampire had sampled her blood earlier, he had mostly left her alone. He paced the area, listening to the woods. More than likely, waiting for her rescue crew… assuming there was going to be one.
“Why me?” she asked.
“What do you mean, why you?”
“What’s so special about my blood? I know that I’m part fairy, but what exactly is so wonderful about that?” Kiera asked, trying to figure out why he wanted her so much.
“The blood of a fairy, in particular a royal fairy, will make me invincible. Stakes won’t be able to harm me; no one will be able to kill me.”
Kiera digested that bit of info. “So I’m part of the royal family?”
He smiled. “Didn’t your mother tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
He chuckled. “That she’s the granddaughter of the fairy king and queen.”
“What?” Kiera was stunned. Why hadn’t her mother told her?
“Yes, my dear. That means that you’re the great-granddaughter to the fairy king and queen – their only great-granddaughter it just so happens.”
“If I’m so important, then why haven’t the fairies come to rescue me? Are they just going to let me die?” she asked in a small voice.
The vampire hunkered down in front of her. “In all fairness, they’re probably staying away because they can’t take me. It would be suicidal for them to show up here.”
Kiera stared at him, incredulous. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”
The vampire grimaced. “Maybe; I don’t know. I guess I just thought our future would go smoother if you learned to trust me a little.”
“What future?”
He smiled. “Don’t you remember? I told you that I had new plans for you; to be one of us… to walk for an eternity with me.”
Kiera laughed. “As if I’d stay with you for an eternity! You kidnapped me, bit me, and you’re keeping me away from my husband. What on earth would make me stay with you?”
He gripped her neck and pulled her close. “What makes you think I’d give you a choice? It’s either join me, or die.”
“I think I’d prefer death,” she said. “Either way, whether I’m a vampire or you kill me outright I’ll lose my baby and my husband. Without them, I have no reason to live.”
The vampire snarled and pushed away from her. She was making this more difficult than he had expected. Sure, he could drain her and just be done with it, but that would take away the fun. The vampire could picture the alpha’s face when he realized that his beloved mate had turned into a vampire, a child of the night.
Pacing, he thought about what she’d said. He knew that she wasn’t going to willingly become a vampire. Whether he wanted to do it or not, he would have to kill her.
***
From the bushes, Gabriel watched the vampire pacing in front of his wife. He had heard their exchange and was proud of her. Even knowing that it would mean her death, she had stood her ground.
Now it was just a waiting game. He knew that Kiera’s life, and that of their child, hung in the balance. He wanted to rip the vampire to shreds, but he had to wait for just the right opportunity. If he moved too soon, it could cost them all.
When the vampire approached Kiera and hauled her to her feet, Gabriel tensed. As he watched, the leech bent his
head to Kiera’s neck, clearly intent on biting her.
With a nod of his head, the werewolves converged on the clearing. Their mission was to keep Kiera safe, while Gabriel took care of the vampire once and for all.
Gabriel reached them first and pried the vampire off of Kiera.
Snarling, the vampire turned to face him, “You weren’t supposed to find us so soon.”
Gabriel gave him a menacing grin, “Sorry to spoil your fun. Guess our tracking ability was better than you thought.”
The vampire lunged for him. Gabriel leapt toward him, shifting mid-air. His furry body landed solidly against the vampire’s chest, knocking him backwards, but not completely off his feet.
Coiling to strike, the vampire lunged at him once more, fangs bared. Grabbing the wolf by his shoulder, he flung the beast to the ground.
Gabriel whimpered when he hit the ground. He felt a rib crack, but got right back up, reading to fight. Circling the vampire, he lunged and managed to bite down on the leech’s leg.
With a savage growl, the vampire shook the wolf loose. Spinning, he tackled the wolf to the ground. Leaning in, he bit down on the wolf’s neck. The blood of the alpha was intoxicating.
Gabriel scrabbled against the vampire, digging in with his hind claws, trying to break free. Writhing, he fought against the jaws clamped down on him, but to no avail. Just when he thought he would die, the vampire let go, a look of shock and surprise on his face.
Gabriel was too weak to stand, but lifted his head. The sight before him was truly amazing. His beautiful wife stood behind the vampire, a broken tree limb in her hand.
The vampire looked down at his chest and the gaping wound Kiera had inflicted. He opened his mouth, but before words could come forth, he burst into ash, his remains carried away in the breeze.
Gabriel shifted back to his human form. Weak, he held his hand out to Kiera.
“My warrior princess,” he whispered.
Tears streamed down her face. “I couldn’t stand to watch him hurt you another moment.”
Gabriel gave her a weak smile and winced. “Kiera, there’s something I should have told you…”
She placed her fingers over her lips. “Shh. Don’t you dare say goodbye to me. You’re fine! You’re going to be just fine.”
Kiera stepped back, allowing the werewolves to gather Gabriel and carry him back to the house. She was shaking and her heart was racing. All she knew was the he had to be fine… she wouldn’t let herself think otherwise.
Chapter Eighteen
When they arrived at the Victorian, Kiera asked the werewolves to take Gabriel upstairs. She knew he would be more comfortable in his own bed. It wasn’t like they could take him to a hospital. How would they explain two puncture wounds to the neck and loss of blood?
“Get Connor, Colin, Cole, and Michael; one of them will know what to do,” she told Hunter.
Ramsey remained with her. “Is there anything you need, Kiera?”
She looked at him and smiled. “Thank you, but I’m fine Ramsey. Right now, I’m just worried about Gabriel.”
Ramsey nodded. “He’ll be fine, Kiera. He’s a strong alpha, and he has a lot to live for.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but Gabriel’s family trooped into the room.
Connor walked over to the bed and looked down at his cousin. It was hard, seeing an alpha laid low. “He’s going to need foods high in iron and protein if he’s going to recover. And a little magick wouldn’t hurt…”
“Magick?” Kiera asked.
Connor looked at her, “Aren’t you half fairy?”
“Well, yes, I suppose, but…”
He shook his head. “No buts… Crawl onto the bed beside him and see if you can heal him.”
“But I don’t know what to do!”
He gave her an encouraging smile. “You’ll figure it out.”
Kiera climbed onto the bed beside Gabriel. She took his hand in hers and leaned over him, brushing a kiss against his cheek. “If I could heal you, I would,” she said, as a tear slid down her cheek.
Leaning her forehead against his, Kiera wished she had told him that she loved him… why hadn’t she told him weeks ago? Now it might be too late. She could feel his heart beating; it was weaker than usual and slower. She knew he was dying and felt helpless to stop it.
“Kiera, has there ever been anything you wanted and it suddenly happened, as if by magick?” Connor asked.
“Well, one time… but I have no idea how I did it,” she answered.
“Just think about how much you want him to wake up, to be healed… wish with all of your heart. If you have to, visualize the bite marks closing,” Connor said.
Kiera sighed and closed her eyes. She focused all of her energy on Gabriel. She did as Connor suggested and imagined the wounds closing up, imagined his neck smooth and whole again. She felt warmth radiating from her hands and opened her eyes. Shocked, she realized that her hands were glowing… even more shocking, the puncture marks on Gabriel’s neck were closing!
She gasped and watched as her husband was healed. Maybe being half-fairy wasn’t so terrible after all. It felt amazing! Knowing that she had the power to heal, the power over life and death… it was a heady experience.
Gabriel coughed and opened his eyes, to see his beautiful, glowing wife. “Kiera, what happened?” he rasped, feeling like his mouth was full of cotton.
“Gabriel!” Kiera threw herself down across his chest, soaking him with tears of happiness. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. What the hell had happened? He remembered fighting the vampire, but then nothing… his mind was blank after that.
“You were bit,” Connor stated.
Gabriel reached for his neck, but didn’t feel punctures on either side. “If I was bit, wouldn’t I have marks?”
Connor grinned and nodded his head toward Kiera. “You’re wife healed you.”
“Healed me? What are you talking about?”
“It seems her fairy side is stronger than we thought. She was able to use fairy magick to heal your wounds,” Connor answered.
“Kiera, is that true?” Gabriel asked, a little stunned.
Kiera lifted her head. “Yes, I was able to heal you, but I don’t know if I could do it again.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Honey, I’m hoping you don’t ever have to heal me, or anyone else in the pack, ever again. Between Marin’s exciting entrance into our lives and then yours, I think we’re due for some down time.”
“There’s something I should have told you long before now, but the timing just never seemed right. But when I thought I’d lost you today… Gabriel, I love you.”
He caressed her cheek. “I love you, too.”
Kiera’s smile lit up the room. “Really? I had hoped you would come to love me, but I never dared hope that you already did.”
“Yes, honey, I already love you. I think I fell in love with you the moment you walked into my garage.”
“So what happens now?” she asked.
“Now, I take a day or two off to get one hundred percent back on my feet, figure out what to do with all of the guards we have running around here, and then life goes back to normal.”
She grinned. “What’s normal around here? Ever since I met you I’ve been running from a vampire.”
He laughed. “I guess that does put a different slant on things.”
Ramsey cleared his throat. “I can’t speak for everyone, but Hunter and I have decided to stick around, if that’s okay with you.”
“We would be honored to have you stay,” Gabriel told him. “You’ll just have to decide which pack to join.”
“Um, I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you about that,” Connor said.
“About what?” Gabriel asked.
“About two packs in the same area not even ten minutes apart. It’s a bit ridiculous.”
“So what do you suggest?” Gabriel asked.
Connor rubbed h
is jaw. “Well, think we could handle dual leadership? Small things could be business as usual, but major things, like this vampire attack, could be a joint effort.”
“Sounds like what we’ve been doing anyways,” Gabriel answered.
Connor grinned. “That’s what gave me the idea. Anyway, you don’t have to decide right away, but I thought I’d throw that out there.”
Gabriel nodded. “I don’t really need to think about it. I’d love to merge the two packs together.”
“I guess I’ll go share the news then,” Connor said. “Unless you want me to wait on you and we can tell them together?”
Gabriel shook his head. “You go right ahead. I think I just want to lay here and relax for the rest of the night.”
Ramsey, Connor, and the others all left the couple alone. When they reached the first floor, they assured everyone the alpha was fine and just wanted to be left in peace for the duration of the evening.
***
Upstairs, Kiera snuggled close to Gabriel. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. I don’t think I could handle it.”
Gabriel hugged her to him. “I don’t plan on it.”
Kiera kissed his cheek. “Want to go wash up?”
He chuckled. “Is that a kind way of telling me I stink?”
“Well, I don’t know about stink, but you still have dried blood on you. I thought you might want to wash it off,” she answered.
He nodded. “Let’s go then.”
“As in together? Are you sure you’re up for that?”
He drew her down and kissed her hard, delving his tongue between her lips. When Kiera whimpered, he broke the kiss. “I think I’m up for it,” he said, dragging her hand down to the covers and across the hard length of him.
“Then I guess I’ll go start the shower,” she said, sliding off the bed.
Kiera was grinning when she entered the bathroom and turned on the water. While the shower warmed up, she brushed her teeth and her hair. Looking in the mirror, she could still see a faint glow around her. Her fairy heritage had definitely been a blessing tonight. If not for her ability to heal Gabriel, she had no doubt that he would have died.