Dark Surrender

by Rachel Van Dyken

  And still, he held her hand, like a lifeline.

  When I thrust into her, he let out a guttural curse, squeezing his eyes shut as the entire room shook like thunder.

  It was over too soon.

  I wanted more.

  Poor Mason had completely sweat through his clothes.

  “Make sure she’s okay,” I whispered as Hope passed out yet again. Even with a wolf as a link — I still hurt her with my power.

  Mason rose over her, his eyes roamed over her body and then he licked across her chest, where I could hear her heart beat in a steady cadence.

  “She’ll live.”

  “And you?” I ran a hand through my sweat-filled hair. “Are you okay?”

  “Do you even care?” Mason snapped, squeezing his eyes shut before standing and falling to his knees. His energy was zapped, and the damn guy needed to get laid.

  “I can help.” I finally said after a few beats of silence.

  “Touch me, and I cut off your hand.” He fired back.

  I rolled my eyes. “I prefer women, not wolves.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “Oh, please!” I pulled him to his feet. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you. It’s the least I can do.”

  He shook his head slowly. “Not even a siren as practiced as you can take the hollow ache away.”

  “You’re right,” I whispered. “But I can soothe it.”

  I exhaled across his face then pulled away while his body went limp and then with a roar he ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

  Minutes later, he stomped back into the room. “What the hell was that?”

  “Think of it like… a mental sexual experience, only better. It feels real. But it’s not. Takes the ache away. I tried to find a really hairy one for you.”

  “You’re a bastard.”

  “What? You didn’t like her?”

  “She… she mounted me!” He shoved me against the wall.

  I burst out laughing. “I thought wolves liked that sort of thing, plus, you still got off… don’t lie, I can smell it on you.”

  “I could kill you.”

  “But you won’t.”

  “But I won’t.” He finally smiled.

  “Because beggars can’t be choosers, especially after a hundred years, right?”

  He burst out laughing.

  It was the first real laugh I’d heard from him.

  Since his mate died.

  The door to my room burst open revealing Cassius and Ethan.

  Ethan’s arm shot out to stop Genesis from entering, his eyes were crazed while Stephanie took one step in and then slowly backed out leaving Cassius glaring at the two of us.

  “What were you three doing?”

  Hope chose that opportune time to wake up and grumble. “Playing… tag.”

  Mason coughed into his hand while I said. “We took turns being it.”

  Confusion washed over Cassius’s features before he sniffed the air and then sent a murderous expression in my direction. “We’ll discuss your orgy later. Right now. I need you downtown. Bannik has resurfaced.”

  “Did he just say orgy?” Mason asked exactly what I was thinking.

  “Genesis is teaching him way too much,” I grumbled and then winked at Hope. “Watch over my mate for me, Mason?”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He huffed and then joined her on the bed.

  She scooted away and eyed him skeptically. “Did we kiss?”

  He flushed and then shrugged. “So, you like baseball?”

  Hope

  “TELL ME ABOUT the elves,” I asked after the third Disney movie. Mason was relentless. All he wanted to do was watch Lion King.

  I finally convinced him to watch something that wasn’t a cartoon and ended up regretting it immediately when he started howling at the screen.

  I covered my ears. “What are you doing?”

  “It’s a car chase.” Ethan slipped into the room, his tone bored.

  “He wants to chase the car.”

  “Go to—” Howl. “Hell, Ethan!”

  I quickly fast forwarded through that specific scene of Furious Seven and winced as Mason jumped up onto the couch with his feet and started panting.

  “Okay, so no action films for you. Check.”

  Ethan was back in the room laughing before disappearing again.

  “What’s he doing?” I elbowed Mason.

  “Research.” Mason didn’t take his eyes off the screen. “Cassius and Ethan have been pouring over ancient texts for weeks now. Nothing seems to be helpful, and Cassius is only allowed to see so much of the future, and when the future is tied to us, it is quite often blocked.”

  I frowned as a chill spread over my body. “So, he’s not all-knowing?”

  Mason tilted his head thoughtfully. “He knows what he needs to know. Beyond that, he can’t use any of his powers to force a human’s hand. At least not anymore.”

  My thoughts drifted back to the day Cassius passed me in the compound and told me about my promotion.

  Promotion my ass!

  Had I known I was going to become a mate to a sex-crazed maniac and end up getting wolf spit on me, I think I would have said “pass.”

  I chewed my lip. Maybe.

  Images of Alex surged to the forefront of my mind.

  I wanted him.

  Again.

  Seconds after Alex left me with Mason, Mason had gotten a text and then with jerky movements, had re-set the clock on the nightstand.

  It was like getting punched in the face.

  I wanted more than that.

  More than his touch, more than the feel of him. Being with him physically was one thing — but that was as far as it extended. It was like every time I pushed him, he backed off when really all I wanted him to do was fight me.

  Or maybe just fight for me.

  “I feel your sadness.” Mason said in a thick voice as he plopped down next to me. “It’s choking.”

  “Oh.” I tucked my feet under my body and grabbed the nearest blanket. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you could feel emotions like that.”

  “All immortals can. My abilities are a bit sensitive when it comes to you.” He flushed. “After…” With a cough and a flick of his wrist, he waved me off. “You know.” He frowned and then shook his shaggy head.

  “The sex?” I helped out with a laugh.

  He barked his own laugh and smiled. “Yeah. That. Though it always feels… like more with you, ever since we first met.”

  “Familiar, right?”

  “Very.” He nodded.

  “So, the elves.” I tried again. “Tell me about them.”

  He stared down at his hands, licking his lips before whistling out of the side of his mouth.

  Cold air hit me in the face as Cassius suddenly towered over both of us.

  “Yes?”

  “History lesson. Elves 101.” Mason jabbed a finger in my direction. “It’s time, and you’re a better storyteller.”

  Cassius’s eyes went solid white as he leaned over me and briefly touched my forehead.

  It felt like I was falling into a pit of emptiness, and then my feet hit solid ground.

  Cassius and Mason flanked either side of me and I had to briefly wonder if that was my future, the immortal sandwich.

  I shivered as snow began to fall across my face, and then I realized it wasn’t because I was cold, but because it looked cold, so my body responded in the only way it knew how.

  “You’ll get used to it.” Cassius shrugged. “Come.”

  I followed him up a snowy trail through a forest that shimmered with each step I took. It felt like the stars were closer somehow, like we were reaching the sky but on earth still.

  We stopped at the top of the hill.

  Cassius’s black and red hair chilled until pieces of ice formed around some of the wet pieces kissing the edges of his jaw, causing a layer of frost to cover his lips.

  When I looked back at Mason, h
e had his shirt off. “What?” He shrugged. “It’s hot.”

  Immortals.

  “Elves are a very old, purely female race, born before the immortals needed humans to mate. Many of them were killed off in the First Great War. One hundred escaped — five survived.” A large fire rolled down the hill consuming every tiny house, every piece of forest, lighting it up into an explosive flame.

  And the man.

  The same man from the compound, the one who had marked me, Timber, walked amongst the flames completely untouched.

  He lifted his hand into the air and the flames stopped. His gaze snapped to mine, a cruel smile crossed his features before he was stabbed in the back by one of his men.

  The steel went completely through his armor.

  I gasped.

  And tried to run to him but Cassius grabbed my arm before I could get one foot in front of the other.

  He collapsed across one of the elves he had just killed. Rather than find joy in his apparent death, the woman cupped his bloodied body with her hands and slowly began sucking away the black blood, it stained her teeth while she sucked.

  “What’s she doing?”

  “Making him whole.” Mason said dumbfounded.

  He was nearly sucked dry, his skin had even turned to normal color, his eyes flashed a bright blue before she pressed her cuts to his, the blood mixing, fusing together.

  And like watching a light get shut off hers faded, completely into his body.

  He stood and touched his chest.

  No wound.

  A trail of blood ran down his cheek, scarring the right side.

  “There is only one reason a demon cries red, and this is why. Timber was the first demon to weep over a lost life.”

  Timber fell to his knees and yelled out a gut wrenching scream. “WHY!”

  And suddenly a man I didn’t recognize was at his side. He looked a lot like Cassius. His jet black hair was tied at the nape of his neck, his eyes white, he knelt next to Timber and whispered. “You have been raised for a time such as this.”

  “Did you know?” Mason interrupted the scene by asking Cassius a question.

  “I have not seen this past. My vision of the elves has always ended when Timber is revived.”

  “What is this?” Mason asked in a humbled whisper.

  Cassius exhaled slowly. “It seems, the past has finally invaded our future.”

  The man next to Timber spoke again. “Protect her when no one else will… I command you. You will forget all of this until she awakens.”

  “And if I fail?” Timber asked.

  “Do. Not. Fail.” Each word was said so loudly, with such finality, that I had to cover my ears. The man disappeared into thin air.

  And when Timber turned toward the rest of his followers, the ones still alive, the demons still crawling all over the mass of dead bodies, he did something incredible.

  “Find the ones who still live. Save them all. Burn the rest. Tell no one of what you’ve seen here. We have a new master.”

  They fell to their knees.

  “Not me,” he whispered in a choked up voice.

  “But soon… she will smell like life and death. She will reek of resurrection. She will be life itself. She is our… Hope.”

  The vision ended.

  I collapsed on the couch, covered head to toe in a cold, wet frost.

  “Well, that didn’t go as planned.” Mason shook his hair wildly like a dog as pieces of icicles impaled themselves on the coffee table.

  Cassius had a faraway look on his face.

  Ethan ran into the room. “Did I just hear you right?”

  Cassius nodded and turned to him. “We’ve been looking in the wrong place this entire time.”

  All eyes fell to me.

  I had a bad feeling.

  “Bannik is not their true leader.” Cassius whispered. “She is.”

  Alex.

  ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT, THAT’S what this was. I hated tracking demons. It made my skin crawl like bugs were scurrying all over me, biting me, sucking me. Every look sent my way made me want to punch teeth out.

  I understood why.

  And typically, it didn’t faze me.

  But damn they all wanted to feed off of me — I promised them something they’d never had in their entire miserable existence. Peace.

  I promised to sate their lust.

  If they only knew that once I did that — they’d just crave more and die from want once I walked away — they wouldn’t be so eager to send their inappropriate thoughts my way. Hell, if they knew what I was capable of — if I knew — the power would destroy everything in its path.

  “Octavian.” I clinked my beer bottle with his. “I need to talk to Timber.”

  “He’s out.” Octavian chugged his beer and slammed it down onto the bar. His blond hair fell in waves over his forehead. “Said he had shit to do.”

  “And I don’t?”

  He snorted. “Please, like you do anything but screw.”

  I itched to snap his neck like a twig. Would have done it if it wouldn’t have pissed Cassius off. Power surged through me after being with Hope. And what was even better — having Mason in the room only enhanced the overall charge of what had taken place.

  So I was basically on the highest high of my life.

  Sitting next to a demon who wanted to eat me so he could have all the warm, sexy feelings to himself.

  Great.

  “And Bannik?”

  Octavian froze, his gaze lingering on the beer bottle in his hand. “Still… trying.”

  “Fine.” I stood. “Tell Timber I need to see him as soon as possible, and keep an eye on Bannik.”

  Octavian snaked out and grabbed my wrist, his eyes filled with lust. “You should stay.”

  “I’d rather not get snacked on, thanks for the offer, though.” I winked.

  He didn’t release his hold.

  Sighing, I jerked my hand away, nearly causing him to slam his body against the ground before he caught himself with his free hand. “I don’t have time for games. I actually have a life.”

  “Not for long.” He snorted.

  “What was that?”

  “Sirens. So stupid.” He swore and then crooked his finger. I had no choice but to lean in. “Bannik cannot drain the One’s Who Watch.”

  “Yeah. Caught that.”

  “He will stop at nothing to suck in their power. Even now he mixes the blood of immortals to find the right way to infuse.”

  “So?”

  “He has tried all of them but one.” Octavian looked behind his shoulder and then shoved away from the bar. “I’ve said enough.”

  “Wait.” I grabbed him by the shirt. “What hasn’t he tried?”

  I had no time to react before he bit into my neck and came back with a piece of flesh. “Siren.”

  I SOMEHOW MADE it home.

  My neck burned like hell, even now the wound was festering with rot from the bastard’s dirty mouth.

  Well either the world was going to end because he had my blood.

  Or it wouldn’t.

  Not the best odds, but what else could I say?

  When I stumbled into the door, it was to find Cassius embracing Hope with Mason and Ethan surrounding her as well.

  “The hell is this?” I roared.

  “Shh.” Genesis slapped me on the chest. “They’re searching for something.”

  “They’re touching!”

  “Apparently, you and Mason did a lot more than touch today.” Stephanie piped up with a smirk.

  “Don’t test me.” I fought to gain control of my emotions as more blood seeped through my fingers.

  Stephanie gasped and ran toward me. “What happened?”

  “Oh you know, a poisonous demon bite, but please tell me more about the living room orgy and how it’s missing the most important person in order to start the fun!”

  “Wow.” Stephanie smirked and tugged at a piece of my black hair. Damn it, I was losing control mo
re and more. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen you get that jealous.”

  “Please. I’m always jealous. I can’t help it. I want all the attention, narcissist and all that.” I tried to play it off — but I was starting to get worried. The demon bite shouldn’t hurt this bad, the power should be out of my system after trying to heal the bite, and instead, my hair was turning a jealous black, my eyes burned — and I thirsted.

  She rolled her eyes. “I’ll wake him, just give them all a minute, it’s been a taxing few hours.”

  “No shit.” I said through clenched teeth as pain exploded in my neck.

  Stephanie moved behind Cassius and gripped his purple feathers. They went ramrod straight toward her and shivered as she whispered something to them in the angelic tongue.

  One that even she wasn’t supposed to know.

  Look at that. Breaking rules all over the place since Cassius had turned angelic on all our asses.

  A ruffle ran through his feathers before they made a little rustle and Cassius opened his eyes.

  “He got bit?”

  “Yes.” I said through clenched teeth. “He did. Care to kiss it better?”

  Cassius shrugged a shoulder and completely ignored my jab. “Did you find Timber?”

  “No, Octavian, however, has chosen his side.”

  “Don’t be so sure.” Mason’s eyebrows rose as Hope suddenly came out of the vision and collapsed against him.

  I growled.

  I normally didn’t make such animalistic noises.

  Mason’s lips twitched.

  “Laugh and I kill you.”

  “He’s really become so much more violent lately,” Genesis mused. “And he’s getting laid more often. How does that happen.”

  “Hilarious.” I grit my teeth as panic swept through me.

  “Not without help, though,” Stephanie teased.

  “PLEASE! Like you all aren’t jealous of the fact that Mason had the best hour of his life!”

  “It was more like thirty minutes,” Mason sputtered defensively. “And I barely remember it.” The bastard had the freaking audacity to blush.

  “Remember, Cassius can taste your lies,” I sung in a sarcastic voice. Anything to get the focus away from my growing problem — hell maybe it would be better if I died, better if they didn’t have to deal with whatever was growing within me.