***
When they arrived home, Gabriel locked up the downstairs and set the alarm.
“It’s still early, did you want to stay down here or go upstairs?” he asked Kiera.
“I think I want to go lie down,” Kiera answered, her voice sounding tired.
He nodded. “After you,” he said motioning toward the stairs.
As he followed her up the stairs, he watched the sway of her hips. Unbidden, desire welled up inside of him, making his pants tight as his erection strained against the zipper of his jeans. Was he always going to act like a randy teenager around her? He had absolutely no control over himself when it came to Kiera.
She reached the top of the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door. Stepping inside, she kicked off her shoes.
Gabriel headed for the bathroom to brush his teeth and give Kiera a moment to herself. He accidently knocked Kiera’s ponytail holder off the counter and into the trashcan. Reaching over to fish it back out, he saw the wadded up note. Curiosity got the better of him and he pulled it out. Opening it, he stilled as he read the words written on the paper.
The vampire had been their house. He’d threatened Kiera and she hadn’t even said anything. Did she think so little of him? Did she think he wouldn’t be able to protect her?
Anger over-took him leaving him shaking and ready to pummel something; anger at the vampire for threatening his mate and anger at Kiera for keeping it from him.
Stalking out of the bathroom, he tossed the note on the bed beside Kiera. “Care to explain that to me?” he demanded.
Kiera nibbled on her lower lip, nervous in the face of Gabriel’s anger. “I found it when I got out of the shower.”
“He came in and left you a note while you were naked in the shower? Did you even hear him?”
She shook her head. “I was going to tell you, but I was afraid of how you would react.”
“Jesus Kiera! How am I supposed to react? That blood-sucking monster broke into our home, threatened my wife, and I’m supposed to what? Sit back and let him take you?”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “No, I just didn’t want you to worry,” she said in a small voice.
Gabriel sighed, some of the tension leaving him. “I’m sorry for yelling. Do you have any idea what I felt when I found that note? The horror I felt over what could have happened to you? The hurt I felt when I realized you didn’t trust me to protect you?”
“No, Gabriel, it wasn’t that all!” she assured him. “I know you can protect me. I just didn’t want you to worry any more than you already have been. You have enough to deal with right now,” she said.
“Like what?”
“Well, you’ve lived with just your brothers for so long and now you suddenly have a wife thrust upon you, a wife you don’t even know. You have a new werewolf in the area, the garage has been busy; your house is getting turned upside down, you suddenly have way more to worry about than you normally would,” she answered.
Gabriel sat on the bed and pulled Kiera into his lap. “Honey, having you ‘thrust upon me’ as you put it, isn’t a hardship. I like having you around; so much in fact that I’d like to keep you around. That’s why I got so angry about the note.”
Kiera nuzzled him. “So I’m forgiven?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, you’re forgiven. Like I could stay mad at you for any length of time.”
Chapter Ten
A week later, Kiera was standing at the kitchen sink cleaning the lunch dishes when she heard the front door open. She dried her hands on a towel and turned toward the kitchen door.
Austin strolled in like he owned the place. “Hi Kiera; is Gabriel around?”
“Hi Austin, he’s across the street at the garage. You just missed him,” she answered.
He nodded. “I just got back from Tennessee and thought I’d stop by and talk to him for a minute.”
“How are things back home?” she asked.
He shrugged. “About the same, except Thomas is pissed at me for leaving. At first I wasn’t sure he would let me.”
“Could he have kept you there?” she asked.
Austin shrugged. “He could have made me fight him for the right to leave, but he didn’t. He asked me why.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I just felt it was time for a change. I left out the other stuff,” he answered.
“Have you had lunch?” Kiera asked, trying to be hospitable.
“I grabbed something on the way in town, but thanks for asking.”
Kiera nodded. “Well, if you want to catch Gabriel…” she trailed off, gesturing across the street.
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’ll head over there and check in with him.”
Austin gave Kiera a long look, his eyes raking her body from head to toe. “There’s something different about you,” he said, “an energy that wasn’t there before.”
Kiera blushed, uncomfortable with his observation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Is there something going on around here that I should know about?” Austin asked, picking up the scent of her fear and anxiety.
“Nothing that will concern you,” she answered, ending the conversation.
He shrugged. “Whatever you say, Kiera; just thought I’d offer my help if you needed it.”
“Thank you, Austin, but I’m okay,” she said.
He nodded. “Well, I guess I better go check in with Gabriel. I’ll see you around.”
Kiera watched Austin leave, relieved to not be alone with him any longer. Honestly, the man made her a little nervous when she didn’t have Gabriel around to back her up.
She turned back to the sink of dishes and froze. On the edge of the counter was a long-stemmed red rose with a note lying underneath.
A rose to represent our coming union; the soft petals for your skin, the thorns my teeth; I’m going to savor every drop of your blood.
Kiera bit back a sob. He’d been in the house again! And during full daylight! She knew it was only a matter of time before he decided to stop toying with her; decided to take the game a step further and take her, draining her dry. She could only hope that was all he had in mind. She hadn’t forgotten his threat at her wedding, to “play” with her first.
Grabbing the offending flower and note, she took off out of the house and ran across the street to the garage.
As she burst through the door, Gabriel turned in surprise. He had been talking to Austin, but came to her side immediately at the terrified look on her face.
“Kiera, honey, what’s wrong?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Kiera was shaking and didn’t know how she was still standing. She felt like she would collapse at any moment. “He’s been in the house again, Gabriel.”
“Who has sweetheart?” he asked.
“The vampire; the vampire has been in the house again. He left me another message,” she said, handing him the note and the rose.
“He came in the house during the day?” he asked in shock.
She nodded. “If everything we think we know about him isn’t true, where does that leave us? If he doesn’t have to be invited in and doesn’t have to stay hidden in the day, what will we do? We can’t fight him!”
Gabriel dropped the rose and note, pulling Kiera into his arms. He smoothed her hair and whispered in her ear, “Shh. It’s okay, honey. I promise I’ll protect you.”
“I’m so scared, Gabriel. I’m not only scared that he’ll take me, but what if you’re home when he comes for me? I couldn’t stand it if he did anything to you.”
He hugged her tight. “I’m more worried about what he’ll do to you than what he’d to do me.”
Across the room, Michael and Austin watched them, knowing they obviously needed some time alone, but also wanting to know what was going on. Michael decided to take a chance on incurring his brother’s wrath.
Michael tapped Gabriel on the shoulder. “Everything okay?”
Gabriel
nodded toward the note on the floor. “The bloodsucking leech lied. He’s after Kiera.”
Michael swore, scooped up the flower and note, reading it quickly. “So what’s the plan?”
“I honestly don’t know, Michael. The guy is so fast he can leave notes in plain sight when you’ve been standing in the room the whole time. He’s strong enough to rip the door off the hinges. And apparently he can come and go out of the house as he pleases without an invitation and doesn’t have to stay inside out of the sunlight. What the hell do you do when you’re faced with a monster with those abilities?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll think of something. I think it’s time to call a family meeting,” Michael said.
“No, it’s time to call a supernatural one. Austin, Matt, and Cassie should be there too,” Gabriel said, resolve strengthening his tone. It might take all of their abilities to get rid of the vampire once and for all.
“I’m on it,” Michael said, heading for the office to start making calls.
***
Later that night as they were all gathered in the living room of the Victorian, Kiera snuggled with Gabriel, afraid to let him out of her sight.
The two notes the vampire had left were laid out on the table.
“Some of you know that Kiera was chased to the garage on the night I met her. A vampire had caught her scent at the club she had gone to with her friends. At the time, we didn’t understand what was so special about her blood; not until her mother showed up at the wedding,” Gabriel said.
“Kiera’s mother? I thought she was dead,” Austin interjected.
Gabriel nodded. “So did Kiera. It seems her mother was banished from the human realm.” At Austin’s blank look, he continued, “Her mother is a fairy. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s a fairy of royal descent.”
“So the fairy blood is what attracted the vampire,” Cole chimed in.
“Yeah, it would seem so,” Gabriel answered.
Connor shifted in his seat. “So if the vampire is attracted to her fairy blood, what we really need is a full-blooded fairy to lure him away; preferably a few states away.”
“I don’t think we’re going to find a fairy, let alone one willing to be bait,” Gabriel said.
Connor shrugged. “Maybe not, but if Kiera’s mother is a descendant of the royal fairy line, that means her daughter is, too. Maybe what we should be concentrating on is a way to reach their King or Queen.”
Gabriel sharpened his focus on his cousin. “So you’re thinking that if the royal family knows one of their own is in trouble, they might be willing to help?”
“Wouldn’t hurt to try,” he answered.
Matt glanced at Cassie. If anyone knew how to contact the fairies, it would be her father. He looked at Gabriel, “We may be able to find out how to contact them.”
Gabriel looked at him in interest. “Really? Care to share with the group?”
“Cassie’s father knows more about her abilities than he let on. Apparently, her gifts come from his side of the family. Since the ring Stan gave me came from Morgan Le Fey that means Cassie is also of fairy descent,” Matt answered, “although her ancestry goes back to the time of King Arthur and is diluted enough that the vampire probably won’t even notice her.”
“But you think he may know how to contact them?” Gabriel asked.
“There’s a good chance he will. We can ask him and get back to you,” Matt answered.
“Okay, while you work on that angle, the rest of us need to find a way to protect Kiera and the house,” Gabriel said.
Connor and Colin looked at each in silent communication. While all twins had a special connection to each other, Connor and Colin had a few other abilities to go along with it. They might be werewolves, but psychics ran in their family, too.
“What if we put the word out to the other packs? See if anyone is willing to lend a hand… strength in numbers and all that,” Colin said.
Gabriel rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, “It certainly wouldn’t hurt.”
“We’re on it,” Colin said with a nod toward his brother. They had enough friends in various packs across the country that it shouldn’t be hard to get a decent turn-out.
“Does anyone know anything about vampires?” Gabriel asked.
Everyone looked blankly at each other. They hadn’t realized that vampires existed. The only information they had was from movies and books, which obviously wasn’t accurate since the vampire had already been in the house uninvited and during the daytime.
Gabriel sighed. “It’s probably like finding a needle in a haystack trying to weed fact from fiction. I’m not sure if there’s any way for us to prepare ourselves adequately. Not unless we can find someone who’s already tangled with one of these creatures.”
Connor spoke up, “When we contact the other packs, we’ll see if they have had any dealings with vampires or know anything about them.”
Gabriel looked at Cassie. “I don’t suppose there’s a spell or something that would keep him out?”
Cassie shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I can consult with my friends and family. If there isn’t anything in place, maybe we can come up with one.”
Gabriel nodded. He appreciated everyone’s help, but he wished there was more they could do right away. He didn’t feel safe leaving Kiera alone. And even if she weren’t alone, he couldn’t guarantee her safety. The vampire was faster and quieter than anything he’d ever seen.
Kiera stood. “If everyone will come to the kitchen, I have a small spread and drinks set out. You’re welcome to help yourselves.”
A few murmured their appreciation for her thoughtfulness and everyone slowly walked to the kitchen. Gabriel and Kiera followed behind.
Pulling his wife close, Gabriel kissed the top of her head. “We’ll get it all figured out, honey. One way or another, I’ll keep you safe.”
Kiera looked up at him with troubled eyes. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Gabriel. I know you mean well, but right now, none of us are equipped to handle a vampire. If he were to show up right now, there wouldn’t be anything you could do to stop him from taking me.”
Gabriel growled softly. “You better damn well believe that I would try! I may not be as fast as he is and possibly not as strong, but he wouldn’t walk out of here with you without a fight on his hands.”
Kiera caressed his cheek. “That’s what worries me the most. If he’s going to come and take me, the last thing I want is for you to be injured or worse. You have a pack and family to consider. Promise me you won’t do anything foolish.”
He shook his head. “I can’t promise that, Kiera. You’re my mate, my wife… I can’t promise that I won’t fight for you if it comes down to that.”
Kiera realized he hadn’t mentioned love anywhere in his little speech. At least he cared enough to want to save her, even if she thought he shouldn’t. “I just don’t want to see you hurt, or worse, dead.”
“And that’s how I feel about you; it’s why I can’t make that promise. Do you think I want to see you at his mercy; unable to do anything to stop him for torturing you or killing you?”
Kiera sighed. “I guess we’ll have to call it a draw. You aren’t going to get what you want and I won’t get what I want.”
“Hopefully we’ll both get what we want; don’t underestimate that group in there,” he said with a nod toward the kitchen.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him. “I won’t. Now let’s go join them before they start wondering what we’re up to.”
He smiled. “I’m sure my cousins and brothers are already speculating.”
Chapter Eleven
The next morning Kiera once again woke to an empty bed. She sighed and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. There were times she wondered if Gabriel worked long hours because it’s what he had always done, or if he worked long hours to avoid her. They were great together in bed and most days he was attentive at other times as well, but there just seemed to be something lacking.
Kiera rolled back over and stared at the ceiling. She knew she hadn’t made a mistake by marrying him. He was her mate and destined to be with her. The question was did he regret marrying her? She knew that she should just talk to him and let him know what she was feeling, but that was easier said than done. In theory, it made perfect sense. In reality, it wasn’t easy to have an intimate conversation with someone who was still a virtual stranger to you, even if you were sleeping with them.
Obviously lying in bed all day wasn’t going to help anything. Stretching, Kiera slipped out of bed and walked into the bathroom. She flipped on the light and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
“A lovely sight first thing in the morning,” a voice murmured behind her.
Spinning to face the intruder, Kiera spotted the vampire in the corner. Looking over her shoulder at the mirror, she realized that the myth about vampires not having a reflection was true. Unfortunately, it was too little information and it was a little too late.
“What do you want?” she asked her voice shakier than she had hoped it would be. She didn’t want to show her fear.
He chuckled. “I thought that would have been rather obvious by now. I want you, of course.”
Kiera’s heart was racing. She knew she couldn’t outrun him, couldn’t fight him off, and had no prayer of surviving. She’d never been so terrified in her life.
The vampire took a step toward her. “You know, I had thought it would be harder to get you alone, especially after my little notes. Don’t you find it odd that your mate has left you unprotected even after my threats?”
Kiera eyed him uncertainly. What was he getting at? “Gabriel’s at work. It isn’t like he can stop working just because I’m in danger.”
“Are you sure that’s it? Are you sure he couldn’t take off? If he loved you, don’t you think he’d be here now?” the vampire asked, preying on her fears.
Kiera swallowed, doubts swirling through her mind. Gabriel had been good to her, but he had yet to mention the word “love.” She had hoped that love would come in time, but what if it didn’t? What if she spent her whole life wondering what it would be like to be loved?
MoonlightBundleSet Page 33