Dark Secrets Unveiled (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Book 45)

by I. T. Lucas

  “You could have hired help.”

  Stella shrugged. “It’s not how I work. I start with a basic design and then add elements. It’s a creative process, and each piece is unique.”

  “Perhaps that’s why you are so successful. You put your heart into each costume.”

  “I guess.” She readjusted her skirt. “But it would be nice to slow down and go back to traveling. Maybe not as extensively as I did before, but a couple of weeks twice or three times a year would be nice.”

  “Where would you like to go? Back to the East?”

  “No, not the East.” Definitely not there. “Maybe Northern Europe. I’ve never been to Finland. I hear that Lapland is an interesting place to visit.”

  He cast her a doubtful smile. “You don’t strike me like someone who enjoys the snow. You look like a sun worshiper.”

  That was true.

  “I’m willing to broaden my horizons. Lapland’s traditional costumes are very colorful. They might inspire my designs.”

  15

  Richard

  Throughout the lunch prep and then the lunch itself, Stella had been vacillating between seemingly at ease and anxious. Richard had learned a lot just from paying attention to which topics caused her to tense up.

  It had something to do with her travels in the East and Vlad’s conception, which pointed toward Vlad’s father.

  The kid had dark straight hair and thick lips, but the rest of his features were Caucasian. That didn’t mean that the father hadn’t been Asian, though. Vlad could’ve taken after his mother. Stella’s natural hair color was dark brown, which was the color of her eyes as well.

  Vlad’s eyes, however, were one blue and one green, and since he hadn’t gotten them from Stella, it was more likely that he had gotten them from the father.

  That meant that the guy might not have been an Asian, but Stella had probably met him in the East. Maybe he’d been a fellow traveler?

  Whoever the sperm donor had been, Stella felt the need to guard his identity for some reason. Perhaps the guy was married?

  But that shouldn’t matter to her. None of the clan females who had children with mortals kept in touch with the fathers. In fact, the clan policy was not to let them even know that they had fathered a child.

  Perhaps the guy was someone famous and married?

  Or maybe he wasn’t famous but infamous? A murderer?

  That would be a good reason to keep his identity a secret from Vlad. As long as he didn’t know that he’d been fathered by a monster, it wouldn’t influence the kind of man he became.

  But what about genetics?

  Richard had read articles that debated whether nature or nurture had more influence on shaping a person’s character. Evidently, those who believed that nature had a stronger influence expected the sons of violent criminals to follow their fathers’ proclivity for violence, even when adopted and raised by others.

  Vlad seemed like the nicest, kindest guy, but Richard had seen the murderous gleam in his eyes when he’d talked about Wendy’s father. Not that he blamed the kid for feeling that way. Richard felt the same. But there was a big difference between fantasizing about killing someone and actually doing it.

  Then again, immortals were a different breed, and supposedly they were more aggressive than humans. Except, Richard hadn’t seen any evidence of that. No one got into fights in the village, vocal or physical, and if they got vicious when fighting an enemy, he had no problem with that.

  Good for them.

  “What are you thinking about?” Stella put her fork down. “You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet for the past five minutes or so.”

  “I wondered how come I haven’t seen any fights in the village. Aren’t immortals supposed to be aggressive by nature?”

  “We are. But we are also civilized.” She sounded proud.

  “How does that aggression manifest then?”

  Her eyelids dropped, and she looked at him from under her thick, dark lashes. “I’m sure that you’ve experienced it with the females you’ve bedded. We are sexually aggressive.”

  Was she coming on to him?

  Sweet.

  He wasn’t sure, though, and it was safer to stay away from the topic of the clan females who’d won his gigolo services in auctions.

  “Just sexually? That’s not a big deal. I was given the impression that immortal males are fierce warriors.”

  “The Guardians are trained to be the best in the world. The other males are a different story, though. They don’t have the skills or the inclination, but if provoked, I’m sure their instincts would take over.”

  “Define provocation. Are we talking insults or physical threats?”

  “If their family is threatened, especially their mate, the animal that’s inside each immortal male takes over, and even the mellowest, gentlest poet can become a fierce fighter.” She leaned forward. “And the same goes for the females. We don’t have built-in weapons like the males do, but even without fangs and venom, we would fight to defend our family.”

  Richard could believe it. Stella’s eyes were blazing from the inside, and her body was coiled like it was ready to pounce. Apparently, Vlad had inherited his fierceness from his mother.

  She was so damn hot.

  “You look extremely sexy when you get riled up like that.”

  Stella smiled, revealing her tiny fangs. “I’m glad that my assertiveness turns you on and not off. When I reveal the fierce side of me, some males back off.”

  “Not this one.” Richard pushed to his feet and offered her a hand up. “And if you don’t believe me, you are welcome to check.” He glanced down at his bulging erection.

  As Stella followed his gaze, a wicked grin spread over her beautiful face. “Oh my, that’s one hell of a proof.” She let him pull her up against his body.

  Evidently, her stress had nothing to do with the anticipation of their first time together. She seemed just as eager as he was to get busy, which was good because Richard doubted that he could summon the patience to go slow.

  He was too hungry for her.

  Still, he started with a soft kiss, but it wasn’t what Stella wanted. Taking over, she held him by the neck and kissed him back with unsuppressed hunger. It was as if a switch had flipped inside her, and she let her inner animal roar to life.

  Was he the luckiest bastard on earth, or what?

  Stella let go of his mouth. “Take me to bed, Richard.”

  Definitely, the luckiest.

  He grinned. “With pleasure.”

  In a quick move that surprised them both, he lifted her into his arms and smashed his mouth over hers.

  With a throaty moan, Stella wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

  Their mouths remained fused all the way to the bedroom and continued as he sat down with her still cradled in his arms.

  16

  Sari

  They’d made love again in the shower, and the only reason Sari hadn’t gone for a third round was her fear of exhausting David.

  Already, she feared that she’d overdone it.

  Torn by conflicting emotions, she’d vacillated between wanting to preserve his energy and to squeeze out every last bit of joy with him until the start of his transition.

  Each moment was precious.

  She’d committed to memory every little detail, every sensation he’d made her feel because their moments together could be the last.

  How was she going to survive this?

  If she weren’t an immortal, surely her heart would have given out already.

  Emerging from the walk-in closet wearing a pair of faded jeans, a T-shirt, and no shoes, David looked sexy as sin.

  “Unbelievably, I’m hungry again.” He pulled her into his arms. “Do I need to get dressed for dinner? Or can I go like this?”

  She didn’t plan on sharing him with anyone tonight. “I’ll order dinner to be delivered here.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and forced a smile. “I don’t
want you to change.”

  He lifted a brow. “Not at all? What about turning immortal?”

  Frankly, she was starting to regret that, but that was a stupid notion born out of fear. At his age, postponing the induction would not have been smart, and anyway, the longer they had waited, the harder it would have been for both for them.

  Besides, it had been David’s decision, and she should respect it.

  “I want you to live forever but stay exactly as you are. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.”

  Grinning, he dipped his head and kissed her.

  Assume the win, she mentally chanted as she kissed him back. She needed to be strong and to believe that everything would be okay.

  As he cupped her ass and squeezed, the embers of desire flared, but Sari refused to let them ignite. Pushing on his chest, she forced a smile. “We need to eat.”

  He pulled her back to him. “Food is highly overrated.”

  “You need your strength.” She untangled herself from the warm cocoon of his arms and went for her phone.

  “Hi, Brianna. Can I bother you to prepare a tray for two? David and I missed dinner.”

  “No problem. Send Ojidu down in ten minutes.”

  “Thank you.”

  Leaning over her, David kissed her neck. “I like eating with you alone.” He kissed another spot. “The communal meals are fine once in a while, but I enjoy having you all to myself.”

  She turned in his arms. “We can order in every day.”

  “If you had a proper kitchen in here, I would have cooked for you.” He waggled his brows. “Wearing nothing but an apron.”

  Sari laughed. “I’m going to hold you to that promise. Monday morning, I’m bringing a crew to install a kitchen in here.”

  “Are you serious? Because I’m getting excited.”

  Taking his hand, she led him to the couch. “I’m serious about the kitchen, but maybe not this Monday.”

  The last thing she needed was a construction crew working in her apartment while she was stressing over David’s transition.

  Come to think of it, if the Fates blessed more of her people with mates, the castle would soon become unsuitable for their community.

  It wasn’t built to accommodate couples.

  Most of her people had single rooms with small, almost utilitarian bathrooms, and combining more rooms into suites was not possible because they were maxed out.

  She would have to build a new wing, with apartments that had kitchens and decent bathrooms. In fact, if she was already thinking positively and planning for a bright future, each apartment would need to have at least two bedrooms.

  With Merlin’s new fertility treatment, there was hope that many babies would be born to the clan.

  David wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Are you still worried about my transition?”

  She chuckled. “I actually managed to forget about it for a few minutes. I was thinking about the housing conditions in the castle. If the Fates bless us with more mates, I will need to build a new wing with apartments suitable for couples and maybe even children.”

  “The clan had kids before. Where did you house the mothers and their babies?”

  “We have a few suites, and that was enough to accommodate the rare births. Most of the rooms in the castle are only suitable for a single occupant.”

  “Instead of adding a wing to the castle, you could build bungalows for the couples. You have the grounds for it.”

  That was not a bad idea. In the past, she’d opted to add on to the castle because of their communal way of living, but if each couple had their own kitchen, there was no need for their dwellings to be connected to the main building.

  There was also a third option.

  “Kian invited me to move everyone into his village. He has plenty of vacant houses that we can use, and he can build more if needed, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  She sighed. “Because it is strategically beneficial to have two centers that are very far from each other. If Navuh somehow finds out about one location, the other one will remain safe. He won’t be able to wipe us out of existence in one swoop.”

  “That’s a morbid end-of-days kind of consideration. I’m not saying that it’s not valid, but how likely is it?”

  “Not very likely, but that’s not the only reason. We are a very small community, and grown children sometimes want to live away from their mothers. The two locations enable that. Besides, I love Scotland.”

  His brows dipping in a frown, David fell quiet for several moments. “You could use the castle as a vacation spot for your clan members, a summer retreat. That way, you’ll get to see your beloved Scotland anytime you want, and those who need time away from their nosy mothers could come to vacation here as well.”

  David’s suggestions made sense, but what she’d told him hadn’t been the only considerations entering the equation.

  Sari sighed. “If I move my people into the village, I’ll become Kian’s second-in-command again, and I’m not looking forward to getting demoted. I like my independence here. On the other hand, it’s selfish of me to deny my people’s wishes because of such a petty consideration. Perhaps I need to put it to a vote and see how many are interested in moving across the pond.”

  “What about the businesses that you run in Europe?”

  “Nowadays, everything can be done via the internet. And if needed, I can fly over once in a while to check on things in person.” She cupped his cheek. “Would it be better for you if I moved to the States?”

  “Definitely, but don’t do that on my account.” He covered her hand on his cheek and leaned into it. “I want you to be happy, and I don’t want you to make any sacrifices for me. My home is with you. I can find a way to continue my research from here.”

  17

  David

  Sari smiled. “I don’t know much about being a couple, but I know it’s not fair to ask one partner to make all the sacrifices. I’ll give moving to California some more thought and talk it over with Kian. Perhaps we can divide duties between us, so we don’t step on each other’s toes.”

  “What about your mother’s place? From what you’ve told me, she has a sanctuary in some extremely well-hidden location that not even you or your siblings know how to get to.”

  Sari nodded. “Alena knows, but she lives with my mother. Other than the two of them, only Annani’s Odus know how to get there, and they operate the airplanes that shuttle people in and out of the sanctuary.”

  “How many live there?”

  “Not many. I think there are only seventy-two members at this time.”

  “Can they house more people if need be?”

  “It’s not a large space, so the only way to add to it would be going underground.” She waved a hand. “But that’s a question that should be addressed to the sanctuary’s architect. The place is an enclosed bio-dome, with fine-tuned ecology, so it might be designed for a specific number of people.”

  Sari hadn’t told him much about her mother’s place, only that it was a paradise-like hidden treasure with beautiful gardens and waterfalls.

  David would love to see that marvel and learn about the technology that kept it so well-hidden. In fact, he would love to see Kian’s village as well and talk to the genius guy who’d designed its sophisticated camouflage and supposedly impenetrable security system.

  According to Sari, the only weakness of their defense system was their air space. In case of an aerial attack, they could retreat into their extensive underground facility, but it was designed as a bomb shelter and not a long-term living solution. They could hold up in there for a long time, though, albeit uncomfortably.

  In comparison, the castle was exposed. If someone made it through the perpetual shroud that Sari’s people maintained over the place, they would have no protection.

  He frowned. “Immortals are not affected by the shroud, correct? Only humans.”

  Sari nodded.


  “So the Doomers would not be affected by it, and they could find your castle. That’s not safe. Your brother and your mother have extraordinary security measures while you have practically none.”

  “We are very careful. Most of the castle residents work from home, so there is very little traffic going in and out.”

  “What about hunting for hookups? There is a lot of nighttime traffic.”

  The more David thought about it, the more worried he became. Unless Sari wasn’t telling him about some major security measures that could be employed in case of an attack, she and her people were sitting ducks.

  He felt his pulse quicken with worry.

  “There is that, but again, we are careful.”

  Sweat starting to bead on his forehead, he gripped her hand. “Tell me that you have one hell of a defense plan in case of an attack.”

  “Of course, we do. You were asleep on the way here, so you didn’t notice, but there are several bridges along the way. With the touch of a button, we can collapse each of them, making it impossible for vehicles to get here. That still leaves us exposed from the air, but we have armed drones that we can deploy against attacking aircraft.” She squeezed his hand back. “Did you catch the worry bug from me?”

  “It would seem so. Collapsing the bridges is a sound tactic, but that will only stop vehicles. Your enemies can still get up here on foot.”

  “That’s true. We also have explosives around the castle grounds. Very few, if any, would make it past all those traps, and our Guardian force can take care of them. You really have nothing to worry about.”

  The security measures Sari had described sounded adequate, but they didn’t assuage his fears. In fact, his wariness was progressively getting worse.