The presence of his children arrived, tugging at his heart more. He shouldn’t have sent for them. They shouldn’t see their mother like this.
“Mother!” Mariza cried, dropping to her side, taking hold of her cold hand.
Hector crouched next to him. All traces of his humorous nature were absent from his features. “Who did this?” he growled.
Jonas stood by his sister’s side, squeezing her shoulder. She looked up at him, tearfully. He crouched down, holding her close as she cried on his shoulder.
“Unfortunately, she’s not the only one.” Batheras placed his hand on Octavius’ shoulder. He glanced around at the other Primus gathering by their fallen loved ones. But right now, all he cared about was his wife, the wife he would never see again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Present…
Gareth glanced between Oscar and Vivienne, gauging their reactions to Oscar’s tale.
The Elder was staring into the unlit fireplace. Brutus nuzzled at his hand. Oscar’s voice was monotone. “It’s not a feeling you forget in a hurry… that immense loss, overwhelming you, suffocating you. The emotions you once shared, now gone, an empty void suffocating you as you try to breathe.” Oscar looked up at him, his once bright, rich brown eyes had become dull, his face slack. “When you feel that, then you can wallow in your grief. But for now, we don’t give up hope. She’s alive, and we will get her back.”
Vivienne looked like she’d sucked a lemon during her husband’s memory of his first and lost love.
Gareth empathized with her. It’s not easy hearing about one’s first love. Hell, Morgana had slapped him when she found out about Mariza, but that could have also been the fact he compared her to his evil creator.
After a moment or two of awkward silence, Vivienne’s face softened. She reached out for Oscar’s hand. “She was a great woman.”
Oscar looked up with sadness still dulling his brown eyes, but an expression of appreciation filled his face with warmth. He withdrew his hand from hers and touched her cheek. “She was a great woman. I loved her dearly. She gave me three beautiful children. But she’s my past. You, my dear, are my present and future.” Vivienne closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.
Gareth tore his own eyes away. His heart ached to touch Morgana again. He looked to the ceiling, whispering thanks when he felt Alastor approaching the house.
Oscar and Vivienne pulled apart, sharing a small smile before their attention was on Brutus. The large puppy scurried over to the door. He stumbled as he was still not used to his oversized paws. He bumped into a table as the vase on top wobbled. Vivienne was there in a flash catching the porcelain before it smashed onto the floor.
“Maybe you should dog-proof the house,” Gareth suggested.
“It’s fine.” Vivienne straightened the vase. “I can just run after him to catch things.”
“You know he’s going to get spoiled doing it that way.”
Vivienne shrugged. “I never got to have any more children. He can be like my second child.”
“You mean like what the humans call fur babies?”
“Exactly. Oscar likes to act human, why can’t I do the same? After all, I was a human.”
Alastor walked in, interrupting their conversation.
Brutus jumped and yapped at his ankles.
“Ah good, Alastor, you’re here. What did you find?” Oscar was all business again.
Alastor looked grimly at them all, recounting what he’d found in the old town lair.
Gareth’s lip curled. “Way to perpetuate the stereotypes of all vampires being evil monsters.”
“Well, the Night Dwellers were the ones who inspired the human stories,” said Vivienne, her face looking rather sickly.
Gareth stood. “I hope that’s not what they’re going to do to Morgana. You know she’d hate that shit.”
Oscar and Vivienne exchanged grim looks.
“We don’t know for sure, but…” Vivienne’s eyes dropped to her hands.
Oscar patted her hand, which had healed completely from the splinters. “We’ll get her back, dear.” He turned back to them. “That would explain how we couldn’t enter the town lair before. The humans they kept there were still living. And they would have swapped them out long before the protection fell. Explains why they were taking so many people.” Oscar scrubbed his face before standing and walking over to the mantelpiece. He leaned against it, his arm propped on the shelf. Brutus looked up at him with sad, large brown eyes. He wasn’t entirely joking before when he had told Gareth the two of them shared a special bond. It was like the dog could see into his soul sometimes. Brutus nudged his leg with his nose—an attempt to cheer up his master.
“Thanks, buddy, but it’s not going to work this time,” he said quietly, “I miss your—” He had almost said sister to Brutus, who was now tilting his head. The puppy knew more than he let on.
***
Alastor waited patiently for Oscar to finish his orders. His voice had trailed off, and the Elder was absentmindedly scratching Brutus behind the ears while staring at the far wall.
During Randalf’s fight with Morgana, there had been some damage done to the living room walls, and even though the repairs were done well, they could all see the difference in the dark wood panels—the new ones were slightly lighter. That night, Morgana had Gareth there to help her, while Oscar, Vivienne, and eventually Alastor had all been knocked out, unable to help her. And now she was in trouble again, and none of them were around to help her this time either. It had to gnaw at a fellow, especially her parent.
Alastor exchanged a look with the others before deciding to speak. “Aye, what are we goin’ to do about it, then?”
Oscar turned to him. “Usually, I’d say we should go out and clean it up before the human authorities catch wind of it. But with Morgana missing—” his voice strained, his eyes full of pain.
Vivienne stood, walking over to him. “Didn’t you say that area wasn’t to be developed for another week?”
He nodded.
Vivienne patted his arm, leaning closer, her voice barely audible to him and Alastor. “I know, dear, I know.” In a much louder voice, she spoke to them both, “Then we have a few days to find Morgana and end the Forest Clan. Plus, a couple of days to clean up the ‘mess’ like we do after every mission. But we need to get started straightaway.”
The light in Oscar’s eyes brightened, and he pulled his shoulders back. “As always, you’re right, my dear.” He smiled warmly to his wife before turning to Gareth and Alastor. “What do we know so far?”
“Well, the town lair has been abandoned,” Gareth replied.
“Do ye think they’ve gone back to the forest?” Alastor asked.
Gareth shook his head. “Nah, Mariza destroyed that place to build her death ring.”
“Aye.” Alastor shifted, rubbing the back of his neck and looking up at Oscar.
Oscar’s eyes were once again averted as he pulled at his collar.
Gareth groaned inward. Shit, Alastor still didn’t know. He opened his mouth to say something to his best friend, but Vivienne placed her hand on his arm, shaking her head. “Let Oscar do it.”
“Let Mr. V do what?” Alastor’s eyebrow raised.
Oscar cleared his throat. “Alastor, there’s something you must know,” he looked down at his whiskey glass, “… about when you staked Mariza.”
“Killed, don’t ye mean?” His head snapped up.
“Ah, no. Mariza is still alive. She’s being held at Headquarters in a prisoner containment cell.”
“Feck.” Alastor scrubbed at his face. “So, I never killed her?” He stood, pointing his finger. “How is that feckin’ possible?”
Oscar cleared his throat again. “I had switched Morgana’s hawthorn stakes with fake ones.”
“Fuck,” Gareth muttered.
“Did ye know?” his friend turned to him, his green eyes blazing.
Gareth put his palms up, shaking his head. “I onl
y just found out just before you got here.”
“I’m sorry for deceiving you all.” Oscar looked down at his glass.
Alastor stood, an urge to run downstairs and lay a few hits on the wooden training dummy. “I hope ye don’t mind, but I might sit this one out tonight.”
Gareth raised an eyebrow. “You won’t go with us to search for Morgana?”
Alastor sighed at the wounded look in his best friend’s eyes. There was more to worry about than him going off to lick his wounded pride. His best friend needed him. Alastor sat back down. “Aye, I’ll go.” He stared into the unlit fireplace unable to look at Oscar. All those times he had felt guilty about killing the Elder’s daughter. The truth was dawning on him why Oscar had really been uncomfortable around him. That gave him a small amount of comfort.
Vivienne squeezed his shoulder, but he shrugged her off.
“So, what about the caves?” Oscar asked. “Ragnorok’s first clan, the Obscure Clan, lived in an underground network of caves. You boys have both lived here a long time. Do you know of any local caves?”
“Nay, but Ava might,” Alastor mumbled.
“Well, why don’t you go see her and find out what she knows?” Vivienne suggested. “And just call us when you do.” Vivienne was giving him an out.
“Aye.” He stood, scratching Brutus absently on his head before exiting the house and closing the door behind him. He stood there for a moment wanting to gather his thoughts. How could he have been deceived like that? He was proud of that kill, albeit a little guilty when he was around Oscar.
Brutus whined, scratching at the door.
“What’s wrong, Brutus?” Vivienne cooed from inside.
“He probably senses Alastor’s mood,” Oscar mumbled.
“I should go talk to him,” Gareth’s voice filtered through the walls.
“No, let me,” Vivienne spoke softly.
Alastor stomped across the front porch, not wanting to hear what they had to say. Vivienne was approaching him, and her hand reached out to stop him. “Alastor, wait. Please don’t be too mad at Oscar,” Vivienne said gently. “He loves his children. He would do anything for them.”
“What about, ye? He deceived ye, too.”
“I knew he was hiding something that day.” Vivienne smiled.
He recognized her fake smile. She used it a lot during the public events on Oscar’s campaign trail.
“And yer okay with him lying to us about that?”
“No. Once this is all over, he’s in the doghouse. With Brutus. But right now, we need to worry about my daughter and getting her home safe.”
Alastor rubbed the back of his neck. “Aye. I just don’t like all the deception.”
Vivienne chuckled, though it was hollow. “That’s what Gareth said.”
Alastor gave her a grim smile. “Well, if Gareth can still stand to be around Oscar, then I should be able to.”
“So, you will come along and help us look for her?” Her icy-blue eyes were big and round.
“Aye. I’d never let Morgana down. She’s become one of me best mates, too. Just let me talk to the missus first.”
“Thank you, Alastor.”
“Aye.” Alastor nodded as he walked off. He could have phoned Ava, but he needed space from the Van Wildens right now, and he knew Ava’s comforting touch would set him straight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alastor let himself into Ava’s darkened apartment. The only light came from the glow of the flat-screen television. Ava’s back was facing him.
“Babe, is that you?” She turned her head to the side.
“Aye,” he answered grimly.
She lifted the remote and paused the movie playing, concern etched on her face as she shifted her position to face him. “What’s going on?”
Alastor sunk into the sofa, closing his eyes, leaning his head against the back of the green couch. “What do ye know about any caves around here?”
Ava’s limbs brushed his body as she snuggled up next to him. He opened his eyes to look at her. Her head tilted to the side, and she had that faraway look in her hazel eyes she got whenever she was thinking. “Well, there’s the Lost World Caverns nearby. But they’re too much of a tourist draw… not somewhere for vampires to discreetly hide out. Plenty of food sources, sure, but people would notice all the tourists going missing. But that would also play into Ragnorok’s hands from what I understand.
“There are supposed to be large limestone formations further out consisting of miles of underground caves. Maybe check them out? Or have you tried the waterfalls?”
“Aye, thanks. I’ll pass the details on.”
Ava touched his knee. “What’s going on, Alastor? You seem a little dreary.”
Alastor sighed. “Turns out I didn’t kill Mariza after all.”
Ava furrowed her brow. “No?”
“No.”
She pulled him to her chest, resting her chin on top of his head. “I know how much that kill meant to you.”
Alastor snuggled into her chest. If there were one place a man could garner comfort from, it was a woman’s bosom.
“Ye don’t sound too surprised to hear that, love.”
“After what we’ve dealt with for the last few months, nothing about what the Van Wildens do surprises me anymore.”
Alastor stretched out along her sofa, pulling her down to lay on top of him. She placed her cheek to his chest.
“Ava, love?”
“Mmm?” She snuggled into him.
“I love ye.”
She lifted her head and rested her chin on top of her hands and looked at him. “I love you, too.” She smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.
“The both of us… together forever.” He stroked her blonde hair.
“Of course.” She laid her head back onto his chest, and he continued to stroke her hair. “So, would you come with me if I got the job in Summerville?”
Alastor’s hand froze. He didn’t know how to answer. He and Gareth were now part of the Van Wildens. He supposed wherever they went, the two of them would have to go too.
“I think Mrs. V was saying something before this whole thing with Morgana that Gareth and I’ll be goin’ back with them to HQ to be initiated properly as agents.”
“Ah, okay.”
“But ye could come with us? Ye haven’t had a proper holiday in years. Not since I’ve met ye.”
“That’s true. But what if I get the job, and they want me to start straightaway?”
“Then maybe I could ask to be assigned back here to be near ye. We’ll work something out.”
Ava lifted her head and looked at him again, smiling. “That sounds good.”
“Aye, it does.” He smiled back at her.
Ava giggled and squirmed, her hips moving against his.
“Oi, stop, lass, you’ll make me hard doin’ that.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to… doesn’t feel right to do it while Morgana is captured.”
“Aye, I know.” Alastor brushed her hair back off her face. “I’m all right like this.”
Ava shifted forward and kissed his lips briefly, then pulled back gazing into his eyes.
Alastor lifted his head and kissed her again before laying back down.
“Just kissing?”
He kissed her again. “Aye, just kissing.”
“I like kissing.”
“Aye, me, too.”
Ava pressed her warm center against him, making his penis press painfully against his fly. She licked her lips before pressing them against his again.
“Oh, feck it. Life’s too short.”
Ava giggled. “My life, you mean?” She slid her hand under his shirt, trailing down his abs and under his waistband.
“Aye, so we should make the most of it.”
She lowered her face to his. “You know if we just do a bit of foreplay, technically we’re not fully doing it.”
“Aye.” His hands slid down her back and into the back of her jeans
and underneath her cotton panties, grasping her bare ass. “But ye know we should get the fucking out of the way,” mimicking Morgana’s earlier words.
Ava giggled. “I thought we already did that?”
Alastor’s eyes closed, and he let his head fall back. “Nay, ye can never fuck too many times.” His hands withdrew from her pants, and she shifted to the side of him, sliding his zipper down, pulling his hardened shaft out. Her hand wrapped around his cock, sliding up and down with slow, deliberate strokes.
“Aye, love… that’s it.”
She hummed, rubbing the pad of her thumb along the underside of his head at the sensitive part.
“Jaysus,” he moaned. Not wanting to be selfish, he turned onto his side and dipped his hand under the waistband of her jeans again brushing his fingers over the cotton of her panties until he touched her core. “Yer sodden, love.”
“Uh-huh.” Ava’s eyes were half-lidded as she continued to stroke. “What can I say, you turn me on, Irish.”
He chuckled before delving his hand in deeper and pushing aside the material stroking a finger through her wet folds. Ava groaned, her strokes picking up speed. He pushed his finger inside her opening.
“Yes,” Ava hissed. He swirled it around, teasing her. “More,” she groaned.
“Like this?” He inserted another finger, pushing in as far as he could with her jeans restricting his movements. Her hand moved faster, and the familiar tingle in his balls meant his impending release.
“Nay, I need to be inside ye, lass.” He withdrew his hands, took her hand off his penis, and flipped her onto her back, making her squeal.
“Why did you take our hands away?” she frowned.
Instead of replying, he unzipped her jeans, grabbing the waistband of both her pants and underwear, yanking them down her legs and flinging them across the room. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and sheathed himself inside.
“That’s a good reason!” Ava cried, her insides clenching him as he thrust his hips harder into her.
“That’s it, love… come for me.”
She shuddered underneath him, wetness coating him. He withdrew and plunged deeper, his balls smacking her ass.
The Van Wilden Chronicles Box Set Books 1-3 Page 48