Surrender

by Cassandre Dayne

  “Aleksandr, there is one who has sights on taking you down. I haven’t figured out all the details yet but I presume they are working with the Jicards and may have been for a very long time.”

  “If there is one intent on taking me down Durac, I dare say it’s you. I’m well aware of all of your scheming.” He turned his back and walked away.

  “Scheming?”

  “What do you hope to gain by turning Jax Steele?”

  “Well well, your powers are returning. Good to see, dear friend. All right. I’ll admit that I wanted to be the only one to be able to read his mind and to keep tabs on you. I never intended on going that far.”

  “Your rage will get you killed one day,” Aleks hissed.

  “And you’ll be dead within the week Aleksandr if you don’t listen to me. The one that has betrayed you has the amulet and if I’m correct the branding potion around it.”

  “The branding potion?” Aleks turned quickly. The two together were the only items capable of placing their kind into a state of complete suspended animation for as long as the puppeteer determined and the meaning was for purposes of torture. This was a well known terror that kept the pieces locked away. They were not held in the same location and for both to be gone had taken extraordinary planning. Owning both would allow for a complete power transfer. To have both stolen meant ruin and damnation and the new owner would inflict their own level of hell onto the others. He had been told early on of the beginnings of the vampire and the wars that were fought and lives, both human and vampire, lost in the bloody battles. “You chose not to tell me this information, why?”

  “Because I needed to know that both were taken by the same person and I needed to make sure that you hadn’t turned and betrayed the family.”

  “Me?” Aleks threw his head back and laughed but the idea held some merit. What better candidate than to take over all that the others sought. After all during the time of Passing they would all be equals for a short period of time. “And what do you believe?”

  “That you’re just as arrogant as you were when you fled and that you have no desire for power. That’s both good and damning, Aleks and as you can well imagine, if this information alone gets into the wrong hands, our family will be humiliated or destroyed.”

  “As they rightfully should be.”

  Durac grew angry and as he glided toward Aleks, he hissed. “No matter what you believe Aleks, you’re one of us. Do you seriously believe that these murders on foreign soul are some random act of either a rogue human or vampire?”

  “No, I don’t but I believe there are enough things you’re not telling me that leads me to believe you’re behind these blatant acts,” Aleks hissed, rage building in his system.

  Durac laughed and threw back his head. “Your arrogance will be your death. Have you truly forgotten why you were chosen in the first place? Have you forgotten all of your teachings? Have you forgotten what you mean to all of us? I understand your anger toward me but you cannot have forgotten.” Barely an inch from Aleks’ face, he pinned his dark gaze and remained silent.

  “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “I’m trying to tell you that you can no longer hide from what and who you are. You must take your place. They found you. I’ve confirmed their arrival.”

  “They as in the Jicards or do you really mean you? It’s you who has come to take me back or to slaughter me in the process if I refuse.”

  Durac placed his hand on Aleks’ shoulder. “No matter what wrongs I did to you for years because of my hunger for you, we have to work together now and you have to trust me. I’ve come to protect you only, Aleksandr. For the one to fall, you must rise.”

  The old sayings he had grown weary of centuries before. “Why would you protect me Durac, why?”

  Durac closed his eyes and looked away. “Because I created this or at least fell into the trap that has damned all of us. Not only did I place the family directly in the path of danger but also put the contract out on your life in a manner of speaking. Sadly I allowed my love to help betray all that I love and believe in. For all the horrors you believe I’ve inflicted, you know what the family means to me.”

  “Meaning you found me and told others?”

  “Yes,” Durac groaned.

  “What other secrets are you holding, Durac?”

  Durac hesitated. “Ones that could mean that we’re all lost. Please listen to me. There’re so many things you need to understand. Your destiny and mine were entwined before we even met and somehow you knew that. Your senses were always keen. Every day you raged against the machine not understanding and I know I was wrong to keep something from you. That tore you apart even more than the pain inflicted by my hands. My family fought to find yours for centuries and while we tried to do the right thing, the horrors of the time forced your family apart. I know you’re bitter about that but we have to work together now to regain the amulet and you must take your place.”

  “Family. Riddles. Amulets. I want nothing of it.” Aleks threw up his hands. He knew little of his birth family other than the tidbits told to him as a child yet he craved a real family. The vampires had been there to fill certain needs but never the ones of the heart. When he was taken from the only place he knew as a home he hadn’t been able to fight back. Broken, he was barely existing. “You have come back here to force me to come with you to what, marry?” The mere thought of taking any place in front of the family was too much to bear. Unfortunately choices would have to be made.

  Durac looked away.

  “You need to tell me the entire truth or I swear to you Durac I’ll slaughter you as I should have centuries before. When you took my life and the life of my wife, I should have killed you.”

  Durac stared into his eyes for several moments before walking toward the window. “I didn’t kill Sasha. I swear to you on the royal oath of our family. But I know who did.”

  “Lies from you I don’t need.” Just hearing her name brought a slice of longing into his blackened heart.

  “I’m not lying. You were allowed to live as human even though I was required to be your guardian. Somehow the family thought it was best. You weren’t going to be turned until after…you had a child.”

  Tipping his head, Aleks inhaled deeply. While he’d known of the protection from the family and had accepted Durac’s guardianship, he’d never intended on being turned. The old horror swept his system. Seeing Sasha’s face in his mind sent a dagger into his heart. “Go on.”

  “You see, you were always the one. We thought hiding you in plain site was best but the Jicards found out and had Sasha taken and killed. I did everything in my power to find her and…”

  “Finish it!” Shaking, echoes bounced in Aleks’ ears.

  Durac turned and spoke quietly. “They destroyed her to the point I couldn’t even turn her. They…knew that she was…that she was pregnant.”

  “What?” Stumbling against the wall, Aleks held in the cries. Nothing could have prepared him for the news. “What?”

  “It’s true. I swear it. I never told you because of the state you were in.”

  “And then you turned me into a monster and used my body, why because you thought you could become my mate and we’d share a surrogate together?” Pacing back and forth, Aleks snarled. “To think I trusted you once.”

  “Aleks, I turned you to save your life as you were threatening to take your own. I fell in love with you and I was wrong to drag you into the depths of my needs but I loved you and now you love another so I was angry and yes, I took it out on the detective. I’m sorry.”

  Aleks grew weary of the game and of his lies. He roared as he took three long strides toward him. “Lies! I am sick of your fucking lies! You know that he’s a man of honor and a man trying to solve this ridiculous frame that I am in the middle of and yet…”

  “I know what he means to you Aleks as there are only a handful of humans in the world you can begin the mating process with. I also know that not only is he compl
etely unaware of this but the time of Passing has already been started and your detective is a part of it! The Jicards know it. Your hunger for the human sent the information clearly enough. God, you were a fool!” Durac snapped. “You know it as well as I do. He’s your mate for God’s sake and the Jicards will stop at nothing to take him so that you’re force to betray your family. Don’t you see? Open your eyes and your mind.” Hissing, Durac tipped his head back and roared.

  “How am I to believe you after all you did to me?”

  Durac moved to within four inches of Aleks. “Take my hand, Aleksandr. The Force of Airn cannot allow a lie. Be as one with me for a moment and you’ll see all that you need to see. Don’t allow your arrogance and your innocence to what is at hand and at stake to fool you into thinking I’m your enemy. You and I are the only creatures of our family that can stop this. The Elders have spoken and yet they’re hindered by all that’s transpired and by my lack of judgment. Too many things were kept from you because we believed that would protect you. That is something that may have cost us everything. Please my lover, take my hand.” Holding out his hand, Durac nodded. “Please.”

  Aleks hesitated. For him to offer the single truth telling between them meant they were in trouble. So many things had indeed been kept from him over his many centuries of being trained and kept and used by the regime, the only family that he had known since the brutal murder of his wife. He could barely remember her any longer and yet her sweet voice, frail and lovely filled his nights with angst. She haunted him with her innocence and her beauty and her death and now the death of their baby. If Durac didn’t kill her, then he would hunt down and finally kill the one that did. Tempting fate was not his strong suit, yet he reached out his hand and grasped Durac’s and in that moment, the visions of the past tumbled into his mind like the wide opening of a faucet spilling into his mind. All the horrors inflicted and all of the damnation he’d given the family had been because of damning lies. In the vision he saw Sasha’s body just as Durac had found her. The truth of her death was finally revealed. Aleksandr’s body shook as the vivid visions danced in front of his eyes. This was too much to bear.

  When Durac let go of his hand, he stumbled backwards from the sheer power that wrapped around them like an electrified blanket. When Durac was finally able to speak, his voice was barely a whisper. “Do you now believe in your destiny?”

  Aleksandr trembled and stared at Durac. “What must we do?”

  “Is your detective a willing partner in a sense up to this point?”

  “He’s unaware of anything but the hunger is within him. He’ll need to be fed, the spell erased or turned. I fear I’ll lose him.”

  “Then you know what you must do. Set the trap. Jax Steele is more of a player than he could ever understand.”

  “I know what must be done, Durac.” And Aleks feared the outcome with every part of his body and soul. He couldn’t lose the man he’d grown so fond of.

  “Aleksandr, be careful as you’ve not been involved with our lifestyle for long enough that your powers are weak. The Dragarn Dumas must be secured or all is truly lost.”

  Aleks fought the shivers that threatened to consume him. Why had he never picked up on this? Why had they kept so many things from his life? “I will do what must be done, nothing more and nothing less.”

  “Good.” Durac turned.

  “Nikolay isn’t just my enemy, is he?”

  Sighing, Durac said nothing for a time. “Let’s get through this first and we’ll talk more.”

  After Durac left, he sagged against the wall as bitter red tears of blood cascaded down his cheeks. And from somewhere a sweet voice called to him, forgiving. Sadly, he had no doubt who the betrayer was and he couldn’t allow the deed to go unpunished. Nikolay.

  Chapter Twelve

  “You look terrible, honey. Jesus. Come in.” Amanda opened the door and took Jax’s hand. “Did you stay for the press conference?”

  Jax was bone tired and hadn’t found out anything new in the hours he had been staring at the computer. “I heard it but I was working on other things.”

  “It was pretty ugly, I’ll tell you that much. Your Sergeant handled himself well but boy, the questions were direct.”

  “Course they are and why wouldn’t they be?”

  “God you sound discouraged. Come on and let’s get you a glass of wine at least. I made some lasagna.”

  “Just the wine right now. I’m not sure if I could eat anything.” He trailed behind her into the kitchen. Usually the wondrous smells of her Italian cooking made his mouth water. On this night, it was revolting. What the hell was going on with him?

  “God, you look green. Drink this and sit down before you fall down.” Amanda shoved a glass of wine into his hand and took a sip from her own. “Can you talk about any of it?”

  “You know I can’t and you don’t want me to anyway. It’s almost more than I can handle though.” Jax’s hand shook as he took a gulp of his wine.

  “So there are three now?”

  “So far.” Jax hoped like hell they would find the other kid. The recognition software did a pretty damn good job of isolating his features but none of the databases had turned up anything on him. Something continued to nag at him. He’d seen the kid somewhere.

  “That sounds ominous. Do you have any idea at all who the killer is? Is that artist really involved?”

  “Aleks isn’t the killer. I’m sure of that.”

  “It’s Aleks now?” Amanda chortled and took a long sip.

  “What is it about the man you find so reprehensible?” Jax could clearly see her disdain for him.

  “I don’t know, Jax. I obviously don’t know him personally but his art is disgusting to me. The entire situation gave me a creepy feeling the other night. That’s all. Nothing against him at all really.”

  “I’m not one hundred percent sure about him either. But I don’t think he’s the killer. In fact I think he’s in danger.”

  “What are you and Mike going to do?” Amanda asked.

  “I have a couple of ideas I’m exploring, but at this moment I’m so tired I can barely think.”

  She inched forward and rose onto her tiptoes, kissing his lips softly. “You hungry?”

  Jax smiled and placed his arm around her waist, drawing her in close. “Not for food.” He fumbled and set his wine down onto the counter and taking the back of her head into his hands, crushing her lips against his. He pushed his tongue into her wet mouth and tilted her head back allowing the wafting scent of her musky perfume to fill his nostrils.

  She moaned into the kiss as she wrapped her arm around him.

  He could taste the subtle remainder of merlot and a hint of the garlic from tasting and relished in the warmth of her body nestled so tightly against his. Their tongues entwined sending delicious jolts of desire into his belly. He pressed his crotch into her stomach, the hardness causing every muscle in his body to ache to be inside of her. He caressed her back gently, tracing circles around her shoulder blades as he ground his cock into her.

  Breaking the kiss, Amanda sighed, her lashes fluttering furiously over the shimmer lingering on her flushed cheeks. “My, I think you missed me.”

  He purred and kissed the tip of her nose. “Of course I did.”

  “I have a suggestion. I bought some naughty new bath beads for the tub. What if I run us a nice hot bath perhaps before dinner? A little Kenny G on the Ipod, refresh the wine…hmmm?” She grinned mischievously and inched away, swinging her hips back and forth provocatively.

  “You’re one very wicked woman and I love your idea.”

  “All right. I’ll go fill the bath with bubbles, light some candles and set the mood and your job is to open up another bottle of wine and get prepared for me to jump your bones.” She giggled and inched back from him slowly. Her smile was playful and inviting.

  “Sounds perfect. I’ll be up in a few.”

  “You better or I’ll come and find you and you know what I’ll do
to you don’t you?”

  Jax laughed. “No, please tell me.” He hadn’t seen much of her playful side and it was one that he loved. Their respective jobs not only kept them busy but it had become difficult to be anything but casual with each other and for no other reason than they were both tired and involved in many aspects of their respective lives. It was also difficult for him to delve into anything permanent. Not with the vicious memories haunting every day.

  “I’ll spank that sexy little ass of yours.” As if to demonstrate, she fluttered around him, slapping him on the ass before moving out of the room and turning to stare into his eyes. ”Five minutes, okay?”

  “Don’t worry, five minutes. I don’t want to get spanked by you.” He watched her walk down the hallway and when she was out of sight, he realized he’d been holding his breath. The case had already taken so much out of him that he didn’t feel like himself at all. Instead, he felt like the shell of the man he once was. Rubbing his eyes, he walked to the back window and stood staring out at her lovely back deck imagining long nights of shared intimacy and while the thought seemed appropriate, it left him hollow.

  Her house in the Fan district was warm and inviting and a real home, one in which he remembered having in what seemed like such a long time ago. Amanda had toyed with asking him to move in. The thought somehow put a catch into his heart and mind. He wanted nothing more than to be close with someone again and to share real intimate moments and wondrous cozy evenings in front of a fire while the snow fell outside in soft icicles. He thought of his daughter and wondered just what she was doing that night and prayed to God that her mother wasn’t completely turning her against him.

  The dim light of the early evening cast ominous shadows across her lawn accentuating the intimate portions of her yard and was somehow soothing to his ragged nerves. He smiled as he leaned his head against the glass.

  The figure darted quickly from the furthest bushes drawing his attention immediately. “What the hell?” It was the slight glimpse of long blond hair that sent shivers racing down his spine. Tiny beads of perspiration fluttered down from his brow and into his eyes and as he tried to wipe the salty droplets away, the figure moved again. Jax strained to try and see what he or she was doing. Could it be a neighbor? Possibly, but every nerve ending in his body told him otherwise. He inched toward the back door as he kept his eyes pinned on the portion of the lawn that banked the back fence. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”