by Rowlyn, Rhys
Shadowed Desire
Daughters of the Vieux Carré Book 5
Rhys Rowlyn
Copyright © 2020 by Rhys Rowlyn
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
1. Lucy
2. Etienne
3. Lucy
4. Etienne
5. Lucy
6. Etienne
7. Lucy
8. Lucy
9. Etienne
10. Etienne
11. Lucy
12. Lucy
13. Etienne
14. Lucy
About Rhys Rowlyn
Also by Rhys Rowlyn
Lucy
I, Lucy Theriot, have been kidnapped by a vampire and have no idea how I’m going to get away. The vicious bitch locked me in a room with another vampire, apparently named Jean Pierre, and is trying to starve him so he’ll kill me. My life sucks right now.
Jean Pierre jerks awake. His eyes widen, and he’s staring at me. For a moment, I’m scared he has lost his battle to stay sane, but he blinks a couple of times, and his vision seems to clear. His moaning woke me up earlier, and I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know if he was hurting or what was happening. It almost sounded as if he was having sex, but I refuse to ask him and am having a hard time meeting his gaze.
“So you’re finally awake?” I glance up, and my cheeks heat. His gaze darts around the room. He’s not meeting my eyes either.
“Oui. Sorry, Lucy, I hope I didn’t disturb you. I wonder what time it is.” He rolls his neck from side to side as if it’s stiff. I feel bad for the guy, having to sleep strapped in that chair. “Have you heard any sounds that anyone else is awake?”
“No, nothing.” I tilt my head to the side, really looking at him. “Are you okay?”
His skin is a bit pale, and he is taking small gasping breaths. I have a feeling he’s getting close to losing control.
“Yes, why would you think I wasn’t?” He offers me a tight smile, and I know he’s only trying to make me feel better. Under different circumstances, I would appreciate his effort, but right now I’m really becoming worried about him killing me.
Deciding to not focus on his obvious distress, I attack what first unnerved me. “You were moaning in your sleep, and from what you’ve told me about losing control, I think I have reason to be concerned.”
“You do, but I don’t plan on losing my soul and becoming Minerva’s slave today. The last time I was in her company, I lasted over two weeks and still didn’t become feral. We are only in our first week, and I have more to lose this time around.” He bites his lip and, if I’m not mistaken, has quit breathing.
“Wait, you’ve been her prisoner before?” A spark of hope ignites within me. If he got away once before, maybe he can again.
“Oui, I’m the one who got away. It was a long time ago, and her creator rescued me. He was supposed to take care of her, but as you can see, he didn’t.” Jean Pierre’s voice takes on a hard edge, and I shudder at the anger I hear in it.
“So what changed to make you less likely to fall under her control?” I ask. He’s hiding something big, and he needs to tell me. We’re in this together, after all.
“I do not wish to discuss it in case someone is spying on us.” A crease forms between his brows, and he narrows his eyes at me. I pick up what he’s laying down and nod. “I don’t want her to know that much about me.”
“Ah, understandable. So do you think your friends will find us?” Maybe he can at least divulge that information.
“I know they are searching, and I hope whatever protection spell she has cast doesn’t prevent them from finding us. We have a group of witches who live next door to us, and I’m hoping they can counteract whatever she’s got going on.” He isn’t the only one hoping that. I don’t know who his friends are, but they can’t be as bad as Minerva. She’s crazy.
A loud crash from downstairs interrupts us, then there is shouting. Fear skates through me because I can’t imagine what’s going on. I wiggle and tug, trying to get out of my bonds, but they hold true. “What was that?” I’m gasping for breath and am beginning to see spots before my eyes.
“Lucy, you need to breathe. I’m going to need you to calm down. Your fear is making your scent almost more than I can bear.” Jean Pierre’s fangs descend, and his eyes are getting a red tint, but then they go back to being green. It’s really freaking me out.
I concentrate on trying to calm my breathing and stop wiggling around. I know he’s bound and can’t get to me, but for some reason, I must smell good to these people. Dammit, it’s scary. It’s not my fault they seem to find me irresistible.
The door to the bedroom flies open, and a beautiful woman with caramel-colored skin and a long black braid rushes in. She looks like an avenging warrior, and I stare at her in amazement. This is the type of woman I’ve always dreamed of being, the one who could handle anything and took no bullshit from anyone, a true badass.
The woman’s eyes land on Jean Pierre, and her face breaks into a smile. “Jean Pierre! Oh thank God we found you.” She races to his side and reaches for his bonds, but he adamantly shakes his head.
“Do you have blood? Please don’t set me free until I’ve fed some. I don’t want to hurt Lucy.” He motions with his head in my direction. I wave with my fingers and smile. I really hope I don’t affect her like I do the others I’ve met.
“Oh my!” Her eyes widen when she glances in my direction, and she gasps. “I didn’t even think. We actually did bring some. Giles thought it would be wise. Let me find him.” She runs out of the room before I can stop her.
“Damn, I wish I would have gotten her to free me before she left.” I frown at Jean Pierre’s laugh. “I take it she’s your friend? She acted like y’all were close.”
His whole face changes when he smiles, and his fangs are back in place. “You could say that. She’s my mate and the reason I would never go feral. I would never disappoint her.”
“What’s her name? And what’s a mate? Is it like a wife?” From the dopey grin on his face, I take it she’s pretty important. I haven’t known Jean Pierre exceptionally long, but from what I know, he seems like a nice guy, so I’m glad he has a special someone. I’m also really glad that special someone kept him from killing me.
“Her name is Nyla, and yes, it’s like a wife. For vampires, it’s the one person for us. Our soul mate, so to speak.”
That’s nice and very romantic. I don’t really adhere to the whole one person for everyone though. I mean, my mom had two guys whom she loved very much. The first was supposed to be there forever, but he left her pregnant and alone. My dad came in and loved her and my brother unconditionally, and she loved him back.
Nyla returns with a cooler and takes out what looks like a plastic bag full of blood. She places it on his mouth, and within minutes, the bag is empty. “I’m going to give you another.” He nods, and she puts another bag against his mouth. Once it’s drained, she removes it. “Do you need another?”
“No, I’m good. I feel much better. Why don’t you let Lucy go? She’s been like that all night.”
“Oh, you poor thing. I bet you could use a bathroom break.” She rips the rope loose from the post as if it’s nothing but paper and then unties it from my wrists.
I lower my arms and groan at the tingles that flow through them
while blood returns. I hate this feeling. “Now that you mention it, yes I really could. But is it safe?” At her nod, I get out of the bed and inspect the two closed doors in the room. The second is a bathroom. Hurriedly, I use the facilities and return as Nyla is freeing Jean Pierre.
I feel as though I’m imposing when she grabs him in a tight grip and kisses him deeply. I turn around, not wanting to spy, but squeal when I come face-to-face with Minerva. I jump back just out of her grasp and then she is knocked away from me when Nyla lands a dropkick to her chest.
Minerva lands against the wall, baring her fangs, and with a snarl, she runs from the room. Jean Pierre moves in front of me as Nyla gives chase.
“Come on, Lucy, let’s get out of here. You need to be somewhere safe.” He leads me down the stairs and to the foyer.
Another man joins us, and I move closer to Jean Pierre, unsure who to trust. “Oh, good, Nyla found you.” The man peeks around Jean Pierre’s shoulder and smiles at me. “Who’s your friend?”
“Bram, this is Lucy. Minerva was holding her prisoner—or should I say, the old hag was trying to tempt me to take Lucy’s life.” He frowns at me over his shoulder. “Lucy, you can trust Bram. He’ll keep you safe.”
“Giles and Phillipe are here, and we found several ferals we have taken care of, but we haven’t found Minerva.” Bram opens the door and waves us out. “I heard someone slam a door out back, and Nyla was behind them, so I’m assuming that was her.”
“Yes, please tell me someone followed Nyla. I would hate for her to face Minerva alone.” Jean Pierre straightens his spine and looks as if he’s about to give chase.
“Yes, both Giles and Phillipe did. I brought the truck, and the witches are waiting for us in it. They are how we got through the protection spell. Why don’t we get out of here?” Bram slaps Jean Pierre’s back, but I know my eyes are as big as saucers. Everything that is happening is more than I can take in.
We cautiously leave the house and go out onto a large lawn. The house is actually a mansion, surrounded by a large yard and a high fence. There is a drive that curves around to the back, and large Spanish oaks are growing sporadically around the house. As beautiful as it is, all I want to do is leave. I have never been as afraid as I was in this house, and if I never see it again, I’ll be happy.
On the street, there is a black crew-cab pickup, and a beautiful red-haired woman hops out when we come into sight. “Jean Pierre, thank goddess we found you. Nyla was about to lose her mind.” She hugs him, and he pats her back awkwardly.
Two other women jump out of the truck. One has dark hair, and the other is blonde. I look at them curiously, wondering if they are the witches. They look perfectly normal, so if they are, they look nothing like I would expect a witch to look. Although, I don’t know what a witch would look like.
“Lucy, this is Cara, Circe, and Ciara. They are sisters and the witches who helped rescue us.” Jean Pierre pushes me forward, motioning with his head in their direction.
I hold out my hand, and the redheaded one takes it. “Hi, I’m Cara. This is Circe.” She motions to the dark-haired one. “And this is Ciara.” She nods toward the blonde. They all smile at me, and I can’t help but smile back. “We’re so sorry you’ve had to go through this awful ordeal.”
“Thank you, it’s nice meeting you.” I smile at them, stepping back until I am next to Jean Pierre. The witches seem nice, but I feel more comfortable with Jean Pierre. After watching him fight it for a week, I know he doesn’t want to kill me.
Bram corrals everyone toward the truck. “Ladies, I think we need to get out of here for now and wait on the others at the house.”
“Oh, do you think you could drop me off at my mother’s? I know she’s worried about me.” I stop Jean Pierre before he can move toward the truck.
Cara frowns at me, wrinkling her brow. “Dear, I’m sorry, but it’s not safe for you to be on your own until Minerva is captured. With her being at large and your scent so distinctive, it will lead her to you and your family.”
I clutch my hands together at my chest, my eyes widening. “What am I going to do? I can’t let her hurt my family.”
“Don’t worry, you are under my protection now, and we will see you are safe.” Jean Pierre squeezes my shoulder, and it helps to calm me down.
Bram takes my hands in his and pats them. “Here, here, don’t you worry. All our famille will see to your protection. I vow we will not allow anything to happen to you.” Bram gives me a slight bow, opening the passenger door for me.
I appreciate their concern, and man, am I glad they want to protect me, but I wish there were a way I could protect myself against the crazy vampire. I wonder how they became vampires. Were they born this way? I know Minerva created her minions, but I definitely don’t want to be like them.
This bears some investigation. I’ve always been on the small side, so people tend to feel protective over me, but I’m tired of it and want to be able to take care of myself. If I were like Nyla, Minerva would never have been able to take me.
“You are thinking way too hard. Calm down, and all will be as it should,” Circe whispers in my ear from the back seat.
I glance over my shoulder and meet her serene smile, then quickly look forward again. I like these women, but they make me uncomfortable. It’s weird that these women would make me feel strange but the two large vampires make me feel safe. It may have something to do with having a rather large older brother.
“Ladies, do you know a witch named Renaud?” Jean Pierre asks the sisters.
Ciara tilts her head, wrinkling her brow. “No, we’ve never heard of him. Why?”
“Minerva had a visitor, a woman named Alice, and she said she was working for Renaud. He had hired Minerva to attack you in exchange for the protection spell.” Jean Pierre rubs the back of his neck. “I quizzed Minerva about him and brought up Chi’s grandmother. She said the old lady was only a front. The real power was Renaud but he worked behind the scenes.”
Cara tenses at the mention of the older lady, and I wonder what fresh hell this could be. I don’t think I like being a part of all this supernatural stuff and am wishing I could go back to the ignorant life I had before.
“And you trust Minerva wasn’t lying to you?” Cara asks.
“No. There was no reason for her to.” Jean Pierre shakes his head in denial. “Whoever this man is, he is threatened by you.”
I was in that house for a while, and I don’t remember seeing anyone but Minerva and Jean Pierre. Of course, I was unconscious until the bitch brought me into the room with Jean Pierre, so there is no telling what I missed. “I don’t remember her having any visitors.”
“The woman showed up right before you were brought in, and her name was Alice,” he explains. “Do you know who she is?”
“Isn’t that Fleur’s mother’s name?” Bram raises a brow at the sisters.
“Yes, I believe it is.” Circe bows her head, shaking it sadly.
“She’s going to be devastated to hear she’s working with someone trying to hurt the sisters.” Bram hits the roof of the truck with the palm of his hand. “I knew her mother was probably up to no good, but it pisses me off to know it for sure. I hate Fleur is going to have to deal with this.”
I don’t know who this person “Fleur” is, but she must be pretty important to have these folks so upset on her behalf.
“It only confirms what we suspected. We’re going to have to keep our eyes and ears open.” Cara takes my hand in hers. “Lucy, I don’t know if the witch knows you were there, but it’s another reason we need to keep you close. I would hate for you to be used in some way by them. If they are upset with Minerva, they could use you to try to trap her.”
“I don’t know how I ended up in the middle of this, but I know I don’t like it.” I also hate the fact I don’t see an escape route. I really wish I could turn back time.
Circe wraps an arm around my shoulder and hugs me to her side. “I know, dear, but things really do
have a way of working out.”
Etienne
What is that scent? It is luscious, and I need to find it. I look around but can’t see anything. Where am I? I feel in front of my face and find rough wood. I push against it lightly, but it doesn’t move, so I punch it and my fist goes right through. I use my other hand to remove another flank, and I burst out of the box.
Voices are yelling at me, but I can’t comprehend what they are saying. I must get to the source of that scent. It is all that matters.
I try to run for what looks like a door, but I am tackled from behind and held against the floor. Why are they attacking me? I try to rise but am slammed back down. Growling, I push myself up with all my strength and almost dislodge one of my attackers.
“Etienne, stop fighting us and calm down.”
I still at Bram’s voice, knowing my brother won’t hurt me, but can’t stop the growl from coming forth.
“Cassie, give us some blood; we need to get him fed.” Phillipe must be the other person holding me down.
I bare my fangs and hiss, shocking myself. What is wrong with me? I shake my head, trying to clear my mind.
Something cold is pressed against my fangs, and blood infiltrates my system. I stop moving, in shock. What are they doing to me? Where is the blood coming from? A woman removes something from my mouth and pushes something else against my fangs. Blood floods my system again, and I’m even more confused. The irresistible scent is gone, and I need to be released so I can go find it. I don’t understand why it’s so important, but it is. I try to speak, but all that comes out is a growl, and another thing is shoved into my mouth.
I hit the floor with my fist a couple of times, hoping Bram will get his large arse off me. He must understand what I’m trying to say because he lifts himself up and his grip loosens.