Chapter Fifteen
Grant knew he would never be able to defeat Kryder in hand-to-hand combat, but he didn’t need to. All he had to do was keep the monster distracted and get in a few punches just for the pleasure of it until they reached the biggest state in the U.S.
Kryder looked down. “I don’t get this. What is this? What have you got me in?”
“A dreamglide,” Grant said. “Seems I can make them. Natalie can’t, but because we’ve bonded, she can fly them equally as well. We’re going for a little ride is all, alpha.” He added as much sarcasm to the last word as he could.
He moved slowly in Kryder’s direction, which finally brought the wolf to an understanding of his present intention. He balled his fists just to be clear. He also didn’t want Kryder thinking too much about how this particular dreamglide wasn’t playing by the rules, like how he got hauled into it, body and all.
But Kryder wasn’t a complicated man. He’d relied on brute strength his entire alter life. He merely smiled at Grant, amber eyes glinting. He had the look of a cat ready to start playing with a mouse. “So, you want a fight, is that it?”
“Yeah, I do.” Grant lifted his fists. “Well, show me what you’ve got and no levitation this time. Just you and me, bare fists and as much grit as you can bring.”
“You won’t survive this, beta.” Kryder’s turn to be sarcastic.
“Fuck you.” He spit at Kryder’s feet.
Kryder launched. Grant had hoped he would. Grant landed an uppercut to the jaw which just barely snapped the big man’s head back.
Kryder retaliated with a box to Grant’s right ear that had his head ringing. He followed with a hard jab to Kryder’s ribs. Again, it barely moved the man.
Grant backed up then began to dance on his feet and circle his enemy. The dreamglide expanded and retracted with him. He was pumped. He didn’t care how many times he got hit so long as he could land a few good ones himself.
He’d spent years waiting for this moment.
The whole time, the dreamglide sped on to a land that had a lot of sunlight.
They’d reached the Canadian border and already dawn had come and gone.
Kryder didn’t seem to notice and that was the plan.
The former alpha still smiled.
Grant faked a left. When Kryder raised his arm to block what wasn’t there, Grant punched him hard in the gut, right below the sternum.
Kryder coughed as he backed up.
Grant moved in again and slammed the side of his head with his fist. Kryder fell to the floor of the dreamglide.
“Get up, asshole.”
Kryder made a mistake and levitated aiming for high in the air. His head hit the invisible roof of the craft and Kryder came down hard. He rose swiftly, however, but Grant was able to clobber the other side of his head.
This time Kryder stayed down and shook his head back and forth a few times.
Grant contacted Natalie. How we doin’?
We’ll be north in about fifteen seconds. Any chance you could knock him out?
It won’t matter.
You’re right. It won’t.
Kryder rose with murder in his eyes. He launched at Grant, levitating straight out and catching him at the waist. Grant flew backward and hit the wall of the dreamglide hard.
Kryder sat on him and started throwing punches one after the other.
“Shit,” Natalie cried. She immediately adjusted the trajectory of the dreamglide to an angle almost vertical.
Kryder fell backward and Grant started sliding as well. “Level off!” he shouted.
She brought the dreamglide to a horizontal position then called out. “We’ve got ice on the ground. Lots of it.”
Kryder was coming at him again, but Grant lifted a hand. “Take us down, Natalie.”
Kryder finally took stock and stopped his charge mid-attack. “What the fuck is this? How can we be out in the sun?”
“The dreamglide offers full protection.” Grant used his shirt to staunch the blood flowing from his nose. His face was swelling.
Grant had never seen Kryder look so confused. “What are we doing out here?”
“This is Alaska. Lots of ice and sun this far north.” He switched to telepathy. Natalie, you can take us down anytime.
Kryder had grown very still as his gaze took in the field of blazing white below. “I don’t get this.”
Grant kept his body between Kryder and Natalie, but his gaze was focused on Kryder.
She eased the dreamglide to a full stop about ten feet above the ice.
“We’re not moving,” Kryder stated.
“I figured this was as far as we needed to go. We just need to unload some cargo, then we’ll be off.”
Kryder glanced around. There was nothing else there, just the three of them.
Grant had thought Natalie’s plan nothing less than brilliant but still a lot more than Kryder deserved. Burning oil would have been better. Yet what kind of punishment would really fit someone who had tortured, raped and killed so many innocent people?
He once more addressed Natalie. As soon as Kryder falls, take the dreamglide a few yards away.
Got it.
Kryder dropped into a protective crouch and kept looking around, waiting. Grant knew he still didn’t understand what was happening.
The time had come.
Grant focused his mind on Kryder and let the floor disappear below the alpha. The next second, Kryder fell the distance to the ice and he fell hard.
As ordered, Natalie took the dreamglide several yards away but kept the craft stationary.
Kryder, now fully exposed to the light, began to scream. No alter being, not just vampires, could tolerate the light. Some wolves could handle it better, survive longer, even for hours after dawn. Others, not so much.
Kryder fell into the latter category. He tried to run, but it was ice for miles around. He flew into the air but faltered after a few feet and fell once more. He didn’t go invisible, which wouldn’t have helped anyway. If he had, Natalie could still track his aura with her wolf.
Steam began to rise from his clothes and his exposed skin blistered then ran red with his blood. He continued screaming as the sunlight ate away at every inch of his body. He pulled his shirt up over his head, but the rays penetrated the clothing.
His screams turned to muffled cries. He pleaded for them to help him. Grant wondered how many times Kryder had heard similar cries for mercy from his own victims.
Natalie moved up beside Grant and took his hand. He held it tight. They’d essentially performed an illegal execution-by-sunlight. It wasn’t how Grant had ever thought he would secure his safety or the pack’s or Natalie’s. This was essentially an assassination. But as long as Kryder lived, no one in his life would be safe. Ever.
“Regrets?” Natalie asked.
“I should have them, but I don’t. I keep thinking about Renee and Alanna and all the people in between.”
When the cries finally stopped, his clothes began to flatten little by little as the light ate away at every molecule of Kryder's body. Finally, all that was left were his clothes.
“He’s gone.” If Grant hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wasn’t sure he would have believed it was true. The monster was dead.
Natalie sighed heavily and leaned her head against his shoulder. “At last, he’s gone for good.”
He heard a sob in Natalie’s throat and released her hand to take her in his arms. He held her tight as she gave way to her tears. He kept petting her damp hair and kissing her forehead. He’s gone. He’s gone. He can’t hurt us or anyone else ever again. He’s gone.
After a moment, she pulled back and said, “You should let Ryan know so he can tell the pack.”
“I’ll do it now.”
Even at a distance of several thousand miles, he tapped on Ryan’s telepathy.
Ryan asked, Are you at the cottage still?
Grant looked around and chuckled. Not exactly. He then told him what had happened and that Kryder was dead.
The telepathic shout of jubilation Ryan let loose almost tore up Grant’s brain. Yet he smiled.
When are you coming back? Ryan asked.
We’ll head home in a few minutes. And Ryan, Natalie and I are bonded.
Once again, Ryan mentally shouted his joy.
Grant rubbed his forehead, Hey, Bro, you’ve got to stop doing that.
If you were here, I’d hug you till I broke all your ribs.
Grant chuckled. I want a big celebration after the day’s sleep. Pull out all the stops. Whatever you need to purchase from Phoenix, I will personally pay for everything. We’re coming home.
But as Grant ended the connection, a streak of doubt shot through him.
Natalie squeezed his waist. “I felt that. What’s troubling you?”
He took charge of the dreamglide and swung it south. He set a slower speed than before. “I want my pack to love you and accept you, but I don’t know how that’s going to work.”
“I’ve wondered the same thing. Did you tell Ryan we were bonded?”
“I did.”
“What was his reaction?”
“He about shredded my mind up with his telepathic shouting.”
“So, he likes the idea.”
“Yes, but he’s my go-to guy, my best support.”
“Does the pack respect him?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I say we’re gold.”
He chuckled, grateful all over again that Natalie had come into his life.
~ ~ ~
Natalie might have spoken with confidence, but she was far from feeling it. Wolves had set ways of doing things and pack order was a huge part of life in Savage. So much so that even Kryder’s depredations wouldn’t allow the pack to get rid of him or to disobey him without consequence. So, would they really accept her as Grant’s mate?
She supposed ultimately it didn’t matter whether they did or not. She was bonded to Grant and nothing, except death, could undo that bond.
She kept her head pinned to his shoulder as the dreamglide sped quickly over the terrain of the Pacific coast. It was daylight now and she smiled with happiness and wonder that they could travel in all this light but not be affected by it.
Gratitude flooded her, of being with Grant, of the sudden, powerful changes in her life, of all that had come to her over the past several days. She was overwhelmed.
“I love you, Grant.”
“Same here, Sweetheart.”
Sweetheart. Now there was a word she never thought to hear again as long as she lived. She sighed, her heart full.
“So, are we returning to Agnes’s compound?”
“If it’s all right with you, I’ll have a human service pick up your things and bring them to the compound. That should serve you until tonight. But I need to be with my pack. Later, we can make a trip to your canal home. How does that sound?”
“It sounds perfect, as long as I’m with you.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
“I just realized how many things we’ll have to settle. Your canal home for one.”
The reality that she’d bonded herself to a wolf suddenly had new ramifications. “I love my home, Grant.” The thought of giving it up for good did not feel right.
“Hey. I don’t want you to think for one moment that I expect you to give up your house or your life in Revel just because we’re together. You’re more than just my woman. As much as I’d love to wrap you up and keep you locked in my bedroom—” He paused to kiss the top of her head, “I value all that you are. We’ll take this one step at a time.”
She looked up at him. “I get it now.”
“What?” He glanced down at her then back at the horizon to keep the dreamglide on track.
“Why I fell in love with you. Why Renee loved you like she did.”
His brows rose. She could see he was surprised. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about. Care to be more specific?”
“You respect women. I mean you really do. You see us and not just how we might fit into your life.”
He frowned slightly. “I suppose I do, but I got that from my dad. He adored my mother and he always let her know how much he appreciated her. He often spoke about how so much of the burden of the world is put on the backs of women.” He chuckled softly. “I remember reading once about the Old West and how it was a cruel place until women started arriving. Women brought civilization. It was the same thing for me until you arrived. You’ve changed everything. The Meldorin Pack will no longer be savage. We’ll be able to do some good and that’s all about you.”
Natalie had never felt so honored. “It’s more about us, than about me, don’t you think? It’s us. What we are together that we could never be alone.”
At that, he drew the dreamglide to a stop so that they were hovering in the air somewhere above California. He took her in his arms and kissed her.
Natalie leaned into him and embraced as much of him as she could. Her heart was so full. She loved, and she was loved.
You mean the world to me, Natalie. Everything.
Tears stung her eyes. She remained holding him for a long time and he didn’t let go. There were so many different ways to bond. Physical connection in the form of a hug was definitely one of them.
When at last she drew back, she was surprised to find tears in his eyes. He chuckled and wiped them away with the heels of his palms. “I’m not usually like this but I’m overwhelmed with your presence in my life. I thought it would be years before I could challenge Kryder. Make no mistake, I’d sent a few prayers heavenward asking for help.”
She smiled and caressed his cheek. “Then Renee came.”
“She did, didn’t she?”
“If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been in the Graveyard to fire off that critical shot with my Glock.”
A smile replaced his tears. “You are so my kind of woman.”
“And you’re my kind of man.” She gestured with a sweep of her hand southeast. “We’d better get going or Ryan will start to worry.”
“You’ve figured him out,” he said, setting the dreamglide once more in motion, “Because that’s exactly what he’ll do. He’s been the best right-hand man a wolf could ask for.”
His choice of words made her smile.
As the dreamglide flew over the Colorado River, she asked, “So will you continue as a Border Patrol officer?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ve already resigned. It wasn’t a problem. My boss was happy to hear I’d finally taken over the pack. He wished us well. He knew what Kryder was and will be even happier to know he’s gone for good. Pack business will become my main focus, though I think I’ll want to expand beyond the pack as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been thinking for some time that I want to work with Fergus and Mary. A good portion of their time and energy is being spent trying to acquire land in the White Mountains for the wolves. We need space to run and miles of forest would be exactly what we need. But we’ve got to have Federal support to get the job done.”
“The thought of land to run has my own wolf jumping.”
He squeezed her waist. “I love your wolf.”
She smiled as he pitched the dreamglide to the east. The Sonoran Desert was stretched about before them.
Her thoughts drifted toward her former life, her clients, her canal home. She really didn’t want to give up her house, but she was less certain about her futurist business. She had an extremely well-paying clientele. “Grant, there’s something I think you should know as we move forward.”
He glanced down at her. “Now I’m worried because you’re frowning.”
“Well, the truth is, we don’t know each other very well and I guess I’m not sure how you’ll take this, but my annual income is over a million a year.”
“Holy fuck. I had no idea.”
“I’m pretty accurate with the information I acquire on behalf of my clients and they pay well for it. I also do a lot of research beforehand to make sure I cover enough future events to support my findings.
“The thing is, a good part of my income supports both Kiara’s refuge and Agnes’s compound. I believe in what each of them has been doing for as many years as they’ve been here. They are both selfless people.”
“Just like you.”
“Funny. I don’t think of myself as selfless. Just look at my home.”
“It’s beautiful and I don’t want you to give it up. Or your profession. It sounds like your help has done more for Revel and for Savage wolves than just about anything else I’ve heard of. Please know that I will support whatever you want to do, whatever you feel is best for you and for your territory.”
“I guess what I need to know is what you’ll expect of me where your pack is concerned. Will I be the alpha female?”
“That depends on how the pack views you and right now I can’t predict what that will be like. We’ll know very soon, however.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tonight, at the celebration, how the wolves defer to you, whether they incline their heads in submission, will tell us both what their views will be. I’m hoping they will take the submissive stance. If the pack doesn’t, things could become strained.”
“Now you’re frightening me. Yet, I can’t stand the thought of anyone ‘submitting’ to me.”
“I’ll bet your wolf understands.”
“Right. My wolf. I keep forgetting she’s part of me.” She took a moment to release her wolf and just like that, she understood the necessity of the hierarchy. “Oh, I see.”
He shifted to look at her. “Ah. You’ve brought your wolf forward.”
“Seemed sensible.”
As the dreamglide traveled above Interstate 10, Natalie fell silent. She felt apprehensive about greeting the Meldorin Pack again. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to worry about it until this evening.
Soon, she recognized the White Tanks, a mountain range west of Phoenix. They’d be home soon.
But as Grant angled the dreamglide toward north Phoenix and began his descent, Natalie realized she was more than ready for bed. Getting rid of Kryder had taken a toll and she wanted to sleep the entire day away if she possibly could.
The pine tree forest of Savage appeared and Grant slowed the dreamglide. The Meldorin Compound came into view. He didn’t appear to hesitate but took the dreamglide through the walls with ease.
Natalie had to close her eyes. Yes, they were on a separate plane, but those walls were made of hard stuff. It was one thing to pilot the dreamglide up and over most landmarks. Quite another, to breeze through walls because they existed in a different reality.
She saw at once that her plans for sleep would have to wait. She switched to telepathy, since if either of them spoke they could be heard. Grant, what is this? What’s going on? It looks like the entire pack is assembled.
The dreamglide hovered inside the oversized foyer though no one could see them.
Let me contact Ryan.
After a moment, as proof contact had been made, Ryan directed the pack to move back and create a circle in the center of the foyer.
Once the people had created an open, central area, Grant lowered the dreamglide to the floor. He let go of her, but only enough to take her hand. I’m going to release us now.
I’m ready.
The dreamglide simply vanished and they stood, perfectly materialized, in the center of the circle. A series of exclamations erupted at their sudden appearance, then a cheer that rocked the roof if not the heavens. It was deafening.
Ryan stepped forward and first the men smiled at each other, then a hearty bro-hug followed. Each of the men laughed. Ryan had tears running down his cheeks. As the crowd continued to cheer, Natalie heard Ryan say, “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”
Grant reached for Natalie, slid an arm around her waist then drew her close. “You can thank Natalie. This was her plan.”
Ryan turned to Natalie. Her wolf rose up to hover in the air right next to her face, something she’d never done before. She wasn’t sure if Ryan could see her wolf or not. If he could, he kept his gaze pinned to Natalie then slowly inclined his head in a submissive bow.
He waited until the crowd quieted before he said, “I welcome you to the Meldorin Pack, Natalie, bonded mate to our Alpha and Alpha in your own right.”
Natalie was stunned. She wanted to ask, ‘Are you sure?’ Instead, her wolf gave her a quick nudge. “Thank you for such a warm greeting. I’m honored to be here and to have Alpha Grant as my mate.”
Ryan lifted his head and smiled. He spoke telepathically. Well done.
He then turned to the pack. “Will you join me in welcoming our new alpha female to the Meldorin Pack?”
What followed stunned her even more as a new, thunderous cheer once more shook every beam in the roof above.
Shortly afterward, the pack began to form a line, a very long, two-hundred-person line. Grant’s voice broke into her mind, They will want to show their acceptance and submission now. All you have to do is take or touch each hand, whatever feels right to you. Can you do that, Natalie? Or is it too much?
She turned toward Grant and because her wolf once more nudged her, she lifted her lips to him and kissed him. It’s not too much at all.
When she drew back, his eyes had turned to a gorgeous gold and fur once again lined his cheeks. Her own wolf stayed very close to her, levitating beside her.
Once more, the wolves cheered, a good sign she was being accepted.
As she moved down the line, she was overwhelmed at the inclining of heads and often a hand was placed over the heart at the same time. She heard more ‘thank you’s’ than she ever thought possible from both males and females. Her acceptance was universal. No one balked or did anything but graciously acknowledge her relationship to Grant.
She touched shoulders, hands and occasionally was embraced by the wolves especially those who had been on the sandpit net-team. Her heart grew full to bursting with so much emotion and pure gratitude.
The experience humbled her but at the same time helped her to feel she truly belonged.
Grant moved along the line behind her. For him, there was a lot more chatter and laughter. He loved his pack and they loved him. For herself, she stayed focused on each person, on making eye-contact and waiting for that odd vibration which she quickly came to understand was her own bond with the pack.
By the time she greeted the last person, instead of feeling tired, a tremendous sense of exhilaration had taken possession of her mind and her body.
But the night had been long and most of the wolves needed to head to bed. The wolves soon began taking off one by one.
She stayed with Grant until the last of the pack had left the foyer. He took her hand and led her down the two flights of stairs to his bedroom. As they entered the hall that led to his rooms, she was surprised to find one of the female kitchen-staff pushing a cart toward Grant’s door.
The woman called out, “Chef thought you might like a meal before the day’s sleep.”
“We would. Thanks.”
“Of course. Good night.” She bowed respectfully then headed back up the hall.
Grant opened the door for Natalie, but she slipped under his arm and pushed the tray inside.
“Hey, I would have done that,” he called after her, but she heard the laughter in his voice.
“I’ll make you work for it later. For now, I’ve got two hands and two feet. I can push a cart.”
He chuckled.
She navigated the cart over to the living area then, lifting a silver dome, discovered the most delectable pasta with chicken, mushrooms and wine sauce. “I’ve just died and gone to heaven.”
He lifted the other domed cover and there was his favorite, a T-bone, blood rare. He made an odd gurgling-growling sound, both human and wolf.
Neither was polite. She grabbed her plate and sat cross-legged in a chair scooping the pasta into her mouth. Getting rid of bad guys was intensely hard work. She was famished.
Grant, no less so. He put his plate on the coffee table, picked up the steak with both hands and leaned over enough to keep the juices from hitting the floor.
Her wolf loved it and jumped all around Grant as he ate.
She kept laughing. He smiled as well when his peripheral would catch an iridescent flash here and there.
A bath in his huge tub came next something they shared together. It was long, luxurious and ended with most of the water getting sloshed onto the tile floor as they made love.
Finally, in bed for the day, she still wasn’t ready for sleep. Grant spooned her but kept sighing.
“Can’t sleep?” she asked.
“Not yet.” His voice was a deep resonance against her ear. “How about we check out the Eiffel Tower.”
She rolled onto her back to look up at him. “We could even go naked.”
He nodded and smiled. She could feel the spell surround her as he said, “Begin.”
He then built the dreamglide and within seconds they’d left Phoenix and were hurtling toward Paris. They weren’t physically in the dreamglide this time. Instead, they went the old-fashioned way so that their corporeal bodies were still in bed.
He made love to her back in their new bedroom.
But in the dreamglide, they were soon making a turn around the Eiffel Tower. Paris was the most romantic city in the world and she was here with her wolf.
It was early evening in Paris. The sun was just setting while it was mid-morning in Phoenix. He held her close and kissed her often as the dreamglide flew in a slow circle around the tower.
“You’re making love to me. It’s wonderful to experience both things, seeing so much beauty here while having you inside me on the bed.”
He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. We can go back now if you want.”
He smiled and at the same time dissolved the dreamglide so that she was now back on the bed with his body moving over hers.
He was hard inside her and began to push faster. “You feel so damn good.”
He drove them both to ecstasy, a quick ride full of the bond that now held them together as a couple. She cried out when pleasure came, and he howled a satisfied sound that would remain in her memories forever.
Afterward, as Grant drifted off to sleep, she rose from the bed. She could sense something was yet unfinished.
On instinct, she went to the closet and found one of Grant’s robes. Though it was oversized and dragged on the floor, she put it on.
The end of the running track. She heard Renee’s voice and immediately left the bedroom and went to the far end of the track where she could see three misty forms waiting for her.
Renee had come, only this time she wasn’t alone.
It took Natalie only a moment to recognize the others. Aaron, and with him was baby Grace, only she wasn’t a baby anymore, she was a young girl, probably about six, who looked so much like her father.
Renee held her finger up to her lips. Use your telepathy. Don’t wake up Grant.
Natalie felt as though she was moving in slow motion, like she was living in a dream. Here was her first family, her husband and her daughter. She directed her thoughts to Renee. I don’t understand.
It’s different here. That’s all. But you’ve been allowed this moment with those you lost. The Higher-Ups believe in you. I do, too.
She knew in her heart she was living a fantasy-come-true. Who didn’t want one last chance to say goodbye? She also felt certain that until her time came, and she passed from the earth, she would never have this opportunity again.
As she drew close, she formed the words she wanted to say to Aaron. I’ve thought of you everyday since you died. You’ll always be in my heart.
As you are in ours. He had his arm around Grace’s shoulders.
Natalie lowered herself to meet her daughter’s gaze. How wonderful it is to see you, my darling.
The mist leapt at her and as much as it was possible, she felt Grace surround her with a hug. She visualized her own hug in return, since it was a bit difficult to take hold of a ghost. Yet just for a moment, the embrace became real, then vanished.
Grace drew back then reformed next to her father. She was smiling and the expression in her eyes looked wise beyond her years.
She shifted her gaze back to Aaron. Kryder was the one who put the alter serum in the pie. But he’s no more.
Aaron nodded. His mist trembled with the movement then took shape again. I know. He’s undergoing a great deal of tribulation right now. His atonement will be long and complex.
Good. The least he deserves. But what I care about the most is now he can’t hurt anyone ever again.
We’re rejoicing, he said. His gaze shifted to the running track then the short tunnel from which she’d come. He smiled. I approve, by the way.
She didn’t pretend to misunderstand. He’s a good man.
Yes, he is. And he makes you happy?
Beyond anything I ever expected to know again.
That gives me some peace. You’ve been alone a long time.
Renee said, Time to go.
So soon?
I’m ‘fraid so. I wish you well, Natalie. She then smiled. You did good. Take care of Grant.
I will. For just a moment, Renee looked as though she would weep. But then she smiled and nodded.
Good-bye Mama.
Natalie memorized her precious face. Bye, Sweetheart. I love you. I will always love you.
Grace smiled.
After a long moment, she shifted her gaze to Aaron.
Goodbye, Natalie. I wish you every joy.
Natalie’s heart suddenly ached. She stretched out a hand to her former family, but already the spirits were fading, all three of them.
She spoke aloud. “Goodbye.” Her voice caught on a sob.
She turned and sat down on the rocks and wept. She was grateful beyond words that she’d been allowed a few minutes with her husband and daughter. Yet, for a moment, all she could think about were the years that had been taken from her. These were her losses that even a miraculous visitation couldn’t entirely soften.
She let herself feel the pain until eventually it began to soften and dissipate and her weeping stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked up and Grant, very naked, was levitating toward her.
She rose from where she was seated on the rocks and flew to meet him. He must have understood, because he opened his arms and she landed hard against his chest. Since they were airborne, her momentum knocked him backward. He faltered for a moment, then caught himself, righting them both.
He held her tight. Are you having second thoughts?
No, nothing like that. I was given a gift and it overwhelmed me.
She drew back enough to meet his gaze then told him what had happened.
“That’s a lot to take in. You must miss them.”
“I do. I always will. But that doesn’t diminish what you and I share. I need you to know that.”
“I never expected to be a replacement. Just an addition.”
She smiled then a new spate of tears rose to her eyes once more. “I love you, Grant.”
“Come back to bed. I like my robe on you, by the way.”
“It’s like I put on a curtain.”
He chuckled then drew her against him and guided them out of the track and through the tunnel to his bedroom. He set them both down on the side of the bed, drew her into his arms and kissed her once more. His lips on hers was exactly what she needed and the last of her grief vanished.
She would treasure the visitation the rest of her life and no doubt one day she would meet her first family in the afterlife.
For now, she held a different kind of heaven in her arms.
Grant took her back to bed and made love to her once more. Her new life with him had become the fulfillment of her deepest desires, all unexpressed over the years because they’d seemed an impossibility.
She was a wife again, if not yet in name then in a heartfelt commitment. She made up her mind to treasure every moment with Grant. The future was unknown. She might have a century with him or she might have only another minute.
As she fell asleep, she chose to be brave and to look into her future with Grant. What rolled out before her were years of a beautiful companionship as together they worked hard to build a safer Savage for all the wolves of their territory. She saw a couple of satisfying specifics as well: Ryan would one day bond with Alanna and Natalie would renew her friendship with Alexis. She felt overcome with joy.
But she didn’t stop there. Instead she cast her net wider, deep into the distant future, and saw something miraculous as well. She was riding on Grant’s back as he raced, in wolf form, through the pine forests of their new home in the White Mountains. Her wolf raced beside them, tongue lolling.
She thought it the perfect place to stop and commit the vision, the emotion, the beauty and the crisp fragrance of the forest to memory.
This was her life in the entire breadth of its challenges and complications. She embraced it all.
Grant was still spooning her, though he was breathing the steady, measured breaths of a very deep sleep. She caressed the arm slung over her waist and held on tight. She smiled at the future as she let sleep overtake her at last.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
* * *
A Note from Caris
I hope you enjoyed reading SAPPHIRE FLAME. And remember, you can claim an ebook and enter my latest giveaway right now by signing up for my mailing list on .
If you enjoyed SAPPHIRE FLAME, I’d love it if you took a minute to leave a short review – two or three sentences only -- at your favorite online retailer. And you don’t have to be a blogger to do this, just a reader who loves books!
To read an excerpt from book #1 of the Blood Rose Series, EMBRACE THE DARK, keep scrolling!
Hugs,
Caris
Excerpt:
EMBRACE THE DARK
A Paranormal Romance
The Blood Rose Series #1
By
Caris Roane
*** First, for More Information and for the Buy Links,
Chapter One
Mastyr Vampire Gerrod, of Merhaine Realm, lifted a hand toward the human, Abigail, then let it fall away. She stood with her back to him, ignoring him, delighting in the wedding festivities, laughing often.
Sweet Goddess, even her laughter spiked his blood-need, which caused other needs to rise as well. His desire for her was never far away and deepened now, echoing through each cell of his vampire body, stiffening muscles and other parts, begging for sustenance, all kinds.
He should have been beyond such madness. He was three hundred years old, for the Goddess’s sake. But ever since Abigail Kirkland had made her presence known and felt in Merhaine, he’d been held hostage by even the scent of her.
Like crushed rosemary.
He breathed in, his nostrils flaring. A full sliver of heaven in that delicate scent, with just enough woman beneath to rob him of rational thought.
And she a human.
He flexed his biceps, he was that mad. He had to work not to let his fangs descend, else everything he felt would be on display for even the lesser folk to know and understand. He wouldn’t let her humiliate him.
This madness was maddening.
He stood behind her, and a little off to her right side. He could almost see her profile. She knew he was there, but she was ignoring him. She had told him that his temper irked her and she wished he would be silent.
He could have her killed for saying such a thing to him, he, the Mastyr Vampire of the Merhaine Realm, one of the Nine Realms of North America. Did she not understand that he ruled this realm?
He should walk away. There were many at the wedding reception expecting his attention, several mayors, council members.
Yet he couldn’t do so since apparently his leather boots had rooted to the earth. What power was this she held over him? He had never understood, not in the entire year he’d known her.
As the best man spoke into the mic and delivered a slightly slurred toast to the groom, Gerrod’s gaze roved Abigail, his hunger increasing. Her bare shoulders tempted him, called to him, begged for his lips, his fingers, the full length of his tongue. His nostrils flared a little more. Her gown, a soft cream, revealed a portion of her fair back, a large window of skin that set his jaw to trembling. Her long red hair was curled and pulled forward to dangle over her shoulder in beautiful layers over one breast. She had extraordinary eyes, a beautiful light green. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so taken with a woman.
May the heavens help him, Abigail had teased his mating frequency into a frenzy and he was overwrought. Yet he could do nothing about it. The damn woman was human. He would no more give himself to such a ridiculous creature than he would bring forest gremlins into his bed.
He’d be damned first.
He felt a different frequency resonate, a warning within his mind. Derek’s voice telepathed along his Guardsman lane. We’ve got Invictus sign in the southeast.
Invictus. Not tonight. Damn and hell and back. The enemy was abroad.
Gerrod telepathed. Are you sure?
The red wind is blowing.
There were only a handful who could detect the telltale red wind, he and his castle Guard. Several on the Sidhe Council had sufficient power as well as his constant most cherished advisor, Vojalie. Some said the red wind was made of blood that the Invictus sweated when they took to the air. Vampires might have needed blood to live, but the Invictus took blood to sustain their unnatural bonds and didn’t care what they left behind, life or death.
Gerrod turned away from Abigail slightly. Can you contain? he asked.
I’ll need assistance. I’ve counted eleven in the breach.
The Invictus came from the wastelands in the south, the place they preferred to live once each vile couple invoked the perverted rituals that created their kind. Any combination of realm specie would do, so long as one of the pair was a wraith: Vampire, faerie, elf, troll, shifter, it didn’t matter. There were few true wraiths left, those that adhered to simple things like truth and civility, justice and the law. But they were always looked upon with suspicion, which couldn’t be helped at this late hour.
The Invictus killed without conscience, without reason and usually in a sadistic manner.
They were a scourge to be feared and to be slaughtered.
Once a wraith took an Invictus mate, the couple was sealed into a symbiotic relationship that tended to break down goodness and give rise to all that was bad. Thievery was preferred to hard work. Killing to the support and nurturing of life. Insular frenzied hedonism to the sacrifices of marriage and family.
When the Invictus took blood, the realm-folk screamed at the draining, no pleasure, all pain. Nor did the Invictus discern, all blood was acceptable. Specie, age, gender, none of it mattered. Just the living, that’s all the Invictus needed.
How far away? Gerrod asked. The wedding is still mid-reception.
Gerrod’s gaze swept in the direction of the bride and groom, a long-awaited fae wedding. They were fair of face, this couple, and toasting each other with bubbling cider. She was already with child, a tradition among the Merhaine faeries. A child was a promise of a blessed union between souls favored by the Goddess. Gillet, the groom, had served on his castle staff for the last century. He had waited a long time for his bride.
Now the Invictus, tonight of all nights. Why? Was there a reason? Had the festivities drawn them? Every media outlet across the realm had made a fuss over the couple. The Hollow County Enquirer had carried a daily piece on every aspect of the couple: The announcement of the forthcoming birth, the betrothal, and wedding preparations.
Even the Invictus would have known of the wedding. Many Merhaine notables were in attendance as well, several city mayors and council members.
Another team member, Jason, telepathed the battle frequency. The southeastern sector is clear tonight. Gerrod, shall I join Derek?
Yes, Gerrod pathed. Rest of the team, report? A world of pathways and frequencies had tremendous advantages. Long distance communication with those powerful enough to telepath, was a tremendous blessing. All Guards of the Realm could path.
The Invictus were ruthless combatants and never fought with anything resembling decency or honor. A decade ago, Gerrod had lost a valiant vampire Guardsman when an Invictus wraith threw a jug of gasoline on him and set him on fire, laughing all the while.
In the poorer southern regions, drug addicts and prostitutes, even in his realm, often went missing, never to be seen again.
Training had become more rigorous because of the increasing activity. Each Guard now knew to anticipate the unexpected, and training camps had been established for the purpose of evaluating any young vampire, fae, troll, shifter, or elf, who wanted to try for Guard status, male or female. The effort had brought some talent into the castle Guard. Muscle for muscle, however, vampires still had the advantage over other realm-folk so that most Guardsmen were vampires.
One by one, the remaining five Guardsmen gave an all clear for the rest of the realm, at least for now. Yet he felt uneasy. He lifted his chin and issued the orders, All except Jason, join Derek now. Jason, come to the castle grounds and patrol here but keep a low profile. And Jason, have the head of the patrols get the rest of the Guard out tonight, emergency levels.
Done.
His sense of uneasiness grew. At least his men had speed. They could lock onto their traveling frequencies better than all realm-folk. Though Jason was over a hundred miles away, he would arrive in less than twenty minutes. Not half-damn bad.
His gaze never stopped moving over the crowd, or into the forest, or even high into the night sky which was clear, star-studded, and just a circle of dark surrounded by the tips of ponderosa pine trees.
He loved the forest and the dark. Each realm had some manner of forest and dense woodland attached. Vampires needed a place to shelter if caught outside during the day. Tree canopies were necessary to those who had difficulty tolerating sunlight.
Even faeries and elves didn’t tolerate sunlight well. The realm world was, for the most part, a world of the night and of the dark.
He shifted his gaze to eye-level and bored his vision deep between the trees, hunting for the peculiar red-wind Invictus sign.
Sweet Goddess, but his land was in trouble, as all the Nine Realms of North America were, if the Invictus engaged in yet another uprising.
At least for now, the wedding party was safe and he could share in the joy of Gillet and his woman.
Abigail chuckled once more, which brought Gerrod’s attention sharply back to the woman who had been tormenting him for an entire year. Her laughter glided over his nerves like a fine oil, which simply sent his temper into the top of his head all over again. Why did the human have to be here and why, by all that was worthy in his world, did he have to be drawn to her?
He cast about for the source of her laughter. She looked off to the right so he followed her gaze. One of the trolls had imbibed far too much wedding punch and was listing about. He had already bumped into a few of the guests. Next he jostled a large vampire, who in turn picked him up by the lapels of his lavender silk coat, and glared at the troll face to face. The wedding guests drew a combined gasp.
Vampires were not known for their sweet tempers. Fucking understatement that.
But the troll smiled sloppily and kissed the vampire on the nose. The vampire grimaced, called out a loud growling ‘ack’, spat off to his left side, but released the troll. The guests breathed again and many chuckled, especially Abigail, as the troll turned and shambled away.
By all the elf-lords, the damned woman laughed too much.
More than anything, he wished he had never heard of Abigail of Flagstaff, a mere human, a bakery owner, the latter being the why of her presence in his realm.
He had opposed the Merhaine Council approving her partnership with a fae to open a bakery in the nearby county of Hollow, one of Merhaine’s seven counties. He had believed from the first it was a mistake. However, and this for reasons he could not explain, Abigail was a favorite among realm-folk. She had been providing the sweet-loving trolls, faeries, and elves of his realm with cupcakes--for all the Nine Realms, cupcakes!--for well over a year. His castle even had a standing weekly order with her Flagstaff enterprise, a place called Just Too Sweet! Yes, with an exclamation point.
And now he felt like spitting.
Some of the council were looking to expand into the human world as well, which he believed to be a mistake of enormous proportions. Some of the drugs of the human world had already infected the less prosperous portions of his realm. Didn’t his realm have enough trouble managing the constant threat of the Invictus?
And yet, as he sniffed the breeze that flowed over the woman’s long red tresses, he could scent rosemary again, and he knew exactly what her skin would taste like beneath his tongue. His body reacted, sharpening, hardening, shuddering, until he was once more grateful for the long leather coat of his Guardsman uniform, and the snug buckled leather pants that held all his absurd firmness well in place.
The woman be damned.
His gaze shifted back to the drunken troll, who now listed sideways and fell into the three-tiered sage-and-honey wedding cake. The fae bride cried out and the groom’s cheeks showed a wash of red and a tight set to his jaw.
The guests, however, began to laugh and Abigail joined them.
He was angry all over again. How dare she laugh?
It was time he took her down a slat or two.
~ ~ ~
“You find our customs amusing?”
Abigail turned slightly at the almost growling sound. The words were spoken in a deep low voice, emanating from the vampire Guardsman next to Abigail, the leader of the Merhaine Realm, Mastyr Vampire Gerrod. Of course, he didn’t exactly stand next to her. He would never deign to do that. God, forbid, or ‘Goddess’, as he would say. Instead, he stood slightly behind her, a position of power and control no doubt. She could feel him fuming behind her. Some burr had gotten stuck inside those boots of his.
Abigail turned a little more and glanced up at him. As always, she felt an almost overwhelming attraction to Mastyr Gerrod. He was six-five and though she considered herself tall for a human at five-eleven, still she had to look up, though perhaps not as far this evening since she wore four inch heels. A very slight advantage against his formidable scowl and heavily muscled body.
The vampire was stunning and ferocious. Because of the books she’d read, she had thought his kind would be pale-skinned from lack of blood, an un-beating heart, and the inability to get a decent tan because of an intolerance for sunlight. But the world of the Realm produced vampires of every possible hue, from the deepest browns and blacks to almost pure white. The solar disability and the persistent blood-needs had nothing to do with skin-tone.
His Guard uniform did not help at all. The man looked like a fierce pirate with a soft maroon woven shirt, topped by a thick black calf-length leather coat. The coat wasn’t exactly a coat because it didn’t have sleeves, just a thick pad of very soft leather at the shoulders that descended in two panels that hung open in the front.
A black leather shoulder strap crossed over his chest, and angled to his waist, undoubtedly a throw-back to times when swords were used. No swords now, just the power that a Guardsman could gather through his battling frequency and send outward through his arms, hands, and chest, tight beams of killing energy. Black leather pants and silver-buckled top boots finished off the uniform that had most women doing double and triple takes.
Gerrod was magnificent, well-built with broad shoulders, as all the fighting Guardsmen were, his skin an exquisite golden color. He held himself in a proud manner, as befitted his leadership status. Even now his arms were crossed over his chest as he glowered at her.
He had long black hair that flowed away from strong features. His cheeks were pronounced and sharp, his jaw-line angled, his lips full and sensual. But it was his eyes that tore at her, that made his presence almost unbearable. They were the clear blue of a summer mountain sky, so clear that often when she looked at him, she felt as though she was looking back in time and forward all at once.
Of course that he affected her in such a way that she often wanted to simply shed her clothes and fall down on her back, made her so mad. Thank God she was made of sterner stuff, because all these unhelpful reactions strengthened her intention to keep the vampire at bay.
Besides, he was such a pain in the ass, like now. So typical. He’d been standing behind her, forever. And when he finally did speak to her, he used that wretched, oh-so-familiar hostile tone of his, this time to challenge her because she’d been laughing.
“You think I’m laughing at your customs?” she returned.
“And what else would you be laughing at, Mistress Abigail?” His words were hard, as they usually were when he spoke to her. She’d at least grown accustomed to that. But because she sensed that he either disliked her or disapproved of her, or both, she simply didn’t know why he stayed anywhere near her, like now.
She lifted her chin. “I would never laugh at Merhaine customs. I might disagree with them because I find some to be abhorrent to the status of women in your culture, but I would never laugh.”
“I heard you laughing.”
She chuckled again but shook her head. She moved back to stand beside him. She wasn’t going to continue this conversation staggered as they were, like stair-steps.
“Mastyr Gerrod,” she said, lowering her voice. “I found the wedding ceremony, including the way their arms were bound with a vine, charming, poignant, even moving. I laughed just now because a troll fell into a wedding cake. Come on. That was funny.”
He grunted his disapproval.
At that, she turned to face him fully. She was exasperated to say the least. “You know, you really need to lighten up.”
He glanced down at her. “I have no idea what that means. I have heard the expression time and again, but it makes no sense to me.”
“It just means not to take everything so seriously.” She waved a hand in the direction of the now smashed wedding cake. “The troll is drunk, that alone is funny. Wouldn’t you agree? He’s still wobbling around and he has a streak of frosting now between the second and third ridges of his forehead.” She glanced over her shoulder then back. “And now his wife is beating him over the head with their son’s teddy-shifter-bear. Come on. Even the bride is smiling now and it’s her cake that the troll ruined.”
Gerrod’s lips twitched, and the right side of his lips almost curved creating a faint, lop-sided smile. But that was when she made her mistake. “Yeah, like that. Smile. Lighten up.” She poked his arm with two fingers, intent on teasing him a little more.
But the moment she made physical contact with him, the very first ever in her year-long acquaintance with him, something very strange happened. She felt odd waves rolling toward her, waves that felt like fingers gliding over her skin, exploring her, savoring her.
She looked up meeting his gaze. Now he turned fully toward her so that they were face to face. Her lips were parted because she was having trouble dragging in air. Why his were, only he could speak to that.
Touching a mastyr vampire wasn’t precisely forbidden, but Gerrod had always kept his distance. This was something she’d noticed from the first day she’d met him, that as soon as she was within two feet of him, he stepped away another foot. She had thought it an annoying habit, a sure sign of his continued disapproval. But right now, because she’d touched him, she wasn’t so sure.
Abigail’s heart began to race. She’d had many concerns about entering into business with a fae partner and opening a bakery deep into Merhaine territory. But right now she realized this was the real danger she faced, that the vampire Mastyr Gerrod, ruler of Merhaine, affected her as though she was always within a hair’s breadth of tumbling into bed with him.
She knew the danger the terrible Invictus presented, she even understood that there were factions among the realm-folk who didn’t want humans in Merhaine and would do whatever they could to get rid of her and her kind. Yes, these things worried her very much. But as she looked into Gerrod’s intense blue eyes, she finally understood the true source of every reticence she’d experienced since she’d come to this realm: Dammit, she had the hots for a friggin vampire.
She desired him with a need that seemed to burn through her and touching him just now, brought all that need rushing to the surface yet again.
His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips and even to her breasts. She could feel the sudden hardening of her nipples as the need spread. How many times had she wondered if he was doing this to her, using vampire powers. But the realm-folk she knew had assured her that vampires, however much the Earth-based myths said otherwise, didn’t have the power to enthrall.
The fae population could, but not vampires.
Very strange, this realm world.
So what was this she felt, this deep desire for Gerrod and why, when he looked at her with his eyelids heavy, his lips parted, his nostrils flaring, did she want to take his hand, lead him deep into the forest, and beg him to have his way with her. What was this need?
He stepped closer and though he was frowning heavily like his temper was ready to take off the top of his head, he actually touched her, sliding his hand over her arm. Once again, she felt those strange waves emanating from him and her desire increased almost to a painful stage.
What is that? Her mind cried.
But he leaned close now and stared harder, peering into her eyes. What did you say?
She glanced at his lips. They hadn’t moved. Telepathy? No, oh, God no. This couldn’t be happening, wasn’t happening. She knew many in Merhaine could communicate through telepathic frequencies, pathing was what they called it.
Could she?
This couldn’t be happening, couldn’t be true. She stared into his eyes, horrified, yet she had to know the truth. So, once more she aimed her thoughts carefully, I wanted to know what I was feeling from your hand. It felt like waves flowing out of you and into me.
The thought of it, the presence of it, the feel of it beating into her body, brought desire hurtling through her. She planted her hand on his chest. The waves pounded through her now, engulfing her.
He looked so angry and his grip on her arm became painful. This can’t be happening. You can’t feel these waves and you can’t be reaching me telepathically. It’s. Not. Possible.
Gerrod, what are you doing to me? And please, you are hurting my arm. Vampires were strong.
The pressure diminished but his expression hardened. You are speaking to me telepathically and you are experiencing my personal frequency, my realm vibration. No one can do that except when I allow it, but you accessed it freely. And you are…human. This cannot not be happening.
She was struggling to breathe. But his touch, and the flowing waves, had her trapped. She strained toward him, but he kept a grip on her arm, holding her away from him. He squeezed his eyes shut. This is impossible. You can’t be what you seem to be. You can’t be. You’re human. This is unacceptable.
Abigail slid her hand up his chest and reached his lips. She ran her thumb over his lips.
How inappropriate and thank goodness they were standing at the back of the crowd. In the distance, she could hear another groomsman making a toast. Though it was nighttime, the floodlights lit mostly the band, the bridal table, and the dance floor. This far back, she stood in the shadows.
Time came to a swift stumbling halt.
Abigail looked at Gerrod as if for the first time. She felt a call so deep in her soul, driving her toward him, that to not respond, not to say ‘yes’, felt like a crime for which she would be punished if she didn’t obey. She needed this vampire, craved him. For the first time, her vein began to rise in her throat, because that’s the only way she could describe what she experienced. She needed him to take her blood because that would complete something essential between them, as essential as the nature of a kiss, as critical as the fulfillment of lovemaking.
Yet, she was human and didn’t truly belong in the realm world. She belonged in Flagstaff, the nearest access point to the Merhaine Realm.
The tip of his tongue teased her thumb. You taste of the sweetest herbs. Dear Goddess, please forgive me.
Before she knew what he meant by sending that particular message, he took hold of her arm, swung her in the direction of the forest, and led her twenty yards into the dark, a good distance from the crowd that now applauded. Music began at the same time, a lively folk music made for dancing.
He dragged her behind a tree and hauled her into his arms.
She fell against him, limp, her body in full surrender and not caring that this was so inappropriate and doomed to cause all kinds of problems.
For some strange reason as she stared up at him, though the forest was dark, his face was lit in a glow. Vampire magic? He was incredibly beautiful, his black brows thick and arched, his clear blue eyes thickly fringed, his nose straight, his lips full, his cheeks pronounced.
He leaned close, his lips trembling over hers.
“Do I have permission to kiss you?”
God, yes.
“Yes,” she whispered, panting against him, her fingers grasping the soft cloth of his loose Guard’s shirt. She dug deeper until her fingers found purchase in the hard muscles of his arms. His lips touched hers and the previous waves began to flow, heavier now.
She parted her lips and his tongue entered her, piercing her, plunging in and out.
She connected her hips low and felt the long rope of him. Her knees weakened further.
She suckled his tongue and he groaned again. The waves came faster now and seemed to pluck at every part of her body at once. She wanted to fall on the ground, but in gentle stages he eased back. But by then she was in agony and breathed hard. She pressed her forehead into his shoulder.
What is happening? she asked.
I fear it is something that will alter your life forever, unless you are wise, and choose to leave Merhaine. You would be wise, Abigail, not to come back and I’m begging you to do just that. You are not realm. You don’t understand our customs. My people would have great difficulty accepting you. A small bakery that serves cupcakes and tea is one thing. But a relationship with me would to many be intolerable.
But beyond that, the Invictus have grown active again. A polite euphemism for death and destruction.
She drew back, but in her heels the uneven ground put her off-balance. She started to fall.
He caught her, righting her, then held her steady.
“Just tell me one thing,” she said. “What are the waves that you send through my body. They almost undo me. I…that is…you could have…I wouldn’t have objected.”
She met his gaze but she was blushing.
A soft strange growl left his lips. So vampires growled at such moments. He wasn’t human, but why didn’t that seem to matter to her? And why could she speak with him mind to mind? She should have cared, it should have been paramount. And her vein still throbbed, begging for him to take her very life-force.
“I swear you’ve enthralled me,” he said, a deep furrow now between his brows. “This must be your doing, Abigail. It was there from the first.”
“Gerrod are you saying that you’ve been attracted to me since that first day?”
“I won’t deny it.”
“I thought you disapproved of me.”
“I’m frustrated, even distressed, that I’m drawn to you, a very different thing.”
She put her finger in the furrow between his brows and rubbed. He let loose with a sigh, closing his eyes. She added, “You’re worried all the time.”
“Yes.” His voice was always little more than a deep, gravelly growl.
“One of the fae told me that there are a million realm in Merhaine. Is this true?”
He nodded.
“You have charge of a million souls then?”
“I do.”
“No wonder you rarely laugh.” She had meant to tease him but when he didn’t even smile, when he looked away from her, she finally understood his most essential self. He was responsible and he put those responsibilities above everything else in his life including his own happiness.
“No wonder your people thrive,” she said.
His gaze snapped back to her. “Why do you say that?” Again that deep furrow appeared.
“You’ve laid your life down for your people, no doubt for decades. Why wouldn’t they thrive? But what of you, Gerrod? What of your own happiness?”
He stared down at her with a stunned look in his eye as though she had asked something never heard of before. Then he just looked confused. But as other thoughts intruded, his face hardened. He looked like a vampire who had been standing in a strong wind for a very long time, centuries perhaps.
“We should get back.”
She nodded. The moment had passed. The only understanding that had been reached was that she desired him and he desired her, and that the realm world had no place for a human female in a mastyr vampire’s life.
As he turned to offer his arm, however, a strange keening sound broke through the forest, a sound that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Abigail turned toward the sound and watched as a red mist moved between the trees toward the reception.
“Red wind,” she whispered.
His gaze shot to her once more. “You can see that?”
She nodded.
He turned back as well. “The Invictus are here. Dear Goddess help us this night.”
~ ~ ~
“I will path you,” Gerrod said. “It’s the fastest way. Do you trust me?”
She blinked as though surprised. “Yes, of course.”
He didn’t exactly have time to explain. He slid his arm around her waist, dragged her against his side, lifted her off her feet, and sped back to the reception.
Her hand clutched his soft shirt, but other than a small, ‘oh,’ she didn’t offer a single protest.
Five seconds later, he took her to Augustus. “The Invictus are coming. See to everyone.”
“Yes, Mastyr.”
He turned to Abigail. “Go with Gus.”
She nodded in several quick bobs of her head.
He looked around, still holding her hand. There were at least three hundred realm-folk at the festivities, including the caterers and musicians.
He telepathed Jason. How far away are you?
Seven minutes.
Hurry. We’ve got Invictus sign.
He looked down at Abigail’s hand not understanding why he was so damn reluctant to let it go. He met her gaze and saw in her eyes so much compassion that he had to look away.
Finally, he released her hand. “Go to the castle with Gus. Go quickly.”
Again, she did nothing more than nod in agreement as though she understood. Well, she had been in and out of Merhaine for a year now and she had numerous realm friends. She would have heard many times about the Invictus. She would understand the trouble they faced.
“Go,” she said softly. “Do what you do best.”
He searched her gaze. Satisfied with what he found, he turned on his heel and headed straight for the groom. He spoke swiftly to him. Gillet handed him the microphone.
He faced the people he knew so well. The red wind drew closer, flowing through the trees, brightening. He was always surprised that so few could see it.
“The Invictus are upon us. Please move into the castle with all due haste. Stay away from the forest. No one will be safe there.”
He heard Gus calling out in a powerful voice, bidding the guests follow him. The wedding party began to move, a little slow at first, as though stunned. But soon, those closest to the castle were running.
Once the crowd was past him, he began spreading his power off to each side, high in the air, wider and wider, a barrier of protection. The Invictus would not be able to pass, but would be forced to do battle with him. As he had done for the past century and a half, since he had reached mastyr vampire status, he gathered his battling power.
And there they were, at least twenty powerful Invictus wraith pairs. Their mates came to do battle as well, some vampires, a couple of trolls, several fae, and one elf. But all were soldiers now. Most of the realm-folk that had made the decision to bond with a wraith, sported spiked hair and gold loops hanging from their ears. All were air-borne in a strong form of levitation. Apparently, pairing with a wraith to form Invictus sharpened all powers. Blades of varying kinds were the weapon of choice.
As though the numerous pairs acted as one, the blades began to spin and then fly toward him. The massive shield held, deflecting the blades, which made it possible for him to bring his battling power down his arms, readying at the tips of his fingers, the frequency vibrating strongly. Once he was warmed up, the same power would also fly in scattered blasts from his chest, shoulders and arms.
The real battle commenced as he released his frequency power in bursts of focused killing energy. He moved his arms and hands swiftly, aiming for the wraiths who had the greater battling skill. The wraiths, however, had their own frequency energy and began to answer his powerful strikes, so that soon he saw dozens of red streams of light flying toward him again and again.
Though his shield held and kept him safe, each hit weakened him in the depths of his frequency. He wouldn’t be able to do this forever.
He fought harder in response and bodies began to fall…
For More Information and for the Buy Links, !