Chapter 5
Dulex
I opened the door right as a gentle breeze blew the autumn leaves and was slapped in the face with the scent of the Fae, the same Fae that had been tracking me for the last several months. My beast roared in despair and the Fae bellowed realizing his own kind took our mate. Again, I was struck by how much my dual nature had coincided. They were pissed. Ria was gone and it was because of me and the fact that
I shouldn’t even be.
The worst part of it all…I scented no blood and very little aggression from my mate. There was no fear or even remote sadness.
She didn’t fight.
She let them take her—to protect me.
The worst part of it all—I should have known my mate would be protective and strong. She was the first woman that shared equal, if not more, strength, than I. It was eye opening how much I needed someone strong. It would be nice to have a partner, someone to lean on, especially in times like this.
One slow step at a time, I made my way down the stairs off the porch from the cabin. It was hidden all right, but that hadn’t stopped the Fae from tracking me down. The sun was low in the sky and trees surrounded me. Even with my enhanced vision there was nothing to see for miles other than pure nature. I sighed.
“This would be perfect in a better situation.” I spoke to no one, but as my heart rate picked up, and I knew I was being watched. There were more Fae somewhere. I closed my eyes trying to zone in on their location. I took a deep breath and let my sense expand.
In the distance, I felt the magic. A lot of it. There were at least three other Fae in waiting for me.
They’d come prepared. Their magic strummed through my veins waking my Fae half wake up further. It was almost if their energy recharged me making mine come alive. A shard of pain whipped through my chest. I felt the would knit itself back together and chuckled through the process. It seemed being so close to my kind only helped me—not hindered me. Within minutes, my wound was healed and the stitches pulled outward. I closed my eyes and held my arms out palms out to either side of me. The magic of nature come to my fingertips and when I squinted my eyes open my palms were lit like the brightest of lights.
Tipping my head back I watched the sun descend the horizon. Not far in the distance to the east I saw a lone figure. He was large with white hair flowing in the breeze. Even far away I felt his stare. Icy cold and filled with such hatred. Why was it the Fae were so bitter and angry? I didn’t know. The only thing I did know for certain was I needed to find Azaria. She was with these beings and who knew what they were doing to her.
I made my decision then and pushed forward. Stalking towards the lone Fae I was focused. He would take me to my mate. I was healed. In fact, I felt better than ever, strong and lethal. Energy radiated off me in waves surrounding me. I was protecting.
The blood she’d given me mixed with my own power and grew. I needed to release the raw power and I knew exactly how I was going to do it.
I was going to kill anyone who got in my way. If they so much as laid their filthy hands on her, they needed to hide.
***
When I woke up I was in a cell. It was dark, but that didn’t bother me, and I wasn’t alone.
“Dulex?”
Her voice was both a balm and a trigger to my soul. It was quiet and held fear. The fear I hadn’t sensed from her back in the cabin. I wanted to run to her but I was on a short chain. There was a metal, magic infused collar around my neck. I cringed when it sparked.
“Ria, I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
Whispering was no use; they could hear every word we said.
“What did you do?”
When I would have answered a new voice did so for me.
“Nothing little one, he didn’t have to. Existing is enough.”
I felt her tension rise and realized he was one that had helped take her.
She growled low in her throat. “Shut up.”
The male chuckled. “I told you we’d end up in the same place, only I might be able to save myself.” He clucked his tongue. “You two on the other hand—not a chance.”
It didn’t pass my notice that he was resigned and didn’t care.
“I did better than anyone else, I may gain my freedom yet. The fact that he followed after you and landed in my trap might just be enough.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” she replied low. “just because he came for me means nothing to me or anyone else for that matter.”
I wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but I hoped she didn’t mean that. Sure we hadn’t gotten a chance, but we were mates. “Ria,”
“Shut up,” she replied. “I need to think. Father will surely be looking for me. Hell, I thought he’d sent his trackers. But of course, I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
She was angry with me. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”
She didn’t respond but I felt her stare, and her eyes glowed purple. They were stunning.
“Looks like she isn’t happy to see you, big man. If your mate doesn’t want you that just means even more how little of importance you are. I don’t even know why my queen wants you so badly.”
There was no reason to respond so I kept my mouth shut and studied my mate. Her body was tensed in a coil, much like a snake that was ready to attack. Her fangs extended and her fingers curved like claws.
She was breathtaking.
“Stop staring at me.”
I didn’t.
She huffed and stared back. “Why do they want you so badly?”
“Because I exist. I’m a bear-Fae hybrid, not supposed to be. Apparently, a strong one considering the price on my head and how long I’ve been on the run.”
The male hissed. “I almost had you,” he pointed a finger at Azaria. “Had this bitch left you be you would be dead right now.”
“Watch yourself,” I said and licked my lips when the bear tried to come out. It didn’t happen. The cells were magic. I couldn’t shift or use my power. I could feel it locked up with chains and there was no breaking them.
“Oh, protective,” the male taunted.
He was trying to get under my skin. It worked. I wanted to rip his fucking head off.
She stared at me now. “So, you didn’t do anything to deserve this?”
“No, I’ve been running my whole life, they murdered my mother for her affair with a Fae.”
My voice went cold. The disappointment that she assumed the worst tasted terrible on my tongue. “She protected me from them. And once she was gone I kept going.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
I shrugged. “It’s my life. I deal okay. If fuckers like these would just leave me the hell alone. I don’t cause any problems. Neither did my mother. She couldn’t help who Fate deemed her mate.”
The male laughed. “They were not mated. Fae do not mate with bears.”
I glared his way. “You’re stupid if you believe that, and your queen knows it too. She isn’t as innocent as she appears.”
He stood and came to the bars, not touching them. His face contorted into an angry mask filled with rage. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. “
I smiled showing fang. I could do that. “I know a lot more than you think I do.”
A door creaked in the distance and we stopped talking. He didn’t realize that my father taught me many things of the Fae before he was killed.
Footsteps echoed down the hall as someone came the direction to our cells. It was a woman in an old-fashioned dress. She had long blond curls and golden eyes.
“Dulex, we finally meet.”
Her voice was nothing more than a soft purr. I didn’t say a word.
***
Azaria
I flinched as the woman’s stare lingered on his bare chest. Tension ignited between me and this woman that dared stare at my mate in a lustful way. He was mine dammit!
I growled keeping my eyes on her. She was trouble. Her stare shot to me and her pouty lips turned up into a smile. She was going to do whatever it took to ruin me. Her eyes shined knowing I was about to freak out.
“So, you’re Quinton’s daughter. Funny I thought you’d be prettier.” She pushed her upper body out making her breasts pop over the top of her dress. As if that would get my mate’s attention.
It didn’t.
Lucky for him or I’d have his balls.
“I suppose even less than average women need a mate too.”
Really? She played petty games saying stuff our kin would say.
“Does my father know I’m here?”
“Why would he? You interfered with our rights. We don’t answer to the Vampire council any more than you answer to us.”
“Not true. Father always tried to work with other Supes.”
The woman laughed and opened the cell door. She sauntered in the room to my mate watching me the entire time. It took everything in me not to rip her throat out. And as fun as that sounded, it wouldn’t get us out of the mess we were in.
I sighed watching her run long nails over his healing wounds. For his part, Dulex stood still and glared at her. He didn’t like her touch.
Good.