Aaron's Kiss Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 7) (36 page)

What she didn’t know was why, nor where she was, other than deep in a warded cave. But the “who” had just entered her line of sight.

“Hello there, bitch. So happy you could join our little party. It will be so much more fun now that you’re awake to enjoy the pain.”

Shade was surprised the see Lynne Wolff again. When she had made her appointment to see Brent, she’d been told that Lynne was no longer allowed to trespass onto pack land. But the woman with her, Brenda Shell, was a bigger surprise.

Lynne was the she-wolf, the female equivalent of the male alpha of the Brotherhood pack, and Bradley Wolfe’s alpha bitch. She was fit in the way most shifters were. Lynne was a little over five-foot-eight inches, and slim in build. Her hair was light brown and thick, her skin flawless because she healed almost as fast as Shade did. Lynne’s eyes, like her counterpoint, the wolf, were brown with a tiny hint of orange with gray sprinkled around. But the meanness in them, the undisguised hatred, gave Shade a moment of uncertainty.

Brenda, on the other hand, looked worse now than she had when Shade had seen her at the apartment when Brenda had let her daughter be killed. She was nasty dirty. Her hands and face were smudged with mud and her hair a stringy mass on her head hanging in long locks of matted knots. Her body, used to getting drugs instead of food, was malnourished looking and gaunt. The bits of food she would steal from her children not being supplied to her seemed to be taking its toll, Shade was happy to see. Brenda’s eyes were wild and darted around the room as if looking for someone, or something, to fly at her. Her body odor was strong and Shade wondered how the wolf, which had a keen sense of smell, could be around her without gagging.

But it was the stranger, the man, that terrified Shade the most. It was his magic that held the bonds and wards into place. He was using black magic. While powerful, it didn’t last as long or hold as well as white. The man walked around the cave like he owned it, ordering the women about like he was master. As soon as he had noticed that Shade was awake, she felt his power surge. The magic this man was using was powerful and Shade could tell he didn’t care who he hurt to use it.

“Hello, my dear. You’re going to help me get to Sara MacManus and through her, the bitch Melody, the queen,” he said.

~CHAPTER NINETEEN~

“Everyone knows the plan, correct?”  Aaron looked around the room.

Colin felt Aaron’s eyes hesitate slightly on him. Since waking an hour ago, Colin could no longer control the color of his eyes. They were deep red. Everything he saw was circled and tinted in the blood of his need. His fangs had dropped as well, but that was to be expected, surely. Anger and the impending confrontation were at hand.

“I won’t hurt anyone. I just want her back with me. I’ll stick to the plan and follow you in as discussed.”

Colin would, too. Getting out of control could serve no purpose other than to get someone hurt or killed. And he was not going to chance anyone losing his or her life, especially Shade. Losing control of himself and his beast was dangerous. Because that was what he was beginning to feel like—a beast.

He didn’t have to like what they were about to do when everything in him wanted to demand and kill to get her back, but Aaron had a point. They didn’t know who was involved at this point. And five thousand angry wolves could cause a lot of damage, even to a kiss of vampires this large, and especially this hungry.

The plan was for Sara to hold the pack within the house under a cloak of silence, blocking the vampire presence from anyone or anything within a hundred yards of the pack house. Then, as a unit, they would force their way into the house and make a showing by their fierce number, making it clear that they were there to kill if Bradley was indeed in on Shade’s capture. If not, then they could hopefully work with the alpha to search for Shade.

Colin had had a few glimpses, small touches of Shade since he had risen at sunset, but nothing much. He was extremely glad for those small glimpses. He wanted more, but couldn’t seem to break through to her completely. The talk with her mother, while it had made him uncomfortable, had enlightened him on a few things about Shade’s species.

“So, you are her mate, the male she has chosen to live through eternity with?” Fiona had asked him when she had found him in the living room alone just before he was to retire for the day.

Fiona was very beautiful, but even as small as she was, petite and slim, she intimidated Colin fiercely with her stern looks and forceful mannerisms. She was also Shade’s mother, and that alone would make any man tremble.

“She hasn’t exactly chosen me yet, but I plan to make her see that she can’t live without me once she’s back. I have...I haven’t...we...that is to say...I haven’t been very forthcoming with her. I plan to rectify that as soon as possible.”

“You are a good man, by all accounts. Do you consider yourself worthy of her? Or her of you?” she asked him quietly.

Colin shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was very aware of who Fiona was and this conversation made him feel like he was ten again. He had heard about the heated conversation that Sara had had with this being earlier that day and didn’t want to piss her off anymore.

Duncan had told him that the argument was mostly one-sided. Sara had all but threatened the Mistress of the Glen with all sorts of dire things if she didn’t accept her dearest friend, Colin. Sara had been very adamant about Colin being Shade’s mate, telling Fiona that even if he had not seen the sigil, he was her mate by vampire law if nothing else.

“Am I a worthy man? I think so. At least I would like to believe that I am. I’ll take care of her. Keep her safe. Well, as safe as she’ll let me. Shade will never feel unloved, because I love her so much now and it will only get stronger as we live. I’m willing to die for her. She will be my whole life—she is my whole life, Mistress. Does that make me worthy of her? Then yes, I believe I am. As for her being worthy of me, there is no question to that, my lady. I’m humbled that she is mine. Humbled in ways you cannot know. I love her and always will.”

Colin had turned to look her in the eye as he spoke to her; he wanted to make sure she knew that her daughter was going to be staying as his mate, no matter what her opinion of him happened to be.

The mistress had stared at him for a goodly amount of time, it seemed, but it was only a few seconds. Colin was a warrior, a man who had been in worse situations, but this woman was his mate’s mother. And frankly, she scared him to death.

“Her sigil, or seal, you’ve seen it, I have heard. That is what makes you her true mate in our realm as well. Her sigil holds special powers for her. And when a mate is found—you, it will transfer those gifts to you as well. Not as strongly or as fully, but you will have them. For every couple, the sigil forms a bond, a sharing if you will, that is unique to them.”

“Unique, my lady? Are you saying that each Fae has their own special abilities that they pass to their mates? What of mine? Will Shade take mine as well?” Colin hoped so. Her powers would be stronger, make her safe from others.

“She will take what you are and you, her. You will never have less than what you are, only more. But you’ll need to taste the mark for your bond to be completed in our way. By taste, I’m not sure what it will mean for you as a vampire, so I don’t know how to tell you how to complete your bond with her. That is if you want to bond with her.”

“I do, my lady. More than anything, I want to be with Shade. I’ve not done so well with our relationship thus far, but I will love her and show her everyday that I do.” And Colin would, too. For her.

“It will mean change to you, enormous change. But sensually, it’s amazing. You may be able to taste what the tree has on it. I know that with Quinn, as a human, he could taste the apples when they appeared and the other fruits growing there as well.” Fiona hesitated before she continued. “In the way of our kind, Colin, once you bond with her, you will both become immortals, true immortals. With you being what you are...well, I’m sure that it will be wonderful to the two of you, whatever happens.”

Colin had never thought he’d change so much. To be a true immortal meant that he would be able to live forever; not even the sun would harm him. Being a mate to Shade was enough for him, but to be a true immortal was…well, it was frankly a little frightening. But not anything he would turn away from.

“Not that it matters, but I approve of you, Colin Rachel Larimore, and my Quinn, he would have liked you as well. You have strength, and I don’t mean of body, though that is there, but I mean of character. You were changed because you have a kind heart and Master MacManus recognized that trait in you. I believe that you and my daughter will suit well. If what you say about her temperament is true, and I believe you, then I suspect you will have a very...let’s say, loud life together as mates.”

“Thank you, my lady. It does matter to me, as I’m sure it will to Shade. A great deal, as a matter of fact. And I’ll make sure you never regret the trust you’ve given me with her. My lady, if I may ask, the mark moves. How will I...I mean, does she know where it is?” He was curious about it. And he was sure that right now, he had more information than even Shade had about her heritage.

“Yes, she will know when it moves, and where it settles on her body. Her sigil is not superficial. It’s a part of her, of who she is. She will also be able to know what is being grown on the tree even when she can’t physically see it. I promise you that nothing about the mark or its fruit will harm you in any way, Colin. It is meant to be a complement to you both. A pairing of each of your strengths and your minds, if you will. As time goes on, you will see what I mean.”

They talked more about Shade. He told her all he knew about his mate, which really was not much. But Fiona seemed to relish anything he could tell her. Shade looked like her mother in a vague sort of way. Fiona had an image of her father and it turned out Shade had favored him a great deal. Shade also had many sisters. Shade was the tenth daughter of her mother. She had reigned the realm for over five thousand years. Shade only had one sister that was a true immortal so far; the others were half human and while they could live long, long lives, they could be killed and would eventually die. So far only the oldest daughter, and now Shade, had found their true life mates.

Now, as he sat in the Hummer about to enter a den of wolves, literally, he was hoping to get the information he needed to see her again soon and tell her everything he had learned.

~~~

“So, we have crazy and crazier. Or is it dumber and dumbest? Really, I suppose it doesn’t matter. You’re both going to die.”

Shade was weak, but she could feel Colin near to where she was. She wanted to reach out to him, but needed him just a little closer. She wasn’t strong enough to call to him and fight with these three until he arrived. And she had no doubt that he would come for her. She knew that he would be mad at her for getting shot too. She couldn’t wait to have this and many more arguments with him.

Lynne stepped up to her and backhanded her. Blood poured from the split in Shade’s lip again. Lynne was just drawing back to hit her again when Sherman stopped her simply by putting his hand on her shoulder.

“There’s no need for you to damage her just yet, my dear. Let’s try and space out our fun, shall we? We have all day with this little toy.”

Shade watched as he pulled out a pristine handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped the blood off her chin gently. While the act seemed kind, it frightened her.

He had told her who he was. Sherman, king to the queen, Melody, Mistress of Light, Keeper of Magic. Or so he claimed.

Shade had heard the story of how Sherman had had his mate harmed. And how he had caused the death of their unborn daughter. Sherman had tried to cause Mel to go into the Fade, a sort of death for true immortals where they would simply cease to exist to all those who loved them. Sara had tried to kill him for that and his disappearance from the Kingdom of Molavonta, the Magical Castle of Magick. Sherman had also tired to kill Aaron and Sara in his attempt to weaken Mel. But Sara, a warrior in her own right, had bested him time and time again.

“Do you see where you are, my dear?” Sherman said to her incredulously. “Do you not feel your life’s blood draining from your body, making you weak and at our mercy? You’re my bait, child, nothing more. Brenda will kill you if Lynne doesn’t beat her to it. I fear neither woman is not very happy about her current situation and feels that you are to blame for at least part of it. Lynne tends to be a little, how should I say...high strung.”

Shade snorted. High strung was a bit of an understatement.

When Lynne started toward her again, Sherman simply raised his hand to stop her. “You’d do well to behave. Yes,” Sherman said after a slight pause. “I think you would be better off if you hoped for Lynne, I think, to dispose of you. She will more than likely make your death quicker. But I did promise Brenda she could have her fun as well. That’s her reward for letting you ‘kidnap’ her child from the hospital, you see. Slowly, and without skill, so it will be painful and drawn out. What’s a man to do, I ask you? Yes, yes, if I were you, I’d hope for a quick death from our Lynne here. Now, I am waiting for that bitch Mel and her sidekick Sara.”

“If you think they will waste their time to come for me then you’re stupider than you look. I’m not exactly on their list of people to invite for tea. No, you’ve barked up…no pun there, barked up the wrong tree with that one, buck-o.”

“She will come for you, they both will, and they will pay for what they’ve done to me.” Shade flinched when he pulled his shirt from his neck and revealed the large scar there. “Sara did this to me. Pushed her magical blade deep into my throat and tried to murder me. Me! Mel denounced me that day or this wouldn’t have happened. I sacrificed so much for Mel, running her kingdom while she hid away from me. I’m very disappointed in her. They need to pay for this, and you’ll be my ticket to making that happen.”

Sherman ran his finger down Shade’s cheek, watching her as he did it. When she pulled away from his touch, he slapped her twice. He backhanded her first on the left, and then slapped her on the right. He walked away from her then, nodding to the women as he left the cave.

“Oh, and Shade,” he said as he turned back at the last minute, “I’m going to kill that brat of Brenda’s too. Slowly, while you watch me. It’s the least I can do to rid the world of useless humans. And one like him, so small and puny, it will be a treat for me.”

Shade jerked hard on the chains and screamed at him. All she managed to do was open the wounds on her wrists and cause more blood to flow. She was going to kill that man if it was the last thing she ever did. Those were her last thoughts as she passed out from the pain and blood loss.

Sometime later, Shade woke to an insistent tugging at her left ear. It wasn’t painful, just annoying. She slowly raised her head up and looked around. There wasn’t anyone in the cave but her.

“It’s about damned time you woke up. I have much more important things to do than to wait for you while you nap all day.”

The tiny winged being walked around Shade’s shoulder and down to her chest to sit on her breast. Shade still couldn’t see her well, so the thing flew down and rested on the rocks at Shade’s feet.

“What are you, a bug or something? No, don’t answer that. If you do, then that means my mind has snapped or I’m dead. I’m not really ready to be either just yet, thanks.”

Shade’s head hurt and her body felt as if it was drained. A small giggle escaped her mouth when she thought about Colin and him being disappointed that she was dry as a rock now.

“Well, I can say for a certainty that you aren’t dead. As for the other...not really sure about that? You
are
in a cave chained to a wall, aren’t you? Who’d you tick off, some evil-doer? My name is Genese, by the way, and I’m a pixie, a flower pixie, actually. I take care of the purple dahlias in the forest glen. Your mother sent me.”