Blind Hearts and Silenced Passion (10 page)

Baqir took a deep breath and focused on his inner wolf. He
struggled to pull back his beast, to contain the part of it that had manifested
without his permission.

It didn't work. When he looked up once again, his tail was
still there, twitching, as if taunting him. Remy shot him a tremulous smile.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for any of it to happen."

As he spoke, he reached for Baqir's head and patted it
gently. Baqir twitched, at which point he realized there was another unusual
thing about him.

"I have wolf ears on my head, don't I."

It wasn't really a question, but Remy nodded nonetheless. V
smirked at him. "Don't worry. You look very cute."

"Cute," Baqir repeated. He looked from V to Remy,
and then finally accepted his fate. "I suppose there are worse things a silencer
could be."

He grabbed Remy's arm and pulled him onto the bed, half
because he could no longer withstand the distance Remy had put between them and
half to see if he could still do it. Remy yelped, but didn't resist, instead
going along with Baqir's demand. He curled against Baqir's chest, calming the
sense of uncertainty that had settled within him ever since he'd awoken—or
perhaps, for far longer than that.

V gave them an inscrutable look. When Baqir just stared back
and caressed his mate's hair, she nodded—an incomprehensible gesture—and then
finally let herself out of the room.

For the longest time, Baqir just lay there, listening to the
sound of Remy's breath and his heartbeat. At one point, Remy started to play
with his tail, and much to Baqir's shock and embarrassment, his body responded.

He tried not to let it show, since the last thing he wanted
now was to make Remy feel compelled into anything sexual. It was a losing
battle—the bond they now shared guaranteed it. Still, Baqir couldn't really
bring himself to regret it, not when Remy looked up at him, his eyes dancing
with mischief.

"It looks like you're going to be all right after
all."

"Told you so," Baqir replied, barely managing to
suppress a wince at the strangled sound of his own voice.

"That you did." Remy's smile softened. "I
suppose I should trust you more."

Baqir tangled his fingers with Remy's own and kissed his
fingertips. Right now, he believed that Remy trusted him—he just didn't trust
himself. Remy had gone through some tough times, experienced things that had
shaken his self-confidence pretty badly. And Baqir knew that he was supposed to
comfort Remy, to make sure his mate didn't receive anymore blows, but he
couldn't really help being aroused by Remy's touch and proximity.

It would have probably progressed into something sensual had
an unexpected twist not interrupted them. Remy suddenly went very pale, his
eyes widening with an odd sort of panic. He pushed away from Baqir, practically
stumbling out of the bed.

Alarm shot through Baqir. "Remy? What is it?"

Remy didn't reply. On obviously shaky legs, he rushed to the
bathroom. Seconds later, the sound of retching echoed in the room, reaching a
now terrified Baqir.

Despite his previous weakness, he was already on his feet and
following his mate. He got there just in time to see Remy try to get up, only
to drop to his knees again in front of the toilet and throw up once more.

Baqir was torn between the urge to get help for his mate and
the need to be there for him. In the end, Remy made the choice. In between
gasps, he called out Baqir's name. No sooner had he finished the second
syllable than Baqir was kneeling next to him, rubbing his back, whispering
whatever comforting nonsense he could come up with.

There were two possible explanations for this situation. The
first was that Baqir had failed in protecting Remy from the backlash of the
spell. That didn't seem to be the case, however, since V would have likely
mentioned it. Five days had already passed since then, and even if Baqir didn't
fully trust V—her outburst, however justified, had sort of triggered the entire
debacle—he suspected she would have noticed and acted to make sure the problem
was fixed. Further, Baqir now realized that a very important tidbit about his
mate bond with Remy had completely slipped his mind.

Baqir genuinely did not know how he could have forgotten. He
didn't usually make such serious errors. In the past, he'd always been able to
put his mind in order and analyze all the available information with utmost efficiency.

Meeting Remy had shaken him so much that he hadn't remembered
something vital to them both. Two male werewolves could conceive as long as
they were mates.

Baqir had seen proof of this more than once, not only in
Alpha Maximoff's mate, but also in his own brother's relationship. And granted,
Erdi's mate was not a shape-shifter, but it still counted, and he still should
have remembered, especially since protecting his unborn niece or nephew had
become of utmost importance for him.

If his math was right, a good week had passed since he and
Remy had first had sex. Baqir was not in the least bit certain on how this male
pregnancy thing worked, but he thought that if the child had been conceived
that night, it would not be too early for Remy to experience the first
symptoms.

Remy seemed to realize all this as well, because the moment
his stomach stopped rebelling, he turned toward Baqir. He was still a little
pale and his hair was sweaty, but his eyes held a mix of determination and
dawning horror. "I think... I think we might have forgotten about
something very important," he said, echoing Baqir's exact thoughts.

Baqir wanted to say they couldn't possibly be sure about
something like this, but Remy knew that too. The fact that it had occurred to
both of them at the same time was no coincidence. In truth, they should have
thought about it from the very beginning, but they'd been distracted by other
matters—and now, here they were, confused, frightened, and very much not ready
for what this meant.

Baqir took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He
had never believed he would become a father, but then, he'd never believed he'd
find a mate either. They could deal with this. They just needed to take things
one step at a time.

"Okay. First of all, we need to get you to a doctor.
After that... We'll see."

Remy nodded wordlessly as Baqir helped him to his feet.
Judging by his expression, Remy was already quite convinced of what they'd
learn once they looked into this.

As for Baqir... For the first time in his life, he felt
adrift. His priorities had changed. He'd already been angry and concerned about
what was happening, but now... Now he had so much more to lose. And the worst
thing was that he still didn't have any idea how they could stop their faceless
foe. Where did that leave him?

He didn't know, and it frightened him.

Chapter Eight

"You mean you didn't know?"

V's surprised question cleared up any doubt Remy might have
had regarding his suspicions. He'd felt off for the past couple of days,
incredibly emotional and prone to outbursts of temper, but he'd blamed it on
Baqir's injury, his part in it, and quite possibly, the succubus circle.
Clearly, he'd been mistaken.

"We didn't have too much time to discuss the details of
our relationship," he admitted. "I just... It didn't occur to
us."

He expected V to scoff or roll her eyes at them, and he would
not have blamed her if she had. It was a pretty big thing to miss, and Remy
still couldn't figure out how he'd been so self-centered and not thought of the
consequences of his actions.

V simply smiled, as if knowing something they did not.
"It's understandable, I should think. Both of you were taken aback, and my
guess is that the last thing you had in mind the day you met was
children."

That was the understatement of the century. Remy's love life
had not been exactly stellar after he'd lost his eyesight. He and Dread had
shared a relationship of mutual convenience, but it hadn't lasted, and after
that, there had been no one else—until Baqir. And now, here they were, with a
baby on the way, and still very few answers on the topic they'd come here to
handle. Not to mention that his lack of knowledge had led him to endangering
his child. Moon only knew what would have happened if Baqir hadn't stepped in.

Baqir must have been thinking something similar, because he
asked, "Is there someone who can check Remy over? I'm concerned about his
involvement in the incident from before."

"You're in luck," V replied. "There is
someone, and she is coming here, although the reasons for this visit did not
originally involve this part of your request. I'm sure she wouldn't mind making
sure Remy's pregnancy is going well."

Baqir seemed intrigued, but also somewhat suspicious. Remy
could not blame him. So far, their trip to the States hadn't gone that well,
and Baqir was likely disinclined to trust V's word. "Can I ask who this
person is?"

"You can ask, but that doesn't mean I'll tell you,"
V replied. "I'd rather wait until she's actually here. I assure you
there's no reason to be wary."

Baqir was clearly not convinced, but he didn't protest. For
his part, Remy believed her. He'd spent more time with V than Baqir and she had
helped him tend to Baqir's injury. He did wonder why she had not summoned the
healer until now, but he supposed she would tell them. "Thank you,"
he offered. "We appreciate your help with this."

"Not to worry," V replied. Perhaps she had guessed
Remy's dilemma, because she added, "I contacted her shortly after our
little magical mishap, but unfortunately, it would have been too risky for her
to travel at that time. She probably won't be long now."

In that, V turned out to be completely correct. The unknown
guest arrived that same evening. Baqir and Remy had retreated to Baqir's
quarters, and had spent a couple of hours talking about what this development
meant for them. Remy had agreed to do whatever it took to protect the child,
even if it meant him backing out on his original idea to involve himself more
in the investigation. Baqir had tried and failed to hide the extent of his
relief, which in turn, had made Remy huff and kiss him.

They were still kissing when Baqir sensed the approaching
presence. He pulled away from Remy and left him in bed, his shoulders tense, as
if he was already preparing himself for a potential confrontation.

At some level, both of them knew that they were safe here,
but Remy's pregnancy had stirred Baqir's protective instincts. Remy would have
been taken aback, but he couldn't really begrudge Baqir for it, not when he
realized all too well how close he'd come to disaster. Baqir didn't seem
inclined to allow anyone he didn't know or trust to come close to Remy, not
without him present, at least, and Remy decided to go along with it too—at
least to some extent. He didn't want to be crippled by fear either.

A knock sounded at their door, and Baqir went to open it.
Remy followed, since he saw no actual need to cower behind his mate. Outside,
they found V, together with another woman, someone Remy did not recognize. She
was beautiful, in a way that was both timeless and humbling. Her face was clear
of any lines, but her eyes spoke of a wisdom that could only be acquired
through a long life.

V quickly made the introductions and thus shattered any
doubts Remy might have had regarding the new arrival's identity. "Queen
Maeven, these are my guests, Baqir and his mate, Remy Fitzroy. Baqir, Remy,
meet Her Royal Majesty, Queen Maeven of the Sidhe."

Remy had no idea what he'd expected, but it definitely wasn't
this. Blanchefleur had never explained the details of how exactly she'd come to
know V, but Remy's impression of V told him their mysterious host was not the
kind of person to socialize with Sidhe royalty. Still, he had no doubt that V
was telling the truth—the Sidhe's posture, demeanor and quiet strength made
that clear. Even Baqir seemed to trust her instinctively, as he bowed lowly and
said, "It is an honor."

"Thank you, but you don't need to bow to me," the
Sidhe sovereign replied. "I am not your queen. Besides, I heard you are
quite the leader yourself."

"I was," Baqir corrected her, and somehow, his
voice didn't hold any bite even if the topic was a sore one for Baqir.
"The organizational structure of the silencer world has all but collapsed
right now."

For his part, Remy was a little blown away to be in the
presence of such a famous person. For centuries, the shape-shifter community
had stayed away from the Sidhe, but even then, Remy had been secretly
fascinated by them. As of late, things had started to change, but Remy had not
dared to hope he would actually meet their queen.

Sadly, this meant he was ridiculously tongue-tied, which was
more than a little mortifying given the protocol that needed to be followed.
Thankfully, Maeven took over the conversation. "I hear you're quite a
remarkable young man, Mr. Fitzroy. Resisting a succubus circle... It's not
something just anyone can do."

At that, Remy remembered his manners and answered, "I'm
not sure how remarkable I am. I didn't even know there was anything special
about the seal until we realized it reacted differently to every person who
touched it."

As Remy spoke, he and Baqir stepped aside, wordlessly
inviting the two women in. The queen almost seemed to float as she walked,
whereas V sort of... glided, for lack of a better word. It made for an interesting
contrast, especially since the two seemed so comfortable in each other's
presence. And what an odd thought to have, now of all times...

V gave him a knowing look, and Remy suppressed the urge to
fidget. The queen must have spotted their silent exchange, because she hummed
thoughtfully. "Oh, yes, definitely remarkable. Come here, child. Give me
your hand."

Remy ended up seated on the couch, with Queen Maeven next to
him. Magic poured from her fingertips as she checked him over, starting from
his still-flat belly to his chest and his head. She lingered slightly over his
heart, and her breath caught, which in turn made Remy tense.

The reaction didn't go unnoticed by Baqir, but somehow, the
other werewolf managed to hold his tongue. Perhaps he realized that answers
would come in time, and it was best to respect the process.

Their patience was rewarded when at last, Maeven pulled away.
"I have good news and bad news." She did not prolong the conversation
by asking them which part they wanted to hear first. "To begin with, I
must reassure you that the babe is completely unharmed. The pregnancy is
progressing normally, and the child has not been in any way affected by the
accident you were involved in. You as well, young Baqir. Your current condition
is likely temporary. I can look into it further if you so desire, but I do not
think it will be necessary."

Remy let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding
in. "Thank the moon. What's the bad news then?"

Maeven hesitated. "That is somewhat more complicated to
explain."

Baqir smiled tightly. "Please, Your Majesty, try."

Oddly, it was not the queen who replied. Instead, she tossed
V a look, one that held both questions and countless emotions. Remy's mind
provided an answer to his previous dilemma. The two women were lovers.

The conclusion was startling in that he didn't know V and
Maeven well enough to make that judgment. He swallowed around the sudden knot
in his throat and said, "Please. Tell me."

V released a heavy sigh that made it sound like she was
carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I suppose we should
just start at the beginning—with the culprit behind these killings. She is,
unfortunately, well known to us, and to me in specific. Like me, she is a
succubus, and she is my sister. She has killed many before, just to draw my
eye. "

"Because of the relationship between V and me, my family
was among those targeted." The queen's voice sounded distant, almost like
she wasn't speaking to them anymore. "I lost... so much to her."

V's fingers twitched, as if she wanted to reach for the Sidhe
queen. She didn't. Instead, she put more distance between them and started to
speak.

****

Centuries before

"Victoria... My daughter is dead."

Victoria looked at Maeven, hoping she'd heard wrong. She already
knew that was not the case. It was Maeven's grief that had brought her here to
begin with. Despite the distance between them, she'd been able to sense the
surge of emotion inside Maeven, and it had nearly choked her.

Even if she and Maeven had agreed to keep their relationship
under wraps, she'd traveled through the secret paths to Maeven's home. She
supposed that she had known what had happened from the first moment she'd
decided to come here.

"It was D, wasn't it?"

Maeven didn't look up from the book she was studying.
"Possibly. I'm not certain." She laughed, a sound that held no mirth
whatsoever. "You know these things are impossible to read."

Yes, Victoria did know. Hers was an insidious power, one that
could be used in dark and dangerous ways. She was very careful with it—her
sister, not so much.

"What happened, Maeven?" she asked, wanting nothing
more than to approach her lover, but knowing any attempt to provide comfort
would not be welcome.

"They were taken by surprise. For some reason, a good
number of my people decided my grandson was a disgrace and wanted to execute
him."

Victoria winced. The fact that Maeven's daughter had not only
mated a werewolf but proceeded to have a child with him—one with a form unlike
anything most Sidhe had seen before—had been a sore subject among the Folk for
quite some time. Maeven had managed to do some damage control and give her
daughter a chance for a normal life, but it seemed that dream had been
shattered.

It would have been very easy for Dayana to manipulate already
existing emotions and make them escalate, pushing the Sidhe into violent
behavior they wouldn't have otherwise considered.

"Were the culprits caught?" Victoria asked. If they
found the people guilty of the attack, they would be able to figure out if
Dayana had been behind it or not. She wanted to ask more, to ask if the child
had at least survived, but she didn't have the courage to do so.

Maeven finally looked up from her book, which Victoria now
realized was an album of immortalized portraits. "Mathias is fine,"
she said, as if having guessed Victoria's latter thought. "He is very
shaken, of course. Both his parents are gone, so a part of him will probably
never recover, but he is for the most part unhurt. Although... I don't even
know what to tell him, how to explain this. As for the culprits... Many of them
have been found, already dead, mostly by their own hand or causes that cannot
be determined."

Victoria winced. Clearly Dayana's work then. Once she saw no
further need for her tools, she always discarded them, more often than not in
very painful ways.

It was already clear what course of action Victoria had to
take. "Maeven, we can't do this anymore. This is my fault."

Maeven set aside the album and got up. "Victoria—"

"You would have never been targeted if it wasn't for
me," Victoria interrupted her lover before the other woman could finish
her phrase.

Maeven opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to deny it,
but in the end, she said nothing. Her own guilt was smothering her, keeping her
from speaking, from following up on her original impulse.

And Victoria knew Maeven wanted to ask her to stay. He knew
that having Victoria leave too would be a blow Maeven did not need right now.
She could sense it—and she probably would have been able to even without her
succubus powers.

But as much as Victoria wished she could follow her heart,
she also realized all too well that she could not. Their relationship had
already been destroyed by the death of Maeven's child. Maeven might not truly
blame Victoria for it, but neither could she bring herself to pursue a love
that had led to such a loss.

If Victoria stayed, if she tried to make things work, Maeven
would just end up hating her, and that was something she could not risk.

"I will find her," she promised. "I will find
D, and I will bind her, no matter what it takes."

"If only it were that easy..." Maeven shook her
head adamantly. "The two of you are one."

Victoria realized that all too well, and she understood the
sacrifice she'd have to make. It was likely that an attempt to banish her
sister to their realm would take away most of her magic. Nevertheless, she
needed to try.

"I will do it," she said again. "She has done
many things to cause a reaction in the past, but she has finally crossed the
line. This has to end."