Embrace the Passion (The Blood Rose Series) (7 page)

“They’re gone, aren’t they?”

He glanced toward the window as though straining to hear them himself. “How did you know?”

“The forest is silent.”

He nodded, uncovering the phone. “Ephyx, let me call you right back.”

Her gaze took him in as he put his phone away. He wore his Guardsman uniform, the long black leather, sleeveless coat over a thick, black long-sleeved winter shirt. His hip boots rose to mid-thigh and covered his battle leathers. A single line of small silver studs ran down the outer side of each boot. He looked amazing, especially with his hair slicked back and secured by the typical woven clasp.

He had an extraordinary physique to begin with, but the layered design at the shoulders enhanced what nature had already given him.

Familiar sensations pummeled her of loving how he looked and how he smelled. Her heart had started laboring again, a heavy pull which she now knew meant she was a blood rose. She couldn’t believe she was the unique kind of donor that from now on would produce all the nourishment a mastyr vampire would need.

Knowing she’d relieved him of his painful blood-starvation, eased something inside Lorelei. She watched a warrior vampire who had sacrificed for centuries to serve his realm, who would gladly die for Walvashorr and the Nine Realms, and she’d helped him. For that, and despite whatever may come in the next few hours or days, she was grateful.

“What did Ephyx say?”

He rubbed two fingers over his forehead. “I don’t know what happened. He doesn’t either. But I wanted to talk to you about Loperz Canyon. Are you up for that?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Remember how you howled before you attacked that vampire and knocked him over at the knees?”

She nodded.

“Ephyx told me that somehow you called all the shifters of Walvashorr with that one effort. He and I discussed it briefly, but you were in terrible shape so I left immediately after and brought you here. He just told me that even after I left with you, apparently the Shifter Brigade, from all four packs, arrived in that canyon.”

“The entire brigade? You’re kidding.”

“Not even a little. You have some kind of super-connection to all four packs.”

She opened her mouth to ask another question, perhaps even to express her incredulity, but at that moment the same frequency that she’d experienced earlier at the den returned. The vibration felt full of chaos even rage. “So where are the packs now, if they’re not on patrol?”

“That’s just it. Ephyx said they’re all at Big Timber.”

“All, as in every shifter Guardsman?” She shook her head, astonished yet again.

He nodded.

“Then we’d better get over there.”

A moment later, his phone rang again. “Yes, Ephyx.” He met and held Lorelei’s gaze. “We’re on our way.”

Seth didn’t have to tell her where they’d be going or why. The vibration she’d felt earlier now coalesced on her skin and through her body like a sudden brush fire and she knew without the smallest doubt that the shifter community was about to erupt into a full-blown war. She just had no idea why.

* * * * * * * * *

Seth stared into warm, brown eyes, surprised by how he felt toward this woman, by the rush of gratitude and even affection that flowed through him because of how ready she was to enter the fray. Knowing that all four shifter packs were close to tearing each other to pieces, told him she could be endangered by going to Big Timber. Yet all she’d said was, ‘Then we’d better get over there.’

“Maybe you should stay here. You’re still recovering.”

She tilted her head as though the suggestion confused her. “I’m fine. Really. Don’t worry about me. Besides, I can sense that I’m necessary to what’s going on with your brigade right now. My guess is that summoning the packs as I did has caused a problem. Now I’m hoping I can be part of the solution.”

Seth drew in a deep breath. He didn’t like the situation at all. Most of his brigade was made up of powerful males that would chomp at the bit to battle each other. And because Lorelei was part shifter, she wouldn’t stay out of the fight if it came to that.

But she wouldn’t remain here either. She might have a tender, caring side, but she was also tough and stubborn as hell. The queen had commanded her to serve as his bodyguard, and not one of his initial shouting matches with her had dislodged her intention to remain by his side.

“So which would you prefer, running or flying?” He didn’t want to assume anything with Lorelei and she might prefer shifting to all fours, rather than flying with him. Most wolf-shifters loved to run and could cross dozens of miles in a night and could occasionally sprint to cover a mile a minute for a quarter hour at a time.

“I’d love to run, of course, but it would be faster for me to fly, right?”

“Yes, by at least ten minutes.”

“Then I’ll fly.” A funny gleam entered her eye, almost taunting, as though she knew the effect her next words would have on him. “And don’t worry, I flew with Quinlan more than once. In his arms. He held me tight.”

A growl formed at the back of his throat, deep and possessive, something he’d never done before. That stoic, rational part of him began to fade into the background once more as he pulled her into his arms.
You’re not to fly with other men, especially not mastyr vampires, do you understand?

Is that the way you want it?

That’s a command.
He narrowed his eyes, willing her to obey him.

She smiled, almost wickedly. “Then I have a command of my own, Seth of Walvashorr. As long as we’re together, as long as you’re drinking from my throat, don’t even think about using one of your
doneuses.
This is a two way street, understand?”

She leaned up and kissed him which ignited his need for her all over again.

With her eyes glinting, she asked, “So how do you want me?”

He ignored the first response that shot into his brain, which went something like ‘flat on your back’.

Instead, he ordered his senses and gave the necessary instructions. “Plant your foot on my left boot. That’s it. Now your arm around my neck.” He drew her tight against his side. “Do you feel secure?”

“Very.”

“Good, because we’ll be moving fast.”

He levitated a foot above the floor and glided slowly to the front door. Once outside with the door shut securely, he shot into the air and headed north toward Big Timber.

* * * * * * * * *

Lorelei experienced two sensations at once, the pleasure of being held against Seth’s body and the odd vibrations that reached her from the north, a continual fiery sensation against her skin. Both called to her in ways unfamiliar to her, though she understood her desire for Seth better than the pack-based frequency that kept pelting her.

How far away are we?
She’d never been to Big Timber before and she didn’t know Walvashorr’s geography nearly as well as Seth did.

Five minutes, but you feel very tense. What’s going on?

Lorelei swallowed, her throat tight.
I’m not sure. The brigade’s shifter frequency is crawling over my skin, but I don’t know what it means.

Is it painful?

Almost.

Describe it.

She had to think for a moment.
Fiery and chaotic, that’s what this feels like. In fact, it feels like more than one vibration.

How many?
Even within her head, Seth’s voice sounded just like him, a mid-range timbre with strong resonance.

I think there are four.

She focused on the vibrations, lowering her chin. Breathing in and out, she began separating the four strands, the source of the chaos. Each frequency strand held a strong emotional element that the shifter part of her tuned into.

She relayed the information to Seth.

Which emotion? Can you define it?

She focused again.
Turmoil and ... rage. Yes. Rage, but it’s focused on some kind of territorial issue.

That wouldn’t be a surprise for shifters. Territory is extremely important as you probably already know. And you say there are four strands?

Yes, I’m experiencing four exactly.

Lorelei, our shifter population is made up of four packs. Do you think you’re somehow tapping into each pack’s signature frequency?

I have no idea. Maybe.

During this past month, have you spent much time with other shifters?

No, not at all. Rosamunde sent me to guard you.

Since you arrived, have you felt compelled to enter pack life? Your shifter heritage feels very powerful to me, almost as powerful as the part of you that’s fae.

She needed him to understand.
The truth is that I haven’t really found it possible to be engaged in any community. The closest I came was when I lived in Lebanon and served as Batya’s assistant. Before that, I never stayed in one place longer than a year.

I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you. I’ve lived here my entire life.

Yet you’re alone.

Not alone. I choose a solitary path to keep focused on the job.

So, he thought this was a choice. But she knew the truth even if Seth didn’t know that this was an old survival skill he’d learned early on and still employed, to go it alone, always alone.

And she wasn’t much different.

Is your Vampire Guard nearby?

Out patrolling. I’ve given Aaron and Charles a full update. They’ll be checking in soon. But whatever is going on here, I can’t take the risk of leaving the rest of the realm unprotected by bringing the Guard here.

Of course not.

We’re almost at Big Timber. How are the frequencies?

Easier to manage since I separated them. But the hostility is unbelievable.

One more ridge.

He rose high in the air, crossing the tallest mountain yet. The rugged peak was well above the timberline so that they passed over a smooth white expanse.

As they descended and the central, ancient conference grounds came into view, Lorelei drew in a long breath. “How beautiful.”

Big Timber was an expansive complex built of a variety of modern, log structures, including several massive outdoor platforms with enormous burning fire pits and huge torches circling the perimeter. As a famous realm conference center, all sorts of organizations used the complex throughout the year.

She saw at once, however, that in a large central area, male shifters, in t-shirts, leathers, and heavy boots, shouted at each other.

Seth slowed his flight, easing them toward the earth.
I’ve never seen them like this. What the hell is going on?

With the packs all carefully aligned with their alphas, Lorelei could see that something very territorial in nature had set the packs against each other. But she couldn’t imagine what she could possibly do to relieve the horrendous tension of the situation.

Some of the shifters strained to do battle, held back by others. Shouting filled the space.

And deep within her shifter DNA, she wanted to join them.

Chapter Four

Seth landed in the very center of the turmoil knowing his shifter fighting force was a hair’s breadth away from a free-for-all. Centuries of working to unify the pack-loyal brigade had almost completely disintegrated. The male warriors behaved as they had long ago, tempers volatile, loyalty to the pack set far above the well-being of the realm, and the female shifters not far behind.

Lorelei stepped away from him, turning in a circle. He felt her distress, even her uncertainty, a mirror of his own response to the situation.

But he hadn’t been a leader of warriors for centuries without knowing where, at least, to begin.

In a loud voice, he commanded, “I want the alphas here with me right now. The rest of you, fall back into pack formations beyond the central communal area.” He then assigned what appeared to be the closest fire pit for each pack.

But the alphas didn’t move and each regiment stuck close to its leader. Even Ephyx, who always obeyed, stayed frozen in place, his eyes wild with shifter-rage.

Seth rarely employed his rank, but he did it now, adding a powerful vibration to his voice, as he shouted, “Do it, now!”

The tension in the ranks around him rose to a sharp, sudden peak but almost as quickly subsided. The alphas, responding to his authority, each gave a signal and their grumbling forces retreated. Pack organization relied heavily on chain-of-command.

And Seth was at the top of that chain.

Some shoulder bumping went on, as well as heavy, bass growls. Many of the shifters showed fur on their hands, and some around the neck, a typical reaction of strong emotion. But for the most part, the retreat rolled out the way he needed it to.

Ephyx spoke in a loud voice. “Territories were violated during the prime call.”

Seth stared at him for a long moment. “What do you mean, ‘prime call’? I’ve never heard that before.”

“The summoning call that only a prime female can issue.” He lowered his chin and held Seth’s gaze. “The call
your
prime female issued, calling all four packs to Loperz Canyon.”

He glanced at Lorelei as a new layer of horror descended on him.

Prime female?

He pathed to her.
Is that your take on this? Prime female?
And if she did hold this position, what did that make him?

Lorelei’s eyes went wide.
I don’t know what that means. Remember, I’ve never been part of a shifter pack, so I don’t know all the ranks or the terminology. I take it you don’t, either.

He shook his head.
No, I don’t. At least, I’ve never heard this term before.

The alpha Cohoet spoke, his tone acerbic. “She doesn’t even know what she is, or what she’s doing here. This is fucking bullshit.” His voice rose as he leveled his gaze at her. “You don’t deserve this rank, Mistress Lorelei. Who the hell do you think you are, anyway, entering Walvashorr without deferring to me, or to one of the other alphas? You should have done that first before choosing a mate.”

Seth held Cohoet’s gaze, trying to grasp all that he was saying. What did he mean that Lorelei had already chosen a mate?