Legacy of Blood (24 page)

I waited patiently by the motorcycle and Zephyr’s car with my back turned and gave the wolves privacy so they could transform back to their human form.  The sickening sound of bones popping and grinding against each other was almost too much to bear.  I could only imagine how painful the transformation was for them.

“You’ve got quite a mouth on you, toots,” Dean chuckled and I turned to look at him. 

He was completely naked and covered in a kaleidoscope of intricate tattoos.  His muscular form glistened with sweat and I swallowed hard as my eyes hungrily drank him in. 

“So I’ve been told,” I whispered absentmindedly. 

Dean’s body was absolutely delicious and he was definitely all man. 
And how!
  Laughter drew my attention and I realized, rather horrifically, that I was staring.

“Shit!” I squeaked, turning around immediately.  I was unbearably embarrassed.   “Sorry… uh, sorry about that.  I, uh, I mean… shit.”

They laughed harder and I quickly prayed the ground would open up and swallow me, saving me from further humiliation.  I heard the sound of pants being put on and sighed in relief. 

I waited a few heartbeats longer and heard them walk towards the vehicles.  Dean was the first to pass me and I kept my head down as I followed him the few feet to his bike.  I waited for him to climb on and then I took the seat behind him.  Next, I heard the car doors open and close and the engine behind us rumble to life. 

“You know,” Dean chuckled and I cringed, waiting for him to continue, “I always said you were cute when you were angry, but I think I’m going to have to amend that now.  You were down right sexy back there.  The way you hit that blood sucker when he put his hand on you made my dick hard.”

“Jesus take the wheel,” I groaned, quoting the song, as I rested my forehead tiredly against his shoulder, not knowing how much more embarrassment I could handle today.

“I should also tell you that I’m thinking about amending my dating policy to include vampires,” Dean said before starting up his hog.  “I’m dying to have a go at you, toots.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on as he took off, thankful the conversation was over for the time being.

Dean dropped me off at the club and told me to call him and let him know when we were going hunting again.  I waved off his offer to walk me in but gave him a heartfelt and grateful hug before I turned and headed toward the club.  I just wanted to get inside, crawl into Archer’s bed, and sleep the rest of the day away.  As I reached the front entrance, Archer opened the door in surprise and I collapsed into his arms.

“Skye!” Archer gasped as he caught me.  “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Can you help me upstairs please?” I asked, relieved to be so close to him again.

He scooped me up and carried me inside.  We passed Gunnar as we entered and Archer asked him to lock the door as he flashed up the stairs toward his apartment.

Archer gently laid me down on the bed, and sat next to me taking my hand.  “Talk to me.  What happened?  You’re scaring me.”

“Ruarc didn’t call you?”

“No.  I haven’t heard a thing from anyone since you left.  I’ve been out of my mind with worry.”

“Is our family safe?  Trey and Seamus and-,” I asked quickly.

“They are fine,” he shushed me.  “Everyone is fine.  Amun never came near the house.  Hagan and Emrick have everyone on lockdown until this evening.”

“He was right there,” I whispered, gazing up into Archer’s worried eyes.  “Amun couldn’t have been more than fifty yards from me.”

His back instantly straightened.  “Tell me.”

I didn’t have the strength to keep talking so I pulled on his arm and made him lean in front of me so that our eyes were close.  “Look,” I said softly and he immediately gazed into my eyes, understanding what I was asking him to do.

Images of the hunt flashed rapidly through my mind as Archer accessed my memories.  After getting what he needed and severing the connection, he sat back and sighed.

“This is not good,” he shook his head.  “I don’t want you putting the ring on again.”

I held my right hand up and showed him that I was still wearing it.  “I never took it off after the last time I put it on to check up on Amun.  Nothing is happening.  I don’t feel the pull towards him and I can’t see anything.  I don’t understand it… I don’t understand why everything just stopped.”

“I don’t either, baby,” Archer sighed, leaning over and placing a quick kiss on my lips.  “But I still don’t want you wearing the ring, even if the connection to him is severed.  I don’t trust it.”

I nodded my head and slipped the ring off, placing it on the bedside table.  “Okay.”

“Get some sleep, baby,” Archer said, standing up to take off my boots.  “I need to call Ruarc and see where we stand.  We need another plan because I refuse to let you put yourself in danger again by wearing that ring.  It’s not happening.”

I wanted to argue with him, but I simply did not have the energy any longer.  It was taking everything I had just to keep my eyes open. Archer kissed my forehead one last time before cutting out the overhead lights and shutting his apartment door.

“Sugar?  Sugar, can you hear me?” a voice whispered softly in the distance.

I vaguely felt someone shaking my shoulder and I fought against the heavy blackness of sleep.

“Honey, I need you to wake up now.”

I groaned and finally managed to open my eyes.  It took me a few blinks to see clearly, but when I could, I saw Trey sitting on Archer’s bed beside me.

“There she is,” Trey smiled down at me.  “How are you?”

I blinked a few more times and squinted against the bright light.  “Mmm… tired,” I assessed slowly.  “How long have I been asleep?”

“Almost eight hours now,” he said gently, starting to pull the covers off me.  “Can you sit up for me?”

I nodded and, with surprising difficulty, sat up in bed.  My head swam a bit and I felt like I hadn’t slept much at all.  I was still tired but it wasn’t quite as bad as it had been before I took my nap.  “What’s up?” I asked, rubbing my face.

“Can you tell me how you feel?” he asked, gently rubbing my arm.

“Groggy,” I sighed, before adding, “and kind of punchy.  What’s with all the babying, Trey?”  He was talking to me like I was a delicate little five year old.

 “I’m not babying you,” he smiled sweetly, but then his brow creased.  “I’m concerned, that’s all.  I don’t want to alarm you, but I’ve been trying to wake you up for almost an hour.”

“What?” I asked, totally confused.  I slept hard sometimes, but only once had someone had trouble waking me up and that was when I was dreaming about Amun.

“Yeah,” he sighed and cocked his head.  “Were you dreaming?”

I shook my head and rubbed my eyes.  “No… not at all, not that I can remember at least.”

As I brought my hands down from my eyes, something red flashed on my hand and drew my attention.  Sitting on my right ring finger was Amun’s ring.  “What the hell?” I whispered, my face scrunched up in confusion.  “What… did you put this on me?”

Trey glanced down at my hand and shook his head.  “No.  You had it on when I came in.”

“I took it off,” I shook my head and sat up straighter.  “Before I went to sleep, Archer asked me to take it off and I did.”  I looked over at the nightstand and stared at the spot where I had left the ring.  “I set it right there, on the night stand.”

“I take it that’s Amun’s ring then?” he asked and I nodded.  Trey sighed and stood up.  “Archer told me about what happened to you today before he left.  That’s a mighty dangerous piece of jewelry you have on there, sugar.”

“I think it’s broken,” I mumbled, looking down at it before my head snapped up.  “Wait.  Archer left?  Where did he go?”

“To meet with
An Dilis
,” Trey said, walking over to Archer’s closet and getting out my suitcase.  “He left a little over an hour ago.  It seems they need to come up with another plan to catch Amun that doesn’t involve you.  Archer put his foot down; caused quite the argument, I must say.  That man is fiercely protective of you,” he smirked before smiling widely.  “Isn’t it romantic?”

“Damn him,” I growled, flashing out of bed and immediately stumbling.  Trey dropped my suitcase on the bed and helped me get my bearings.  “I’m fine,” I frowned, taking my arm back from him and crossing them over my chest.  “Thank you, but I’m fine.  What the hell does Archer think he’s doing?  I have six days to find Amun before he starts killing my family and friends.  This stupid ring,” I yelled, flinging my arm up, “is our best shot at finding him.”

“You said it doesn’t work,” Trey needlessly pointed out.

“I know that,” I snapped at him and then took a deep breath when I saw the hurt on Trey’s face.  “Fuck, Trey,” I sighed and rubbed my head, feeling instantly guilty.  “I’m sorry, honey.  I didn’t mean to snap at you.  I’m just cranky and tired and frustrated and… pissed off.  I don’t mean to take it out on you… honestly.”

“I think you should take the ring off,” Trey said quietly, eyeing the red stone warily.

I looked down at it and shook my head.  “No… no, I need to keep it on.  What if it starts working again?  If it does, I need to know as soon as possible.  That’s the only way
An Dilis
will be able to catch Amun.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Skye,” Trey said, a little more sternly.

“I love you, Trey, but it’s not your decision,” I sighed again and met his gaze with determination.  “He said he’d kill Nikki first.  He said he wanted to skin her and sew it into a hat.  I won’t let that happen.  I’m going to find him somehow.”

“Fine,” Trey fisted his hands on his hips, his anger hitting me full force.  “You are so damn hard headed, Skye Morrison.”

“You sound like my mama,” I smirked.

“Then she is a wise woman,” he huffed, but lost some of his fight.  “God bless her soul for putting up with a handful like you.  I don’t see how that woman isn’t covered in gray hair by now.”

“Summer Wheat #104,” I winked.  “Her colorist Pascal is a miracle worker, she says.”

“Oh,
gabh mo leisguel
!” he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands up.  “Must you always-,”

The bedroom door opened, drawing our attention, and a head popped in. “Line’s getting long outside,” Quinn said, nodding his head toward the club.  “Seamus said to get your ass down there and give him a hand.”

Trey sighed and looked back at me.  “We’ll finish this later.  All I’m trying to say is be careful, okay?”

“Aren’t I always?” I smiled.

Trey rolled his eyes and walked out shaking his head.

“You too,” Quinn said.  “Lochlan’s going to need a hand tonight.  We’re expecting a full house again, VIP and PVIP especially.”

“Okay,” I sighed, not really feeling up to working tonight but knowing my brothers and sisters needed me.  “Let me get changed and I’ll be down there in twenty minutes.”

“Better make it ten,” he cocked his eyebrow and smirked before shutting the door again.

I groaned and flashed into action, putting my makeup on and dressing for the night in record time.  I went simple with tonight’s attire, wearing a low cut, long sleeve vinyl bodysuit that laced up the front and red patent leather pumps. After taking my hair down from its bun and fixing the waves with my fingers, I headed down to the second floor.

Lochlan was behind the bar restocking bottles.  He looked up and me with a smirk and chuckled.  “Trey tells me you’re inna mood.  Says don’ be surprised if ya take ma’ head off.”

“Trey said that, did he?” I raised an eyebrow as I got to work.

“Aye,” Lochlan smiled deviously as he fully faced me.  “I bet ol’ Lochlan knows ‘ow ta put a smile back on tha’ gorgeous face o’ yours.”

“Is that right?” I smiled at him.

“Aye,” he wagged his eyebrows and I laughed.  He grabbed me by my waist, spun me around and dipped me, causing me to squeal in surprise.  “Care ta take a wee spin up in Archer’s office?”

“You cad,” I laughed as I playfully smacked his arm.  “With an offer like that, how’s a girl to refuse?”

We laughed and cut up as we finished our prepping duties, my bad mood semi-improved.  I wanted to call Archer and find out what was going on, but I decided it would be better to talk to him in person.  Quinn had been right, tonight was a full house.  The club quickly filled up to capacity and we were slammed in VIP.

“Do we have any more Macallan 30?” I called out to Lochlan as I dug around under the bar looking to see if a bottle was hidden in the back.  “I need it for bottle service.”

“Aye.  I’ll go grab it from tha stockroom,” Lochlan said, wiping his hands on a towel.  “Be back inna jiff.”

I took the next order and before I could fill it, Lochlan had returned.  “That was fast.”

“Ran in ta Trey at tha foot of tha stairs,” Lochlan smiled, jumping back behind the bar.  “He’s gonna go fetch it for ya.”

I nodded and continued serving as I waited for Trey to arrive.  Fifteen minutes had passed and still no Trey.  “Dammit,” I mumbled, reading the clock behind the bar.  “Trey’s not back yet.  I can’t wait any longer.  Table six is going to have my ass if they don’t get their bottle.  Cover for me, will you?  I’ll be right back.”