Mated to War (2 page)

Chapter One

The situation had quickly turned
dire after her confrontation with the shape shifter who seemed to be fighting
with himself to remain in human form. Viper was struck by pain. Nikki’s pain.
This intensified what Charli was already feeling. She could now sense the agony
Nikki was in through both her and her mate. It took everything within Charli
not to curl up and give in to the pain. The knowledge that Nikki’s life hung in
the balance had her back straightening and her resolve firming. Nikki needed
her now more than ever, and so did these strong, aggressive men if they were
going to find her in time. And she would be damned if this stranger was going
to dictate her actions.

Instinctively, she moved back
toward the lift, confident in the knowledge that the others would follow. On
the ride down, she tried to numb the pain by concentrating on something else.
Her gaze fell upon the man claiming to be her mate. From the argument that was
still going on between him and Viper about her involvement, she ascertained
that his name was Judge, and by the constant reference to him as “cat,” Charli
assumed that he was some sort of cat shifter.

All thought of the man flew out
the window as soon as they arrived at a large black BMW. It was time to
concentrate on getting Nikki the help she needed. Though he wore his
displeasure at her involvement in this journey for all to see, Judge still held
the passenger side door open for her.

“Thank you,” she said, unable to
hide her surprise at his actions. “You need to head toward Henderson.”

With the destination shared,
Charli sank into the luxury car. As soon as the leather seats welcomed her
body, she was transferred back to the building which held Nikki. Only this
time, she forced her body away from Nikki’s exact location and onto the
surrounding streets. Her mind was intent on calculating the fastest route. Once
she sensed they were close she began directing with a
left
and
right
when
needed. Her mind still focused on the map that was invisible to everyone but
her.

“How far, Charli?” Viper demanded
from the back seat. The building was close. She didn’t need the map to tell her
that. Before she could respond to Viper, he added, “Damn it, woman! Tell me,
are we close?”

“Watch your tone, fae!” came
Judge’s growled response.

Instead of getting between them,
Charli opened her eyes and took in the street they were speeding down. “There!
There it is!” she shouted as soon as the building came into view.

Before the car had come to a
complete stop Viper had the back door open. A sword Charli was only just noticing
was in his hand as he stepped toward the dilapidated building. Judge rushed out
of the driver’s seat to stop Viper. Devil and the giant she now knew to be
Chaos joined them. A short, heated discussion ensued, followed by Judge looking
back to where she still sat in the car.

On a gasp Charli took in the man
whose gaze held hers. Right before her eyes he was changing. He was the same
man who had driven them here, yet he had grown impossibly larger in every way.
His face had altered, making him appear more animal than human.

Her “magic eye,” as Emily liked
to call it, sparked to life. Her ability gifted her with the knowledge of
Judge’s other form. In her mind she saw an impressive mountain lion, larger
than any she had ever seen. His sheer beauty was enough to hold his prey in
thrall while he planned his attack. If she wasn’t careful, she too would fall
prey to this dangerous man. She couldn’t allow that. Her life was complicated
enough without adding Judge to the mix.

With a look she could only
describe as pleading and concern, Judge walked away from the car with the other
three men, oblivious to her inner turmoil. She didn’t need her psychic ability
to know what he was saying with his expressive eyes. She was reminded of his
ordered words as he’d exited the car. “Stay here and stay safe.” Words that had
her guarded heart fluttering in response. It was enough to have her resolve
setting. She needed to get as far away from this creature as humanly possible.
But before she could think of her own safety she needed to know Nikki’s fate.

Once again closing herself off
to her surroundings, Charli went in search of Nikki’s future. It was enough to
allow her a short break from the pain that still swamped her body. An image of
Nikki flittered through her mind. She was still the stunning, tiny woman Charli
knew her to be, yet something was different. She gave off an energy that held
Charli captive. Something within her told Charli that Nikki was no longer human
in her vision.

Forcing the image away, Charli
was relieved that her friend would survive this ordeal. It mattered little to
her how, or what she would become. Charli had dealt with enough otherworld
creatures to know their true selves were carried over into their new lives.
Nikki would be exactly the same woman she was before, just a little harder to
kill.

Now Charli just had to figure
out how she was going to escape from her mate. She’d had enough contact with
the man to know he spoke the truth about their intertwined futures. She had
never responded to a man the way she had Judge. That fact alone had her
refusing to pull him into her crazy and dangerous life. She couldn’t protect
Emily from it, but she sure as hell would protect her mate.

She considered calling for a
taxi, but she doubted one would arrive before the men had saved Nikki. That
left her with two options—remain where she was and try to escape Judge when
they returned to the hotel, or take his car. The idea of waiting for his return
had her heart skipping a beat. His very existence offered her a future she had
never thought possible. One in which she had companionship. But what could she
offer him? A lifetime of running.

She knew in her heart that if
she didn’t disappear before his return he wouldn’t let her go, no matter how
fatal that decision threatened to be. There would be no escaping him. Looking
in the mirror on the visor, she took in the large SUV that Devil and Chaos had
arrived in. It was big enough to carry the four men and Nikki back to the
hotel. But could her conscience allow her to steal Judge’s car? The answer came
swiftly. It was either that or she exposed Judge to the danger that haunted her
every move.

She climbed over the center
console, grateful to Judge for leaving his keys in the ignition. Turning the
key, she prayed he would forgive her for what she was about to do. It wasn’t
like she was stealing the car, just returning it to the hotel for him before
sneaking away in a taxi. She knew it would seem childish, but she had little
choice. She couldn’t expose these people to her father’s associates. With her
resolve set, Charli set her plan into action. As she drove away, she refused to
look back. It would gain her nothing other than more guilt.

****

Charli smoothed her suit skirt
down after climbing out of the taxi. She was heading toward a meeting with a
new client. One who was offering to pay her handsomely for her unique computer
programming skills. She had developed a financial software program that could
be adapted to each individual company’s needs.

It had made her a lot of money,
which she stockpiled to ensure she and Emily could disappear without a second
thought. For Emily’s continued safety, she wouldn’t hesitate to secretly sell
all of her rights to the program to one of the many interested buyers who had
made her some amazing offers. But that was her worst-case scenario. The threat
of her father’s associates hadn’t caught up with them yet, and she prayed it
never would.

The mere thought of the danger
that haunted her every movement had her looking over her shoulder. Her father,
his boss, and his boss’s cousin were never far from her mind. If she became
complacent, it wouldn’t just be Charli whose life would be ruined, but Emily’s
as well.

They had both inherited their
paternal grandmother’s psychic talent. They were often flooded with visions,
feelings, and a sense of knowing about events in the past, present, and future.
And their father coveted their abilities to help line both his and his
associates’ pockets.

It was something Charli had
learned firsthand after her mother’s death. She had been sent back into her
father’s care. Her awareness between right and wrong was tested every time she
refused to help him make his boss money by picking the winners of certain
races. Each time she refused, or predicted incorrectly, her father would beat
her. Those she could handle. It was the cocked gun his boss’s cousin had
pointed at her head while he held the racing fixtures in front of her that had
her complying.

While one of her abilities had
her in her father’s clutches, it was another that aided her escape. Her skill
with the computer brought her to the attention of her technology teacher, which
led to offers of college placements and scholarships. She secretly accepted the
offer that placed her on the other side of the country, while she continued to
play the scared schoolgirl frightened of her father and his associates.

In their arrogance they often
left her to her own devices while they went about their business. It offered
her the opportunity to leave the nightmare behind. Of course life wasn’t that
simple. She soon learned through her only high school friend that her father
had knocked up his current girlfriend. It wasn’t until four years later that
she would meet her little sister.

A vision showed her father
killing Emily’s mother. Charli immediately raced to the airport, hoping to
prevent the devastating outcome. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas.
She was snowed in. Emily’s mother was murdered while Charli sat in the airport
terminal waiting for the weather to clear. Her father had been jailed and as
Emily’s only living relative, Charli had been granted custody.

It broke her heart every time
she thought of that day she arrived at the house to see police tape surrounding
the front yard. Emily’s mother had been stolen from her by her own father. Then
she didn’t even get to say goodbye to the woman who had raised her. Charli
couldn’t chance her father’s boss turning up in the days that followed or at
the funeral. She swept Emily away from the only home she knew in order to protect
her from evil. They only returned for the court hearing granting Charli
custody. For the last two years, they had been hiding in plain sight in a city
where plain and ordinary were lost amongst a sea of extravagance.

Returning to the present, Charli
acknowledged that her paranoia was getting the best of her. No one was
following her. No one was even glancing in her direction. Her dull grey suit
guaranteed her anonymity as she blended in with the concrete buildings.

Shaking her head in
embarrassment, she continued toward the restaurant where her client would soon
be arriving. It was customary for Charli to arrive to a meeting at least ten
minutes early. It allowed her to choose her seat. She always booked the table
in a quiet corner, against the wall. She couldn’t allow anyone to gain the
upper hand and sneak up on her. If only her client understood the rules. He was
already seated when she arrived at the restaurant. And in her seat, no less.

“Miss Smythe, it’s lovely to
meet you,” the elderly man said, standing and offering her his hand when she
approached the table. “Would you care for a drink while we wait for Mr.
Martin?”

“I didn’t realize I would be
meeting anyone else, Mr. Borris,” she stated suspiciously.

“Please call me Henry.” He
smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Something stirred in her
stomach, screaming at her to move. Before she could, a hand landed on her
shoulder.

“Hello, kitten. You are one hard
woman to track down!” came the voice that had been haunting her dreams for the
last week.

Chapter Two

Judge found pleasure in the
shock-filled face that was staring at him. His mate deserved nothing less and a
whole lot more in his book. He had been in a constant state of agony and
arousal since experiencing her delicate scent. And to make matters worse,
Charli Smythe, as he now knew her, had had him chasing his tail like a damn dog
this last week. Every time he thought he had a handle on her whereabouts, he
received a lead pointing him in the opposite direction.

Now that he knew her chosen
profession he suspected her skill with the computer far exceeded program
development. She was hiding from something other than him, and he was positive
she’d made sure there was a confusing data trail that led to nowhere to ensure
her continued anonymity. He would have been impressed by her ability had it not
been used to keep him from her side.

He hadn’t even been able to pump
Nikki for information about her friend. Viper was keeping her isolated in their
quarters for everyone’s safety. No one was able to predict how she would react
to what she had become. She was a unique creature before both Devil and Viper
had saved her life, even though she had been human. Now as a half fae and half
vampire, she was one of a kind.

“How … how did you find me?” Charli
stammered. Her face was awash with worry and anger.

“You’re my mate. There’s nowhere
you can hide that I can’t find you, kitten,” he warned. Though what he’d said
wasn’t completely true. When they mated he would know exactly where she was at
all times through the link that would form between them during their mating
ceremony. Until then he would be using all of his resources to gain that
information.

“
Kitten
! That’s a bit backward, isn’t it? Considering what you can
turn into,” she scoffed, and Judge would have bet anything that she was trying
desperately to maintain her anger.

Bringing his hand up to her
face, he gently ran his fingers down her cheek. “Our children will be referred
to as cubs, not kittens.”

She backed away from his hand,
though her gaze stayed on him, yearning, fear, and anxiety swarming through her
eyes. As he raised his hand to run through his hair, he saw her flinch and take
another step back. The move was telling. By her actions, she spoke of the abuse
she had received at the hand of someone.
Someone who won’t be of this earth
for very much longer.
His mountain lion wanted the blood of the person who
had placed that fear in his mate’s stunning eyes.

“How’s Nikki?” Charli asked
warily.

“By all accounts she’s doing
well,” he responded, moving around the table to take a seat. “But Viper hasn’t
allowed anyone to see her outside of Devil. Not even Gabby’s allowed in to see
her. They didn’t want to take the chance that the bloodlust newborns usually
suffer would affect her.”

“Bloodlust?” she whispered,
looking around at the busy restaurant.

“Devil had to change her to save
her. She’s part vampire,” Judge explained.

“She’s something else, though,
isn’t she?” she asked, leaning over the chair in front of her to maintain
privacy rather than sitting down.

“Yes, she’s also part fae. But
it’s the vampire blood that is worrying both Devil and Viper. Some newborn
vampires are lucky enough to avoid the uncontrollable need for blood, but most
aren’t. Devil and Viper are just waiting to see if the bloodlust takes a hold
of her.”

“And has it?”

Judge pointedly looked at the
empty chair, silently encouraging her to sit down. Once she realized that he
wouldn’t answer her question until she complied, she plonked into her seat with
a “humph.” Only then did he share what he knew.

“No, but still Devil and Viper
remain vigilant. From my understanding, Viper even convinced her to quit her
job as a nurse.”

“She would be devastated,”
Charli said softly.

“She was, but she knew it was
the right thing to do because no one knows what outcome combining these two
creatures would produce.”

Judge watched as Charli’s eyes
went blank. No emotion could be seen in them. He knew what was happening. He
had witnessed her having a vision in his office. His beast became restless, and
he understood exactly why. While these visions hit his mate, she became
completely oblivious to the outside world. Anyone could attack her like this
and there would be nothing she could do about it. It was a good thing she would
have him by her side from now on.

Suddenly a smile lit up Charli’s
face. “She’s going to be fine,” she reassured before uncertainty replaced her
obvious joy. “What are you doing here, Judge?”

“I’m here to hear about this
program of yours.” Though it was the truth, it wasn’t the only reason for his
presence in the restaurant.

“Really?” came her cautious
response.

He could understand her
skepticism. If she had any knowledge of the mating bond, then she would know
how difficult it was for a mate to walk away from their other half. It was
exactly what he was suggesting by only showing an interest in the product she
was here to discuss.

It was all part of his strategy.
To catch this certain prey he needed to keep her unbalanced and unsure of what
was to come. Of course her obvious computer skills and psychic ability would
work against him, but he had every intention of catching her and keeping her
where she belonged. By his side.

“Yes, really,” he replied
casually. “Now why don’t you tell us all about it?”

“Umm, okay,” she said, obviously
still not trusting his true motives. “I developed it with small businesses in
mind. It incorporates everything a small business would need, payroll,
invoicing, ordering, bank reqs, well you get the idea. It all came about while
I was studying. I worked my way through college in a little family-run café.
The owner was always complaining about how hard doing the books had become
since technology appeared. He hated that he would have to spend so much time
with all the different programs just trying to keep up-to-date. And even though
his business was doing well, he couldn’t afford to employ an accountant to take
care of it. So I developed a program for him. It integrated everything he would
need in one program. Soon some of the other companies around his asked for a
copy of the program. I gained most of the sales in the beginning through word
of mouth. Now I send it all over the world to customers. So that’s my story.
Now may I ask what you would need it for, Judge? I doubt it would benefit the
casino.”

Judge felt pride in his mate.
He’d looked into her program and the reviews it had gained. It was a
sought-after product that filled a gap in the industry. While it was a niche
market, it was larger than most people would realize. And she had created it
just to help out her boss at the time. Now it was a global success and
something he was positive would solve one of his problems.

“My pride runs a tour company
through and around Lake Mead. We offer guided tours, adventure tours, and
camping advice as well as offering our tracking services when the authorities
request it,” Judge explained. “Henry’s son is my beta. And I think he would
have a lot easier time of the books if he had your program working for him. Are
you available for demonstrations?”

Suddenly, the phone on the table
began to vibrate. He assumed that, like any good businesswoman, Charli would
allow it to go to voicemail. However, when her gaze landed on the screen, her
breath hitched and worry filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I have to take
this,” she said, standing and grabbing her phone.

“Your mate’s very flighty,
Alpha,” Henry stated as they both watched Charli walk away from the table.

“I’ve noticed. Has Andrew
managed to dig up anything more on her? Like what sort of trouble she’s in,” he
asked, knowing that his beta would be turning over every rock to discover
Charli’s secrets.

“Nothing that I have heard.”

Judge barely heard the man’s
response. Instead his focus was on his worried mate as she rushed back toward
the table.

“I’m sorry to cut this short,
but I have to go.”

Judge abruptly stood, sending
his chair into the wall behind him. “What’s wrong, kitten?” he asked, hoping
she would share her burden. Surprisingly she did, though he suspected it was
the growing mating bond that had her doing so.

“My little sister had another
fit. She’s being loaded into an ambulance as we speak. I have to get to the
hospital.”

Rushing to her side, he placed a
hand on her arm, offering her his strength. “Come on, I’ll drive you. You’re in
no fit state to get behind the wheel.”

“I don’t own a car,” came
another little bit of information about his mate.

“Even more reason to allow me to
drive you.”

He left Henry to offer apologies
for using the table and not staying to eat. He led Charli out of the restaurant
and around the corner to where his car was parked. Holding the door open for
her just as he had a week ago, he encouraged her to climb into the passenger
seat. She appeared to be in such a state that she sat without any arguments.
Charli kept her back ramrod, refusing to accept any comfort from the luxury
seats, while her gaze was fixed to windscreen. She remained unmoved. Reaching
in, he pulled the seat belt securely around her luscious body. As soon as he
was satisfied that she was safe he walked around to the driver’s side and
pointed the car toward the hospital.