Primal Desires (11 page)

J
ason left the motel reluctantly, but Sofia was right about George and Gracie needing some attention.

“I'm sorry this isn't the vacation I promised you,” he told the wolves when he let them out of the pen in the back of the SUV.

They jumped down to the crumbling parking lot concrete and George let out a howl while Gracie bumped her head against Jason's thigh. He rubbed her head while carefully looking around the area one more time. Sunlight warmed the cracked concrete and reflected off the pastel walls of the single-story motel buildings that stood on three sides of the parking lot. The street beyond was lined with almost identical motels and fast-food restaurants. The traffic moving by was light. It was all very worn-down and sad. He caught no sense of danger yet, but knew it was coming.

“Come on,” he said to the wolves, and set off on a run with the animals at his side. Running with the wolves was good for him. They were mortal and he had to keep pace with them, because they could not keep up with him. Continual practice in being among mortals was necessary. And now he had a mortal woman to protect and cherish and bring into his world.

Kicking and screaming, no doubt. Jason smiled.

After a few more blocks he stopped at a fast-food place and bought a lot of hamburgers. He fed most of the burgers to the wolves, who complained because they preferred their meat raw. Then he headed back to the motel.

Once again he had to leave George and Gracie penned up in the SUV, but it was safer for them this way. A small generator provided them with air-conditioned comfort, which he envied as he climbed onto the roof over Sofia's room in the blistering Southern California sunlight.

There, Jason closed his eyes and opened his mind.

Sofia's restlessness reached him first. And the awareness that she missed him. He couldn't help but smile. What was righteous indignation at his supposed sins, compared to the draw of the bond?

She was stubborn, and determined to see the world in terms of black and white and right and wrong. She'd put him firmly into the black and wrong categories—but down there in her lonely room, she wished he was there.

The same way he wished to be with her. How much better it would be if they spent the day making love. She wouldn't be so self-righteous once he'd worn her out with hours of pleasure beyond bearing, now, would she?

After allowing himself a few moments of smugness, Jason tamped down that part of his Primal nature and went back to shameless telepathic spying on the woman he was sworn to protect.

D
o you want to know what she has to say about Dracula on her blog?” Eden asked.

“No.” Sid looked up from her computer to glance around the office of Bleythin Investigations. Eden was at her desk researching Sofia Hunyara, and Daniel sat on a chair behind Cathy's. He held something belonging to their missing friend cupped in his hands and closed his eyes as he psychically searched.

Joe, Mike, and Harry were off checking out an address out in the desert where Cathy had been asked to meet with some mysterious relatives.

Laurent was still following his own line of investigation, and hadn't checked in by telephone or telepathy for quite a while.

“The place seems so empty,” Sid said.

“But at least no one's shedding on the furniture.” Eden sighed. “I miss my husband and kid. At least Antonia is having a good time babysitting her only grandchild.”

“I heard the slight emphasis on ‘only.' Don't you start, too,” Sid complained. “I'm working on the baby thing.”

“With David Berus?”

Sid did not want to get into this subject. “So, what does this Sofia person have to say about Dracula?”

Eden cleared her throat and assumed a pedantic tone. “I quote from the wisdom of Sofia Hunyara: ‘When I first read the book, I thought Stoker was the worst writer in the history of the English language. The story was full of too many characters, too many plot holes, and far too much overblown prose.

“‘Of course, I was thirteen at the time. Reading the book again after puberty set in, I came to the revelation, “Oh, that's what it's about.” Why didn't the guy just say all that exchanging of fluids between dark foreign strangers and fair English flowers was about forbidden sex?

“‘I now understand what makes the story so timeless and evocative, but it's still full of plot holes. And why must there be fanatically loyal gypsies running around doing this vampire's bidding in Stoker's book? Why are Romany always portrayed as being on the side of the Dark Occult Powers in Western literature?'”

Eden stopped reading and chuckled. “I hope I meet this Sofia Hunyara sometime, so I can fill her in on the real history of vampires.”

Sid boggled at her ex-vampire-hunter sister-in-law. “Are you saying Stoker
didn't
have it all wrong?”

“I'm not sure you have a need to know on that one, oh, Daughter of the Clan.” She scrolled through several more screens of Sofia's blog. “She's really into old writers. She goes on and on for pages about
The Scarlet Letter.
I thought that was a Demi Moore movie.”

“You don't read anything that isn't put out in comic book form from Marvel.”

Neither did Laurent. Sid had even heard her brother and Eden refer to each other fondly as Gambit and Rogue.

“I'm a geek, I'm entitled. And don't tell me you've actually read
The Scarlet Letter.
”

“Point taken. Tell me, does any of what this woman says bring us any closer to finding Cathy?”

“Probably not,” Eden replied. “But you're right about the place seeming empty, and I'm trying to keep my mind off worrying about Cathy while we wait to hear from the guys.”

“Me, too. My research isn't getting anywhere.”

“What are you researching?”

“Not what, but who. I'm trying to figure out what Jason Cage has to do with all this. Not that there's much about him in the data I can access. Not without bringing a liaison between the Clans and Families into this already overpopulated mess.”

“Why not call up the Caeg Family Matri? Aren't the vampire Clans and Families close allies?”

“We're close because we make a point of staying out of one another's business as much as possible. You saw how Jason had to ask permission to hang out in Clan territory, but didn't explain to the Matri what he's doing here, and she didn't press him for details.”

“I wasn't actually there for that.”

“Right. Oh, mighty hunter.”
And please tell me he's decent genetic material,
she added to herself.

Eden looked thoughtful and rubbed her chin. “Let's see, I know that the Caegs are the largest and most influential of the vampire Families. I think Jason is the grandson or great-grandson of the current Matri. He's from one of the Eastern European branches of the family that came to America after the Communist takeover of their home territory.” She rubbed her chin again. “There's something I should remember about him—something I read in his dossier that I thought was cool and romantic, but—”

“You have dossiers on all of us?”

“Not all of you,” Eden responded calmly to Sid's outrage. “I never heard of you before we met, or Laurent, but I did know a little about Antonia. Mostly the hunters concentrate on keeping tabs on the Tribe vampires,” she reassured Sid.

Sid couldn't blame the mortal vampire hunters for spying on the Tribes. Tribal Primes were nothing but bad news for mortals and immortals alike.

“So, what did you think was cool and romantic about Jason Cage?”

Eden thought for a few more seconds, tapping a finger on her chin. “Oh, yeah, I remember. He got into trouble for trying to stop World War II. I guess he telepathically brainwashed some high-ranking Nazi. That's the kind of interference my kind goes after vampires for. Good intentions or not, your kind doesn't mess with our heads and get away with it.”

“Messing with people's minds is bad,” Sid agreed. It was evil and wrong and not to be tolerated; she believed this with all of her being, even though she'd done it herself—with good intentions. At least she hadn't been caught.

“I can't believe the hunters let Cage get away with brainwashing.”

“We wouldn't have, except that the Families sent their own cop after him and put him away in solitary for a good, long time. I remember thinking that he was all cool and tragic for trying to save the world and getting in trouble for it. He sort of combined the Clan Primes' idealism with the pragmatism of the Families.”

The Clans could use a bit more pragmatism, Sid thought. Maybe Jason Cage's DNA could help with that.

“But what does his past have to do with our present situation?” she wondered.

“Well, Cage used to hang out with Romany,” Eden said.

“This Sofia Hunyara is Rom, Jason Cage is involved with Sofia, and Sofia is Cathy's cousin. Maybe they kidnapped Cathy.”

“We don't yet have any proof that Cage is involved with Sofia.”

“I'm psychic; I—”

Her phone rang and she answered it instantly. “Harry! Have you found her?”

“I'm not sure what we've found,” the senior werewolf partner of the firm said. “When we reached the house there was nobody here, but the traces left behind are like nothing I've ever smelled before.”

Harrison Bleythin had the best nose in the business. Harry's twin, Michael, had the ferocity, and their younger brother Joseph was one tenacious scent hound, but Harry was the elite bloodhound of the pack.

“Tell me,” Sid said.

“Werewolves have been all over the place. And mortals. And a vampire. Most of them are related to Cathy.”

“We knew that her family had contacted—”

“The werewolves are kin to Cathy,” Harry interrupted, speaking slowly and distinctly.

This made no sense. “Please, Goddess, don't let her have been biting people when we weren't looking.”

“That isn't possible,” Harry reminded her. “You know she hasn't been out of our sight once during her moonchange.”

Sid had a moment of relief, for Mike's sake as much as Cathy's. Mike Bleythin had another job besides private detective. Among werefolk kind he was known as the Tracker. It was his duty to take down the ferals and rogue werewolves. He'd spared Cathy from execution once. Sid knew it would destroy him if he had to kill her after all.

“The werefolk and the mortals that were in this house are
all
blood relations to our Cathy,” Harry said.

“I so do not understand that.” Had Cathy lied about how she'd been turned into a werewolf? “Mike rescued her from a feral. Didn't he? What about the vampire scent? Anyone you recognize?”

“Male,” Harry said. “Not Wolf Clan, that's all I can tell. There was also a pair of true wolves here.”

“Jason Cage travels with wolves,” Sid told him. “I knew he had to be involved! He's with Cathy's cousin Sofia.”

“The mortal female's scent will be hers,” Harry said. “The Hunyaras have scattered. There's a dozen trails we could follow. What do you think, Sid?”

“Jason and Sofia,” was her immediate response. “My gut tells me they're the clue to finding Cathy. We can solve the other puzzles once we have Cathy home safe.”

“Agreed,” Harry said.

He hung up on her, but Sid sent a telepathic
Stay in touch
his way.

S
ofia read the text messages from Cathy again and shook her head. She didn't like this—whatever this was.

“Too much mystery,” she grumbled.

First there'd been the crazy relatives and the sexy stranger attaching himself to her. Now the missing cousin had reappeared but was being obtuse.

My senses are just about on overload. Got to get it together. I've got to get it under control.

But why do I feel the sudden need to be the one that's responsible? I'm not an alpha type, I'm a lone wolf.

And why am I using that sort of analogy?

She paced the motel room restlessly, the tension building in her making her want to scream. She needed a clear head. She needed a plan.

Sofia did not for one moment believe that her cousin was on her way to meet her here.

She missed Jason, missed him with every thought and breath. She missed him with her soul and every cell of her body. She missed him so much she couldn't stop herself from picking up the pillow his head had rested on and breathing in the scent of him that lingered there.

“Crazy.”

Maybe she'd been too hard on him.

And maybe this was no time to obsess over her personal problems. She had to make sure Cathy was all right before she let herself worry about Sofia.

She noticed her laptop sitting on the motel room desk and smiled. She knew of one sure way to focus her thoughts. She might as well use the time spent waiting to get her head in order.

She sat down at the desk and switched on the computer. “Thank goodness this place has WiFi,” she said, and soon began to type.

• • •

“Well, look what just popped up on Live Journal.”

“What?” Sid asked Eden.

“A fresh posting from our girl Sofia. Let's see what she has to say.
While sitting here waiting for a werewolf—”

“What?” Sid bounded to her feet.

“Hush.” Eden waved her back down. “Listen. ‘I can't help but think about Jane Eyre.'”

“What does Jane Eyre have to do with—”

Eden gave her a withering look, and Sid subsided.

“‘It's one of my favorite books,'” Eden read on from the blog posting. “‘I love Jane's strength of character, her independent spirit, her resiliency. I guess I've unconsciously identified with her—a poor orphan girl making her way in a cruel world, with pride and dignity intact, and all that.

“‘But I never understood her and Rochester. I never understood that whole “passionate soul mates meant for each other” rubbish.

“‘Rochester tried to trick her into marrying him when he already had a mad wife up in the attic (and btw, the first thing I said to the person I'm really writing about was a reference to Jane Eyre). Anyway, Rochester lied to Jane, tried to trap her into a bigamous marriage, fell apart and felt sorry for himself when his nefarious plan was thwarted, and just generally acted in an irresponsible, selfish fashion.

“‘I believe in honesty and restraint. Unbridled passion creeps me out.

“‘But, still—I think I'm beginning to understand why she couldn't stay away from him despite her own self-respect and pride. Jane couldn't stop herself from running back to Rochester. He called to her and she had to answer the call.

“‘Maybe when you love someone, you forgive them. Maybe pride and love have nothing to do with each other. Maybe Rochester couldn't help what he did because he needed Jane to be with him, no matter what. I begin to get it, this call of passion despite one's better judgment. It sucks.'”

“I wonder what she's talking about?” Eden asked.

“It sounds like the beginning of a bond to me.”

Eden wasn't the only one who jumped at the sound of David Berus's voice. She hadn't seen, heard, or felt him come in, but there he stood, large and blond and handsome, beside Eden's desk.

He turned a smile on her. “I met Charlotte Brontë once; she was quite old at the time. The lady certainly knew what she was talking about.”

“I thought Charlotte Brontë died young,” Sid said.

“That was the cover story that took her out of the mortal world,” David answered. “She was bonded to a Prime. So of course she understood about soul mates and passion.”

He looked away suddenly, and an awkward silence stretched out.

Sid noticed Eden almost shrinking in on herself in the hope of not being noticed. Eden had been born into a family of vampire hunters, and mortal hunters were responsible for the death of David's vampire bondmate.

Back in the bad old days the hunters had concentrated on killing vampire females, knowing that few daughters were born to vampires and only female vampires could give birth to vampire children. Sid knew her people had good reasons for the protected, circumscribed lives led by their women, despite her rebellion against the old ways.

David Berus had survived the loss of his bondmate, but the scars of that loss on his soul were still there in his eyes when he looked at Sid again.

She fought the urge to hug him and say “There, there.” If she let herself get close to him, Lady Juanita's plan to hook her up with this very admirable Prime might succeed. Oh, no, that wasn't going to happen. She had plans of her own.

“Do you think Sofia is bonding with the Cage Prime?” Eden suddenly asked.

Not until I get my hands on a paper cup full of his sperm,
Sid thought.

“Lady Juanita thinks so,” David said.

“Cage and Sofia just met, so if they're bonding that quickly, that means Cathy's cousin is strongly psychic,” Eden said. “I wonder what Sofia's being psychic has to do with werewolves?”

“I bet it means something,” Sid said. When David came to stand by her desk, she stood and almost moved backward. Instead, she kept the desk between them and asked, “What can Bleythin Investigations do for you, David?”

He smiled. “I'm hoping I can be of some help to Bleythin Investigations. Lady Juanita suggested I apply for a position with your firm.”

She'd been afraid he'd say something like that. “She wants us to work together, does she?”

“You know she does.” He moved around the desk to stand close beside her. “The question is, what do you want?” His voice was rich and deep, and utterly seductive.

She didn't respond to him at all, and almost wished she could. If only she could feel something for one of her own kind! Sid met his coffee-dark gaze and tried to let his searching look spark something inside her.

Nope.