The Progeny (The Progeny Series) (7 page)

“Do you want to quit then?”

“No, I can’t. I need the job.”

He
pulled her into his arms. “The employees don’t think like that. If they do, they’d better keep it to themselves!”

“I want to feel like I’m truly your equal, not some charity case.”

“Miss McCutchin,
you
are far from a charity case. Trust me.” He pressed his hand against her heart. “
This
is what makes you.
This
is the true Shauna. Everything you are, everything you ever will be is all stored here and nothing else matters.” He lowered his lips to hers. “Your unselfish heart is what makes me…”

Before he could finish his statement, Aggie appeared from behind a row of oak trees, her
stride stiff and her face scowling.

* * * *

Ascher’s body stiffened as he stood to greet her. “Ags, this is Shauna.” He turned to Shauna. “This is my best friend, Aggie.”

Aggie flashed Ascher a strained look
of pain before turning to Shauna. “It’s nice to meet you, Shauna.”

“Nice to meet you
, too.”

Ascher
studied his former best friend carefully. She’d been elusive and short with him on the phone. Closing his eyes, he realized that for the first time, in two years, her mind was clear to him. He sifted through her thoughts, immediately feeling the hurt, anger and grief Shauna’s presence caused.

She’s in trouble,
he channeled to Aggie
. I’m not sure how much. Long story short, I need you to bind her mind from vampires who could channel her. Can you do it?

He was lying
and he knew it was wrong, but it was better than telling her the truth—she couldn’t handle the truth. Aggie wavered, as her nose trickled blood. Ascher grabbed her, just as her knees buckled.

Shauna’s eyes
widened. “Is she all right?”

“I think so
.” He turned to Aggie.
Ags, are you okay? What happened?

Aggie closed her eyes.
Why didn’t you tell me she’s a witch?

Forcing a smile at Shauna, he said,
“I’m going to take her to sit under the tree. Ags gets nose bleeds when she’s not feeling well.” Once they were out of earshot, the floodgates opened.

“I didn’t tell you she was a witch
, because she isn’t!” he growled.

Aggie shook her head with disapproval. “A witch can sense another witch
, Ascher. Her powers are greater than my entire coven’s—combined. She’s a shifter and a screamer. How have
you
been able to avoid a nose bleed?”

“I’m not sure. Her screaming does make me dizzy.”

“What do you know about her past?”

“Not a lot. Her parents raised her religious and strict. She left home because of it. Why?”

“There is no way
that
girl came from religious, devout parents. Her gifts are too unique. In the wrong hands, she could do a lot of damage. I need to get a better idea of what she can do.”

They bickered back and forth
, Ascher refusing to believe Aggie’s assumption and Aggie unbelieving of his naivety to the truth. After neither could convince the other, they made their way back over to Shauna.

“Ags, please sit down! I’d feel better if you’d just sit down for a second.”
Ascher motioned toward the bench.

Aggie flashed him an annoyed glance
then spoke through clenched teeth. “I told you I was fine, Ascher.” She turned to Shauna. “Shauna, how much do you know about Wicca?”

“Only what I’ve read and seen on TV.”

Ascher shot Aggie a satisfied glance.
Told you.

Aggie’s voice calm
ed. “Shauna, I need you to clear your mind and concentrate. Can you do that?”

“I think so.”

“Try not to think about anything but my voice. Let it guide you.” Placing her hands on either side of Shauna’s head, Aggie whispered, “Let your mind be clear, Shauna. Relax. I’m going to give you an affirmation, and I need you to do it every day. Can you remember to do it every morning?”

Sh
auna nodded, as her breathing audibly slowed.

“Repeat this affirmation for me. My mind is a strong brick wall. Aggie and Ascher are my key keepers. They’ll keep my memories safe. I have nothing to fear from them. I’ll hide nothing from them.”

Shauna nodded again, repeating the phrase verbatim.

“Now when I say
lock
, your mind will close to everyone but Ascher and me. Do you understand?”

She nodded
a third time.

Aggie frowned
and clenched her fists, glowering at her estranged best friend. “Lock.”

Shauna opened her eyes and
staggered against Ascher.

“Are you okay?” Aggie questioned.

“Yeah, I just feel dizzy. My head hurts a little bit.”

“Do you remember what I told you?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t forget it
,” Aggie commanded.

Shauna reached out to hug
her, but when her fingertips contacted Aggie’s arm, an invisible jolt threw her backwards into Ascher’s arms. “She’s in love with you!” Shauna shouted. “You conveniently forgot to mention
that,
Ascher!”

Aggie
glared at them both then made her exit, disappearing behind the same row of oak trees.

Shauna
stared at him with hurt in her eyes. “Are you in love with her? If you are—”

His hand smoothed
over her worried face. “Of course not.”

“Did you lead her on or encourage her feelings?”

“Shauna, I can’t help the way she feels about me. We’ve been friends a long time. There was an incident on the pier two summers ago. She kissed me, and at the time we were both having a hard time. After the kiss, our friendship strained. I went to France for a couple of months to put space between us. She went off to college, and we lost touch. I hope you’re not getting the wrong impression.”

“I don’t even know how I knew that. I just did.” Suddenly
, a wave of intuition flashed in her eyes. “Was
Aggie
your first?”

“
No! I’ve never felt that way about Ags. I could never feel that way about…” Ascher stopped cold at his burning thoughts. He was about to say that he could never feel that way about a witch. Ascher assumed that vampires and witches didn’t mix, because he believed in the covenants. They were the closest thing he had to a religion—a mold he used to shape his existence. He’d felt something for Aggie, but it was never more than a friendship. What he felt for Shauna went deeper; she'd somehow managed to embed herself into his heart.

Sweeping
the hair away from her face, he wanted to read her mind but didn’t. It was time for him to read her with his heart, instead of his gifts. “Shauna, I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

“Neither have I.”

“I really enjoy spending time with you.”

“
I enjoy spending time with you, too. Honesty is a big thing with me, Ascher. It can make or break this. I always want you to tell me the truth, no matter what.”

Ascher sighed, as the weight of his deception pressed down on him. There was so much he needed to say, but couldn’t. He looked into her eyes and thought about breaking things off. A lump formed in his throat as he
gave her his reply. “I understand.”

Seven ~ Closer

Ascher hurried home, anxious to see his father. He
was confused and desperately needed answers, because the woman he was in love with might be a witch. “Father, I need to talk to you.”

Tristan stood, but Ascher motioned him to sit.
He might have valuable insight, considering he’d already been through this with, a once human, Kara.

Taking a deep breath,
Ascher declared, “Father, I’ve made a decision about the sealing. I can’t do it. If my existence is truly mine, I should be able to choose who I love.”

“No fate other than the one you choose,” Jonas uttered
with what looked to be a smirk.

“Maybe we can find a loophole in the covenants or something in the by-laws to invalidate the agreement you made with Clive. Is it possible that Klaus was wrong about
us?”

Jonas sh
rugged. “Anything’s possible, but Klaus is sure that your sealing to Ursula is your destiny.”

Tristan
cleared his throat. “But is
Ursula
really his destiny? Ascher no doubt will seal, but maybe there is
another
meant for him.”

“A human, perhaps
.” Jonas raised a brow at his sons. “Don’t think I don’t know about her, Ascher. Is she worth the raining of Clive’s fury on the family? Are you ready to war with Clive’s inbred bunch of darklings?”

“If I have to fight them, I will
,” Ascher replied.

“And
she’s
worth that?” Jonas asked, surprised.

“There’s something there, Father. I can feel it. I need her more than I need blood to feed.”

Tristan glanced at Ascher and smiled.

“You loved my mother?”

Jonas nodded. “Very much.”

“If anyone told you that you couldn’t be with her, what would you have told them?”

Jonas groaned, gripping the edges of the table until his knuckles strained white with rigidity. “Clive will retaliate, but we’ll be ready for it.”

“There’s something else
.” Ascher tortured himself about his existence, and Gabe’s cold words only worsened his insecurities. “Gabe said I was the product of your fascination with science and an obsession with my mother. I know it isn’t true, but I have more questions about her.”

Tristan stood, slipping out of the room without a word.

Jonas’s face beamed an uncharacteristic expression of warmth. “Gabriel was angry, Ascher. I loved Bea very much. Had she lived, I planned to seal to her.
You
are a very special reminder of that time in my life. Our relationship was by no means conventional, and she endured great pain because of me. She was adamant that you be born, no matter the consequence to her well-being. She was very brave.”

Ascher
’s middle name, Westridge, was his mother’s maiden name. His father seemed content to lock that part of his life away. When he was five years old, Jonas gave him an old photograph of her. Ascher glanced at her picture inside his amulet. The years spent without a mother never bothered him. Olivia had pitched in to help raise him. She was the closest he’d come to having a mother. Curious, he’d asked ten years ago, and his father finally opened up about the details of his birth. Gabe’s evil rant had made him question what he already knew to be true.

Ascher sighed.

“What is it son?”

“When you met mother, did you know she was the one?”

“Your mother was so different than anyone I had ever met. Her brown eyes exerted such a strong life force. Her smile pierced every chamber of my cold heart. She was lovely, intelligent and so giving. After she died, the prospect of another seemed pointless.”

Raw
emotion showed on Jonas’s face. “I see so much of her when I look at you. I am most proud of your human qualities. You needn't worry about what Gabriel said. You aren’t my bastard from a warm-blooded whore. You aren’t just some science project, either. You’re my son—my miracle from the woman that I will love eternally. Never forget that.”

Ascher stared at his father, abs
orbing everything he’d said.

The vampire coldness returned to
Jonas’s eyes in an instant. “Now if we’re finished here, I’ll be going down to the gardens. It’s a beautiful night.” He raised a scolding brow at Ascher. “And you, my half- blooded son, should be preparing for bed. You’ve not been resting well.” Pointing to his head, he uttered, “Your brothers and I hear you tossing and turning at night.”

Ascher
nodded.

“Goodnight, Ascher.
May your slumber be peaceful.”

“Goodnight, Father.”

* * * *

Sheridan, Massachusetts

Shauna flipped to her side, kicking the covers to the floor. Sleepless nights were her unfortunate reality, and the incident in the park was the catalyst spurring tonight’s bout of insomnia. Silence now blanketed her fifth floor apartment. No closer to sleep, than an hour ago, she went over to her window.

The
brilliantly starred sky and full moon reminded her of nights spent on the overhang of roof outside their shared bedroom window. Stargazing was a childhood past time of the McCutchin sisters. A tear escaped Shauna’s eye as she thought of the mental torture her sister was enduring still living at home. She finally called Ascher after loneliness and depression got the worst of her.

Answering the door
an hour later, she whispered, “I hope I didn’t bother you. Sometimes, I get lonely—depressed might be a better word for it.”

He
gave her a focused stare. “I was worried, because you hardly said two words in the car. Then you ran into your apartment without even saying goodbye.”

“I’m
upset about what happened today. It reminded me of these awful dreams that I have.”

He shifted his weight closer to her. “What dreams?”

“I sometimes dream of demons, fire, and magic.”

“What do you think it means?”

“I’m not sure I’ve had them since I was ten. They’ve gotten worse the last three months.”

“They’re only meaningless nightmares. You should cut out some of those horror movies.
I’m here, and I’ll stay with you tonight...if you want me to.”

“I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Always the tortured soul, aren’t you? I thought I made myself clear about my feelings for you. Obviously, I didn’t.” He pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

Hot flashes of heat
swept over her body. Twisting her hands into his dark hair, she pulled him dangerously close, the depression changing into longing.

* * * *

Getting physically involved with her might be a bad idea, but Ascher couldn’t help himself. He wanted her too much to deny the sensations she stirred in him. The insatiable need to bite her was just as prevalent as the burning desire to get closer. It was something he wasn’t sure he could control.

He pried h
is lips away from hers and stood back. “Shauna, maybe we shouldn’t be doing this. You aren’t in the right frame of mind, maybe you don’t know what you want.”

“I know
exactly
what I want, Ascher. I’m old enough to know what’s good for me. I want to be closer to you, and I want you to be closer to me. “Can you tell me,” she spoke against his lips, “that you haven’t wondered what it would be like? Can you
honestly
tell me you
don’t
want me?”

He couldn’t deny that he thought about what it would be like to have her warm skin against his. He also imagined what her blood would taste like—that didn’t mean he should indulge his curiosities
on that subject, as well. He clutched his head as his desire for her body blurred with his thirst. Pulling away, he moved to the opposite end of the couch.

“I understand if you don’t want me
,” she whispered with a stunned look on her face. “You could do so much better than me.”

Shifting
his body towards her, he took her into his arms. He couldn’t believe his ears. How could this woman’s interpretation of herself be anything but positive? She was beautiful beyond words, loyal as the day was long and unselfish to the point that she often overlooked her own needs for others. He kissed her again, this time with a desperate urgency and dangerous edge toward the point of no return. He was losing control. Fire burned his body. An inferno blazed in his throat. All the reasons they shouldn’t make love melted away with each touch of her lips.

She clutched him, refusing to release her grasp. “I want you, Ascher. Don’t you want me?”

He grunted, “Shauna,” because his eyes now burned with lust. He closed them hoping to hide the telltale crimson glaze. Continuing the kiss, his mind sought a good reason to stop them, but he couldn’t find one. Lust trumped common sense, and his desire wasn’t the
only
thing growing.

“Take me to the bedroom, Ascher
. Make love to me.”

H
is vision saturated with a heavy red film tainting his eyesight. He panicked. The pulsing in his mouth increased, fangs begging to break free of their gummed sheaths.

She grabbed him
, forcing him against the couch.

His
abruptly broke the kiss. “Shauna, no.” He wiggled away from her. “We shouldn’t do this.”

She
silenced him with another kiss.

“W
e should wait.”

“Why, when I want you so much? I want you
now,
Ascher. I’m tired of waiting.” Tracing the contour of his lips with her tongue, the erotic outline continued along his neck.

His fingers flexed against her back as i
ntense sensations gripped him, sending heat to his throbbing shaft. Needing only a swift movement to land her in his arms, he strained her shivering body against him. He kissed a heated path from her jaw, over her throbbing carotid and down to her ample cleavage. Clutching her shirt in his fist, he listened as it tore, scattering the buttons on the floor.

Ascher carried her
to the bedroom, her legs coiling around his waist. They were both lost in an aggressive, relentless locking of their lips. He lowered her to the bed, ripping the shirt from his shuddering form.

M
oonlight flickered off his amulet, reflecting red sparkles against her warm complexion. He sighed with frustration as he channeled thoughts about his necklace. He constantly heard her questions about his eating habits and strange eyes, via her curious brain.

* * * *

The breath caught in Shauna’s chest, the low light of the moon glimmering off a strange necklace around his neck. Its triangular shape held a brilliant round ruby inside a white metal setting. It was mesmerizing and dazzling. She ran her fingertips along its smooth lines, curious about its significance. “That’s a pretty charm.”

“It’s a family heirloom. My brothers and I all have them.”

Observing his reluctance and unwillingness to discuss the bauble, she decided to drop it, rather than upset him. His unblemished skin was extraordinary, given its pale appearance. She expected freckles or a childhood scar, anything to mark his past. The absence of markings made his skin seem even more unusual.

C
hildhood gave her many physical mementos to carry into adulthood. Endowed with a tomboy heart, she’d fallen out of trees, been catapulted from her bike and skinned her knees more times than she cared to remember. Did he not do any of those things as a child?

She
kissed and curved her hands along his quivering, tightly muscled stomach and its thin trail of dark baby soft hair. The happy trail disappeared under his black slacks. She didn't need to see his eyes to know that he wanted her. The spike in his heart rate and tight hold on her back affirmed his desire. Curiosity gripped her, as she wondered what his naked body looked like. Her eyes widened and a trembling hand cupped the massive bulge in his pants.
This can’t be right. Maybe he has socks stuffed in there. There’s no way all of this is just him.

F
ascinated, Shauna’s breaths quickened with anticipation. She had to see it. Touch it. Hold it in her hand. Only then would the experience be real. Reaching down and unzipping his pants, she attempted to free him, needing a closer look.

* * * *

Ascher groaned, “Shauna no—we can’t…not right now.”

“
And why not? Why are you stopping me? Don’t you want me?”

N
arrowing his eyes to conceal the crimson blazing in his stare, he half glanced at her. “Baby, my wanting you is not a good enough reason for us to do it. Your first time is such a big deal, and I want you to be sure. Your virginity is precious. Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.” He could attest to the truth of his last statement, as losing his virginity to Ursula was one of the biggest mistakes he’d ever made. Meeting Shauna only deepened his torment.

The heat exited his body a
nd the crimson left his eyesight. Taking several shallow breaths helped to return his eyes to their normal pale shade. Fully glancing at her, the sight of her teary eyes alarmed him. “Hey. What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?”