In the Beginning... (44 page)

She’d spent some time with
his sister, and despite everything, Mallory truly liked Aureliana.
They were very much alike. They’d quickly gotten in the habit of
meeting each morning in the gardens or in the private Adrastos
family gym to work out, or to practice their fighting skills.
Aureliana knew much about the fighting arts
Mallory strongly suspected she was trying to compete with her
sixteen older brothers, who were all supposed to be extremely
gifted fighters
and had even promised to
teach Mallory about sword-fighting.

It would be so easy for her to build a
routine here. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she’d had a life
she’d been ripped away from, Mallory could see herself being
comfortable among the Dardaptoan people. But the thoughts of the
life she’d left behind were starting to consume her.

She missed her family
her youngest sister, her father...her twin
brother. She and Rand had been together nearly every day of their
lives, even if for only a few moments each day. They were two parts
of the same whole, and dammit, she missed that. And she feared
she’d never see him again. Or the rest of her family.

If she could just talk to them, let them
know she and Mickey, Emily, and Josey were all right, perhaps it
wouldn’t bother her so badly.

Aodhan watched her on the security camera in
front of him, taking in the dejected slump of her shoulders and the
wistful expression on her beautiful face.

His
Rajni
wasn’t happy. What was he
supposed to do about that?

He didn’t want to think about what Cormac
was saying. What Rydere was agreeing to. Theo was quiet, but Aodhan
had worked with his friend long enough to know what was on his
mind.

“Cauterize the wounds, then?” Aodhan glanced
toward the window that overlooked the front of the hotel, then
stared at the horizon. “We will need to watch them from afar. Keep
them safe until they adjust.”

He felt like his heart was
being ripped out of his chest, but what else could he do? The woman
on the monitor was miserable, and as her
Rajni
, wasn’t he supposed to make her
happy? That he had failed in the week and a half he’d had her with
him sickened him.

Cormac fell to his knees, a harsh cry coming
from his mouth. Aodhan froze, staring at the darker man.

“She’s hurt!” Cormac rose and ran from the
room, and Aodhan was on his heels. Rydere, too. Aodhan knew Theo
would be sounding all the alarms, and summoning the healers to
wherever the help was needed.

“Cormac, where?” Rydere yelled.

“The gardens! Hurry!”

Screams were coming from the hallway just
outside the sitting rooms reserved for the female Heads of Houses.
From the hallway that separated those rooms from the doors leading
to the gardens.

Aodhan saw Rydere fly through the closest
door, Cormac close on his heels. Aodhan followed.

Six Lupoiux werewolves were in the gardens,
tearing at a blonde woman dressed in Cormac’s House colors. Aodhan
knew immediately that it was Mallory’s cousin. The deaf one.
Cormac’s female.

Aodhan dove at the closest
of the wolves, only vaguely aware of Rydere’s
Rajni
stumbling to her feet. After the
first wolf died beneath his hands, Aodhan grabbed the
Dhan
and shoved her toward
the open doors. She had to be protected at all costs. Theo took
her, pulling her into the building, just as several guards rushed
out.

Aodhan turned back to the
wolves. He tore the throat from one beast as it lunged for Rydere’s
carotid. Had the beast made contact, it could have proven deadly
for the
Dahr
.

The wolves were dead within seconds, young
and easily slaughtered.

Whatever they were doing in the gardens had
been a suicide mission. Who had sent them and why?

Aodhan pulled Rydere to his
feet and helped his old friend to the doors. The little female
waited inside, frantic, fear for her male on her pretty face. Theo
took Rydere’s other arm, somehow knowing the
Dahr
needed assistance despite being
unable to see him, and they led him inside the rest of the way.
They carried him quickly to his suite. It surprised Aodhan that
the
Dhan
stayed by
their friend’s side. Perhaps Rydere’s
Rajni
cared for him more than the king
thought?

It was several long minutes
later that Kindara pronounced that Rydere would most likely live,
provided that blood infection didn’t set in. Word was also sent
that Cormac’s
Rajni
still held on to life.

Rydere’s little
Rajni
barely took her eyes
off of him, though Aodhan had no difficulty sensing that she was
conflicted. “Go to your cousins,
Dhan
Emily. They have need of
you.”

“But he…
”

“We will care for him.” Aodhan smiled at her
softly. Her eyes were very much like Mallory’s. How was he to
resist feeling a small bit of tenderness for this, his
cousin-by-marriage? “And when he is settled we will come to you. He
needs much blood, and we know our feeding is still uncomfortable to
you. Go.”

His hands were insistent as
he nudged her toward the door. Theo was letting Rydere feed
the girl would do no one any good until she
reassured herself her cousin would live, as well.

After Aodhan managed to get
a good amount of blood into his
Dahr
, he went in search of his
own
Rajni
. He knew
where to find her, and it took him little time to reach Cormac’s
suite taking the hidden corridors that only members of the top
security teams knew about.

She stood at the foot of Cormac’s bed,
staring at her cousin as Kindara and Barlaam saw to the woman’s
injuries.

He wanted nothing more than to scoop his
female into his arms and never let her go. It could have been her
out there in the gardens when the wolves attacked. He knew she and
Auri liked to spar together beneath the canopy of small trees the
gardeners prized. But he doubted she would welcome his touch. He
was the reason she had been exposed to this world with magical
beasts and such. She must hate him fiercely. If not for him, she
most likely would never have met a Lupoiux at all.

He settled for wrapping a hand around her
shoulder and pulling her a bit closer.

She didn’t stiffen, didn’t pull away.
Perhaps she needed the reassurance just as much as he did?

Rydere’s
Rajni
stood next to his. Her eyes were
full of questions when she looked at him. Aodhan knew what she
wanted without her having to voice the words. “He’s...better. He’s
sleeping, now. But he asked me to check on you one more
time.”

She said something in response, but Aodhan’s
attention was on his female. On the paleness of her skin. He pulled
her into his arms and she went willingly. Her arms slipped around
his waist and she clung to him for the first time. She trembled in
his arms. It was then he knew what he must do.

Cormac and Rydere had been right. They had
to send them home.

Just as soon as
Cormac’s
Rajni
was
recovered, Aodhan would make the arrangements for Mallory
himself.

“That’s it? I’m sorry I took you from your
home. Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?” Mal stared at him,
unable to process what he’d said. “Don’t you think there should be
more to it than that? What about what you said? That we will be a
danger to the rest of our family? What about Grandfather and what
he’s done? What about Josey?”

“Your grandfather must be dealt with. That
is a given, kitten. I’m sorry if that upsets you.”

“It really doesn’t. I hate the old bastard,
and if what you say is true, he deserves to go to jail. Even
Dardaptoan jail. Especially Dardaptoan jail. But what about Becca,
and the rest of my cousins? Dylan and Jace and Ethan are barely
teenagers! We can’t be around them like this.”

“We will have to teach you, of course.
Ensure you understand how to stay safe and how to keep the humans
in your world safe. You are not happy here with me, Mallory. I
cannot go through the days seeing your misery any longer.

What kind of
Rajni
would I be
then?”

What was she supposed to think? He’d taken
her, completely changed her life, and now he was sending her back,
expecting her to be happy? She couldn’t go back, not like this!

“And my sister, cousins? What about them?
Josey needs to stay here with your healers. Isn’t that what Kindara
said?”

“We will return you to your
fathers when Cormac’s
Rajni
is well enough to be moved, if you like. Or you
may return now and she later. However you wish it.”

“I need to speak with Emily and Mickey.”
Make a plan, decide what they would all do.

Why wasn’t she jumping at this chance? Was
she that afraid of what she’d become?

“I understand. I believe your sister is in
the sitting room reading now. Theo is busy with a court case, and
your sister seems to prefer to keep her own company. Would you like
me to escort you to her?”

“No. I can find my own way.” She wasn’t
helpless, was far from dependent. She didn’t need him for
anything.

“Very well, then. I...I need to go. I...have
work.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes. Why wouldn’t he look at her? Had
he ever been so evasive? Mallory didn’t think so. She studied him
closely. What she saw confused her.

He didn’t want her to go. He really didn’t.
But he obviously meant it. He was letting her go. Whenever she
chose. But she wasn’t leaving here without her sister or cousins.
She couldn’t. She definitely needed to speak with them. Now.

But she couldn’t leave it like this between
them. “Aodhan...”

He looked up, eyes bleak. “Yes?”

“Thank you...I mean that.”

“You can go if you want, Mal, but I’m not
leaving.” Mickey said the words firmly, her resolve clear on her
face. “I want to stay with Theo. I think I love him. And I know he
loves me.”

Mal stared at her sister. “You’re kidding?
What about Dad? Rand, Becca?

What do you think they will think?”

“I’d like to think they will be happy that
I’ve found someone who loves me. Truly loves me. We don’t have to
mention that he’s a six hundred year old vampire. Emily’s happy for
me.”

“Em knows?”

“I told her earlier today. I
kind of think she wants to stay, too.”
“I
see.”

“You want to go home, don’t you?” Mickey’s
eyes held pity and Mal straightened her spine. She didn’t want pity
from anyone, even her sister.

“Yes. I do.” And she did. She wanted to see
her dad, her twin, and her youngest sister. Make sure they were all
right. But that didn’t mean she wanted to sever ties with Mickey.
Would it have to be that way? Did she have to pick one sister over
the other?

“But what about Aodhan. If he’s the man
you’re supposed to be with, don’t you think you should stay?”

Mal bit her lip. What was she supposed to
say? Everything she’d learned about him and his people told her
that the concept of destined mates, Rajnis, was very real to the
Dardaptoans. Aureliana had told her how she herself longed for her
mate and she couldn’t imagine making it to the almost six hundred
years Aodhan had waited without finding her own mate. “I don’t
know, Mick. I really don’t.”

“How do you feel about him? Do you care for
him? Like him? Respect him just a little?”

Did she? Did she not feel those things for
him? She did. But was that enough? Did she feel more for him? She
honestly wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. God, I hate this! I wish...I
wish it was normal! I wish I was normal! I’ve not been with a man
in six years, Mick, and even then it was just to prove that I could
be. Now, I’m with a vampire? How am I supposed to do that? I deal
with numbers, not magic or mythical beasts. Vampires don’t exist.
Werewolves don’t exist. Banshees don’t come wailing at my door. It
isn’t real!”

“Apparently, Mal, it is. Question is, what
do you want to do about it? Theo loves me and has waited six
hundred years for me. I know that in my heart and in my head. It’s
scary, unbelievable, and fantastic. Can you honestly say you don’t
think Aodhan feels the same for you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then don’t run away. Give this new place
time. Apparently we’ve suddenly got plenty of time now.”

Mal nodded. Her sister was
right
she didn’t have to rush this. Hadn’t
he said that they would wait until Josey was ready before they’d
take them home? Maybe she should stay long enough to ensure Mickey
would be ok without her, then go back to where she
belonged?

Of course Mickey hadn’t seemed to need her
much in the last week or so, so what would it matter to her sister
if Mal stayed or went?

“You’re staying, too, then?” Mallory stared
at the cousin who’d been her best friend since diapers. “You really
want to?”

“I think so. When I think of not being with
him, I feel sick, Mal. I can’t do it.” Emily stood out in the
gardens, next to the fountain where Josey had been attacked. Three
feet separated the two women, but Mal knew the canyon had never
been larger. She’d thought for sure Emily would want to forget this
place, to go back to the life they’d had with their family and
Taniss Industries.