Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3) (32 page)

Chapter 46

Kali lay next to Rhane, watching him sleep. After the short flight back to the manor, Rhane had scarcely shrugged out of his clothing and taken a shower before stumbling to bed and falling fast asleep. So they hadn’t made love, and they had yet to speak about what happened back at the Global Cures facility. York was certainly chomping at the bit to discuss the latter.

Morning had passed and now afternoon light filtered through the bedroom windows. Always an attractive guy, Rhane was especially beautiful when he slept. Shifting sunlight stroked his strong jaw as she wanted to, bathed his abs and chest with rays of warmth that should have come from her fingertips. His lips taunted her, beckoning her closer with their appealing yet masculine fullness. He suffered from the worst bed head after hours of battle with covers and pillows. But even his messy hair was alluring. Kali longed to move the thin sheet slung low across his hips and relive every inch of him, particularly the parts experienced for the first time within the hidden catacombs.

She glanced at the clock. It was nearly three in the afternoon. Unable to resist any longer, Kali swept a lock of hair from Rhane’s forehead.

Mumbling something unintelligible, his hand whipped out and caught her retreating arm by the wrist. Rhane’s breathing hadn’t changed and his eyes were still closed. Kali bit her lip and waited. Maybe he still slept.

Then his fingers slid up her arm, relocating to her waist. The other hand found her hip and moved lower to cup her round bottom, lifting her to straddle him. A soft sigh escaped Kali’s lips. Squeezing her thighs, Rhane’s hips bucked reflexively. When his eyes finally opened—brilliantly rare and green—they were filled first with sleep and then flooded with lust.

Kali smiled. “There you are,” she murmured.

He tugged her closer. “Come here.”

Their lips met, and she instantly melted against him. Her curves molded around his hard planes and firm angles. His tongue danced against hers and probed deeper, slowly pulsing in and out of the depths of her mouth, building her desire until it reached a slow throb.  Still the kiss deepened. He stroked her face and hair, kneaded her neck as his lips worked their slow magic.

His hands left her face, trailing down her backside to slide the oversized t-shirt over her hips. Realizing she had foregone any underwear, Rhane groaned against her mouth. “You’re perfect.”

Kali laughed. “I thought you might appreciate the gesture once you finally woke up.”

Lifting his hips again, he smacked her ass. “How selfless of you,” he said and rolled them both so she was on her back. The sheet fell away, giving Kali a good look at just how grateful Rhane truly was. “You know what else I like?” His mouth drifted to her neck and shoulder, branding a trail of licks and kisses into her skin. “Well, besides how insanely hot you are or how quickly you’re ready for me.”

“What?” Kali panted.

His lips moved to her stomach, searing her skin again and again, bringing her closer to the edge of something wonderful. “You are brave,” he said, and nipped her skin between his teeth. Kali shuddered. “Strong,” he added, kissing her lower. “And fierce,” he said, sliding his fingers between her legs.

Kali didn’t last long after that. And when she was done, the length of him slid between her still quivering thighs. The rhythm was slow at first, punctuated by steady, deep thrusts that made her fingernails curl into his back. While one hand braced against the headboard, the other held her neck gently, resting a thumb into the delicate hollow of her neck. His green eyes locked onto hers, deepening the bond made by their bodies. It felt as if their very souls touched.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Kali’s pleasure soared to new heights as she gave herself over completely to him. She embraced what it meant to be his mate and the mother of his child, accepting both the happiness and pain that would come with it. With a cry of joy, she tightened around him and came to pieces without ever letting go of his gaze. Rhane joined her and together they were lost in the sea of what was and what could be.

Completely spent, he collapsed on top of Kali but quickly moved to his side, pulling her against his chest. She buried her face in his shoulder, ashamed of the tears in her eyes. But Rhane lifted her chin, insisting she look at him. Kali did and was elated to see tears in his eyes as well.

“After everything I’ve lost…I know you, Kalista.”

“You are mine,” she said. “And I am yours.”

“Forever,” he whispered against her mouth and leaned in to kiss her.

Mutually insatiable, they finished another slow burning session of passionate sex and were beginning a third when Kali suggested they come up for air. “Something has really been bugging me and I think you’re the only one I can talk to about it.”

Rhane said something in reply, but Kali couldn’t make it out because the words came from a mouth muffled by her breast. Placing a hand against his shoulder, she pushed him away gently. “Sorry. I didn’t get that.”

“I said I’m listening.”

Kali looked down at Rhane from her perch atop him with a stern expression meant to convey the importance of the matter. His face was sincere, and for the moment he had ceased kissing her—though his hands seemed to have a mind of their own and couldn’t stop fondling her ass.

“Okay, so back in Asia we found each other because you and the rogues were also searching the catacombs for the Heart.”

“Correct.”

“But you were already enlisted as a champion for the other side—Builders who want Blight destroyed.”

Rhane shrugged. “My people saw an opportunity to use me to help their allies reach a common goal. They didn’t care that I was already enlisted to fight against rogues. Besides, our so-called team didn’t seem to mind letting someone force their champion to switch sides.”

“So you think it was because they needed you? Because your blood could open the tomb?” Kali had started to believe that wasn’t the reason at all, but she wanted know what Rhane thought without influencing him with her doubts.

“The rogues had searched other coordinates before then. That could’ve been when the Mothers learned of the blood seal.” He hesitated. “Or maybe they already knew. Blood seals aren’t strange to our culture.”

“If they had learned of the blood seal through rogues, wouldn’t they have sent you straight there to open it?”

“Yeah. So, I guess they already knew about the blood seal but still didn’t know where to find the Heart.”

Kali bit her lip. His explanation was possible. Yet…the way things had played out still nagged her. Noticing her uncertainty, Rhane sat up. “Kalista, what are you getting at?”

“We don’t know who the other champion is. Who fights for the Faction, the side that wants Blight to feed on this world?”

Rhane frowned. “I have no idea.”

“You never heard anything?” she pressed. “While you were with the rogues, I mean.”

“I didn’t. They mostly spoke in a different language around me.” He reached for her, twisting his fingers into her hair. “Is this what’s troubling you?”

Kali nodded. “Since I’ve got you back and Bailen is okay, it’s all I can think about—what is coming around the next corner to hurt us, to tear our family apart.”

The sudden angst in Rhane’s stare and the way he held her tighter said he understood it then. “Kalista, let’s enjoy the time we have now. Don’t taint these moments with the sorrows of tomorrow.”

She surrendered to the embrace, believing his strength could shield them from whatever pain awaited. Kali opened her mouth to reply, but another voice interrupted before she had the chance. York had come to retrieve Rhane at five p.m. as promised. “Put that in a fortune cookie and get dressed. Rhane, buddy, we really need to talk.”

Chapter 47

York was pissed. Not at Rhane or Kali or anyone else, he was angry at himself. Last night he’d stayed up worrying like a mother hen until dawn. Giving up on any chance of sleep, he eventually left his bed to check on everyone and then went for a run.

Seeing Rhane again for the first time in months was great. Having his best friend and warlord back at the manor—along with Warren—safe and sound was everything he had hoped for. Pulling off a virtually by-the-pants rescue mission with no casualties was a huge plus. And Bailen seemed to have fully recovered. They were all one big happy family again.

But everything was not okay.

Taking one good look into Rhane’s eyes made York realize Kali had been right. Something awful had happened back in Golden Mountain. York had seen Rhane troubled by many things over the years. Guilt, regret, and fear had each taken a turn haunting the guy. But never had York witnessed profound shame in Rhane’s eyes…not even when he lived in disgrace among the villagers. He studied Rhane again this morning to be sure. The shame was still there. Worst of all, York had no idea what caused it. Getting Rhane to open up would be a pain in the ass. It always had been.

“I know I’ve said this before, but it’s good to have you back.”

“Thanks.” Rhane waited for the rest. His best friend nurtured a streak of persistence the wolf’s memories knew all too well. Positive something was amiss, York would be a dog with a bone until he found out what.

“Did what you went through in Golden Mountain have anything to do with what happened last night?”

“Yes and no.” Memory also told him that he and York were closer than brothers. Rhane trusted him more than anyone else in the world. So instead of making York suffer a painstaking search for information, Rhane decided to volunteer it. “They beheaded me. While it didn’t kill me, I’ve lost the majority of my memories, especially from the years when I was not Banewolf.”

York’s face flushed bright red. Then he expelled a string of expletives that would have made a sailor blush. “I hate them.” He paced across the room. “And your father, he just stood by and let them?”

Rhane exhaled. “He had no choice.”

“So how do you…” York fumbled for the right words. “How exactly do you know who we are?”

“I’ve always controlled the wolf using emotion and memory. If I enter the mindset just before the change begins and think about a person hard enough, the experiences connecting me to them come back. Sometimes it’s a flood of memories. And sometimes it’s just a general feeling.”

Understanding settled York’s features. “So the wolf didn’t know Matthias.”

Rhane nodded. “But that wasn’t all. Before I was formally released, Jethra came to warn me of the Builders’ plans to come after Bailen. She was badly hurt. I healed her. Then I fought the two Builders responsible for her injuries. It took a lot of energy to destroy them.” He omitted any mention of Jethra’s subsequent death.

“I think I see where you’re going with this. Then you had to help Bailen too.”

“I did,” he said quietly. “Rion couldn’t deactivate the device that imprisoned him. As Banewolf, I absorbed a lot of damage in freeing Bailen. He was injured.” Rhane fought hard to keep his voice from cracking. “I brought him back from the brink. After that, I had barely enough left to stand. But when the Builder attacked, I saw no other choice. I forced the next transformation, and the wolf was raging. I could hardly rein it in.”

“How do you feel now?”

“About eighty percent.”

York raised one eyebrow. “And before the marathon sex with Kali?”

Rhane’s mouth twitched. “Seventy-five.” The comment earned a laugh from both men. Only Rhane’s was tempered by the secret he had not told his friend or anyone else. If he could ever accept it, maybe then. But some things were not meant to be shared…even between brothers.

“There it goes again.”

“What?”

“That look.”

“What look?” Rhane said. He was stalling and knew exactly the look York referred to.

“The one of absolute self-loathing that you eventually default to whenever Kali is not around.”

Rhane gritted his teeth. Any continued attempt to feign ignorance was pointless.  “York, I can’t.”

“Whatever it is, there’s no need for you to deal with it alone. It doesn’t have to be me. At least tell Kalista. You shouldn’t be hiding it from her anyway.” Seeing Rhane had started to shake his head, York added, “She already knows something bad happened to you.”

Rhane calmly turned away so York wouldn’t see his hands were shaking. “I told her about the beheading the first time I saw her.”

“Damn it,” York said loudly, refusing to let the matter go. It was for Rhane’s own good. “That’s not what we’re talking about.”

Rhane’s temper flared from zero to sixty, and he couldn’t stop the growl of frustration from ripping free. “Just drop it,” he said and felt razor sharp canines prick his bottom lip. But in case York couldn’t obey that request, he spun around and left the room in one swift motion.

Downstairs, everyone else had crowded in the den. It was an informal gathering, revolving around pizzas and beer, and meant to take advantage of what little down time existed before the next adversity struck. Too long had passed since they had all been together. And there was no better time to remedy that than the present.

Laying eyes on Kalista, Rhane immediately felt a huge weight lifted from his chest. The sight of Bailen lounging beside her perch on bean bag furniture hauled from Rion’s room eased the pain a bit more. If only he could keep York off his case long enough to enjoy the reprieve.

Kissing the top of Kalista’s hair, Rhane eased onto the oversized chair designed to seat two. He smiled at the way her gray eyes lit up on seeing him. “Hi,” he said.

She returned his smile. “Back at you.”

All around them, it was just like old times. Rion and War almost immediately resumed their bitter rivalry in the virtual realm. But now their feud seemed even more intense as the boys made up for a six month loss of game play. Matthias manned a third remote. He and War had formed an onscreen alliance against Rion, taking his avatar out of play at every available opportunity. This reduced an infuriated Rion to yelling insults and finally hurling the controller at the wall.

The whole room erupted in laughter. Rion tried to storm off in a dramatic pretense of anger, but Orrin seized him from behind and wrestled him to the ground in a bear hug, tousling his hair playfully. When that failed to crack the charade, Orrin resorted to tickling. Rion caved in five seconds. “Okay, okay. Well played, Matt. I guess I had that coming.”

As he and Orrin separated, the doorbell rang. “Pizza!” War and Matthias yelled simultaneously.

Rhane’s stomach gave an excited flip of its own. Pizza was a nonexistent luxury in Golden Mountain. But then the door opened and Rhane caught a scent that was definitely not the delivery guy. The excitement he felt promptly evaporated, replaced by something more akin to grief. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kalista watching him worriedly. She had no doubt noticed his grim mood swing, but Rhane attempted a smile to reassure her anyway.

“Uh, Rhane,” Rion called from the doorway. “Yeah, I guess it’s okay,” he said in normal volume to the unexpected visitor. “Come on in.”

Needing to be on his feet when Gabriel entered, Rhane stood. The fallen Prime studied him for a moment before speaking. “I extend my apologies for the intrusion, but the fear of waiting far outweighs a necessity for good manners.”

“What is it, Gabriel?” Rhane said coolly.

He knew the others were watching closely and might think his behavior was a bit callous since Gabriel had helped protect everyone during their warlord’s absence. Hopefully they’d chalk it up to lingering animosity for the guy who had wreaked too much havoc in Rhane’s life.

Rhane watched Gabriel look around the room and take in the disarray of empty pizza boxes, discarded beer cans, the suspended video game and how mostly everyone remained in their pajamas at five in the afternoon.

“I believe your guard has failed too soon, Banewolf.”

Feeling no need to justify his actions to Gabriel, Rhane did so anyway. “We’re enjoying the homecoming, Gabriel. This family hasn’t been whole in a long time. And as for my guard,” he said, folding his arms and letting his voice take on a harder edge. “It never fails.”

“Set our differences aside and consider it. Last night was far too easy.”

Rion balked. “You call that easy?”

Gabriel continued as if the boy hadn’t spoken.  “Why imprison the young one in a facility solely in the keep of humans? Only one Builder attacked when their numbers are far more. Attacking as one, we could have never defeated them. Bailen would have been theirs if they truly wanted him. Doesn’t any of this concern you?”

“Of course it concerns me.”

“So what will you do about it?”

Rhane gritted his teeth. He had already considered the possibilities. Builders never played a straight game. Who could ever know what they wanted? But Gabriel’s doubts returned Kalista’s fears to the fore of his mind. What came next to hurt them, to tear their family apart? He had just wanted to give her one day when survival wasn’t their focus. So much for that.

Rhane took a pause to figure out the method to remove Gabriel from his home with the least amount of hostility. But when Rhane opened his mouth, the doorbell chimed again.

The sight of the two creatures escorted in by Rion nearly knocked him off his feet. One he knew all too well. The other, obviously also kindred, was a complete mystery.

Rion’s cheeks burned all the way through the introductions. “Rhane, this is Dmiri. He is sort of Ian’s advisor.” Rion rubbed his neck. “And, uh, this is Cixi. Maybe you two already know each other,” he mumbled while quickly moving far away from a potentially explosive situation.

Rhane’s throat went dry. He glanced at Kalista, sorely wishing she were closer so he could have squeezed her hand and offered some shelter from what surely bombarded her thinking. He knew it didn’t help that both Cixi and Dmiri were stark naked.

Since the dark skinned kindred was introduced as Ian’s advisor, Rhane addressed him. “This had better be an emergency.”

“It is. So much so, we did not have time to acquire dress in transit. Otherwise we would have conformed to your sensibilities.”

“And why is she here?” Rhane still did not look at Cixi.

Of course the self-governing beauty would speak for herself. “Dmiri is a prize to all kindred,” she explained in a voice that clearly communicated indignation at being ignored. “With the eclipse approaching, none like he should travel alone. It is by Ian’s order that I am here.”

“Fine,” Rhane said. He’d just have to deal with Gabriel later. “What’s the emergency?”

To Rhane’s surprise, Dmiri leveled an ancient stare at Bailen. “I hope one last time. If the child will not tell you, I will.”

Bailen exploded to his feet with bristling fur and burning, golden eyes. But he did not speak.

Undaunted, Dmiri continued. “The danger is not yet over, Banewolf. Your enemy is at your doorstep and the child knows it.”