Broken Heart 07 Cross Your Heart (25 page)

“Of course. And no, I will not tell your parents. I believe your mother still labors under the hope you will have children.”

“I’m a little past child-bearing years. Technically, I’m forty-eight.”

“Not to her, dear.” She nodded toward the door. “Go on, now. I’ll see you soon.”

I hurried out the front door. As I suspected, she’d already parked the Mercedes in front. I really don’t know how my mother would live without Martha. She was a one-in-a-million lady.

I opened the door, piled everything into the passenger seat, put on my seat belt, popped a piece of gum, and started the Mercedes. My urgency had me peeling out of the driveway.

Oops.

The usual two-hour drive took me a little more than an hour. The minute I hit the open highway, I rammed down the accelerator. I had no intention of stopping for the police if they attempted to pull me over. Luckily, there was little traffic and no cops.

The second I hit Broken Heart’s borders, I phoned Damian to let him know I was back in town. Then I headed for the were-cat colony. The Mercedes offered a smoother ride than Tez’s Honda, but it was still bumpy, and very dark.

Even with my vampire vision, I had to hit the high beams and drive more slowly than I wanted. After a few minutes, the headlights illuminated the single long building. This time it looked even more austere and unwelcoming. I parked and got out of the car.

Belatedly, I thought of a weapon. I didn’t have a gun, and even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to use it—unless I drew upon the lessons learned from the Lethal Weapon movies. I didn’t have knives, and I really didn’t want to have to dig out the tire iron.

Well, then. I was a vampire. I had speed, strength, the ability to control minds, and I could make beautiful jewelry. Ah, yes. No reason to be nervous, Elizabeth, maybe you can whip up some shiny trinkets and trade ’em for Tez.

I pocketed my iPhone and the car keys. I activated the locks manually because I was too afraid that the beep of the alarm might alert the were-cats of my arrival. Not that I was being all that particularly stealthy.

I heard the snap and snicker of fire. As I crept along the side of the building, rhythmic drumming started. The soft, primal beats were accompanied by chanting. Heart in my throat, I dared a peek around the corner.

Just like the evening before, a bonfire raged. The drumming was courtesy of two women on the far side of the flames. They were naked, their bodies painted. Three other women, also naked, their bodies painted with different colors and patterns than the drummers, swayed and chanted. I couldn’t understand the words, but they were rife with sorrow.

I didn’t see Serri among any of these women. Nor did I see any men featured in these proceedings. But I did see Tawny. She was naked, too, and did her own dance on the opposite side of the chanting women. Her dance was far more sensual than grief-filled, however.

My gaze flicked to the top of the fire; that was when I realized this wasn’t just a were-cat party. It was a pyre. A large body sat amid the roaring flames, already blackened and withering to ash.

That was when I realized the alpha must’ve died.

And this was his funeral.

I scooted backward and pressed my hand against my chest. Good Lord. Had I been mistaken in my assumption that the were-cats had kidnapped Tez? I’d nearly blundered into a sacred rite. I felt like a fool for all of two seconds. Then worry gnawed at me. Where was Tez? Who had taken him? I was sure he’d recognized his captors; in fact, he’d sounded annoyed rather than fearful. Not that I could imagine Tez sounding fearful.

I heard a growl.

I froze, panic welding my feet to the ground. I was certain one of the women had changed into their cat form in order to attack. But neither cat nor woman slunk around the corner to claw at me.

Another growl, this one loud and pissed off.

I peeked around the corner again. Tawny was continuing her dance with undulating hips and pendulous swinging breasts. In her hand was a thick gold chain and it was attached to a bejeweled collar around a beautiful black jaguar’s neck.

Fury slashed through me like hot knives.

I would kill her.

I stepped forward, fists clenched.

I heard a step behind me and I whirled, baring my fangs.

Serri put a finger to her lips. She was pale, her clothing stained and torn. Shadows smudged eyes; her lips were a disturbing blue. Her arm was cradled at an odd angle.

“Are you all right?” I asked, which was a silly question because obviously she was not. “Let me help you.”

“Later,” she said. “Tawny is trying to claim Tez. It’s a very old ritual, one that must be done on the night we offer our alpha back to the gods. It’s an ancient binding magic, and it’s not used anymore. Some of us still believe in free will.” She smiled sadly. “Trak and I tried to stop her, and she…” Her gaze flickered toward the small house. “You’ve been very kind to me. You gave me hope, when I had none. I wish I’d had an opportunity to speak to your queen.”

“You still do,” I said. “Tawny will not get away with this nonsense.”

“I’m not worried about me anymore,” she said. “You must demand the upendo challenge. If you do, she cannot bind with Tez unless she defeats you. Everyone’s afraid of her. They won’t defy her wishes. She’ll be very powerful as the jaguar’s mate.”

“The hell,” I hissed. “How will this work? I’m not a were-cat.”

“All challenges must be answered. It doesn’t matter that you’re a vampire. But if you win,” she said, her gaze intense, “you will belong to Tez, body and soul, for all his life. If you do not want that, you must let Tawny have him.”

Oh, the irony. Here I’d spent all this time protecting Tez from a hundred years of vampire marriage—and now, if I won this upendo challenge, I would end up his wife forever.

“There’s something else,” said Serri. “I choose you as Dayton’s mama pili. His second mother.”

I blinked. “Oh, Serri. I… That’s lovely.” It was incredibly bad timing, but I was touched all the same. “Is that like a godmother?” I looked over my shoulder, and gauged the ongoing ritual. If I didn’t get over there and issue my ultimatum, Tez was going to end up married to that harlot.

“If something happens to me, you will be his first mother.” She grimaced. I realized she was in pain, and I reached out to her. She shook her head and backed away. “If anyone tries to challenge your right to him, tell them it is my iliyopita unataka. Use those exact words, Elizabeth. It’s important.”

“Yes,” I said. “Of course.”

She offered me a tired smile. “Go fight for the man you love.”

Well, that summed it up exactly. I wanted Tez, and even though it was ridiculous to think I could love him… I did. Sometimes, the heart knew and the head argued. I was tired of logic. I wanted to trust my feelings. Every atom of my being was screaming that Tez was mine.

I’d be damned if Tawny got her claws on him.

I was stepping off the edge of the cliff, uncaring if I fell or if I flew. The point was to take the leap, and keep the faith.

“Elizabeth?”

I glanced over my shoulder. “Yes?”

“Kick that bitch’s ass.”

I kicked off my shoes and ran into the clearing. The grass was soft beneath the soles of my feet. I skidded to a stop in the soft dirt surrounding the pyre. The fire was intense and very bright. Unease shot through me. If I got too close, I’d turn into ash along with the alpha.

The mourners saw me first, and stopped chanting, obviously shocked to find a vampire within their midst.

The drummers stopped as soon as they noticed me, their expressions mirroring the surprise of the others, and moved to join the singers. Everyone’s gazes traveled from me to Tawny.

Tawny ceased her stripper routine and whirled around, her expression melding from mere annoyance to pure rage.

“You!” She marched toward me, jerking on the chain and forcing Tez to follow her. He yowled, reluctantly padding along behind her, his gold eyes glittering with fury. “This is a private funeral, and outsiders are not welcome. Tonight, I mourn the passing of our alpha, and my mate.”

“Don’t forget the part where you try to steal my mate,” I cried. “I issue the upendo challenge.”

The other women gasped, and Tawny’s gaze went wide. “You can’t. You are not were-cat.”

“She can,” said one of the singers. She looked like the youngest of the bunch, maybe sixteen or seventeen. Her hair was gold-blond and her eyes velveteen brown. She was too thin, and looked as delicate as china. Did the girl not eat? “Anyone can challenge you,” she said to Tawny. “If you refuse her, you forfeit the right to claim your new mate.”

Tawny did not like this news. It was apparent that she’d bullied everyone into the ritual, going so far as to incapacitate the second and his mate to get her way. She had kidnapped Tez, who’d already made it clear he wasn’t interested—in her or in the leadership of this were-cat pride.

“Fine,” she said. “I accept the challenge. Prepare for death, bitch.”

She yanked on the chain, and Tez protested even as he walked to sit beside her. She stroked the head of Tez, her fingers sifting through his fur possessively.

I wanted to punch her. Hard.
In the face. I couldn’t recall ever wanting to physically harm another being, but this girl caused within me a need to claw and scream and damage.

“Perhaps, Emma, since you’ve been so kind as to help a stranger keep our ways, you can ally with her.”

“Gladly,” said the girl. Emma joined me, her shoulders straight, her gaze refusing to turn away from Tawny. I applauded her bravery. I only wished she was wearing some clothing.

Her proud acquiescence only served to further infuriate Tawny. The bimbette turned to me and smiled hatefully. “She doesn’t seem to value her life. You see, if she chooses to align with you, then as soon as I’m done killing you, I get to kill her.”

“Well, aren’t you Little Miss Sunshine,” I said. “If you value your hands, you might want to take them off my jaguar.”

“See this?”—she dangled the chain attached to the jeweled collar; I could sense the power of the gold circle—“It’s old magick. Control the chain”—she yanked on it and Tez’s magnificent head was jerked forward—“and control the cat.”

I glared at Tawny as she continued to taunt both me and Tez with her ability to make him go hither and yon at her whims. I focused on the collar. It was definitely fairy gold, which was the only metal that could bind magical beings, and it had the persnickety quality associated with ancient pieces. I glared at Tawny even as I reached out to the gold, coaxing it to me, praising its beauty and strength. The best way to describe its response was like a snake awakening, its regal head turning toward mine as it uncoiled. I didn’t know if it would allow me to pet it or if it would strike.

Apparently, it wasn’t too enamored of Tawny’s control. It acquiesced to my power, and began to stretch into long, shining filaments. As the metal shifted in her hand, Tawny gasped and tried to recapture the chain.

But it was like shifting sand falling through her fingers, winding away from her grasp. It refused to be held by her.

Tez growled, his gaze swinging toward Tawny. The muscles rippled in his shoulders, causing his fur to ruffle all the way down his backside. I knew he wanted to pounce on the woman who dared to bind him. And he probably wanted to do much worse—like tear her throat out. I wondered how much the man controlled the impulses of the cat.

The morphing chain twisted into the air, waiting for my command. Then I knew exactly what to do.

“Bind her,” I commanded. “Form a chain around her neck. Connect manacles to her wrists and ankles.”

The gold eagerly obeyed me. It detached from Tez’s collar and flowed like water around Tawny’s neck.

“No!” she screamed. She tried to pull it away, but the gold outmaneuvered the panicked motions of her hands. It formed a solid circlet around her throat and then delicate loops sprouted from the middle, one after another, until the new chains were long enough to touch her wrists.

Tawny yanked her arms around from the persistent gold and tried to run, but Tez clamped his massive maw around her calf, and, obviously terrified he might chew off her leg, she stayed still.

The gold formed manacles, about two inches in width, around her wrists. Then more loops dripped from each bracelet until they touched her feet. The gold stretched around each ankle and solidified into cuffs twice as wide as those binding her wrists.

Tears dripped down Tawny’s face, and she stood there, mute, her expression pitiful. I wasn’t one bit sorry about her predicament. She was a selfish, cruel, man-stealing, big-breasted terror—and she deserved whatever fate she got.

“Well,” said Emma as she surveyed my handiwork. “I was going to tell you that most upendo challenges end with one of the participants being killed, even though a winner can be declared without the loser dying.” She glanced at me, her eyes twinkling with humor. “I was also going to offer you some tips about Tawny’s fighting weaknesses, and what to do if she shifted into her were-tiger form.”

“You mean I won?” I asked. “We didn’t even fight.”

“You challenged her,” said Emma. “Then you defeated her. That’s all that is required.”

“Oh.” I knelt down and Tez padded to me, and nuzzled me under the chin. Then he licked my face. “That tickles,” I said. Then I kissed him on the nose. He purred loudly.

“What happens now?” I asked, looking up at Emma. “Serri told me winning the challenge meant were-cat marriage.”

“The collar hasn’t been used in our pride in a long time,” said Emma. “It’s only used when the alpha chooses one mate and together they rule the pride. There is no second, and women are free to choose their own lovers.” She looked sad for a moment. “I’m sure you can imagine why it hasn’t been used. Rare is the alpha who only wants one woman.”

I thought about Trak and Serri, and how the collar might’ve benefited them. It was too late to offer it, though. I had made my choice.

“Its magick binds mates together for the rest of their lives,” said Emma softly. “Look.”