Dark War Chronicles Box Set One (65 page)

“Don’t dwell on it. The more you think about it the further away you’re going to push everything.” He brushed a hand over her cheek. “We’ll get it figured out.”

She wanted to nuzzle his hand, but stepped back. The smallest touches between them always warmed her and she felt like he could be telling the truth. They would figure out everything and things would be okay, but she couldn’t give into comforting lies. Mates, lovers, whatever they were considered, made you weak and caused problems. She’d seen it first-hand. Lucius had a love who had turned on him and having a mate is what drove Coran to assist Markus. Something Lucius should have killed him for.

But there was something about Kaden. She let her gaze shift to him, glad he couldn’t see her eyes through the sunglasses. What would Lucius say if she mentioned she wanted to be with Kaden? The vampire would probably lose his temper, to a point beyond Tegan’s ability to soothe.

“How about we eat?” She turned to the table that the food was laid out on. Kaden nodded and took a seat and Tegan did the same.

She put the sandwich down after a few bites and shook her head. “That’s all I can stomach.”

Kaden regarded her with a strange expression. “Did you...were you...fuck.” He seemed to struggled with finding the right phrase and ran a hand through his hair. “When was the last time you ate?”

She pressed her lips together. “I ate a few bites last night, but before that...before I went to the marketplace?” She shook her head. “Except we all know that’s not true.” She growled in frustration. “This is ridiculous!”

“It’s okay, Tegan.” Kaden turned towards her. “Your appetite is just impaired. I’m surprised even as Lucius’ bound human you could go that long without eating.”

He didn’t know what she was. She reminded herself of that and if he didn’t know then there was a reason Lucius kept the information from Kaden. “It’s not just the food. It’s everything. I want to be able to remember what happened. I feel...I feel like something important happened and I’m missing those memories. I feel like I betrayed Lucius.” And the thought made her sick. Had she betrayed the man who saved her life and cared for her? She rubbed her eyes under the glasses. “The fact that I can’t remember the simplest of things...”

He stood and knelt in front of her, taking her hands. “Tegan, somehow we’ll figure it out. You are stronger than you can ever imagine and have gone through so much. This is just another stone in your path. You just...have to have faith.”

She snorted. “A demon speaking of faith.” Yet, his words helped edge back the panic. “Why can’t I remember you?”

“I don’t know. When we first met...it’s outside the time frame that you are missing. So I don’t know.” He looked up and his face fell. “I was just—“

“I know what you were doing.” Lucius stated from the doorway, his voice like ice. Tegan stood.

“I was in a bit of panic. He wasn’t doing anything that crossed the line.” She went to Lucius, wanting to distract him from his anger towards Kaden. “I’m ready to go see my brother.”

Lucius put a hand on her shoulder. “Did you eat?”

“A bit, yes. Were you able to feed? Or do you need me?” She met his gaze through her glasses and something passed through his eyes. Had she not known better she would have said it was sadness.

“I’m taken care of. Let’s go.”

––––––––

K
aden used a portal to take himself back to his apartment after Tegan and Lucius left. There was no reason for him to stay at the property where he was only reminded of what he couldn’t have. Tegan. He never should have agreed to watching her, but his mating instincts wouldn’t let him get away with turning Lucius down. He hated that he could do nothing for her except hold her when she allowed. She felt their connection, she’d confirmed that when he walked into the media room and she knew it was him.

He closed his eyes and imagined the way her soft hair felt against his skin, the way she curved against him and his cock throbbed. There had been a few times over the centuries he allowed himself release, but nothing could satisfy him as he imagined Tegan could. His mate.

“What on earth are you thinking about?” Cael’s voice entered his room again as she stepped out of a demon portal.

He growled. “None of your business. What are you doing here? I thought we finished our discussion.”

“I want to know what is keeping you here. From the look on your face I would say a woman. An untouchable one, if I know the way your luck works.”

He snorted and sat on his bed. Taking his boots off, he didn’t meet her gaze. The knowledge of Tegan being his mate was one he couldn’t trust with his own sister. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I stay because I don’t want to lose my head to Aristides.”

“He won’t—“

“That’s what you think. If he doesn’t then someone else will. I’m not safe there, besides this is where I belong.” He couldn’t leave, not without Tegan.

She shook her head. “You’re hiding something from me and I don’t like it.”

“You haven’t seen me in five hundred years.” He rubbed his eyes and laid back on the bed. “You haven’t sought me out, you haven’t given me the light of day since I killed that bastard.”

She huffed. “Because I was scared, what was I supposed to do? Run away from my mate and go with you because you saved my life?”

Well, he would have preferred that since he hated her mate, but there was no need to point that out. “You could have come visit me, at the very least.”

“You don’t understand, you never have.”

“Don’t give me the same story that you’re scared of Aristides because I know you are much more powerful than him. So am I, and if he wasn’t your mate, I’d have killed him by now.” Kaden said honestly and closed his eyes. “Now if you don’t mind, I need some sleep before I have to go back to work.”

“And who are you working for, Kaden?”

He snorted. “You won’t like it, so I’m not sharing.”

Silence followed and her presence left the room. He chuckled. He knew exactly what was going on and he wasn’t going to fall for it. No, he was staying right where he was. He yawned, the long day and late night with Tegan taking its toll on him. He let himself drift to sleep, keeping his thoughts focused on Tegan.

Tegan walked over the frozen ground of the cemetery. The place felt familiar to her, but she didn’t remember the location. Lucius kept a hold of her hand as he guided her. Memories started to flicker in her head, coming here and finding the resting place, she frowned. Shaking her head, she tried to fight off the memory, not wanting to deal with the pain.

“Tegan?” Lucius’ voice cut through.

“I’m okay. Let’s keep going.” She continued to hike up the hill and stopped only when Lucius did.

She studied the mausoleum. The square concrete miniature building stood on the top of a hill. Two stairs led up to a small sheltered porch with white pillars that held up the oversized roof. Vines grew around the pillar giving the place an eerie vibe. The arched doorway held a place with DeBeau imprinted on it.

The cold wind swept around Tegan and she shivered. Pulling her jacket tighter she started to approach the stairs. Something shifted to her left and a man in black stepped around the corner. Lucius appeared in front of her, blocking her.

The man held his hands up. Tegan frowned and took in his appearance. Black clothes, sandy blonde hair, probably early forties, maybe younger. “Joey.” He’d been at the Hunter’s Hospital talking to the doctor. “Lucius, he’s not here to hurt us.”

“I don’t know that.” Lucius growled. “What are you doing here? How did you know to come here?”

Joey took a deep breath. “When Danielle worked for us, she sent us a picture of Tegan in front of this tomb. That was before she met you and Orion.” He glanced at Tegan then to Lucius. “Originally it was thought that Tegan was a donor. She owns a bar that caters to mostly vampires, she was always around one of your kind. When Danielle abandoned her mission, I was passed all her information to find an appropriate Hunter.”

“Which brings you here?” Lucius asked.

Tegan shook her head. “No, he’s protecting us. He didn’t hand it over to his superiors because he knows who is in there.”

“Exactly, I swore to Danielle that I wouldn’t betray the information she found. So I came to check it out myself. Alexander—“

“Danielle’s master.” Lucius clarified.

“Was buried about a mile from here. He’s no longer there, so I thought I’d come over here. I don’t know who is in there, but I can pick up a faint brain pattern. Something that is stirring, and that is how I figured out Danielle was right. That it is an Original that lays here, which means that Tegan is his keeper.”

Tegan shook her head. “No, I’m not. Zaaren doesn’t have a keeper.”

“Tegan...” Lucius warned and she knew he thought she’d given too much information.

“He already knows, he himself is not exactly human. He can...pick information out of people’s minds.”

Joey looked like she had struck him. “How do you know that? Other than the comment I just made.”

“The way you responded to people at the hospital. The way you worked with me, you knew exactly what I feared while you were in there. While everyone was in there. You are why the doctor released me.” She shook her head. “You are not an enemy to us. Not right now.”

Joey nodded. “Hunter protocol demands that I turn this information over, but I won’t. Danielle trusted me with the information and honestly, whatever shit storm is coming, I don’t want to be dragged into it.”

“Tegan, go check on Zaaren. I wish to speak to Joey about Alexander.” Lucius gave her hand a reassuring squeeze then let her go.

She went up the steps and opened the door, slipping in without giving Lucius another look. If Joey had a death wish that was his own fault. She closed her eyes and didn’t hear any sounds from outside, no screaming human. Lucius must have wanted to speak to him about Danielle’s master...not that she could remember who Danielle was. Or Orion. Pain pounded in her head and she put a hand against her throbbing skull.

With a deep breath she banished the thoughts from her head and looked at the coffin in front of her. Zaaren. When had been the last time she’d seen him awake? Right before she went out with Trisha, he got on to her about something, something so trivial now. Then he left her. According to Lucius, Zaaren went to sleep only a month after Markus took her. Abandoning his search for her.

Anger filled her, had he tried harder he could have found her. Could have known where Markus kept her. Zaaren was an Original, the Circle feared him, but he let her stay there, not even bothering to search for her. She gripped the coffin lid, tossed it open and glared down at him.

She’d expected him to have started rotting, but no, something about the sleep and his soul kept him looking fine. As if he was just napping. His hair was white like hers because he interrupted the spell that changed her in an attempt to stop it. His pale skin held a gray tone and she knew he needed to feed. She could feel it. Unlike a sleeping human, there was no rise and fall of his chest.

“You left me and hold no doubt that I am angry at you.” She whispered to him. “From what I understand, last time I heard this news I tried to stab you. You selfish bastard. But I need you right now. Zaaren, there is something wrong with me and the two people who can fix it are you and Markus. I refuse to go back to that monster.”

I can’t go back to that monster.
A memory flashed in her mind and a phantom pain at her neck, the flood of panic from being pinned to the floor. She shook her head. “Please Zaaren, I know you can hear me. I need you to wake up. Lucius can only do so much. I need you.” She wiped a tear off her cheek with an angry motion. “How dare you leave me when I needed you.”

She slammed the coffin lid shut and turned to leave the tomb. There was no sign of him waking, no subtle heartbeat, no breathing, and no sense of her brother. This was a waste of time.

Tegan walked out with a sigh and met Lucius. “I’m ready to go home.”

“Any signs of him rising?”

She shook her head. “No and I can’t help that I’m angry with him again.” Running her fingers through her hair she stepped down the stairs. “You and Joey figure it out?”

“Yes, but now I’m afraid we have other problems on our hands. Alexander is either loose in my territory or he’s found someone to take him in. That puts Orion’s mate in danger.”

Tegan shrugged. “Is he part of your territory?”

“He was and he remains an ally to us.” Lucius guided her back out of the graveyard. “So I need to at least warn him.”

Tegan tried to focus on the image in her head that came at Orion’s name, but it was unfocused, fuzzy where the face should be. A chill ran over her and she sensed something. Panic crawled through her, her heart hammered in her chest and her breath caught. A memory assaulted her and her world spun. Chains on her arms and legs, holding her to a table while vampires swarmed around her. The pain of being fed from when there weren’t powers to dull the pain.

Her stomach lurched and she put a hand to it, trying to keep the small amount of food she’d eaten down.
I cannot go back to that life.
The thought struck her hard. Why were these images from the past haunting her?

“Tegan?” Lucius asked and turned to her.

She swallowed and shook her head. She couldn’t have him near her right now, not with memories like this fresh in her mind. “Don’t touch me, please sir.” She ground out and tried to breathe through her panic. Closing her eyes she tried to conjure up other images, the first one coming to mind was Kaden.

If he had been there he would be able to sooth her. Everything bad seemed to go away when he was near. She could almost feel the warmth of him wrapped around her and his fingers smoothing her hair away from her face. Something in her heart ached at the idea of him not being there to help with this, but just the thought of him chased the ghosts of the past away.

“Tegan?” Lucius ask again.

She opened her eyes and nodded. “I’m okay. I’m sorry, just...I was hit by a memory and the panic overwhelmed me.”

Worry crossed Lucius’ face, his brows drawing together, before his face became a blank mask once more. “Let’s get you home so you can rest.”