Feral Instincts (The Feral Series) (4 page)

“Ya,
I know, but he’s still my brother and speaking of brothers when is the last
time you heard from Ronan?” Daniel’s eyes flashed in defiance.

“That’s
different and you know it.”

“Ya,
how so? No one has seen him in years. He abandoned his pack. For all you know
he could have gone feral too.”

“Enough!”
With a snarl Teagan pulled Daniel away from the wall and shoved him down the
hall in front of him.

Seeing
Teagan’s claws beginning to extend and his eyes start to glow, Daniel knew he had
finally pushed him too far. Lowering his eyes to the floor in submission to his
future alpha he knew it was time to retreat.

“I’m
sorry man, it’s just talking about Darrin… he’s still my brother.”

“I
know. I get it, I really do.”

With
a deep sigh, Teagan walked to Daniel’s side and gave his shoulder a squeeze.
Dam Daniel always did know how to get a rise out of him. This was going to be
one long assignment. “Just watch your mouth around the vamps, okay?”

“Ya
sure.” Teagan turned and started walking down the hall towards their rooms.
Daniel followed behind while smoothing the wrinkles in his shirt that Teagan
had made with his fist. “Oh man. Now look what you did to my shirt, and I
looked so pretty too.”

Teagan
closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Please… let us have separate rooms.”

It
had turned out to be a chilly night as Ava drove home from work with the
windows cracked open and the heater on in her 65’ Volkswagen bug. She needed
the fresh air to keep her alert but wasn’t willing to freeze on her way home,
hence the heater blasting away. She was feeling a little drowsy after working
late and stuffing herself full of sweet and sour chicken. 

She
loved driving in her little car. Yes, it could use a little work but it ran
well and she didn’t live very far from Serendipity anyway. It really was a
beautiful fall night and she loved the feeling of the wind teasing her shoulder
length ebony curls. She sang softly to the song on the radio.

She
had ended up staying a little later than she had planned at Serendipity
tonight. They had changed the display around at least a dozen times before
Patrick was happy with it. They finally ended up setting it up the way it had
originally been on attempt number one. She had been ready to pull her hair out.
Next time she would just leave Kat and Patrick to fight it out on their own.

Not
liking the next song that came on she reached over for just a moment to change
the station. “Sorry Taylor Swift. I’m just a little burned out on “Love Story”
right now
.” Bleck.
Love story… right.
No love story for me
please.
Ava was boycotting men at the moment. She had finally given in to
Patrick’s demands that she simply must start dating again and foolishly let him
fix her up with one of the other shop owners in town. Eric Norris, what a
disaster that had been. What the hell had she been thinking, letting her gay
friend set her up on a blind date?

Okay,
granted, the man had been beautiful and he knew it too. She was certain that he
had spent way more time getting dressed for their date than she had. He was so
not her type, he was definitely more… well, Patrick’s type.

Patrick
was right though. She really should consider dating again. She hadn’t had a
serious boyfriend since… well, since her mother had died Ava thought with a
pang of sadness. The problem was she just hadn’t found anyone here in Eureka
Springs she was interested in. Then again, none of the men she had dated had
ever given her the kind of feelings you read about or saw in the movies.
Sometimes she worried there was something wrong with her.

She
had been in love once though, Ava remembered with a silly grin. She had been
twelve and he had lived next door. He had been an older man being all of
fourteen and two years older than she was. She had their whole wedding planned
and everything. The boy barely had known she existed and yet she had practiced
writing her married name, over and over. Mrs. Ava Marie Christenson.
Unfortunately at the end of the school year his family had moved taking her
crush with them.

Lost
in her own thoughts, Ava skipped around until she found a station that wasn’t
playing commercials. Glancing back at the road, Ava suddenly scream and slammed
on the brakes with both feet. Adrenalin and shock coursed through her body.
Standing in front of her in the headlights was the dark figure of a man.

Frantically,
she ground her foot down on the brake pedal with all her strength but it wasn’t
going to be enough. She was going to hit him! Where did he come from! He wasn’t
there a moment ago!

“Oh
no… no… no…” She yelled, as the little car began to skid, struggling to stop.
Why
did he not move! Did he want her to hit him? Surely he had seen her car coming!
Ava jerked the steering wheel to swerve around the crazy person standing in
the road, sending her car careening off the road and into the ditch. The front
of her little car smashed into a tree, throwing Ava forward into the
unforgiving seat belt and slamming her head into the steering wheel. Pain
exploded inside of Ava’s skull in a white explosion and she slumped sideways in
the seat slipping into unconsciousness.

The
dark figure watched the little car crash with disinterest. Focused on the tail
lights before him, Marco strolled over to the little car sitting in the ditch.
Reaching out he ripped the door off the side of the car with a flick of his
wrist and a screeching of metal. Slashing through the seat belt with one
extended claw, he carefully removed the unconscious girl from the wreckage.
Generous curves and warm skin weighted his arms. Immediately his fangs
lengthened and his eyes glowed red.

Looking
into the little female’s face, his eyes hungrily followed the crimson trail of
blood that was running down the girls pale cheek. He dug his nails into his
palms trying to get control. He knew even one taste of her could lead to his
execution at the hands of his master. He would have to resist the sweet call of
her blood.

His
master may be angered that the girl was a little bruised but overall everything
was going as planned. He quickly got into the back seat of the waiting car,
holding her limp form in his lap.

“Let’s
go. We need to be on our way before another car comes by. Have the men get rid
of her car and dispose of anyone else that comes by asking questions. Master is
expecting her and we don’t want to keep him waiting.”

The
black Mercedes tires squealed and then sped down the road. Marco looked at the
unconscious girl in his arms and resisted the urge to caress the satiny limbs
that were exposed by the bunched up hem of her dress. She was truly beautiful,
like Salvatore’s Ernestine had been. Salvatore had been very selective in
choosing this little female. Perhaps he would even take this one as his mate.

The
other women he had brought to Salvatore had been entertaining but disposable.
Salvatore had soon tired of them leaving Marco to get rid of their battered
bodies. Really he had just been biding his time until he found just the right
one. This little female was the only one so far that met his very particular
tastes. His master had seemed quite taken with her. Perhaps he would find this
one worthy of his dark gift.

Ava
was awakened by a horrible pounding in her head. Experimentally she cracked
open her eyes hoping it wouldn’t intensify the pain. For a moment everything
was blurry shadows. The last time she felt like this she and Kat had done a
girls night at Ava’s house and they had foolishly gotten the bottle of tequila
out.
What happened?
Her memory was like swiss cheese.

Carefully
Ava moved her arms to rub her eyes and froze at the sound of tinkling metal.
Running her fingers across her throat, Ava could feel a metal chain fastened
around her neck like a collar. Looking over her head, she followed the length
of chain from her neck to where it was bolted to the headboard of the ornate
four poster bed.
What?
Her throbbing head refused to process what she
was seeing.

Wait
a minute. How did she even get into a bed and whose bed was it? Ava had
awakened in a strange room chained to a bed.
What!?
The pounding of her
heart began to match the throbbing in her head.

Slowly
her memory started to return. She had been driving home and there was a man in
the road and she hit him with her car! No… wait. She didn’t hit him with her
car. She slid off the road and hit a tree. Then… nothing. How did she get here
and were exactly is here! Now that her battered brain was starting to function
again, she was starting to panic.

She
carefully sat up in the bed and the room started to spin. Holding her head on
with both hands she gulped back the nausea the movement caused. Ava ran her
hands over the chain trying to find a lock or latch to take the collar off but
couldn’t find anything. Frantically, she began pulling on the chain, trying to
get free but it didn’t budge. Her breaths coming out in short puffs she couldn’t
help the tears that started to glisten in her eyes.
Oh my god! What is
happening? Where am I! Should I call for help? What if whoever chained me up
comes instead!

Suddenly
the door to the room creaked as a dark figure opened it and walked into the
room. Every muscle in her body tightened as she struggle to peer though the
shadows as the man drew closer to the bed. Slowly his angular face was revealed
to her as he moved into the dimly lit room.

“Your
finally awake I see. I thought you would never wake up.” Salvatore walked over
and sat at the foot of the bed, his dark eyes greedily taking her in.

Ava’s
damaged head quickly tried to understand what she was seeing but none of this
made sense.  Was he them man that had been in the road? Had he set all of
this up to kidnap her?

“No.
Wait. Not you. You’re that man from the store. I don’t understand!” Ava moved
further away from him towards the head of the bed pulling her bare legs
underneath the hem of her dress as though the simple act could somehow hide her
from him.

“What
am I doing here? Let me go this instant! I know some very important and
powerful people and they are going to be looking for me. Unchain me right now!”
Ava tried to sound brave but the quiver in her voice gave her away.

“Now,
now my dear. Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. You only just got here. We are
going to have so much fun you and I. Besides, I happen to know you have no
family left and very few friends. No one will be looking for you. Really the
most important and powerful person you know is me.” Salvatore laughed at his
own joke, the sound of it made Ava’s skin crawl.

“Please…
please don’t hurt me. Just let me go. I won’t say anything to anybody. Please
just let me go.” Ava’s hated that she was begging but she didn’t know what else
to do.

“I’m
afraid I can’t do that love. You see, I actually really am, a very important
and powerful man. The problem is even very powerful men get lonely and bored. I
have been searching for a companion. It’s remarkable really how much you look
like her. You my dear, should feel very honored to have been chosen for this
position.” Ava felt her stomach clench in disgust at the hungry look in his
soulless eyes.

“As
perfect as you are love, there is just one problem. As a human you just
wouldn’t last very long. As my consort you must be a little… sturdier to
withstand all of my appetites. It would be such a waste really. You see, I like
to play a little rough. You my dear, will be staying with me indefinitely.
Therefore, you will need to be reborn before we can begin our relationship. If
you please me well enough I may even consider taking you as my mate.”

Salvatore
had been feeling generous with his new consort. Taking the time to explain
everything to her, but his patience was quickly coming to an end. Even her
scent called to him. It was amazing he had resisted her even this long. Finally
she was his. A feeling of possessiveness and delicious anticipation sang
through his veins.

“I
don’t understand! What does that mean?” The man was clearly insane. She had to
find a way out of there. Ava’s battered brain frantically searched something,
anything that might save her. Frantically she began yanking at the chain
keeping her trapped on the bed.

Ava
gasped as Salvatore’s eyes shifted from midnight black to blood red.
Red! He
had red eyes!
Grinning broadly he could feel himself harden at the fear he
sensed pouring off of her. His body hadn’t responded this easily to a female in
many years. Still smiling so she could clearly see his teeth, he laughed at her
horror as she watched his fangs begin to lengthen.

“What
are you?” Ava gasped.

“Oh
come now. Surely you have it figured out by now.” Salvatore looked at her as
though disappointed.

This
isn’t happening! This isn’t happening!
Ava’s mind rejected the
reality unraveling before her. She frantically resumed pulling at the chain in
earnest, tears of fright ran unchecked down her pale cheeks.

“Shhh.
Don’t worry love. It won’t hurt much.” Salvatore chuckled. “Well, actually,
that’s not true. It will hurt a lot.” Salvatore had thought to toy with her a
little longer but the scent of her fear was just too appealing. He could wait
no longer. “Yes, I think you will be a lot more fun after your transition.
Let’s get started shall we?”