ShadowsofNight (12 page)

“I know you’re protecting him, and that’s got me very concerned
about your presence of mind—or lack thereof.”

Shut up, Em. Don’t let him bait you with his temper.
Whatever you do, stay calm. Breathe…
“It feels more like jealousy than
concern to me.” She kept her voice even.

“You’re damn right I’m possessive of you. I hear those
creatures like to fuck their victims while they suck them dry. It’s sick. I can’t
believe you’d protect a scumbag like that.”

“Who’s your source?”

“You read the reports.”

“I don’t remember anything in
his
that indicated he
raped his victims while he fed.”

“And you don’t believe he’s capable of it? Why, because he’s
a pillar of society, is that it?” he mocked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, everything I’ve learned about him
points to that exact conclusion.” She gave him a dismissive once-over, disgusted
with his abuse of power.

“He’s not a man, Em.”

“Yes, he is, and a good one too. Maybe he’s not human, but
in my opinion it doesn’t matter.” She’d had enough of his shit. He’d know the
truth soon enough anyway. She just had to keep her feelings for Christian under
wraps for now.

He grabbed her by the shoulder. “Have you seriously lost your
mind?”

“Let go of me and drive before we get into an accident!” She
shoved him away.

Cain looked extremely pissed as he gripped the steering
wheel. They pulled up in front of the compound gates and a guard motioned them
through. “You and I are going to have a chat later, alone,” he growled. “This
discussion is far from over.”

Emma bristled at his threat but said nothing more. She was
too worried for Christian to care about what he meant by that last statement.
Instead, her mind was trying to come up with some sort of a plan as the SUV
followed the van into a garage.

Emma fought hard to keep her emotions in check. Losing her
cool wouldn’t help the situation. She climbed out of the SUV just as Christian
emerged from the van. Her breathing picked up and her heart began to race when
their eyes met. His nostrils flared, as if he sensed her reaction.

Then his jaw clenched angrily and he quickly looked away.

I never meant for this to happen. Please forgive me.
She closed her eyes in despair.

Christian climbed out of the van and quickly looked around
for Emma, and found her standing next to a black SUV with the bastard named
Cain. She glanced at him with worry in her eyes as Cain approached him. Lust wafted
from the man’s skin and Christian knew the ass wanted his mate.

Were they lovers?

Christian bit back a growl and had to look away to remain
calm. He didn’t want to go there. Now wasn’t the time for pathetic jealousy.
He’d keep his cool, even though his instincts wanted nothing more than to rip
the human’s head clean off his shoulders and beat him with the bloody lump for
even
thinking
about touching what was his.

“Move, asshole,” Cain barked as he walked toward him.

Christian didn’t respond to his order. He stood there
silently. Violence continued to seep into his veins and the urge to kill this
pathetic human was building. His hands clenched into fists as he drew air into
his lungs and held it, trying to calm the rage that threatened to escape.

“Don’t like taking orders from me? Well, you’d better get
used to it, bloodsucker.”

“Why don’t you try saying ‘please’?” Christian suggested.

Cain got close to his face. “The only reason you’re still
sharing our air, you piece of shit, is because my superiors want to have a word
with you. Personally, I’d like to eradicate your ass from existence.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” Christian smirked, ready to say to
hell with it and break his oath.

“This isn’t part of the plan, Cain.” Emma tried to be the
voice of reason and step in between them before it got ugly. She was grabbed by
one of the other members of her team, who pulled her back.

Cain reached for a crossbow and pointed it at Christian’s
chest. “I oughta drop you right here and now for the snow job you’ve done on
her.”

One of Marcus’ Sentinels appeared at Cain’s side and
disarmed him before he could blink, turning the weapon on him instead.

Christian smiled. “I’d say
that’s
not going to happen.”

“Call your men off,” Marcus ordered Cain, “or you all die. It’s
your choice.”

“‘You’d be wise to take his generous offer, because if it
were up to me, I’d eradicate you and your entire team from of existence,”
Christian said, throwing Cain’s threat back at him.

“Fuck you. Shoot these assholes and get backup down here!”
Cain barked.

“It’s your funeral.” Christian’s fist shot out, knocking
Cain back hard. He stumbled and Christian seized him by the throat, lifting him
off the ground.

Cain kneed him in the chest, breaking his hold. “I think you
got this one all wrong, freak.” He leveled his Glock at Christian’s face.

“No!” Emma screamed, kicking the gun out of Cain’s hand and
knocking him to the ground as backup entered the garage and all hell broke
loose.

“Are you
serious
? He’s the fucking enemy!” Cain
glared at her.

“Not to me, he isn’t. I won’t let you kill him! He could
help us.”

“It’s not your choice.” He jumped to his feet and swung,
slamming his fist into her jaw. Her head rocked back and she hit the ground,
sliding backward on her ass from the force of the impact.

Christian bared his fangs and charged, eyes flashing in
anger. The two males collided and hit the floor. Christian’s fist flew at Cain,
knocking him unconscious with one punch. He was about to finish him off when he
heard Emma scream. He looked over and saw her fighting with a Sentinel named
Gage. She head-butted the vampire and jumped to her feet. The move only slowed her
attacker for a second before he grabbed her around the throat and lifted her
off the ground.

“Shit!” He dropped Cain and traced toward them, his nails
elongated, ready to strike if necessary. Emma was a damn good fighter, but no
match for a Sentinel.

“Don’t hurt her, Gage! She’s with me,” he tried to explain.

“I was told she’s one of them,” Gage replied.

“She’s not. Now let her go right now or else,” he snarled.

“Enough!” Marcus shouted. “Release the female to him.”
Marcus waved his hand at the Sentinel.

“Yes, Master.” He eased his grip around her neck and took a
step back. Christian caught her before she hit the ground and pulled her
against him. Emma coughed hard.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Emma nodded, trying to catch her
breath.

“Thank you for coming,” Christian said as Marcus approached
them.

“She must be important to you to risk all these lives. You
should’ve come to me immediately with the information you’ve learned about this
female, Christian. I’m told she’s a spy for a contractor who was hired by the government,”
Marcus said.

“She’s
very
important to me.” Christian tensed,
preparing to flee with her if necessary.

“May I speak?” Emma interrupted.

Marcus leveled his gaze at her. “What is it, Miss Hayes?
That
is
your real name?”

“Yes, it is.” Christian watched Emma survey the scene with a
shocked expression. Probably because every single agent who had entered the
garage was on the floor, unconscious. The cameras were also dismantled, and
he’d bet money Marcus had made sure every single human inside the building had
been neutralized.

“Christian disobeyed a direct order because of you, Miss
Hayes. Normally I don’t allow that behavior amongst my Hunters, but it appears
he was compelled because of his connection to you.”

“You’re right, he was, and I also learned during my time
with him that you’re not the enemy, and that there are others out there the
taskforce needs to worry about.” She turned to face Christian. “I’m sorry about
all of this…about everything.”

“It’s okay.” Her warmth and her heartfelt admission calmed
some of the anger inside him, replacing it with relief. He drew her closer, holding
her against him.

“Get your fucking paws off her!” Cain stumbled to his feet.

“Restrain that one,” Marcus ordered.

“
No.
That motherfucker is a dead human. He lusts
after what’s
mine
.” Christian pulled away to go after him.

“I’ll take care of it,” Marcus intervened. “Raven, scrub the
human’s memories.”

Raven nodded, tracing toward Cain.

“Get the fuck away from me!” Cain sputtered with rage.

“Sleep,” the vampire said in a melodic voice. Cain’s eyes
rolled back and his large body crumpled forward. Raven knelt next to him and
placed his hands on the human’s temples. “He’ll remember nothing of these
events. None of them will.”

“Good. Make sure none of the humans in this facility do
either. Erase all trace of our presence here. Take Gage and Roman with you, and
be quick about it.”

“Yes, my lord,” Raven replied.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Emma whispered.

“Exactly what it sounds like, they’ll wake with a nasty
headache and wonder how they ended up in the garage.” Christian looked down at
her.

“Tell me, Miss Hayes, why were the humans spying on us in
the first place?” Marcus asked.

“Uh, my superiors learned of your existence, and wanted to
find out if you were the cause of a recent tide of disappearances and killings.
Mr. Voss’ name came up and I was sent in to gather intel.” She met his
scrutinizing gaze.

“And what did you uncover?” He raised an eyebrow.

“That your coven doesn’t hunt humans for prey, which was
rumored. I didn’t have an opportunity to do much digging before my cover was
blown. However, I’m confident you’re not the bad guys. I believe we can
probably work together to put an end to all of this. If you will permit me to
speak with my superiors, I think I—”

“Not possible,” Marcus stated. “The ones who hunt humans
have no intention of changing their ways, and quite frankly, if your government
was smart, it would stay out of our way, because we are the only barrier
between you and the true enemy. Let’s go before these humans wake and we have
to scrub their memories again.” He started to gather weapons and sweep the
scene.

“I disagree with you. But I’m relieved you’ve decided not to
kill them.”

Marcus paused. “We don’t kill humans unless it can’t be
avoided. Shall we?” He held out his hand to her.

“No, I’ll take her,” Christian replied.

“You will return to the compound. Not your estate.” Marcus
gave him a look that meant it wasn’t a request and disappeared from view.

He glanced at Emma. “We should go.”

“Where…his compound?” He could see apprehension in her
expression.

“Just close your eyes and trust me.”

She nodded, doing as he asked.

“Now give me your hands…”

The sudden sting of pelting rain against Emma’s face greeted
her as she opened her eyes to dark, angry skies. “W-where are we? Damn, it’s
pouring out here.” She shivered. “Why didn’t you poof us inside, instead of out
here in this downpour?”

He grinned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t
trace
past those
gates up ahead. There’s a barrier that prevents it. Come on, we’ll have to do
it the old-fashion way and make a run for it.” He grabbed her hand again and
they ran toward the iron gates that led into the compound, making their way to
a large stone structure similar to Christian’s home.

“I feel like a drowned rat.” Emma stared at her sweats,
which were completely soaked. She hoped for a hot shower in her near future and
maybe some dry clothes, but at this point, she wasn’t going to hold her breath.

Christian knocked on the door and a petite female with
delicate features and a slender build answered. “Hello, Christian, come in.”
She stepped aside to let them pass.

“Thanks, Lena,” he replied.

“You’re welcome.” She closed the door behind them.

“Do you have a towel I can use so I don’t drip all over your
floor?” Emma asked.

“Certainly, warm yourself by the fire and I’ll get you both one.
It’s through there.” She disappeared.

“Who’s that?” Emma’s teeth chattered.

“That’s Lena. She’s Marcus’ mate.” He took her hand in his.
“Shall we?”

“Yes.” Emma wasn’t about to argue. She followed him through
a massive entry into a living room. The décor appeared to be from a different
era. Artwork adorned the walls and a large oriental rug covered the floor. The
place was elegantly furnished, with decorative metalwork and even a suit of
armor standing proudly next to the hearth. He led her over to the flickering
flames, warmth immediately penetrating the chill that racked her body.

“Here you go.” Lena reappeared and handed them both a towel.

“Lena, this is Emma,” Christian introduced.

“Nice to meet you.” Emma held out her hand.

Lena smiled and shook it. “Likewise.”

“Is Marcus in his study?” Christian gave her back the towels.

“Yes, he’s waiting for you. He did ask if he could speak
with you privately though, if that’s all right.”

“She comes with me.”

He was being protective, which Emma found sweet but
unnecessary. “Just go, Christian, I’m good right here.” She was happy to
continue thawing out in front of the fire. She didn’t want to hear any more
right now. Her life had suddenly shifted to an unknown future that she needed time
to come to terms with.

“Are you sure?” He placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Yeah, I’m good.

“Then I’ll be right back.”

He brushed a kiss on her forehead. It was such an intimate
gesture that it made her heart squeeze.
Boy, this is nuts. Don’t think about
it now.

“Okay.” She focused her attention on the fire.

* * * * *

Christian traced into the study and found Marcus standing by
the fire, watching it intently. “You wanted to speak with me?”

“Indeed. Why didn’t you inform me about the girl when you
first discovered she wasn’t who she appeared to be?”

“Emma is my blooded-mate, and don’t pretend you aren’t aware
because we both know better.” Christian crossed his arms over his chest. “I
couldn’t allow anyone to harm her. You know that.”

“Has she decided to bond with you?” Marcus grabbed the poker
and began to stoke the red embers, then placed another log on to burn.

“No, not yet. She has an aversion to the idea of being my
mate because her parents were murdered by a Rogue when she was a child. I can’t
say that I blame her. My plan is to find their killer. Maybe if I can bring her
closure, she’ll change her mind about bonding with me.”

“Interesting. So it appears she knows nothing then,” Marcus
mumbled as he continued to stare at the fire.

“I’m not following you. Do you know something about her
parents’ murderer?” Christian took a step forward.

“Yes. After the fiascos at your office and your home, I did
some research into the girl’s background. What I found was…unexpected. Then I dug
even deeper, and used some less-than-savory ways to gather information on this
young woman.”

“It can’t be any worse than what I’ve already learned. A
government spy’s bad enough.”

“I didn’t say it was bad, just unexpected. Christian—the
first thing you need to know about her is that she’s not fully human.” Marcus
glanced at him.

He gasped in disbelief. “What are you talking about?” That
didn’t make sense.

Marcus moved to his desk and took a seat, and gestured for Christian
to follow. He slumped into the chair across from Marcus, suddenly feeling tired.

“Emma is very special, Christian. She is known in our world
as a dhampir, or half-blood.”

“She’s human. There’s nothing to indicate the other. You
must be mistaken.”

“Here’s the information I’ve gathered. It appears the
vampire who killed her family wasn’t after
them
. He was searching for
Emma. I also think the reason you don’t scent her half-blood side is because
she hasn’t gone through her change, so technically she’s still human, but
probably not for long is my guess.”

Christian grabbed the folder and sifted through the file,
reading the information Marcus had compiled on his mate. “Unbelievable. She’s
not going to be happy when she learns this. Oh man…” He dropped the file on the
desk and rubbed a hand down his face.

“At least she doesn’t have to face this alone and you’ll be
there to see her through the change, which I understand is much more difficult
for a half-breed.”

“Do you have any idea when?” Christian didn’t know how to
feel about this new information. Mainly because he already knew Emma wouldn’t
take it well.

“To be honest, your mate is quite an anomaly. In my opinion,
it should’ve already happened by now.” Marcus looked at him with concern in his
eyes.

“God, she thinks she’s human.” He stared at the ceiling.

“It’ll be a shock, I’m sure. However, you need to tell her
what’s coming. The change will be scary if she’s not expecting it.”

“Wonderful,” he sighed, rising from his chair.

“There’s more…and it’s not good.”

“What now?” he growled, sitting back down.

“The vampire who killed her mother leads the Dracus Coven in
Greece. His name is Dorian. He believes Emma belongs to him, and he’s been
keeping tabs on her. I’ve been told he seeks her even now.”

“She doesn’t belong to him,” Christian bared his fangs, “and
she certainly wouldn’t want him. He killed her fucking parents for Christ’s
sake.”

“He may not see it that way. I’ve been informed the pairing between
them was arranged. I’m afraid the Dracus Coven lives by a different set of
rules then we do. I haven’t been given all the details.”

“What parent in their right mind would make such a pact?”

“Emma’s mother was human and had mated with Vladimir
Glazkov, who led one of Northern Eurasia’s most powerful clans. She conceived a
child with him before she was transformed, which is rare, from what I know of
human-vampire conception. Soon thereafter, Vladimir went to war with Dorian’s
clan and they were losing the fight. In order to restore peace, Vladimir
promised his unborn daughter to Dorian when she became of age. He’d hoped by
uniting the two clans, the feud between them would end.

“It seems Dorian was intrigued by the fact that the child
was a half-blood, and agreed to the arrangement. However, when Emma’s mother
learned what her mate had done, she fled to the States to protect the child
from Dorian. That’s all I know. The story is sketchy and there are many holes
in the details. I’m still trying to piece it all together. Your mate’s past is
shrouded in mystery, Christian, and the little I’ve uncovered may or may not be
true. I’ll keep you posted if I learn more.”

“I’ve never heard of this Vladimir, or anything about his
clan, and you know I’m familiar with most of the factions because of our
business dealings.” Something about the story sounded off to Christian, but he
let it go for now.

“Neither have I, which further lends to the possibility the
whole tale could be false. I’m still digging.”

“Does anyone know what became of her father or whether
Vladimir ever tried to seek out his wife and daughter?”

“He apparently was killed. Probably by Dorian, is my guess.”

“What does Dorian want with her anyway? She’s obviously not
his blooded-mate, so why is he wasting his time?”

“It’s not about finding his mate. More than likely, he wants
to breed with her so his offspring won’t be bound to the shadows.”

“A forced bonding? This is crazy. I’m not sure how I’m going
to start this conversation.” He rose once more and made his way to the door,
feeling the walls closing in. Would Emma even believe him?

“I thought it would be best coming from you, that’s why I
met with you in private first.”

“Thanks. I’ll speak with her.” He sighed, trying to decide
how best to approach the subject.

“We’ll help you protect her if it’s your wish to make her
your mate.”

“I hadn’t intended to be with her again because the urge to
bite her was so strong. Now everything’s changed and I have to convince her
somehow that biting her is okay? ‘Hey, babe, let me sink my fangs into you
because you’re going to change anyway.’ Yeah, like that’s going to work. She’s
not going to go for it, and I don’t think I can resist anymore. Besides, I’d
feel like a real shit after I promised her I wouldn’t take her humanity. Do you
understand the nightmare I’m about to face?”

“Here, let her read this.” Marcus stepped around the desk
and handed him Emma’s file. “Maybe it will help convince her. Don’t worry about
the rest, when the time for transformation happens, she’ll come to you,” he offered
with a small smile.

“Keep it. I need to process this before I drop a bomb in her
lap.” Christian ran a hand through his hair.

“The file’s here on my desk. In the meantime, I want you two
to remain at the compound. The Sentinels will keep watch.”

“Why?”

“Dorian is well-connected in our circles. He has spies
everywhere and it won’t be long before he hears of the attack on your residence
by the humans. News travels fast among our kind, and there’s no telling whether
he’s been keeping tabs on the girl this whole time. I suspect he has.”

“Then why didn’t he take her when he had the chance?” None
of this made sense.

“Who knows?” Marcus pressed his lips together.

“If that bastard shows up, I’ll kill him.”

“Dorian is a very powerful vampire. You are no match for him
alone.”

“I can handle myself.” Just because he didn’t fight all the
time didn’t mean he’d lost his edge.

“I’m not denying your strength or valor, Christian, but
Dorian was trained in Greece. He was a Spartan captain who fought in the Peloponnesian
War. He’s never lost a fight. Ask Roman. He knows him well. He served under him.”

Christian didn’t care who he was. He’d stop him if it came
down to it.

“You can’t protect her if you’re dead.”

“I’ll show her the file. But I still don’t think she’s going
to believe me when I tell her all these things.”

“You’ll just have to convince her somehow.” He gave him a
sympathetic look.

“What if your sources are wrong and she really
is
human?”

“Has she mentioned a burning sensation below the surface of
her skin?”

“She’s got a tattoo that symbolizes her inner fire. It’s a
dragon, but I don’t believe there’s any connection.”

“Then your guess is as good as mine. We’ll all find out
together if my sources were correct. But if she’s a half-breed, and the change
is
coming, the craving for sexual release will grow more intense when it hits, so
I wouldn’t leave her alone. Otherwise she’ll become vulnerable to other males.”

“I won’t leave her.” He was becoming anxious already and
he’d only been gone a short time.

“Christian, I understand that you’ve bonded with this female
emotionally, but if she doesn’t accept you as her mate, there’s a lot at stake
here. Dorian’s Coven is very powerful.”

“I know she has feelings for me.” He didn’t give a damn what
he had to do to protect her—whether she wanted him or not.

“You know, you still have a choice in all of this. We all do,
Christian. The desire will always be there, but you can still decide not to go
through with the bonding. As a male, the compulsion is much stronger for you than
it is for a female.”

“She’s mine. I must go.”

Suddenly apprehension and dread crawled up his spine. What
if Emma refused him and chose Dorian instead? What if she was meant to be with another
male?

No. He would kill anyone who tried to take her from him.

He traced from the room to find Emma.