The Gathering (12 page)

She looked back up at Sabriel. He was
watching her, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “Your eyes have
taken on a lovely shade, Ms. Ford. Not quite that of the wolf but
not exactly blue anymore.”

“Interesting,” she said, but not really
meaning it. “So, tell me what’s going to happen once the Collective
has me.”

“I’m not sure.”

“You’re not sure? How can you not?”

“Because I wasn’t told the particulars.”

He leaned back in his chair and nodded to her
plate. She wanted to refuse to eat until he’d spilled all his
information but she humored him and picked up her fork, pushing her
eggs around before taking a bite. “Okay, well, what about these
breed leaders… how many are there in the Collective?”

“Sixty-four active members. There are still
forty who are undecided and another thirty-three who are definitely
against the plan.”

Rayna stared at him wide-eyed. “I didn’t know
there were so many.”

Sabriel smiled. “The Breed leaders represent
a specific geographical area. The world is a large place, Ms. Ford.
The breeds number in the thousands. Without proper leadership, you
run the risk of interspecies wars. The leaders are the peacekeepers
that see things run smoothly. They act as judge and jury for their
kind. No one defies a Breed leader.”

“I see.” She took a few more bites of her
breakfast, thinking about what he’d said. For a bunch of ole
preternatural creatures, they’d organized themselves well.

Looking across the table, she motioned to the
other place setting. “Who are we expecting?”

“We’ll be meeting with Thaddeus Mears today.
You met him at Malcolm’s dinner party. He’s the Breed leader for
the cats in the north-east.”

“Cats?”

“WereLions, mostly, but he also oversees a
small pack of panthers that were left without a leader.”

Rayna tried to put a face with the name,
Thaddeus. She’d met so many people at Malcolm’s little party, none
of which she cared to remember. Well, no one but Sabriel, that is.
Him, she remembered. “And what is this man’s purpose in
coming?”

“To confirm I have you.”

She grinned. “What? They don’t trust you?”
The look on his face wasn’t pleasant. That terrible itchy feeling
covered her skin again and she knew her guess had been right. The
Collective, for whatever reason, didn’t trust Sabriel. Interesting,
she thought. “That must burn a bit, doesn’t it?” The prickling
caused her to gasp before he looked away. Once the sensation
stinging her skin vanished, Sabriel sighed.

“I apologize. I forget how sensitive you are
to my moods.”

“It’s all right.” She frowned over at him,
rubbing her arms. “I shouldn’t have teased you.”

The smile he gave her softened his features a
bit. Sabriel wasn’t old. Well if you just went by his appearance he
wasn’t. To look at him, he appeared to be in his early thirties.
He’d told her yesterday he’d lived for three hundred years. That
was quite a long time to still look exactly as you did the day you
died.

His complexion was still smooth, no wrinkles
appeared on his face and his lips were full and almost feminine in
appearance. His skin was pale but he didn’t look sickly. The mass
of dark hair framing his face, and falling to his shoulders, made
her think of pirates. In slacks and dress shirts instead of tight
pants and white ruffled shirts. He had a very roguish look about
him. Dangerous but sexy. She blinked as the last thought entered
her mind before looking away.

The sound of someone knocking on the door
drew her attention and she was happy for the distraction. She
watched the driver, Luther, walk to the door and recognized the man
on the other side of it immediately. She did remember him. He was
the man who had sat beside her at Malcolm’s party and said she’d be
lauded as a hero.

She’d disliked him then. Seeing him now
didn’t change her first impression. She still disliked him.

He was dressed in a dark blue suit, custom
made from the looks of it, and expensive. Like Malcolm, he had a
very distinguished air about him. She placed his age somewhere in
his mid to late forties. His hair was blonde and she couldn’t tell
if any gray lingered in the strands. A few wrinkles around his eyes
and mouth gave some of his age away.

The way he moved as he crossed the room
caught her attention. It was almost as if he were prowling. His
steps were slow, his stride a measured strut more than a casual
walk. It was amusing and a little bit alarming. He was a cat
shifter, Sabriel had said. Looking at him coming toward her, Rayna
could see it.

A glance at his face left Rayna feeling
uneasy. His smile looked genuine, but she could see a predator
hiding behind that peaceful visage. She shifted uncomfortably in
her seat and glanced at Sabriel when he stood, offering Thaddeus a
chair.

Once everyone was seated, the food on Rayna’s
plate didn’t look very appetizing anymore.

Thaddeus stared at her before chuckling. “I
didn’t believe you really had her, Sabriel. My apologies for not
trusting in you.” Sabriel inclined his head to Thaddeus but the
gesture went unnoticed. Thaddeus was too busy staring at her. “You
look well, Ms. Ford. Lycanthropy agrees with you.”

“I wish I could say I was enjoying it, but
I’m not.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows rose in surprise. “What’s
not to like?”

Rayna shrugged her shoulders. “Tormenting
pain, the thirst for things I’d rather not discuss, and fleas. Or
so I’ve heard.”

Thaddeus had a wonderful laugh. She had to
give him that much. It was the only thing that redeemed him in her
book.

His eyes sparked a brilliant amber, much more
vibrant than that of the wolf. “Beautiful and a sense of humor. The
world will love you, Ms. Ford.”

“Yes. Right before they see me morph into a
monster and shoot me on sight. I can hardly wait.”

“Sarcastic as well,” Sabriel added,
smiling.

Rayna shot him a look and pushed her plate
away. “Look. I’m really not up for pleasant conversation with
people who are about to make a very big mistake. I want to go home.
Now. Either let me go or I promise you, once Garrett finds out I’m
here, you’re in for a world of hurt.”

Thaddeus gave her a mocking smile. “I’m
afraid I can’t do that. And as far as Garrett is concerned, he
won’t find you before we’ve accomplished our goal. Once the world
knows we’re here, his vengeance will be for nothing.”

Rayna snorted a laugh. “I think I know him a
little better than you do, Mr. Mears, and trust me when I say, when
he comes for me, regardless of the fact I’ve shown the world your
little secret or not, he isn’t going to be happy. Pissed won’t even
begin to describe his mood when he learns you’ve kidnapped me.”

“And how will he know?” Thaddeus looked smug
and Rayna wanted to reach across the table and slap the smile off
his face. “From what I hear, you were leaving the mountain.
Besides, you’ll be in front of the media tomorrow. There isn’t time
for him to find you. Even if he did know we have you, Carmen will
see that he doesn’t make it in time. She can be very…
persuasive.”

At the mention of Carmen, the wolf slid
against her bones. Rayna knew then she’d been duped, in more ways
than one. The challenge Carmen issued her was undoubtedly a ruse.
She didn’t want to fight her as much as she wanted Rayna to tuck
tail and leave, which she’d done. She gritted her teeth at the
thought of playing into that bitch’s plan. She practically handed
Garrett to her and she might as well have sought the Collective out
herself. That had been Carmen’s ultimate goal.

She stared at Thaddeus, watching him smirk at
her, and wondered how she’d get out of this in time. She’d yet to
find a phone and if the Collective had plans for her to go before
the press tomorrow, she had little time to hope for a rescue.

Of course, her wolf couldn’t be called on
demand and the thought gave her a little hope. She smiled to
herself and crossed her arms in front of her on the table. “I hate
to be the one to burst your bubble, Mr. Mears, but you’ve got one
wrinkle in this plan you weren’t counting on.”

“And what’s that?”

“I’ve yet to shift. It’s going to be a little
hard to call my wolf when she hasn’t even been born yet.”

* * * *

Bryce stared at the door, counted to three
before knocking, and went inside. Lydia was still in the bed.

He sighed in relief. He didn’t want to talk
to her. Didn’t want her to look at him. He wasn’t sure why seeing
her left him feeling so… wired. He hated the sight of her, the very
thought of her being in the house, yet every time she looked at him
he felt mesmerized. He wondered again if the tales of vampire magic
were true. Could they really bespell someone with a look? Enthrall
a person with a single glance? Heal with a touch? At the moment, he
hoped it was true. It would explain things he didn’t want to think
about.

Carrying the mug to the table by her bed, he
sat it down and willed himself not to look at her. The mantra
worked for a whole two seconds. She shifted on the bed and without
much thought, he turned his head to where she lay.

She was staring up at him. His pulse leaped
to rapid life, his heart raced and when she sat up, her gown fell
off one shoulder and revealed the top of her breast. His entire
body tightened at the sight of her bare flesh.

The riot of curls that framed her face, and
fell in a blanket around her body, looked soft. The light spilling
in from the open door shined off her hair and his fingers itched to
touch it. He wanted to bury his hands in the strands and feel its
texture. To inhale the scent of it until he’d memorized every
nuance of her.

Looking back up at her face, he met her gaze,
and he felt that odd sensation again. His skin danced with warmth,
the feeling of something soft caressing his flesh, and he cleared
his throat before looking away. “I’ve brought you something to
eat,” he said, pointing to the mug on the table. She continued to
look at him and after long moments of staring at her, he turned and
walked back across the room. When he reached the door, he heard his
name.

It was a mere whisper and if it weren’t for
his keen sense of hearing, he’d never have heard her. He stopped,
one hand on the doorknob, and willed himself to turn around.

Lydia was standing by the bed, the oversized
gown she wore pulled back onto her shoulder. She looked so tiny, so
frail. “You don’t like me.”

His wolf slid against his flesh when she
spoke and a shiver raced up his spine. Her voice sounded like a
tinkling of glass chimes. It cut him to the core and even though it
was so soft he could barely hear it, the sound affected him as if
she were screaming. He cleared his throat to dislodge the lump
forming there. “I don’t like any vampire.”

“Why?”

“Long story.”

She smiled and the feeling of warmth in his
limbs increased. It felt as if he’d been touched. Goose bumps began
to pimple his skin, the sensation much like a lover’s caress on his
flesh, and it would have been so easy to fall for whatever magic
she was weaving over him.

He stared at her, wondering why she’d chosen
him to play with and hated her even more for not knowing. Whatever
magic trick she was using on him wasn’t amusing in the least. So,
why him? Was it because she’d bitten him? Because he was the one to
feed her?

Shaking himself, and the feeling’s she
produced, he met her gaze. “Judith has some clothes for you. She’ll
be up in a little while with them. Garrett has given his permission
for you to come out of your room. You’ll have free rein of the
house but the first person you try to make a snack out of, you’ll
meet the sun. Is that clear?”

She nodded her head and with an effort, Bryce
turned back to the door and walked out, pulling it shut behind
him.

He stood staring at the floor for long
minutes. What the hell was that girl doing to him and why?

The sound of footsteps drew his attention and
he shook himself free of his musings when he saw Judith top the
stairs. She smiled as she neared him, her arms loaded with
garments.

“Is she awake?”

“Yes,” he said. “I told her she was allowed
out of her room but keep your eye on her. I don’t trust her.”

Judith laughed. “She’s barely a threat to
anyone, Bryce. She’s still weak. It will be a while yet before she
has enough strength to be a danger to us.”

“Even still, watch yourself around her.
Vampires are tricksters. They know magic and they’re not afraid to
use it.” He knew that first hand.

He walked away with Judith’s light laughter
ringing in his ears. He knew then that Lydia had spun a spell on
Judith as well. If she hadn’t, why would the woman like her? Why
would anyone like a vampire? They were vermin and, in his opinion,
needed to be exterminated.

* * * *

Thaddeus didn’t look pleased. Rayna wanted to
laugh at the look on his face but refrained. No one had harmed her
yet but she wasn’t going to take any chances by pissing off a
Werelion and seeing if he’d be the first to take a swing at
her.

He was quiet for long moments before he
stood, walked across the room while reaching into his jacket
pocket. The cell phone he produced made Rayna want to jump to her
feet and wrestle him for it.

She looked over at Sabriel when she felt his
gaze on her. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said.

“Then why are you staring at me?”

He smiled and that tiny prickling skated
across her flesh again. His smile grew and she knew then, whatever
he was doing to make her feel things, he was doing it on purpose.
“Your news will upset the other Breed leaders.”

She shrugged. “Good.”

“Not for you. They won’t let you go, Ms.
Ford. Not until you’ve done as they wish.”