Vaewolf: Damn the Darkness: The Prophecy's Promise (Hearts of Darkness Book 3) (12 page)

Victor said, “Don’t worry. Julian doesn’t look anything like he used to. You should be worried he’ll attack before he realizes who you really are.”

Dylan chuckled, knowing Kyle was a little off most of the time due to a mixture of his aggressive DNA strains of blood. He walked a fine line between aggression and kindness. The surgeon in him, and his mate Shelby, balanced the jaguar, the wolf, the demon, and the vampire.

“Let’s get inside before Kyle gets here,” Shelby suggested and herded everyone inside the big house.

No sooner had the last body settled in the den, when the doorbell rang. Dylan went to the door and to his surprise, Kyle was waiting outside with Caitlin. He frowned. “Uh, come in. Everyone’s in the den.”

Dylan pulled Caitlin aside. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

“I want answers, too. Kyle said he was heading over here, and I’m feeling fine for the moment.”

They caught up with Shelby then entered the den together. Everybody was already seated, but Kyle didn’t miss a beat. He immediately went up to Julian, picked him up into a great big bear hug, and swung him around—not an easy feat considering Julian was probably well over close to six and a half feet tall and built like a Mack truck.

“I guess the surprise took care of itself.” Shelby said with a wide grin.

“How did you even recognize Julian?” Max asked. “Based on your old description, he’s totally different.”

Kyle clapped a big hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “I would recognize the scent of his blood anywhere. I’ll never forget it. Julian saved my life, gave me his blood for crying out loud, hooked me up with Victor and a local blood donor, and hid me from Amyra. How could I ever forget him?”

Julian wiped his eyes. “You saved my family, my village. You sacrificed yourself for us. I did so little—”

“You did everything.” Shelby went over to hug the young man, too.

“Yes and we’re pleased you came,” Dylan said. “I hate to ask you this as soon as you’ve arrived, but we can sure use some expertise in the jaguar shifter arena. We’ve had some problems around here lately.”

“I’d be honored to help in anyway.” Julian emphasized, anyway.

“We appreciate it, lad. Here then, we’ll drink to it.”

Kyle took the drink out of Julian’s hand and gave it to Max. “Get the kid a beer. Hard liquor, your good stuff—” He pointed at Dylan. “—will knock him on his ass before he gets to the bottom of the glass. Julian, stick with the beer. I recommend you build up a tolerance to this stuff.”

The laughter filled the room and soon everyone began talking and asking questions at once. Caitlin was sticking to Shelby and Isobel. Dylan asked Garr to play host for a few minutes and pulled Victor Salazar aside.

“Thank you for coming to our rescue. There are times when I think Niccolai made a mistake choosing me to run things until Jackson takes over.”

“Niccolai is incapable of making a mistake of that magnitude. You must trust the great vampire knew what he was doing when he recruited you.”

Dylan released a long pent up sigh. “I’m relieved to hear you say that. I’m more relieved to have you by our side to help and advise me.”

“I am honored to do so.” The elder Spaniard, who didn’t look a day over thirty-five, gave him a deep, low bow, and Dylan returned it. It was good to have someone around from the old days, and a hint of old manners.

“Sometimes the years pass too quickly, and keeping up with the trends gets tiring. I will enjoy having somebody around to commiserate with, Victor.”

“As will I.” Salazar chuckled.

Chapter Fifteen

Internment

In Caitlin’s present condition it was too dangerous for her to leave the estate, so Shelby came by to examine her. After taking her vitals, Shelby announced her diagnosis.

“I don’t think Caitlin can make it through another day without going into stasis, Dylan. It is time for your internment, sweetie.”

When the panic attack started. Shelby and Dylan took control. “Sorry, Caitlin. It’ll be easier this way,” Shelby said and within seconds the two vampires sent Caitlin into a deep slumber.

“Good plan, Shelby.”

“Thanks. Now all we have to do is take her out to the mausoleum and get her comfortable in the crypt. She’ll remain in stasis through her metamorphosis.”

“Then when she awakes, the fun begins. You better be here to vouch for me. She was mad enough when I suggested mind control.”

“She’ll get over it, Dylan. Besides I have a plan to help you distract her.”

“Good, I’m looking forward to hearing all about it.

~~~~

When the massive lock in the wrought iron gate surrounding the mausoleum clicked shut. Dylan nodded to the guards and walked down the few stone steps to where Shelby waited for him. Caitlin remained behind within the cocoon of darkness, undergoing the final step in her transmutation. Dusk approached, but this section of the bayou was always overcast, and thickly wooded. Swamp surrounded the only high ground in the area, but that wasn’t saying much.

“How is she?” Shelby whispered.

With his head still turned in the direction of the crypt, he shrugged. “Not good.”

He appreciated the support of his friends through all of this, but he was more grateful to Shelby than to anyone. In the hospital, not only had she sustained Caitlin’s life long enough to allow for the initial change, she’d also volunteered to do it so he didn’t have to. He jumped at the chance when she reminded him what had happened to her and Max. She pointed out he might miss his one chance at happiness if he risked changing Caitlin himself, and he’d waited too long for a life mate to risk losing the relationship he forged with Caitlin. The blood Shelby donated helped him perform the official exchange, thereby ensuring his bond with Caitlin wouldn’t suffer the same fate Shelby’s and Max’s had.

Apparently, the sire bond superseded all others. Something like the one binding Shelby to Caitlin. Call it a sire bond or, in their case, a maternal bond—even though both women were close to the same age—surely it wouldn’t allow Shelby to abandon Caitlin at a time like this, any more than he could.

“Can you hear her thoughts?” he asked.

“No. Can you?”

He shut his eyes and listened. “Yes.” He grimaced with his life mate’s pain.

“You better block them.” Shelby’s frown hardened. “You know the first twenty-four hours are the worst. We’ve all gone through it.”

“I know.” He shook his head. “But to keep her from freaking out, I had to mesmerize her, again. She’s going to be spittin’ mad when she comes around.”

“We didn’t have a choice. She’ll be okay. “

“I should have suspected something was up with her. She’s been complaining about this last step ever since she heard about it. Once we entered the mausoleum, even unconscious, she began hyperventilating.”

“Caitlin loves you. She’ll forgive you for helping her get through this.”

“I don’t know. She gets mighty testy when anyone takes away her control.”

“Don’t we all? Well, at least she’ll sleep through the night.”

Caitlin had already forgiven him for changing her without her consent. He’d broken the rules to save her—a major offense in the vampire world. This was the final stage in her metamorphosis. The DNA from her fae ancestors and the vampire DNA infecting her would finally merge permanently during this transition and enhance her immortality. Then Dylan would breathe easier.

“Will you be going back to the hospital for now?”

“Yes, I have a full load of patients waiting.” She glanced at her watch. “What will you two do after the metamorphosis?”

“Until the team gathers to go over the demon infiltration investigation, I plan to keep her with me. Here on the estate, there are hundreds of reinforcements to protect her if necessary. And as long as she’s unconscious, she’ll be safe within the crypt, won’t she?”

“This is the safest place for her during her final phase,” Shelby quickly agreed. “And, it’ll give her time to adjust.”

“Plus, she can’t go rushing off to rejoin her team or get all over Ramon to share more police information.

Since Caitlin and the New Orleans homicide detective, Ramon Delavega, began working to gather information on the rogues and the demons in the surrounding area, they’d made little progress. Then her final metamorphosis interrupted her time table. After she recovered, she would be anxious to get back to work on the case.

“In there, there’s no chance her overly sensitive nature will be exposed to too much light or sound, and since her psychic ability will be heightened, she doesn’t need the added input from anyone’s outside thoughts. That would put her brain into overload,” the doctor in Shelby warned. “She’ll be more sensitive now than during her change.”

“But it won’t last long, will it?”

“No. Although, just to be cautious, in her case I recommend keeping her preoccupied within the crypt for an extra twelve hours.” She winked and seemed reassured Caitlin would remain safe...for now.

Feeling somewhat more relieved, he brushed a loose strand of hair from his face, and then he and Shelby walked along the path to the main house, leaving the two vampire sentinels behind to stand guard.

“When I rejoin her,” he said, “she’ll be more in control of her abilities. And we can work on the rest as we go.”

Still going over the finer details in his head, he told Shelby, “I plan to throw a good old fashioned ceilidh. With songs, and poetry, recitals, story-telling, and music for dancing. Aye, that’s what I’d like to do for her when she emerges. She’d be pleased to meet the community under those circumstances.”

As Dylan shared his ideas with Shelby, he asked if she’d mind working with the other women to help plan the party while Caitlin remained in stasis.

She gave Dylan a quick kiss on the cheek. “Stop worrying. The girls and I can finish planning the party while she’s going through the butterfly effect.”

“Invite everyone,” he added.

By everyone, he meant to include all the wolf packs in the vicinity, as well as the witch covens, the shifters he was aware of, the vampires, and the full council. Delavega was doing background checks on everyone, anyway.

If Dylan was still in charge of the Lore, they might as well get to know the woman who would be standing by his side while he waited for Jackson to reach his majority. In a few months, he’d be free of the diplomacy and the politics, and he and Caitlin could spend more time together—alone without any outside pressures.

“She should be ready in plenty of time for the party. Meanwhile, I suggest you pick up all the necessary ingredients for her emergence. A little romance will go a long way.”

Earlier, Shelby had suggested Dylan give Caitlin a meaningful gift.

Not a half bad idea. Aye, ’tis a good idea. Might even make up for the whole mesmerizing situation.

And though he knew exactly what he wanted to give her, a female’s opinion about the gift might reassure him.

“What are you thinking?”

“A necklace.” His thoughts turned to Cassie. The coven leader of the local witches would know where to get what he needed. The witch helped them locate and close the Underworld portal, thus proving herself trustworthy. During the ensuing battle, she’d even cloaked Caitlin with a powerful protection spell. Cassie should be the one to choose exactly which moonstone would suit Caitlin. The necklace would be a gift from his heart to the woman who held his heart. He’d call Cassie’s later and might even suggest a protective spell to enhance the gift.

“A necklace sounds perfect. But save it until the night of the party. She’ll be even more excited to get something special right before you present her to everyone.”

“Thank you Shelby, for this and everything.”

“Remember when you helped Kyle and Max...and me? You said there’d come a time when we’d be called on to help someone else...pay it forward. I’m glad it was you and Caitlin we could help.”

“What will I do tomorrow when she awakens?”

When her eyes opened wide and she laughed, he grimaced. “Dylan, you did not just ask me that! Do I have to spell out how to ‘distract’ her for twelve more hours?”

“No, a spelling lesson won’t be necessary. I think I get the gist. I’ll get right on it.”

Chapter Sixteen

Choosing a Moonstone

There was a witch helping the demons. Dylan knew he couldn’t forget that when he dealt with the witches. Cassie promised to be there by the time he arrived. She also assured him she’d have a few stones for him to choose from.

Hmm,
he wondered who was with the Halflings?

Dylan hadn’t made it to the end of the driveway, when the answer to his question materialized in the seat beside him. He stifled the yawn he felt coming over him. Simone’s ability to appear without warning still startled him and, no matter how long he’d known her, being tired around the succubus always made him uneasy.

She shook her hair back over her shoulder and said, “I wish you wouldn’t always react to me in such a fashion.”