Authors: Catherine Vale
Cole
stepped into Vincent’s line of sight. “Give me Dimitri, and the rest of you are
free to go. We don’t want any trouble. We just need answers.”
“T-take
him…” Vincent gasped, his face taut with a combination of anger and fear. “Take
him… and get him out of my sight!”
Chapter Eight
“I’ll
kill you! I’ll kill you for taking Millicent from me! For being filthy
loyalists! For betraying your own kind! The Rebellion will burn everything down
to the ground so that those who deserve it can have freedom again!”
Angela sighed as she and Cole
walked out of the precinct. Dimitri’s words still echoed in her ears, full of
strife and passion, forever memorialized on the computers that recorded his
interview when she and the Captain had sat down to interrogate him. As she
suspected, he and his dead girlfriend had been rebels, or at least held the
same ideals as rebels. They’d never been in any active rebel groups before, but
had jumped at the chance to help the Black Moon Clan kidnap the Commander’s
daughter, which is how they’d ended up being involved in this mess.
“It
looks like this rebellion could be bigger than we thought,” she said to Cole as
they climbed into his car again so they could go pick up some dinner. “From
what little we managed to get out of Dimitri, it sounds like my brother’s Clan
may have support from other supernaturals.”
Cole
snorted. “ ‘Backing’ is the term you’re looking for, sweetheart. I’m sure there
are larger groups of rebels who are supporting your brother’s quest for madness
and revenge.”
Angela
slanted Cole a narrow look. “Sounds like you know more than you’re saying.”
Cole
shrugged as he started up the Camaro. “I’ve heard some rumors here and there
over the years of a larger rebel group orchestrating things in the background.
It’s entirely possible your brother and his clan were recently recruited, and
that this stunt they’re pulling is a test, to prove their worth.” He backed out
of the parking lot and merged smoothly into traffic. “But I don’t have anything
concrete, so there’s no point in messing around with speculation.”
“Hmm.”
Angela frowned. “Don’t you have any resources though? People you could ask, who
you could get more information out of?”
“It’s
possible.” He slanted her a look. “But really, isn’t there a resource
you
should
be taking us to right now?”
“What
do you mean?”
Cole
pulled into a restaurant parking lot and eased his car up to join the queue in
the drive-thru. “You’re a shifter. We’re looking for a shifter clan. Of the two
of us,
you
should be able to gather better Intel than I on where your
brother is located.”
Angela
bit her lip. “I’ve been thinking of that.” She sighed. “I didn’t really want to
do this… but we may have to go and visit my father.”
Cole
actually paled a little. “
Visit?
As in,
meet in person?
Why can’t
we just call him over the phone?”
Angela
snorted. “Asking my father to give up my brother’s location is
not
the
kind of favor you ask for over the phone.”
“Email,
then?”
She
looked at him incredulously. “Are you actually
afraid
of meeting my
father?”
Cole
was spared from answering that question as they rolled up to the drive-thru
speaker. They both ordered a mountain’s worth of burgers, and then headed back
to Angela’s apartment to polish them off – if there were any left by the
time they got there. They’d spent most of the afternoon tied up, between getting
grilled by the Captain and having to fill out a mountain of paperwork –
all perfectly normal occurrences when a house call turned into a vampire
killing, or in this case several vampire killings – so the sun was
setting over the bay now, streaking the sky gold and orange and deep pink.
“You
didn’t answer my question,” Angela groused around a mouthful of juicy hamburger.
She tried to glare at Cole, but the effect was somewhat lost by the grease
dribbling down her chin, so she swiped hastily for a napkin and wiped at her
face. “Are you afraid of meeting my father?”
“I
didn’t think we were at the ‘meet the parents’ stage of our relationship.”
Angela
rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Besides, it’s not like I’d be able to
meet your parents anyway. Or would I?” she frowned, remembering that he was
over two thousand years old.
Cole’s
face tightened, and she felt a stab of guilt for even bringing it up. But after
a moment his expression smoothed, and he simply shrugged. “My mother, no. She’s
been dead at least fifteen hundred years, so far as I know. As for my father, I
suppose it’s theoretically possible, but I don’t know who he is and I’ve never
met him. Judging by the powers I’ve inherited he must have been a high-level
mage, but that doesn’t mean he’s still alive. And I doubt it would end well for
me if I attempted to connect with him even if I did find him.” He clenched his
jaw.
Angela
reached for his hand, her heard aching with a combination of guilt and sadness.
“I’m sorry.”
He
didn’t look at her, but his facial expression relaxed again, and he resumed
eating his burger. They drove the rest of the way in silence, holding hands,
because Angela really didn’t know what else to say to him. What had happened to
him was a tragedy, and she couldn’t blame him of being wary to trust. If she
were him, she’d be terrified of having to go anywhere near her father, because
she had a feeling that out of respect for her, he wouldn’t defend himself at
full strength against her father if things went ugly.
Well
I’ll just have to make sure that things
don’t
get ugly,
she decided,
setting her own jaw in determination. She would not let anything happen to
Cole, not while he was under her care. Because she did consider him to be her
responsibility, as even though he might be physically stronger and more skilled
than her, he was emotionally damaged and in need of healing.
As
if you’re the best woman for that job,
an inner voice snorted.
Maybe
not, but she was the only one around willing, and she would do her damnedest to
help Cole understand that he was worthy of affection, even if they did end up
parting in the end.
Cole
didn’t speak until they were back up at her apartment, sitting in her living
room and polishing off the rest of the burgers. “Look,” he said, swallowing a
bite of double bacon cheeseburger, “The fact that I’m uncomfortable with the
idea of having to meet with your father under these circumstances doesn’t
change the fact that he’s the best chance we’ve got at rescuing Raina. I’ve
reached out to some of my contacts for more info, but since we’re running out
of time I really can’t afford to be picky.”
“Thank
you.” Angela grabbed his face and pulled him in for a long, heartfelt kiss
before he had a chance to react. “I know how hard something like this has to be
for you, and I appreciate you putting aside your feelings for me.”
“Bah.”
He turned his face away, but she caught the blush staining his cheeks, and
grinned. “You’re making me sound like some kind of needy, emotional woman.”
“You
don’t have to be a woman to be needy or emotional,” she teased, tweaking his
nose. The smile faded from her lips as he turned back to her, catching her up
in his violet eyes. “To be clear though, expressing your emotions doesn’t make
you needy. It just makes you mortal. You know, like the rest of us.”
He
quirked his lips. “I’m over two thousand years old. I think that makes me a
little different then rest of you.”
“If
that’s your way of trying to scare me off, you can think again, old geezer.”
She climbed into his lap and kissed him again, leaning him back against the
love seat. Her fingers pulled hastily at the buttons on his shirt, opening it
up so she could run her hands up and down the hardened muscles of his chest.”
“Jesus,”
he gasped when she tweaked his nipples. “Can’t we take this out of the living
room? I’d really like to do this on a bed this time.” He sprang to his feet
before she could answer, and she squealed, wrapping her arms and legs tightly
around him as he walked to the bedroom.
“Well
aren’t you bossy,” she teased as he laid her down amongst the messy sheets of
her unmade bed.
“My
personnel report says I have a take-charge attitude,” he chuckled, as he
unzipped her jacket, and opened it.
“I believe it,” she murmured, sitting up so he could help
her out of her jacket. His fingers immediately went to the hem of her
shirt, and he pulled it over her head, and tossed it aside.
“You’re so beautiful,” he replied, ignoring her
sarcasm. “Even when you sleep. Now, relax,” he said, laughing as he
pushed her back down on the bed. “This is going to take all night.”
“Oh,
yeah?” She began to relax, and then stiffened again as another thought occurred
to her. “Wait. What do you mean…even when I’m asleep?”
He
paused, in the middle of kissing his way up her abdomen. “I might have come in
here last night.”
“And
why exactly would you be snooping around in my room, late at night?”
He
flushed guiltily. “I heard you crying earlier, and I wanted to check on you. I
felt bad, but I just didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t want to disturb you
when I saw you were finally asleep, so… I just left.”
Part
of her wanted to be annoyed, and another part of her wanted to be afraid that
the man on top of her could sneak into her room without disturbing her even
though she prided herself on being a light sleeper. But the vulnerable look on
his face tugged at her heartstrings, and she couldn’t help feeling a little
better about the fact that he
had
been so remorseful that night.
“I
guess I can forgive you for snooping around,” she said, running a hand through
her curls. “But only if you make it up to me. Right now.”
He
grinned. “I think we can work something out,” he said, tugging off her jeans,
and panties in one swift motion. Before she knew what was happening, he’d
buried his face between her legs and started licking her pussy.
“Cole!”
she gasped as he flicked her clit with his tongue. A low groan echoed from her
throat as her hips rocked involuntarily against his mouth, pressing herself
more firmly against him. The tension building inside her spiked even further
when he slid two fingers inside her and began massaging her g-spot.
“God
yes,” she groaned, rubbing herself shamelessly against him now. He locked gazes
with her as he continued to please her, the look in his violet eyes so hot and
intense that she came right then and there.
“Jesus,”
she panted when he sat back, licking his lips like a cat who’d just thoroughly
enjoyed his bowl of cream. “That was incredible.”
“Good.”
He grinned at her, then pulled her against him for a long kiss. The taste of
her pussy on his tongue was incredibly erotic, and she grew wet all over again.
She heard a clink as he undid his belt buckle, and then in the next second he
pulled her on top of him, spearing her with the hard, thick length of him.
“Oh
yes, baby,” he groaned, his entire body going rigid.
Angela
looked down at his face, worried that she’d hurt him somehow, but the rapture
tightening his face assured her otherwise. Smiling, she braced her hands on his
broad shoulders and began to move up and down, slowly working his shaft. His
eyes began to glow that unearthly blue again, that gorgeous color that told her
he was on the verge of losing it. But rather than coming, he lifted her shirt
and ducked his head down, taking one of her nipples in his mouth.
“Oh!”
She came instantly, as he bit down on her nipple, the waves of pleasure taking
her by surprise. His shouts told her that he was right behind her, and when she
collapsed against him, leaning her sweaty cheek on his shoulder, a satisfied
smile curled her lips.
“Well,
I’m glad we got that out of our system.” Leaning back, she squeezed his bicep,
and then kissed him. “You’re sure to be in a better mood now when we go to talk
to my father.”
He
groaned.
Chapter Nine
Three
hours later, Cole was easing his Camaro along a dirt road winding up a hill in
Big Sur. “You didn’t tell me your father lived out in the middle of nowhere,”
he said irritably, downshifting.
“Yeah,
well we’re a bit more of a rural clan,” Angela said, leaning back in her seat
and looking not at all concerned about the fact that they were driving up a
dirt road with no rail guard at all to keep them from falling straight over the
side if something were to happen like, say, an earthquake. “Dad likes the freedom
of being able to run around in his bear form, as do most of the others. He has
a pretty live-and-let-live philosophy.”
“I
see.” Cole frowned as he tried to imagine what that must have been like. “I
have to admit I haven’t spent too much time in my bear form.”
“Really?
How come?”
“After
I was unceremoniously thrown out of my mother’s clan, it was dangerous to walk
around as a bear shifter,” he said darkly. “Most lower level mages, at a
glance, can’t tell that I’m different from them, so it was easier for me to
blend in with them. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I shifted.”
“Well
that explains a lot.”
Cole
glanced sideways at her. “What do you mean?”
She
shrugged. “Usually when shifters get angry or emotional their eyes turn orange
and their fangs and claws come out. But with you, your eyes just turn that
crazy amazing blue.” She squeezed his forearm gently. “If it weren’t for my
nose, I’m not sure I could tell that you were a shifter either.”
They
pulled up to a huge log cabin-style house, which rose three stories high at the
top of the hill to look over the waves of the Pacific Ocean, as they crashed up
against the shore. Even at night the view was breathtaking, with the crescent
moon shimmering brightly, gilding the ocean with its silvery light. Warm yellow
light spilled out from the open windows of the cabin, illuminating the yard
with its patio chairs and large stone fire pit, around which several people
were already gathered, roasting marshmallows and talking amongst themselves.
They all stood from their chairs as he stopped the car in front of them,
instinctively pushing their children behind them, and Cole immediately picked
out a tall, broad shouldered man with russet hair and handsome features similar
to Angela’s as the clan Chieftain, and Angela’s father.
“I’ll
wait here,” he said quietly.
“That’s
probably for the best,” she said, nodding. “You can turn off the car, you
know,” she added as she opened the door.
I’d
rather not,
Cole thought as she shut the door behind her. Her assurances
didn’t overrule centuries of hard-won experience and instinct, which told him
to be on guard and ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Biting back a sigh, he
watched as she ran up to her father and embraced him. Immediately the rest of
the clan members relaxed, all gathering close to welcome their Chieftain’s
daughter, though admittedly some of their expressions were reserved. He
supposed that was the price she had to pay for choosing to serve the Order
rather than staying by her father’s side.
Hey,
at least they still welcome her amongst them,
a voice in his head pointed
out.
What’s there to complain about?
His ears couldn’t pick up the
conversation through the glass, but he surmised by the seriousness of the
expression on her father’s face that Angela was talking to him about Raina’s
kidnapping. The shifter’s face tightened as she went on, and his eyes narrowed
dangerously as they shot over her shoulder to glare at Cole. Cole’s spine
stiffened, his instincts urging him to challenge the man, but out of respect
for his daughter he lowered his eyes a fraction, using his body language to
tell the Chieftain he meant him no harm.
A
few moments later, Angela’s father came around the front of the car, clearly
expecting Cole to get out of the car. Ignoring the – mostly –
irrational fear clawing at his belly, Cole killed the engine and got out of the
car. He was going to meet Angela’s father with his head held high, not stinking
of anxiety and with his tail tucked between his legs. He’d lived too long and
worked too hard for anything less.
“Good
evening,” Angela’s father said gruffly as Cole exited the car. He looked bigger
up close, around Cole’s height, but without the strange coloring of his eyes,
and he was dressed in a simple flannel shirt, jeans and boots – the type
of clothing you’d expect from a man who lived in a cabin. “I am Saul Mason, Chieftain
of the Redstone Clan.”
“Pleased
to meet you.” Cole inclined his head and held it there for a few seconds. “I am
Cole Avery, currently contracted by Commander Madison of the Order of
Protection to retrieve Raina Madison. I’ve been working with your daughter, and
she tells me you may be able to help us.”
“Well
at least you’re straightforward.” Saul crossed his arms as he studied Cole, his
grey eyes still narrowed. “Angela tells me you’re a hybrid, which inclines me
to throw you off my property as mage hybrids tend to be very unstable. But she
also tells me that you’re trustworthy, and that you’ve lived for over two
thousand years, so I’m inclined to believe that you’re safe enough to have
around my people.” His steely gaze turned deadly. “Don’t make me regret it.”
“I
won’t.”
“Good.
Now come inside.”
He
led them inside the house, past the now deserted fire pit – he must have
told his clan mates to head home for the night and into the living room. “You
have a beautiful home,” Cole said quietly as he admired the soaring log-beam
ceilings and large windows. The furniture was all oak, but comfortably padded,
and colorful rugs decorated the wooden floor. A brick fireplace crackled
cheerfully in the corner, the kindling and logs’ nearby, telling Cole that it
was the genuine article rather than a gas fireplace.
“Why,
thank you.” A woman with long blonde hair and Angela’s green eyes and
heart-shaped face bustled in with a tray laden with spiced cider and cookies.
She smiled warmly at Cole, apparently not at all taken aback by his presence,
and leaned in to kiss Angela on the cheek. “I do my best to keep things going
around here.”
“My
wife, Genevieve,” Saul said, losing some of the gruffness in his tone,
especially when his wife swooped in to plant a kiss on his own bearded cheek.
“She makes the best cookies in town.”
Genevieve
straightened with a laugh. “That’s not saying much considering that hardly
anyone lives around here.” She winked at Angela, who grinned back at her
mother, and Cole was struck at just how similar they looked. Shifters aged
slowly, so they could have been sisters – certainly no human would
mistake this gentle woman for Angela’s mother, much less a shifter. It was
clear to see that Angela was a perfect mix between the two – she had both
her father’s toughness and her mother’s kind acceptance of people. The
realization made him relax a little more – he doubted that Saul would do
anything to hurt him, at least not unless he tried to bring harm to the clan,
which he had no plans on doing.
“Well,
I can tell you all have much to talk about, so I’ll leave you all alone. I’ve
got children to tend to upstairs.” She bustled off, the skirts of her dark
green dress swishing in her wake.
Cole
frowned down at Angela. “You have other siblings here?”
Angela
shook her head, sadness in her eyes. “They’re more foster cubs. My mother takes
it upon herself to care for the young of clan mates who have passed away.”
Right.
“That’s a noble thing to do.” He should have known; that was how her
brother had become part of her family.
“It’s
our responsibility to make sure all of our clan members are cared for,
regardless of age,” Saul said, but it was without heat, his grey eyes sad like
Angela’s. He cleared his throat then, keen to change the subject. “Now, tell me
what it is I can do to help retrieve your partner,” he told Angela.
Angela
took a breath. “I need you to find out where the Black Moon Clan is currently
located.”
Saul
stiffened. “You want to know where Garrison is? Why?”
“Because
he’s the one who kidnapped Raina.”
“No.”
Saul jumped to his feet and started pacing the rug. The firelight played off
the planes of his face, which were drawn into harsh lines. “That’s not right.”
“Dad,
we’ve know that Garrison has been ‘not right’ for a long time.” Angela didn’t
move from her spot, simply following her father around the room with a steady
gaze that Cole had to admire. She didn’t flinch or back down even though her father
outranked her. “He’s been out for vengeance ever since he left us, and he’s
clearly on the verge of getting it now that he’s the Chieftain of a clan who
hates mages.”
Anger
smoldered brightly in Saul’s eyes as he turned his harsh glare on his daughter.
“Maybe the mages are deserving of his hatred.”
“Maybe,”
she conceded, “but not the entire supernatural community. If he succeeds in his
plan to destroy the Order, chaos will ensue, and our treaty with the humans
will be on tenterhooks, the more unstable we become. Besides, I can’t let him
do this to Raina. The fact that he would kidnap her knowing that she’s my
partner tells me he’s gone far past the point of right and wrong. He needs to
be stopped.”
Saul
stared at her for a very, very long time. Finally he sighed. “It’s going to
take some time for me to locate him. I don’t think I’ll have anything for you
until at least tomorrow. Can you wait that long?”
“Oh,
thank you Dad.” Cole watched as Angela launched herself into her father’s arms
and hugged him tight. He returned her hug fiercely, burying his bearded face
into her shoulder, and Cole felt the stirrings of sympathy for the man, who was
clearly caught between the love for two of his children as well as the duty of
doing what was right. The shifter community would not necessarily look fondly
on him for giving up the location of a clan that did not want to be found, even
if it was for the greater good. But then, Saul was clearly a strong individual
– he would deal with whatever flack came his way. “I know the position
I’m putting you in, but I just couldn’t bear if anything happened to Raina, and
– ”
“It’s
alright.” Her father gently stroked her back. “Just promise me that you won’t
kill Garrison.” He lifted his head to look at Cole. “Not unless you absolutely
have to.”
Cole
nodded. “I’ll do my best to bring him back to you safely, if I can.”
* * *
“I
think my father likes you,” Angela said with a sniff, sitting back down next to
Cole. Saul had left the room, presumably to go be with his wife, but not before
insisting they stay the night. She smiled a little, leaning her head against
Cole’s shoulder.
Cole
put an arm around her and drew her in close, feeling oddly at ease with the
role of being a comforter even though he’d never done it before in his life.
“Well, he hasn’t tried to kill me yet, so that’s got to be a plus.” He reached
over and caught a tear glimmering at the corner of her eye. “Are you okay?”
Angela
sighed. “Yeah. It’s just… I guess it just didn’t hit me how scared I was until
I was faced with the possibility that my dad would refuse to help, and that we
might not ever be able to find her.” She swallowed. “I don’t know how they’re
treating Raina right now, and the idea of my brother inflicting any kind of
pain or torture on her… it tears me apart.”
“I’m
sorry.” Cole pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and just held her there
against his chest for a long while. In a way, part of him was glad that he’d
never had any siblings or partners or anyone particularly close to him –
he’d always had to keep everyone at arm’s length for fear of them finding out
who and what he was when he was growing up – because he’d never been
forced to go through this kind of pain, this constant anxiety and fear that
Angela was clearly suffering from because she didn’t know whether or not her
friend was going to come back dead or alive.
I
get the feeling you would go through that if anything happened to Angela,
a
voice whispered in his head, a voice that scared the hell out of him. He shoved
it away, not willing to listen to it, not willing to examine just how deep his
growing feelings for Angela went.
“Hey
Cole?” Angela mumbled into his chest.
“Yeah?”
“What
do you say we go outside and wrestle?”
He
arched a brow. “Is that some code way of telling me you want to have sex in the
dark outside?”
Angela
let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “No, silly. It
means I want you to come outside with me and roll around in the dirt. As
bears.”