Beckoned (The Brazil Werewolf Series) (19 page)

My eyes widened as my throat loosened and I was able to say my first few strangled words, “Do…it.”

Then, blessedly, everything went black for while.

*********

. The metallic smell of blood reached me rousing me from the darkness that I had willingly submitted to. It smelled rich and sweet to me, making my mouth water with want…with need. I kept telling myself that it should make me sick but it seemed to be everywhere, pulsing through the hearts and veins of those around me and spilled upon flesh and earth. It was that smell that kept from falling into the darkness, enticing me into the light.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, wondering when I had closed them. The brilliancy was gone from the world and I knew that I had changed back to my human form. Weakness drenched my body dimming my sight with grey darkness.

“Andre,” I whispered, feeling him so close that I could reach out to touch him but my hand would not move one inch.

“Shhh, Aurora,” Andre said, kissing my forehead. The smell of blood was closer and closer. I licked my lips and breathed in quickly, hoping to inhale the substance. Andre‘s voice broke the spell for a moment, “I will help you, Aurora. I promise.”

Scalding hot tears fell down my cheeks as I struggled to see Andre, hoping that one sight of him would push away the insane lust for blood…for life. Gentle hands held me still and I began to sob. From somewhere behind them, I could hear the pained cries of the others and the smell of blood became thicker. I thrashed as the need for the essence rose to maddening heights.

I felt Andre’s hands on my face and I leaned into them, feeling the coolness of his hands and the comfort of his protection. He would keep me from ripping into the muscles, meat and bones of everyone near. He wouldn’t allow me to truly become a monster and feed upon those that I loved.

The aroma of the blood reached me again and I paused in my thrashing. This time, I knew whose blood had been spilled…Andre. Shame pierced me because I even wanted his blood…his essence. Pain seared me across my wrist, stopping the vile thoughts from continuing to rot my mind and sanity. My tears fell hot and scalding down my cheeks as I began to feel darkness surround me again.

“Drink, Aurora,” Andre whispered gently, “Truly become my mate.”

I squeezed my eyes closed in ecstasy as his wrist was pressed to my lips and the liquid of life slipped down my throat. I fought the urge to drink but couldn’t. I moaned as I suckled the liquid from the wound at his wrist becoming stronger with each drink. Shock filled me as I felt his lips on my wrist then, drinking from me as I drank from him. My eyes burst open wide as my body took in his life. I felt our souls twist and turn in a dark dance, finally becoming one.

I looked at Andre as he removed his wrist from my mouth and placed my wrist gently on my chest. I blinked feeling him, as I had never felt him before. Every emotion, Every thought, every pain was there mingling with mine and becoming my own.

I sat up and looked around, finding that my father had broken free of Garridan. He was stalking toward Andre and I stood and stepped between them.

“If you kill him, you kill me,” I said, hoping that he cared enough not to truly want me to die.

He paused and tilted his head as he studied me. He stepped closer and inhaled deeply, taking in my scent. His eyes looked pained, “You’re truly mated to him?”

“You shot me, Father,” I said, raising my chin, “What did you expect him to do? Let me die?”

He looked at Andre and frowned as if unsure what to say. Then, he looked toward Garridan‘s injured and bleeding form. My heart lurched. He had helped me come home. He had become my friend. He couldn‘t die. I wouldn‘t let him.

“This war is over, Father,” I said, raising my chin and he shook his head, “Take your men and leave.”

“He comes with us,” my father said narrowing his eyes at Garridan. Vengeance burned within his gaze, “He’s part of our family, not yours.”

I shook my head, keeping my eyes steadily on my father, “Not anymore,” I said, raising my chin stubbornly. I wouldn’t allow Garridan to be harmed , “I released him from your rule. You’re no longer his alpha. He‘s part of
our
family.”

My father’s eyes widened as he took a threatening step toward me. I stood my ground though I heard Andre‘s threatening growl behind me, “You have no right.”

“Oh,” I said, giving him a half-grin, “I do have that right…as your daughter. It’s my birthrite. It might do you some good to remember that because I‘m positive that that right doesn‘t end with Garridan. I can free anyone I want…I can free all of your kindred from your rule.”

My father‘s eyes narrowed, “That right does end with the bond I have with my mate.”

“What mate?” I asked, wondering who would want to be with him.

“You’re mother,” he said, grinning when I took a deep inhale of breath. I felt suddenly cold. His grin widened when my eyes narrowed, “That’s right,” he said, grinning, “I was the one that bit her and then, I blood-mated with her. She drank my blood that night. Also, we’ve mated.”

“Against her will!” I screamed truly angered but he continued as if I had not spoken.

“I had hoped we’d be a true family but you ruined it,” he said, angrily, “You chose this dog over one of my own.”

Tears burned my eyes as I thought of my mother. Garridan’s words to my father the day they kidnapped me came back to haunt me,
I can’t take her from her mate. That is cruel and she‘ll mourn him until she dies.
I could not…would not allow that to happen to my mother.

My father continued to speak and I looked up at him swallowing over the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat, “There is only one other thing that I can do to fully bond her to me. I’m sure that I could demand it of her,” He grinned, flashing his teeth, “I’m sure she would agree.”

“If you do that you’ll be bonded to her too,” I said, shocked and afraid, “You already are.”

My eyes widened as I seen his eyes darken. My mouth dropped open as I realized something that I had never even dared to think. He wanted to be bound to my mother. He had wanted her all along.

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. He had raped her…harmed her because of his attraction to her. I had been brought into the world because of it. He had forcefully bonded himself to her in hopes of having her with him. My head raised to look into his eyes. I breathed in quickly, terrified of what all of this meant for my mother. Worse, I had to keep him from bonding with her anymore than he already had.

“You will not bond with her further,” I said, straightening my spine and glancing at Garridan, “And know this, if you bond yourself to my mother any further, you will lose what is left of your family. You choose what is more important.”
He shook his head, “Well, played, daughter,” he spat as he looked toward Garridan.

“He stays,” I said, raising my chin.

“Keep him,” he said, angry again, “He’s no better than this family of dogs.”

“This war is over,” I said, looking back at Andre, “Do you understand, Father?”

“I understand,” he said with narrowed eyes.

“Now, get your men and go,” I whispered, turning from him. Andre walked protectively beside me as we helped Garridan and the rest of our family back to the motor home park.

As we walked, Andre looked at me sadly, “You do know that it isn’t truly over, don’t you?” he asked, “He’ll find a way to start the war again.”

“Well, until then, I suppose we need to enjoy the time we have,” I said.

Andre smiled that half smile that I love so much, “I’m sure that we will find a few ways to do that.”

Epilogue

I stared at the little plastic stick blinking as I did. A positive sign rested in the window. I blinked again feeling my heart swell as I rubbed my stomach gently and grinned widely, marveling that a little life lived in there.

I opened the door and burst out of it, nearly running over Andre as I did. A half-grin lit up his face as he looked down into my bright, eyes. He frowned tilting his head as he studied me.

“What has made you so happy?” He asked, beaming, “I hope that it has something to do with me.”

“Of course, it does,” I said, ecstatic. I kissed him briefly on the lips before handing him the stick. He looked at it, confused until I said, “I hope you want to be a daddy.”

His eyes widened as he looked down at the stick, studying it while looking a bit dazed. Finally, he looked up, giving me the half-grin that I loved so much, “Really?”

I nodded and he picked me up and spun me around, “Do you know how much I love you.”

“Yep,” I grinned, happily, “Less than I love you.”

“Not a chance,” he said, kissing my nose before nuzzling it for a moment.

My eyes widened excited, “We have to tell our parents.”

He beamed, “I’ll tell them.”

I pouted and he grinned as he took my hand, gently in his, “We’ll tell them together,” he said, and then, laughed, “I’m a bit worried about leaving you alone anyway. Everytime I do, someone tries to take you away from me.”

“I don’t think that you have to worry about that anymore,” I said, as we walked through the motor home park.

“Well, let’s just say that my nerves haven’t calmed from the last time,” he whispered.

I rolled my eyes and then, smiled, excited as we walked. We found Sophia and Gavriel sitting with my mother outside of their home. My excitement nearly died as I looked at my mother. She looked pale. Dull, lifeless eyes stared out from her sad, drawn face. She had lost weight, seeming smaller than she had even during the throws of the fever.

“We have some news,” Andre said, and everyone looked up, including my mother. She tilted her head interested for once in something happening around her. Andre looked at me and I smiled nodding my head as we said in unison, “We’re going to have a baby!”

Sophia jumped and put a hand over her heart, “I’m going to be a grandmother!” She said, excitedly. She looked at my mother who was smiling, softly, “We’re going to be grandmothers, Fiona!”

My mother stood and hugged me, “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered with her eyes filling with tears, “I can’t believe that my baby is having a baby.”

“Oh, Momma,” I cried, hugging her, “I’m not a baby anymore.”

“You’ll always be a baby to me,” she said and then, smiled, “And I hope that you know that. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Momma,” I said as she patted my cheek.

“I know you do, Baby,” she whispered as she sat back down.

I continued to glance toward her as Gavriel and Sophia gushed over the news. I seen her smile but it never reached her eyes. Sadness rolled off of her in waves. Andre must have sensed my worry because he made excuses to leave.

We walked side by side as we walked through the park finally arriving home. He turned to me when we were alone, “She’ll be okay, Aurora,” he whispered, caressing my cheek, “She will be.”

“I’m not sure,” I said, frowning, as tears filled my eyes, “When I was kidnapped, Garridan had tried to talk my father out of it by telling him that I was bonded to you and without my mate it could kill me,” I said, wiping a tear from my cheek, “If that’s true, my mother could die without my father.”

He winced, “She’s not fully bonded,” he said, biting his bottom lip, “so it’s possible for her to break the bond. She’ll have to do that herself though and it will take time. You have to let her deal with it.”

“Okay,” I whispered, hoping that he was right.

**********

That night, the wind whipped around the motor home hard enough to knock it over. I sat up, looking around frightened when I did not find Andre beside me. I stood and walked into the living room, shocked to find him with Sophia.

I frowned as I looked at her, feeling dread grip my heart, “What is it?” I asked, looking from her to Andre. I tapped into Andre’s feelings, feeling the worry there.

“You can’t get upset, Aurora,” Sophia whispered, gaining my attention, “You have to remember the baby.”

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. I took a deep breath and nodded my head desperately, “What’s happened?”

“It’s Fiona,” Sophia said, softly, “When I woke up, she was gone.”

“Gone?” I asked, feeling the color drain from my face.

“She left you this,” Sophia said, handing me an envelope with my name scrawled across it in my mother’s familiar hand.

I frowned as I grasped it, tearing it opened and stared at the paper with tears blurring my eyes. I blinked allowing them to fall down my face as I read the note aloud.

Dear Aurora,

Before I tell you what has happened, I want you to know how very much I love you. You are my baby but you’ve grown up and now have a family of your own. My decisions do not affect you as much as they used to. I am happy about the baby and I will come back frequently. Do not think that I won’t be in your lives.

This decision was a hard one to make. I didn’t want to leave you but I have to. I am drawn to your father and I think that I may love him. I feel bad for what he did still but it has faded and I think that I understand. I have to find out what this is. I can not believe what Sophia tells me…that it is a bond that he forced on me. Your bond wasn’t forced. You chose it. Maybe I chose mine.

For now, know I love you and try to forgive your father. I’m sure he loves you.

Love Always,

Mother

I stared at the letter for a few moments turning it over a couple of times as if there would be more on the back. I shook my head as more tears fell onto my cheeks.

“Is there a way to break a bond?” I asked, looking at Sophia terrified.

“No,” she whispered, “Especially the blood bond.”

I looked at Gavriel and he shook his head, “We chose our bonds,” he said, looking at me heartbroken, “We were lucky. Your mother had hers forced on her. She’s obsessed as is your father now. Thankfully, she won’t be harmed by him or anyone else if he can help it. He’ll be protective…very protective. Still, I don’t see how this will be broken . I haven’t known anyone to try.”