“She’s al right, isn’t she?” Bernard asked, his tone murderous, and he sounded like he was ready to kil anyone, including Daemon, if he found Tezra was in danger.
“Maison, I need your assistance in the warehouse district, now,”
Daemon transmitted to his friend.
“Voltan, what the hell’s
going on?”
No one responded, and Daemon felt he’d been dropped into a black void where none of his telepathic communication could be heard.
“Where are you, Tezra?”
he asked again, trying not to sound as panicked as he felt.
“Daemon,
I’m here at the warehouse now, but someone needs to invite me in,”
Maison said, sounding frustrated.
“Come in, Maison.”
In a split second, Maison was swinging his sword at the dwindling number of renegade vampires. “What the hel ’s happened?”
he asked from between clenched teeth while he struck another vampire down.
Daemon fought one at his back. “Tezra’s supposed to be with Atreides and Voltan at Patrico’s home, but she cal ed me and she sounded like she was in pain. I can’t get any response from either my brother or Voltan.”
“Hel , I’l take care of this rabble and—”
“Daemon, your…your trust was misplaced.”
Daemon didn’t recognize the telepathic message and glanced at Maison to see if he did. He raised a brow, evidently not knowing who had spoken either.
“Musta—Mustaphus t-took Katie. And…”
The man grew silent.
“Who the hell is this?”
Daemon asked, thrusting his sword at one of the last of the vampires.
“Pat-rico. Voltan not—not only let him—him have her, he went with him.”
Shit!
“What about Tezra? Atreides?”
Patrico didn’t respond.
Daemon stabbed the last of the vampires in the heart, then said, “We go to Patrico’s house, now.”
When they reached Patrico’s house, they found the place in a shambles, no sign of anyone except Patrico passed out on the floor, his head bleeding.
Daemon quickly roused him while one of the vampires wrapped a towel around his head. “How many were with Mustaphus?”
“Ten, in-cluding a scrawny woman.”
“Lichorus.” It had to be her—she’d sealed her fate this time. Daemon’s blood boiled. “Why did they let you live?”
“I had no weapons, no way to defend myself, no way to save Katie.”
Daemon paced. “But Voltan knew you were telepathic and could warn me. It doesn’t make any sense that he wouldn’t have kil ed you.”
“Mustaphus was…running the show. I’m certain he recognized me as the hunter who couldn’t kil him ten…years ago. I-I think it amused him that I couldn’t fight him now any more…than I could then. I’ve been in contact with Tez-Tezra, however.”
Hel , no wonder she couldn’t contact Daemon. She was too busy communicating with the damned hunters. He ran his hand over his unbound hair. “Where the hel is she?”
“She said something…I think I passed out, then she cryptical y said, ‘the ocean.’ I assume she’s got to be someplace…nearby.”
“Do you believe him?” Maison asked.
Daemon rubbed his chin while he considered Patrico’s words. He nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“What about Voltan?”
Daemon was certain his smile looked purely evil. “They’ve let the wolf into the sheep’s pen.”
“Hopeful y he won’t get himself kil ed.”
“If I’m not wrong, he’s playing a twist on the situation we had in the Americas during the Revolution. Remember when one of Sir Wil iam Howe’s men captured Missy Temple, saying she was a rebel spy?”
Maison nodded. “Somewhere Voltan got a Brit’s uniform that was lanky enough to fit his tal frame and sneaked in to interrogate her.”
“Right, and took her safely from her cel .”
“And nearly got himself kil ed—shot three times and lanced once, the blade just missing his heart,” Maison reminded him wryly.
Daemon didn’t want to consider that part of the equation.
“Come to Clam Diggers, my lord,”
Voltan suddenly relayed.
“Tezra and Katie are there?”
Daemon asked.
“Yes, yes, hurry.”
Minutes later, Daemon and his army stormed the seafood restaurant just a mile down the road from Patrico’s place, praying he wasn’t too late to rescue Tezra and her sister. Inside the darkened building, they found Voltan fighting six vampires at once, his face red, his arm cut and bleeding, sweat dribbling down his iron jaw. They’d knocked over tables and chairs, some in splinters.
Broken glass from the lobster tank and water covered the wooden floors. No sign of Tezra or Katie.
Jumping into the fray, Daemon unsheathed his sword and beheaded a blond male, while his men quickly took care of the rest.
“Where is Tezra?” he hol ered at Voltan.
“Fighting a vampiress in the cel ar. I think she’s your former lover, Lichorus—and from the scream I heard coming from there, I believe the vampiress is dead.”
“And Atreides?”
Voltan shook his head.
Daemon and Bernard barged down the stairs, only to find the dusty remains of the vampiress and her leather clothes and Tezra fighting four vampires who were attempting to stay out of her dagger’s reach. Katie was cowering behind her between the wine rack and wooden crates stacked against the wal .
Seeing the spirited huntress at such a disadvantage, his heart reached out to Tezra. In that instant, he made the decision to turn her for her own protection now and forever. Until Krustalus was dispatched, she’d be safer as a vampiress and maybe Katie’s only chance to have a life. With his sword poised, Daemon dispensed with two of the vampires while Bernard finished off the other two. Tezra hugged Katie to her chest.
Tezra was way too vulnerable as a huntress. He wouldn’t take her for his mate and go down that dark path, but he couldn’t lose her to Krustalus or to any other ancient who might wish to lay claim to the enchantress. He would make her his ward, under his protection for as long as he ruled. And rule her with an iron hand to ensure she didn’t turn rogue.
Maison appeared suddenly in the cel ar and lifted a broken necklace from the vampiress’s remains. “Lichorus’s.”
Daemon stared at the necklace, recognizing it as the ruby heart he’d given her many centuries ago when he thought her sweet and innocent.
“Ionia,” Tezra said, final y able to get a word out.
“Sorry, my prince,” Voltan said from the top of the stairs. “I thought it was Lichorus. She and Ionia played tricks pretending to be each other because of their similar looks.”
“Mixed them up once at a bash Maison had given. Lichorus thought it was funny as hel until I kissed Ionia pretending I stil thought she was Lichorus.” Daemon let out his breath in exasperation when he realized he hadn’t seen his brother yet, but wouldn’t give in to the concern he had that Atreides might not have made it. “Where’s Atreides?”
“He, he was fighting several vampires on the beach,” Tezra said, tears fil ing her eyes.
“Here.” Atreides poked his head through the doorway. His bloodied arm dangled at his side. “Sorry I was late again. The buggers wouldn’t tel me where they’d taken the women hostage. And when they sifted to the warehouse district, I tagged along.
I convinced the last one to tel me where the ladies were, though he was pretty reluctant.”
More than relieved his brother, his last living blood relative, was fine, Daemon glanced at Tezra, knowing he had to do this now.
“We have to talk.”
Tezra stared at Daemon, wondering what this was al about. A darkness seemed to fil his spirit, and she didn’t like it.
He walked her outside and to her surprise, the Corvette sat in the parking lot. “Maison drove it here so I could get to you more quickly, but I’m not chancing having you get sick from transporting al over again.” He said to Atreides, “Take Katie back to Patrico’s place. Double the guard. We’l return there soon.”
She gave Katie another hug, not wanting to leave her alone again, but Daemon’s tone of voice made her think better of questioning him. Atreides held Katie close, irritating Tezra that he didn’t put more distance between them, then he and several of the others, including Voltan, vanished.
Tezra didn’t like that Daemon was planning to drive the car again. She rubbed her arms. “Can I—”
He shook his head and ushered her to the car, then opened the passenger’s door. “We should get back to Patrico’s place soon.”
“In one piece, Daemon.” She gave him the evil eye, meant to quel his lead foot.
He climbed into the driver’s seat, but before she could brace herself, he zipped out of the restaurant’s parking lot.
“If you stil want me to turn you, I wil .”
Her heart barely beat. “I thought—”
“You’l be my ward. I won’t take another mate.”
“But you said—”
“If you turn rogue, I won’t terminate you. I…couldn’t, Tezra. So understand this, if—”
“So, there
was
another option for turning me other than my becoming an outsider.” She touched his lips, silencing him when he opened his mouth to speak again. “What exactly does being your ward entail?”
“You abide by
my
rules. If I so choose, I can give you to one of my loyal vampires as a mate in payment for their service to me, just like the royals did with the women who were wards of their courts during their reigns.”
She stifled a sarcastic laugh. He was way too control ing to give her to one of his friends. “Would you real y?” she asked, though she didn’t believe him for a minute.
“It is always an option, and I wanted you to know what being my ward truly means.”
He sounded total y serious, but she knew he was only trying to get her to change her mind about being turned and wouldn’t give her up to anyone. Beyond that, no way would she al ow it anyway. “Al right, wel , I promise I won’t turn renegade on you, and being your ward is acceptable.”
Yet she couldn’t help feeling hurt that he didn’t want her like he did the other women. She wasn’t like the others. She was committed to being turned, and she could love Daemon without reservation. So why did it distress her so much?
“Why did you change your mind, Daemon?”
“Krustalus wil always come after you.” He glanced at her. “I intend to kil him, Tezra, but I can’t be certain I wil always be there for you. He separated us, and I cut him a couple of times before he vanished.” He let out his breath. “I couldn’t see it before, or maybe I didn’t want to believe it. You were right. Krustalus was waiting until you were older. But not because you could fight him better. He wants you for his lover. He’s lost his chosen mate, and he’s staked his claim on you. It’s too great a risk with you being so defenseless. If I turn you, you’l be a fledgling. But you’l have speed, the ability to see in the dark, a heightened sense of hearing and—”
“I can bite him.”
He gave her a dark smile. “I’m thinking more in defensive terms. You’l never have his strength, but vampiric abilities wil give you a better chance at detecting danger and avoiding it until I can reach you and terminate him. The heightened senses wil be immediate. Sifting is different for everyone. Some catch on quickly. For others, it takes longer to master.”
“But I can control a human’s mind.”
“Also limited to a degree. Early on you should curb your use of it or you’l experience debilitating headaches.”
“But for Katie’s sake—”
He nodded. “If she doesn’t resist your suggestion, it should work.”
Not expecting Daemon’s sudden change of heart, Tezra didn’t say anything for a moment.
“It’s up to you, Tezra. It has to be your choice, but I wil do it if you desire.”
What she desired was to set Katie free from her nightmare.
***
Convinced Tezra would be safer if he turned her, Daemon couldn’t let Krustalus get hold of her no matter what. Instead of taking her to Patrico’s home, he drove her to the privacy of his.
As soon as they were inside his home, Daemon grabbed her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, then dispensed with their clothes and lifted her onto the high bed. The sound of her sweet murmur, the smel of her heavenly floral scent and touch of her silky skin against his instantly aroused him.
“Daemon,” she mouthed against his lips as he kissed her into submission.
He leaned against her, and her fingers skimmed his back. Her pink tongue flicked at his, teasing him. His need for fulfil ment roared through him. He prodded her parted lips with his tongue, simulating what he wanted to do with his hard erection between her legs. He licked the tender skin at her throat, and her pulse beckoned him.
If she wasn’t so close to being a huntress rogue, he might have considered taking her for his own mate. She was perfect in every way otherwise—if it hadn’t been for his past failures when he attempted to take a mate.
His eyes feasted on her soft, rounded curves. Her long dark hair screened his view of her rosy nipples peeking out shyly between the strands, and the length draped down to the top of her short curly hairs.
Breathtaking. A vision in one luscious body.
Trailing kisses down her abdomen, he stroked her nipples, drawing them upwards into cherry-colored, twin peaks. She touched his unbound hair, and her lips curved up, her eyes heavily lidded. Her smile was contagious.
“Do you stil want this?” he asked, needing to be sure.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “For Katie, and so that I’l have more defenses against Krustalus.”
“I’m not pushing you into this.”
“Do you want me to bite you first?”
He chuckled and licked her neck. “I’l drink as before, then it’s your turn.” With the gentlest of pricks, he tasted her sweet blood, taking enough this time to ensure she needed his to complete the transformation. But as soon as he did, he felt the urge to make her his for al eternity. The spitfire and sensual sweetness that was al Tezra drew him in, captured him, held him prisoner.
When he sealed the wound, she closed her eyes, her pulse slowed.
Using his teeth, Daemon cut his arm and touched it to her lips, ready to fulfil his promise to her. “Drink.”
She swal owed, then choked, her eyelids fluttering.