Vaewolf: Damn the Darkness: The Prophecy's Promise (Hearts of Darkness Book 3) (20 page)

Dylan’s glare intensified with her vehemence.

Then she moaned. “She, the dark fae wanted to lick every inch of his rippling body—” Caitlin stopped and started to sob “—like some gutter slut.”

“Shhh.” He tried to get her to face him, but she slapped away his hand. Then he tried again whispering, “Caitlin, my darling lass, look at me.”

Damn him.
“No.” He knew she couldn’t resist his brogue any more than she could hold back the uncontrollable sobbing. Turning aside, she closed her eyes and sputtered out the question in a few broken words through the hiccups plaguing her. “You would give me up to another man so easily?”

“EASILY?” The shout he roared stopped her mid-sentence. Anger poured off him. His reaction to her accusation was so unexpected the shock instantly startled away her hiccups. He jumped up and pushed her aside. Pacing with purpose, his heavy tread vibrated on the wooden porch along with the rage filling the air around them. Never having seen him like this, she’d better say nothing and let him vent.

With her breath locked in her chest, she held her thoughts while he continued to rant. When he finally turned and faced her, Caitlin almost didn’t recognize this Dylan. This one couldn’t control his anger. Here was the possessive warrior from the past rearing his jealous head, eyes flashing cold silver, and his size literally doubling before her eyes. His thick veins surfaced, visibly beating in his temple and throat.

“Y’ think anything about this is easy fer me?” he bellowed, glowering at her. “I’ve lived three hundred years, alone, without a mate. This bond between us makes immortality bearable, and ye think giving mine up to another man, even a man I love as a brother, is going to be easy for me?”

Death.
There was that thought again. Whose? This time it chilled her to the bone.

“I know. I was wrong. I’m sorry.” She risked reaching out to him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, pressing her cheek to his chest. “I love you, Dylan.”

His heart thudded in his chest like a base drum, and he held her as if he’d never let her go. But when his mind spoke to hers, he said something different. He was going to leave her no matter how he felt.

Caitlin shook her head and begged him to reconsider, “Please, Dylan. Not yet.” With another sob, hoping he’d change his mind, she gripped his shirt. “Dammit, I hate being a clingy weak woman, but don’t leave me. Don’t...give me away.”

“Caitlin...” He went deadly still. “I am not giving you away. And I would never willing leave you if there was a better choice. The idea is killing me, but you have imprinted on two men. You don’t understand what it means. You’ll need—”

“No. No. I don’t want Jackson. She does.”

“In time—” he tilted her chin up and forced her to look at him.

“No—”

“Yes. You will. She will become a part of you. And because the time will come when you’ll need him. You won’t be able to resist the bond, and I’m too weak to stand by and watch. Give him a chance.”

She wiped her eyes. “How did this happen?” Answers they needed answers.

“Not sure.” Dylan scrubbed his hands down his face and then ran his fingers through his hair. “I still believe it’s my fault...” His momentary calm snapped and he returned to his pacing as the words poured from him. “Niccolai’s blood link, Jackson’s DNA, your psychic ability—I don’t know. Maybe you were meant for Jackson, and I jumped the gun. The relationship between the us apparently forged an indestructible connection when Shelby made you instead of me. I don’t know what any of this means for our future—”

“Stop! Think. If you don’t know, who does?”

“The Ancients. Or Niccolai. If I have to dig him up from his tomb in Mesopotamia to get answers, I will. I vow I’ll get the answers we need. But, you have to let me go. I have to leave,” Dylan said as he plopped down beside her, “and Jackson has to be the one to care for you.”

“No, please. You know what that’ll mean.” Everything in her new existence had suddenly changed for all eternity, and now it had flipped upside down again. “How will I survive without you?”

“Shelby, Isobel, and Simone, will help you. Max and Kyle are your friends and will be here to explain anything. Jackson will see to your other needs, blood and such, and with Garr, will manage the humans and guards. They’ll all be here to protect you and support you until I return to settle this matter.”

“Jackson may be able to satisfy the blood lust and the burning need forging flames of lust deep in my sex fae, but he’ll never fill the hole in my heart while you’re off searching for answers?”

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, climbing up his body, kissing his eyes and his cheeks. “I’ll fight this, Dylan.”

“I know you will, my little warrior. But your very nature will see to it that you lose this battle.”

He studied her face so tenderly, a knot formed in her throat. God, she didn’t want to start crying again.

“Trust me, you’ll need him and will grow to care for him…perhaps even love him.”

“I trust you. Our love transcended life and death, and I believe it will survive this.”

“Exactly my point.”

“But I can’t, be apart from you. Turning to him feels like betrayal.”

“It won’t be a betrayal. I want you both to survive. Within a short while, you won’t be able to survive without him, or he without you. I would never want anything to happen to you. I love you both. I can’t bear the thought of losing either of you.”

In spite of his words, his tight jaw repeatedly clenched, and shards of pain leaked through his walled thoughts.

When her breath caught in another silent sob, he cupped her face in his hands, and with his eyes burning into hers, his mouth set firmly into a grim line, he said, “Listen carefully. I’m older with the blood of two ancients flowing through me. Jackson may be Vaewolf, but I am born of a light fae princess and a descendent of Oden and Zeus,” he growled. The valiant warrior he’d been, resurfaced. “How do you think you two fledglings will fare if I can’t control my jealousy?”

He ran his hands roughly into her hair and gripped a handful, tilting her head back exposing the tender skin of her throat. His fangs descended, and then he gathered back his control.

“Caitlin, I want you to understand this. I’m too weak to control my emotions. If I could ever share you with him, the time isn’t now. Allow me go in search of answers. Let me see if I can find the strength to do what must be done, while you and Jackson discover what there is between you.”

He wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his thumbs, then gentled his grip and his expression. “I’ll find the answers,” he stated with a determination she wanted to believe.

~~~~

“Where will you go?” Caitlin didn’t want to ask but couldn’t help herself.

“The elders believe Antoinette may know where Niccolai kept his papers, or she may have the answers I seek. She’s been spotted north of here.”

“Antoinette? The ancient who once was your mistress?” Her words snapped past her lips exposing her red-hot jealousy.

“There can only be you for me, Caitlin. Ever.”

“You haven’t bound me, Dylan. Don’t lie to me.”

She narrowed her eyes on him—her warning clear. Both were still free, physically, until they were bound by three sexual blood exchanges and the
claiming
.

“I’m not lying.” He made a fist and pressed it to his heart. “There is you, and you alone, here.” He dragged her against his body and leaned down to kiss her gently.

His tenderness made her want to grab him and force him into a deep, more passionate kiss, one so soul searing it would make them both forget the wolf, the old mistress, and their problems.

But he firmly held her back, preventing the kiss from going beyond sweet.

“I know you would fight the idea of Jackson, but don’t. You can’t win, and you won’t survive long denying your feelings for him or the
needing
.”

“I won’t consider this.”

When she tried to bury her teeth in his throat, he moved her mouth to his and brushed a soft kiss over her lips.

“If we start...this conversation is over. I can’t take much more. We must finish this.”

Was it possible this man she loved could ask her to accept another, a man she didn’t know, didn’t love—one she wanted to resist, knowing she never could. The wolf set something inside her on fire. “I can’t...”

“You will. You’ll have to. You’ll need someone to look after you.”

“Just because we haven’t formally completed the bond doesn’t mean I don’t feel as if I belong with you. What you’re suggesting goes against everything I ever believed a relationship between us would be.”

“I do understand. Do you think I would choose this fate for us? The sword I took upon my death felt like a pin prick compared to this pain,” he snapped at her. “Lives depend on us making the right decisions.”

Lives of all the lore.
Sometimes she forgot he led these people. They were his responsibility for now, until Jackson took over. She pushed her forehead to his and slowly allowed a sad smile.

“I know,” she whispered. “This must be impossible...” She couldn’t even imagine. The pain in his eyes and the sense of foreboding she stole from his closed mind prevented her from arguing the point further.

She put her hand to her throat. Accepting another man into her bed—oh God, perhaps even into her heart. The idea already had her head aching and her stomach flipping. She couldn’t breathe imagining what it meant to Dylan.

“I don’t want this,” she snarled out her frustration. “I love you.”

“But your body wants him,” he whispered. “Your body needs him.”

“It’s not…really it doesn’t feel like a part of my body. It’s as if a stranger is residing within me.”

“I know. I have my beast and apparently you have yours.” That damned, sardonic smile she hated formed on his lips. “Caitlin, we don’t have a choice. Jackson hasn’t attained his majority nor fully taken control. My sacred vow to his father remains unfulfilled.” He shook his head slowly and held her away so he could look her in the eye. “He’s all the family I have, and you are too new to withstand the effect of our bonding emotions. Our mental connections will place too much of a demand on you. I’ve made up my mind. I won’t risk you—either of you.”

His words clarified a few more consequences. She could lose her mind or put herself between brothers. She wasn’t usually a slow study, but she got it now. Dylan loved her enough to drag her back from the brink of death. He’d broken the laws to keep his eternal life mate, and without her, he would go to ground or, do the unthinkable, seek out the final death. That she would never allow. Everything came into focus.

There was an alternative she’d never considered, but would to save their lives. A shiver of apprehension rolled over her skin.

“You’re sure you can’t share me? But Jackson could?”

“No, I can’t. Not at this time.” The intensity of his stare and the tone in his voice made his point. “Jackson’s ability to share you remains to be seen. He didn’t seem to be so inclined earlier when he was ready to kill me for you.”

“I guess I should be flattered, but under the circumstances, I’m not even impressed. I want control back over my life.”

If he could bear the separation, so could she. The alternative was too horrifying. Unless they worked this out, someone was definitely going to die anyway. The thought sent an arrow of pure ice straight to her marrow. She had no choice but to accept their situation.

“Okay, go find our answers. I’ll get to know Jackson, and try to restrain...her, my beast. You do understand the consequences if I—?”

“I know what will happen,” his voice was a low rasp uttered through clenched teeth. “He’s the one I trust to keep you safe from potential danger from the demons and other unwelcome
suitors
. According to Victor, until one of us binds you, as a talented psychic, your very existence puts you in danger. Jackson’s the strongest among the Lycans and the vampires. It’s a good bet, he’ll keep his mate safe.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled deeply. When he opened them, they were clear. “I understand the other consequences of leaving you. I promise I’ll—”

“No promises. You can’t hold me or Jackson to promises, and I won’t ask anything of you. But know this. I can not be responsible for what happens when you leave us.”

Chapter Twenty Six

Confessor

Before Dylan went off half cocked without a clue what he was looking for, he decided to visit Victor Salazar and seek his advice.

The man was in a makeshift addition to Max’s lab.

“Victor, do you have a few minutes to talk, perhaps somewhere more comfortable?”

“Why of course, lead on.”

Dylan decided the back stone patio would work best for this conversation. After they sat, he asked, “Would you mind listening through my confession?”

“I am the farthest thing from a priest you will ever find, my friend.” Victor chuckled. “But I think I understand your concerns. You want to know if by turning Caitlin you in some way changed destiny. The answer is no. The argument is a philosophical one. If something is destined, then whatever transpires is a part of that destiny.”

“Uh, I see your point, but if there is a prophecy, isn’t there a preplanned, mapped out diagram to the conclusion?”

“Not necessarily. Only the outcome is final. How becomes the variable. You and Jackson imprinted on Caitlin. We must look through the scientific reasons to determine why the three of you must be together to fulfill the prophecy. Then we can decide how to proceed forward with a plan.”

“I’ll try to substantiate your hypothesis.” Dylan sighed. Victor made everything sound so reasonable when reason seemed so out of reach.

“Niccolai would have implanted memories in your mind to help you through difficult times like these. You should do a little searching within your own mind, or the mind of Niccolai’s old acquaintances. Perhaps you will find clues there.”

“You’re right. He did implant memories I’ve had to use in the past,” Dylan admitted.

“I will tell you what we know. So far, Max and I have discovered there is a weakness of vampire DNA causing the infertility in turned vampire men. The dilution of genes makes reproduction impossible without adding another mate. The obvious conclusion is the need for multiple mates of various species to strengthen the gene pool and to enable certain women to become pregnant.” Salazar shook a finger in the air. “This is not what the prophecy claimed. What the prophecy promised was a serum, a magical potion, which would enable
all
couples to procreate. We are testing Caitlin’s blood, and both your DNA and Jackson’s to discover if together the diluted vampire DNA is somehow enriched when mixed together. It may take several weeks before we have an answer, but it’s what we believe will confirm with our research.”

“Max said you confirmed I was the cause of the problem.”

“I did not say
cause
. When you used Shelby’s weakened vampire blood to turn Caitlin, your Niccolai-enhanced blood boosted her stamina, and we discovered latent wolf DNA. She was destined for Jackson all along, but although Jackson is a born vampire, his wolf’s blood dilutes his vampire blood and prevents him from impregnating a vampire mate alone.”

“So you think
I’m
necessary to carry on the Xenos line?”

“I believe so. But without a translation of the scrolls you provided, I would not choose to bet your lives on my hypothesis.”

Perhaps this had always been the reason Niccolai needed him...not to care for Jackson as he’d always believed...but to be a true son to the ancient vampire and bond with his natural son’s destined mate.

Dylan would like to believe that.

“Victor, until we can confirm more of the facts, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t give Jackson or Caitlin false hope. I’ll go in search of someone capable of translating the ancient language. I think I know how to locate the answers to our questions. Niccolai’s memories were scattered among friends and acquaintances, secreted within their minds in hidden compartments, left there for my mind to find.” The location of the key to the box had been in his mind, there for safekeeping, and until he found the one who might know who could read the scrolls, he’d keep his memories to himself.

“Amyra had memories.” Victor’s brow furrowed. “I give you permission to search my mind. Use what you can if there is a secret stored within.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your confidence. And you know who else I bet could share memories? Antoinette. Do you remember her?”

“Yes, Niccolai was quite fond of her for many years. If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t she one of Amyra’s favorite’s too?”

“That’s the one.” Dylan chuckled. “I checked with the council and she’s not far.”

Chapter Twenty Seven

Information from Antoinette

Dylan glanced around the upscale Goth bar in Atlanta called
The Loreans
. You name it. You saw it here. Then he caught sight of a fair haired beauty—exactly the one he was looking for. He stared long enough waiting for her to make eye contact. Antoinette had to sense he was here.

And he was right again. Her gaze shot from side to side before she located him and stared him down. The woman had the pale iridescent skin of a vampire, and for a moment, her eyes flashed silver with renewed interest. Silly woman to underestimate his memory.

Déjà vu
. Circumstances were destined to repeat if somethings didn’t change. Dylan would remember that this time, and reached out to scan her mind. The woman he’d once known a very long time ago, looked the same...at least until she approached. Close up, the ravages of time showed in her eyes, if not on her face and body. Time was evident in her mind. Physically she didn’t look much older than the Antoinette he’d left behind. At first he ignored the differences, but what he couldn’t ignore was how much harder her eyes looked.

Time does that to a soul, and hers was older and more damaged than even his.

A made vampire...not born like Amyra, Antoinette’s scent didn’t have the strong cinnamon scent of a born vamp. Nevertheless, he remembered her flavor and her scent. He was hungry, and her blood was tempting, even if
she
wasn’t.

Dylan needed the strength to wade through the centuries of death and betrayal he saw in her mind. Before Niccolai went to ground, he’d told Dylan to seek out Antoinette for answers should questions arise. She didn’t know it, but Niccolai had planted ancient knowledge deep in her suppressed memories. But, to get near the information, Dylan would have to convince her to cooperate.

“Long time no see. You must want something real bad.”

Dylan arched a brow and slowly let his gaze drift over her body. Let her think he was interested in sex and not her ancient blood. She teased him, swayed her hips to the beat of the music, in a slow sensual grind.

“Wanna dance?”

“Maybe. If you let me have a taste of you. Otherwise I’m sticking with this.” Dylan indicated the pitcher of beer.

Her lips turned into a snarl. “How can you stomach that stuff?”

“My secret.” He lifted the glass and drank. Without the special herb, he couldn’t feel the effects. “You going to let me have that taste, lass?” Antoinette hadn’t been a lass in over six centuries, but who was counting?

She dipped low giving him a good view of her tits, still as perky as ever, and tried to tempt him. “Will you see to it I’m satisfied?”

Dylan snorted and gave her an arrogant grunt. “Have I ever left you wanting?”

“No…you just…left.”

Dylan lifted an arched brow and tilted his head to one side. His mind did a mental spin. Like really? Was she going there? “Do you doubt my mental acuity?”

She gave him an unconcerned eye roll.

“Antoinette, we had an agreement. You broke it. When the Hunters arrived, I didn’t stick around for explanations. My well being was my first concern, not the question of why my lover betrayed me.”

He stood to his full height knowing his size intimidated most men, but this little vamp had been around the block a few times. She’d always been the scrappy sort.

She waved a hand nonchalantly in his face and gave him a hip bump. “Hey, let bygones be bygones between old friends.”

Never!

She was audacious he had to admit. He chuckled. With his arm around her tiny waist, he walked her to the dance floor, pulled her close into his arms, and rubbed his erection against her. With that, she gave him a triumphant smile, and he felt sick. Sick because he was touching someone other than Caitlin and sick because he’d been forced to play this game for answers.

Anything was worth the price for a way to stay with his life mate.

Antoinette wrapped her arms around his waist and ground back. “I believe you’re here for more than a taste.”

“I am.” He’d let her think it was for sex, but he wasn’t going to lie.

The first time he’d met Antoinette had been in the brothel with Amyra and Niccolai, the night before his death. He’d been inebriated then. The last time he’d seen her had been in Paris right before she almost cost him his head. He’d been drinking then, too. But he was stone-cold sober tonight, and he wasn’t making the mistake of trusting his life to the little vixen ever again.

The music wailed on as he danced Antoinette in the direction of a dark private corner so he could accomplish his business. Along the way, he swayed to the rhythm of the sexy music and cupped her fine rounded ass. She smelled of cardamom, not as strongly as he suspected he did, but he checked for vervain when he sniffed her neck to make sure her blood wasn’t tainted.

In the years since he’d been turned, he’d come to know the scent of cardamom as the familiar scent of a made vampire, but it also concealed other deadly scents if one wasn’t careful. And Antoinette hadn’t been happy about him escaping and leaving her to answer to the Hunters.

He touched her mind. Images of her naked and spread out for his pleasure, poured into his head, and he shared it with her. He nuzzled her ear and used his voice to seduce her. She deserved one really good orgasm for offering herself up to him and perhaps another for the right information.

While he prepared to take her blood, he projected his own visions of what he thought she desired, but he was desperately hungry, especially for ancient vampire blood. It would strengthen him more quickly than any other, and give him the stamina to deal with Caitlin and Jackson when the time came.

Once he nipped her neck for a taste, her thoughts flooded into his mind. Ah, she still liked rough and kinky. “Is this how you want it? He walked her farther to the back, into a dark corner, and gripped her hands behind her back. “Hard and fast? Be careful how you answer, because you know I can be brutal.”

“Uh-oh. Such a temptation...” She paused and stared into his eyes, then he noted a softness in hers he hadn’t seen earlier. “But you won’t really touch me will you?” she asked.

The fair haired beauty smiled when he shook his head.

“I see. You finally found your mate. Congratulations.” She put her finger to her lips. “Shh... Don’t say anything. I owe you one.” And she flipped her hair aside for him. “Go ahead, but do me a favor. Even if you leave no marks on my body, make me believe I’ve been very, very bad.”

Dylan would oblige her willingly. From what he’d seen in her memories, the fact she’d been very, very bad over the years, made it easier. He pressed Antoinette against the back wall and ripped open her neck, sucked her rich blood, and sent images of whips and chains into her mind while he spread her legs wide for the impression. He projected fucking her harder, driving high inside her, slapping her until she came shuddering long and hard against him. Then he closed the wound gently with his tongue and held her for a long moment while she recovered from the illusion.