Her body jerked and the arc of electricity singed my nerves, but I just held onto her tighter.

  “Easy, love, it was just a dream.”

  “He-he took you from me. He took Daddy from me… I was left all alone. I had no one.”

  “Hey, I’m right here. Your father is fine as well. We got word from him last night, remember. No one is going to take us from you.”

  “I- I know. It just-”

  “Felt real. Yeah, I know, love. It’s okay. Deep breaths. Come on, lass. You can do this.”

  I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. I wanted to wrap her in a bubble, one that was impenetrable by anything wanting to cause her harm. I also needed Alex to get his ass back here so we can figure out why she is glowing purple all of a sudden. With a sigh I start to rock myself slightly. It’s one way I know I can get her to relax. The more body contact, the better.

  The bond that bind us together is not much different from the bond that the shifters, Kristos and Jocelyn, share. They're her other guards. They are close, but spend most of their time out patrolling the grounds. My heart, as cold as it can be, still beats for only one, for Marissa. I knew the first time I saw her that she was mine. My inner monster went on a rampage, yet I bided my time. There was no way I would scare off the only woman that was to be mine.

  There were too many amazing things still to come in our future for me to mess it up like that.

  2

  Trenton

  Present Day

  The girl standing in the rubble turned with a snarl to look at her father when he called out to her. The blackness in her eyes took a minute to fade back to her normal hazel. Alexander took a tentative step closer to the wreckage of his house - stopping only when his daughter growled at him. His brow raised, yet he glared at her.

  “Marissa Lynn!” Alex warned. I raised my hand as some of my guys went to move forward. That had ‘bad idea’ written all over it.

  “Wait! Don’t,” A man - no, a vampire - one that I recognized, called out. “She’s not herself yet!” He stumbled from behind the house, another man in his grip. Blood streaked his face and ran all the way down his arm. I moved as my brother did.

  “Demetrius, what the fuck?” Alexander roared. The vampire took a step back, dropping the body to the ground. “I left you here to protect her! This is not protecting her! What happened to my house?”

  Demetrius’ hand rose as Alexander started growling again. His big body was vibrating with anger.

  “This is not my fault!” he growled back. His gaze burned with rage as he stared Alexander down. “I didn’t do this. It-” His words trailed off when he saw me. He bowed and dropped to one knee. “Forgive me, Sire.”

  “Rise, my boy. Tell us what happened here,” I said quickly, before Alexander could do something stupid, like wring his neck. I rested a hand on my brother’s shoulder to keep him in his spot.

  “Easy, Brother.”

  “I- fuck! I don’t know what happened. You were here,” he said pointing at Alexander before continuing, “but before I could react you attacked-”

  “I wasn’t here!” Alexander ground out, cutting his words off.

  Demetrius gave him a hard look before waving a hand at Alexander again. Continuing, he said, “then all hell broke loose. These assholes took Sorena down before I could blink. She just crumpled. I locked Marissa in the safe room… and as you see, that didn’t work out too well.” He rolled his eyes. “She broke out and things got dicey, quickly.”

  Alexander moved to him. He had the vampire in the air in a blink. To his credit, Demetrius didn’t fight him.

  “You let them get close to my daughter!”

  “If it wasn’t you, why didn’t you know what was happening?! I didn’t let them do anything!” he snarled.

  “Alexander, put the boy down,” I ordered.

  Demetrius had a point, but by the time Alexander had known something was wrong, we were too late. My brother growled again and dropped Demetrius to the ground. He was back on his feet before Alexander had taken a single step back.

  “How was I supposed to fight off magic throwers, five of the King’s best men, and keep that crazy girl under control when her powers go awry!?”

  “My daughter is not crazy!”

  “Aye, she fecking is! God love her...” Demetrius swore then in his native tongue, which was something he only did when his emotions were out of control. If the Irish was showing, you needed to step back and let him collect himself.

  I shook my head.

  “Daddy?” A small voice said from our left. Alexander moved to help his daughter out of the crumbled remains of the house. “Why did you attack and then leave us?” she asked him.

  “I’ve not been here for weeks, Marissa. I’d never hurt you. Can you tell me what happened?” he asked. Pain was written across his features as he brushed the hair from her face. She sighed and looked around. Her eyes scanned the yard and I face the fear in her eyes spike.

  “Dem,” her soft word was all he needed to hear to get him to move closer to her. His arms went around her as she crumbled to the ground.

  Alexander grumbled as he watched the exchange. I laid a hand on his shoulder again, using our bond to speak to only him, “let him be, brother. It is his job as her protector, and his right as her mate, to comfort her.”

  Alexander relaxed, then turned to survey the damage.

  There was a commotion, and a snarl from behind us. We all turned to see Natalia, in her feline form, dragging a screaming man by the shoulder to where we were. Joshua and Ramport in their wolf forms flanked her.

  Both on high alert now. Alexander and I moved toward her. A snarl left me as I saw yet another of the King’s minions.

  “Natalia, drop him, please.” With a grunt she did as I asked. She stepped back and sat on her haunches, her eyes locked on the man at our feet. Both Joshua and Ramport were shifting back to their two-legged selves, now. Talia, however, didn’t.

  She seemed agitated. Joshua moved to place his hand on her neck.

  “What say you?” I said as the man struggled, only to go limp when I grabbed him, lifting him from the ground.

  “He will have them. You can’t stop him. He will have what was taken from him,” the man said, his voice sounding dead. I shook my head and let him go, dropped him on the ground.

  “Rixon!”

  “Yes, yes, Your Highness?” he said, pushing his way to the front of the circle of men before him.

  “Please, do what you need to find out what this vampire knows.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” he said bowing his head. Two of the wolves helped Rixon drag the man to the woods.

  “Now what?” Alexander asked.

  “I am unsure, Brother. We need to be someplace safe and yet, I want to storm the castle and find my mate.”

  My attention was drawn back to my daughter. She was still sitting with her body leaning into Joshua, enjoying his ministrations, but abruptly she stood, growling. There were two animals coming towards us. Both were large, and moving cautiously. They were covered in blood and one was limping slightly.

  “Kristos, Jocelyn! What the fuck?” Alexander demanded. They slowed, but continued to stalk forward. They looked around the gathered shifters and then towards us. Mid-stride they shifted from their animal forms to stand before us on two legs. Both were lean, well-built fighters. I moved a step closer to my daughter and rested a hand on the nape of her neck.

  “Your Highness,” the female said, a hand on her side.

  Alexander inclined his head towards her.

  “We killed three of the men. Their bodies, or rather pieces of them, are down by the creek.” The male beside her pushed her behind him when Talia shifted her stance.

  Talia ignored him and the woman as she moved to wind herself around Joshua’s legs. Something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “Something has her agitated,” Joshua said, confirming what I already knew when he saw I was watching her.

  “Keep your eyes sharp, my boy.”

  My gaze went to Alexander who was fighting to not lose control of himself. Marissa started to fight against Demetrius’ hold. I took a deep breath and moved over to where my niece and her guardian sat. I held my hand out to her. Talia shadowed me, brushing her head against my leg, yowling. I raised a brow at her. What was she doing?

  “Marissa, this is your uncle, Prince Trenton Vincent, the rightful king of the Vampires” Demetrius said, once again bowing his head towards me.

  “I don’t care who he is!” she screamed. As it had before, the earth around us shook as if in response to her anger. Talia chuffed as she moved to her. She rubbed her head against Marissa’s side, and it was as if a blanket of calm had been laid over her. Marissa collapsed against Talia. Talia took her weight, another yowl leaving her.

  “What’s this about?” Alexander asked, annoyance written clearly on his face.

  “Thor ran off after one of the men, I think. He’s not returned yet,” Demetrius said. The hard look on my brother’s stone-cold face morphed to one of concern.

  “Thor?” I questioned.

  “Mari’s puppy,” Demetrius supplied. I nodded and turned to Ramport.

  “On it, Your Highness. We will find him. Can you please supply me with a description?”

  “He’s a big ass black and brown dog,” Demetrius laughed out. “He’s the size of a fecking Clydesdale, with the sense of a box of rocks.” That comment had Marissa coming to her full height and garnering him with a punch to the arm, which made him wince and groan. Marissa scowled at him and she took a shaky breath.

  “He’s an eighty pound black and brown Giant Alaskan Malamute puppy. He’s- he’s not a mean dog, he was protecting me. One of them hit him with something-” she broke into sobs again. Wiping her face she looked around. “He was so brave. He knocked me out of the way.”

  Talia rubbed her head against Marissa once again as she spoke. I watched Talia as she continued rubbing against her. She chuffed and stepped back. With a look at Joshua she took off running. He and three other men hit the ground as wolves and were on her tail.

  “It appears my daughter was scentin’ you so she could pick up your puppy’s scent. They’ll return, my girl. They’ll find him,” I said, squatting before her when she flopped down on the ground. She looked tired. “My daughter is nothing if not determined.”

  “That’s the truest understatement, if I ever heard one,” someone muttered behind me.

  “Mari, what happened here? Tell me now or so help me,” Alexander warned. He was so close to losing his temper. His body was vibrating. This was not good. I could feel his power rolling over the yard.

  “Alexander!” I scolded. He needed to relax.

  “Fine!” She snapped, moving to stand on her feet. The ground rumbled as she paced. If that was part of her powers, we needed to calm her, quickly.

  3

  Marissa

  A Few Hours Earlier

  The moment I woke up this morning, I knew something was different. Something was off. With a big yawn I rolled to my side and looked at my clock, only to groan at the time. It was flashing 6:45 am. I pushed my covers back and sat up. There was no way I was going back to sleep, my body just didn’t work like that. Thor bounded up onto the bed, making me laugh. My puppy, who mind you, was about eighty pounds, loved to have my attention first in the mornings. Rubbing his ears, I grinned at him.

  How could I ever deny that face?

  “Good morning, Boy,” I said softly. “Is your Dem Dem up, too?”

  I pushed myself off the bed and whistled for Thor to follow. He padded out of the room and moved to sit outside the door as I went into the bathroom to shower and make myself feel human. I knew Dem had to be close, he was hardly ever out of earshot. He was as bad as Thor. I swear they’d both follow me in and watch me pee if I let them.

  When my daddy left, my heart broke a little. Things just weren’t the same without him here. He just up and left, no word to me, nothing. Dem said he needed to handle something and that he would be staying here to keep me safe and blah blah blah! Like I was some helpless frigging princess stuck in a castle, guarded by a dragon.

  I just wanted my daddy back, where I knew he was safe. I hated when he had to go deal with business.

  Once showered, I moved downstairs. My hand ran along the banister of the big staircase. My lips twitched in a smile as memories of my younger days flutter through my mind.

  “Marissa Lynn, get off that bannister! You’ll break your neck, young lady.”

  Hearing Daddy warn me off of something I had only just decided to do was scary and a little creepy. That was his “I’m serious” voice, too. I stood there, debating whether or not to listen to him or to slide down the rail like I had done so many times before.

  I chose to slide down. It wasn’t going to hurt. I did this all the time, when he wasn’t looking, that is.

  Rubbing my forearm I remember that day. I’d not listened to Daddy, and I should have. I was sliding faster than I had before and when I got almost to the bottom of the railing my body’s weight shifted, which led to me meeting the floor. My right arm had been caught under me and the snap of my bone had hurt like the devil.

  My butt met the stairs as I replayed the memories of that day. Daddy’s worried face, and him losing his temper with the doctor at the clinic in town. I couldn’t help but smile, even as tears escaped my eyes. I was pulled from my sadness at that memory when Thor licked my face.

  “Okay, I’m okay, Boy. Come on, let’s get your breakfast. Then we can go play in the yard. I got you a new frisbee thing. Can you not eat it this time? I mean, it’s not a chew toy, you silly boy.” I went into the kitchen, opened the pantry and, using the cup in the big can, I got a big scoop of his dry food and filled his bowl. “Here you go.”

  Once I had his water cooler full again I washed my hands and set out to make my breakfast. Eggs and toast sounded good. I moved to the fridge, grabbed what I needed and the bread from the cabinet by the fridge. I kicked the door shut and moved to the counter by the stove. I set everything out as I needed it to be and went in search of my pan. I had to use the red one. It cooked the best. I dug it out and got my breakfast made as quickly as I could.

  Most people would be confused by a vampire eating food, but our bodies are just like everyone else’s. We need nutrition, vitamins and anything else that a human or shifter body would need. Though, we do still need blood from time to time to keep our strength up. It’s also a good way to keep up the appearance of being a harmless human.

  By the time breakfast was ready, on the table and I had my first bite, there were a set of brown eyes staring at me. I snorted and pulled my plate further from the edge of the table. That was when I felt a shudder running through my body. It felt like electricity was pouring into the house. Thor turned and growled, something I hadn’t seen him do before.

  “What is it, buddy?” I asked the dog, like he was going to answer me. I didn’t have time to react or say more before the front door opened. A very pissed off Dem rushed in. Before I could ask what was going on - why he was vibrating with power and anger - I was pulled to my feet and rushed to the closet. The panic room - or safe room as Daddy called it - was in there.

  “What are you doing? Are you mad, Dem?” I snarled out the question. He must have been mental to think he was just going to shove me in there.

  The front door flew open, slamming against the wall just before Dem shoved me in the room with Thor. I was about to protest, but that was cut off when he went sailing backwards as a blast of power hit him. My fists balled up and I turned to face the threat. My heart stopped…

  It was my daddy.

  “Daddy?”

  The power rolling off of him was all wrong. I scented the air and the odor surrounding him made me shudder. I knew it wasn’t him, it wasn’t my daddy, but it looked like him. Was it him and he was… possessed? Could that happen? His lips curled up into an evil grin. I snarled and whipped out my hand. He flew backwards as my power wrapped around him.

  Two men came barreling into the house. One came right at me. The other attacked Dem. I was struck for a moment. This man’s power slid over me like a blanket. My only saving grace was Thor. He launched himself at the man.

  “Thor! No!” Before I could move to pull my dog away from danger the man struck him with something. Thor yelped, I snarled and Dem, who I hadn’t seen move, was instantly at my side. With a whispered, “I love you,” he shoved me back into the closet, shut the door and locked it.

  He locked me inside?

  What the actual fuck?

  “YOU LET ME OUT OF HERE!!” I screamed, my fist pounding the door. I slammed my fists against it. I was not staying in this box while Dem and my dog were out there fighting off… God only knew who!

  Time passed quickly as my anger grew. I felt the rumble of the ground around me. The house shifted, cracking as the power inside me grew. With a fierce cry, my head fell back. A scream of pure rage left my lips, sending my power swarming out into the small room.

  That was all there was, until nothing but ash and rubble surrounded me.

  Present Time

  “I can’t believe you blew up my house! Seriously?” Daddy shook his head as I paced. I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. Fuck the house. It could be replaced.

  Fuck all of this bullshit, I was going to find my dog. I turned from them all and started off towards the woods. Maybe he went after one of the men or he ran off scared when the house exploded.

  Abruptly, I stopped. I could feel power rolling over me just like it had this morning. I spun, my eyes darting from one side of the yard to the other.

  What was that?

  “Mari?” Dem’s words were cautious as I spun, my eyes once again taking in my surroundings. I shuddered as a power I still could not see poured over me.

  Pain lanced through me. I growled, and before I could stop myself I flung my hand out. The trees ahead of me split. A man in a dark colored cloak fell to the ground along with the top of the tree. The loud crack of it crashing to the ground made the others in the yard spring into action.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11