19. Chapter 19
19
N othing like an impending attack to ruin the mood.
Fabian straightened next to her, ready for a fight.
Ginna and Asmund made an effort to act normal, but they too readied themselves.
One of the horses chuffed, and the other followed with a snort.
“Whoa,” the driver said, and they came to a stop.
A growl came from far off, barely audible to Kelly from its distance.
Kade answered with a burst of power, knocking the air from her lungs as it passed through.
The growl turned to a snarl, then it was joined by yips and growls of support.
Fabian leaned to her and spoke low enough that the coachman couldn’t hear, “We cannot show our powers in the presence of humans. Do not use your power. Follow my lead.”
She nodded.
Everyone stood.
“Sir, thank ye for the ride, we greatly appreciate ye. We’ll be departing here.” Kade set a bill on the seat as they all stepped to the ground.
Fabian drew one of his swords and held it at the ready. His other hand wrapped around Kelly’s wrist, and he pulled her toward a horse. His sword sliced through the horse’s harness like it was butter, disconnecting it from the carriage.
“Hey! You can’t do that!” the coachman stood and yelled at Fabian.
“Apologies, sir, we will make it right later.”
The snarling grew closer, and Kelly felt defenseless without the ability to use her power. Sure, it was new, but it would still prove useful in a fight.
The growls grew closer, encircling them.
Fabian motioned her closer. “I am going to get on, then I will lift you on behind me, understand?”
She nodded.
Fabian leapt onto the horse with the expertise of a practiced rider and cut the connection between the two horses before offering her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up onto the animal with amazing ease.
The horse chuffed again as the coachman continued yelling at them.
The others moved in front of them, guarding them from the dogs coming up.
Except they weren’t dogs. Large figures made their way closer, and the subtle light from the houses and streetlamps made their fur glisten. Their tall ears were straight forward, and twelve sets of hard eyes locked onto Kelly, intent on their prey.
She couldn’t help but be intimidated as the biggest wolves Kelly had ever seen surrounded them. The largest one, a beautiful black-and-silver beast, was in the center of the pack, leading them all as they closed in on the group.
The horse snorted and stomped his hoof. He actually stepped forward then, challenging the wolves.
The one closest to them snarled and charged them, leaping from the ground with its mouth poised for the horse’s neck.
Kelly held on tight to Fabian in fear.
The horse reared up and kicked the wolf hard in the face. Bone cracked, and the animal let out a yelp before it landed on the ground.
The rest of the pack came at them at once. Kelly tried to keep up with everything that was going on, but there was too much movement. Eleven to four didn’t seem like good odds, and to top it off, the majority of them were coming for her.
A white wolf came at them first, teeth bared as it flew through the air straight at Kelly. Fabian’s sword flashed in front of her, taking it down just before its jaws found their mark.
A yelp sounded to their left, and Kelly looked over to see a wolf lying lifeless before Kade.
Asmund punched one straight in the nose when it came at him.
Kade yelled as a set of teeth clamped down on his leg, but he paid the bite back tenfold with a blow to the wolf’s back. A crack sounded, and it fell, lifeless.
Kade rushed to them, kicking a wolf and launching it into the air as he passed by Ginna, who was holding her own with a short sword.
“Go, get her out of here! I’ll hold these off.”
Fabian gave him a nod, and the horse turned and carried them off with speed and grace. They wound their way through the streets, mostly staying away from traffic. After at least a mile of weaving their way through the neighborhood, Fabian let the horse slow just a little.
“There is one still following us. I am going to jump off and take care of him. You hold on, the horse will stop and wait.”
“But how will…”
She didn’t get to finish. In a show of gymnastic prowess, Fabian pushed himself to standing, then jumped up and flipped backward over her as the horse moved on.
Luckily, the driving harness gave her something to grab onto, and just as she had a solid grip, the animal slowed and turned, giving her a view of the fight.
The pack leader crouched low to the ground, circling with Fabian, calculating its next move. Fabian had both swords out now and countered each move the wolf made with precision.
How a wolf had any chance against a sword-wielding fae was beyond Kelly. It seemed like a pointless effort on the wolf’s part.
The animal held its own, though. It was calm and planned its moves well. Unlike the rest of its pack who just lunged at their prey, this one knew how to hunt and fight.
Fabian swung a sword at the wolf and it dodged, barely escaping the blade.
The wolf went for Fabian’s left ankle, but he spun back and to the left to dodge. Fabian brought his right sword down as he spun in the air, catching the wolf’s ear as it passed, slicing half of it off.
The wolf didn’t yelp or show pain. Instead, it snarled and snapped, spitting saliva from its mouth in fury.
What felt like an eternity passed as the two danced in the street. Fabian never made a move to attack the shifter, but rather waited for it to attack before countering with his own strike. His fighting skills were fluid, like those of an artist. He was never surprised, never acted in fear, just calmly reacted to the wolf’s movements.
A burst of power surged through the air, announcing Kade’s arrival. Kelly’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, and the last bit of fear she’d been holding onto left her entirely.
The wolf turned so he could see Kade and Fabian at the same time. He backed away from them, still crouching low. He looked back and forth between the men, trying to judge their intent.
“Come on, puppy, stick around. The party’s just getting started.”
Kade’s fangs descended, and he smiled wickedly at the wolf.
It took a few more steps back, then turned and ran, knowing the battle was lost.
Kade jogged over to Kelly. “Are ye all right, lass?” Worry plastered his face.
She nodded. “Not a scratch.”
She threw her leg over the horse to slide down, and he caught her, hugging her tightly to him.
When he finally loosened his grip, he cradled her face in his hands, amber eyes scanning over her for signs of distress. “Yer sure yer all right?”
“I’m fine, really.” He apparently decided she was telling the truth, and he nodded.
Fabian walked over to the horse and spoke gently to it, running his hand up the bridge of its nose. The horse nodded and whinnied in apparent agreement to whatever Fabian had said.
“I will take him back to the coachman,” he said as he jumped onto the animal’s back.
Kade nodded. “Asmund and Ginna are smoothing things over with him. He will be glad to see the horse alive. I’ll take her back to the house.”
Kelly gave the horse a gentle pat. “Thanks, big guy.”
Fabian was off without a word, and the horse whinnied again as they galloped down the street.
The adrenaline that had been coursing through Kelly’s veins wore off, and she suddenly began to shake. The seriousness of her situation finally sank in, and she realized she’d put them all in danger by going out for the evening.
Kelly focused on her breathing and willed her body to let go of the shock. A few moments, and she was ready to go.
Kade placed his hand at the small of her back, and they headed back toward the house. Kelly had no idea where they were, but she followed his lead.
“I need to learn to fight.”
“Aye, ye do. Let’s just get you home tonight, and we can work on that another day.”
A nod was all she could manage.
“Why can you use your power in public, but everyone else had to appear human?”
“I can only use part of it. The waves of power fall into a sort of gray area, and that type of ability is allowed only when necessary. It’s not visible, so a human could write it off as a fluke. I cannae let them see my fangs, though, nor my ability to fly or move faster in a fight. I had to hide my strength and speed when we were fighting the wolves, too.”
“Seems exhausting to have to hide from humans.”
“It’s usually not a big deal. Most Arcane follow the law and don’t start anything around humans. The Council says we shouldnae engage in any fights where humans may witness them. The shifters tonight pushed against the rules, but the Council will likely let it go. Any human watching would assume it was a deranged pack of wild wolves that attacked us, and they’ll write it off. They’ll probably be more thrown off by Fabian’s swords than anything else.”
“Who were they, anyway?”
“I dinnae ken. I’ve never seen any of those wolves before, and the alpha isn’t from around here. Fabian got his ear, and that will make him easily identifiable. If he lives in town, we’ll find him. I’m going to call Luther when we get back to the house to see if he kens whose pack it was.”
There were so many things for her brain to sift through, it was overwhelming. “Wait, why would Luther know anything, and why would he help again? He seemed reserved at best when we met him. And what’s this with the guy’s ear? I got the impression shifters could heal wounds just like vampires, but I’m not to that book yet.”
They turned right at the next street, and Kelly instantly recognized the houses. They were close to home.
“Luther is the Texas alpha. He kens who all the local shifters are, and he’ll ken who that alpha is if it’s anyone from around here. Hell, he may even ken if it’s one from outside of Texas. As for the mutt’s ear, it willnae grow back because Fabian’s swords have silver in them. Silver is just as lethal to shifters as it is to vampires. Any wounds caused by a silver weapon will heal like those of a human.”
Luther’s mannerisms made sense now. His confidence was that of an alpha, not an egotistical ass. And the fact that he was the alpha for the entire state meant that he was privy to any and all information his people heard on the streets, not just in his bar.
“This is all a lot to take in,” she thought out loud. “I put all of you in danger tonight, and I don’t want it to happen again.”
Kade’s touch moved from her back, and he entwined his fingers in hers, squeezing her hand in reassurance. “It wasnae yer idea, and Fabian was the only one that mentioned the danger. But mention it is all he did. This wasnae yer fault; it is just the first of many attacks ye will face until ye are bonded.”
The first of many. How many people had warned her this was coming? She couldn’t even count them on one hand. Everyone had seen this coming, and she’d been naive enough to think it couldn’t happen to her, that they were all overreacting.
No more. Neither fear nor self-doubt would hold her back now. Fabian’s nickname for her echoed in her head. Warrior . Tonight was the night she threw her old life away, the life as a human, and became a warrior mage.
They made it back to the house safely, something Kelly was more thankful for than she cared to admit. Another fight without the ability to defend herself was not an option.
Tomorrow, she would train for at least six hours with Fabian, giving herself just enough time to get ready before her dad came over.
The door clicked shut behind her, and Kade slid the deadbolt home. It seemed like a silly measure of security when it came to Arcane, but she didn’t say anything.
Suddenly, all she wanted was Kade.
She tried to lead him upstairs, but he didn’t follow. He stood firm in the entryway and shook his head.
“I think it’s best ye go upstairs alone, lass. Nights like this do nothing for my self-control.”
Closing the distance between them, Kelly kissed him without a care in the world. Done with the careful shit, she demanded his attention, pressing herself against his chiseled body. Her free hand grasped the back of his head and pulled him to her urgently.
Parting her lips, she gently licked at his, asking permission to deepen the kiss. Kade broke from her, though, a painful expression on his face.
He shook his head. “We need to ken more about what is going on between us. I’ve told ye how bad the bloodlust is and what I wanted to do to ye.”
“Fuck it, Kade. I’m done being afraid.”
“Yer only done being afraid because ye dinnae ken what I am capable of—what a vampire is capable of.”
His eyes were amber again, and it made her wonder what was causing the color change. It seemed like anything that involved her made them light up.
He rested his forehead on hers, deep in thought.
“I sent Connor to search for answers. I’ll call my mother and ask her if she’s ever heard of anything like this, but I dinnae have high hopes for that. She is well-versed in the history of vampires, but has stayed out of mage and warlock affairs.”
She didn’t respond. What was there to say?
“Ye dinnae ken what ye do to me, lass. Just yer scent makes my fangs ache. Yer touch makes my cock so damn hard it hurts. I want to kill anyone who even thinks about harming ye. Yer blood makes me mad with hunger. I want to take ye somewhere and lock out the world for all of eternity just so I can have ye to myself for the rest of our lives. I ken for a fact that hundreds of years havenae given me the willpower to keep myself under control with ye. I’ll break ye, if I dinnae devour ye.”
She sighed. “So what then? We’re doomed and we just give up on whatever this is?”
“Nae, we find the answers, like I said. If we dinnae find them, well, we’ll just invite Fabian to watch while we try things.”
She pushed him away, her hands on his chest. “Eww, no! He’s like an overprotective brother. That’s just gross.”
He chuckled. “Aye, and that overprotective brother will kill me if I hurt ye. At least one of us would survive.”
She couldn’t help the shiver of disgust that ran through her. “No, just no. Anything but that.”
“I dinnae want to die either.”
“Well, no, I meant…ugh…I meant him watching. But that too. I don’t want him to kill you.”
He laughed, obviously having set her up for that awkward moment.
She had to change the subject quick or she’d gag, still thinking about Fabian seeing them. “Where is Asta? I’m excited to see her.”
“She’ll be in tomorrow. She was held up with some business things.”
A loud thud came from the door, making Kelly jump.
“What the fuck?” came Ginna’s voice from the other side of it.
Kade reached back and unlocked it.
Ginna, Fabian, and Asmund came in, bringing a blast of cold air with them.
“Why would you lock the door?” Ginna asked, looking between Kade and Kelly.
Kade shrugged.
“Right. Good reason, vampire.” She looked between the two of them again. “Why are y’all just standing here?”
“We were just talking,” Kelly explained.
“Oh suuuure, talking. I used to talk with my high school boyfriend all the time.”
Fabian shook his head as he made his way into the house, ignoring the banter between them.
Kelly wanted to defend herself, but it wasn’t worth it. Ginna had a slew of smart-ass remarks locked and loaded. There was no reason to give her something to fire at.
Kade gestured for Kelly to go upstairs. She did, and he followed closely behind her.
They made it halfway to the second floor before Ginna let one fly.
“Y’all behave now. No hiding the weasel.”
“Oh my god. She’s the embarrassing mom I never had.”
“I heard that,” Ginna retorted.
Kelly couldn’t help it. “Bite me.”
She and Ginna laughed together then. This was what she needed. These people were like the perfect dysfunctional family she’d never had. Her family was dysfunctional, all right, but there had been no love in her house growing up other than her father’s. It had always been cold and tense in her house. This house was warm and inviting, and the people brought it to life.
Surprisingly, Kade followed all the way to her bedroom and closed the door behind him.
“I thought you said no.”
“I did, aye. And yer mentor down there made the rules perfectly clear. But I can keep ye company, can I not?”
She took her hair down and started to undress. “Sure, you can. But you better hope we find answers soon. I don’t like games, Kade, and I tend to go after what I want, despite the consequences.”
He said she did things to him, but he had the same effect on her, and he knew it. She knew well enough that he could smell her arousal every time he excited her. He was trying to be a gentleman and to take care of her, something she’d always wanted in a man. Now that she had it, though, all she wanted was for him to let his guard down and stop treating her like she was breakable.
Teasing a vampire who’d admitted he was bloodlusting after her probably wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had, but she wasn’t afraid of him. It had nothing to do with her decision to let fear go. She’d always known Kade would keep her safe, from the first moment he touched her. He wouldn’t hurt her, and she was about to bet her life on it.
Kelly threw caution to the wind, and her clothes went with it…all of them.