Lure of the Blood (20 page)

“Where on earth are we? And what have you done
to Ion?”

Instead of an answer, her captor just smiled
and handed her over to the small army of servants who appeared out of nowhere,
headed by a man who could only be a butler. She swallowed the hysteric bubble
of laughter threatening to escape. This day was getting more bizarre by the
minute. If she wasn’t so terrified for Ion that her heart felt as though it was
going to burst out of her chest, she may have appreciated the luxury
surrounding her. As it was, she just wanted to scream and shout and demand
answers, but it was useless.

She had answered every one of the man’s
questions in the ride over here, his expression thoughtful, at times pensive,
his smile when she had finished her halting tale almost tender. She must have
imagined that though. Why would he care about what she had to say anyway?

But the longer she talked, the more relaxed he
had appeared until he asked about her childhood.  He visibly tensed and cursed
under his breath a few times, the eyes of his wolf glowing in the dim interior
of the limo, yet the hand on her arm had been comforting when she almost broke
down recalling how she had caused her mother’s death.

“It wasn’t your fault, Marnie. Your mother made
her own choices long ago. You rebelled like any teen would who lacked guidance
and the support of two loving parents.”

“Don’t you dare blame this on my mother! She
didn’t have an easy life and she tried very hard, after my no good for nothing
father left us when I was still a babe in arms. You want to blame it on anyone,
blame him.”

His eyes widened at her forceful defence of the
only family she had ever known.

“What do you know about your father, Marnie?”

“All I needed to know. He was the bastard who
broke my mother’s heart and left her to fend on her own with a small baby. And
apparently I was too much like him for mummy to ever truly show that she loved
me.” She had cried then, hot, fat tears, the old pain too much to bear at that
moment on top of everything else and she had been grateful for the quiet
strength next to her, one hand on her shoulder in a soothing grip as he waited
for her to pull herself back together. “But she did love me; otherwise she
wouldn’t have pushed me out of the way of that car, would she?”

His wise blue eyes had connected with hers and
his low voice had been soothing.

“I’m sure she did, Marnie, as did your father.”

When she tried to protest, that gaze turned
frosty again, his voice ice cold and controlled.

“Has it occurred to you, that your father may
not have had a choice but to leave you? To keep you safe, both of you?”

Before she could ask him to clarify that,
they’d pulled up outside this place and the moment was lost.

“Show our guest to her quarters, George.” 
Marnie jumped at the deep voice behind her and before she could say anything, he
had turned around and disappeared through one of the many oak doors leading off
the entrance hall.

“If you follow me, please.”

Marnie had little choice but to follow Butler
George up the winding staircase to the third floor, where she was left in a
bedroom twice the size of her bedsit and with two maids, ready at her beck and
call. She sunk gratefully into the fragrant bubbles of the huge bath, the maid
prepared for her and whilst her churning stomach didn’t manage to tolerate more
than a few bites of the succulent broth they brought up, she had appreciated
the gesture.

Opening the cupboard doors had brought another
surprise.  Her entire wardrobe seemed to have been transplanted from her bedsit
to here, plus several new, very expensive looking designer additions.

Who on earth were these people?

The knock on the door announcing that it was
time, had her scrambling into a trusted pair of jeans and simple top, her hair
still damp from her bath left to tumble freely down her back and her heart once
again resembling a jack hammer she followed George down into the basement.

The room they entered was cool and lit entirely
by candle light, set in elaborate old-fashioned candelabras around the walls. A
semicircle of high backed chairs at one end of the room sat on a slightly
raised platform, occupied by a collection of shifters and vampires and was that
a fairy? Never having seen one in the flesh, Marnie nonetheless knew
instinctively that the ethereal looking young man had to be one. They were
other supernatural beings, that she didn’t even dare to hazard a guess at and
in the middle was a stunningly regal and beautiful vamp. Her hair was a golden
halo around her white face, her eyes a stunning ice-blue, her hair a shimmering
white blonde mass falling straight down her back, the blood red ceremonial robe
she wore, a direct contrast to the luminous, flawless skin.

Her captor sat on the other side of her, his
gaze roaming over her, much warmer and a faint smile quirked his lips upwards
when he took in her simple clothing. He too was dressed in ceremonial robes and
Marnie had to swallow against the lump in her throat. Whoever they were, these
people meant business. The atmosphere in the room was electric, expectant,
menacing and an ice cold shiver of fear curled itself around her spine and made
her straighten her shoulders. She could do this. She had to.

“So, this is she? I fail to see what all the
fuss is about.”

Marnie held her breath, as the woman stepped so
close that the coolness of her skin seemed to seep into Marnie’s bones, her
eyes boring into hers.

“Cat got your tongue, human?”

Marnie shook her head and willed her dry mouth
to work.

“I have a name and I would appreciate knowing
yours and what the hell I’m doing here!”

A collective rumble rose from the semi-circle
in front of her and Jenkins’ coughed, “Go, Miss Marnie,” had her swing her head
round in surprise. Jenkins and a small selection of Ion’s pack, were filing
quietly through the double doors behind them and Marnie’s heart felt a bit
lighter seeing them again.

The woman’s quiet laugh brought her eyes back
up front.

“You were right, Landulph. This one is
interesting. Whether her blood is yet strong enough remains to be seen.”

So that was her captor’s name, but what in all
that’s holy did she mean by her blood. An image of her mum’s dying words rose
in front of Marnie.  She too had warbled on about her blood.

“I swear if you people do not stop talking in
riddles I will scream!”

Another cold laugh was the answer from the tall
woman in front of her, before she clapped her hands and Marnie’s heart jumped
in her throat.

The stench of burning flesh preceded Lucas. The
usually so well groomed vampire was dragged along between two shifters, silver
chains binding his arms and legs and throat, wisps of smoke curling from his
flesh indicating his agony as clearly as the pain filled eyes that sought hers.

“Ca va, mon chere. We meet again.”

Marnie made herself smile back at him, her
hands curling into fists, and it was only the sight of Ion following close
behind that stopped her from launching herself at the female vamp, watching her
every move. Bloody monsters, what had they done to them and why?

Ion too was clad in chains, held up by two
vamps this time, but his eyes just held pure fury, rather than pain. His
muscles strained against the chains and his wolf’s low growls caused an
answering fury in Marnie’s veins. How dare they?

Her eyes sought his and the look of relief and
longing, before they clouded over again with sheer fury, had her swinging
around, ready to commit murder herself.

“I wouldn’t try it, if I were you little human.
I have you gutted in seconds.”

“Not before I do you an injury, you blood
sucking monster!” and she threw all her weight behind the punch that connected
with thin air. Marnie hit the ground face first, all the air whooshing out of
her lungs at the force of the impact. Her teeth clanged together and she could
taste her own blood as she bit her tongue in the process. Pushing herself back
up to sitting, her muscles coiled to launch herself again at the coldly smiling
vamp, who had dodged the punch at lightning speed, it was Landulph’s hand on
her shoulder that stopped her.

“Take it easy, little one; this is not
helping.”

Marnie’s growl matched Ion’s.
“Do.not.call.me.that!”

Landulph ignored her outburst with a small
smile towards Ion, who was almost foaming at the mouth and whose guards were
struggling to contain him.

“Lay one finger on my woman and you will not
live to see another sunrise, Carmen. None of you will.”

The tall vamp just smiled, showing her fangs.

“You would defy the council, Ion? Again? For
this little itty-bitty human! Pleaaaassseeee. You and whose army?”

Jenkins menacing growl joined the rest of the
assembled pack and Ion’s cruel smile matched that of the vamps.

“Just say the word boss. No one is going to
harm Miss Marnie and get away with it.” Jenkins advanced to stand just behind
her and the pack immediately fell into a semi-circle surrounding them all.
Landulph drew her a bit closer into his side, his own wolf showing in his
growled words.

“Get your pack to stand down, pup. Carmen will
not harm your mate whilst I am here, will you, my dear?”

“I’m not his mate, damn you. And I can defend
myself.” Marnie shook the warm hand off her and to her surprise Landulph let
her go with another smile. “Ion, listen to him. You can’t involve the pack in
this.”

“The hell I can’t little one. I’ve done a poor
job of protecting you so far, but it ends tonight. Let her go. She hasn’t done
anything wrong or suffer the consequences.” His eyes softened, briefly scanning
her face before they turned into his wolf and with one almighty shudder he
threw off his guards and shifted, putting himself between Marnie and the
council. Every other shifter in the room, barring Landulph, transformed at the
same time and it was up to Marnie to lift the silver chains of Lucas, his
guards having transformed into a pair of breathtaking leopards.

“Merci, chere.”

His barely heard whisper had Marnie offer him
her wrist and she winced when he sank his fangs into her soft flesh. It was
mere seconds before he released her, licking the tiny wounds with infinite care
and drew her behind him.

“Are you sure you’ve had enough?”

Silence descended upon the room at Marnie’s
whispered question and when she looked up all eyes were on them. Vamps at one
side of the room, shifters at the other, with the few other super naturals left
on the podium, watching the proceedings through narrowed eyes.

Ion shifted back to his human form and taking
her other hand, drew her away from Lucas and in front of him, his gaze
darkening as it fell on the puncture marks.

“I’m sorry, Ion, I couldn’t let him suffer.”

His low growl vibrated through her, and she
shut her eyes as his warmth enveloped her.

“I know, little one, I know. It’s one of the
many reasons why I love you.”

She snuggled a bit closer into his warmth,
wishing with all her might that this was all just a bad dream, but Carmen’s
chilling voice confirmed the gravity of the situation.

“What a touching scene indeed. If I had a heart
it would be bleeding by now. So, Channing, you’re ready to start a war, for
this human who shares her body as willingly with vamps as she does with
wolves.”

Ion’s hands tightened on hers, but before he
could respond, Marnie twirled round in his arms. Enough! She had to stop this.

“Let me go, Ion, now! This has gone far
enough!”

When he would have resisted, her hand on his
mouth stopped him and whatever he saw in her eyes made him release her
reluctantly. She mouthed a silent ‘I love you,’ and his eyes darkened in
answer, before turning back into his wolf’s and he shifted again, joining his
pack.

Marnie took a deep breath, knowing exactly what
she had to do.

“There will be no war, Carmen. At least, not on
my account. Whatever Ion and Lucas stand accused of,” she glanced back at vampire
and wolf, her heart heavy. “Whatever sentence you were going to impose, I will
take it for them.”

Again all hell broke loose in the room and
Marnie straightened her shoulders, all too aware of Ion’s despair seeping
through her consciousness and Lucas’s sharp intake of breath behind her. He had
his hands firmly in Ion’s fur to stop him from launching himself and Marnie’s
heart broke at the expression in both wolf’s and Vamp’s eyes.

“You would sacrifice yourself for a wolf and a
vamp? Why?”

Carmen’s raised eyebrows were the only
indication of her reaction to this news. The rest of her was like a marble
statue waiting for her answer.

“Because I love Ion and Lucas is my friend.
They have both tried to protect me and have done nothing wrong. It was my
misjudgement that brought about the death of the man who attacked me. If anyone
should be punished for the trouble it caused, then it should be me, no one
else.”