Reclaimed (12 page)

A mongrel turned out to be a huge freaking beast that stood eight-feet tall and had long, black fur. The fur didn’t look shaggy or coarse, surprisingly: in fact, it looked silky. He stood on his hind legs, sniffing the air. Catching the scent of his prey? She shivered at the sight. These beasts were out there, and humans were none the wiser.

It horrified her.

Isaac took off into the woods, and she rested a hand on the window pane, silently wishing him luck. Studying the empty spot he had left, she headed to the door to collect the clothes scattered about the lawn. A form stepped into her path, and she shrieked in surprise. Holding a hand to her racing heart, she gaped at the face looming over her.

Oh, right. The giant man Isaac had left behind to guard her. How had she forgotten about
him
?

What had Isaac called him? Connor?

“I’m sorry. I forgot you were there….” She let her voice trail off, seeking his name.

He smiled. “Connor.”

“Connor. Right. I’m Sabrina. Nice to meet you.” She held out a hand to him, and he shook it. Oh God, her hand disappeared inside his—like a newborn baby and its father.

Yikes
.

“I know who you are. I’ve been here the past few days, keeping an eye on things.”

“Oh…really? I had no idea.” Though it felt a bit unnerving to have a strange man lurking about, it also comforted her. He sure looked like one heck of a man.

“Don’t be frightened. Isaac sent me to help keep you safe, not guard you. You’re not a prisoner, or anything.”

“Well, thanks for keeping an eye on things. I’m gonna go outside and grab his clothes.” She gestured at the door and moved toward it. She paused when he blocked her way a second time. She stepped to the side and tried to pass him, but he blocked her way once more. She raised an eyebrow in question.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Sabrina. I’m going outside to keep watch, so I’ll gather them for him. You stay inside, okay?”

Well, if that wasn’t a contradiction, she didn’t know what would be. Not a prisoner, but not allowed outside?

Okay
.

“Wait!” she exclaimed. “Can I ask you a question?”

He paused mid-stride, turning to her with a raised brow. “Sure thing, ask away.”

“You’re like Isaac, right? An Enforcer?”

“Yes, I am.” His chest puffed out as he straightened to his full height. How the
hell
did he fit in the house?

“So, why did you come tell Isaac about the problem? Why not run and take care of it yourself? I’m not upset or anything,” she hurried to assure him. “Just curious.”

“Oh, well as the Ruler, Isaac gets told of all incidents, no matter how minor. Also, he has more powers than any Enforcer. He’s faster, stronger, and more capable than all of us combined. So it makes sense he would choose to go, since the mongrel—” Again his nose scrunched in disgust. “Came so close to you.”

“The
Ruler
?” Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what that meant. It sounded as if he insinuated Isaac was a leader of some sort. And Isaac certainly hadn’t mentioned being in charge of anything. Or anyone.

Connor stiffened imperceptibly at her question and cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry, but I have to go outside. If you have questions, please ask Isaac.” The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her accompanied only by the unanswered questions filling her mind.

Chapter Seven

Louisa lurked close-by. Elijah smelled her stench. Well, she didn’t
actually
smell bad, but to him, it reeked of evil. Since scaring off Sabrina, he’d been following Louisa across the country, in a game of cat and mouse, one he didn’t like to play. She, however, loved having his undivided attention.

Sick bitch
.

He’d been trying to kill her for years. No matter how fast he ran, she always escaped due to her gift, her ability to see the future. Not the distant future, but she saw the world five seconds ahead of the rest of them, in her own unique time zone.

In battles, it proved to be an invaluable tool to have. She’d be dead by now—by his hand—if she hadn’t been blessed with such a gift. Instead, she lived to watch him suffer in the hell she’d put him in. She laughed as he resisted blood and mocked him in his feeble attempts to remain more human than monster.

And Isaac being an Enforcer thrilled her to no end. She never missed an opportunity to gloat over it. He skidded to a halt when her trail disappeared.

Where the heck did she go?

“Hello, Elijah. Lovely to see you. What brings you to see me on this glorious day?”

Following her voice, he located her on the highest branch of the tree overhead. She always hung around in trees. He wondered fleetingly if she had been a cat in her previous life.
Hah, more like a lion
. Her eyes glittered in the sunlight, and she smiled in the face of his frustration.

He growled in return before replying. “You know why I’m here, Louisa. Leave her alone. She’s done nothing to you. Take your anger out on me.
She
is innocent.”

Louisa dropped to the ground in front of him and tossed him through the air. He slammed into a nearby tree and slid to the ground. He leapt to his feet, ready to defend himself.

“Take your anger out on me,” she mocked. “Amusing, I know I’ve heard similar words before. The memory escapes me, though. Oh, where have I heard it? Hmm….” She tapped her finger against her chin as if she strained to remember. Her eyes focused on him, and he glared in return. “Oh, silly me. It was from you as I broke your little harlot into pieces in front of your very eyes. Such a delightful day, too.” She cackled.

Anger consumed him, causing him to rip a nearby tree out of the ground and throw it at her. Futile effort at best, but that didn’t stop him.

He
despised
her.

She sidestepped it before continuing. “Now, now Elijah. Don’t be a poor sport. You’ll ruin my fun. And I’m so looking forward to breaking her apart again.”

He roared and lunged for her. His arms sought for purchase, but met thin air. He crashed to the ground and rolled to his feet. Though he lacked the ability to outthink her, he didn’t lack the ability to
outrun
her. He effortlessly caught up to her and knocked her face first on the ground. She snarled while she fought to free herself, and he howled in satisfaction as he grasped her head in one hand and her neck in the other. Just before he had the chance to rip her head off, she managed to free herself by kicking him in the balls.

Vampire or not,
that
still hurt like hell.

Son of a bitch.

Not allowing the pain to rule him, he leapt to his feet, only to have them swept out from under him. He landed on the ground, and his head slammed on a tree root.

This time, the pain ripped through him intensely enough to cause him to lie motionless for a split second, allowing her to disappear into the woods.

He didn’t give chase.

***

Isaac studied the mongrel as it followed Sabrina’s scent. Thunder crashed above even though the sun beat down on his thick fur. Sabrina adored being outdoors, much like Amelia had, and could easily stumble upon this monstrosity and become its meal. She’d stand no chance against the thing as it jumped on her, gnawing her limbs from her body.

He leapt on the unsuspecting beast in sheer fury. How
dare
he hunt Sabrina?

He wasted no time dismembering the creature, devouring the chunks whole. He swallowed a paw before pausing to break the leg bones using his massive teeth. Once only the torso remained, he slowed his pace.

The tender muscle always tasted the best, and he savored the flavor of his enemy. To kill a mongrel, one must eat every last piece, or else they’d simply regenerate. Afterward, he lounged in the sunlight. Shifting too soon after a meal would give him a hell of a stomachache, so he forced himself to enjoy the feel of the breeze ruffling his fur.

When he had become an Enforcer, his stomach and mind had rebelled against the very nature of the mongrels, more so than any other monster. He had to
eat
the creatures, bones and all. But during his first battle, he’d discovered he thought like a mongrel when in their form, and therefore could enjoy the task. In human form, however, he tried to not dwell upon his dining habits in his alternate forms.

Hopefully, it would be something he’d never be forced to tell Sabrina, either. It would be enough to send any sensible girl running for the nearest airport. Although Sabrina, he snorted, had proved less than sensible so far. She’d be far too brave to be scared by a beast.

She liked
him
.

Nonetheless, he’d rather keep this part of his job hidden from her. Just like he wouldn’t tell her that he was technically a king. Telling her of his position might scare her off as no monster could. Loving him would take a big commitment on her part. And she
would
love him.

Glancing at the disappearing sun, he lumbered to the nearby stream to bathe before returning to Sabrina’s house.

Isaac dressed hurriedly, thankful Connor placed the garments in an easy-to-find spot. He preferred not to wander around the woods naked for
too
long. Appreciative he had worn a sweater today, he pulled it over his head and shivered.

God, it was cold.

He entered Sabrina’s lawn, noticing the whole house had remained cloaked in darkness. Had she gone to bed already? If so, would the door be locked or open in anticipation of his return?

“Everything go okay, sir?” he inquired. Isaac had been so preoccupied worrying over his welcome, or lack thereof, he hadn’t even heard his approach. Luckily, it was friend and not foe.

“Yes, the beast is dispatched. How did the night go?” he asked. Connor paled before looking away guiltily, and Isaac tensed. “What happened? Is Sabrina okay? Did Elijah come back? Tell me, now.”

“If you’d stop asking questions, I
could
!” he exclaimed. His eyes widened when he realized he had yelled at his ruler, and he met Isaac’s glare a bit more hesitantly than before. “I mean...yes, sir. Sabrina asked why you chased the mongrel, instead of me. I got caught off guard, so I told her it only made sense you would go yourself, seeing as you are the ruler.” The last word drifted off into nothing as Connor stared at his feet.

Isaac’s angry hiss made him snap to attention.

“I’m sorry, I thought she knew.” He shrugged his shoulders and dug his hands into his pockets before rocking back sheepishly on his heels.

Isaac stared up at the moonless sky while attempting to rein in his frustration. Connor hadn’t known what he’d already told Sabrina. He couldn’t be too angry. Sabrina could make a man confess his every sin by batting her eyelashes over her emerald eyes. “It’s okay. But it means there will be more questions to answer tonight. Ones I’d been hoping to avoid. Stay outside and watch for any disturbances. Let me know if anything happens.”

Connor nodded, and Isaac went inside.

Testing the knob, pleasure rolled through him when he found it unlocked. Since the whole house lay bathed in darkness, he crept up the stairs to her room, eager to see her even if she’d fallen asleep. He could watch her sigh in her sleep, her face unguarded in deep slumber. Unless Elijah interrupted, anyway.

He halted as his heart lurched painfully in his chest and stopped beating altogether as he examined the empty bed. Maybe she huddled in the middle? He ripped the covers back and growled when he found the bed empty. The mattress felt cool to the touch, which meant she’d been gone for quite some time.

He sprinted down the stairs and went straight to the front door. Had Elijah taken her? Or even worse, Louisa? Had she broken her promise and left, leaving herself vulnerable to attack?

Or had she simply left him, out of disgust?

His hand on the doorknob, he stopped. If he were Sabrina, would he go to bed, or stubbornly try to stay awake to greet him, no matter how tired he might be?

He crept into the living room and peered at the couch. Sure enough, there she lay. A cold mug of coffee, filled to the top, rested on the table near her head. She seemed to have fallen asleep before she could drink it. It warmed his heart she’d tried to wait up for him, even though she’d been exhausted. But it also terrified him.

He collapsed into a nearby chair as a swell of emotions overcame him. He knew he loved her. For him, that much had been a given from their very first meeting.

But he hadn’t realized the sheer power she held over him, nor how much he needed her. His eyes took in every precious detail about her. From the way she lay on her side with her legs curled up against her chest, to the gentle sweep of eyelashes against porcelain skin. He reached forward to brush her soft cheek and his fingers came away wet.

Had she cried herself to sleep? What other reason would her eyelashes be wet? Allergies?

And more importantly, if she indeed had cried…why? Because she worried about him, or because she couldn’t stand being with someone like him?

His heart lurched at the thought. Cursing under his breath, he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Her lids slowly fluttered open, and her sleepy green gaze met his.

“I’m sorry, Sabrina,” he whispered. Confusion crossed her features until he ran a finger over her cheek.

“No, don’t be.” She let out a big yawn and her eyes drifted shut.

He shook his head and leaned over her to scoop her into his arms and up the stairs. Though she stirred when he picked her up, she quickly relaxed once he assured her he was only carrying her to bed. She let out a soft snore, and he glanced down in surprise. He bit his lip to keep his laughter at bay, barely succeeding.

She’d just
love
to know she snored in front of him.

He laid her in bed and gently placed the covers over her body. He saw something black sticking out from under the pillow and reached underneath. He chuckled as he retrieved the huge butcher knife. She apparently slept armed now. He rolled his eyes and put it on the table next to her bed. Still within reach, but he didn’t need to worry about her hurting herself in her sleep. After casting one last longing look at her, he spun on his heel and headed for the door.