Charles (Darkness #8) (5 page)

“I can think of better punishments than that,” Sasha grumbled. “But I’d ruin the kitchen.”

“Wasn’t talking about that punishment. Good morning, mongrel. Sleep well?” Jonas snagged another piece of bacon and headed toward the doorway, saying to Charles, “Hurry up, child. I’m your ride to the Mansion. You finally got a car. Congratulations. Soon you’ll need it to tote around your kids.”

A thrill of both excitement and fear fired through Charles. His eyebrows lowered in response, noticing the dark eyes of the Boss on him. He met that gaze, not caring if it was seen as a challenge. He didn’t want kids yet, at least not ones he had to help to raise. If some female wanted a little sperm as a donation, fine, but no leash would be applied to his nuts because of it.

“Nice glitter, Ann,” Sasha said with assessing eyes.

Ann glanced at her chest and arms before shrugging. “I finally shagged the naked idiot leaking orange juice all over the floor. His party decor rubbed off.”

“What are you taking with you tonight?” the Boss asked, sitting next to Sasha.

Ann glanced at Charles before sticking out her hand for the orange juice. She did a double-take, her gaze snapping back to his like a rubber band. “You okay, killer?”

Charles handed over the orange juice. “Yep.” He brushed past her and snagged a piece of bacon. “Boss, I’ll talk to you at the Mansion.”

As he was leaving the kitchen, he heard Sasha ask, “Are you okay?”

She wasn’t talking to him, she was talking to Ann.

Despite himself, Charles slowed as he rounded the corner.

“Great. He is a fan-tast-ic lay.
Fantastic.
Best I’ve had, and I don’t even care if it boosts his ego. That’s how good.”

“But… you’re not… upset that he doesn’t want anything else?” Sasha persisted.

A chair scraped against the tile. “I knew that going in. It’s fine. I scratched an itch, I know what’s behind door number three, and I’m good.”

“Huh. Well. Okay, then. Are you going to do it again?”

Charles started as the Boss’ big shoulders appeared around the corner. Charles was walking as soon as he could get his legs moving, but the tweak in the Boss’ lips said he knew Charles was eavesdropping.

When a bad situation gets worse…

“I thought you were going to find out what she’s taking tonight?” Charles asked as the Boss caught up with him.

“I will when she’s done talking to Sasha. You got everything ready?”

They walked through the empty living room. “Yeah—where’re the kids?”

“They’re at the park with Emmy and Selene. What did Jameson scrounge up technology-wise?”

They left the house. Jonas stood next to his Hummer, staring out at nothing. The male was a cranky ol’ sod, but he could do patience like nobody’s business. He just… shut off, somehow.

“I have a device to deaden communication. It’ll cut out cell phones, walkie-talkies, any surveillance traveling through the air-waves…”

“Anything else?”

Jonas looked over as they approached the car.

“I also have a coded cell phone that
may
work around a device of theirs that cuts out communication,” Charles continued. “Jameson doesn’t have faith that the nerds got that one right.”

The Boss leaned against the Hummer. “We hacked into the nearest satellite and were able to get an image before we were kicked out again. It’s a large facility sprawling within the mountains. Looks high-tech. We didn’t see any elaborate defense. Just a fence and a few dogs.”

“They have to have something to catch shifters, though,” Jonas spoke up. “Tim’s people are good. They wouldn’t have fallen into a trap. If all of them were taken, it means this facility has something shifters can’t get away from. Something they wouldn’t see when sneaking close.”

“The question is, is that something going to affect non-shifters?” The Boss looked at Charles. “I’m giving you a week. After that, we’re coming in after you. I want you calling every few hours if you can. Feed us information as you get it. You have the maps?”

“Yes. The cottage is cleaned out of humans?” Charles opened his door as Jonas walked around the other side of the car. Time to go.

“It was already empty. The man who owns it is elderly. He used to use it as a summer cabin years ago. He has no family to pass the cabin on to, so we’ve established ourselves as his next of kin. His estate will be a nice source of income in a few years.”

“Probably shouldn’t tell Sasha all that.” Charles climbed into the plush, leather seat.

“She’s okay as long as the person in question doesn’t have kids.” The Boss stepped away. “We have to keep funding our operation somehow…”

Jonas turned the ignition and the vehicle roared to life. Charles gave a salute and closed the door. As the Hummer pulled away, Jonas said, “So… it was good, but now it’s fucking with your mind?”

Charles knew exactly what he was talking about.
Who
he was talking about. And he didn’t want to discuss it. “Focused on the job.”

Jonas snorted. “Time to put on your big boy pants. Your balls are dropping, finally. Couldn’t pick better, either. She’s a solid female who would rip someone’s throat out to keep her pack safe. That’s good people, even if she has a terrible sense of humor.”

“That makes two of you.”

Jonas snorted again, and thankfully let it lie. There were other things to be worried about. Like a lab that was snatching shifters.

The question was, did they only catch shifters, or were they welcoming to all…

C
harles pulled
up at the shifter compound, a bunch of bungalows in the woods, and rolled down his window. They had another place located nearer the city but, from what Charles could gather, this acted as more of a headquarters.

A few people stood near the main facility where the long gravel driveway ended. Ann had a big duffle bag lying on the ground as she faced Tim. Charles couldn’t hear what she said, but he saw her shrug, and get a warm hug.

Charles glanced off to the side as a strange, violent reaction coursed through him. It must’ve been Ann’s blood.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her hug someone else, then another, saying goodbye to her pack-mates. A few minutes later, the passenger door opened.

“Hey.” Ann climbed in as the trunk opened. Tim put her duffle in the back.

“Hi.”

“New wheels?”

Tim appeared on Charles’ side with a stern face and hard eyes. Charles rolled down the window and lifted his eyebrows. He’d never been stand-offish with the bear alpha before, but…

It had to be Ann’s blood. It was really distracting.

“Stay safe,” Tim said. “If anything looks wrong, get out of there. We want to get a feeling of what we’re up against, not lose two more.”

“If they take us, there’ll be a pissed-off mage in the height of crazy pregnancy hormones showing up at their door. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”

Tim smirked and nodded, stepping away. “Not to mention an angry Kodiak. Good luck.”

Charles turned the car around, and headed out, pulling out the map and resting it on Ann’s knees. “Got everything?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Yup.”

“You leave that horrible excuse for a wrap behind?”

“I did.” Charles pulled out onto the main road. “Instead, I brought the makings of a dog blanket. I figured it would work for an overgrown kitty-cat, as well.”

“Why didn’t you just say cat blanket?” Ann pulled a flashlight out of her pocket and clicked it on. She looked at the map.

“Cats have blankets?”

He barely saw her shrug. “Anyway, when do you need me to start navigating?”

Charles vaguely pointed to the dashboard where the GPS was guiding them. “When that thing loses service.”

Ann glanced at the dash before looking around the large SUV. “Big car. If I wasn’t so sore, I’d ask if you were compensating for something.”

Tingles filtered through Charles’ stomach and pooled at the base of his dick, making him half-hard. “How sore, exactly?”

“Don’t even bother. Been there, done that. Time to move on.”

“That’s what they all say. Lies.”

“I doubt it. Your kind don’t really move on, do they? They just hang around with their legs spread, hoping for a poke.” Ann laughed at her own joke before running her fingers along the dash. “So how come you had to wait so long before getting your own wheels?”

Charles turned onto the highway. “We don’t need cars littering the Mansion. There are vehicles for common use, and there are certain people nominated to drive if we all need to get somewhere. As the Watch Captain on my own detail, looks like the Boss decided I needed to be included as one of the drivers.”

“Who picked this ride?”

“I just said I wanted something Sasha wouldn’t want to drive.”

“Ah.” Ann laughed as she took her phone from a small satchel on the floor. “Yeah, if you got something fast, she’d push you over and take control.”

“Exactly. The Boss won’t even get her a new car—hers is fast for an old ride, but if she got her hands on something faster…”

“Like Stefan’s…”

“The Boss has a special switch on that. She can’t drive it unless she knows the code, and the Boss won’t tell her. Or anyone else.”

Ann shook her head with a big smile. “It’s for the best, but that would piss me off.”

“Pisses her off too, but there are some things you just don’t push where the Boss is concerned. That applies even to her.”

“Well, I’m going to read now. Quit your yapping.”

“Oh. Great. Surly Ann is back.”

“Yup. Now you can talk dirty all you want.”

“Fancy a fuck?”

Ann laughed and squinted down at her phone. Clearly she hadn’t thought he was serious.

T
hey arrived
at the cabin as the sun was peeking out over the horizon. Judging by the map, they were a good distance down the mountain from the facility. A tiny road, partly overgrown, led to the front of a small square building made of logs. It looked like the picture on the front of Log Cabin syrup. An old, decrepit porch swing squeaked as it swayed gently in the breeze.

“Home sweet home,” Ann said in a dry voice as she climbed out of the SUV.

Charles followed her, meeting her in front of the hood and putting an arm to stop her forward progress. “Let me go in and check it out, just in case.”

“I don’t smell any people or strange scents.”

“I think if danger was obvious, half your pack wouldn’t be missing.” He took out his sword and approached the door slowly, letting his magic unfurl and coat the ground, looking for magical traps of any kind. After three years of developing his skill, he could manage twenty feet, a rough semblance of the spell Sasha could use for miles. Still, it worked great for that twenty feet.

He tried the door handle, finding it unlocked. He didn’t bother reaching for the keys someone had obtained from the human who owned this place. Pushing the door open, a sparse, mostly empty space greeted him, smelling dank and musty.

Charles let his magic tumble across the floor ahead of him. He didn’t see anybody or any other magic. After a quick check in the bathroom, he walked back out to Ann, who was facing East with her eyes closed, standing perfectly still.

“If that’s yoga, you’re doing it wrong.” Charles moved around the SUV to get the luggage.

“The breeze is rolling off the mountain. Something smells… really delicious. It’s extremely faint, though.”

“Smells like me, then?”

“Despite its popularity, I don’t find the aroma of ball sweat particularly enjoyable…”

Charles hefted their bags and moved toward the cabin. Ann crossed to the back of the SUV.

“Leave it—I can get it.” Charles sighed when she grabbed the last bag and closed the trunk behind her.

“This must have the tech in it. Of
course
you leave the heavy one for me.”

“I did just say to leave it.”

“Listening to you is a bad habit I don’t want to develop. I’ve lasted this long, I wouldn’t want to ruin my track record on one mission.”

Charles dropped the luggage next to the bed and gave another glance around. “That one has some tech, and all the groceries.”

Ann opened the bag and went through the items as Charles looked down at the round table between the fireplace and kitchen. Everything in here was close together. The place was no more than ten feet by fifteen. There was not a lot of space.

The table was filthy.

Charles spotted a towel hanging on an empty dish rack but even that was covered in heavy dust. He turned to the sink. The faucet sputtered a couple times as he turned it on before coughing to life. The water at least looked clear and clean.

“Looks like it works. The man said as much, but Jameson thought he was mostly senile.” Charles put the dirty rag under the stream of water, grimacing as brown liquid coated the bottom of the kitchen sink.

He shut off the water before looking in the cabinets under the sink. Finding a little pail, which was being used as a garbage can, he threw the disgusting towel in and closed the cabinet. Next he stripped off his shirt and started tearing it into sections.

“What are you doing?” Ann asked, looking up with a can of beans in her hand.

“We need rags. This shirt was getting old, anyway.”

“In that big of a hurry to get naked?” Ann reached into the bag with her other hand and pulled out some paper towels. “These would probably do the trick…”

Charles paused, clutching two fistfuls of fabric. He looked down at his shirt, which was now in four pieces.

He shrugged and continued ripping. It was not like he’d be sewing it back together.

“So, these guys Tim sent, they’re well trained?” Charles asked, sitting down to the table on a wobbly chair.

“Some of the best we have, actually. All are ex-Special Forces in one army or other—not all of them were American. They were elite. Been in combat zones, snuck into enemy facilities…” Ann sighed and shook her head. “They just cut out one day.”

“Huh. So they got captured and you thought: they’re idiots. I’m
way
better at sabotage and spy games. I think I’ll go next.”

“No. I thought: Sasha’s bodyguards are idiots. I think I’ll take a mission as far away from them as possible. Joke’s on me.”

“I’ll say. Wait until I tell Jonas what you said about him.”

Ann opened the cans before dumping the soup contents into a pot. She rested the pot on the burner and then lit it with a match.

“Camp often?” Charles asked, watching her for lack of anything better to do.

“Yes. I love camping. Which you should expect as I turn into a furry creature that lives in the mountains.” She glanced over, her eyes snagging on his chest for a little too long, before looking back down at her task with a light scowl. “Shouldn’t you be planning our route for tomorrow?”

“Yes. First I thought I would watch your ass, though.”

“Cute.”

“Yup, it is. Do you like things put in it?”

Ann scoffed, her scowl becoming more pronounced. Charles smirked and bent to the map.

A
nn helped
Charles finish the dishes and put them on the rack before taking a large breath. Her gaze settled on the full-sized bed then looked at the large man entering the bathroom with a gloriously muscular back and broad shoulders.

He’d take up that whole bed. There wasn’t a couch or even extra blankets to sleep on the floor. Just a ridiculously handsome, large man, a small bed, and her.

She sighed, moving to her duffle bag.

She slipped into a tank top as he came into the room. He froze, his eyes immediately on her disappearing breasts. She smiled to herself as she stripped out of her jeans and pulled on some small shorts. At least it wouldn’t be easy for him, either. It was a tiny consolation.

She slid between the sheets and immediately sneezed as dust sifted into the air. Charles stepped forward quickly and pulled the outer layer off, leaving only a sheet and a light blanket.

“We’ll be fine—you sleep hot.” He still wasn’t wearing a shirt after sacrificing his like a lunatic, so he stripped out of his pants, leaving him in a pair of boxers. His large erection poked out of the hole.

Her mouth went dry.

She yanked her gaze to the ceiling. “What does that mean, I sleep hot?”

“You shed body heat. You’re warm. I am, too, so we don’t need that outer blanket. We’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” She cleared her throat before willing moisture back into her mouth. “I should know the answer to this, but doesn’t exposing a raging hard-on bother you?”

“Why would it? It does the talking for me. I want to screw you. Now you know. So let’s get to it.” He slid into the covers until his body was firmly pressed up against her. His hard length pushed against her hip.

A grin tickled her lips as her core tingled. “Nah. Not interested.”

“No problem. I can get you interested.” His hand slid up her thigh and over her hip before rubbing across her stomach. She closed her eyes and exhaled, the feeling heavenly. His fingertips glanced the base of her breasts, but he didn’t engage. Not only that, but he was staying on the surface of her clothes. He was enticing her, but not pressuring her.

That made him that much hotter and much harder to say no to.

Her body heated up and her blood boiled. She couldn’t control her panting. In a wispy voice, she managed, “No thanks.”

“How about a blowjob?” He nuzzled her neck, kissing her softly, raising her small hairs as shivers coated her body.

“Not in the mood.”

A wet, warm tongue tickled the spot where he’d bit her.

She really wanted him to bite her again. It was so erotic, and felt so good.

“Does it feel good to you when someone takes your blood?” she asked, doing everything in her power not to spread her legs and direct his fingers to the sweet spot.

“Very. Very, very good. We don’t do it often because we boost the other person’s power—or, at least, I would generally boost someone else’s power.”

“Do I boost your power?”

His hand moved over the swell of her breast. She moaned as he kneaded lightly. “Yes. I’m the first that has taken shifter blood as far as I know. We had no idea it would, but it does. Somehow, it changes my magic a little. Incorporates yours.”

“What would happen if I took your blood?”

His mouth lightly sucked at her neck. “Do you want to find out?”

She let her head fall slowly, her cheek glancing across his mouth before her lips softly touched his. He leaned forward enough to connect, the kiss turning deep and sensual almost immediately. His erection pulsed against her, begging her to turn toward him. Begging admittance.

And his mouth. The man had a gift with that mouth. Kissing, nipping, licking—he could do no wrong with it.

She wanted more, though. She wanted all of him. And if she tormented herself with just having him physically, eventually it would do exactly as Sasha warned it would. The pain of not being able to have him, or seeing him with another, would break her in half. She couldn’t keep up the intimacy if she expected to be able to walk away. She was in a great place right now, more sex would blow it.

“No.” Her voice came out as a breathy sigh. Talk about mixed messages.

She cleared her throat to say no with more conviction when his hand moved off her breast. It took everything she had not to snuggle in a little closer with gratitude for him understanding and not pushing the issue.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want this, Charles.” She laid her hand on his, which was resting on her stomach. “I don’t want sex.”