Sanibel Sizzle - Vampire Werewolf Menage (26 page)

Jayce
wasn’t sure where he went wrong
. 
His
mind
was
too fragme
nted to think clearly since
the beast was taking over.
Maybe he’d spoiled Tatum
excessively
, allowing her
overt
freedom u
sually not permitted a queen.  S
he
required unparalleled security
.
Jayce thought
he provided
her with that protection.
Obviously, it wasn
’t enough.  N
othing was enough now.

What he did know was
that they loved each other
past the point of obsession
, but love wouldn’t save her now.  Only a war would, though he couldn’t sanction a
war,
unles
s he proved to all concerned who
actually
abducted the queen
.  Vampires were too smart to leave loose threads
, and that’s what frightened Jayce the most.  Yes, he
was afraid.  And soon, the beast would completely unleash itself
.

From behind, a
tanned hand seized the note.  Within seconds, harsh exhales
blasted Jayce’
s sweat-drenched nape.  Rage was reborn, leaving no air in their bedchamber, only fire and nothing to breathe.  “You gave your word,” Bren’s voice was thickly haggard.  “She was protected with your gu
ard; chosen and overseen by you -
the fucking Alpha of North Am
erica.”

Words couldn’t begin to describe their pain.
Bren’s
deafening
roar cracked the sliding doors. 
Shattered
windows
and mirrors scattered
the
ir
bedchamber.  Traveling throughout the expansive property, Bren’s ferocity sho
ok the walls
. 
Jagged
bits and fine powder littered
his
wake.  Cold fury consumed
him as his leash slipped.  In the deadliest whispers, Bren
asked
, “Where’s Rock?”

Before Jayce could answer, his phone rang.  Without his astute hearing, he would’ve missed the weakened tone.  Removing
it from his pocket, he noticed
the completely shattered screen due to Bren’s understandable outburst
.  It
distorted
the incoming number.  Voice
gone ragged, silently
he
pleaded
for
the answering voice to be Tatum’s
.
“Yes
.”

“She was here,” Gage barked.  “She was here and now they’re gone.”

“They,” Jayce tightened his grip, knowing who
they
were, “are gone.”

“Exactly.”

“Weeks have passed since I’ve sampled her blood, preventing a true hunt.  After her scent abruptly broke off
on the property,” Gage went on.
“I’m rather certain she was misted, undoubtedly vampire involvement.  I can definitely smell tinges, here and there, of one very powerful.”

“Maestru powerful?”
Jayce questioned.

“Yep.”

Bren heard the words and worked his nose, growling, “His scent is in my very bedchamber. Where I make love to what is mine.”  Bren
smelled everything in hyper speed, misting everywhere to scent if Maestru had raped his female.
Baring his canines, Bren punched several holes in the
wall with mounting frustration
.
He c
ouldn’t stall the pursuing werewolf that
sought
the return of his mate.

“Why would Maestru go against me this way, invoking the Alpha beast’s wrath?” Jayce felt a tooth crack under the
unyielding pressure of his
jaw.

“He’s incredibly stupid to risk it,” Gage breathed
, walking into his office, “When we capture him, we w
on’t kill him straight away, but torture him for centuries.  He’ll stay here in
Miami,
and I won’t sleep.  Maestru will plead for d
eath’s mercy.”  Gage walked
th
e seam of full transformation.   A
problem he
had not experienced
for at least fifty years.    “Is this an isolated attack on the queen or the entire pack?”  Gage closed the door behind him, questioning Rock.

Rock observed the Miami coastline, deep in though
t.  He let his queen down.  He
let everyone down.  All
his
sentinels
were
too cocky, too complacent.
He was the worst example of all
.
“The queen is Mike’s ace.  She’s the Alpha’s one true weakness.” Running his ha
nds through his hair, he clarified
, “Desperation consumes, especially for prisoners, and Mike had a lot of time on his hands to think it through.”    Circling, he faced Gage. 
“Nevertheless,
she’s Mike’s weakness, too, a true mate.  I have no doubt
that
she’s alive.
  As long as Mike li
ves, and she’s with him, she’s
somewhat
protected
.
”
Rock stood his full height, shoulders back
. “I will meet my death, inform the Alpha.”

“My fuck,” Jayce grated, still on the phone
listening to
it all.  “
Both of you get to Sanibel
now
.”

Gage misted, followed by Rock.  Bren’s lips peeled from his canines, effectively warning them
both, even though they didn’t deserve such courtesy
.  “You live, for now,” Jayce’s finger shook
when he pointed it Rock’s way.  “On the front, in the battle that comes our way, your requirement may be death for your queen.   In that, I won’t budge.”

“Leniency that’s underserved, sire, losing the queen is inexcusable.”

“Sure is,” Bren broke in, lunging for Rock and narrowly stopped by Jayce.

“Why are you leaving my sister-n-law unprotected?” Jayce stood in front of Bren, lifting two bloody fingers and motioning for Bane to enter his private chamber, usually off-limits to anyone but mates.  He smelled the leech before he entered.  “I haven’t a hearty welcome, Dru.  My queen
is missing, abducted by your species
.   At the moment, death would be too kind for me.”  An understatement, Jayce’s legs could scarcely hold him.  A physical
weakness he would never admit
, a rule fully implemented by his Alpha father long ago. 

“The
vampires
took the queen
?”  Bane snarled.

“Oh, it’s bett
er than that!” Bren shouted, pu
pils fully dilated
and glowing
.  “Tatum’s
with Mike Carter
.”

Bane pointed the ‘I told you so finger’ at Jayce.  “One guard is never enough, I warned you.”

“I let her soften me,” Jayce admitted, eyes flaring the beast – a deadly glow, “and look where it got us.”

“God, t
hey’re just alike.” Bane looked stricken
. “
Renee thinks she ca
n go freely, do anything without one of us guarding her.  Neither understands the value
and unconditional love
our
males place on our females, but our enemies
do.  And our mates are
the
targets openly
hit with
determined
precision. 
Every.
  Single. 
Time.
  They’re walking bulls’
eyes,
and we’re allowing it.”
They all remained silent a moment, trying to calm themselves while soaking in the Beta’s words.

“
Things are going to change.
” Jayce didn’t elaborate, but the look on his face told
the rest what
was unspoken
wouldn’
t brook
any
arguments.
 
And then he
got in Bane’s space. “G
etting back to my earl
ier question,” he
asked
quietly
.  “Why is Renee
left
unprotected?  Should I have to
worry about
her now?
”
 

“She’s my mate, Alpha.” Bane tried to push respect through his words. 
He couldn’t.

“Crossing a line with me, Beta?”
Jayce pushed his chest against Bane’s and watched his
eyes widen.
They had no idea what kind of feat it was for the Alpha to stay contained
. “This circle will stop.”
Jayce flashed the beast
. “Not
one more female will be touched by
another species’
filth.
  This is your sole purpose from this moment forward.
”

“As you wish, I’ll make it so.”  Bane tilted
h
is head, acknowledging Jayce’s direct order.

“
Arian was much better this morning and currently is with Renee
.  I haven’t a doubt that he’s back to his lethal self, or I wouldn’t be here.
”
Dru came
forward
,
obviously
trying to defu
se a potential situation that was none of his business.
“
But
I’ll mist back
to Renee
,”
Dru continued
.
“
Please,
know this.
” He stepped before Jayce and Bren.  “
No matter our species
, we’re family now.  I won’
t side with those who
hurt my wife by taking her sister
from her
.
  I won’t side with those who hurt our collective family.
”

Frowning, Jayce nodded.
“I expect no less
from you
,
vampire.”

After Dru
drif
ted out of earshot, Jayce got
down to business.  “Summon an ancient from every district.  They’re to come to Sanibel and take all females and pups in our hidden chambers between the islands.”

Bren fully transformed. 
Three breaths in, one long push out.
  He took off,
ripping through the lanai screen and
leaping from
the second floor,
ignoring his Alpha and
the
surrounding werewolves.  Jayce stepped to the upper lanai and followed him with his eyes.  Three Royal Palms snapped under Bren’s
assault like twigs,
and
then
he was gone.

“
What are our orders
?”
Gage tracked Bren’s movements, ready to get started himself
.

Jayce paused in mid transformation to look over at him,
“Now. We
hunt.”

16

B
lade inhaled deeply
, blessing his body with his mate’s scent.  Desperate times called for desperate bullshit.  He had to stay in Scotland until Ci
aran completed his objectives
or
temporarily
leave his mate
since the Alpha refused to let her go under any circumstances
.  And he didn’t think hell had frozen over yet, so he was staying put.

His hands shook.  Not that his beast was that unstabl
e, no, it was veiled behind Gage’s spe
lls.  Blade just wanted to be with Rebecca, to touch her.
“I want my right,” he enunciated every word to Ciaran.  That should pl
ease the three as co-mates.  It was natural for their kind.
  And he needed that special reassurance between them.  The one that came from being intimate with someone you couldn’t live without.  He’d never had that in his life, and it was so close Blade could taste it.

“I want that fo
r you
.”  Freshly showered, C
iaran strode quietly across the master bedchamber.  Cla
d in jeans and nothing else, his
top button was unfastened.
His face wasn’t the only thing that was pierced, but also his navel.  Blade had never seen an ancient so inked and pierced. Of course, the only ancient Blade really knew
well
was Gage. 

“I don’t want to scare her anymore
,” Ciaran continued, clenching his jaw
as his eyes roamed over a sleeping Rebecca nestled in the middle of a gigantic bed.  “The beast…and the full moon
nears
, who knows?” he shrugged. 
“
I’ve been alive for centuries without a mate.
”