Dark Guardian (Dark Series - book 9) Read online

  “I think you should put some extra guards on Radcliff,” Lucian advised the police captain softly, using that same “push” in his voice that ensured obedience. “Get him out of this hospital, and take him somewhere no one knows. Jaxon and Radcliff made enemies, and the warehouse was an ambush set to get rid of them. These men were here to finish that work and kill the two of them.” He spoke so low that only Jaxon and the captain heard. The captain was already nodding in agreement as Lucian turned back to her.

  She was still trying to get around his body to see what was happening, but he simply reached into the car and swept her over so that he could slide in beside her. At once the chauffeur closed the door, and they were alone and racing away from the scene.

  Jaxon shoved a trembling hand through her short blond hair, a habit when she was agitated. It left the soft, silky strands falling in all directions, wild, the way Lucian liked it. “I can’t believe you did that. Lucian, you have to let me protect you. I had the gun. You just stood there, not moving. You’re a huge target—did you ever think of that? A sniper on a roof could have had you before you blinked.”

  She was really afraid for him. He could feel it in her like a living, breathing entity. It was nearly suffocating her. Lucian automatically became aware of his own breathing, deliberately tuning his to hers so that his heart raced and his lungs ached. Just as deliberately he began to slow both of their hearts, breathing calmly for both of them.

  “You don’t seem to have any instincts for self-preservation at all,” she accused. “Have you hunted those horrible creatures for so long, protecting other people, that you no longer give a thought for your own life?” Her eyes actually burned with tears. Fear formed a hard knot in her throat. She had seen little glimpses of his life, and it distressed her. He had trained himself to be disposable, to place himself in harm’s way to protect others. He had stood tall and straight, his shoulders square, his expression never changing. It frightened her to think of him like that. He had been far more alone in that moment than she had been her entire life.

  Lucian pulled her stiff, resisting body into the curve of his arm and held her to him. His miracle. The light in his unrelenting dark world. Her show of fear for him melted his heart as nothing else could. She thought she didn’t know who he was, but she knew him better than he knew himself. Lucian dropped his head protectively over hers, his arms wrapped securely around her so that they clung to each other. How could he have managed to exist in such a bleak void for all those long centuries without her? He knew he could never go back. The will and determination, the remembered love and loyalty, the vow to protect or destroy he had made and kept all those centuries would never be enough now to keep him going should he lose her. If she were taken from him, he would dispense only death and retribution for the rest of his endless days. He would never go quietly into the dawn. His arms tightened, and a smile touched the dark bleakness of his eyes. Joy spread a warmth through his entire body. Yes, he would. He would go wherever she went. If Jaxon moved on to another life, he would follow her there without hesitation.

  Jaxon realized her heart had slowed and was matching the rhythm of Lucian’s. She was once more able to breathe more easily. The warmth of his body had seeped into hers, and she felt incredibly safe. She closed her eyes and didn’t fight the emotions he brought out in her. She liked being in his arms. She liked feeling safe and not so alone. Most of all, Jaxon was determined that Lucian would never feel such stark loneliness again. She knew about being lonely, but the few times she had touched on his mind, his solitary existence had been utterly cold and bleak. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t examine the why of it very closely; she knew only that nothing else mattered to her quite so much as his safety.

  “I am well aware you did something back there to those men,” she murmured against his chest, a note of drowsiness creeping into her voice. “Is this chauffeur yours?”

  “He is on loan.”

  “I noticed he didn’t hit the ground for cover. He dropped into a crouch and was fishing in his jacket for something. What do you think it was?” Jaxon opened her eyes and studied Lucian’s shadowed jaw.

  Without conscious thought her fingers crept up to touch his chin.

  “I have no idea what most chauffeurs do in such circumstances,” Lucian replied innocently. “Perhaps he had a cell phone and was going to call for help.”

  “Half the police force was already there.” She snuggled closer to him. She liked the feel of Lucian’s hand in her hair, the way he caressed the silky strands, the touch of his fingertips against her neck. “Who lent him to you?”

  “He is the son of a friend’s housekeeper”

  “A friend’s housekeeper?” she echoed, the suspicion in her voice increasing.

  He sighed. “This is beginning to sound like an interrogation. Are you a police officer by any chance?”

  “Absolutely. Tell me the whole story. I like tall tales.”

  His hands crept around her neck in a mock threat. “You are going to give me no end of trouble, I can tell.”

  “No one else does. It isn’t good for you to have all that deference paid to you all the time. You get so you believe you deserve it.” She was laughing, her body relaxed and pliant against his.

  She belonged there. He felt it. Knew it in his deepest soul. There was no doubt in his mind that Jaxon was his other half. Created for him. Destined for him. Each time he looked at her, he found he wanted to smile. Each time he looked at her, his insides turned to molten lava.

  Wrought-iron gates loomed up before the limousine, tall and intricate and as beautiful as the estate itself. The chauffeur drove the limousine smoothly through the opening and up the long drive to the house. Tall shrubbery on either side lent the grounds a wild, forest-like appearance. Everywhere she glanced were trees and ferns and bushes of some kind. Looking up at the house, she could see it had several stories, with turrets and balconies in unexpected places. Stained glass was woven throughout the walls in all shapes and sizes. It was beautiful and old-fashioned.

  “The lifemate of my twin brother, Gabriel, sent me most of the stained glass. She does incredible work. She is a great healer, and it shows in her work. Many of the pieces were wrought by Francesca and their young ward, Skyler. The patterns offer much protection for those inside the house.” He said it quietly, matter-of-factly, as if offering up mundane conversation.

  Jaxon realized that what he was telling her was far more important than it appeared on the surface. She took the hand he extended to her as she slipped out of the huge car. “I want you to know I’m not riding in that thing again. It’s so wasteful, it’s a sin. And if you don’t know how to drive, I’m excellent at it.”

  The chauffeur cleared his throat, trying valiantly to hide his smile. “Excuse me, miss, you wouldn’t be trying to cut into my livelihood, would you?”

  She tilted her head to one side and studied the man with shrewd, assessing eyes. He moved like a boxer, his gait perfect. There were heavy muscles under his absurd uniform. Whatever this man was, he was no chauffeur.

  “What’s your name?” With that information, it should be easy enough to find out more about him.

  He grinned at her, tipped his hat, and slid back into the car.

  “Chicken,” she whispered into the night. She looked up at Lucian standing as still as a statue. “And you. What am I going to do about you?”

  “I was not the one in danger, angel. That was you” His hand crept around the nape of her neck, urging her up the stairs to the front entrance.

  “It doesn’t matter which one of us they were after, Lucian,” she explained patiently. “You would have been the one they hit. I tried to move you out of the way, but you’re immovable when you go all stubborn.”

  “There was no danger, Jaxon. They had abominable aim. It was rather desperate of their boss to send out three such incompetent hit men, don’t you think?” He was standing close enough to her that she could feel the warmth of his skin, yet only his ha
nd rested on the nape of her neck.

  Jaxon heard herself laugh. The sound surprised her. He was acting, oh, so innocent. Nothing ruffled him, nothing disturbed him. His voice was unchanged, soft and beautiful, not responsible for any mischief-making or wrongdoing. He reached around her to pull open the heavy front door. Very briefly his hand rested on her shoulder; then he dropped it and moved away from her. “You are not ill this time. Do you enter my home of your own free will?” He asked the question seriously, his seductive voice melting her heart.

  For some reason she hesitated, standing just outside. She could see the foyer, the marble entrance. It beckoned, drew her, a sanctuary. Why had he asked her so formally? Why didn’t he just stay quiet and allow her to enter? Jaxon turned over his words in her mind. There was a formality, almost a ritual feeling, to them. Lucian remained silent, adding to her apprehension that there was something she wasn’t comprehending.

  Jaxon turned to face him, tilting her head to look up into his black eyes. Soulless. Lost. Alone. He stood tall and straight in complete stillness, his face in the shadows. “If I enter of my own free will, does that give you some kind of power over me?” She couldn’t help sounding nervous.

  He didn’t laugh at her as she feared he might. He simply watched, unblinking, steady. Jaxon moistened her suddenly dry lips. “Answer me truthfully. Does it somehow bind us together or make it so I’m a prisoner here?”

  “If you fear me so much, why would you think I would reveal the truth simply because you ask it of me?”

  “I just know you would.” She shrugged delicately. “I know things, and you don’t lie to me. So tell me.”

  “I have already bound us together with the ritual words. You cannot leave me any more than I could leave you.”

  She blinked. “Ritual words?” Before he could reply, she shook her head. “Don’t go there. I’m not going to get distracted. Will I be a prisoner?”

  “As for being my prisoner here in this house, you are able to come and go as you please.” She remained looking up at him. Lucian slowly smiled, his mischievous little-boy smile that would likely get him out of lots of trouble. “Unless, of course, there is danger to you.”

  “I can’t wait to hear who determines what constitutes danger. You aren’t making this easy for me. I have no idea why I’m allowing you to walk into my life and take it over. And, Lucian”—she smiled sweetly up at him—”I am not the same as you. Whatever you are, and I’m not ready to find out yet, your ritual words can’t bind us. I make my own decisions in matters of relationships. Yes, I will enter your home of my own free will.”

  She stepped across the threshold and nearly panicked.

  Something deep within her shifted and came alive. It was so strong, she almost turned around to run back outside, unable to identify what it was but certain her body, her heart, and her soul recognized this place, this man. Lucian’s larger frame blocked the doorway. He caught at her small waist and simply held her, the strength in his arms enormous, yet he was so gentle he never could have hurt her. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know. I feel as if I’m not me anymore. As if somehow you’re slowly taking me over. Are you doing that?” She didn’t try to get free. She wasn’t even certain she really wanted to be free Her large eyes searched his expression seriously.

  “I would never want to take you over. You are exactly who you are supposed to be. We have spent so much time, each of us alone, it is strange, perhaps, to share so much together so soon. But we are lifemates, and we will adjust.”

  She leaned into him even as she turned to face the huge room. “I feel as if I belong here, as if I know this place.”

  “You do belong here. Go explore. If there is anything you wish to change, feel free to do so.” He opened his arms, allowing her to step away from him.

  The house was even more beautiful than Jaxon had remembered. She tried not to stare around her in complete awe. In her job as a police officer, she had certainly been in more than one mansion, but this was extraordinary. In a way it evoked an Old-World elegance, a forgotten time. There was even a ballroom with a parquet dance floor. Her favorite room was a massive library made cozy by a large fireplace with two comfortable chairs placed in front of it, an antique reading table between them. On three walls were floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a ladder on rails the only way to ascend to the top shelves. She saw every kind of book imaginable, from fiction to science, old to new. She noted that the books, some of them ancient, were in several languages. It was a virtual treasure trove. Jaxon felt she could spend a good portion of her life right in that room and be happy.

  The house was far larger than she had imagined, even larger than it appeared from the outside. The kitchen alone was bigger than her entire apartment. Lucian glided up behind her so silently, she nearly jumped out of her skin. “It is not your apartment any longer. I told your landlady she could rent it out.” He said it softly, proving he was still a silent shadow in her mind.

  “You did not.” Jaxon swung around, her hands on her hips, daring him to be telling her the truth. “Of course I did. You do not belong there. You never belonged there,” he answered complacently.

  “I know you wouldn’t dare give away my apartment. They’re not exactly easy to come by, especially on my salary.” Jaxon stared up at him, trying to read his expression. “You couldn’t have, Lucian.” She was trying to convince herself as well as him. “Surely my landlady would have insisted on the lease being fulfilled.”

  He shrugged, not in the least perturbed. “She was willing to accept cash. I find in most cases it works quite well. Have you not had similar findings?”

  “You really did it, didn’t you? Oh, my God, I’ve got to call her. Where the heck are the telephones in this place? You can’t just do that. You can’t.” She glared at him. “You don’t even feel remorse. I’m looking at you, and I don’t see one speck of remorse in you at all. You don’t even feel it, do you?”

  “I see no reason to experience such an emotion. You are in our home, where you belong. The elderly woman was more than satisfied with the cash for the lease and will be able to find a new renter immediately. It worked out quite well for everyone.”

  “Not for me. I need my own space, Lucian. I really do.” Exasperated, she shook her head. What was the use? He didn’t seem to understand what he had done.

  “There is more than enough space here, is there not?” He looked puzzled, his black eyes seeking out every corner of the room. “There is much you have not even seen yet. The grounds are immense, and in many of the walls are secret passageways and other rooms. I am certain there is enough space for you right here.” Just in case Jaxon should touch his mind, Lucian made certain his amusement was buried deeply. He continued to look innocent and straight-faced.

  Jaxon shook her head and gave up. He was exasperating, and she was too tired to deal with him. She would work it out another day—phone her landlady and get her place back. Right now she was too tired and confused. Maybe she was hungry. She should be hungry, but every time she actually thought of food, she felt slightly sick. The refrigerator was intimidating. She stood in front of it. “When I was shot, was my stomach affected?”

  For the first time she was aware of his hesitation. Jaxon felt her breath catch in her throat. “Why do you ask? Are you hurting?” His voice, strictly neutral, gave nothing away.

  “I’m hungry, but the thought of food makes me feel nauseated. In fact, I can’t remember eating or drinking anything since I woke up. Is something wrong with me, or am I being paranoid?”

  “I can hear that fear in your voice again. The unknown. It is the worst fear of all, is it not?” He said it so softly, she shivered. Whatever he was about to reveal, she did not want to know.

  Jaxon held up a hand and shook her head without looking at him. “I think I’ll walk around outside. The grounds look beautiful. In any case, I need to know my way around.” She went to move past him, attempting to duck under his arm.

  Lucian’s arm dropp
ed down like a gate. He curved it around her and swept her up against him. “Do not fear the truth. It is different, but it is not evil.”

  She squared her shoulders. “Then tell me. Get it over with. Whatever needs to be said, just come out with it. I’m an adult, not the child you think me.”

  Lucian’s body urged hers out of the kitchen and into his den. A wave of his hand produced dancing flames in the stone fireplace. She gasped aloud, enthralled by his magic yet frightened by it all the same. Jaxon broke away from him to stand in front of the flickering tongues of heat, needing the distance from him to think clearly. He was so tremendously powerful.

  “I am a Carpathian male, as I have explained to you. We are a species that has existed from the beginning of time. I am not evil, angel face, but the darkness, the loss of color and emotion, that slowly overtakes our males who lack the light of their lifemates has grown strong in me for many centuries, making it a struggle to tame the predator inside us all. We are like the human race, yet not. We are blessed and cursed with enormous longevity, often called immortals. If and when we find a lifemate, the emotion is intense and grows steadily over the centuries. If we do not... we may become complete predators, the undead. The night is ours, and the sunlight is difficult to endure. But we have enormous powers, as you are beginning to understand. My blood now flows in your veins, angel. It has already affected your tolerance to sunlight, not to the extent of mine, yet it will be impossible for you to endure daylight without special sunglasses.”

  A heartbeat went by. One. Two. Jaxon took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I can accept that.” My

  blood flows in your veins

  . A transfusion? She wouldn’t challenge that; she wouldn’t ask. She didn’t want to know how his blood had gotten into her veins.

  “The sun will burn your skin. Sunblock will help, but not very much. You will have to learn to stay indoors during certain hours of the day, but your body will be sleepy during those hours anyway.”