Dark Guardian (Dark Series - book 9) Read online

  Having done what he could, Lucian flowed through the house, the basement, and the narrow passage carved through rock to the sleeping chamber, then below to his earthen lair. He returned to his body deep within the healing soil. It required intense energy to flow free from one’s body, and he wanted the rejuvenating soil to strengthen him.

  He put himself to sleep, relying on his inward alarm system to tell him when the intruder had actually violated the sanctity of his home. It took the man well over an hour after the sun went down before he managed to make it into the main yard. From there he opened the gate for two of his colleagues. When Lucian felt the disturbance, he came awake slowly, waving a hand to open the earth. The vibrations of violence echoing through his home were amplified by the stained-glass safeguards Francesca had wrought. It disturbed the soothing tranquility of the house.

  Beside him, without his consent or command, Jaxon inhaled. Her heart began to beat, and she moaned softly in distress. Lucian would never have believed it if someone had told him her built-in alarm system would be enough to disturb her sleep so soon after her initiation. Fledglings did not often awaken at the mere presence of evil. He merged with her before she could open her eyes, his intention to send her back to sleep.

  Don’t!

  She said it sharply, her lashes lifting, her eyes blazing with fury. “You lied to me.” She pushed his body away from hers and looked around her.

  Lucian could feel her rising nausea as she realized she was in the ground, not in the sleeping chamber. When he would have comforted her, she held up both hands to stop him. “I don’t want you to touch me. You buried me alive, Lucian. You buried me and let me believe we were sleeping in a normal bed.”

  “Jaxon,” he said softly, persuasively. “I did not

  lie

  .” She tried to scramble out of the hole in the earth.

  “Call it whatever you like, it was still a sin of omission,” she hissed over her shoulder.

  But when Lucian caught her around her waist and pulled her back to him, she didn’t resist, rather went very still. She was pale, her skin clammy, and he could feel her heart pounding. “Someone’s in the house.” She clutched her stomach, knowing they were being stalked. “I thought you said nothing could get in.”

  “The intruder is human. Actually, if you listen, you can hear more than one. They are spreading out now, searching the upper story. I allowed them entry to the premises to see who they are. It is always best to know your enemies.” His voice was soft and winning, wrapping her in warmth and tranquility. “I did not allow them access to your room. I did not want them touching your things.” She swallowed her anger. “That’s supposed to make me forget all about what you’ve done? I’m so angry with you, Lucian. Right now I hate the way you’re so calm and unemotional. How many more surprises do you have in store for me?”

  “I presume you are alluding to our resting place, not the intruders.”

  She thought about hitting him, but he was built like an oak tree and more than likely she would end up with a bruised fist. “Where are my clothes?” she asked between her teeth.

  “Your usual feminine garb?” When she steadfastly refused to look at him, Lucian shrugged with his casual strength. “Your clothes are in your mind. Seek and ye shall find.” Deliberately he floated from the hole in the ground. It was a little more than eight feet deep. Jaxon could not possibly get out of her own accord.

  You want to bet?

  Furious, Jaxon stood up and examined the walls of their grave. That was how she thought of it. Their grave. She swore repeatedly in her head, calling him every name in the book as she paced off the area. The walls were impossible to climb.

  You need help?

  It was an infuriating male taunt.

  “Not on your life. I’d rather stay down here with the worms than ask for your help,” she snapped.

  Lucian waved a hand down his body and at once was clothed in black jeans and a black T-shirt. His long black hair hung loose and shone like a raven’s wing there in the darkness. It suddenly occurred to Jaxon she could see as well as if the sun were shining on them far below the earth.

  She tilted her chin. If he could do it, she could do it. All she had to do was think about being dressed. Picture it in her mind. She closed her eyes to block out everything else. It took a few moments to clear the fear of spiders and creepy crawlers out of her thoughts before she began to build an image of what she would wear. Lace underwear, the comfortable kind, her favorites. Slim cotton blue jeans and a thin cotton ribbed top. Black, to suit her mood. When she opened her eyes, she was astonished that she had done it. She was fully clothed. With the exception of her shoes. She had forgotten shoes.

  Jaxon had to push down the beginnings of a smile. It was amazing to be able to do such a fantastic thing. Immediately she thought of cleanliness, her hair and teeth, her body, ensuring she was as clean as if she had spent a long time in the shower. Then she began to inspect the grave-like cubicle.

  She could hear the hearts beating upstairs, the sound of footsteps as intruders moved through the house. She heard the air moving in and out of their lungs. When she glanced up at Lucian, he was grinning at her with that infuriating male taunt. “I will return to help you out of there after I dispose of our guests.”

  He actually turned around and sauntered away from her. For a moment her breath stilled in her lungs. She wanted to cry out after him to come back, but her pride wouldn’t allow it. She wasn’t afraid of spiders. Not really. Her ears picked up the sound of something scratching around somewhere close by. Too close. Okay. Rats.

  There are rats here, Lucian. I won’t put up with rats . I am certain you can manage until I return.

  He sounded smug.

  At least I know you are safely stuck there instead of trying to shoot someone. If any rats come around, try talking to them . They’re probably related to you,

  she sniped. Hands on her hips, she turned around twice, trying to figure out how she could manage on her own. She

  would

  get out, and she

  would

  shoot someone, preferably Lucian. How did he do it? How did he manage to float the way he did? Did she have to picture herself floating to the top? She tried it, but nothing happened. She tried two short hops. Still nothing.

  Lucian’s laughter brushed at her mind like butterfly wings. Could she possibly strangle him? If she thought about strangling him, would it work? She knew exactly where he was. In the kitchen. He was moving silently, not a single footstep audible, but she knew where he was. When he breathed, she breathed. How did that happen? How did she suddenly need him so much, need the touch of his mind to hers, just so she could breathe?

  She was very still for a moment, waiting to see what Lucian would do next. She did not want him confronting intruders without her, but she knew that was his intention. Suddenly she was smiling. How did something float? It wasn’t that hard. It was lighter than air. So light it just moved through space, drifting upward toward the sky. In this case, more toward the floor of the sleeping chamber, but she’d take what she could get because...

  Ha! I did it

  !

  She felt his hand brush her face, his touch tender. Inside she was suddenly warm, as if he had praised her. She felt his smile in her mind.

  I knew you would. Now just stay put while I ask these gentlemen their reason for visiting

  .

  Jaxon rolled her eyes heavenward.

  That sounds like something I’d do

  —

  just sit around twiddling my thumbs while you go serve our guests tea. Tea was not my first choice, but then, it has been a long while since I was expected to entertain with civility.

  There was an edge to his voice, as if the thin veneer of civilization had worn through and the velvet gloves were coming off.

  Jaxon found she was shivering.

  Don’t do anything rash. I’m a cop, remember? We arrest people for breaking and entering. They’re alre
ady going to jail. Maybe they’re reporters looking to get the scoop on the love nest of the local billionaire . Stay clear until I have them under control.

  Jaxon was already racing through the passageway into the basement and up the stairs leading to the kitchen.

  You’re already in control, Lucian. I’m more worried for them, not about you. I can feel the weight of your

  ... She searched for a word to describe it. Nothing. He wasn’t angry. There was no rage. He smoldered with menace, yet he was tranquil, even serene. Nothing disturbed him or shook his complete confidence in his own powers.

  They pose a danger to you, angel, not to me. You are reading their minds. That is so. Our guests are from out of state. Do not worry so much, my love. I will do nothing to embarrass you or harm your status as a police officer. I just want you to know I will arrest you in a heartbeat if you lay a finger on any of them.

  His laughter was soft and sensual, brushing at her mind and body like the touch of his caressing fingers.

  My beloved angel, I would never be so crass

  .

  Her heart almost stopped at the drawling menace she caught beneath the surface. She knew him now. She knew he was more lethal at that moment than when he had so casually destroyed the vampire who had tracked him to his home. What had he said?

  They pose a danger to you, not to me

  . Of course he would remove any threat to her. He believed she was his heart and soul. She felt his tremendous need of her. He would never allow anyone or anything to threaten her.

  Lucian, I know you handle things differently in your world, but this is my world. These men are human. They must be handled within the boundaries of the law. I am the dispenser of justice, my love. I will not destroy them at this time.

  She felt her heartbeat return to normal. He wouldn’t lie to her. She had visions of him incinerating them right there on the carpet. How would she explain another pile of ashes to Barry Radcliff or Captain Smith?

  Lucian knew her exact whereabouts, how close she was to coming up the stairs. He put on a burst of speed, and found the first man in the spare bedroom. Seizing him by the neck, he sank his teeth deep into his jugular and drank. The intruder had no chance to struggle, no way to move in that iron grip.

  Be silent. You will obey

  . The soft voice instantly quieted the man, and he was passive in the enormously strong grip. Lucian simply dropped him to the floor and left him there, evaporating into mist so that he streamed through the hall and into the next room.

  The second man, the one in the dark blue suit, choked back a cry of alarm as Lucian suddenly materialized in front of him, seizing him in a grip of steel, brutally going for his neck to drink deeply.

  You will obey. Be silent

  . His enthrallment was complete. Both men would do his bidding day or night, hear his call, and complete appointed tasks. He allowed the second man to drop to the floor, dizzy and weak from blood loss. Stepping over him with a hint of contempt, he flowed through the house toward the turret, where the third man was examining old papers in Lucian’s private desk.

  The beast in him was allowed reign for a brief moment while he savagely took his fill. These men had come to kill his lifemate. By rights he should have ripped their hearts out. He had important work in store for them, but that did not mean he had to treat them with human civility. In his world, there was little room for such niceties.

  At his command the three men followed him along the upstairs landing. All three were pale, and one of them staggered a bit, but they moved as he directed, with pleasant smiles on their faces. They would do anything for him; they needed the touch of his mind and the sound of his voice. They lived to do his service. Jaxon was charging up the steps when she spotted the little parade and paused in the middle of the staircase. She looked so apprehensive, Lucian found himself smiling.

  “I found our guests wandering around upstairs, Jaxon, but they are going to act like gentlemen callers and visit with us in the sitting room. I am rather old-fashioned in some ways. The casual American style of allowing guests access to their entire homes is beyond my scope of entertaining. You gentlemen do not mind, do you?” His voice was very soft, very pleasant.

  All three shook their heads, murmuring various agreements to his suggestion. Jaxon studied them for a moment suspiciously, but when they appeared normal, she preceded them down the stairs and led the way to the small cozy room off the foyer. The three men waited politely for her to be seated first. At once Lucian sat beside her, his fingers curling around hers.

  “Perhaps you would like to introduce yourselves,” Lucian invited softly.

  Jaxon glanced at him nervously. The men were sitting calmly, not in the least disturbed by the fact that they had been caught outright trespassing. They were all in suits, and, if she wasn’t mistaken, all three were armed.

  The man in the dark blue suit appeared to be the spokesperson. “I’m Hal Barton. This is Harry Timms and Denny Sheldon.”

  Lucian nodded politely, as if people prowled around his home uninvited every day. “This is my fiancйe, Jaxon Montgomery. Jaxon, these gentlemen are here from Florida and have an interesting business proposal for me.”

  Jaxon arched an eyebrow, her expression frankly skeptical. “You came all the way across the United States to break into Lucian’s house to make him a business offer?”

  Lucian sat back and smiled. All three men were nodding solemnly. Hal Barton took up the banner once more. “Actually, yes. We thought if we could beat the security system and break into Lucian Daratrazanoff’s house, he might listen to us and back our revolutionary new security system. We designed it, but we don’t have the funds to mass-produce and market it.”

  Jaxon turned her head and met Lucian’s black eyes with her dark brown ones. “This is totally brilliant. Such short notice, too. I’m truly impressed.” She turned back to the three men. “What did he offer you for lying to me? Freedom from prosecution? I’m a cop. Did he mention that?”

  Hal Barton shook his head. “You don’t seem to understand the idea. If we can get Mr. Daratrazanoff to back us, we can make an incredible amount of money. We could all be millionaires. We have a great product.”

  Jaxon tried to touch Barton’s mind the way Lucian was able to. His “scanning,” as he called it, not the intimate way she merged with Lucian. Such intimacy required taking blood. Her heart jumped, and she hastily banned the thought from her mind. She didn’t dare think too closely about what had transpired between Lucian and her the night before. As long as she didn’t actually think too much, everything would be all right. As she tried to scan the man, Barton seemed as if he were being totally honest with her. Jaxon sighed. It was so improbable. Grown men couldn’t really be that stupid.

  Money often makes people do things they would not ordinarily do. You can read their minds much better than I ever could. Do you really think they’re telling us the truth?

  Jaxon ran both of her hands through her hair. This all felt wrong. These men should never have broken into her home. And she had felt the vibrations of violence when she first awakened. She had known. She always knew when someone was violent in nature. Their signals had been strong enough to awaken her. Now she felt none of that.

  Could someone else have been in the vicinity ? No one,

  Lucian said with soft authority.

  Jaxon shook her head. Her life had become totally bizarre. The people in her life were totally bizarre. What did that say about her?

  Lucian’s palm cupped the nape of her neck.

  That you are a very tolerant woman

  . His voice caressed her, ran over her like the touch of his fingers, in the same way his thumb slid over her soft skin along the edge of her shirt.

  “You have to admit, we were able to penetrate your security system,” Hal continued eagerly with his pitch. A frown crossed his face. “It was more difficult than I imagined. I’ve never run across anything like it before.”

  “I designed it myself,” Lu
cian replied. “I tinker a bit.”

  Jaxon sighed and stood up. “I’ll leave you to it. Otherwise, I’d feel bound to arrest everybody.”

  You included

  .

  None of it made any sense to her. When the three men jumped to their feet respectfully, she was more suspicious than ever. With a wave of her hand she dismissed them and sauntered out of the room. Lucian never made mistakes. Never. He had said they were a danger to her, not to him. That meant

  she

  was in danger. They had come to her home with the intention of harming her, not introducing some alarm system to Lucian. What had he done to bring this act together so quickly? And what was he planning to do? Surely he wouldn’t kill them?

  In the kitchen she fixed coffee, determined to get fingerprints. She should have arrested them first thing, and then she would have known immediately who they were and what they were up to.

  In the sitting room, Lucian found himself smiling. That was Jaxon’s mind, quick, intelligent. No one was going to fool her for very long.

  Fingerprints

  . She thought like the detective she was. He leaned toward the three men. “You were sent here to kill Jaxon. You know how wrong that is. She must live. She is the only thing standing between you and certain death.” For one brief moment he allowed them to see him—his power, his fangs, shape-shifting before their horrified gaze into a beast with flaming eyes and the need to devour, to kill.

  Paralyzed with terror, they sat ramrod stiff. He had implanted their story, controlling their beliefs for the short

  period

  Jaxon was in the room. She was becoming far too adept, and he was taking no chances that she would read their intentions. “Hear me now, all three of you. At all costs, you must protect her life. You will return to the two men who sent you here, and you will do whatever it takes to ensure they never send another to harm her. If you should fail, there will be nowhere on this earth that I cannot find you. I will destroy you. Go from here, get on a plane, and rid Jaxon of these two threats to her life.”

  His voice was impossible to disobey. He had taken their blood. He could monitor them easily from any distance. He would know the moment their bosses were dead or if they sent others after her. Lucian walked them to the door and watched them leave. He was firmly entrenched in their minds. They would remember only his orders. They would experience them as a great need, always uppermost in their minds.