Dark Guardian (Dark Series - book 9) Read online

  He turned when he sensed Jaxon’s approach. She had always been light on her feet, but now, with his blood running in her veins, she was as quiet as a born Carpathian. She was carrying an enormous tray with four cups of coffee on it. She was so small, the tray looked as if it overpowered her. He took it from her. “What are you doing?”

  “You know what I was doing. Getting fingerprints. But you hurried them out of here as soon as you realized I didn’t buy your ridiculous story. If you’re planning on fooling me, Lucian, you’re going to have to get better at lying.”

  He grinned unrepentantly. “I did not tell an untruth.”

  “No, you had

  them

  do the lying and even went so far as to make them believe their absurd story.”

  “You were not planning on drinking coffee with them, were you?”

  “Naturally, I would have been polite.”

  “You cannot drink this stuff. Jaxon, you are not human. Your body would reject it. You cannot do things like this.”

  “I figured it might make me sick. But you’ve eaten meals before, haven’t you?”

  Where had she learned that? Lucian turned away from her large brown eyes and glided back to the kitchen. She was learning things far too fast. She wasn’t ready yet. He wanted to ease her into his world gently, slowly. She was already immersed in violence and death. She didn’t need her initiation into the Carpathian way of life to be as bad. Most of their people lived calm, productive lives. She was moving easily within his mind, picking out random memories. He wasn’t ready for that. He had things, terrible things, in his past. How could someone in modern times ever understand what it was like in those horrible times? Enemies everywhere. Blood and death and sickness surrounding them. Women and children murdered. How could Jaxon understand the depravity of the true vampire, the evil it was capable of inflicting on humans? The threat the undead held for the species that was Carpathian?

  The same way I know the other things, I see them from your memories.

  Her voice was soft and beautiful, almost loving. Certainly caressing. It nearly stopped his heart and took away his breath.

  “Do not drink coffee or eat any human food. You have recently undergone the conversion, and your body would not simply rid itself of the contents. Instead, you would feel tremendous pain.” He could not allow such a happenstance. It was difficult enough to watch her endure the things outside of his control.

  Jaxon watched him place the tray on the counter. “So tell me what you don’t want me to know. Who were those men, and why did they come here?”

  Lucian dumped the contents of the coffee mugs into the sink and rinsed them out. “What does it really matter? They are gone, and I doubt they will return.”

  “It matters if you placed yourself in danger for me.” She touched his arm because he wasn’t looking at her. Lucian was always so straightforward.

  He looked down at her hand against the thickness of his arm. She held quite a bit of power in such a delicate hand. He covered her fingers with his palm, holding her to him, keeping the physical connection between them. “They are human, Jaxon, and I am of ancient blood. It would be difficult for me to place myself in a position of danger. I have knowledge and skill and gifts far beyond their capabilities. No, I did no such thing.”

  “But they were a threat to me.” She made it a statement.

  “We are leaving this house, honey. I do not wish to have any of your belongings lost to you, should there be an intruder while we are away, so I will remove the things you value highly and place them in the sleeping chamber. Antonio will keep an eye on the house while we are gone.”

  “Those men were a threat to me,” she insisted stubbornly.

  He transferred his hand to the middle of her back, applying pressure to move her out of the kitchen. “We have only the night to make this departure. We must find a place that will be safe from the sun and one that is easy to defend. The idea is to lure those who wish to pursue us into a trap, not to get caught out in the open.”

  She went with him, fitting easily beneath his shoulder as he moved, her walk matching the rhythm of his. “We can talk while we’re moving my things.”

  “Persistence is not always a virtue, Jaxon.” He tried to sound stern, but he admired the way she was able to figure things out for herself.

  She grinned up at him teasingly. “Of course it is. It’s the only way to find out things you’d rather I didn’t. So they threatened me. How in the world were you able to turn them into such sweet men with only money instead of mayhem on their minds?”

  “I took their blood.”

  She blinked several times in amazement. “But I didn’t hear anything. And I was right behind you. How could you accomplish so much so quickly? They were all in different rooms. You can’t possibly be that fast, can you?”

  “Yes, I can, if I sacrifice elegance for speed. I am an ancient, honey. It is easy enough to do such things. By the time you came up the stairs, I was already in control of them. It was easy enough to plant the story in Barton’s mind and instruct the other two to believe and remain silent.”

  “Why? Do you know why they want me dead?” She was gathering up the few treasures she had. Photos of her mother and brother. Little Mattie’s favorite blanket. Her fingers automatically rubbed at the thin material lovingly. It was obvious to Lucian she did it often.

  He swept a hand through her hair. “After his death, it was one of the few things that gave you momentary comfort.”

  She brought the blanket to her face and inhaled deeply. She could still catch Mathew’s scent after all these years. “He was so little, so funny. His eyes would dance with such mischief when he was trying to be a joker. He was so cute, Lucian. Sometimes I can hardly bear to think of him. It still hurts as much as if it just happened. Everyone said time would ease the pain, but when I think about it, it’s still sharp and ugly and so terrible I can’t breathe.”

  He pulled her into his arms, removing the blanket as he did so. At the same time he took the distressing memory from her and replaced it with her determination to find out who their guests had been and what he had done to handle the situation. Very quickly Lucian folded the blanket, knowing the association with pain touching the material carried. The woven strands held the boy’s cries, and Jaxon, as sensitive as she was, could not help but feel them. He could not stand the agony entrenched so deeply in her heart. Lucian saw no need for her to suffer continually when he could so easily stop it.

  Jaxon blinked and put a hand to her throat. What had she been thinking about? Something had distracted her when she was so determined to find out what was going on in their home. Lucian must have seriously wanted to keep the truth from her. She reached for her jewelry box. “Why did those men want to kill me, Lucian? And this time give me a straight answer.”

  “I did not ask them straight out.” He took the jewelry box out of her hands. It contained her mother’s jewels, beautiful gems. He had seen them. Rebecca Montgomery had come from money. She had diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and star sapphires set in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Jaxon never wore them, only looked at them.

  “You didn’t need to ask them straight out,” Jaxon observed. “All you had to do was look into their minds.” Her dark brown eyes were challenging him.

  Lucian shook his head. “In all the centuries of my existence, I have never had anyone question me as you do. When I determine something needs to be done, I simply do it. No one questions me.”

  “You are not God. You can’t always be right.” Her eyes flashed at him with a warning hint of her temper.

  “I would not presume to be God, but I am fully aware of the tremendous responsibilities I have been given and the gifts bestowed upon me in order to accomplish the tasks set to me. I am able to weigh problems without personal anger or any other emotion clouding my judgment.”

  “That is setting yourself up as judge, jury, and executioner, Lucian. No one has such a right.”

  “You are
mistaken, angel. Throughout history many of my kind have needed to be just such a being. It is not easy, and the toll on our souls is tremendous, but we have accepted the responsibility in order to protect both our people and humankind. I am what I am, and I cannot change what went before or what is now. When anyone threatens our way of existence, we do our best to remove their memories without violence, but should the need arise, we have no choice but to fight back. We also have the right to walk this earth. The same being created us in the same likeness. We were given many challenges and trials, and we have accepted them.”

  “What if someone completely innocent discovers your existence, and you can’t erase their memory? Do you believe you have a right to take that life?”

  A small smile touched the corners of his mouth. “In all the centuries of my existence, such a thing has never happened. If a being discovered us and could not be controlled, I would imagine a good reason existed for such a phenomenon. I would do much investigative work into the matter. I could not render a judgment at this time without much more information.”

  “How terribly convenient for you.” She found herself following his tall figure back down the stairs to the lower story.

  His black gaze swept over her, in no way perturbed. “Sarcasm does not suit you all that well, angel. I must admit I have a weakness for your sassy mouth, but sarcasm over so great an issue is beneath you.”

  She flushed. It

  was

  unfair of her to be so judgmental. In her line of work it was easy enough to be put in a position of having to shoot or not shoot in the blink of an eye. In a way, that could render her judge, jury, and executioner, too. She had never had to face a decision like that, but she knew a couple of officers who had chased a suspect, had the suspect turn with something shiny in his hand, and had made the decision to fire. Neither officer had been able to accept that they had shot an unarmed teenager. One committed suicide, and the other quit the force and still battled with nightmares and alcoholism. How would she have handled a life filled with such dark decisions? Her mind shied away from the question.

  “I’m sorry, Lucian. You’re right. I’m glad I’m not you and I’ve never had to live your life or make your decisions. Mine have been difficult enough.” She rested a hand on his arm. “Really, I mean it.”

  “You do not have to apologize to me, Jaxon. We are making tough decisions very quickly that affect more than just our lives. I know this is difficult for you, and, after all, you still do not know me so very well.”

  Only some time later did Jaxon realize that Lucian had not given her any of the information she had requested. She still had no idea why the three men had invaded their home or what they wanted. Or what Lucian had really done to handle the situation.

  Lucian took care of the wolves first, helping Antonio crate them and ready them for travel. With his calming touch, the wolves were quite willing to take a trip back to the wilderness, into the Canadian forests. Lucian appeared unhurried as he carefully prepared each animal, paying special attention to the alpha pair. He looked deep into their eyes, exchanging something wild and primitive Jaxon was certain she would never understand but thought extremely beautiful. Tears formed in her eyes as she watched how gentle he was with the animals. Lucian continually astounded her.

  As they watched the truck pull away from the estate, Jaxon reached for his hand, experiencing a sense of sadness watching the creatures go. They belonged with Lucian. Wild and untamed. “You wouldn’t have to send them away from you if you weren’t with me.”

  At once Lucian’s entire attention centered on her. He bent his dark hair over her blond, one arm curving around her small waist. “You are my life, the only one who matters to me. I can live without the wolves. I can live without my people and outside my homeland, but I cannot live without you. This was our decision together. We are not leaving our home for all time, rather taking a small working vacation. The wolves would be uneasy outside their natural environment without me. If someone else should try to poison them and I was not here to advise them properly, some of the young ones might eat the tainted meat.”

  Her dark brown gaze moved over his face. “Those men fed the wolves poison?”

  He tugged at her hand to get her walking beside him toward the long white limousine. “Actually, yes, they did.”

  Antonio handed her into the car. She smiled up at him rather absently, turning over the information in her mind. “And you let them go? That doesn’t sound like you. Where are we going? We aren’t taking this monstrosity wherever we’re going, are we? I own a little car. It gets great mileage,” she added hopefully.

  Lucian leaned toward her and whispered softly in her ear. “We do not need a car when we leave, angel. We are simply drawing attention to ourselves for the moment.”

  A small smile found its way to her mouth. “This car definitely draws attention.”

  “Is that not the idea? Tyler Drake will know we are leaving. That is imperative. And the undead must be aware of our every move.”

  “But are we actually taking this limo all the way to our destination, which, by the way, I haven’t been told? Do you even know it for certain?”

  The car was moving with silent swiftness through the streets toward the police station. “I own property up on the border between Washington and Canada. We will be able to set up housekeeping there with no problem.”

  Jaxon shook her head but refrained from pointing out that she had misgivings about being in the wilderness with Tyler Drake hunting them. They had already discussed it. She knew Lucian believed Drake would be easily handled, but he didn’t realize the extent of Drake’s training. Tyler Drake was human, but he was an extraordinary human. And the only thing that now mattered to Drake was likely killing Lucian. It would be impossible in hand-to-hand combat, but not from a distance. She believed Drake capable of killing from a very long distance—much longer than Lucian might suppose. Drake was an excellent shot and equally adept at making remote-controlled bombs.

  Jaxon turned her face away from Lucian to stare out the window at the passing streets. Even in the night the sidewalks were alive with people. She was familiar with the patterns of their lives. The ebb and flow of crime according to time, weather, and month had always been her focus, her life. Now she felt out of sync with that world she had known. She could hear things she had never heard before, a barrage of sounds from insect chirps to whispered conversations. Sometimes the assault on her ears was almost more than she could bear before she remembered how to turn down the volume. She was aware of things she had never noticed before. Textures. Colors. Little everyday things like the brush of hair against her cheek. Hearts beating. The rush of blood in veins. The bark on trees. The way the wind blew through foliage.

  There was a growing restlessness in her that she had never experienced. A wild, untamed spirit that seemed to be spreading, demanding more from her, demanding things she had no knowledge of. She had known the night as a time when many crimes occurred under the cover of darkness, yet now it called to her seductively, whispered to her continually.

  Embrace me. Embrace me.

  She belonged in the night. It enfolded her within its darkness as in the softest of blankets. The stars overhead were like glittering diamonds, a kaleidoscope of amazing beauty.

  The car pulled into the police station parking lot, and Antonio courteously opened the door for them. Feeling embarrassed and hoping none of her friends would see her, Jaxon hastily slid out of the limo.

  Lucian caught her hand, preventing her from surging ahead of him. “Follow my lead, angel. This is where we spread rumors so that those we want to trail us will do so.”

  She nodded and walked with him into the station. As always, Lucian commanded immediate attention. She didn’t think he was manipulating anyone; it was simply the way he carried himself. Tall and straight with complete confidence. Dark and dangerous. Mysterious. Old World. Gothic, even. A dark lord or prince. He automatically commanded respect. Even the captain came out
of his office immediately, hand extended. To Lucian. Not to her. She shook her head and allowed the conversation to flow around her. She even spaced out a bit until she heard the word

  marriage

  . At once she blinked to bring the two men into focus.

  To her horror, Lucian was telling Captain Smith that they had married quietly and he was now taking her away. He admitted they were hoping Drake would follow them and thus any copycats would be headed off before they could strike. The official version would be that they had gone off for a secluded honeymoon. The captain was to drop it around the station house that they had headed to Lucian’s hideaway along the border. The captain actually hugged her while he murmured his congratulations and admonishments to be careful. Jaxon had the odd feeling she was living in a fantasy world, a Dorothy in Oz effect.

  We aren’t married.

  She said it firmly because it was the one thing she knew absolutely to be true.

  Of course we are. What do you thinklifemates are?

  He refuted her testimony with the causal finesse of a swordsman.

  We aren’t married,

  she repeated stubbornly. This time she flashed him a warning with her dark eyes.

  He grinned at her, a mischievous, little-boy, all-too-sexy grin that instantly melted her heart.

  I recall the ritual ceremony in vivid detail. If you do not, I will be happy to repeat it. The ritual is binding in every way.

  She lifted her chin at him as they reentered the limousine. “For you, maybe, but I’m human, remember? I get married. That’s the way

  we

  do things.”

  “You wish, maybe, but reality is an altogether different thing.” He sounded very male, very smug.