A Time for Change (21 page)

As Levi watched the man across the room, he wasn’t anyone Levi had met before. He couldn’t move very much, he was strapped down on the table. Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered how strong the straps were though, whatever the man gave him took away all of his Vampire strength. He was as helpless as a newborn baby.

For the first time he wished they had completed their bond instead of waiting until the Destiny Pack accepted him as the Alpha Prime’s mate. Levi had truly only been thinking of the Pack members’ reactions to a Vampire Alpha mate. It would be hard enough winning their respect without it being forced down their throats.
Shit
—they hadn’t figured on him being kidnapped either.

Just what the
FUCK
was going on!

“Well, well, my prisoner is finally awake. It’s great to know the new experiment I’ve been working on worked so well. Actually, better than even I dreamed it could! I just needed a guinea pig to try it out on, and you fell right into my lap. When I overheard the Rebels in the pub talking about taking down some Vampires, I knew I couldn’t miss out on the chance, so I followed them. Shit, I’m just glad I went. I might have missed the chance to further my research,” he told the helpless Vampire with a laugh. He was getting close to fulfilling his promise.

Levi did have an advantage it seemed. This crazy man didn’t seem to know he was Ramos’s fated mate. Levi just didn’t know what the man planned to do with him in the meantime. He was a little too eager to tryout his
“creations”
on Levi. He reminded him of one of those mad doctors on television, who was willing to do anything in the name of science and learning.

Levi was a very smart man, but right at this moment, it wasn’t doing him the least bit of good. He was stuck with no means of escape. When he looked over at his captor again, the man was once again filling up a large needle with a yellowish fluid. He released the drug into his IV only moments later.
It was up to his mate to find him,
was his last thought.

***

Steven watched the Vampire go back to sleep after the shot. When he had started on the formula to incapacitate a Vampire for his vengeance, he was more determined than anything to see if it could be done. So far he hadn’t taken the completed formula back to their Rebel Leader or
“Boss,”
as he liked to be called. Something was holding him back, and dammit, for the life of him, he didn’t know what it was. When he looked into the Boss’s eyes, he could see the instability lurking there. It was a look he knew well himself.

It was a part of himself he didn’t always like. The difference between right and wrong seemed to blur at times. Only the hate he felt for Vampires filled his soul, and kept this feeling so right. Steven and the Rebel Leader did have something in common. They each lost family to the Vampires. Which led him to study medicine, and ultimately to where he was today.

Chapter One

Ramos walked into Touch of Italy, and the server directed him to the private dining rooms in the back. His dog was pacing under his skin to the point of pain and anguish. The worst part was there wasn’t a DAMN thing he could do to find his mate alone. He needed the help of his
“friends,”
if you could call them such. His animal was beyond pissed at not pushing the mating to happen sooner. It was something he would have to live with. Now his only concern was finding his mate safe and sound.

He hoped there was a bond between Twin Vampires, which would help him find his mate. It was tearing him apart inside just thinking of the horrible things happening to his mate at this very moment.

After the fight had broken up, Ramos had tried to track his mate by scent. It was as if he had never even been there. It didn’t make any sense, when he knew Levi had been right beside him. He was kicking his own ass for not telling his Pack about his mate. He was the strongest in the Pack, and they would follow his orders. However, it wasn’t the way he wanted to run the Pack. To the Pack, they would protect the Alpha mate to the death after they gave their allegiance. Unfortunately, he hadn’t given them the opportunity…

It was only the thought of calling the Vampire prince, and putting the Treaty to work to help find his mate, that pulled him away from the last place he had seen his mate,
Ramos thought. The thought of anything happening to Levi literally made his blood boil in reaction. The more he thought about it, the more pissed he became. He would make the person pay for taking his mate!

Only then could he think about making things right with his Pack. Once they found out he went to the “Enemy” first for help, he would have a lot to make up for to his mate and the Pack as well.

His thoughts returned to the here and now as he followed the waiter into the private dining room. Braxton and Sheridan were there already. As he looked around the room, his breath caught when he looked at his mate’s brother. His mate’s resemblance was so striking—it hit him in the center of his chest. He wanted nothing more than to believe it was Levi standing there, and everything was the way it should be. Unfortunately, life wasn’t as cut and dry as that.

Ramos pulled himself away from the fantasy to say, “Leon, do you have any way of sensing your brother?”

Just then, Ramos’s friend and Pack mate walked into the room. He had called Maggie immediately as well to meet them here. His Second-in-Command would have some ideas hopefully as well. At this moment in time, it was hard to keep his emotions out of play.
Hell—he was the Alpha Prime and he needed to damn well act the part
, Ramos thought.

Leon looked over at his twin’s mate. He could see just how much the man already cared for his brother. Levi had always been the quiet one, and he always cared more for others than for himself. He wasn’t surprised this man was already crazy about him. He wished it were possible to just link with his brother over any amount of time and space. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that way.

“Ramos, I wish the twin bond worked that way. The only thing we may have to work with is our blood-bond. When we were children, I almost died in a freak accident. I would have without Levi almost dying himself trying to save me. I didn’t even realize he was in trouble as a kid. Anyway, we formed a blood-bond and if we are close to each other we can talk through this link,” Leon told his brother’s mate before continuing about this link.

“I have tried reaching him since I found out. So I know he isn’t anywhere close to here,” Leon told him.

“Do you have any idea the range you have used in the past to talk?” Ramos asked. This was a great thing to find out about this mate. Leon could be the key to finding his mate.

“We didn’t really test it out farther than a mile or so. Mostly, it was when we were kids and just having fun. I am going to head out after this meeting and see if I can expand my search area,” Leon told his brother’s mate. Leon truly hadn’t known fear very often in his long life. Now, he could honestly say he was worried about his brother.

From everything they had found out about this Rebel Leader, he wasn’t one to leave anyone alive in his wake. They had seen that already with the slaughter of a small Guild. There wasn’t a single survivor to the massacre to tell them WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!

Leon would not let that happen to his brother! He went to talk to his prince about his plans before the meeting started.

***

Prince Braxton thought back to the short time when his own mate was missing. One of those moments he never wanted to experience again during his lifetime. Was his mate hurt? The not knowing was the worst and he would gladly take his place. He looked over at his amazing mate, thankful once again to have such an amazing man in his life.

He could see the worry in his eyes from here. Braxton knew it wasn't all just about finding out about Levi and finding out what had happened to him. Sheridan was worried about his mom. The situation was precarious at best.

With the kidnapping, Sheridan was thinking about his mom. He wanted her away from Ronny and his abusive ways. It was tearing him apart knowing his mom was in danger. He looked across the room at his mate, thankful for this loving man.

Braxton was so glad he'd sent Elliot down to check out the situation. It had been quite the surprise to find out Sheridan's mom was the older Vampire's Serenity Mate. He was keeping an eye on the situation from afar. Braxton had left him with orders just to watch the situation. Although, if Shelly was put in any kind of dangerous situation, he knew Elliot wouldn't hesitate to jump in and protect his future mate.

The stepdad was going to be a problem—there was no doubt about that. He wouldn't want to lose his meal ticket, along with his punching bag. Sheridan had told him that when Ronny started in on the beer, he was known for being violent. Although, it sounded like it was around the clock now. It was something he couldn't understand at all!

Using their link he asked, ‘
How are you holding up?’

Sheridan looked into the black eyes of his incredible mate across the room. He was once again thankful for breaking down in this town; otherwise, he might not have found this amazing man. He wanted with everything inside of him to join completely with this man for eternity. With everything happening though, they had decided to wait. Otherwise, he would be venerable for several days after the transformation. He wanted to be his Serenity Mate in
every
sense of the word.

‘I am fine. It is the worrying, as well as the waiting,’
he told his mate.

Braxton soothed his mate the best he could for the moment saying,
‘We will find a solution to both situations, Sheridan.’
He sent his feelings of love and comfort through their link.

Excerpt from The Beast at the Gate

Book One of the Rayna of Nightwind Series

by R. A. Baker

Prologue

The old sour-faced hag shuffled a crooked cane in her hand, taking small steps so she did not tire before she reached the guardhouse. Her thin legs grew used to these trips. She lived in a small cottage just inside the East Taren border, but it still took her several hours each night to reach the much warmer land of the West Taren territories. It was a long walk from home, but no self-respecting East Tarener would choose to live on West Taren ground simply to save time. Being near the border’s edge was close enough for her. Slowly, as she progressed down the trail, she felt the air get noticeably thicker, and wind gusts began to push ever stronger against her robed frame.

For as long as the old woman could remember, the borderlands were the only place in Taren that was neither very hot nor very cold. East Taren was known for its biting cold and frost-covered landscapes, whereas West Taren was a blistering, hot land covered with tall grains stretching toward the sun. The borderland separated these two extreme halves of Taren, and was a dreary gray with ever-overcast skies that gave every man, plant, and animal a faded, washed-out look. At the core of the borderlands, a great rolling fog made it impossible to see past it to the other side of the border. It also provided an insidious cover for thieves and bandits to hide as they waited for victims trying to cross over. The wretched wind and damp fog was so heavy there, only a handful of the most determined and skilled cutthroats could take full advantage of it. Thus, any person bold enough to travel across this treacherous border-path had an equal chance of emerging on the other side perfectly unscathed or suffering a gruesome fate.

If the wiry hag cared about the risk she was taking, it did not show on her scowling face—a detail not lost on her village neighbors. Every evening at dusk, she felt them watching her as she left her home. She felt their prying eyes on her back as she tugged on her doorknob to be sure it was well locked before venturing out for the borderlands. When she returned home early the next day, the fools took it upon themselves to eye their disapproval as she let herself inside to rest.

She never told the villagers where she went each night—much to their displeasure—so they had to content themselves with speculation. She made no secret of her annoyance with this rural rabble, and they kept their distance.

The hag narrowed her eyes, mindful of the dust that rose ahead from the dirt trail. The lane she trod a hundred times before was lined by wild hedgerows on one side and open fields, dotted with the occasional house on the other. Adjusting her gray woolen scarf, she ambled along, her thoughts drifting back to her bothersome neighbors.

Observing her routine was something of a common pastime for the locals, who had few means of entertainment. Tonight she sensed them peering at her through the cracks of their shuttered windows, she caught sight of them craning their narrow necks in her direction as they hurried home to the comfort of their beds. As thickheaded as these townsfolk were, the hag assumed they figured out by now she had been going to the West Taren city of Lament every night. It was nearly four hours travel from the village, yet it was the closest settlement on the other side of the border. The hag grunted as she used her cane to push aside a cluster of thorny brambles from her path.
Even a child could figure it out
.

“She must be out of her wits to take such a journey alone at this late hour, night after night,” some landowners whispered among themselves as she passed them by.

“Bitter old woman,” a few murmured, “she rudely refuses any escort. The West Taren savages will rip into her old bones like a pack of wolves if they ever find her!”

Still others said, “Why in Taren would she want to go to that foul city anyway? She must be up to no good. Her luck can’t last forever!”

Her keen ears occasionally caught this idle chatter as she passed, and she shook her head. The gossips saw only her bent back and feeble walk, therefore, assumed her magic was feeble as well. However, no border-brigand who crossed her path and challenged her—lived to make that mistake a second time.