Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6) (25 page)

“No, it’s okay,” Gillian said. She saw no harm in divulging this information. In contrast to Ilsbeth’s secretive disposition, Marcus seemed open and willing to share his experiences. Gillian steeled her nerves, looking to both Dimitri and Logan. “I, um, I can heal people sometimes. Only shifters…at least that’s how it’s worked so far. It’s not like I really get to test it all that often. It’s not super-powerful or anything, but I was able to pull back his wolf. You know, in California when Dimitri couldn’t shift. When we’re together…”

Dimitri reached for her hand, taking it in his and kissed it. “When we are together, skin to skin, I can feel her positive vibes. But it’s not working as much. Whatever this is, it’s getting stronger.”

“Interesting…your abilities.” Marcus paused. “It makes perfect sense, though. Even just a week ago, the parasite, it was newer, a larva if you will. But now that it’s grown, it’s larger, stronger, not as easily subdued by your efforts.”

“If it kills my wolf, then it will die?”

“Well, yes. It feeds off your magic…the inherent energy that feeds your wolf, causing you to shift. But I’m afraid if it comes to that, you cannot go back.”

“But you can fix it?” Logan interjected.

“The spell we used…for John, it was successful. Ilsbeth and I have discussed the necessary arrangements, and it can be done. But you’ll need to acquire the blood. It must be given to you freely, of course.”

“Of course,” Dimitri said sarcastically. He’d already given Ilsbeth hair from his wolf, gifting it to her in an attempt to make amends for their argument. Clearly that hadn’t worked.

“Blood?” Gillian couldn’t help but gasp at the suggestion.

“Vampire blood,” Ilsbeth stated coolly.

“That’s easy enough…I’ll ask Leo,” Dimitri told her.

“It must be a female,” Ilsbeth added. “Tell me, do you know any lady vamps willing to give you their blood?”

Dimitri returned her icy stare. Her comment made him suspect she’d been stalking him.

“Leo’s introduced me to some vamps. I’ll ask him to help me.”

“I’m sure he has,” Ilsbeth retorted.

“Is there something you want to say, witch? ‘Cause if there is, out with it. I don’t have time for games.”

“Nothing…just saying that Léopold gets around. I’m sure the two of you have had your adventures.”

“In which case, it would be no business of yours,” Dimitri replied.

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at but I can assure you that all I care about is the spell. Even though we no longer are seeing each other,” Ilsbeth looked to Gillian, “that doesn’t mean I don’t care. We shall do the spell when you get the blood.”

“Is there anything else I need to know? Any other freaky-ass ingredients you need?”

“Dimitri, I don’t know you that well,” Marcus began. He took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m going to be straight with you.”

“Please do.”

“With these kinds of things…”

“The leech on my wolf?”

“Yes, well, that’s one way of putting it. You don’t have much time. If this thing is successful, it’ll kill your wolf within the week,” Marcus surmised.

“The end game?” Dimitri asked.

“You won’t be able to shift. Ever again.” Marcus spoke with an eerie calmness.

“I’d be mortal,” Dimitri stated. He breathed deeply, letting his anger settle like volcanic ash smothering a mountain. It was important his Alpha realize the severity of the situation. He’d no longer be pack. Like other humans, he’d age, die. His life as a wolf would end.

It wasn’t as if Gillian hadn’t considered what could happen to Dimitri. It was no different than what she was facing by agreeing to mate him. But it was the exchange between Dimitri and Ilsbeth that captured her attention, noting that his cool demeanor had been replaced with controlled irritation. While he may have dated the witch, her words had drawn his ire. Provoking Dimitri, she supposed, took a lot of effort, yet Ilsbeth deliberately had pressed him. Gillian wasn’t sure why her question had the effect that it did, but her intuition told her it all had to do with their previous relationship. As she quietly mulled over what Ilsbeth had said, Gillian imagined it might have to do with another woman.

Dimitri tugged at her hand, alerting her that it was time to leave. She pushed out of her chair, wondering about where they were going to find a vampire. Gillian supposed she should have been afraid, but after being captured by wolves, twice, all she cared about was getting the blood. Too bad it had to be given willingly, she thought. Otherwise, she’d happily hold someone down to get a tiny sample.

When she thought about not being able to shift again, she knew she’d be crushed. But Dimitri had so much more to lose…his beast, his place within the pack, his family.

As they left the restaurant, Gillian turned her head to catch one more glimpse of the witch. Her eyes locked on Ilsbeth’s, and it felt as if the witch was reaching into her chest. A chill blew over her arms, causing gooseflesh to rise. Gillian recoiled from her gaze, bringing Dimitri’s arm around her shoulders. In her gut, she knew that the witch sought her harm. Maybe she had everyone else in the room fooled, but Gillian knew otherwise. Witches kept hocus pocus in their bag of tricks, but tigers took no prisoners. If Ilsbeth wanted to start something, she could bring it, because Dimitri was hers.

I’m not afraid of vampires.
Gillian repeated the phrase as she walked into the dangerous club, Mordez. She dug deep, searching for the courage that she knew existed in her inner kitty. Yet as she took in her surroundings, she reasoned that she was close to being more like the cowardly lion. As she ran through the excuses in her mind for her lack of courage, her reaction seemed perfectly reasonable. In order for her to shift, she’d have to waste precious seconds stripping off her dress. Vamps on the other hand, had the advantage of speed and were always ready to go, their fangs protruding like nails from their gums.

Dimitri had warned her on the way over to the bar to stay close. From the way he spoke, he wasn’t exceptionally fond of the establishment, even if Léopold was a close friend. They had entered via a back entrance, a tunnel through a labyrinth of underground hallways. Gillian held onto the back of Dimitri’s shirt as he and Léopold parted their way through the crowd. Blinding strobe lights flashed as the band raged toward the back of the room. The low bass pounded loudly, the vibrations filtering throughout the arena. Hard driving heavy metal music blasted them as they reached their final destination.

Some patrons wore gothic clothing and some dressed as if they’d gone to a New York City night club. Many had a dazed, sexual look in their eyes, dancing, drinking, feeding and fucking. It was a chaotic contained free-for-all.

A pale human female writhed on the copper bar. Her breasts exposed and skirt hiked up to her hips, she moaned in ecstasy as two males fed from her. One was latched on at her neck, pinching her nipples; the other suckled from her inner thigh. The threesome appeared oblivious to the crowd that had gathered to watch. Uninterested parties hailed the bartender as if the spectacle was nothing more than a common occurrence.

Gillian contemplated Dimitri’s demeanor. On the way back from meeting with Ilsbeth, he’d been uncharacteristically quiet. No jokes or sexual innuendos. He’d been all business, calling Léopold and discussing whether or not they’d bring her with them. Gillian had insisted she come to help get the vampire blood. With Dimitri’s wolf weakened, she couldn’t bear to leave her mate alone, unprotected.

Although she hadn’t told them, she had every intention of shifting if danger presented itself. A wolf or vampire, she was not. But her tiger would battle to the death to protect Dimitri. Regardless of her fear, fight or flight response invoked, she’d fight to the death.

Through the din, Gillian heard Dimitri say something to Léopold, pointing to a raised section of tables. Flowing sheets of white satin hung from the ceiling, bunching onto the floor, effectively separating the area into individual alcoves. Black lights shone onto the white leather sofas and chairs, creating the illusion of privacy within VIP seating.

Jake extended his hand, ushering her onto a loveseat. Dimitri sat next to her while Léopold and Jake took captain chairs across from them. A waitress dressed in a black leather corset and matching panties approached, setting down drinks they hadn’t ordered. Léopold laughed and picked up the glass, nodding to her with a cool, knowing smile.

Confused, Gillian glanced to Dimitri, who had already brought the amber liquid to his lips. Although she’d never seen him so serious and determined, she found this new side to him captivating. Exuding sex appeal and power, Dimitri appeared to be unaware of all the females taking note of his arrival. Casually dressed, he wore loose jeans and an untucked white shirt with rolled up sleeves. A smile crossed her face as he caught her ogling, and she laughed. The respite from the dark mood was welcome, yet short lived.

Two women approached and Gillian noted that Dimitri’s expression had turned to stone. A striking woman glided toward them, her presence bringing a new level of electricity to the air. Refined, she looked as if she belonged in the eighteen hundreds, her gothic velvet gown trailing behind her. Her blood-red lips accentuated her creamy-white skin and her dark brown hair was coiffed into an updo. Looking as if she’d stepped off the cover page of a romance novel, she smiled and nodded at each person in their party. A second woman, wearing a hot-pink spandex bodysuit, followed.

Nervous, Gillian took a sip of her drink and coughed as it burned her throat. She looked down to her floral mini-sundress and thought she should have worn a different outfit. On second thought, her platform shoes showed off the lean contours of her legs and were easy to shuck in case she needed to shift. She owned a corset and as much as she enjoyed the way it looked, it took considerable time to get it laced up correctly. When she’d worn it, she’d been locked in tight, making shifting difficult.

“Why hello, boys,” the beautiful woman greeted them.

“Lady Charlotte. Bonsoir,” Léopold replied, standing. “Thank you for meeting with us,”

“How’s your lovely nymph?” she asked.

“Naiad. She’s doing very well,” he answered.

“Dimitri, so good to see you.” She extended her delicate fingers toward him.

“Lady Char. Thanks for having us. You look, um,” he paused, reaching to shake her hand. “Mysterious, very chic. That dress is one of a kind.”

“Why thank you. I take it your Alpha is well.”

“Logan’s doing great, thanks.”

“Jake, long time no see,” she remarked.

“Hello,” he replied.

“Ah, Dimitri, you’ve brought a friend.” Lady Charlotte set her vision on Gillian. “So pretty. And young.”

Gillian concentrated, forcing herself to breathe slowly, controlling her heartbeat that threatened to race, revealing her trepidation. As the vampiress leaned forward, Gillian took her hand. She’d expected a simple exchange but Lady Charlotte held tight, taking the opportunity to hug her, sniffing her hair.

“Fascinating,” she laughed, releasing Gillian. She placed her palm on Dimitri’s arm. “Where did you find her?”

“We found each other.” Glancing at Gillian, who appeared exceedingly calm, he sought to make it clear that she belonged to him. The excitement on Lady Charlotte’s face indicated that Gillian had piqued her interest. “Gilly, this is Lady Charlotte. She owns this fine establishment. A good friend of Leo’s. Lady Charlotte, this is Gilly. She’s my mate.”

“Your mate. Now how can that be? What you propose is unheard of. She’s a shifter, but not a wolf.” Lady Charlotte sniffed again in Gillian’s direction. “And she smells so good. Do tell, my lovely, what are you?”

“I’m a tiger, but I’m also part wolf.” Gillian looked to Dimitri, whose face registered surprise. Publicly acknowledging her lupine heritage hadn’t been planned, but as the words left her lips, she felt relief.

“Hybrid tigers don’t breed with wolves, so what is this magic?”

“It’s my breed.”

Lady Charlotte rounded behind Gillian, lifting her ponytail. Gillian restrained her protest yet her claws extended at the intrusion. She took a deep breath and played it cool, waiting to act. She was in a room full of vampires and it would be risky attacking the owner.

“Easy, pet.” Lady Charlotte dropped her locks and eyed Dimitri with curiosity. “You’ve marked her. I don’t think in all my years I’ve seen such a thing.”

“We’re here about me, not her,” Dimitri said, taking Gillian’s hand. “Let’s sit.”

“My friend needs a favor, one that I’d gladly give him but I need you to do this for both him and me,” Léopold told her.

“Out with it,” Lady Charlotte said, her voice terse. She smoothed her dress and sat down.

“I need vampire blood,” Dimitri replied. “From a woman.”

Lady Charlotte gave an insincere laugh, shaking her head. “Léopold, darling, why on earth do you think I’d ever give my blood to a wolf?”

“Because I’m asking nicely. One hand rubs the other.” Léopold’s icy smile was but a warning. His fingers curled into the arms of the seat.

“It seems as if I’m the one who’s been doing all the work lately,” Lady Charlotte complained. She glanced at Dimitri and blew out a loud breath, displaying her annoyance.

“I’m not asking you twice. You will assist us,” Léopold challenged.

“What is he to you anyway? He’s handsome, I’ll give you that. Lacey raved about his sexual prowess. But to you? What difference does it make if he dies tonight?”

Léopold sprung from his seat. Before Lady Charlotte had a chance to respond, he stood behind her; his hand delicately squeezed her throat, not quite choking her.

“This beta is my brother; that is all you need to know. Now will you help him? It must be given freely,” he told her, his finger stroking the hollow of her neck.

“No need to explain,” she said sweetly. Placing her hand over Léopold’s, she attempted to pry his fingers loose, but his grip held firm. “Yes, okay, yes.”

Léopold released Lady Charlotte and nodded at Dimitri, who smiled, admiring his friend. The ancient vampire emanated power, and had displayed his lethal nature on more than one occasion. Both humans and supernaturals were foolish to cross him.