Her Secret (3 page)

“Good, I’m hungry,” he replied, his eyes on
the screen.

Not wanting any more grim talk, I didn’t
reply. I’d just finished and sat back down with Theo when Terian
suddenly appeared out of thin air, scaring the hell out of us. I
recoiled and let out a scream; Theo was already moving, putting his
body in front of mine to shield me. He grabbed for his gun, but he
wasn’t wearing one.

“Sorry!” Terian said with a wicked smile.

“Jesus, Terian!” Theo shouted at him,
rattled. “Just because you can teleport doesn’t mean you shouldn’t
call first to tell us you’re coming! What the fuck are you doing
here?”

“I’m here for Sar,” Terian said, with an
apologetic look. “Danial said this was the safest way. No worries
about her getting in an accident on the way, or anyone trying to
grab her.”

I narrowed my eyes. Danial had sent Terian to
teleport me so he’d have me for those two extra hours I wouldn’t be
traveling.

“That’s bull. He just wants her with him that
much longer,” Theo growled.

“Hey, I just follow orders, same as you,”
Terian said mildly. Then he looked at me.

“And this is safer, really. If this is going
to be a regular thing on Saturdays, anyone looking to take Sar
would know her trips by truck to and from Danial’s house would be
the best time to grab her.”

“You’re right,” I said, nodding. “We can do
it this way from now on.”

“I’m just sorry I didn’t fry that vampire
when I reduced his home to ashes weeks ago,” Terian replied. “But
no one’s seen him since the attack a month ago. Danial’s put out a
contract on his life, but we’ve had no takers. Nothing’s surfaced
about his whereabouts.”

“I’m going to collect on that bounty,” Theo
said evilly. “Soon as he raises his head out of the dirt.”

“Sar, are you ready?” Terian asked
bluntly.

“I can leave here at two or so, but not
before,” I said firmly. “Theo and I were just going to eat a late
lunch, and then walk the dogs. Danial told me to get there at
three.”

“Why don’t you stay for lunch, Terian?” Theo
said, flashing a satisfied smile. “Sar made a ton.”

“Sure,” Terian said, dialing his phone.
“Brace yourselves, though. Danial’s not going to be pleased. He was
ready for Sar about five minutes ago.”

Uneasy at his wording, I got up, and began
dishing out the food as Terian called Danial. He hung up shortly
after, his expression irritated. “He said to be there as soon as we
could.”

“Three is fine,” Theo said, handing Terian
his plate. “Take your time and have seconds.”

“Since you’re both hungry, I’ll save time and
walk the dogs,” I said quietly to Theo. I left the room and began
putting on my jacket.

“Wear your vest, if you’re going out alone,”
Theo reminded me. “And don’t go far.”

“I won’t,” I replied neutrally, then grabbed
my bulletproof vest. Grimacing at its added weight, I strapped it
on, then put my jacket on over it. “Come on, guys.”

Ghost and Darkness surged out the open door,
running down the stairs. I walked after them, my mind burning
through question after question.

What if this situation eventually broke Theo
and me up? He was already jealous. How would he act if I needed
Danial more than once a week? Worse, what if I asked Danial to bite
me again? Would he have enough self-control not to, no matter what
I said or did? Unlike Devlin, I knew which of Danial’s buttons to
push to make him angry enough to lose his reason.

No matter how this played out, one thing was
certain: The Lust would change the current dynamics. Danial and I
had been adjusting to our new platonic relationship like a divorced
couple who shared a child. With intimacy every week, we were sure
to grow closer again. He was already expecting me to come when he
called, as he had when we’d been together. He loved me, and he’d
lost me twice now to Theo. When the time came to stop seeing each
other, it was unlikely he’d let me go without a fight, which could
only end with me breaking his heart again.

Using him like this wasn’t fair. But what
else could we do? I kicked at a rock, and kept walking. I came to
the end of the field and kept walking into the forest, the dogs at
my heels. Who cared what time it was? I wasn’t ready to leave yet,
so everyone was just going to have to wait.

Minutes passed. The bright sun, the dogs’
exuberance, and light singing of the birds slowly wore down my
anger, replacing it with calm. As I walked back through the forest
towards home, I admitted I was looking forward to seeing Danial
tonight. It might not be possible, but I hoped to have some time to
talk with him before the stupid Lust raised its ugly head...

I looked up just in time to see Cavity coming
to meet us, his bulky frame walking slowly down the trail from the
barn. Ghost raised his head and suddenly charged him, Darkness
following. Cavity froze, then bolted.

“Stop that!” I yelled. I took a step forward,
and a gunshot rang out.

Not surprising, it was hunting season now.
There were bears around, and they had become so numerous that a
season had opened on them. Some other hunting seasons, like coyote
or rabbit, lasted year round. Yet the gun hadn’t sounded like a
shotgun.

Terian appeared beside me, his gun out. “We
heard the shot inside. Theo said it was a rifle not far west. You
see anyone?”

“No. It’s those New Jersey people,” I said
with a sigh. “They are getting ready for deer season. You know they
opened the county north of us for rifles this year. There are going
to be yahoos out there with 30 aught 6’s terrorizing
everything—”

I took a step toward him, and another rifle
shot cracked in the air. Suddenly, something hit me with enough
force to knock me off my feet.

Chapter
Two

I lay on the ground
disgruntled for a moment, then pushed up with my arms. “What the
hell?”

“Sar!” Theo ran up to me and went to his
knees beside me, pulling my top half into his arms as he checked me
over for injuries. “Are you okay?”

Ghost and Darkness were barking, and
circling, still protective despite their fear of gunshots. Terian
stood over us, gun in hand, scanning the tree line.

“You’re fine,” Theo said, his words rough
with emotion. He poked my side gently. “But it was very close.”

I looked over my shoulder to where he was
prodding me. A slug was there embedded in my bulletproof vest,
shining in the sunlight. The bullet had just caught the vest and
missed the elastic strap. It the bullet had been lower, it would
have missed the vest altogether.

I sagged in Theo’s arms, hugging him. “I
didn’t see anybody—”

“Track them down,” Theo growled.

Terian disappeared

I couldn’t get past the bullet gleaming there
in the sun. “Thanks,” I said weakly. “If you hadn’t reminded me,
I’d have a hole in me.”

“You’re going to be sore later,” Theo
cautioned, helping me up. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

We were almost back to the house when Terian
appeared, blackness oozing out of him like oily fumes. His eyes
shone redly, his anger so powerful that the colored contacts he
wore were unable to conceal his demonic nature. “It was a hunter,”
he grated out. “He didn’t know he was so close to the farm, or that
she was walking here.”

“Did you kill him?” Theo asked, as if it was
a given.

“Of course not,” Terian said, making a sound
of frustration. The blackness surrounding him ebbed, and then
disappeared as if it had never been. “You can’t kill someone for an
accident, even if they deserve it.”

Theo looked over at him steadily. “Did you
make sure he won’t have any more accidents like this one?”

“I put the fear of ages into him. I told him
that he’d narrowly missed shooting me. I told him that we hunted
here, and if we caught him here again, he would probably be
mistaken for a deer. He won’t be hunting here again, and neither
will his buddies.”

I took a deep breath. “Look, I’m pissed off,
too, Theo. But he’s right. We can’t just have people disappearing
close to our property. Country people are understanding, but there
are limits, like killing trespassers.”

“I get it,” Theo said, irritated. “I just
don’t like it. Let’s go in, the dogs are still unsettled.”

Once we were back inside, I gave each dog a
Cheweez and they settled down to chewing.

“It’s quarter to three,” Terian said
hesitantly. “We should go if we’re going.”

It wasn’t going to get any easier. I nodded,
then went and got my overnight bag. It contained toiletries, extra
clothes to come home in, my explosive bullets gun, and a brick of
ammo. I wasn’t going anywhere overnight without my gun again, after
what had happened to me before.

I came back and hugged Theo. “I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

“Go, Sar,” he said, steady. Then he kissed
me. It was not a soft good-bye kiss, but a deep and lasting kiss,
as if he would possess me one last time, right here in front of
Terian. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He turned from me, and
walked into the other room.

Terian took my hand. In an instant, we were
standing in Danial’s front yard.

I was already trying hard not to think of
Theo alone back at the house, probably going crazy. “How do you do
that?” I asked Terian, falsely cheerful. “It’s amazing.”

He grinned. “It’s easy,” he said, as I
followed him to the door. “It was hard to learn, I admit, but once
you get the hang of it, it’s simple.”

“Can you teach me?”

“I can’t,” he said softly. “You have to be
part demon or faerie for this to work for you. This spell won’t
work otherwise.”

“Oh.”

“Besides, I know you don’t really want to
learn,” he added. “You’re just nervous and upset. Try to relax.
Danial knows what to do. I’ll be right outside, watching over you
both.”

I took off my shoes. To my surprise, he was
taking off his, too.

“I thought you were leaving?”

“It’s less work for Mary. I’m heading out
after I tell Danial what happened.”

“I can tell him.”

“It doesn’t matter that you’re okay, or that
it wasn’t an attack. You were shot. Danial will expect that I
report it to him.” Terian moved off into the house. I followed.

Danial met us in the great room. “Someone
shot Sar?” he said, enraged.

After Terian explained what had happened,
Danial calmed down visibly. “You handled it well, Terian,” he said
finally, his rage replaced by quiet approval. “Please leave
us.”

Terian nodded. With a last glance at me, he
left.

I stared at Danial silently. I’d had a child
with this man, made love with him countless times, and worked side
by side with him for the last two years. Yet I couldn’t think of
one single thing to say.

He gave me a soft tender look. “Come,” he
said, taking my hand. “I’d like you to see Theoron before Cia puts
him down for his nap.” We passed Elle’s room. “She’s already gone,”
Danial added. “I didn’t want to risk her presence until I saw how
much control you had tonight.”

“That was wise of you,” I said softly.
Despite Elle’s acceptance of Theo, she likely hoped Danial and I
would reconcile. “We should come up with something, in case she
does see me here with you.”

We came to Theoron’s room. Cia was there,
just taking back an empty stained glass from Theoron. Theoron saw
me. “Mommy!” he shrieked.

I went and took him from Cia, hugging him.
“How old are we today?”

“Daddy!” Theoron shrieked right in my ear. I
winced a little.

“Still young, but getting bigger every day,”
Cia replied to me.

“Say ‘Cia’,” I said to Theoron. “Cia.”

“C-ah,” he said, saying it phonetically.

Cia laughed, and took him back from me. “I’ll
put him to sleep,” she said, giving us a smile. “Say goodnight,
Theo.”

“Night!” Theoron said with glee. Danial and I
both hugged and kissed him, then left quietly.

“Will she be here the whole time?” I
whispered hesitantly as Danial and I walked back into the great
room.

“Yes, but she’ll stay in there with him, and
we’ll be in my bedroom, unless your urge to be loved decides on
another location.”

I resisted the urge to grimace, or tell him
it wasn’t love. “Why did you want me to come so early?” I asked
Danial curiously. “It won’t be dark for another hour yet.”

Danial pulled me close to him. I was suddenly
conscious that he was wearing a robe and nothing else. “Who said we
would be going outside until dark, Sar?” he said, every syllable
pure seduction.

I groaned as his lips brushed my face, then
came the slight prick of his fangs. Like being encompassed by a
tidal wave, I lost myself.

“Please,” I panted, grasping at him. “Please,
I need you Danial—”

“And I, you,” he replied gutturally. He
sucked gently at my neck. I let out a wanton cry, then pushed back
from him. Breathing hard, I shoved down my jeans, stripping them
off and throwing them aside. Danial was on me instantly, pushing me
back to the couch, pulling off my panties and spreading my legs.
With a grunt he slid inside and began moving rapidly, his mouth
latched to my throat sucking gently.

I writhed beneath him, moaning and jerking.
His hands reached up under my shirt, cupping my breasts beneath my
bra. In the midst of pleasure, there suddenly came the pressure of
his fangs, then absolute joy as I felt them penetrate me. I pushed
up with a jerk, sliding them further in, my orgasm breaking over me
as I screamed out my release. Danial jaws worked at my throat, his
moans muffled as his movements quickened. Abruptly he came, his
fangs coming free as he gave a shout of pure pleasure. Danial
pumped his hips a few more times weakly, then let out a contented
sigh.

Damn it, we’d done exactly what we shouldn’t
have. I swallowed hard and began to shake under him.