In the Dark by Lila Rose (30 page)

"I've had enough questions for now, Leila. I can feel his power coming closer. My mate didn't want me to harm you, but I see no other choice."

His hand wrapped around my neck and I watched as he shifted his other hand into a claw. "You will die tonight. Isaac will have nothing worth living for and then Gerald will succeed."

As if slow motion took over, I saw his clawed hand pull back. He intended to force the blow to my stomach, maybe even stab me with his sharp claws. I couldn't allow them to touch me or I would die. Hate burned in his eyes. I didn't understand it, but I could see it and he meant to kill me.

Raising my feet off the ground, I kicked out just before his claws would have sunk deep into my stomach. Instead, the force behind my kick loosened his hold on my neck. I jumped backward and he stumbled back and hissed.

"I won't be an easy target to kill, Kalvin."

"We'll see," he growled and pounced, shifting on movement, turning into a large cat. The only difference I noticed was his form was more solid than mine, his fur darker too. I scrambled backwards, away from him and called forth my change.

Bones crunched and popped. It was the fastest shift I had ever done, but I had to.

Silently, I screamed through it.

In the final stages, I reached my arms up and jumped high, landing over Kalvin in my feline form. Kalvin turned. I started to run, but he caught me, his paw taking out my back one. I rolled to the ground. He was on top of me snarling and hissing in my face. Growling, I snapped my jaw at him, anywhere I could. We rolled and I dug my claws into his sides. He howled in pain and then managed to sink his fangs into my flesh at my side.

A blur of black and white passed me. Kalvin was knocked off me. Staggering to my feet, I found us surrounded. Isaac had Kalvin pinned to a tree. His arm across Kalvin's chest while Darik and Adan held his claws at bay. Kalvin snapped his teeth at Isaac, until Isaac gripped Kalvin's fur on the top of his head and forced it back so they were eye-to-eye.

"No one touches her. No one rolls her mind. You will be killed tonight, you will…" Isaac stopped snarling in Kalvin's face, and Kalvin's eyes widened and something flashed in them. Isaac smiled, his fangs showed. "Hello, MaryJane."

Startled, my gaze roamed the area. However, she wasn't around. Xavier came to my side and whispered, "Master sees her within her mate."

"You will be happy to know your mate has failed you. His game of taking Leila away from me didn't work and now we have him." Isaac's smile was vicious. "No, MaryJane. I will kill him for even thinking he could take her." He paused. "Crying and screaming will get you nowhere. Not after what you've put us through. Siding with Gerald has got you nothing, and even now it will be less. You must thank your master for it." Isaac reared back, his mouth wide and his fangs long.

Isaac, no! Knock him out, but keep him alive. We can bargain with MaryJane for him when the time is right.

If Isaac heard me, he chose to ignore it.
His hand snapped out, vise-like, gripping his neck. Kalvin howled and hissed, but Isaac had other plans. Darik adjusted his stance as Isaac freed his hand from Kalvin's neck and lifted Kalvin's front leg up.

Isaac's fangs were out sharp, long and ready. He was going to drain him, take every last drop of Kalvin's blood. Isaac tore into his arm. The sound of flesh tearing apart echoed through the woods.
Kalvin growled in pain, yet I didn't look away as the man I loved, drank until it was done. The three of them stepped away as one and Kalvin slumped to the ground, his form shifting back to human in death.

Isaac turned to me, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm, his eyes wild with fury. "Lessons must be taught if I am to rule, and that lesson was to everyone who thinks they can harm you. Think they can take you from me. No one will touch a person in my fold, not without a fight."

He was right, of course. I didn't like the lesson. I didn't like he'd just killed the second last of my kind, but he was right.

Life had changed.

Isaac had taken control. He was making a stand and chose to be king, and with that type of responsibility came consequences. He would have to take lives when others fucked with his people, and Kalvin was one of them. Through his blindness for MaryJane, Kalvin had signed his own death warrant.

Footsteps approached. My dad and uncle came into view.

"What the fuck?" Jack bellowed.

In a blink, Isaac was in front of Jack, backhanding him to the ground.

Isaac!

With swift speed, Isaac had my uncle off the ground, his hand fisted into Jack's shirt at the front. Jack was smart not to move or talk.

Never had I seen Isaac so viciously furious.

"You endangered her," he snarled in Jack's face.

"Sire," Darik said in a calming tone.

Isaac ignored him and shook Jack. "How did he become a part of your team? Do you know how to do your job? He could have taken her. He rolled her mind. Made her forget. He. Could. Have. Taken. Her." Isaac threw Jack backwards. He sailed into the air, thumping to the ground. I thought he would have been knocked out, but he wasn't. Jack slowly sat up.

Isaac, you listen to me right now!
He spun to me and hissed.
Back the hell off right now, Isaac Grey. You have to remember Kalvin was a good actor. Hell, I'd seen him a couple of times and I would never have expected him to be MaryJane's mate. Do not blame Jack and take it out on him. It was my own stupid fault for letting it happen. I didn't know our kind were able to do what he did.
I sighed.
Everything's okay now. We all just need to calm down.

"Calm down?" he bit out. "How can I calm when I nearly lost you?" He threw his hands up in the air.

Isaac,
I whispered.
You can't keep acting this way. There is a battle to come and one I will be fighting in. I don't want you distracted in fear of what could happen to me. I want you to fight the best you can and defeat Gerald once and for all.
I need you to fight without worry. I need you to live. The thought of losing you would be too much to bear.

"Leila," he breathed. He shook his head. "From this day forward, you will train with our people, as well as Ty's. We will need your mind and body strong. The battle to come will be hard, but I see no other option but to survive. For you, for family and our people."

Agreed.

"Is it safe to come back now?" Jack asked from where he'd fallen.

"Yes." Isaac gave a small nod and turned to him as he walked towards us. "I will ask that your people are questioned. I need to know if Kalvin was working alone or with others."

"You can't—"

"Done," Dad blurted. "Jack, you need to give this to him. He saved my daughter, your niece, once again." He looked to Isaac and said, "Forever I will be grateful." Then he bowed, showing his support for the future king.

* * * *

Later that night, Isaac didn't go to Boozers. Instead, while Jack, my dad, along with Adan and a few others of Isaac's people questioned Ty's team, Isaac came with me to my room. He sat on one side of the bed and I sat on the other. I'd just told him everything Kalvin had said to me and the kiss we'd shared. His eyes flashed with fury, but it went quickly. After all, my mind hadn't really been my own. Sure, I had an attraction toward Kalvin, but everything inside of me knew Kalvin wasn't the one for me.

No one outshone Isaac.

Instead of speaking of it, I wasn't sure why, but he seemed to want to change the whole subject.

"I think your father finally approves of my being around you." He smiled.

Laughing, I said, "I think so, too."

Isaac sighed, his smile turning sad. "Will we ever get back to what we had been before?"

Gazing down at my bedspread, I shrugged.

"Do you think me a monster after what I did to Kalvin?" he whispered.

My surprised gaze met his concerned one. "No, never. You're right, people need a lesson. You are the next king and you can't let people walk all over you." I laughed humourlessly. "I could ask the same question to you, Isaac. Do you think I'm a monster after taking the lives I have?"

"No. You have done it to protect. Your compassion and heart are something I admire, Leila. Among a lot of other qualities."

"Isaac, do you know what Kalvin was talking about? Why he would accuse me of killing his family when I've never met them?" I paused, but he said nothing. "Do you know of this other prophecy?"

"I'm unsure if what I know is true."

"What do you know?"

He quickly reached out and took my hand in his, moving closer to me on the bed. I jumped with how fast he'd moved. "I think what Kalvin accused you of and the prophecy are rolled into one."

"You mean the prophecy is about me?"

"Leila." He sighed. "I need more time." He shook his head. "No, not exactly. In order to tell you the truth, I would like to suggest you wait for the answer. Wait just a little longer, because I don't think you're ready for it."

"Of course I am. If it's about me, I need to know."

"I understand your need to know. I do. However, I'm asking you to trust me once again. I know I don't deserve it, but please give me a little time to tell you. Instead, you need to prepare for the battle, make it your number one priority."

"Isaac," I whined.

"Please, Leila. Please, I beg you to give me time."
Let me show you how to trust me and love me first.

Watching his thumb rub over my hand, I knew I wasn't supposed to hear the last part, which whispered through my mind.

Trust, I already did. Of course I did. He stuffed up big time, causing me to hurt, but like so many, he did it because he
loved me
.

Love… I was already in love with him.

So what was a little more time?

And grovelling.

Smiling to myself, I nodded while meeting his gaze. "Okay, we prepare for Gerald and
soon
you will tell me everything you know."

His smile was gracious and mischievous at the same time. He was happy. I was giving my trust to him, yet he was playing at something and his next words told me what. "Yes, Leila, soon. For now, we must practice making your mind impenetrable from any form of attack."

Rolling my eyes, I asked what I already knew. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"Why, we must kiss."

How did I know he was going to say that? "How would that help?"

"You seem to let your guard down when intimate."

"But, it could have been because Kalvin was the same as me. Maybe our species aren't able to keep each other out."

"I had come to that conclusion." He sighed. "The real reason why I want my lips upon yours, why I
need
my touch upon you, is simple. I do not like the thought of anyone else tasting what belongs to me."

"I could say the same for you."

"Instead of fighting, I would have welcomed you into open arms to wipe away her touch. Your anger, which was justified," he quickly added, "overwhelmed you, preventing you from even thinking as us vampires do."

"Which is?" I asked, inching closer. Our noses brushed together.

His eyes flared with heat. "You belong to me and me alone, Leila. If anyone touches you, I must, after killing them, erase any scent they have placed upon you."

"Then do it," I whispered. I was on my back in a second with Isaac looming over me. His long dark hair floated down around his shoulders and face. He studied me. I smiled up at him. His eyes widened and then—
God, he was gorgeous
—he smiled back before his lips touched mine.

I've missed this. Missed you.
I said through our connection.

You do not know how much I have missed you. My heart stopped beating while you were not around. My life was dull when I didn't see your smile.

Our arms and legs tangled as our mouths melted into each other. He rolled us, so I was on top. I moved against his body, my legs straddling his waist.

He growled against my mouth. I whimpered against his.

Is it always like this?

No, never. Only with you.

Isaac moved a hand from my butt up and slid it under my tee. When he brushed it over my breast, I gasped as my body shivered.

Yes!

Leila.
He groaned.

A knock on the door brought us apart and panting. We should have heard whoever approached, but we'd been too caught up with each other.

"It's Ty," Isaac growled.

A giggle left me. He didn't like we were interrupted, but maybe it was for the best. We needed this, us to work, so maybe it was good to slow down.

Even though it would be one of the hardest things I did, it was probably for the best. Though admittedly, right then, I wanted to scream at Ty to rack-off and tear Isaac's clothes from his body.

A mew of complaint left me as Isaac lifted me off his body. "One second," he called to Ty in an annoyed tone, and I swore if Ty hadn't listened and walked in anyway, Isaac would have taken Ty's life.

Isaac took my hand in his and helped me stand. Without thinking, our bodies sought out one another until they aligned with our fronts touching. Our arms wound around each other. Staring up at him, my heart beat wildly with his and then he said quietly, "It has always been hard to restrain myself when I am around you. So in a way, I am grateful for the interruption because I would like to deem myself worthy of you and not take advantage of the situation by getting carried away."

Jesus. He definitely had a way with words.

Words, which tugged at my heart.

Sighing, I pushed my forehead against his chest. "I agree, but…" I gave a dramatic huff.

He chuckled. "I know. However, when the time comes, it will be worth the wait." His hand tugged on my hair until I looked up at him. "I'm very fortunate tonight to gain you back in my arms. To have the heat between us lit once again. I will never endanger what we have again, Leila. This, I promise."

Tears filled my eyes. "Can we send Ty away?"

His laugh was joyous. "I'm afraid not. And unfortunately, we will be very busy. I have people to lead and you have training. Nevertheless, every night I wish for us to connect in here,"—he touched my temple—"keep our link open, so never will I be far from you."