In the Dark by Lila Rose (32 page)

"I don't have a mate, so it looks like I'm going to have to put up with stalkers for a few days. Jesus."

Jezanna shook her head. "Everyone has a mate. It's lucky if we find them in this life. Some have even gone through many lives and never found theirs."

Believing it was another story. I wasn't ready to burst Jezanna's bubble because I could tell she thought she'd already found hers with Caelen.

"Why don't I feel any different
if
I'm in heat?"

She bit her bottom lip.

"Jezanna?"

"The only change you will have is the difference in your scent, which is a calling card to men, and feeling warmer than usual. That is until the night passes onto your actual birthday."

"And then?"

She cringed.
Shit, I'm not going to like this
. "Then, you will feel the change. Your body will… God, I don't know how to say it." She ran her hand over her face. "Your body will desire a release."

Slumping back in the seat, I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Jezza. "Are you trying to tell me I'll become some horny slut?"

"Um, yes." She nodded.

I snorted. It was all unbelievable, yet the men's reaction to me at the store was proof to some of it. Still, I couldn't see myself wanting to fuck everything in sight.

"So what, I just have to twiddle my nub and I'll be okay?"

Xavier coughed out a laugh. I leaned forward and hit him in the back of the head.

"Sorry." He smirked.

"Watch it or I'll hump your leg."

He cringed. "Note to self: stay away from Leila."

"Leila," Jezanna said, catching my attention. "If you did do what you said, it will only give you release for a moment. You will not be satisfied until this passes or your mate hears your call."

"My call?"

"What the men are feeling from taking in your scent is mild compared to when midnight comes. Your body will send out a pulse until it finds your mate. It will call to him and he'll have no control over it until he seeks you out and claims you."

"And this is if I have a mate."

"Yes."

"Fuck, what about Isaac?" It would kill him if some stranger came to claim me.

"Isaac may be your mate, but…"

Nodding, I said it myself, "He's not here. How far away did he have to go?"

"A few of his people needed his help. He couldn't have left them, Leila. They were in trouble."

"Meaning, he's too far away."

Sinking into the seat, disappointment washed over me. Then again, I was being stupid thinking Isaac could be my mate. Especially when I didn't believe in them.

"I feel like I'm on some other planet. Why does this only happen to werecats?"

"Apparently, because the werecats were a dying breed, one went to seek a witch's aid for their species. A spell was placed upon all werecats so they were able to find their mates in their first lifetime, which could lead to reproducing more of their kind."

A dry laugh escaped me. "So a witch spelled us into horny wenches that put a call out to our mates so we can get knocked up?"

"Nice way to sum it up, Leila," Xavier commented.

"Shut it, you. Okay, tell me."

"No more time for stories." Did that mean Xavier didn't believe it either? "We're here."

Jezanna tensed and ordered, "As soon as the car stops, you get out and run for the door. I'll be with you."

It had been a long time since I was at Isaac's house. Since the night my heart was crushed. Luckily, he'd mended it or I would have refused to enter the house. Everything looked the same. The house was still outrageously big, the drive was still long and the gardens were gorgeous, as always.

The only difference was out the front stood Sofia, Raven, Ty's sister, Penny, Trixie and Daphne, who I'd met at Boozers, and three other vampire women I'd never met. One of them would have to have been the ever-absent Seraphine.

My gaze was torn from them when the car stopped in a jolt. No time to think, I threw my door open and I was out it, racing with Jezanna at my side for the house.

Trixie was at the opened door and I would have made it, if it wasn't for the body tackling me to the ground.

"Jeremiah!" Jezanna screamed.

I was rolled over and Jeremiah loomed over me. His nose twitched as he drew in my scent. "You smell delicious."

"No, brother," Jezanna begged from our side. She gripped his arm, but he was strong. His nose ran along my collarbone.

"Boy, are you going to hate yourself for this in two days," I said.

He pulled back to study me. "I won't."

"And I won't for doing this either." I cocked back my fist and threw it into his jaw. He tilted sideways, enough for Jezanna to drag me out from under him.

We started for the house. I glanced behind me to see Xavier, Penny and Trixie were holding back some men from the store who'd caught up with us. Sofia took Jeremiah to the ground after he tried to come at me again. Daphne ran to aid Sofia and together, they dragged Jeremiah away.

We'd just slammed the front door closed when it opened again, causing me to scream, which I was ashamed of. But hell, weird shit was happening. Of course, I was going to be scared when the strange stuff was because of me, and because men wanted to hump me.

Penny leaned her back against it, breathing hard. "I-I," she panted, her hand went to her chest. "I can't control them, can't take away their thought of Leila. Nothing I do works." Her voice was tight with agitation.

"I was afraid of this." Jezanna sighed. "Penny, thank you for coming to help. For now, stay inside and let the vampires control the situation."

She nodded. "I'll have to. I'm strong, I know how to fight, but they're crazy out there and even the vampires are having a hard time."

Jezanna left my side and walked into the sitting room. There, I saw her look out the window. "Jensen is here, which will help, and…"

"What?"

She actually giggled. "Sofia has knocked out my brother. I hope he stays that way, the stubborn git. He would have stayed, thinking he was strong enough to ignore the pull."

"It's going to be a long two nights," Penny said.

"So you know what's going on?" I asked as Jezanna came back to my side. She steered me down the hallway. Only instead of heading to the kitchen, she made a left and we went down another long hallway.

"Yes, Jack rang and filled us in."

How fucking embarrassing.

Her hand touched my back as we walked. "Don't worry about it. It's not like any of it really is your fault."

Scoffing, I said, "Feels like it."

"It is not," Jezanna bit out. "You weren't to know a spell was put upon werecats. You should have been prepared. Maybe with more time it would have helped." I snorted. "You're right. Nothing would have helped."

"This is something that will only happen this year, right?"

"Thankfully, yes. Which is also why the spell isn't 100 percent guaranteed for you to find your mate."

At least there was that. One year of total embarrassment. "Where are we going?" I asked when we turned down another hallway.

"To the dun—basement."

"You were going to say dungeons? You're taking me to the dungeons?" Pictures of dark, dreary, damp dungeons flashed in my mind. "Are you going to chain me as well?"

She laughed, stopping at the top of some stairs that wound down and around. "Don't be silly," she said before starting down the stairs. Frozen in place, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go down there. Closed-in places scared me senseless. "Leila, get down here. Maybe if we have you underground, the pull may ease enough for Penny to work her magic or for us to get them away from here without too much of a fight."

It made sense. It really did. However, it was a bloody dungeon. Underground. Small. Dark. Scary.

"You will be safe," she called back up.

"I'm a person who loves freedom, Jezanna," I called. "Not being cramped in a tiny, stinky room. Probably with dead people from ages ago." I turned to Penny with wide eyes. Her pity showed, but I also saw she thought I should do it. She nodded towards the stairs.

"Let's walk down together." She took my hand in hers and stepped down on the first step. I hesitated, until she took another step and tugged on my hand. Soon, I found myself following her.

What felt like a million steps later, we came to a door, which was propped open by Jezanna. She shifted and a light sprung to life.

Penny walked in first, then I followed with Jezanna behind me. My mouth dropped open. The room was huge. Dropping Penny's hand, I turned this way and that, looking at everything around me. A TV was mounted on the wall next to the door. A slim desk was under it holding a DVD player and Xbox. To the far side of the room was a couch and coffee table. In the middle lay a four-posted king-sized bed. Paintings were scattered on all walls. I calmed immediately. To the right of the room was another door. I walked to it and opened it.

The bathroom resembled Isaac's en suite. It was spacious with a double shower and large Jacuzzi, a toilet and washbasin. There was even another TV mounted on the wall above the bath.

Turning, I asked a smiling Jezanna, "Why do you have this down here?"

"Newly-turned vampires are sensitive to light. For their comfort during daylight hours, until they grow out of it, they stay here. As soon as we arrived to town, we changed the dungeon into a room where they would be happy in. It never takes vampires long for renovations."

"You could have said this upstairs," I said, exasperated.

"I know." She smiled.

We all jumped when something crashed upstairs.

"Incoming," was yelled.

"We must go. I'll get food down to you soon. For now, open the coffee table top and you'll find snacks and bottled water."

"Fuck!" a female screamed. "You're lucky you're human or I would have sucked your bone marrow out, you little shit."

"Who—?"

"Seraphine." Jezanna spun and walked out of the bathroom. I followed. "Come, Penny, we have to help." She looked back to me. Penny waved over Jezanna's shoulder before Jezanna said, "We will keep you safe. I promise."

"I know. I'm just sorry I can't help fight."

"There will be no blood spilt tonight. It's best you keep yourself for the real battle to come." With a nod from me, she walked out, shut the door and called back, "Lock it, Leila."

I went over and did just that. Turning back to the quiet room, I eyed my surroundings once again. Another bang sounded from above me. It was unfair to let them deal with this because of me. But I had no choice and it sucked.

* * * *

Staying still wasn't an option. My body twitched in agitated movements. I needed to relieve the ache between my legs that my whole body felt. My skin was tender to the touch. I was burning up and my breasts felt tingly as much as my core did. Wetness soaked my panties. I would remove them, but if I did, I knew I'd do anything to have someone help me with the throbbing sensation. I paced around virtually naked, my clothing long gone because it hurt to have them on my sensitive skin, all except a sports bra and my panties.

An urgent need for release rushed through me. My body convulsed. My back arched and a whimper escaped me. I wanted to drown myself in someone's body. Lose control and take what my body needed because no matter how many times I touched myself, it wasn't enough. Exhaustion rolled through me, but sleep wouldn't come. Not when my body was so needy. Sweat slicked my skin as I lay on the strange bed, giving up my pacing.

It was all worse than I could have thought.

There was non-stop background noise. Even when I was deep below the house, I still heard it all. Seraphine yelled orders while men called out to me. Others screamed and things crashed. I only wished it all would take away from what I was going through. Never had I thought it would be this bad.

A scream burst free from my mouth and echoed around the concrete room.

Two days, I had to put up with this.

And I wasn't sure I could.

Already, I fought myself from running out of the room and grabbing the first man I laid eyes on. Only I knew it wouldn't help me find my release. I wouldn't be satisfied until it was my mate.

So I was stuck within this hell for two days.

"Isaac, no!" Jezanna's high-pitched yell hit my ears from above me, telling me she was on the floor higher than I was.

"Move!" Isaac's growl was animalistic.

"You will regret this, brother."

"The only thing I will regret is harming my sister for keeping me from my mate."

Jezanna gasped. "Isaac, are you sure?"

"She calls to me." His voice was soft. "I feel her pain. I feel her need. I must ease her suffering and claim her."

Yes. My Isaac. My love. My mate.

I could feel it now. The pull towards him. His heat, his scent, his soul.
Mine, all mine.

I rolled off the bed and crashed to the floor, limbs tangled, before I even thought of it. I needed to get to Isaac.

A moment later, the bedroom door was smashed in. I cowered, whimpered, and covered my head when splinters of wood flew my way. Peeking out, I screamed when a form pounced through the doorway dressed in dark jeans and a hooded cloak.

Scrambling up and backwards as the dark figure stalked me, I lost my balance on the floor and I tumbled. My back hit the cold floor hard as another wave of desire filled me.

My mate was close.

Opening my eyes, Isaac glided swiftly into the room and launched himself at the newcomer. He
had the man twisted around and slammed into the wall in mere seconds.

"I told you to stay away," Isaac snarled.

"Her scent filled me, the act to take her, have her was far more important than listening to my sire."

"You will not have her, Darik. She is mine to claim.
My
mate."

"No," Darik's low rumble was ripped out of his mouth. He pushed backwards, forcing Isaac to back up a step. There he swirled and ran towards my prone self on the floor. My body then convulsed and heat pooled between my legs.