Part 2: Torn Desires (Chosen by the Vampire Kings: BBW Romance) (6 page)

Chapter 12

After
driving about a half hour, which took them deeper into the country, they
arrived at the area in question. Male vampires were everywhere. More piled out of
vehicles both in front of and behind them. The big vampire, Ross, approached
them as they pulled up. Zane grabbed her hand as she slid from the vehicle.
“Stay close.”

“I
take it the area is secured,” Zane spoke softly.

Ross
seemed surprised to see Tanya but quickly composed himself. The big vampire
cleared his throat. “Yeah. I sent scout parties out over a two mile radius. All
is clear.”

“I
take it they chose this spot because it’s furthest from the castle.”

“That
would be my guess. They were good to keep the prints to their side of the fence.
It was pure luck that one of the guards spotted the area at all. If you’ll
follow me.” Ross walked in the direction of the fence, crouching at a specific
area. He gestured to the barrier. “If you take a really good look, you’ll
notice how the wire has been welded back together.”

Tanya
gasped, sure enough, there was a definite thickening where the wire had been
re-joined. The line was half a meter in a line perpendicular to the ground.  It
wasn’t something you would see unless you were specifically looking for it.

“Take
a look around. He pointed at the dirt on either side of them.” Red dust with
patches of grass. Nothing unusual.

Zane
let out a pent up breath as he rose taking her up with him, their hands were
still clasped. “Damn. The bastards were here.” His eyes followed the dirt to
the grass beyond.

“I
don’t see anything.” She knew she should keep quiet.

“That’s
the problem. This ground was swept. It’s too smooth.” He walked her a few feet
up the side of the fence. The ground had a very different look. Nowhere near as
smooth.

“Oh,
wow.”

“That’s
not the worst of it,” Ross’s expression was grave as he spoke.

“I
was afraid of that.” Zane angled her back to where they had been standing, he
used a hand on her lower back.

Ross
clasped the fence, his eyes solidly on the ground on the other side. “What do
you make of that?”   

Zane
dropped her hand and mimicked Ross. Tanya did the same. There were definite
prints on the other side. Zane gave a sharp intake of breath. “Not a fuck.”
Tanya felt tension radiate from his body. His hands were white knuckled on the wire.
Tanya turned back to the churned up earth, not sure of what it was she was
supposed to be seeing. Over to the right was a definite indent of a huge paw.

“An
animal?”

“Not
bad, human,” Ross said. “Try shifter. Too big for a regular wolf.”

Now
that he had highlighted the fact, she realized that he was right. She could
most likely fit both her splayed hands inside the print.

“Mother
fuckers were here together,” Lance’s voice boomed from behind them.

Tanya
shrieked, grabbing at her heart. Stupid vampires and their ability to sneak up
on a person. All three men looked at her. Zane slid his hand around her waist.
The show of…
affection
…more like possessiveness shouldn’t be endearing,
yet, it was. She got the feeling Zane didn’t normally touch women in public, at
least not very often. If ever. Silly man had never even kissed before.

“Are
you sure they were here together and not on separate occasions?”

Lance
raised his eyebrows. “You’re seriously asking me that?”

“I’m
being hopeful. Besides, it’s never good to assume.” Zane narrowed his eyes at
the other vampire.

Lance
inclined his head slightly. “I had our best tracker take a look and Griffin was
one hundred percent sure. Wolves and elves. They seem to have joined forces.”

Zane
shut his eyes while using his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“There
are more tracks once you get into the cover of the forest, they go on for a few
hundred feet,” Lance paused as Zane turned to look at him.

“Go
on,” Zane growled.

“I’m
not sure of the reason for the breach, but I would suspect they chose this fence
because it’s furthest away from the castle. It’s also the part of our perimeter
closest to the forest. I suspect that they entered our territory to check if
they could get away with it. With the intention to scout our land in order to
plan an attack.” Lance lowered his voice, his eyes darting around the clearing.
“They would have been watching for us, but they are long gone by now.”

“I
think you may be right, Lance. This changes things. Let’s follow their tracks,
I want to know what they were up to.”

“I
assure you there isn’t much to see. They entered, walked for a few hundred feet
under cover of the trees, turned and made their way back. Exiting through the
same cut in the fence.” Lance gestured to a long belt of thick forest that
wound its way as far as the eye could see.

It
wasn’t lost on her that the forest was the very same one that she had looked on
earlier from Zane’s tower at the castle. The werewolves and elves would be able
to hide in the thick foliage
Were they really planning an attack?
Tanya
shivered not liking the answer that formed in her head. Surely they couldn’t be
doing this over little old her. Then again, if what Zane said was true, by
taking her out of the picture it would mean the end of the vampire line. It
would be a very good reason to remove her from the picture. Tanya couldn’t help
it, she suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed out in the open like this. She
stepped in closer to Zane who instantly put an arm around her, pulling her in
to his side. He and Lance were discussing ways to fortify both the castle and
the perimeter. Zane put his hand up to Lance midsentence, silencing the tall
vampire. He turned his dark, concerned eyes on her. “Are you okay? Cold maybe?
You’re shivering.”

“I’m
a little cold. I’m not as thick skinned as a vampire.” The sun was setting, streaks
of pink lined the horizon. Even with the sun disappearing, the weather was
mild. A warm breeze tickled her skin. She wasn’t cold, rather she was scared
shitless of becoming a werewolf snack. Or possibly a new pair of pixie boots.

Zane
removed his coat and slung it over her shoulders. He wore a black t-shirt and
had an array of weapons attached to his body. Even in this setting, and in this
moment, he was a sight to behold.

“You
stay in the vehicle. Ross and the others will protect you in my absence.”

The
thought of leaving his side sucked. She shook her head. He must have seen or
sensed her panic because he added. “My men will protect you with their lives.” 
 

Tanya
looked down. A thin summer dress and sandals, hardly correct attire for
traipsing off into the forest. When they got back, she would be having a little
chat with him about what she did and didn’t wear. Panty-less with little summer
dresses was fine for the castle, but she had to draw the line at outdoor
adventure.

“I
won’t be long.” He wrapped both his arms around her and squeezed. Tanya nodded.

Zane
took the time to tuck her back into the vehicle before setting off with Lance
and three others. The rest remained with her. Ross sat at the driver’s seat
with two men flanking each side of the vehicle. The rest spaced themselves at
regular intervals in the clearing.

“Why
are the other species doing this?”

“Power,”
was Ross’s only response.

“What
does wiping out the vampires gain them?”

Ross
shrugged his big shoulders. “The various species have always been at war. This
would be a simple way of gaining the upper hand.”

She
couldn’t help but smile at his politically correct answer. “And by this, you
mean my death.”

“Or
worse, young human.” He turned to look at her, his expression grave. “You will
need to speak to Zane about such things. I am not at liberty to discuss such
matters.”

“Why
not?”

“Zane
is your mate and king, besides, I like my tongue where it is.” Ross smiled.

“You’re
joking right?”

The
smile turned into a wide grin and he shook his head. “Couple of days, a week
maybe, it would grow back. Although we regenerate from most wounds, we still
hurt.”

Would
Zane really do such a thing? She remembered how he’d had the dead elves put up
on spikes in order to send a message. Unfortunately, the answer was a
resounding yes. Zane was ruthless. He seemed cold hearted at times, yet there
was a definite…vulnerability about him as well.

The
sun dipped a bit more, skirting the horizon. Zane and the others had been gone
for ten or so minutes. Ross and the rest of the men surrounding her were a
bundle of fun. She sighed, crossed her arms on the seat in front of her, and
rested her head against her arms. She lay like this for a few minutes.

Movement.
On the other side of the fence. Their side. Tanya leaned forward trying to
discern what it was. With the light fading fast, shadows could be playing
tricks. Another definite shift in the foliage. There was something out there
and none of the vampires seemed to have picked up on it. They seemed more
focussed on her and the direct surrounds. At least half were facing in the
direction Zane and Lance had left in. Tanya was about to say something when the
shifting shadows took shape. It was a man astride a giant wolf. No, not a man,
an elf. The elf had a bow at his back. The beast was a charcoal smudge of color
that blended perfectly with the shadows. Now that she could see him more
clearly, the hairs on her neck stood on end. She knew she should scream but it
was if the air had evaporated from her lungs. The creature had massive jaws. It
was muscled and fierce looking. It was five times the size of a normal wolf. Anyone
with any knowledge of folklore would be able to tell that the creature was no
normal wolf. It was just too darned big. She’d bet money that its eyes would
have a human quality.

They
stopped their approach. As much as she wanted to believe that it was her
imagination, both species had their eyes trained on her. The wolf crouched and
the elf pulled his bow free. Finally, she managed to drag a much needed breath
into her lungs. Neither the beast nor the elf moved, with just their presence
they seemed to be issuing a warning.

At
long last, one of the vampires noticed the intruders and sounded the alarm. The
beast did a one eighty. The elf absorbed the move with ease staying astride the
powerful creature as it leapt back into the foliage, disappearing from sight in
less than a second or two.

She
realized that she was panting. One of her hands clutched at her neck. Tanya had
never been this afraid before. She was alerted of movement by the sound of
vehicle doors slamming as vampires piled into the waiting SUVs. A vampire
shoved in next to Ross. The remaining males ducked into the other vehicles.

“Buckle
up.” It was the only warning she got as Ross pushed his foot flat on the gas as
he followed the first vehicle as it took off in a spray of sand and gravel.

Tanya
scrambled for her belt and clicked it in. “What about Zane?”

“He’s
a grown ass vamp,” was the only answer she got from Ross.

“We
can’t just leave him.”

He
glanced back, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Just following orders
my lady. Keep your head down.”

Tanya
had only just ducked her head below the line of the window when the SUV
screeched to a halt. The belt dug into her. Adrenaline surged.

“Tanya!”
Zane bellowed her name. The door opened. She barely had a chance to turn her
head, Zane ripped the belt, tearing it like paper between his fingers. “Tanya,”
he breathed out her name on a sigh of relief.  His chest heaved against her ear
as he yanked her into his arms after ducking in next to her. He buried his head
into the crook of her neck and squeezed her hard. The vehicle took off but Zane
held her in place.

She
couldn’t help but moan after a few beats. “You’re cracking my ribs.”

He
eased his hold and she slid down, her head on his chest. “I thought I’d lost
you. Ten lashes for all of you when we return.”

Tanya
gasped, “No it wasn’t—”

“Yes,
sire.”

“Please
don’t do this, they—”

Zane
cut her off, “You could’ve died. They fucked up. They will be punished.”

“We
will take twenty sire.”

Zane’s
muscles relaxed somewhat even though his mouth was a thin white line. “I would
make it fifty but I need you all on duty. Ten cuts.”

“Thank
you, my lord.” Ross kept his eyes on the dirt track ahead. Dusk quickly turning
inky black in the wilderness.

Tanya
realized with a start that their lights weren’t on even though they travelled
at a neck breaking speed.

“What
is it? Did you spot something?”

Zane
glanced out each window in turn like he could actually see into the encroaching
dark. “You’re a vampire,” she stated in awe.