Awakening the Demon's Queen (11 page)

“
So soon?” It was clear the
wolf wasn’t pleased with that news. “We’ll have a lot to discuss
regarding the new facility.”

“
You can bring Uncle Jason
with you when you visit. I’m sure he wants to see Josey as much as
she wants to see him and Jadie,” Emily said. “Bring whomever else
wants to come. But we need to get back. Rydere and Kindara
especially have duties that demand their presence as soon as
possible.”

Rathan started to protest, state his claim on
his female publically. Feminine fingers pinched his side. Her lips
brushed his ear as she whispered. “Don’t even think about it,
demon.”

Rathan thought quickly before whispering
back. “I will say nothing of my plans or our spawn, if you stay
exactly where you are. It has been too long since I held you, my
pet.”

She stilled, before giving a small reluctant
nod. Rathan smiled in triumph, eyes meeting the brother’s. He
doubted the other male had missed the private exchange between
Rathan and his sister, but doubted the brother had caught their
words. Just the intimacy between them.

The brother’s face darkened and he tensed,
mouth opening to say something. Before he could speak, the door was
flung open and a male Lupoiux rushed in. “Rand! We—”

Before the male could finish he sniffed the
air, then rushed Kindara’s brother, knocking him to the floor.
Furious growls issued from the Lupoiux male’s throat as he fought
the Dardaptoan.

The Dardaptoan was clearly holding his own,
releasing a laugh as he took a slash across his chest from a
Lupoiux clawed hand.

Rand pulled the other wolf off the
Dardaptoan. “Jason! Back off!”

The other male was as strong as Mallory’s
brother and Rathan reluctantly set his female aside, her scream
still ringing in his ears. If someone didn’t stop Jason—Jade and
Josey’s father—the older Lupoiux could seriously injure his new
son-in-law. Rathan helped Rand pull his uncle away from the
Dardaptoan.

Jason fought, like Rathan expected. “He
smells like my daughter! What the hell has he done with her?”

Rathan used his superior strength to hold
Rand’s uncle until he was subdued.

The Dardaptoan rose to his feet, wiping blood
from his dripping nose. “Wouldn’t you like to know, wolf?”

Jason growled, long and low. Kindara stepped
in front of her brother. She glared at Jason and Rathan. “Enough.
Josey is just fine, she’s with Mickey in Dardano.”

“
Who are you?” Jason’s tone
held clear threat and Rathan resisted the compelling urge to kill
the man for even daring to speak to her that way. And Jason was his
friend.

“
This is my brother you just
tried to kill. But like I said, Josey’s just fine. If you don’t
believe me, ask your nieces.” Kindara waved toward Mallory and
Emily. “As you can see, they’re in one piece.”

He jerked his head in the direction she
indicated, surprise hitting his face when he saw the two young
women standing behind two of the Dardaptoan males. Jason’s face
softened and the tension in his broad shoulders released. “Emmy.
Mal. My God, girls...”

Rathan released the wolf and Mallory and
Emily threw themselves into his embrace. It was obvious he cared
for them a great deal, something Rathan had long known. He placed a
kiss on first Emily’s forehead then Mallory’s. “We were so
worried.”

“
We’re fine.” Emily told
him. “So are Josey and Mickey. Everything’s fine and this madness
all ends today.”

Rand grabbed his uncle’s shoulder. “Jay, what
are you doing up here?”

The older wolf darkened again. “I came to
warn you.”

“
What?” Rand tensed as did
Rathan.

“
Forty Lupoiux from the Redd
Gothan pack are coming from the north and east sides of the
mountain. They’ve got one purpose in mind—annihilating all the
people on this property. How many do you have here?”

“
Fourteen Lupoiux, plus
what’s in this room, Jade and another Dardaptoan female. I sent
everyone off property because of the Dardaptoans’
arrival.”

“
We’ve got less than an
hour, I expect, until this place is overrun. I made good time
getting here, but I knew the way.” Jason released his nieces and
turned toward Rand fully.

“
Twenty-four people on
property now. Eleven of them female...Jade’s the only human, now.”
Rand’s face held his rage.

“
Evacuation.” Jason nodded
before looking at the Dardaptoans. “I suggest you all leave now,
unless you want to wait around until it gets ugly.”

Kindara’s brother gave a feral grin, far more
wolfish than any expression of Rand’s. “Bring’em on. I love
puppy-fights. And I have a personal grudge against the Redd Gothan
pack. They attacked your daughter and Emily two weeks ago. I want
as many of their pelts as I can collect.”

The Dardaptoan king cleared his throat,
immediately drawing attention in his direction. “We have space in
our helicopters for your people. We can and will offer sanctuary in
Dardano. And you’ll be able to visit with Emily and the others
while you work out the details of Emily’s plans.”

“
But we’ll need to leave
immediately.” Rand nodded, though all had no trouble sensing his
reluctance. Rathan knew it went against the wolf’s instincts to run
from a fight; had they not had females to protect he and Rand would
have enjoyed the battle.

The king nodded to the male on his left, the
one introduced as the healer Barlaam. The male left, presumably to
speak with the helicopter pilots. “Gather your people. I want to
send the first helicopter in thirty minutes, and I want all the
women aboard. They won’t stand a chance against a Lupoiux attack.
And they will be after Emily and Kindara the most.”

Chapter Twelve

Rathan reluctantly left his female to her
brother’s care before going on a scouting mission of his own. It
wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jason, but he’d be able to flash in and
see the exact plot of the Redd Gothan pack. It had been one of
theirs that had attacked Kindara earlier, and Rathan felt the need
for vengeance against the pack burning a hole in his gut. He wanted
to slaughter them all--and theoretically he could. It was only
hundreds of years’ worth of control keeping him from doing that. No
creature could upset the balance in that manner without
repercussions.

He flashed to the woods surrounding the band
of Lupoiux, keeping in half-form so that they could not see him.
Why had the Lupoiux chosen this mountain and this time to attack?
It was not unheard of for rogue packs to attempt to steal another
pack’s territory. But the Taniss pack was unlike any Rathan had
ever seen. They weren’t transient, and weren’t related by blood.
Rand and his uncle had somehow pulled a group of about sixty wolves
together consisting of small packs and rogues in search of
permanency. The Taniss pack was now thriving, and Rand was the head
of it.

Rathan had little trouble identifying the
Redd Gothan alpha; he was bigger than the rest, though his coat was
just as ragged as his companions’. This pack had little money,
little resources, and appeared to be mostly unmated males.
Criminals? Or merely nomadic? Rathan watched them for a while,
counting wolves carefully. Jason had underestimated--there were
more than fifty.

Did they think they could just kill everyone
at the Taniss compound, then assume it for themselves? They must be
very young wolves--or very dumb ones.

The alpha seemed to be waiting for something.
Rathan flashed closer as the wolf changed into human form. He
wasn’t an intimidating male, stood barely six foot in Rathan’s
estimation. He was dirty, and the pants he’d fashioned himself were
of poor quality and dingy color. There was nothing remarkable about
this alpha wolf. That he had thought to challenge Rand Taniss was
another clear sign this wolf possessed little common sense.

A trio of males in human form stepped into
the clearing, pushing a young male dressed in the clothing
Dardaptoans preferred. His garments were white, a sign he was of a
royal blood. He wore the orange sash identical to the one Rathan
had seen on the Dardaptoan king and on Emily, denoting a
relationship to the king. Rathan flashed dangerously closer. If a
Lupoiux were to step in his direction, his outline would be seen,
if one stepped in to Rathan, it would prove extremely painful, even
deadly—for Rathan.

The alpha approached the Dardaptoan and
circled him twice before speaking. “You owe my pack a considerable
amount of money.”

“
Do I?” The Dardaptoan’s
voice held clear disdain for the Lupoiux. Rathan was confused--why
would a royal Dardaptoan owe money to an obviously shabby Lupoiux
pack? The hatred and animosity between the two races was
extraordinary. “But you attacked the wrong damned
woman!”

“
Blonde woman, white
clothes, green sash, in the gardens, with a dog. That’s who was
there, and that’s who we got.” The alpha shrugged. “I lost six of
my pack that day. You owe us for that job.”

“
But it wasn’t completed
successfully. So why should I pay you more than what I gave you
five weeks ago?” The Dardaptoan held obvious contempt for the
wolves and Rathan wondered just how stupid the youth had to be to
act so badly in front of so many dangerous animals.

“
Because if you don’t, we’ll
kill you and dump your body on your king’s doorstep.” The wolf
spoke of killing with complete disregard for life and that was
chilling to Rathan. Would they kill the youth?

Before that could happen, Rathan acted. He
materialized by the youth and wrapped his arms around the
Dardaptoan’s neck. He flashed back to the Taniss compound, pulling
his new captive through the flash with him.

He wanted answers and fast, because one thing
stood out in his mind--Kindara was a blonde woman, who’d worn white
clothes tied with a green sash.

****

Kindara was arguing with Cormac when she
heard a tell-tale pop that signaled the demon had returned. She
instinctively stiffened, though she fought the urge to look at him.
What was it about him that drew her? Was it just because he was an
Incubus and preyed on females of any humanesque species? Or was it
him?

The surprise and tension that encompassed the
occupants of the small garden house beside the helicopter pads had
her turning to him. Her eyes landed on the Dardaptoan who’d been
one of her daughter’s playmates Jierra’s entire life. “Jambu?
What--”

The demon cut her off and then stopped her
when she stepped toward them. “Kindara, I thought you’d have left
by now.”

The rebuke was clear for her to hear and it
had her ire returning to replace her surprise. “I make my own
decisions, demon. Don’t forget that.”

“
Dammit, woman, it’s not
safe here anymore!”

Dhar
Rydere interrupted before she could reply. “Malickus, care to
explain why you have my young cousin with you?”

“
Cousin? More like a traitor
to your kind.” The demon held Jambu with a hand wrapped around the
back of the boy’s neck. He shook him effortlessly. “Found him in
negotiations of a sort with the Redd Gothan pack.”

Rydere’s face darkened, his anger rising just
like Kindara’s surprise. “What type of negotiations?”

“
Seems the boy here paid
these Lupoiux to attack a blonde woman, wearing white, tied with a
green sash, in the gardens of your hotel.” The demon forced Jambu
to his knees in front of Kindara, Rydere, and Cormac, then shoved
him into a supplicant position. “I want to know who that woman
was.”

“
Josey.” Cormac growled the
words as he reached for Jambu. Rydere held out a hand to stop
him.

“
I don’t believe so.” Rathan
was shaking his head as he spoke. “Because apparently the Lupoiux
were paid a deposit five weeks ago. So the intended target was not
Josey.”

“
But she was of Cormac’s
House, high enough to wear white. There’s only two,” Rydere said as
the sound of the helicopter starting up just outside the building
filled the small room. “Jambu? Anything you want to add in your
defense?”

Cormac yanked Jambu from the demon’s hand,
shaking the smaller male viciously. “You threatened my family? My
sister or my niece? Tell me now and I won’t rip out your throat and
leave you here for those Lupoiux to eat your damned carcass.”

“
Enough, Cormac.” Rydere
pulled his cousin from Cormac’s hands. “Now isn’t the time. He’ll
stand trial as soon as possible. In the meantime, we need to
evacuate now.”

“
My House tribunal?” Cormac
wasn’t satisfied and everyone knew it. Kindara wasn’t
surprised--her brother was the head of their House and he was
extremely protective of his only close relatives--her, Jierra, and
now Josey.

“
Mostly yours, and some of
mine will make the council. My Rajni was attacked that day, too.”
Rydere shot a glare at his cousin as he pulled Emily closer to his
chest. “I will not ever forget that.”

Jambu was pale and silent as he stared at
their king and Cormac. Kindara almost felt sorry for him. Why had
he done this? He and Jierra had been playmates all their childhood,
had gone to school together--including the community college that
all recent Dardaptoan graduates attended. What had made him betray
them all?

Cold howls split the air around them,
drowning out the helicopters’ blades. It told them their time was
up.

Rydere gave the signal and Cormac pulled
Kindara in front of him. “Don’t stop until you and Ji are inside
the bird, understand?”