Defeat the Darkness (Hearts of Darkness) (31 page)

“Then I’ll do it,” Kyle said, planning a way to free them both. Max was a berserker like Dylan. He was the one without Amyra’s maker bond—the one who would be strong enough to stand up to Amyra, at some point. If he wanted to keep his friends out of harm’s way, he needed more manpower. “You will release the woman and man when the change is complete.”

“I will? Hmm, and what do I get in return?”

“Me.”

“No, Kyle, you can’t agree to that,” Shelby shouted.

“Max is dying. If I don’t turn him, she will, or he’ll die while we argue about it. Do you want him to die?”

“No, of course not. But I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for us, either.”

He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “Look, Max is a good guy, Shelby. He means a lot to me, and I know how much he means to you. I think it’s too late for us.”

“It’s not too late,” Shelby whispered, lowering her lashes to shield her emotions. “I know the truth about that night. I know she lied to me.”

“Lies? Do your eyes lie?” Amyra laughed and ran her hand over Kyle’s shoulders. He shrugged her off.

She continued to taunt them. “You saw how he made love to me. You watched as we drank from one another, how he groaned in pleasure at my touch, and how he came shouting when he completed himself inside me.”

Shelby’s body quaked while Amyra refreshed the memories of her last night in the camp, and Kyle’s stomach turned at the idea he’d ever touched the monster, let alone shared his body and blood with her.

“Shut up, Amyra. Call off the guards and send them away while I fulfill my side of our bargain.”

The grin she gave him was one filled with satisfaction. She nodded at the jaguar guards, and they backed away. Only then did he release the deep breath he’d taken.

Amyra cringed as he growled. It gave him the confidence to shove her farther into the room. He pushed her arms behind her back against the support column and snapped silver cuffs Dylan had loaned him around her wrists. She went still and screamed, “What have you done to me?”

“Nothing you won’t survive. But it will keep you out of trouble for now.”

Not wasting any more time on Amyra, he rushed to help Max.

“He’s barely conscious, Shelby.”

“Do it,” she whispered. “Ask him. He’ll tell you to try, Kyle. Max isn’t a quitter.”

Kyle lifted his friend’s head gently and said, “Max, you’re dying. Is this what you want? To be what I’ve become?”

His lids fluttered open and the hatred he harbored for Amyra was revealed in his eyes. “You. Do it. Not her,” he muttered and closed his eyes.

Kyle didn’t have anything except his own transformation to go by. He hoped it wasn’t already too late for Max.

While Amyra remained screaming in the background, and with Shelby’s prayers urging him on, Kyle opened a vein in his wrist. He held it to Max’s lips and massaged his throat, urging him to swallow. “Drink this, Max. Come on. You can do it. You have to live to take care of our girl.”

Nothing. No response came from the man who was going to be his replacement in Shelby’s heart and in her bed. If he died, she’d never get over this. “Shelby, talk to him. Tell him you need him.”

“Max,” she sobbed, “please sweetie, swallow for Kyle. He’s trying to help you—help us. Do this for me. I need you, Max. Don’t give up.”

She kept up the dialogue, repeating her pleas until finally, Kyle felt a stirring beneath his wrist. “That’s it, Max.”

He opened his lips just a fraction of an inch and Kyle’s blood ran into his mouth. Kyle encouraged him to open a little more and waited until his mouth filled with his blood, then again he helped him swallow with the massage technique.

“Good, buddy. Keep it up.”

“Is he drinking?” Shelby asked.

“Yes, he’s taking a little,” Kyle shouted to Shelby. “More, Max. Take more.”

Soon, Max was sucking the blood from Kyle’s vein in huge gulps. When the color returned to his cheeks and his eyes opened in surprise, Kyle pulled his wrist away and closed his wound.

“Can’t you shut-up that banshee?”

“I’d like to permanently shut her up, Max.”

“What have you done, Kyle?”

“Max, please Max,” Shelby sobbed.

“He’s going to be fine,” Kyle said. To answer Max’s question he arched his brow in Amyra’s direction. “Apparently, I had to make another deal with the devil.”

“Not for me
I hope? Tell me you didn’t trade your soul for mine.”

Kyle stared at Shelby and answered Max. “No, not for yours. Mine was already compromised, and you were a dead man. No. I did it for her.” He tapped his shoulder and stood up. “Don’t move. Rest until help arrives.”

Kyle walked to the chair where Shelby struggled against her ropes and checked her wounds.

“I’m going to kill whoever touched you and marred this skin,” he quietly growled out the words. “These are jaguar scratches from them?” He glanced at the guards.

She nodded without looking away.

As he licked the wounds on her arms that were still bleeding, she vibrated with emotions he sensed through the blood link. He had to fight his instincts. The taste of her blood was like no other. He forced himself to fight the killing rage and gather all his control as he tended his life mate. His saliva would stop the flow of blood and help the wounds heal faster, but this was the woman he loved, and her deeper wounds disturbed him.

“Who did this?” He murmured the question against her neck wound.

“Amyra.” Her quiet voice vibrated through him.

Kyle nodded and clasped her against him as he licked the wound. Her body trembled beneath his touch. Her scent overwhelmed him. What he never expected was the euphoria that settled over him with the first taste. He was glad he’d fed earlier or the flavor of his mate’s blood would have sent him over the edge—even further out of control than he already was.

“Kyle, your teeth. You have to calm down. I’m fine.”

He heard himself growling and his hands shook as he held her. His nails extended like claws but he forced them back.

“Untie me.”

“I-I will—” From his boot, Kyle pulled out the dangerous looking knife Dylan had given him. “Stop squirming or I’m liable to cut you.” With a couple of passes, the knife quickly cut through the thick ropes.

Shelby worked her wrists free and was immediately on her knees at Max’s side.

“Max.” She stroked his hair back from his face. “I thought you died.”

“So did I.”

“You did,” Kyle interjected. “Excuse me while I quiet the noise.”

Kyle jerked Amyra away from the column and freed her from the burning silver.

“I’m releasing you in good faith.” He pulled her against his body, leaned into her ear, and spoke only to her. “You will tell Shelby the truth, or I’ll put the silver cuffs back on you. You won’t be able to lie while the silver touches your skin.”

Amyra rubbed her wrists and squared her shoulders. Kyle relaxed seeing the burns weren’t healing. Good, according to what Dylan told him, she would be weak from the silver for a while.

“I live to regret turning you.” She spit the words out and glared at him. “You are a disappointment to me, you ungrateful child. Now that you’ll have your own to look after,” she sneered in Max’s direction, “you will see for yourself how an ungrateful child will pain you.”

“It was you who drained Max and forced the issue. Besides, I didn’t coerce him. I did what he asked.” Kyle reminded Amyra. “You know I was never your willing victim.”

He’d fought her. She’d kept him weak, bent him to her will, and tricked him into everything. Even this new deal he struck with her was to save Max and keep Shelby human. Now he had another deal to strike with the woman.

While Shelby was still fussing over Max, Kyle’s fists gnarled into paws. He felt something twist inside him, something he’d never experienced before regarding Max and Shelby. He tamped back a shot of jealousy that coursed through his veins and brought
out his cat. The rest of him could deal with them emotionally, but apparently, the jaguar inside of him was a possessive lover.

Kyle hadn’t had time to evaluate his surroundings when he’d first entered. Finally taking the opportunity to look around, he studied his escape routes.

He, Shelby, and Amyra had unfinished business. Shelby deserved to know the truth about all his actions in Guatemala—how in his drugged state he’d believed Amyra was Shelby, and also about how he’d been the one who infected her that night.

Squatting beside Max, he stared into Shelby’s eyes. “If you want the truth, now would be a good time to ask her about that night.” He stood up and paced behind Shelby, glaring at the other woman. “Go ahead, Shelby. Ask her how she seduced me. She’ll tell you the truth, won’t you Amyra?”

Amyra turned to where Shelby sat beside Max. “Yes. I have your word. I have no more use for these two.”

Shelby’s eyes blazed with anger as her question spilled out. “What did you do to Kyle that night?”

“I threatened to turn you. Not every human can be turned, so he was concerned for your life.”

“You did more than threaten me. I know about the drugs. What more? Tell the whole truth.”

Kyle had to hand it to Shelby, she’d figured out how a vampire would twist the truth to avoid the lie, and she’d just asked the right question.

“Go on. I thought I heard him call out my name when he climaxed.”

Kyle tried not to smile when Shelby went for the jugular.

Amyra shrugged her shoulders. “So, I convinced him I was you. Before that night, he never satisfied all my needs. He was stubborn, refusing my blood until I threatened the boy’s family, and then later refusing my body until I convinced him I was you. I tried to convince him the acts of sex and taking blood were tied to his strength. Still he wouldn’t satisfy me by enjoying it. Convinced the woman in his bed was you, I was able to enjoy the full benefit of his love-making.”

“You bitch!” Shelby abandoned her place by Max’s side and flew at Amyra.

The vampiress blocked the attack, and her internal demon gave out a warning hiss at Shelby before Kyle traced between them. Amyra merely laughed at Shelby when Kyle wrapped his arms around her waist and carried her across the room.

“Stay here, Shelby.” The compulsion in his voice was powerful.

He wasn’t sure how much strength Amyra had regained but he couldn’t take any chances.

“Amyra? Do I need to remind you about the cuffs?” Kyle allowed his jaguar to rise. This time he felt his features change. Although he remained in his human form, his muscles felt different, maybe a little sleeker. His skin crawled and he flexed, feeling his bones shift. The power surged. It no longer hurt—it felt satisfying like when he stretched or cracked his knuckles.

Amyra’s eyes widened. “For some curious reason, I have stumbled across three of you—all strangely connected to each other.” She remained calm and in control as she rubbed her wrists. “I will not go back on my word so easily and provide you with the escape you crave. You have learned well over these past few months. I know Nicci has gone to ground again, so who is your mentor?”

“I am.”

Kyle heard the voice and exhaled.
Dylan.
He couldn’t believe the vampire found them so easily.

Dylan’s brow went up in a surprised expression at Kyle. “You underestimated Garr’s tracking abilities?”

The man had a talent for reading people’s minds. “No, but I could have used your help sooner.”

Dylan glanced at the cuffs, noted the burn on Amyra’s wrists, and the way Shelby glared from where Kyle had put her, with the compulsion to stay.

“Looks like you have everything under control.”

“Not quite. Amyra drained Max, and I was forced to feed him my blood to save him. Unless what she claims is true, he may die anyway.”

“What does she claim?”

“She said he has a gift. Something about him descending from supernatural ancestors. Can you sense anything?”

Dylan crossed the room and went down on one knee beside Max. He placed both hands at his temples and spoke softly, “Relax. I won’t hurt you.” He closed his eyes and didn’t say anything more until he released his hold on the injured man. Then he smiled. “You may have descended from a distant relative of mine. It appears we could be cousins.”

“Is that right?” Weak as he was, still lying in bed, Max tried to grin.

Kyle asked, “Can you tell who he’s descended from?”

“I can speculate. Colin O’Brien was a fellow berserker, a second cousin on my father’s side. Max is built a great deal like the O’Brien himself and favors his father around the eyes.” He patted Max’s arm. “You’ll do fine, Max. You come from tough stock.”

“What in the world is a berserker?” Shelby asked, shaking her head. “Every time I turn around, I’m confronted with some other mythological being.”

“I’ll give you the genealogy lesson later.” Dylan clapped Kyle on the shoulder and made his way over to Shelby. “Darlin’ you can relax. Your boyo over there will survive this, and you’re both welcome to stay with me during his transmutation. It shouldn’t take more than two days. But he won’t go into full stasis until the next full moon.”