Shadow Queen (10 page)

              I blushed now. “I told you to keep this clean.”

              “Hell, Stace.  I’m trying.  Just let me finish.” He paused then looked me straight in the eye.  “The wolf feels some kind of connection to the power you send over and wants to attack or just run.  It’s hard to explain.”

              “Aside from the way you first described it, it sounds a lot like Calum’s description of the electricity as well as Cas’ telling of my blood.”

              “Blood.  When did he drink from you?  How could you?”

              I rolled my eyes to hide my desire.  I hated to admit that I kind of liked it or let anyone see it.  I couldn’t hide it from Cas.  “It was a pin prick and it’s really none of your business.  The point is that it’s coming not just from the three of you in the twisted mother’s freaky goddess ways set, but the fact that you’re guys.  I think you all misconstrue how you feel about it.”

              His eyes glistened, his voice went all husky. “Don’t mistake that I’m most definitely all male, Stace.  I resent the fact that it’s disgusting coming as it’s unanimously shared, but it’s not the same.”

              “Sure it is.  Cas’ is a Vampire so bloodletting is expected in a sense.  Calum’s current is weird, but who knows.  But like Cas, you’re a Were.  I expect some amount of wolfy weirdness.  Combine all this with the Valkyrie female persuasive business and it all falls into place.  It can’t be helped therefore I shrug it off.”

              He seemed to examine my words and my face, but Cord was the one guy in this tale I couldn’t always pinpoint.  His hands lifted off the sofa and putting his back to me, he guarded the door from my exit.

              “Nara escaped.”

              “Oh, goddess.”

              He held me down by the shoulders from leaving even though I couldn’t get through his brick wall body. 

              “HUGO!” I screamed.

              “He knows his orders.”

              “And that is?”  I bent his fingers off me and stepped back.

              “To keep you here.”

              I screamed loud.  Cord crossed his arms. I screamed louder, “You can’t do this.”

              “Already done, sweetness.  Besides, Nara is either captured by now or long gone.”

              “Yeah, and if Cas is thinking what I think he’s thinking by keeping me here, he thinks she will come after me.  Well, duh.  She knows I’m here.”

              “Very well articulated.  Duh!  That’s why I’m here.”  Cord’s chest expanded just as he centered himself to block all exits.

              “How did she escape?”  I peeked at the balcony, the only other exit.

              “Not an option unless you plan to go splat all over the ground and she just did.  She’s a Vampire.”

              “Not good enough.”

              He snorted, “You better not ever try to run a faction.  Every male in the place will turn pansy ass weak around you.  She called a few friends somehow to come break her out.”

              “Friends?”

              “Father exact.  Drac is rather...powerful.”

              “Yeah.  I’ve heard.  He’d go against Lord Cross?”

              “Weird conversation having with you.  Again, wasn’t aware you knew of him.  Not someone Thorn openly discusses.”

              I scoffed, “
Humph
!  Why would he hide it from me?”

              “Oh be sure of something here Anastacia Hathown, there is a lot hidden from you.”

              And that solves our issues just grandly.  “Whatever.  When women rule the Earth all will be in one accord.”

              He belted out a depthless, mocking laugh giving me my chance.  I turned the doorknob beneath his elbow and slammed him away from it.  I had some strength and I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.

              I took off running.  Rounding the corner and into my bedroom, I curled my fingers on the lock but was flummoxed by stronger fingers pushing the doorframe to a screeching halt.  Inside my room, I landed on the bed and glared with all the possible death rays I could muster, “You can’t just hide me here.  I am a part of this too.  That bitch better not hurt him.”

              “Cool it, Stace.  Your hatred is noted, but refrain from the language.  It’s out of control lately.”

              Oh, this comes from one of them.  Sailor boy, no doubt.

              “Make me,” I yelled getting mad with fear that something bad was happening to Cas.

              “Don’t tempt me,” he challenged.

              I screamed bloody murder and ran for the bathroom, locking the door.  I screamed some more and screamed again when I saw the bathroom window, too high for even a Were to reach, was not even a real window and resembled the size of my hand only.

              I screamed once more and opened the door only to walk right into Cord.  I backed up nursing my nose from his hard bicep interception preparing to scream again when I felt him and heard his voice at the same time.

              “What are you doing in my girl’s room?”

              Cord took a step back and three steps over with hands widespread.  “Not me, man.  She ran in here in her girl fit and locked herself in the bathroom.”

             
Unfortunately, he’s telling the truth.

             
Cord looked from me to him and back again.  I was using every bit of strength inside to not attack him in front of observant eyes.  Cas looked at me with the same expectancy but less restraint.  Like a magnetic force, he moved closer and closer.

              “Um, I’m just gonna step outside.  If you guys need me, for which I can surely see I’m quite invisible, well, never mind.”  The door closed behind him and I didn’t waste time patting him down.

              “Are you okay?  Did she hurt you?”

              “He told you?” he quipped.

              “And you wouldn’t have?” I snipped still in his arms.

             
I didn’t want you to worry.

              “Did you...find her?”

              “No...she was gone.”

              “Oh!”

             
Kissa.
  He kissed me slow and purposefully.  It was a reminder of reassurance but I didn’t argue.

              When he pulled back and hovered I asked, “What are we going to do?”

              “WE...are going to do nothing.  Liam and the others will track her, but I know where she’s going.”

              “To Drac,” I offered.

              Unhappy with my guessing correctly, he didn’t confirm it.  “RYAN!” he yelled over his shoulder.

              As if he had his ear to the door, which was profusely gross to think about, he popped inside.  “Are we all decent?”  Of course, he said this with his eyes open.  “Not that it’s my wish to see you naked, man.”

              Eyes on me, they both swallowed.  Cas didn’t have a comeback waiting.  At some point I feared they had some kind of male telepathy I wasn’t reading right and felt they were either alpha duking it out in silence or agreeing. 

              “Can you get with Szar and find out the details?  Drac’s been contacted with little good it will do.  Quinn is on the move.”

              Quinn?

              Cord’s constricted look at hearing Cas mention Drac in front of me made me swell with pride.  I wanted to yell “I told you so” but I just smirked at him. 

              “Something I should know?” Cas caught on to our childish stupidity.

              “Nothing worth noting,” I said.  “Now what about Borgon.”

              Cord smirked again, “Wasn’t a problem.  Locked up tight and twice the guards.”

              “You can go now, Ryan.  My girl and I have things...to do.” 

              That was uncalled for but my mouth stayed shut. 

              “By all means, continue...doing them.”  As dramatic as he himself is, he made a show of going off the balcony to prove something.  When he was gone, I stomped out of the room and down to the weight room.  I knew he’d follow.

              When he stepped up beside me, I pointed to the weight bench he pressed every single night.  “Next time you get in a pissing contest with one of them about me, take it out on the bench instead of me.”

              His face red, “On you.  I was tired of his comments.  Who knows what he said before I got here.  I should have never sent Ryan.”  He ran a hand through his hair.

              “So telling him I’m a slut is better.”

              His eyes couldn’t have gone wider, but the gold in his eyes died instantly.  “You’re impossible.  That hardly can be construed as meaning anything.  They know your mine.”

              “Yours.  They think we are...are...oh never mind.”

              “Your ashamed of me?” he growled.

              Lord, I wish he would go beat up a tree or something.  “You are so maddening sometimes.  I mean what they think.”

              “What do you care what they think?  It’s not like it matters.  You belong to me and no one, and I mean no one, will ever have what is mine.”  He was yelling through the whole of the house now.

              That was only a tiny possessive. 

              As if realization for what he’d said hit him, he pulled me to him.  “Marry me now.  Please.”

              I just don’t get men.  I mean, I get the sexual frustration aspect that he was just...well, just what I said, but why did it make them so
cranky
?

              “Not till this is over.”

              “How more over can it get, Anastacia?” He said too loud in my ear.

              “It doesn’t feel it.” I walked to the Sun room and sat on the sofa to escape his hold.  As always, I couldn’t think clear around him.

             
Kissa.

              “Just give me time,” I hid my face.  I wanted to marry him.  I truly was ready.  I just needed to know everyone was alright before I focused on myself.

              His hard sigh was impeded by my perfectly timed brother.

              “GO AWAY, SZAR!”

              “Oh, as much as I hate to be privy to you and your little love quarrel, I need your boyfriend here’s assistance.”

              “What with?” I seethed at his interruption.  I wanted to finish my thoughts without one of the others part of it.

              “Not my info to offer, sis,” he said sarcastically in my face.

              “I hope you’re talking to my exasperating boyfriend who needs some major boy time or something,” I said just like him.

              “Oh,
ma-jor
trouble in paradise.”  Szar slammed onto the chair across from us.    “Anyone make popcorn?”

              “Would you get your freaking ass out of here and give us a damn minute,” I screamed.   I just wanted to finish a conversation.

              Hurt, but taking the hint, he said something about being in the kitchen when we were done.  I know very well Cas had not raised his voice or moved to anger at my outbursts, but the weight of the situation was bearing down on me.

              Cas went up with the arms to grab hold and I quickly hopped back against the sofa away.  “NO!  I need to think straight.  Your hands make my mind mush.”  My breath was coming out like puff clouds, but I forced my words on.  “I know the Godslayer is secure and Borgon is locked up.  Nara escaping only proves she can get to me still.  The Elves are still angry.  I don’t know why the Elf lord hides away and doesn’t own up to what he owes his own.  And Lee just walked scot free. This is far from over Cas so don’t patronize me like a dang girl and think I’m just going to sit at home in wait.  I know I may not always do things to you four’s liking, but I still expect some semblance of respect.”

              Clapping could be heard from around the corner.  Szar never left.  Stupid moron.

              “I’m going knock the shit out of you if you don’t leave,” Cas leaned sideways to scream.

              Scuffling could be heard down the hall.

              “I get your concerns, but I still see no reason for the wait.  You’re so focused on everyone else, you’re forgetting to make yourself happy.”

              My heart fell with the realization.  “And you happy,” I said into my hands.  I was so blind sometimes.  “Just let me chill for a day or two.  I know your going to put guards on me like flies on a picnic so I will lose any amount of privacy until she is caught.  And I want to talk to the Elves somehow.  I’m determined that Lord Jetten is connected to ending this.”

              “Then I will see what I can do.  For now, I have to take care of something.”

              “And you’re not telling me this either?”

              Eyes closed, he rubbed the spaces on his nose between his eyes.  Whatever troubled him, it wasn't about Szar.  Marrying him was that important a topic to him at this particular moment.  “Szar screwed up.  He went out to celebrate with Calum and Cord and drank too much, made a pass at the wrong kind of girl, a human.   One of my rogues that I’ve been tracking for months decided to take a drink, the three Amigos stepped into the alley to help her, and Szar killed him.  My guards cleaned it up, but now I have to answer to Szar’s crap mess to the guy’s far from rogue brother.”