The Dark-Hunters (238 page)

Ash folded his arms over his chest as he turned around to face them. “What’s the one thing your father has always publicly said he’d give anything for?”

Vane’s jaw went slack. “To have his mate back. But that was only a lie he told so that the pack would feel sorry for him.”

“Well,” Ash drawled. “You should be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.”

Vane whistled low. “Remind me to never piss you off.”

“You’re not really going to put the two of them together, are you?” Bride asked.

Ash shrugged. “They were fated to be together and it’s time that they dealt with each other. Whatever happens between them though is their business.”

“What do I owe you for this favor?” Vane asked.

“It’s gratis. When you helped Talon out, you paid a higher price than anyone should ever have to. Consider this a wedding present from me and Simi. Neither your mother nor your father will ever again threaten you or your children.”

“Are you predicting the future, Acheron?” Nicolette asked.

“Not exactly. I’m not telling them what will happen. Only what won’t.”

“Thanks, Ash,” Vane said.

“Since you’re in a giving mood,” Fury said from the doorway, “want to tell me who my mate is?”

Ash gave him a roguish half-smile. “It’s up to you to find her.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Hang it up, wolf,” Colt said, clapping him on the back. “The great Acheron isn’t going to answer that.”

“Ah man, this is going to drive me crazy. You know I’ve met thousands of women in my lifetime, right?”

“Yes,” Ash said, “but you haven’t slept with them all.”

Fury looked like he was in pain.

Vane came forward and pulled Bride into his arms. “Thank you,” he said, hugging her close. “When Kyle told me my mother was up here with you…”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and let the love she felt for him wash over her. “I wasn’t about to let her hurt you.”

Ash shooed everyone out of the room so that they could kiss in private.

After a few minutes, Vane flashed them from Carson’s office, back to Sanctuary. Stefan was sitting up in a chair, looking a bit dazed and still bleeding.

The poor wolf. But he would live.

Someone started playing “Sweet Home Alabama.”

“You’re too late,” Colt shouted. “We already know Ash is here.”

“So,” Ash said, strolling over to Vane and Bride. “Who are you going to support to take over your pack?”

“Not my concern. I was exiled.”

“Yeah, but since Markus will be gone in about, oh, an hour, they’ll need someone to lead them.”

Vane looked at Stefan, who had wanted the pack for years. Unfortunately, the wolf was an idiot, hence his attempted pact with Vane’s mother.

His gaze went to Fury and Cujo.

“Fury?” Vane called out. “How do you feel about leading a pack of wolves?”

A sly smile spread over his face. “I’d love to.”

“Bullshit,” Stefan snarled as he tried to rise to his feet. He was still too weak. “He’s not strong enough to hold the pack.”

Vane looked at his brother, then Stefan. “Yes he is. Because I know my brother is going to relocate the pack back here to New Orleans.”

“I’ll never stand for it,” Stefan snarled.

“You can’t stand at all, dickhead,” Fury retorted.

Vane ignored Fury’s outburst. “Yes you will. If you don’t, you and I are going to go the distance.” Vane withdrew his spell and let his markings show on his face.

Stefan turned even paler.

“Any questions?”

Stefan turned to Fury and shook his head. “Do you want me to start the move back?”

Fury’s grin turned wicked. “I would say yes, but you look like the only thing you can start is bleeding. I’ll take care of the pack. Carson, want to help Stefan upstairs before he collapses?”

Carson nodded, then flashed out of the room with Stefan.

Fury came forward. “Thanks, Vane.”

“No problem. You’ve earned it and you definitely deserve it more than any of the others.”

Bride couldn’t have been prouder of Vane than she was at that moment.

“Food!”

Bride turned at the happy cry from a voice she recognized.

Ash’s friend Simi came through the door with a beaming smile. Her long black hair was plaited on each side of her face and she had a shiny pair of red horns on her head. She wore a short black PVC skirt with purple and black striped thigh-high leggings that vanished into a pair of scuffed combat boots. She had on a fishnet shirt and a tight red bodice.

Bride noticed that several members of the bear clan had strained looks on their faces.

“Okay, Vane,” she asked quietly. “What is Simi? Animal, vegetable, or mineral?”

“Other,” he said with a laugh. “She’s a demon. Literally.”

“Someone count the cubs,” Dev shouted.

“Oh pooh,” Simi said to him. “I’m not going to eat no furry food while you gots the good stuff.” She opened up the large black tote bag she carried and pulled out an extra large bottle of barbecue sauce.

Simi bobbed her way through the crowd until she saw Bride. She shrieked in happiness. “You play here now too, Bridie? You got any of those great sparklies with you?”

“No, Simi. They’re in my shop.”

The girl pouted, then turned to Ash. “
Akri?
Can we go visit Bridie’s shop again?”

“Sure, Simi. But not today. Bride’s here and not there.”

“Oh. Okay. Can the Simi buy everything she wants?”

“Of course.”

Simi grinned widely, then jumped up and down like a small child. “Okay, everybody dance! You, too,
akri.
”

Suddenly, the Macarena started to play. Everyone in the bar groaned, except Simi, who laughed happily. She grabbed Ash’s hand and pulled him to the dance floor.

“Everybody now!” Simi said.

Slowly the rest of the bar’s inhabitants made their way to the dance floor.

Bride was stunned when Vane took her hand to lead her to the floor.

“Vane…”

“When Simi says dance, everybody dances.”

“Like hell,” one of the surlier brunette men snarled from his chair at the table beside them. “I dance for no one.”

No sooner had he spoken than he jumped up and started patting at his groin as if it were on fire.

“Damn you, Ash,” he snarled.

Ash smirked. “The lady says dance, Justin. Get your panther ass out here.”

Bride laughed as everyone, including Ash, started doing the Macarena. This had to be the strangest moment of her life.

When it was over, Simi ran with her barbecue sauce to one of the tables and grabbed an entire turkey for herself.

“You’re evil the way you spoil that demon, Ash,” Justin snarled.

Ash shrugged good-naturedly and strode over to where Simi sat devouring her turkey.

Bride and Vane sat down next to Fury while everyone started a line for the food.

“I’m still stuffed,” Bride said.

“Me, too,” Vane agreed. So they sat and chatted with the bears while they ate.

Conversations rang out in the room until Bride’s ears buzzed from the happy chatter and music.

All of a sudden everyone grew quiet.

Bride saw Vane’s jaw go slack as he stared at the door to the kitchen.

She turned her head to see a gorgeous man approaching them. He was a little taller than Vane and had black, shaggy hair. He had his arms wrapped around himself protectively and wore a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans.

His gaze was focused on her and Vane as he walked slowly through the crowd without speaking to anyone.

He stopped beside them. His eyes were sorrowful and brooding as he held his hand out to Bride.

Her hand shaking, Bride reached out to him.

“She’s beautiful, Vane,” Fang said, his voice hoarse. “I’m glad you found her.”

Vane stood up, but Fang stepped back.

“Fang?” Vane asked.

Fang withdrew from them.

Bride couldn’t breathe as she watched him make his way back toward the kitchen where Aimee was waiting. The female bear put her arms around him and, to Bride’s amazement, Fang allowed Aimee to hold him as he returned to Peltier House.

“Are you okay?” Bride asked Vane as he took his seat.

A smile played at the edges of his lips. “Yeah. For the first time in a long time, I think I am.”

“Good,” Fury said. “’Cause if he’s messing with Aimee Peltier, Fang is going to need both of us to keep those bears from skinning him.”

The band, which was made up of various animals, took the stage and picked up their instruments.

While they tuned them, a small monkey came running over to Bride and jumped up on her shoulder.

“Hi there,” she said to him. “I didn’t know there were Were-Monkeys.”

“There aren’t,” a tall, lean blond said as he held his arm out for the monkey. Bride remembered being introduced to him earlier. He was named Wren. “Marvin’s the only non-were in the bar.” The monkey ran up his arm and perched on his shoulder.

“Oh, sorry.”

Wren smiled at her. “It’s okay. It took me a long time to get used to the people here, too.”

She watched as he walked off.

The band broke into a rendition of wolf songs. Bride felt her face heat up as they sang “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Werewolves of London,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and even “Midnight Special.”

“C’mon up here, Vane,” Colt said into the mike. “And sing for your supper.”

Vane looked a bit sheepish before he left her and joined them on the stage.

“I didn’t know he could sing,” she said to Fury.

“Neither did I.”

She expected Vane to sing some classic rock tune, so when he started singing “The Story of Us,” Bride felt tears well up. Vane wasn’t singing for his supper.

He was singing for her.

Dev came up to her and pulled her toward the stage.

Bride couldn’t breathe as she listened to Vane. He had a beautiful voice, and when he finished his song, he pulled her up on the stage with him. There, in front of all the Were-Hunters, he went down on his knee before her.

“I know we’re mated by Were-Hunter custom, but I wanted to make sure and do this right for you, baby.” He put the microphone down on the stage and pulled a ring from his pocket.

Bride felt the tears fall down her cheeks as he placed the round diamond solitaire on her finger.

“I love you, Bride McTierney, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I need you. Will you marry me?”

She couldn’t stop blubbering. Heck, she could barely see him for her tears. All she could do was nod like a hysterical loon.

She thought Vane was smiling, but she couldn’t be sure.

“It’s okay,” Vane said into the microphone. “She cried like this on the day I met her, too. I think it’s a good thing for humans.”

“Ahhh, I’d cry too if I had to look at you every day for the rest of my life, Vane,” Colt said.

Ignoring him, Vane stood up before her and wiped her tears away with his hands. “I’m getting better at this, Bride. I didn’t poke your eye out this time.”

“No,” she said, sniffing back her tears, “you didn’t.”

He kissed her gently, then led her from the stage.

Ash met them there with Simi, who was also crying. “That was bootiful,” she sobbed hysterically at Vane. Then she turned to face Ash. “
Akri,
the Simi wants someone to propose like that to her. Go get that model Travis Fimmel for me and make him do that, too. Please!”

“I told you, Sim, you can’t just take humans away from their lives.”

“But Vane took Bride.”

“No, Sim. Bride
chose
Vane.”

“Then go make Travis choose me.”

“I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.”

The demon blew him a raspberry before she saw one of the bears bringing a cake from the kitchen. Her tears dried instantly.

“Ooo,” Simi breathed, eyeing the cake hungrily. “Chocolate. My favorite. Gotta go now. Bye.”

Ash laughed as Simi ran and literally attacked the poor bear who was holding the cake. She grabbed it out of his hands and headed off to a corner to be alone with it.

Shaking his head, Ash turned back to them. “Your father is now out of your hair and I just wanted to say congrats again to both of you.”

“Thanks, Ash,” Vane said, holding his hand out to him.

Ash nodded as he shook it. “By the way, you don’t have to worry.”

“About what?” Bride asked.

“You’ll have babies and not puppies. And no litters.”

Bride was more relieved than she would have thought possible. “Thank you.”

“Any time.”

Ash left them and picked up a pie from the table which he took to Simi, who looked up at him with her face covered in chocolate. She literally inhaled the pie in less than ten seconds.

Vane draped his arm over Bride’s shoulders. As they walked back to her table where Fury and Cujo were sharing a piece of steak, Bride started laughing as she looked around her newfound zoo and family.

“What’s wrong?” Vane asked.

“Nothing. I was just thinking that my life has gone completely to the dogs and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Epilogue

Vane shifted himself to the past. It didn’t take much effort to find his parents. After all, Acheron hadn’t bothered to shield their scent from him and they had only been here together for about an hour.

The Dark-Hunter leader had sequestered the two Were-Hunters on an isolated island during the fifth century. Neither of them had the power to leave either the island or the time period.

It was truly a fate worse than death.

Or at least it was about to be.

Vane flashed to the “arena” where his parents were battling each other with swords drawn. They were both bloody from the fighting, and even though he should be amused, he wasn’t.

How could he be? These two people, for all their faults, were his parents, and if not for them he would never have been born.

Even so, some things could not be forgiven.

His father hesitated as he saw Vane. It gave his mother the opening she needed to run Markus through with her sword.

It should have been a killing blow.

It wasn’t.

His mother jerked the sword free, cursed, and stabbed Markus again. Markus only stood there blinking in disbelief as he remained immune from her attacks.