The Faerie Master (Aaron's Kiss Series) (25 page)

Val didn’t think she’d answer him.
He couldn’t move from the earth yet as the sun was still high in the sky.
He’d been entombed for decades, he knew, and he would need the earth, the soil to replenish him, to heal him until he could feed.
It mattered little to him that being in this magical place he could move in the light. Val was of the old school and could not bring himself to change now and venture into the light.

“I’m too tired.
I hurt.
Go away.
He killed her and I can’t...why would he kill my mother?
I just want to die too.
Please, just go away.”

Before he could say more Val knew that he had to choose his words carefully.
His heart, long since broken, pounded in his chest, pounded for his lost love and for the child he had lost.

“The being that hit you, he killed your mother? He killed my Jasmine?”
Val began making his way to the surface and a world he’d not seen in over two decades.
“You will live, child of mine.
Dig into the earth and seek its help.
I will be there soon.”

“No.
He’ll hurt you.
He’s unbalanced and he’s a wolf now. You must...you can’t come here.
It’s too dangerous.
Stay away.”

Val burst through the soil and shifted to his form.
The eagle moved toward the tree line even as the sun warmed and nourished his skin.
He had to get to her.
He had to save her.
Putting the most compulsion into his voice as he could, he pushed it to her.

“You’ll do as I say, child of mine.
Dig into the earth.
The earth will help you; pull from its source.
Ask for it to heal you. Do it now.”

Val was in her mind because she was his daughter.
He knew her name as his child Juliana, but not this adult.
He moved through the sky, rushing toward her, moving between shadows and light between this world and the one she was in.
He was going to save her; he was going to kill the man who dared touch what was his. Val was nearly there when he felt the others, felt the wolves as they moved as one toward her.
Reaching to a higher power, looking for the master of the realm, Val found Aaron MacManus.

“I am Vladimir Michaels, vampire.
My child is in mortal danger. A pack of wolves, rogues by the scent of them, move toward where she is.
I ask your permission to enter your realm, to feed, and to go to her aide.
I have no master now and will pledge to you if you allow me this.”

“Cade MacFarland?
You’re her father?
Her mate, Shawn MacFarland, is on his way to her.
She’s in trouble and has blocked him.
Do you have an idea where she is?”

“She is below me in a house.
The house sits beyond the road and is white. The road is called Vista View Lane.
She is within the basement.
A man, a newly turned wolf, is with her.
He has hurt her much, her life is draining away.
I wish to kill him, need to kill him, for he claims to have killed my mate as well.”

“Cade’s mate will be there soon.
I have relayed your message to him and he wishes for you to await him before entering.
I would suggest you do this. Shawn is old and powerful and he won’t take it well if you don’t do as he has asked.”

Val bristled.
He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to go in and kill the wolf.
But he knew that this man, MacManus, could make his life a living hell.
Especially now that he knew his child was alive.

“I’ll wait, my lord.
That’s unless it becomes life or death for my child.
She will remain foremost in my heart no matter what you do to me.”

“I could expect no less.
I would do the same.
Shawn will be there soon.
He is a wolf, black and gray.
He knows your scent, as we are one.”

Val watched the pack move.
There were seven of them, powerful yet newly turned.
Val could feel their need to tear and to kill.
Bloodlust was first and foremost in their minds.
A movement just behind them drew his attention.
Another pack, this one larger, more seasoned.
Their leader was huge and in control.

Reaching to the earth Val asked that they be able to move with stealth, silent along the branches and leaves.
He watched as the ground moved just in front of the leader and he stopped and looked around.
Val shifted into his human form for only a minute then shifted back to the eagle.
The wolf bowed and continued on his way.

Staying as the eagle Val dropped to the ground and hopped toward the house.
When he was in front of it he dug his talons into the earth and asked for help.
The ground moved beneath his feet, slowly at first then more as time passed.
When he was sure he could move on swift, silent feet as he had done for the other pack Val shifted to his human form and moved with vampire speed to the open window.
The movement of wind behind his back was his only warning.
Suddenly he was pinned against the house with a massive forearm to his neck.

“You’ll die if you don’t give me a good enough reason right now not to kill you.
I don’t care if you are her dad, she’s my mate.
You’re here without permission and I am well within my rights as second to the master.
You were told to wait.”

Val could feel the power surging through the man who held him.
Mate, his daughter’s mate.
Val raised his hands in surrender and looked the older vamp in the eyes.
His fangs were long and deep, his eyes, like Val’s, were deep red.

“I have not moved within.
The pack comes closer.
I am merely in a better position in the event things go badly quickly. I need to do this one thing for her. I must be the one to save my child.
You may kill me if you need after, but I need to save her when I couldn’t her mother.”

Val could see the indecision in his eyes.
He was at least twice Val’s age and more than triple the power base.
Plus, Val had not fed, not fed in almost thirty years, the earth and the queen’s magic keeping him alive.
Just when Val was going to beg again the man let him drop to the ground.

“A pack comes.
The alpha of this region wants the wolf and his pack.
Only kill them if necessary and not their leader at all.
Bradley is a nice wolf, but he is fucking pissed at this guy.
I can sense one other with Cade.
I’ll...I’ll grant you this so long as she is safe.
The second I see one thing looking as though it may harm her you’ll wish you had let me kill you now.
Do I make myself clear?”

Val wanted to bow before this man.
He was willing to give Val the opportunity to save his daughter.
Val had no illusions about what would happen if he didn’t, or if anything happened to Cade in the process.
He wouldn’t fail, couldn’t fail. “You have my word.
I will sooner let you kill me than to cause Juliana any harm.
I thank you.
Your name?
I don’t know your name.”

“Shawn Alan MacFarland.
Cade MacFarland is my mate.
I’m guessing that you called her Juliana as a child?”
Val nodded.
“She doesn’t know you then. Be careful not to harm what is mine, Vladimir.
You do your part and we might let you hang around long enough to explain who you are to her.”

When the sounds of wolves tearing into flesh, a horrific sound of screaming and breaking bones reached their ears, each vampire dematerialized and entered the house.
Val went to just behind the wolf and Shawn, holding back just a few seconds, to Cade.

Wasting no time at all Val grabbed the wolf’s hair and jerked him to expose his neck at the same time he became solid again.
Wrapping his free arm around the wolf’s waist Val sank his fangs deep into the jugular.
Hot blood surged into his mouth.
Drawing hard on the open vein Val swallowed the enriched essences into his starving body.
Pull after pull of the wolf blood filled Val’s organs, his muscles, and his skin.
When the wolf struggled Val simply squeezed him tight, smiling to himself with he heard his spine snap.

Val watched as the other vamp kneeled down to Cade.
Shawn was tender as he gave her his vein, murmuring in her ear and holding her close.
There was steel in the older vamp’s eye and also love.
When Shawn turned to look at Val he had a strange smile on his face.

“You plan on coming up for air or is it your plan to drain him?
I’d say that’s a good idea either way, but I think you’d better ask the alpha first.
I think he has plans for that one.
Seems they shit in his oatmeal something fierce today.”

Val had no idea what that meant, but he did stop drinking from the man who now lay limp in his arms. He did not bother to seal the wound.
The wolf could die for all that Val cared. He felt revitalized and strong.
Stronger than he’d felt for a very long time.

“I had no plan other than to feed and then kill him.
Will she be all right?
She took quite a beating.
I had her dig into the earth to keep her safe until someone could arrive to help her.”

“I’ll take care of her.
You should take him to the others.
Bradley is there now and I’ve no doubt was triumphant over the fools who thought to come into this realm without so much as a text.”

Val nodded and threw the wolf over his shoulder.
He took one last look at his daughter before he turned to go.
She looked like her mother so much that it hurt.

~~~

Shawn watched the man go with his burden.
He’d seen the anguish in his eyes and the need, but Shawn wasn’t ready to give her up.
Not yet at any rate.
He picked Cade up and pulled her into his arms as she fed from his wrist.
Soon he would need to pull away, but for now he wanted to just hold her.

Laying her on the cot in the corner Shawn covered her with the light blanket there.
Tucking it around her he kissed her forehead.
She would rest now and heal.
He wished that he could have killed the man who had hurt her, but Aaron had begged him to allow Vladimir to have the pleasure.

“According to Mel he’s been searching for Cade since her mother’s body was found.
When Vladimir found his mate dead in their home and his daughter missing he’d gone into such a rage that Mel had threatened to have him put into a prison.
She’d made him a deal that if he would remain true to her as her servant then she would release him from his bond mate so that he could feed and search for his daughter.”

Shawn didn’t think he’d want to live without Cade, but he knew that with a child involved it was all Vladimir had left to him.
Kissing Cade again he left her in the basement of the house and went to search for the one who had caused it all.
He knew that Aaron and Sara were on their way and that Aaron would safeguard Shawn’s true love.