Unbound, page 10
part #1 of Forbidden Bond Series
Chase knew something was very wrong with Danielle. He was trying uselessly to wake her and her eyes were all wrong. That only happened in reaction to stress, anger, hunger, or passion. This wasn’t simple drunkenness if Nathan was able to walk out on his own motor. He’d be dead from alcohol poisoning for her to be laid this low.
“Doc will be there shortly. He’s finishing up with a patient in the area. We really need to get this girl help. She doesn’t know when to say when.” Cayden shook his head in shame for the girl.
“Something is wrong with her!” Chase raged, “The person she fed from left on his own two feet after speaking to Vince. That means I’m gonna have to find him because she didn’t make it to the basement on her own.” He was running his hands through her hair and whispering to her when they arrived at Chase’s building. Cayden took Danielle from Chase so he could climb out of the backseat. As he emerged, he saw the last person he wanted to see sitting on a bench in the vestibule. Samantha was not going to like this, but he wasn’t going to deal with her now. Retrieving Danielle from Cayden’s arms, he took off for the elevator. “Cayden, deal with her, and then come help me.”
“Aw, man!” Cayden drawled. “Give her back to me and you deal with that nightmare.” Chase ignored this suggestion. He didn’t like seeing Cayden touching his Lovely. She looked so fragile and she smelled weird. She smelled like someone sedated. The smell of it was overwhelming her usual delicious scent.
Samantha jumped to her feet when Chase entered the building with a female in his arms and a look of deep concern on his face. “Who the hell is that? Please tell me you’re not killing your prey these days.” The elevator was open and Chase jumped in hitting the penthouse button without responding, or so much as looking in Samantha’s direction. Again, he told himself, “She’s going to be fine. She’s going to be fine.”
* * *
Mason was taken off guard when the call had come in from Tessa. He knew something was terribly wrong. The last time he’d seen her was the day he told her of Griffin’s engagement to Sarah. Tessa was very lucky that the baby was able to accept human breast milk. It took several frustrating tries, but once she was hungry enough, the babe sucked it down greedily. Tessa was able to care for the baby without vampire intervention. Mason knew that when Griffin returned to Tessa from meeting with his parents, he would be followed. His mother wanted him to bring her the child and to get rid of the mother. If he wouldn’t do it, they would wait until he left her again and take care of the situation themselves. So, when she ran the day of the child’s birth, Mason hid her and the baby. When Adele found the fake medical records he’d planted he would take Griffin to their hiding place, but he had to wait for that to happen. If he told Griffin before that, it would all be for nothing. The information was found within a couple months but his family had waited another month to tell Griffin. Mason was afraid they hadn’t taken the bait and were still searching, so he waited for Griffin to come to him with the sad news of their deaths. That had been Mason’s mistake. He believed his best friend would call him immediately in need of comfort, but Griffin didn’t call Mason until days after he had proposed to Sarah. Then they were in a pickle. Griffin was already bonded to Tessa. They had exchanged blood and preformed the sacred ceremony not long after they met. Mason thought Griffin was insane but his love for Tessa was plain to see. He supposed bonding for love must be better than doing it because your parents arranged it when you were born, but she was human. Mason had wondered if it would work like a normal bonding for that reason, but it didn’t.
Vampire bonding is a strong connection. You will always be aware of that person and their emotions. You can feel your mate’s fears, joy, and sometimes pain or pleasure. This is why vampires don’t share blood unless they’re bonding, or in extreme emergencies to save another’s life. It would need to be someone beloved to make that sacrifice. Being always aware of another is an intimate situation. The only way to break a bond is to create another bond, but that was unheard of. The connection is soul deep and so strong that even if you weren’t in love with your betrothed before the ceremony, it would be all changed afterward. Being without that person would be unthinkable. Vampires do not divorce. The only separation is in death, and that is crushing for the one left behind.
The day he went to break the news about Griffin’s engagement Tessa was out of her mind. Griffin was supposed to meet Mason later that day and Mason intended to bring him back to Tessa. They would have to figure out how to break his engagement without starting a family feud. Griffin and Sarah were to be bonded in only a week. Tessa raged and Mason began to think that Griffin had given her too much of his blood. Maybe she was becoming a vampire after all. She wasn’t but her heart ripped and convulsed at the knowledge that Griffin had consented to bond with another woman less than twelve hours after he learned of her supposed death.
After she managed to break every dish in the house and several pieces of furniture, she calmed a bit. Her next request was against Mason’s best wishes for his friend, but Tessa had a right to protect her child and she felt betrayed by her mate. She asked Mason not to tell Griffin she was alive. She reasoned that if they broke the engagement Griffin’s parents would suspect foul play. They would follow him and come for the baby. Surely, they would have her killed. She just didn’t understand why they wanted the baby if she was an embarrassment. Why did they want her half-breed child? Griffin had ruined everything and she had to play the cards she was dealt. Losing her child was not an option, and Griffin had not even mourned her loss. Mason promised he would always be there if needed. The baby was showing no signs of vampirism. Tessa hoped she never would, but if she did, Mason would have to step in. Mason explained that he had no idea how Griffin’s new bonding would affect her. It had never been done, to his knowledge, unless the first mate was actually dead. He left her that day, and when he returned to see how she was doing after Griffin’s bonding, she was gone.
He’d returned Tessa’s call the previous night and was surprised to hear her account of the recent events in Soleil’s life. She’d made it to nineteen years old before her father’s genes made themselves known. Mason was on his way to meet Tessa. They had to decide the best way to help Soliel make the transition. Their home was about five hours from his home so they decided to meet half way.
As he pulled up to the restaurant, Tessa was crossing the parking lot. She was still absolutely perfect, still slight and curvy in all the right places. Her hair was shorter but still the same glossy dark blonde. She didn’t look to be any more than three years older than the last time he saw her, much less her actual forty-one years. The vampire blood she’d ingested years ago was responsible for her agelessness. Griffin had chosen his first mate well, Mason had to admit. He was actually very interested to ask her how Griffin’s bond to Sarah affected Tessa. As he entered the dining room, she saw him and came to wrap him in an embrace. Her sorrow immediately overwhelmed him. Mason was blessed, or cursed depending on your point of view, with an extra sensorial gift. All vampires have certain abilities like strength, speed, mind control of humans, incredible eyesight and hearing, but a few have extra abilities. Some are able to read minds, predict the future or, in Griffin’s case, had telekinesis. Mason was empathic. He could read the emotions or manner of a person or vampire with a touch. Say a person was a cold-blooded killer, he could feel their evil and anger with a touch. If they’re a humanitarian, he could feel their love of others and a giving nature, as well as their current emotions. It was very difficult to lie to Mason if he was touching you.
When he touched Tessa, he realized that she’d been in mournful sorrow this whole time, and his heart felt the pain of her daily struggle. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. He thought he would cry at the pain and the rawness of it, as if it was that day he told her of Griffin’s engagement and no time had passed.
She smiled weakly and said, “Oh now, don’t you do that. I’m fine, Mason. It’s been a long time and I’ve learned to deal with it just fine.”
“My God, Tessa, how do you breathe? It’s stifling.” He was suddenly angry at Griffin and regretted going along with this plan so many years ago.
“I said I’m fine and that’s not what I’ve dragged you out here for. I’m very sorry about having to involve you in this situation.” She was trying not to show her pain, and apparently had become a pro at it. As they took their seats, she handed him the most recent picture of Danielle she had. It was from the day she left for college. She was leaning against her car, wearing a University t-shirt. He stared at the picture appraisingly.
“She looks so much like Griffin with that hair. It’s unreal. She has your eyes and figure and the rest is all him. It’s actually surprising this hasn’t happened sooner given the resemblance. She is a breathtaking beauty.”
“Thank you. Does she look anything like her siblings?” She looked at the table with that.
“Yes, she looks like her little brother. JR is also the spitting image of his father.” Mason looked at her cautiously. “How did you know she has siblings?”
“I know heirs were very important to his House, but I also felt his joy when his kids were born. It was the same as when Danielle was born. Overwhelming pride and adoration is the only way I can describe it. I believe one child was born slightly more than a year after Danielle and another maybe ten years ago.” She still couldn’t look at him. He understood completely. He had also felt it when he hugged his best friend after their births. The emotions came rushing into his body at the contact with Griffin.
“You can still feel him?” the thought made his stomach sick.
“I feel him every day,” she whispered.
“You are correct. He had twin girls a couple of months after your daughter’s first birthday and a son who is now ten.” Pausing Mason thought about the fact that Tessa was not calling the girl Soleil. “You called her Danielle?” Mason had noticed twice she’d used the new name.
“Her name was changed. I thought leaving her with the unusual name her father gave her would make it easier to find her, but we both kept his last name,” she explained.
“You never remarried?”
“I’m still bonded, Mason. When he broke his bond to me, it didn’t change mine to him. I still feel him, even if he doesn’t feel me. I can’t even look at another man. I’m sure if you considered leaving Deborah for another woman you’d see what I mean. I’m still his mate.” Tears began to well in her sad eyes. “Even if I forced myself to move on, it wouldn’t sever our bond. Humans don’t bond the way vampires do. We don’t share blood and there is no soul connection. I suppose if I bonded to another vampire it might break it, but there aren’t many of those that are willing to do more than feed on my kind.”
“I see your point. Has Soleil… I mean Danielle, ever asked any questions? How much does she know already?”
“She’s been asking questions about her father since she was old enough to understand she should have one. I never gave her any answers until a couple of years ago, and even then I didn’t tell her anything other than his family didn’t approve of me and that he had married someone else. She asked me yesterday if her condition had anything to do with her Dad. I told her it had everything to do with him, and then she ran out.”
“Do you know if she has fed yet?” Mason was pondering her state of mind if she had bitten someone with no idea what was happening to her. He also believed she would need to feed soon and once she did, her abilities would make themselves known. The poor kid probably did believe she was going crazy.
“No, I don’t think so. I haven’t been able to reach her since she left yesterday.” She was watching Mason stare at Danielle’s picture.
“Is this the school she attends?” he asked pointing at her shirt.
“Yes, this is her first year.”
“That university is no more than forty five minutes from my home. It shouldn’t be too difficult to keep an eye on her, but we’re going to have to figure out how to break this news to her. She’ll likely need a little vampire 101. We can’t have her out there breaking laws she isn’t aware of yet. The sooner the better I think.” Mason hesitated before asking, “Do you want Griffin to know?”
“Not if he doesn’t need to know. I’m afraid of what his family’s opinion will do to her. I can just imagine the slurs other vampires will fling at her. Not to mention the displeasure he will have with you if he discovers your part in our disappearance.” Tessa was speaking with her head in her hands. She lifted it when the waiter came to the table. She ordered a martini and a salad.
“No wonder you’re still so thin.” Mason smiled and ordered the same martini and a steak with potatoes.
“When can you talk to her?” Tessa asked as she pulled out her cell.
“Can you get her home on Saturday? I think we should do it as soon as possible. Tell her to call you if she has any trouble. I’ll go get her sooner if necessary.” Tessa nodded her head in acknowledgement and pressed send. She got Dani’s voice mail again. Then she called the number Danielle gave her for Olivia in case of emergency. It was an emergency at this point. She answered, “Hello?”
“Olivia, this is Danielle’s mother Tessa. Have you seen her? I haven’t been able to reach her since she left home yesterday.” Tessa asked and began to worry her lower lip.
“No ma’am. I haven’t talked to her since Saturday morning when she left campus.” Olivia’s concern frightened Tessa.
Looking at Mason she replied, “You’re telling me she never made it back to school?”
“I haven’t seen her. She didn’t come back to our room if she did get back. I’ll call around to everyone else and see if she’s been spotted and call you back.” Olivia disconnected.
“She should have been there no later than four o’clock last night.” Tessa downed the martini the waiter had just sat in front of her and asked for another. “I shouldn’t have let her go.”
Brandi was visiting her grandparents with her brother JR when a disturbing call came in. Several young vampires had gone missing over the last few weeks and one of them recovered. The boy had been found dead of complete consumption. Brandi was listening intently from the dining room while her grandparents spoke with other members of the Council over the speakerphone in the study.
“We can’t let this happen again, Lloyd. We need to find these kids and their captor,” Someone on the phone pleaded.
“We don’t know that this situation has anything to do with what happened in the past, Alexander,” Grandpa replied, sounding agitated.
“Adele, will you please reason with him. This cannot be a coincidence,” A female voice said. “The Davis boy was gifted and so was one of the other missing youths. The fact that he was found completely drained should be a clear sign.”
“I realize this is a sensitive subject for your family but we can’t let this situation get out of hand. I’m going to go examine the body to see if I can get a scent. I wish you would come with me,” Alexander pleaded.
Brandi stepped into the kitchen, holding her stomach as if she would be sick. She was a friend of Shane Davis and knew he had been missing. To hear of his death made her heartsick. Shane was an outgoing guy she had attended school with. He had the extra sensory ability of being able to sense the gifts of other vampires. He didn’t like it because when babies were born their parents would call his parents to have him come see the newborn. They just couldn’t wait until they were older to see if their child was gifted.
He said it was the stupidest talent ever. He wanted telekinesis or telepathy. After gathering herself and calling Samantha to inform her of Shane’s tragic death, she went to see if she could ascertain anything else from the meeting, but it was over, and Grandpa already headed out the door with her father. Brandi entered the study where her Grandma was still sitting at the desk in deep concentration. “What’s wrong, Gran? Can I help you with anything? Grandpa looked upset.”
“Don’t worry about anything, Sweeting. Everything is fine. Grandpa had some business to attend.” Adele tried to comfort Brandi.
“Does it have to do with the missing kids? I know two of them. I would be glad to help search.” Brandi was digging. She knew she wouldn’t get far with Grandma but tried anyway.
“I do think there is something you can do to help. I don’t want you or your sister going anywhere alone until we find the missing children. You girls need to watch each other’s back and keep your eyes open for danger. Don’t be surprised if your father gives you a curfew until this is all straightened out.” Adele turned and raised one eyebrow at Brandi, “Did you overhear our conversation?”
Brandi couldn’t hold back the tears. She nodded as her lower lip trembled. “Shane was my friend. We went to school together and I can’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt such a nice guy.” Gran stood and came to put her arms around Brandi. It was a little weird because she’d never been the comforting sort, but Brandi was glad for the open show of affection and support.
“I’m sure you and your siblings will be safe, given none of you has an extra ability, but I still want you to stick together for the time being.”
Brandi didn’t understand this statement until the phone rang again. Her father called to inform Gran of the recovery of another child. Melinda Prince was the other kid Brandi and her sister knew that was missing. She was found drugged, but still alive on her parents’ lawn. Doc Stevens was on the way to examine her and assess her injuries. Her dad was hopeful they’d be able to get some information from the girl once she was well enough to speak to them.
Now things were making a little more sense to Brandi. Melinda was an athlete but she didn’t have an extra sensory ability. Shane, on the other hand, had a special touch. Melinda came home but Shane didn’t make it back alive. Someone was hunting for gifted young vampires. Brandi was sickened and horrified.
