Blood at Stake (Warriors of the Krieger Book 2) (14 page)

“She explained that the only person who knew
this dark magic to cast a spell on the bullets and chains died
years ago,” I began, taking a seat in her office chair and pulling
her into my lap. Dragus and Harlow slipped outside to give us some
privacy.

“I don’t understand,” she said, twisting
around on my lap so that she could look me in the eyes.

“Kai believes that you have something
special in your blood, and that is why someone is constantly after
you,” I sighed. “Do you have any idea why they would want your
blood?”

“No,” she gasped. “I’m nothing special.”

“You’re everything,” I whispered, looking
her deep in the eyes. I only continued when she nodded her
understanding of my statement. “The fact that the only person known
to cast these spells is dead, and you are somehow involved, worries
me. I’m having a guard placed with you until we find out what’s
going on.”

“Him?” she asked, pointing toward the
door.

“I can have someone else take the job,” I
said, softly.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Harlow is
fine to hang out with me. I don’t mind.”

“If you’re sure,” I said, stroking the side
of her face. “He will protect you with his life.”

“It’s his duty,” she smiled. “I’m sure he
will.”

“It’s just not his duty,” I growled. “If
something happens to you in his care, I will end his
existence.”

“Okay,” she sighed, reaching for her drink.
I smelled the wine mixed with blood and bit back a snarl at her
taking someone else’s blood other than my own.

“I need you to think,” I urged. “Is there
any reason why your blood is what these men are after?”

“How many others have they attempted to
drain?” she asked, her brow furrowed in thought.

“One that we know of,” I admitted.

“I’m sorry Ashby,” she said, closing her
eyes and releasing a deep breath. “I have no idea why they want me.
I’m just a night club owner, nothing else.”

“We will find out why they are after you, I
promise,” I vowed.

“I know you will,” she said, leaning into my
body. I kissed the top of her head and let her press her face into
my neck, where she kissed it softly.

“Are you ready to go home?” I asked. “It’s
been a long night, and I just want to take you home where I know
you’ll be safe.”

“Yes,” she smiled. “I’ll let Jackson lock up
so we can head home.”

We were clueless as to who wanted Lydia and
her blood, but I made a promise to myself as I held my beautiful
mate. If anyone, vampire or human, harmed one hair on her head…the
Vatakas
would be the least of their worries, because I would
slaughter them and bathe in their blood.

Chapter 18

Lydia

Ashby was beyond worried, and I wasn’t much
better. My enhanced abilities were on high alert even with my mate
there to protect me. He’d asked one of the new recruits to watch
over me, and I didn’t mind one bit.

Harlow was a scary son of a bitch. He made
Rowland look like a puppy dog. The newest
Krieger
had
massive scarring on his neck. The left side was covered with his
warrior tattoo of a dragon, showing his affiliation with the
warriors of our race. The other side was puckered and colored with
different shades of pink and white from someone’s failed attempt to
repair the damage many years ago.

We’d left the club around two in the
morning, wasting no time returning to Ashby’s home on the estate.
As we pulled in, warriors were conducting drills on the front lawn
with the new recruits. I noticed Rowland working with three males
I’d never met before.

“Those are the other men we picked up,”
Ashby said, noticing my eyes drift across the new arrivals. “Zin is
the Native American, Dante is the one with short brown hair, and
Kale is the blonde.”

“Are they all going to be working with you?”
I asked.

“No,” he said, pulling up alongside his
house. “Dante will be an instructor with Kale. Zin is just starting
his training, and if he scores well could be inducted into the
Krieger
in about six months.”

“Wow,” I gasped. “Training takes half a
year?”

“We are always training, but yes initial
training takes that long,” he said, stepping out of the Hummer and
walking around to my side. I took his offered hand and smiled into
the soft kiss he placed on my lips. “We push them to their limits
and then start over again. They have to be able to protect
themselves and those who need protecting.”

I nodded and walked ahead to get the door.
Once inside, Ashby cursed when his phone rang. “I have to take
this.”

I nodded and took a seat in the front room
on one of the two brown leather couches. A huge flat screen
television took up the main wall in front of the furniture, but I
didn’t turn it on because I had to think. My mind was too busy
scrambling for answers as too why those people wanted my blood.

As a human, my life was simple. Once I found
Leo, he taught me to love my new race. As a vampire, I could do
anything I wanted. The possibilities were endless. Leo showed me
that there were no limitations anymore. As a woman…a human woman,
my life was pretty much planned out for me. Grow up, marry a good
man, keep the house, have babies and host boring parties to
socialites and whoever else we were to impress.

Since I was turned, I’d learned to travel
the world. I’d seen everything from the North Pole to the heated
deserts of Death Valley. I had seen war and peace and everything in
between. Leo wasn’t always by my side, but when we were together,
he spent most of his time teaching me about life…about the joys of
living even though we were technically dead.

I remembered times when we would talk about
life and the meaning of it while we sat on the top of a mountain or
on a beach in the middle of the night, watching as the moon slowly
passed over our heads.

“
Life is worth living, young one,” he
said. “The world is ours to explore. Never take for granted that it
could all be gone in an instant. Just because we are vampires
doesn’t mean we are invincible, Lydia.”

“
I miss the sun,” I admitted. We were in
the Philippines at the time, looking out over the Chocolate Hills.
There were no humans for at least twenty miles, and the moon was
bright over our heads, casting a whitish glow over the domed
landscape.

“
But you see the beauty with your eyes,”
he said, nudging my shoulder. “There is no need for sun to see the
things around you, my dear. You have the ability to make your own
sun in your mind if you miss it that much, Lydia.” He tapped the
side of my head with one finger, smiling and reminding me of my
ability to cast out the pictures in my head.

“
I guess you are right,” I
shrugged.

“
I must leave you for a while,” he
whispered, after a long pause.

“
What?” I gasped. “Why?”

“
I must go back to France,” he sighed.
“My family has sent word that I return. My father has passed, and
my uncle has requested I return to make arrangements for my
families things.”

“
I’m sorry, Leo,” I said, touching his
arm. “It’s still hard to remember that you were born as a vampire
and not changed like me.”

“
We are still the same, my child,” he
smiled. “Don’t think that you are different. In fact, you are more
special than any other turned vampire. Born Bloods don’t turn
humans as a rule. It’s too dangerous.”

“
Then why did you change me? Why not let
me die? I was almost dead anyway,” I asked. Remembering my death
was always hard, and I had to clench my teeth to keep from tearing
up from the memories.

“
Your blood called out to me,” he
admitted.

“
Well, yes, you’re a vampire,” I
chuckled. “Of course my blood called out to you. It was
everywhere.”

“
No, silly girl,” he said, tapping the
end of my nose. “When I scented your blood, it was like it called
out to me for help. I’d never experienced that in all of my five
hundred years. I don’t know why I saved you, but I’m glad I did. I
love you, my child.”

“
And I love you, Leo,” I said, leaning my
head on his shoulder. We didn’t speak for at least an hour, only
stared out into the moonlit night. “When will I see you
again?”

“
Meet me in Paris in thirty nights,” he
said. “I’ll meet you in front of the Eiffel Tower at
midnight.”

“
I’ll be there,” I promised. It was a
little hard leaving him again. We’d been back together only two
years since I’d tried to live on my own for twenty. I’d finally
found him after searching for a few years. After we reconnected,
we’d been traveling the world, moving from place to place ever
since.

“
Oh,” he said, remembering something as
he stood. “I met someone you should meet. After we leave Paris,
maybe we can go to Greece, and I’ll introduce you.”

“
That would be nice,” I blushed. I knew
he was trying to find me a mate, but I really didn’t want one. I
was having fun on my own. “It’s been awhile since I was in
Greece.”

“
Okay, love,” he said, pulling me in for
a long embrace. “Be safe.”

With a soft kiss to my forehead, Leo was
gone.

I didn’t wipe away the bloody tears that
fell, remembering my maker and best friend. I just sat there and
watched as they dripped off my face and splashed quietly on my
hands that were clasped in my lap.

Chapter 19

Ashby

“Did you know her maker?” Dragus asked. I’d
stepped out the back door so that we could speak about some
information he’d found when he went back through her file in our
database. It was still two hours from dawn, and the night was
quiet, only the far off sounds of warriors moving about the
property could be heard. There was no wind blowing or insects
singing to be heard.

“Yes,” I replied. “We’d met in Greece and
struck up a friendship. I’d only seen him maybe twice after that,
then I’d found out years later that he’d been killed by
hunters.”

“Did you know he was a
Born Blood
?”
he asked.

“What?” I gasped, my somewhat still heart
galloped in my chest at the realization of what he was saying.

“So, I’m taking that as a negative,” Dragus
said. “I think we may just have found out why they want Lydia’s
blood.”

“Because she was turned by Leo?” I growled.
“Her blood is pure. Is that why?”

“That is my assumption,” he said. “I’m going
to talk to Powle and Lady Elise. I want more information on what is
so special about her blood. Bring Lydia and come to the mansion
after nightfall. It’s too close to dawn, and there is nothing more
we can do today. Lydia is with you and safe.”

“She will not be going into work at the club
tonight,” I said. “We will be over an hour after sunset.”

“See you then,” Dragus replied and hung up
the phone.

As I stepped in the back door, a faint scent
drifted across my senses. The sweet, floral aroma of my mate’s
blood caused my knees to tremble with fear for only a second in
time. With my weapon drawn, I ran into the living room, dropping to
my knees at her feet.

“Lydia,” I whispered, seeing her head bowed
and drops of pink tears splashed on her lap and hands. “What’s
wrong?”

“I remember,” she paused, looking into my
eyes. “I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now I
remember…Leo changed me…” Her voice faded, but the look in her eyes
told me she understood now.

“Your blood is special,” I said, taking her
chin with my forefinger, pulling her face so that she’d look into
my eyes. “Because he wasn’t supposed to change you. He was a
Born Blood
.”

“Yes,” she cried, softly. “He said my blood
sang to him. What does that mean?”

“Sang to you?” I asked, confused at her
words.

“What did Dragus say on the phone?” she
asked, finally wiping the blood from her face.

“He thinks that they somehow know that you
were changed by a
Born Blood
,” I confessed. “We are going to
talk to Powle and Lady Elise after sunset. Come, let me care for
you before sunrise.”

On her nod, I picked her up and carried her
to the master bathroom, removing her clothes, and drawing a hot
bath. I sat her on the bathroom counter and let her stay lost in
her memories while I readied the tub. Once the water was as full as
it could go, I climbed into the water and sank down with my mate in
my arms.

Chapter 20

Ashby

“The tests came back on the blood we found
at the last scene,” Dragus said, taking a seat at the conference
table in the basement of the mansion. It was more like a war room
for meetings that were not to be conducted at the office in town.
This was vampire business, and the humans had no business knowing
anything about it. “It was from another vampire who was either a
Born Blood
or had been changed by one.”

“How the hell can you determine that?” Lydia
gasped.

“A
Born Blood’s
blood is different,”
Lady Elise sighed. “It’s stronger…more potent. The hunters that
took out most of us were from a society of humans who knew about
our kind and didn’t want us to reproduce. So, they had daylight
hunting parties to find us and stake us in our sleep.”

Powle scooted closer to his petite mate, his
protective hold on her didn’t go unnoticed. Lady Elise had been
born a vampire, and just after her nineteenth birthday, she mated
with Powle after her family was killed, and the
Krieger
had
been called to her home. That was over four hundred years ago.

“What about Charity’s blood?” Lydia asked,
turning toward Dragus. “Wouldn’t hers be the same as mine?”