Darkness Unleashed (16 page)

“
What can I do?” Laying her hand gently on my forearm, she placed her container down on the counter top, giving me her full attention.

“
Nothing. It’s over; and Amber is no longer a threat to us. Zane summoned Darcy to come speak with him.”

“
And you wait outside?”

I nodded. “Out of respect for my mate and her privacy.”

This made her laugh, the sound like the tinkling of glass chimes on the wind. “She’s a lucky woman to have you, Mason O’Connor. Not many would afford their loved ones such a boon.”

“
She’s already feeling violated. This was nothing. Besides, she’s never far away,” I said, tapping the side of my temple.

“
And have you peeked?” Amelia’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“
As tempting as it is, no. She’ll come and get me when it’s time.”

“
I envy the closeness you have together. The complete trust it must take to be so readily vulnerable, yet knowing the other won’t take advantage. It’s not always granted to some, no matter how much they yearn for it.” Her tone took on a less jovial note, betraying her envy.

Winking, I attempted to lighten the mood again. “Maybe I can set you up with one of my wolves? You know, Daniel’s still single and available.”

“
That man would be the death of me!” she gasped, humor returning to her eyes. “I’ve seen the way he flirts and smiles. He’s got half of the women here in love with him. I’d stand no chance with him. A pretty phrase paired with one of those sexy grins of his and I’d be a swooning fool like the rest of them. No, thank you. I’d rather hold on to my dignity. ”

Something told me she’d be more than a match for my bachelor best friend. She might even give him a run for his money, breaking his heart in the process. “If you’re sure. Just say the word and it’s a done deal.”

“
I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you.” Retrieving her Tupperware, Amelia opened the fridge and deposited her food. “As much as I’d love to continue entertaining that thought, I have a pile of paperwork on my desk demanding my attention. Give my regards to Darcy, please.”

“
Absolutely. I’m sure she’ll want to have you over for dinner, soon.”

“
If so, you know where to find me. Be well, Alpha.” Nodding with respect to me and my position, Amelia retreated from the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

A quick glance at my watch confirmed what I’d suspected. Only a few minutes had passed and I was back to impatiently waiting.

“
Maybe I should go wear out the carpet outside his office,”
I mused to no one in particular.

“
Talking to yourself, again? You know that’s the first sign of insanity, right?”

Cocking my eyebrows at Devlin’s sudden appearance, I shrugged. “It’s a battle I face every day, Enforcer. What’s your excuse?” Laughing at the way his brow raised, mirroring what I’d done, it was time to escape the small confinement of the kitchen and away from the coffee.

“
How’s she doing?” Devlin asked, cutting to the chase. “I was busy giving Vlad an assignment; otherwise I’d have been up sooner. There’s only so much caffeine you can drink before you start twitching.”

Walking down the length of the hallway, we came to a stop outside Zane’s office. “What gave it away?” I chuckled as I flinched, my body convulsing and head tweaking to the side.

“
Besides, that stuff will kill you if you’re not careful. One cup too many and . . .” Devlin crossed his eyes, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. “It’s never pretty when that happens.”

“
You’re in good spirits, today. That could only mean one thing.”

“
That Vlad’s out of my hair and someone else’s problem? You would be correct in that assumption.” Sitting down on the uncomfortable looking chairs that all offices seem to have out for visitors, Devlin leaned back, resting his ankle over his other knee. “I seriously think he’s like the curse of Bloody Mary, only minus the mirror.”

“
What? Say his name three times and he appears?”

“
Hey, laugh all you want, but it’s uncanny,” Devlin answered, holding his hand up in protest.

“
He can’t be that bad. I know he’s a little . . . unorthodox.” It was the kindest way to describe Devlin’s nephew without pointing out how unbalanced he sometimes came across. “But Darcy likes him, who’s doing okay, by the way. She’s still in with Zane and I’m just waiting for her to call me in.”

Devlin’s head bobbed, showing me he’d heard my acknowledgment of Darcy’s wellbeing. “Well, I’ve always questioned my niece’s taste. She married you, didn’t she?” He was definitely in fine form, something I had no problem in crushing.

“
Vlad.”

That got his attention.

“
Vlad,” I said again.

“
Don’t.”

“
V—llllad.” I finished, enjoying the way Devlin looked around as though he expected him to magically appear.

Groaning, Devlin covered his face. “You had to do it, didn’t you? You couldn’t just leave it alone.”

“
You’re delusional.”

Then, to my complete amazement, Vlad rounded the corner, smiling as he spotted us. “Hey, guys.”

“
You were saying?” Devlin murmured below his breath.

“
How was I to know you weren’t lying?” I fired back just as quietly.

“
Because when it comes to my crazy nephew, I never lie.” Glaring at me, Devlin let out a sigh, before staring up at his younger charge. “I thought I told you to go check up on the Brock family. They reported hearing something unusual outside their home last night and requested someone come check it out.”

The fact that Vlad was running errands for the Council obviously boosted the vampire’s confidence and he beamed with pride. “I was heading there, but saw that Darcy had an appointment with Zane. I didn’t want her thinking me rude by not at least stopping by to see how she is.”

“
So, you’d rather annoy me, instead?” It was funny seeing the good-natured Devlin take on a more exasperated tone with his family member.

“
I don’t see how showing some concern is annoying you, Uncle. Darcy and I are cousins and I’ve worried about her.”

Peering at Devlin, I was surprised to see he’d confided her ordeal to Vlad. The discrete shake of his head told me he hadn’t.

“
She’s doing fine, Vlad,” I interrupted. “She’ll be sorry she missed you.”

Instead of taking the hint, he perched himself on the edge of the couch. “The conversion process can be a real bitch for some. I remember feeling like I was going mad in the beginning because I could hear every little noise and didn’t know how to shut it off. And the hunger . . . I suppose it was easier for her, being a werewolf.”

“
How so?” I asked, ignoring the annoyed jab from Devlin. As frustrating as Vlad might be, I kind of liked him, especially because he got under Devlin’s skin.

“
Well, she’d already tasted blood . . . granted it was animal blood, but still. She’d killed and had lived her whole life managing dual natures. I’m supposing it wasn’t much of a shock.”

“
Maybe you and she can talk about it. Compare notes,” I offered, smiling at how the idea seemed to excite him.

“
Absolutely,” he beamed, slowly standing. “I guess I better go before my uncle has an aneurism or something. You might be a vampire, but you shouldn’t take your blood pressure for granted.” Rolling his eyes in exasperation, I choked back my snort as the young vampire left, waving goodbye over his shoulder.

“
He’s a keeper.” I smirked.

“
He’s a handful,” Devlin retorted. “But beneath all his bluster, he’s actually a good kid.”

“
So why do you give him such a hard time?”

“
Because I can?”

“
All he needs is a little guidance and I think he’ll make a pretty good Enforcer, even. You might want to talk to him about his choice of wardrobe, though—he’ll need to blend in and not stick out like a sore thumb.”

Devlin rewarded my suggestion with another long groan. “Trust me, I’ve tried. He keeps telling me to back off and let him ‘find his own way’. That he needs to rediscover who he is, now that he’s a vampire.”

“
And dressing in tight leather pants with a studded collar around his neck is his idea of that?” That was one of the things I loved about seeing Vlad. There was no telling what he’d look like when he appeared—my favorite being when he went through his Lestat and Edward Cullen phase.

“
I guess. I tried to interest him in joining the Enforcer ranks. Told him it would give his new life purpose and all the good he could do, but he’s been resistant. I was surprised he agreed to work here at the office. As long as it keeps him out of trouble, I’m happy.”

“
Face it, you care about your nephew.”

Devlin glared warningly at me like I’d just announced some secret to the world. “Tell anyone and I’ll kill you.”

Blurting out laughing, I shook my head. “And face the wrath of Darcy? Good luck.”

“
Ugh, I’m screwed, aren’t I?” Tipping his head backward so it rested on the cushioned sofa, Devlin closed his eyes in exaggerated frustration.

“
Afraid so. But, because I’m a nice guy, I’ll cut you some slack. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“
Thank you.” He laughed, looking at me gratefully. “I wouldn’t hear the end of it had Vlad found out that deep down, beneath it all, I really do have a soft spot for him.”

I was about to tease him more, when the door in front of us finally opened and Zane popped his head out. “Just where I thought you’d be.” He smiled, glancing at me. “And Devlin, I should’ve known as much. Please, both of you come in. Darcy and I are ready for you.”

Leaving the carefree conversation behind, I entered his office, my gaze instantly searching for my wife. She didn’t look any worse for wear, and a quick touch on our connection revealed she was okay.

“
Take a seat so we can get down to business.” Zane gestured to a chair near Darcy and dragging another one over so I could be closer.

The click as the door locked rang out through the air and the smile that had occupied Zane’s face evaporated.

“
Let’s talk about Amber.”

And just like that, my link with Darcy shook.

Chapter Fourteen

Darcy

“
Darcy?”

It didn’t matter how hard I tried to keep that brief flash of panic from surfacing, there was no stopping it from revealing itself to Mason through our connection. He’d felt every bit of the dread that pulsed through me at the mention of Amber’s name. As much as I didn’t want to talk about it, there was valuable information everyone needed to know.

If I looked at him, I’d chicken out; and it was too important to let that happen. “I appreciate everyone giving me a chance to gather my bearings and not pressing for answers last night. I know you’ve all been impatient to learn what I saw while Amber had control in my body, and I feel bad for making you all wait.”

It was Zane who spoke up first. “Don’t apologize for taking the time you needed. I can imagine you want to speak of this, in its entirety, only once. Just take it slow. You’re safe here.”

Glancing about the room, Mason and Devlin nodded. “There’s no rush, sweetheart.”

“
But there is,” I countered. “You heard Amber before the spell. The Master’s coming and if just the glimpses I saw are any indication, it’s going to be bad. Beyond bad. It makes everything we’ve gone through seem like child’s play.”

“
Then start from the beginning,” Devlin counseled. “You said you remembered everything.”

“
I felt fine after the conversion, except for that annoying pressure inside my head. I told you about it and thought after Helena had helped with the meditation spell, the problem had resolved itself. Sure, I felt a little funky, but I figured it was because I was tired. It’s not easy being part vampire, you know.” Zane and Devlin laughed at my small joke.

“
When did you notice things had changed?” Mason asked cautiously. His care for me touched my heart. Even though he wanted to know the whole story, complete with all its gory details, he was still mindful of my feelings.

“
The second I woke up from sleeping after Helena’s spell. The pressure was gone and Amber was there, gloating about how I’d been so easy to take over and all the kinds of fun she would have now that she was me. I must’ve tried everything I could think of to kick her out, but nothing. No amount of yelling or pushing budged her. I thought my wolf would be able to take control and alert you all to what had happened, but Helena had done something to her, as well. We were both trapped, helpless to do anything but scream.”

“
That explains why you didn’t shift and kept hedging about it when I confronted you about it.” Understanding filled Mason’s voice. He could now see it wasn’t because I wouldn’t shift, but because I couldn’t.

“
I don’t know what kind of magic Helena performed, but Amber bragged about how I’d been prepared ever since the failed tattoo incident in Salem. The Celtic knot and spell was never meant to bind my magic. Sure the design afforded protection, but the ink was created to open up my body to be possessed. Once it was complete, it was only a matter of time before something would happen to bring about my death. Destroying Julian, and it backfiring on my witch nature, gave Amber the chance she’d been waiting for.”

“
So the whole plot was organized so she could become you and through you, get to Mason?” It was Devlin who asked now. Zane continued listening, an intrigued expression on his face as he quietly accepted everything I’d shared.