Fateful 2-Fractured (17 page)

“Hey!” But it wasn’t one of the guards who’d
interrupted them; it was most definitely—two vampires, two
strangers.

“Miss Darcey, might we trouble you with a
curing bite?”

“Mrs.
Deveroux
,” Ethan corrected fiercely, “will not be
biting you.” Ethan wrenched a business card from his wallet and
shoved it toward the man who held her arm in his hand. “Sir, you
may call Beon, and he will arrange something for you.”

Ethan’s elegant, though dangerous, reply was
not accepted well. One of them launched toward Ethan, while the
other jerked her arm, and she winced. It felt like he might
actually rip it from the socket. But it only took a second or two
for their protectors to respond. She and Ethan were bodily removed
from the club by their guards—ruffled, and disappointed, but
unharmed. This incident forced the security detail to move in
closer, and again, their freedoms were restricted.

Danielle tried to ignore the guards as she
and Ethan dined in a French restaurant called L’Amroisie, though it
was getting difficult to do that, especially because they didn’t
hide what they were doing. She’d noted the looks she and Ethan got,
and knew the other patrons were probably wondering who they were,
and why they needed a pack of hulking men hovering over them. The
maitre d’ was appalled at first, and had to be paid off to even
permit it.

She’d allowed Ethan to order, since the menu
was in French. But, as usual, wasn’t disappointed with what he’d
selected for her. She’d luxuriated in a nine course, culinary
adventure of many things she didn’t know how to pronounce. She
recognized the salmon, and the lobster, and the artichokes, but had
never eaten, or even seen, something Ethan called, truffles. Which
he explained was an expensive type of mushroom.

“Ready for dessert?” Ethan asked, clearly
eager for the final act in this dance of fine cuisine. She could
see that he was in pure heaven.

“I’m not sure anything else will fit.”

“Make if fit, darling.”

“This is almost painful.”

“Oh, but it’s so worth it.”

“We’ll need to go back to our room
after this. I won’t be able to move.” She glanced toward the wall
of guards lingering nearby. “And maybe
they’ll
back off enough for us to actually feel
like we’re alone,” she whispered, and then winced when she realized
the guard on the right heard that, and smirked.

The man responded to her comment. “I’m
afraid you are correct, Mrs. Deveroux. I’m getting reports that
more” –he coughed into his fist— “are looking to have a word with
you. Avoiding the nightlife and going to your suite would be
advisable for tonight.”

She was speechless, but Ethan didn’t
hesitate in following the suggestion—well,
after
he’d finished off his dessert, he raised
one arm and said, “The bill please.”

* * * * *

It was a little bit of an improvement to be
in their hotel room, even though she knew the men still manned the
doors.

Focusing on each other rather than the
vampires standing guard, they spent the evening watching black and
white movies, munching on Ethan’s favorite movie snack, popcorn,
and talking.

She leaned against his chest and listened to
his pumping heart and gentle breathing as the credits rolled by.
They may not have freedom, but at least the privacy remained.

Ethan coaxed a lock of her hair around his
finger, exploring the texture. The look in his eyes told her what
he wanted without him uttering a single word.

But movement caught her attention as a tall
shadow shifted outside the balcony door and she worried that
perhaps they didn’t have as much privacy as she’d thought. “Can
they hear us?”

He exhaled. “It’s after dark…. I’m afraid
they can hear every breath we take.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I was wrong.
We’re not alone. We’re
never
alone.”

Ethan didn’t respond to that, and she
figured it was because he didn’t know exactly what to say.

Danielle couldn’t take it. She lunged from
the bed, stomped toward the glass door and slung it open. “Go! I
want you out of hearing ra—” She choked on the last word when she
recognized Cedric and Seth standing there.

The men stared at each other, never sparing
a glance in her direction, and she realized that she’d just
confronted two vampires with the curse fully surrounding them.

Nervous now, she glanced toward Ethan and
then eased because he still appeared quite relaxed. He was lounging
casually on the bed with his hands linked behind his head and his
long legs stretched out over the blankets. He was watching her
curiously, most likely wondering how this would work out.

Cedric said to Seth, “You’re—”

“Right, I’m the adult,” Seth responded,
clearly irritated, except with Cedric and not her. He turned to
address Danielle, but kept his eyes averted. “We’ll go, but we’ll
be back.”

“And what about the men at the other
door?”

“I’ll talk to them. We can maintain a
certain distance, Danielle, but not for long. Use your time
wisely.”

Oh yeah, that really
helped to set the mood
, she mused, and
pouted.

“Well, that got rid of them,” Ethan said as
she rejoined him.

“Yeah, but now I’m distracted.”

Ethan chuckled, leaned upright, directed her
to rest her head on his lap, and proceeded to tickle her face with
soft touches.

“Are you trying to make me fall asleep?”
Because this could usually do the trick.

“Definitely not! There will be no sleeping
on our honeymoon.” With that he gifted her with a wicked grin. His
finger trailed along the bridge of her nose, over the tip, down to
her top lip, then over the bottom, then to her chin and neck
and….

“But when you do this—”

“I’m merely attempting to help you unwind.”
He bent closer and then blew into her face.

She reacted as she knew he expected and drew
it into her lungs with a long and languid pull. Her eyes rolled and
slid shut. She felt herself unraveling just as she always did when
he touched her like this, and then tantalized her with his
seductive breath. She was besotted by him, and by his scent, all
over again. And the spell he cast was more potent than any vampire
magic before it. “Ah, yes, that relaxes me.” Could he even
understand what she’d just slurred?

“Too much?”

“Never
too
much.”

He fanned another breath across her face.
“Mmm,” she murmured. Inside and out she hummed, every nerve ending
buzzed. And then his clever hands continued his gentle caress which
was more thorough than it had been before they’d married. Had she
thought it was this staggering before?

Tenderness burned in his gaze as he rubbed
his thumb over her cheek and his breath surrounded her. He wasn’t
intentionally puffing his scent into her face the entire time they
made love, but their closeness made it inevitable.

Curling up under the covers with him
as they settled and drifted toward sleep, she noticed
them
through her fringe of lashes …
the shadows had returned.

And again, privacy was whisked away.

Chapter 10

Hobbits, Pixies and Werewolves?

“Today, the shire.”

“Where hobbits live?”

“Lived
,
Danielle. They’re extinct, but the ruins are still intact and
really fascinating.”

“Can we see fairies again too?”

He shook his head. “Pixies dwell there, but
they’re a mischievous lot. We need to avoid them.”

“Why, what could they do to us?”

“They’d definitely kidnap you.”

She gasped when he tapped her nose
playfully. “Why?”

Ethan chuckled.

“Now what are you laughing about? And you
didn’t answer my question, just like you didn’t tell me if
werewolves are real or not.”

“Werewolves are real. It’s another curse,
like vampirism, but much worse.”

“Do they come out when the moon is
full?”

“Yes.”

“Can they turn you with a bite or
scratch?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Eat flesh?”

“Horrible, isn’t it?”

Danielle swallowed hard and nodded. “They’re
really for real? All the crazy myths about them are true?”

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” His
words didn’t have an impatient tone about them, but she wondered if
he ever got tired of her constant questions.

“And what about the pixies? Would they
really abduct me? And what about you?”

He laughed again.

“What is so funny?” she demanded.

Still laughing, he said, “Darling, it’s
adorable when you ask me all these questions. The innocence is
charming. So curious and eager, you are.”

“You still didn’t answer my question.”

“Pixies would love nothing more than to take
a pretty thing like you captive. They wouldn’t be interested in me,
just females. I don’t know why that is. But don’t worry, I know
what they don’t like, and I came armed with it.”

“What’s that?”

“Salt.”

“No way!” She tilted her head to study him.
“Where do you have that hiding?”

“I put some in my pocket.”

She laughed with a snort, then turned to
look out the window when Ethan pulled the Land Rover onto a dirt
road that twisted like a brown ribbon through green rolling
hills.

They’d been back from their honeymoon for a
couple of weeks now, and the guards had not let up. They’d managed
to gain more privacy in their home, and today they’d managed to
coax the men into allowing this outing only because the location
was so secluded and pixies were the only danger. As Ethan parked,
and the security detail parked, Danielle lifted her sketchpad and
pencil from the backseat then she stepped out of the vehicle. “Can
I draw pixies?” she asked.

“Mrs. Deveroux,” the guard with the French
accent said, “you mustn’t get too close to them.”

“I won’t.” She rolled her eyes wondering if
she’d ever be able to keep track of all the men protecting them.
They changed daily. This French guy had only been around today so
far.

Ethan gathered her hand. “Darling,” he
whispered in a gentle but warning tone, “you must remain close to
me. They don’t like men, so if you’re near me, they shouldn’t
bother you.”

“Okay.” She leaned toward his ear. “Are they
really that dangerous?”

“Trust me, you need to stay close to me,” he
gave his pocket a pat, “and the salt.”

Danielle really wanted to laugh again, but
thought better of it, and took in this fantastic English landscape.
It was another scene that was perfect for a painting. With rolling
hills, long grasses waving in the wind, and thick trees dotting the
scene like oversized green mushrooms. The names of paint colors
flitted through her thoughts. Grinning, she believed these
paintings would be marketable in London and she wouldn’t have to
rely on Ethan for everything.

Ethan led her down the hill on the right to
another smaller hill jutting from the bigger one, and as they
neared it, she realized she was seeing a real life hobbit hole. The
stained glass windows were clouded with dirt and many of them were
broken. The rounded door was mottled with peeling blue paint, and
hung at an odd angle by one remaining and rusty hinge. She dropped
Ethan’s hand and flipped to a blank page to start drawing.

Ethan smiled, stood behind her, slid his
hands around her waist and dropped his chin on her shoulder.

“Um, Ethan, you know I can’t draw with you
so close.”

He said nothing as he pushed her hair from
her neck and brushed his mouth along the exposed flesh he’d
revealed.

She shuddered. “Still not helping.” Her gaze
fell on the men standing nearby, staring. “And we’re not exactly
alone.”

“Think of it like those people on reality
television,” He mumbled while nibbling her ear. “They forget the
camera is there all of the time, right? So forget about the
audience.”

“I can’t do that, and I want to draw.
Please, Ethan, behave.”

“Very well.” He released her and took one
step back, then lunged forward fanning a handful of salt in front
of her.

She was so startled she stepped back,
located a rock with her foot, lost her balance, and fell backwards
into the long grass, dropping her pencil and sketchbook. She then
found herself staring up into the tiny, but violent faces of
several … pixies? If they were pixies, they truly were frightening
creatures with their long skinny bodies, claw-tipped fingers and
sharp-looking bared teeth. Like sadistic fairies. And they smelled
of … rotten apples. The pungent scent overpowered the more pleasant
fragrance of the grass and flowers.

Ethan cursed and ordered, “Shut your
eyes!”

She did and then felt a spray of salt
pelting her. Danielle was too surprised to look, and waited for
Ethan to tell her when it was okay to open her eyes. But he never
did, she felt him tug her from the ground and snatch her into a
protective hug. “I have
never
seen them be so aggressive before. I can hardly believe it!
You were surrounded by men. They never should have even come so
close.”

She cracked her eyes open, and could only
see his shirt. “Really? What exactly just happened?”

He leaned back just enough to make eye
contact. “It was an organized attack. Virtually a swarm. And they
knew what they were after.”

“They must know,” the blond-haired guard
said.

“Know what?” Danielle asked.

“They must know who you are.”

“What do you mean? That I cured a
vampire?”

“I think he’s right,” Ethan said. “I never
considered that other creatures would be interested in you
too.”