Stephen (8 page)

“
I’m sure you’re right.” He watched as Kasen sat a large platter of food in front of Jimmy and wondered briefly how he’d made it so quickly. Then he remembered the girl and looked at Leith. “Can you tell me who is chasing her and why?”

“
It is as you think. Her stepfather. I’m not sure what that term is, but that is what she calls him. His name is Edward Barron.” Stephen felt his world pinpoint on the name. Christ, he knew him. “I see that his name has sparked a memory?”

“
He’s a man that I deal with sometimes. His firm does advertising, and when I have some new product that I want to sell, he’s the firm I go to. You say that he’s her stepfather? And that would be a term used to call someone who has married your blood mother but is not your real father.” Leith nodded as she finished the second flower. “I don’t know how old Clar is, but I’m betting she’s older than twenty-one. What does he want with her?”

“
I am not sure. But she mentioned that he will rot in his own juices before she lets him hit her again. Why would he hit someone as lovely as her?” Stephen didn’t know but he was willing to find out and show the man what hitting his mate could get him. “My lord, she is not well enough to defend herself against the elements and someone who may want to harm her. No matter that we’ve heated the cave up for her, she is still out where she can be hurt. Also, she is older than that, my lord. I believe her to be twenty and ten.”

“
I’m hoping that when Jimmy here finishes eating me out of house and home, he’ll take me to her.” He looked at Leith as he finished. “Unless you know where she is.”

“
The same place as before.” Stephen stood up and willed himself to her…to hell with all this waiting around. If she got hurt, it would be his fault. He really didn’t know how it would be his fault, but it just felt as if it would be.

Clar was standing near the fire when he walked into the cave.

“
Are you that stupid?” He looked at her, then behind him when she spoke. “Yes you, you moron. I told you that I was fine. And you told me that you didn’t want me around. Why on earth would you be here now when I’ve done just as you asked?”

“
I told you to wait until you were well.” She sat down, and he decided that enough was enough. “Gather what you are going to need and I’ll take you back to my house. This is just stupid for you to be living in a cave when there is no earthly reason for you to be here.”

“
There’s plenty of reasons, none of which I care to share with you. And as for the stuff I took from your home, it was just food. That guy, Kasen, said it would go bad if I didn’t take it, as neither of you eat food.” She cocked her head at him. “Do you drink from that nice man? If so, I would think you’d be a little nicer, what with his blood in your body and all.”

“
I do not drink from my help. There’s a law forbidding…I’m not going to explain the laws of my kind to you. I asked you to gather your things and we’ll go back to my house. Get with it; or would you like for me to do it for you?” It was a threat, and they both knew it. But she only sat there warming her hands over the blazing fire. “I’m speaking to you.”

“
No, you’re ordering me. And you didn’t ask me to do anything. Again, you ordered. I don’t have to listen to you because you’re not…I don’t remember what you called it, and you’re most definitely not my father. Step or otherwise.” She frowned, then looked up at him. “Mate. I’m not your mate. Why I would want to be anyway is beyond me.”

“
Because it affords you things that your kind can only dream of.” He wanted her, he realized. All her back talking him and her stubbornness made him want to pull her to his body and then press her against any hard surface to plow deep within her. “Would you please come back to my house with me?”

She didn’t move, and for some reason he was more impressed than pissed off. But she still could not stay here. Not alone and certainly not with Velvet walking around. He wanted to reason with her. Wanted to explain things to her, but decided he was not changing his ways just because she was his supposed mate.

“
Get your things now and we’ll go back. It’ll be too hot for me to be out soon, and I’d just as soon not fry just because you have your panties in a twist about my manners.” She tossed another log on the fire and said nothing. “I know you can hear me. Now do as I say.”

“
Fuck off.” Stephen felt his temper rise, but she stood up then, and he could see that while she was lovely in the first place, when her temper was high, she was positively gorgeous. The blast of magic nearly took his breath away, and it did take him off his feet. She looked as surprised as he felt. When he started to stand, she lifted her hand again, and he felt the pressure on his chest start to hurt. She was doing this, and neither of them, it appeared, knew how.

“
Get out.” He shook his head but didn’t move. “I mean it. I don’t know how the fuck this is happening, and I don’t know if I can control it. So unless you want to be my guinea pig, I suggest you get out while the getting is good.”

“
A vampire is looking to hurt me, and in turn she might find you. If she does, she’ll have no problem using you to get to me.” Clar frowned. “You have to come back to my house to keep her from finding you.”

“
And just why would you give a shit if she killed me?” He had no answer for her question, so didn’t bother. “Just as I thought. I’m better off on my own. If someone finds me, her or someone else, I won’t have to worry if you get your throat cut. And one or both of them just might do it if I don’t first.”

“
I know your stepfather.” She took a step back, and he felt the pressure on his chest lighten, so he stood up but didn’t move toward her. “He and I worked together on a few projects that I have in the works. I had no idea who he was to you until Leith told me. Why is he trying to find you?”

“
He thinks because I didn’t do as he told me, I owe him somehow. Now that I think about it, I can see how the two of you would get along. You’re both cut from the same cloth.”

Stephen felt his anger burst forward but didn’t act on it. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know that he was going to cut ties with the man as soon as he could. But she should have had more faith in him.

“
Why?” When she spoke, he looked at her as she stood there. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips, and her legs spread, the stance of a warrior, and he loved it. Taking a step toward her, he stopped when she raised her hand again. “Why should I have more faith in you?”

He stared at her for several seconds when he realized she’d read his mind. “That’s somewhat rude, don’t you think? Reading my mind when you have me blocked from yours. How are you doing that anyway? I’ve given you my blood; your mind should be an open book to me.”

“
And what do you plan to do with it? My mind, I mean. Have me go to meetings with you so I can tell you what people really think of you? Or did you want me to manipulate their mind so that they see things your way?” She put her finger on her chin as if she were thinking on it. Then when she snapped her finger as if she’d figured it out, her grin did not reassure him. “I know. You want me to bring you victims so you can have your way with them as you drain them. Whatever the reason, you’re not getting in. I don’t know how I can do half the crap I can since the day my mom’s car was high-jacked, but there you have it. I can block you and anyone else, and fuck you for wanting to control that part of me.”

“
I don’t.” She snorted, and he took a step toward her. The sun was pulling at him, not badly yet, but it would soon be necessary for him to leave. And he was taking her with him. His next step brought him to within touching distance, but he didn’t touch her. “Will you please come back to my house with me? I want to make sure that you’re safe.”

“
No.” He reached for her then and felt the connection almost as soon as his fingers brushed against her skin. But in the next second, less probably, he was sailing across the cave and hitting the stone behind him. His last thought was,
fuck, she is strong.

~~~

Samuel was just putting Kendal, his precious son, down for a nap when he felt someone enter his mind. He thought it was Stephen, but as soon as the woman spoke, he was glad then that he’d not said the glib remark to him about having a mate. He could feel her anger the moment he let her in.

That vampire is hurt. Can you send someone to get him? I’ve tried to reach out to the wolves, but I can’t get the one in charge to answer me yet.
Samuel moved down the stairs after telling the nurse he was leaving the house and that Kennedy would be back shortly.
Are you listening to me?

Yes. I have someone here, and he requires a good deal more of my attention than you do at the moment. Where is Stephen?
She told him in her home.

He banged his head on the wall when this new thing got the better of me.
He could hear her frustration, but he was no less confused.
For some reason I can do this new bit with my mind. I only meant to shove him away, but he flew out like I’d hit him with a rocket. He hit his head. Pretty hard, I’m guessing, for it to crack it like it did. Had you asked me, I would have thought the stone would have given before his hard head would have.

Samuel decided right then and there that he liked this girl. She had a sense of humor that made him smile even though things were very serious.
If by your home you mean the cave you’d been in when we found you, I’m on my way. And I will contact Jimmy too to have him meet me there. Don’t hurt him.

I won’t.
She was snappish too, and he found that to be as funny as anything.
You know, you people are getting on my last nerve. All I did was save my friend and him. You’d think he’d be a little more inclined to do as I asked instead of…
When she stopped talking Samuel was suddenly afraid. Shifting quickly, he moved toward the cave, reaching for Jimmy at the same time.

We’re close, but we can’t go to her. Not yet at any rate. There’s enough power coming from this place that I’m afraid to let my men go near it.
Samuel told Jimmy it was the girl and she was having some issues about controlling it
. No shit. I think there are about ten kinds of shit going on in there right now, and I’m not risking my neck to find out what it is.

I’m on my way. Hopefully by the time I get there she’ll have it calmed down. Oh, and she knocked Stephen on his ass. She said she cracked his head open.
Jimmy laughed and he joined him
. I hope she does it a few more times while she’s at it.

Me too.
Samuel could see Jimmy and three wolves standing near a stand of trees. He could feel the magic coming from the opening, but like them, didn’t move to go inside. Reaching out to the woman, he said her name softly.

Clar, we’re here. Can you calm your magic down so we can come inside?
She didn’t answer him right away, and he started to speak to her again. But just then she staggered out of the cave opening and fell to her knees. They all rushed toward her at once, but stopped when she looked at them.

“
I healed him. I’m not…I think I’m going to be sick.” She started to stand up but fell back down onto her knees and leaned over. As she threw up twice, Jimmy went into the cave. Samuel wanted to shift to care for her, but if she really healed Stephen, he might not be too happy to see a naked man standing next to his mate. No matter how much Stephen didn’t want her, she was still the one that would have him murder his friends if they fucked around with her. And that included helping her if he was pissed enough.

Jimmy came out of the cave with Stephen. He was standing on his own, but he looked pale, and there was blood on his shirt. As soon as he saw Clar, he moved toward her with a cautious step. Good, Samuel thought, maybe he’d live another day.

“
I’m taking you back to my house.” She stood up and staggered slightly when Stephen spoke. “I don’t want to hear how you’ll be fine and dandy. Because, frankly, I have no idea what the fuck that even means. But I’m tired and hungry. So unless you want me to take you into the cave and fuck you while I feed from you, I suggest you do as I say.”

“
You try it, buster, and I’ll hurt you again.” She moved back when Stephen moved forward, and Samuel wanted to step between the two of them just to keep the peace. But he was enjoying the fact that she would stand up to someone as powerful as Stephen.