Stained Hearts Read online

  We were mated to her as a unit, but we had individual relationships with her. We each had to figure out how to meander those particular paths ourselves, and we each had to respect the paths we took with her. I could see Barclay’s possessiveness and over-protectiveness were going to become an issue, but he’d have to learn how to handle those on his own.

  “Where’s Cade?” Raven asked.

  “Went to spook Harold by demanding to see his phone,” she informed us.

  I shook my head when Raven snickered. Cade was an asshole sometimes, but at least he was using his brain unlike the others.

  “Guys!”

  Cade’s voice had me freezing in place. There was a low growl to it that reminded me of Barclay, except Cade’s soul didn’t have a wolf roaming around inside it.

  “What is it?” Gideon questioned, turning back to look at him.

  “The fucker’s contacted the council,” he grunted.

  I froze. “Shit. I knew it.”

  “You bastard,” Raven snarled, and quicker than light, he was in Harold’s face, his hand around the traitor’s throat. “Who the fuck got to you?”

  The sweating pig’s eyes widened. “What? W-What are you talking about?” he managed to choke out.

  “Is it possible whoever tidied up his mind removed the memory?” Gideon demanded, his tone just as dark. “That could be why he’s having such a physical response to what’s happening here. Right?”

  “Maybe,” Raven answered, before he ground out, “Who was it?”

  “Who?” Harold shook his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Cade cleared his throat. “We might not know who got to him, but we know who he called, and the two might as well be one and the same…”

  “Who is it?” Gideon asked grimly.

  “Darius.”

  Fuck.

  2

  Gideon

  Harold had been used by Darius to play all of us. Fan-fucking-tastic. I looked around at the others, and the air of panic that had washed over our small group was almost a palpable thing.

  My eyes landed on Marcella, her small frame held more power than the five of us put together, and we were a damned powerful Brotherhood. Something about that thought was enough to get my blood warming. Most of my brain wanted to let myself get distracted by my sexy little redheaded Sixth, but thankfully the logical part won out. What I needed to do right now was protect her.

  Cade’s eyes were locked on Harold with barely checked aggression, and Barclay had his hand looped around Marcella’s waist, but Raven, Keir, and I were all focused on the problem at hand.

  “I can call the Cavalry,” I said quietly. It wasn’t something any of us would want to do, I knew that much, but we were quickly running out of options. The Cavalry made council-sanctioned Brotherhoods look soft in the head. "Rhys and Llywelyn have safe houses all over the country, and that's without taking Vaughn and Idris into account, and those fuckers are more paranoid than anyone I've ever met."

  "No," Keir stated instantly.

  "There has to be another way," Raven replied, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  "Who are they?" Marcella asked.

  "That's a long story, sweetness, one we don't have time for right now if Darius is on his way. But, I’ll say this, they’re a hardcore Brotherhood." My smile was grim, I could feel it, but it was the best I could do to comfort her. The Cavalry were legends. Hell, I only had their contact info because of my connections to the druids. Most people thought they were myths, and that was how they liked to keep it.

  "The Cavalry seems like our only option thanks to this fuckwit," Cade growled.

  Barclay let his feelings be known from a low growl that rippled out of him. It made Marcella's eyebrows pinch in concern, which in turn made my stomach begin to tie itself in knots. Was it really worth contacting the Cavalry? Maybe we could hole up in motels for a few more nights while we searched for a place?

  I shook my head. Those were luxurious thoughts. If Harold had already had his mind messed with by Darius, then that meant our Enforcer knew exactly where we were and what our plans were. The only thing we could do to throw him off our trail was something unexpected, and since most people in our society had no idea the Cavalry existed, this was as unexpected as I could get.

  "Give me another option," I ordered, as I pulled my phone from my pocket and began sliding my finger over the touch screen.

  "Motel?" Raven suggested.

  "He'll find us there," Keir said, while pinching the bridge of his nose.

  I had Rhys's contact info pulled up on my phone and was ready to dial. "Anyone? If not, I'm calling them."

  When no one answered, I hit the green phone icon and waited. The shrill burst of a phone ringing on the other end almost startled me, and wouldn't that have been embarrassing? I hadn't realized how tense I truly was until that moment.

  When three clicks sounded, followed by the customary beep for leaving a voicemail, I wasn't surprised. None of them would answer the phone. A coded message was required before they would even think about calling someone back.

  "Romeo, call me back, it's Golf India Delta. Need sierra hotel. SOS." I pressed the red phone icon and turned to the others. "Time to move if we want to avoid Darius."

  "Did anyone else have any idea what he just said?" Marcella asked.

  "Raven, can you leave a nice little message with Harold for Darius?" I requested, my tone let him know exactly how nice I wanted the message to be, which was not at all.

  Rav nodded and went back to the stinky, sweaty man that was standing behind us, while I turned to my Sixth.

  "Codenames and a code for what we want, that's all." I shrugged and tried to play it cool, but the truth was, calling the Cavalry meant we would owe them a damn big favor one day, one we couldn't turn down.

  I sent a blast of power into the ground. It dove below the concrete and asphalt of the parking lot, and into the earth that was slowly suffocating underneath. It let me know that no one was near us as we headed toward our SUV. Part of me wished there was something more inconspicuous we could drive, but with six people we were limited for choices, and none of us were ready to split up.

  Raven was approaching me, I'd know his batshit crazy energy signature anywhere, so I wasn't surprised when I felt his hand on my shoulder. "It's done."

  "Thanks. Something that will surprise our dear Enforcer, I hope?"

  Raven chuckled darkly. "Oh, he'll be surprised all right. I'll let him tell you about it if he ever catches up with us."

  I hoped I would never find out what nasty little bug Raven put in Harold's brain, especially since that would mean Darius found us, which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. We piled into the SUV and began driving into downtown Phoenix. There were plenty of tall, glass covered buildings for us to drive around while we waited for Rhys to call us back, but there were even more people for our energy signatures to get lost in.

  My power had pulled back into me as soon as we'd got in the car, but now, it seemed to curl into itself within me, as it always did when we were surrounded by such little nature and so many people. It was like it had to protect itself. It was an instinct I understood all too well.

  The car was starting to smell from the amount of time we'd been spending in it, crisscrossing over the country to try to evade the council, and I knew I, for one, was sick of it. We needed that safe house more than we needed our next meal. It didn't help that there were bags of snack foods that were mostly eaten strewn around the large vehicle, not to mention empty juice bottles and big takeout cups of coffee.

  My phone rang and the whole car fell silent. I was more than thankful that Cade was driving in that moment, because I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else until I heard the voicemail Rhys left. That's right, I couldn't answer the phone. I had to wait for him to leave a voicemail with a different number and a different codeword, and then call him back, unless he was having a good day in regard to his paranoia and left all the details
on the first message. Unlikely, but I tried to stay hopeful.

  I played it on speaker so everyone could hear. There was a crackle, then a computerized voice gave a phone number and said, "Sierra hotel confirmed. Number requested."

  I dialed the number and waited, half of me expecting another voicemail, but to my surprise, Rhys answered. "Go."

  "Six needed."

  "Staying in Phoenix?" he asked.

  "Not necessarily, just somewhere we can drive to."

  "Understood." After a moment's pause he rattled off an address, which I typed into Cade's phone so it could navigate us there. Fortunately it wasn't too far away, just outside Phoenix by a state park. "Favor owed, agreed?"

  "Agreed." And just like that, I felt like I'd signed my life away—maybe I had. Maker.

  I swallowed thickly and fiddled with something on my phone, trying not to let my anxiety about the arrangement show to the others, especially Marcella, although I knew once we were fully bonded that wouldn't be an option.

  After I ended the call, silence hung in the SUV like a heavy fog. It continued that way until we were out of the tight cluster of buildings that was the city, and heading into the scrubby, open land of the suburbs and more rural areas. We passed at least one national park and some farm fields, although what they were growing wasn't obvious.

  When we pulled into a gated community, where the houses were all spaced far enough apart that they didn't overlook one another, I started to relax a little. This was a hell of a lot better than trying to deal with someone like Harold again.

  The squat adobe house we pulled up to didn't look like much, but I wasn't going to let that fool me. Rhys and his brothers were never thrifty when it came to their houses. I hopped out and punched in the garage door code that he had given me, and when the SUV was parked, we all piled out.

  "Marcella, stay with Cade and Barclay while we scout the property, okay?" I asked, although we both knew it was more of an order.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and leveled me with a cold stare from those stunning blue-green eyes of hers. It was clear she wasn't pleased, but I just ignored it and carried on. What else was I going to do? Risk her safety? Yeah, right. I almost snorted to myself at the thought.

  I pushed open the back door and stepped into the house, and I was greeted by tiled floors, dark, rustic beams on the high, white ceilings, and exposed adobe walls. Without needing me to tell them what to do, Raven and Keir spread out, one going left and the other going right, while I made my way straight back. None of us shouted 'clear' when we finished a room, since that would alert anyone else who was in the building that we were there.

  As soon as I made my way through a kitchen that looked amazing at first glance, I was out of the back door and scouting the backyard. The urge to take my shoes off and let my feet commune with Mother Nature, and all the spirits and beings in the area, was almost overwhelming. I distracted myself by looking at all of the amenities. A large, in-ground, sparkling blue pool filled most of the landscaped space, along with an in-ground hot tub, fireplace, grill, eating area, and, the only downside as far as I could see, multiple exits from the house into the space.

  When Raven and Keir appeared out of a side-door, they each gave me a nod. As far as we could tell, it was clean. I let the power roll off me then, unshackling it from the cage I used to contain it within myself. It rolled and stretched, letting me know there was nothing untoward in the house in terms of spirits or other beings we might not have been able to see.

  "You can let the others know it's safe. I'm going to greet the land," I said, as I kicked off my boots, and let my toes dip into the scrubby grasses and wild southwestern plants that didn't seem to give a damn if it rained or not.

  My power flowed from me and through the ground, happy to connect with it immediately, instead of having to fight its way through man-made obstacles. There were the usual suspects around, some spirits hanging on here and there, some beings that had tied themselves to a specific place or natural formation. It was as it spread further out that I found something unusual though.

  In the depths of the mountains behind the house, there was a presence, an energy, not good or bad, but almost as though there was a build up of it, one that needed somewhere to go, or that had been there for a long time. Over the years, I had found that the longer someone stayed somewhere—especially for supernaturals since we lived so long—the more energy the surrounding land absorbed from them. I'd never encountered anything like this before though, and it made me curious.

  A scream pierced the air, snapping me out of my meditation and throwing my instincts on high alert. It was the loud splash that accompanied it that made me relax slightly. When I turned around, I found a soaked Marcella swimming to the surface of the pool, while Cade stood there with an altogether too satisfied smile on his face. What was it with those two that made me feel like I was a babysitter instead of one of her mates? The feeling twisted inside me, making me feel ugly and jealous. I sighed and pushed it out of my mind as I went to join the others.

  "I can't believe you did that!" Marcella shouted at Cade, as she wrung her hair out. "I also can't believe that this place is for real."

  "What's not to believe?" I asked as I walked up.

  "Um, the kitchen for one, this pool for another, never mind the TV that wouldn't have even been able to fit on one wall in my old room. I can't believe people live like this." She sounded somewhat sad as she ended her thought, and I made a mental note to myself to come back to that later.

  "Well, the men who own this property aren't exactly shy about spending money to make things as comfortable for themselves as possible," I explained quietly.

  "We have time now, can you tell me more about them?"

  I didn't want to. I wanted to keep Marcella as far away from the Cavalry as I could, but I wasn't sure if that was possible, given the nature of our current predicament. Before I could say anything though, Barclay thankfully distracted her with a towel and a whispered plan to throw Cade into the pool later.

  The two of them giggled to each other like high schoolers before going back inside. Part of me wanted to stay out here, to figure out what was going on, to let myself calm down and have a moment of peace, but there was no rest for the wicked, and I was as wicked as they came.

  When we were all back in the house, and the doors and windows were secured, I started looking around the kitchen. There was no food, which wasn't a surprise since no one lived here all year round, but the setup itself was a full chef's kitchen, and had everything anyone who enjoyed cooking could possibly want. A vague idea of making pancakes for Marcella crossed my mind, but I didn't even know if she liked them, although, who doesn't like pancakes?

  "There's a mesquite barbecue place that's bringing some food over," Rav said, as he walked into the kitchen. "Should be here in a few."

  My stomach growled in response. It wasn't just literal food that we needed to find, but blood as well. With me leaning more toward the Vampiric side, along with Marcella, I knew that the two of us would need to find sustenance soon. Well, she might not have to since she could feed on us, but I certainly did, which meant I needed to track down a blood bank or hospital, and pronto. It could wait until I'd had some barbecue though.

  I had barely had a chance to get the full layout of the house when the doorbell rang. My stomach rumbled again as though it could sense food was close.

  "Uh, guys?" Barclay's voice came from the front of the house.

  I made it around the corner just in time to see Darius taking off a hat that read 'Missy's Mesquite Barbecue,' and a jacket with the same logo. Underneath he was in a suit—of course, he never seemed to wear anything except suits. At least he was holding a bag that was clearly filled with food based off the heavenly scents coming out of it. It was on the floor between us now, like a line in the sand.

  My power raced forward as if to block him from even entering, but he was already inside. He cut me a glare as though he could sense my actions, and his
cold eyes froze me to the spot. My guess was that he'd pushed his way in as soon as Barc had opened the door.

  As the others gathered around us, I heard Cade whisper, "Shit."

  Before I could move to hide Marcella, she was already there, front and center. "So, this is the Sixth you stole? I heard she wasn't much to speak of."

  Barclay growled next to him, showing his teeth, which were a lot longer than they had been a moment ago. His jaw snapped shut with a flick of Darius's wrist, which made Marcella gasp. Cade stepped in front of her and literally tried to hide her with his hulking frame, not that it was going to work.

  "Why don't we all sit down and have a nice family dinner, while I get to know the woman you have ostracized yourselves for?"

  "Not a chance," Cade said, his voice low with a warning tone.

  "Do you want me to just take her from you? Alert the rest of the council to your current location? Because both of those things can be arranged." He fiddled with the French cuffs on his shirt before looking up at us once more, with a smile that showed altogether too many teeth.

  "I want to stay with them." Marcella's voice came loud and clear from behind Cade, and I had to fight not to audibly sigh.

  "Oh, you do? I’d never have guessed! Is that why you convinced them to run away with you?"

  The prompting worked and Marcella pushed passed Cade to face down Darius herself, even though we all reached for her, it was like moving through wet sand, and none of us could get to her in time.

  "I didn't convince them of anything, we saved each other, and I won't be leaving them without a fight."

  3

  Marcella

  Darius was…

  Well, I couldn’t say he was overwhelming or underwhelming. He had a presence, that was for damn sure, and that presence packed a punch.

  In that three-piece suit of his, tailored to every inch of his fine form, I had to admit, he was handsome. Handsome enough to have everything inside me squirming to life, and yikes, that was nuts, considering I had five men of my own to handle, and most of them still weren’t bound to me.