Beware, p.8
Beware, page 8
“All right.” Molly reached forward and wrapped her fingers around Faye’s wrist. “I believe you, though I wish you wouldn’t visit him.”
“He’s in pain.”
“As he should be.” Her tone was far harsher than she had intended, Faye’s surprised look told her as much.
“So you are the one who put him there.”
“I am.” Molly clenched her jaw.
“I always suspected, but he never outright said, and I never outright asked.”
“I did.” Molly really didn’t want to have the conversation. “He deserves it. Enough said. I wish you wouldn’t give him relief.”
“He’s in so much pain. And really, Molly, how long can you punish him?”
“You have no idea what he did to me.”
Anger flared in Faye, her nostrils widening. “Whatever, Molly. You just continue to control the fate of the world in your fingertips and don’t be asking the rest of us for advice or information.”
Before Faye could stand, Molly grabbed her wrist again and held her in place. “Faye…”
“What?” Faye nearly yelled.
“You’ve transformed.”
Faye looked down at her fingers then rolled her eyes, pulling her vampiric form back in so she reverted to her human side. “I’ve been doing that all day.”
“I apologize about that. I shouldn’t have asked—”
“It was worth it.” The cocky grin Faye sent her smoothed a lot of Molly’s ruffled feathers, but not all.
Lifting a hand to Faye’s cheek, Molly pulled her in for a sweet and soft kiss. Faye tried to deepen it, but Molly resisted. “Not now.”
“When?”
Molly chuckled. “When you tell me what drug you took.”
Faye snorted. “Fat chance on that.”
There was no resistance when Faye pushed into Molly again, their mouths moving against each other, Faye’s body covering hers. Faye worked Molly up and then sat back, grinning like she had the world’s biggest secret up her sleeve. Faye trailed a finger down Molly’s rapidly rising and falling chest before she snorted and stood up, walking out of the room. Left frustrated for lack of information and sexually, Molly shook her head. She poured herself another glass of wine, grabbed the bottle, and made her way to her bedroom. She’d sleep on it before she attempted to get more information from Faye again.
Chapter Nine
Molly was down in the habitat area, looking in on the centivalk. He seemed fatter, for sure, although she wasn’t happy about sacrificing some of her other inhabitants for it. The centivalk was a rare creature indeed, and she endeavored to keep it alive no matter the cost, even if she didn’t like it.
They had kept feeding it, every day, a new creature that was alive and well. Molly had even sent Joel to go retrieve some, which was what he’d been out doing when Ben had fallen to his seizure. Faye had finished that up nicely enough. Molly stood with her arms crossed, watching as the centivalk captured his prey quickly.
He wrapped his two large pincer-like arms around it, the flipped on his side to wrap his entire body around the creature, effectively suffocating it while he drank the blood. Once the blood was drained, he would start in on the meat. By the next morning there would be absolutely nothing left.
A presence disturbed her. She knew he was coming before she could even see his face or hear his boots. Malek. The man who had been the thorn in her side for the better part of her life. She’d been able to avoid him for the last two centuries for the most part, but his annoying presence in her house was a new trial she hadn’t known she would have to face.
Taking the chance, Molly sent her magic toward him. If he slowly walked into it, closer with each second, then she might find a way to get into his mind without him noticing. It would be the only way she would be able to get information from him. She smiled when she finally heard his footsteps, and Molly stayed still, staring at the centivalk as it continued to eat.
“Molly.” His voice was smooth as silk as always.
“Malek,” she said back to him with the same sing-song tone. She wanted him to be comfortable while she worked her magic into his mind. Turning as he came right up to her, she smiled. “You were right.”
“Of course I was.”
Molly tried to hold in her quick remark she wanted to make. Malek was not always right. More often than not, she was the one who was right in their relationship, not that he would see that. “We never talked about the other night.”
“What other night?”
Molly made eye contact with him, slightly demure just as he would like it. She could distract him with conversation. That would also be the best way to get information out of him. “When you interrupted us in my office.”
“Oh, that night.” Malek wiggled his eyebrows. “I wasn’t invited in.”
“You weren’t.” Molly put her hands down to her sides, wanting to appear as open to him as possible. She needed to be in order to get information.
Malek leaned in closer, his breath brushing against her cheek. “I don’t recall being told to leave, either.”
The smile lit her lips as much as she didn’t want it to. He was always someone who could tear down the walls she tried to put up. “You weren’t,” she repeated. “Did you enjoy the little show Faye put on?”
“In more ways than you can possibly imagine.”
But she could imagine, because as soon as he thought of them, the thoughts flashed through her mind. It wasn’t a fantasy like she had expected. It was a memory. The two of them, centuries ago. Malek under her dress skirts as he did the exact same thing Faye had done, without the blood sucking.
She tried to control her breathing but couldn’t help the gasp as the memory flooded her own mind, and she realized in her own distraction, she hadn’t noticed Malek’s power slip inside her. Warmth seeped through her and filled her. He was so much stronger than she was in the use of this spell. He was far more practiced at it, especially since Molly rarely used her magic any more.
“Tell me, Molly…” he stepped impossibly closer “…why are you so resistant to the idea of rejoining the fold?”
“You know why.”
“I really don’t. It’s been so long I’ve forgotten.”
Molly’s tongue dashed out against her lips, wetting them as her gaze flicked down to his mouth. She struggled to tear it away but finally looked up into his eyes. “I don’t want to be matched.”
“You didn’t mind when you were younger.”
“When I was naive and listened and did everything as my father told me. It’s good thing he’s dead now as I’m sure he’s turning in his grave.”
“And why is that, Molly? Because you’ve fallen in love with a woman or because you’ve left the fold.”
“Both, actually.” She raised a challenging eyebrow at him and didn’t dare step away. As he worked further into her mind, she pushed back, putting up barriers and traps for him while also trying to work through his own thoughts. She mimicked his tone as she said, “Tell me, Malek, why are you here? And don’t tell me it’s because the fold sent you. They might have, but you are here for another reason entirely.”
She was right. The thought was right there, but she wasn’t able to break down the walls he had put into place. Malek’s finger curled under her chin, lifting it up. He smiled at her. “Are you done playing your games yet, Molly?”
“What games would that be?”
“The ones where you attempt and I win.”
“Hardly,” she whispered. “I’m only just getting started. We’re fairly evenly matched, you and me.”
Molly stepped away from him then. She walked around to look at him over her shoulder with a seductive curl on her lips. Malek near fell over where he stood as he followed the line of her back down to the curve of her ass and hips. He was always weak to a woman’s wiles, and Molly was sure to use that to her advantage.
He followed her, as she expected him to. “You think we’re evenly matched. I taught you everything you know.”
“Not quite everything.” Her voice was husky. She kept working at that secret he held tightly in his mind, but thus far, she hadn’t made a dent in trying to get in.
Malek grabbed her hand and jerked it, breaking her spell and his. “That was dangerous.”
“No one has ever called me safe.”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
Molly stiffened but turned to face him full on. “Don’t I? I have known you most of my life, Malek. I think I know you rather well by now, and I know you’re not here just because the fold sent you.”
“Reina and Corbin want you back.”
“They understood why I left.”
“Not anymore. We need all members.”
“I’m not a member,” she fired back, her jaw tight. “I gave that up ages ago, and you won’t pull me in.”
Malek’s anger flared. She saw it in his eyes two seconds before he grabbed her other arm and spun her into the far wall. Her head collided with it, loudly, just before his mouth crushed hers. His arousal pressed into the side of her hip as his body covered hers. He held both of her wrists, pushing them against the wall up by her head so she couldn’t move except to buck her hips, which she really didn’t want to do.
The clapping surprised both of them, and Malek jerked back. Faye walked forward, her hands still clapping loudly as she gave applause. Molly moved her hands down to her sides, not slipping from the wall.
“I was wondering how long it would take you,” Faye said, amusement dripping from every word.
“How long?” Malek questioned.
“Oh yes.” Faye came up close to them. “See, I know your type, Malek. I’ve been around your type more than Molly here, and I understand how you work. You want her, and you’ll do anything to get her. Your patience has worn thing, which is why you’re here now, now that I brought you back into her life so unexpectedly.”
Molly said nothing as she watched the pair of them.
“Molly needs to return to her proper place in the fold.”
“She needs to do nothing other than what she wants and who she wants. I don’t think she wants you.” Faye put a hand against the center of his chest. “I, on the other hand, very much want, and I wouldn’t mind being taken by the fold again either. That experience was quite…exhilarating.”
Molly’s heart raced. Faye had no idea what she was agreeing to. The fold would eat her alive literally if she were the only vampire for all of them. She would be so doped up on blood she wouldn’t know which way was up and which way was down. Molly shifted to pull Faye back, but Faye stepped completely between her and Malek.
“Perhaps you’ll join next time. Until then, Malek, I have something I need to discuss with Molly and you’re not welcome for that conversation.”
He seemed surprised, but he did step away. Bowing slightly toward Molly, Malek walked the way he had come and disappeared around the corner. Molly didn’t wait. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Joel’s looking for you.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. I didn’t like the way he was doing that.”
Molly rolled her eyes. “I’m capable—”
“Of course you are. This was just easier, and I got to be the ass instead of you.”
“It’ll make it harder in the long run.”
Faye shrugged. “I’ve always liked a challenge, quite like you were, and remember, I’m a walking risk.”
Molly stopped at that, staring straight at Faye. “You’re not wrong on that.”
###
Joel sat in his office, writing up the report. He had no idea what had happened or how it had happened, but he knew Molly was going to want the report as soon as possible. He had tried to find her, get hold of her before getting back to his office, but it had been impossible. She’d all but disappeared, which worried him even more.
No one in the house had been hurt so far, but he knew it wouldn’t take long before it reached them. Their house was large, with at least a hundred Tainted living in the underground floors, not to mention the creatures. Jesus, if the creatures got hold of what had happened, they’d be in shit so deep there would be no turning back.
He was just finishing his report when she stepped into his office. Joel breathed out a sigh of relief, forgetting the written report and focusing on the verbal one he was about to give. She raised an eyebrow at him as she stepped into his small office on the first underground floor.
“Shut the door,” he beckoned.
“All right.” Molly shut it behind her. “Why all the secrecy?”
“I don’t want panic, and I assure you, there will likely be panic.”
“Care to fill me in?”
Joel got up and sat on the small couch in his office. She sat next to him. “I’m not even sure where to begin. I was got a call about a patient early this morning, before anyone was up, that he was…I don’t know…that something was wrong.”
“Who called?”
“His wife. But I could hear him, and he was ranting like a mad-man. I’ve never heard him say some of the things he was saying or even think about some of the things he was threatening.”
Molly’s eyes widened. “What happened, Joel?”
“He killed her. He tore out her throat, then he started eating her skin and body until I got there. Then he tried to attack me.”
“You?”
Joel nodded. “I’m fine. I shocked him with the new toy Ben created, but then it was the oddest thing.”
“What?”
“It didn’t work. If anything, it did the opposite and only added to it.”
“Joel, how did you escape?”
Joel skimmed his gaze over to Molly’s, biting his lips from the inside. He didn’t really want to tell her, but he knew he’d have to. There was no other way to get around it, and she was going to find out anyway. She was Molly. Eventually she knew everything. “I shot him.”
“You killed him, you mean.”
“He wasn’t going to stop.”
“I believe you.” Molly brushed a hand through her hair and stared out the fake window in his wall, the one that pretended he was on the second floor of the house. “What happened?”
“Remember that feeling I got with Faye? That night we captured the centivalk?”
“Yeah.”
“It was the same feeling from him. I couldn’t get a read on his emotions at all. They were kind of all over the place—happy and angry at the exact same time. He had a thirst for blood and violence, that’s for sure, but mentally, I’m not sure he understood it or wanted it. It’s so weird.”
“You think whatever she took, he took.”
“I know it.” Joel stared Molly straight in the eye. “I know whatever Faye took, Jason also did.”
Molly pursed her lips. “I questioned Faye about it, and she insisted it was heroin.”
Joel snorted. “She was not on heroin. We bought some that night, sure, but she gave it all to the troll.”
“Yes, she told me that as well.” Molly’s jaw pulled tight, and her voice raised up in her distress.
The emotions coming off her in waves were anger and betrayal, but there was something lying underneath it all. Joel tried to pry through everything to get at it, to see what it was that always set her off about the troll because the feeling was there any time he came up in conversation. When she turned to face him, he knew what it was. Grief. Intense sadness and sorrow. It hit him hard. Joel’s lips parted, and he reached out to cover Molly’s hand with his, giving her a gentle squeeze, anything to try and ease that hurt.
“Wh-what is that?”
“What is what?” she asked, her voice terse.
“What you’re feeling?”
“I’m feeling nothing.” Molly stood up. “Has it reached the house?”
“My guess is it has. I’ve had reports of this happening a few times. I thought it was some type of virus, but witnessing it first hand…Molly, whatever this drug is, it’s powerful.”
She nodded. “Amachon said as much as well.”
“He’s spoken to you?”
“Yes. He has had patients also succumb to this drug of choice and has witnessed perhaps not quite first hand the aftermath of it.”
“Has anyone survived it?”
Molly spun on him, surprise in her eyes and chest. “Faye.”
“No one else?”
She shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of. Call Amachon.”
“Right.”
“We need to get on this. If this drug truly is killing as many as we suspect, then we need to deal with it now.” Joel’s heart was in his throat. He hadn’t quite thought it was this bad, but Molly’s alarm set him off. “Ben?”
“No, his seizure was not caused by this.”
“Right.” Joel let out a breath. “I suppose we’re about to have a zero tolerance policy in the house.”
“We already had one,” Molly responded.
Joel pursed his lips and stared her down. “With most Tainted, but not with all.”
He knew he had her there. She couldn’t deny that she’d looked the other way on Faye’s drug use, although as far as he knew, Faye had been sober for close to a year at that point. He shouldn’t have taken her to the sewers. That must have been where she got it.
“When you went out, was she ever alone?”
“A few times,” Joel answered. “Never far, but I wasn’t right next to her the entire time. She went and got us drinks or went to the bathroom. She could have gotten it at the club.”
Molly nodded. “I suspect that is where she bought it. The question is from whom.”
Joel nodded. “Yeah, and how much, because if Faye from that night could happen again, I don’t know who can stop her, Molly. She’s a vampire—she’s one of the hardest Tainted to kill.”
“Hard, yes, but not impossible.”
“You wouldn’t—”
“We may not have a choice if she chooses to imbibe again.”
“Molly—”
Glaring, Molly turned toward the door and shook her head. She said nothing as she walked toward the door to his office. “Call Amachon. We all need to sit down and talk.”
“Where are you going?”
