In the Beginning... Read online

  He pulled the vestis over his head. It was long-sleeved and insulated, perfect for the cold weather. He slipped the shoulder belt to one side and maneuvered his female’s arms through the garment. He felt around her shoulders until he’d gathered all of her hair in his hand. He moved it free of the low v-collar of the garment. “There now, my little love. This shall keep the cold from you. I am sorry; we have no blankets to wrap you in.”

  “Let us go,” his woman’s sister said, from her position behind Aodhan’s seat.

  “Not going to happen.” Aodhan told her, his voice surprisingly cheerful and determined.

  “What is this about? Why did you do this? Our family has plenty of money for ransom. Just let us go. Let my little sister go!”

  Theo was content to just sit beside his female while her sister pleaded with Aodhan. He admired her protectiveness. Her love for her sister. Did his own woman have such love?

  Theo was a family man, with three younger siblings of his own that he loved and protected. He would do anything for his siblings, especially his younger sisters. “Aodhan, just drive. We need to get them back to the hotel quickly. They will be tracked in the morning.”

  “I see.” Aodhan stepped on the gas and the van shot forward. Theo heard another whimper escape his female, and it tore at his heart. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her toward him. He dropped a kiss to the hair that smelled like gardenias.

  “Do not be afraid. We will not hurt you. Ever.”

  ****

  The one kept whistling and that scared her, but the tender touches from the man beside her frightened her beyond anything. She tried to think, to reason why they could have done what they were doing, but other than the ransom demand that Mal was trying to convince them to make, she couldn’t think of why they would risk coming on to the family property to target them.

  That told her one thing—this wasn’t random. She and Mal had been chosen for a very clear reason.

  The man continued to touch her, gently and never inappropriately, for the remainder of the drive.

  The van stopped the driver climbed out. The side door opened and Mickey squinted against the sudden light. They had brought her and Mal to a hotel? Why?

  The driver pulled Mal from the van and over his shoulder, his hand cupping Mal’s butt. The driver continued to whistle, and the cheerfulness of his tune sent shivers down Mickey’s back. Why was he so happy to be kidnapping them?

  The man beside her felt around almost blindly until his hand landed on the seatbelt latch. He pulled the restraint off of her, then stood. Hot hands went under her arms and he pulled her up. The van was a large one, and Mickey could easily stand upright. The man couldn’t, he had to bend his head a bit to avoid bumping the top. Mickey wasn’t sure how long her knees would hold her, but she forced herself to stay upright. She wouldn’t fall down before this man.

  He lifted her, easy to do in the large van, and handed her out to the driver. Mickey looked around; her sister was propped up against a stone pillar.

  Mickey stared at the driver. The man was huge, at least seven feet tall and heavily muscled. A monster, though Mickey had to admit he was very handsome. They both were. The giant grinned down at her as he held her and Mickey squeaked. He was truly frightening, though his hands were far gentler on her than they’d been on her sister.

  Mallory was cursing the man, demanding he put Mickey down. But he ignored Mal. He handed Mickey back to the other man as easily as if she were a small child.

  These men were incredibly strong. In the light from the portico, Mickey got her first good look at the man who had taken her from her home. His hair was light brown, almost golden. He was very tall, though not as tall as his friend. He was muscled, but much leaner than the other man, too.

  But it was his eyes that stunned her. They were orange, the color of fresh fruit. She’d never seen eyes on a living being that color before, except once. The cat she’d had as a teenager had had eyes just like his. And just like that cat, this man’s eyes were sightless.

  She’d been kidnapped by a blind man.

  Chapter Three

  Theo took his Rajni back from Aodhan and carried her into the luxury hotel that had served as his people’s home and city seat since 1863. Updates had been made, of course, but this building was where he and his Rajni would live and love together.

  A servant from his House met him just inside the doors, always ready to serve. Every member of his House was in some manner related to him. Theo knew and cared for them all.

  “Haneam, please have clean, warm clothing brought to my suite immediately. And a small meal, I think. Have Travon fetch my mother’s jewels from the House vault.” The jewels were meant for the equa—female head-of-the-House. The woman in his arms would wear them and all would know and understand this human girl’s status.

  “Yes, Equan Theo. They will be in your suite within the half hour.”

  “The clothes as soon as possible, everything else, please make it an hour. I need to get my Rajni settled first. Thank you, Haneam.”

  Aodhan brought his own female closer to her sister. Theo turned to his friend. Now his brother-in-law. He studied the other man’s shadow. Aodhan held the female slung over his shoulder. Still bound. Still struggling. Still so achingly terrified.

  Theo shifted his own female to free one of his hands. While her sister struggled, his female lay limp in his arms. Theo ran his hand over the sister’s hair. Her face popped into his mind’s eye. Similar to his mate’s, but the colors were darker, bolder. She was heavier and stronger, too.

  Theo ignored Aodhan’s small growl. No male liked another to touch his female without permission. Theo sighed, then spoke in their native tongue. “Be careful with her, my friend. Your female has suffered so much in a way no woman ever should. Her soul still has the scars.”

  Aodhan stilled. “What are you saying, seer?”

  “Just that ours is not the first act of vengeance against her grandfather she has been the instrument of. Treat her kindly, as gently as a kitten, rather than as the fiery cat she presents. It will serve you well in the long run.”

  “The conversion process will hurt her. That’s unavoidable.” Aodhan’s entire manner toward the girl had changed, as evident by his tone.

  Theo’s mind seized on Aodhan’s words. A blood conversion. Why had he not thought of it earlier? It would change them, make them Dardaptoan. But it was risky, and rumored to be extremely painful. Could he force his female to endure something so horrible?

  His mind’s vision sharpened, as it always did when he saw the future or past.

  What he saw had his blood freezing in his veins.

  If he didn’t convert his female from human to Dardaptoan, she would be dead within the month. But he couldn’t see the how or the when.

  The matter was settled; he would convert her this night. He just hoped she would forgive him eventually.

  Chapter Four

  Mickey fought the man’s hold the moment he turned in the opposite direction than the man carrying her sister. She couldn’t be separated from

  Mal. Not in a hotel this size. They’d never find each other again. “Please!” The man held her close, so that his scent and warmth surrounded her. Almost as if he cared. “Hush, little love. What is your name? Which one are you?”

  “You kidnapped me and you don’t even know my name?”

  “I know you are the granddaughter of Leonard Taniss, are you not?”

  Mickey hesitated. “Yes. He’s my grandfather. Why? Did he do something to you?”

  “You might say that. We shall discuss it in a short while. First, do you want to get settled? Eat a little something? Change into more comfortable clothing?”

  “I have a choice? What do you plan on doing? Ransoming us? We’re both worth quite a bit of money. I promise my father or uncle or brother will pay, and pay quickly.”

  “There will be no ransom, little love.” The man’s tone was level, grave. Frightening. “You will not be
returning home. That is not in the cards for you.”

  “You’re going to kill me?” She started shivering again, his words freezing her to the bone.

  “No. I will never let anything or anyone harm you.”

  “If you aren’t going to ransom me back, and don’t plan on killing or hurting me, what do you hope to accomplish?”

  “We shall discuss when we reach my suite. Our suite. You live there, now.

  It’s in my Family wing. All within that wing are related to me. And now you.”

  “Whoa. I am not now, nor will I ever be related to you. Or those people.”

  “Little love, there is so much yet that you do not understand.”

  “My name is Mickey; I’m not your little anything.” Was that what this was about? Had he and his giant friend watched them at the bar a few hours ago when Mal and Mickey had been there with their cousins? Had they followed them home with the intent to take and keep them as hostages, or some weird sort of slaves?

  The people in the lobby hadn’t even blinked an eye when he’d carried her through the large area. One had even offered to assist him. As if seeing him carrying her in hadn’t set off any alarms. Maybe they did this sort of thing frequently?

  Maybe she and Mal weren’t the first? “Where’s he taking my sister?” “Back to his own suite, I presume. She is now a part of his Family house. Do not worry for your sister; Aodhan will care for her always. She will be pampered and coddled for the rest of her days. No one will ever hurt her again.”

  English wasn’t this man’s first language, that was clear. His way of speaking was too stilted. A hotel employee opened a set of large doors and Mickey thought about telling the employee to call the police. But once again, the worker didn’t seem to think anything out of the ordinary was occurring.

  And Mickey didn’t want to make this man angry. Who knew what he would do? If he tied her up like Mal was bound, how would she help either herself or her sister? “Maybe she doesn’t want that. Maybe all she wants to do is go home?”

  He carried her through the doors and down a long hallway. The trim on the walls had to be real gold. And what looked like rubies dotted the murals. This was an expensive place. Not the kind of place a kidnapper would keep a hostage. What in the hell was going on here?

  Mickey thought about trying to get out of his arms, but what would that accomplish? He obviously wanted to carry her—didn’t it make sense for her to lull him into thinking she was cooperating?

  How hard could it be to escape from a blind man?

  She would wait, be smart. Do what she had to do to appease whatever it was he wanted from her—within reason. She wouldn’t kiss him, wouldn’t touch him voluntarily. Would not let him do that to her. If he wanted sex from her, Mickey would die fighting. Period.

  He approached a door. The only door at the very end of the hallway. He felt around a keypad with one hand, then punched in a series of numbers. “The code for this room, our home, is 15769. Do you think you can remember it? 15769.”

  “Aren’t you afraid I’ll use the code to escape? I don’t plan on staying here with you.” The longer she was with him, the more Mickey started to question if she’s been dragged into some alternate Wonderland. What kind of kidnapper gave their victim the means to escape?

  “You won’t.” He carried her into the suite, and Mickey felt her eyes widen when she got her first look of the antiques that populated the suite. And it was definitely a suite, with a sitting area, eating area, and balcony. At least two bedrooms were visible from the hallway door. And along each wall, out of the man’s walking path, were antiques of every variety. Statues, furniture, brick-a-brack. This man was a serious collector. And every piece was fine and detailed. Art.

  Why would a man like him, with this kind of disposable income, need to kidnap the granddaughters of one of the wealthiest men in the U.S.? Either they saw her and her sister in the bar—where they’d each only had one drink, for crissakes!—or, and this seemed more likely considering he’d asked her about her grandfather, he had taken her for one thing. Vengeance.

  Just like the man who’d attacked Mallory eight years ago. Mal had been at TI, in the parking garage, when a man their grandfather had fired cornered her. He’d attacked her, beaten her, raped her, and left her by her grandfather’s car. Mickey and Josey—both barely sixteen at the time—had found Mal by Uncle Jason’s car. She’d crawled there, knowing he’d find her and take care of her.

  Mickey would never forget seeing her proud, strong, beautiful sister like that. Ever.

  And their grandfather’s response had been complete nonchalance. He’d told Mickey’s father that Mallory should have been more careful. Mickey had hated the old man ever since she’d heard him say those words outside the private hospital room that night.

  Mickey knew that’s why she had been taken. Her and Mallory. Because of their grandfather. “It won’t work!”

  He sat her on her feet. “What won’t work?”

  “Getting back at Grandfather for whatever he’s done to you. Not by using me or Mallory. Grandfather hates us.”

  The man frowned. “Why would your grandfather hate you and your sister?”

  “Simple. Because we have the wrong sex chromosomes. We are girls.

  Guess your little plan won’t work.”

  “Vengeance may have been our plan earlier. I will never lie to you.”

  “But it’s suddenly not? Why should I believe you?” Mickey studied every aspect of the room, though she did not move from the spot where he had placed her. She would only have one real chance to escape him. She would have to plan it, and make it good. Do the unexpected. Instead of the doors leading out of the suite, the balcony, maybe? Of course, that was counting on there being steps to the ground level. Once on the ground, she could find a way off the property. Then she could find a phone and call Rand, or Uncle Jason. They would find her. Then she could lead them back to Mallory.

  “You have no reason to, but someday you will understand why I have to do this.”

  “You are insane, aren’t you? But you’re wealthy enough that people humor you.” Was that it? Were all of these people on his payroll, and paid so well they turned a blind eye to his criminality? That would hamper her chances for escape.

  “No, not insane.” He grabbed her arm, ran his fingers down her skin to her hand. He pulled her toward him. Mickey thought about resisting, but forced herself to comply. She needed to somehow get him off guard.

  It was the only way.

  Chapter Five

  His Rajni was plotting against him. Theo knew it, knew it was behind her complacency. Spirited, despite her quiet ways. The Goddess had chosen well for him, when she chose this girl to be his mate. “Come, sit. They will be bringing you new clothing that befits your new status shortly.”

  “My status as what? Your hostage?”

  “You are not a hostage. You are my mate. I know you do not understand—”

  “You’ve got that right. Why me? And what is that man doing to my sister? Is he hurting her?”

  “He will never hurt her, though he appears a rough man. Aodhan is a warrior. He will protect your sister until the day he dies. Just as I shall do with you.”

  “Despite what we want?”

  “In time, you will want me. As much as I want you.”

  “Stockholm. I’m not some Patty Hurst. And my family will be coming for us. Throw you in jail for this. Your friend, and all who saw what you’ve done and have done nothing to stop it.”

  “They may come, but there is no law to protect them here.”

  “Sure there is. Even cities are required to follow state and federal laws. Kidnapping is against the law—even in Colorado. C.R.S. 18-3-301 states that using force to move someone against their will is a first degree kidnapping case. You're looking at life in prison minimum.”

  “So you know the law then?” Once again proof that the Goddess knew what she was doing when she gave this girl to him. “You can learn the laws of our pe
ople, and assist me in overseeing the judicial council.”

  “Our people? Tell me what separates ‘our’ people from normal human beings?”

  “That’s just it, my little love. I’m not a human being. And come morning, neither will you be.” Would it be best to just do it? To start the conversion process while keeping her in the dark of what it would entail? Would that frighten her less?

  It would not lessen the pain, and he felt that scar his soul. But it would keep her alive. Didst not the ends justify the means, in such a case?

  If such an act was committed and brought before his council judicially,

  Theo was uncertain how he—the head of the Judicial Council for the Dardanos tribe—would rule. After 643 years on the Earth, there were still some situations where right and wrong remained blurred.

  “You really are crazy! I want to go home, please!”

  Theo could so easily hear the fear in her voice. How was he to make her fear him less? Especially considering what he was about to do to her?

  Yes. It would be best, he supposed, to just get it over with for her. He would start the process. He closed his useless eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. Whispered the short word to put her back into a frozen state.

  It would hurt her slightly less if she did not fight him.

  ***

  She could not move again. How was he doing that to her? It had to be a drug of some sort, something applied directly to the skin. Maybe when he’d touched her arm?

  He felt around her, his hands hot on her back through her shirt. His hands found her waist and he lifted her again. He was such a strong man.

  He wrapped his hands around her and pulled her into his chest. She wanted to fight him but could not. That was the worst part, not being able to fight. Not being able to protect herself. She knew some basic self-defense, Mal had insisted she learn. But it was useless.