Suck It by Linsey Hall
15
Mac
There was only one way to spend the rest of the day.
I had to see my parents.
We only had an hour, but I needed to see them. To prove that they were real. After we said goodbye to Eve, Drakon took me directly to the small neighborhood outside of London where I’d been raised. The familiar streets stretched out around me, dotted with nearly identical houses.
My parents had moved here when my dad had gotten a new job at the nearby power facility. It had been a big deal to move into the little house with so many conveniences and friendly neighbors on all sides.
“Which one is it?” Drakon asked.
I looked up the street, seeking the house where I’d grown up.
Suddenly, I couldn’t remember which one it was. “Um…”
I frowned, squinting at all the houses. The front gardens were all a little different—some of them filled with grass and flowers, others with pebbles and little stone statues. An abandoned child’s bicycle sat in the middle of one.
And yet, I couldn’t recognize which belonged to my parents. I had a vague memory of a small playground in the front, but that would be long gone by now. My mother had raised roses, however.
My memories were way too vague. Unnaturally so.
My heart raced as I searched for my mother’s roses. I saw several gardens that contained them, but none were familiar.
Frantic, I began to walk the street, heading up to the crossroad and taking a left to go down the next street. Drakon followed silently, as if he knew that something was wrong but didn’t want to break the silence. My panic was a balloon that could pop with the wrong word.
No matter how carefully I looked, I couldn’t find my parents’ house. And with every second that I failed, it felt like the memories of them receded farther and farther into the back of my mind.
Grief battled with confusion as I stopped in the middle of the street. Tears pricked my eyes, and it was all I could do to keep my breathing calm and even. How I wished I’d brought Carrow instead of Drakon. I didn’t want to cry in front of him. But he’d had the convenient transport power, and we hadn’t wanted to waste a charm.
And yet, now I was standing in the middle of the crushed memories of my past with a man whom I didn't want to turn to for comfort.
Actually, that was wrong.
I did.
I just knew I shouldn’t.
Fates. I looked up at the sky, blinking back tears.
“Are you all right?” His voice sounded softly from my left.
“I am.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears from falling. “I don’t think they were real.”
The tears burst free, angry and frustrated. Grieving for a memory—for people—that weren't real.
Drakon pulled me into his arms, and I went willingly. His strong embrace was warm and comforting. Somehow, it felt like returning home. It was the strangest feeling, especially given that I was standing upon the ashes of what I thought was my home. But the sense of home was as strong as the sunlight that beat upon my head.
I buried my face in his shoulder as the tears fell. He patted my back—awkwardly, at first, then with growing confidence.
“It’ll be all right.”
“I loved them.” The words were strangled against his shoulder, and they sounded crazy. “But they weren’t real.”
“You loved the thought of them. It’s normal to love the thought of a nice family.”
I drew in a shuddery breath, trying to calm myself, and pulled back from his embrace.
“They were a figment of my imagination. A figment of a spell cast on me by someone.” Anger surged within me. “But now they’re gone, as if they never existed. And yet I still miss them.”
“I understand.” He still sounded slightly awkward, as if comforting someone was extremely unfamiliar to him. Hell, it was. But he was trying.
“Do you miss your family?” I asked.
“Never had one.” He gave me a wry smile. “So, no. Which is convenient.”
“As far as my memory is concerned, I never had one either.” I pulled back and looked up and down the street. “Someone put this place in my memory. They tricked me into thinking it was my past.”
Fates, how much of my past wasn’t what I thought?
A lot.
The witches had said so, and now I believed them. I had a brief urge to visit the first bar where I’d worked, just to see if it was real, but I didn’t bother asking Drakon. It probably wasn’t. And we didn’t have a lot of time to spare.
Who the hell had done this to me?
Ludovic.
I would get that bastard. I’d make him give me my memories back, and then I would kill him.
I’d never felt that urge before—the desire to commit premeditated murder. But I felt it now, hot and raw.
I drew in a shuddery breath and forced the feeling aside. It was too dark.
“Why don’t we head back?” I felt drained and hollow yet filled with a fiery determination.
He nodded, reaching for my hand. I took it, drawing comfort from his touch even though I knew I shouldn’t.
Drakon called upon the ether and transported us back to Guild City. Late afternoon had arrived, and the warm sunlight made the Shadow Guild tower gleam with golden light. The roses that climbed up the walls were a brilliant red, and I reached for the tattoo on my shoulder, rubbing it absently.
This was home. I didn’t need the memory of an unfamiliar neighborhood and a past filled with fake people, no matter how much the memory of them burned me with loss.
They weren’t real. My heart didn’t get it, but it would catch up with my mind soon enough.
And I’d find out who my real parents were.
Because they were out there—dead or alive. Either way, I needed to know who they were.
“Damned Ludovic,” I muttered. “He’ll answer for this.”
“We’ll catch him.” Drakon turned me toward him, and the intensity of his gaze burned into me.
The current of tension that passed between us was more than just sexual. It might have started out that way, but there was now something more between us. I could feel it like a cocoon that surrounded us.
We were in our own little world, and that world felt timeless. Like there was a long history between us that I couldn’t remember. Even more intense, it felt like there was a long future ahead of us, if only I could reach out and grasp it.
I want it.
The thought shot into my mind, so strong and fierce that I nearly gasped. I wanted that future with Drakon, even though I could hardly imagine what it would look like.
How did one build a life with the first vampire?
I had no idea, but I wanted to try.
“What is it?” he asked.
Heat flushed my cheeks. “Nothing.”
I stepped back, trying to break the connection between us. It didn’t work, but the distance helped. “I need to go get ready for tonight. I’ll meet you at the Shifters’ Guild tower.”
We’d planned to meet the McCabe and Donahue packs at the Shifters’ Guild tower where we were holding Valerie. The agreement had been reached with the help of Glencarrough, and it was only right, considering the stake they had in this.
Drakon nodded and stepped back, giving me one last long look before disappearing into the ether.
I released a shuddery breath and turned toward the front door. We didn’t have long before it was time to meet, and I needed all the time I could get to gather myself.
Drakon
Who the hell was Macbeth O’Connell?
The thought echoed in my mind as I dressed. Mac was MacKenna Carraday, Daughter of the Arcane Order. But I didn’t know what that meant either.
My thoughts narrowed in on Ludovic—the most obvious danger to her. He was the strongest threat we needed to deal with, and I was growing weary of him.
On my way out the door, I stopped by the main room where my true body sat entombed in granite. It was an eerie sight, looking at a statue of myself. And yet, I felt normal, standing there staring at the statue.
A crack in the head of the statue of myself caught my eye, and I strode toward it. That couldn’t be right.
As I neared, I realized that it was. There was a hairline fissure going from the top of the skull down through the middle of the head.
My heart thundered.
Was I running out of time?
The witches said I’d have a week. I’d barely used half of it.
And yet, the statue was beginning to crumble. A cold sweat broke out on my skin.
Entombed forever.
Or not?
What the hell did this mean? Nothing good, I was sure. It felt like an indicator that my deadline was approaching. I was running out of time.
The idea made me shudder.
Fates, how were we going to fix this? We stalked Ludovic to keep him away from Mac, but also on the promise that he would have information about how to break this curse of mine. Mac had guaranteed me he was telling the truth when he’d said he had information.
I believed her.
And yet, was it the right information?
Did it matter?
We had no other leads.
Swiftly, I turned from the statue and stalked toward the door. I wouldn’t think of it now. Our first goal was to capture Ludovic, and that was what I would do.
It took no time at all to transport to the courtyard in front of the Shifters’ Guild tower. It was a far busier place than the Shadow Guild tower—the shops and bars across the courtyard were bustling with people, and the tower itself looked like it was home to dozens.
Like they were one big family.
Hell, for all intents and purposes, they were. Shifters liked to live amongst their pack.
What would it be like to live amongst family?
I could barely conceive of it, never having had one myself. And yet, with Mac, I could imagine it.
The strange thought shocked the hell out of me, and I nearly stumbled.
I needed to get control of my mind.
Fortunately, Mac arrived a moment later. Valerie had told us that we needed to blend in with the crowd at the absinthe bar, and Mac had delivered.
She strolled into the courtyard wearing slim black leather pants and a small black top, her long blond hair pulled back in a gleaming wave down her back. Black makeup enhanced her eyes, an unusual look for her.
I liked it.
Not at much as I liked her bare face, but it was good.
She looked like a woman who could take care of business, and it was sexy as hell.
Her gaze landed on me, and she nodded. I inclined my head in response, but what I really wanted to do was pull her into my arms and kiss her.
Fates, how my mind was changing.
My thoughts were of family and greeting a woman with a kiss. What the hell was happening to me?
This had to be more than just the Bride Bond. The bond was a matter of fate saying that she was vital to my life. My partner, be it good or bad, not that she would necessarily inspire such warm feelings.
And yet, my mind and body were quickly on board with the ridiculous idea of the one. And she was it.
“How are you?” I asked. Anything to break my train of thought.
“Fine.” She looked up at a clock tower that was visible across the courtyard. “The shifters should be here any minute. Quinn said they came through the Haunted Hound about fifteen minutes ago.”
As if on command, they appeared at the head of the main city street. Donahue and McCabe led the small group of six. Their gazes were glued to us, but the rest looked around with interest.
I counted two shifters behind them—strong ones, by the feel of their signatures—and two witches. They approached quickly, stopping just a few feet in front of us.
Donahue nodded at the shifters behind her, a man and a woman, each powerfully built, with steady eyes. “This is Kate and Daniel.” She tilted her head toward the witches who'd come to stand alongside her. “And Lucy and Tabitha. They’re the witches who will help us wake our brethren. They’ll also protect us from having our own souls stolen.”
“Wake them?” I asked.
“They’re under the effects of the wolfsbane. A special variety meant to keep them asleep for a long time, I’m betting. We’ll need magical help to wake them safely since we can’t transport all the bodies out at once.”
Mac nodded. “Good. The shifters should be bringing Valerie out any moment.”
At the name, Donahue’s dark eyes flashed with anger. “She’s the one who helped orchestrate the attack?”
“She is.” Mac nodded. “But she’ll help us. At least, she’ll help us enough.”
“So we need to keep an eye on her,” McCabe said, his eyes glinting with understanding.
“Exactly. She’s crafty. But there are a lot more of us than there are of her, so we should be able to keep her in line.”
The sound of doors creaking open drew my attention, and I turned to see two shifter guards escorting Valerie from the tower. She looked pissed as hell but determined—her brow set in deep lines and her eyes glinting.
Donahue whistled low under her breath. “I wouldn’t mess with her.”
“I wouldn’t advise it.” Mac stepped toward the approaching shifters.
Lachlan accompanied them, an air of alpha power surrounding him and making the other alphas straighten their shoulders. When he stopped in front of us, the three acknowledged each other with a nod.
He looked at Mac. “I know that you need to keep your numbers minimal to sneak into the hidden city. But if you need us, we’re there.”
“Thanks. My friends said the same. They weren’t pleased at being left behind.” She turned to Valerie. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” She held out her hands and nodded her head toward them. “Uncuff me.”
Mac frowned.
“It will be too weird if I walk into the bar like this.”
“Fair enough,” Mac said. “But we’re watching you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Valerie rolled her eyes.
One of the shifter guards unlocked her cuffs and took them away. Valerie shook out her hands and looked at them. “Your hospitality needs work.”
“We’ll keep that in mind.” Lachlan nodded at us, then departed. His guards followed.
“All right, I’ll take you to where you want to go,” Valerie said. “Who has a transport charm?”
“We brought one.” McCabe held out his palm, revealing a large charm. “It’s powerful enough to fit all of us.”
“I’ll lead the way.” Valerie nodded at him.
“Hang on.” Mac grabbed her hand and gripped tight. “No way we’re losing you in the ether.”
“You’re going to have to calm down, hon.”
Mac arched a brow. “Did you just tell me to calm down?”
Valerie grinned widely, and Mac just shook her head. “Pain in the ass.”
“Let’s go,” McCabe said. “I want my people back and for this to be over with.”
We nodded, and he threw the transport charm to the ground. I reached for Valerie’s arm, gripping it tight. I didn’t plan to let her take Mac somewhere she shouldn’t. If this was her escape attempt, I’d be there to deal with it.
The three of us went through first, establishing the destination of the portal, and the wolves followed. We arrived on a quiet street in a part of Paris I was certain I hadn’t been to. All the same, there was something familiar about it.
Then it hit me.
The narrow, ancient street, somehow still cobblestone after all these years, reminded me of the dream I’d had of my past.
Paris, 1720s.
Even the old buildings were similar, cast in shadow by the sun that had just set. The memory of my dark past made discomfort streak through me, but I shoved it aside. I was a different person now. Still a bastard, but not so evil that I’d repeat the mistakes of the past.
Because of Mac.
I was sure of it.
The street was empty, fortunately. The shifters arrived a moment later, fanning out to take in our surroundings.
“Where to now?” Mac asked.
“This way. Not far.” Valerie started down the street, passing the old buildings that were unusually quiet at this time of night.
Valerie led us several hundred yards to a more ramshackle area of town. I could just make out the top of the Eiffel Tower over an old warehouse in front of us. It glittered in the distance, many miles away. The building Valerie approached appeared to be abandoned, but that was no surprise. If Ludovic was hiding in Paris, he wouldn’t be doing it in an obvious spot.
Valerie turned down an alley between two of the old buildings, approaching a rusted door. I could feel the shifters’ wariness. I felt it myself, my muscle tensing for battle.
“Where does this lead?” Mac demanded.
“The absinthe bar is in a secret location.”
Mac touched Valerie’s shoulder, and I felt her magic flare briefly.
“All right.” From the tone of Mac’s voice, she believed Valerie.
Good.
We could trust Mac’s instincts. Her power.
Valerie led the way into the old warehouse. I expected an ambush, but what I got was far more boring—a long-abandoned building filled with dust and rats. Behind me, the shifters grumbled, but Valerie ignored them as she strode forward.
“I don’t like this,” McCabe muttered.
Valerie shot him a disdainful glance over her shoulder. “Did you think it would be easy and obvious?”
He glared at her but said nothing.
As we reached the middle of the warehouse, Valerie diverted her course toward the side of the building, heading toward a large piece of old machinery.
As we followed her into the dark shadows, my muscles tensed. I didn’t feel the hint of a trap, but it was hard to let old instincts die.
Valerie stopped and turned to us. “On the far side of the warehouse is a nondescript metal door. That leads to the absinthe bar. We’re seeking the fortune teller in the back. She guards the entrance to Ludovic’s lair, and she’s the only one who can let us in. But we can’t all go in at once because there are other staff members in the bar who are in Ludovic’s employ. Such a large crowd is suspicious.”
“What do you propose?” I asked.
“The four of us go in first.” She gestured to me, Mac, and Donahue. “We’ll head straight to her and incapacitate her. The rest of the shifters and witches enter a moment later. Pretend to be drunk, ask to see the fortune teller. The host will direct you. Then we’ll enter Ludovic’s lair.”