The Empath : The Alterealm Series Book 3
Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chase didn’t call back, I had to wonder if that was a good or bad thing. Most likely the later. I hadn’t watched the time but knew it couldn’t have been ten minutes when someone knocked loudly on the door. Alyssa came out holding a broom. She stood beside her friend, Kristin, and raised it in the air. Kristin looked out the spy hole.

She turned to look at Daxx and I. “It’s one of the big guys that was here with you.”

“Crap.” Daxx mumbled.

Alyssa sent me a hesitant look. “Is that a crap, don’t let him in?”

“I doubt that door will stop them, you had better let them in.”

“There’s more of them and they look very angry’.” Kristin said quietly.

“I’ll see you in twenty years when I’m allowed out again.” Daxx said and then sighed.

Lowering the broom, Alyssa stepped back from the door as Kristin opened it. I watched as they came through the door, and I had to admit if you didn’t know them, you would give them a very wide berth. Chase and Troy were clone visions of anger and concern. Victor came through last, and was the scariest male I’ve ever seen in my life. I was almost relieved to see Michael come in, really knowing we were in trouble when he looked the least threatening. Our guards came in last and closed the door, standing in front of it like silent statues.

Troy scooped up Daxx without a word and went back over to the door as Crissy was jumping up to hug Victor.

Chase dropped down beside me and moved the cloth covering my arm.

“Is it bad?” Michael asked while towering over us.

Chase made a sound of annoyance. “Blood should heal it.”

The fact he hadn’t looked me in the eyes was unnerving. I sensed no emotion, either from him or his brothers. Just the cold void of no emotion. Similar to when they fought.

“I’ll wait here with the guards until Anthony arrives.” Michael looked at the women standing as far as possible from them all. “I sent a message for Leone to track down Romulus, to check the apartment.” He waved a hand around. “We’ll make sure all of their belongings are moved.”

Chase picked me up into his arms. I looked at Sith. “Stay here with them until Anthony arrives.” I held my hand up, so Chase would stop. “Tell Anthony to have Liza use the account to replace a house and email me the details. Until then Alyssa, Kirstin and Brittany can stay at a rental unit.”

Sith nodded.

Michael opened the door. “I’ll replace a guard to stay with them.” He glanced at them. “A female one.”

“Thank you.” Chase started for the door.

I looked around him to Alyssa. “Get my number from Sith and I’ll talk to you later.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” She looked at the guards. “All of you.”

Chase barely stepped through the door before I found myself being carried to the counter in my kitchen.

His silence was worse than any verbal reprimand could ever be. Despite my stomach rebelling against the transport, I was hoping for some vocal confirmation that he wasn’t as angry as I suspected.

He carefully took the scarf off my arm, his face showing his displeasure clearly. Reaching around me, he grabbed the cloth off the counter and wet it in the sink.

I tried not to wince as he dabbed at the blood on my arm. “Are you planning on being silent for much longer?”

Glancing at my face, he tossed the cloth into the sink and leaned a hand on either side of me. His pale eyes holding mine. “I didn’t ask one of my red-eyed brothers to heal your cut,” his tone was lower than a whisper, “with their saliva, because we are going to do a full blood bond, you and I.”

I opened my mouth to object, he interrupted before I could utter a syllable.

“If Michael hadn’t known the area I would have had to ride in a taxi reach you. A taxi, through traffic, for who knows how long.” He searched my eyes briefly. “I’m a patient man, Alona, but that is wearing on me in ways I can’t even describe.” Straightening up, he crossed his arms over his chest and towered over me. “You don’t want to wear my mark—fine, but you will at least have a connection that allows me to know when you’re getting yourself into trouble the next time.” His handsome face turned into a scowl. “I have no doubt there will be a next time.” Inhaling deeply, he let it out slowly. “Do not fight me on this, please.” He whispered with such angst in his tone that my heart skipped a beat.

That small tell revealed more of his internal struggle then sensing emotions ever would. I’d never had a connection to anyone in my long life. My mother, perhaps, from time to time, but she was so fragmented it was never what a mother and child should have. Would such a connection fill the void that always seemed to haunt me? There was still that part of me that needed to know the details. “Is that permanent or something…”

“It’s not unless you’re marked, so if you’re worried I’m trying to irrevocably tie you to me, don’t be.” He sighed loudly. “Every cell in my body tells me to mark you, and I’ll continue to fight that, but you have to give me something to calm the beast inside, Alona.”

I studied his face. His eyes were still mostly hazel, with that slight blurred coloration that happened before they turned to yellow. He was genuinely struggling to stay calm. “All right.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes. Recovering quickly, he shrugged out of his jacket, the straps holding hidden blades were undone and the blades hitting the floor echoed in the silent room. Taking his shirt off, he dropped it on the floor as well.

I couldn’t help looking at his bared chest, as I finally sensed the first emotion from him since he arrived at the apartment, desire. My mouth filled with my fangs. Later, much later, I needed to seriously ponder why this kept happening where he was concerned.

Coming back to the present, I watched him score his chest with a sharp blade.

“Take it before it heals.” He reminded me softly.

Sliding to the edge of the counter, I leaned forward and ran my tongue over the blood trickling down his toned chest. The taste didn’t bother me, another thing to ponder. Why? As I gently sucked his life blood into my mouth I felt his tongue licking the cut on my arm. I hadn’t even noticed he’d lifted my arm. All it took was a touch and I was consumed with this man.

When the cut healed closed, he grasped the back of my head and guided my face to his throat. I needed no further encouragement as I sank my fangs into his flesh. He made a guttural noise in the back of his throat and suddenly his emotions were merged with mine. Desire ignited in a way I’d never felt in my life. Licking across the bite, I lifted my head and looked at his yellow eyes. I needed to know. “Feed from me, let me feel what you do.”

His hand still rested against the side of my face, his thumb stroking along my jaw. “That will be dangerous, my lovely duchess.” His voice rasped. Holding my look, he lowered his head and brushed light kisses along my jaw and down my throat. My whole body responded to his touch.

Running my hands up the warm flesh of his chest, I reached around his neck and released the tie holding his long hair. Feeding my fingers into it, I closed my fist and pulled his head down so I could reach his mouth. He required no further persuasion and kissed me with more passion then I knew a person could have. His desire and my need mixed inside me, and I thought we may burst into real flames.

Lifting his head suddenly, he looked into my eyes, his yellow ones holding mine captive. I could feel him absorbing our longing, combined. With the blood bond and combined with my empathic ability, I was taking it right back from him, an endless cascade of erotic heat. I heard a moan, and realized it was my own.

“Fuck,” Chase hissed out and closed his eyes and rested his forehead against my own. “We are truly in danger of killing each other with passion.”

Trying to steady my own breathing, I didn’t reply. There was nothing more I could say to what I knew was true.

“I am very sorry to interrupt.” Arius’ voice said quietly from the doorway.

Chase lifted his head up and looked down at me. “You may have just saved me from getting stabbed, brother. What is it?”

I watched his eyes swirling back to normal as he held my own in his stare. I could feel what he did, and I could only describe it as adoration. Something I’d felt before, but never had it directed at me.

Arius cleared his throat. “Is Alona’s arm healed?”

The mention of my injury brought both Chase and I back to reality. I lifted my arm, and he looked at it. There was a slight red mark, but there was no pain.

“It’s well enough, now.” Chase answered him finally. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back and finally turned to look at his sibling. “How are the others?”

“Daxx will have the headache from hell for a few hours, but nothing permanent. And Crissy, well is Crissy.”

Chase nodded and then picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head. “And the women they rescued?”

“Anthony and Michael are taking them to a hotel until a house is found. They’re going to lay low for now.”

I got off the counter and went around the island to the sink. “I didn’t get a chance to speak to them.”

“No, you were too busy bleeding out on their floor.” Chase said with a snap to his voice.

Dabbing my arm with a damp towel to wash off the blood, I looked at him and rolled my eyes. “I was hardly bleeding out.”

He leaned on the counter so I would have to look at him. “One drop of blood is too much where you’re concerned.”

I was going to snipe back when a warm feeling washed over me. Stopping, I made eye contact with him and saw the soft look. This blood bond thing was really quite fascinating.

Arius came further into the room and leaned against the doorframe. “I just spent some time with the three men the guards brought back, I can’t be certain until Troy takes a look, but I don’t think those three women were the only ones being paired with Alterealm men.”

Chase and I both stopped and stared at him. I tossed the cloth back into the sink. “What do you mean paired up?” I looked from him to Chase for a second. “Are we talking what I suspected from the meeting with Mister Hubert?”

Arius sighed deeply and nodded. “I believe so.”

Chase went and picked up his blades. “Because feeding off innocent humans, or fucking up the world by dropping the barrier isn’t bad enough, let’s take it one step further and force women to have sex with our kind.”

A wave of anger rushed through me. I inhaled sharply and Chase swore again. Before I could build a barrier against it, the emotion was gone, as if it had been blocked.

“Sorry.” He looked at me. “It got away from me before I could shield you from it.”

I shrugged. “It’s nothing. My own emotions weren’t far from yours.” I glanced to Arius. “So, what do we do?”

Chase swore again and pulled his phone from his pocket. He glanced at the screen and answered it. “Michael.” Setting his blades on the counter, he gave Arius a stern look. “A what?” Rubbing a hand across his forehead he blew out a breath. “Is there a way to follow it back to the source?”

I looked at Arius to see if he had a sense of what they were saying. He was scowling at his brother, which told me nothing, other than he understood his brother’s stance and expression, or this internal family link was involved.

“Let us know. I’m heading back in a few minutes.” He turned and looked at me. “She’s fine now.” He nodded. “Call Anthony and fill him in. Make sure he checks all their electronics.” Hanging up he leaned on the counter and looked at the floor for a moment.

I could feel faint emotions from him, none of them were positive.

“What is it? Arius finally asked.

Chase blew out a breath again and then turned to look at him. “Michael went back to the apartment to meet Romulus to see if he can trace the magic used,” he glanced to me, a look of concern on his face. “They found hidden cameras.”

Inhaling sharply, I put my hand over my mouth. Whoever was on the other end of those cameras would now know I was involved with the royal family.

“Shit.” Arius lifted both hands and held them to the side of his head for a moment and then looked at me. “You’re burned.” He held out his hand. “Give me your cell phone. I’ll get you a new one with a new number.”

Nodding, I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to him. “Is there a way to replace out who was watching?”

Taking my phone, he opened it and pulled out the little card in it. “I think we all know who was watching.” He shrugged, “even if we replace and follow where it leads to, they’ll clear out before we get there.”

Wrapping my arms around my waist I looked from him to Chase. He stood there watching me. “So, what now?” I suddenly didn’t feel safe in my own high-tech security home.

Chase came over and wrapped his arms around me. “Grab anything you need for now, you’re staying in the royal chambers until we figure out the next step.”

Normally I would have argued, but every instinct I had told me it was better if I wasn’t here. Nodding, I leaned back. “Is this ever going to end?”

A hard look appeared on his face. “It will.” He said quietly, and then kissed my forehead softly. Releasing me, he turned to Arius. “Stay here until she’s ready to come over. I need to talk to Troy and Victor.”

Arius nodded. “We’ll be there shortly.”

Chase picked up his blades and coat. Turning back, he kissed my mouth softly. “I’ll see you shortly.” He grasped my chin lightly. “Stop.”

I didn’t have to clarify what he was referring to, I knew he could feel the panic building inside me.

“I would bleed to protect you, as would any brother of mine.” He said softly. Kissing me once more, he stepped back and vanished.

“Do you need a hand packing?” Arius stepped out of the doorway.

Inhaling deeply, I counted to three to feel this long-lost feeling. “I have bags ready for emergency relocation.” I walked past him. “If you could grab the red case and laptop from the office, I’ll get the rest.” I didn’t pause to see if he followed, just walked with sure strides to my room. Opening the closet, I pulled out my run case, as I referred to it. Inside was everything I’d need to move on with short notice. I stood there and looked around the room out of habit. Usually when I needed this case, I would never see the room I stood in again.

“Check your security is set before we go.” Arius said from the doorway. “You’ll be back enjoying your wine soon.”

I smirked at him. “Will I though?” I went to the dresser and picked up the box on top of it. Favorite items, with the recent addition of elbow length satin gloves. I’d barely had time to consider the meaning behind that gift from Crissy. “Things are different now, Arius.” I stopped and looked at him. “Question remains, is if I wish them to be that way.”

He smiled. “Seems to me when I arrived, you weren’t objecting loudly to how different things are.”

I felt my cheeks flush and paused in the door. “I’ve been discovering many flaws in my usual immoveable resolve as of late.” I gave him a bold grin.

“Mmm, I’m sure you have.” He glanced around. “Got everything you can’t live without?”

I nodded. “As long as I have my boots, I can replace anything else.”

Arius laughed. “Tell me that case isn’t filled with boots.”

I walked to the closet by the front door and opened it. “Don’t be silly.” Setting my bag down, I pulled another, larger case from the closet and started putting my boot collection in it. “That one isn’t big enough.”

Looking over my shoulder, Arius hissed out a breath. “You’re coming back, Alona, you can pop here if the six pairs you’ve put in there aren’t adequate enough.”

I paused and then straightened up. “Old habits I suppose.” Grabbing my absolute favorite pair, I sighed. “Okay the boots stay. Let’s go before I change my mind.”