Spoiler alert! Don't read before finishing Dark Power Untamed!
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Chapter 1: Kian
Six o’clock in the morning was too early for a smoke, but since Kian hadn’t actually slept, it could be argued that it wasn’t really morning for him. Syssi was in the shower, and while he waited for her to get ready for breakfast he could sneak outside for a few minutes and get his fix.
As usual too much was going on all at once, and his mind was spinning in circles trying to make sense of it.
What were the damn Fates up to?
“Good morning, master.” Okidu bowed. “Would you like a fresh cup of coffee? It has just finished brewing.”
“Yes, please.”
A steamy mug of coffee in hand, Kian opened the living room sliding doors and walked out into the backyard. Sitting down on his favorite lounger, he put the mug on the side table and picked up his box of cigarillos.
Lighting up, he took a grateful puff and leaned back.
The Fates had played another of their games, bringing yet another Dormant into the clan’s fold, and not just any Dormant, but Wendy’s long-lost mother. The text message from Bowen had arrived a couple of hours ago, but the Guardian probably hadn’t expected Kian to read it right away and hadn’t elaborated beyond the basic facts. Nevertheless, Kian could piece it together from what he already knew.
The irony of it was that Margaret had been under their noses for nearly two weeks, but Bowen had figured it out on the same day Vlad and Richard had traveled out of town to have a talk with Wendy’s asshole of a father and find out what he’d done with the mother.
If Bowen had figured it out a day earlier, he would have saved them the trouble.
Kian wondered whether Vlad had managed not to kill the bastard. If he had, the kid had much better self-control than him. If he were in Vlad’s shoes, Kian would have torn the jerk’s throat out, and no one would have been able to stop him. It wouldn’t even have mattered if he killed the mother or not. He deserved to die for the abuse he’d inflicted on his family. But Vlad was a gentle soul, and he’d made a promise to Wendy not to kill her father, so maybe the scum was still alive.
In any case, Kian wasn’t going to ask or even hint that he knew about Richard and Vlad’s trip.
Plausible deniability and all that.
Then there was Onegus and his very unconventional request to bring a date to Sari and David’s wedding. The chief had met the lady at the annual charity bowl, and it seemed like he was seriously smitten, which was very uncharacteristic of him. Onegus was a player who never hooked up with the same woman more than twice, which was how it was supposed to be for immortals engaging with humans.
As he heard the sliding door open, he turned and smiled at his wife. “That was quick.” He extinguished his cigarillo.
“Isn’t it too early for a smoke?” She lowered herself onto his lap with effort, her pregnant belly nestling against his. “What’s troubling you?”
“Nothing major. Just many little things.” He wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm. “Isn’t it too cold for you out here?”
Syssi leaned her head on his shoulder. “Not when I’m laying on top of you. You are like a furnace.” She lifted her eyes to him. “Are you nervous about Sari and David’s arrival?”
Their flight was scheduled to land at LAX at twelve-thirty in the afternoon, and Syssi had insisted on picking them up at the airport instead of them taking a taxi to the newly renovated building across from the keep.
“I’m nervous about nearly the entire clan being here for their wedding. It’s a logistical nightmare to keep everyone’s arrival unnoticed. But that’s just one in a long list of things keeping me awake at night.”
“What else? The Kra-ell?”
“Yeah. That too. I want to get a move on it, but I have to wait until after the celebrations. On top of that, Onegus invited a human to the wedding, and I was so shocked by the request that I said okay before thinking it through.”
Smiling, Syssi cupped his cheek. “It was nice of you to allow it, and it’s not a big deal. Gerard’s human crew is serving at the wedding, and their minds will need to get wiped at the end of the night. One more human will not make a difference.”
“True. But that’s another annoyance. Too many humans working in the bowels of the keep to prepare and service this wedding, and later having their memories wiped. Then there are the Chinese crews building our village, who will have to be wiped as well.”
“You had every one of them checked for responsiveness to thralling, so it’s not like some might be immune. You’re fretting for no good reason.” She lifted her head and kissed his cheek. “Relax, enjoy. These are happy times for us and for the clan.”
He shook his head. “I feel like I’ve become complacent, and I’m taking too many risks.” He ran his hand over her back. “The Kra-ell are wise to keep their communities small. They can pick up and go with ease.”
“Perhaps they are nomadic in nature.” Syssi put a hand on her belly. “I like staying in one place, and I love having a big community of people to interact with. I think I would have gone nuts with just a couple of dozen people.”
“Is Allegra kicking?” Kian put his hand over hers.
“She’s sleeping. I just like touching her. It’s so cool that I can feel the contours of her little body through my belly.” Syssi shifted, finding a more comfortable position. “Onegus’s date must be special if he invited her to the wedding.”
“He claims that he can sense some sort of strange energy from her that intensifies when she gets angry or excited. He says that her mother emits similar energy but not as strong.”
“Fascinating.” Syssi sat up and put her hands on the small of her back. “I’m going to ask Lisa to sniff Onegus’s date out at the wedding. After all, she was right about Anastasia being a Dormant.”
Kian moved Syssi’s hands aside and started massaging her back. “She was, and I regret not sending her to sniff out Anastasia’s friend as well.”
It was a gentle way to break the news to Syssi. He didn’t want her getting too excited in her condition.
“Why? Is she a Dormant too?”
“Confirmed.”
She turned wide eyes to him. “Did she transition and no one told me?”
“Margaret is Wendy’s mother.”
Syssi gasped. “Impossible. How?”
“Apparently, she escaped her abusive husband when Wendy was a baby and had been hiding in Safe Haven ever since. Bowen somehow connected the dots, mother and daughter had an emotional reunion last night, and Bowen is bringing Margaret to the village today.”
“We have to prepare lodging for them.”
Syssi tried to get up, but he pulled her back down. “Ingrid is too busy to deal with that right now, and if we let someone else do it for her, she’ll throw a tantrum. Bowen and Margaret can stay with Vlad and Wendy for a week or two. I’m sure Wendy and her mother have a lot of catching up to do.”
Chapter 2: Cassandra
Cassandra glanced up at the rearview mirror and checked her makeup. She’d been in a rush this morning and it showed, but there wasn’t much she could do about it in the car while driving.
Except perhaps apply lipstick. She was about to pull the tube out of her purse when her phone rang, the number popping up on her car’s display.
By now she knew that number by heart, and she answered right away. “Did you forget something?”
“Are you driving?” Onegus sounded like a stern schoolteacher, displeased with her supposed reckless behavior.
“Yes, but don’t worry. I’m not holding the phone, my hands are on the wheel, and I’m looking at the road.”
Given that she’d been about to apply lipstick while driving, she’d been guilty of intent but not of actual infraction. So technically, she hadn’t lied.
He chuckled. “How did you know that I was worried?”
“Your tone. You sounded like a policeman or a schoolteacher about to give me a lecture.”
“If it turns you on, I can get into either of these roles with ease.”
“I bet.”
On the face of things, Onegus appeared charming and easy-going, but she could sense the steel he was hiding under all those panty-melting smiles of his. He had a dominant streak, which would normally put him on her do-not-call list, but he wasn’t overbearing, and he seemed more concerned with her pleasure than his own, so she didn’t mind. In fact, it was a big part of the attraction.
He was the kind of guy a woman could lean on, rely on, and for sure he wasn’t the kind who would fold under the slightest pressure.
And he could handle her, which was a no small feat.
“Did you tell your mother about the wedding?” he asked.
“I didn’t see her this morning, so no, I didn’t tell her yet.”
“Don’t tell her or anyone else about it. It’s crucial that the event stays confidential.”
“Are you worried about paparazzi?”
He sighed. “I wish that was the extent of my worries. Our family has enemies, old feuds that go generations back. They would love to find out that nearly the entire clan is gathering in one location.”
What the hell was he talking about? Mafia wars?
“You are kidding, right?”
“I wish I was, and before you jump into the wrong conclusions, it’s not a mafia turf war. It really goes back many generations in time.”
Onegus had a very slight Scottish accent, but Cassandra wasn’t aware of any active feuds between Scottish clans. Then again, she wasn’t a history buff, and what she knew came from her mother’s Highlander romance novels. Not the most reliable source of information.
“Should I be worried?”
“Not with me by your side. I’ll keep you safe.”
She chuckled. “A warrior billionaire. It sounds like the title of a bodice-ripper.”
“What’s a bodice-ripper? It sounds intriguing.”
“It’s a sexually explicit romantic story taking place in a historical setting. Highlanders are very popular in that genre.”
“Is that so?” He let his Scottish accent come out full force. “I’m up for ripping your bodice anytime and in any setting.”
She laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind when I shop for a dress to wear for the wedding. No bodice.”
“Even better. But then I’ll have to kill all of my male family members for looking at your breasts, and that will ruin everyone’s fun.”
“We don’t want that.” She laughed. “A dress can cover up everything without having a bodice. How formal is the event?”
“As formal as they get. You can wear the same dress that you wore for the gala. You looked stunning in it. I’ll be the envy of all my bachelor cousins.”
She couldn’t help the grin splitting her face. “Just the bachelors?”
“Yes.” His tone changed from teasing to gruff. “We are a very traditional and loyal bunch, and mated males don’t stray, not even with their eyes. Once we commit, it’s for life.”
“That’s commendable, but I doubt it’s factual. Forty percent of marriages end in divorce.”
“Not in our community.”
Cassandra had no idea what was the official religion of Scotland, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t Catholicism.
“Are you Catholic?”
“It has nothing to do with religion.”
“A code of honor then?”
“It’s just the way it is. You will have to make do with just the bachelors’ admiration.”
He sounded cold, and Cassandra didn’t like it. She liked the smile in his voice, his light-hearted banter. Had she put her foot in it again?
Perhaps Onegus had a history with an unfaithful girlfriend, and it was a sore point for him.
“I was just teasing. I hate players and cheaters with a passion, which was why I got so mad when I thought that you didn’t want to be seen with me. That’s the number one sign that a guy is dating several women at the same time. They don’t want to get caught, so they find excuses for not going out.”
“Did it happen to you?” His tone had warmed up, but he still sounded serious.
“Yeah, there is no avoiding it. It’s not like guys have it written on their foreheads or in their dating app profiles. But as soon as I noticed the signs, I booted the two-timers out so fast that they didn’t know what hit them.”
“Good for you.”
“What about you? Did you ever have a two-timing girlfriend?”
“I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, a lady friend then. Women you dated. I don’t care what you call them.”
“I’ve never been with the same woman more than twice, so the only terms that apply are one-night stands and hookups.”
Great. So he wasn’t a two-timer, just a serial player. It was almost as bad.
“Fear of commitment much?”
“I just haven’t met the right woman before.”
Oh, he was smooth. “And I am her?”
“You are the first one I’m willing to explore the possibility with. When I commit, it’s forever, Cassandra. I need to make absolutely sure that I’m committing to the right woman. My one and only.”
Chapter 3: Margaret
Margaret stayed in bed long after waking up, afraid to go out of her room and face the others.
What if it had all been a dream? Or a drug-induced fantasy?
Except, she was clean. She hadn’t touched opioids in over a week. She also wasn’t creative enough to dream up what she’d learned last night.
Wendy had been turned immortal, and so had Bowen, Leon, and Anastasia. Margaret still had no idea how it had been done. Supposedly, they all had special genes that could be activated, but she hadn’t asked how it worked.
Frankly, she was afraid to ask.
It couldn’t be too bad if Anastasia had been turned which such ease, and Wendy hadn’t mentioned a terrible ordeal either. Maybe it was as easy as getting some miracle elixir intravenously. Ana had joked about the doctor putting a miracle drug in her IV, and maybe that was what had actually been done to activate her dormant immortal genes.
If that was all, she was willing to give it a try.
But did she want to live forever?
Life was hard. Why would she want to drag it out indefinitely? Didn’t the immortals get tired of living?
Margaret wanted time to get to know her daughter, and maybe to explore a relationship with Bowen, but her mortal lifespan was long enough to do that.
Bowen, who was actually much older than her, but looked a decade younger.
If she became immortal, would the process reverse her aging and turn her young and beautiful again?
Could she start anew?
Margaret chuckled softly. The transition might shave ten years off her appearance, but unless Bowen thralled her to forget her ugly past, there was no getting rid of the memories she’d accumulated, and not many of them were good. She’d learned not to feel too much, not to think about what she’d lost, about how meaningless it all was.
Margaret had learned to live in the moment, to keep so busy that she didn’t have time to think.
Idle moments were her enemy, as were the moments before falling asleep.
That was why she’d worked so hard, why she’d kept reading and researching material until her eyes burned from exhaustion and she knew that she would fall asleep as soon as she closed them.
Anything less than that meant staying awake for hours and agonizing. To spend eternity like that would be hell.
When a soft knock sounded on her door, she wiped the few tears she’d shed with a corner of the duvet. “Yes?”
“Can I come in?” Ana asked.
“Sure.”
Her friend walked in with a cup of coffee in hand. “Bowen is worried about you. He sent me to check on you.” She sat on the bed and handed Margaret the cup. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Strange. Did last night really happen, or did I dream it all up?”
“It happened.” Ana smiled. “Your beautiful daughter came, she wasn’t angry at you, she hugged you and kissed you, and she called you Mom. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
“It doesn’t.” Margaret took a sip from the coffee.
“So why were you crying?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure that I want to live forever. I mean, I want time with Wendy, but I’m not old. I still have many years left to make up for those I lost.”
Ana regarded her with puzzlement in her eyes. “Why wouldn’t you want to live forever?”
“Because life is hard, and it’s sad. Why drag out the misery?”
“It doesn’t have to be miserable. You can learn to be happy.” She leaned closer and whispered, “You have an amazing guy who wants to spend that eternity with you. What can be better than that?”
“Does he? When Wendy called him my mate, he told her that we were not there yet.”
Anastasia rolled her eyes. “That’s because you haven’t had sex yet. It’s like marriage. It needs to be consummated to be official. Bowen is in love with you, and you are in love with him. It’s time you let yourself feel it.”
Margaret opened her mouth to refute Ana’s claim, to tell her that she wasn’t in love with Bowen, but then closed it.
Ana was right.
She’d fallen in love with Bowen from almost the very first moment. When he’d stayed with her in that ambulance he’d brought her to, she’d felt the pull, the yearning, but she hadn’t allowed herself to internalize it, in the same way that she hadn’t allowed herself to internalize anything else.
She’d been existing, not living.
To open her heart would have opened the gates not only to love but also to misery, the self-loathing, and the horrible memories, and Margaret wouldn’t have survived it.
Her capacity for pain had been maxed out a long time ago.
“You need to get up and get dressed.” Ana patted her arm. “We can leave as soon as you are ready.”
Margaret swallowed. “Do you mean the four of us?”
“Of course. There is no reason for us to stay here any longer. We are going to the immortal village.” She grinned. “I can’t wait to see it. Leon has told me so much about it, and it sounds like a real haven, not the fake one Emmett created.” She pursed her lips. “Which reminds me that there is one more piece of information that might shock you.”
As panic constricted her throat, Margaret lifted her hand to her neck. “I don’t know if I can handle any more shocking news.”
“I think this piece will explain a few things, or at least make you see them more clearly. The clan has captured Emmett, and they have him locked up in their dungeon. Apparently he’s also an immortal, just from a different breed, and he used compulsion to make you and the others worship him. The guy who helped you, Kalugal, is not a motivational speaker. He is also a compeller like Emmett, and all he did was to override what Emmett has done to you. The leader you admired so much had compelled you to get panic attacks every time you thought of contacting Wendy or even just seeking information about her.”
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