A Guardian's Love Read online

  Inger pushed away from Paloma and came into a sitting position. When she turned to look at her, Paloma saw the horror in the blue eyes.

  “No. I will not let you do that. Not for me. We will have to reverse the joining.”

  Paloma shook her head. “It cannot be undone. And even if we could, I would not want to. I will perish without you. I wish for you to understand why I am so scared of losing you. Why I cannot stand it when you put your life in danger. Inger, I am absolutely terrified of living in a world without you.”

  Inger’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at Paloma.

  †

  Paloma reached for the soft hand that was resting on Inger’s lap and brought it to her lips. She cursed her thirst when, for a brief moment, she was distracted by the soft splashing sound of warm blood coursing through Inger’s veins. She had fed tonight and fed well. Because of the anger she’d felt toward her human lover, it could’ve been risky to approach her. Just as much as her desire fed her thirst, so did anger. She felt the gentle probing in her mind and quickly erected a block. What a disaster it would be if Inger found her fantasizing about drinking her blood.

 

  Paloma groaned softly and lifted her head to look into the somber azure gaze.

 

  Inger nodded and lay back, unceremoniously pulling Paloma down with her, and cradling her in her arms. They lay like that, wrapped around each other, for a long while. “What if I become a vampire—like you?”

  Paloma stiffened and pulled away from Inger. Within the blink of an eye, she found herself standing in the farthest, darkest corner of the big room. Strange how she’d been expecting the question, yet it completely stunned her how terrified the thought of Inger as a vampire made her. Tahlia was right; Inger didn’t belong in the shadows. She would wither and die.

  “Please, do not speak of that again. Do not even think of asking me to convert you.” Paloma’s voice was so hoarse it came out as a deep throaty growl. “I made a promise to your mother.”

  She saw Inger reach for the switch on the bed lamp. Paloma blinked when she saw the stubborn set of Inger’s chin.

  “It’s my life and I can do with it as I please,” she said flatly.

  Paloma came to sit on the edge of the bed. She tilted Inger’s face so they were looking at each other. Her eyes bored into Inger’s.

  “There is something you need to understand, Inger. I am not only your mother’s loyal servant; I am her best friend, too. I want you to apologize for that wayward remark you just uttered. Your mother is one of the most honorable beings alive and she has always selflessly placed the needs and safety of others above her own. She does not deserve the disrespect you are showing with such remarks. Nor would I want to be the reason you destroy your relationship with her.” The silver eyes softened. “I am simply not worth it, no matter what you might think.”

  †

  Thoroughly chastised, Inger ducked her head. She felt the presence in her mind and a sudden sadness engulfed her. Inger realized that one of her parents must’ve established a mental link earlier and was trying to slip stealthily out of her mind.

  she called softly, but only silence greeted her soft enquiry. Still there was no answer. She turned to Paloma.

  “You are right. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I acted out of desperation when I said it. I will talk to my parents tomorrow.”

  Paloma nodded and reached for her, her eyes shining with admiration. “You need to sleep now, sweetie, for tomorrow we need to be up very early.”

  †

  Jemima turned away slowly, a frown on her face. Inger was thinking of becoming a vampire. She had been worried about Inger’s state of mind earlier tonight. When she’d left with Paloma, she had established a mental connection just to assure herself that she would be okay, especially after she’d noticed the strained atmosphere between the two lovers. Even if she didn’t want to accept it, Inger was right. It was her life to do with as she pleased. Jemima doubted that Tahlia would look at it that way.

  Jemima rinsed her face with cold water and strolled into their sleeping chamber. Tomorrow would be their last day before the drug wore off and they were once again confined to the night and its shadows. Despite the interesting sights and sounds that the sunlight afforded, after twenty years of living as a vampire, she’d missed the serene beauty of the night. She adored the night—the sounds, the smells and especially the moon-kissed landscapes—especially with her dark lover by her side.

  She looked at Tahlia as she lay on her back with her eyes closed. My baby. A small smile formed on her lips. Tahlia needn’t know about Inger’s issue now. Tomorrow was too important a day for the both of them, although Tahlia was completely in the dark about her plans. For the past two days, she had refrained Tahlia from taking her blood, not wanting her to know of her plans. She walked over to the bed and the black eyes opened. Tahlia spread her arms in a loving invitation. Dropping her robe, Jemima slipped into Tahlia arms and after a kiss, closed her eyes.

  “We need to be up very early tomorrow.”

  “Why?” Tahlia murmured with her nose buried in Jemima’s hair.

  “You will just have to wait and see.”

  Jemima smiled when she felt Tahlia’s presence in her mind and erected a strong mental block.

 

  †

  Seven hours later, Tahlia found herself standing opposite James, who was decked out in a tan suit, sporting a wide toothy grin. Standing next to him, Rafina was dressed in a beautiful ecru gown with matching blue accessories. She, too, wore a mysterious smile. Feeling completely out of the loop, Tahlia slowly turned to look at all the others gathered in the spacious lounge of James’ mansion. They were all dressed up and her eyes widened when Jonas and Pierre strode into the room. Both men looked very handsome in latte-colored suits with sky blue silk ties.

  Since Jemima entered her life, she felt like she was not as on top of everything as before. Today was a good example. She hadn’t even known about Jonas and Pierre’s plan to have the drug administered to them. Was Jemima orchestrating a coup d’état right under her nose?

  Jonas nodded curtly and walked over to where Joan was chatting to a somber-looking man in a black suit. She spotted Paloma, dressed in tight fitting black pantsuit, standing next to a teary-eyed Inger who looked beautiful in a tight body-hugging beige dress. She studied her appearance in a mirror nearby and frowned. Shaking her head, she was tempted to slap her forehead. How could she be so stupid? She should’ve known when Jemima had insisted she wear the tan pantsuit, but, until this very moment, she hadn’t realized what was going on. The familiar notes of Mendelssohn’s The Wedding March filled the room, and everyone turned toward the door. Swallowing hard, she also turned to face the door.

  She was getting married!

  Jonas and Pierre pulled the doors open and Tahlia felt the blood rush to her head. Jemima stood in the doorway. With her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth, Tahlia could only gape at the exquisite vision. Dressed in a brilliant blue dress, which set off the color of her sapphire eyes, and her long blonde hair falling free on her naked shoulders, Jemima looked so gorgeous that Tahlia felt her heart swell with pride. She was marrying the most beautiful woman in the universe.

  Jonas, Pierre, Rafina, and Inger fell in behind Jemima as she slowly hooked her arm through James’ and made her way to where Tahlia stood. She was aware of the somber-looking man she had seen talking to Joan come over to stand next to her, but she only had eyes for the beautiful woman walking toward her. Their eyes met and held until Jemima stood next to her.

  “I cannot believe you managed to organize all this …” She included everything and everyone with a sweep of her hand. “…without my knowledge. At least now I understa
nd why I was refused sex for the past two days.” The look she gave Jemima was filled with all the love and desire she felt for her. Jemima blushed and averted her eyes.

 

 

  She took Jemima’s hand and brought it to her lips. The somber gentleman cleared his throat and together they turned to face him. Well, what do you know, Tahlia thought as her eyes welled up. I am getting married to the woman of my dreams.

  Chapter 17

  Inger stood on the balcony overlooking the garden while the other guests enjoyed the delicious breakfast being served by the caterers. Her parents had looked so happy together and seeing them like that, brought tears to her eyes. After the ceremony, it was so cute to see them holding hands as they accepted well wishes and greetings from the guests. She turned and leaned back against the balustrade, searching for her parents amid the throng of wedding guests.

  Michael and a few of the Consortium members stood in a group, sipping coffee, obviously talking shop. Shunning the spotlight, Tahlia leaned against the wall as her eyes followed her bride like a hawk. On the other side of the room, Jemima was engaged in a lively conversation with a few female hunters.

  Returning her gaze to Tahlia, Inger again was overwhelmed by guilt. This morning Paloma had once again given her a mouthful over the remark she’d made last night, and it was with a heavy heart that they drove to her grandfather’s mansion. The dark head turned slowly and the black eyes met hers, making her heart melt at the warm look that crossed Tahlia’s features.

 

  She quickly crossed the distance between them and sighed when she was wrapped in her mother’s strong embrace.

 

  Tahlia bowed her head and pressed a soft kiss on the crown of Inger’s head.

 

  Inger snuggled deeper into Tahlia’s arms. A soft tap on her shoulder made Inger turn reluctantly to face the intruder. She grinned when she looked into Jemima’s twinkling eyes.

  “You’re hanging onto the wrong woman, missy; yours is over there.” She pointed to where a gushing Joan was bending Paloma’s ear. “And by the looks of it, it seems like she needs rescuing from Joan. The woman never stops when it comes to work stuff, and it seems as if Paloma is her latest research project.”

  Rolling her eyes, Inger walked over to where an obviously uncomfortable Paloma was being interviewed by a fired-up Joan. The silver eyes reflected her relief when she turned and saw Inger coming towards them.

  “Hi Joan, I think Jonas was looking for you earlier.”

  Joan’s green eyes were contemplative as she looked at Inger.

  “Nice try, girly. Jonas is a vampire and knows where I am every moment of every day.” She lightly patted Paloma’s arm. “I’m done for now, but I still have so much I want to ask you.” With a naughty wink at Inger, she sauntered off to where Jonas waited for her, his hand outstretched and his dark eyes tender. Inger couldn’t help but notice how odd they looked together. Jonas was young, dark, and unbelievably handsome. Whereas Joan looked like she could’ve been his mother, with the light sprinkling of grey hair that graced her temples and the laugh lines that decorated her lips. With admiration, she studied Joan’s frame as she slipped into Jonas’ arms. She still looked good for a fifty-two year old woman—tall, sexy and slim.

 

  She turned to look up into Paloma’s eyes.

 

  Paloma took her hand. “Do you want to go out on the balcony?”

  On the balcony, they quietly stood next to each other. Each was busy with her own thoughts. After a while, Paloma broke the silence. “The judge is still here.”

  Inger turned to look at her, perplexed. “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said.”

  Paloma’s eyes were studying her closely, and Inger became more confused at the wary look she saw in them. What did The Honorable John Stephens have to do with them? The longer she stared at Paloma, the more nervous Paloma became. Think, Inger, think. She turned to look for the bulky figure of the judge and found him talking quietly with Michael and Dr. Lorraine Carter. She studied the man for a while and then her eyes fell on the book in his hand. The Bible! She turned back to Paloma.

  “Are you serious?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yes. What do you think? Shall we?”

  She had never thought about that. Getting married had never been on her list of priorities. When she turned twenty all she’d been looking forward to was graduating, joining a law firm, and finding herself a nice apartment. In her meticulously planned future, her love life was going to stay the same: no-strings-attached sex with beautiful lusty women

  But then Paloma happened and her life was tossed upside down. Her gaze softened as she looked into her lover’s eyes. For the first time she had experienced true love. She had finally found somebody to go home to and someone to cuddle up with in front of the TV. Paloma gave her all that and more. Gone were the nights spent in cold hotel rooms with a stranger’s body for comfort. But marriage was too sudden for her to process at this stage.

  She reached out her hand and gently stroked Paloma’s hand. “I love you, Paloma. More than I have ever thought myself capable of...”

  “But?” Paloma prompted softly.

  “I’m still getting used to our relationship and—” She didn’t get to finish her sentence, for Paloma turned away sharply, a deep growl vibrating through her tense body. Her eyes shaded from grey to red as they scanned the garden.

  Inger watched as a line of vampires filed through the door, leaped off the balcony, and stealthily spread out into the garden. Paloma quickly pushed Inger behind her as she searched the hills surrounding the mansion.

  “Someone is out there. I can sense them.” Paloma turned and pushed Inger through the double door. “Close the door, and do not open it until we are back.” In one fluid movement, Paloma turned, dropped off the balcony, and disappeared into the garden.

  Inger touched the air with her senses and recoiled at its thick evil aura. Stepping back, she pulled the curtains shut. At that exact moment, a knock sounded on the front door. She turned to find Michael, Joan, and Dr. Carter each pulling out a firearm.

  “Don’t answer that. Warn the servants not to open the door for anyone,” Michael instructed sharply. Inger quickly ran down the hallway to stop the housekeeper, already halfway to the entrance.

  “No, Juanita, do not answer the door.” She stepped past the puzzled maid and put the safety chain in position. Standing close to the door, she felt her stomach turn. Their visitor was not here for a social call. The evil presence on the other side of the door was very strong.

  She grabbed Juanita by the hand and pulled her away from the door. “Go quickly and make sure all the doors are locked.” When the girl, completely stunned by Inger’s strange behavior, stood rooted to the spot, Inger grabbed her close and shook her. “Now, Juanita, now!”

  The doorbell sounded again, and Inger jumped at the sudden intrusion. Michael and Joan came to join her. “We have CCTV cameras around the house. There's a monitor in my grandfather’s study. It’s the second door on your left.”

  A loud thump banged against the door, and she heard the door squeak under the power of the blow. Another blow followed with the same results. With a sudden feeling of unease, Inger sized up the door. If the battering continued, it would not hold. At that moment, Joan came rushing out of the study, her face pale.

  “Whatever we do, we shouldn’t let it in.”
/>   “What are we dealing with, Joan?”

  “A ghoul.” Joan’s voice was shaky.

  The silence that hung in the air was thick with trepidation. Ghouls are the daylight hounds of vampires. Zombie-like beings, they are kept alive by a vampire’s spell. Fed on the blood of their vampire masters they are turned into grisly errand boys. Ghouls are incredibly strong, and some even succeeded in killing vampires. The door squeaked again and this time, a splinter came loose and fell to the floor. It made Inger jump into action.

  “The bunker! We need to get everyone in the bunker. The door down there is solid steel, and not even a ghoul would stand a chance against it.”

  She was glad to see Joan and Michael reacting quickly as they began to herd everyone to the basement. Checking the clip on her gun, Inger took a few steps away from the door. She was ready for whatever was forcing its way through the door.

  Suddenly the door flew off its hinges, and Inger opened fire.

  †

  Inger! Paloma’s heart jerked in her chest at the sudden feeling of fear that gripped her. Before she’d turned around to announce her intention of returning to the mansion, Tahlia and Jemima were already speeding towards the house. A few yards from the house, Paloma stopped and sniffed the air. Whoever planned this assault knew what they were doing. The six ghouls hidden in the hills had lured all the vampires out of the house, leaving the humans sitting ducks.

  The front door was ajar. Judging from the scratches and dents, whatever gained access into the house was very strong and very determined to get inside. Paloma again sniffed the air. A car waited nearby. She could smell the carbon dioxide from the exhaust. Tahlia stepped through the doorway while Jemima lifted her hands and floated up to the second story, entering the house through the balcony.