Without limits ssion and.., p.103
Without Limits: A BWWM Collection of Passion and Desire, page 103
It wouldn’t change the fact that he was needed. It wouldn’t change the fact that a CODE BLACK had been issued at the hospital. No one was allowed to enter or leave the facility until the code was cleared.
Codes like CODE BLACK were the reason he’d built a small apartment complex adjacent to the hospital. This way, hospital personnel who chose to reside in the complex could enter and exit the facility when emergencies arose.
The current emergency was one he’d hoped would never occur. Somehow, his mate had escaped her cell and was now ripping apart any and every one she came across. How the hell had Dreya broken free?
She’d been kept chained to the floor in the dungeon of his family’s prison. Her cell was located below the hospital he and his brothers owned. The Immortal Haven was a hospital for supernatural creatures like himself.
It was for those unlucky creatures who lived in the Immortal Rift and needed a safe place to go when they were in need of medical attention. The Immortal Haven was the only place they could turn to.
But the facility wasn’t only a haven. It was also a prison for creatures like his mate. Creatures who’d committed crimes so heinous that he and his brothers needed to keep them locked up in a special facility so that they could keep an eye on them.
Apparently, they hadn’t done a good job with his mate. Though his mate was strong, she shouldn’t have been able to escape the chains wrapped around her wrists, ankles, and waist. The chains were made of pure gold. Gold weakened her kind.
She’d told him that tidbit of information a long time ago, never expecting him to one day use it against her. But, he had used it. And unless this text message was some kind of sick joke, his female had definitely pulled off the impossible, she’d broken free.
Lucas teleported himself to his bedroom closet. Dressing quickly, he slid on a pair of black slacks. He shoved his arms into a black button-down shirt, not bothering to button it up, then slid on his lab coat.
After donning socks and shoes, he teleported to the prison, appearing in the basement, directly in front of the cell that should’ve contained his mate. Fuck! Seeing her cell empty sent a surge of dread through his chest and a wave of longing over his flesh.
He ignored the latter and focused on the dread. That was the safer route to follow. He only wished he’d followed it years ago, when he first met his mate. When he first laid eyes on her. Love at first sight.
He’d known she was his mate the moment he laid eyes on her. He hadn’t had to drink her blood to know. Though, drinking her blood had confirmed what his heart had already accepted as truth.
She was his. And he’d treasured her as a mate should. Then she betrayed him. Lucas shook his head, attempting to clear her image from his mind’s eye. Now was not the time for a trip down memory lane. A psychopathic killer was free.
“Fuck!”
It was too early for expletives. And that was his third fuck of the morning. That knowledge didn’t stop him from cursing twice more as he teleported, leaving behind Dreya’s empty cell.
He’d needed to see for himself that she was no longer where he’d placed her years ago. Now that he knew this wasn’t a joke, now that he was one hundred percent certain his mate had done the impossible, it was time for him to hunt her down.
He sniffed and shivered. Her scent was in the air. Following it, Lucas teleported to the first floor. “Where the hell is she?”
Marco, one of his top surgeons, turned to him. The male’s face was smeared with blood and he was shaking like a leaf. His wife was standing behind him, trembling just as much as he was.
“Where is she?” Lucas asked again, trying to remain calm.
He was failing big time. But, he didn’t need his employees to know that. His hands were trembling slightly. Not out of fear. Out of something else. Something he refused to allow himself to think about.
Damn, he missed that scent. Her scent. She was close. And though the smell of blood and death was permeating the air, it didn’t take away from the scent that was uniquely her. Focus. Lucas balled his hands into fists.
“I’ll ask one more time,” Lucas growled. “Where the hell is Dreya?”
Still facing him, Marco pointed to the supply closet at the end of the hall. The male was too afraid to speak.
“I’m here now,” Lucas told him. “It’s going to be alright.”
Marco swallowed. “I think she went in there,” the warlock told him.
Marco was great with spells and charms. However, he couldn’t hold his own when it came to fighting. Seeing Dreya out of her cell had probably nearly given the surgeon a heart attack.
Lucas raised his eyebrow. “You think she’s in there?”
“I didn’t actually see her enter it. I just know she ran this way, toward this floor.”
“Did she go to the top floor, to the suites?”
The surgeon swallowed. “Yes, that’s where she started, on the top floor.”
“Fuck.” Jenna was on the top floor. Lucas turned to nurse Karen, who stood against the wall. “Go check on Jenna.”
The female nodded but made no move to leave. Karen’s eyes kept darting to the supply closet.
“Now,” Lucas said more forcefully, finally drawing the female’s gaze his way. Her lips trembled. He could smell her fear. “Go now,” he said, in a gentler tone.
Again, she nodded. With one last glance at the supply closet, she disappeared. Lucas eyed the closet. He knew why his mate had started her butchery upstairs. She was after Jenna. If anything happened to Jen, he’d be lost.
He needed her. She was the only one who kept the pain away. She was the reason he felt normal, most of the time. She was the reason he’d been able to function enough to do his job all these years. Lucas began walking toward the supply closet.
“Doctor Bayne, I really don’t think you should do this.”
“Why not, Marco?” Lucas took another step forward.
“Because of the hold Dreya has over you. She could turn you against all of us. It’s too risky.”
Lucas slowed his steps. Guilt hammered at his confidence. She used to have a hold on him, in the past. No longer was he controlled by the mating bond they’d once shared. It had been severed the day she betrayed him. The day she ruined his life. The day she broke his heart.
“I’m stronger than I used to be, Marco.” Thanks to Jen and her spells.
“Yes, yes, we all are. Thanks to you. But, I fear she’s stronger also. You didn’t see the rage in her eyes. She’s insane, completely insane. More than she was before.”
Impossible.
“Marco, if I don’t capture her and put her back in her cell, more beings will die. Do you want that?”
“Of course not, doctor. But, have you forgotten what happened the last time she almost got free and…”
“She has on her servant collar,” Luc interrupted, not wanting to be reminded of his past failures. “It’s stronger than it was before.”
What happened last time was forever etched into his memory. Ten years ago, he’d almost killed his brothers over Dreya. He wouldn’t let that happen again.
“My body won’t recognize her as my mate. Not anymore,” he reassured Marco. “I’ve taken extra precautions.”
“Yes, yes. Okay, whatever you say doctor.”
Marco didn’t sound like he believed him. Lucas didn’t blame him. He barely believed it himself. The way he was responding to her scent had him questioning whether his extra precautions were working.
When Lucas made it to the closet door, he wrapped his hand around the handle. Here, her scent was stronger, damn near intoxicating. Taking a deep breath, he focused on this breathing. He focused on calming his racing heart.
He hadn’t laid eyes on Dreya in almost ten years. Lucas gripped the handle tighter to still his shaking hand. Why hadn’t she jumped out already, claws sharp, eyes blazing? He knew Dreya. She wouldn’t hide in a closet.
She wouldn’t hide period. She would fight until she killed everyone in this building or until someone killed her. He’d never allow someone to kill her. She didn’t know that. Dreya wasn’t the type to lay low.
She was brutal. A beast. Her whole family was. Their motto was: Show No Mercy. Dreya had those words tattooed on her back, along her spine. Back when they’d been a couple, he used to trace the letters with his tongue. She would moan and tell him to go lower.
And like a good mate, he’d done as she’d asked. Back then, he’d been willing to do whatever she’d asked. Nothing had mattered except her. Shaking his head, Lucas focused on the task at hand. He pulled the closet door open. Shit.
“She’s not here,” Luc said through clenched teeth.
“But I saw her with my own eyes. She ran down the stairs to this floor. I saw her. I swear.” The warlock’s words were wrapped in panic and fear. “I saw her. I truly saw her.”
“Calm down Marco. I believe you. She moves fast. She could’ve come here and ran back up to the top floor in less than five seconds. You wouldn’t have even seen her. That’s how fast her kind are.”
She’d been there. The proof was right in front of him. There was a message, written in blood, on the back wall of the closet. Only two words: LUCAS BAYNE. That wasn’t the only proof of her presence.
Lying on the closet floor was Dreya’s gray prison gown. That’s why he could smell her scent there. Wait, if she’s not wearing a gown, that means she’s running around naked. Ignoring the arousal that coursed through him, Lucas faced his employees.
“Marco and Aniyah, remain here.” The warlock and his wife would be of no assistance to him against Dreya. “You two can start the clean-up process.”
Marco nodded, appearing relieved he hadn’t been asked to help capture the crazed female running loose around the hospital. Two more of Lucas’ employees, Duncan and Viv, teleported into the hall.
“Doc,” Duncan said, as he stared at the message written in blood. “The other prisoners are secure. No one else escaped. Damn, is that written in blood?”
Viv responded before Lucas could. “It sure as hell is blood. And a lot of it.”
“Fuck,” Duncan frowned. “Our resident psycho is on a killing spree.”
Lucas gritted his teeth. He hated when they called her that. He hated himself for hating it when they called her that.
“Duncan and Viv, come with me,” Lucas instructed the newcomers.
There were dozens of places Dreya could be. However, he had a feeling she was exactly where he hoped she wasn’t.
“We’re going to the top floor,” Lucas told them.
With a nod of their heads, Duncan and Viv disappeared. Lucas followed suit and reappeared outside Jen’s room. Her door was closed. That was nothing new. She loved her privacy. Lucas reached for the doorknob.
“Uh, Dr. Bayne,” Viv called to him.
Lucas stared over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
Viv wasn’t looking his way. She was staring down the hall. “There she is.”
Lucas inhaled. Viv was right. She was there. Panic filled him. He hadn’t seen her in ten years. Ten long, lonely, painful years. Moving slowly, he turned to the opposite end of the hall. A jolt of awareness zipped through him.
There she was. Dreya. The female he’d once loved. The female he’d once protected. The female he’d once cherished. The female who was now his enemy. Coated from head to toe in blood and guts, Dreya had her eyes on him and only him.
Her black hair was matted to her face. Every inch of her brown skin was covered in blood. The gruesomeness of her appearance didn’t diminish the beauty she possessed. It had been so long since he’d seen her. Too long.
Miss her.
Must protect her.
OH, HELL NO. Lucas shook his head to clear it. He wasn’t going through this shit again. He’d be damned if he allowed himself to miss the evil bitch in front of him. He steeled his heart against the emotions attempting to rise up. Emotions that should be dormant.
“How did you get out of your cell Dreya?”
He knew she’d never tell him. He’d only asked the question because he was stalling. To capture her, he’d have to put his hands on her. He hadn’t touched her in over one hundred years. He dreaded doing so now. What if he… liked it?
“Speak,” he yelled.
She simply cocked her head to the side and continued to glare at him. Her lips moved as she mumbled quietly, incoherently. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. She was the epitome of beautiful.
Even though half of the blood that decorated her skin was probably that of his trusted employees, he still wanted to forgive her every transgression and whisk her away from there. He wanted to take her somewhere safe, somewhere he could protect her.
They’d made so many plans when they first got together. None of which, came to fruition. Was it too late? Maybe she’d changed. Maybe they could beat the curse that doomed them from the beginning.
“Doc,” Duncan called to him.
Lucas blinked, then swallowed. “Yeah?”
“If you’re going to capture her, you need to do so now. My head has started to pound. Something is coming.”
Luc knew Duncan’s headaches usually meant shit was about to hit the fan. Duncan’s demonic instincts were never wrong.
“She’s still wearing her collar,” Duncan pointed out. “I’ll grab her and teleport her back to her cell. We’ll need new chains…”
“No.” Luc’s response came out harsher than intended. “I’ll get her.” He didn’t want to dwell on why the thought of another male putting his hands on Dreya pissed him off.
“Dreya,” he spoke softly as he took a cautious step forward. “I’m going to take you back to your room now.”
His mate snarled at him. Her lips pulled away from her mouth, revealing razor sharp teeth. Damn, she’s beautiful.
“Wow,” Duncan said from behind him. “I didn’t know she had those.”
“They only come out when she’s ready to kill,” Lucas informed his employee. “Her chains had kept her from being able to use them.”
Dreya was probably seeing red now. Her vision changed depending on her mood. Brown with flecks of gold was her natural eye color. Red meant she was pissed off and ready to kill. When she was aroused, her eyes turned purple.
When she had an orgasm, specks of silver appeared in her eyes. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Lucas took another step forward then froze as the air behind Dreya began to shimmer. What the hell is that?
“I think whatever was coming, is here,” Duncan told him.
Duncan was right. However, it wasn’t a what… it was a who.
Chapter Two
A female’s voice spoke from within the flickering lights. “What the hell? If this shit doesn’t work, I’m going to be pissed. I might even go on a witch-killing spree.”
That voice sounded familiar. And not in a good way. An alarm went off in his head. This wasn’t going to be good. Finally, the lights disappeared, revealing a female dressed in leather pants and a black halter top.
Though the newcomer’s back was to them, he instantly recognized her. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a pony-tail and on her shoulder was a tattoo of tinker bell. Dreya had the same tat on her shoulder.
Story was, they’d watched a cartoon of tinker bell while hanging out in the Realm of Man. Dreya and her blonde-haired twin had fallen in love with the mischievous fairy and decided to get her likeness inked into their flesh.
That was one of the many things Lucas had loved about Dreya… back then. He’d loved her wild abandonment. Her spontaneity. Her ability to find happiness in the darkest of places. Back then, even he and her twin had gotten along. That was no longer the case.
“How did you get in here Arya?” Lucas yelled.
He needed her gone. NOW. There was no doubt in his mind that Arya was the one who’d freed Dreya from her chains. How? He didn’t know. But, he intended to make sure it never happened again. The newcomer turned around. A smile spread across Arya’s face when she saw her sister.
“Oh, there you are Dreya.” Arya wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders. Other than a flinch, Dreya didn’t acknowledge her twin. Her eyes remained glued on him. Anger emanated from her body.
Love you.
Shit. Lucas steeled himself against the emotions his wolf side was insisting he feel. At least his vampire half had gotten the memo. Dreya was off limits. She was the enemy. So was her sister.
“I told you to wait on me,” Arya said to Dreya, right before brushing what looked like part of an eyeball off Dreya’s shoulder. “You know I get lost easily when I’m in a new environment. Oh, hey Lucas.” Arya waved at him.
She wore a ‘happy to see you’ smile on her face. Yet, her eyes told a different story. If looks could kill, Lucas would’ve been reduced to ash already. Except for the hair color and clean skin, she looked just like her sister.
“Damn,” Duncan groaned from behind him.
Arya peered around Luc to stare at his employee. “Hi there, big fella. What’s your name?”
“Don’t talk to her,” Lucas warned Duncan.
Too late. The demon was already opening his mouth to respond.
“My name is Duncan,” he whispered as his eyes roamed over Arya.
Lucas knew that look. Duncan was becoming enthralled.
“Get him out of here,” Lucas instructed Viv. To Arya he said, “Leave my staff alone.”
Arya pouted. “You’re such a clit-blocker. Then again, what did I expect? You always knew how to ruin a good thing.”
He winced, knowing she was talking about the relationship him and Dreya once had.
“Oh well, I didn’t come here to play around anyway. FYI, I think your vampire female is having a hard time getting Mr. Sexy out of here.” Arya’s smile grew bigger. She tossed her head as if she was tossing her hair over her shoulder. It was a habit of hers, one that Dreya possessed also. “I guess I’ve enthralled him. My bad.”
“Shield his eyes, Viv.” Lucas didn’t turn around to see if the vampire was following his orders. He couldn’t risk taking his eyes off the twins. Since he was mated to one of her kind, he was immune to Arya’s tricks.
