Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Read online

  Yeah, he bet.

  Death approached Jacques, and the vampyre stopped moving. Whenever she appeared, it was never a good thing.

  “Don’t,” Flynn warned.

  It was stupid to challenge their mistress, but he had to believe that he could keep her away from his mates.

  Death pointed at Jacques, and he had no choice but to walk toward her. He fought it, but he was her child. Ultimately, she was his to control.

  Flynn got angry. “Death, if you hurt him…”

  “You’ll what? He’s mine, Rinnon. I made them, and I can play with them. I feel like toying with my minions.”

  “Slow day for you? Aren’t there any third world countries to take over?”

  She laughed. “You don’t appreciate me. You should.” Death glanced over at Jacques. When he was in front of her, Death ran her hands all over his body.

  It was clear how he felt about it.

  “I could make you like it.”

  There was a strangled sound from Jacques, proving his distress.

  Flynn was getting angry. He could feel his tattoo throbbing against his back. He wanted to hurt her.

  He wanted to break her for touching what was his.

  “I mean it.”

  “I’ll have some blood and be on my merry way.” As Jacques closed his eyes, trying to escape the visuals, he was unable to fight the compulsion. She forced him to stare at her.

  Flynn knew he couldn’t let it happen.

  “Take me. Let him go.”

  She looked over.

  “You’re so noble. Why should I do that?”

  “I’m demon, and he’s only a vampyre. You prefer the taste of me. Take all you want. You can drain me—just don’t hurt him. Please. I love him. I offer myself up in his place. I offer my life for his. You’ll kill him if you drink from him. I won’t die.”

  Jacques stared at him, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to thank his mate, but he couldn’t speak.

  He couldn’t move.

  He was trapped.

  Death set Jacques free and turned her focus onto Flynn. She smiled wickedly as she sashayed her way toward him.

  Death knew how to work a room.

  Or cave...

  “So be it.”

  He didn’t even get time to brace for it. Death moved fast, and before he knew it, he could feel the life leaching from him. His heart raced and his pulse kicked as Death’s fangs began siphoning his essence from him.

  Flynn could hear Jacques calling for him.

  Jolie was there too. She must have sensed his pain.

  The last thing he wanted was for them to experience this, so he shoved them out. He ignored their pleas to save himself.

  Death kept drinking, and Flynn staggered back against the wall. His vision wavered.

  It was funny. He wasn’t supposed to be able to die, but this certainly felt like it.

  Everything hurt.

  His eyeballs even felt like they had been doused with some corrosive catalyst.

  Shit!

  This was turning out to be a really bad day.

  He could see Jacques going vampyre, and he prayed that he didn’t try to attack Death. He didn’t understand why she was doing this. While a bitch, she didn’t try to hurt them.

  She needed them.

  ‘Hush,’ she whispered through his mind. ‘He needs to trust you, and you’re saving him. Let me heal this rift. You two need to focus on Jolie, not each other. Despite what you think of me, you need help. Your family is a mess.’

  He got it, and she was right.

  It still sucked, even if it would work.

  His body felt like it was caving in on itself, and his flesh rippled and popped. He could feel himself going to ash before them, and he prayed she’d stop before he blew away in the breeze.

  Just as he was about to lose consciousness, she let him go. He hit the ground, and the impact hurt like a bitch, as did the wound on his neck.

  Shit!

  He was going to kick her ass.

  There was laughter in his mind. ‘I might like that, Rinnon.’

  ‘Flynn. My name is Flynn Xavier Brogan, and I’m not him. I’m me.’

  Her laughter filled the small space. ‘Yes, keep saying that, Flynn. He’s waking, and when he does, he’s going to be very powerful.’

  That didn’t offer him any relief.

  “Well, Jacques, it looks like you evaded me again,” she said, as she moved toward him. It amused her when he backed up to the cave wall.

  “Next time, my pet.”

  Then she was gone.

  Jacques’s heart was pounding.

  What he’d witnessed scared the hell out of him. Flynn had been drained of pretty much everything.

  He moved toward his mate on the ground. Flynn was breathing erratically, almost as if he was struggling to get air through a straw. His flesh was gray. A vampyre went that color as he was decaying and returning to ash.

  He was nearly dead.

  Jacques touched his hand, and he was so cold.

  “Oh, Flynn.”

  His blue eyes flickered up at him. He was nearly gone, and all of the life was missing from his eyes.

  Jacques felt the overwhelming need to comfort his mate. Gently, he pulled him into his arms. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”

  Flynn didn’t move.

  He couldn’t.

  Every movement hurt his body. He would heal, but he needed some energy.

  “Please. Help. Me.”

  “Blood?” Jacques asked.

  Normally, he’s say yes, but he’d drain him. There was no way he could control it. He was ravenous. What Flynn needed was for his mate to push the energy into him, that way he wouldn’t kill him.

  “Energy,” he whispered.

  Tears filled Jacques’s eyes. “Why?”

  “I. Love. You. I’d. Die. For. You.”

  He saw that.

  His fear and suspicion began ebbing away. Slowly, Jacques lowered his mouth to his mate’s lips. Placing them over his, he pushed energy into Flynn’s body. He could feel his flesh heating up through the kiss.

  It felt warm, gentle, and wonderful.

  When he couldn’t give him more, he simply kept sharing his love for his mate.

  ‘I was so wrong. Please forgive me. I keep saying that a lot, but I promise I’ll get it right. I’m learning. This is new for me too.’

  Flynn eased into the kiss.

  He reached for his other mate. As much as he wanted her safe, he needed her.

  ‘Jolie, help me.’

  He could hear her reassuring him. Then he could feel her approaching through the secret opening. When she peeked her head through, she looked alarmed.

  “What happened?” she asked, knowing neither man could answer her. Jacques was holding Flynn in his arms, and he was kissing him.

  ‘Death,’ Flynn replied into her mind.

  Jolie didn’t need to hear anything more. She figured their mistress had to have wanted to hurt Jacques.

  Kneeling beside her mates, she waited for Jacques to release his mouth. As soon as he did, Flynn pulled her toward him. The kiss they shared glowed with the blue energy that they shared.

  Flynn was careful.

  As she fed him, he could feel his skin going from cold and dead to tan and healed.

  Jacques was running his hands up and down Flynn’s arm, trying to warm him up.

  “He saved me,” Jacques said, tucking some of Flynn’s black hair behind his ear.

  Flynn released his mate. “I’m good now.”

  He buried the secret Death had shared with him. If it worked, he’d take her help. After all, she was more a pain in the ass than helpful most of the time.

  He could hear her laughing.

  Jolie stroked his cheek, and then did the same thing to Jacques. “Are you both okay?”

  The men were.

  “I could feel you dying,” she said to Flynn. “I really didn’t like the way that felt.”

  He
laughed. “You? Trust me. It sucks. No one wants to be Death’s chew toy.”

  They told her what happened.

  “At least she didn’t kill you.”

  Flynn knew the truth. She was right. Rinnon was waking up, and he was recalling more and more.

  “She really can’t kill me. She can cause maximum damage, but Rinnon is stronger than she is. He created her. While she can screw with me, I can keep from succumbing to her whims.”

  That was news to both of them.

  Jolie stroked his face. “Are you two going to be okay?” she asked. “I hate that you’re both at odds. I need you two more than anything. Can we meet in the middle?”

  “No,” said Jacques.

  Flynn sighed.

  It sucked that he’d suffered through that for nothing. Apparently, the rift wasn’t going to heal.

  “I don’t want to meet halfway. I’m willing to make the full journey to Flynn. I see the truth now. I don’t need him to compromise. He’s given me so much. I’ll take one for the squad.”

  “Team,” Flynn said. “It’s take one for the team.”

  He shrugged. “Whatever.”

  Jolie was relieved.

  “About tonight?” he asked, getting their attention.

  Jacques was willing to let his fear go. He could trust in Flynn. He had to believe he was always going to protect him. The man loved them both.

  They loved Jolie.

  It was a bond that would hold up under the pressure.

  “It’s going to be a challenge,” Jacques said, doing his protection thing.

  Flynn kept Jolie from speaking. They needed to include Jacques, so he could see he did have a place with them.

  “They’re going to throw everything at us, and we need to keep our ace in the hole.”

  He pointed at Flynn.

  “They’ll think vampyre, not human. He no longer smells like them, but they’ll never see this one coming.”

  Jolie grinned. That was exactly what Flynn had said.

  ‘Throw him this bone,’ Flynn whispered into her mind.

  ‘You’re a good mate.’

  ‘You’re lucky to have me.’

  Her laughter filled his mind.

  “Do you think they’ll challenge us?” Flynn asked. “Really? That seems idiotic on their behalf.”

  Jacques thought about it.

  “They’ll want to see what we have, and that’s why we keep some of our power to ourselves.”

  “We can do that,” Jolie stated.

  Jacques appeared to be back in his element. “We’ll be fine,” he reassured. “What’s a little council meeting?”

  “I can’t wait,” Flynn offered.

  They stared at him.

  “What? I just had Death sucking me dry. Do you really think that a bunch of Irish vampyres scare me? This is a walk in the damn park.”

  Jolie laughed.

  She only hoped he was right.

  They didn’t need to fight for their lives here too.

  They were already trying to survive.

  * * * H a r c o u r t e * * *

  Paris

  He sat in his office, overlooking the setting sun. It was nice to be back in control. The last six months had been hell. Chasing down Jolie Harcourte had been distracting.

  Now he didn’t need to stress it.

  As he dropped his fine Italian shoes on the corner of his desk, he thought about the vampyre in the prison beneath the building. Paris had a series of abandoned underground tunnels, and they worked well for keeping troublesome vampyres at bay.

  In fact, it was the ideal place to store them as they slowly became weaker and weaker.

  There was no worse punishment than to starve them of blood until they were so desperate they would drink from themselves.

  He’d seen them do it.

  It was entertaining to watch them become cannibalized by their own needs to feed. Once that happened, they’d slip into the madness.

  Alexzandre had a way to go until he was at that point, but he’d break him too. The first meal he tossed into the cage would be a welcomed thing.

  He’d tell him where his sister was to survive. He’d seen stronger vamps turn on their own mothers.

  In the end, he’d break him.

  He always did.

  He was born to do it.

  As was his family.

  ∞ Chapter Eleven ∞

  Wednesday Evening

  They each began prepping for the council in their own way. Jacques had showered and gotten ready by strapping on as much silver as he could beneath his protective leather attire.

  Going into the council meant being ready for anything. Since he was technically Jolie’s guardian, he wanted to make sure he could do the job.

  To fail would mean losing her and their mate.

  While the Irish council had sent a letter, there was still the final line hinting at what was to come. They weren’t happy, and the foreigners were going to pay for breaking the rules.

  Flynn, on the other hand, showered and was relaxed. He wasn’t afraid of what was coming. From his perspective, this was nothing.

  They had the Tueur after them. A bunch of Irish vamps? Yeah, that was going to be a walk in the park. While his family wanted him to keep the demon part quiet, he would whip it out at a moment’s notice to take the enemy down.

  If anyone threatened his family, they would die.

  It was as simple as that.

  There was no way he’d let anyone come near the people he loved. He’d die first.

  Oh wait, he couldn’t die.

  That amused him—so much so—that Jacques glanced over at him when the laughter slipped out.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Flynn grinned, his fangs in his mouth. “I was thinking about tonight, and anyone trying to kill me.”

  “You can’t die.”

  “Yeah, I know, and that’s why I’m amused.”

  Jacques stared at him. “You’re a sick coupon.”

  Flynn blinked twice, and then he finally got it. “Ticket. I’m a sick ticket.”

  “I’m glad you agree.”

  He’d walked right into that one.

  Flynn laughed even more. He was beginning to believe that Jacques didn’t really confuse words as much as he liked entertaining them.

  Both men glanced over at the doorway. They could hear the clicking of heels as Jolie came down the staircase. When she entered the room, she wasn’t dressed how they assumed. In fact, she was looking rather…pure and innocent.

  “Is she wearing a pink sweater and long skirt?” Flynn asked.

  “It appears so.”

  Both men stared at her.

  “Are you feeling well?” Flynn asked.

  “Well, I am, but if I look bad, I can go change. I don’t want to look frumpy and…”

  Flynn got it.

  “No, you look beautiful. I was assuming you’d dress to kick ass.”

  Jacques agreed.

  “I think going in looking innocent and weak will work to our advantage. Who attacks a pregnant woman?”

  Flynn began rattling off answers.

  “Death, the Tueur, people who have betrayed us, and anyone we’ve ever killed.”

  She laughed. “Have some faith in me. Besides, a pregnant woman can’t find leather that fits her.”

  Jacques approached. “I love you and don’t get mad, but you can’t wear that skirt.”

  Flynn stared at him. “Are you giving her fashion advice? And you wonder why I’m her favorite?”

  He grinned at the teasing.

  “If we have to fight, she’ll get tangled up. When we get home, she can wear it. It’s sexy, and it makes me want to peak underneath, but fighting in it won’t be easy.”

  He had a point.

  “I don’t think I can fit in leather. Your children are beasts.”

  Flynn approached. “I can help.”

  He snapped his fingers. The skirt was gone and leather pants were in its place.r />
  Jolie looked down. “You took my panties too.”

  “Yeah, I know. I have to have some fun.”

  That made her laugh.

  “If you two are finished, we should feed and begin this trek to the council.”

  Jacques was absolutely right.

  It was time.

  Flynn sat on the couch, leaving room on either side of him for his mates. He loved this part of the process. His mates could feed on him anytime they wanted.

  It was Heaven.

  Jolie and Jacques took their places as Flynn dropped his head back to rest on the couch. He could feel them lapping their way to his arteries.

  His body tensed in pleasure. There was nothing like a double feeding. When their mouths were on him, he was at peace.

  Jolie bit down first, slowly sinking into Flynn’s neck. She slowly drank from her mate, connecting the three of them with their minds.

  Jacques went next.

  He buried his fangs, too, but he gulped wildly, enjoying the way Flynn’s arms came around them, holding his mates to his body.

  Hands wandered.

  There were moans—mostly from the man on the bottom. At one point, he began shaking.

  Jolie slipped free from his throat. “That was delicious,” she stated.

  Flynn didn’t disagree.

  He couldn’t.

  He was still enjoying the feeling of Jacques feeding from him. His mate’s hands were in his hair, holding his head completely still.

  Flynn liked the way it felt being trapped beneath the two vampyres he loved.

  Jolie found his mouth and kissed him like she meant it. Her tongue sought, found, and teased him. As she practically climbed into his body by way of his mouth, Jacques was still feasting from him.

  Flynn was hard.

  His body was alive with the feeling of his mates. What he wanted was to throw Jolie down and take her.

  He knew they had to handle the situation first, but it was so damn hard to fight that animalistic instinct.

  ‘Later,’ she whispered into his mind. ‘I want both of your hands all over me.’

  Jacques did something with his mouth on Flynn’s throat, and Flynn shook even more.