Page 5

Lanie/Lamia

S he glanced out of the window at the castle as she held Balius, the eldest of the triplets. He was in human shape and a beautiful child. Looking at Balius was like seeing Jase back in his Or’lan DiMitra, God Warrior form. Lanie noted each triplet resembled his former figure of Or’lan. Amari also looked like Vladmir’s previous Mir’ald Ula form.

She was unsure what this meant. Although all three children had Willow’s eyes and cute button nose. The rest of them were Or’lan. Duris, the second child, was identical to his brother, and the little girl Raisa was a beautiful, feminine version of her father.

Lanie assumed that implied, under all their monstrous forms, something existed of their previous forms. Everyone was talking about it, but nobody had any explanations. Lanie stared at Andie as she walked through the gardens. Andie was maybe the only one who had answers to their questions, but she was locked up tight.

Balius snorted and wriggled, and she looked down at two bright eyes. Balius blinked and pouted before yawning.

“Beautiful boy,” Lanie cooed.

Jase approached her, carrying Raisa and Duris. Duris was asleep in a sling, but Raisa, lying in her father’s arms, was wide awake.

“Hi, Dad,” Lanie teased.

“Hey. I see you kidnapped my son,” Jase teased.

“He’s gorgeous,” Lanie replied.

Jase’s face softened. “They all are. Can you believe we have triplets? Hell, forget that. Could you believe we’ve had children?”

“I guess it’s always been possible,” Lanie answered. “I had Callidora.”

“But nobody had a child since.”

“No. What made me so special?” Lanie wondered.

Jase looked at her and swallowed.

“What is it?” she asked with concern.

“Let’s put them in their cots and take a walk,” Jase said.

Lanie followed him into his living area, where Willow lay on a couch. Maeve and Jess were with her, so they laid the children down in their Moses baskets and headed out.

“What are you thinking, Jase?”

“I haven’t discussed this with the rest of the board. But it has been bothering me ever since Willow announced her pregnancy. I’m unsure how to say this…” Jase said.

“Just say it. It’s often the best way,” Lanie ordered.

Jase took in a deep breath and grabbed Lanie’s hand. Fear ran up Lanie’s spine as she gazed at her brother. Whatever this was, was serious.

“Have you ever wondered why Alainen’s reaction to you is so extreme?”

“Yes. His hate is off the charts,” Lanie replied.

“Did you come up with an explanation?”

“No. But his envy continues to grow. It’s never-ending.”

“Remember that. Bear with me. I’m going to be brutally honest. Vladimir’s and my pasts include several affairs. But we never got anyone with child. Then Vladimir met Emmaline, and within a couple of months, she was pregnant. The same happened with me,” Jase said carefully.

“I don’t see where you’re going,” Lanie admitted, but she felt strange inside.

“What if we couldn’t impregnate women because they weren’t our soul mates? And we can only conceive with them?” Jase asked.

Lanie froze. Slowly, the implications sunk in, and she gazed at Jase in horror. Her legs began to shake, and she groped around for something to cling to.

“That means Alainen was mine?” Lanie exclaimed and collapsed to the ground. “No! That can’t be.”

“It’s a plausible explanation, and I didn’t want to tell you,” Jase said, crouching by her and gathering Lanie up tight.

“Alainen was my soul mate?” Lanie groaned as tears began trickling down her face.

“Possibly. It would explain Callidora and why none of us have ever had a child other than you,” Jase commented gently.

“Oh God,” Lanie gasped.

“Sweetheart, breathe,” Jase urged.

“The flip side of love is hate,” Lanie cried.

“That’s true.”

“Alainen turned against me even though he was my soul mate? Shouldn’t we have a bond?” Lanie demanded, wiping her tears away.

“It may have been present, but if he broke it, then it wouldn’t exist anymore. We can’t know for sure, and I’ve not spoken to anyone about this, but I am convinced I’m correct. If the next person to find their mate gets them pregnant or becomes pregnant, then we’ve got a working hypothesis.”

“I need to go,” Lanie gasped and hurried away from Jase.

“Lanie!” Jase called, concerned.

“No, later, please,” Lanie cried.

Lanie fled for her mirror, which Mary opened without a word. Lanie appreciated that as she fell into her bedroom and scrambled for her bed. Curling up on it and dragging the sheets over her, Lanie burst into heartbroken sobs.

If Alainen had been her soul mate, then there was no hope remaining. Pandora’s Sin of Hope had cursed her, too. Lanie cried herself hoarse, and it took hours before she fell to sleep. All she kept thinking was Alainen had been her soul mate, and he’d turned on her.

McIntyre

Jeez, Lanie looked awful. Oh, she had done her makeup and was dressed immaculately, but McIntyre could tell the subtle signs that she’d had a rough night. Her eyes were slightly red and sore.

He saw Ranson send her a sharp look, but neither of them said anything.

“I’ll be heading into the office today but working from home for the rest of the week. Next week, I plan to hit my retreat. Please reschedule accordingly,” Lanie announced as she got in the car.

McIntyre slid in beside her, and her signs of distress were even more visible up close.

“Yes, Miss Cross,” Ranson confirmed from the front seat. “Is there anything else?”

“No. I’ll contact the guard who goes with me,” Lanie replied and gazed out of the window.

What guard that accompanies her? Mac thought. Did Lanie go somewhere that they didn’t? McIntyre decided to grab Ranson as soon as Lanie was ensconced in her office.

“What retreat and guard?” he asked.

“Miss Cross has a hideaway nobody knows about. She heads there several times a year when she needs to reboot herself. A bodyguard accompanies her that is not one of ours. Miss Cross has done this since we came on board. She uses the same man each time. He’s not known to us, but he does bring her back safe and sound,” Ranson replied.

“And we know nothing of him?” McIntyre asked.

“No. And we don’t ask. Miss Cross gets angry. All we need to understand is the person she employs is as dedicated as us,” Ranson responded.

McIntyre nodded but guessed that wasn’t the end of the matter. Lanie had secrets from him, and that wasn’t to be allowed. Not if he was to do his job.

Lanie/Lamia

She began opening her mail and paused when she came across a hand-printed envelope. With a frown, she opened it and pulled a piece of paper out. On it, in cut words from a newspaper, was a threat.

“‘Your time is coming. Death will be a blessing for you by the time I’ve finished’,” Lanie said out loud. “Well, that’s short and sweet. Laura, please ask Ranson to come to my office,” Lanie asked, pressing her intercom.

“Yes, Miss Cross.”

A few minutes later, Ranson appeared. “Miss Cross?

“A threat. One to add to the pile,” Lanie announced, pointing at it on her desk. Lanie rolled her eyes as Ranson approached.

He went to pick it up, and his gaze narrowed.

“What is it?” Lanie questioned.

“Did you see the watermark?” Ranson asked.

“No?”

“It’s an A,” Ranson said, and Lanie stiffened.

“An A?”

“Yes. The style of the letter A on the dead snake is identical. What is going on, Miss Cross? Because Mr Clare mentioned a name, Alainen, it is an old Greek name. Ancient, not a well-known name today. Yet I can’t find a mention of an Alainen anywhere. You know something, and by holding back, you’re risking your safety.”

“Ranson, I’m not lying, I have no clue what is happening,” Lanie lied through her teeth.

“Then we’ve an issue. Alainen, whoever this is, has a serious problem with you. He sent the snake, Mr Clare, and now a death threat. We also discovered Mr Clare was released from the hospital by a Mr Alain. Alain to Alainen isn’t a far jump.”

“No. And you can’t find trace of an Alainen anywhere?”

“No, Miss Cross. It’s not a name I’ve come across. We’ve still got searches running, but whoever this is, they’re using either a false name or he’s buried his identity deep,” Ranson replied.

“What do we do?” Lanie asked.

“Tighten security and notify the police are the first steps. We must resolve this and quickly. But we have insufficient information,” Ranson said.

“Basically, we need this Alainen to up his game so we can catch him. Surely, it would make more sense than to leave me a little more exposed,” Lanie suggested.

As expected, Ranson bristled. “That’s not a good idea and won’t be happening. Your retreat can go ahead, Miss Cross, but you may have to take extra guards.”

“I’ll contact the company,” Lanie mused. Naturally, her brothers would come for appearances’ sake. Lanie only intended to go to the castle for a week, anyway.

“That is not enough, I’m afraid. I am going to insist at least one of your personal team accompany you this time. That or cancel the trip. As the head of your security, I cannot authorise someone else to take charge of securing your safety,” Ranson stated.

“The other company has kept me perfectly safe,” Lanie argued.

“And you’ve not had a stalker after you before,” Ranson disagreed.

Lanie longed to tell him she’d been stalked for thousands of years but held her tongue. Ranson would never understand.

“I’ll consider my options, but remember, you work for me,” she said.

“And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out I can’t do my job without the full information. You can not expect me to be your bodyguard but not allow me to act as such.”

“Some things in my life I wish to keep private and personal. I informed you of this ten years ago when you became my security team. If this is a problem, then you and I need to sit down and discuss it,” Lanie replied. Her gut tensed. She didn’t want to lose Ranson, but she had no idea how to explain the castle.

“Miss Cross, I’ll schedule an appointment, and I will bring a list of acceptable replacements,” Ranson said.

Somehow, she’d expected Ranson to back down. Instead, he’d stood his ground. There was sadness in his eyes, but they were unwavering.

“Please do,” Lanie whispered, and Ranson nodded. He deftly picked up the letter with tweezers and placed it inside a plastic bag.

“We may get fingerprints, but it’s highly unlikely,” he said and left.

Lanie felt like everything was falling out of control. First Alainen had raised his head and was making threats. He could not possibly be sure Lanie was Lamia, but he was locked on her. Mr Clare had called her out; Alainen might be her soul mate, and now she was potentially losing her security team. The last seven days had been a total nightmare.

Lanie tried to return to work but couldn’t. She sighed, picked up her phone, and dialled Rhett.

“Lanie?”

“Are we secure?”

“Naturally. What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

Lanie explained her problem and sat back as Rhett digested it.

“There’s a simple solution, Lanie,” Rhett said, and Lanie’s shoulders relaxed.

“What?”

“Do you pay attention? A year ago, I bought a security company out. Give Ranson my company’s name, and I’ll come and meet him. Or better yet, send me when you are meeting him, and I will be there,” Rhett offered.

“Thank you!” Lanie trilled over the moon with Rhett’s response.

“You’re welcome. Now, what’s going on?” Rhett demanded.

“What do you mean?”

“Dale said Alainen has raised his ugly head,” Rhett answered.

“Yes. Did Jase tell you his thoughts?” Lanie asked.

“Huh?”

“Well, Jase thinks Alainen is my soul mate,” Lanie began, and then explained Jase’s theory.

“Shit, he could be right,” Rhett replied a few minutes later.

“It’s a frightening thought,” Lanie agreed.

“If you need any of us—”

“Then I’ll call. I promise. As soon as I’ve got a time and date for Ranson’s meeting, I’ll let you know,” Lanie said and offered her goodbyes.

Alainen was her problem. Not her siblings. She knew he was responsible for killing four of their kind. Roc, Bugbear, Fenrir, and Chupacabra. Alainen was a murderer, plain and simple. It had been harder for him to hunt them down since they could now shift into humans, but it clearly hadn’t stopped him looking.

As Lanie contemplated her next step, the fire alarm startled her.

Grabbing her purse and rising to her feet, she was halfway across the room when her door opened. “Confirmed fire in a third-floor office. Everyone is evacuating. We’re taking the stairs,” McIntyre stated as he rushed in. He grabbed her arm and began pulling her along with him. Lanie shrugged him off.

“Don’t touch me,” she warned. “Is anyone injured?”

“No idea, but we’ve got to get you out of here. The elevators have been opened and locked,” McIntyre said. He looked down at her high heels.

Lanie kicked them off, picked them up, and followed McIntyre to the secluded stairs in her office.

“Are my staff evacuating?” Lanie asked as they burst through the doors and began heading down.

“Yes. The fire is contained for now, and security is there, trying to stop it from spreading. Everyone is leaving the building, Miss Cross,” McIntyre stated.

“The disabled people?”

“The disabled elevator is the only working, and security has manned it to get them out. They have a list and are going floor to floor where they work,” McIntyre replied.

They’d descended four flights, yet many levels remained. A door opened above them, and Ranson called out.

“Keep heading down. I’ll catch you up,” he shouted at them.

“On it,” McIntyre replied as he kept hold of Lanie’s hand

and moved quickly down the stairs.

“Is anyone hurt?” Lanie demanded.

“No. Not yet. Please keep moving, Miss Cross,” Ranson answered.

“I smell smoke,” Lanie announced a few minutes later. They’d gone down half her building now, and she was becoming winded.

“The fire is near,” Ranson confirmed, sounding closer.

“We need to keep going even if we’re walking,” McIntyre said.

“Okay,” Lanie agreed. Below, she could see smoke and wondered if the staircase was blocked. As they headed downwards, the fumes thickened.

McIntyre stopped and ripped the edge of his tee off. “Cover your mouth with this,” he ordered, handing her the scrap. Lanie nodded and coughed.

Ranson landed beside them.

“The fire is two floors below, but the smoke is getting thicker. We need to move at speed. Miss Cross, if you can’t keep up, we’ll carry you,” he announced and gave her a little push .

Lanie was out of breath, and her feet hurt from being barefoot. It would take more than a fire to kill her, but it could cause her great pain.

With Ranson at her back and McIntyre in front pulling h er, they continued. The fumes were a lot thicker now, and Lanie looked frightened. She pulled back and McIntyre turned and slung her over his shoulder and carried on jogging down the stairs. He was coughing and choking, but somehow, he managed to keep going.

McIntyre had slowed down when suddenly the air lightened, and Lanie heaved a sigh of relief. They were through the worst. But her legs felt like jelly, and she wasn’t certain her head was clear.

Hell, Lanie wasn’t even sure that she could stand until McIntyre placed her on her feet.

“Three more floors, Miss Cross. You can do it,” he encouraged. There was soot on his face, and without meaning to, she reached up and wiped it off.

McIntyre’s gaze held hers, and something passed between them. “You can do this,” he murmured, and Lanie nodded.

They began moving again and finally burst into the underground car park.

“Keep Miss Cross here,” Ranson ordered as he raced away from them. McIntyre pushed her behind him, and Lanie sagged against the wall. She planned to have those stairs removed and a blasted slide put in.

Ranson pulled up in the car, and McIntyre moved out with her and shoved her in the back. As soon as he was in, Ranson was moving. Lanie sat and sought to control her breathing. She hated that Ranson and McIntyre barely seemed out of breath.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Lanie demanded, noting how tense they were.

“We’re hearing from the chief of security at the tower block. It was arson, Miss Cross. They have footage of Simon Clare gaining access to the eighth floor and setting the fire,” Ranson explained.

Lanie said a few words that weren’t particularly ladylike. McIntyre raised an eyebrow, but Ranson remained impassive.

“Rhett Stone, who runs the other security company, is coming to meet you,” Lanie said, feeling like she needed to offer Ranson something.

“He owns it?” Ranson asked.

“Yes. He’s intensely private but has agreed to a meeting. Rhett’s also a close friend,” Lanie added.

“And the reason you could not tell me this?” Ranson demanded.

“Because Rhett deals with high-value clients. And discretion is paramount. He provides security for Jase Monroe, for example,” Lanie explained.

“Seems strange you couldn’t tell me he worked for you. I’d have thought it would be the other way around,” Ranson replied.

Lanie nearly growled at him. Typical Ranson. Too clever for his own good. She thought quickly. “Because he doesn’t want every Tom, Dick, and Harry pestering him for security. Rhett’s particular who he works for. He could have A-list actors hassling him, for example. Rhett wouldn’t work for them. Or those idiot social media influencers,” Lanie stated.

“Can understand that. I’ve turned several of those down,” Ranson replied.

Her car passed through the gates to her home, and they closed behind her.

“We need security in there with you until we understand what is happening. I know you value your privacy but please, today, obey orders,” Ranson asked.

“Not a problem,” Lanie agreed, throwing him a bone.

“Fisher came here directly and has swept the mansion. The house is secure, and security is patrolling the grounds. Miss Cross, I’m going to return to the office and see what they have discovered. McIntyre will stay here with you,” Ranson said, and Lanie nodded.

She got out of the car with McIntyre on her heels and headed inside. Lanie winced at her bare feet, and McIntyre nodded.

“Can I see?” he asked, and Lanie lifted her feet. McIntyre cringed.

“They’ve been cut, and there’s some bruising. I’ll doctor them, and then you can let me cook you a meal,” he stated.

“Oh yeah?” Lanie challenged.

“Don’t argue, woman!” McIntyre replied, and Lanie was gobsmacked. Only her siblings dared talk to her like that. McIntyre grinned as if he knew what she was thinking before he swept her off her feet and carried her into the kitchen.