Bloodlines 2 Ancestry Read online

  Bloodlines 2: Ancestry

  Toni L Meilleur

  Published 2008

  ISBN 978-1-59578-484-1

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2008, Toni L Meilleur. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  Email:

  [email protected]

  Editor

  Vikky Bertling

  Cover Artist

  Dawn Seewer

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  She collapsed to the ground in utter fatigue. Not just physical but mental and emotional. Keeping Khaelen at bay was tiring. Every day since she left his hurt and outrage rang in Allantra’s mind. Why did you leave without saying goodbye? He asked the question insistently, demanding an answer. She had tried to tell him through the mind link it was easier for her. She left a coward, too afraid to face him, knowing it would be too hard to say goodbye. They both knew this journey had to be made; the welfare of the people in the Civil Lands depended on it. Eventually she put up a mental block so Khaelen could not mind link with her. Good, this time it worked. She had hurt him this she knew. Every time she thought of him the urge to turn around would be so strong, it was overwhelming. One time she even backtracked a few miles before her sense of duty kicked in.

  If that wasn’t enough, the journey itself was beating up on her small body. Truly it was not called the Savage Outlands for nothing. She had been attacked by creatures she didn’t even know existed, and on many occasions she had barely escaped with her life. She couldn’t even count the number of times she’d gotten turned around. That alone ate up so much time. It was hard trying to find a needle in a haystack, or rather purebloods in a savage land. They could be anywhere. Allantra rolled onto her back to glimpse the last of the setting sun. Khaelen would be rising soon. She missed him a great deal. She was also tired, dirty and very hungry. She would have to find shelter soon; she didn’t want to be food tonight or any other night. Perhaps she should have planned the journey a little better. With say provisions and a portable tent. A jacket or blanket would have been nice.

  Shift to your wolf shape. It can stand the cold of the night much more easily.

  Apparently Khaelen had risen. The fact that he was able to transmit a full thought to her spoke volumes about her mental state.

  I am too hungry and tired to shift.

  The wolf will find you food.

  Allantra shook her head as if he could see her. Memories of him as a wolf, hunting, crowded her mind. Could she be so violent? It sickened her to kill another being.

  It is your nature, Allantra. I have told you this. Accept all of you. Or die.

  Just like that he put it out there, stating facts as cold as they appeared. If she didn’t do something soon for food and warmth she would die. All of this would have been for nothing. With the ease of her bloodline she shifted fluidly into her wolf form: a small gray wolf sitting on her hind legs scenting the air.

  Allantra let the senses of her wolf take over. She settled at the back of its mind while it began to hunt. The she-wolf grew excited as it caught the scent of game. Immediately, it turned to its left following the enticing aroma. Nose to the ground, the wolf’s heartbeat picked up in excitement. Within moments, she flushed the creature out of its hiding space. A fat raccoon scuttled away as Allantra neared it. The wolf let out a sharp yelp as it pursued the raccoon in underbrush. This would be the last night of its life, for the wolf caught it at the nape of the neck and flung it about violently. Dazed the animal fell to the ground, to be immediately set upon at the throat. The warm blood bathed her tongue and she swallowed greedily.

  Deep in the mind of the wolf, Allantra flinched. Yet at the same time, found the whole process exciting. She watched the wolf part of her tear at the raccoon and fill its belly. When it was done, Allantra padded around in the tall grass until she pressed it down into a small bed. Her last thought was of warmth and contentment.

  Sleep little hunter. Khaelen said affectionately into her mind. Finish this journey so that you may return to me. Allantra was already fast asleep.

  * * * *

  “What do you think?” Masque asked as they surveyed the sleeping wolf.

  “She is pureblood,” Dharean answered with a barely perceptible frown.

  “This upsets you, Noir Brujo?” Masque seemed amused, though one could never tell.

  “I do not know of her. She is not of Kynn. I question her purpose here.”

  “Do you think she works for the Vampyres?”

  “It would not surprise me if they found a traitor to work for them.”

  “Nor I.” Masque agreed. “What of the man shadowing her?”

  “I do not think she is aware of him. Let us wait before we act. We must see what the vampyres are up to this time. It has been many years, since they hunted for us.”

  Masque did not reply, merely grunted his agreement. “I will take first watch, Brujo.” With little effort he shifted into a raptor and perched high enough on the tree to watch both the wolf and the man who had been following her. Dharean watched the woman a little longer before he retreated into the thick brush so that even Masque could not detect his presence. Perhaps morning would bring more answers. They had been tracking this woman for days now, since she stumbled into the outskirts of Kynn, their tribal lands. Visitors were not welcome here. Traitors to their kind were killed instantly.

  * * * *

  Allantra woke up about dawn. She stretched her muscles languidly, reveling in her own sleek form and powerful body. After a massive yawn she settled on her hind legs. It was the scent that caught her attention. The hackles on her neck rose, and she realized that whatever it was had come close to her during the night. She slowly stood on all fours her nose to the ground. Not only had it come close, it had stood right over her, undetected. This bothered her immensely. How could she not have heard nor smelled the intruder with her wolf senses? She shook her fur in agitation.

  Someone or something was following her. When she first began the journey she felt a presence, yet every time she doubled back there was no one. Eventually, she began to believe it was the sheer stress of the journey making her paranoid. Now, this strange scent comforted her, she was not paranoid. Someone was indeed following her. Whoever it was could have very well killed her in her sleep. That thought terrified her. It made her question her ability to succeed in her undertaking. She stayed in her wolf form, cautious, and relying heavily on her animal senses and instincts.

  After a few hours she began to relax. Rationalizing things in her mind. Perhaps whatever it was had just been curious. It didn’t explain how she was not alerted to its presence, but for the moment it settled her nerves. She followed her instincts hoping that eventually she would run into something or someone that could help her find the true-bloods, provided they still existed. She planned her next course of action while approaching a delicious looking stream. What if there were no more true-bloods? What if this whole undertaking was a ridiculous exercise in futility? The she-wolf looked around warily before she bent her head to take a drink in the cool stream. She had not smelled the water but found it a wonderful surprise. As soon as she was down
far enough to lap her body froze in place and the stream disappeared. She had fallen for an illusion, springing a trap.

  Panic immediately set in as she realized she was caught. Her eyes rolled around trying to find the source of the trap, but there was nothing to see. She struggled on the inside trying to move a muscle, trying to wrestle free from the trapping. It was as if an invisible mold had been put around her body. Her ears picked up the sound of rustling feet. Her heart felt as if it would jump right out of her fur. She felt hands clasp a collar of some sort around her neck. It looked suspiciously like one of the discs Wulf had used when he tried to apprehend Khaelen and it burned like hell around her neck. She tried to shift to her other form but the collar prevented it. She howled in pain, but could not move. She saw a figure coming up her left flank. The figure bent low and she felt herself being lifted at the chest and around her hind legs. Whoever it was, had to be incredibly strong. Her mind went frantic as she tried to struggle in vain, her body wouldn’t move a muscle.

  Without warning, her captor yelled in pain and dropped her roughly to the ground. Allantra began to shake as the collars’ energy burned through her body, draining it. Her would be kidnapper rose. A heavily muscled man, dressed in the uniform of a Quarter Guard reached for her again, only to double over again in pain. As he fell to his knees beside her, she caught sight of his eyes, dull and lifeless. He was under a heavy compulsion. Allantra knew if she ever got the chance she would have to kill him. He was obviously under orders and would not stop until he carried them out. He rose again and looked around, looked at her once more before he grunted and disappeared into the green lush forest.

  She would have breathed a sigh of relief if common sense hadn’t warned her she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Whatever had scared her captor off was now out there. She was at their mercy with the collar on. A light breeze blew and she caught a scent. The same scent that had been at her crude camp last night, she was now about to get a face to go with it. Allantra tried to relax, thinking of a way she could possibly get out of the collar before whoever or whatever it was caused her harm.

  Even with her wolf hearing she barely caught the sound of his footfalls. Lying on her side she could only see black booted feet and bare muscular legs. As he came closer into view a small black leather cloth covered his most intimate manly parts and bulged in a rather arresting manner. She would have blushed had she been in her other form. When he knelt next to her, she could see tight abs and a muscular chest. The pain from the collar and whatever magic trap she had been in prevented her from lifting her head to see his face.

  His hand slowly passed over her body without touching her. She felt incredible warmth, and then the paralysis was gone. The collar, however, still burned like nobody’s business. He chanted softly, his deep voice almost causing her to go into a trance it was so lilting and soothing. Within seconds the collar broke in half. Allantra immediately sprang to her feet, shifting to her natural form as she did so, crouching low in an attack stance. She faced her savior … or could it be an enemy?

  To her shock he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Everything about him, screamed natural, raw, primitive, dangerous. She knew when he stood he had to be at least seven feet tall. Night black hair was tied back in a small ponytail. His ears were curiously pointed. Odd looking but beautiful tattoos covered his right shoulder. As she looked into his face she was momentarily trapped in pale gray eyes outlined in thick black lashes. His full lips were curled in a patronizing smile.

  “Calm down, flammulae.” He said mockingly staring at her nude body, “If I wished you harm I would have killed you last night.”

  Did she really believe she posed a threat to him? Dharean rose slowly to his full height, neither to intimidate nor alarm her. She was small and well proportioned; the naked form tells all. He watched her closely as she retrieved her ragged clothes and put them on. Her catlike eyes stared at him with unabashed suspicion. She truly was beautiful; her long hair was twisted in a braid, her eyebrow cocked up in silent questioning.

  “I do not wish you harm, flammulae.”

  “I don’t know what that means, but you were at my camp last night. What were you doing?” Her voice came out strong and steady, but he could hear her rapid heartbeat.

  “Observing you.”

  “To what end?” she asked flatly. If it weren’t for her heartbeat; he would have sworn he gave her no fear at all.

  “You have entered my lands uninvited. I observed you only to judge you friend or foe.”

  “I don’t know these lands. If I have trespassed it was unintentional. Let me pass and I’ll be on my way.” She rose slowly from her crouching position; no doubt holding the pose was getting quite tiresome.

  “I believe the old human saying of ‘closing the barn doors after the horses have run free’ applies to this situation.” Dharean clasped his hands behind his back as if he were really considering her plight. In truth he had already decided what to do with her.

  “Meaning?” Now Allantra stood defiantly, hands on her slim hips.

  “Meaning you have already trespassed. Protocol is in order.” He pursed his lips together, more to keep from laughing at her indignant expression, than to appear serious.

  “As I have said before it is unintentional. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She tried valiantly to dismiss him and the effect he was having on her. He unnerved her to say the least.

  “Does she really believe she can just walk away from us, Brujo?” a deep voice resonated behind her. Allantra almost jumped out of her skin. This was getting ridiculous. It was bad enough last night that she had no idea the big guy with the gray eyes was at her camp, now she had neither smelled nor heard this guy behind her. What use were her preternatural senses if they failed her in a life or death situation?

  Allantra turned to see a man almost as big as the gray eyed one coming up slowly behind her. Similarly dressed and powerfully built, just slightly smaller in stature, his eyes were green and gold like a cat. Her eyes were immediately drawn to his hands that had claws on the end of them instead of nails. Somebody spent way too much time in feline mode. However, the most amazing feature was his hair. Cut close to his scalp and the color of a sunflower. So strikingly yellow she wondered for a moment if it was natural, until she caught sight of the light dusting of hair on his arms. He looked at her with no emotion at all. Allantra shifted her position so that she could see both of them clearly on each side.

  “It appears our uninvited guest wishes to move further into our lands.” Big gray-eyed guy remarked.

  “Does she have your permission?” Sunflower Hair asked as he moved closer. Allantra let her hands shift into claws. She was not going down without a fight. Gray Eyes’ eyebrows went up at the slight shift.

  “I believe she is pureblood.” He frowned. They were closing in on both sides of her. Allantra was having a hard time deciding which one of them she would be trying to take on first. If they rushed her together, she had no chance. “I smell vampyre,” he added, clearly confused by her scent.

  “I smell it as well.” Sunflower hair agreed.

  “I am a pureblood.” Allantra defended herself. Obviously being vampire was bad in this neck of the woods. Considering the bad blood between them, who could blame them?

  “You reek of the scent of vampyre.” Gray eyes stated in disgust, “Are you mated to one?”

  Oh boy, how did she answer this one? She wasn’t exactly fully mated to Khaelen, though they shared a temporary blood bond and a mind link. They could smell him on her. “I have a vampire lover.” She answered hoping this wouldn’t send them to rip her throat out. Instead Sunflower Hair looked at Gray Eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod. “What?’ she asked irritated at the silent communication.

  “What is your purpose here?” Gray Eyes stepped closer so suddenly that he was way too close for her to even have a chance at defending herself.

  “That is my business.” She lifted her eyes to meet his gray ones. She would not be th
warted, no matter how big and powerful he was … and gorgeous.

  “It is mine, little one, these are my lands, and you have trespassed.”

  “Unintentional.”

  “Irrelevant.”

  “Unfair!”

  “Law!” he retorted loudly. Sunflower Hair snorted, the only hint of emotion on his emotionless face.

  “I am sure, Dharean, that you have much more important matters to see to than standing here trading words with a female. Perhaps we shall deal with her and continue about our day?”

  “Excellent observation,” the one named Dharean responded. “Let us make haste.” He threw the words at Allantra.

  “I’m not going anywhere with either one of you. While I thank you for freeing me from that spell … by the way you must be some kind of talent to reverse it.”

  “I set it for you.”

  Allantra let his words sink in a moment before rage consumed her. “You did that to me? You set that disgusting trap for me? That deranged human could have slaughtered…”

  “I had to determine if the two of you were together. He has been following you for some time.”

  “You wanted to see if he would attack me or help me? Oh that’s great, what if he would have just come out slicing and dicing? You could have gotten me killed!”

  “Your death would have meant nothing to me. My only concern is for my land and for my people.”

  “Oh and I love you too!” Allantra spat at him sarcastically. “What threat do I pose?”

  “You smell of vampyre yet you are a shifter. The vampyres could have sent you here to find and infiltrate us. I have not decided your guilt or innocence yet. Only that you had nothing to do with that human stomping about after you.”

  “Who are you and your people?” Allantra asked now wondering if she had the good luck of running into some people who could point her where she needed to be.

  “I am Dharean and this is Masque, we patrol the land of Kynn, tribal lands to the Purebloods.” Allantra could barely contain her joy.

  “I’ve been looking for your people; my people.” She gushed out, all earlier verbal exchanges forgotten and ecstatic she finally made a dent in her journey.