Desert Heat (Complete)

{Dorian’s P.O.V.}

“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!!! FIND MY WIFE!!!” I roared at Brandon and Mikey, flipping a table, and throwing it at them. Our mission to find and rescue Vivienne had taken a turn, so Allie dismissed Jed and I from the hospital earlier to hash out the details. I called Brandon, Mikey, Andre, Lucas, and Aries into my office, and we were going over possible suspects, including Michaela. Considering that Jed was a supreme Alpha by b***d, it became highly possible that Alpha Scanlan knew of Jed’s lineage and hid it from him. He could have taken Vivienne as a bargaining chip to prevent Jed from challenging him, though, Jed said he would never do that.

We were three hours deep into our brainstorming session when the twins’ nannies’ mind linked me. They were looking for Allie and mentioned they were unable to reach her via mind link. I figured that she would still be with Luther and Dr. Quinn, trying to work through all of the drama, so I linked Dr. Quinn. She told me Allie wasn’t there and had left only minutes after she met them at the lab. I tried to link her myself but couldn’t get through. Panic began to set in as I linked everyone in the pack to look for Allie, but no one had seen her.

Allie has now been missing, without a single trace, for nearly five hours and counting. I inevitably joined Jed on the crazy train as I desperately tried to find Allie’s whereabouts. I was going even crazier because of the pregnancy and felt like I was a step away from descending into madness.

“Dorian, throwing the coffee table at us isn’t going to make this go any faster!” Brandon shouted at me, trying to get me to calm down. I shoved him away since I was past the point of hearing logic. Bandit was raging war in my head as he wanted to go out and find Allie himself. But we couldn’t have that since he would tear up the city looking for her, and we had no idea where to even start looking.

“He’s right, Dorian. I know what you’re feeling, trust me, I do. But it’s like you said to me—losing our heads over this won’t find them any faster,” Jed told me as he pushed me against a wall. I was huffing and puffing in pure outrage, but deep down I knew he was right. I took a deep breath while trying to keep Bandit at bay when, suddenly, my office door burst open. We all turned to see Simba there.

“Alpha, she’s back! The Luna is back!” he exclaimed. Allie walked in seconds after he announced her return.

“Oh my god, Allie!” I shouted and ran to her. I scooped her up in my arms and inhaled her scent to calm my nerves.

“Dorian, I’m okay. I promise,” she reassured me as she stroked my hair. I put her down and gripped her shoulders, looking her once over.

“Baby, where the f**k were you!? I nearly blew a f*****g gasket!”

“Nearly?! You threw the coffee table at us!” Brandon argued.

“You what!?” Allie shouted and looked behind me to inspect the damage. “Dorian! What did I tell you about throwing s**t at people!?”

“What did I tell you about disappearing!?” I shouted at her.

“I’m sorry, but it wasn’t my choice to get kidnapped by a demon,” she said.

“WHAT!?” we all roared.

“I was kidnapped by a demon,” she repeated.

“How the hell did you get away?” Mikey asked.

“I didn’t. She let me go as soon as we finished talking,” she answered. I looked at the guys and they, too, had confused expressions on their faces. “She didn’t kidnap me to hurt me, she did it because she wanted to speak to me alone. Once we made our peace, she shimmered me to the front door and left.”

“She didn’t hurt you?” I double-checked and she shook her head. “At all? What about the pup?”

“He’s fine too. She said she would never harm a baby. Said that she’s not barbaric like that.”

“Giz, what did she want with you?” Brandon asked. Allie smirked.

—————

“No f*****g way!!” Mikey ululated. “She just told you where that b***h Heather is?!”

“Yeah. The problem is that it’s somewhere we can’t go, at least, not without the help of an upper-level demon,” Allie answered.

“Why would she willingly give you that information, especially if Heather is supposed to be the future queen of all evil?” I asked.

“She hates her. She’s jealous of her. Heather marked the Demon King, and Aria wants to figure out a way to get rid of Heather’s mark. Aria can’t kill her until she does because killing Heather would also kill Gideon.”

“Wait, Gideon?” I looked at her quizzically.

“Yeah.”

“The guy from the auction?! The one you bid on!?”

“Yeah! The Demon King was in front of us, Dorian. And Aria was the other woman that was bidding against me.” I didn’t even know how to respond to any of this. “Oh, and another f****d up thing—Selene and the powers-that-be agreed to create an impure wolf as a mate for Gideon if it meant he would go back to the underworld and never surface in the human world ever again.” I looked at her in complete dismay when she said that.

“Selene!? As in the moon goddess!? Our moon goddess!?” Lucas asked in a confirmative tone.

“Yeah. Do you know any other Selene’s that is a higher power?” Allie snarked.

“Why would she do that? Does she know that this guy’s offspring could kill all of us?!” Mikey shouted.

“Apparently that’s just a prophecy Gideon’s Seer predicted. There’s no truth to it, at least, none that anyone can definitively verify. Even Aria doesn’t know how true it is, and she’s over two-hundred years old.”

“This is f*****g crazy. How do you know you can even trust her, Allie?” Jed asked.

“Because she’s in love with Gideon. She’ll do whatever it takes to get Heather away from him, even team up with me, or I should say us.”

“So, what did you actually tell her that got her to let you go?” Aries asked.

“I told her that an impure wolf’s mark has an expiration date, if and only if, Gideon falls in love with another and accepts their bond.”

“But there’s no guarantee that he would fall in love with her though. You did tell her that, right?” I asked her.

“I did. She wasn’t happy at first, but she concluded that anyone would be better than Heather, an impure wolf-turned-human that forced her mark onto Gideon, practically sealing his fate the moment she did.”

“Wait, she what?” I looked at Allie, shocked.

“Yeah, she did the same thing to the Demon King that she did to Deacon. But she did it after they had s*x, so for her, it was a no-brainer. According to Aria, Heather admitted that she did it out of spite for Gideon forcing her to leave with him and agreeing to be his queen. I’m thinking that mark is what killed Heather’s wolf, Delilah, and made Heather human,” Allie explained. I looked around at everyone; it was like they were all deer stuck in headlights. “I’m sorry I scared you, Dorian. And I had no idea that I had been gone that long. But I needed as much detail as possible if I was going to give some kind of reassurance to Aria. She wants Heather dead as much as I do, but not at the expense of Gideon’s life.”

“Why the f**k should we care about some psycho b***h demon and her love interest!?” Mikey retorted. “For all, we know she probably kidnapped you as a ploy and is going to report back to Heather.”

“I agree with Mikey,” Andre chimed in. “Mon Ami, you cannot trust a demon’s word. They are conniving and manipulative.” I looked at both of them and thought about what they said. I half-mindedly agreed with them and shifted my eyes back to Allie.

“I know, you guys, but trust me when I tell you that she has no intention of hurting me as long as I help her,” Allie responded, looking directly at me but addressing all of us. “I told her that I would use my powers to find a potential mate for Gideon, one that he would find more appealing than Heather.”

“How is that possible? You just said that our moon goddess created Heather for Gideon,” Lucas replied.

“No, I said that Selene agreed to create an impure wolf for Gideon who would, in turn, produce a son for him. Whether it was supposed to be Heather or not, something tells me that Selene knew what she was doing when she allowed Heather and Delilah to be born.”

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“According to Aria, Heather was already pregnant once before but had an abortion and a hysterectomy. Gideon was furious and used dark magic to re-create her reproductive organs, but ever since the abortion, Heather has not conceived once.” We all stared at her and c****d our heads like lost puppies. “What I’m trying to say is, what if Heather’s selfishness to abort her baby with Gideon inadvertently created a loophole? One that allowed Selene to uphold her end of the bargain but also prevent the demon prophecy from coming true.”

“Oh, I think I get it,” Brandon said excitedly. “The moon goddess created the impure wolf in Heather, which gave Gideon the mate he was promised. She got pregnant by him, which was the child he was promised, but because Heather’s a selfish b***h, she killed their child. Ergo, the moon goddess did what she agreed to, but never once did she or the high powers promise Gideon that he would be able to keep what he was promised.”

“Exactly!” Allie said and pointed at him with a smile. “I think Selene was counting on the fact that Heather would be so self-centered that she wouldn’t even bat an eyelash to having an abortion. I mean, she even went as far as to getting a hysterectomy to prevent any future pregnancies.”

“Did you explain all of this to Aria?” I asked her.

“Yeah, I did.”

“And what did she say?”

“She didn’t say anything. She smiled, laughed maniacally, thanked me, and then shimmered me home. I think she’s going to tell Gideon herself that Heather is probably worthless now. Forget getting rid of the mark she put on him. If he finds out that Heather may no longer be the one to provide him with an heir, he may try and use dark magic to get rid of the mark and then kill her himself, or, maybe even turn her in to us.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t count on that, but this gives us some leverage over the Heather situation, at least for a moment,” I pointed out, and she nodded.

“Okay then. Allie is back and you guys have a plan of action for your Heather bullshit. Can we please get back to my mate and figure out a way to save her?!” Jed declared, speaking with dramatic hand gestures to express his eagerness.

“Yes, yes, of course. Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Jed!” Allie exclaimed. “You guys get back to what you were doing. I’ll have Mrs. Johnson, Katie, and the kitchen Omegas whip you guys something to eat while you work. I’m going to go get the twins and relax. I’m exhausted.” She cupped my face and kissed me before walking out of the office. I let out a sigh of relief that not a single hair on her head was harmed and went back to the drawing board with the guys. We ended up moving over to the conference room since my office was a complete disaster. Supreme Alpha or not, my mother was not going to be happy about this.

{Vivienne’s P.O.V.}

It has been five days since I woke up in this hellhole that Claude imprisoned me in, and I have started to grow hungry again. Marco has offered his b***d to me, but it would be against coven laws to feed on an elder vampire. Their b***d, being so pure and rare, was protected by law; it would be considered a crime to feed on them, even when they permitted you. Even though I was released from my coven, I would never break the rules just to feed. No matter how hungry I was.

I still felt the small flutters from my pup. I would have to guess that I’m at least a month pregnant since I could feel the pup’s movements. I wouldn’t show for at least another month, which gave me hope that Jed would find me in time and save us.

Claude comes by once a day to see if I’ve changed my mind about him; but, of course, I haven’t. He’s become more agitated because I’ve stopped responding to him altogether. I learned years ago that the best way to get under his skin was to ignore him. So, even when he slapped me around, I didn’t pay him any attention. I just turned my cheek and kept a blank stare that focused on the wall or the floor. Eventually, he always gives up and stormed out. Only then did I allow myself to breathe and cradle my stomach to make sure my pup was okay.

“Mademoiselle, you need to feed,” Marco stated once more and held out his wrist for the umpteenth time.

“My liege, I cannot do that. It is against coven laws!”

“Vivienne, I am the elder here, and I am giving you my permission. If not for yourself, then feed for the life inside of you. Are you willing to kill your son or daughter over some silly law?” I looked at him then touched my stomach. I glanced down at his wrist, and his veins were just screaming to be bit into. I gave him a look and he nodded in assurance. I finally caved, bit into his vein, and began to feed. His b***d was aromatic and didn’t taste like anything I’d ever had before.

“Mmm …” I m****d as I fed.

“Slowly, child. There … That should be enough to sustain you for another few days,” he said and gently pulled his wrist away from my mouth. I swallowed the last bit that lingered on my tongue and let out a breath of relief. Even though my pup would only be a quarter vampire, having any vampire DNA would force them to have a thirst for b***d. So, I knew that my pup would be able to survive on b***d alone, for now.

“Thank you,” I finally said as I delicately wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Wait, what about you? Do you not need to feed?”

“Of course, my child. Anything to keep you and your child alive long enough to get you back to your mate. I’m sure he is worried sick about you. And do not worry about me. Being the age that I am comes with many perks. One, being able to sustain my hunger for longer periods of time. You’re merely a hatchling, you do not know how to control your hunger or thirst, yet.”

“You need to get back to your wife too,” I told him as I sat back to find a more comfortable position.

“Please, I’m sure my wife is enjoying her time without me. We’ve been together for nearly a thousand years. We need some time apart,” he said with a cheesy smile. I chuckled at him. There was a brief moment of silence before he asked me a question that I was dreading he would eventually ask. “Vivienne, how do you know Marco? He’s at least two centuries old, and you’re only a child. Why is he so infatuated with you?” I gulped and let out a deep sigh.

“Claude was once my father’s apprentice and like an uncle to us growing up. My father was grooming him to be the next General of our coven after he stepped down since Alexandre turned down the position, but it turned out that he only wanted to get close to my father because of me. From the day that I was born, I was called the miracle child of our coven. As you may know, my father is a pure vampire, and my mother is a pure wolf. My father is her destined mate, and she allowed him to mark her the vampire way which gave her the gift of immortality, assuming she’s never killed. My brother was nearly 72 years old when I was conceived, and he was over the moon to be able to help raise a younger sibling. He was even more thrilled when he found out that it would be a baby sister. Claude was also excited for my birth, but everyone believed it was because he saw me like his own daughter, being so close to our family.”

“That must have not been the case?” Marco asked and I shook my head.

“For years, as I grew up, Claude would always be around me. Going to lessons with my father, teaching my brother how to party, and having his way with women like all male vampires do. Claude never did anything inappropriate with me, at least, not that anyone ever noticed. But when I turned 16, he made an advance on me. He said that I was old enough for him to finally give in to the feelings he had for me. I was confused at first because I saw him as a father figure. I told him that what he was doing was inappropriate and that I was waiting for my destined mate. He didn’t want to hear any of it. Said that he was my mate and that I was specifically born for him. He tried to k**s me and have his way with me, but I kicked him in the balls and shimmered away from him. Thankfully, since he had no b***d relation to our family, he couldn’t track me.”

“Where did you shimmer to?”

“To my father’s chambers. Normally, I was never allowed in there without knocking first, but when he saw me distraught, he let it slide. I told him what Claude had said, but my father said that I must have heard things or misunderstood him. So, he told me to let it go. I was young and naïve and believed my father. I believed that maybe I had misunderstood what Claude said, but decided to be cautious anyway. I avoided him at all costs and even went to human school to finish my academics. Because of my wolf, I can survive in the sun. I didn’t think I had any of the vampire weakness, but I guess the Nightshade proved me wrong.”

“I guess it did,” Marco chuckled, and I smiled. “What happened after you finished your studies?”

“I came back to the coven because my father had something to tell me. He announced that I would be marrying Prince Henri, but I threw a fit of rage hearing those words. Tempest had just come to me, and I made it known that I would never marry anyone other than my destined mate. I told him that I wanted what he and my mother had. That persuaded my mother to side with me, and she told my father she would leave him if he forced me into a marriage that I did not want. My father loves my mother more than life itself, so he agreed. Henri was not happy at first, but he understood, and we became friends instead. Claude, however, assumed that my denying the Prince of our coven meant that he stood a chance, and made another advancement, only this time …”

“He did it in front of your father?”

“Not just my father, but in front of the King and Henri. And it wasn’t a simple advancement like when I was 16.”

“Non.”

“Oui.”

“NON!”

“C’est oui.”

“He tried to rape you!?” I nodded my head. “Cochon dégoûtant.” (Disgusting pig.)

“Unlucky for him, when he cornered me, I was able to mind link my mother. Unlike my brother who only has some wolf traits and is more of a vampire but cannot shimmer. Which makes no sense at all, but that’s not important. I, on the other hand, cannot only shimmer, I can also mind link with my mother. I linked her and told her what was happening. She could feel my panic was real and was able to get my father, the King, my brother, and Henri to me just in time. My brother and Henri beat Claude so badly you couldn’t even recognize him. He was exiled for his betrayal against my father. I guess he’s been looking for me ever since.”

“How do you think he found you?”

“I do not know, and that is what terrifies me. He found me in my home that I share with my mate within a werewolf pack in America. I don’t even know how he was able to escape from his prison.”

“Do you know where he was exiled to?”

“Non. All I know is that it is a protected location where vampires should not be able to shimmer.”

“It is possible that someone in our coven did not take kindly you leaving to be with a werewolf.”

“My mother is a werewolf, and the coven members love her! Why would they have a problem with me leaving!?”

“Because your mother came to the coven and chose them as her pack, as you call it. You left for another. It could be seen as treason.”

“Even if that were true, who would be stupid enough to team up with a crazy psychopath like Claude!?”

“I do not know, but we will figure it out, child. I promise you.”