Alexandru's Kiss

Chapter 1-1

1

Alexandru Carson watched from the shadows of a Juniper tree as two men approached his parents’ house. He had been waiting for one of the men – the tall man with the blond hair and an aristocratic air that clung to him. An aura of power and danger surrounded Simon Drayton. It spoke of someone who had lived for a very long time.

If Alexandru had his way, that life was about to come to a very painful end. A sardonic smile curved Alexandru’s lips. Simon was so focused on his destination that the possibility of walking into a trap was the furthest thing from his mind.

His gaze moved over the dark-haired man walking beside Simon. Alexandru had spoken with Simon’s personal bodyguard on many different occasions. Youssef Sharif was a quiet, dark-skinned man, and Simon respected the man’s attention to detail. It was obvious that Youssef was aware of what Simon was, yet he remained loyal to the man. Alexandru hoped it would not be a loyalty that cost the younger man his life. Youssef Sharif was human and of little threat to immortals like Simon and him.

Alexandru’s eyes narrowed when Simon stepped first onto the path near the front steps of the house. On silent feet, Alexandru surged forward. He struck Simon hard in the side, lifting him up into the air, before tossing him away from the steps. If Simon had been human, the blow to his side would have broken several ribs – but, Simon wasn’t human. Even as he twisted in the air, Simon shifted, the beast inside him recognizing he was in danger.

Alexandru circled around the enraged werewolf. Hatred burned through him when he thought of what Simon had done to his little sister, Tory. The fire of his magic licked through his veins. It grew more intense when Simon sniffed the air, searching for Tory. Determined to pull Simon’s attention away from his sister, Alexandru sent a powerful burst of electricity toward the werewolf. Simon jumped at the last second, barely avoiding the stunning electrical surge.

“I knew you would come,” Alexandru snarled. “I hope Youssef told you that I plan to kill you. Youssef, I would stay out of this fight,” Alexandru added when he saw Youssef start to take a step forward. “I have no desire to kill you.”

His gaze flickered to the handgun in Youssef’s hand. With a snap of his fingers, the gun disappeared. The clear threat drew a soft, menacing growl from Simon.

“She doesn’t want to see you, Simon,” Alexandru continued. “I’m just going to make sure she never has to worry about you coming near her – ever again.”

In the split second before Simon charged, he saw the tension grow in the werewolf’s body. Simon’s back paws kicked up bits of dark, red clay, grass, and rocks, scattering them behind him. The nails of his front paws grew longer and cut deep grooves into the soil.

Alexandru braced himself. The second Simon lunged forward, Alexandru leaped to meet him half way. The two figures collided. Simon knocked Alexandru back several feet, but Alexandru was able to twist and wrap his hands around Simon’s throat.

He jerked his head back when Simon snapped at him. The heated breath and snapping jaws was a powerful reminder that one bite could inflict serious or fatal damage. The force of Simon pushing his massive back legs against the ground had both men struggling for purchase where they grappled. Alexandru felt his grip loosening on the werewolf, and he twisted, extending his canines and slashing his fangs across Simon’s left ear.

“You are dead, Simon. What you did to Tory.... The penalty is death,” Alexandru snapped in fury, throwing Simon to the side.

“Mr. Carson,” Youssef interjected from his position a safe distance from the fighting pair. ”Your sister returns Simon’s affections. She is his mate.”

“She was an innocent,” Alexandru retorted.

“She loves him,” Youssef insisted.

Rage engulfed Alexandru and he attacked with deadly intent. He jumped at the last moment and vaulted over Simon’s back. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around the middle of the werewolf. Simon struggled to throw him off, but Alexandru locked his arms and began to squeeze. Simon fell backwards in an effort to dislodge Alexandru’s grip, but Alexandru just applied more pressure.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alexandru saw Youssef rush forward to help Simon. Drawing a ball of energy in the palm of his hand, he gripped his left wrist with his right hand and twisted his left arm until he could release the ball of energy at the human. The powerful bolt struck Youssef on his left shoulder. The sound of bones breaking and Youssef’s cry of pain mixed with another sound – Tory’s cry of horror.

“Stop! Nonny! Help! Alexandru, Simon, stop!” Tory cried.

Hearing the voice of his sister sent a powerful surge of energy through Alexandru and he squeezed hard enough to feel Simon’s rib crack under the pressure. Alexandru released the werewolf and rolled away while Simon writhed in pain. His gaze remained focused on the werewolf. In the background he heard his sister’s panicked cry for help. Determined to finish the fight while he had the advantage, he started forward.

Alexandru’s eyes widened when a dark hole suddenly appeared in front of him. The sound of Tory’s voice rising as she intoned a spell that he’d heard before. The swirling colors of a magical portal and his forward momentum all added up to his having a very, very bad feeling of how this was going to end.

Unable to stop before he passed through the portal, Alexandru felt the magic surround him. Tory’s magic was unpredictable when she knew what she was doing. It was chaotic when she did it without realizing what she was saying. There was no telling where – or in some cases when – he might find himself.

For a moment, he thought his body was going to be pulled apart from the ferocious storm of magic swirling through the long, wormlike tunnel. He tumbled head over heels before being expelled out the other end. His feet landed on soft, uneven ground. Unable to keep his balance, he tumbled down the slope. The downward momentum seemed to continue forever before he felt a moment of weightlessness. The next moment he landed with a heavy thud on a path at the bottom. He rolled several times before he came to a stop, his head striking a rock.

Darkness swam before his eyes, the world spun crazily, dizzily around him for a brief second before everything faded to a peaceful black. The last thing that Alexandru remembered before his eyes closed was that he didn’t remember there being such a thick, lush forest near Magic, New Mexico. His head dropped down against the cool, damp soil and his body relaxed, blissfully silencing the thundering pounding that had begun to beat at his temple.