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Lover Released	By : Hoping4More Category: A through F > Black Dagger Brotherhood Views: 3573 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Dagger Brotherhood, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 26
Tara looked over her ice blue gown with a critical eye. The lacy traditional dress with the little cap sleeves and sweetheart neckline was not what she thought she would be wearing on her next shift with Tru, but Lucinda's parents were throwing an epic party to celebrate her safe return, and the Warriors who found her were on the top of the extravagantly large guest list. In fact, most of the Brothers and Warriors that Tara knew were going to be there tonight, along with hundreds of civilians.
The Brothers had decided to use the party as another excuse to survey the glymera and the other citizens – hoping to glean some more information, or clues, on who was behind the secret rebellion. They were still operating under the impression that whoever was leading the rogue vampires had to be someone of influence.
With the Lessers kidnapping their people, and the rebellion brewing discord from within, it seemed like the Brotherhood was being hit on all sides. It was hard to know which enemy to fight first, especially when both were so damn good at hiding.
Tonight Tara's sire had suggested she play the non-threatening female – hence the delicate girly dress and loose barrel curls floating around her shoulders. Mel would be decked out in something sexy and seductive – they were covering all the bases. The males were none to pleased about the orders to back off of the girls and let them work. Of course, they would be there too – dressed to impress the females.
"I don't know if I can do it," Tru said, stepping up behind Tara and sweeping her hair off of one shoulder to place a soft kiss on her neck.
"What, flirt with all the pretty females?" Tara asked, suppressing her shivers as his warm lips lingered on her skin.
"Keep my hands off of you," Tru corrected her, sliding his big hands over her hips and pulling her back against his body. He obviously liked the new dress. Tara usually relaxed her shields when she was alone with Tru at his place – she still couldn't refer to it as their place, not even to herself – so she could feel how much he wanted her mentally and physically. She had to take a deep shuddering breath as she stepped reluctantly out of his grasp.
"It won't help my cover if I'm wearing your bonding scent," Tara said with a smile as she turned to face him. She placed her palms on his chest and quivered again as the muscles flexed beneath her fingertips. There wasn't one inch of him that wasn't toned to perfection. Don't start thinking about inches Tara.
Tru was wearing a deep red silk shirt and black tailored pants. He looked good enough to eat. Tara's high strappy silver shoes put her at eye level with him and she couldn't help but lean forward and press a soft kiss on his lips. The male shivered, but Tara heard his thoughts and moved out of reach before he could lock her in his embrace.
"You can't run in that outfit, so don't tease the tiger," Tru warned, his golden brown eyes alight with humor and heat.
Tara raised her brows, grabbed her clutch from the nearby table and motioned toward the door. Tru gave her a lingering smile as he walked backwards across the loft. She shook her head at him in amusement.
"We need to get out of here before I wipe that smile off your face," she teased.
Tru just laughed, and held the door to the hallway open for her. She passed him and waited at the elevators while he locked up. They rode down to the lobby sharing heated glances and promising smiles. Maybe Tru was right, and staying apart tonight was going to be harder than she thought.
The drive in Tru's truck was relatively short. They were just beyond the city limits when the NAV system told them to turn off onto a private drive. The European-style manor was exactly as Tara had remembered it from an event she attended a few years before. The siding and stonework were a clean crisp grey in the unveiled moonlight. The many windows, varying in shape and size, dotted the expansive building with a golden glow leaking out from the inside.
Most of their kind still tried to blend in with society, preferring to expand their houses underground, or settle for a more modest dwelling. This family was one of the exceptions. They were one of the wealthiest bloodlines and weren't shy at all about displaying their worth. Not without cause: Lucinda's sire sits as chairman on the counsel and her mahmen is a prominent member of the glymera. They both came from wealthy families dating back to the old country where they surely lived in large manors not unlike this one.
Tara had to remember not to take Tru's hand as they walked up the large stone steps leading up to the well-lit doorway. Her hand felt oddly empty, unexpectedly so. She scratched her palm with her French manicured nails to stem off the urge to reach out.
The lights inside we're almost blinding, and she had to blink several times to clear her vision. Three crystal chandeliers hung in the foyer alone, sending shattered illumination over the soft cream-colored walls.
Tara and Tru were greeted by a doorman in tails and shiny black shoes, who motioned for them to enter the vast ballroom off to the left. The room was already full of colorful bodies, mingling and dancing over the gleaming white marble floors to the soft music being played by a string quartet in the far corner of the room. There must have been two hundred guests there already, all in their finest. Tara took in the unnecessarily large room: the golden walls that looked soft as satin were now broken up with damask curtains of white and gold. They had been a deep plum the last time she attended an event there.
"I guess I'll see you later tonight," Tru said, standing a few feet to her right. His eyes were creased with displeasure, and had she not been blocking out his mind already, Tara would surely have felt the weight of his bonding instincts so close to the surface.
"Let's get this over with," Tara replied. She slithered into his brain and spoke the rest right into his mind. 'You can claim me any way you want when the sun comes up and I'm in your bed.'
Heat flared behind Tru's golden brown eyes, so Tara gave him a quick wave and slipped into the crowd, weaving through the guests until she spotted her sire's familiar back. He was talking with Lucinda's mahmen Kathryn, who was dressed in an elegant silver couture gown that complimented her jet-black hair perfectly. Her eyes were a dark silver-blue, that was emphasized by her smoky eye makeup. Tara stepped up beside Thrett silently while he finished his sentence. The older female's face lit up.
"Tara!" she exclaimed, stepping forward to place a kiss on both of her cheeks. "Thank you for coming, Lucinda will be so happy you are here."
Tara was a little taken back. The queen bee female had never once spoken to her at any event, and now she was receiving her like a close family friend. Tara probed at Kathryn's mind, but found only sincerity in her pleasant greeting. Keeping a smile on her face, Tara bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you for the invitation. How is Lucinda?" Tara asked hesitantly.
"Back to her usual self, thank the Virgin." Kathryn smiled and placed a hand above her heart. "I feared for the worst, but I have my daughter back."
"I am glad to hear it," Tara said honestly. "Lucinda must be a strong female to bounce back from such an ordeal so quickly."
"She is very resilient, and of course she has had Lucian around to cheer her up." Kathryn motioned across the room. Tara followed her line of sight until she spotted the male that had showed up in the clearing the night they found Lucinda. She was clinging to his arm and gazing up at him in adoration as he spoke to those gathered around them.
"Oh that's...great," Tara said hesitantly. She still didn't trust Lucian, but apparently everyone else had accepted him into the fold. She would have to do a little digging into his mind later and find out more about him.
They exchanged some more pleasantries until Kathryn politely excused herself to deal with a catering problem. Tara looked to her sire for his direction on where he wanted her to start first, a renewed sense of excitement thrumming under the surface of her carefully crafted shields.
…
Dhayn smiled at the crowd of females surrounding Lucinda, trying to remember to look relaxed. Lucian enthralled them all as he told them the story of how he had stumbled upon – and quickly saved Lucinda. The male seemed far too cocky to be a real Warrior, bragging about his own bravery and ease at killing her captives. Dhayn was starting to get a clearer picture of why the Brotherhood hadn't welcomed him with open arms; he could barely stand to be around him for a few minutes.
"Isn't he brave?" A petite female named Dehbie standing on Dhayn's right asked, looking up at him with wide brown eyes and she laid a delicate hand on his shoulder. She was wearing a mint green gown and had her mousy brown hair pulled up into an elaborate up-do. He almost shrugged her off, but then he remembered his role. He gave her what he hoped was an earnest smile and nodded at the older male.
"We were very grateful for his help fighting off Lucinda's captors while we tracked her down," Dhayn said, careful with his wording – the Brotherhood had to save face after a civilian beat them to the punch. With disease already brewing behind the scenes, the last thing they needed was this cocky SOB drawing attention to the sensitive situation.
Lucian's ego was eating up the space and Dhayn was ready to leave. He wanted to point out that the male had let some of her captors get away, and that he hadn't done any real investigating to find her, but that would only paint Dhayn as jealous, so he kept his lips sealed.
"Would you like to dance," he asked the little female. Her eyes widened again in shock and a tinge of pink colored her cheeks.
"Yes, that would be nice," she replied in a small voice.
Dhayn offered her his arm and bowed his head to his hostess in farewell. Lucian didn't give him a second glance. He could barely feel the small hand linked with his elbow as they walked across to the rest of the dancers. A new song was starting up, as they faced each other and started to dance.
Dhayn was very careful as he danced with her. Dehbie seemed so fragile compared to his females. Female, he corrected himself. He had caught site of Tara entering with Tru and had done his best to block out the gnawing feeling in his gut ever since. At least if he saw her flirting with other males tonight he knew it was all a show, but with Tru it was the real thing, and that was something he didn't think he would ever be able to stomach.
"So you're a Warrior?" Dehbie asked, looking up at him openly.
"Yes," he replied. "What keeps you busy?"
"Oh I'm just my sire's assistant," she said shyly, looking away.
"And who is your sire?" Dhayn asked. He was here to get information after all – however doubtful he was for a positive outcome, he still had a job to do.
"Nevyn of the house of Ghard. He's an accountant." She didn't look disappointed, or proud, just an ordinary female talking about her ordinary family. Dhayn wasn't really expecting to glean much information from her but he had the rest of the song to talk to her before he could politely extricated himself from her weak grip on his much larger hand.
"I think I recognize the name," Dhayn lied. "Is he part of the counsel?"
"Oh, no. He hates politics," she said with a shake of her head. She continued to stare up at him longingly, with nothing else to say.
The music faded to a close and Dhayn quickly led her to the side of the dance floor. The small frown on Dhebie's lips vanished when he gave her a huge smile.
"Thank you for the dance. If you'll excuse me I have to check in with my uncle," he lied again smoothly. Dhebie blushed as he bent to kiss her hand, and he quickly wove his way through the crowd in search of someone else to question.
What he found was Mel. She had come early with her mahmen to visit Cynthia's long-time friend Kathryn, their other hostess for the evening. Dhayn had yet to find her in the mass of guests, partially because he didn't want to see her mingling with other males, but now she stood out from the crowd like a candle in a dark room. She was wearing a daring black dress that clung to her body from shoulder to thigh. The tight bodice barely concealed her breasts, the opening dipping to just above her navel. Her hair was flat-ironed to hang over her shoulders, creating honey-brown curtains to frame her smoky eyes and pouty red lips. She looked stunning. Dhayn bumped into a stranger as he faltered in his step. Male admirers surrounded her, all vying for her attention. He balled his fists and resumed walking toward her with purpose. Stehlth stepped in his path.
"Stop," Stehlth warned. He gripped Dhayn's shoulder until he met his eyes.
Dhayn growled low in his throat and glared at his uncle. Stehlth raised a brow at him and waited. Slowly reason sunk back into Dhayn's mind and he took a breath to relax himself.
"Thanks," he said, "I wasn't expecting that."
"I was." Stehlth smiled at him and gave him a pat on the back. "You're a bonded male, it's only natural."
Dhayn stood, a little startled, as Stehlth left him to mingle with the other guests. He regained his composure and forced his eyes away from Mel. He scanned the room for another female to question, settling on a redhead at the refreshments table.
You can do this, he told himself. He relaxed his shoulders and strode across the room with confidence. The female turned as he approached her, her face flushing as she took him in. She didn't stand a chance.
…
Tru was working the older ladies, shamelessly flirting with the prim and proper members of the glymera, and watching them swoon to his charms. His efforts weren't gleaning any information unfortunately, and he was ready to give up when a familiar face joined the crowd of females surrounding him.
"Mahmen?" he said wide eyed. The amped up mood was quenched immediately and several of the females backed away immediately to blend in with the crowd.
"Hello Intrudehr," she said, reaching out her arms, and quickly dropping them to her sides.
"Come here," Tru said, opening his arms up in invitation. She stepped into his embrace carefully and Tru felt awful for her hesitation.
Tru had begun talking to her on the phone at Tara's insistence several weeks ago, but this was the first time he had seen her since he broke the silence between them. Now that his anger had subsided, he felt terrible that his animosity toward his sire was hurting his mahmen.
"It is so good to see you," she said in a choked voice. When she pulled away there were tears standing in her golden-brown eyes - so similar to his own.
"You too," he replied honestly. She looked a bit older even in the short time they had been estranged, but she was still a polished woman of class. "You look stunning, as always."
She looked down at her copper satin gown and picked at an invisible spec of dust. "You're too kind, my son." She held herself with poise as they considered each other.
"I'm sorry it's been so long…" Tru started.
"I know why you left." Her voice held a note of bitterness that Tru had never heard from her before. "Anyway, where is this beautiful female you are so smitten with?"
"Oh, uhh…" Tru scrambled for the right words to say to her. He couldn't exactly point her out. What could he say? 'She's right over there, the one talking and dancing with all of those males. Oh and by the way you can't tell anyone we're together.' Ya, that would sound totally normal.
"It's okay…if you don't want me to meet her…"
"No, that's not it," Tru assured her. "She is…working tonight," he finished lamely. Technically the truth, but he wasn't sure how much he should tell her. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of the possibility of running into his parents at the party earlier – he would have come up with a better back story.
"At a party like this?" she inquired. She was too smart for her own good.
"She's...networking. I promise I'll introduce you later. Or maybe we can come over to the house sometime soon," Tru tried to lead her away from questions he couldn't answer. Her face lit up like he'd offered her a million dollars.
"Would you?" she asked. "You could come for a meal. I can make all of your favorites, unless she doesn't like the same things as you. I could make whatever she likes too."
"You can make all of your favorites, and I'm sure we will both love them," he said smiling back at her. Sure he'd have to suffer through sitting in the same room as his sure, but it was time to make things right.
...
Mel was riding a liberating high. She had always hated these kinds of parties. The girls didn't like her - because she hated most of them, and hated being there - and the boys either looked her over, or got bored after a few minutes of awkward silence. Her sister Phyrie had been the socialite, the girly-girl, the one who loved the dresses and dancing. She had strung males along and gossiped with the females. After she was killed, Mel was happy to stay in Tara's shadow. But tonight was a different story. From the moment she strode into the room with her killer black dress, heads had turned her way. She had found it awkward at first to keep up with the advances, but as the night went on she became more confident in her skin and found herself flirting easily with many males, and even some females.
It felt odd to be working alone, but she knew the part she had to play, and she was playing it well. She still felt like she had to prove herself after the shooting - even if Thrett and Krym had both assured her that her place with the Warriors was secure.
The young male who was leading her to the refreshments table - Rehn - was a stranger to her, but he could have been at every event she had ever been to. He had recently went through his transition so his new, much larger body would be completely foreign to her even if she had been more social at other parties.
She watched the back of his head as he weaved through the crowded room with his warm dry hand wrapped around hers. His red-brown hair was short and neatly groomed and his black suit was cut to fit him perfectly - obviously a man of class. She had noticed his dominant air and stance amongst the other males and decided that he was worth investigating.
He stopped at the table and dropped her hand to offer her a glass of wine. She took it and motioned to a nearby chaise as the couple sitting on it rose and headed to the dance floor. He procured a glass of his own and walked with her the few steps to the sit down.
"That's pretty crazy he found her before the Brothers could," he said nodding to their left where a group stood in a loose circle.
She had to swallow her retort and follow his gaze. Lucinda was standing with a flock of her girly friends, some of whom Mel recognized and some she didn't. Standing right by her side was an older male who looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on where she had seen him before. She knew by Rehn's comment that he must be the notorious Lucian.
"Lucky he was looking at that house, or who knows what would have happened," she replied in a worried tone. Of course she knew exactly what would have happened; Tara and the guys would have busted in there twenty minutes later the same way he had, only they wouldn't have let anyone get away. But she was looking for members of the resistance and she wouldn't find them if she outed herself. So far no one knew she was a Warrior, and she planned to keep it that way - at least for tonight.
"I heard that the Brotherhood turned him down because he wasn't pure enough for them - didn't have rich enough blood," Rehn's said, watching her face for her reaction.
Was this guy serious? Mel worked to look appropriately shocked, but rolled her eyes on the inside. Well, someone sounds a little bitter. Maybe she had found a lead after all. Excitement pulsed in her veins as she thought out her response.
Just as she was about to speak, her words were cut off by the sound of laughter from the group surrounding Lucinda. She froze at the chilling sense of spiders crawling up her spine, and she searched out the source of the laughter. Lucian was smiling at Lucinda as she talked and when he laughed again Mel felt the blood drain from her face. She knew that laugh; it had plagued her nightmares for as long as she could remember.
The same male who had saved Lucinda, had put a bullet through Phyrie's heart.
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