Marinescu Brothers: Ladinas: The Marinescu Brothers, #1

By K. R. Hall

Victor Marinescu was born strigoi being the seventh son of a seventh son. His immortality extended to his parents and siblings. Victor found his mate, and they had a daughter, breaking the family curse. His brothers: Dorin, Garridan, Grigore, Ladinas, Simion, and Cristofor, would now be able to find their mates.

Ladinas Marinescu is the warrior chief of the family, always planning strategies. His security firm has the latest state-of-the-art systems, and his employees were top-notch. His skills were put to the test four years ago when his brother Victor hired him to help protect his mate, Alana.

Lurline, the High Priestess of the local coven, needs Ladinas' help. Through a vision, she has seen a woman being held captive. This woman is important to Victor and Alana's five-year-old daughter Inima as she begins to come into her powers.

The woman is not only a Korrigan, but she's also Ladina's mate.

The author recommends that you read Strigoi Redemption first to fully understand this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K. R. Hall
• Release date: Nov 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9798651148738

Book preview

Chapter 1

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The fog quickly rolled in, engulfing Freetown State Forest, located in Freetown, Massachusetts. The rough and challenging terrain in the forest made it difficult to navigate in the fog. The sound of laughter floated around her. Whispers in her head were telling her to jump off the ledge. She tried to block out the sounds and concentrate on where she was walking, but the noises grew louder behind her. Finally, she stopped turning all around, trying to find her tormentors in the fog.

Please, leave me alone, she said softly.

There was no reply, only a growl from somewhere to her left. She turned around, hoping that she was headed in the right direction towards home. She took a step forward and paused, trying to gain her bearings. She began moving forward again, but more whispers telling her to jump came out of the fog. She stood still, waiting, hoping they would leave her alone.

She couldn’t stand there forever. Sooner or later, she was going to have to move. She hoped she wasn’t close to the ledge. She started to take a step but was stopped by the sound of a breaking twig.

Just leave me alone!

She was confused now and starting to become frightened. If only she could be sure which way the ledge was, she would know in which direction to go to get home. The fog made it difficult to tell. She slowly began turning, listening carefully. As long as she stood there, listening to the laughter and the taunting, the more frightened she became. She just simply had to ignore them.

Slowly she put one foot in front of the other on the rocky path. Around her, the disembodied sounds kept pace with her, growling at her. She forced herself not to acknowledge them. That’s when she saw them step through the fog.

Surrounding her were little creatures almost as tall as her. They were hideous with their pale gray skin and hairy arms. Their eyes were more frightening as they glowed red. They had something poking out of their back that reminded her of porcupine quills. She stumbled, began to fall, and righted herself as she let out a startled scream.

They began closing in around the girl as she backed away from the pukwudgies. She turned and began to run. The ground leveled under her feet as she began to run on the well-worn path. The creatures started to give chase. The beasts began to growl, no more wild laughter. Her foot twisted on something under it. It was a rock. She started to squat to grab it to throw at the creatures, but she accidentally kicked it away. She stepped to reach for the stone, but nothing was there.

She realized too late where she was. The girl remained balanced for a split second, a look of pure terror on her face. Her arms were whirling wildly, trying to help her regain her balance. Then she felt hands on her back. For a split second, she thought the creatures were going to help her, pull her away from the edge.

She was wrong. She felt the hands shove her, and she felt herself falling. It took her a moment to realize she was going to die. Time seemed to slow. She was going to die! Why? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She only wanted to take a shortcut through the woods to get home faster. None of this was right. It wasn’t fair. It should have never happened.

She should have heeded her mother’s warnings that the forest wasn’t a safe place to be. Hearing the roaring of the creatures, she ran blindly in the fog. She had dropped approximately ninety feet into the cold water below. She was no longer aware of anything as death took her.

Since then, many people had seen a female ghost walking along the top of the ledge. Many said they have even watched her step off the ledge. When she reached the water, she vanished without even a splash. Many visitors to the ledge claimed they’d felt compelled to jump but happily hadn’t.

Wampanoag (WAMP-ah-nog) people had lived in the area for a millennia. Legend had it that the creatures the girl ran from were Pukwudgies (puh-gk-wud-gee), who lured people deep into the woods and off cliffs. In the beginning, they lived in harmony with humans. However, when the Wampanoag devoted all their attention to the beloved Maushop, a land deity that created Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, Pukwudgies became jealous and violent because they were offended that they weren’t as well-loved as Maushop.

After the Wampanoags talked with Maushop’s wife, Maushop exiled the pukwudgies and forcefully spread them far and wide throughout North America. As revenge, the Pukwudgies killed Maushop, his wife, and his five sons.

Pukwudgies were magical creatures living in wooded areas and swamps. They were considered to be spirits of the forest, appearing and disappearing at will, confused humans, and lured people to their deaths. In addition, Pukwudgies could shapeshift into dangerous animals. If you annoyed a Pukwudgie, they might kidnap your children, push you off a cliff, or persuade you to commit suicide. They were approximately three feet tall. Their skin was blue-gray, and they had glowing red eyes, a large nose, large ears, and long fingers. They also have what look to be porcupine quills on their backs.

If someone encountered a Pukwudgie, the best thing that person could do was simply ignore it. Pukwudgies are very similar to fairies; salt and iron may help repel them if they do not leave you alone.

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The March sun was shining brightly when Esmée Delacroix arrived in Freetown, Massachusetts. She was fascinated by the story of Lizzie Borden. She was there for the tour, no way she would spend the night at the bed and breakfast as it was out of her budget. She loved ghost stories and hoped to see one.

Last year, Esmée went to Estes Park, Colorado, and stayed the night at the Stanley Hotel. She had hoped to stay in the room where Stephen King had the inspiration for his book The Shining, but it had been booked. She felt lucky that she had the room next to it. The problem was that a wedding reception was still going on at eleven that night, and the music could be heard in her room. It was well after midnight before the music stopped, and she could sleep. She was disappointed that she hadn’t seen any ghosts. She took all of the tours, and there was a tremendous creepy feel while walking around, but no sign of spirits.

Beatriz pulled up next to Esmée’s car. She had to work that morning but agreed to meet for lunch before taking the tour at two that afternoon. The tour was approximately fifty minutes long.

I wish we could have spent the night. The guests have a special evening tour that includes the basement. The daytime tours don’t get to go there. Plus, instead of less than an hour, their tour is an hour and a half, Beatriz complained as they walked to a nearby restaurant.

True, but the tours are only on Monday and Tuesday nights. I couldn’t get the time off from work because UMD is having the system updated this week, and I’m the director of IT, so I have to be there. It’s not something I can delegate, Esmée explained.

Esmée held the door to the restaurant open for Beatriz.

Hi. We have a reservation under Delacroix, Esmée said to the hostess.

Right this way, the hostess said after she scanned for their reservation.

The hostess led them to a table that was next to the windows. Esmée was pleased that they could watch people as they passed by. She was a people watcher.

I’m sure they could have handled things without you being there. You just can’t give up control, Beatriz said, resuming their conversation.

I can give up control. I delegate things all of the time, Esmée protested.

You delegate things that any first-year college IT student could do. But, on the other hand, you never give your guys things that are a challenge, Beatriz replied.

But…

No. No buts. You know it’s true.

I hate it when you are right, Esmée said after a minute.

The waitress walked up to their table and set glasses of water down.

Have you ladies decided on what you would like?

I’d like the chicken salad on toast with french fries and a glass of iced tea, Beatriz replied.

I’ll have the fish and chips with iced tea, Esmée added.

I’ll be right back with your drinks, the waitress said before leaving.

What are your plans for summer break? Esmée asked.

Café Diem will be closed. I thought I’d take a cruise to Alaska. I’ve always wanted to see whales. Do you want to come?

The waitress returned with their beverages and mumbled that their meals would be right out.

No, I can’t. I’ve made plans to go back home to Guipavas. My parents have been begging me to visit for a few years now. I thought I’d spend some time sailing. I could take a day trip to Saint Malo and the Emerald Coast. My Korrigan would love being back in her home waters.

Sounds like fun. Wait. I thought you were from Brittany, France. That’s so far away! How long will you be gone?

Brittany is a region in France. The town I live in is Guipavas. We live near the coast. I know my parents would want me there for the whole summer, but I can’t stay there that long, Esmée chuckled. I’ve planned a month, but if they start trying to play matchmaker again, I’m on the first flight back home.

I’m sure they mean well. You’re six hundred. I’m sure they thought you would have been mated and have given them grandbabies by now, Beatriz joked.

The waitress had returned with their meals.

Is there anything else I can get you, ladies?

No, I think we’re good, Esmée replied.

Esmée and Beatriz spent a few minutes taking a few bites of their lunches before they continued chatting.

Is it true that Korrigans can trace their roots to Brittany, France? Beatriz asked.

Yes, they can. Over the years, as travel became easier, many Korrigans moved to other parts of the world, but we can all trace our ancestors to Brittany, France.

Have you heard the story about the girl who jumped off of the ledge at the Freetown State Forest? It’s not far from here. I was hoping we could visit after the tour, Beatriz said.

Is that the one where they said that the Pukwudgies tricked the girl into jumping?

Yes. It was so sad. I’ve heard that her ghost haunts the place.

Bea, I’m not sure we will have time after the tour. I planned just enough time for the tour, the drive home, and dinner before I have to be back at the office, Esmée explained.

Oh, okay, Beatriz said sadly.

How about we go there when Arena, Nicolette, and Dominique can join us?

Now that sounds like a great plan, Beatriz said, sounding more cheerful.

Esmée smiled at her friend. Bea was a human, as were all of her friends. Her black hair was just long enough; she was able to pull it into a ponytail showing off her strawberry birthmark on the back of her neck. Bea wore a sweater and jeans as it was still chilly in April in Massachusetts. When she wore shorts or dresses, her three moon phases tattoo on her ankle was easy to see. Esmée noticed that Bea had changed her nose ring to the diamond to match the small diamonds she wore in her ears.

Bea loved watching people and trying to guess if they were human or something paranormal. One night after she caught her last boyfriend cheating on her, she said she hoped to be someone’s mate. She knew mates never cheated. Working at Café Diem in Dartmouth probably wouldn’t help her find a shifter mate, but Esmée didn’t have the heart to tell her that all of the students were human. There weren’t many shifters who liked living in college towns. They preferred someplace smaller, like Carver or even Martha’s Vineyard during the off-season.

The waitress took their plates as she dropped off their bill. Esmée went to the cashier to pay the bill. while Beatriz stopped off in the ladies’ restroom. They met up at the entrance then walked over to the Lizzie Borden house for their tour.

The traffic on Interstate 195 was typical for rush hour, and Esmée had planned for it. She hadn’t planned for the accident as she tried to take the cloverleaf style offramp to Reed Road. It looked like someone didn’t want to let a vehicle merge into traffic, causing the accident. By the time she cleared it, she was running twenty minutes late. She sped a little, trying to make up for lost time until she reached State Road 6. Traffic was a little heavy again. By the time Esmée made it to Ring Road, which circled the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, she was still twenty minutes late. Frustration filled her. She had never been late for anything in her six hundred years. Her mother even liked to joke that she was born a week early.

Esmée parked as close to the main entrance of the Foster Administration building as she could. She then made a mad dash to the IT office. She took a moment outside of the office door to tidy herself up before opening the door.

When Esmée stepped inside the IT office, she stood there for a moment, surprised as she looked around. The update was running, and her team had everything running smoothly.

Status update, Esmée said calmly.

Oh, Esmée, you came! Joe exclaimed.

I was stuck in traffic. There was an accident on the way back from the Lizzie Borden house, Esmée replied.

We thought you weren’t coming in. You didn’t call, Geri remarked.

I didn’t set up my cell phone to work with my car, Esmée replied. So, how is the update going?

It’s going great. No issues at all, Joe replied.

That’s great. It’s good to know that I can depend on you guys if I ever run behind schedule again, Esmée said.

You can always count on us, Geri reassured Esmée.

Thank you both. I…, Esmée began.

An error message popped up on the main computer screen.

Hang on. Something is wrong, Joe interrupted.

Esmée and Geri stopped talking and looked toward the monitors. Error codes were popping up all over. This wasn’t simply an error due to the update. This was more serious.

This looks like we’ve been hacked, Joe said as he continued to type on his keyboard.

Can you stop it? Esmée asked, worry evident in her voice.

I don’t think so. Each time I stop one, another immediately takes its place.

A message popped up on the main screen: All your important files are encrypted!

We need to unplug every computer. We don’t want the computer virus to spread any more than it has, Esmée said. Then we must contact the Cyber Crimes unit at the police department.

A message demanding a $3 million ransom in Bitcoin popped up in the middle of the computer screen.

Hackers spend their time in cyberspace looking for vulnerable institutions. They found out that we were vulnerable during our system update, Joe said.

We will have to contact the dean and school board, Esmée said.

There are approximately nine thousand students this semester. Not to mention the professors, cooks, maintenance, janitors, and other staff. That’s a whole lot of personal information compromised, Geri pointed out.

Do you think the school will pay the ransom? Joe asked.

The police, FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) say businesses shouldn’t pay, but I’ve seen on the news where schools and hospitals didn’t pay the ransom costing them millions to get new equipment and pay the staff the overtime it took to repair it all. Sending the payment to the pirates does not guarantee the files will be recovered, Geri said sadly.

Well, no sense in putting this off any further. I’ll be in my office calling the dean, Esmée said as she headed to her office.

I wouldn’t want to be her right now, Geri said.

Esmée sighed as she heard Geri’s comment just before she closed her office door. She didn’t want to call the dean. But, looking at her watch, she noticed that it was close to ten; the dean should still be awake.

Hello? Albright residence, a female voice greeted.

Hello. Is Dean Albright available? she asked.

One moment, please. May I ask whose calling?

This is Esmée Delacroix. I’m the IT manager at Dartmouth.

Oh, okay then. One moment, please.

As Esmée waited, she wondered if the woman who answered was the dean’s wife or daughter. It was spring break for most colleges, so it was feasible that his daughter would have come home.

This is Dean Albright.

Dean, this is Esmée. Sir, we’ve had a data breach during tonight’s system update.

What do you mean by a data breach?

The system has been taken hostage. All of the data containing the personal information of students, alumni, and staff has been encrypted. Sir, they are demanding $3 million in Bitcoin.

These damned cyber pirates are insane! How are we supposed to come up with that kind of money? How bad is the damage? Can you fix it without us paying the ransom?

We don’t know yet. This all happened within the last ten minutes. We’re still assessing the damages.

How would payment to them be made? Dean Albright responded.

Whoever is behind this attack has not said. They have encrypted everything so that we have no access unless we meet their ransom demand, Esmée said. I don’t think we can afford not to pay them.

I will have to contact the school board in the morning for an emergency meeting. Call me at eight tomorrow morning and update me on everything.

Yes, sir. I will be sure to call you. Good night sir, Esmée said before disconnecting the call.

Esmée decided to call in the rest of the IT department’s employees to help determine what had been compromised and how to repair the system. It would take too long for just Joe, Geri, and her to finish by eight.

Within the hour, Cannon, Kali, Owen, Louisa, Duncan, and Troy had