by Tamara White
Nik shakes his head, holding me up as my legs shake. “No, Em, we don’t need to be taken care of. Maybe later we can finish this off, but we need to get going if we don’t want to be late, and I really don’t want your parents killing me for fucking you, when you’re supposed to be at a party honoring your return,” he says, smiling softly.
Dev pulls me to him, kissing me with as much passion as he can. He breaks away looking deeply into my eyes, his hazel eyes burning with an emotion I wasn’t expecting, love. “We’re going to go to this party, we’re going to mingle with everyone, and after we’ve spent sufficient time flaunting you, I’m going to drag you back here, then slowly strip you down, tasting each delectable bit of your flesh as I go. I’m going to bend you over my bed, wrap my hand in your hair, and fuck you until you beg me to stop. You’re going to come all over my hard cock until you can no longer stand. Then when I’m done, I’m going to leave the room, and let Nik have his way with you. How does that sound to you?”
If I had panties on, they would be saturated. It’s overwhelming how much I want, no, need that to happen.
“I think it sounds perfect,” I murmur, pulling my dress up, as the guys hurry to throw their clothes on. I’m pretty sure you can tell we’ve all been up to no good but right now, I don’t even care. What just happened, was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had with a man and my first time sandwiched between two of them.
Dev sees my zipper undone and walks over, quickly doing it up before grabbing hold of my hand.
“Good, now let’s go get this party over with,” Nik says holding the door open for us. We all walk hand in hand down to the party. Me in a beautiful dress, sans panties, and both my guys dressed to impress. I take a deep breath, here goes nothing.
Wow! This is amazing!
I thought we would be heading back to the altar room and that they would have moved the pews or something, but, instead, we went to the same underground facility as before, but this time we stopped at level four.
The room could easily hold one thousand people, with high ceilings that has fairy lights falling from the ceiling, held up as if by magic. The lights stream down five massive pillars on each side of the room, giving the appearance that they are holding the ceiling in place. I take a step closer to one of the pillars to look at the peculiar lights. Why don’t they look like normal lights?
Dad and I used to put fairy lights up in our house every Christmas, but ours were bright and annoying to our eyes. We still persevered because it didn’t feel right without them. These lights, however, seem lighter and more mystical, so much easier on the eyes than ours used to be. The reminder of my Dad has a pang of loneliness in my heart. I wish he was here.
There are people around the whole area dancing, talking, and laughing. For once in my life, I’m not the only person with pale skin or red hair. I’m even more tan than some of the people here, which is saying a lot! There are others who are a lot more tanned than I am but I’m guessing they’re witches based on the fact vampires prefer the indoors. It’s not that they can’t go in the sun, it just weakens them a lot if they do which leaves them vulnerable to attack. They probably are witches, judging by the fact that Britt is amongst a bunch of them. Actually, she’s surrounded by four guys, who seem to be really happy to have her attention. They must be her husbands. Damn, she is one lucky bitch! Each one of them is like a god of hotness. How the hell did she land four guys like that?
As if she heard my thoughts she looks my way, giving me two thumbs up and a wink, making her guys all look over at me.
They all look shocked to see me, and I wave their way, slightly embarrassed. I’m not sure how much they know but they’ve obviously heard of me before judging by the way they’re staring at me as if I’m some kind of ghost. Britt smacks the two in front of her, gesturing to me and ranting about something. Uh oh, someone’s in trouble. I grin making my way to the front of the room, Dev and Nik still holding my hands as we go. I think they don’t want to let me go after what happened in the bedroom. I’m glad because I feel the same. I managed to get a quick glance in the mirror before we left, to see their names have darkened. My beast is the calmest she has ever been since I got here. Talon’s name hasn’t changed which is to be expected since I haven’t seen him since he left with his stuff.
We approach my parents, both of them grinning knowingly at us. My mother is the first to step forward, and the boys have no choice but to let me go, “Emerald, you look beautiful, I knew Brittany would do a perfect job. You look so grown up, I can’t believe I missed you growing into this stunning woman,” she says, getting choked up. My father appears from nowhere pulling her into his arms with a sympathetic smile. He whispers to her before she nods, facing me and wiping away her tears.
I smile at her, trying to comfort her but trying not to make things awkward. “Thank you. Your dress looks amazing! I kind of wish I had chosen that color,” I admit, enviously eying her pale golden dress.
It’s a beautiful ball gown, unlike what I’m wearing, that billows out, making her look like a queen. Well, she is the Queen, so I suppose it makes sense. It doesn’t stop my jealousy, though. Oh well, at least my shoes are a pretty gold.
My father is dressed in a simple, black tux with a silver undershirt. Why do guys get to wear such simple things to these events?! I want to be able to wear a suit and be called beautiful. Is that too much to ask? Probably.
He steps forward, giving me a kiss on the cheek, “You look lovely. I hope they’re treating you right,” he gestures to the guys, who have both taken a step back to give us some privacy. I blush slightly. Knowing he knows we’ve been intimate is just too much.
Sierra takes his hand pulling him away from me, “Oh, honey, stop it. Let them be. Their soul-tie makes emotions run higher than normal. You remember our mating? You kept chasing me as if I was a wolf in heat. I think if I didn’t already like you, you would have gotten yourself killed,’ she says, a rush of memories taking over her face. It must have been a fun time for her.
We all walk among the room, me being introduced to random people whose names I’ve already forgotten before my mother finally takes pity on me, “Go have fun. We’ll come find you when we’re about to announce you to everyone.”
She doesn’t need to tell me twice. I walk away, aiming for the bathroom, needing to splash some water on my face. Thank God, Britt had the foresight to use magic rather than actual makeup. Dev and Nik are somewhere behind me, but I just need a moment alone.
It’s weird to be around so many people who all know that I have recently had an orgasm and know which men I was with at the time of said orgasm. Sure, I’m not exactly shy about it, but there is a time and a place to discuss these things, and now is certainly not it.
I walk into the bathroom, shocked to see one with multiple cubicles down here. I thought I would at least get some privacy. There are women milling around, chatting and fixing up makeup. I do my business and wash my hands, splashing water on my face to ease the never-ending flush. The room goes quiet, and I look up to see Heather and a red-haired chick standing there glaring at me. Fucking great. This is all I need tonight.
“Out!” Heather demands, and all the women who were milling about, scurry out of the bathroom as if the hounds of hell are hot on their heels.
Sighing, I grab some paper towels, drying my face before attempting to leave. I don’t want to cause more drama than necessary, but I am not in the mood for jealous vampire bitches.
Heather steps in front of the doorway, effectively stopping me from leaving, unless I push past her forcefully. “Where do you think you’re going? Felicia and I have some unfinished business to discuss with you,” she grins maliciously.
Sighing, I look her in the eyes, “I don’t know you. Therefore, we have no unfinished business. Now please move, so I can go,” I say calmly, trying to keep my beast contained. She is not happy to be stuck in here with two women who want what’s hers.
The red-haired Felicia laughs har
shly, “I beg to differ. See, you stole my boyfriend from me. Forced a soul-tie on him, and now you’re fucking him!” she screams, getting up in my face.
I blink calmly, feeling anything but calm. My voice comes out low and deadly, a growl reverberating in my chest as my wolf gets more and more agitated, “You need to get out of my face, right now. I did not force Nikoli into a soul-tie. Soul-ties are destined to be and can’t be forced, which you should know, since you have been trying to force one for years. I know all about you, about how you treat Nik, how you have denied him his own personality, using him as a status symbol, an accessory. And don’t you dare presume to discuss my sex life. Whether or not we have been together, is none of your damn business. But just so we are clear, he has done nothing but feed me.” I tell her, as if I couldn’t care less about anything else but the facts.
“And you.” I turn my ire on Heather. “What is wrong with you?” I demand, glaring at her. “Your boyfriend is out there waiting for you, and you come in here to try to, what, ambush me? You want to know about Talon and I? Well, here it is. There’s nothing between us. He wants to give your relationship a chance, and I respect that. Sure, every time I see him, I want him to take me and fuck me against a wall, but I’m not going to act on it while you’re still in the picture. My morals are better than that. Maybe you should stop and think about what you do before ambushing someone in a bathroom, especially when you have no idea what said person is capable of,” I growl out, pushing past their shocked forms and leaving the bathroom with my head held high.
Outside, I breathe a sigh of relief, glad I got out of that without a fight. That was lucky, or maybe not. When I look up, Talon, Dev, and Nik are all watching me their expressions unreadable. Britt isn’t far behind them with a devilish grin on her face. Somehow, I think their presence here was all her doing. I wonder how much they heard?
“Hey, guys, what’s up?” I ask, adding some false cheer into my voice. No way am I discussing what just went down with those two bitches, especially if Talon heard that last bit. The last thing I want to be talking about is my need to have sex with him. It’s just stupid hormones anyway. I totally have better self-control than that. I hope.
“You ok?” Talon asks briskly. I watch him for any sign of annoyance, but he seems to genuinely want to know.
Sighing, my shoulders slump, “Yeah, I’m fine. Ready to get this over with?” I ask, directing my question to Dev and Nik. I should get as far away from Talon as I can before his bitch girlfriend comes out.
Dev takes the lead, grabbing my hand and leading me away from the rest of them, “Come on, let’s dance. Nik, you coming?”
Nik glances between Talon and Dev before making his choice, grabbing my other hand. I look over my shoulder as we walk away to see Talon watching us, his shoulders slumped as if he is sad to see me go. But that can’t be right? Why would he be sad when his girlfriend is not even a few feet away. I turn back to my guys, refusing to give any more of my attention to Talon.
Nik, Dev and I dance together for a while, joking around and laughing at Nik’s ridiculous antics. He keeps jumping around doing the ‘scuba diver.’ It’s hilarious to see a man doing such old school dance moves. Although I’m glad his moves are horrible because it will detract from how truly terrible I am. Dev is awesome. He’s breakdancing on the floor, using moves I’ve only seen in movies.
“Mer, why aren’t you dancing?!” Britt screams into my ear appearing from out of nowhere. I watch as her husbands all scramble after her, trying to stop her from making a fool of herself. She’s obviously drunk judging by the wave of alcoholic fumes that assault my face. One of her husbands goes to grab her and she skips out of reach, “No! I want to play!” she pouts at him.
I laugh, loving the way she bounces around teasing her husbands like that. Her husband, however, is not too impressed, “Britt! You’ve had too much to drink, and now, you’re acting like a child. What did Macie say last time? If you screw something up again, we’re all going to be held responsible,” he reminds her, trying to be stern, but I see the sparkle in his blue eyes. Oh yeah, this guy is definitely as mischievous as Britt. He’s loving it.
He looks strong enough to catch her, which makes me think he’s only messing around with her. His broad shoulders, and black hair give him an air of intimidation but his eyes, they’re the cerulean blue of the ocean when it’s calm, softening his look. I imagine when this guy is angry, those eyes ripple like waves.
“Aw, Blaine, why are you trying to ruin my fun? Come on, just play with me,” she begs, while hiding behind Nik.
One of the other guys detaches from the group, sneaking up behind her and grabbing her around the waist, lifting her over his shoulder. She slaps his ass, giggling away.
“It was nice meeting you, Emerald. I’m Kellan, by the way. I have to take Britt to our rooms now. If her aunt sees her like this, she’s going to be in a lot of trouble,” he grins.
I laugh, feeling sorry for him. “Sure thing. It was nice to meet you too. I hope she doesn’t give you too much trouble,” I call as he walks away, the rest of Britt’s husbands following them. Blaine glances back at me one last time before hurrying after the rest of them when he hears the curses that are screamed. Those guys must really love her. I shake my head as I listen to the obscenities that are screamed from her.
Dev grabs me, pulling me against his chest, his lips brushing against my ear, “If you do anything like that, I’ll be spanking you for days.” The threat in his voice sends shivers down my spine. It makes me want to abandon this party and go back to our room.
Before I get a chance to voice my thoughts, my mother runs up to me, “Oh, thank god I found you. We’re ready to announce you. Quick, come with me,” she grabs my hand, pulling me along after her. “You too, guys,” she calls back at Dev and Nik. When they catch up to me, Nik grabs my other hand, giving it a squeeze for support.
Sierra pulls us to a stop at the altar as Axel joins us. Heather and Talon come up too, which just irritates me. Why do they have to be here?
My mother tugs me beside her, forcing Nik to let go of me. “Come on. Time to tell the coven,” she grins excitedly.
I follow my parents, standing between them and facing the whole of the coven. There are at least three hundred vampires staring back at me.
Two pale blond figures, one male and one female, can be seen front and centre, resembling the appearance of my mother but slightly older in age. These must be Sierra’s parents, my grand-parents. Both of them have such bright inhuman blonde hair, the woman’s eyes equally as bright as my mothers and my own eyes, while the man’s eyes are more of a dulled down green, something you would find in the deep in a forest. They look great considering how old they would be.
Supernatural ageing is a lot different between each species. Witches age human slow but are able to stay young forever with the help of certain spells though it must have been approved by their council. Vampires stay young but do age every hundred years. And wolves seem to age every twenty to thirty years but still stay in peak physical form.
I smile at my grandparents, surprised to see my grandfather give a warm smile in return but be ignored by my grandmother. My smile drops and my eyes wonder down to the object she has clasped tightly in her hand. It’s a beautiful golden cup. Well, cup is an understatement. Now I know why my mother called it the Chalice of Blood. It’s huge and big enough I could cup two hands around the rim of the cup or hold the stem with one hand. It has intricate designs around it and I feel compelled to get closer to have a look when my father starts speaking.
He starts off clearing his throat, getting the rooms attention, “Welcome, everyone. Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Many of you will be wondering what the celebration is for, and you will find out, I promise. I just wanted to start our night off by saying thank you to all who are here for what will surely be a night to remember. Now it’s my mate’s turn to tell you all why we’re here.”
My mother smiles, stepping forw
ard to greet the coven, “Good evening, everyone. My soul-tie is underplaying how much of a night this will be. Tonight will not only be remembered, it will be celebrated for years to come. As we all remember, twenty-one years ago I was taken and my baby ripped from my body, before my in-laws threw my shredded body at the base of our sanctuary. Tonight, I’m proud to announce my baby didn’t die on that night.”
She pauses letting people murmur amongst themselves and exchange glances with each other, confusion filling the room.
“She was stabbed and left for dead but was found by a family friend. He raised her as his baby, keeping her true nature hidden from his pack. Please join me in welcoming my daughter Emerald to her true home!” my mother shouts, stirring the coven up. They all cheer and whoop, clapping at the revelation, which is much better than what I had expected. I thought for sure they would think she was lying.
I wave as I step forward, taking my place beside my parents. It feels absolutely amazing to be accepted after living a life in the background.
My grandparents walk up the stage, my grandmother pushes the golden cup into my mother’s hands “If she is really your child by birth, her blood will mix in the Chalice, proving her royalty to be true,” the man says in a monotonous voice. To my eyes, this looks like a pre-agreed upon plan.
The woman, my grandmother, watches me waiting for some sign of refusal but I just nod, accepting what must be done. My father unsheathes a small blade and tries to cut along my chest but doesn’t seem to be able to do it. He looks into my eyes, filled with pain. “I can’t cut you. I only just got you back, I can’t hurt you like this,” he whispers.
“I can.” The voice behind me, has me whirling in anger. Talon has approached us and is holding out his hand for the knife. My father steps back and willingly gives it to him, while my grandmother hands him the cup as if he’s done this before.