Blood Debt

by Heather MacKinnon

  “Don’t I have a say in this?” I asked indignantly. “I don’t want to go with him. How can they make me?”

  He pulled my head against his chest again and I heard his heart thundering. “I don’t know, Adrienne. I just don’t know,” he admitted, his voice rough.

  I stayed quiet after that, content to be in his arms for as long as I could. I thought this trial would be an open and shut case, but Nicholas’ attitude was making me nervous. Could they force me to go with my maker? Would they believe the lies he’d told the board? It was his word against mine and he was a much older vampire. Would his word hold more water than mine?

  Voices from the other side of the door rose in pitch and the banging of a gavel sounded.

  “Time to go,” he said reluctantly. We stood there for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes. His fears and worries were blatantly broadcasted across his face and I was sure mine looked similar. This was a pivotal moment in my vampiric life, and I was hesitant to face it.

  “If I wasn’t a public figure, I’d leave with you,” Nicholas admitted quietly.

  I stared at him wide-eyed. “You can’t do that!”

  Anger flashed through his eyes as they broke contact with mine. “I know that it isn’t possible. We wouldn’t get far before someone recognized me. I just want you to know, if I could, I’d take you away from all this.”

  “I know,” I said quietly. Because I did. I had every confidence he would do anything to protect me.

  He nodded once and turned to open the door, leading me back into the courtroom.

  The board had returned to their seats, along with the rest of the audience. A quick glance confirmed my maker was at his table, his body turned toward us, a hostile look in his eyes. I ignored him.

  We walked back over to our table and took our seats. It was only another moment or so before Sutherland looked up from his papers and spoke.

  “This is an unprecedented event,” he began solemnly. “When a newly changed vampire is abandoned, their maker does not come looking for them. Nor do they bring a battle for their custody to Parliament,” he said, leveling a stern look in Massimo’s direction. “We are ready to reveal our final decision. Is there anything any of you would like to add?”

  When the courtroom stayed silent, Sutherland nodded.

  “Very well, if there is nothing further, we’ll continue,” he said. “We here do not know the circumstances that led to the Changing of Ms. Wilkinson. This is a classic case of he said, she said, and only the two of them know the truth. Since their accounts are in disagreement, we will set that issue aside for the sake of this case.”

  Okay, that didn’t sound great, but it wasn’t the end of the world.

  “It seems as though Mr. Talbot has done an exceptional job of fostering Ms. Wilkinson and for that, the court thanks you.”

  I looked at Nicholas and saw the corner of his lips lift in a small smile before it disappeared.

  “It is our understanding that it is in the best interest of a newly changed vampire to be in the company of their maker. Although a foster is often a great substitution, it doesn’t compare to the bond that is formed between a maker and their progeny. However, since Ms. Wilkinson has spent so much time apart from Mr. Romano, their bond has been fractured. It is unclear if it can or should be repaired.”

  What does this all mean?

  I looked at Nicholas again, but his posture gave nothing away.

  Sutherland cleared his throat. “It is our belief that an unprecedented circumstance calls for an unprecedented ruling.”

  That did not sound good.

  “Our final decision is that Ms. Wilkinson will spend a period not to exceed a fortnight with Mr. Romano. At the end of this time, Ms. Wilkinson will be free to choose who she would prefer to live with from that point on. Her decision will be backed by the full power of this board. That is all.”

  Sutherland raised the gavel, but before he could swing it down and dismiss the court, Nicholas jumped out of his seat.

  “Adrienne and I are mates!” he yelled into the quiet courtroom.

  My eyes widened as I stared at Nicholas in open-mouthed shock.

  “Excuse me?” Sutherland asked.

  “We’re mates,” he repeated.

  The courtroom erupted into chaos, but all I could do was stare at Nicholas. Mates? What did that mean? Could it sway the court’s decision?

  With a bang of his gavel, Sutherland silenced the noisy room again. He leveled Nicholas with a stern look. “Have you bonded?”

  Bonded? I’d say we had. We’d spent tons of time with each other, opened our hearts and shared things I knew neither of us had shared with anyone else.

  Nicholas’ shoulders drooped, and his head fell down a notch. “No, we haven’t yet.” His words held equal parts regret and resignation.

  “You know very well that the only thing that can trump a maker’s right to his progeny is bonded mates, Nicholas. There’s nothing we can do.” He looked down at his notes once more. “Our ruling stands.” Following the bang of his gavel, the rest of the board rose from their seats and retreated through the door behind them once more.

  I sat there, still in silent shock. What just happened? My brain was furiously trying to piece together everything that was said. First the court had ruled in Massimo’s favor. I’d have to spend a fortnight with him. Wasn’t that two weeks? I’d really be subjected to living with the man who assaulted me for two weeks?

  What about all that talk of mates and bonding? When Nicholas admitted we hadn’t bonded, I’d felt a stab of hurt. I thought we’d been getting along fine. Better than fine. I thought he’d come to really care about me. I knew I cared for him as more than just a foster maker.

  I shook my head to dispel those thoughts. Now was not the time to pay attention to my raging hormones. My future was in such turmoil I didn’t know which way was up or what was in store for me. My life was once again not in my control.

  I looked at Nicholas, who’d plopped back in his seat after the court’s final ruling. He sat frozen, his eyes still trained on the seats that were now empty at the front of the room. I placed a hand on his shoulder and he slowly turned to me.

  “Nicholas, what does this all mean?”

  He sat there silently, staring at me as if studying my features. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. “It means you’ll have to go with him,” he said, confirming my worst nightmares.

  “No,” I whispered.

  How could they do this? Couldn’t they see he was a monster? How could they just sign me over to him?

  “It’s only for two weeks,” Nicholas said softly, his hand rubbing circles on my back. “After that you can come back to me. It won’t be so bad,” he promised, but I could tell he didn’t believe his words.

  “Let’s go,” I heard the deep, demanding voice come from behind me.

  I jumped up from my seat and spun around to face my maker. “Wait, now?” I yelled. “I have to go with him right now?” I asked, turning back to Nicholas, who had also stood.

  Nicholas’ body was trembling, but I knew it was from anger and not fear like my own was. His jaw muscles twitched and from between clenched teeth he said, “She will go home first and pack her belongings. We will meet you here tomorrow night and she can go with you then.” His tone left no room for argument.

  Massimo’s eyes flashed dangerously, and I gulped, my throat suddenly dry.

  “Fine,” he purred, his eyes finding me and lighting with a possessive glint. “You have until tomorrow. I’ll see you then, moglie,” he said before turning sharply to leave. His ink black trench coat’s tail snapped in the air before fluttering after him.

  I watched his retreating form. When he was finally gone, I released the breath I’d been holding.

  “I can’t believe this,” I said, still facing the door Massimo had disappeared through.

  He stepped in front of me, and all I could see was him. I looked up into his deep hazel eyes and saw a torment that m
atched my own. “What are we going to do?” I asked pitifully.

  Nicholas remained quiet but wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled my face against his chest. He rocked me gently side to side while pressing soft kisses on my head.

  “There’s nothing we can do, Adrienne.” His tortured confession came out in a whisper.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and clenched his shirt in my fists. Taking a deep breath, I let his spicy, masculine scent fill my nose. I had only a few more hours before I’d be ripped away from him for two whole weeks.

  “Wait,” I said, pulling back slightly from Nicholas. “The court said, ‘a period not to exceed a fortnight’. Does that mean Massimo could let me go early?”

  Nicholas’ eyes that had filled with hope a moment ago now dimmed again. “I think that’s unlikely, but it’s possible.”

  I nodded, knowing he was right but trying to find some way out of this.

  “I just don’t understand how the board could hand me over to someone who attacked me and changed me against my will.”

  Nicholas looked contrite. “I can understand it from their point of view. There’s no way for them to know who’s telling the truth. Massimo’s story differs greatly from yours. If this case had been brought before me, I don’t know that I would have decided any differently. It’s not really the board that deserves your anger,” he said softly.

  I knew rationally that he was right, but I was feeling very irrationally at that moment.

  “Let’s go home,” Nicholas said softly.

  He took my hand and led me out of the empty courtroom and through Parliament. When we got outside, the black Suburban was waiting faithfully for us at the curb.

  I climbed in the car ahead of Nicholas and retreated into my head. During the ride, Nicholas tried several times to engage me in conversation, but all I wanted was to be left alone with my thoughts.

  What would my life be like for those two weeks? I highly doubted I’d be treated with the same kindness I’d been shown by Nicholas. He kept calling me his moglie. His wife. Would he expect me to act as one? Clean the house, do the laundry, things like that? Or would he take it a step further?

  I tried to swallow down my fears, but the lump in my throat prevented that. What if he forced himself on me? There was no way I’d be able to defend myself against a vampire that much older than myself. I would be completely at his mercy. For those two weeks he could do whatever he wanted to me and I’d have no way to stop him.

  When we reached our destination, I numbly crawled out of the car and followed Nicholas with my head down. We stepped into the lobby, but I realized with a start, it was the lobby of Nicholas’ apartment and not the hotel’s. I looked at him questioningly and a small smile graced his face.

  “The cleanup and repairs are completed. I thought you’d like to sleep here today,” he explained with a shrug.

  I smiled for the first time in hours. When I remembered I’d only get one night back in this apartment, the smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

  We took the elevator up to the penthouse and Nicholas swiftly unlocked the door. I stepped in the repaired doorway, relieved to see it was as it had been before the break-in.

  Following Nicholas, he led us upstairs and immediately into our room. I hesitated for a moment, remembering the destruction I’d seen the last time I was there. Calming my nerves with a deep breath, I reminded myself that Nicholas said the repairs were complete. He wouldn’t have brought me here if things weren’t perfect.

  I stepped into the room cautiously, but my fears were for nothing. Standing across the room was a large white bed identical to the one Massimo had destroyed. I walked over to it and gently fingered the gauzy material hanging from the canopy.

  Nicholas followed me across the room and sat down. “I thought you were partial to this bed, so I had a replacement sent,” he said with a shrug.

  I nodded, too choked up to respond right away. With a sigh, I joined him on the bed, our arms touching and my head resting on his shoulder.

  “Will you sleep with me tonight?” I asked him quietly.

  “Of course.”

  With a nod, I toed off my shoes and crawled to my pillows, not bothering to turn the sheets down or change my clothes. Nicholas stood and removed his shoes as well, before joining me on the bed.

  His hand cupped my face gently before raking his fingers through my hair. I scooted closer and wrapped my arm around his waist. We laid there staring into each other’s eyes for countless minutes as I tried to find a way out of leaving with Massimo.

  “Nicholas? Why did you tell the court that we were mates? What does that mean?”

  He broke eye contact and shifted on the bed. “A mate is what you would call a spouse or partner.”

  I had a feeling he wasn’t telling me everything. “So, you told the court we were a couple?”

  He shifted again before sitting up and propping his back against the headboard. “Basically.”

  “Why would you do that? Is that how you feel? Shouldn’t that have been a conversation we had before then?”

  Nicholas sighed and ran a hand through his hair before cupping the back of his neck. “I was desperate, Adrienne. I would have told them anything they wanted to hear if it meant I got to keep you.”

  My heart stuttered at his words, but I pressed on. “So, you don’t think of us as mates?” I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my tone.

  Nicholas finally turned toward me, his eyes full of something I couldn’t name. “I care about you. A lot. More than I ever thought possible. But you’re right, if I want to call you my mate, that’s something I would have to discuss with you first.”

  I smiled. “I care about you too, Nicholas.”

  His words sent heat radiating from my chest throughout my entire body. As I stared into his deep hazel eyes, my own feelings sped toward the surface. I didn’t just care about him, I was without a doubt in love with Nicholas. How could I not love the man who’d literally caught me every time I fell? Who’d taken me in and cared for me for no other reason than because I needed help. The man whose touch ignited my veins and set my world on fire.

  My revelation had me suddenly shy and I averted my gaze, afraid that he’d see the love in my eyes as surely as I felt it. Now that I knew I loved him, what could I do about it? Did I tell him and take the risk that he didn’t feel as strongly as I felt? We’d only known each other for a week. Was that even enough time to fall in love with someone? I knew the answer for me was a resounding yes.

  “I’m glad to hear that.” His soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I met his gaze again.

  Another thought crossed my mind as my eyelids began to feel heavy. “Nicholas? What are bonded mates?” My words were slurred as I fought to keep my eyes open.

  His body tensed next to mine again. He leaned over and kissed my head before brushing a few stray strands from my face.

  “You’re about to succumb to the dawn. We can talk about it tomorrow.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but daylight caught up to me and everything went black.

  Chapter 22

  I opened my eyes and dread immediately filled my stomach with bile. Tonight was the night I would be given over to my maker. I’d be stuck with him for two long weeks. How that would go, I still wasn’t sure.

  He kept calling me his wife, and he’d lied to the Parliament board by telling them we were in love. Did he really think that? Or was that just a lie he’d made up to cover his actions? Would he expect me to treat him as a lover? My mind kept screaming that question as my skin crawled, and a shiver raced down my spine.

  I hadn’t realized Nicholas was still in bed with me until he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward him. I buried my face in his chest and inhaled his scent, trying to burn it into my memory. His big hand ran through my hair and down to the middle of my back. He meant to calm me, but nothing could help at that point.

  “You need to get packed soon,” he mu
rmured into my hair.

  I nodded slowly but refused to move from Nicholas’ warm embrace.

  “And I got you a few things,” he added.

  I pulled back slightly so I could look at his face. “What kind of things?”

  He pulled his arms away and sat up. Reaching over to the nightstand he grabbed a sleek black cell phone and handed it to me.

  “So you can contact me anytime you’d like,” he explained.

  My eyes watered as I stared at the phone in my hand. This was making our separation more real. The fact that I’d need a phone to contact him and couldn’t just talk to him anytime I wanted was just hitting me.

  I looked up into his handsome face and tried to memorize all his features while I still could. His gorgeous hazel eyes had big dark bags beneath them that I’d never seen before. I used the pad of my thumb to brush the tender skin under his eyes.

  “What’s this?” I asked softly.

  Nicholas took my hand and brought it to his mouth to place a reverent kiss against my palm. He then threaded his fingers through mine and rested them on the bed.

  “I didn’t sleep today.”

  My eyes widened in shock. “How did you not sleep? I thought we all passed out at dawn.”

  Nicholas shook his head. “When you get older, it becomes possible to withstand the pull of dawn and stay awake during the daylight hours. Of course, you still can’t be out in the sun. But it is possible to stay awake. You’re still very young so the dawn affects you more strongly.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “I needed to think. And plan. I couldn’t afford to lose those hours.” He slid to the end of the bed and stood. “Get dressed and packed. I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re done.”

  With that, he strode to the door and left the room. Watching him walk away was painful. Especially knowing how little time we had left together. I rose from the bed and quickly found an old backpack I could fill with clothes.

  I packed a few outfits and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. My picture frames I left on top of my dresser. I used a finger to trace my parents’ faces. They’d be staying here with the rest of my things because I’d be coming back. Massimo couldn’t keep me forever, and the minute my two weeks were up, I was gone.