by Rhys Rowlyn
“Cassie, if anyone can handle Bram, it is you. First off, he’s going to want you to be happy, and next, you’ll just have to put him in his place.” Giselle waves off my concern, and she smiles.
Rubbing her hands together, Rebecca sighs. “Damn, I wish I could still eat popcorn.”
“What does popcorn have to do with this?” I ask. She can say the damnedest things, and I’m pretty up on all the latest lingo, but this has me stumped.
“This is going to be quite the show, and I plan on having a front row seat.” Rebecca yelps when I push her off the side of the desk. She barely catches herself before she lands on her ass.
“I’m so happy I can entertain you.” I lean back, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Me too. Look, I’m here for you, but I’m not going to lie and say I’m not going to enjoy watching this go down.” She straightens, moving away from my reach.
“What go down?” Chi breezes into the room, glancing from Giselle to me, then to Rebecca.
“Oh, Chi, I have so much to tell you!” Rebecca gushes, and I shake my head at her, holding my finger over my mouth.
“I saw that, Cassandra. What’s going on?” Chi narrows his eyes at me, putting his hands on his hips.
“Chi, we had another one wake up,” Giselle says, narrowing her eyes at Rebecca.
“Oh, wow! Which one?” Chi claps his hands together.
Chi about wet himself when he first met Phillipe, and of course we thought Phillipe might try to eat him. But now he considers himself part of the family and gets all excited about another addition.
Rebecca giggles behind him. “The Viking, Bram.”
“Yummm, I bet he looks delish. Big, strong, luscious muscles…” Chi purrs, winking.
“Oh, he is, but that’s not the best part. He’s Cassie’s mate!” Rebecca jumps up and down, and I want to smack her.
“What?! Oh heavens, I bet your little virgin self is having a fit.” Chi pinches my cheek and blows me a kiss.
My mouth drops open, and I feel a bit dizzy. “Wait, how did you know I was a virgin?”
“Girl, it’s all over you. But don’t worry, Uncle Chi is here for you. Any advice you need, I’m here to help.” Hugging my shoulder, Chi taps my nose, and I bat his hand away.
Giselle stands and moves around the desk. “Trust me, she won’t need advice. She’ll want him so much, fear will be the last thing on her mind. Besides, she’ll have the dreams to practice in.”
“Dreams? What are you talking about now?” Wrinkling my brow, I stare at her.
“Phillipe and I had the most amazing dreams before we were actually together, and André told Phillipe he and Fleur did too. I’m assuming you will too. So you can practice there without actually having to do the act until you’re ready.” She pats my cheek, smiling.
“But what if he doesn’t want to wait?”
Giselle takes my face in her hands. “Darling, he’s your mate. He wants whatever makes you happy.”
Bram
Emerging from the shower, I take one of the fluffy towels from a drying rack. Its softness is beyond belief, and I’m again shocked by the improvements that have taken place over the last three hundred years.
The men showed me the wonders of indoor plumbing, and I’m in love. Using scissors and clippers that Giles showed me how to use, I trim my shaggy beard. I turn on the water in a sink and am still shocked by the hot water coming from the wall. No more heating it over an open fire and having to carry to a tub. It flows freely and feels amazing.
I slip into the soft undergarments and pants Giles called “sweats” and a short-sleeved shirt—or T-shirt as they informed me. The clothing is much more comfortable than any I’ve ever worn, but I must admit to feeling a bit out of sorts.
Usually I’m around for the changes made over time, and I evolve with them. This time I was thrust into a period so different from anything I’m used to, and I missed seeing it happen. Phillipe assures me I’ll adapt, but it’s a lot to take in. I thought the time we were living in was advanced, but it was nothing compared to what I’m seeing so far, and I have a feeling it’s only going to confound me more.
Cassie left soon after I awoke, and I have no idea where she is. She didn’t act happy about acquiring a mate. This has me confused. Why would she not want a mate, someone to spend her future with? I believed it was an elusive fantasy Alastair had told us to give us hope for the future, but now all I want is to get close to her and learn everything I can about her.
I join the other men downstairs in the parlor and stop in the doorway, not knowing where to look first. The furniture is a dark brown and looks like smooth leather. It is soft and comfortable looking. I sit and sink into the cushion, another improvement.
“When do you think Cassie will be back, and do you think she’s safe?” I wanted to go after her but the men stopped me, saying she needed time.
“She’s fine and with Giselle. I’m sure she’ll be back shortly.” Phillipe grips my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
“I’ve never had a mate. Is it normal for her not to want to be near me?” I glance up at him. Phillipe had met Giselle before we set sail for the New World, and we were all amazed at their connection.
Giles lets out a small burst of laughter. “For Cassie, yeah. She’s not going to want you to hover or try to tell her what to do. She’s very independent. When I first met her, I tried to show my dominance, and it didn’t go over very well. She put me on my arse and in my place fast. She has no problem rushing into danger, but she can also handle herself.”
“Not helping, Giles.” Phillipe moves in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “What he means is Cassie has been a vampire for a long time. She and Giselle have protected us and this city on their own for many years. It’s going to take an adjustment for her to accept you.”
“But we’re mates. Shouldn’t she want to be with me?” I do understand her having been alone for so long, but hasn’t she been lonely?
“She will, but there’s more than just bonding. Don’t you want her to like or rather love you?” Raising his brows, Phillipe tilts his head to the side.
“Of course. What would our life be like without it?” I assumed she would instantly be enamored. Obviously I was mistaken.
“It’s a given you’re going to be attracted to one another, but she’s going to need wooing and getting to know you. Times are different. Women don’t take kindly to men throwing their weight around or depending on a man for their safety and care.” Phillipe shrugs a shoulder, frowning. I’m thinking he had some adjusting to do when he first woke up.
I glance over at the lamp beside the sofa. It is lit without a fire of any sort. “Everything is so different. Not only has clothing and housing changed, but it would seem people have also.”
“You’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Everything is different. With Cassandra, time is on your side. It’s not something that has to be rushed. You have all the time in the world. She’ll come around, and I predict you both will be inseparable before you know it.” Nodding encouragingly, Phillipe smiles at me.
“Bonjour! Is anyone home?” André’s voice rings out from the entryway, and I stand.
“André, we’re in here.” Giles yells over his shoulder.
André walks into the room with a tall, beautiful redhead at his side. His gaze lands on me, and he lets out a yell of delight as he strides quickly across the room. I meet him halfway, and he grabs me into a tight hug.
“Bram! You’re awake.” He slaps my back, then holds me away from him.
“Yes, friend, it’s good to see you.” From the time of his creation, I took a special interest in André. He was always like a younger brother.
“Oui, and you too. I was hoping you would wake soon. I have missed you.” He steps away, looking me over.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I shake my head. “It would seem we have been subjected to treachery. I’m not surprised and tried to talk Gabriel out of trusting them. He insis
ted it was part of a plan, so I let it go.”
“Plan, what do you mean?” Drawing his brows together, Phillipe grabs my arm and turns me toward him.
“Alastair, Gabriel, and I lived with a coven of witches for a bit. Before we left their company, the coven seer pulled Gabriel to the side. I asked him what she had revealed, and he said all would be revealed in its time. When something would happen that she had seen, he would tell me things were going according to plan.” I wonder if Gabriel had known about the curse and that we were going to get mates. If he did, I may have to beat his arse.
“Do you believe the curse and meeting the women was part of the plan?” Phillipe stumbles back and falls onto the sofa with a thump, his face paling.
“I know his breaking away from Alastair, coming to the New World, and meeting the women were part of what she saw. We discussed it, and he told me it was meant for us to travel here and the women were important, but I don’t think he knew about the curse. If he did, he kept it to himself.” Now that I think about it, I find it hard to believe Gabriel would knowingly allow us to be put under a curse.
“Maybe the women were much more conniving than he realized or maybe not. It was an awful thing that was done to us, but the rewards are worth it.” André puts his arm around the woman beside him. “Bram, I would like you to meet my mate, Fleur.”
She smiles tentatively, holding her hand out for me to take. “Hi, André has told me a bit about you. He said you helped him when he was first changed. He was looking forward to your awakening.”
“Yes, I took a liking to him. He has a good heart.” I squeeze André’s shoulder, smiling at his mate.
“Really? What about me?” Holding his arms wide, Phillipe frowns at me, having gotten over the shock of Gabriel possibly leading us into a trap.
“You had Etienne. I felt it was my job to train you to the best of my ability, but you were older when you were changed and didn’t need a big brother.” Grinning at him, I wink.
“Bram, you’re going to love this time, and from what I’ve learned, we missed several major wars, which doesn’t upset me at all. Also, everything is more comfortable, and they have figured out how we can get blood without biting anyone, which helps cut down on accidents, especially during a change.” André glances at Fleur.
“I’ve had a shower, and these clothes are so soft. Still a bit confused by the blood situation.” Blood coming in bags is a great improvement, especially for new vampires going through the change. It was always a challenge to have enough donors and to keep them from killing the person.
“Eh, mate, enough with the small talk. Tell him your big news.” Giles bumps my shoulder, grinning from ear to ear, and I’m feeling the urge to hit him.
Furrowing his brow, André narrows his eyes at me. “What’s he talking about? What big news?”
“Cassandra is my mate.” I’m still in shock over the fact I have a mate. Now to get her to be happy about it…
“Our Cassie?” Fleur’s eyes widen and she claps her hands, bouncing on her heels.
“Yes.” I sigh, wondering what they’ll say when they find out my mate left after only a few minutes of knowing me.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Where is she?” Fleur looks around, craning her neck as if Cassie were hiding in a corner.
“She ran off to talk to Giselle.” Phillipe laughs but swiftly covers his mouth, but not before I see his grin.
I’m glad to know he’s getting some entertainment out of this. I remember a time when he didn’t know what to do about Giselle or how to handle having a mate. In the early days of finding Giselle, he worried they wouldn’t bond and she wouldn’t accept what we were.
“Leave it to Cassie to make things difficult. She’ll come around. I mean, having a mate is the best thing ever. I know I’ve only been a vampire for a few weeks and known about André a short time, but it’s off-the-charts wonderful.” Fleur loops her arm through André’s, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Grinning, Giles slaps my back. “Yeah, mate, she’ll come around, and time is on your side.”
“One thing in your favor is her already being a vampire. You don’t have the worry of her not knowing what you are and her accepting everything. Circumstances made my telling Fleur easier, but I had to change her before I had a chance to explain everything. It was nerve-racking.” Wrapping his arm around Fleur’s waist, André kisses the top of her head.
“So did you find anything out about your mother?” Giles raises a brow, motioning for everyone to have a seat.
Fleur sits on the small sofa, shaking her head. “No, it was a dead end.”
“What is wrong with your mother?” Sitting in an armchair across from her, I lean forward and prop my elbows on my knees.
André puts his arm around her shoulders and hugs her close. “Love, Bram might be able to help. He’s extremely knowledgeable.”
Raising her brows, Fleur grins in my direction. “Really, do you think you could help?”
“I’m knowledgeable in druid magic. It was many years ago, and the coven witches were all born with their given gifts. I don’t know if I’ll be any help, but I will try to assist you in any way possible.” While with the witches, I learned how to sense certain magics, and I am unsure what I am sensing from the curse we were placed under. There is a touch of druid power but the rest is a mystery.
André leans back, crossing his ankle over his knee. “So, Bram, what do you know about mixing magics or casting a spell to contradict a curse?”
“I know it’s not the best thing to do. Who would do such a thing? I remember lessons taught to the young ones, and the elders always cautioned the children to never do this. They were taught how to break a curse but to never cast against one.” I can’t imagine any experienced witch trying to overlap magic.
“As you know, the women had a witch curse us and in return committed their descendants. Fleur’s family decided to counter the curse with magic. Her mother put a spell on their house that prevented vampires from entering. Things started falling off walls, and it was as if the house were angry. Fleur was almost killed, and had her father not brought her to me, she would have died. Her mother was determined we would not be together.” André slumps forward, rubbing the back of his neck.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I hate what I’m going to have to reveal to her. “Sounds like some powerful forces were in conflict.”
“My mother has since vanished, and I’m scared it’s affected her in a bad way.” Fleur leans against André, clasping his hand.
“I’m sorry to say you may be right. The residual magic has to have a vessel to go into. From what you’re telling me, it had turned dark, and I fear it may have entered your mother.” I wish I could give her hope, but I refuse to lie to her.
Fleur’s face has lost all color, and her eyes are bright with unshed tears. “What will this do to her?”
As moved as I am by her distress, I still will not lie. “I’ve seen this happen, and it changed the person into someone unrecognizable.”
“Can we get her back?” Fleur leans forward, wringing her hands.
“I have no idea. The ones I came into contact with were too far gone. It would take a powerful witch to cleanse her, and even then, I don’t know if you’ll be able to get her back the way she was before. I’m sorry to have to tell you this.”
“Oh, no.” Fleur buries her face into André’s chest.
Smiling, I lean forward and squeeze her hands. “Once I figure a few things out, we can try to locate some of the witches I know. Of course, I haven’t seen them in centuries.”
“Oh thank you, Bram. I don’t know how I will repay you.” With tears flowing down her cheeks, she offers a weak smile.
“You’re part of our famille. No payment is necessary. We may have to travel to Ireland to find them, and I don’t know if they are still where we left them. It will probably be a long hard search.” I don’t even know where to start. The journey alone will take months, and we can only hope th
ey will still be located in the same area.
Giles laughs, and I frown at his insensitivity. “Just wait, friend. You have much to learn. I bet our search won’t be nearly as hard as you think.”
Cassie
Tonight, I’m visiting the shelter for victims of domestic violence. I’ve volunteered here for several years. I cannot tolerate abuse of any kind, and when a particularly nasty case comes in, Giselle usually has to talk me out of taking matters into my own hands. She is constantly lecturing me on playing by the rules and not getting too involved with the humans. It’s difficult when you see so much suffering. What she doesn’t know is that I have frightened a few especially nasty offenders away. I never revealed who I was, but I made the abusers believe it was in their best interest not to be near the people they had abused.
Giselle accused me of going to the shelter tonight to avoid Bram, and I can’t deny it’s the truth. My mate has been awake for almost a week, and I’ve been avoiding him like the plague. I’m being a coward, but I’m having a hard time figuring out how I want to proceed. I know he’s getting frustrated, but he has been patient and has only smiled when I’ve run out of the house. Giles has been teaching him about the world we now live in, and he’s adapting at a rapid pace.
“Cassie, when I grow up, all daddies are going to be nice.” Carrie grins up at me, reaching for another color as she continues with her drawing.
I smile down at the child, my heart breaking for what she’s had to go through in her short life. “I hope so, Carrie. Just know not all daddies are mean.”
Her eyes widen, and her mouth drops into an O. “Was your daddy mean?”
“My daddy died when I was a baby.” Tilting my head to the side, I slide the box of crayons closer to her.
“I’m sorry. Did your mommy marry someone else?” She furrows her brow and bites her lip as she draws a flower.
“No, she didn’t.”
Carrie and her mother, Anne, arrived at the shelter a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve taken them under my wing. Anne had multiple bruises, but Carrie was untouched. Anne had finally gotten up the nerve to leave her abusive husband when he’d threatened to hurt Carrie. It was the incentive she needed to run. The little girl is a friendly sort and appears unaffected by her situation, but I know some scars are not visible.