by I. T. Lucas
All the members of Onegus’s family could star in a soap opera. It was a shame that The Bold and the Beautiful title was already taken. It would have been a perfect fit for them.
When the men were in position, standing on the lowest rung to the priestess’s right, the bridesmaids entered, and Cassandra stifled a surprised sound. One of them was an older woman who looked like a real mother, and one was a teenage girl.
Finally, some semblance of normality.
Perhaps she wasn’t hallucinating after all, and Onegus’s family weren’t all beautiful vampires who never aged.
When all eight bridesmaids took their places to the priestess’s left, all eyes turned to the banquet hall doors.
The music changed to another classical piece that Cassandra had never heard before, and the couple entered together holding hands.
The bride was gorgeous like her sister, but in a softer way. She was shorter, rounder, and her hair was auburn and not black. Her dress was simple and elegant, with no lace or embroidery or anything shiny. Just a perfectly cut bodice with a skirt that flared from the knees down and a train that trailed on the floor several feet behind her.
Cassandra had seen a similar dress at the Oscar De La Renta show, but this one was even more beautiful and had probably been custom-made for the bride.
Departing from tradition, the bride wore no veil and held no flowers. Her groom was a handsome blond man, who was grinning from ear to ear as if he’d won the lottery.
The couple walked up to the second rung of the platform and looked up to the priestess.
During the processions there had been several murmurs, but everyone hushed again, waiting for the priestess to start the ceremony.
52
Margaret
Margaret stared at the goddess, willing her jaw to close. She wanted to see Ana’s reaction, to say something to her friend who was sharing this revelatory moment with her, but to do that she would have to tear her eyes away from the glowing otherworldly being up on the dais.
When the door was opened once again and the groomsmen entered, murmurs started and some of the magic eddied, enough for Margaret to slide a quick glance at Ana.
Her friend was gaping just as stupidly as she was, but she still felt Margaret’s gaze on her and turned to look at her. “Un-freaking-believable,” she whispered. “The goddess is actually glowing.”
Next to Ana, Leon and the other immortals smiled indulgently. Richard, however, nodded in understanding. “She’s magnificent and terrifying to behold,” he whispered. “But when you get to know her, the fear goes away. Annani is kind and friendly.”
Taking another look at the goddess, Margaret could believe it. Annani looked like an ethereal angel, and her smile was benevolent, but her mane of fiery red hair hinted that there was a little bit of the devil in her as well.
The goddess’s expression wasn’t haughty or condescending, but Margaret wasn’t convinced that it was all about Annani’s love for her people. Annani radiated power, and she gobbled up their adoration, feasting on it in a similar way Emmett had done in Safe Haven.
Margaret wondered what Annani would have done if her people weren’t as enamored with her, if they rebelled, or if they refused to follow the path she’d carved for them.
Would she have resorted to compelling them against their will like Emmett had done?
Under the tablecloth, Bowen reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You have nothing to fear from the Clan Mother.”
He must have smelled her fear.
It was difficult to adjust to the new world she was living in, with immortals who could sniff her emotions, hear her heartbeat in another room, and perform other feats she couldn’t even imagine.
She cast him a small smile and squeezed his hand back.
With Bowen by her side, she shouldn’t fear a thing except for the goddess. He would protect her from everything and everyone, but he was as helpless against that immense power as she was.
As everyone in this room was, or perhaps in the entire world.
Well, that couldn’t be true. The goddess had existed for over five thousand years, and if she was that powerful, she could have prevented wars and saved millions upon millions of people.
Annani probably wasn’t powerful enough to smite entire armies, but she could have eliminated some of the leaders, the worst offenders in human history, and prevented the slaughter of so many.
Perhaps she couldn’t do even that?
Maybe she was forbidden to tamper with destiny?
“Why are you suddenly so sad?” Bowen asked in a whisper. “This is a joyous occasion.”
She waved a hand. “Don’t mind me. Sometimes my mind wanders in twisted paths.”
Across the table, Anastasia nodded.
As the music changed, the doors opened again, and the bride and groom entered holding hands. People smiled and waved at the couple, some offering air kisses as they walked by, but no one rose to their feet.
Come to think of it, they hadn’t done that to honor the goddess either.
Maybe they had done away with that tradition because Annani was tiny. If everyone stood up, only those on both sides of the pathway would have seen her.
When the couple took their position on the platform, the music stopped, and the goddess lifted her arms again.
“It gives me great pleasure to have nearly my entire clan here to celebrate Sari and David’s joining. They are blessed to have such a big, supportive, and loving family.” She smiled down at the couple standing before her. “Are you ready to pledge your eternal love to each other?”
“We are,” her daughter answered and turned to her groom. “Would you like to go first?”
He nodded. “I love you, my Sari. I wish there was a word stronger than love to express the depth of my feelings for you, but since there isn’t, love will have to suffice. I, David, son of Ronja and Michael, pledge everything that I am to you, my life, my love, and my unwavering support.”
Margaret wiped away a tear. It was such a simple and yet heartfelt pledge, and what made her tear up was the knowledge that nothing short of a major disaster would put a stop to that love. Immortals bonded forever, and abuse was unheard of in the clan. Hopefully, that would never change.
The groom pulled a ring out of his pocket. “Are you willing to share your life with me forever?”
“Yes, my love.”
He slipped it onto her finger.
“My turn.” Sari took his hands. “I, Sari, daughter of Annani, sister to Kian, Alena, Lilen, and Amanda, pledge myself to you, David, son of Ronja and Michael, brother to Lisa and Jonah. I will love you and support you and do my best to make you happy.” She pulled a ring off her thumb. “Are you ready to share the rest of your life with me?”
“I am.”
She slipped it onto his finger.
As the crowd erupted in deafening cheers and applause, the couple kissed, and the goddess waited patiently.
When they parted, she took her daughter’s hand and then David’s and put them one on top of the other. “May the Fates smile fondly upon this joining and shower your home with love, happiness, and as many children as your hearts’ desire.”
53
Onegus
There were too many people around to discern Cassandra’s scent, but Onegus could feel the crackling current under her skin intensifying. He kept casting her sidelong glances, trying to gauge her response to the glowing goddess standing upon the dais, but her expression was guarded. Her body was a better barometer of her feelings.
As soon as the ceremony ended, he would have to thrall her.
Right now, there was too much going on for her mind to be calm enough for him to be able to penetrate it.
“May the Fates smile fondly upon this joining and shower your home with love, happiness, and as many children as your hearts’ desire.”
As soon as Annani let go of Sari and David’s hands, everyone got to their feet, applauding and cheering the now officiall
y joined couple.
Next to him, Cassandra clapped while swaying on her stilettos, but as he reached to steady her, she cast him a withering look.
When the cheering and clapping subsided, Gerard made a rare appearance.
“I need everyone to calm down and take their seats so my servers can do their job. Bon appétit.”
In typical Gerard style, the request bordered on rude.
“That’s my cousin the chef,” Onegus said in Cassandra’s ear. “Do you still want to meet him?”
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she looked at him down her nose. “His attitude doesn’t scare me.” She leaned closer, so her face was only a couple of inches from Onegus’s. “I know how to deal with pricks like him.” She lifted her hand and brought her thumb and forefinger together. “I can make him feel this small.”
Onegus stifled a chuckle. Cassandra was way past tipsy and all the way to drunk.
“I’d sure like to see you cut the mighty Gerard down to size. But I don’t think even you can do that. Kian avoids confrontations with him.”
She arched one perfectly shaped brow. “That’s because Kian cares. I don’t.” She started to push to her feet.
This time, Onegus couldn’t contain the chuckle. “Sit down, Cassy. The servers are coming with dinner.”
Glancing at the side doors that were opened to allow the servers in, she huffed and sat down. “It was a beautiful ceremony, and Gerard shouldn’t have been allowed to come out and talk to the guests like that. Shame on him.”
Next to her, Connor snickered, and their other dinner companions were all trying not to laugh. Thankfully, Cassandra was too drunk to notice or that energy swirling inside her would have unleashed its destructive power on Gerard’s fancy china.
Perhaps she’d been too drunk to notice a glowing goddess?
“That priestess was something else.” Cassandra lifted her water goblet and took a sip. “How did she make her skin glow? Did she smear sparkly lotion all over her skin? And that huge red wig was so over the top.” She rolled her eyes. “Where did you find her? Hollywood?”
The first one to lose it was Sharon. Hiding behind Robert’s broad shoulders, she giggled uncontrollably. Then Tessa joined in, and soon everyone except for Cassandra and Onegus was laughing.
He tensed, expecting plates to crack and glasses to explode. Instead, Cassandra waved a hand. “It wasn’t that funny, but at least now I know I’m not the only drunk at the table.”
The others took their cue from her comment and started pretending they were inebriated. Connor even started a lewd Scottish ballad, but he was interrupted by the flurry of servers who descended on their table like a flock of ravens, placing an artfully presented first course in front of everyone.
“What is that?” Cassandra eyed the culinary masterpiece suspiciously. “I don’t know if I should eat it or take it home and put it on a shelf as a decoration.”
Roni sniffed at the creation in front of him. It was shaped like a rooster, and by the smell, it was made from cheese and slivers of carrots, apples, green onions, and some other stuff that Onegus wasn’t sure about.
“It has cheese in it,” Roni said. “The rest are veggies and fruits.”
Cassandra still stared at hers. “I can’t eat that. It’s too pretty.”
“What I want to know is who made over seven hundred of these roosters.” Sylvia lifted her plate to take a closer look. “There is no machine that could do that.”
“Maybe Gerard had the Odus make them,” Tessa suggested.
When Jackson threw a warning look at her, she covered her mouth. “I meant Oompa Loompas or gizmos.”
Apparently, Cassandra was too drunk to notice the slip, and as Jackson lifted his rooster to his mouth and took a bite, she did the same.
Her eyes rolled back. “I forgot how good Gerard’s creations are. He’s forgiven.”
Laughing, Onegus wiped nonexistent sweat off his forehead. “What a relief. The prick gets to cook another day.”
54
Emmett
As the door to Emmett’s cell started to swing open, he glanced at his watch. It was after nine at night, and no one ever visited him this late.
Eleanor.
He smelled her scent even before she stepped into his cell, one of the Guardians no doubt standing outside to make sure that he didn’t make a run for it.
As if he were stupid enough to try it.
“Good evening, Eleanor. What a nice surprise.” He looked her over.
She still wore the same clothes she’d had on when she’d brought in his dinner, and she had two large paper cups in her hands.
“Hi.” She waited for the door to close before joining him on the couch.
“I didn’t bring you blood. But I thought you would enjoy some wine.”
“I thought that I smelled wine.” He reached for the cup. “Where did you get it?” He removed the plastic lid and took a sniff.
It smelled like good wine, which made drinking it from a paper cup even worse, but as the saying went, beggars can’t be choosers.
“I swiped it from the kitchen.” Eleanor flicked the lid off and lifted the cup. “Cheers.”
“What are we drinking to?”
“Us.”
“I’ll drink to that.” He tapped her cup with his.
While he sipped and savored, Eleanor gulped at least half of the large cup in one go.
“What’s troubling you?” He regarded her with concern.
“Why do you think something is troubling me?”
“Do you usually gulp large quantities of wine?”
She looked at her cup. “No, but this one is good.”
He doubted she’d even tasted it. “Talk to me.” He reached for her hand. “We are friends, right?”
Eleanor glanced at the bed, then shook her head. “I’m not good at this.”
He could sense her nervousness and wondered what had caused it. She wasn’t fearful, just apprehensive.
“Good at what?”
“The whole seduction part.”
She wanted to seduce him?
“What about the watchers?”
“It’s only Alfie, and he’s busy watching a movie.” She glanced at the camera. “If we rotate the couch so its back is to the bed, it will block some of the camera’s view.” She avoided his eyes.
He had a feeling that she wasn’t telling him the truth, but he didn’t know about what.
Was it a trap?
Perhaps she’d been asked to seduce him so they would have a recording of him drinking from her?
But what could they possibly want it for? Obviously for leverage, but against whom?
“Even if we do that, and Alfie can’t see what’s happening on the bed, he will know what’s going on and come to put a stop to it.”
She shifted her eyes to him. “Why would he want to do that? I’m allowed to have sex with whomever I want.”
“Even a prisoner whom you’re guarding?”
Maybe someone had put her up to it to get her in trouble. She’d admitted to not being liked or trusted by many of the clan members. Someone might have devised a plan to get her kicked out of the training program, and if that happened, she would no longer be allowed to visit him.
He couldn’t afford to lose her.
Eleanor’s smile was tight. “The clan has its own laws, and human rules don’t apply. It’s not like I’m abusing my station to get you to do something that you don’t want to.”
“It could be interpreted that way. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
She eyed him from under lowered eyelashes. “Perhaps you just don’t want me?”
Releasing control over his fangs, he let them punch out and smiled. “Do you really think so?”
“That doesn’t prove anything. You might be hungry or just crave a snack.”
He shook his head. “You’re an immortal. Use your sense of smell.”
“I’m not good at interpreting smells.”
“Then
interpret this.” He pulled her hand and pressed it against his erection. “Males can’t fake arousal, Eleanor.”
She sucked in a breath and ordered, “Dim lights!”
The system responded to her demand, dimming the lights, but Eleanor wasn’t happy with it. “Dim lights by seventy-five percent.”
“What are you doing?”
She leaned closer. “Making it much more difficult for Alfie to see us.” She cupped his cheek. “Kiss me, Emmett.”
55
Eleanor
As Eleanor stared into Emmett’s dark eyes, she saw the hesitation and then the decision made.
He closed the distance between their mouths, not in a rush but with deliberate slowness, as if giving her time to change her mind. And then his soft lips were on hers, kissing her gently, as if she was fragile, precious, and then he withdrew and looked at the door.
“No one is coming to stop us, Emmett,” she breathed. “Kiss me again.”
He brushed a finger down her cheek. “I liked seeing you all flushed, wanting me.” His finger trailed down her neck, stopping at where her pulse was beating wildly.
In the semi-darkness, his eyes flashed red, and his elongating fangs gleamed white. He looked like a beautiful demon, and an exquisite shiver of fear rippled down her back.
His finger continued its downward track. “Are your nipples hard, Eleanor? Shall I check?”
Her eyes closed, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t respond, only pant in anticipation of his touch.
“Are they?” he whispered against her ear.
“Yes,” she managed to hiss.
He nuzzled her neck, his tongue flicking over her pulsing vein. Was he about to bite her?
Her breath left her throat in a whoosh, her core spasmed, and moisture soaked the gusset of her panties.