Ally narrowed her eyes. The last thing she needed was a lecture from her shortsighted friend. Perhaps, their relationship started on the wrong foot, but she knew what Ben and her shared was real. Was it absurd? Hell, yes. Can she deny the feelings she had for Ben? No. A BIG resounding NO. Sometimes life worked out that way.
“I know it sounds and looks crazy, but you know what? I do not care! My only regret was getting you two involved.” Ally replied.
“So, um, how exactly did he turn you?” Trish asked sheepishly. She was not sure if she was ready to hear it, but might as well get all the facts out.
Ally blushed and bit her lower lip. Being turned by Benedict was probably the most intimate and exciting experience, she had ever felt. If she had to relive that moment again, she would do so with no hesitation.
“Well, just so we’re clear, Ben didn’t force his hand on me. In fact, on many occasions, he offered to take me home.”
She began by telling the girls how Ben had been searching for his human mate for centuries. How despite being in an arranged marriage, he was determined to spend the rest of this long life with someone he loved. That night, at Flambé, he found her. It was Ally Korman.
At first, Ally knew that he did not trust his luck. Perhaps, he thought it was a fluke. It was Halloween after all; maybe he concluded that Ally did not know that he was a real vampire. Maybe he concluded that she was intoxicated. Either way, Benedict was determined to test Ally, and he did so by leaving the bar. He knew that no human would willingly follow a vampire, unaware of it or not, unless she was truly mated for him.
Once they reached The Silver Bullet, Benedict had the confirmation he needed. He watched as she strolled across the floor to meet him. Suddenly, she was yanked away from him. A screaming Banshee warned her to stay away from the man she was following. Confused, Ally tried to get away from her but she was too strong. Incredibly, she was slowly being dragged away… until Benedict showed up and stopped her.
Ally opted to omit the part when he gave the Banshee red welts on her arm; she thought her friends had enough on their plate.
She went on to explain how he drove his slick, black mustang to his condominium, and once at his place, Benedict told her about his people and their history. She admitted that she thought he was joking around. Surely, he was one of the best role-playing actors in town. However, he proved to be different.
“How?” Trish asked.
“He made me see a vision, but that’s a story for another time.”
Ally pressed on. She was alarmed at how tired she felt. She hoped to get to the end of her tale before she collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. She told them that Benedict eventually asked to be his mate and that she accepted. She deliberately skipped over the details of their lovemaking. She kept it concise. She was afraid that if she had to re-live those moments, without being sure that she would see him again, it would undo her. She needed to stay strong and focused.
“Finally, when we both climaxed, he pierced my wrist with his fangs.”
Trish gasped, concerned. “Did it hurt?”
“It’s not as bad as you’re making out to be. Honestly, it was pure bliss.”
“How do you feel now?” Trish questioned.
Before Ally had the chance to say how tired and depleted she was feeling, the metallic door at the end of the hall flew open. Ally heard the muffled cry of Trish and the gasp of Pam.
Instantly, Ally stood and tried to peer through the dim light. Was it Moira? If so, she had a huge bone to pick with her. As she focused harder, narrowing her eyes, the room became clearer, lighter. Ally smiled smugly. Night vision? Awesome! I’m fucking superwoman.
A silhouette started to form, and to her delight, it was Moira. Finally! She was garbed in a casual manner: Hiking boots, tight-fitting black jeans, topped with a black hoodie. Her platinum massive curls were enviously tied up into a high ponytail. Her eyes held the same expression as the last time she saw her: disdain, disapproval, and a hint of jealousy.
Ally did not care and no longer wanted to play nice. She needed to know what time (or day!) it was. It was important that she knew how long she had been locked here. How much time had she before their wedding? She also wanted to let Moira know that she made a big mistake and should free her and her friends RIGHT NOW!
As if reading her mind, Moira passed by Pam and Trish’s cell, and headed straight for Ally’s compartment. Standing in front of her cell, the two women stared at one another. Without saying a word, they had a brief conversation:
- I didn’t want to lock you in here, but you left me no choice.
- You’re insane, you know that, right?
- He belongs to me.
- He doesn’t love you. He loves me.
- Irrelevant.
- He’ll find me.
- It’ll be too late.
- He won’t marry you!
- He has no choice.
- LET ME OUT!
- Not until I am wedded to him.
Ally turned away from her. How was she going to get out of here? Would it really be too late when Benedict found her? What did Moira mean about “He had no choice”? Plus, how the hell did Ally manage to have that type of discussion?
Moira tilted her head and watched Ally. This was not good. Alice was stronger than she assumed. Shit! Moira spent the last few hours trying to discern the risks of jailing a newly transformed vampire. With what little information she found on the subject, she realized that they could be erratic, hungry, and homicidal. Ally seemed to have her emotions in checked. Odd. Moira was hoping to see a frantic animal jailed within that cell.
“How are you feeling, Alice? Be honest, now.” She asked sweetly.
Without turning, Ally ignored her.
“How’s the bump? I did hit you quite hard.”
Ally turned and snarled at Moira, revealing fully developed fangs.
“Oh.” Moira muttered. Shit! Her fangs were developed! Was she fully transformed? That’s impossible! Quickly, she masked her face from the horror she just witnessed. Better, she not realized how fearful she was about this whole situation.
“You know, Alice, this isn’t my fault. If you were not such a whore to sleep with a stranger, none of this would have ever happened. Why didn’t you heed the advice of your good friends?”
“Fuck you, lady.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s your area of expertise. If you hadn’t felt the urge to sneak off and seduce Benedict, all of you would be home right now.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it’s only a matter of time before Ben puts two and two together and realizes that you’re my abductor!”
Moira laughed. Unlike the first time, it was melodious. It sounded like wind chimes tinkling in the breeze.
“Do you think I have not come prepared? Oh, wait! Are you assuming that this is some rushed, random act? Dearest Alice, I did my homework. I have the perfect alibi. At this very moment, Benedict thinks that I, too, am looking for my human mate in Argentina!” She laughed again.
“Maybe you should.”
Moira scowled, not appreciating the rebuke. “Though I do not like you, I will care for you and your friends. A servant should be in here shortly to serve to your needs.”
“What about me? I don’t feel like having scrambled eggs right now.”
“Oh? What does the missus fancy?”
“Blood.”
Pam and Trish gasped in horror. Shit! They could have really gone without knowing that, Ally thought.
Moira was beaming. She liked the look of shame on Ally’s face. Good. She did not want to deal with a heartless, avenging monster. If she still cared about her friends, she was not a threat… yet.
“I’m sorry, but we just ran out.” Moira said as she approached the bars of her cell. “Besides,” she whispered, “you won’t be getting a drop under my watch.”
“Why not?”
Moira ignored her question, and sauntered off towards the exit.
“Wait,” Pam cried,
“when are you going to free us?”
“Soon.”
“He’ll never marry you! He’s bonded to me!” Ally shouted.
“Benedict has responsibilities that he cannot disregard.” Moira replied, turning to leave the chamber.
“Where are you going?!” Ally cried.
“To celebrate, my dear.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
November 2nd
5:53 PM
A day had passed since the disappearance of Ally. Not a sighting had been seen; not a word from her had been heard. Gabriel was at a total loss. After leaving Benedict’s presence, he went straight to Flambé and The Silver Bullet to get some answers. He received no leads, not even one measly clue.
He decided to hire some investigators, but they, too, turned up without any information over Ally’s abduction. He met with a few people, who saw the Banshee that accosted Ally, but no one knew the woman personally and his investigators were unsuccessful at relocating her.
Goddamnit, people don’t just disappear out of thin air, he growled. She was in mid-transformation for crying out loud, how can she go unnoticed? Squeezing his eyes shut, he realized that he now had 48 hours before Benedict got married to that witch.
Gabe, without any doubt, knew that Moira was somehow involved. As his uncle used to say, if they didn’t pull the trigger, they definitely bought the ammunition. And, yes, Moira bought a shit load of ammunition for this gun. He was tired of standing around; he wanted answers from her family. He initially sent his investigators to question them, but one by one, they were all turned away. Ultimately, he tried his hands at getting an interview himself, but the family declined once again. His presence was now officially prohibited on their grounds.
When he asked why they were not being cooperative, they simply stated that since this disappearance was not a High Court official matter, they saw no reason in divulging any information. When asked to humor him, they replied that they had better things to do; like prepare for their only child’s wedding.
The household had a myriad of excuses. They knew very well that it was impossible for Benedict to officiate the matter, because it would take too long to commence the process. Vampires, unlike humans, never go missing. It’s unheard of. If they were to disappear, it would be to go into exile. There was no department of officials that Ben or Gabe could count on to react immediately. All in all, this was very convenient for the Verdons Household. A little too convenient.
When Gabriel briefed Benedict over his lack of findings over the phone, Benedict expressly told Gabe not to go lurking on the Verdons’ property without proper consent. This isn’t some damn tea party, Ben! I don’t need their consent nor do I want to give them time to hide your fiancée, he barked. Benedict asked him not to make things more complicated than they already were. As of now, Gabe had no proof that the Verdons were even remotely entangled in Ally’s kidnapping.
In the end, Gabe reluctantly agreed and ended their conversation. Benedict was going through so much that Gabe did not need to add to his grief and anger. But what was he to do? He was now between a rock and a hard place. The Verdons were refusing to cooperate and somehow Moira constantly managed to escape his attempts to question her.
From the hill he was standing on, he reopened his eyes and stared down at the Verdons’ estate. It was dusk, and very soon, he would be able to patrol the area unnoticed. The sight of the immense, turn of the century mansion pained him. He remembered running down its corridors and playing hide and seek in its many rooms.
Now, one of his most beloved Household’s possessions belonged to Moira’s family. He would not get over it; he could not. Their blackmails, their lies and, their manipulations have ruined his family’s name within the social circle. They lost nearly everything. But, was it enough? No, it’s never enough with that lot. While they gained wealth and power, other families became poor and outcasts. Gabe was all too aware of this. His family suffered greatly.
He hunched down and waited for the sun to set. “Sorry, Ben, but I’ve got a solid hunch and I’m going to abide to it.” He muttered under his breath.
If he could, he would spend the rest of his adult life trying to seek revenge. He would never cease until he exposed the Verdons for the wolves they were. The money-hungry bastards who stopped at nothing to accumulate wealth and power. However, the question was always “How?”
Some of the Verdons clan held important key positions within the High Council. Those with that kind of power could easily influence the outcome of another person’s life. He knew without any doubt that he was considered “dangerous” to their household. Surprisingly, they have not yet considered having him followed. In their eyes, Gabe was nothing more than an annoying mosquito.
To make matters worse, his family felt indebted to theirs. They wholeheartedly believed that they could have lost much more. They still retain the cottage, a few cars and thirty percent of their wealth. Most of the relics were confiscated but they still had a few to live by. The fines accrued could have bankrupted his house, but Janelle, Moira’s mother, took mercy on them. Ironically, what his family did not comprehend was that Vincent was the one who orchestrated their demise. If not for his exiled uncle, Gabe, too would probably feel appreciative and grateful for that foul family.
Samuel Harlan told his nephew that their house was falsely accused and harshly judged. It was rumored that the relics they obtained did not belong to their bloodlines. That somehow, one of their deceased ancestors stole them from another prominent family. Bullshit. When Vincent asked to demonstrate how they obtain the sacred relics, Gabriel’s uncle lost the documentation proving that the Harlans were the rightful heirs. Theft of relics was highly frowned upon their realm. Therefore, they were heavily fined. Samuel, incapable of accepting such punishment, lashed out against Vincent, causing him to lose his left eye. Samuel fled the court and was never to be seen or heard of again.
Now, all Gabriel needed was an opportunity to prove the wickedness of the Verdons, and here it was.
The sun was about to set. Gently, he rolled two smooth rocks between his fingers. He no doubt knew that the Verdons would probably have protected the compound with runes, but perhaps they were cocky enough to believe that no one would dare mess with their family. The times he did visit the estates, he realized that there were no wards guarding it. He was banking on that chance. With the inactive stones lying in his palm, he would be able to perceive it. In little more than a minute, he would be able to go undetected, and would instantly notice if any elements were set up to prevent intruders.
“Now or never, Gabe.”
Under his breath, he whispered a countdown from 30 to zero as the blazing sun disappeared behind the horizon. He smiled, it was now dusk; the perfect time to cast his chant.
Oh, how he wished his uncle was here to see him. Would he be proud? Weary? Excited? Unlike his father, upper officials didn’t cow his uncle, Samuel. To this day, Gabe thought it was a shame how he was unable to conceive any child of his own.
Before reciting his chant, he quickly viewed the landscape. Nothing seemed amiss. He return his regard back to the estate, and noticed that only one room was lit; the dining room. Did Moira have guests? He hoped so. Any distractions, even if it meant more Verdons in his proximity, were gladly welcomed.
He turned his gaze to the tiny, almost concealed window at the bottom right of the mansion. From his memories, it was where the wine cellar would be located. As a child, it was one of his favorite hiding places. He also remembered that it led straight to the jail cell.
Before his clan’s downfall, the Harlan’s were respectable guardians and enforcers. Though the jail had not been used over the millennia, it was a good place to contain newly transformed vampires when thing went awry. It was a sort of buffer zone to ensure that the process went smoothly without any casualties.
A weak flickering light was visible. Torches, he guessed. Why? Would Moira be at the wine cellar now? Or was someone standing guard outside the jail’s door?<
br />
Gabe shrugged mentally. Either way, he was not going to find out standing out here. If he was lucky, the grounds will not be protected, he would find Ally safe and sound, figure out a way to get her out, and finally have the proof he needed to take back what was rightfully his household’s possession.
Chanting, he twirled, on his left hand, the two colorful stones between his fingers. He placed his right hand over his left wrist, and painfully felt the metamorphosis take shape. Silently, he endured the changes occurring within his body. After a few minutes, a shell of him and a pile of his clothes laid on the grass. He was now transparent and inhumanely flexible.
Ally could not sleep. Try as she might, she could not get Ben out of her mind. The smell of him and their lovemaking still lingered on her skin. Gross as it sounded, she was convinced that she would never shower again until she was with him. She hated feeling like this. What benefits could it bring? It was almost as if she was giving up. Yet, her mind was too full of thoughts and memories. Blasted, stupid, depressing memories.
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