"Eyes up!" I joke, as I know Angus well enough to know that he let me walk first so that he could admire my butt privately.
Angus has this sweet, caring side, but then he has a devilish side, flirt, and incredibly strong and smart, not to mention drop dead gorgeous.
Stepping into the crowded bar, I instantly notice the Brothers’, and many of the men and woman from the combined packs to Alphas Sallack and Theo.
We won't be seeing Mary or Ruk until we are seated for the ceremony, and I'm sure Sallack will be at Ruk's side until then. I'm glad in a way that I haven't yet got to see Ruk, I think seeing him in his mating outfit will bring back unforgiving memories.
Richard, as expected is seated at the bar. Dallah has made her way to the Brothers’, and looks to be having a heated conversation with Julian.
"Come on," Angus calls through the loud talking and laughter.
Following him through the guests, we start to walk towards them, but I change courses and find my way to Richard.
"What?" He asks sounding annoyed with my being here.
"Don't be so rude!" I scold him, "2 double vodkas and coke and a double whiskey please," I call to one of the girls serving behind the bar.
"Sure thing Hun."
Placing the drinks down on the bar, I give her a 50 and slide Richard’s whisky to him with a raised brow.
"Bottoms up?" I say sarcastically.
"Maybe later, though I do like the thought of you riding me," he says with a wicked grin.
"Maybe never," I snort and take a large swig from my glass.
"Why are we here?"
"I'm here for them, and you are...I don't know," I shrug my shoulders.
"You always do what is expected of you?" He laughs.
"No, I always do what I know will make the people I love and care for happy."
"Do you ever wish you didn't come here, meet them?"
Looking down at my glass, I avoid his eyes when I answer him.
"Sometimes. But then they make me remember why I care."
"Life would be less painful if you didn't care about so many people," he states.
"I know," I reply shyly.
"Do you want to dance?"
Looking up at him in shock, he smiles down at me mischievously.
"I don't think that is a good idea."
"I didn't ask if it were a good idea, I asked if you want to dance."
Realising where he is going with it, I take his offered hand and join the many couples on the makeshift dance floor.
Pulling me closer to him, I forget where I am and who I am and I just enjoy the music, dance along with a small smile on my lips.
"You're smiling," he teases.
"Don't start trouble tonight. I know you thrive off of it, but not tonight Richard." I tell him sternly, as I know that asking will get me know where, he sees asking as my weakness.
"Ok, ok, no trouble from me," he laughs.
"I hope you mean that. This is hard enough," I speak with the sadness I feel.
The last thing I need is Richard to play on my sadness, he thinks I should be at my strongest, but then he has no idea of what I'm going through. I appreciate that he thinks I can do this with pride in my heart, but pride is not what I will be feeling, anger, rage, and grief take its place, and rightly to.
Chapter 20
As the bar becomes crowded with well wishers, in all shapes and forms, I start to question why I'm here.
But that thought is soon taken when I'm grabbed by the wrist.
Without thinking it through, my clenched fist connects with the stranger’s nose, only it is no stranger, it's Theo!
"Shit! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" I ask apologetically, whilst holding his face in my hands.
"Jeez, that's some hit girl!" He states holding his nose, but smiles anyway.
"I'm sorry; I'm a little on edge."
"No shit," he laughs, "what's up Zara?" He asks watching me closely.
"Oh nothing," I wave it off and smile to him.
"Dance with me?" He holds his hand out to me.
Theo is an alpha along with Sallack, whom have put their differences aside to build a unique pack. Not to mention my family, he wears the symbol on his chest just as the rest of the Brothers’.
"Ok," I take his hand and we make our way to the dance floor.
"Where you been?" He asks as he holds me in his large strong arms.
"Here and there. Where is Mary?"
"Umm, she said you would ask," he frowns lightly, "you don't like her angel?"
"No, I really don't," I tell him truthfully.
"You want to kill her," he asks as if asking me if I want a drink.
"Yeah," I reply truthfully again.
"Want some help?" He asks with a raised brow and a serious face, which makes me smile.
"Some other time," I laugh before kissing his cheek.
"Ok, offers there."
Sighing happily, I place my head on his chest and dance along to the music.
"Zara!?" Sallack's deep growl sounds across the noisy room.
Removing myself from Theo's arms, I look around for him, turning in circles my vision turns blurry and my heart beats rapidly.
"Sallack!" I call with urgency.
"Here," he calls from my back, making me jump in surprise.
"Jeez Sallack! What is it?" I finish gently as I see the fear in his eyes.
No more bad news, please.
"Come with me I need to speak with you," he says sternly.
As my own fear for the situation kicks up a notch, my body is paralysed to the floor.
"Come on!"
"Ok!"
Making my body move, I place one foot in front of the other, past the guests, and their questioning eyes.
Pulling me roughly by the arm, we are soon stopped in out tracks by Richard's large frame.
"Get out of the way!" Sallack growls to him.
"I'll come with you, looks important," he grins.
"No! Stay away! I have to speak with her in private!" He yells, but it has no effect on Richard.
"What the fuck is going on!?" I scream sounding panicked.
"Tell him you need to be alone!"
"Why?"
"You will not want him there, I promise," he states followed by a strange look in his eyes.
Frowning at him, I then look to Richard, silently telling him to leave us.
Standing in Sallack's office, he walks around me and sits in his huge chair, head down, breathing shakily.
"Tell me?" I ask in my own shaky breath.
"He remembers," he says calmly.
Thank god! Finally he has seen what is real.
"Why are you not happy?" I ask confused.
"He still wants her. He has fallen for her, hard," he almost whispers.
"How! I don't believe you, it isn't true!"
"There is more," he sighs.
Holding my chest, I look at him close, but he doesn't look at me.
"Please end my suffering," I beg of him.
"We can't have you here Zara; it's not fair to have you in the pack. People are hurting because of you, people I care for will always feel hurt when you are around," he tells me with a single tear running down his cheek.
"You mean that?" I ask in a cry, holding back the sobs created from his harsh words.
"I need you to go Zara; you are only hurting yourself by being here. I have to put the good of the pack first. Let Ruk live a happy life, one of peace."
"I never wanted to hurt him, you know that!"
"As much as this pains me, you have to go, return in a few years if you wish."
"Un-fucking-believable! After all I have done to keep you safe, always put you first; this is how you treat me. All the promises of being a family. I wanted you as mine!" I cry to him full of grief and heartache.
"I can't ask my Brothers’ to put their lives before yours."
"I never asked for that, I only wanted to be accepted by you, the way I accepted you! I will not b
eg, if you feel this is the right thing to do then I will go, I never meant for any of you to hurt."
"Zara?"
He calls to me as I turn away from him.
"You will be fine, I know you will, it's just for a while," he says as if to soften the blow.
"Yeah," I say through my tears.
Storming out of his office, I run past the guests, past the Brothers’ and my friends.
Just as I go to open the doors, about to run from it all, Richard’s suddenly there pulling me forcibly to him.
"They surround us, you have to stay here. What's wrong now? Forgot your lipstick," he teases.
"Fuck...you!" I spit at him.
"Wow, ok! Right, stay here, I need to speak with Sallack. Don't leave the room!" He tells me with authority.
However, just as he turns to leave me, Sallack appears.
"Sallack we have a problem," Richard warns.
"She is no longer my problem. Fight them together if you must. I will not risk the lives of my pack," he replies coolly.
Laughing, Richard holds me before him and caresses my tear stained cheek.
"The beautiful Charmer needs you, and you refuse her salvation?" he asks sarcastically, taking it all as a joke.
Knocking his hand from my face and pushing him away, I grab the handle of the door to open it.
"I said NO!" Richard yells, slamming his body against the opening door.
"I do not care what is out there, I need to go!" I seethe.
"Don't be so emotional, so he doesn't want you here, so what! No one wants me here!" He says to me as if understanding where I'm coming from, but really, he has no clue.
"Who is out there?" I ask trying to sound brave.
"Demitri, the Sisters and around one hundred Vampires and Werewolves!"
"Werewolves?" Sallack asks in disgust.
"Shut up!" Richard spits before coming close to my face.
"You can't go out there; we can't take them all on. Give him a kiss and make up?"
"This is what I mean! Look at where we are again!" Sallack roars in frustration.
"What?" Richard asks in frustration.
The whole room goes quiet, no one speaks, even breaths.
"You two have to leave, I will not put these peoples life in danger, not for one life."
Frowning, Richard looks to me, then across the room.
"Dallah!" He yells, making everyone jump.
Slowly creeping forward, she hangs her head in shame as she steps to Sallack's side and slips her hand into his.
"Dallah?" Richard asks, wanting to hear her view.
"I'm sorry Zara, I love you, I do," she starts to cry, "but, I love Sallack, and that means I have to agree with him. We have been selfish, the life we have put on them is not fair."
"Where is Julian!?" Richard asks suspiciously.
"He can't be here to see this," Sallack states.
"You want me to go?" I ask in a heart wrenching cry.
"No. But...it's for the best, you would only be leaving soon anyway," she tries to convince.
I cannot believe this is happening. How can she turn her back on me?
"Where is Julian?" I ask whilst searching the room for him.
"If you weren't so wrapped up in your own life, we could have told you that the Witches had got to him," she cries from the heart.
"No!!" My heart leaves my chest, and my knees weaken.
He's gone; I as good as killed him.
"I'm so sorry! I never meant for him to get hurt!"
Catching the fearful eyes of Den, as he steps through the crowd and straight up to me.
"I want you safe babe, with us. But, I can't risk the life of my unborn child," he tells me with tears of his own.
"Where is your spine?" Richard barks.
Holding my hand out to stop him from stepping forward. I watch the Brothers’ step around Sallack, all looking nervous and guilty.
"I'll go."
Closing my eyes, I try desperately to imagine someplace far away.
"Don't run away!" Richard voice reaches my ears.
"Why can't I go, it's not working?" I ask him desperately.
"Calm down Zara!" He calls to me noticeably agitated, "you all wish this upon her?" He asks the Brothers’ whilst standing tall and powerful.
"I'm sorry," each one of the Brothers’ speak gently.
Meeting Dallah's glare, she quickly hides her face in Sallack's chest.
"You're all I have," I cry to them all.
"Had!" Spits Ruk as he walks in from the back rooms.
"You remember?"
"I do. I did love you Zara, so much it hurt. I told you that you would be the death of me, and that is exactly what I got. Don't put them through that. I can't love you any longer. You killed..."
"STOP!!" I yell loudly.
I need them all to stop speaking. I understand they don't want me to be a part of their lives, what they are saying now us just out of spite.
Turning to Richard with a fresh wave of tears, I bite my lip hard before I speak to him in a whisper.
"Please take me away from here, I'll give you anything?" I say to him in shame.
"I can't, they have cursed my powers Zara. You can do this. Wipe the tears away and stand tall," he insists.
Shaking my head no, I stay paralysed on the spot. I don't want to face them again; I can't stand to see the anger in their eyes.
Richard's eyes widen, and his mouth opens wide, holding my breath I make my body turn, and what I see, makes me wish I hadn't.
Theo lays on the floor, white face and blood pooling around him, suddenly Mickey falls to the floor beside him.
Screaming, I take off to him, but Richard holds me back with great strength.
"Go Zara! Look at what you’re doing! They want you, not us!" Someone screams at me, but I don't look up to see who it is, I can't, my eyes are locked with Mickey’s as I watch the life drain from his beautiful face.
Spinning on my heal, I take hold of the exit door and yank it open.
"No!"
Richard picks me up from the floor and holds me against his body.
"Get off! Let me go! You don't care what happens to me!"
Squeezing me to dull my movements of escape, he looks me in the eye as he speaks.
"This isn't real, it can't be!"
"No. Even if it were a trick, it's working. Don't make me watch this. You are the only person stopping me from leaving. I beg you let them take me, anything to stop this?" I plead with him like I have never please with another soul in my life.
"It's not real!"
"Then why are you here? You would be the worse out of them all!"
"I don't know," he again looks out at the Brothers’; this is when another body hits the floor with a sickening thud.
"Parrise!" I scream as I once again watch a man I love die.
"I will do anything, anything you want is yours. Just let me past!!!"
"What of your father, your mother?"
"Why? Why make this harder for me. I can't stand and watch them die."
"No! See this for what it is!"
"Get out Zara; you’re going to end up killing my baby!!" Den screams in rage.
I have nothing now, I will not be held hostage by Richard as I watch those I love and care for killed, while they wait for me to give myself to them.
Kicking Richard in the balls, hard! I push him to the side, swing open the door with a huge bang and run outside.
Falling over my own two feet I land on my face, covered in dirt, I get to my knees.
"I give myself to..."
Someone tackles me to the floor, knocking the wind from me.
"Say it!" The Witches scream with excitement, pushing Richard off, I get to my knees again, only to get tackled back to the ground.
"This is your nightmare; I promise this is not real!"
"This is worse than my nightmares. I’m in hell!"
"Zara, give yourself!" Screams Dallah from inside the bar.
&nbs
p; "Look at me? Now!" Richard orders.
Meting his intense gaze, he holds his forehead to mine.
"Beat them! It's a dream. Think Zara! We knew this would happen. The people in there are not real. I promise you Zara, trust me?!"
Wrapping my arms around his waist, Richard shouts over the top of Dallah's, and Sallack screams.
"Eric! Eric! Rosy kcal silo le eslod insad!"
Lifting my head, from the ground, where Richard was holding it tightly, I see no one. The hundred Vampires have disappeared, the Witches no longer cackle and Demitri's desirable eyes no longer linger.
Breathing out a sigh of complete relief, I hold onto Richard and place my head into the crook of neck.
"Thank you," I cry to him, hugging the life out of him.
"Zara? Richard? What has happened?" My father voice echoes through the dark night.
Jumping to my feet, I slam into him, holding him just as tight as I was Richard.
"Child?" He asks whilst soothing me.
"The Witches got to her, made her live though her nightmares," Richard speaks angrily.
"She fought them?"
"I couldn't... Richard... Held me...down," I cry into him.
"It was not real child. They have lost this battle. Be thankful for that. Look at me Zara?"
Wiping my face with my hands, I look him in the eye.
"I have to find them before it is too late. Meet me at home when the ceremony has ended?"
Nodding me head to him, he hugs me tightly and kisses my forehead a dozen times before making his way over to Richard.
Speaking in hushed voices, Richard looks straight at me with a shady expression, then back to my father with a nod of his head.
When my father disappears, Richard stalks up to me with a look of sorrow.
"Let's go inside," he tells me gently.
"What did he ask of you?"
"Nothing. Let's get this night over with."
“I can't go in like this!" I tell him whilst looking down at myself, and to my amazement I look the same as I did when I left my father’s house.
"Why did you stop me?" I ask, not meeting his eyes.
"It was a dept paid," he tells me gently, meaning I saved him from his nightmares, so he did the same for me.
"Thank you, for stopping me," I tell him and turn my back from him.
Feeling his hand lay upon my shoulder, I let out a sigh as he starts to speak.
Forsaken (book 3) (The Charmer series) Page 21