Beckoned (The Brazil Werewolf Series)
Page 15
I sat up and looked around, finding that my father had broken free of Garridan. He was stalking toward Andre and I stood and stepped between them.
“If you kill him, you kill me,” I said, hoping that he cared enough not to truly want me to die.
He paused and tilted his head as he studied me. He stepped closer and inhaled deeply, taking in my scent. His eyes looked pained, “You’re truly mated to him?”
“You shot me, Father,” I said, raising my chin, “What did you expect him to do? Let me die?”
He looked at Andre and frowned as if unsure what to say. Then, he looked toward Garridan‘s injured and bleeding form. My heart lurched. He had helped me come home. He had become my friend. He couldn‘t die. I wouldn‘t let him.
“This war is over, Father,” I said, raising my chin and he shook his head, “Take your men and leave.”
“He comes with us,” my father said narrowing his eyes at Garridan. Vengeance burned within his gaze, “He’s part of our family, not yours.”
I shook my head, keeping my eyes steadily on my father, “Not anymore,” I said, raising my chin stubbornly. I wouldn’t allow Garridan to be harmed , “I released him from your rule. You’re no longer his alpha. He‘s part of our family.”
My father’s eyes widened as he took a threatening step toward me. I stood my ground though I heard Andre‘s threatening growl behind me, “You have no right.”
“Oh,” I said, giving him a half-grin, “I do have that right…as your daughter. It’s my birthrite. It might do you some good to remember that because I‘m positive that that right doesn‘t end with Garridan. I can free anyone I want…I can free all of your kindred from your rule.”
My father‘s eyes narrowed, “That right does end with the bond I have with my mate.”
“What mate?” I asked, wondering who would want to be with him.
“You’re mother,” he said, grinning when I took a deep inhale of breath. I felt suddenly cold. His grin widened when my eyes narrowed, “That’s right,” he said, grinning, “I was the one that bit her and then, I blood-mated with her. She drank my blood that night. Also, we’ve mated.”
“Against her will!” I screamed truly angered but he continued as if I had not spoken.
“I had hoped we’d be a true family but you ruined it,” he said, angrily, “You chose this dog over one of my own.”
Tears burned my eyes as I thought of my mother. Garridan’s words to my father the day they kidnapped me came back to haunt me, I can’t take her from her mate. That is cruel and she‘ll mourn him until she dies. I could not…would not allow that to happen to my mother.
My father continued to speak and I looked up at him swallowing over the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat, “There is only one other thing that I can do to fully bond her to me. I’m sure that I could demand it of her,” He grinned, flashing his teeth, “I’m sure she would agree.”
“If you do that you’ll be bonded to her too,” I said, shocked and afraid, “You already are.”
My eyes widened as I seen his eyes darken. My mouth dropped open as I realized something that I had never even dared to think. He wanted to be bound to my mother. He had wanted her all along.
I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. He had raped her…harmed her because of his attraction to her. I had been brought into the world because of it. He had forcefully bonded himself to her in hopes of having her with him. My head raised to look into his eyes. I breathed in quickly, terrified of what all of this meant for my mother. Worse, I had to keep him from bonding with her anymore than he already had.
“You will not bond with her further,” I said, straightening my spine and glancing at Garridan, “And know this, if you bond yourself to my mother any further, you will lose what is left of your family. You choose what is more important.”
He shook his head, “Well, played, daughter,” he spat as he looked toward Garridan.
“He stays,” I said, raising my chin.
“Keep him,” he said, angry again, “He’s no better than this family of dogs.”
“This war is over,” I said, looking back at Andre, “Do you understand, Father?”
“I understand,” he said with narrowed eyes.
“Now, get your men and go,” I whispered, turning from him. Andre walked protectively beside me as we helped Garridan and the rest of our family back to the motor home park.
As we walked, Andre looked at me sadly, “You do know that it isn’t truly over, don’t you?” he asked, “He’ll find a way to start the war again.”
“Well, until then, I suppose we need to enjoy the time we have,” I said.
Andre smiled that half smile that I love so much, “I’m sure that we will find a few ways to do that.”
Epilogue
I stared at the little plastic stick blinking as I did. A positive sign rested in the window. I blinked again feeling my heart swell as I rubbed my stomach gently and grinned widely, marveling that a little life lived in there.
I opened the door and burst out of it, nearly running over Andre as I did. A half-grin lit up his face as he looked down into my bright, eyes. He frowned tilting his head as he studied me.
“What has made you so happy?” He asked, beaming, “I hope that it has something to do with me.”
“Of course, it does,” I said, ecstatic. I kissed him briefly on the lips before handing him the stick. He looked at it, confused until I said, “I hope you want to be a daddy.”
His eyes widened as he looked down at the stick, studying it while looking a bit dazed. Finally, he looked up, giving me the half-grin that I loved so much, “Really?”
I nodded and he picked me up and spun me around, “Do you know how much I love you.”
“Yep,” I grinned, happily, “Less than I love you.”
“Not a chance,” he said, kissing my nose before nuzzling it for a moment.
My eyes widened excited, “We have to tell our parents.”
He beamed, “I’ll tell them.”
I pouted and he grinned as he took my hand, gently in his, “We’ll tell them together,” he said, and then, laughed, “I’m a bit worried about leaving you alone anyway. Everytime I do, someone tries to take you away from me.”
“I don’t think that you have to worry about that anymore,” I said, as we walked through the motor home park.
“Well, let’s just say that my nerves haven’t calmed from the last time,” he whispered.
I rolled my eyes and then, smiled, excited as we walked. We found Sophia and Gavriel sitting with my mother outside of their home. My excitement nearly died as I looked at my mother. She looked pale. Dull, lifeless eyes stared out from her sad, drawn face. She had lost weight, seeming smaller than she had even during the throws of the fever.
“We have some news,” Andre said, and everyone looked up, including my mother. She tilted her head interested for once in something happening around her. Andre looked at me and I smiled nodding my head as we said in unison, “We’re going to have a baby!”
Sophia jumped and put a hand over her heart, “I’m going to be a grandmother!” She said, excitedly. She looked at my mother who was smiling, softly, “We’re going to be grandmothers, Fiona!”
My mother stood and hugged me, “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered with her eyes filling with tears, “I can’t believe that my baby is having a baby.”
“Oh, Momma,” I cried, hugging her, “I’m not a baby anymore.”
“You’ll always be a baby to me,” she said and then, smiled, “And I hope that you know that. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Momma,” I said as she patted my cheek.
“I know you do, Baby,” she whispered as she sat back down.
I continued to glance toward her as Gavriel and Sophia gushed over the news. I seen her smile but it never reached her eyes. Sadness rolled off of her in waves. Andre must have sensed my worry because he made excuses to leave.
We walked side by side as w
e walked through the park finally arriving home. He turned to me when we were alone, “She’ll be okay, Aurora,” he whispered, caressing my cheek, “She will be.”
“I’m not sure,” I said, frowning, as tears filled my eyes, “When I was kidnapped, Garridan had tried to talk my father out of it by telling him that I was bonded to you and without my mate it could kill me,” I said, wiping a tear from my cheek, “If that’s true, my mother could die without my father.”
He winced, “She’s not fully bonded,” he said, biting his bottom lip, “so it’s possible for her to break the bond. She’ll have to do that herself though and it will take time. You have to let her deal with it.”
“Okay,” I whispered, hoping that he was right.
**********
That night, the wind whipped around the motor home hard enough to knock it over. I sat up, looking around frightened when I did not find Andre beside me. I stood and walked into the living room, shocked to find him with Sophia.
I frowned as I looked at her, feeling dread grip my heart, “What is it?” I asked, looking from her to Andre. I tapped into Andre’s feelings, feeling the worry there.
“You can’t get upset, Aurora,” Sophia whispered, gaining my attention, “You have to remember the baby.”
I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. I took a deep breath and nodded my head desperately, “What’s happened?”
“It’s Fiona,” Sophia said, softly, “When I woke up, she was gone.”
“Gone?” I asked, feeling the color drain from my face.
“She left you this,” Sophia said, handing me an envelope with my name scrawled across it in my mother’s familiar hand.
I frowned as I grasped it, tearing it opened and stared at the paper with tears blurring my eyes. I blinked allowing them to fall down my face as I read the note aloud.
Dear Aurora,
Before I tell you what has happened, I want you to know how very much I love you. You are my baby but you’ve grown up and now have a family of your own. My decisions do not affect you as much as they used to. I am happy about the baby and I will come back frequently. Do not think that I won’t be in your lives.
This decision was a hard one to make. I didn’t want to leave you but I have to. I am drawn to your father and I think that I may love him. I feel bad for what he did still but it has faded and I think that I understand. I have to find out what this is. I can not believe what Sophia tells me…that it is a bond that he forced on me. Your bond wasn’t forced. You chose it. Maybe I chose mine.
For now, know I love you and try to forgive your father. I’m sure he loves you.
Love Always,
Mother
I stared at the letter for a few moments turning it over a couple of times as if there would be more on the back. I shook my head as more tears fell onto my cheeks.
“Is there a way to break a bond?” I asked, looking at Sophia terrified.
“No,” she whispered, “Especially the blood bond.”
I looked at Gavriel and he shook his head, “We chose our bonds,” he said, looking at me heartbroken, “We were lucky. Your mother had hers forced on her. She’s obsessed as is your father now. Thankfully, she won’t be harmed by him or anyone else if he can help it. He’ll be protective…very protective. Still, I don’t see how this will be broken . I haven’t known anyone to try.”
I began to cry then and I felt Andre wrap me in his arms. I didn’t know what to do. Andre and I had loved each other before mating or blood mating. Only our marriage had happened before that and we had been friends but my mother had been frightened of my father and had changed so completely that she believed herself in love with him.
I looked up at Andre and he kissed me gently as he looked into my eyes, “We will find a way to save your mother, I promise.”
I nodded but the situation was hopeless. How was my mother going to break his bond? When he beckoned her she would always go to him just as I would always go to Andre.
Other Books By This Author
The Hidden (Book 1) The Alexandra Denton Chronicles
Upcoming Projects
The Chosen (Book 2) The Alexandra Denton Chronicles
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One Family
Chapter Two Secrets
Chapter Three Betrothed
Chapter Four Announcements
Chapter Five My Father’s choice
Chapter Six Freedom
Chapter Seven Marriage
Chapter Eight Wedding Bells
Chapter Nine Wedding Night
Chapter Ten Forgiveness
Chapter Eleven Too Late
Chapter Twelve Monsters
Chapter Thirteen Katie
Chapter Fourteen Bliss and Blood
Chapter Fifteen Eavesdropping
Chapter Sixteen The Forest
Chapter Seventeen The Change
Epilogue
Other Books By This Author