His eyes become brighter, and the raw emotion I see shining there is my undoing. I grab his face between my hands. “I want to make something clear, Saxon Hellström. You’re the male I love; you’re my mate. I won’t go without you. If you need to stay here for a while to help the king and your friends, I’ll stay too.”
“But what about the training? You’re part of the warlocks’ creed now.”
“They can wait. I’ll be here as long as you have to be. And when the time comes for me to head to Scotland, you’re coming with me.”
“Damn straight I will. It doesn’t matter where we end up, Rora. Home is where you are.”
I’m on the verge of bawling my eyes out again. “Even hell?”
“Even hell.”
Saxon
Life gives me and Aurora exactly twenty-four hours of uninterrupted bliss before it decides we’ve had enough. Lucca is the one who comes to burst our bubble. He’s alone, looking somber as hell for the first time since his curse was broken.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more time to rest,” he apologizes, then glances at Aurora.
“It’s okay. We didn’t expect our problems to simply disappear,” she replies. “If it hadn’t been you, it would have been Solomon or my mother.”
“Actually, she asked me to tell you that she’s spoken to the elders. You and Saxon are cleared of any charges.”
I snort. “Yippee-ki-yay. Aren’t we lucky?”
“Not so much. It’s possible we might have lost half the support of the magical community.” Lucca links his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’m not surprised by that. Their ways are archaic. They’re the type to cut off their noses to spite their faces,” Aurora remarks.
“The High Witch still supports the king, but the issue now is that since you are a warlock and mated to a vampire, you can’t be the next in line for that position.”
“I knew that. It should be Miranda, but I was hoping to spare her or Niko the burden.”
“That’s the problem. Neither wants the role and your mother supports their decision. I think it’s what pissed off the Council of Witches the most.”
I watch Aurora closely, noting her surprise. “I can’t believe she did that.”
“She seemed remorseful for the things she put you through.”
“And you know what she’s done to me?”
Lucca looks sheepish. “Vivi might have mentioned a few things.”
She glances away, but she can’t hide the distress in her heart. Our connection is only getting stronger, and I can read her like a book now.
“Where do we stand with the dragons?” I ask to change the subject. “And what happened to that outsider pack?”
“I haven’t heard anything from Karl or Cheryl about the wolf business yet, but Larsson has managed to appease his people for now.”
“And Jacques?”
“We believe he’s no longer in Salem. We have searchers looking for him, though.”
Glancing at Aurora, I ask, “Do you think Elena was working with Jacques? The timing seems too convenient to have been a coincidence.”
“I don’t know. It’s possible. She knew that the king would eventually succumb to the disease afflicting the first generation.”
Lucca’s posture changes, becoming more rigid, and his eyes are guarded.
“What are you going to do about your uncle?” I ask.
His shoulders sag forward as he lets out a heavy sigh. “It’s the absolute worst time for him to abdicate from the throne, but he has asked me to take a more hands-on role in his court. My time here at Bloodstone is over.”
“Which means our time is over.” I can’t say I’m unhappy about leaving this place, but there’s Aurora to think about too. “You don’t have to stay here anymore, do you?”
“No. It was only a requirement because I was the future High Witch.”
“Good. When are we moving out?” I ask Lucca.
“As soon as possible. Before I forget.” He pulls out a small box from his jacket pocket. “This is for you.”
“What is it?”
“A gift from my uncle.”
I open the box, finding a red rose pin inside. The pin soldiers from the Red Guard wear. “I don’t understand. Why did he give me this?”
“He wants you and Ronan to officially join the Red Guard.”
My throat closes up with emotion, and I can’t think of what to say. I’ve trained with those soldiers, but I never in a million years expected to join their ranks. I didn’t think I would be worthy of wearing this badge of honor, considering who my father was.
“This is surreal, but I can’t accept it,” I finally say.
“Why not?” He stands straighter.
“I’m the reason Boone was able to wound you with the vampire’s bane-forged sword. If I hadn’t abandoned my post to … If I hadn’t neglected my duties, I could have stopped him.”
Lucca stares at me with round eyes. “That’s madness. You didn’t abandon your post, Sax. I told you to take the evening off.”
I shake my head. “I shouldn’t have gone. I knew the enemy was close.”
Aurora places her hand on my back. “Sax, I think it’s high time you let go of your past. You’re not your father. You’re the most courageous and loyal male I’ve ever met. You saved my sister from a demon, and you went to hell for it.”
“We need you in the Red Guard, Sax. You deserve it,” Lucca adds.
It’s hard for me to let go of the guilt. I’ve been carrying it for so long. But maybe they’re right. I have to accept that certain things that happened were beyond my control. A burning in my eyes comes from out of nowhere. I don’t want to cry like a baby, but the choke in my throat is real.
I glance up, fighting the tears. “Thank you.”
The whites of Lucca’s eyes are a little red now, but he keeps it together.
“You’re welcome.” He stands. “I’d better go. There is lots to do. I expect Aurora will be moving in with you in the mansion.”
I seek her gaze, not knowing where she stands on that. “My living quarters are big enough. You’ll be comfortable, I promise.”
She smiles from ear to ear, making her eyes twinkle. “Sax, I’d move in with you even if your room were the size of a shoebox.”
God, I couldn’t love this woman more. The mating bond flares up in an instant, bright and strong. I forget Lucca and pull Aurora into my arms, crushing my lips to hers.
“Okay, then. I’d better go help Vivi with … packing.”
He’s out of Aurora’s apartment in a flash, almost as fast as I make her clothes disappear.
“Okay, where to now?” I ask in between kisses.
She wrinkles her forehead. “Would you think I’m lame if I said the bed?”
I laugh.
“Well, my tush is sore from banging on the kitchen counter earlier,” she continues.
“Rora, darling, making love to you will never, ever be lame. Besides, there’s plenty we haven’t tried yet on that mattress.”
“Like what?” The corners of her lips twitch up.
“Have you ever heard of bondage?”
Her eyebrows arch and her beautiful hazel eyes glint with mischief. That’s a shot of libido straight to my cock.
“I knew I liked you for a reason.” She links her fingers with mine. “Let’s go.”
This is the end of Aurora and Saxon’s story … for now. Continue reading for a teaser of Forgotten Heir.
44
Miranda
A week later
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve checked my phone. I haven’t heard from Rikkon since he had the vision about Aurora. We’ve become close after the Nightshade Market incident, despite what everyone said. We started out as friends, but I wish we were more than that. Sometimes, I think he also wants to cross the friendship line, but he never does. And now he’s radio silent.
I know nothing bad has happened to him, or I w
ould have heard about it. And yet, my heart feels heavy all the time, gripped by anxiety and fear.
He’s no longer residing in the institute. He’s moved into Lucca’s mansion with the rest of the gang. Aurora is there too, but I haven’t visited yet. I’ve been avoiding seeing her because I know she’s going to bring up Rikkon. I can’t deal with a sermon on why I shouldn’t get involved with him. The talk might be wasted anyway. It’s possible that all the loaded glances and fleeting touches meant nothing. Don’t people in love see what they want and not what’s true?
There’s a knock on the door, and then Niko walks in.
I toss the phone on my bed and grab a pillow to hug. Somehow, I need the protection, even if it’s the fluffy variety.
“What are you doing? You’ve been moping for days.” She gives my room a cursory glance and then her eyes zero in on my phone. “You haven’t heard from him yet, have you?”
“What?” I squeak. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, come on. I’m not stupid. I know you have a major crush on Vivienne’s brother. I don’t blame you. He’s hot.”
Heat creeps up to my cheeks, and I can’t even hide my embarrassment because my hair is tied in a ponytail.
“We’re just friends.”
“Shit. He has friend-zoned you? Is it because of your major age difference?” She plops on my bed, folding her legs under her.
“He’s immortal, Niko. Age is irrelevant to him.”
At least I hope it is.
“Your birthday is in two weeks. Eighteen is better than seventeen for sure.”
I clutch the pillow tighter. “Ugh. I don’t want to talk about him with you.”
“Fine.” She jumps off the bed. “But can I give you a piece of advice? If you want more than friendship from him, you have to pounce. Don’t just wait around for him to make the first move. Take control.” She slams a closed fist against her palm.
“Okay, Love Doctor. I’ll definitely do that. As a matter of fact, I’m just going to head over to his place and attack his mouth.”
Ha, right. Wouldn’t that be something?
Niko’s lips break into a wide grin. “It seems you’ve been thinking about doing that quite a lot. Stop thinking and just do it. Carpe noctem.”
My phone decides to ping just then, making my heart somersault to the top of my throat. Niko is still watching me with a knowing smile when I flip my phone to see who texted me. It’s Rikkon. Boom. My heart soars. God, I have it bad.
“By the upturn of your lips, I guess that’s a message from him?”
I level a glower at her. “Why are you still here? Get out!” I toss my pillow in her direction.
“I’m leaving. Unlike you, I do have a social life. I’m going out with Troy. Don’t tell Mom.”
“Who is Troy?”
“A boy in my class. He works at the movie theater, which is pretty convenient.”
“And why can’t Mom know about him?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Because his dad runs the guild of rogue mages in Salem.” She flashes me a toothy grin, and then bails.
Of course. Niko couldn’t simply date someone from a regular family. Even a human would have been more preferable to Mom than rogues. I’d worry if her boyfriends lasted more than a month. Troy is the flavor of the week, hardly worth my concern.
I switch my attention to my phone, trembling as I swipe the screen to reveal Rikkon’s message. There are more than one, sent an hour ago. Somehow, there was a delay on his end. Maybe he didn’t have coverage where he was. The first messages are just a bunch of random characters typed in. My heart sinks. He must have butt-typed these. But as I keep scrolling, my disappointment turns into real concern. In one of them he asks me to join him at Tuck an’ Roll, a dive bar in a skeevy part of town.
Fuck. There’s only one reason he’d go there: to score drugs.
I should have known. With the way visions have plagued him lately, it was just a matter of time before he relapsed.
Propelled by a sense of urgency, I get dressed in warm clothes and bolt out of my room. It’s early in the evening and Mom won’t be home for another hour or so. I’m glad that I don’t have to explain to her where I’m going in such a hurry. She’s been more attentive lately, which is an improvement, but also a curse. Niko and I are too used to independence.
I open the front door with a jerky movement, not prepared for the body that falls into me. A yell escapes my lips, but then I recognize Rikkon’s long blond hair under his hoodie. I stagger back, straining with the weight of his body in my arms.
“What the hell, Rikkon?”
He straightens up, looking at me through glazed eyes. He reeks of cheap beer, too. Damn it.
“I’m sorry, Mir. I tried to resist. But I was hurting so much. It’s all good now.”
I pull him inside, and then shut the door. He leans against the wall, dropping his head into his hand.
“What did you take?”
“It was just pot and a lot of beer.” He hiccups.
I grab his hand and steer him to the kitchen. “Come on. We need to get you sobered up.”
“How about some food? I’m starved.”
“I bet you are.”
I pull up a chair and force him to sit down. But Rikkon grabs my hand again, pulling me onto his lap. My pulse quickens while my heart drums like a hummingbird trapped in my chest.
“You’re such a good friend, Mir.” His eyes become clearer somehow as he stares into mine. “And so damn gorgeous. Sometimes it’s hard to not let the lines blur.” His gaze drops to my lips, and I’m pretty sure I stop breathing at that point.
He leans in and brushes his lips against mine. Electric sparks crackle where we touch, but a sense of wrongness also comes with it, soiling the moment. I pull back, then jump off his lap.
“You’re drunk and high. Let’s keep the lines sharp.”
I turn around and get busy pulling stuff out of the fridge, but I’m screaming inside. I can’t believe I ran away from him. So what if he’s drunk? Doesn’t alcohol make people do what they’ve secretly being craving for a while?
“What do you feel like eating? I can make a grilled cheese if you like.”
The screeching noise of a chair rasping against the floor draws my attention. Rikkon is standing still, his body all of a sudden tense as he stares into the hallway.
I follow his line of vision, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. “What is it?”
“Is the Taluah Mirror here?” he asks without looking at me.
“Yes. My mother brought it home from Elena’s apartment. Why?”
“It’s calling to me.”
He leaves the kitchen, heading straight for my mother’s office where the mirror is. I follow Rikkon, feeling incredible unease now. That mirror turned into a portal to hell. Why is it calling him? My mother keeps it covered with a black sheet for that reason. She doesn’t dare to look at it, not even by accident. But Rikkon pulls the sheet off. Right now, it’s working as a mirror, not a portal—at least, the only thing I see reflected is Rikkon’s image.
I stay back, not daring to come any closer. Niko told me what she saw when Aurora and Saxon were trying to get back from hell. And Aurora saw something awful in it too. I don’t dare risk it.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
He neither answers nor takes his eyes off the object. Worry gnaws at my insides. What if he’s trapped in a horrifying vision? I’m about to pull him back when he raises his arm and touches the surface. A bright flash of light illuminates the entire room, almost blinding me. I sling my arm over my face to protect my eyes. When it fades, Rikkon is sprawled on the floor, unmoving.
“Shit!” I run to him, and make sure I don’t look directly into the mirror when I hook my arms under his armpits and drag him a safe distance away. Then I cover the mirror with the sheet again.
He groans, slowly coming back to the world of the living. I drop into a crouch next to him and push his long hair off his face.
He blinks his eyes open, but it’s another moment before he focuses on my face.
“Are you okay?”
He doesn’t answer right away, and I fear he has a concussion. His eyes become rounder suddenly, and at once, he sits up, grabbing me by the shoulders. “I saw Ellnesari, Mir. Through the mirror. I saw my mother’s court. I remember everything.”
To Be Continued…
PRE-ORDER NOW
Also by Michelle Hercules
Paranormal Romance:
Dark Prince (Blueblood Vampires #1)
Wild Thing (Blueblood Vampires #2)
Forgotten Heir (Blueblood Vampires #3)
Reckless Times (Paragon Society #1)
Savage Games (Paragon Society #2)
A Touch of Hades (Gods After Dark: Mortal Games #1)
Contemporary Romance:
Wonderwall (Love Me, I’m Famous #1)
Break You Hard
Reverse Harem Romance:
Wicked Gods (Gifted Academy #1)
Ruthless Idols (Gifted Academy #2)
Hateful Heroes (Gifted Academy #3)
Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4)
Lost Horizon (Oz in Space #1)
Magic Void (Oz in Space #2)
Red’s Alphas (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #1)
Wolf’s Calling (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #2)
Pack’s Queen (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #3)
Mother of Wolves (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #4)
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Michelle Hercules always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.
Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2) Page 29