by Tamara White
What the hell? When did Lincoln get here?
Ten
The Maker’s Return
Talon
I’m sitting in the car with my hands gripping the steering wheel in anger. I want to be with Emerald, not Maria. But I knew if I didn’t come with her now, Maria would just call me using diplomatic channels, and that would have made things worse. Technically, if she did it that way, she could call Nik and Dev to her side also, since what’s mine is technically Maria’s. And if they were summoned, Emerald would make it her mission to come with, and she needs to be far from Maria, where she’s safer.
Emerald isn’t alone anymore. In addition to us, she has formed a concrete bond with Lincoln and with each of her best friend’s husbands. Something I was a little apprehensive of at first. But now, I can’t deny that it feels normal for them to be a part of our life. Like maybe they are truly meant to be part of our ties. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it all develops though.
Since we now know Britt had nothing to do with our ties being broken, it puts a whole new spin on her behavior. I thought she was just being evasive because of Emerald. But now, I realize she was letting Em spend more time with her husbands so that they spent less time with her. I’m not sure why exactly she would want that, but that’s something I’ll have to figure out later.
Right now, I have to get my ass out of this car, go upstairs, and into my maker’s home here on American soil, and just hope she allows me to leave. Shit, I better get this over with.
I release my grip on the wheel and open the door, then I climb out and glance up at the place I used to consider my home when I first came to this continent.
After I make my way around the car, I take the steps two at a time, noticing the lack of security. Maybe Maria has grown cockier in her advanced age. She had only just taken over as queen of the coven when I left. I couldn’t stand being by her side when she clearly held no value for life. She just wanted to fuck and kill, and to bring down the humans. But I wanted no part in that. I understood humans were important. They fed us and also helped to keep us all functioning.
After all, vampires can’t go outside easily during the daytime, so it helps to have humans working for you, to do the jobs that you may not be able to otherwise.
I get to the outer entry, ivy covering the old wooden home, making it look all the more foreboding in the night. I go straight in, because if I knocked, it would make it obvious I no longer think of myself as Maria’s. She may have let me leave the first time thanks to Emerald’s grandparents and their sway, but if I do anything to make her angry, she can just as easily command me back to her side, only this time without a choice. And since there is no longer a soul-tie between Emerald and I, it will be easy for her to do so.
Maria used to be able to control me with just a thought, but I’m stronger now. Still, if she commanded me with the power of blood, I know I would be unable to resist. I would end up doing whatever she said, regardless of how I felt about it. That’s the power of the bond between a maker and their progeny.
I make my way through the house and back to the great room where I know Maria will be waiting for me. Sure enough, there she is in the largest chair in the room, which is as close to a throne as she could get while keeping with the decor.
Stepping into the room, I go to bow at her feet, showing her the respect owed to a coven queen. “I came as you desired, My Queen. What is it you wish of me?”
I keep my head bowed, which is fortunate because her next words send a ripple of shock through me.
“I was recently informed by a member of your coven that your soul-tie was broken by a witch. For your safety, you will return with me back to Paris. We leave in an hour.”
My mind reeling, I try to come up with some way to escape this. But I can’t think of anything that will get me out of here and also ensure Emerald’s safety. Even so, I still try. “Your Grace, I understand you fear for my safety, but I’m needed here. I am a guard to the princess. If I leave, she will be vulnerable to attack. I couldn’t live with myself if I ran and the princess was hurt because of that.”
I keep my voice devoid of emotion and look up into my queen’s eyes, hoping she will feel some sense of sympathy for my position. After all, it is the utmost betrayal for a guard to leave his charge defenseless.
Maria simply smiles at me though. “From what I know, she has at least two other guards, plus five or six others who I know would protect her from harm. And as for your duties, Sierra and I have spoken. She agrees you no longer have any official ties here. Unless you wish not to leave for some reason I am unaware of?”
She gives me a pointed look, waiting for a response. But I know if I say anything about Emerald, Maria might call her too. I was, after all, the one to initiate her vampiric side, even though she’s technically been part vampire since birth. It’s better to be safe though. I’d rather Maria just take me, and not Emerald, Dev, and Nik as well.
“No, My Queen. There is nothing tying me here. We shall leave whenever you are ready.”
She smiles at me with a look of triumph in her eyes and I curse internally.
How on earth am I ever going to tell Emerald why I’m really leaving? I’m sure she’ll think it’s for all the same reasons she did when the bond was severed and she refused to talk to us. I don’t want Emerald ever thinking I don’t care about her.
I love her. And because of her and the others, I’m doing this.
Eleven
The Call
Emerald
Blaine freezes at the sight of my two guys and Lincoln, my werewolf mate. I can tell he has no idea what to do, so I take charge of the situation. “Can one of you guys take Blaine back upstairs?” I ask, stepping out of the closet and into the bedroom. I look at Nik and Dev as I speak, because Lincoln couldn’t help with that if he tried—the biometrics wouldn’t accept him.
Dev glances at Nik before sighing. He gestures with his head for Blaine to follow him out of the bedroom. I wave goodbye to him as he steps into the elevator with Dev by his side.
The doors close and I plop down on the small sofa, waiting for Nik or Lincoln to speak, but they remain silent until Dev returns. He rushes out of the elevator, speeding over to me and dropping to his knees in front of me. “Are you okay?” he inquires, his voice thick with concern.
And that’s what breaks me. Tears well and I slide from the couch into his arms, clinging on for dear life as I’m racked with overwhelming guilt. Nik joins Dev, and he runs a hand down my hair as if to soothe me, but I think it comforts him more than it does me.
When my tears are finally all gone, I look up to see Lincoln hovering behind Nik and Dev, seeming unsure what to do. I smile up at him, wiping my cheeks. “Sorry, that was probably a pretty gross breakdown, wasn’t it?”
He forces a laugh, but his eyes look haunted. “Killer, you’re not allowed to do that to me ever again. I thought you were dying.”
I cock my head, confused about what he means. Then Dev lifts me up and sits me back down on the couch. It’s so weird to see the three of them standing there together like they’re a team. At that thought, I keenly feel Talon’s absence once more. Where the hell is he?
“Why did you think I was dying?” I query, curious what Lincoln is talking about. Did he somehow feel the inner turmoil I went through?
He crouches down in front of me, reaching out to take hold of my hand. He stares at Nik and Dev while he speaks, but I listen too. “I was on a run with the pack when I felt a wave of fear shoot through me. It was so strong that it forced my shift back to human. When I tried to focus on what was wrong, I felt your need. It was so fucking painful that it brought tears to my eyes. At first, I thought you had been hurt so badly that your beast was craving flesh, that maybe that was the need you felt. But then my body lit up like a thousand insects were crawling all over me, and that’s when I felt your arousal. I got here just after the witch was sealed into the closet with you. And while part of me wants to wring his fucking neck for
even touching you, I felt the need dissipate and you gain control. So whatever the hell he did worked, for which I’m thankful.”
I look up at Nik and Dev curiously. “And you guys? Did you feel it too?” I ask, dreading the answer. It just doesn’t sit well with me that they might have felt me having sex with another man.
Nik fidgets uncomfortably before answering, “Yes, we felt the pain, as well as your hunger. We knew you needed us, but it was like no matter how much we gave, it just wasn’t enough. Dev was close to passing out in the shower. If Blaine hadn’t come down when he did, then I don’t know if either of us would have been enough to sustain you.”
Dev nods sadly, as if at a loss for what to say. “Dev?” I coax, needing to know how he feels about everything. I’m not going to outright say what happened in that closet, but I would have to be a fool to think they didn’t already know.
He looks up at me with tear-filled eyes. “I felt your pain but I couldn’t help, which killed me. When Blaine came in and told us what was happening, I knew he could help. You fought against taking more from me, because my body was already weak since I haven’t been feeding as often. Blaine’s given us strict instructions to remain fully fed so that if something like this happens again, you can be replenished with our energy alone. But he did point out that if Talon had been here, then you would have probably been fine, because we could have rotated and fed from bags between rounds until you were recharged.”
Ugh, ‘recharged’ makes me feel like I’m nothing more than a battery to be filled. “Speaking of Talon, have either of you heard from him? If all the people with some kind of connection to me felt what was happening, then that means he would’ve too, since our tie is obviously still there, even if it’s faint. And he’ll probably run right back to the coven, ready to kill someone.”
Nik curses and speeds over to the other side of the room. He digs around in a bag, pulling out his communicator. He dials Talon’s private cell, the one he always carries on him and is heavily encrypted, putting it on speaker as he does.
Talon answers on the first ring, his voice coming through clear as day. “What?” he growls, and I frown. If he felt what the others did, he would have asked about me straight away, not acted like Nik was inconveniencing him by calling.
“Hey, man. Just calling to see if you were okay? If you felt anything different tonight?” Nik probes, looking at Dev, his eyes conveying some kind of message I can’t understand.
“No, I felt nothing. Now if you don’t mind, I’m busy.”
“Talon?” I call, and hear his breath hitch, like he didn’t expect me to be here. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I try not to sound too worried, but I just feel like something is off.
He doesn’t say anything, so I try again. “When are you coming home? I miss you,” I tell him, being one-hundred-percent truthful. We’ve only been apart for a few hours, but if feels like he might as well be on the other side of the world.
He sighs through the phone sadly. “I’m not coming home, Emerald.”
“What?” I exclaim, sure I must have heard him wrong.
Dev wraps his arms around me and we both look down at the phone in Nik’s palm like it’s broken. Nik lifts his hand to bring the phone closer to his mouth. “Tal, what are you talking about, man? If you’re not coming home, then where are you?”
“Look, I’m not ever coming back, okay? I realized what Emerald was saying was the truth. Being with her when she’s in such a vulnerable state isn’t worth it. I want a woman who’s strong and can offer something to the relationship, like her immortality. Now she’s just nothing but a crossbreed who can’t even take care of herself. I decided it was time to return home with my maker.”
“Tal, man, you don’t really mean that, do you? I know you love Emerald,” Dev insists from over my head. Tears stream down my face, his words completely crushing me.
He laughs harshly across the line. “Seriously? You know I was just trying to get into her pants. I told you that from the beginning. And once I fucked her pathetic body, I knew I didn’t need her anymore. Even when she kept coming back for me, I only fucked her to keep up pretenses.”
My body freezes at that, and I look around at the others hopefully, wondering if they picked up the same thing I did. Nik frowns down at the phone, as if it could give him answers. I realize there must be a reason why he’s talking like this, so I decide to play along. “Fuck you, Talon! You were the pathetic one in this relationship. Hell, you couldn’t even get it up without biting me!”
“Whatever, Emerald. Maybe you should run back to Mommy and Daddy and ask them to fix all your problems like the spoiled princess you are.”
Then the line goes dead. Nik looks up at the clock. “We have four more hours before the sun is down. Then, we’ll go straight to the coven.”
Lincoln growls, reminding us of his presence. “You have got to be kidding me! You’re going to look for that piece of shit after what he said?” he demands furiously, looking at each of us in confusion. That’s when I realize he didn’t understand the clues like we did.
“Linc, I’ve never had sex with Talon.” I wait for a moment and can see in his eyes the moment it dawns on him.
“He was trying to tell you what was going on without clueing in his kidnapper.”
I nod and hurry to the elevator, not caring I’m still dressed like this. I can find other clothes upstairs, I’m sure.
“Hold up, Em. Let me activate the blackout shutters first,” Nik says, before walking over to the wall where a keypad rests.
Blackout shutters? I wonder to myself, as he types in a code. When he hits enter, I hear a mechanical whirring, even from down here. I wonder just what exactly shutters are for. Are they to block out sun? Why not just use curtains?
Once that’s finished, Nik comes back over to me. He presses the elevator’s scanner and then the doors open. We all manage to squeeze inside, but it’s a much tighter fit with the addition of Lincoln than it was with just the three of us earlier.
When we get to the main floor of the house, I hurry out of the elevator, all but running in my haste to get to Britt’s room. By the time I get there, she’s already at the door. She looks weak and her color still hasn’t returned, but she looks determined.
“Can you and the guys come down to the living room to talk? Or can I come in to talk to you if you aren’t feeling up to it?”
“Sure, Mer. We’ll be out in ten. Can you make me some coffee?” she requests softly, keeping her eyes lowered. I frown at the sight of this new submissive side to my friend.
“Sure thing, hun. I’ll make us all some,” I agree quietly, sensing that one wrong move may set her off into a panic attack. I don’t understand why she’s so withdrawn, but I guess that’s something I can ask her in private later. I don’t want to point out her weaknesses when others may be listening.
Instead of lingering, I turn on my heel and go back out to the living room and kitchen area, surprised to find Nik already making coffee. I guess he must have heard Britt’s request. Lincoln and Dev are sitting side by side at the bar, and I can’t help but watch the two of them as they talk about what to do about Talon.
It makes my heart swell seeing them getting along so nicely. I was really worried that there would be a rift between Lincoln and the others, what with them being different species and all.
Nik lifts his eyes and smiles at me as I walk toward him. “Thank you for making coffee,” I tell him, going around the counter and pressing myself against him.
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and lets me just bask in his comfort. “You’re welcome, babe.” His endearment makes me smile.
“How is Brittany?” Lincoln inquires, having obviously been filled in on her rescue. I wonder if the guys told him or if he just figured it out, what with his werewolf hearing and all. I imagine no conversation is truly safe in this house. As it is, I can hear Britt arguing with one of her guys, but I focus on tuning it out. Such is the curse of super hearing.
/> I shrug and busy myself by lining up mugs as I answer, “She’s okay, I guess, but there’s something that just feels off. If I didn’t know any better, I would think she had been gone for weeks, not hours. It’s like her spirit has been broken. Even now, she’s arguing with her husbands, which is very unusual for her. Sure, she’s playfully teased them plenty of times, but if what’s going on up there is anything to go by, then she’s not doing well.”
“No, she’s not,” Blaine says as he comes into the room. I turn, offering him a smile, having felt his approach. Britt seems to be arguing with Meron and Torie, while Kellan tries to be the voice of reason. I don’t think any of them have even noticed Blaine’s disappearance.
I turn back to my task, pulling out mugs and setting them up along the counter. I’m reaching for the last mug when I feel a pair of hands on my hips. I pull the cup down, placing it on the counter before looking over my shoulder to meet Blaine’s worried gaze.
I feel a mental nudge and open myself up to his telepathy. You okay? Even in my mind, his tone comes across as worried.
I’m fine, Blaine. I promise. I’m just worried about Britt now. Is she going to be okay?
I’m aware of the other three men in the room watching me as I turn in Blaine’s arms, unsure if they realize we’re having a conversation.
I don’t know, Em. We just found out some pretty shocking news, which is why she’s still up there arguing with the others. She wants to help you because she knows something is wrong, but she’s too weak. If she were to use her magic now...
He leaves the thought unsaid, but I know what he’s getting at. I frown, hugging Blaine to offer him the only comfort I can. When I do tell Britt everything that’s going on, I’m going to have to find a way to make her feel helpful without her having to use any magic. I would rather her not use magic at all rather than risk her life in the slightest. Now that I think about it, though, why haven’t her husbands recharged her magic like Blaine did with mine? A question for later, I guess.