by Tamara White
He steps away from the large pillar he’s leaning against and lifts a hand to hold out my purse with a smug grin, like he knew I would need it. “Hunter said you might want this.”
Britt flinches at the mention of Hunter, and Lincoln’s eyes fill with sympathy. He hands me my purse and gives me a quick kiss while Britt just stands there looking lost. “Don’t stay out too late,” he murmurs in my ear, “or I’ll send out a search party.” Then he steps away from us, moving to a hidden door that I imagine leads to the stairwell.
I rifle through my purse, the extra currency I got from my parents jingling happily within. I think maybe it’s time to spend a little of my princess fund. And what better reason than to distract your friend from the pain in her life.
“So, you want to go get wasted? I could do with a glass of wine right about now,” I announce, my eyes meeting Britt’s with a smile. A little wine is what we both need.
Her face perks up at the mention of wine and a genuine smile surfaces. “That sounds like heaven.”
Britt twines her arm in mine and starts tugging me through the lobby with more of a spring in her step. I don’t miss the way some people stare at us with indignation as we pass. This place is pretty fancy, but Britt and I aren’t dressed in more than jeans and tees. Some of the women in the hotel lobby are wearing expensive dresses that look like they’d rip the moment someone bent over.
We get out on the street, with no specific place in mind, as we take a left on the footpath. We walk in silence for almost an hour before suddenly, Britt stops and rips her arm from my hold. She turns on me, her eyes blazing angrily. “Why would my mother do this?”
I debate on how to answer her. I know she’s seeking a particular reply, something that tells her whether or not her mother meant to hurt her, or if she was simply protecting her. But since I can’t give her what she wants, I respond with the truth of why I think Melanie would do such a thing.
Hesitantly, I muse, “I think your mother did what she did because she was trying to protect you.” I take in a deep breath at the way Britt’s eyes flash with anger, and continue, “Your mom knew that you being bonded to Chase made it easier for your father to find you. You shone like a beacon and the only way to extinguish that light was to rid you of their bonds. In her mind, they all had to be gone in order to protect you. And let’s face it, you would never believe that Chase just left you. Plus, with whatever weird bonds your kind has, I doubt Chase would have been able to keep away from you, especially if he knew Hunter and Alistair were by your side. It left her no choice but to send all three away and take your memories.”
Britt mulls that over. The slow simmer of anger still burning in those brown eyes of hers. I can tell immediately that my response is not good enough for her.
“Why not tell me before she died? It just doesn’t make any sense to hide it from me! Did she think I would never fall in love? That it wouldn’t just break my heart, but anyone else that chose to get involved with me? How the fuck am I supposed to deal with this when my husbands are right here? Do I just abandon them and hope they move on with their lives? Do I keep them with me even though the love that was once there no longer exists?”
I pull her into my arms as a sob escapes her. Her world is crumbling down around her and she has no idea what to do next.
I let her cry, rubbing her back soothingly as she clings to me for dear life. “No matter what you do, Britt, I think you should know that no matter what, those men up there just want you to be happy. Before you just throw away your marriage, maybe you should give it some time. You say you don’t love them but how do you know those feelings aren’t just buried underneath the reemergence of your Guardians? Maybe even the pain you feel when they touch you is simply because you need to connect your old bonds before the new ones are accepted again. Honestly I have no clue how it will work out in the long term, but I refuse to believe that you simply don’t care about them.” She pulls back, looking up at me with a watery smile, the only sign of her little breakdown. “And as for the reasons your mother didn’t reveal the truth, well, I suspect she was too far in on her lies. If she had of told you on her deathbed, then you would have been angry at her for the last days of her life. My guess is she was scared to hurt you and have you hate her. But I saw it all happen too, Britt. The pain in her eyes when she removed your memories was utterly heartbreaking. She did the only thing she thought she could do to save her child. And if I was in the same position, I would have probably done the same thing.”
She nods, her gaze unfocused as she wipes her face. She starts walking down the street and I hurry to catch up to her, ignoring the people who had stopped to stare as I consoled my friend.
“Besides, your mother wasn’t exactly expecting us to ruin all her well laid plans,” I admit ruefully. It still amazes me how powerful blood is in this world.
“What do you mean?” she asks, pulling to a stop.
Sighing heavily, I gesture to a park bench and we take a seat, watching pedestrians go about their lives.
After a moment, I explain, “We were never meant to share blood, Britt. Because of my blood within you, it somehow made you romantically drawn to your husbands and your husbands to you. You were only supposed to cross their paths and help guide them to me, while they were to help guide you to your Guardians.”
Britt looks off down the street, and I imagine her mind is going a mile a minute when I remember I have something I need to apologize for. “Britt, about what you walked in on earlier...”
Her gaze comes back to mine with an understanding smile. “Mer, it’s fine. I think the only thing that bothered me was the fact that I wasn’t bothered by it.”
I frown, not sure what she means, but she goes on to explain, her eyes on the building across the street.
“It’s weird. I wasn’t lying when I said I no longer love them. It’s like there’s nothing there for them anymore. Do I care about them and want them to be happy? Yes, but I know in my heart I can’t ever make them happy. They want me to love them and it’s all gone.”
My eyes focus on the ground, unable to look at her. Is she really just going to give them up so easily? Does she honestly not want to fight, to see if that love is just buried under the new information that has been thrust onto her? What can I say to convince her to give this all a chance?
“I know what you’re thinking, Mer, and I don’t think it’s that easy.”
My eyes snap up to Britt’s with annoyance. “Well, maybe if you weren’t listening to my thoughts you wouldn’t hear my nonsense,” I snark back.
Britt just chuckles and throws an arm over my shoulder, snuggling in close to me and resting her head on my shoulder. I sigh softly, sadness weighing on my heart.
We sit here for a while, neither of us speaking, just stuck in our own thoughts when I finally inquire, “What are you going to do?”
She sighs sadly and stands up, stretching out her body. She holds out a hand to help me to my feet. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I guess I’ll just take it a day at a time and see if those feelings for my husbands are still there. But I need you to promise me something, Mer.”
She holds my gaze, and I fight not to look away from the intensity shining in her eyes.
“Promise me that you won’t stop spending time with them. They each care for you, they are possibly very much on the way to loving you. I know I will die sooner or later, and if they get you out of it, then that’s all I can ask for.”
Shit, did I not tell her? “Uh, yeah, about that…” I clear my throat uncomfortably. “Britt, you won’t die.”
She sucks in a shocked breath and I hurry to add, “It’s the reason your mother insisted I bring the guys back with me. If you’re bonded to your Guardians again, then you will only ever return to the in-between place. Your connection to them will give you a way to leave.” Her eyes widen and I grin evilly. “Besides, we will have killed your father long before you ever die.”
“Ah! I forgot about daddy dear
est. It’s Dastian, isn’t it? My real father possesses his human body and that’s how I was conceived.”
I simply nod and she rubs her temples, most likely feeling the onset of a headache. This information is enough to give even the best of us a migraine.
“Well, this sucks,” she groans. “I mean, sure, I want to kill him so badly, but I remember that portal. I know he’s not human, nor is he from this world. Should I keep him alive to find answers?” She throws her hands up in frustration. “Ah, I hate this!”
“Britt, just stop. All of this can be dealt with later. Right now, we’re in Paris. We’re surrounded by sights that other people would kill for. We have access to the best food and wine in the world. Let’s just go be normal girls for a while. No family drama, no soul-tie drama, no evil vampire queen drama, just two friends hanging out in one of the best cities in the world.”
With each word, the tension eases from her shoulders until she grins wickedly. “You’re right. Let’s go exploring.”
She loops her arm in mine and a genuine smile lights up my face as we walk down the street, taking in the amazing scenery. I wonder just how far of a walk it would be to the Eiffel tower, because I imagine seeing it up close would be the highlight of my trip.
We have forever to talk about all the other stuff dumped on us, but who knows when we’ll get another chance to just have a carefree afternoon, to explore such a beautiful city. I imagine once we have Talon back and we return to St Louis, there will be so much talk of Dastian, Malcolm, and Britt’s biological father that we will barely have time to sleep, so it seems fitting that we take this time to ourselves.
There will always be tomorrow.
Twenty-Five
Love is Destruction
Brendan
I stretch my body out as I stand on the tarmac and take in my surroundings. I could really get used to flying in such luxury.
“Why Paris?” Felicia asks me, appearing at my side. Her calculatingly gaze roams over me.
When I told her I was leaving town for a few days, I didn’t originally plan on her tagging along. But when she insisted, I finally relented. After all, she wants my sister destroyed just as much as I do.
And while I know Felicia is hiding her own secrets, I trust she will help me take out my sister.
“We’re here because Emerald is.” Felicia’s eyes flare in surprise. I didn’t tell her where exactly we were going, not that she asked. Once I agreed that she could come—after seeking permission from our host, of course—Felicia simply arrived at the airstrip with her bag and got on without a care in the world.
When the vampire queen of Paris called me yesterday, I was thrown. I had no clue how she had my number. When I asked, Queen Maria simply laughed it off.
She got down to business quickly, requesting my presence at her home. I questioned why and she admitted that my dear sister had decided to fly across the word in an attempt to take back one of her guys that rightfully belonged to the queen.
“Queen Maria offered us her private plane so we could come and watch the moment Emerald is taken down. She assures me that my sister will not leave Paris alive.”
Felicia grins in excitement, clapping her hands together gleefully. “Oh, so we get a front row seat to her execution then?”
I return her grin with one of my own. “I damn well hope so. Her death won’t be worth anything if I’m not there to watch it.”
Before I can fantasize over all the ways my sister could die, a man appears on the runway. He’s a tall man with dark eyes who refuses to meet my gaze.
He bows his head in reverence. “You must be the guests our queen is waiting on. Please, follow me.” He straightens and turns away, expecting us to simply shadow him.
He’s human, that much is clear from the sound of his tittering heartbeat, but there are clear fang marks on the inside of his neck. They’re not covered, but proudly on display.
He must be one of the queen’s feeders, but why he would be proud of such a thing astounds me. A vampire feeding on you is one of the lowest forms of disgrace you can inflict upon yourself.
“What about our bags?” Felicia inquires, an air of authority about her.
The man turns, looking her over with a barely concealed sneer. “They will be loaded into the car in a moment, miss. You must hurry though. My queen does not like to be kept waiting.” Very diplomatic from someone who looks on the verge of throttling Felicia. It’s clear he didn’t expect her to talk back, or to be as snobby as she sounded.
We follow the human as he leads us to a limo just out of view. It’s sitting in the shade of a hangar that obviously houses the plane when it’s not in use. Why they parked here is a little strange though.
Unless the queen decided to personally meet us and bring us back? Then her driver would have ensured to park in the shade to keep her safe from the sun, even though it’s beginning to set and wouldn’t be too harmful.
I’d guess that, as the queen of a coven, she cannot afford to appear weak, even in the face of the sun.
Felicia, however, has a rare special talent of being immune to the sun. Something that comes in handy when my sister has men in her life who rely on the dark to get around. It gave Felicia and I an advantage if we were to stalk Emerald in the daylight. We could hunt her without fear of being outnumbered. We may actually have a chance of killing her before Maria if my sister is stupid enough to go out unprotected. And knowing my sister, she won’t stay cooped up too long before she wanders out alone, and then, I will have my chance to rid the world of her existence. I will make her pay for killing my friends, for killing my father, for turning everyone against me, even my own pack.
As we reach the limo, the human slave opens the door for us and allows Felicia to slide in, before I follow after her. The moment my eyes land on the stunning vampire queen, dressed in a deep red pantsuit, my dick hardens. Something about her just sends my blood racing and heart pumping.
“Ah, young Brendan. I am so honored you decided to accept my offer and join me.” She smiles at me like I’m her favorite person in the world.
I settle in a seat across from her, giving her a nod, and let my gaze roam over her in appreciation. I don’t miss the way Felicia sends me a glare, bristling at the way the queen’s gaze turns heated at my perusal.
“Well, Queen Maria, you made it very hard to refuse such an offer. Knowing there is another who holds hate for my sister is rare. She seems to make people believe her lies, and if you plan not to let her leave alive, then I had to be here to witness her downfall.” I wink, all too eager to learn of her plans.
The queen’s lips thin in anger at the mention of my sister and my smile slips from my lips. That doesn’t seem good at all.
“Don’t tell me she managed to get away already?” Felicia scoffs incredulously, voicing my thoughts.
“No, she hasn’t managed to leave yet, but she has thwarted one of my attempts. We had her food poisoned with Hemlock, but somehow she still lives. One of our spies reported earlier that she left the hotel with her witch friend.”
The anger in the car is palpable as Maria speaks. She’s not a happy queen and it has me giddy with excitement. My sister may have finally pissed off someone strong enough to end her.
“Do you have another plan in place?” I query, sure someone as old and powerful as the vampire Queen of France would have a backup plan.
She smirks at me, reaching for a champagne glass filled with blood, and takes a sip. When she sets the glass back down, the car starts up and a truly evil smile takes over her face. “Tomorrow night, I’m hosting a lovely ball at my estate. Your sister and her companions have been invited to attend. I’ve sent her a little message tonight, something that will make it impossible for her not to come along. When she arrives in my home, I will ensure the princess will not leave my home alive. She will die in the most painful way of all.”
“And what is that?” Felicia inquires, sitting back in the seat with a bored expression.
The q
ueen’s gaze falls on her. She scrutinizes Felicia for a moment, before responding, “I plan to have one of her soul-ties be the one to kill her.”
Felicia perks up, a spark of excitement in her eyes. “Oh? And just how are you going to manage that? The whole point of a soul-tie is that the people we are tied to would die to protect each other. Sounds like you may be a little cocky if you ask me.”
I throw a glare at Felicia for speaking out of turn, but I sense the eagerness in her. The hope that the queen is telling the truth. Maybe that’s the secret to get my sister to die for good. Maybe it has to be at the hands of one she is bound to.
Felicia stares at the queen for a moment longer before turning to me. “While it sounds like a fucking great idea, there’s a reason we call them soul-ties. They are a part of you, part of your soul, and what makes you complete. Would you really be able to kill your mate?” She shakes her head before I can answer and turns back to the queen with a pointed look. “No soul-tie would attack someone they are with for eternity. It’s unheard of.”
“Ah, but you see, I have a little magic on my side,” Maria gloats, her eyes sharpening on Felicia. “Your witches in the States may be powerful, but the witches of Paris are masters in the arts of love, seduction, and lust. When I issue the challenge, my child will be capable of entering the fight for me since he is no longer tied to his destined. But with the help of a little potion, he will no longer remember the princess. He will be devoted to me and only me. He will kill her to protect his queen.”
Felicia smiles slowly, a laugh bubbling out of her. “That is the best plan I have ever heard of. You, My Queen, are truly magnificent.”
Queen Maria laughs lightly, the sound making the hairs on the back of my neck rise in warning. This is definitely not a woman to be trifled with.