by Tamara White
He shakes his head sadly backing up a step. “You can’t have me. Our ties are severed, I belong to the queen now and forever. She won’t let me go. I’m too valuable to her army.”
“And if I have a way to reconnect those ties, would you be willing to try? To give me the benefit of the doubt?”
He doesn’t say anything, but I saw the flicker of hope in his eyes. Even without his memory, he doesn’t want to be at the mercy of Queen Maria.
“My ties with Nikoli and Devin are stronger than ever. They had to feed me with their energy, their bodies, and with that connection, our soul-ties snapped back into place as if they were never broken.
“If I could free you from the queen tonight, would you come home with me? Try to explore the bond again and hopefully repair it in time?”
“If you could free me, then yes, I would, but the fact of the matter is, tonight one of us could die. Challenges like this can be ruthless.”
“If you think I’m going to die then why corner me here? What help could our past be to you if you’ve already decided my fate?”
Because, let’s face it, while he could have meant that he could die, the chances of that are very slim. There’s a reason why my parents insisted he be the one to train me. He’s one of the best, and while there have been times I have defeated him, I know he let me win most of those times. The times that weren’t him going easy on me were simply luck. And something tells me luck won’t be on my side this time.
He smiles, not even bothered that I called him out on having another reason for this random encounter. “Since I saw your shift into the deadly predator you are, I have been enthralled with thoughts of you. Of tasting you to see if your power is anything like what I imagined it could be. But if we have not shared something as intimate as sex, then I was wrong in believing you would allow me to taste you. I’m sorry for the way this has gone. In another life, I believe we could have been an amazing match.”
My eyes water at his words, hating that this feels like a goodbye. I don’t know what compels me to, but I offer myself to him. “I want you to taste me.”
His head jerks back as if he’d been slapped. “Excuse me?”
“If this is as you say, a night one of us could die, then there’s no harm in you feeding from me, is there? You were right that this wasn’t something I had shared with you yet, but I’d like to.”
“Are you insane? We’re about to challenge each other, and yet you offer to feed me knowing it could strengthen me, and leave you weak and easy to kill?”
Well, when he says it like that, it does sound a little crazy. I can’t quite explain the desire to share this with him though.
“There are things you don’t know about me, but a little blood loss isn’t going to take me down. If you wish to taste me, then I want you to.”
Rather than argue, he brushes aside the hair that loosely hangs on my neck. Torie straightened it with magic on the limo ride over here because he could tell it bugged the hell out of me that I only got to brush it. It was very sweet of him, and one of the first times he touched me without invitation.
Talon is watching me, his eyes flicking between my face and the spot on my neck where his name is scrawled. “You’re sure?” he breathes softly, leaning down to rub his nose along my neck.
“I’m sure,” I moan, when his tongue flits out to taste my skin.
He growls eagerly and in the blink of an eye, his fangs sink into my neck. A gasp is the only sound to escape my lips as he starts to drink from me like a starving vampire. Has the queen even ensured he’s been fed since arriving here?
I don’t know how long he drinks from me, but my mind becomes fuzzy as he does. Not from the loss of blood, but the emotions it ignites. He’s cupping my cheek tenderly the whole time he feeds and I can tell he’s aroused, but it still hurts that it’s not the old Talon here with me.
When he pulls away, I’m surprised when his lips descend on mine hungrily. He backs us up until I hit the vanity again, his hand twining in my hair, pulling tightly as he kisses me as my own hands come up to wrap around his neck.
All too soon he breaks the kiss and rests his head on mine. “I wish I remembered you.”
I smile sadly. “So do I.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. My queen has summoned me,” Talon states, extracting himself from me completely.
The small gap between us feels like a canyon, but I understand. For the time being, his queen owns his mind and if she gets her wish, then I will most likely die.
I’m sure she knows, as well as I do, that Talon won’t lose. He has centuries of experience on me. And he doesn’t have the memories I do—the times we spent together, the emotional connection. I’ll be the one to hesitate and he’ll strike fast.
He exits the bathroom without so much as a goodbye and I wait a moment before following him out. Britt is a few feet away, watching Talon weave through people as he makes his way to Maria. I should have known she wouldn’t leave me completely alone. By her side stands both Blaine and Hunter, each of them watching me with varying expressions.
Blaine’s is one filled with concern, but Hunter’s holds something akin to approval. He leaves Britt to come to my side. Leaning close to my ear, he whispers, “Fate always has a plan. Trust that everything in life happens for a reason, Emerald. Even if it doesn’t happen how we anticipated.”
Britt appears at his side, her hands on her hips. She glares at me, giving Hunter enough of a chance to back up before I can question what he said.
“What were you thinking, Mer? He could have trapped you in there to hurt you!”
“Well, he didn’t, did he?” Her gaze roams over my face, looking for any sign of injury. I sigh in annoyance. “I’m fine, Britt. I just needed a moment alone to talk to a man who once loved me before I most likely end up fighting him to the death.” I push her aside, my eyes stinging as I hold back tears. I need to find my guys right now to say my goodbyes. If I lose my life tonight, then they need to know how I feel.
I see them on the other side of the room and make my way to them. When I reach them, I can tell they are concerned by whatever they see in my eyes, but I don’t quite know how to tell them how I feel without admitting it’s a goodbye. If I say something now, will they refuse to let me into this challenge?
I open my mouth to offer something, anything, that would explain the depth of emotion I hold for them, when the whole room goes silent.
People move to the side at some unspoken command, revealing the large ballroom floor. Across the room, on the opposite side, is a large, black leather seat where Queen Maria sits. At her side, being the dutiful slave he is, is Talon. Only now, he’s holding a sword loosely by his side.
The queen stands from her chair as Britt, her guys, and my grandmother push their way to my side.
Maria opens her arms in a welcoming gesture as she looks out at her followers, her gaze barely grazing over me. “Welcome, everyone. I thank you for taking the time out of your night to be here for this occasion.” She pauses, and throws smiles to a few people in the crowd, charming them with her beauty.
“We are here because there is a coven heir from America who seeks to take what is mine.” Murmurs rise up in the crowd and I roll my eyes. She truly knows how to have everyone eating out of the palm of her hand.
“I have given the princess a chance to leave, but she is adamant to have what is not hers, so it has come to this. I, Queen Maria of the France coven, challenge Princess Emerald of the St. Louis coven. If the princess wins, she will be allowed to take the property that she believes to be hers.”
At this, the queen finally looks at me expectantly. Shit. Am I supposed to say something? I look to my grandmother who nods imperceptibly.
I shift forward, leaving the people I love as I stand on the open floor. “You’re right. I am here to challenge you for what is rightfully mine, but it’s not as easy as you make it seem. You took my soul-tie. Our bonds may have been severed by magic, but he is still the man I
love. I am here to fight for his freedom, not to own him as if he is a possession.”
Gasps are heard around the room when I said soul-tie, so I guess not all are informed of that knowledge.
“A severed bond is not a bond we recognize. Something you should know if you were indeed one of us.” She pauses dramatically. “But you’re not one of us, are you, crossbreed? I see you with the wolf as well as the witches. I’ve heard of you even here in my seat in Paris, but the consensus is the same. You are a nuisance in our society, one that does not know our ways and thinks herself above the laws.”
I’m not quite sure what to say to that. It’s true, I don’t know all the vampire laws and politics, but that’s not because I think myself above the law, it’s just that things are still new to me. I’m doing my best to learn all I can, but being killed every few days doesn’t make it easy.
“I am not above your laws. But I do claim ignorance. I am new to the world of vampires. You call me crossbreed, and you’re right. All my life I thought I was a wolf shifter, but then learned of my vampire side. Recently, I have learned that is not all that I am, so while you have lived years as a part of this world, I’ve had mere weeks to begin to delve into the cultural aspects of this new life. If you want to stand there and pretend that you are better than me, then I think it fair your people know the truth about your actions.”
Her smile is wiped from her face with each word I speak, but I carry on. She wants to launch a monologue framing me as the bad guy, then it’s only fair I return the favor.
“Why have you not called for Talon before now? You’ve had years to come search for him, so why is it only when you saw he had created his own life, had sired his own family, and found a soul-tie who loves him, did you interfere? It seems that while you say I am the one who is messing with your world and playing by my own rules, that you are also doing that very thing. You want to own Talon like a child owns a toy. You can’t stand to see him happy, especially when you’re the one left out in the cold.” Her lips lift in a sneer and I smile sweetly in return. “So I will accept your challenge on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” she asks, her voice holding derision. Talon, who still remains at her side, is as stoic as ever, but I see the amusement in his eyes.
I straighten my spine and look the queen dead in the eyes. “If I win, Talon goes free. You will never use your sire bond on him to call him back so long as you are alive. If you break this promise, you will forfeit your rule over this coven.”
Gasps of disbelief are heard around the room, but I ignore them as I wait for the queen to say no, to refuse my challenge.
She smiles and nods. “I accept your terms, however, if I win, I think it only fair to have a boon of my own.”
“What would you like?” I question, dreading what she favors. Probably my death.
“Your servitude. You will sign your life over to me to do with as I please. You will sign a contract that will ensure that no one will dispute my claim. Anyone who tries to interfere with the contract will be signing you to your death. Is this understood?”
“Like bloody hell will my mate agree to anything of the sort,” Lincoln growls from behind me.
I close my eyes, sighing deeply. “I will agree to that only if I take Talon’s place. He will be free regardless of who wins this challenge.”
I can hear arguing behind me, but I don’t turn back. My eyes are on Talon who is surprised by my request, but Queen Maria looks like the cat that got the cream. “We have a deal.”
From the eagerness in her eyes, I know the queen wanted me all along.
Thirty-Three
The Challenge
Emerald
“Are you out of your fucking mind? What on earth were you thinking? You just offered yourself up for a guy who doesn’t even remember you!”
Britt is the one ranting as we follow the queen’s lackey, who’s leading us to a special arena underneath her home. That’s where the challenge will be taking place.
We spent the past hour upstairs ensuring the deal that was made is concrete, and the queen can’t get out of it no matter what she says. My grandmother even made sure to video the deal that Queen Maria and I made, much to the annoyance of the queen. I guess she didn’t think she’d have to live up to her end of the bargain, but she has no choice now that there is video evidence.
Although after my grandmother sent the video to my parents, her phone has been ringing so much that she has had to switch it off for the moment.
“You can keep yelling at me if you want, or you can say you love me, then I can return the sentiment before I enter a fight for my life with a man I love, who has no memory of me.”
It takes a moment, but I see the twitch of Britt’s lips. “Damn, girl, you’re crazy, but I swear if you don’t win, I will throttle you for leaving me.”
“I know you will, but first, make sure queen bitch lives up to her end of the bargain.”
“Oh, you know I will,” she tells me with an evil glint, as the man guiding us opens a double set of doors and reveals a large, cement, basement type room. You can smell the blood, sweat, and tears that have been shed in this place.
It looks more like an area animals would be kept. In the middle of the room is a large cage like arena. There’s no other way to describe exactly what I’m seeing. The area in the centre of the room is just a big, glorified cage.
The fencing that isolates the area has to be at least ten feet high, judging by the fact that it towers over all of the people gathered. Talon and Queen Maria are over by the open gates that lead into the arena, and I have no choice but to join them.
First though, I need to say my goodbyes in case tonight does not go according to plan. Even knowing I come back to life after death, I can’t help but worry there will be a time when I won’t come back.
“Don’t you dare, Mer. Do not say goodbye to me!” Britt’s eyes glint angrily before she turns on her heel and stomps away. Everything about her stride screams pissed off, and even though she has no magic, vampires hurry to move out of her way.
Blaine smiles sadly before he and the rest of her husbands follow her. We all agreed on the ride over that this would be the perfect time for them to split up and search for the prophecies. The queen would be too distracted by the fight and its outcome to care what’s happening in the house, so it would most likely leave the documents the guys were looking for unguarded.
Hunter smiles warmly at me, not following after them immediately. “I don’t believe in saying goodbyes, so I, too, am going to take my leave. But I would like to say thank you for bringing us back to our love.”
“You’re welcome,” I reply. Alistair simply offers me a small smile before walking away, but Chase hangs back. He’s a pretty abrasive guy, so when he steps closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear, I have to fight not to jerk back.
“If you die, regardless of whether you revive yourself, I will kill this entire coven.”
He pulls away with a malicious grin in his eyes and I don’t know quite how to respond. “Uh, thanks?” I offer, not sure what he expects me to say.
He nods and turns to follow Hunter and Alistair to Britt’s side.
“Well, that was weird,” I mutter, my gaze landing on Linc who simply grins.
“I don’t know, Em, I thought it was very sweet. I know if he hadn’t said it, then I would have.”
“Really? You’d take on a whole coven for me? Alone?”
He chuckles softly and wraps me in a hug that leaves his lips resting just above my ear. “I’m not alone, babe. Look around the room. Feel the shifter energy among the vamps?”
Shit, how did I not feel this sooner? Half the room is made up of vampires, but the other half is wolves. There may be a few witches here and there, but the wolves and vampires are very evenly matched.
My eyes go to Lincoln, asking the million and one questions that have popped into my head.
“I’m the Alpha of a very respectable pack, little killer. Many of
them owe me favors, and Mason is not exactly a fan of the queen and the way she runs things. Plus, it seems my friend has taken a liking to you.”
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. “You realize I literally just signed a contract saying none of you would do anything if I lost this fight, and here you all are making plans to go against that.”
He laughs softly, leaving me to feel very naive. “You made your decision and we made ours.” He places a kiss on my forehead then walks away without another word.
Dev and Nik are both watching me as my grandmother takes a step back to give us this moment.
“You know you don’t have to do this, Em. Matter of fact, if Talon had his memories, he would be against you doing this and would probably kill us for allowing you to do such a thing,” Dev tells me.
“I know. And I would point out that he’d do the same thing for me if I was the one in his situation, so if you think you’re going to talk me out of this, then don’t bother.”
“You’re sure about this though?” Nik presses, his eyes conveying his concern. “We could simply leave and go back home. Maybe in time, Talon will get his memory back and will return home to us.”
And they thought I was the one being naive. He could be right, but my bet is the queen would keep spelling Talon or giving him potions to keep him compliant. She would not let him leave, and my fear is that he would die in his service to her. I plan to lose this fight, to let Talon best me. He will no longer be forced to stay here, and while the others will hate me for making such a decision, I have to hope they will honor it. I won’t be dead, but Talon will be free.
I’ve planned it all in my head. I will lose to free Talon. He hates Maria, even without his memories. I won’t use magic to free him so this is my only option. I have to let him win this so the queen gets what she wants and leaves the man I love alone. The moment I lose, I will bind everyone else with me to stop them from acting in defense of me in an effort to keep to the contract I signed. They will hate me for this, but they must see the queen won’t just let Talon go. It’s me she’s wanted all along and if it’s me or him in her servitude, then I am the clear choice. She has no blood bond over me.