by Anna Santos
He had pain from time to time, mostly on his back and lower stomach. His nipples were sore, and Alaric wondered if it had anything to do with the baby being born. Breastfeeding would do that to a woman, and they were still experiencing each other’s pain.
Swallowing more coffee, he grinned with the thought that his drinking spree was affecting the cunning bitch. He also wondered if Marie was aware that he had escaped.
For the past four weeks, he had observed Beth’s routine to perfection. The next day, she had an appointment with her shrink, and she didn’t miss those. Or the ice cream night with Eric on Wednesdays.
He glanced at his watch and looked at his phone. No calls. Julius and his men were supposed to call him. He had been pumping blood to vials for four days and wanted his money. Pronto. How much blood did they need to build a powerful army of newborn vampires?
A new black SUV arrived. Alaric recognized the driver, Brandon.
“Now we are getting somewhere,” he mumbled, leaning forward to look at Eric getting out of the car and helping Beth descend.
Beth looked gorgeous, and her smile made him clench his teeth with rage since it wasn’t for him but for Eric.
His brother and Beth entered the coffee shop and were greeted by Jessica. Olivia was there too. The little minx would tell him what his family was talking about.
“You can have your moment, little brother.” Chuckling, he rested his back into his chair. “I am coming for her whether you like it or not.”
“Tomorrow. Tomorrow, everything will go back into place.” He closed his eyes and mumbled a tune.
Chapter Fourteen
Everybody was waiting in the palace’s hall for Anna’s arrival. She was bringing an important guest with her—Marie.
Beth was nervous, Eric could tell by her tensed shoulders. He moved her hair away from her neck and planted a kiss.
Curiously, it was Jessica who voiced her impatience first, “Why are they taking so long?”
Eric’s dad was behind her and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll see our grandkid soon enough. Patience, my dear.”
Eric smirked and pulled Beth closer into his embrace. He knew she was the one fearing her reencounter with her sister the most. She had barely slept the previous night, and she vented a few hours about how conflicted she was about the whole situation. Still, Marie was her sister. Therefore, she had to be there for her now that there was a baby in the picture and she was free from Alaric.
“I really hope that she’s okay,” Beth mumbled, gripping her hands to Eric’s. “Giving birth alone must have been terrifying. What if she died in the process? What would happen to the child? She was so reckless.”
“She didn’t know how to reach out to us, and she was under the impression that you were dead,” Eric whispered in her ear. “Relax. All will be fine. I’m here with you.”
It was dark outside, and they heard the cars pulling to the house before the light streamed through the window.
The king was the first to reach for the door to let his daughter in law and the baby in. The rest of them waited behind. Shane entered first with a few bags in his hands and Anna came up next with the baby. Marie was next to her, and she looked rather frightened. Eric’s first impression was that she was shorter than Beth. He had seen pictures of her but seeing her in flesh and bone gave him a new perspective. She was a rather good-looking woman, but his Elizabeth was far more delicate and attractive.
Marie had baggy eyes, and she looked pale and skinny. Eric heard Beth choke on her breathing when she locked eyes with her sister. She probably noticed the weakness that he did. Marie was a shadow of what the pictures portrayed.
“Welcome to your new home,” Dad greeted her with a smile.
Marie looked him up and down and then stared at Anna.
“The king, your father in law,” Anna explained.
Marie bowed at him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, milord.”
“You can call me dad. Come here.” Father grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her for a hug.
Eric almost laughed with the shocked expression on his wife’s sister face. She wasn’t expecting that, but Father had those reactions when meeting members of his family.
The baby on Anna’s arms whimpered, and she cooed her to sleep. “Hush, hush. Mommy will take you in a minute. Let her rest for a second.”
Beth leaned forward, curious to see the little child. Eric assumed that they all were, but they didn’t want to be rude and not greet their guest before melting over the baby.
Placing his arm around Marie’s shoulders, Father motioned her to the waiting party as he introduced his family. “This is my wife, Jessica. This is my younger son, Eric, and I’m sure you recognize your sister, Elizabeth.”
Marie nodded at all of them and lingered her eyes on her sister. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
It was Beth that broke the ice. “What’s the name of the baby?”
“Ruth,” Marie answered in a weak voice with a French accent.
Beth smiled. “You gave her mom’s name.”
“She has dad’s eyes, just like you,” Marie said as tears shone in her eyes.
“Can we see her?” Dad asked.
Marie nodded. “The long trip made her upset.”
“Do we have a place to lie her down?” Anna asked.
“We prepared a room upstairs for Marie with a rocking cradle,” Jessica replied.
“Great. Let’s move upstairs. She needs to have a change of diaper,” Anna said.
Beth and Eric stayed behind as everybody followed the king with Marie by his arm.
Eric stared outside and saw the bodyguards remove more luggage. Kevin wasn’t with them, and he’d assumed he had left for Chicago. He had been helping his organization take control of the rogue vampire attacks. It was never a dull day in his life for what he had told Eric on their weekly calls.
“She’s so weak,” Beth spoke.
“She’ll get stronger now that she’s here with us.”
“I don’t know what to tell her or how to speak to her.”
“It’s normal. She tried to get you killed.”
Beth nodded. “It seems like it was ages ago. She seems … different. Less angry.”
“No one will blame you if you want to forgive her and make amends.”
“She’s the one that needs to make amends with me.”
Eric nodded and kissed her forehead. “You are kind and beautiful. Not many would have the stomach to receive their sister after what she did.”
“She’s still family.”
“One of her demands to tell us Alaric’s whereabouts is to see and talk to you. They look tired from the trip, so we’ll let them rest. Tomorrow is a new day, and I’ll be here with you.”
“It might be best if I talk to her alone tomorrow.”
“If you think so.”
“Can we go upstairs to see the baby?”
Eric smiled with her excitement. “Of course.”
Grabbing her hand, he headed upstairs with Beth.
***
“She’s so beautiful!” Beth shrieked with baby Ruth in her arms.
Marie smiled and sat on the bed. “I’m glad you came here to see me. I didn’t know how you would react to my arrival.”
“You said you wanted to tell me something. I’m here. Plus, I wanted to see my niece. Last night, you looked tired, and I didn’t want to steal your time with everybody else around the baby.”
“I’m feeling better today. It’s been a while since I slept so peaceful and unafraid.” Beth cradled the baby and walked to Marie’s side.
“How did you escape?”
“I seduced Conrad, my bodyguard. He thought I was in love with him and convinced a few men to turn on Alaric. Not everybody was pleased by how he ran things. Alaric has plenty of enemies even amongst his allies.”
“And what happened to Conrad? Did he die in the hospital’s assault?”
“No. I got rid of him a few mo
nths back. I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t betray me. I killed him, and I’ve lived for a few months in France before moving to Germany. My pregnancy was hard. I do have a question for you.” Beth looked at her. “Yes. “
“Do you know how they found me?”
“Before I tell you, you said that you would reveal Alaric’s whereabouts. You need to keep your word. You’re safe here. The king will protect you like he has been protecting me.”
Marie pursed her lips before folding her hands on her legs. “The younger son, Eric, you look rather close. He’s handsome too.”
Beth smiled at the baby. “Eric is my mate. We are in love.”
“Oh! that is great news,” Marie shrieked. “I’m so excited for you! You’ve waited for so long. That is so amazing.”
Beth knitted her brows together and watched Marie’s reaction in awe.
Her sister moved closer and spoke lower. “Is he nice to you or craziness runs in the family?”
“Eric is amazing. He’s been really patient. He’s nothing like Alaric.”
Marie’s eyes changed momentarily to sad.
“I’m sorry, “Beth mumbled.
“You have nothing to be sorry about. Alaric hurt you too. I was just too blind to understand how ... unhealthy our relationship was.”
“Still, they are brothers. I’m sure that there was a time Alaric was nice too. Before the bloodlust.”
“I’m sure he was.” Sighing, she added, “You have all the right to be happy. I hope you are.”
“I am.” She stretched her lips into a smile and caressed the baby’s small fingers. “Your daughter is so perfect. I’m really happy for you and proud.”
“Proud?”
“You escaped to have her. You managed to imprison Alaric. That was bold of you.”
“Still, we are bounded.”
“I’m sure Jessica can break your bound once they bring Alaric here to perform the ritual.”
“Do you think they will kill him after?”
Beth pursed her lips before replying, “I have no idea. But the king is generous and kind. Alaric did a lot of evil. I don’t know if there is hope for him.”
“Would you forgive him for what he did to you or you would want justice?”
“Forgiving and wanting justice aren’t connected. Even if I could forgive him, which I don’t, I still would want him to pay for his sins. He killed too many innocent people. He’s a monster.”
“He is,” Marie agreed. “He turned me into one, too. I still feel him from time to time. He wants revenge. I have learned to build walls in my mind. Being apart helps.”
“You have your daughter to care about now.”
“Are you going to forgive me?” Marie asked.
Beth wasn’t expecting her immediate question. “I don’t know, Marie. I don’t even know if you are sorry about all you did to me and the fact you wanted me dead.”
“I blame it on the hormones. I wasn’t myself. I was jealous.”
Beth breathed deeply before getting up and placing the baby in the crib.
“For now, let’s just be cordial with each other. Time will tell if I can find in me the love that I had for you in the past.”
“Fair enough.”
Beth turned to her sister. “They are waiting for you to tell them where Alaric is. You’ve talked to me, and you are safe. It’s time to tell them what they want.”
Marie nodded. “I’ll need a computer and internet. I’ll show his location on a map.”
“Okay. I’ll call Anna to look after the baby while we talk with the king.”
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia watched Alaric pace around the living room with a bottle in his hand. She wondered how he could drink so much without passing out, but she was more interested in knowing when Alaric was going to receive his money.
“They are late,” she mumbled, looking at the watch in her wrist.
“They are going to ruin my plan,” Alaric muttered.
“What plan?”
He stopped and turned to look at her. “My plan. You know.”
Olivia shook her head. “When the money arrives, we’ll leave. Right? You said that we needed money to travel. Now that Seth is paying you for your blood, we’ll have enough to pay men to kill your family and leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Alaric declared. “Not without her.”
Olivia gritted her teeth. “Beth, you mean?”
“Beth. My sweet Beth. She missed me. I know she did.”
“You’re insane.” Olivia shook her head. “She couldn’t care less about you.”
Alaric glared at her. “Stop talking and get the hell out of here.”
Olivia stomped her feet and moved closer to him. “What do you still see in her when you have me?”
He frowned as if she was mad. She probably was.
“Alaric, she’s making plans with her mate. They talked about her dancing academy and how happy she’s here. She doesn’t think about you anymore. You need to let go.”
“Beth will be happy when she sees me today. You’ll see.”
“She wouldn’t need therapy if she enjoyed the time she had with you so much,” Olivia accused.
Alaric took another gulp from his bottle and tossed the empty container into the corner of the room where six other bottles of the same drink lay empty.
“You are just as jealous as Marie of the love I feel for Beth!”
She grabbed his arm. “Alaric, you need to forget about her and leave with me.”
“Don’t be silly. Just do what I ask you. Go outside and text me when she arrives in town.”
“I’m tired of following her. You know where she goes and what she does. You follow her too even if you can get caught. You’re obsessed.”
He pushed her hand away. “I need to drink a lot more now that I have my powers back,” he grunted. “Fuck, that’s one disadvantage of being a vampire. But I’ve missed my powers too much.”
“Alaric, why not leave this place once Seth’s men arrive with your money?”
“You know why. You were cunning enough to figure it out.” He rubbed his chin and looked around as if searching for something.
“If we leave, we can do whatever we want, and you don’t need to hide under a hoodie. Don’t you like me just a little bit?”
He ignored her and went to open another bottle of scotch he had gotten from the grocery store.
Olivia felt her anger take over. “There you go … drink yourself to stupor over some dumb bitch who doesn’t even want you. Beth doesn’t want you, Alaric, and you should get it into your skull! She loves the prince. You know, the nice one, your brother. He’s a lot more handsome than you and a perfect gentleman. She’s a lucky bitch. I envy her.”
He froze with the unopened bottle of scotch in his hand and eyed her. Before she knew what was happening, his hand was connecting with her cheek, and she was flying back against the wall. The impact made her stomach revolve, and the food she had eaten came to her mouth before she gulped and felt the taste of blood.
Instead of crying, she laughed at his action. “Coward. You are just a shitty coward. I thought you were like me. But you are just pathetic.”
“Do you have a death wish, girl?” Alaric asked.
“Maybe I do.” She pushed her body up and fixed her hair. Her cheek burned, but she wanted to get everything off her chest. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Beth and Eric are in love and you are just a pathetic drunk.”
“I have plans to change that.”
“What? Grab her and take her against her will?” Olivia mocked as she wiped the blood from her chin. “She’ll just hate you more.”
“Soon Seth will bring me my money and a safe passage out. Once I have Beth, I’ll get the hell out of here.”
His words hurt her more than she thought. “And me? Are you planning to leave me behind?”
“I have no more use for you, Olivia. You can go back to your island and mourn the loss of your father.”
<
br /> Olivia froze and locked eyes with him. “What are you talking about?”
Alaric grinned. “Do you really think I would let him live after what he did to me?”
Grabbing one of the empty bottles of the floor, she threw it at his head. “You killed my father? You bastard. I’m going to destroy you!” Rage took over her, and she tossed all the bottles that were next to her to Alaric’s head, but none hit its target.
Alaric evaded the attack with ease. “You are no match for me, girl. I have my powers back. Remember?”
“I remember. Doesn’t mean I can’t try to hurt you like you hurt me. Not as much as you hurt me. You did something I can’t forgive you.”
Alaric moved closer and leaned in front of her face. “Forgive me? I don’t need your forgiveness. I don’t even need you anymore.”
She retraced her steps towards the door, but he was faster and blocked her off. Olivia was trapped.
With a mocking smile, he asked, “Are you scared, little lamb?”
“Why would I be scared of someone pathetic like you?”
With blood-shot eyes and extended fangs, he sneered at her. “This isn’t a day for you to test my patience.” He groped her by her neck with one hand and lifted her above the ground.
“A-Alaric.” Olivia couldn’t breathe.
“It’s too late to apologize.” He loosened the grip when he pushed her against the door. “But you can try. Beg me for forgiveness.”
“I’m going to destroy you,” she spat.
“Wrong! I am.” He plunged his extended fangs into the deep of her neck and sucked.
Olivia had never felt the fangs of a vampire on her. The books described it as erotic and good. Books were incorrect. Bouts of agonizing pain streamed through her body with each draw of blood. It felt like hot jolts of liquids were being sucked out, and her body was slowly combusting.
She breathed, and the pain eased when he momentarily relieved his fangs and laughed before sinking them in again. Olivia screamed until her voice disappeared and her body stopped moving. Her mind drifted away, and all became black.
***