The Black Rose Chronicles, Battle and Betrayal: Book 3

by A. K. Michaels

  Rose didn’t know whether to lie but decided against it. “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Okay.” Seth walked around the other side and climbed onto the bed. “I’ll stay with her now.”

  As Rose stood, she felt a tremble run through the beast, its eyes opening slightly before closing again. “Did you see that?” Rose gasped excited.

  “Yes.” Seth stroked the Wolf’s face. “Sue, honey, that’s it, come back, please wake up.”

  Another tremble shook the beast before her eyes popped open, panicked until they landed on Seth. It moved its head nearer to him, a long sigh escaping its jaws. Rose’s heart leaped at the sight. “She’s going to be okay, Seth. I know it.”

  “I think you’re right, Flower.” Seth continued to stroke Sue. “Rest, baby, get well, and then we can discuss how much of an idiot I’ve been.”

  The Wolf whined before falling back into a deep sleep. “That’s the healing sleep.” Rose saw the difference immediately.

  “I can see that.” Seth looked up at her. “Thank you for coming to check on us.”

  “If there’s anything you need just let me know and I’ll get it sorted.” Rose turned to leave. “I’m happy you two found each other.”

  “Me too.” Seth gave a tight smile. “Even though I think I’ve been rather dense about it.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re a man.” Rose laughed as she left.

  She was barely through her room’s door when Cassius grabbed her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately. “Today has been intense, darling, for a moment I thought we were going to lose.”

  Rose nibbled his bottom lip. “If the Angel hadn’t arrived I’m pretty sure we would have.”

  “I’m glad he finally showed up.” Cassius hissed as her tongue ran along his lips. “Better late than never.”

  “True.” Rose wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m still pumped though. All that adrenaline running through my body has made me a little jittery.”

  “I’ve got a solution for that.” Cassius kissed her again.

  “Hmm, I bet you have, but we have a visitor.” She nodded to the rug where her father had lain, only to find it empty. “Where’s my dad?”

  “Valeria came and got him.” Cassius’ lips started to trail kisses down her neck. “So we are all alone and I want to whisk you away to bed and make you forget today ever happened.”

  Rose tugged his hair, pulling him up to face her. “I won’t ever forget today, but I know what you mean. So, why don’t you take me through to the bathroom and I’ll join you in the shower. I’m nice and clean, you, however, are not.”

  Cassius looked down at himself, frowning. “I see what you mean and a shower sounds very good right now.”

  “All right, lover.” Rose took hold of his hand, pulling him along behind her. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then you can help me work off some of this adrenaline.”

  “My pleasure.” Cassius grinned wickedly as he followed her.

  Rose stared out the window overlooking Central Park, thoughts of the past few weeks running through her mind. The Battle of the Plains, as it was now being called, had been the start of a long, hard task to begin to sort out the ravaged world they lived in.

  Cassius had been busy putting the Council back together and he’d been jetting off all over the country and as far afield as Europe and Australia. It seemed to be working, although there were still beings running loose that wreaked havoc. He’d only just returned from another trip and was still asleep in their bed.

  The Demon, Orthon, was his clerical assistant at Headquarters, aka the White House. Cassius rewarding the shy Demon for his bravery in helping to leak information when he had the chance. Rose had been quite surprised when she met the man, his fear evident as they shook hands. She’d laughingly told him as long as he was loyal to Cassius then she’d have no problem with him.

  Valentine headed up the new Council Enforcement Office and joked that he was now a CEO. He was the perfect man for the job but it meant he had to stand down as Cassius’ Domini Equis, which Cassius had understood, although it pained him not to have Valentine by his side.

  She wasn’t surprised when Sydney followed Valentine and now worked side by side to him in the CEO.

  Rose had been happy when Cassius had awarded the Domini Equis position to Valeria, who in turn gave Francois the rank of being head of Cassius’ guards, including appointing him Head of Cassius’ Personal Guards force. The Vampire had taken to it like a duck to water and she was slowly getting used to seeing his face every day, instead of Valentine, whom she still missed.

  She’d been overjoyed when Valentine had asked for her assistance on several assignments. Cassius, however, had not. They’d had their first proper stand up fight over it, but Rose stood her ground and defiantly told him she was going to help Valentine whether he liked it or not.

  Brendan had been present and had tried to talk her out of it too, so she tore a strip off him at the same time. Her father’s face had gone a very strange shade of purple before he’d stormed away. It’d been days before they’d made up. But they had made up and she was happy that he’d decided to stay, for the time being, and be with Valeria.

  Then the bombshell had struck. One so huge she’d almost collapsed. The truth of what the Guild of Dragons had been doing came out and for a brief moment, hope had surged in both her and her dad’s heart. Only to be quashed when she’d contacted Jaxon and asked the question she’d needed an answer to.

  She’d locked herself away in her bedroom for two days before shaking off the feeling of loss and returning to help Valentine in a particularly nasty case of hunting down a rogue Wolf. The resulting fight had driven the last vestiges of anger and upset from her and she’d returned to Cassius back to her normal self.

  Rose sighed as arms circled her waist, pulling her back against his strong, hard body, his breath tickling her ears as he whispered, “You all right, darling?”

  Cassius snuggled into her neck, kissing it softly, a moan escaping her as she languished in his touch. “I’m fine, just thinking back on everything that’s happened lately.”

  “It’s a lot.” Cassius nipped the skin on her neck. “And I’m sorry I’ve been away so often, but it looks as if things are coming together so I shouldn’t have to go anywhere for a while.”

  “Good.” Rose turned her head to look in his eyes. “I miss you when you’re not here.”

  “I miss you too, I hate being away from you.” Cassius’ forehead rested on hers. “In fact, I think if I have to go away anytime soon that you should come with me.”

  “You just said you didn’t need to go away again.” Rose frowned. “And what on earth would I do if I went with you? I’d muck things up, Cass, we both know I have a short temper and am no good at all the schmoozing you have to do.”

  “Schmoozing?” Cassius’ eyebrow shot up. “I don’t schmooze, darling.”

  “You know what I mean.” Rose grinned. “You’re far better at keeping your temper and your diplomatic skills are far better than mine. I’d end up telling whomever you were trying to charm that if they weren’t going to play ball that they could go fuck themselves. That probably wouldn’t be very helpful.”

  “No.” Cassius chuckled. “Probably not. Though I have to admit I’ve felt like doing that myself, more than once.”

  “See, you don’t lose your temper as quickly as I do.” Rose shrugged. “I’d be annoyed when people procrastinated when all you’re doing is trying to rebuild this world, for the better. How some of them don’t see that kinda pisses me off.”

  “They are wary, Rose. I’m a Vampire and humans have been hunted and fed on by the worst of my kind. It’s reasonable for them to feel that way.” Cassius also shrugged. “It’s my job to make them see things have changed and we will no longer hunt them as food. However, getting them to agree to donate blood on a regular basis can be quite difficult.”

  “I understand that.” Rose reached up and kissed him quickly. �
�I wasn’t exactly a fan of Vamps myself.”

  “True.” Cassius pressed his lips against hers in a lust-filled kiss, taking her breath away.

  Rose allowed him to plunder her mouth for a few moments before reluctantly pulling away. “Seth wants to see me.”

  “Can’t it wait?” Cassius slipped his hands beneath her shirt, caressing her skin.

  “I suppose it could but I’ve barely spoken to him lately and I’d like to see how he and Sue are doing.”

  Cassius nodded, a twinkle in his eyes. “Don’t be too long, darling, I’ve got plans for us.”

  “I bet you do.” Rose smirked. “I promise I won’t be long.”

  “All right, go.” Cassius released her. “I’ll shower and do some work until you get back.”

  “I’ll catch a bite to eat before I come back.” Rose laughed. “I think I may need the sustenance.”

  “That you will.” Cassius stroked her neck with a finger. “I’ll get my sustenance when you return.”

  “Now, that’s something I’m definitely looking forward to.” Rose gave him a push toward their room. “Off with you or I won’t go.”

  “Fine.” Cassius strode away, throwing over his shoulder. “I love you, Rose. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

  “I love you too, now shoo.”

  She waited until he’d disappeared, smiling widely, her happiness complete now that he was home again. Rose thought of joining him before heading to the door, no, she’d really like to check in on Seth. She’d not seen him for several weeks and although she was aware that he had moved into Sue’s rooms, she’d like to check all was well with him.

  The guards in the hallway nodded to her as she waited on the elevator, Francois exiting as the doors opened. “Morning, Rose.” He nodded respectfully.

  “Morning, Francois.” Rose smiled back at him. “Cass is just showering, but he shouldn’t be too long if you need to see him.”

  “Just need to check some stuff with him, thanks, I’ll wait.”

  “Okay, see you later.” Rose pressed the button to close the doors. She almost bumped into a guard as she exited on Seth’s floor, apologizing before she carried on.

  Seth answered almost as soon as she knocked, and she thought he must’ve been waiting on her. His wide smile as she went in making his usually hard face so much nicer.

  “Hi.” She gave him a hug as he motioned to the sitting area.

  “Sit down, Sue will be with us in a minute.” Seth seemed to be buzzing with excitement and she wondered what was going on as she sat down.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, frowning when she heard the unmistakable sound of vomiting coming from the bathroom. “Or, I think I should be asking, is Sue okay?”

  “I’m good,” Seth enthused. “I’m more than good actually.”

  “I take it things with you and Sue are going well?” Rose smirked. “I understand you’ve moved in here.”

  “Yeah.” Seth looked a little uncomfortable for a moment. “It’s a little weird living with someone. You know I usually slept alone, but I’m settling into it.”

  “Yeah.” Rose nodded. “You always liked your own space.”

  “It’s different now.” Seth shrugged, his eyes kept flitting to the door to the bedroom. “I love her, Flower, not like I love you, but I guess it’s like the way you and Cassius feel for each other. It’s scary but amazing at the same time.”

  “I know.” Rose chuckled. “I totally get what you mean and I’m happy you’ve found each other, even if you were a bit of an idiot in the beginning.”

  “What?” he asked wide-eyed.

  “Seth, I knew you had feelings for her before the battle,” Rose admitted. “I could see it and it was pretty damn obvious how she felt for you.”

  “Yes,” Sue interrupted, walking in to sit next to Seth. “He was rather dense, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes, he was, but that’s men for you. They take a little longer to catch up to us women.”

  Sue giggled. “I have to agree with that.”

  Rose looked at them sitting together and she could feel the love they shared. “So, it’s nice to catch up, but I had the feeling you had something specific you wanted to see me about?”

  Seth took a great gulp of air in, his eyes locked with Sue’s. She nodded. “Tell her.”

  “Tell me what?” Rose’s stomach clenched, worrying that something was wrong. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Seth answered quickly. “Absolutely nothing wrong, in fact, it’s the opposite.”

  Rose looked at Sue who prodded Seth. “Will you tell her already?”

  “Yes, please do,” Rose encouraged.

  “Okay, okay.” Seth focused on Rose. “I need you to ask Cassius if he’ll perform our mating ceremony, and we’d like it done rather quickly.”

  “Oh, all right.” Rose was confused at the rush. “You could’ve asked Francois about this, Seth. He could’ve organized it for you two.”

  “I wanted you to be the first to know.” Seth placed an arm around Sue’s shoulders. “The reason we’d like it performed quickly is that Sue is, well, Sue she’s . . .”

  Sue huffed out, exasperated, “Oh for goodness sake, I’m pregnant, Rose. That’s what he’s trying to tell you.”

  “Yes.” Seth grinned widely. “I’m sorry, that’s it, that’s what I’m trying to say. I’m going to be a father, Flower.”

  Rose’s heart sped up at the same time her eyes filled with tears. Seth saw them, worry flooding his face. “Are you okay with this?”

  “Yes!” Rose shrieked. “I’m over the moon for you both. You’ll be a wonderful father, Seth. I’m so happy I could cry.”

  Sue’s hand shot to her mouth as she jumped up and sped toward the bathroom. Rose stood. “Is she okay?”

  “Yes.” Seth nodded. “She’s got some morning sickness and won’t allow me to perform a spell to help her. Says she doesn’t want magic to change any part of the pregnancy. Silly woman wants to experience everything, even morning sickness.”

  “Oh, I see.” Rose sat back down. “Not sure I’d be happy about puking, but each to their own.”

  Seth stared intently at her. “Are you sure you’re okay about this, Flower?”

  Rose gave him a wide smile. “I am, honestly. I’m so happy you’ve found what I have, Seth. You deserve happiness and I’m sure you’ve found it with Sue. I just can’t see you changing a dirty diaper.”

  “Me neither.” Seth laughed.

  “Trust me, Witch, you’ll be doing your fair share,” Sue said firmly as she rejoined them.

  “If there’s anything you need, please let me know.” Rose couldn’t stop smiling. “If you put a list together of everything you’ll need I’ll get it organized for you. I mean all of it, crib, clothes, stroller, I want to go and get it all for you.”

  “The list will be extensive, Rose.” Sue cocked her head to the side. “I’m not sure you know what having a baby entails. They need a lot of stuff, an awful lot.”

  “I don’t care.” Rose shrugged, still smiling. “I want to get it all and after the baby is born and we know if it’s a boy or girl, I’ll go back out and get blue or pink stuff. I’m going to be a very over protective auntie and this little one is going to have the best of everything. No matter how far I have to go to source the stuff.”

  “Thank you.” Sue’s eyes filled with tears before they ran down her cheeks.

  Seth pulled her into his arms. “You okay?”

  “Yes.” Sue sniffled. “Hormones, that’s all.”

  Rose stood. “I have to go tell Cass the news, but if you get to work on that list I’ll get started on it. Oh, and I’ll get him to organize your ceremony.”

  “The sooner the better.” Seth grinned. “I want everyone to know she’s mine and I am hers, plus, I don’t want to wait until she’s farther along and got a huge bump.”

  Sue dug him in the ribs. “That’s only because you want to have your wicked way with me on our wedding night.”

/>   “Yup.” Seth snickered. “I most certainly do.”

  Rose shook her head. “Men.” She laughed as she walked away.

  “Exactly.” Sue laughed after her.

  Rose rushed along the hallway, waiting impatiently for the elevator. When she dashed into Cassius’ office, he lifted his head in question. She sank down onto the chair in front of his desk. “You have to get a mating ceremony scheduled, as soon as possible, for Seth and Sue. Like really fast, Cass.”

  Cassius leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands in his lap. “Why?”

  “Because!” Rose jumped up and down in her chair. “Sue’s pregnant, isn’t that wonderful news?”

  Cassius’ face fell, his eyes clouding over with what looked like sadness. Rose wasn’t sure what was going on. “What’s wrong? This is good news, Cass, why do you look like you’ve just heard something bad?”

  “I’m sorry.” Cassius’ still looked upset.

  “For what?” Rose cocked an eyebrow wondering what the heck was going on.

  “I can’t give you that, Rose.” Cassius’ voice sounded strained with unhappiness.

  “What the hell are you blathering about?” Rose shook her head. “Cass, I’ve never wanted that. The whole settling down, babies, none of it. I’m a thrill seeker. I love to test my abilities against strong foes. I’ve never, not once, thought about having a baby. Jeez, that’s not me. I thought you understood that.”

  “You’re still a young woman, darling.” Cassius’ sadness tore at her heart. “One day you might want that, and I can’t give it to you.”

  “One day, one day I might want it? Feckin’ hell, Cass, if and I say if that day comes there’s a simple enough solution: we adopt.” Rose flung her arms up into the air. “You’re the one that’s always telling everyone about the amount of babies and kids that’s been orphaned due to the shitty way this world has been. Well, if that’s true, then I’m sure if I ever do want kids then we can adopt a child that really needs us. But, for now, no way no how, buster. I am definitely not mother material, I am, and I always will be, The Black Rose, assassin extraordinaire.”