House of Deception: The Unrivaled Series

by Brandi Elledge

“I think we should call it a night,” he then announced, doing a great job of ignoring the disappointed look on Raven’s face. “Since we traveled here today, I’m sure you are exhausted.”

  I shook my head. “We have to stop by the bloodline tent first. They will want to know who my likely pairs are.” Before he could argue, I said, “It’s something that I have to do.”

  He gave me a terse nod then steered me across the grass to the larger blue and white striped tent.

  “I gave my blood last year,” Leo said, “and this is super boring. You want to go get some candied apples?”

  I didn’t have to look back to see that Raven had agreed to go. It was a tad aggravating how quickly I became second fiddle whenever a guy was around, a guy who had just admitted that he had given blood last year so that a group of people could determine who would be his best match. Yet, she probably hadn’t given a second thought to going off with him. By tonight, she would probably be drawing their names in hearts and planning the names of their never-going-to-happen children.

  Cal squeezed my shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I think that reading just put me in a bad mood.”

  “Come on, Micah,” Leo shouted.

  Micah walked beside me, telling Leo, “I think I’ll go with them, but thanks for the invite.”

  I turned to look at him. “Are you giving blood, too?”

  He shook his head. “No, I did last year.” He didn’t look happy about it, either. Well, that made two of us.

  When Cal pushed back the flap of the tent, I felt him before I saw him. The Puppeteer stood in the corner of the tent with several pretty women around him, but he was ignoring them all as he took me in. Then his icy-blue eyes went over to the guy who had his arm draped over my shoulders.

  I watched as a woman put a hand on the Puppeteer’s chest. He immediately moved his eyes to her, and when she saw the rage there, she immediately recognized her mistake—the Puppeteer wasn’t to be touched. She took a few fumbling steps away from him.

  As he removed himself from the remainder of fawning females, one brave soul called out to him, “Will you be back?” while another said, “He is so freaking hot. I would willingly die by his sadistic hands as long as they were on my body.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  The Puppeteer caught me and smiled. “Hello, my Little Thorn.”

  Cal stiffened beside me. “What are you doing here?”

  The Puppeteer ignored him. Instead, he swept his blue eyes over my face.

  I felt Cal’s arm stiffen around my shoulders before it was swung off me and he took several skidding steps to the right.

  I crossed my arms as I glared at the Puppeteer. “That wasn’t very nice.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t like him.”

  Micah’s eyes were wide, and his mouth was open. He looked like he was in shock.

  I waved a hand at him. “Calm down, Micha. The Puppeteer does tricks like that all the time.”

  The Puppeteer took a step closer to me. “I don’t think that’s why your friend is in shock.”

  “Friend might be an overstatement,” I mumbled, putting a hand on the Puppeteer’s chest and trying to get some space between us. When he didn’t budge, I was forced to take a step back, which infuriated me and made him laugh.

  I pulled my hand away from his brick abs. Just the thought of how well-defined his body was made me even more angry. Life sometimes just wasn’t fair.

  I looked over at Micah and Cal, who weren’t moving. “Did you do that?” I asked the Puppeteer.

  “No,” he answered.

  “Then what’s going on with them?”

  “I think they are afraid for you.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Me?”

  He took another step toward me, once again closing the distance. Then he bent his head, and I felt his lips brush the shell of my ear as he whispered, “Well, you did just chastise me in front of a room full of people. Then you put your hands on me.”

  I pulled my head back. Our noses were inches from each other, and I knew I was blushing. “I didn’t put my hands on you. When you say it like that, it sounds …”

  His handsome face was lit up with a smirk. “Sounds like what?”

  I felt my face flaming more as embarrassment flooded me. Man, I hated him.

  His chuckle let me know he was picking up on my emotions.

  Stepping back from me, he put his hands in his pockets. “So, I’m assuming you are here upon my request?”

  I nodded.

  He cut his eyes to Micah then Cal. “And what are they here for, Little Thorn? Moral support?”

  I shrugged. “I guess so.”

  With a wave of his hand, he released Cal and Micah from their frozen positions.

  Cal balled his fists beside him, and his eyes promised retaliation that I knew would never happen. How did one get a one-up on the Puppeteer?

  “Your friends can wait there.” He pointed to a few chairs.

  When Cal started to argue, I said, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

  Cal frowned. “That’s not what the fortune teller said.”

  The Puppeteer laughed. “Thorn, you naughty little thing. Have you been trying to look into your future?”

  “Not exactly,” I said.

  Cal puffed out his chest. “The fortune teller said that she would be in danger unless I protected her.”

  “Is that right?” the Puppeteer questioned.

  Before anyone could say anything more, I watched as Micah and Cal went sliding into the chairs that were against the far wall of the tent. Then the Puppeteer grabbed my elbow and steered me to the back of the tent.

  “If that is your protector, then you are doomed.” Amusement coated his voice.

  I jerked my elbow out of his grasp. “Cal is a very nice man.”

  “Yeah, well, nice doesn’t cut it in this world.”

  The tent was sectioned off into parts. Huge green velvet curtains that almost looked black hung from rods that ran along the ceiling of the tent.

  He pulled back a curtain and stepped through. I followed him with fury in my belly. He wanted to dangle me here as bait? Fine. But pissing off any of my friends, who could be allies in the future, people who I might need, was dangerous for my health.

  “Why are you here?”

  “I missed that refreshing, thorny temper of yours.”

  I crossed my arms. “Can you be honest for a moment?”

  He sighed as he let the curtain drop behind us. “Hop on the table.”

  Angrily, I did as he asked.

  “I need to draw your blood. Take off that fool’s pullover.”

  I glared as I scrambled out of Cal’s sweatshirt. “Why are you drawing blood? Aren’t there professionals for that?”

  He began rolling up his sleeves. “I have asked to do yours. And you should know that you are the only one who ever questions my authority.”

  “So, you’ve been lurking in this tent, just waiting for me to come strolling in so you could do what with my blood? Flaunt it under whose nose?” I dropped the pullover next to me on the table then watched as he got a needle ready.

  With warm hands, he grabbed my arm, and my belly tightened with nerves and another strange feeling, which I shelved away.

  “I would like to draw your blood for several reasons. Firstly, I want to be the one who knows exactly what you are capable of. And secondly, those two sniffing after you, your so-called friends out there, they won’t be the only ones once everyone realizes that you shouldn’t even be attending the Minor’s Ball.”

  I didn’t flinch as the needle went into me. “What do you mean?”

  “One hundred percent compatible people don’t create mediocre children. You aren’t a minor anything. At this point, you have figured out that your father came from a major house. Do you know how many women I’m compatible with?” When I didn’t say anything, he said, “Too many to count, and that is just the ones from the five major houses. I can assure you that I wo
uld be compatible with numerous women from the minor houses, as well. When your blood carries multiple gifts like mine many matches will be available.”

  “Um … good for you?”

  He ignored my sarcasm. “Us, Thorn. Good for us. With your parents being a perfect match, you belong in a major house.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Thanks, by the way, for telling me what you saw when you ransacked Lana’s memories. You should have told me that, you know.”

  He raised one brow. “And eliminate the bonding between aunt and niece as you two put the puzzle pieces together? I think not.”

  Ugh. Really hated him.

  “Back on topic. If someone thinks they could somehow manage to get a promise from you … a promise for you to—”

  “If you say breed, I will slap you.”

  He laughed as he pulled the needle out of my arm. “Be careful, Thorn. I might hit back.” Then he placed his thumb on the drop of blood that was coming out. Apparently, he wasn’t scared that I carried diseases.

  At some point, he had nudged his body between my thighs, and I hadn’t noticed how close he was to me.

  My eyes rounded in shock when he then said, “They might want to breed with you for what you can bring to their bloodline. You will be sought after by many.” He stepped back from me to put my vial of blood into some sort of machine. He hit a few buttons, and I watched as the machine shook the vial and made a humming sound.

  “And you don’t want that?” I asked.

  “Don’t misunderstand me. That’s exactly what I want. Even though the minors are weak, it’s possible that someone from one of the houses has the serum, and they are waiting for someone like you to come forth so they can claim them, make them more powerful, and ultimately make their house more powerful.”

  “But …?”

  He smiled. “But presentation is everything. We also want the majors to know about the new unrivaled. You don’t belong here, and they will know that. We will have minors and majors fighting over you.”

  He took the lid off the vial of blood then poured a drop onto a blank page. I watched as the page became alive with colors that began to make mountains along the page.

  “Interesting,” he said.

  “What?”

  When he didn’t say anything, I hopped down from the table and peered around his arm at the paper. My cheek was practically laying against him.

  “You see these different colors?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “You can only have one who you are a true match for.”

  “One who I’m a hundred percent compatible with?”

  “Correct. But because of your parents, you will have hundreds who you will be over a fifty-one percent match for.” He laid the paper down then turned to face me with a grin.

  I felt my brows scrunch together. “And we are happy over this because …?”

  “Because, my dear Thorn, that makes you the perfect bait.”

  “You think majors will come here? To this ball?”

  “I do. Once they hear that a powerful unrivaled is here, who has a seventy-five percent power range and can be a strong match for many, they will come just because they don’t want anyone else to have you.”

  “I promised my aunt I wouldn’t broadcast my powers.”

  He raised his brows. “Then you should learn to not make promises that you can’t keep.”

  I was disgusted. “All about breeding and power.”

  “I’ve told you that several times.”

  I waved a hand at him. “I know that, but every time I’m reminded of how all of you operate, it grosses me out.”

  His eyes twinkled with laughter. “Remember, you are an unrivaled, too.”

  “Well, the fact that you, along with the others, think it’s okay to have a tent in a carnival-type atmosphere to make everything seem normal and fun, but really you’re hiding the true purpose—to find more power … the whole thing is gross.”

  “I agree.”

  “What?”

  “I said, I agree. Just to be clear, I have never run my blood. I don’t need to find someone to strengthen my line. I’m already powerful. I could marry a weak minor, and my children, even diluted, would still be powerful.”

  I rubbed my arm where the needle had gone in. “Well, let me tell you, it’s degrading.”

  I watched as he hopped onto the table. Then he extended his arm to me. “You’re right; it is.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m letting you draw my blood.”

  I stood there, frozen for a few moments, then shook my head. “No, it’s okay.”

  He sighed. “Thorn, you must learn to take advantage of every situation. If you don’t, you’ll never make it in this new world.”

  With determination, I jerked up a new needle and went through the same steps as he had. I ignored the muscles in his arm, or the way I felt standing between his muscular thighs, and I definitely ignored the way I could feel his gaze on me.

  After I put the vial of blood in the machine and hit the same buttons that he had, I asked, “What will you do with our papers?”

  “I will let the world know what your blood has revealed, and I will burn mine.”

  I dropped some of his blood onto a blank paper then watched as the same beautiful colors coated his paper, asking, “How is that fair?”

  “It’s not,” he replied. “But keep in mind, Thorn, that you bear my mark until I say you should no longer carry it. No one can claim you. No minor or major will be able to take what isn’t theirs. I might be using you as bait, but I will protect you.”

  I watched as he grabbed the paper from me. I wanted to see what the colors formed into, but he kept it out of my sight.

  “Why do you not want anyone to know who you could be a match for?” I asked.

  “With all the serum pumping through my veins, who am I not a match for?” He crumpled the paper up then lit it on fire with his bare palm.

  “Wait! I didn’t get to see your paper.”

  He rolled down his sleeves. “Don’t worry about it. There was nothing interesting to see, anyway, because I don’t want to breed with anyone. If—and that is a huge word for me—I choose to be with someone, it won’t be for what they can do to strengthen the bloodline.”

  I seriously doubted that.

  I rubbed my hands over my arms. “Can you hand me Cal’s pullover?”

  “Sure.” He grabbed it, and then I watched in horror as it caught fire. He threw it on the ground and stomped out the last dying flames. “Whoops.”

  “You did that on purpose,” I accused.

  He smirked. “Too bad you can’t prove it.”

  Now I was cold and angry. “Mature. Real mature.”

  I tried to calm down my anger as he grabbed my paper and folded it in half before sticking it in his slacks.

  “What are you going to do with my information?”

  “What was the word you said? Flaunt? I’m going to flaunt it tomorrow during the announcement of new possible matches.”

  I watched as he pulled back the curtain and whistled as he walked through the big tent, giving Cal a condescending smile before he exited.

  Moments later, Cal and Micha were able to stand. They both rushed over to me, wanting answers I had but didn’t want to give.

  I ran my hands up and down my cold arms.

  “Where is the pullover I gave you?”

  For whatever reason, I lied through my teeth. “It accidentally got destroyed while I was giving blood.”

  “What did your results say?”

  I shrugged. “I guess we will all find out tomorrow.”

  Both guys looked shocked, and it didn’t take a genius to realize that that wasn’t the normal protocol, but I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

  As Cal escorted me back to my room, I realized that not only would everyone find out about my bloodline tomorrow, but they would hear about it from the man who made chills coat my skin. Chills of fear, because wha
t other emotion could the Puppeteer possibly arouse from me?

  The next morning, Cal was sitting in my room before we had to meet.

  “Raven didn’t come back last night,” I told him with concern.

  “She’s fine. I saw her with Leo this morning.”

  I felt aggravation pitting in my stomach. After everything we have been through, not only would you think she would be a tad more careful, but she must have known that I would stay up half the night, worried over her.

  “Now, back to the first question I asked you. What do you mean he took your paper?”

  “I mean exactly what I just said. The Puppeteer did the blood test to see who I would be best matched with, and then, after the colors were done making peaks all over the page, he took it, folded it up, and put it in his back pocket.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “I don’t know. Maybe because he wanted to announce it today in a very dramatic Puppeteer way.”

  “He is going to put you in the crosshairs of a lot of powerful people, that son of a bitch.” Cal grabbed my hand, making strokes over the back of my hand with the pad of his thumb.

  My eyes went from him to my hand that he was holding.

  He stood up and pulled me with him. “Well, let’s go find out. We will handle the fallout together.”

  I stopped him before he got to the door. “Cal, what would you do if you found your perfect match?”

  He put a stray piece of blond hair behind my ear. “I don’t hold out hope for that, but I can tell you I’m okay with not finding my match.” He opened the door and took us into the hall without dropping my hand.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because I’m not ready for the unrivaled to tell me who I should be with. I don’t want to settle down and make my bloodline stronger. I want to have fun; live a little.”

  I quietly followed him through the building. I didn’t know what I had expected him to say, but that hadn’t been it, and I couldn’t be mad at him for answering my question honestly. Coming from such a shattered, broken world, one would think I didn’t want him to answer that he was waiting for love.

  Right before we entered a room, I said, “You know, Cal, humans don’t get to have fun. They work from sunup to sundown, and they literally get to live just a little. The work is so hard that the life expectancy is not that great. In fact, most humans my age already have a family, raising little kids and babies, and perhaps a few orphans.”