Betrayal (Blood Haze: Book Three) A Paranormal Romance

by Shuler, Tara

  His voice trailed off as though he couldn’t speak the final words.

  “I beg you,” Hillary pleaded. “Don’t do this.”

  “Leave the premises before I have you removed!” Alexi boomed.

  “Alexi, perhaps we should…” I started to say, feeling sudden pity for Hillary.

  “Don’t you dare try to defend me,” Hillary hissed at me. “You’re the reason Alexi doesn’t love me! You and your sunny disposition! You have him wrapped around your little finger, and you don’t even love him!”

  I clenched my jaw together and took a deep breath.

  “Hillary, I have never wished any harm to come to you,” I said through clenched teeth. “And I do not wish it, now.”

  “Of course you don’t!” she shouted. “Because you’re little miss perfect, and everyone loves you!”

  “You will remember who you are speaking too, Hillary,” Alexi demanded loudly.

  “What? You mean because she’s the Chancellor now that your grandfather is dead?” Hillary screamed. “You think I care about that, now? You banished me, remember?”

  “No, because she is my future wife,” Alexi clarified. “She will not become Chancellor officially until we are wed.”

  “She’s not going to marry you, Alexi,” Hillary insisted. “She doesn’t love you!”

  “That may be true,” Alexi agreed. “And it may not be. But she will in time.”

  “You’d really throw away the chance for a real future with me for the slightest chance she might love you… someday?” Hillary asked incredulously.

  “I would give my life for her,” Alexi confirmed. “Sacrifice is obviously a notion that eludes you, Hillary. But when you love someone as much as I love her, you will do anything for that person. If that means feeling as though your heart is being ripped from your chest every time you see her kiss someone else, because you know it makes her happy, then you do it!”

  A knot formed in my stomach and crept slowly into my throat. I could hear the agony piercing his words, and his voice broke as he spoke of me kissing someone else. I wished there was something I could do to take his pain away, but I knew there was nothing that would make any difference.

  “I’ll kill you!” Hillary suddenly shouted, lunging toward me.

  Her hands wrapped around my throat, and her eyes were wild with passion and rage. I could feel my head begin to pound as her hands squeezed tighter, cutting off the blood supply to my brain. I gripped her wrists and tried to pull her away, but her sense of purpose was furious.

  Alexi, Liam, and Kai were there in an instant, grabbing her arms and trying desperately to pull them away from my neck. Her grasp weakened, but it was quickly strengthened, again. Finally, I’d had enough. I touched her forehead, and she slumped to the ground.

  I fell to my knees, clutching my throat and trying to catch my breath. Alexi immediately kneeled beside me and began to examine me. Seeing no permanent damage, he wrapped his arms around me. Kai and Liam both watched uncomfortably.

  “I’m fine,” I told him once I regained my breath. “What are we going to do with her?”

  “She has been stripped of her protection, so we will have her dropped off at a hunter warehouse,” Alexi said immediately.

  “Oh, no” I said sadly, struggling to my feet. “We can’t do that to her.”

  “Alice, she tried to kill you,” Alexi reminded me, standing beside me. “She helped Dmitri attempt to kidnap you and got a lot of us killed, including our grandfather.”

  “I know, but she was driven mad with her love for you,” I told him gently. “I feel pity for her.”

  “Sweet Alice,” Alexi said. “You are the kindest, most understanding soul in the world.”

  “What can we do with her?” I asked. “We can’t just put her in prison. She could just open a portal and get out.”

  “I thought she needed people to help her open a portal,” Kai reminded me.

  “Oh, yeah,” I said quickly.

  “No, she can open a portal for herself without help,” Alexi corrected him. “She only needs help when opening a portal for someone else.”

  “Then what can we do?” I wondered aloud.

  “There is only one option,” Alexi said. “We have to give her to the hunters.”

  “There has to be another way,” I complained. “We can’t just hand her over to be killed.”

  “There is one other option,” Liam reminded Alexi.

  “Do you think that is wise?” Alexi asked, understanding what Liam meant.

  “What?” I wanted to know.

  “I can’t see any other way,” Liam said.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “You are right,” Alexi said, as though the matter was settled. “Call him.”

  “Excuse me!” I shouted. “Stop talking over me like I’m not standing right here!”

  “Oh, I am sorry, my love,” Alexi said at once. “There is a very old Elder who lives in England. He trained Liam’s mother. His name is Galen. He has the power to take away the abilities of other vampires with a single touch.”

  I gasped.

  “And they can’t ever get their abilities back?” I asked.

  “It is irrevocable,” Alexi confirmed. “Even Galen cannot undo it once it has been done.”

  “I really hate to do that to her,” I lamented.

  “I know you do, darling,” Alexi said, his hand stroking my hair. “Unfortunately, we have no other options. She is too dangerous.”

  “Alright, do it,” I relented.

  Liam excused himself to call Galen.

  “Can I speak with you privately?” Kai asked me suddenly.

  “Of course,” I agreed, and I followed him into the hallway.

  When we were out of earshot of the others, I asked Kai, “What’s up?”

  “When you were unconscious, I spent some time with Max,” he said.

  “Okay. And?”

  “Well, he was alone all day and I started to feel kind of sorry for him,” Kai explained. “Crazy, right? But, anyway, we were talking about you, and he told me something that really bothered me.”

  “What? What is it?”

  “He told me you thought I killed some family after I caught you kissing him in the elevator,” Kai said dejectedly.

  “Oh, yeah,” I agreed. “We saw them outside the mall right after you ran off. Wait… are you saying you didn’t kill them?”

  “Of course I’m saying that! Do you really think I would do something like that?”

  “What else could I think, Kai? And I wouldn’t blame you if you did! I know things were going horribly for you, and I…”

  “Stop!” Kai shouted. “You wouldn’t blame me if I did? If I killed an entire family… right before Christmas? Are you serious? I don’t care how badly things were going for me, I would never do that! I thought you of all people would know me well enough to realize I wouldn’t do something that terrible!”

  In that moment, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with guilt. He was right. I should have known that gentle Kai could never do something so atrocious. No amount of pain in the world could ever cause him to do such a thing.

  “I’m so sorry, Kai,” I whispered. “You’re absolutely right. I should have known you wouldn’t do something like that. Please forgive me.”

  “I’m not angry with you, Alice,” he said gently. “Just hurt. I’m hurt you would even think I could do something like that. I thought you knew me better than that.”

  “I do! I just wasn’t thinking clearly at the time, and I haven’t thought about it much since then. I know it would have occurred to me that you couldn’t have done it if I’d just thought about it.”

  “I really hope you mean that. I can’t stand to think you would think of me that way.”

  “I don’t, Kai. You’re the kindest, gentlest soul I’ve ever known.”

  I put my arms around him and laid my head on his chest. His strong arms closed around me, and I listened to his heart pounding rhythmically in his
chest.

  “Don’t you know that’s why I love you so much?” I asked, looking up into his crystal blue eyes.

  “You know I’ve never understood why you love me,” he replied sadly.

  “I wish there was something I could do. Something to make you understand what you mean to me.”

  “Just being here with you like this is enough.”

  I stood on my toes and kissed him gently on the lips. His arms wrapped more tightly around me, and he made a contented sound. Then we heard the sound of someone clearing his throat behind us.

  “I am sorry to disturb you,” Alexi said as coolly as he could manage, but I could see his jaw clench slightly. “Galen is going to arrive tomorrow, and we need you to stand guard near Hillary so you can knock her out again whenever she wakes up. We cannot risk her making a portal for herself and escaping.”

  “Oh, of course,” I agreed.

  Kai pulled away from my embrace under the glaring eyes of Alexi, but I reached over and took his hand, pulling him with me as I walked back into the main room of the bunker. I wanted Kai to know that I wasn’t going to allow Alexi to intimidate him, or to come between us. Alexi may have had certain ideas about our future together, but I wasn’t living under the same illusions.

  I went to sit down on the bunk nearest where Hillary still lay slumped in the floor. Still holding Kai’s hand, I pulled him down next to me, and I laid my head on his shoulder. I knew it hurt Alexi to see me being affectionate with Kai, but I couldn’t keep ignoring Kai forever just to spare Alexi’s feelings. At some point, Alexi would have to wake up and realize it was Kai I wanted to be with – not him.

  Admittedly, it upset me terribly to hurt Alexi. I did care about him deeply. But I knew it would hurt him far less if he got used to the idea now, rather than suffering under the illusion that my feelings for Kai were something fleeting that he could overcome. And I also didn’t want Kai to feel like he was losing me because I was spending so much time with Alexi.

  Kai kissed the top of my head, and I smiled up at him. I might not have known how to make Max and Alexi happy at that moment, but at least I could keep Kai contented. He was the one who mattered most in my heart, and he was the one I wanted.

  “We should get out there and see what we can do to help,” Liam suggested. “There might be survivors who need us.”

  “I am not leaving Alice alone,” Alexi said.

  “I’ll stay with her,” Kai offered.

  Alexi scoffed.

  “No offense, but there is little you could do should Alice be in any real danger,” Alexi growled at Kai.

  I shot Alexi a warning scowl, and squeezed Kai’s hand.

  “It’s alright,” Kai told me sadly. “He’s right. I can’t protect you.”

  “It’s alright,” I said. “I can take care of myself.”

  “That may be,” Alexi agreed. “But I still feel better when I know you are safe, and the only way I can be assured of that is to stay with you at all times.”

  “Alexi, you can’t babysit me twenty-four hours a day,” I challenged him.

  “I most certainly can! And that is exactly what I intend to do!”

  “You can’t be serious! There are far more important things for you to do than watching over me all day! And what kind of life is that – spending every waking moment just guarding someone else.”

  “You are my life!” Alexi shouted.

  The room became eerily quiet. The reality of his words really sank in, and no one knew what to say. Kai and Max were probably fuming, I was feeling remorseful, and Liam had a strange look on his face that I couldn’t quite place.

  I heard a mumble come from somewhere underneath me, and I turned my eyes down. Hillary was stirring, and I saw her head begin to lift.

  “Not now, Hillary,” I grumbled, bending down and poking her harshly in the forehead.

  Hillary’s head fell back, and her mouth hung open almost comically. She looked as if she might start snoring at any moment. I pushed her chin upward and her teeth snapped together. Then I stood up and turned my attention back toward Alexi.

  “Look, they may need help out there, so let’s all go together,” I decided. “You grab Hillary, and let’s go.”

  “Fine,” Alexi agreed, hoisting Hillary into his arms.

  “Lead the way,” I told him, and he headed down the corridor.

  I took Kai’s hand firmly in mine, and we followed Alexi out into the compound to survey the damage. Fortunately, we discovered things weren’t as bad as we thought.

  Alexi and Liam’s grandfather was indeed dead. He’d been killed trying to buy us time to get to the bunker. He managed to stall the wraiths while the others mounted a defense, but he’d succumbed to their gas. A few others had been injured, but most survived. They’d cast some sort of spell that banished the wraiths. They hadn’t even been sure it would work, as they’d never had to face wraiths before. Fortunately, it did. The wraiths were instantly zapped back to Dmitri’s compound.

  “You know what this means, right?” Liam asked me.

  “Do I know what what means?”

  “Our grandfather is dead,” Liam clarified. “You know what that means.”

  “Oh. I heard Hillary say something about me being Chancellor. How is that possible?”

  “Our father appointed you his successor, and he was Grandfather’s successor. Since Father died, that means you are Grandfather’s successor,” Liam explained.

  “I don’t even know what the Chancellor does,” I groaned. “How am I supposed to be the Chancellor?”

  “Well, you were supposed to have had a lot more training to prepare you for this,” Liam said. “We didn’t anticipate you needing to take on the role so soon.”

  “What am I going to do? I’m so overwhelmed,” I lamented.

  “Do not worry. Liam and I will help you,” Alexi interjected. “You will never be alone in this.”

  I smiled weakly.

  “Wait a minute,” I said suddenly. “I overheard something before… when I was in the coma… Kai was training for something. What was that about?”

  “Oh!” Kai gasped, suddenly excited. “I’ve been wanting to tell you all about that!”

  Kai laced his arm through mine and began to drag me toward the stairs.

  “I’m going to show you the room I picked out for you!” Kai said happily. “And I’ll tell you all about my training!”

  Kai led me upstairs and down a long hallway. He opened the door, and we walked into a room that was very similar to my room at home – the home I’d once shared with my mother and my brother before all the craziness in my life began. It was dark and cozy, and the bed was very similar to my own.

  “It’s perfect,” I gushed.

  “I saw this one and I knew it was perfect for you,” Kai told me proudly.

  “It is, Kai,” I said. “Thank you!”

  “My room is right across the hall, and Alexi’s is down the hall to the right. Liam is one door down from Alexi’s, and Max’s is on the other side of yours.”

  “So, your training… tell me about it.”

  “Oh! Well, for one thing they’ve been training me in combat. I’m learning how to use hand-to-hand combat so I can be more useful in protecting you. I just started, so I have a long way to go, but Alexi said if I’m going to be with you I need to learn how to help defend you. And I completely agree. I’m tired of not being able to do anything.”

  “I can take care of myself,” I pointed out. “And I don’t want you in harm’s way, anyway.”

  “Well, that’s not all, though. They’re also trying to see if I have any latent abilities that might be useful.”

  “Abilities? Really? You mean you might have abilities that could be trained?”

  “It’s possible. Alexi said most vampires have innate abilities, but if they don’t use them from an early age, they lose them. Sometimes they’re lost irrevocably, but not always. I’m hopeful!”

  I was ambivalent. On one hand, I wanted Kai t
o be able to take care of himself when I couldn’t. But on the other hand, I didn’t want him involved in any of these issues. I wished I could send him away somewhere safe, so he wouldn’t be affected by all of the calamities that seemed to befall me at every turn.

  The look on my face must have spoken to my mixed feelings, because Kai asked, “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy.”

  “No, I am, Kai. I’m just worried about you. I wish you weren’t caught up in all of this.”

  “I’m exactly where I want to be,” he said, taking my hands and looking into my eyes. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be. I belong with you.”

  “And I want that, Kai. I just want to be with you. I wish it could be just you and me, and I wish Max and Alexi weren’t in love with me. I don’t like hurting them, but it’s you I want to…”

  “Alice?” I heard Alexi call through the door, his voice anxious.

  I dropped Kai’s hands and opened the door. Hillary was stirring in Alexi’s arms, and I touched her hand, lulling her back to sleep. Alexi’s mouth was turned down at the corners.

  “How long have you been out here?” I asked him.

  “Long enough,” he replied coolly.

  “You’ve been listening to our conversation?” I asked him incredulously.

  “No, I was not intending to listen,” he explained. “I followed you up here, because I said I would not leave you alone, and because I needed you close by in case Hillary woke up.”

  “Oh,” I said. “But you heard…”

  “It is nothing I have not known all along,” he interrupted.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, touching his arm gently.

  Alexi ignored me, and he said, “You should get some sleep, darling. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

  “What about Hillary?” I asked. “I can’t sleep if I have to…”

  “I will be staying with you tonight, of course,” Alexi interjected. “I will wake you whenever Hillary awakens. Galen is already on a flight. He should be here tomorrow afternoon, but you need to get some sleep tonight.”

  “What about you? You need to sleep, too,” I argued.

  “I will be fine,” Alexi assured me.

  “We can take shifts,” Liam offered, and I turned to see him headed toward us. “I can take the first one.”