Betrayal (Blood Haze: Book Three) A Paranormal Romance

by Shuler, Tara

  I snuggled against his bare body, relishing the feeling of his skin against mine. I never wanted that moment to end. Being there with him the only thing I ever wanted.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t see this before,” I admitted. “I can’t believe it took me so long to see what was right in front of me all along. Why was I so blind?”

  “Never mind,” he assured me. “None of it matters, anymore. It’s all in the past, and we are the future.”

  “Yes,” I agreed. “We are the future.”

  There, warm and safe in his arms, I fell asleep. For the first time in so long I couldn’t remember, I slept peacefully. I had no nightmares. I didn’t wake up choking with anxiety. I slept in complete comfort, and I only dreamed of him and me.

  Chapter Fifteen – Facing the Day

  I was awakened to Alexi’s soft lips on mine, and I responded by curling my arms around his neck. I could feel his still-naked skin against mine, and I couldn’t imagine a more comforting way to start a new day.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Christakos,” his smooth voice purred.

  “Mmm, good morning, my darling husband,” I whispered back, kissing him passionately.

  “I have never heard more beautiful words than hearing you call me your husband,” he admitted.

  “And I’ve never heard anything that makes me happier than waking up to your voice calling me ‘Mrs. Christakos’, my love,” I returned.

  “Do you have any idea how happy you have made me?” he asked.

  “If you’re even half as happy as I am, I think I can imagine,” I said with a sly smile.

  “No regrets?” he asked me, an anxious overtone in his voice.

  “Not a one,” I answered, kissing him again.

  “And you will never leave me?” he asked.

  “Alexi, I will never leave you,” I promised. “Not for anything or anyone in the whole world. I know I’ve been fickle and confused for a long time, but I swear to you, I’ve made the right choice. I’m happy, Alexi. I’m happy with you.”

  “Your happiness is all that matters,” he said.

  I was giddy with the passion of our wedding night, but also confused. Why had it taken me so long to realize how passionately I loved this man? What previously had me so befuddled that I could see what was right in front of my face? I’d known for a long time that I had feelings for him. Just being near him had always made me feel strange and excited. But something had clouded my judgment – kept me from realizing how intense my love for him really was.

  I wished I could figure it out. I wanted to understand why it had taken me so long to realize what I really wanted. Then I realized that none of that mattered, anymore. All that mattered was that the most incredible man in the world was now my husband, and I finally knew what I wanted. I would never want anyone else as long as I lived, and I had never been more certain of anything.

  There was, however, one thing that weighed heavily on my heart. It managed to overshadow our tender moment, and it crushed against me until I could hardly breathe. It wasn’t the compassion I felt for Kai, or the worry I felt for Liam, who had left without saying goodbye. It was the intense fear of the coming storm. I knew I was now in a position to save Alexi’s life, and I knew I would be on guard until that moment. I only hoped what Alexi’s father had seen would unfold as he had seen it. What if I couldn’t save him?

  Nothing in the world could hurt me more than losing Alexi now that I had truly found him. I knew that with every fiber of my being. It would destroy me irreparably.

  “Is something wrong, darling?” Alexi asked.

  “No. Why?” I asked innocently.

  “Something is wrong,” he pushed. “Tell me what it is.”

  “I’m worried, Alexi. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Why would you say that? Surely you know I am not going anywhere now that I finally have you.”

  “I know. I’m just worried about… about what your father saw.”

  “Do not worry about that, darling,” he tried to comfort me. “Remember, it worked out in his vision. We are married now, and if that time comes to pass, it will turn out as it should.”

  “What if it doesn’t, Alexi? What if something happens? You said yourself that your father’s visions weren’t always one hundred percent accurate. Things can change.”

  “There is no need to worry yourself with such things,” he insisted. “We will deal with it together if the time comes.”

  “When,” I corrected him. “When the time comes.”

  “Alright, when the time comes.”

  “Alexi,” I said seriously, looking deeply into his eyes and taking his face in my hands. “I can’t bear to lose you. I will not lose you!”

  “Shh,” he whispered. “You will not lose me. I promise.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I warned him.

  “Now that we are together, everything will be fine. I am certain of it.”

  “I hope you’re right, Alexi. I couldn’t bear…”

  The familiar lump swelled in my throat and choked off the rest of my sentence. I fought to keep from bursting into tears.

  “Shh,” he whispered, his lips touching my forehead comfortingly.

  “I wish we could just stay here like this forever,” I admitted. “I would gladly stay here for all eternity.”

  Alexi laughed gently.

  “As would I, my love,” he said. “Gladly.”

  I held my hand up, admiring the simple gold band.

  “Where did these rings come from?” I asked him.

  “They belonged to my parents.”

  “Oh. They’re beautiful. And they fit us perfectly.”

  “As if they were meant for us,” he said. “Oh, how I wish we could just lie here forever.”

  “But we have to take care of things,” I groaned.

  “Yes, we certainly do,” he agreed.

  “What are we going to do about Dmitri?” I asked.

  “I am not certain. I know that I cannot give him the talisman. I have a feeling he would not be able to control himself if the talisman had the chance to take over.”

  “Then how will the talisman be able to help him?”

  “That is something I need to discuss with you. I may have to use dark magic.”

  “But I thought you couldn’t. You tried to before, but it didn’t work.”

  “I…” he sighed. “I lied to you.”

  “What?” I gasped incredulously. “But you let me…”

  “Please,” he stopped me. “Before you get upset. I actually did not believe you would be able to access it. I did not want any of us to use it. When you were able to access it, I panicked. I did not know what to do.”

  “So you let me risk something like that for nothing?”

  “It was not for nothing, darling. Now we know what you are capable of, and we know to keep you away from it.”

  I wanted to badly to be angry with him. I wanted to shout. I wanted throw things and storm out. But I felt as though I were tethered to him by some invisible bond, and my anger melted before it really had a chance to begin.

  “Damn you,” I growled.

  “Please, love, don’t me angry,” he implored, his eyes searching mine for solace.

  I tried to look mad, but I smiled in spite of myself.

  “I’m not mad. I only said ‘damn you’ because I can’t be angry with you.”

  He exhaled sharply.

  “You do not know what a relief that is to hear!”

  “I love you, Alexi. I know you had a reason for what you did, even though I may not understand it.”

  “And you also know that I would never purposely put you in harm’s way,” he added.

  “I do know that.”

  Alexi’s brow creased, and his eyes narrowed.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked him.

  “I am wondering what we should do about Dmitri. I have a very bad feeling about the situation.”

  “But you read his mind. He
was telling the truth, right?”

  “Yes, but that is not what has me concerned. I have a feeling there is more to the story than what he has told us, but I do not believe even Dmitri understands. I did not read anything abnormal in his mind, but I also feel something evil is lurking.”

  “I know! That’s what freaked me out in the car, Alexi! I feel it, too. Something evil is coming, and I don’t know what it is.”

  “Perhaps it is best that you do not know.”

  “What does that mean? Alexi! Do you know more than you’re telling me?”

  “I do not, but I have a feeling you do not want to be involved in this.”

  “Alexi, I want to be involved in anything that involves you. You know that! If you’re in some kind of danger, you need to tell me!”

  I sat up in the bed and stared at him incredulously.

  “Don’t you lie to me, Alexi!” I warned him. “You promised you would never do that, and you have. But let’s not go down that road again. Tell me what is going on!”

  “Please, Alice,” he begged. “Do not get upset. I am not lying to you. I have told you everything I know.”

  As he lounged there in the bed beside me, I wanted nothing more than to forget everything. I wanted to lie down beside him and forget it all – to get lost in him again and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. But it did. Nothing I could do or say could keep the world from turning, and I knew we had a lot to face.

  “Together,” I told him. “We face everything together. Promise me.”

  “I promise,” he agreed, taking me in his arms.

  I could hear his heart thumping rhythmically in his chest as I pressed my ear against him, and his warm embrace soothed me.

  “Everything,” I clarified.

  “Yes, darling,” he whispered. “Everything.”

  “Then let’s get up and figure out what to do.”

  It was almost impossibly difficult to pull myself away from him, to leave the warm comfort of our bed, to watch him get dressed even as I desperately wanted to feel his skin against mine. But I knew it had to be done. Some things were more important than the two of us.

  Alexi started to pull on his cloak, but I put my hand on his and stopped him.

  “Please don’t cover yourself,” I pleaded. “Not ever again.”

  “I will leave my hood down if you truly wish it,” he said.

  “I do. I never want to lose sight of your beautiful face. Never.”

  He nodded, and he clasped his cloak around his shoulders, leaving the hood down. Once we were dressed, we went downstairs. Kai, Will, my mother, and Jamie were already gathered in the dining hall. Kai was filling my family in on the details of our issue with Dmitri.

  “What can we do to help?” Will asked.

  “I don’t want you involved,” I said flatly.

  “Don’t start that, again,” Will complained. “Whatever this is, we can help. We can’t just run away and hide every time there’s a problem.”

  “Mother, please talk some sense into him,” I begged.

  Mother shrugged.

  “I think Will is right,” she argued. “There must be something we can do to help you.”

  “Mother!” I gasped. “Be reasonable!”

  “You be reasonable, Alice!” she snapped. “Our family has been split apart over everything that’s happened. We’ve hardly seen you in months. We’ve been hiding like criminals. I’m tired of it! I want my family back!”

  She had a point. While my mother may have always been eccentric, no one could ever accuse her of not loving her family. As much as I hated being away from her and Will for so long, I knew it must have hurt her even more.

  I looked to Alexi for support, but he only shrugged.

  “Gee, thanks,” I muttered.

  “We need a plan,” Kai interjected. “Does anyone have any ideas?”

  “What exactly are we facing?” Will asked. “You say Dmitri is losing control of these wraiths, right? What if he does? What will happen?”

  “They would most likely kill him,” Alexi explained. “And then they would turn on society. Right now, Dmitri’s control, diminished thought it may be, is the only thing keeping them away from the general population.”

  “But I thought you said wraiths were just like any vampire – some are good and some are not,” I argued.

  “That is true. And some of the wraiths would probably cause no harm. However, if even one of them is evil, it could wreak more havoc on Savannah than you could ever begin to imagine.”

  I shuddered.

  “Just one?” I asked.

  “You have seen the things they are capable of,” Alexi reminded me. “Imagine if just one were set free on society with ill intent.”

  “I see your point,” I admitted.

  I took Alexi’s hand in mine and laid my head on his shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kai cringe. I felt sorry for him, but the urge to comfort him was no longer there as it once had been.

  “You should eat something, darling,” Alexi suggested.

  “I’m fine,” I told him.

  “Perhaps. But I want you to keep your strength up,” he insisted.

  “Alright, but only if we all eat together this time,” I demanded.

  “Whatever you want, my love,” Alexi agreed. “What would you like to eat?”

  “Anything is fine,” I said.

  Reluctantly, I let his hand go so he could go have the kitchen make us all something to eat. I sighed wistfully as I watched him cross the dining hall.

  “I can see it,” my mother said out of the blue.

  “See what?” I asked.

  “How much you love him,” she answered with a smile. “It’s like he’s the only person who exists to you, now.”

  “Excuse me,” Kai muttered, standing up and pushing his chair under the table. “I need some air.”

  There was a time when I would have chased him. I would have run after him and begged him not to go. I would have tried desperately to mend his broken heart, and to take away his pain. This time, I let him go.

  My heart ached for him. I could see his agony in those beautiful blue eyes, and it saddened me. Once, my chasing him would have comforted him. Now, I knew it would only add to his pain. As much as I would have liked to help him – to be his friend and to comfort him – I knew it was no longer possible.

  “I feel for that boy,” my mother said once he’d left the room. “I can see how much he loves you, still.”

  “I know. I feel terrible for him. But I made my choice.”

  My mother must have mistaken my concern for indecisiveness, because she put her hand on my arm and said, “You made the right decision. I can see it in your eyes, and in his. You two were meant to be.”

  “I know, Mother,” I told her. “I feel it when I’m with him, and even when I’m not. I love him so much.”

  “How is Max?” Jamie asked suddenly.

  “Oh, he’s fine,” I responded. “He apparently has a girlfriend, now.”

  “Really? Are you serious?” Jamie asked.

  “Yeah. I called him last night to tell him about the wedding, and he was there with some girl named Denise. He told me they were together.”

  “Wow. Well, I guess he wasn’t too upset about the news, then,” Jamie commented.

  “No, he didn’t seem to be,” I shrugged.

  “That’s good, I guess. At least he’s taking it better than Kai.”

  “And Liam,” I added.

  “Liam? What about Liam?” Jamie wanted to know.

  “Oh, God,” I groaned. “Long story. I overheard him telling Alexi he was in love with me. He was going to leave town, but then everything kind of went crazy and he didn’t. And I guess when he heard I was going to marry Alexi, he finally left. Kai told me before the wedding last night that he was gone. He just left.”

  “Without even saying goodbye?” Jamie asked.

  “Apparently so,” I mourned. “He was my best friend.”


  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Jamie said. “I didn’t realized you two had become so close?”

  “We spent a lot of time together during my training, and after,” I explained. “I was so happy to have a friend to talk to – someone who wasn’t in love with me, and who I could talk to without complications. Then he fell victim, too, I guess.”

  “Fell victim? What do you mean?” Jamie asked.

  “Oh, that’s right. I haven’t told you. Apparently, I have another ability no one knew about. Father Jacobs discovered it. I have the ability to ‘charm’ people. I guess it can make people fall for me or something.”

  “Oh, wow,” Jamie gasped. “That explains a lot. But… does that mean Kai and Max… maybe even Liam and Alexi… just fell for some ability?”

  “I really don’t know,” I lamented. “I’m pretty sure that’s what happened with Max, because once he was away from me, he fell for this Denise girl pretty quickly. Kai and Liam I’m not sure about. But Alexi’s love is definitely real. I tried to charm him on purpose once, and he felt it. He said he knew instantly what I was trying to do, because it felt different from how he normally felt about me.”

  “So, I’m guessing you don’t know how to control your charm ability,” Jamie commented.

  “Unfortunately, no,” I said. “I would if I could, but since I can’t, I have no idea who might be affected.”

  “Can it work on anyone?” she asked.

  “Only people who would be predisposed to actually fall for me, I think,” I admitted. “Like, I don’t think straight women or gay men would be affected by it.”

  Alexi walked over with two trays of food. My brother took one from him and placed it on the table, and Alexi placed the other in front of me.

  “I will be right back with the rest,” Alexi said.

  Will stood up and said, “I’ll help you.”

  In a moment, the two of them returned with more trays of food and some drinks.

  “I know you are not a big fan of breakfast foods, so I took the liberty of ordering you a roast beef sandwich,” Alexi told me.

  I smiled.

  “It’s perfect, sweetheart. Thank you.”

  The meal would have been pleasant. I had the love of my life, my family who I hadn’t seen in ages, and my good friend there with me. The food was delicious, and Alexi even more so. But the uncertainty of the situation with Dmitri hung over us like an ominous storm cloud. I did my best to choke down my meal, but all I could think about was Alexi, and of the frightening evil I’d seen in my vision in the car. What did it mean?