Christian turned, concealing his surprise. It was still difficult for him to reconcile this gathering of powerful lords with the fact that they really were allies. And yet, there was no doubting the sincerity of Lucas’s concern.
“No one’s heard from her yet?” he asked, remembering Duncan talking about her absence during the challenge gala.
“Not a word,” Aden chimed in, sitting at the table and no longer radiating hostility. As if now that Raphael had given his blessing, they were all old friends.
Christian took a seat at the table, more than willing to go along with the lowered level of tension in the room. “Is that unusual?” he asked.
“Unusual enough,” Duncan said. He was different than the other lords, his persona one of quiet, calm confidence, rather than bristling power. Not that he lacked power—he just didn’t broadcast it the way the others did, including Christian himself. “Raj has tried to reach her several times, with no success, and his spies have reported a lot of movement among her people in Toronto.”
“My Cyn is quite concerned, as well,” Raphael commented. “She is . . . friends with Sophia’s mate,” he added, and Christian noted a distinct flavor of distaste in Raphael’s tone. “Could it be another European plot?” Raphael asked Christian directly.
Christian thought about his answer. He wasn’t aware of any plans to challenge Sophia, but that didn’t rule out the possibility. He was familiar with the schemes of Mathilde and her friends, but they weren’t the only Europeans eyeing North America, and he said as much to his new allies. “Mathilde made no secret of her plans for this continent, and there were those who, while not allies of hers, would certainly try to take advantage of the disruption she caused to further their own goals.”
“Berkhard is also in the wind,” Raphael commented. “He was there with Mathilde and Hubert at the beginning in Hawaii, but, like Hubert, he left soon after I was . . . temporarily subdued.”
“I don’t know any of his specific plans, but I do know Berkhard. He would view Sophia as an easy target because she’s a woman.”
“That would be a mistake,” Aden rumbled, and Christian noted the amused glances that some of the others gave him. There was a history there. Christian would have to find out what it was.
“Will she call if she needs help?” Duncan asked quietly.
“Eventually,” Raphael replied darkly. “I just hope it’s not too late.”
“Well, gentlemen,” Vincent said, standing from his place near the doors. “This has been fun, but I’ve got a wedding to attend, and a bride who’s waiting for me. So, welcome to the club, Christian. Now, let’s go party.”
“SHE LOOKS SO beautiful,” Natalie said, sniffing quietly. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue, and rested her head against Christian’s shoulder.
Christian lowered his chin to look down at her. “You don’t even know her,” he murmured.
As if that mattered. Lana Arnold was a bride. But even in a world where all brides were beautiful, she stood out. Her dress was in the romantic style, gorgeous ivory lace with wide, off-the-shoulder lace straps. It was fitted through the bodice and down to her knees, where it ended in a mermaid swirl that trailed into a short train. Her veil was mantilla style, sheer silk that flowed down to her knees, with a matching lace trim. The ivory color was beautiful against her mocha skin, and her hair beneath the veil was a flow of black silk that rivaled the veil for beauty.
But it wasn’t her beauty that brought tears to Natalie’s eyes. It was the glow of happiness she radiated as she started down the aisle on her father’s arm. She had eyes for no one but Vincent, and he had the same for her. If Natalie hadn’t known better, if she hadn’t known that Vincent was a tough-as-nails vampire lord, she might have thought she was seeing a sheen of tears in Vincent’s eyes, too.
A low chuckle rumbled from Christian’s chest as he shifted to put his arm around her. He kissed the top of her head, and whispered, “You’re far more beautiful, mon amour.”
That did nothing for the state of her emotions. A new rush of tears welled, and Natalie opened a fresh pack of tissues. At this rate, she’d have no mascara left by the end of the evening. On her other side, Marc gave a suspicious cough that sounded a lot like laughter. She gave him a narrow glance, and his return look was one of wide-eyed innocence. She rolled her eyes. As if.
Up at the front of the room, the couple were exchanging their vows. It was short and sweet, just the way she liked it, and soon, the officiant was pronouncing them husband and wife. They exchanged a passionate kiss that brought everyone to their feet with cheers, then bells were ringing, and Natalie was crying all over again.
Christian hugged her against his chest. She could feel his body shaking with laughter, but she didn’t care. She was where she wanted to be, in his arms. And very soon, she’d be the one walking down the aisle on her father’s arm, with her Uncle Clovis presiding. Christian would have to meet her family before then, of course. But everything would be fine. As long as they were together, they’d always be fine.
“Je t’aime, Natalie,” Christian whispered. And that was all that mattered.
Epilogue
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
SOPHIA STARED at the picture, her hands shaking so much that the image blurred. She was furious, but she was also scared to death. They had Colin. She didn’t know how this had happened. Colin was deadly, a warrior from head to toe. He was invincible. She scolded herself, knowing that last one wasn’t true. No one was invincible, not even her. But Colin was never alone, never without vampire guards. So, how had they’d gotten to him?
The answer was as enraging as it was bitter. Someone had betrayed him, betrayed them both. Someone who was close enough to Colin that he’d trusted him. Trusted him enough to have dismissed his other guards and met alone with the traitor.
She studied the picture again, and her heart broke. They’d beaten him, at least. And probably done far worse things that she couldn’t see. There were horrible things a vampire could do to a human, terrible ways of torturing not just his body, but his mind. Her Colin was tough. He was a Navy SEAL, trained by the best to withstand torture, to resist attempts to get information out of him. But no one was invincible, she repeated to herself.
She put the awful picture down, and her hand hovered over the phone. She needed help, and didn’t know whom among her own people she could trust. If one was a traitor, couldn’t there be others? She needed to call Raphael. She could no longer pretend that the other vampire lords didn’t know something was wrong. They’d have missed her at the challenge launch in the South, and at the Council meeting in Mexico to welcome Christian Duvall as the new Southern lord. Hell, if nothing else, Cynthia Leighton had been calling Colin nonstop, and getting no response. She’d have brought her concerns to Raphael by now.
And wasn’t this exactly what their new and historic alliance had been crafted for? For when everything was on the line, and one of them needed help? There might be a price. But there was no price she wouldn’t pay to save Colin’s life and sanity.
It was Colin himself who worried her the most, however. He would never betray her. He’d die first.
And that was what terrified her. That he’d die before she got there.
She picked up the phone and called Raphael.
To be continued . . .
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Acknowledgments
As always, I want to thank my editor, Brenda Chin, for her patience and expert input, both of which made this a better book. A big thank you also to Deb Dixon for another amazing cover. I love my Christian!
Thank you to Sophie Wogc (Rebel Love!) who improved Christian’s French, which is a good thing, because my high school French just wasn’t going to cut it. You know that Saturday Night Live skit with Alec Baldwin? Yeah, well, that was me. Rest assured that any mistakes in Christian’s language are mine! Thanks again to John Gorski, who always bails me out when it comes to guns and bullets. Natalie needed his help this time around. Without him, she’d still be trying to get out of that locked room.
And once more I must thank my fellow writers Steve McHugh and Michelle Muto (more Rebel Love!) for their invaluable input to everything I write. We started together so many years ago, we’ve written and read so much together, and they’re my first line of support when the writerly front gets dark . . . and yet we’ve never met in person. Someday, someday.
Love and thanks to Karen Roma for all of her efforts on my behalf, from beta reading, to Tim Tams, to her tireless promotion of my books. Another good friend I’ll meet someday for sure.
Hugs also to Annette Romain Stone for all her help. Being a writer these days means staying active on so many fronts, and Annette keeps me sane while I juggle all of that, and try to keep writing at the same time. Thanks also to the wonderful members of my Street Team, who do such a great job of getting the word out about my books. I couldn’t do it without you.
Special thanks to all of my readers who make it possible for me to do what I love. I’m a lucky, lucky woman.
And finally, love always to my family who cheer me on and keep me going. And love to my darling husband, who made my life complete on the day he said, “I love you.”
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About the Author
D. B. Reynolds arrived in sunny Southern California at an early age, having made the trek across the country from the Midwest in a station wagon with her parents, her many siblings, and the family dog. And while she has many (okay, some) fond memories of Midwestern farm life, she quickly discovered that L.A. was her kind of town, and grew up happily sunning on the beaches of the South Bay.
D. B. holds graduate degrees in international relations and history from UCLA (go Bruins!) and was headed for a career in academia, but, in a moment of clarity, she left behind the politics of the hallowed halls for the better-paying politics of Hollywood, where she worked as a sound editor for several years, receiving two Emmy nominations, an MPSE Golden Reel, and multiple MPSE nominations for her work in television sound.
Book One of her Vampires in America series, RAPHAEL, launched her career as a writer in 2009, while JABRIL, Vampires in America Book Two, was awarded the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Paranormal Romance (Small Press) in 2010. ADEN, Vampires in America Book Seven, was her first release under the new ImaJinn imprint at BelleBooks.
D. B. currently lives in a flammable canyon near the Malibu coast with her husband of many years, and when she’s not writing her own books, she can usually be found reading someone else’s. You can visit D. B. at her website, dbreynolds.com, for information on her latest books, contests, and giveaways.
Christian (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 10) Page 36