by Toni Aleo
Turning to the source of the voice, I see a very stunning woman standing in all her gorgeous glory looking back at me. She’s wearing a tight black dress, her straight black hair is in a bob, and her honey eyes are in slits. Very familiar honey eyes, ones that belong to a girl I used to date. It was a regrettable mistake during a dark period when I was missing Taegan even more painfully than usual.
“Christiana,” I say, my eyes narrowing as my shoulders go back, on the defensive. “Two shifters in one night, all the product of Frank Kelley. Yeah, this isn’t fishy at all.”
“Oh, please, I’m here to meet my brother,” she says, waving me off and moving past me to sit by Thomas. She smiles sweetly before asking Rebekah, “Can I have a glass of your best Pinot Grigio?”
Rebekah is stark white in the face as she quickly nods before going to work. Looking back to me, Christiana grins while my poor sister looks like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
“I promise, boys, we are just visiting. My brother is in from out of town. I’d love to hang out with him outside of our home,” Christiana says, pulling my attention from my worried sister.
Clearing my throat, I shake my head. She’s full of shit. “Well, Christiana, like I told your brother, I find it odd that a rumor has made its way through my family that you’re after my sister, and now you two show up. Tell me that doesn’t stink.”
“Ah, it stinks, but I assure you, we aren’t here but to visit.”
“I don’t trust you, and I won’t apologize for that.”
She waves me off effortlessly, and I don’t miss her smug ass at all. She used to do that to me all the time. It bothered me then as much as it does now. I’m not sure what I saw in the Princess Kelley, but I regret that choice immensely. I probably went after her because she’s not only beautiful but easy.
“Your precious sister is in no danger, and our fathers are to meet tomorrow. Would we really risk something stupid when William von Stein is coming into our home and we need his help?”
What the hell is she talking about? Before I can ask, Thomas clears his throat. “We are honestly just visiting. We don’t wish any ill will to your sister.”
I glance to JJ, unsure what to do, but he only nods. Then I notice that he is tucking his knife back into his pocket. At least one of us had protection; I was just going to take them with my hands. Looking back to the Kelley children, JJ says, “Fine, but we are watching. And Rebekah, you don’t serve them. Vampire, you’re on your own.”
I look to the vampire as he nods. “Yes, of course.”
“Move,” JJ says to Rebekah, and she quickly moves away, down by where we were sitting. I follow her to the end of the bar, my eyes on them and her, on high alert. I don’t know what they are doing, what they are up to, but they won’t touch my sister on my watch. Or ever. I’ll kill them all for her.
As I sit down, JJ sits too, his eyes on them as he speaks very low. “Something is not right.”
“I agree.”
“We should get her out of here.”
“They’ll know we’re scared,” Rebekah says then, and I meet her gaze, nodding.
“She’s right. I want to watch them.”
JJ doesn’t answer at first, but I know he knows Rebekah is right. He just doesn’t want to admit it. Means that Rebekah is growing up, and boy, is she. Though she looks scared to death, she stands proudly, her shoulders back as she pulls in a deep breath and says, “But if they were really wanting to do me harm, wouldn’t they shift into another person they knew I trusted and get me that way? Why would they come at me in front of everyone, in their real bodies? They know I can’t leave, so it isn’t like they can get me, you know? Maybe they are here just to visit.” I look back at her, fully impressed. I hadn’t even thought of that. Shrugging her shoulders, she says, “You know what I mean?”
JJ nods. “Yes, my Rebekah, you’re right, though I still don’t trust them.”
I nod too, my eyes back on them as the vampire is carrying on a very intense conversation. Maybe JJ was right, maybe that guy is up to something. Looking back to my sister, I hold her gaze as I say, “Yeah, good point, but don’t let your guard down.”
“Didn’t plan on it,” she says with a laugh, and as she turns to serve someone, I look back to JJ.
“That vampire is up to something.”
JJ’s gaze hasn’t left the Kelleys or the vampire, and he nods slowly. “Told you.”
And to think, I thought my biggest and most important issue was my relationship was Taegan.
Really, it’s the fucking shifters and what I assume is their vampire spy.
Or better yet, their assassin.
I’m dead asleep when I feel her lips on my jaw.
I almost think I’m dreaming until I open my eyes, blinking in the pitch black to see the outline of her body. Her eyes are sparkling in the moonlight as her naked body warms mine. While I’m giddy to see her, she isn’t supposed to be here. She had a dinner tonight with her brother and his soon-to-be wife. She had said she would be out late with them, wanting to spend time with them, and that she would see me tomorrow. Confused, I wrap my arms around her, kissing her temple, but then I can feel that she is crying.
My eyes widen, and I’m fully awake as I kiss her cheek, whispering, “My love, what’s wrong?”
Choking back a sob, she whispers, “They set a date.”
My body goes cold. Even with the furnace she is putting out, I’m frozen with fear.
For the end is near.
“For?” I ask, wanting to buy time before she tells me what I already know is coming.
“My wedding to him,” she says through her sobs, her body racked with them, shaking my own body. “Oh, Oceanus, I don’t want to marry him!”
Holding her closer, I kiss her temple, her nose, and then the spot between her eyes. “I don’t want you to either, my love,” I say, my eyes closing as I lean into her, needing her. We lie like that for what seems like hours. Neither of us saying anything, neither of us moving. Nothing, just her sobs and the sounds of my soul shattering filling my dark, empty room.
“We can’t run, can we?”
I slowly shake my head. “My father will kill you, Tae. I can’t. I just can’t. I’d rather have you with that dog than take you for myself with the fear of my father finding us.”
Her sobs are deafening, and all I can do is hold her tighter, kissing her and begging her to calm down. “My father said the same,” she whispers through her tears. “I told him about us.”
“Oh, Tae.”
“I know, I should have just let it be. But when he told me, I told him no, that I loved another. He got me by my throat and told me I would not ruin this, that this will help our families more than I realize. That if I didn’t marry Marcello, he’d kill the man I do marry.”
Moving my nose along hers, I swallow hard. “I’m sorry, my love. I wish I knew how to make this better, to make you happy.”
“Just hold me,” she whispers, and I agree, knowing I can do that. Closing my eyes, I make the darkness my friend as her body shatters against mine. I feel out of options, and a part of me is glad that we are doing this until the day she marries him. I’m not ready to say good-bye. Not yet.
And while I don’t want to know, I know I have to know.
“When?” I whisper.
“A little over a month,” she answers, and just like that, my body goes numb. “Five weeks, to be exact.”
We now have an expiration date.
It’s been a week since the Kelleys have been to the Clandestine. It’s also been a week since Taegan came into my room to tell me about her upcoming nuptials. A week I’ve spent going through every option to be with Taegan, though I know it’s naïve of me. There is really no option for us—except death. While I might just die without her—yes, very dramatic of me—I can’t live with myself knowing she would die because of me. No, never. So instead, I have four more weeks to love her and give her memories to last her the rest of her life.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
Falling into the seat beside my sister in my father’s office, I grin at her, hoping she doesn’t see the pain I’m in. Rebekah doesn’t smile back, though, not fully, at least. No, she is too nervous.
This is her first meeting of the Patchwork.
As my father takes his spot at the head of the table with his brother, Samuel, I rub Rebekah’s back, giving her support. She is going to be fine. Usually, these meetings are boring as hell. We do have the issue of the shifters, but in the last week, we’ve had no sign of them, nor any threats. I wonder if they are even after Rebekah anymore. JJ seems to think so and has been watching her like a hawk. Along with watching the vampire, Killian.
Neither of them has given us anything to worry about, but JJ still worries. And because he does, I do.
The meeting starts like any other, talking about the goings-on of the Works. And soon, I beyond bored as my father and his brother argue about vampire affairs. Samuel is very pro-vampire and does everything he can to protect them. He’s in love with half of them and has slept with the other half. Father hates it, but he never says anything to Samuel about it. Today, though, they are arguing about the wolves protecting the vampires for their blood runs. Father doesn’t feel we should have to pay for it, but Samuel says they need the protection.
I agree they do, but not at our expense.
“Yes, they will pay,” Samuel pushes, and I roll my eyes. We’ve been discussing this for half an hour. Why was he holding that back? “I’ve already spoken with Alistair. He wants the protection from the rogue vamps and is willing to pay extra.”
“Then why are we discussing this?” I ask, annoyed, as Cyrus nods.
“Exactly. Wasted time, right here,” Cyrus adds as he crosses his arms. “I don’t even know why we care about their affairs.”
“Because they are part of the Works,” I add, glaring over at him. He looks like a slob, scrunched down in his chair with a bored expression on his face. Reaching out, I smack him upside the back of his head as he cries out in distress. “Sit up, you slob. Show some respect.”
Slowly inching back up in the chair, he looks to our father. “Let’s talk about something that matters. Those shifters, for example.”
For the first time since the meeting started, Rebekah sits up, fully paying attention now. “Yes, I agree.”
Father looks to her, though, and shakes his head. “In due time. Tell me, Rebekah, you’ve been spending a lot of time in the bastille. Any news from down there?”
I let my head fall back as Rebekah goes on about the guys who live down in the bastille. It’s our form of prison for the Patchwork people who break the laws my father has established. If he doesn’t kill you, you go down there. Somehow, my sister has fallen in love with the group down there. She goes down there weekly to feed them, bathe them, and read to them. It’s sweet, and while I appreciate her going down there, I worry for her. Those people have killed or stolen from us. Some aren’t good people, yet she doesn’t see the bad in anyone. Only the good.
That will probably get her killed one day.
God forbid.
“Fine, now for what everyone has been waiting for, a recap of my meeting with Frank Kelley.”
Finally. Thank God.
Sitting up, I lean on my elbows, watching as Samuel slowly clears his throat before saying, “You’ve kept us waiting almost a week. Please, out with it.”
Father nods, moving a piece of hair out of his eye. “That reason is because we had a second meeting last night.”
“A second meeting?” JJ asks, crossing his arms over his chest. “I wasn’t aware.”
“No one was,” Father says bluntly, leaning back in his chair. “Last week when I went, we discussed the rumor of his family coming for Rebekah. He denied it, brought his children in. They denied it too, as I thought they would. It’s fine,” he says, waving it off. But I, for one, don’t think it’s fine. Nor does anyone else at the table, but Father doesn’t notice, he’s too deep in his story. “He asked for the formula, I said no. He then asked for me to heal him, and I agreed.”
He, what? As my mouth drops, I look around the room, finding everyone basically matching my expression. Sputtering with confusion, I demand, “You agreed? Why?”
Father holds up his hand. “For reassurance. He promised he would not send anyone after Rebekah or anyone else if I did—”
“He’s lying!” JJ yells, standing up. “William, this is naïve of you. A dead Frank Kelley is a helluva lot better than a live one! He’s the one who hates you, not his family. They only follow him. But doing this—”
“Will bring the families together, which is what I want. I want unity. I can heal him, give him a second chance at life, but I refuse to make him or his family immortal. I’ve thought this out. This is why there was a second meeting. It’s done.”
JJ lowers into his seat, and I feel Rebekah’s apprehension pouring off her. I look to her as she asks shakily, “So they won’t come after me any longer?”
Father’s eyes soften as he looks to her. “No, my love. He wants the same as I do. Peace throughout the Works.”
I’m hesitant to believe that. “Can we trust him?”
“I don’t think so,” Cyrus says. “Because if so, then why threaten us? What if he’s healed but gets sick again, or Christiana or Thomas do? Then what? Threaten us again for another dose? I feel you’ve set us up for failure.”
“Exactly,” Jonas agrees. “This should have been discussed with all of us.”
Father shakes his head, a reassuring smile pulling at his lips. “My children, I promise you, it will be fine. Frank wants what we want. I know it.”
“He’s a liar, and I don’t trust the lot of them,” JJ mutters, and I couldn’t agree more.
I point to JJ. “Neither do I, Father. I don’t know if this was the right choice.”
“Well, when you run the Works, you can make that decision, my boy. I feel good about this,” Father says, looking to Samuel, who nods slowly.
“It’s four treatments. He messes up within the next year, we’ll just kill him,” Samuel announces, and I cringe. That’s the answer to everything around here.
Just kill them.
“Simple enough. I promise, this will work, everyone. Don’t look so worried. Our love Rebekah will be fine.”
But I am worried. Especially for Rebekah. Beside me, though, she asks, “So I’m allowed to leave? I don’t need my constant pain in the ass, JJ?”
Leave it to my sister to break a bit of the tension. Smiling, I watch as my father shakes his head, like I knew he would. “Oh, no. Not until I figure out the formula.”
Rebekah’s shoulders fall in defeat as JJ holds her gaze. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. As much as this sounds done, it’s not. I know those people. They want immortality, and they won’t stop until they get it.”
“And everyone calls me the neurotic one,” Father teases, but JJ doesn’t find it funny. Nor do I. A worried JJ means an even more worried me. Something is up, and I trust JJ before anyone else.
“I’m telling you, something isn’t right here. You’ll see.”
Holding JJ’s gaze, Father nods. “Fine, we will see,” he says. “Until then, do your job.”
“Oh, I will. Yours too,” JJ adds. I look away quickly as Father glares. We all know JJ considers us his, but it isn’t too often that he throws it in my father’s face.
“All right, boys, enough.” Samuel shakes his head. “JJ, I understand that you don’t trust that family, and neither do I. But this is what is best for the Works as a whole. But the first time anything goes sideways, he’s dead. If William hasn’t conveyed that to them, I will. Don’t worry—”
“My job is to worry for her, and I will,” JJ says, and then he looks to the boys and me. “We will continue the shifts as we have.”
I nod and go to agree, but then Father says, “If she’d just quit, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Father seems unfazed, though, as he waves him off. “Fine. Next order of business, the wedding of Taegan and her wolf husband, Marcello, is to take place in a month.”
My stomach drops, and bile gathers in my throat. I didn’t need this reminder. Though, there it is, taunting me. Hunting me. Swallowing hard as my father goes on, I want to sink under the table and hide. “Samuel and I will be in Louisiana to meet with the clan leader there. Kurt Conner is curious as to which of our family will represent our clan. Since Rebekah will be unable to attend, for obvious reasons, that leaves one of you three.” Father’s eyes fall to me, in slits as his mouth drifts open, and I swear he better not say what I think he is going to say. “I’d like you to go, Oceanus.”
“Me?” I bite out, and within seconds, I’m shaking with anger.
“Yes. It seems only right, yes?”
I can’t speak. I’m stunned, that is until JJ slaps the table before holding his hand toward me. “That is cruel, and you know it, William. Don’t ask him to do that—”
I don’t need anyone to defend me, though. I am a man. This will be my clan one day. I have to go. As much as I don’t want to, and I’d rather dig my eyeballs out than watch my love marry someone else, I can’t let my father know he is breaking me even more. I can’t let him have that control over me. This is a game to him now. He wants to break me, and I won’t allow him to do that.
Holding my hand up, I stop JJ. “No, it’s fine.”
“But, Osh,” Rebekah murmurs, laying her hand on my arm, but I brush her off.
“I’m next in line for the clan, it’s my duty.” I somehow get the words out, though to me, it sounds like gibberish.
It must please my father, though, because he is grinning. “That’s right, my boy. I’m proud.”
I can’t take that smile, though. I can’t take any of this. I’m shaking uncontrollably, and I need to get out of here. Standing, I clear my throat before saying, “Excuse me.”