“I tried that. She’s gone. Vanth went to go speak to Death, and she hasn’t returned either.”
“So, she’s gone as in forever gone?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry, Flynn. I let you down. I was supposed to keep her safe while you went after Ariel. I didn't.”
He refused to kick his mate while he was down. They’d all made mistakes. Taking Jolie into a biker bar was the big one.
It was on all of them.
“What do we do?”
It rattled Flynn that the strongest one in their union was this scared. It was time to step it up and take control.
Flynn kissed her face. “We wait until we find an answer, and I don’t care if I never leave this bed again.”
It said it all.
Jacques mimicked his mate’s actions. “Then we wait as a couple.”
“Everyone out!” stated Flynn, pointing to the door. All the vampyres scurried away at his tone.
Mathew followed.
“No, not you,” Flynn stated.
Mathew froze, his back to them. “I’m sorry, Masters. This is my fault. I just couldn’t focus. There were…”
The look on Flynn’s face had him closing his mouth.
“Get over here,” he stated.
Mathew obeyed, practically cowering at the tone in Flynn’s voice.
“Yes?” he said, eyes adverted.
“You screwed up, but it happens. This is a teaching moment for you. If you run now, you’ll never be a guardian. We just owned that this was our fault, and so did you. As a guardian, you failed. As mates, we failed. Now we regroup, we work through it, and we recover.”
The vampyre nodded, and then went to leave.
“I didn't’ tell you to go.”
He froze.
Jacques was impressed with his mate. Flynn was running things when Jolie wasn’t able to do it. He didn't know what to think.
“I have a job for you. I want you to go check on Ariel and keep watch. When you’re done, you can come back here. Jolie would want you to be here when she wakes. You’re part of her family, and that matters.”
“But I...”
“That’s an order, Mathew. I said do the job and get your ass back here. Am I clear?”
He nodded, lifting his head before racing out.
“How did you know?”
Flynn nodded. “He needs to be led like a soldier. Mathew isn’t going to ever be like us. So, we need to figure out what works. He’s good with orders. So, we give them.”
Jacques placed his hand over Flynn’s on Jolie’s stomach. “Thank you, my friend.”
Flynn met his gaze. “You’re welcome. Now, let’s wait.”
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Jolie’s eyes wandered around Death’s chambers, and she had to admit that her mistress liked drama. Then she realized how funny that sounded even to her.
When her hostess approached, Jolie noticed she was carrying a box. “What’s that?” she asked, cautiously.
“Chocolate.”
“I see. No thank you.”
Death laughed. “What if I swore on all my powers that I won’t trick you?”
Again she offered the box.
“I didn't think we could eat chocolate.”
“You can’t, but here, it isn’t real. It only tastes and looks like chocolate. Try some, and then you can be tortured the rest of your life, knowing what you’re missing,” she teased.
Jolie was indeed curious, but she still feared that there would be a catch. “No tricks?”
“None. I’m simply enjoying your company. Human women share chocolate with each other all the time as a sign of friendship. As you can see,” she said, waving her arm to encompass the room, “I don’t really have a chance to have many girlfriends…the whole ruler of the dead thing is a turn off.”
Jolie reached into the box and pulled out a raspberry truffle. She inspected it before biting cautiously into the gooey concoction.
The flavor exploded in her mouth.
“Oh my god! This is amazing. You’re right. Now I know what I’ve been missing.”
Death was amused. “It’s good to be me because I can conjure up a box of pretend candy whenever I want it.” Reaching into the box, she pulled out a dark one. “Coconut.”
“Mmmm…” Jolie said accepting the half Death held out for her. “Thank god I can’t eat these when I am alive. I’d be a house. Don’t tell my mates, but this might come close to sex.”
That was saying a lot.
Death laughed, and then finally paused. “You can leave. The children won’t be harmed if you wake now. They’ll both survive.”
Jolie leaned over to hug her mistress. “Thank you for the experience of chocolate. I won’t ever forget it,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’m ready.”
Death snapped her fingers, and Jolie was gone.
There was that moment of guilt as it overwhelmed Death. “Oh, Jolie…I’m so damn sorry.”
Her words resonated.
“Don’t thank me. I don’t deserve it.”
With that, she threw the box of chocolates at the wall and stared up at her ceiling in frustration, knowing that there was always a cost.
Even for death.
“Damn you, Fate!”
∞ Chapter Twenty-Eight ∞
Tuesday Afternoon
Her mates stayed protectively wrapped around Jolie the entire time she was gone, and by Tuesday, they had begun to believe she wasn’t going to be returning.
All seemed to be lost.
Jacques could feel the darkness calling to him. He was running low on the energy as his mistress called him to her.
“Let me feed you, Jacques, I know you’re fighting to stay awake. I can feel it,” said Flynn, touching his friends shoulder.
“I don’t care. I won’t feed or go to death until I see she’ll be fine.”
Mathew stood at the foot of the bed, playing sentry. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on,” he said softly.
Jacques leaned down and placed his large hand across her stomach for what felt like the millionth time. “Jolie, my love, please come back to us. We can’t go on without you.”
Flynn whispered in her ear, “We love you, baby. We need you to wake up. We’re scared.”
They both closed their eyes, seeking that little bit of energy that was left in each of them.
That’s when she spoke. “You shouldn’t worry so much, my loves,” Jolie whispered, touching both of their faces.
It was the sweetest sound they’d ever heard.
Jacques took her hand and placed it against his lips. “You scared the hell out of us,” he whispered, nuzzling her hand.
Flynn went right for her lips, planting a big one on them. When he finished, he stared into her lavender eyes. “We need to have a serious talk about you getting hurt, Jolie,” he admonished, placing his face by hers on the pillow.
The relief was there.
She was back.
Jolie laughed. “Trust me. It wasn’t intentional.” She stared down her body at her guardian in training. “Are you okay, Mathew?” she inquired.
It warmed her heart that her mates allowed the younger vampyre to remain with them. Lesser men wouldn’t have been compassionate in their hour of pain.
“No, I’m not okay. What you did was reckless and irresponsible. You should know better as a primus. You lead this family, and I could have been sacrificed. You’re carrying children, and they’re going to inherit this family. What you did was dangerous. So no. I’m not okay.”
Both men stared at him.
Okay, this was new.
“I would have taken the dagger. I’m supposed to protect you--not the other way around.”
Jolie sat up slowly, a little shocked at his outburst. The only reason she tolerated his hostility was because she knew he was rattled.
“Mathew, I’m your primus, and it’s my job to protect you too. What kind of family would we be if everyone looked out for only the
mselves?”
He didn't speak.
“What if Flynn didn't watch Jacques’s back? In a fight, he’d be in danger.”
Mathew said nothing.
“Or Jacques? What if he didn't fight to keep me safe? I would have died a thousand times by now. We don’t live by the principle that I’m more valuable than the rest. We keep everyone safe, and I was the closest to you. So, you’re going to have to accept that.”
“I’m sorry I failed you. I don’t deserve this job.”
Jolie knew she had a small window here to save his heart. “May I speak to Mathew alone?” she asked her mates.
Both men gave her what she asked, despite not wanting to leave her side.
When they were gone, she opened her arms. “Come here, Mathew.”
He obeyed.
“When he rested his head on her shoulder, Jolie patted his cheek. “You yourself admitted that I’m like your mother. Why wouldn’t I try to protect you?”
“I screwed up.”
She lifted his face with her fingertips. “Mathew, do you know how hurt I would have been if anything had happened to you?”
“I don’t get why. In all this, I don’t understand why you’ve taken an interest in me.”
She kissed him on the forehead. “Because I love you. You think of me as your mother, and I see you like a son. If I have boys, I hope they’re just like you.”
He looked shocked. “Why would you wish that on anyone, especially your children?”
“You're sweet. One day, you’ll treat your mate with kindness and love. You’ll be devoted, gentle, and a good man. That’s something priceless. Not all male vampyres carry that trait. You do.”
He listened to her.
“You love art and learning. That’s important. We live forever, and once you believe you know it all, you stop growing.”
“I love you.”
There.
He said it.
Jolie hugged him. “Thank you for that, Mathew. Sometimes, when you’re primus, you wonder why people are near you--if it’s love--or just obligation. This is why I hope that if I have sons, they’re just like you.”
“Thank you, Jolie.”
She smiled sweetly at him. “This wasn’t your fault. We all make mistakes. Learn from it.”
“That’s what Master Flynn said.”
He told her everything.
Jolie couldn’t help but be impressed. He was definitely growing into his role of mate.
“He’s very wise.”
“Yes, for a human, he is,” Mathew admitted.
“Now, I’m going to go soak in a hot bath with my mates. You’re exhausted--head to death.”
“Yes, Jolie. I will.”
She waited until he was gone. Then she went to find her mates. Both men sat in the steaming tub, waiting for her. “Before either of you start yelling or lecturing me about putting myself in danger, I would like to just tell you both that it was instinct. I saw the silver, and I knew he would die, so I moved.”
The men started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, stepping into the steaming water.
“We’ve been in that room pacing for almost twenty four hours. Trust me. The last thing we were thinking about was yelling at you,” Flynn stated, offering his hand so she could sit beside them.
“Flynn?” Jolie began.
“Yeah,” he replied, as she leaned against his body.
“Mathew told me you were hard on him.”
He waited for it. “Yeah, and?”
She took him by the face and kissed him squarely on the mouth. When she was done, she stared into his brilliant blue eyes. “Thank you. He needed that firm hand.”
He shrugged. “A man’s gotta own it and move forward. I just pointed him in the right direction.”
She was so appreciative of both of them. “That was very fatherly of you.”
Jacques snorted. “That’s so sweet, Dad.”
Jolie gave him the look.
Her mate took the hint. “How come Death wouldn’t release you?” Jacques asked, curiously. “We pleaded, begged, and offered up just about anything to get you back.”
“Yes, she said you were trying. The mercury on the dagger, which Zola drove into me, would have terminated the pregnancy, so Death saved me.”
Jacques immediately tensed. “Why did she do this so willingly? That’s not like her.”
Jolie shook her head. “I have no idea why. I was honestly afraid to ask, but then again, would she tell me the truth?”
“Do you trust her?”
Jolie thought about it. “Uh, no.”
Flynn relaxed. “Thank God. You didn't lose your mind yet,” he teased, as he washed her back with the big puffy sponge.
“You look pale, Jacques.”
That made Flynn laugh. When didn't the vampyre look that way?
“Shut up, Detective,” Jacques faux growled. It was good to laugh after hours of hurting. “I haven’t been to death.”
She touched his cheek. “Want to feed?”
He shook his head. “Not from you, my love.”
Flynn moved around her in the tub, preparing to donate to his other mate.
“Are we going to have to have this conversation again?” she asked, glaring at the men.
“Seriously, Jolie?” Flynn asked. “Do you know what hell we’ve been through the last twenty four hours? How about you cut us a break and let this one go. We’re too beat down to fight right now.”
She opened her mouth.
He waited for it.
“You’re bossy.”
“I learned from the best.”
She closed her mouth as the heat flushed through her body. Instead of fighting, she simply listened. “Okay.” After all, he was right. This was such a small thing to give them, especially since they didn't give her hell about risking her life.
Flynn flipped his wet hair off his neck and waited for his mate to drink. The second his fangs touched his flesh, Flynn sunk into the warmth of a mate’s feeding.
It was amazing.
Before he knew it, Jacques was done.
“Thank you.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” Flynn admitted, grinning.
Jacques affectionately patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll rest. Will you join me, Jolie?” he asked.
She declined his offer. “I came back from death fully healed and rejuvenated. Besides, I have other things to do.”
Both men lifted a brow, waiting for it.
“Come on! I want to go see Ariel and visit Cari too. I promise I won’t leave the house. Okay?”
“I’ll go with you,” Flynn offered.
“Aren’t you exhausted?”
He followed them both out of the tub and slipped into a robe. “Nope. I’ll play babysitter.”
“There was a time you’d only think that, not say it out loud,” she stated.
“I’m evolving,” he admitted, slapping her on the bare wet ass. The crack filled the air as did her gasp. “Lucky you.”
Jacques couldn’t help but laugh. The next thousand years was going to be interesting.
“I don’t need a watchdog,” she insisted.
“Hey! I object to being called that. Can’t a mate enjoy a nice leisurely stroll--with the woman he loves--through their house while armed with some guns, knives, and a demoness at his beck and call?”
She wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic, or dead serious. It was a tossup at that point.
Jolie waited until Jacques was in bed. She dropped a kiss to his lips as she waited for him to slip into death. She didn't miss the look he gave Flynn. It looked like she’d have a tail for the rest of her time being pregnant.
Then again, she didn't mind.
As soon as he was gone, she wavered from the exhaustion.
Flynn caught her, pushing some energy into her depleted body. “You’re damn lucky he was too drained to feel you. I could, and you had me worried.”
She was grateful to her
mate. “Maybe I just wanted to be in your arms?” she admitted.
“Only maybe?” he asked as she nibbled on his throat.
“Definitely,” she added, as he carried her to the settee in their room. When he sat, Jolie straddled his body. “This is nice,” she admitted.
Immediately, he was hard.
“I have other words for it,” he stated, as she rubbed against him. He wasn’t a saint, and she was naked. The only barrier between them was the silk of his robe.
Jolie licked at his jaw before leaving kisses across his lips. “I have a confession, and it’s something you really need to hear,” she admitted.
He could barely hear over the blood pounding in his ears. “Yes?”
“At that bar, you being all badass and manhandling me turned me on. It was a side of you that I found very appealing.”
He swallowed. “Don’t tease.”
“I’m serious,” she admitted. “Before you feed me, do you think you can revisit it with me again? I’d like to explore it with you.”
Flynn didn't know whether to laugh or build an altar to whoever was responsible for this miracle. His mate wanted to have crazy biker bar sex.
He had to be dreaming.
“Are you serious?”
Jolie nuzzled his cheek. “Sex with Jacques is amazing, but he’s mindful of me when we’re together. I want to see what it’s like to be totally consumed by my human mate. I have the best of both worlds, and you’re more likely to play with me in bed.”
Hell, he’d play with her in the middle of a six lane highway. Who was he kidding? Flynn was easy when it came to Jolie Harcourte.
“Baby,” he warned as her hand found him and began stroking.
“I think I like you bossy in bed.”
“Are you serious?”
“Order me around. Dominate me, Flynn. I don’t want to be a primus right now. I don’t want to think. I need you to be in charge.”
It was all she had to ask. The switch was flipped.
“Get on your knees.”
Jolie obeyed, staring up at him with very innocent eyes.
“I don’t want sex with a vampyre. I want Jolie Harcourte, my woman, so keep the predator at bay.”
“Yes, Flynn. I have to be honest. I didn't like those women in the bar touching you,” she admitted. “I don’t like to share my mates.”
Dangerous Retaliation (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 4) Page 39