by Julia Laque
With all the energy she could muster, she pulled her arm back and smacked him across the face.
The last thing she remembered before she fainted was the pain in her hand and hoped to God she at least hurt him a little.
****
"How is he?"
Jason shut the door to Adam's round house, pausing to listen for any activity over the blaring music. He heard a drill buzzing in one of the upstairs rooms. Led Zeppelin was blasting on the iPod, which indicated his friend wanted to drown out the heavy thoughts in his head, otherwise the old man usually had on the Beatles.
Ramo was eating a sandwich, clearly having come from the kitchen to answer the door. It was the day before the full moon, and tonight they would all be enduring the moon heat. The hours leading up to it made them very hungry. Jason brought along a prescription of Klonopin for Adam, which helped Jason during these nights without a heat mate. It didn't do much, just dulled the mind so they didn’t have to think too much about how badly they needed to have sex and it tricked the brain into thinking they weren’t actually in pain. Hopefully it would let Adam sleep through the moon heat.
"He's being an idiot, ignoring me and shit." Ramo rolled his eyes and continued eating.
Jason looked at Ramo. He had no idea what it felt like to fall in love with a woman. It was wonderful and painful, beautiful and heartbreaking. Ramo only lusted after women. He'd never let a girl get too close. Ramo was married to a werewolf in Chicago, but he hadn't seen her in years.
"I'm going to talk to him." He checked his watch. "You should probably get a move on." You didn't want to run into a werewolf during these nights. Years ago during the moon heat, Ramo had been working long hours. When he finally headed off to meet his heat mate, it was too late. He passed a bar and two girls stumbled out, drunk. They started flirting, crazy style with Ramo and he lost it. Thank God, they were willing. They ended up going at it in the bathroom of the bar for an hour and the owner called the cops. They were all arrested.
Ramo checked his watch too. "Right, good thinking." Ramo's heat mate lived about thirty minutes out of town.
As his pack member left, Jason headed up the stairs, following the noise of the drill.
He knew his friend was hurting badly and couldn't blame him. Evangeline Wolcott was quite a woman. He only wished his friend didn't have to suffer over losing her the way Jason suffered over Serena.
Yeah, Jason knew exactly what Adam was going through.
When he reached the second floor, he could see Adam through his bedroom's open door. He was in the bathroom he’d added to the master bedroom ten years ago. Looked like he was in a remodeling kind of mood. Adam was taking out the counter surrounding the sink. Jason saw the tub leaning against the wall next to his dresser. There were bags from a hardware store and boxes off to the side and he knew by the end of the day, Adam was going to have a brand new bathroom.
Adam switched off the drill when he saw Jason and cocked his head.
Jason held up the plastic container with the Klonopin pills. "I brought you these."
Nodding, Adam hit the pause button on the iPod and stepped out of the bathroom. "Thanks."
"You might want to take two now and then three or four at sun down." For a human it would equal an overdose. For a werewolf it was just enough.
Jason watched Adam take two and put the rest in his pocket. They stood looking everywhere, but at each other.
"Need any help?" Jason asked.
Adam shook his head, mopping the sweat off his brow. "I'm good."
They lapsed into silence again. They were the two saddest motherfuckers on the planet.
Adam cleared his throat, still not looking at Jason. He walked over to a box and started cutting it open with his Swiss army knife. "Is it always like this?"
Jason started. "What?"
Adam still avoided his gaze, keeping his voice down. "Is it always like this…for you? This horrible fucking feeling?"
Jason understood. "Yeah, pretty much."
He nodded, clenching his jaw.
Jason added pathetically, "We love like madmen."
Adam finally looked at him. "I've heard of this, but fuck."
A werewolf's love for another was seriously intense. If their kind was misfortunate enough to fall in love, it was for life. They became protectors, living solely to please their mate. Adam and Jason now suffered the same loss of their soul mate. Looking closely at his friend, he thought he was looking in a mirror. They had the same dark circles and perpetual grimace.
Adam massaged his chest and Jason knew he felt the stabbing pain that never went away.
"Wish I could say it gets better," Jason said.
Adam looked at him intently. "I haven't given up on her."
Jason knew he referred to his sister.
"We're going to find her."
"I know," Jason said dismissively. He was going to lose it if they went on talking about Serena. He walked over to the bathroom, inspecting what else needed to be done. "Hand me the tape measure."
"You don't have to—" Adam began.
"I know, but I'm gonna." Jason was determined to help his friend. They could both use a big distraction right now. They would put all their effort in this bathroom and when they were done, they'd pop a few more pills and hit the Patron till last man standing.
****
He wanted to tell Jason he didn't have to stay, but he knew his beta needed to keep busy as much as he did. Besides, having Jason around was the equivalent of being alone. He knew Jason wouldn't ramble on.
Adam rubbed the ache in his chest again. He wondered what was happening with Evangeline. He wanted to know if she was all right. Had she met with the king yet? Adam felt his stomach drop for the umpteenth time since he'd left her. What would Cyrus do to her? If he hurt her...agreement or no agreement, he'd kill the son of bitch and worry about the consequences later.
What the hell was wrong with him? How could he just sit back and let Cyrus have his girl? The thought of her being in the same room with him fucked with his head. A slimy bastard like Cyrus Stewart had no right to one so lovely. And he, Adam, had basically handed her over.
Adam wasn't himself. He didn't think he'd ever be the same again. Evangeline had turned his world upside down. How was he going to live without seeing her face everyday…hearing her voice…
He thought of what his father would say to him about all this. Xavier Perez would have knocked him over the head and told him to man up and fight for his woman. The thought of what his father would have said to him shouldn't have bothered him, but it did.
Adam wondered how his father could still torment him from the grave and he remembered the repentant look he'd given him as he let his own son murder him.
Had his father really loved his mother? Did he go through the same turmoil Adam was now going through when he thought his mother had cheated on him? There were no excuses for what his father had done, but Adam couldn't help but wonder. Could he flip out the same way?
No!
The thought of Evangeline getting a paper cut killed him. There was no way he was like his father. His love for Evangeline was pure and real.
The ache in his heart was proof enough.
He shut his eyes. The image of her tearstained face as he'd slowly made love to her against the tree haunted his dreams. He could still feel her hands squeezing his shoulders and pulling on him. He had never made love to a woman with such aching passion. She'd sent tremors down his entire body. He was beginning to feel the moon's affect on him. It was going to be a rough night.
Not for the first time, he prayed she was all right. His arch nemesis was an evil prick, but even Cyrus wouldn't hurt a woman like Evangeline. Would he?
He had to see her.
Somehow, he had to see her to make sure she was okay. Ramo was ragging on him to go to the city and throw himself in his work. Perez Construction was working on a block of town houses on the North side of Chicago, but Adam had instantly vetoed the suggestion. He c
ould not be so far away from Evangeline. He wasn't kidding himself. He knew the king was going to marry her. Cue stomach drop. But, as long as he still breathed, he would make sure she was all right. Until they put his cold, dead body into the earth, he would be her bodyguard. Married or not, Adam would watch over her. He might be digging himself an early grave if he continued on this path, but he didn't care.
Evangeline Wolcott had a protector for life.
Chapter Thirteen
Jane was fuming.
The meeting had been tense enough with everything going on, but when the king came in looking disgruntled, to discuss the summit, Jane had nearly lost it.
Everyone present this time of year in the King’s Coven would be at the summit...everyone but her.
Even Maxwell Jones, a human would be there.
Mary spoke behind her. “But, my love, we’ve been over this. No, please don’t give me one of your looks.” Jane half turned to glare at her as they crossed the threshold into their room on the second floor.
Jane walked over to the window, staring off into the night.
Mary and Jane had the day off today, but with everything going on, everyone was on duty. Usually on these days they would cuddle up in their bed and watch a movie or read together. Sometimes they would spend the day drinking wine and talking for hours. Mary always had a good story for her. She’d lived through so much as she’d been born in England in the nineteenth century. Jane was fascinated with her tales.
She felt as if she had her own personal history novel. All she had to do was ask a question about nineteenth century London and the Ton, and Mary would regale her with a time her cousin had gotten drunk at a ball for an Earl and spilled a drink on his wife.
Jane clenched her teeth, fighting the urge not to yell at her wife now.
Was she going to be stuck in this body forever?
Was Mary ever going to turn her?
“Jane…” Mary’s husky voice sent chills down her spine.
“I hate you're going to the summit to meet with werewolves without me. I’m going to go crazy with worry. If you turned—”
“Please don’t start,” Mary cut in.
“No! Listen! If you turned me, I could help. I am the only damn human in a vampire coven. How do you think it makes me feel? Do you think I like the way Victor and everyone else stares at me like I’m fresh meat? Oh, stop!” Jane said exasperatedly when Mary’s fangs came out. “All I’m saying is, we agreed you would turn me before we got married. Why won’t you do it now?”
Mary’s fangs retracted and her shoulders slumped. “Darling, we’ve been over this. I want you to enjoy the life you have right now for just a little while longer. You’re still young. You don’t know if you will still want this in another few years. Please,” she added.
Jane turned to look at her, knowing she was the only one who ever saw the vulnerable look Mary gave her now. Only Jane could bring out this soft side in Mary. She knew Mary thought Jane would someday leave her for some human male or female.
Jane was young, but the love she felt for Mary was insurmountable. She could not imagine her life without her.
“What if I don’t want to wait any longer? I know, despite what you think, I want to be with you, forever.” Jane leaned forward, emphasizing the word forever. Her hands were crossed under her breasts and the low cut dress she wore gave Mary an eyeful.
A shadow cast light out from the hallway where Mary hadn’t shut the door.
“Hi, Evangeline.” Jane’s expression changed dramatically, erasing the scowl into a cheerful smile.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Mary tense and turn toward the door. Jane would bet the entire coven Mary was doing the whole if looks could kill thing on the poor girl.
She watched Evangeline ignore Mary and turn toward her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just wondering if I could speak to you for a minute?”
“Sure,” Jane said politely. “Go on up to your room. I’ll be there in just a minute.”
Evangeline turned and walked off to the right. The door slammed shut by itself just as she was out of sight.
Jane looked at Mary reproachfully. “That was rude.”
“I don’t care.”
Jane lifted her chin and stalked past her wife. “Will you for once think about what I said?”
“Where are you going?” Mary’s voice rose louder than usual.
Jane stopped and turned. “I’m going to Evangeline’s room.”
“You’re not going to her bedroom when you are angry with me.” Mary stood, hands on her hips.
“Geez. Thanks for the trust, honey.” Jane turned to open the door. Before she could take a single step, she felt a gust of air as Mary sped to her in a blink of an eye, slamming Jane back against her chest.
Jane felt Mary’s breasts heave up and down at her back as Mary’s arms came around her. Jane closed her eyes. It wasn’t fair. Jane had no control over her mind when her wife touched her.
Mary kissed her gently on the shoulder, and whispered heatedly, “You have ten minutes.”
Jane shuddered as she left the room.
It was one of the hardest things Jane ever did, but she would make it up to Mary.
****
The view of the sunset from the gaping windows was picturesque, but Evangeline could not appreciate its beauty. She sat in the expansive room in a comfy purple chaise by the window, feeling like a prisoner. A large bed with a floral duvet took up most of the right side of the room, a massive dresser with a flat screen was on the adjacent wall, and an antique desk nestled near the window.
He bit her.
She knew he would, but the whole scene kept replaying in her head. She rubbed her neck again.
Cyrus was so angry. She had never been the cause of such fury in a man. When men were not avoiding her, they always treated her with the upmost respect.
“Knock, knock.” Jane poked her head in with a smile.
“Hi. Come on in.” Evangeline sat up straighter and eyed her visitor. Jane was flushed and her hair was a bit more out of place than it was a moment ago.
Instead of feeling uncomfortable, for obviously she’d just fooled around with her wife, Evangeline once again felt envious. Why couldn’t she find happiness like Jane’s? Why couldn’t she be with the one she loved?
Jane sat down in the chair by the desk, her dress hiking up a bit to reveal smooth, tanned legs. She gave Evangeline a nervous smile. “Is everything all right?”
Evangeline looked at her.
“I’m sorry, of course not. Ignore the question.” Jane rolled her eyes. “You must be going through a lot right now. Is there anything I can do?”
“Convince the king to marry someone else.”
Jane’s small smile fell and she looked away.
“I’m only joking, Jane,” she said lamely.
Jane took a deep breath. “I can only imagine what you’re going through and I doubt anything I say will change that, but…” Jane hesitated as if she were searching for the right words to say. “He really isn’t so bad.”
“Not so bad?” Evangeline was incredulous. “Look at what he did to me.” She pulled her hair back to reveal the bite marks on her neck. “He all but ripped my neck apart and drained me of enough blood to make me pass out.”
Jane shook her head. “I’m not defending what he did to you. In fact, we’re all pretty shocked how upset he’s been since he found out you were kidnapped and what he did to you earlier. This may seem really insensitive, but he clearly has great feelings for you to have lost control.”
“He doesn’t even know me.”
Jane tilted her head and scrutinized her. “Evangeline, he knows you more than I do, and even I’m crushing on you.”
Evangeline flushed.
Jane smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I’m very much in love with my wife. I’m simply proving a point. You’re so unbelievably beautiful it's hard not to stare at you like an idiot. Just looking at you mak
es me happy. Can you imagine what it does to His Grace? Add to the fact you’re adoringly graceful, educated, and independent. You work even though you don’t have to. God, what man wouldn’t want you?”
Evangeline rubbed her temples. “Jane, he hurt me…”
“I know. I’m truly sorry he did.” She leaned forward, her eyes serious. “This is not comforting given the circumstances, but, it really does feel quite amazing when you’re relaxed and willing.” Jane turned her head slightly and Evangeline saw two tiny puncture marks on her neck.
"You seem happy here." It wasn't a question, but Evangeline knew it sounded like one.
"I am." Smiling softly, she settled back in her chair, looking out the window. "I love when Mary and I can get away for a few months, but I grew up here and I just wish..."
Evangeline sensed something was troubling Jane. Giving anything to change the subject, she asked, "Are you all right?" She'd definitely walked in on an argument earlier, and wondered if she’d said something to drudge up Jane’s distress.
Jane shook her head. "It's nothing." She looked down and smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her dress. Shrugging, she said, "I love it here, but it'd be easier if I was..." She paused.
Evangeline knew what she was about to say. "If you were a vampire?"
Jane looked up. "Yes."
Evangeline didn't know what to say. At one point she thought they might have a few things in common since they were both human and about the same age, but clearly she'd been mistaken. Evangeline wouldn't know how it was to grow up amongst vampires and she never thought of becoming one. Jane was very sweet, but she was beginning to wonder if it had been pointless to talk to her about her troubles.
There was a hard knock on the door and it swung open. Cyrus stood next to Maxwell who looked as bad as she felt.
“Janey, my dear, will you excuse us please?” Cyrus entered the room in the same clothes he’d had on earlier.
“Of course.” Jane jumped up and crossed to Evangeline. She bent over and kissed her on the cheek. “Dial 101 on the phone if you want to talk. I’m here for you.”
“Aren’t you sweet, Jane. Let’s go.” Cyrus gave Jane a bored look and opened the door wider, then closed it after her.