Blood Betrayed

by Gabrielle Bisset

"Vampire."

  Teagan looked at him with a confused expression. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Declan."

  A knock on his bedroom door drew Saint from his memories, and he sleepily shuffled across the room to answer it, knowing it was only Solenne. He wasn't sure he could handle much more memories, though.

  He opened the door and saw her standing there staring up at him with a look that told him she wanted to talk.

  "What's going on, Solenne?"

  She took a deep breath and then spoke. "I was hoping we could call a truce."

  Saint looked down into those ocean blue eyes gazing up at him and sighed. "I can't fight the Archons and you. I can't do this anymore."

  The smile that met his words lit up the room. For the first time since he'd come to her home, she was the women he'd known all those years ago, the woman his brother had sired and cared for.

  The woman he'd cared for.

  "Saint, I know you've never forgiven me, but I hope we can at least be friends."

  "I don't know, Solenne. All I know is that I can't fight you and the rest of the world anymore. Give me a minute and I'll get dressed. I want to go out tonight."

  Disappointment clouded her eyes and the smile that had charmed him just seconds earlier slid from her face. Looking down, she quietly said, "Oh."

  He knew what she thought. Tipping her face up toward him, Saint smiled. "I thought it would be nice if you came with me."

  "To find you human females?"

  "To enjoy dinner."

  As if his mere words had lifted her spirits, her eyes grew wide and her beautiful smile returned. "Oh. I'd like that."

  "Good. Give me a few and we'll go."

  Chapter Ten

  The house rested back from the road, obscured behind the heavy foliage of ancient trees that had watched more than one traveler mistakenly pass by. Made of stone, the house had a subtle warmth from its pale yellow color that was accentuated by the royal blue farmhouse shutters flanking each deep-set window of the façade. In the light of dusk, Declan imagined it could be a welcome sight to one who'd taken the time to find it.

  A row of lanterns above the door and first floor windows illuminated the home and a stone patio near the front door. Wooden chairs and a table placed in the only open spot among all the trees seemed curious for a vampire's house, but a singular lantern in the center of the table alluded to nighttime use.

  Stepping up to the entrance, Declan knocked on the old wooden door and waited between two concrete lion statuaries. Nearly a year since last seeing his brother, he wondered how Teagan had found himself in this place on his travels. The house seemed an unlikely place for his brother to land, even temporarily. The closest village almost a mile away seemed an equally sleepy locale when he'd passed through it, utterly incapable of providing Teagan the excitement he craved since his time with his sire.

  As he thought with distaste of seeing the Romanian, the door opened and there stood Teagan. As it had always been, it seemed as if Declan was looking in a mirror at an image of himself just one year younger. Brown eyes almost identical to his stared back at him, slightly wrinkled around the eyes from his brother's genuine smile.

  "Declan! It's wonderful to see you," he said as he enveloped him in his arms.

  It was good to see him too. When they'd parted that night in that Paris hotel suite, Declan had held no hard feelings but questioned if he'd ever see Teagan again.

  "This is a beautiful house but a bit off the beaten path for you, isn't it?"

  Teagan laughed all the way from his belly and opened his arms wide as he looked up toward the ceiling. "This? This isn't mine. It belongs to one of my vampires."

  Declan stopped short and stared in shock at him. Teagan a sire?

  Turning back to face him, his brother wore a smile that beamed with pride. "Surprised? Don't be. Vasilije favors me too much to deny me anything for long."

  "I thought he'd selfishly keep you as sterile as an Archon for much longer," Declan said, looking around the grand hallway for any sign of his brother's sire as he followed Teagan to a sitting room at the back of the house.

  "He's not here, so relax. I didn't want our first meeting again to be marred by anything, so he's off in London."

  Teagan seemed different as he spoke of Vasilije now, as if he'd matured from the young man his sire had kept plied with Absinthe, women, and sex to a man more like Declan himself. He liked the man he'd become.

  He took a seat near an enormous fireplace that dominated the room and listened as Teagan talked of his past year, each story full of vivid details and laughter.

  "You seem happy, Teagan. I'm glad."

  "I bet you're wondering why I wrote you to come visit, aren't you?"

  "A little, but just seeing you like this is enough reason."

  "Well, I have another. There's someone I want you to meet."

  Declan saw by the glimmer in his brother's eye that he was referring to a woman. "Someone? When did you become a one-woman man?" he joked.

  Before he could comment on the change, Declan saw the woman he assumed could be given credit for this new Teagan. Very much his style, she was stunning with strawberry-blonde hair, deep blue eyes that reminded him of the Mediterranean at sunset, and a body made for seduction. As he rose from his seat, Declan watched with happiness as she sweetly placed a kiss on his brother's cheek.

  "Solenne, this is my brother, Declan. Declan, I'd like you to meet Solenne, the owner of this house and my vampire."

  "It's like seeing double. It's a pleasure to meet you, Declan," she said with a smile that lit up the room.

  "Likewise," he said shaking her hand. "Your home is beautiful."

  "Thank you. It was a gift from a lovely woman who took a shine to me. I hope you'll consider it your home for as long as you stay with us."

  Declan watched her, enthralled by her warmth and enthusiasm. Even simply seated next to Teagan, she radiated an energy unlike anyone he'd ever met before. He couldn't imagine anyone not taking a shine to her, and not just for her beauty.

  The three talked for hours about everything from the war to the brothers' childhood years in Ireland. When Solenne gave her apologies for retiring early, Declan was sincerely sorry to see her go.

  Alone with his brother, Teagan grinned like a schoolboy with a secret ready to burst from his mouth. "She's terrific, isn't she?"

  "She is. You're a lucky man, Teagan. New to siring and you've been lucky enough to find her. I hope to have that someday. Will you ask her to bear your mark?"

  Teagan walked over to a cart full of decanters and poured them each a glass of whiskey. "She's great, and we have a great time together, but she's not my only one. I sired a few before her, and I have my eye on one of the village girls. I'm not interested in being saddled by a mark."

  Handing Declan his glass, he sat down on the sofa again and took a sip of his drink. Head thrown back, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The scene reminded Declan of that selfish, satisfied look that Vasilije always wore.

  Whatever change he'd believed he'd seen had been an illusion. Teagan was exactly who he'd been since that night he'd been turned. Jealousy surged in Declan's chest. His brother had what he'd always wanted out of life—someone to love and to love him back—and it meant nothing to him.

  "She obviously cares for you. Why isn't that enough?"

  Teagan let another mouthful slide down his throat before he spoke. "Why should it be? I'm crazy about her, but it's not like I was only going to sire her."

  The taste of whiskey burned the back of Declan's throat. "Why did you want me to meet her if she's just a lay?"

  "It's not a problem with her, so why should it be one for you? She knows how I am."

  Shrugging, he asked again, "Why am I here, Teagan?"

  "I thought you'd like to see that I'd become a sire."

  His brother's words were like punches to his gut. This wasn't about wanting him to meet Solenne. This was about rubbing being a sire in his face. Even though
Kir had approved of him siring years earlier, he'd never gone through with it. Nobody he'd ever met seemed right—seemed like someone he'd want to know for the rest of his time on Earth.

  And now his brother had sired Solenne and others.

  Declan threw the rest of his drink down his throat and stood to leave. He'd had enough of this reunion. "I'm thrilled for you, Teagan."

  "Your room is at the end of the hall from our room. Rest up. Solenne wants us all to go out tomorrow night."

  Even though he tried not to show his disgust, the sound of his glass slamming down on the table made it perfectly clear. "I don't think so."

  Teagan reclined on the sofa, his entire being the picture of smugness. He was enjoying this. "Don't be like that. Solenne's looking forward to it. It'll be fun, and it looks like you can use some of that."

  "Good night, Teagan."

  Declan stepped out into the dim hallway that led from the sitting room to the main hallway and front door. He grimaced from the stabbing feeling in his chest and hung his head for a moment as his time with his brother replayed in his mind.

  No, he wouldn't be staying.

  Rounding the corner into the grand hallway, he heard a voice whisper his name. Turning, he saw Solenne, who stood hiding against the wall, her finger up to her lips.

  "I hope you're not leaving," she whispered close to his ear. "He was looking forward to seeing you."

  He saw her look of disappointment and leaned in next to her. "I think it's best if I leave." As he spoke, the subtle fragrance of flowers filled his nose and he closed his eyes to savor it. She smelled like sunshine and summer.

  Before he got lost in memories of long, sunny Irish days, he backed away from her, but she caught him by the wrist to stop him. "It's nice to have company. He leaves sometimes for a week at a time. And when his sire comes back..."

  Solenne's voice trailed off leaving her thought incomplete, but Declan didn't need her to finish. The look on her face told him she thought of Vasilije much like he did.

  "Why don't you leave when he's gone? Does he force you to stay here?"

  "No, he's not like that. He's quite free with me as a sire. I just prefer to stay here. I don't like all those parties he attends."

  At least Teagan didn't force her to stay at home while he went out hunting for women to sire and fuck.

  Looking down into her sad eyes, he said, "I don't belong here. I'm sorry."

  As he turned to leave, she grabbed his hand and gently squeezed, her eyes wide and pleading. "Give him a chance. You're brothers. Family should be closer than you are."

  Something about the way she looked up at him made his body feel like he was stuck in concrete, even though his brain was screaming the order to run. But it didn't matter. Deep inside, he wanted to give Teagan a chance for them to be brothers again.

  "Did you enjoy the meal?"

  "I did." Solenne looked around at the people who sat next to them inside the Cafe de Flore. "Why did you want to come to Paris, Saint? You never liked it here."

  She wasn't wrong. Just the mention of the name made him think of his days after the war with Teagan and Vasilije. But there were other memories of Paris. Better memories of him with Solenne and Teagan.

  "Not always."

  They sat in silence as the people around them celebrated whatever had brought them out that night. It was all so relaxed, and after his decision to try to let the past stay where it belonged, Saint wanted to relax.

  He knew he shouldn't. The Archons still wanted him dead and he was still basically trapped in Solenne's Valence home, but for tonight, he wanted to enjoy life.

  As he looked at Solenne now, he could imagine her as the woman who'd sat with him enjoying the night air at a long-closed cafe nearby. Her hair was much shorter then, barely reaching her chin, and it always seemed to be under some hat or another.

  "What are you smiling about?" she asked innocently.

  "Your hats. Do you remember them?"

  That beautiful smile lit up her features and if it was possible for a vampire to blush, Declan would have sworn her cheeks pinkened.

  "I loved those hats! I was quite stylish in those days. I remember that enormous hat I wore when the three of us..."

  Solenne turned her face away from him. "I'm sorry, Saint. I didn't mean to bring him up. It's just so hard."

  "I know. Since I found out he was gone, he's been on my mind too."

  "If I'd just had the chance to say goodbye, maybe it wouldn't feel like this."

  Solenne looked at him, and he knew what she felt. For everything that had happened between them, he was his brother, the last of his family, and now he was gone.

  "I don't want the same thing to happen to you. The Archons plan to make an attempt on you soon. They haven't said anything to me, but I feel it. Just sitting here in a cafe like this is a risk, Saint."

  "Solenne, I can't stay holed up in your house night after night. I'm a vampire. I need to hunt since I don't have any of my vampires. And I won't live in fear waiting for the fucking Archons. If those bastards want me dusted, I'll go after them instead."

  A look of terror crossed her face. "You can't! Vasilije and the other Sons need you. And Vasilije said..."

  "Don't bother telling me what the Romanian wants. If I stay, it's because I have a duty to the Sons and the Order to stop those bastards, not because he tells me to."

  He knew he shouldn't have been so hard, but he'd spent too much time listening to his brother's sire already. "I didn't mean to bite your head off. Sorry."

  A tiny smile formed on her lips, and she looked down as she began to chuckle. "Do you hear yourself sometimes? For someone so serious, you're quite funny. A vampire saying bite my head off."

  He smiled in spite of himself, but even more so because her giggling made him want to smile. Sitting there with her at a cafe enjoying a drink, he realized he was happy. Genuinely happy.

  It had been a long time.

  "I've missed that smile. I know there hasn't been much to smile about so far, but I hope I get to see it again."

  "Remind you of Teagan?"

  Slowly, she shook her head. "No. It reminds me of Declan."

  Saint emptied his wine glass and motioned for the waiter to pay the check. "It's time to go."

  In seconds, they were on the other side of France and back at Solenne's house. In the place where the table and chairs had been all those years before when he'd first come to this house stood a bench, and Saint sat to enjoy the cool night air. Mist from the river rolled over the grass, making everything dewy, but he didn't want to go inside yet. For just a few minutes more, he wanted to enjoy his freedom.

  "I'll give you some privacy. If you need anything, I'll be right inside," Solenne said quietly.

  "No, you don't have to go. In fact, I'd prefer if you stayed."

  Without a word, she sat down next to him on the bench. For a long time, they sat in silence, looking up at the starry night sky and the thought occurred to him that he loved this house. Away from so much of the world, it was a sanctuary, not a prison like he'd thought of it. Slowly, what it had meant to him all those years ago came back, and he let the feeling settle into that long empty space in his chest.

  Staring up at the sky, he said the words he'd put off since he'd arrived there. "Solenne, I need you. None of my vampires will help me, and I can't last much longer on human blood."

  He deserved a hard time from her. He knew this. Barely a minute had passed before tonight when he hadn't been a prick to her. When she finally turned to him and spoke, it wasn't a hard time he got.

  It was worse.

  "That's what dinner was about? You needn't have bothered. I told Vasilije I'd be willing to give you my blood until your vampires show up, and the offer's still good. You're no good to any of us if you can't even stand up."

  Her cold response made him wince. He deserved that too, but after their time together, he hadn't expected it.

  Solenne stood and positioned herself in front of him to
allow him to feed.

  "No. Sit down," he ordered gently.

  "Saint, you need this."

  "I do, but my way."

  Solenne sat down, and he knelt in front of her. Slowly, he ran his palms up her thighs so her knees fell open. Leaning in, he inhaled the scent of flowers on her skin and his fangs shot into his mouth.

  "Solenne..."

  His lips touched the soft skin of her neck and his head began to swim. It had been so long since he'd enjoyed the taste of a vampire female. Anticipation raced through his veins like a drug hitting his bloodstream.

  Solenne stroked the back of his head and tenderly pulled him toward her. "Take what you need."

  Unlike in the hall near her bedroom, this time he gently pierced her vein and waited for her blood to touch his tongue. The first taste of her made his cock stiffen, and for the first time in so long, he yearned to truly share himself with a woman.

  But that wasn't possible.

  He reveled in the strength Solenne's blood created in him. What had been absent from him for longer than he wanted to admit flowed through him now, bringing his body and soul back to life.

  He could let himself need this again.

  Chapter Eleven

  The feel of Saint's mouth drawing what he needed from her body thrilled Solenne and silently she pined to feel him inside her. To feel his body invading hers, making her submit to his long-denied needs. Desire coiled inside her driving the urge to feel him under her fingertips. Trailing over the soft hair on his head, her touch elicited moans that vibrated against her skin.

  He was so powerful between her legs, his body pressing open her thighs as she struggled to close them to fend off the orgasm that would be proof of her desperate longing for him. His chest pressed against her, forcing her nipples to sensitive peaks, just more of her that craved his touch.

  As if to torture her, he kept his hands motionless on the tops of her thighs, and with each pull on her vein, she prayed he'd move his hands to touch her anywhere. Fear of his response kept her still until she could bear it no longer, and slowly she inched forward to feel his body fully pressed against her. She didn't care anymore if he knew how much she wanted him.