The Transformed Box Set: Books 1, 2, 3, 3.5

by Stacy Claflin

  Was it really? I had just found out that Francine had paid a prophet to say that Cliff and I were meant to be together. But then again, I was trusting the word of Alrekur. How did I know that he was telling me the truth? For all I knew, he just wanted to get Cliff out of the way.

  Caressing my cheek, Cliff said, "Do you need to rest, my sweet?"

  I nodded, feeling weak.

  "Maybe you should eat something. You don't look so good."

  "No, I can't keep anything down. Can you take me to my room?"

  "Let's go," he said, taking my hand. When we got to my door, he said, "I should probably leave you here. It wouldn't be proper for me to enter your room."

  "Don't you think it's a little late for that?" I asked.

  He looked around and then sighed. "If it will make you feel better, I'll go in with you."

  "Mattie or Brooke will probably be in there anyway," I said. "I rarely get a moment alone."

  "At least you have someone nearby at all times. Especially given your current condition."

  When we entered my room, I was pleasantly surprised to find it empty. "I'm not feeling well. There isn't anything improper about sitting with me to keep an eye on me. Wouldn't it be worse to leave me alone…in my condition? What if something were to happen to me?"

  His eyes widened. "That's true. Someone should be here with you."

  I climbed into bed as he pulled a chair up next to it. When I was comfortable, he held my hand and rubbed it. As my heavy eyes began to close, he started telling me a story that sounded familiar. I wasn't entirely sure, but I thought he had told me the same bedtime story when I was a child. I smiled as I drifted off to sleep. We definitely had something that no one else did—history.

  When I woke up, I was startled to see my father and Cliff having a discussion. Did my father already know? Was he as giddy about the tenth line as my mother? He didn't look upset; they may as well have been talking about the weather. I sat up and immediately, they were both at my side.

  "How are you doing, my daughter?" my father asked, eyes full of concern.

  "Who told you? Mother made it sound like we were going to have to tell you. I also thought she said we had until tomorrow."

  He grabbed my hand. "I apologize. I could tell that your mother was hiding something and I insisted that she tell me. She wanted to let you tell me yourself, but I didn't wish to wait."

  I shrugged my shoulders. At least I wouldn't have to deal with the anticipation of telling him. "Are you as excited as she is?"

  His eyes lit up. "Do you realize what this means?"

  Did I? I gave him a questioning look.

  "Back when the Fyrsturae were just beginning the lines, it was cause of celebration every time that a new line was started. We would have a huge feast, complete with dancing and spirits. It's history in the making!"

  "What about your new BFF, Alrekur? I don't think he's going to be very happy."

  His face clouded over. I tried to look around him to see Cliff, but I couldn't. My father squeezed my hand, moving out the way so that I could see Cliff.

  Cliff gave me a weak smile when we made eye contact.

  "Mother didn't tell him too, did she?" I asked, referring to Alrekur.

  My father laughed. "No, darling. None of us are looking forward to that, but we're happy to be there with you when you tell him."

  "Who's we?" I asked, looking at Cliff. "I don't want Cliff anywhere Alrekur when I tell him."

  Nodding, my father said, "Of course. I've advised him to start packing in case he needs to leave at a moment's notice."

  "No! He can't leave! He can't. Every single time we start to get close, something happens and we end up becoming separated. How am I going to handle another separation? Especially now that we're going to have a baby? We need to be together now more than ever."

  "I really can't imagine Alrekur seeing it that way."

  I pulled my hand away from my father and glared at him. "You are the king. You can stop him from being sent away!"

  Cliff reached for my hand, calming me instantly. "No matter what happens, it'll be okay."

  "No, it won't," I said, and sighed.

  "Daughter, I may be king, but Alrekur rules the castle. What he says goes."

  "If I'm supposed to rule with him, wouldn't I have an equal say in matters?"

  "You're not there yet."

  Tears filled my eyes. Cliff and I had just reunited and now he was probably going be banished from the castle. Alrekur was already waiting to get rid of him. He wouldn't even need the proof that he had dug up.

  "I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes. He needs to tell his parents and you need to talk with Alrekur. As I mentioned, your mother and I will go with you if you wish."

  I thought back to how "helpful" my father had been when Alrekur had killed Tanner. "No. I'll handle him on my own."

  He raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes. He won't hurt me. He waited two thousand years for me, even starting a line of his own. He has no room to be angry without being a hypocrite."

  "We'll be nearby in case you need us."

  "I'm sure it'll be fine. I just need to be able to convince him to let Cliff stay here."

  "If you change your mind, you know where to find your mother and myself."

  I nodded as he left my room.

  Cliff sat down next to me, looking somber. "At least this time we can say proper goodbyes. It's a pity that we can't spend more time together before being separated again."

  I pulled him closer, and he wrapped his arms around me.

  "I don't want you to go. I'm going to see if I can talk him out of sending you away."

  He ran his fingers through my hair. "I appreciate that. But I'm still going to pack my bags. I can't imagine him letting us stay. He's been looking for a reason to banish us. I can see it in his eyes."

  We spent the next hour holding each other and reassuring each other of our devotion. I promised him that I would stay away from Alrekur if he wouldn't let Cliff stay. He promised me that he wouldn't spend time alone with Stelena, no matter how much his mother insisted.

  Finally, my father came back. "Alrekur is expecting you. He's aware that you have news to share."

  I clung to Cliff, my tears soaking his shirt.

  "Let's go, Alexis," my father said.

  I looked Cliff in the eyes. I'll run away and find you.

  He shook his head. Stay here. You have a lot of people here that can take care of you. I'll find a way back to you.

  My father looked at Cliff. "You'll probably want to tell your parents. Chances are that Alrekur will banish your family immediately."

  Cliff nodded and looked at me with sad eyes.

  "I'll give you two a minute. But only a minute," my father said, clearing his throat.

  After he'd left the room, Cliff pulled me close and gave me a kiss filled with such passion and longing that I wanted to cry. Why did life have to be so unfair?

  "I will be back for you," he whispered.

  "If he banishes you, I'll kill him!" I promised, feeling my eyes turning as red as they could.

  He grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. "Don't focus on revenge, my sweet. Take care of yourself and our baby."

  I wrapped my arms around him and clung to him as tightly as I could. I heard my father return and I refused to let go of Cliff.

  "Alrekur is expecting us."

  "I don't care! Let him wait! What's the rush? Why do I have to tell him now? I'm not showing yet. Give Cliff and me some more time together."

  Cliff kissed the top of my head once more. My hair felt wet and I looked at him, seeing his tear-filled eyes.

  "Don't do this to us!" I begged my father.

  "You two did this to yourselves."

  Was I going to be all alone…again…once Cliff left? I didn't feel like he was leaving—I felt like he was dying. I knew that I couldn't trust my parents, but how could they be this cruel? I looked back at Cliff and kissed his tears, my o
wn spilling out.

  My father grabbed my arm and pulled me away. "You should go now," he said, looking at Cliff.

  "How can you be so heartless?" I demanded.

  Cliff looked back at me as he opened the door. "I love you, Alexis."

  The finality in his voice was too much for me. I tried running to him, but my father grabbed me and held me down with the strength only an ugly, old ogre could possess. I reached out for him as the door closed behind him. "I love you too!" I called, knowing that he'd hear me through the door.

  "Would you like a minute to pull yourself together?" my father asked.

  I glared at him. He let go of me and stood in front of the door. I went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I sat on the lid of the toilet and sobbed. I couldn't believe that I was losing Cliff again—I'd just gotten him back!

  "Are you almost ready?" my father asked from behind the door.

  I sighed, stood up, and washed my face, ignoring him. I didn't bother putting on any makeup. It wasn't as if I was trying to impress Alrekur. I'd kill him if given the chance. After staking him, I'd rip his heart out and burn it, as I'd done with Vince right after completing my transformation. Then I'd cut off his head and burn that too, just to be sure that it was final. Killing a Fyrsturae permanently was supposed to be impossible, but I would find a way around that.

  When I stepped out of the bathroom, my father looked irritated. "Do you feel freshened up yet?"

  I ignored him, walking past him. I could tell that he was following me as I walked out the door. I turned around and stared at him. "I told you that I would handle this on my own."

  "That you will, daughter. But your mother and I will be nearby in case you need us. Also, I need to see with my own eyes that you're going to see him and not someone else."

  I shot him the nastiest look I could muster, turned around, and stormed off in the direction of Alrekur's wing. He had this news coming. He went and killed Tanner. Did he truly expect that I would sit around and take it? Even though I'd been mad at Tanner for the way that he had treated me at school, I still loved him, albeit like a brother. Alrekur was a fool for thinking that he could kill Tanner without consequences.

  If he tried to kill Cliff, he would have a war on his hands. Forget about Francine and her puppies. I would pull together a war that would make the history books. Alrekur would know, in no uncertain terms, that he would never have me. If he lived through it.

  By the time that we reached his wing, I was ready to tear him apart. I knew there was no way he'd leave Cliff alone after hearing the news. If he'd been jealous enough to kill Tanner because I loved him, what would he want to do to Cliff, who had fathered the baby I was carrying?

  Suddenly, I was worried for Cliff's safety. I stopped mid-step and my father ran into me. "Daughter?"

  "Go tell Cliff to leave now, before I talk to Alrekur. I don't want him to—"

  "They're prepared to leave at a moment's notice. Your mother explained that to George and Francine, giving them a little time to prepare."

  "Do they already know—?"

  "No. She left that to Cliff, so that they could hear it from their son personally. Keep walking. The Montgomery's will be safe."

  I turned back around and continued on, still fuming. I couldn't believe my life had come to this. How had everything spun out of control? Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't I just have a nice, happy life? Was all of this drama and every little surprise really necessary? What was the point of it all anyway?

  Before I knew it, we'd made it to Alrekur's wing. My mother was waiting for us near his billiard room. "He's in his library," she told us.

  "She wants to tell him alone," my father said.

  My mother raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, daughter?"

  I nodded, clenching my fists.

  "We'll be out in the hall if you need us," she said.

  Where were they when I had needed them all the other times before? If they had acted more like parents, and less like selfish imbeciles, I probably wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. I braced myself and walked into Alrekur's library.

  The room was the size of the entire lower level of my human family's home. It was filled with books from floor to ceiling, had several desks and couches, and of course a fireplace. Every room in his wing had one.

  He stood up from one of the sofas and walked over to me. "You have such a natural beauty, my Sonnast. Although you're not wearing that makeup you find so necessary, you're stunning."

  The compliment took me by surprise. I decided to calm my emotions. Perhaps if I were able to speak with him calmly, he might respond rationally. Surely, he had to be able to understand that while he had been dead, I had been alive and had met someone that I loved. He'd started the first line of vampires, so he had to understand the creation of the tenth line.

  He took my hand and led me to the couch closest to the fireplace. We sat and watched the fire crackle for a while.

  "What do you wish to tell me, Sonnast?" he asked, looking at me with kind eyes.

  For a moment, I felt bad about what I had to tell him. Sitting next to him, I could feel the mark on my neck tingle slightly. The longer I sat next to him, the less I wanted to hurt him.

  I took a deep breath. "I have some news."

  He looked at me curiously. "Continue."

  "You might not like it at first, but it's actually good news. My parents are thrilled."

  "Tell me," he said, stiffening.

  Thinking of how Cliff's touch always calms me, I took his hand. A gentle electricity ran from my hand and throughout my entire body. I saw him relax slightly.

  "It appears that there's going to be a tenth line," I said, bracing myself for his reaction.

  I watched the changes that went over his face. At first he looked surprised, then curious, and finally, irritated. "You're with child?" he asked slowly.

  Nodding, I carefully considered my words.

  "Is it that son of Halldor?" he asked, his eyes slowly turning red. It wasn't a quick color change, as usual. Instead, I could see the outer edges change slowly, the color moving in toward the middle.

  "Yes, Cliff is the father."

  "Did he take advantage of you?" Alrekur demanded, his eyes fully red.

  I nearly laughed at the irony of the question. "No. I went to him while you were hiding Tanner's body."

  "This is because of the human? You did this to get back at me?"

  He looked more hurt than angry, which surprised me. I had fully expected him to fly into a rage. He looked me in the eyes, showing a mixture of hurt and anger, but more hurt.

  "Answer me," he whispered.

  "That was part of it," I admitted.

  "So if I wouldn't have killed that human, you wouldn't have run to my enemy's offspring?"

  I looked away. "Probably not."

  "Is that why he avoids you?"

  He had noticed that?

  "I can see that you love him," Alrekur said, leaning back. "At first, I thought it was just part of the act, as you know. But it's obvious that you love him. How can I blame either of you? You were both fed that fake prophecy since childhood. The blame lies solely with your parents and his. Though your parents could possibly be partially innocent. Yes, they knew what the Sonnast mark means, but they probably believed the fake prophecy to be true for a time, figuring that eventually you and I would find each other. Since I was long dead, what else could they have believed? That's the only instance I know of a vampire prophet giving a false prophecy."

  I couldn't believe my ears. Where was the rage? Since he was acting so calm, I realized how much I had wanted him to explode so I could fight him.

  He reached over, brushing his fingers over my lips, across my cheek, and finally tracing the Sonnast mark on my neck. I held my breath, confused and excited. My skin begged for more of his gentle, electrifying touch.

  "Your parents are right to be excited about the tenth line," he purred.

  "Oh?" I whisper
ed.

  "It is a good thing, necessary for our kind. Every Fyrsturae needs a line, including you, my Sonnast. I wish it weren't so, but I don't hold it against you. I can't."

  "So you're not going to kill him?"

  "No. I will banish his family from the castle as planned. Would you prefer I banish them for the fake prophecy or for this?"

  I stared at him for a minute. I hadn't been expecting this reaction. Did he have some hidden motive for remaining so calm? Had he been tipped off? Why wasn't he tearing the room apart?

  "Do I perplex you, my love?"

  Why was he still calling me his love?

  He laughed and moved a strand of my hair behind my shoulder. "Your eyes are red. My calm reaction angers you, does it?"

  "I have to admit that I did expect a fight."

  He smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere. You are a feisty one—I love that about you. You know, I'll send them away because of the prophecy. I want everyone to know what they did. That wench is planning a war against the castle with the werewolves. Let the news of their deception simmer with everyone for a while. Then when it's time to prepare for war, it won't come as any surprise. They will all be eager to go into battle against their former leader."

  "You're going to send Cliff away with them?"

  "Of course. We can't have any Montgomery's running around here."

  I glared at him. "You just don't want him around me."

  "That's true too. But I can't have you hating me, so the boy lives."

  He stood up and called for a servant. One rushed into the room. "Yes, your highness?"

  "I have a very important matter to discuss with the Montgomery's. Bring them here at once. They're to drop what they're doing."

  The servant nodded and left before I could blink.

  Alrekur turned to me. "You look like you could use some rest, dear Sonnast. I'll call for you in the morning. We can have brunch or perhaps a walk through the gardens if you're at the stage where you can't eat any food."

  "So you're aware of the stages of vampire pregnancy?" I muttered.

  "Of course. I've fathered ten children."

  "Ten?" I asked, surprised. "Is that normal for the Fyrsturae?"

  He looked up. He appeared to be doing the math. "That's slightly higher than normal. But there was a lot of pressure on me to make the first line strong. However, there is a difference between the children that I fathered and yours."