“Tonight I'm not only celebrating everything that makes us what we are,” he proclaimed loudly, his hand still gripping hers. “I'm also celebrating my upcoming mating. Tomorrow night Keely and I will be joined, and may our lives together be long and filled with many children.”
To her amazement, the vampires in front of them cheered and clapped as well wishes filled the ballroom. She was delighted to see how easily his announcement was accepted... until she spotted his mother.
The other woman stood to the side of the crowd, surrounded by several dour-faced servants. Her face was wiped clean of all emotion, at least until it came to her eyes. They burned with hate and fury, and in their dark depths, Keely saw her own death.
She froze immediately, her heart thudding in her chest. The memory of the other woman's attack was fresh in her mind, and although she was brave she wasn't stupid. The other woman was strong enough to kill her in an instant. Should she attack, Keely wouldn't stand a chance. How could she ever feel safe on Legionnaire, with such a lethal, dangerous foe determined to destroy her?
Kosmas pulled her stiff, frozen form to his own, tilting her face up to press a kiss to her lips, much to the enjoyment of the vampires that watched. For the first time, Keely took little pleasure in his embrace, and he recognized her lack of response immediately. The orchestra started to play as he pulled away from her, a slight frown furrowing his brow as he turned them around to take their thrones.
In view of all those that watched him, he wasn't able to question her as he clearly wanted to. They settled into their seats, his eyes lingering on her face. He wasn't the only one. Eve continued to watch her, too. Despite her terror, she refused to let the other woman see how badly she affected her. She wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
As she sat there next to him, she suddenly felt betrayed. His mother had almost killed her, how could he sit there so calmly with her in the room? None of it made any sense. Golden Harbor wasn't large enough for the both of them. Kosmas couldn't be with her every moment of the day, and she didn't want him to be. She wanted the freedom that everyone else seemed to have, and the ability to come and go as she pleased. Anything less was just trading one captivity for another. The thought was unbearable.
Deciding to speak to Kosmas at the first available opportunity, she relaxed. It wasn't likely that Eve would attack her with her son right next to her, but it wasn't a matter that could be pushed to the side. After all, being in a public place hadn't stopped her before.
Several well wishers approached them, each one bowing before congratulating them. Keely smiled, but she was content to let Kosmas handle it. The whole evening was more than a little overwhelming.
Eventually, the line diminished, the vampires returning to dancing and socializing. Kosmas immediately leaned over to her, his eyes narrowing as he asked harshly, “What troubles you?”
His tone offended her. “Your mother,” she bit out, careful to keep her voice low. “Why is she here, Kosmas? I can't believe you'd allow it. Does my life mean so little to you?” Her voice was bitter, but Keely didn't care. She was starting to second guess her decision to mate him.
“Do you doubt my ability to keep you safe, little concubine?” he asked her, his dark eyes flashing a warning that she refused to heed. “Had I not let her attend, there would have been talk... just like there will be if we're overheard. This is neither the time nor the place for this conversation. We'll discuss it later.”
He leaned back in his throne, immediately dismissing her concerns. Keely was furious, so much so she contemplated standing up and walking out of the ballroom. Only the fear that Eve would follow kept her seated.
Something had started to change between them, and Keely wasn't sure she liked it. Before submitting to him, Kosmas had done everything in his power to have her. To please her. Persistent and ruthless, he'd successfully seduced her, but his interest in her seemed to be waning. It was the very thing she'd feared from the beginning, and slowly but surely he was proving her correct. The thrill of the chase was over, and he had her right where he wanted her.
How long would it be before he found some other female he just had to have? He'd asked her to mate him, but he'd made it clear it wasn't a love match. He hadn't even promised fidelity, and she'd been too afraid to push the issue. Not because she feared him, but because she'd feared his answer.
The huge room seemed to close in on her as she considered her decision to mate him. Had she doomed herself to an isolated existence, forever looking over her shoulder in fear of his mother, while her mate hopped from one bed to the next? It was a horrific, depressing future, one she'd damned herself into. Panicked by the thought, she came to her feet.
Kosmas came to his feet, too, his eyebrow arching at whatever he saw in her eyes. Just as she prepared to run down the steps, a female vampire stepped up, followed by his mother. Keely froze in place, her chin lifting proudly as she refused to back down. A satisfied smile curved Eve's lips, her eyes filled with victory before she turned to watch Kosmas' reaction.
The vampire that stood next to Eve was one of the most beautiful Keely had seen, which was saying a lot considering the preternatural attractiveness of everyone in the room. She ignored Keely while she stared at Kosmas, her eyes heated. She stared at him as if she had a claim on him, the look on her face possessive. The unease inside of Keely increased, turning into outright dread. Something was wrong... very, very wrong.
Kosmas didn't even look in her direction. He was fixated on the woman in front of them, a surprised expression on his handsome face as he moved to take her hands into his. “Nora?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. “I can't believe it's really you. How are you even here? I thought you were dead.”
Whoever this woman was, she wasn't just a friend. Keely's heart froze inside of her chest, well on its way to splintering into a million pieces. Hurt and confused, she wished she were anywhere but there. Kosmas slowly raised Nora's hand to his lips, gently placing a lingering kiss on the back of her hand.
The other woman smiled, her other hand sliding up to cup Kosmas' face. “It's all due to your mother, my love. She freed me so I could return to you. I've missed you so very badly. I want to pick up where we left off, Kosmas. Mate me, please. There's no reason why we can't do it it tonight. Too many years have already been wasted.”
Keely had seen enough. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them spill. She'd walk out of the ballroom with her pride intact, even if it killed her. There was no reason for her to remain, not now. Eve had won. Kosmas had eyes for nobody but the woman that Eve had delivered to him. Clearly, Nora was much more than a concubine.
Keely walked down the steps and through the silent crowd of vampires, the music no longer playing. Several of them sent her pitying glances, but she ignored them. It took everything she had to walk out slowly, when all she wanted to do was flee. Stopping at the double doors, she couldn't resist glancing back at him one last time. Still completely engrossed with the beauty that caressed him, Kosmas never noticed her departure. So be it.
Once outside of the doors, she took off down the hallway at a run. Staying in the palace was no longer an option. Even a blind person could have seen how much he wanted the other woman, how much she wanted him. They would mate, of that Keely had no doubt. By the time they did, though, Keely would be long gone.
The sooner she left, the better. Eventually, Kosmas would remember her. When he did, he'd send a guard after her. She was determined to be gone before then. She refused to be locked up or mated off just to appease his conscience.
The hallways were deserted. Keely rushed around the corner, furiously planning her escape. She yelped when she ran into a hard chest, her apology turning into a choked gasp when she was spun around. Immediately, a hand slid across her mouth. Before she could react, she was pulled into a darkened doorway.
The body behind her was tall and muscled, but his grip was gentle. It didn't ease her fear. She started to struggle, much to his amusement. He ch
uckled, his mouth close to her ear as he muttered, “Stop fighting. I need you to listen to me closely, or I'll never be able to get you out of here. We've only got minutes, if that.”
Keely slumped against him in shock. Holy shit. Zander was back.
Taken: The Vampire's Concubine: Part Four Page 6