by Tamara White
I make a surprised sound in my throat. I thought for sure there would have some kind of reprimand for not contacting the pack after the attack. "Really? That's all? No punishment at all?" I ask skeptically, sure they must be messing with me.
Talon clears his throat, a frown on his face." Well, not a punishment exactly, but the Alpha did have a request. And seeing as we screwed up by not calling them in the first place, we couldn't exactly say no."
"As much as we wanted to," Nik mutters under his breath, but I catch the words anyway.
"Okay... what does he want?" I ask apprehensively.
"You."
Nik squeezes my hand as what Talon said sinks in. I look between each of the guys, waiting for one of them to start laughing and say 'gotcha,' because it’s got to be a joke, right? Why would the Alpha of a pack I've never even visited want me?
Nik takes pity on me and pulls me closer. I can rest my head on his chest as he starts explaining. "He doesn't want you exactly, but he does want to meet you. For some reason, he finds it intriguing that you're a hybrid that has three soul-ties, but no wolf mate. We believe he thinks he's your mate for some reason."
I feel the color drain from my face, and I sit up straight. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone else came to the realization that I could have a wolf mate out there. I'm not sure how I feel about it being the Alpha of a pack thinking that, though, let alone it being someone I haven't even met yet. Wolves need to meet for them to know they're true mates. Unless he concealed his identity when he visited my pack at some point, there’s no way for him to know that. I guess it is possible, though, because some Alphas do hide themselves to keep from being attacked.
Hold the fucking phone! "Wait, he knows I’m still alive? Meaning the bullshit you fed me about keeping me here so nobody found out was nothing but lies! You motherfucking sons of bitches! I can't believe you lied to me!"
Talon chuckles at my outburst, and Dev has a massive grin on his face, both confirming my suspicions. When my gaze swings around to Nik accusingly, he holds his hands up in surrender. "Hey! Don't blame me for the lies! I was outvoted! I wanted you to come with us, but those two," he vehemently points at Talon and Dev with narrowed eyes, “they voted against me."
Talon rolls his eyes. "We have more important things to discuss than one little white lie that could have saved your life if something had gone wrong. Emerald, do you think there's even a slight chance he's your mate?"
I push the argument to the back of my mind, but it is definitely not forgotten. I'll show him a little white lie. "To be honest, it's doubtful. We have to have met our mate to know if they are ours or not. There's a connection, not like soul-ties. It’s more animalistic from what I’ve heard. Our wolves react to each other and make our human side more drawn to that person than they would be otherwise. What do you think? Do you think I might have a wolf mate out there, in addition to my soul-ties with you guys?" I ask, throwing the question back at him.
Talon shrugs and leans forward, his eyes locked on mine. "Honestly, it hadn’t crossed any of our minds that you may have a werewolf mate out there. I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. But even if you do have a mate out there, even if it’s the Alpha of the pack, it won't change what we have between us. You understand that, right?"
I nod, feeling so relieved to hear him say that. It may seem stupid to be put at ease by such a thing as them being willing to accept me with a mate, but it means the world to me. I’ve been stressing for days since the thought first occured to me and knowing it isn’t a deal breaker is a big relief. All I fear now is that if I do have a mate, my soul-ties will no longer consider me worthy of their tie.
"So, uh, what are we doing tonight?" I ask awkwardly, trying to distract myself from my morbid thoughts.
The guys all glance around at each other, as if hoping the other would have an idea. Obviously, no one had any plans. An awkward silence settles over us for a moment before Dev claps his hands together, making me jump. He gets to his feet and walks behind the couch Nik and I are seated on.
I watch as he reaches down, his hands gripping something under the bottom of the couch, and gives a hard pull.
I had expected him to pull something out from underneath us, not pull the whole couch back, which is why a girly squeak leaves my lips. Nik grins and wraps an arm around me, helping me remain sitting until Dev has finished moving the couch.
"Dev! What on earth are you doing?" I demand as he straightens with a grin.
He shrugs, moving over to the other couch. Talon has the good sense to stand up, and watches with amusement as Dev drags it back a few feet. "Since no one else had any ideas of what to do tonight, I thought we could watch a movie. Unless you have another suggestion?"
I shake my head with a smile, happy to give in to his decision. Besides, he's right; none of us had come up with any other alternatives. "No, a movie sounds good, but what are you doing with the couches?"
He grins wickedly. "You'll see. Now be a good girl, and go grab our pillows from the bedroom. Oh, and maybe a comforter, too," he adds as I make my way to our room.
I poke my tongue out at him over my shoulder, but go to do as he asks, grabbing us each our pillows and a blanket. My only thought is that maybe he is positioning the rug so we can all lay down on it. It’s shaggy enough to be comfortable, at least for a few hours.
When I come back, all the couches and chairs have been stripped of their cushions. It looks like he’s used the rug as a guide for placement and built a makeshift bed of cushions angled towards the wall-mounted TV. He bounces on the balls of his feet with excitement as I take in the sight before me.
"Ta-da!" he shouts with unrestrained enthusiasm. "I made us a giant bed, so we can all watch a movie together without having to move the TV into the bedroom."
He looks so proud of his achievement that I smile and give him a quick peck on the cheek. Then, I drop the pillows I'm carrying on top of the makeshift bed of cushions, before going back for a comforter.
"Okay, one of you can pick the movie. I want to see what kind of taste you guys have." I smirk and lay down on the bed, getting comfortable.
I wiggle around as Nik and Dev settle in on either side of me, leaving Talon to peruse the movies from a hidden shelf that appears at the press of a button, built into the wall directly under the TV.
Talon finally makes a selection, putting it into the DVD player before coming to lay down on the opposite side of Nik, settling in as the movie starts to play.
As the credits start to roll, I can't help the laughter that bursts free. "Oh my god, Talon! You're a closet acapella lover. Please, please, tell me you sing, too." I rise up onto my elbow to look over at him.
His face is pinched tightly, and he refuses to meet my eyes.
Nik's expression remains stoic as ever, but I see the slight twitch of his lips as he fights the urge to smile. Dev, meanwhile, tries to hold back, but after one look at my face, he's curled into the fetal position, laughing his ass off. Talon props himself on his elbows and glares over at Dev, before shifting his gaze to me. "I put it on for you."
I nod, trying to restrain myself when all I want is to laugh, but I feel that will make the situation worse. Dev, however, has no trouble adding fuel to the fire. "So, you never once tried to play 'cups' in the kitchen?" He snorts, unable to contain his laughter any longer. "Tell us, Tal, how long ago did you buy the DVD?"
At that question, Talon seems to realize he has no choice but to fess up. He looks away before muttering, "I bought it a year ago."
I chuckle. "So, long before you met me, then?"
Dev starts cackling again, and this time Nik joins in. Talon, however, picks up a pillow and throws it at me. "Just shut up and watch the movie," he says as the pillow smacks into my laughing face.
I pull the pillow towards me and hug it as a girl on the screen gets serenaded on a college campus by some creep in a cab. The image of Talon as the guy in the cab pops into my mind, and the
laughter comes bubbling back up.
He smiles over at me, and I'm glad to see he doesn't take the ribbing too seriously. I'm also happy we're getting some down time together. Who knows when we'll get a chance to relax like this again?
Fourteen – One and Only Lesson
Emerald
Waking up on a bed of cushions wasn't exactly what I expected. I thought for sure the makeshift bed would have fallen apart at some point, and I'd end up sleeping on the rug, but that hadn’t happened. Instead, I opened my eyes to a pair of bright hazel eyes watching me.
"Why are you watching me sleep, Devin?" I murmur, closing my eyes again and shifting to rest my head against his chest. Somehow, I ended up laying half across Dev's chest and half on the cushion bed. Not that I'm complaining.
I feel extremely well rested, considering we slept on the floor. Hands stroke down my strawberry-blonde hair, and I look back over my shoulder to see Nik watching me with hooded eyes.
"Morning, Emerald."
"Hey, Nik," I mutter sleepily. My eyes close again of their own accord, unable to keep them open while he's softly caressing my hair.
We stay like this for a while before I hear footsteps approach us, bringing with them the bitter sweet scent of freshly brewed coffee. I perk up immediately, my eyes zeroing in on the coffee mug in Talon's hand.
He grins down at me, holding the cup just out of reach. "Nope. No coffee for you until you've showered and dressed."
I glower at him, wishing he could see the gruesome death I’m envisioning for him after withholding my morning coffee. You do not keep a woman from her coffee. Especially not first thing when she wakes. That's how murderers are created.
He sighs heavily, clearly seeing his potential death reflected in my eyes. "Look, if you go and get showered and dressed, I'll sweeten the pot by adding a touch of my blood to it. How's that sound?"
At his offer, my mood brightens considerably. The coffee I’d tried that contained some of Nik's blood was surprisingly good, and apart from the coffee Britt and I had on our adventure out of the coven, it had been the best I'd ever had.
Talon’s blood already has an edge of chocolate to the taste, so I can just imagine the taste of his blood in my coffee. It would be like a blood mocha.
My mouth is already drooling at the thought, and I hurry to climb out of the bed of cushions, making a mad dash for the bathroom to get ready.
In under five minutes, I'm showered, dressed, and ready to get my special treat. When Talon hands it over, I treat it like the Holy Grail it is.
Taking a sip, flavor explodes on my tongue, and I moan in ecstasy. This is the most amazing drink I've ever had. There's one catch, though. It doesn't taste like the blood mocha that I envisioned.
When I pull the cup away from my lips, an overwhelming loss rises within me and I frown unsure why.
I look up at Talon, feeling confused. "This isn't just your blood, is it?"
He chuckles and watches me take another sip; I’m unable to stop myself from inhaling the deliciousness that is this coffee.
"No, it's not just my blood. We added a little from each of us. Thought it might help you get you through your day of royalty training."
"Ugh, royalty training. I totally forgot about that. Has anyone come by yet?"
Dev chuckles. "Yep! Jasper is waiting outside the room for you. He agreed to let you have your coffee before escorting you to training."
I sigh and take another sip of my heavenly beverage. When the cup is empty, I go to rinse it in the kitchen sink, and set it to the side before turning to face the guys.
"I don't wanna go." It may be pathetic, but I just feel like it’s not going to do much good. Sure, I may learn some things I don’t know, but I'm just not the royal type. I don't like getting dressed up for meetings or dealing with political issues. Sorting out arguments and being all Princess-like, it’s just not me. Why should I force myself through training if I won't use majority of it? Maybe I could convince my parents to limit the amount of subjects to things I don't know or will need to know in the future.
"You agreed to go, so now you have to. Just think though, we'll be training later. Then you can take your frustration out on me. Well, if you can hit me, that is.” Talon grins over at me, and I can see the challenge in his eyes.
My resolve to stay here and just abandon my lesson flees from my mind at Talon’s words. I did agree and my mother would be hurt if I didn't follow through on this. She asked me specifically to do this training, and if I back out now, she'd be devastated. I can't do that to her.
Talon sees each thought as it passes through my mind, and I bet he can tell the second I make my decision. "Okay, fine. I'll go to the lesson." I glare over at him. "But if it sucks, prepare to have your ass beat."
I offer each of the guys a quick kiss before leaving, but when I get to Nikoli, our kiss becomes a lot more heated than I expected. It leaves my heart racing and my body aching for more.
Jasper is waiting for me when I open the door, but doesn't say a word. He just turns and starts walking down the hall as if he expects me to follow him. I don't understand why he refuses to speak to me. Though, if what my mother said about earning his respect is true, then I probably still have a long way to go.
I imagine coming from a pack of wolves, especially the same pack who was responsible for my mother, his Queen, almost dying does nothing to inspire any trust in me. Oh well, I guess there’s nothing to do but be patient and hope he’ll trust me one day.
I'm led down three floors, using stairs I didn't even realize were in the coven, since I’d only ever used the elevator up until now. Though I guess if the coven caught fire, there would have to be some kind of alternate means of escape, so it makes sense.
We walk through the stairwell door and then down another hall. This floor isn't littered with rooms like the others I’ve seen. Instead, there are only a few doors, that are all floor to ceiling in height and are made of a deep burnished red pane with dark gold trim. We keep going down the hallway until we reach a double set of doors at the end.
Jasper knocks three times before turning to me with a stern expression. "She'll be here in a second. Do not move."
At that, he turns on his heel and takes off down the hall without another word, leaving me standing awkwardly as I wait for whoever will be teaching me these lessons.
I stand here for a full minute, shifting from foot to foot and picking at my nails as I wait.
Finally, I hear the sound of footsteps on the other side of the doors, so I straighten, projecting an 'I'm stronger than you' vibe. Then the doors swing open to reveal none other than my grandmother.
She stands there and looks me up and down, scrutinizing my clothing choices before pursing her lips. "At least you're dressed. I guess that's something."
My mouth drops open in shock, and I stand frozen in the doorway. My grandmother rolls her eyes and moves further into the room. When she reaches a large ornate desk, she turns to scowl at me. "Well? Are you coming in, or do you plan for me to teach you while you stand out in the hall like a fool?"
I shake my head, feeling a mix of shock and annoyance. How dare she treat me like an idiot! I walk into the room, closing the doors behind me. I pause and take a deep breath before facing my grandmother.
Her dark hair flows down her back, and she moves with such grace that I'm taken by complete surprise. Seeing her this close, I have time to appreciate her form and study her figure. Not only is she absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and the absolute picture of a dainty Princess from afar, but when you’re faced with her, you can see the defined muscles in her arms and legs that are obviously from years and years of training, or even fighting.
My grandmother retrieves a large book from the desk, and I marvel at how someone can look so delicate, yet still so strong. Even her clothes. She’s wearing a black pants suit that lends her a badass look, that also somehow projects innocence.
She takes the book and moves towards a dining table surrounded by
six chairs. I follow her, taking the seat she directs me to at the head of the table. Once seated, she slams the book down in front of me; I have to fight not to flinch at the sudden move.
My grandmother grins and takes a seat at the opposite end of the table. "That book contains a detailed history of our kind. It has all our family trees, the vampires born and killed, as well as how they were killed. It also covers the treaty, when it was introduced, as well as its conditions and rules. There’s also a comprehensive rundown on key members of our species, including those who were turned by idiotic vampires with some kind of sick fantasy of acquiring a great name under their belt.”
My eyebrow raises at the way she speaks about said idiotic vampires. "I didn't actually know that. By great names, do you mean like famous people?"
"You'll find out when you read the book. For example, there was a Queen of France that was turned in the late sixteen hundreds that still rules the coven over there. She might be the best person to start with actually," she muses with a devious twinkle in her eyes.
I don't know why she seems so excited for me to read about this Queen chick, but I'll do it so I don't get on her bad side. I want her to like me, or at least act like she likes me. I'm sure my mother arranged for her to be my teacher because she wanted us to bond. As if that will happen. My grandmother seems to have taken an instant dislike to me, and I doubt there is much I can do to change her mind. But, for the sake of my mother, I will still try.
Now, we sit across from each other in silence. Her intense gaze makes me want to fidget in my seat, but I do my best to remain calm.
After a few moments, she leans forward with narrowed eyes. "My daughter wants me to teach you everything I can to help you lead a successful life as our Princess. How to behave around others, how to walk, talk, and whatnot." She leans back in her chair with a smirk. "I, however, don't think I should waste my time on you."