Everlasting Embrace

by Amanda Ashley

  Lastly, she tossed several bags of her favorite candy into the basket.

  “Is that all?” Rhys asked when they reached the check-out line.

  “Almost,” she said, and plucked a bouquet of yellow roses from a display.

  Reaching into his jeans, he pulled out a bankroll big enough to choke a horse, peeled off a hundred dollar bill, handed it to the cashier and told her to keep the change.

  The cashier stared at him, speechless, as Rylee picked up the flowers, leaving Rhys to push the cart out to the Jag. She grinned inwardly when he sent her a sour look. No doubt he’d never pushed a shopping cart in his life, she thought, and he obviously didn’t relish doing so now.

  She waited in the car while he unloaded the groceries, grinned again as he slid—still glowering at her-- behind the wheel of the Jag.

  “I’m hungry,” she said. “I’d like to get something to eat.”

  “I just bought enough to last you for a month. What more to you want?”

  “I meant, I want to go out to dinner.”

  “Whatever her Royal Highness desires,” he muttered irritably. “Pray tell, what is my lady in the mood for?”

  “Steak and lobster.”

  With an aggrieved sigh, he drove to the nearest seafood restaurant where he pulled up in front of the Valet Parking sign. He handed Rylee out of the car and bowed her through the door. They were seated immediately.

  Rylee ordered steak and the biggest lobster they had, Rhys ordered a bottle of the best red wine the house had to offer.

  Sitting back, he regarded her through narrowed eyes. “You miss him, don’t you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Don’t play games with me, girl. You’re in love with Alex and you miss him.” He held up his hand when she started to deny it. “Don’t.”

  “What if I am?” Rylee retorted. “What’s it to you?”

  “Nothing. It’s the two of you who are unhappy.”

  “Better off unhappy than Undead.”

  He lifted one brow in wry amusement. “There are worse things than death.”

  “Like being a vampire?” she asked, ever so sweetly.

  “Like being alone and unloved.”

  “I can’t share my life with a vampire,” Rylee said, her voice quiet and tinged with regret. “It might be fine for you. For Alex and Daisy. But I want a home and children. I want to travel and photograph the Wonders of the World. I want a man who can share my life. My whole life, not just half of it. Can you understand that?”

  He nodded, his expression sober. It was hard to remember if he had ever wanted those things. If so, it had been centuries ago.

  When her meal came, Rylee no longer felt like eating, but she forced herself to do so. She didn’t want Rhys to know how unhappy she was, or how much she missed Alex. She ate every bite, then ordered dessert and choked it down.

  It was a long, silent ride back to the penthouse.

  Rylee looked around the apartment. “Where’s Daisy?”

  “I sent her and Erik home.”

  “Why?”

  “They’ve got their own lives to live.”

  “And I’ve got mine.”

  “Well, right now, it’s here. With me.”

  She stumbled backward and sank down on the sofa. “Do you even remember what it was like to be human?”

  “Not really. “A wave of his hand and a fire sprang to life in the hearth. “But I know what it’s like to be loved.” He grinned at the look of disbelief in her eyes. “What? You don’t think anyone could love me? Or is it that you don’t think I’m capable of loving someone?”

  “Both,” she replied candidly.

  “Well, you’d be wrong on both counts. I’m happily married to a wonderful woman.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “Her name’s Megan.”

  “And she’s human?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “I guess that was a silly question. Did you make her what you are?”

  He dropped into the chair across from hers, legs stretched out in front of him. “I did, but only to save her life. She was hit by a car and in a coma with little hope of recovery. I told her parents what I was and that I thought turning her might save her life.”

  “And they agreed to let you do that?”

  “They didn’t want to lose their only child.”

  “What if they’d said no?”

  “I would have done it anyway.”

  Rylee frowned. “What was her reaction when she realized what you’d done?”

  “She wasn’t particularly happy. For a while there, I thought I’d lost her. She wanted to go home and…” He shrugged. “I let her go. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “I guess she forgave you.”

  He nodded.

  “And she has no regrets?”

  “None that I’m aware of.”

  “Just because it worked out for you doesn’t mean it will work for me and Alex.”

  “You’ll never know if you don’t try. Which is why he’ll be looking after you from now on.”

  “But he doesn’t want to.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I sired him and he’ll do what I say.”

  “You can’t force me to stay with him!”

  “Actually, I can. I’m a very old vampire. I have powers you can’t begin to imagine.”

  “I don’t believe you.” She flinched when his gaze captured hers. Try as she might, she couldn’t look away.

  “Rylee, come to me.”

  An odd sensation engulfed Rylee as his voice wrapped around her. Soothing and yet compelling, his words pulled at her like velvet chains. She knew what he was doing and yet, helpless to resist, she stood and walked stiffly toward him.

  “Sit on my lap, Rylee. Put your arms around me. And kiss me.”

  Try as she might, there was no way to refuse the power of his voice. Heart pounding, unable to deny him, she perched on his lap, slid her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his.

  She didn’t close her eyes and neither did he.

  “Believe me now?” he asked.

  She couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat. The moment he released her from his thrall, she jumped off his lap and darted to the far side of the room.

  Eyes wary, she stared at Costain, stunned by his power to manipulate her. And yet, as unsettling as it had been, she was even more troubled by the very real fear that Alex could do the same.

  CHAPTER 25

  Rylee woke in the morning, hoping that what had happened the night before had been nothing but a bad dream, that Costain hadn’t been in the apartment, that he hadn’t compelled her to do his bidding.

  But when she peeked into the closet, it was Rhys sleeping on the floor.

  She practically jumped out of her skin when he opened his eyes. With a startled cry, she turned and bolted out of the room.

  Enough, Rylee thought furiously. She’d had enough. Magdalena or no Magdalena, she was going home. She rummaged in her purse, searching for her cell phone so she could call a cab. But her phone wasn’t there. She frowned, trying to remember the last time she’d used it, but couldn’t recall. Tossing her handbag on the sofa, she searched the apartment. Since there were only four rooms, it didn’t take long.

  Her phone was nowhere to be found.

  Damn! Rhys had taken it. She was sure of it.

  Well, she’d just have to walk. Tiptoeing into the bedroom, she grabbed her a change of clothes and padded into the living room to dress. If she couldn’t call a cab, maybe she could hail one at curb side. If not, she could always take a bus.

  Grabbing her handbag, Rylee marched resolutely to the door, turned the lock, and reached for the handle.

  And nothing happened. The handle turned but the door remained closed.

  Discouraged, she sank down on the sofa, wondering if this nightmare would ever end.

  And as the hours crept by, she wondered if the day would ever end.

  She was half-aslee
p when she felt a familiar shimmer in the air and Alex appeared.

  “This wasn’t my idea,” he said.

  “I know.” Rylee glanced toward the bedroom. “Is Costain still here?”

  “He left when I showed up.” Alex shoved his hands in his back pockets. “I know you don’t want me here, but it seems like we don’t have any choice in the matter, so let’s make the best of it, all right?”

  Rylee nodded, unable to refute how happy she was to see him. She’d been lying to herself. And to Costain. No matter how she denied it, she had missed seeing Alex. She missed the sound of his voice, his smile. She missed being held in his arms, the way the world seemed better when she was with him. It made no sense. Alex was still a vampire. Nothing could change that. Just as she was beginning to think nothing would change the way she felt about him, either.

  “Rylee?”

  “Yes, we should make the best of it.”

  Alex stared at her, confused by the tone of her voice, the way she was looking at him, her beautiful sky-blue eyes sort of soft and dreamy. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she’d changed her mind about him. But that was impossible. She had made her feelings about him and vampires perfectly clear.

  “Alex?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’d like to try again, if you want to.”

  He looked skeptical. “Really? I was at the restaurant the other night, when you were there with Rhys.”

  “I didn’t see you.”

  “I didn’t want to be seen. I heard what you said, though. You told him you didn’t want to share your life with a vampire, that you wanted a home and children,” he said bitterly. “That you wanted a man who could share your whole life, not just half of it.”

  “But…”

  “Do you deny it?”

  “No, but there was more to it than that.”

  “I didn’t wait around to hear the rest.”

  “Maybe you should have,” she retorted. “He said a lot of things that made sense.”

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  “He said there were worse things than being a vampire, like being alone and unloved. And he said that…” She bit down on her lip and stared at the floor.

  “Go on.”

  “He accused me of being in love with you.”

  “And what did you say?” Alex stared at her, feeling as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

  “I said even if I was, it was none of his business.”

  “Are you?” Hardly daring to hope, he took a step toward her as he waited for her answer.

  “I think I might be,” she admitted, her voice little more than a whisper. “I’m not sure. I’ve never been in love before.” She looked up, her gaze searching his. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Rhys compelled me to…to do something last night.”

  “Like what?”

  Heat flooded her cheeks. “He…he made me sit on his lap and kiss him. He said he could make me stay with you whether I wanted to or not.”

  Alex swore under his breath. What the hell had Costain been thinking?

  “Tell me the truth. Can you do that, too? Could you compel me to…to make love to you? To stay with you even if I didn’t want to?”

  “I guess I could.” Seeing the look of horror in her eyes, he said, “But I would never do that, Rylee. Believe that if you believe nothing else. I’m not like Rhys.” That was true now, he thought. But would it still be true if he survived as long as his sire? “Listen, do you want to get out of here?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can transport us to the east coast.” He shrugged. “We could go dancing, take in a movie, anything you want.”

  “What about Magdalena?”

  “I think we’d be safe enough for a few hours.”

  She hesitated only a moment. In the end, her desire to get out of Costain’s penthouse outweighed her fear.

  Rylee had experienced being transported before, but never so far. Her head was spinning, her stomach churning, when they the world righted itself.

  “Are you all right?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t know.” She glanced around. She had expected to be in a mall or restaurant row. Instead, they were on the sidewalk in a residential area. “Where are we?”

  “Boston.” Alex jerked his chin toward the house in front of them. “My folks live here.”

  “Oh.” It was an older, two-story home, with a flower garden in the front and several trees on either side of the porch. Lights glowed in the windows. Brow furrowed, she glanced at Alex. What was he waiting for?

  “Let’s go.”

  “Aren’t you going inside?

  Alex shifted from one foot to the other. “They don’t know about me yet.” He wasn’t sure why he’d come here. Maybe just to make sure they were all right. He heard their voices and the sound of the TV as clearly as if he’d been in the living room. His mother had fixed fried chicken for dinner and apple pie for dessert. His father was drinking a cup of coffee, his mother was brewing a pot of tea.

  “Do they know about Daisy?”

  “Yeah. Let’s go.” Slipping his arm around Rylee’s waist, he transported them to the nearest nightclub.

  It was a lovely place, the lighting low, the music soft. At the bar, Alex ordered a glass of wine and downed it like it was water.

  Sitting beside him, Rylee sipped a café royal. Her heart ached for Alex. She didn’t understand his reluctance to see his parents. If they knew about Daisy and accepted her, what was he afraid of? Why would it be different for him?

  Alex pushed his glass aside, then gestured at the dance floor. “Shall we?”

  “Sure.”

  Rylee sighed when he took her in his arms. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being close to him until now. She closed her eyes, shutting out the other couples, shutting out the rest of the world. She was tired of fighting it. Right or wrong, this was where she wanted to be. Maybe not for always, but at least for now.

  CHAPTER 26

  “Another meeting?” Alex asked. “Why the hell do we need another one?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “I’ll get Rylee.”

  “No. Just tell her we’re leaving. We won’t be gone long.”

  The members of the council were already at the beach house when they arrived.

  “This is getting to be a habit, Costain,” Julius groused. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

  “I thought you’d like to know there’s one less hunter in town.”

  “That’s always good news,” Randolph said.

  “Is that all?” Nicholas asked. “I’ve got a date with a rather lovely older woman.”

  “We’re almost done here.” Rhys turned his laser-like gaze on Rupert. “There’s just one more thing. Where’s Magdalena?”

  Rupert’s head jerked up. “What?”

  Costain regarded him through narrowed eyes, his voice silky soft with menace. “I think you know where to find her.”

  The other vampires all sat forward, eyes narrowed, as tension filled the room.

  Rupert seemed to shrink in on himself. “You know I’d tell you if I did.”

  “Would you?”

  Alex stared at Costain, who was probing Rupert’s mind. He glanced at the other vampires. Were they aware of what was going on, or was he the only one who sensed it? “Who’s Sylvi?” Rhys asked.

  Rupert froze.

  “Who is she?” Rhys asked again.

  “Just a…a girl I met.”

  Rhys took a step forward, nostrils flaring. “I can smell her on you.”

  “It’s the same scent we detected outside Rylee’s house the other night,” Alex said. “The same scent that was mingled with Magdalena’s.”

  The tension in the room shot up a notch as Costain moved to stand in front of Rupert. “Where is Magdalena?”

  Rupert shook his head, his eyes wild. “I don’t know, I swear it!”

 
“Liar!”

  “No. No! Sylvi never told me where the vampire’s lair is, only that she’s afraid for her life. She thinks Magdalena’s out of her mind.”

  Rupert trembled visibly as Costain’s eyes took on a faint, reddish glow.

  Preternatural power flooded the room. Alex felt it vibrate through him like an electrical current. It seemed to go on forever, though, in reality, it was only a moment or two.

  When it stopped, Rupert slumped back on the couch, as if all the energy had been sucked out of him.

  Rhys turned away.

  And in that moment, Rupert panicked and bolted for the door, endeavoring to turn into mist as he went.

  But Rhys was too fast for him. He grabbed the other vampire and broke his neck with one quick twist.

  Total silence filled the house.

  “This meeting is over,” Rhys said, his voice tight.

  The three remaining vampires vanished in the blink of an eye.

  “How did you know?” Alex asked.

  “I smelled the same scent on him the last time we met. It was stronger tonight.”

  “Are you sure he wasn’t telling the truth? Maybe he really didn’t know where Magdalena’s lair is located.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I won’t have anyone around me that I can’t trust.” Lifting Rupert over his shoulder, Rhys carried the body out the back door.

  Curious, Alex followed him.

  Rhys dumped the corpse on the ground, then broke off a piece of the picket fence and drove the sharp end into Rupert’s heart. “The sun will take care of the body,” he said. “As for Magdalena, I’ll find her sooner or later. And when I do—”

  Alex’s eyes narrowed as images of Paula flashed through his mind. “And when you do,” he interjected, his voice like flint. “Just remember she’s mine.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Alex had expected Rylee to be in bed, asleep, when he returned to the penthouse. Instead, he found her curled up on the sofa watching a movie.

  She sat up when he materialized in the room. “Where did you go?”

  “Rhys called another meeting.” Reaching into his pants pocket, Alex pulled out a cell phone. “Rhys said to give this back to you.”