Robert (10 page)

“Which one?” There were four Valentine brothers.

“William, sir.”

They knew all the family—they had detailed files on every member.

“How did they know about the witch?”

“We don’t know, sir.”

James sneered at them. “Don’t any of you read the reports? Three years ago, a Miss Sophie Ford was offered up to the Valentines by her parents as payment for protection.” He circled the group, reciting his information. “Up until that time, the Fords had been a prosperous and established family. Overnight, their millions just went. It was completely unexplained. The humans believed it was down to bad business decisions and gambling, but the head of the Ford family has never gambled in his life. Magic provided this cover.” Mumbles erupted among the group.

“What do you mean?” one of the soldiers called out.

“What I mean is that Katie, the witch you failed to obtain for me, cast a spell that rid the Ford family of all of their money. Overnight, it was like a global recession but for just one family—everything gone. Only, if you look at all the correct figures, it shouldn’t have been possible. I don’t know why the witch did it, but I’m betting it had something to do with the protection provided by the Valentine blood bond that just so happens to be with her best friend.”

James had spent years trying to understand what had suddenly gone wrong. The Fords were a human family, but a powerful one. One he could have used if it hadn’t been for the fucking Valentines and the bastard interfering witch.

“Your key to understanding why William Valentine was anywhere near the witch—besides his personal history—is that Sophie Ford is the bond mate of Robert Valentine. Sophie was the payment to provide protection for the witch. Now that witch is in the company of vampires. Find her and kill her or get her to me.”

He left the warehouse, his guards following close behind.
His plans wouldn’t work without the witch. All of the wolves would answer to him if they didn’t capture her soon. The Valentines were always ruining his plans. He couldn’t wait to see every last one of them fucking dead. Turning behind him, he glanced at the array of soldiers about to move out.

“Oh, and if any of you get the chance…kill one of the Valentines.”

Chapter Six

Sophie heard a crash seconds before Robert reappeared in the doorway.

She could tell by his expression that he was angry. She swallowed past the lump of fear building up in her throat.

“What’s the matter?” she croaked.

He glared at her. “Do you have any idea of the problems you and your little friend have caused?”

He began his endless pacing again.

Sophie tensed. She didn’t know what to do in these situations. The only thing she’d been thinking about was protecting Katie. Katie—she still had to keep her safe and so her lie would continue.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, before she could stop herself.

He charged over, terrifying her. She flinched away from him but he caught her.

“Don’t lie to me.”

He lifted her off the bed, making her face him so he wouldn’t be towering over her.

“Why didn’t you come to me? I could have prevented all of this. Protected you. That was my job.”

She shook her head.

“Katie is a first-generation witch and you’ve been hiding her from me.”

Sophie paled, unsure what to do or say.

“She was attacked tonight. William—my brother—saved her. She blew up a wolf, Sophie—a wolf. You came to the Council for protection. I saw your memories. I understand why you did it. I understand that you wanted to protect your friend. What I don’t understand is why you’d keep from me the reason she
needed
protection. Why didn’t you tell me she was a witch?”

Sophie was shaking as each revelation came to light.

“Is Katie okay?” she asked.

“Katie is fine…for now.”

“I didn’t know she was a witch. We knew she was different, but not that she was a witch. We wondered, but…witches don’t exist,” Sophie tried to explain.

Robert cursed. They’d been terrified young women, unsure what was happening, searching for some protection.

“I’ll have to take you before the Council—”

Sophie was shaking her head. “They’ll kill her.”

“There is a way.” That got her attention. “You’ll both be punished, but I can stop them from killing either of you.”

“I’m listening.”

“We complete the bond. Once the bond is finished, you will be my mate and by the laws set out I will have to follow through in protecting you and Katie.”

“We complete the bond… That means we have sex.”

“We connect with each other and share blood.” Robert tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “This is the only way—trust me.”

Sophie nodded. “When should we finalise the ritual… I mean, bond?”

“Tonight.”

* * * *

Katie woke up crying, her hands shooting out to ward off her fear. The coffee table blew up. She screamed at the noise, startled. Next to go was a sofa. That was why, in her small house, she only had minimal furniture.

“Hey, hey. That stuff is vintage.” William trapped her hands together with his.

She screamed again. She didn’t know where she was and she was panicking.

The clock exploded.

“Shit.”

William kissed her. So unprepared was she for the kiss that Katie melted beneath the onslaught. His lips, firm to the touch, brushed over hers. Katie didn’t know if her lips were soft, but she welcomed the gentle press of his.

This was her first kiss. She didn’t know whether she liked it. She hadn’t been prepared for it and by the time she was ready to deal with it he had moved away. Katie wanted to reach out and ask him to kiss her once more. She wanted to know whether she liked kissing or if she wanted to be kissed. But William Valentine was not a man you begged attention from, even if she did like the way he spoke and looked.

“The best way to deal with a witch is to confuse her with kisses.” The vampire in front of her gave her a cheeky smile.

Ashamed of her reaction, she lashed out at him, but he caught her fists in his hands. She would love to see how he reacted to being blown up instead.

“Be careful. I bite as well,” he warned, flashing his fangs.

Katie wasn’t repulsed by the pointed teeth—if anything she was intrigued by them. Was it because she was a witch, and in a way understood his differences? She didn’t care.

Katie flung herself away from him.

“You disgusting monster.”

“Uncontrollable witch,” he retorted.

Katie couldn’t help it. She lashed out again, but he was too fast and too strong. He dodged her hits, then grabbed her flailing fists, stopping her attack altogether. A battle of wills. Katie had never fought anyone who was as strong as she was. In truth, the only thing she’d managed to destroy in her whole life was the odd clock and vintage sofa.

“You’re a fiery one, all right.”

Fuming at her inability to hurt him, she pulled away and stormed into his kitchen. The only way she could think of to dispel the growing tensions was to walk away.

“Oh, no you don’t.” He stopped her as she reached for his coffee pot.

“What have I done now?”

“Besides turn my life upside down? Until you gain some modicum of control over your hands, stay away from the coffee pot.” He pushed her out of the way and proceeded to make up a pot of coffee. In no time at all, the rich aroma filled the house, calming her nerves.

Katie sat down at the table and watched him moving around his kitchen. He filled two mugs with coffee.

“Cream and sugar?” he asked.

She nodded. He handed her a steaming cup. It was too hot to drink so she balanced it between her numb fingers.

“I thought vampires only drank blood,” she said, to fill the silence.

“I thought humans were nice—I’ve since learnt differently.” He appeared to have a witty retort for everything. He didn’t seem bothered by the heat, and drank some of the steaming brew immediately.

“Sorry. I was just making conversation.” She looked down into her coffee.

She heard him sigh. “Drinking blood keeps us strong, but we don’t need it every day. Depends on how strong the person we feed from is, the connection to that person. It’s very long-winded and I don’t feel like talking about it.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“Am I human?” she enquired.

He remained silent until she looked up.

“Well, am I?” she asked again.

“It’s not a simple yes or no answer,” he finally said.

Katie frowned. “How can it not be a simple answer?”

“Witches, like vampires and werewolves, existed even before humans. Witchcraft is different from coven to person to family. Magic isn’t straightforward. I’m a vampire, which is pretty simple—I kill things. Witches love being complex. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a witch who wasn’t a pain in the ass.”

Katie took a sip of coffee, trying to absorb what he’d just said, ignoring his insults.

“I still don’t know what you mean.”

“Okay. If you have a witch who is a direct descendent of…say, the devil himself, you’d naturally expect that witch to be evil. But the thing with witchcraft is that, no matter what, there needs to be a balance of power. Like vampires. We’re the undead—we are neither dead nor living, so we have a natural balance. Werewolves are neither a wolf nor a human, and that balance limits their power. Witchcraft is tricky, because the balance depends on the individual.”

He gave her time for all the information to sink in.

“So a witch has to be equally good and bad?”

“Yes. The magic needs a balance to sustain itself. With that balance, witches can survive an eternity in which they never age or weaken.”

“What happens to a witch who isn’t balanced?”

“The power consumes them until there is nothing left of the person. In other words, they burn themselves out. It’s like one minute they’re there and the next they’re a dead shell. But again it is always different. Some take a while to burn out.” He stopped, turning away.

“What happens to cause imbalance?” she asked.

“We’ve been in a long-running battle with the wolves. They are destroying the balance by breeding humans—better known as mongrels—into the clan.”

“Humans that have been turned into werewolves?”

“Yes. Natural-born werewolves were like that from birth. Consider it an extra piece of genetic code.”

Katie watched him refill her cup. “The wolves are disrupting the balance.”

“Yes, and so the battle between the kinds commenced. Wolves have been wiping out witches and vampires for centuries. The furry little bastards have remained in hiding for a while. We knew they were in Beyer West, but unfortunately we’ve not been able to find them. The fact that wolves can adapt to live among humans has made it easier for them to hunt witches.”

“That’s why the vampires and the witches work together?”

“Yes. May I say, you’re an excellent student?”

Katie beamed a smile.

“Witches have died in this fight. When they take on a pack, they use a massive amount of magic. They live on the balance of natural forces but in battle they pick up reserves of magic—both good and evil. It’s too much to balance. The body simply can’t cope. The witch might kill her opponents…but then she dies.” He choked out the last bit.

Katie watched as he reached into one of his cupboards for the brandy bottle, opened it and took a huge gulp. She winced, knowing what the powerful liquor could do. Many months ago she’d tried the same medicine, only to be left with a bad head, upset stomach and a bitter taste in her mouth.

“What about me?”

“What did your parents tell you?” he asked, still with his back to her.

“I kept my magic from them. It wasn’t until they died that they told me it wasn’t safe. I haven’t been able to control it and it just gets worse.”