Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3) (27 page)

“No. Oh God, poor Lily, this must bring it all back.”

“Her mother’s shame and pain have haunted her,” I tell her. Helena lets out a quiet sigh and Julian comes in behind her and holds her.

“I don’t know what’s come over Sebastian. I’ve never seen him break his word in over two hundred years,” Julian says. “I’ve never seen him happier than when Lily agreed to marry him. I just don’t understand.”

“Where did this Gabrielle come from?” Helena asks.

“Sebastian  met her at court. I never would have guessed this would be the result,” Julian says, shaking his head.

“I was ready to kill him tonight, but Lilith stopped me. He’s lucky she still loves him somehow.” I make an effort to reign in my heat.

“Please don’t kill him, Aidan,” Helena says. Real panic in her eyes.

“Why is Gabrielle travelling all the way out here to seduce Sebastian?” Julian poses.

“I don’t know, but I plan on finding out,” Helena says, a steely edge in her voice that makes me thankful I won’t be on the receiving end of it.

“Easy, Helena, don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Julian caresses her shoulder.

“Oh, I think she needs some kind of attitude adjustment, don’t you?” she says, whipping around to look Julian in the eye.

“I do,” I agree.

“I’m just saying I know what you’re capable of and I don’t want to see anyone permanently disfigured,” Julian says. “I don’t much care for her but I know how you’ll feel when you calm down.”

“Aidan, as soon as Lily is well enough to be left alone, I want you to pop me to where this Gabrielle is. I’ll deal with it from there.” Never mess with a woman scorned or the friend of that woman when she has magickal powers, a vampire woman, to boot. Gabrielle is in for a world of hurt.

I am disappointed as well as angry. I thought I had a better idea of who Sebastian was after the time we spent together. His life seemed to revolve around his love for Lilith. It’s not often I am wrong about a person. I honestly wanted him out of her life but not this way. I never wanted her pain. Especially this.

It’s almost noon and she will be waking soon. I hope her heart and mind have rested with her body. She stirs.

My mind takes a moment to realize where it is. I don’t recognize any of the things in this room or the warmth that surrounds me. I remember. I sit up. Aidan pushes my hair off my forehead. I give him a weak smile. It’s the best I can do, but it’s one step on the road to the new me. The me that takes no shit and asks names later. Hannah would be proud.

The door slowly opens and muffled footsteps in the deep pile rug announce that Helena and Julian are in the room too.

“Lily, child, I’m so sorry,” Julian says as he sits on the edge of the bed and kisses the top of my head.

“Dear heart, Andrew has made you some coffee. Why don’t you come down and have some?” Helena asks me.

I pull the blanket up. Though I know this is Sebastian’s fault, I have too many regrets about my own behavior. Looking down at my hands, I try to come up with an excuse to hang out in my new room for the day.

“I’ll summon some coffee for you. You don’t have to move for now,” Aidan says. My Djinn, my strength when I have none of my own.

My friends circle me, gathering me in their arms before they leave. Aidan takes my face and turns it up to his.

“Feeling like this is all your fault?” His voice is somewhere between teasing and serious. I look down. Realize I am hunched in like I am protecting a vital organ.

“I want to kick some ass, but I also feel so cheap and dirty. He just brushed me off. He barely knows her. He left without even trying to explain. How long was this going on? What makes her special?” I thought of all the time he spent at the club.

“He is blind,” Aidan says hoarsely. He slowly lowers his face and I see the intent in his eyes. God help me I don’t stop him. I need to feel loved by someone right now. I let him kiss me.

It is the sweetest kiss, soft and tentative. Full of electricity like all of Aidan’s kisses. I kiss him back but he pulls away.

“Not yet, love. You are too fragile. I love you with all that I am, but not yet,” he says as he smiles down at me. I nod and his eyes sparkle.

“That’s my girl,” he says as he cups my chin and kisses me again gently. “Do you feel up to a shower?”

“Yes. I need one desperately. Then coffee.”

“I’ll summon you something new to wear, too. I feel like spoiling you today,” Aidan says as he starts pulling things from the air.

He hands me a new Givenchy outfit that is oh so right for my mood. Dark and elegant. Prada stilettos and beautiful pearls to go with it all. The idea of getting dressed up lifts my spirits—at least I’ll look strong and confident on the outside.

I get in the new shower built for two, plenty too big now. I wipe my eyes then I shake my head and make myself stop. Not going there. I set the shower heads to hit me from all directions with hot steamy water until I can’t see across the room. When I get out I should have been shriveled but because I’m vampire I’m not. I dry off and start to get dressed in my new outfit. My mood lifts with every layer of clothing. I brush my fangsters and put my earrings in. When I leave the bathroom, Aidan stares.

“You look so beautiful. I don’t give you enough clothes and jewelry. I need to do it more often,” he says.

“Thank you so much for the outfit, Aidan, but I need to dress myself, from time to time too. Or I’ll never get to go shopping. It’s a perfect fit. I don’t want to know how you do that,” I say. I give him a half-hearted smile that eventually turns into a real one.

“It’s a trade secret.” He winks at me as he takes my hand. He leads me out of my sanctuary and into the hall. I hesitate at the doorway. I’m still not sure I’m ready to face the world. “A baby step, one at a time. Julian and Helena both love you,” he says. “Andrew adores and respects you. Hannah would kill for you, maybe that isn’t the best thing…”

I laugh. Hannah would kill on command. But I get a shot of confidence because she does love me. I shake my hair out of my eyes and square my shoulders as we descend the stairs. My heels clicking on the marble. Helena hears me coming and meets us before we reach the library. She gathers me up in a motherly embrace. She’s been magick crafting so she smells of lemon verbena and herbs. It’s soothing. I inhale her scent. Patting me on the back she says, “You look gorgeous. Is that a new outfit?”

“Yes, Aidan gave it to me this morning, the jewelry too.”

“Aidan has exquisite taste,” she says. She leads me and Aidan into the library. Julian stands up and approaches me.

“My sweet child, you look beautiful this afternoon. How do you feel?” Julian places his hand briefly on my cheek.

“Like I would like yesterday to have never have happened. But it did, and now I need to move on.”

He hugs me and returns to his computer. The affectionate look on his handsome face reassures me. Aidan is right.

Andrew and Liam enter giving me a hug. Andrew’s eyes fill and I start to cry again.  He holds me tight.

“Miss Lily, something isn’t right here. There is no one better than you and Mr. Sebastian is crazy about you. I don’t know what is going on,” Andrew says.

“Thank you, Andrew.” I can’t say anything more because I don’t know what to say. It doesn’t make sense to me either. I can’t get past the fact that Bast stopped loving me and that pain is too raw.

“Are we still planning on turning the boys tonight?” I turn to Julian.

“Yes, it will be more difficult without Sebastian, but we can do it and I see no reason to delay it. We want to make sure that Liam is well protected for the next moon phase,” Julian adds.

“Aidan, why don’t we grab Hannah and go to that little beach in Greece again? I could use some girl time and sun and then we can be back in time for this evening.”

“Sounds perfect, love. When do you want us back, Julian?”

“How about six? We’ll start soon after that.”

“We’ll see you then.” And with that Aidan scoops me into his lap and pops us to Greece.

We land on the beach with Aidan holding me in his arms and the sun shining down on us. The cerulean blue water rivals the clear blue skies. The sandy beach is awash with shells of every shape and color and drift wood. Aidan nods his head and a full changing house appears. He sets me down on the wooden deck, thoughtfully, so my shoes won’t get ruined.

“I put a swim suit in there for you, lover. I’m going to summon some chairs, drinks and sunglasses while you change. Take your time,” he says. “I’ll also pop over to Berkeley and talk to Hannah, bring her and Hades back with me, I know she’ll want to be here.”

“Okay, Aidan.”

I find a little white bikini in the changing tent. The minute I let my toes sink into the warm soft sand I know this is a good idea. The sun on my shoulders warms my perpetually cold skin. I sink into the hot sand as I twist my toes in deeper on my way to the edge of the water. Taking my time, enjoying the serene landscape. Aidan has set up three lounge chairs and a table with a pitcher of what looks like strawberry daiquiris on it.

I splash my toes in the frothy, Mediterranean water and jump when a screaming Hannah pops into existence. Hades comes bounding up to me and knocks me into the water. Between the two of them I come up sputtering and laughing. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Aidan transmanifests to my side and helps me up, laughing himself.

Hannah tackles  me with a hug. Aidan persuades her to change her clothes, while Hades splashes in the turf, chasing gulls and digging up shells.

I lower myself onto the chair and Aidan joins me in the chair next to me and pours me an icy sweet daiquiri. He hands me a pair of sunglasses and I hide behind them sipping my drink.

Aidan glances at me out of the corner of his eye. Without warning he leans towards me and kisses me. When I tentatively taste his lips he moves away and rubs his hand over his eyes.

“I can’t do this, Lilith. I can’t take advantage of you. You still love Sebastian and I want you to be with me completely. Before I was up for tweaking him and causing a little mischief.. Stealing kisses, trying to win you over. Now… I don’t want to confuse you even more. I’m being selfish now. I want you for myself. Just you and me and nothing between us.”

I take a steadying breath and take his hand. “Aidan, I do love you but you’re right about me still loving Sebastian.”

“We need to wait until you’re ready. Then I will be the first one in line.” He gives me his crooked grin, the one I’ve always been in love with. “Besides, Hannah will be out here in a minute.”

“Did I hear my name?”

“Yes, beautiful one. Even with the pink tipped hair,” Aidan says.

“Hey, we are getting off track. Fuck my hair. We need to focus on how we are going to kick this Gabrielle’s ass and give Sebastian the first vampire STD for being such a dick.”

“That sounds a bit extreme, Hannah,” I say. Numbness allows me to consider the plan dispassionately. As soon as the pain threatens to overwhelm me I look to the horizon and think about the sun.

“I knew you would wimp out on me. That’s why I’m going to a voodoo priestess. I’ll get a voodoo doll or something. Or better yet, my in-laws have tricks and connections. Oooh yeah. Now we’re talking.” Hannah starts rubbing her hands together with the evil glint to her eyes that I’ve seen before. The outcome is never pretty. I better put a stop to this before Sebastian loses his favorite appendage. Not that I really mind at the moment.

“Whoa, Hannah. Let’s reel it in for a minute. I don’t want Sebastian losing any appendages.”

“Why not,” Hannah and Aidan say simultaneously. Oh shit, they’re serious.

“Guys, come on, that’s beyond cruel. No, out of the question. Now Gabrielle…”

Hannah’s glint comes back. “I’ll see what I can do,” she says.

We swim in the clear waters, playing with the fish. I try to lose my melancholy mood. About six, San Francisco time, we dress and Aidan cleans up after us, making everything disappear. He takes Hades home to Diel then comes back for Hannah and me. He takes my hand and Hannah’s and we pop back to the manse into the library in time to turn Liam and Andrew into vampires.

In the kitchen Andrew cooks Liam their last meal. I slice onions for French onion soup. While caramelizing the onions and then reducing them in a wine and butter sauce, I chop vegetables for a salad. Hannah slips in behind me and puts her hand on my back. Her one touch tells me she is there for me.