Trials (The Forever Series, Book 6) (14 page)

Well, so much for feeling sorry for her, I narrow my eyes at
her. “I love him,” she continues. “I have loved him since the day he first
looked at me.”

Yeah, I get that. I blink but remain silent, wanting to know
more but at the same time slightly terrified of what she might say.

“She loved him too. She wanted him more than anything she
ever wanted in her whole long, goddamn life. But he was mine.”

I drop my shoulders and pull myself upright. No lovey, not
yours.

“He was mine centuries before you were even born,” she says
boldly but at my intense angry glare she amends, “I mean, he was more mine than
hers. But I know he only went after me to piss her off. I didn’t care, I just
wanted to be with him.”

He did what now?

“That first time, when he hurt me, I was scared, but then I
felt relief. Relief from the agony of being what I am. What she made me. Her
bitch.” She continues her tale and I just stand there, mouth agape.

“I wanted more, because it felt better to feel that, than
self-loathing and disgust.”

“You don’t like what you are?” I ask her cautiously. I
really don’t understand this reaction from Vampires. I mean, we are awesome.
Who wouldn’t want to be like us?

“I grew to accept it. It isn’t what I wanted. She wanted it.
So she wasn’t alone.”

“Oh.” I seem to be saying that a lot tonight.

She just looks at me forlornly and I can see how very
different she is from Eloise.

“You are nothing like your sister,” I say. I feel I have to
tell her that. That she wants to hear it. “I apologize for tarring you with the
same brush. You look so much like her and with the whole Constantine thing, I
got overprotective.”

She chuckles, “I don’t blame you. I can only imagine how
much you hated her, after everything she did to you. I was glad when you came
along though, in a way. You took her focus off me. She had someone else to
hate.”

“If you knew she hated you, why did you carry on with him?”
I ask.

“You are seriously asking me that?” Sarcasm if I ever heard
it.

I clear my throat, “Well, I suppose that was a dumb
question.”

“He asked you to marry him?”

“Who told you that?” I ask instead, suspiciously, as that
isn’t for public knowledge.

“Sebastian,” she replies.

Of course he did. Arse.

“Well, yes. In the future.”

“I would imagine so, as you are already married now,” she
says with what appears to be a wicked glint in her eye.

“What of it?” I snap.

“Nothing at all. Your husband is quite the prize though. I
wouldn’t give him up.”

“Oh, not you as well. What is it with your family and the
men in my life?”

She shrugs, “You have good taste.”

We are interrupted at this point--so I don’t get to respond--by
a very cautious CK who pokes his head in the door. “You were taking too long.
Everything okay?” he asks, eyes only on me.

“Yes. Just fine. We found what Vivienne lost.”

“Good.” He looks relieved we aren’t trying to tear each
other’s heads off and steps further into the room. Dressed, curse the man, only
in sweats. Does he not realize the effect he has on women? I growl as Vivienne
casts her eyes over him and she drops her gaze to the floor. He comes to me and
kisses me, wrapping his arms around me in a show of…? I have no idea.

“Well I got what I came for. I will leave you two alone,”
she says sadly.

“Wait, Vivienne.” I pull away from CK, even though he tries
to hold me back. I grab her wrist and clamp my hand over the Faerie cuff. I
focus and squeeze and bend it to my will with a flash of heat. Heh! It worked.
I amaze even myself sometimes. “Should stay on a little better now.” I shrug as
she stares at me with all kinds of overwhelming emotions. “Thank you, my
Queen,” she says, bowing her head. “I am truly sorry for everything my sister
did to you. You didn’t deserve any of it, especially that.”

I bob my head but CK is at my side in an instant, “What did
she do?”

She looks at him in surprise, “You don’t know?”

“Know what?” he yells at her, gripping her skinny arm in his
vice-like grip.

She cowers from him and looks at me. “You don’t know?” she
repeats and I shake my head in dread wondering what she is talking about. I
thought she was just talking about CK.

“She was the one who made Lance go after you,” she whispers
as CK growls and shakes her and I just stand there in disbelief.

“You knew this?” he shouts in her face. “You knew this and
you didn’t tell me?”

“I thought you knew. I only found out a few years ago. I
thought you already knew,” she says desperately.

“If I knew, do you think she would have lived as long as she
did? Fuck the sword, I would have found a way to kill her long before Aefre
did.”

“CK, let her go. It isn’t her fault,” I say, coming to her
defense much to her relief. “She isn’t her sister. What’s done is done and they
are both dead now anyway.” I cross to him and take his arm, pulling him away
from her. “There’s nothing to be done now.”

He glowers at her then me. “I will find a way to avenge you,
my sweet. If I have to go to the Spirit Realm myself to destroy them both
again, I will do it.”

Vivienne is looking quite distressed now and I smile at her
reassuringly and say, “Perhaps it would be best to go now. I am glad we got a
chance to speak.”

“So am I. I hope we can talk again soon. We have a lot in
common, you and I.”

“Indeed,” I mutter. “However, know this, my sire will no
longer be giving you your kicks. He is off the market in that respect.”

“And every other respect,” he adds to my utmost delight.
Could I love him any more right now? No, I don’t think so.

“Noted,” she murmurs and pops back out of existence.

“Oh, Aefre.” He turns to me with that look and I sigh.

“Don’t. There has been enough drama for tonight. I am sick
of it. Please, can we just have a few moments without a big heart-to-heart or a
throwdown?”

He smiles his made-for-me smile. “Of course. Anything you
ask. And as much as I would like to pick up where we left off,” he points
outside to the growing dawn, “you should get some sleep.”

“No, I don’t want to.” I shake my head.

“I will watch you, my love. I will not leave your side. I
promise you, you will be safe.”

I reluctantly let him lead me back to my bedroom and he
tucks me up in bed. “Sleep now, my love. I will keep you from harm,” he
whispers to me and I drop off soon after, because who am I kidding? I’m
exhausted and can’t keep my eyes open.

I wiggle in my dreamless sleep, I assume sometime later as
the sunlight is streaming into the bedroom now. I don’t want to open my eyes as
I can’t tell if this is real or a dream. If it’s a dream I don’t want to wake
but if it’s real I want in. I chance a glance down and yes, my eyes are open
and yes, my sire is licking me, thrusting his tongue into me. Oh my.

“Isn’t this taking advantage?” I murmur, pushing my hands
into his hair to keep him close anyway.

He chuckles and pulls away slightly, “Maybe, but oh Christ,
you are so beautiful, I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“Good thing I love you or I would have to kick your arse for
being presumptuous.”

“I thank god every day that you love me,” he says and he
resumes his task of bringing me pleasure with his perfect, perfect tongue.

There is a knock at the door, I think blindly, as I moan,
“Yes!” and the door opens, much to my horror. I wasn’t bidding you entrance you
moron, I think as CK looks up from his ministrations and asks, “May we help
you?” in that deliciously dismissive tone that I adore him for.

“Oh Jesus Christ,” Cade snaps. “Why ask me to come in when
you are like that?” He holds his papers up in front of his face to hide the
naked sex scene in front of him.

“You weren’t bid,” I snap.

“I heard you say yes…oh shit.” He ruffles the papers closer
to his face so he doesn’t have to see any more than he has to.

CK snickers, “I like him. You can keep him.”

“Glad you approve,” I mutter as I push him away, smiling
inside as he knows fair few men wouldn’t
not
be looking at us. Well, me.
Ahem…

I grab my discarded robe and throw it on, tying it tight and
then throwing the covers over CK to his amusement.

“I assume you are still standing there because it is
important?” I bark at him and he peeks out from behind his cover. Relieved to
see us both covered up he lowers the pages and shoves them at me.

“Obviously. Here. The three of us have been working
tirelessly all night while you two have been going at it. Everything we could
find on your mystery nemesis.”

“We three?” I ask, taking the pages from him. There must be
ten in total, all printed out neatly in a size ten font.

“Myself, Nico, and Serena,” he says.

I nod. “Very well. Thank you. I will read it immediately.”

He nods back and excuses himself with great relief. I frown
and stare at the pages. CK is at my side in seconds grabbing it from me. He
scans the pages – all ten of them – in less than a minute. Oh, did I mention
Initial Vampires have the power to speed read?

“Well?” I ask, hands on hips.

“Nothing that can’t wait,” he says, flinging the document
onto the bedside cabinet and dropping to his knees in front of me, undoing my
robe in the process. I start to protest that it can’t wait, until he pushes his
tongue against my clit and I forget what I was going to say.

I lose my robe completely and push my hands into his hair. I
clench my fists and pull him away, forcing him back and dropping straight down
onto his huge cock.

“Oh fuck, yes,” he murmurs as I move over him.

He grabs me and rolls us over, pushing me into the carpet as
he pounds into me. While he may not have updated this room as much as the rest
of the castle, I am at least grateful that he carpeted the place. Those old
stone floors were merciless in situations like these.

I roll us back over as I want control and he chuckles and
lets me take him momentarily before he pushes us over again. Enjoying this game
of dominance tag immensely I again roll us over and I am straddling him. He
shakes his head at me and pushes us back over. “Mine,” he says before he clamps
down on my lower lip. We are by now in a patch of sunlight over by the far
window and as we realize he pulls back and picks me up in his arms and carries
me to the bed. Throwing me down and flinging himself on me, he finishes us both
off.

Panting, I stroke his head that is resting on my chest. “I
love you, my darling,” I whisper.

He looks up at me then serious, “You haven’t called me that
in centuries. You said it the other day in the bath.”

I blink at him, not knowing why I haven’t said it, not even
realizing I hadn’t said it.

“Because of Devon,” he says. “I know you call him your
Darling Boy. I heard you call him it last year.”

Really? I stopped using it because I made it a pet name for
Dev? Eurgh, pet. Let’s not use that term. Rather, an endearment then.

“Jealous?” I murmur, knowing I am likely signing my own
death warrant.

“Very,” he says back with a quick nip to my nipple, which
leads to him dropping his fangs and well…

After an intense orgasm, he laughs at me. “So easy,” he says
again.

“Only for you,” I say again.

He trails little kisses down in between my breasts and down
to my stomach. He pauses after he delves his tongue into my belly button.

“How is this going to work?” he asks then, uncertain and
almost confused as he runs his fingers lightly over my stomach.

“How is what going to work?”

“The baby? When we have one, how is it going to work? I mean
Vampires don’t grow or change or age? How is it going to work?”

I snort at him much to his annoyance and say, “Oh, my love,
it won’t be a Vampire. It will be a Dragon.”

He looks thoroughly put out by that. “You mean it won’t be
any part of me?”

“Of course it will, you idiot. I won’t be making it by
myself.”

“Explain,” he snaps at me but I don’t take offense to his
tone.

“As you said, Vampires don’t grow or change or age. A
Vampire cannot be born. He or she will be a human-born Dragon. Like me.”

“Like you? What about me?” he sounds so sad I almost want to
laugh at him but don’t.

“You will be his or her father,” I say.

“But she won’t be like me. Not any part of me.”

“That is where your original plan comes into play,” I say,
playing with his hair. I do love this uncertain side of him. Not the wholly
vulnerable side. That unnerves me but this, oh this is very, very sexy.

“No. I have changed my mind about that. I don’t want that
for her,” he says forcefully.

“What?” I say, now confused myself.

“When it was just a child that we raised together that was
very much my wish, to turn her. Together. Not now.”

“Why not?”

“She will be ours. Ours, Aefre. Our flesh and blood. I want
us to be her parents not her sires.”

Yes, I understand that. I don’t want that either. “We will
have to find someone close then to do it.”

“Pfffft. Not likely. You think I am letting any boy near
her, to do what we just did? You are sorely mistaken if that is your plan.” I
do laugh out loud at him now, for a very, very long time. Hypocrite!

He takes my laughter with good grace and is pleased when I
say, “It’s hilarious to hear you say that but, I have to agree. I will stake
any Vampire myself who dares come near her, or him, with their fangs or any
other parts.”

“Oh to hear you say that warms my heart, my sweet. So what
do we do?”

“Raise her as a Dragon,” I say simply, knowing I have used
just “her” for the first time.

“I don’t like that either,” he grumps.