False Blood Page 5
Talon lifts his head to look at me, the emotion in his eyes making me uneasy. Why’s he looking at me like this is my fault? “Your name was on my chest, because I’m attracted to you. As the soul-tie develops, the names will darken until the soul tie is complete, letting other vampires know that you are mated. If another female were to have sex with me, with your name scrawled clearly across my chest, it’s effectively a challenge against you for your property. The same happens with you. If a male finds you attractive and tries to act on his attraction when they can see our names clearly scrawled on you, then it’s up to us to show them they can’t take what’s ours.”
He looks away and if I had to guess, I would say he’s uncomfortable about explaining this to me. “It helps with fights among the coven if the males and females know who belongs to whom. I’m not sure when it began, but it’s been going on for as long I’ve been alive. Now your name on me marks me as yours. However, no one in the coven has more than one name on them.”
Well aren’t I fucking special?!
“What makes matters worse, is that Nikoli and I are both seeing someone in the coven, so when they see our names on you, they’re going to lose it. Which also means neither of us will be able to be intimate with our partners for fear you will challenge them for trying to take what’s yours. That means for now, you stay near one of us at all times. If Heather approaches you, I hope to God you can defend yourself better than you did in that hotel, because she will kill you.”
“And who is she seeing?” I ask, dreading the answer.
Talon looks directly at me before answering emotionlessly. “Me. Nikoli is dating Felicia and was hoping to have a soul-tie with her. You’ve come in and thrown everything out the window,” he says, his eyes flashing with anger.
I’ve felt like crap since I left my dad and I can feel the pieces of me splintering apart, scattering like each individual petal on a dandelion caught in a breeze. Slowly, I get to my feet and grab my coffee, tipping it into the sink. I walk calmly past them, holding my internal mess together for as long as I can. I will not cry in front of them. I make it to the bedroom and then the bathroom.
Once I’m safely locked away, I let go of all my sorrow, in huge wracking sobs. Tears trail down my cheeks, and I huddle in on myself, protecting my heart from any more pain. I have no idea why I’m bothered this much about Nik and Talon being in a relationship, but I am. It feels like my heart’s being ripped apart. All over two guys I barely know. What the hell is wrong with me?! Why do I care so much about three guys I only just met?! Oh right, they’re my soul-ties. I scoff, shaking my head at how stupid that sounds. Soul-ties. At least ‘mates’ is simple and natural.
I ignore the knock on the door, only looking up when I hear a voice filtering in. “Emerald, can I come in?” Dev asks through the door, over my sobs.
I tidy myself up and try to stop myself from hyperventilating enough to answer, but it’s just too much. I reach over, opening the door, and slamming it shut once he’s in. Burying my face in my shirt, I try to get control of myself. Stupid hormones! That’s all this is.
Dev sits down, pulling me into his lap, offering me comfort, which just makes me cry more. Why am I so emotional over this shit?! I’m so much stronger than this!
“Oh man, can you stop crying? I’m getting extremely uncomfortable,” Dev says awkwardly, making me laugh, and I almost choke on air, when it goes down the wrong pipe. He pats me on the back while I try to learn how to breathe again. I wasn’t expecting Devin to be funny. Nik sure, but not Devin.
Sighing, I rest my head against his chest, taking in a few deep breaths now that I’m calmer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so out of hand. Everything just hit me at once. It doesn’t help having two extremely hot guys pretty much threaten that their girlfriends are going to kill me,” I say bluntly.
Dev laughs abruptly, “Are you kidding me? The only reason Talon mentioned it is because of how beautiful you are. Felicia and Heather are both so into their looks and think everyone is below them on the beautiful scale so meeting you is going to be a big eye opener for them. Our soul-ties may be chosen by fate but what Nik and Talon don’t want to tell you is that they will get their asses kicked by Heather and Felicia. It will be seen as a big slight that you, a stranger, has come into their lives and managed to form a soul tie with them especially when they should have already formed them by now. It also doesn’t help that if they weren’t attracted to you in the slightest, your name wouldn’t be scrawled on them. Look,” he says pulling up the sleeve of his shirt showing my name scrawled on his right forearm.
“Wow, I thought it was only on Talon. So you think I’m attractive huh?” I smirk, tucking my hair behind my ear.
He pushes me away to look down at me, his grey eyes drawing me in. “Seriously?! Have you not seen yourself in a mirror?! You are fucking beautiful. It’s why they don’t like you as much. You radiate a strength that very few of our women do and that just makes the attraction stronger. It also helps you look like you are a goddess, though I admit seeing you cry has lessened the attraction,” he winks at me.
I laugh at his sarcasm, glad that they don’t see me as some hideous monster. “What do I do about their girlfriends? If they try to attack me, can I defend myself? Or do I have to rely on you guys to end it? Because I’m not sure if I can do that? My beast won’t allow it.”
“Oh, hell no! If those wannabe bitches try to start something, you end it. Show them bitches who’s boss. They’ll respect you more if they know you’re willing to defend what’s yours,” he encourages, squeezing my shoulders.
“But, they’re not mine. Can’t I just tell them I’m not looking for a mate, or soul-tie?”
He rolls his eyes at me as if I’m talking complete nonsense. He knows just how much I want them. “You can, though they’re more likely to hurt you if you don’t accept the soul-tie. It will make you look weak in our coven. Besides, why don’t you want to be tied to such hot studs like us? Sure, I’m a total ass, Nik’s a shit stirrer, and Talon? Well, he’s a douche. Don’t get me wrong, he’s like my brother, but he’s a hard-assed son of a bitch. Won’t take no for an answer. On second thought, maybe you should just stick with me and Nik and avoid Talon like the plague. Guaranteed no heartbreak that way,” he smirks, going back on everything he just said.
“Oi! You know I can hear you!” Talon calls from the other side of the door, making me laugh.
“Fuck! I’m in deep shit now,” Dev says winking.
I laugh at his banter, happy that I’m no longer crying. All that emotion was too much for me this early in the morning. Now all I want to do is crawl back in bed and sleep but we still have other things to do.
“Are you guys ok to go? We need to meet with the queen or we’ll be late, then we’ll all be in deep shit,” Nik calls out.
Dev gets to his feet, pulling me with him and cradling my face. “I will be with you the whole time. The others may not be interested in our soul-tie, but I want to see how it turns out between us. If you want it to go further, I’ll try. If you want me to back off, then I’m gone like the wind. For now though, our queen is waiting and she can be very annoyed if we don’t show up on time. Being late is one of the easiest ways to make her angry, so let’s go,” he says, breaking eye contact steering me out of the bathroom before I can hesitate.
Nik and Talon are both standing by the bedroom door, waiting for us. I look down at my clothes, doubting a button up shirt and shorts is okay to meet a queen, and possibly my mother. Maybe I should put on a dress?
“You look fine. The queen won’t be expecting a formal affair,” Nik says, picking up on my thoughts.
I grimace unsure if he’s right but there’s not exactly anything fancy in my bag to wear. “Ok, if you’re sure. Any words of advice? Things to do or not do?”
Dev grabs my hand as we walk, “Yeah, don’t piss her off. She’s like a rabid wolf when agitated. If you say the wrong thing, she may rip your head off.”
Great, n
o pressure. Introducing myself as a wolf and vampire hybrid and announce that my mother is a member of their coven, is going to go down well then. Fuck, this sucks! I wish Dad was here with me. At least then someone could explain it better than I could. Thankfully, I have his letter, ready to hand over at the first moment of doubt.
As we travel through the corridors, I take in the true beauty of the church. Stained glass windows decorate the roof, making a multi-colored light shine throughout the room. The marble walls have three windows that break up one wall, each depicting a beautiful scene. I take a closer look at one window and don’t recognise it as any religious scene that I know.
As we walk down the aisle, me following behind the three of them, I can’t help but marvel at the window behind the altar. Most churches have their belief system in the windows, but this window is a pale vampire, with beautiful blond flowing hair, my mother. At her feet is a wolf, black as night, matching her pale image.
As we get closer to the people standing at the end, my stomach flutters with the feeling of a thousand butterflies. Thankfully, no one else is in the pews that are set out around us or I’d be sick.
As Talon, Devin, and Nik reach the end of the altar and I see my parents up close and realise just who they are. They’re the King and Queen I’m supposed to be meeting to discuss my parents. The King and Queen are my parents.
Shock takes over and I stop moving, just staring at them until a nudge from Dev has me moving again. How could my Dad not tell me my real parents were the King and Queen of the coven?!
My mother looks the exact same as in the stained-glass window and the picture Dad showed me. Long blonde hair, beautiful sparkling emerald eyes, and a soft, round face. The thing is, her eyes in my picture were soft and full of love. However, the woman in front of me looks like she’s holding onto so much anger, that it frightens me.
My biological father looks similar to his picture, though his hair has started to gray and there’s a hardness in his face much the same as his mate’s.
Talon steps forward dropping to one knee, “Your Majesties. This is the girl I spoke of yesterday who wished to speak with you privately. She has requested we stay for moral support as she also owes us an explanation for why we have a soul-tie with her,” Talon explains, bowing his head in respect.
Dev and Nik follow his lead, bowing their heads too. Unsure if I should bow too, I settle for a curtsy, hoping it will do. The King and Queen both stare at me. My mom has a quizzical look on her face, while my father seems angry.
“Who are you and what do you want?!” my father booms.
I watch him apprehensively, frightened that he’s nothing like my Dad. The only thing I can do is tell them about me and hope they don’t kill me on the spot. “My father sent me. Well actually, he told me he was my uncle. His name’s Brent,” I rush out, watching as a flash of recognition sparks in his eyes.
My father leaps from his place in front of the altar, gripping me by the throat, squeezing just enough that it hurts. Weirdly, it’s not tight enough to keep me restrained. I could easily get out if I wanted to. I wonder if he knows that and this is some kind of test.
Dev, Talon, and Nik step forward to help me, but I wave them away, scared of what he would do if they interfere.
“Why are you here? Come to finish the job?! If you touch my wife, I will rip you apart!” he screams into my face, making me flinch.
“I’m not going to hurt her. If you let me explain, this will all make sense, I promise. He asked me to give you each a letter from him,” I gasp, finding it hard to breathe and talk with a hand wrapped around my throat.
“Ax, let her give us the letters,” my mother interrupts, coming forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him away from me.
They both step back, giving me space. I reach into my pocket, pull the envelopes out and hand them over, trying hard not to hyperventilate at how nervous I am.
Dev pulls me to his side once I’ve handed them over, gripping my hand tightly. His lips are pursed with annoyance, and I can tell he’s going to give me an earful for not letting him help. Talon and Nik both brush themselves against me, the tension in their bodies obvious. It leaves me even more confused about their intentions.
After a few minutes of silent agony, watching my parents read the letters Dad asked me to give them, they finally look at each other, my father with a look of heartbreak, my mother with tears streaming down her face. Hugging each other, my father laughs with tears streaming down his face while my mother sobs into his chest. Okay, so not the reaction I was expecting. I was expecting more anger but they look more relieved. It leaves me wondering just what my dad put in the letters.
They finally break apart, facing me with wary smiles. “I’m so sorry if I hurt you, Emerald,” my father says, his eyes showing his pain. I guess anyone would feel horrible if they thought they hurt their child.
I offer a smile, “It’s ok. You had no idea who I was. From what Dad told me about your history, I’d be pissed if a random wolf showed up from our pack after what my grandparents did,” I tell them truthfully.
They both nod, studying me as if I’m some kind of puzzle they need to figure out. I can feel the restlessness from Talon, Nik, and Dev, as they have no idea what is going on.
My mother breaks away from my father, stepping closer, not bothered that the guys are still surrounding me like guards. “I can’t believe it’s you,” she murmurs, cradling my cheeks in her soft, cold hands. I smile, relieved she isn’t instantly shunning me. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t always wonder about my mother and who she was. Whether she loved me, or if I was just a by-product of some forbidden, human union. Josephine made it clear when I was old enough to understand, that she would never be my mother. It was one of the hardest things I had to deal with knowing Brendan got her unconditional love but all I got was the crumbs of her affection.
“I never dreamed I’d actually get to meet you,” I tell her, tears making my sight blurry.
She beams at me, joy lighting up her face, “Come, it looks like you have a lot to tell us. Why don’t we go to our chambers, so you can tell us everything?” she asks, her heart in her eyes.
“Yeah, that would be good. Oh, can Talon, Dev, and Nik come with me? I promised them I would explain everything after I told you who I was. They still don’t know,” I tell her, pleading for her not to argue.
“That’s fine, honey. They should probably be there anyway since I’m making them your official guard,” she informs them, grinning wickedly.
Dev grins, excitement lighting his eyes, while Nik and Talon stare on in shock.
Talon takes a step toward them, his eyes sparking with anger, “Your Majesty, I strongly suggest you rethink this. We are entrusted with your personal safety. Can’t we get someone else?” he asks looking between me, his King and his Queen.
“We are more than capable of taking care of each other. Besides Tal, that’s our daughter,” my father answers, making all three of the guys’ mouths drop open in shock. Talon’s the only one to close his mouth and deal with it. I think he realized that makes me much more important than they thought I was. More important than even I knew. Devin and Nikoli stand there, frozen to the spot, looking like fish out of water. Their eyes dart between me and my parents, taking in the similarities.
My mother takes me by the hand, leaving the guys and my father to follow us as we walk down a set of steps hidden behind the altar. It’s pretty cool. We enter a room that has to be five times the size of the guys’ room, and I wonder how the hell they fit rooms like this in a church this size. Don’t get me wrong it’s huge, but nowhere near big enough to accommodate this size room. Especially if a whole coven lives here. “Sorry, but can I ask how the rooms here are so big? And where does everyone else stay? I doubt the whole coven could live here.”
My father chuckles, as do the guys. My mother is the one to fill me in on the missing details. “Well, we have a few powerful witches, who help us out in return fo
r not feeding in their area. They’ve cloaked this place into looking like a church and the abandoned buildings surrounding us into empty warehouses. Our coven goes five levels underground, whilst the church is our meeting place and chambers. The rest of the coven lives underneath us except for our guards, who stay closer in case we come under attack. It used to be the guards stayed with us at all times but it became very annoying having someone shadow our every move. Besides, if one of our own attacked us, then it is expected that we are strong enough to defend ourselves, which is why I’m happy to assign our guards to you,” my mother explains, watching me take it all in.
She moves from me, taking a seat in a beige loveseat obviously meant for two. I move over to the plain three-seater sofa across from her. She waits for me to get comfortable before speaking, “So, Emerald, why don’t you sit down and tell the boys here, your story. Then we’ll tell you what your father explained to us in the letter,” my mother offers, as I take a seat. The guys position themselves around the room, in a defensive formation. I wonder if they even realize they moved like that? Talon is over by the window, leaning against the wall, Nikoli positions himself by the door we just came through and Dev takes a seat beside me, angling towards the bathroom door. All three of them have each exit and entry covered. It sends a thrill to my beast seeing how effective they are as guards.
I explained what had happened over the past few days. I started with my training session, Dad’s confession, my hurried trip across the states, staking out the church, getting attacked, calling Talon, being brought here, and finally, meeting them.
My father grins, taking a seat next to my mother, “I knew Brent would come around. He was a headstrong kid, but he always followed Mom and Dad, never really thought much for himself. I’m pissed he kept your existence from us for so long but, I’ll be forever grateful that he raised you the way I would have.
“Twenty-one years, we thought you were dead. It’s surreal to see you, standing here perfectly healthy and so beautiful. You have Sierra’s eyes, her hair, my nose, and a mix of our height. You’re slightly taller than your mother but shorter than me. It’s fascinating,” he murmurs, awe shining in his eyes.