Bella Vita (48 page)

“
Your Majesty, you can't
seriously be suggesting that we allow this to create panic?” One of
the many people at the table said.

“
You can't lie to the
people... you can prepare them for what's ahead... and you can
ensure that they know to protect themselves... you can also let
them know they shouldn't fear the wolves. So yes, yes I can expect
to create the right amount of panic to keep our people alive.” My
eyes turned stone cold as I gazed at this vampire.

“
Our people have not
experienced the fears of war, Milady.” A rounded woman looked at
me.

“
We are natural-born
killers; we feed the nightmares of most humans on this Earth; we're
built for battle... and you're telling me that you don't want our
people to stand up for themselves, rather that they should be
destroyed one by one- in
silence
!” I could feel the red haze
coming.

“
Is war the best answer?”
She continued.

“
War is never a nice or
pleasant answer, but sometimes it's the
only
answer. Tonight I shall hunt.
Tomorrow Dominic and I are sworn into this royal place... and we
will let our people know that we will not be cowed. We will not be
a populace ruled by fear.” I jumped off the table and walked from
the room- my temper was palpable.

Emma?
Mike's voice filtered into my thoughts.

What?
I snapped at him.

You wanna tell me what's
wrong and what crawled up your butt and died?
He was trying to keep his wolfish short temper in
check.

I'm sorry. It's just that
they don't want to go to war... that it's a rash action... I can't
fucking believe that they want our mighty people to cower and
pretend that this isn't happening... what about your people?
I needed someone to support my
thoughts.

We agree. We are going out
to hunt tonight, see if we can dredge up anything. I assume you're
doing the same thing?
It was barely a
question.

Duh, why be a sheep for the
taking?
I felt upset.

Don't go out alone, okay?
Have some sort of backup in place... alright?
His concerned softened the hardness I had wrapped myself
in.

Mike...

“
Emma!” Yasmin's brisk
clicks of her heels were coming up unusually fast behind
me.

“
Yes...” I turned and saw
that she was pale, “what's wrong?”

“
Your grandfather is taking
a turn for the worse... we can't explain what's happening.. his
body is not accepting the blood as it should...” I no longer heard
her words, I took off as fast as my vampire speed could carry
me.

Em, what's wrong with
Grandpa?
Mike's words bounced around in my
mind- I couldn't answer him, couldn't think that something might be
truly wrong with him. I felt him slide more into my consciousness,
I could only guess it was to be able to experience what was
happening around me.

“
What's wrong?” I pushed
through the gilded door.

“
Mistress Emma... we don't
know. We have sent for outside healers.” The doctor at his side
paled as I turned on him.

“
What do you mean you don't
know! I was just informed he would improve in days!” My voice
raised to the danger zone that meant I would lose
control.

EMMA!
Both Dominic and Michael shouted at me.

I snapped my head to the left and right, but
neither were in the room with me.

I went to Grandpa's side. I could feel his
struggle. He was being poisoned in a way we had never encountered
before. It was more magic than medicine, but still rooted enough
that I knew what would cure him.

“
Michael.” I said it
aloud.

Em?
He was trying to see what I had decided but couldn't latch
onto my floating thoughts.

“
I need wolf blood.” I
heard the gasps from the room.

Anything you need, you'll
have- I'll be there in a few hours.
I felt
him pull away from my mind.

“
Um, excuse me, Milady, did
you just say you needed wolf blood?” The doctor barely whispered at
me.

“
Yes. This is no longer
your concern.” I snapped just as Dom stepped into the
room.

“
Mia
bella
... he'll be fine.” I knew he saw the
worry on the doctor's face.

“
Your Majesty, may I have a
word with you?” The doctor asked Dominic, I whirled.

“
Do not cross me on this. I
know what will heal my grandfather, I will not have any
superstitious bullshit that was meant to keep us apart from other
evolved beings brought into this room and slowing down the process.
Now. Get. Out.” My fists clinched.

“
I suggest, Doctor, that
you listen to my wife.” Dom's voice was cool and
collected.

“
As Your Majesties wish.”
The man bowed out of the room.

“
Now, I can only assume
that you wish to give him werewolf blood.” I knew that he could
feel the answer, but he wanted me to say it aloud.

“
Yes. It'll heal him. Wolf
blood is better than anything else we consume. It'll heal him. If
this isn't done, he
will
die.” My words were full of certainty I didn't
want to exist regarding Grandpa's life.

“
Then it shall be done.”
Dom's words were simple, and made me feel better.

“
Grandpa... I'm not sure if
you can hear me in the state you're in, and I'm too afraid to go
poking around in your head... but I love you, and help is coming.”
A tear leaked out from behind its lashy prison.

Come,
mia bella
.
Dom took my hand and led me from the room.

I sat in the dining room waiting for the
news on Mike's plane, when I heard the car approaching I was at the
door before it stopped in front of the house.

“
Mike!” I launched myself
at him.

“
It's okay, Em. We'll fix
him.” He kissed my cheek gently while rubbing my other one with his
thumb.

“
Thank you so much for
coming. I just don't know what I would do...” I couldn't finish the
sentence.

“
Doesn't matter, you won't
have to. I brought extra power from the wolf world.” He gestured
toward the car- Acacia stepped out along with two other
wolves.

It took a great deal of strength for me to
swallow my pride and greet her.

“
Welcome to our home,
Acacia.” I held out my hand to her.

“
No need for the
formalities, let us help your grandfather.” She brushed my hand
away.

I held out my hand to the other two,
“Welcome, I'm Emma.”

They shook it and gazed at me with curiosity
and wonder.

I heard Dom step up behind me and briefly
greet everyone.

“
If the wolves giving blood
could please follow me.” Dom gestured everyone back into the
house.

It took three rounds of each of the wolves
giving blood directly to Grandpa before his vitals returned to
normal and I could feel the spell break. I offered vampire blood
for them, only Mike accepted- for the others I was able to procure
vitamins and orange juice.

“
He will recover now. But
Mike I need to talk to you.” I said the first half loudly and
nearly whispered the second to him.

“
Acacia, I have a matter I
must attend to for a few minutes.” He told his mate and you could
visibly see the steam rise off of her.

“
Dom, will you excuse me, I
trust you can see to our guests?” I pleaded with my eyes for him to
understand.

“
Of course,
mia bella
.” He led them
into the lower kitchen as I took Mike up to the widow's
walk.

“
What's up, Em?” He stared
out into the space of the landscape.

“
The reason why I couldn't
heal Grandpa is because it was a mixture of poison and magic. I
think we're being attacked on both fronts by some form of magic
wielders.” I didn't want to accuse the witches- Kelly never seemed
like someone that would use her craft in such a manner.

“
Do you think it could be
the witches?” Mike was thinking, he rubbed his chin
absently.

“
I don't think that they
would use their craft and magic for such a thing.” I didn't want to
tell Mike what I was thinking- he had to get to that point
alone.

“
True... you don't often
hear of dark magic being worked by the witches like Kelly. It could
be... well...” His voice was reluctant.

“
Mike, whatever you're
thinking, you can share with me... you know that.” I had to be
patient.

“
Well, maybe it's a coven
of dark witches. You know, like whoever spelled me... The attacks
seemed to be targeted at keeping us apart... keeping us fighting.
The general witch people are always willing to join us in whatever
endeavor we've- either side- so I don't think they would try to
keep us separate or killing each other. But what if there are evil
witches that have formed a larger group, one that would want to see
us destroy each other in order to get us out-of-the-way...” I could
see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to figure out so
much.

“
It's possible. Are you
sure no one detected that I released your magic?” I wasn't sure how
to put that.

“
Em, I don't think I could
tell you if someone did hack my brain... shit, I didn't even know
it the first time around.” Mike frowned.

“
I think that if someone
discovered that your power has been released, then these attacks
could be a result of that... also meant to push us apart.” I really
didn't want to make him feel bad.

“
Well, then we will handle
this as a united front and crush them.” His eyes were dark with
anger.

“
I think we should get back
now. Unless... you want some of my blood?” I wouldn't force him, I
wanted it to offer him earlier, but I knew that it wasn't
proper.

“
As much as I know I should
refuse, I can't.” His grin was wolfish.

“
It's wrong of me to say
this, but I'm glad you can't.” I held out my wrist to
him.

“
How impersonal.” He
actually pouted at me.

“
Impersonal, but very
practical.” I couldn't help the smile that slid across my
face.

He kissed the delicate flesh. His tongue
licked and teased the blood to the surface. I could feel my pulse
kick up a notch- he smiled as my body reacted to his caresses. I
felt the sweet pleasure of pain that exploded behind my closed eyes
as he finally sunk his canines into me. A small moan escaped my
lips. My body pulsed and I pressed myself against him- completely
without thought. I blinked open my eyes and my mind cleared
instantly.

Mike.
My voice failed me.

Yes, sweetheart.
His voice had turned all growl.

Stop.
I knew as soon as the physical contact stopped I would be
okay.

He pulled back, his face a mask of
confusion- yet he still managed to dip back in to lick the wound
and kiss it.

“
What's wrong?” His words
were husky.

“
We can't let things go
far. I am bond to Dominic, just as I am to you. He knows of this,
I'm sure of it.” The fuzzy feeling of lust and yearning cleared
from my mind leaving me in a sad state of unrest.

“
You're right. Forgive me.”
I watched as he bowed and stepped away from me, my body tried to
lurch toward him.

I let him leave. I had to steady my
breathing when I heard the crack of a fist meeting flesh.

“
Shit!” I ran out the
room.

Dom was standing over Mike, who was clearly
taken by surprise by the hit.

“
Dominic!” I shouted at him
as I rushed to Mike's side.

He said nothing, merely looked at the mark
on my wrist I hadn't healed completely yet and then I watched as
his fist clinched again.

“
I'm sorry. I can't help
the pull of him... just as I can't help your pull. Although right
now I want to punch you!” I snarled at him.

“
You could try, Emma
DeDominico
.” He said my
new last name with a deliberateness that stung.

“
Go away. Make sure that we
don't end up with a fight between us and the wolves now, you
idiot!” I snapped.

I heard his steps storm down the hall.

“
I had it coming, Em.” Mike
tried to sit up.

“
You need to wait a second,
let me check you first.” I placed my hand on his chest, and I could
feel the zing of our contact- I blushed.

“
How about you heal your
wrist first before we have a cat fight next.” He shook his head
gently.

I closed my eyes, searched for the injury in
my body, felt it seal and disappear.

“
Better?” I held out my
wrist.

“
Damn, you're good. Not
even a mark.” He smiled up at me.