Betrayal (The Forever Series) (19 page)

“Sir?”
Aster interrupts his thoughts.

“I’ll go to the Queen about it later,” he decides. Perhaps if he gives her something she wants, she will be grateful and show him some appreciation. Right now he has other plans. He will trust his mother to come up with the goods when the time is right, but he needs a contingency plan and it has finally occurred to him. He is going to stop being a jackass when it comes to her and he is going to do this his way whether she likes it or not. He will stay in power and she will help him do it, whether she is a willing accomplice or not is up to her. He tells Aster of his plans and he goes off to set them in motion. It will take some time, but he can wait. Now that he has action, it settles him. He leaves the Castle and Astraports to the house that was built for Liv for when she finally moves here. She was supposed to be here already.
Yet another delay due to Remiel and his obsession for being alive again. If he were capable of getting into the Dragon Realms on his own he would go there and kick his ass for ruining everything. He shouldn’t have listened to him all those months ago. He had shown Xane what was going to happen to Liv in the Fae Kingdoms and the consequences of that. He hated to let it happen. He doesn’t want any pain to come to her, another weakness that he loathes, but he let it happen. He let her get assaulted by the Light King and waited for her Power boost, which came as expected. Remiel had told him if he did this then she would become the true Queen, the Dragon ruler and the Vampire would rest. And it did. Only it rested with Cole as she still chose him. He went to her in Paris, he bided his time. He knew she would reject him if made a move on her too soon after the “assault.” He uses this word to ease his guilt. If he called it “rape” he would hang himself for allowing that to happen to her. Assault, he can live with that. He had watched her as he waited. He did her bidding, was attentive and loving—all actions that are unnatural to him, but he waited and watched. He knew she was ready about a month after her attack. He saw the change go over her. She was no longer clinging to Cole like a vine. She let go slightly and he pounced. He seduced her on a warm Paris night with wine, candles, and the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. It couldn’t have been more perfect if he tried. He had made love to her like they had never done before. They usually end up in a quick fuck, unable to stop themselves, but this was different. She knew it and he knew it. He told her he loved her and needed her. That he wanted to be with her always and couldn’t live without her. She said it all back. He saw it all in her eyes, she meant every word, she was going to come to him, to be his. The Dragon chose him in that moment, just like Remiel said She would and then bam, just like that the Vampire came out of her slumber and shot everything to Hell and back. She kissed him and told him she meant what she said, but they had to keep their relationship a secret. She would come to him when she could and told him of her decision to move to the Underworld. “It’ll be easier then,” she’d said. And then she had got up, got dressed, and headed out of the door, making a date with Lincoln as she did so. He had torn that hotel room apart with his bare hands. Never had he felt the rage he had that night as he had everything he needed and then it had been ripped out of his hands so quickly by that fucking Vampire in her. He hopes his mother can find a way to get rid of it. If she is no longer a Vampire, she will be his. There is no doubt about it in his mind now as he stands in what will be her bedroom and looks around. No Vampire means no sire and no charges. No Vampire means Demon and Dragon. It begs the question of what to do about Lincoln. He can accept him, if he must. It is a tie tricky to get rid of, as is the Fae one. But after he shared his concerns with his mother about Sebastian, she reassured him that over Her dead body would Tiamat allow Liv to be anywhere near him. He is quite confident of that. He does an inspection of the whole house. It is very similar to the house she has in England. She said she wanted to keep the design. This poolroom is fireproof and shatterproof, though. He insisted before she told him to stop being such a control freak. He has to admit that he was very impressed with her display of temper and Power that day. A true Queen indeed. How Cade managed not to be barbecued is a mystery and a damn shame. He is a nuisance he could do without. Especially with him being so stubborn about it. It just makes Liv want to help him even more. His senses go on alert and he feels her wanting him. She wonders how he turns up when she says his name, but it is so much more than him knowing when anybody says his name. It is like a tug on his veins whenever she thinks of him. It isn’t reciprocated and for that he is grateful. If she knew every time he thought or spoke of her she would be appalled by his obsession. He knows it is an obsession. It bothers him because it is a weakness. One that he hopes will go away once she is where she belongs, with him once and for all. He knows he should resist going to her, he is like a little lap dog, but a horde of rampaging Demons couldn’t stop him and he Astraports straight to her.

She jumps a mile as she sees him, placing her hand over her racing heart. He smiles at her and she smiles back and steps into his arms. They are alone in her library. He hopes it stays that way. He feels her tense self relax as he embraces her and it both pleases and enrages him. If he has such an effect on her, why does she continue to deny him? Stubborn little… argh! He can’t even think of a word for her.

“Hi,” she says and tilts her head up for a kiss.

“Hi,” he replies and drops his mouth to hers. He takes full advantage as they are alone and gives her a deep and passionate kiss that she responds to with vigor. He pulls back and peers down at her. Something has changed. “You feel better?” he asks.

“Yes,” she says. “Thank god.” She takes his hand and looks up at him in a silent request.

He mentally smirks as she wants to suck on his energy and he won’t say no. He will never say no to that request. It’s like nothing he has ever felt before. Complete and utter eroticism mixed with a sensuality that makes it hers. He has done energy sucking with other beings before and it never, ever felt like this. She holds his hands up, but he shakes his head. “If we do this, we do this properly,” he says and she grins at him and pulls his head down to hers. She places her lips against his and he wants to drag her to the floor and spend the rest of the afternoon down there with her. Now, part of him hopes that they get interrupted. He would love it if one of her husbands came in and saw them doing this. She pulls on his energy, sucking it straight from his very essence into her mouth as they share this kiss.

“Better?” he asks as she finally pulls away, but doesn’t let go of him.

She nods, but doesn’t say anything.

“So is that all you wanted me for?” he asks with a raised eyebrow at her. He kind of resents being used just for that, but pushes it away because it is her.

“No,” she says, aghast. “Xane, I would never…”

“I know,” he rushes to reassure her that he meant no harm. God, grow a pair, man, he yells at himself. She is a grown woman, older than him for chrissakes and she can take care of her own feelings.

“I just wanted to see you, that’s all,” she says. “I’ve missed you and I am set to go away again for a couple of days.”

“Oh?” he asks, feigning ignorance.

“Uh, yeah. I’m going to stay with my mother for a couple of days, for something,” she replies vaguely.

“Oh,” he says flatly. He is a bit miffed that she feels she can’t share what is about to happen to her with him. “When you get back, the Trial will end,” he says suddenly. This is pushing everything forward by weeks, months even, but enough is enough.

“What?” she asks, startled, and takes her hand back as she spins and starts to pace. “Already?”

He nods briskly, ignoring the stab of guilt at the lie. “Yes, the Houses need to resolve this and the date has been set for the end of the week.”

“The end of the week?” she repeats. “Wow, that’s in five days. I didn’t expect this.”

“You will be required to attend and, Xerxei,” he says, “you have to do what you can to prove your loyalty to me and to Dracul.”

“I will,” she says, still taken aback by the suddenness of this news. “Just tell me what I have to do.”

Oh yeah, sure, he thinks. If he tells her now what she has to do she will probably run a mile.
Especially if she has time to think about. No, surprise is key here, so he shrugs and says, “We’ll come up with something.”

She nods and accepts that and then turns to the door as Cole bursts in. “Lincoln just called, he found…” Cole stops abruptly as he sees him standing close to Liv, and he sidles just that bit closer. It is petty of him, but he loves to upset this Vampire. He wants Cole to ask questions to his wife about their relationship. He wants that doubt lurking there and if he could do it himself he would tell all, but that would leave him without Liv as she would never forgive him. So he subtly sows the seeds and hopes that the Vampire’s natural paranoia nourishes them into a forest of evergreens. As expected, Cole strides forward and gently pulls Liv back a few feet. Xane smiles at him condescendingly and asks, “Lincoln found?”

Cole glares at him and turns to Liv. “He found Devon, who found Cade. We need to go now. Constantine said he would take you if you are still, uh…” Cole glances at him and Xane frowns. What does Cole not want him to know?

Liv flushes and he gets that she still doesn’t have any Powers. He also gets now why Tiamat thinks she is too weak to be impregnated. He is relieved to say the least. He is sure now that she will be left alone.
This time.

“CK will have to take me,” she says quietly and Cole touches her arm softly. She steps into his embrace and Xane knows he has been dismissed. Even their Blood Magick bond is no match for this maddening Vampire tie. It has to go, that’s all there is to it. His wicked side rears its Demonic head and he leans into her and pulls her mouth to his with a hand on the back of her neck. He kisses her, with tongue just to shit stir, and then releases her. She stumbles forward having lost herself in the kiss and it pleases him as she flusters and clears her throat. He winks at her and Astraports out, determined to find Sven and make sure this Trial ends on Friday.
With a bang.

Chapter 12

Stevenage, England, September 2013 – Liv

I grip CK’s arm and
he Teleports Cole and me to wherever Devon, Lincoln, and Cade are. When we land, it turns out we are in a filthy apartment that looks like it needs burning down, and Devon is straddling Cade on the floor with his hand at his throat. Cade is doing nothing to fight him and I have to wonder if he even can.

“Devon!”
I shout at him. “Get off him.”

“No,” he shouts back me. “He did this to you. He left you for dead with that monster. He betrayed
you, he doesn’t get to walk away from that.”

“Devon,” I say again and this time I go to him. He is throttling Cade and I can’t have that. I put my hand on his shoulder and he shrugs me off.

“Don’t,” he says. “Do not try and distract me.”

Christ, I am seriously losing my touch today. I hear Cole stifle his snicker behind me, but ignore him as I try again.
“Dev, sweetie. Let him go. He is my charge, you have no right to do this against my wishes.” I might not be good with the distraction techniques today, but he will not outright defy me. “Let him go,” I order him again.

He howls in frustration and with a final squeeze he lets Cade go and gets up. He is furious and I brace myself for a lambasting, but he just shakes his head at me and stalks off into the other room. I look down at Cade and he is gray and gaunt and looks so close to death I am surprised he is still alive. I kneel next to him and he turns from me. I expect it, but it doesn’t mean it hurts any less.

“Please leave us,” I say to my husbands and Lincoln. They hesitate, about to argue, but go when I shoo them away. “Cade,” I say softly. “This has to stop.”

“Go away,” he rasps at me and struggles to sit up.

I gently push him back to the floor and force him to look at me. He looks so sad and so lost it breaks my heart. “If you hate this so much, why not end your own life?” I ask him. It sounds unduly harsh, but I have to wonder why he chose to give me up to break our tie. Revenge, I suppose.

“Don’t you think if I could, I would have by now,” he spits out at me.

I close my eyes. I guess it would be a difficult decision to end yourself. I make a choice and open my eyes. I breathe in deeply and say, “Do you want me to do it? I will take out your Faerie Silver and stay with you, if that’s what you really want.” I don’t want this for him. I want him to accept what he is now and move on with his life, but I can’t force him. I see that now.

He shakes his head and holds his wrist up. His contradicting actions confuse me, so I just stare at him for a moment until he slits his wrist open and shows me that his Faerie Silver disc is no longer embedded in him. My eyes dart straight to the window, where the curtains are wide open, letting in the sun, bathing us in bright light.

I sit back on my heels in shock. “What?” I ask in disbelief. “How?” I grab his wrist and stare at it, expecting somehow to see the Silver in his slowly healing wound.

“You,” he says in disgust. “That’s how.” He tries to shake me free, but he is weak, even more so than me and I let him go.

“Fuck,” I say as the implications hit me. We had wondered how different he would be with me siring him after my Queen Power was given to me. He can walk in the sun, like Sebastian. I am still afraid to try it myself and have never taken my ring off. I suppose I probably can now. “What else?” I ask quietly. “What else have you tried?”