Secrets (The Forever series, Book 8) (21 page)

“Why?” Vincentius asked him, unable to keep the sadness
out of his voice. “You knew that I liked her.”

Constantinus shrugged, not really caring. “I thought I
would give you a chance. No privileged man will have her now,” he said almost
in disgust. “Her father will be disgraced and you can offer for her hand and be
accepted.”

He stared at his callous attitude, struggling to believe
that his friend could be so heartless.

“Don’t look so shocked, Vincentius. I did this for you,”
he said as he came closer and regarded him with interest. “Don’t you want her
now?”

He did still want her, even though she had been defiled
by him, that didn’t matter. He nodded and Constantinus slapped his hand on his
shoulder.

“Think of it as quid pro quo. One day, I will want
something in return. But for now, go and enjoy your spoils. Word will be out
soon enough about her dishonor.” Constantinus left Vincentius staring after him
as he walked away. He wanted to believe that he did this for him, but he saw
his face. He had enjoyed it, he had enjoyed her. This was just his way of
getting what he wanted and keeping their friendship intact. He knew that. Of
course, he knew that, but he couldn’t hate him. Deep down Vincentius loved him
and he would always be his friend no matter what. Constantinus would always get
what he wanted, it was the way of the world and he would be happy to ride on
his success in the shadows. He turned back to the atrium and he caught a glimpse
of a woman watching. A tall, beautiful woman with the longest black hair,
curled to her feet, but it was her eyes that held him captive. They were a
mesmerizing color of green that he had never seen before. She vanished before
his eyes, and he hoped he would see her again.

Even though Isebella eventually became Sebastian’s wife
after he turned her, he still resents the fact that Constantine took her from
him, knowing how he felt about her. It wasn’t the last time either. He has lost
count the number of women he has lost to him, or been second best because he
either couldn’t be bothered with them or he used them and discarded them. But
with Liv, he is different. He is obsessed with getting her to be with him.
Sebastian doesn’t blame him. If he honestly thought that he had a chance with
her, he would fight to the death as well. Do anything and everything to get
her. This baby is his only way. Constantine won’t put up with it and he thinks
it will be the only thing that will make him leave her. He knows her husband
will leave her as well. He would probably leave her if he knew about them now
anyway, if his actions before the time shift are anything to go off. But
Sebastian isn’t concerned about him. He looks back at her sleeping, and he is
determined to do this. The prophecy being changed is just ridiculous. It is
probably just his father trying to ensure that this child happens one way or
another. But it will happen only one way and that is with him. No one else will
get near enough to her to try, he can guarantee that.

Sebastian thinks back to that woman that he saw in
Constantine’s Villa that day. She certainly hadn’t been there looking for him.
Her face had haunted him for years, those eyes. He wanted to see her again and
he knows now that he did see her again. He saw her last week in Liv’s hotel
suite and again at
Ponte
a few days ago. It was Liv’s mother, Tiamat.
She must have been there spying on Constantine because She planned on changing
him. It was only a few short weeks after that event that he disappeared,
thought to be killed in a battle. He came back to find Sebastian not long after
that, to ask for his returned favor, and here he is: his first charge.

Liv stirs as she senses him watching her and her eyes pop
open. She finds his, and smiles sleepily. “Go back to sleep,” he whispers to
her. “We still have a few hours before the feast.”

“Hungry,” she mumbles, and runs her hands through her hair.

“I know you are, my love,” he says as he crawls up the bed
to her. Her eyes widen at his endearment, but she says nothing. He offers her
his wrist, but she shakes her head and holds her hands up. He holds his up to
hers and she grips his fingers tightly, pulling herself upright. The sheet
drops from her and he can’t stop himself from staring at her. She smiles
slowly, knowing his thoughts and gets to her knees in front of him. He has no
need to ask her if she has truly forgiven him for what he did, as she leans forward
to kiss him, pulling on his energy as she does so. He gets hard instantly and
pulls her closer to him. She slides onto his lap and grinds down on him with a
soft “mmm” noise that, in a flash of speed, makes him put her on her back,
kissing her with a passion he has never, ever felt before. He wants to take
her, but she draws back and shakes her head again. “Don’t be a tease,” he
growls at her, and she puts her hand on his chest.

“I’m sorry. I want you, Sebastian, but we can’t.” She sighs
and increases the pressure on his chest.

“No,” he says to her, forcefully removing her hand. “Don’t
push me away. We can do this. There are ways in which we can do this. I need
you.” He will let her believe that he doesn’t want this baby as much as she
doesn’t, but he has every intention of seeing this through now. He knows she
won’t stop him at the last second if he can just get the timing right. She
looks at him warily.

“I know I don’t have to explain it to you, Liv,” Sebastian
says with a slight smile, which she hesitantly returns.

“It’s too risky,” she says. “But I do want you. You can go
anywhere but there,” she adds with a fire in her eyes and he goes weak at her
words.

“Oh, I will go there,” he says to her as he pushes her back
and opens her legs wide, dipping his head to press his mouth against her. She
chuckles, and runs her hands into his hair to keep him close.

“Not going to argue with that,” she murmurs and he sets
about seeing to her every need. Soon she is clawing at him to take her, as he
knew she would be. He turns her over and pulls her to her hands and knees.

“I need to feel you first and then I’ll pull out,” he says
to her as he slides his cock into her wet haven.

“Oh, Seb,” she cries out as he hits her g-spot. He slides in
and out a few more times and she is close, really, really close. He is about
ready to burst, holding back. He is breaking out into a sweat holding onto his
orgasm until she is ready. “Come for me, baby. I want to feel you,” he whispers
to her and it is her undoing. She lets go and so does he with two quick
thrusts, biting his lip painfully to not make a sound as he makes sure he
released into her before he pulls out and lets the rest of his orgasm spurt out
onto her back with a loud moan. He knows she’s not stupid and will realize what
he has done, so, panting heavily, he doesn’t give her much chance to think
about it as he flips her back over and plunges his fingers into her before he
lowers his mouth to her again to lap up any evidence of his deceit. It will
have to be enough for now. But with the prophecy on his side, it hopefully
won’t take too long because this is going to be hard work if he has to do this
every time. But if this is the only way, then so be it. She will be none the
wiser when she gets pregnant because he has already come inside her with her
knowledge and no one has any idea of how this pregnancy will go or how long it
will take. It will just be assumed that it was consensual on her part and then
she will be his. Forever.

“Fuck,” she cries out, interrupting his thoughts as she
comes again. “Seb, you are amazing,” she adds, panting as she pulls his head up
to kiss him. She rolls them over and whispers, “Let me repay the favor.” She
does this and it has him spurting into her hot mouth within seconds.

Sebastian’s eyes scan the crowded banquet hall for Liv. He
has lost sight of her and that has him in a panic. Drake took her off to meet
and greet and he had every intention of staying with her, until Aelfric came
and distracted him. He finds her eventually and his stomach drops. She is with
Thrace and Anders. Anders is younger than Thrace by six years and the only
other brother that Sebastian knows. Anders is staring at Liv like she just fell
from the moon and Sebastian wants to punch his lights out. Thrace takes her
hand as Sebastian marches over to them and he brings it to his lips to kiss,
lingering for just a bit too long before he links his fingers with hers and
drops his hand. Sebastian sees exactly what is going on now. Dear old Dad split
them up so that the other brother could have a crack at her. He will kill him
if he tries it. He makes it to her side and she smiles up at him. “Your
brothers!” she exclaims. “This is so weird, meeting your family.”

“Ditto,” he mutters back to her, his furious gaze on Thrace.

“Kalen,” Thrace says. “Returned to the fold to do your duty
I hear? I always wondered if one day you’d be back to claim back the throne.”

“I am here to protect Liv. You are to stay the Hell away
from her,” he hisses at his brother and he can sense Liv’s startled gaze on
him. “And you,” he adds to Anders, who is still drooling over her like a
lovesick teenager.

“Seb,” she says with a hand on his arm. “What is going on?”

He turns to her with a smile. “Nothing, my love. Come, it is
time to take our seats.” He ushers her away and Anders’s face falls, but he
trails in their wake along with Thrace who is glaring at him. He can see the
wheels working and he knows that Thrace is plotting something, but what he
doesn’t know. He cannot let her out of his sight again. The woman can look
after herself, of that he has no doubt, out in their world, but this place runs
on pure magick. Even he can reel off a dozen spells that will incapacitate her
and he hasn’t practiced real Faerie magick in forever. Queen of the Underworld,
yes; a Dragon, yes, but she is not strong enough to fight off a Faerie nearly
three times her age with twice as much power and three thousand years’ worth of
experience. Or worse, if his father decides to stick his oar in. Gross, that
thought makes him shudder and she feels it and frowns at him. “Seb, I know you
are hiding something, what is it?”

“I am just worried about you. You are somewhat of a novelty
around here and it has the Light Fae Princes in a bit of a tizz. Please just be
careful and don’t be alone with any of them.” He tries to make it sound less
than it is and she accepts it and nods. She takes her seat next to Drake, who
beams adoringly at her before he catches his features and returns them to his
usual sneer. Now
that
Sebastian finds incredibly interesting, especially
as he watches her reaction and she smiles a small secret smile at Drake and
rolls her eyes. She leans forward to whisper something to him and he throws his
head back in laughter and replies to her with a hushed comment. Drake's wife,
Maurelle, is looking none-too-pleased with this exchange and that is another
one he will have to add to his “to watch” list. The feast goes by pleasantly
and loudly and Liv is celebrated, as she should be. She hates every minute of
it, though. Her smile is forced and her shoulders are tense. Sebastian takes
her hand and she says, “I need a few minutes. This is all a bit much.”

“I’ll go with you,” he says as she starts to stand.

She shakes her head and leans down to put her hand on
Drake’s shoulder and whispers to him she’ll be right back. Drake narrows his
eyes at her and turns to the guard at the door and gestures him to follow her.
He knows she is in danger here and he is protecting her. Now he sees it is
because her father cares about her, not because of what she can give him. But
he is not letting her go alone. Sebastian stands but she pushes him back down.
“I’ll be two minutes. If I’m not back you can come for me,” she says with a
look that makes him sit back down.

“Two minutes,” he growls at her and watches her every move
as she leaves the hall followed closely by the guard. He keeps his eye on the
door and after two minutes are up, he stands to go and find her. She is a ways
down the corridor leaning against the wall, laughing with Thrace, who has his
arm on the wall, leaning casually into her as he drops his mouth to kiss her.
She pulls her head back, but he follows her, keeping their lips together. How
the Hell did he get out here? He was watching the door the whole time. No one
left. Unless Thrace was already out of the room. If he saw her stand he could
have slipped out first. Damn his brother. Damn himself. The guard is nowhere in
sight and he hastily makes his way over to them. Thrace pulls back and leans to
whisper something in her ear and she stares at him greedily. She has her fangs
down and grabs him by the shirtfront before Sebastian can reach her. “Liv,” he
snaps at her and she glares at him.

“He offered,” she says.

He looks at Thrace who nods. “Come on, brother. I have heard
it is an experience worthy of note. I want her to bite me.” He says the last
two words back to her and she growls hungrily. Sebastian knows she is still
hungry. She needs human blood, but she’ll take anything that is offered to her
now. Thrace tilts his head to the side and before Sebastian can pull him away
she has her fangs in his neck and is drinking from him. He pushes her back
against the wall, his body pressing against her as she feeds from him.
“Enough,” Sebastian says to her quietly, as he pulls Thrace gently away from her.
She retracts her fangs and lets him go. Thrace is breathing heavily and is
highly aroused, which is bad news, but she looks more alive than he has seen
her since she got here. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are sparkling. The
power of Thrace’s blood is coursing through her and it is affecting her like
nothing he has ever seen before. That is also not good news. It would be a
disaster if she started craving it.

“Well,” Thrace says, clearing his throat. “If you ever want
to do that again, I am happy to help.”