Switch (The Forever Series, Book 7) (15 page)

Chapter 8

He leaves me to get dressed in the bathroom as he goes to
answer the door.

“Xander! You’re back,” I hear him say and assume this must
be another brother. I exit the bathroom, hair still wet, combing it out. I am
curious to meet this fellow that Xane seems happy to have home.

“Yep, I have the most amazing story to tell you…oh, hello,”
he says, eyes catching me and taking in my wet hair along with Xane’s.

Well I was right, he looks exactly like his brother but
younger. They are just little peas in a pod, these Draconis.

“Hello,” I say, waiting for an introduction from Xane, which
doesn’t come.

We stand in silence for a few moments before Xander says,
“Queen Liv, right?”

I nod my confirmation and he takes my hand in his. “A
pleasure to meet you. I have heard so much about you.”

“Oh?” I raise my eyebrow at Xane, who doesn’t look happy
that his brother is still holding my hand and Xander says, “Oh, not from him.
My parents are quite enamored with you.”

“I see,” I say and pull my hand from his. More awkward
silence follows, so I turn from them and dry my hair, pinning it up neatly.

“Xane,” booms a voice from the corridor. It is Xerxes. “You
have a…visitor,” he says unpleasantly as he joins us in the bedroom. This is
now fairly uncomfortable and I want to get out of here as soon as possible.

“Whoever it is, tell them to make an appointment. I’m busy,”
he snaps.

“Indeed,” Xerxes eyes flick briefly to me kindly, before
they snap icily back to Xane. “Go downstairs at once. This needs dealing with.
In fact, I had hoped it was something you had already dealt with,” he says in a
reprimand that only a former ruler and father of the current ruler would get
away with.

Xane looks at him curiously and then sighs, “Oh.” He turns
to me with an apologetic look, “I have to sort this out.”

“No worries. Everything okay?” I ask.

“Just a problem that won’t go away,” he says with a look at
Xerxes who nods in understanding.

“Can I help?” I ask, stepping closer to him as a woman’s
voice from behind Xerxes says, “A problem? You think of me as a problem?”

Xerxes huffs and Xane sighs and Xander looks amused and I
look confused.

“What is going on here?” I ask him.

Xerxes steps aside and my eyes land on a striking woman
several inches taller than me, even in my heels, with flaxen hair and
cornflower eyes. Her eyes land on me and flick quickly to the very rumpled bed
and then to Xane, in fury.

Uh-oh. Trouble brewing of the relationship kind. I had no
idea he was involved with someone as he never said, all he said was he was
taking himself off the market.

“And you would be?” she asks me rudely, stepping closer to
Xane in a possessive move which he is not happy with.

“That is your Queen, CeeCee,” he says through gritted teeth.

Her eyes widen slightly and she takes me in again. “I see,”
she says and then looks at him and softens slightly. “I understand. It’s
political. I can accept that.”

“That isn’t what this is,” he says softly and takes her by
the elbow. “We need to talk, again apparently.” And without a backward glance,
he ushers her out of the room leaving me, Xerxes, and Xander to look at each
other in silence.

“Well, if you will excuse me, I had better make sure that
things don’t get too problematic,” Xerxes says and leaves hastily and then
there were two.

“Cefalonia Cerveaux of the House of Aldric,” Xander says to
me by way of explanation. “Xane’s fiancée. Or ex as the case may be?” he asks
me and I have no answer to that.

“I guess that is up to them. Nothing to do with me,” I say,
holding up my hands and absolving myself of any ramifications.

“No, I think it is everything to do with you. I have been
here five minutes and I can see he is in love with you.”

“It makes no difference if he is beholden to duty,” I say,
crossing my arms as he is looking intently at me and it is unnerving.

“Of course it makes a difference,” he scoffs. “Although it
is his own misfortune that he chose to fall in love with you, of all people.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, highly insulted by his tone.

“I don’t mean offense. Just that you are a Vampire and
married.” His eyes go to my rings before piercing mine again. “Do you intend to
divorce your husband and marry my brother, forsaking all others?”

“That is none of your business,” I say, getting irritated.

“How many others?” he asks, now standing directly in front
of me. “Does Xane know?”

“You are crossing a line,” I snarl up at him before he drops
his mouth to mine to kiss me. Stunned, I grab his throat and push him back.
“Try that again and I will have your head,” I say quietly as he gives me a
conceited smile.

“Try that again, Xander, and I will take it myself,” Xanthe
says from the doorway. “The Queen is not for you, you will respect her and
treat her accordingly.”

He looks suitably cowed but can’t resist saying, “Can’t
blame a guy for trying,” before he shuffles off under the baleful glare of his
mother.

“I do apologize, Your Majesty,” she says. “He is young and
so competitive with his older brother. Everything is a game to him. He will
learn one day when he makes the mistake of picking on the wrong person.”

“Yes, well unfortunately for him, I am the wrong person.
Fortunately, however, there was no one here to see it,” I add wryly.

“Indeed,” she mutters. “Come with me, I would like to talk
with you.” She beckons me down the corridor and we pass several doors before
she speaks. “Do not worry about CeeCee. She is a stubborn woman, but I can’t
blame her for being so. She and Xane have been expected to marry since the day
they were both born. When he called it off, it was a shock to the House of
Aldric and she has refused to accept it.”

I have no idea why she is telling me this. Am I supposed to
do something about it?

She pushes open a door and leads me into a nursery. Err,
what are we doing in here?

She picks up the fussing child and shushes her, jiggling her
as she goes to get a bottle for her to heat up. I stand there staring at her.
She is so comfortable, but then I suppose she does have twenty-one kids and I
can’t remember how many grand kids.

“This is Xena. She is six months old,” she says quietly.
“She will be our last. Would you like to hold her?”

No, no, no, I open my mouth to say but she shoves the baby
at me anyway and it’s either let the poor thing drop to the floor or take her
in my arms. She looks up at me with her big blue eyes and gurgles, giving me a
gummy smile that makes my breath catch. She is too cute for words.

“Hi,” I whisper, tickling her tummy gently and she grabs my
finger.

“She likes you,” Xanthe says and I smile at her.

“Ah, she just knows how to pick a side. Just like her big
brother,” I say, brushing it off even though I am pleased inside.

“That isn’t what he is doing,” she says seriously.

I shift uncomfortably. This family is far too interested in
what is going on with me and him. He said it would just be between us, but that
doesn’t seem to be the case. I try to hand the child back to her but she smiles
and hands me the bottle. “She is settled. Feed her and I will go and see if
things are still amicable.”

Erm, what do I do now? I think, as she disappears, leaving
me alone with the infant. I am a complete amateur when it comes to kids. I
looked after my baby sister for a few weeks at best before she died over a
thousand years ago and that is my whole experience. Why CK thinks I will be a
great mother is still beyond me. And the bigger question is why I even agreed
to it in the first place. I frown as I remember that dream I had the other week
where Sebastian said I was being reasonable about my future with CK because of
what he was doing to me. Paranoid! My brain yells at me again. I shake my head
and sit down in a big comfy armchair focusing on little Xena, forgetting about
The Thirteen and his mind games.

Xane finds me like this a little while later and comes to
crouch next to me as he stares at us in awe. “You are so good with her,” he
says quietly.

“She is a good little girl,” I say back with a smile as I
pull the bottle out of her slack mouth as she has gone to sleep.

“No, she is the devil, this one. Pure evil,” he says. “You
have the magick touch.”

“Don’t be silly,” I admonish him for his harsh words. “She
is the most beautiful little thing I have ever seen,” I add, going over all
mushy.

“Just like her Queen,” he says as he curls my hair around my
ear.

I smile at him. “Did you get your issue sorted?” I ask as I
stand up carefully and carry Xena to her crib.

“Yes. I’m sorry that you had to find out about it that way.
I would rather have told you myself.”

I place the baby in the crib and tuck her in. I don’t know
if I have done it right so I look uncertainly at Xane who quietly laughs at me.
“Perfect,” he whispers and takes my hand, leading me out of the nursery.

“You have nothing to explain,” I say. “But I am curious as
to why you have called it off,” I add casually.

“You know why,” he says looking away.

“But…”

“No buts,” he says with finality. “We should get back.”

“Okay.” I leave it for now. It’s up to him to do what he
wants, but he must know that there is no future for us.

He tightens his grip on my hand and Astraports us back to
the suite, where everyone is standing around waiting for us by the looks of it.

“Wait,” I say to him. “I didn’t say goodbye to your mother
and tell her Xena was asleep.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure she will go in and check on her soon.”

“Who is Xena?” comes the question from Cole, as he strides
forward to pull me away from Xane, who hasn’t let go of my hand yet.

“Xane’s baby sister,” I say with a big smile. “She is the
most darling thing I ever laid eyes on.” Stunned silence follows that comment
and I catch CK’s eye. His expression goes from annoyed to perplexed to happy in
the blink of an eye, glad that I am excited about a baby. Even if it isn’t
ours.

“You put a baby to sleep?” Devon asks, probably the most
shocked out of the group, as he knows I am the least maternal creature on the
planet.

“Like a pro,” Xane says with pride.

“Huh,” he says. “That’s interesting.”

“Anyway,” I say, “I am sure you are all here because you
already know that other me came up with the goods and told me how to get rid of
The Thirteen.”

“Yes,” Lincoln says as he stands and runs his hand through
his hair, agitated. “Do fill us in and then I need to talk to you about
something, in private.”

Everyone’s eyes go to him as he is usually less verbal than
that in front of everyone, preferring to keep our conversations to ourselves.

“Everything okay?” I ask in concern.

“Uh-huh.” He drums his fingers on his thigh and paces like a
caged lion, err Wolf, and the penny drops. It is near the full moon and he is
getting antsy.

“Fine. I will make this quick.” I launch into my tale of how
to defeat the thing and everyone nods their approval.

“So, as soon as it turns up and I can get it out from behind
that damn force field, it's curtains for him!” I say triumphantly.

“Yep, and then we will go and you can kick its ass,” Xane
says with just as much enthusiasm.

“
We
will go?” CK asks. “We?”

“Yes, we,” I say. “Xane is going to attempt to come with
me.”

“Oh really? And why would that be then? Why him? Why not
me?” he asks, now also getting his ants on, same as Lincoln, who is glowering
at me from across the room. Geez.

“Firstly, because he asked to,” I snap at them both even
though Lincoln didn’t say anything. “And secondly because he is the only one of
you that stands a chance of actually making it back home.”

“I take offense to that,” CK says haughtily and has the
agreement of the rest of the room behind him, most especially from Sebastian.

“Do you?” I say and call G.I. to my hand, and wave it about,
causing everyone to take a giant step back from me. “Still offended?” I ask
sweetly as I step closer to Xane, who remains where he is not flinching. “As I
said, the only one that stands a chance of making it back.”

“That’s not fair,” Lincoln says, stepping forward. “How come
he gets to go near it?”

“He is ruler of Hades. The sword is made from Hellfire.
Ergo, it falls under his purview. Would be pretty damn stupid if he were
vulnerable to it, wouldn’t it?” I am getting agitated myself now and I know it
is in response to Lincoln’s attitude. While Xane may not have the power to
actually wield the sword, he is still at least invulnerable to its flaming
charms.

“Right,” Cole says. “I think we should break this up before
someone gets hurt. There is just way too much supernatural vibe bouncing
about.”

“Fine,” we all snap at him and I make the sword disappear.
Xane pulls me to him and gives me a quick kiss.

“I will be able to sense it from you if it turns up when I
am not here. Don’t go without me,” he says with a smile and I smile back at
him, patting his hand that is resting on my cheek. There is a stony silence and
he quickly removes his hand but not before everyone in the room has had a good
look at the matching marking he is now sporting on his left wrist.

“That’s new,” CK growls at him and he shrugs.

“She has one and now so do I. Like it or not, we are
connected.”

“Xane,” I say quietly but he doesn’t say anything else
before he Astraports out, leaving me to deal with the fall out. Thanks a bunch.

“It’s no big deal, okay,” I say and change the subject.
“Linc, you wanted a word?”

“Yes,” he says and strides forward and thankfully everyone
drops the marking thing and steps back. Apparently aggressive Alpha Wolves let
off a leave-me-alone vibe that all of us take seriously.