by Rhys Rowlyn
I reach up and touch his face gently. He turns until his lips touch my palm, and he kisses it gently.
“I knew there was a connection,” I say. “And I suspected we were mates but was unsure. That’s why I agreed to spend more time with you. I wanted to know but didn’t want to believe it.”
“Why didn’t you want to believe it?” He furrows his brow, narrowing his gaze. “Do you not want a mate?”
Shaking my head, I run my fingers through his silky hair and lean forward to kiss his cheek. “No, it’s not that I don’t want one, but I’ll bring danger to my mate. Although, you’re not human.”
“No, I’m not.” His eyes twinkle and he laughs, revealing two sharp fangs.
I run my finger along one of them, and he closes his eyes, moaning. “Well, what are you? I know you’re not were or witch but are something I’ve never seen before.”
“I’m vampire.” Tristan’s voice has deepened and is husky. His fangs must be extremely sensitive.
I lean back, staring at him. How is this possible? “Vampire? I didn’t think they existed anymore.”
“Why would you think that?” He sits back on his haunches but keeps a hold on my hand. “Giselle and Cassie have lived in the city for years. Haven’t you ever met them?”
“No, I’ve never met them. We have lived near the bar for years and before that, even closer to the bayou. We try to stay near the wolves.” My mother warned me constantly to stay away from the city as much as possible. Believing a witch had betrayed her cemented this belief.
Tristan stands and pulls me to my feet. Linking our fingers together, we walk down a path leading to a lake in the forest. “Why?”
“They mask our scent so we can’t be found.” Going to the lake’s edge, I run my fingers through the clear, cold water.
“So you and your brother are in danger.” He squats beside me, his gaze never leaving my face.
Drawing my brows together, I stare at him until I remember I told him I lived with my brother. “He’s not my brother, but my father. We tell everyone we’re siblings because he looks like he’s in his early to mid-twenties.”
“Is your father what you are?” He gives me an expectant look. “Which is?”
“I’m half fae and half human. My father was human, and my mother fae. They were true mates and bonded, which gave him part of her magic. He’s immortal, or I should say stays young and has increased strength and a small amount of healing magic.” I sit back, propping my arms on my knees, and watch the breeze blow ripples across the water.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I didn’t believe fae were real.” He pulls a long piece of grass and puts it in his mouth. “Where is your mother?”
“She was taken back to Faeland when I was a child, and ten years ago, my father felt her death.” A pang goes through my chest at the mention of my mother’s death. It is still painful, and I wonder if I’ll ever get over it.
Tristan moves closer to me and hugs me to his side, kissing the top of my head. “Faeland?”
Leaning my head on his shoulder, I snuggle into his warmth. “Yes, it’s another realm, and fae are not supposed to leave their borders, especially to here, but my mother was escaping an arranged marriage and ran. Not long after her arrival, she met my father, who was her true mate. They hid for years until she was captured. A witch discovered her and led the hunting party to our home. Dad was away helping someone who was ill, and my mother hid me. They were long gone by the time Dad got home.”
“How do you know a witch betrayed you?” Tristan twirls the blade of grass between his fingers.
“I saw her with the soldiers. She was someone my mother and I had visited. I don’t know how my mom did it, but the witch never saw me on our visits, so she didn’t know I existed.” Aside from the day of my mother’s death, that day was the worst. I have never felt fear as I did on that day.
“That’s some powerful magic, but I’m glad your mother took such precautions, or they may have taken you too.”
“Or the witch would have. There was darkness all around her.” I shudder at the thought of the evil woman. I questioned my mother as to why we were visiting her, and Mother always said she had her reasons, but I was never to go near her alone. Mother said the woman was very dangerous. It is one of the reasons I have avoided going too far into the city. I know the woman lives near the French Quarter.
We sit in silence for a few moments, enjoying the peace.
Tristan turns, crossing his legs and facing me. “Why did you think vampires were extinct?”
“My book talks about your demise.” It surprised me to find out he was a vampire. I knew he wasn’t human last night, and I acted completely out of character by going with him to the diner. I never go anywhere with strangers. I guess it was the connection already forming.
“Your book?”
“My mother left me a magical book. It contains the history of the fae, about their magic and realm. It will also answer questions.” I didn’t realize how freeing it would be to talk openly about who I am and my past. I feel as though a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
Tristan dips his chin, wrinkling his brow. “Answer questions? How does it do that?”
“I ask about things, and the pages fill with information.” It’s hard for me to explain the book. I honestly don’t know how it works. “When I was a child and wanted to know about why we lived near the wolves, it told me they would mask our scent from others who may cause us harm. I’ve also asked about other beings. It mentions vampires as being killed off thousands of years ago but talks about other things, like angels and witches.”
“Why would it say we were extinct, especially since there were vampires living near you?” Tristan leans back on his elbows, chewing on his blade of grass, his blue eyes watching me closely.
“I don’t know. Are there different types of vampires?” I glance over at him, and he furrows his brow.
“Not that I know of, but that’s not to say there isn’t.”
I shrug, then pick up a stone and skip it across the water’s surface. “The book works strangely. Sometimes it refuses to answer me, and other times it’s been years before I’ve gotten an answer. I don’t know why it works the way it does. When I complained about it, my dad told me it was magical and didn’t have to adhere to my rules. He also said I should be thankful my mother left it. It has helped me learn what my powers were and how to use them.”
“Interesting, I would love to see this book.” He smiles, looking up at the sun and taking a deep breath.
“And so you shall.” The words are out before I can stop them, and I’m shocked at my lack of resistance. “Were you born a vampire?”
“No, I was made by my creator, Gabriel, and he was created by Alastair, but no one knows who Alastair’s creator was. The witches say he was natural-born.” Tristan lifts one side of his mouth in a sexy smirk.
“Witches?” I lean away from him, but he grabs my hand and keeps me close.
“Yes, there are three sisters who live close to us. They are from Ireland and are very powerful but not dark. They came over because they saw danger in our future.”
“I don’t trust the witches in this town. Do you think we could keep what I am from them for now?” If these witches are close to Tristan and his family… I know I may be asking a lot, but I have to know they’re not a danger before I expose myself to them.
Tristan nods. “If that is what you want.”
“It is. I’ve been taught my entire life to hide, and having to come out and tell people what I am is a bit much right now, especially to a witch.” I hope he understands and, even though I want him to be loyal to his people, puts me first.
“Then we tell no one, but I want to be with you. I can’t be apart from you. Keeping you safe is my top priority.” He sits forward and takes my face between his palms, meeting my gaze.
“I agree, we should be together. The longer I am here, the stronger the connection is becoming. It is as my pa
rents said, irresistible. I want to kiss you.” Raising up on my knees, I grip his shoulders.
“By all means.” Tristan pulls me closer until our lips are almost touching. My gaze connects with his, and I close the distance.
The moment our lips meet, it’s as if I’ve been lit on fire. He soon takes over, deepening the kiss, and our tongues meet in a dance as old as time. My hands move up to grip his hair as I climb onto his lap and feel his hardness against my center. Moaning, I move against him, and Tristan grabs my waist to pull me tightly against him.
“Zoey! Wake up!”
I am jerked away from Tristan with a gasp as my father shakes my shoulder. What the hell?
“Dad? Why did you wake me up?” I growl at him, feeling my frustration deeply.
“What were you doing? You were moaning and saying the name Tristan. So you tell me, what is going on?” He crosses his arms over his chest, glaring down at me.
My ears and cheeks feel as if they’re on fire, and I refuse to meet his gaze. “I was only dreaming, and Tristan is my mate.”
“Your what!” Dad’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head as if to clear it.
“My mate, and before you get angry, I only just found out during our shared mate dream.” I throw my covers off and sit on the side of my bed.
“When did you meet him?” Dad’s eyes narrow, and he purses his lips.
“Last night. He rescued me from an over-zealous customer last night, and we had breakfast together.” I gather my things to go shower. I turn back to face my father as I close the bathroom door, whispering, “He’s a vampire.” I slam the door, but not before I see my dad’s mouth drop.
Tristan
As soon as the sun set, I fled the house with my famille, needing to get to Zoey and assure myself she’s safe. She was jerked away from me in our dream, and I’ve been worried sick ever since. Lucy called Kane, and he assured me she was fine, but I won’t be satisfied until I have her in my sights.
“You know, mate, if your mate is going to be across town, you need to learn to drive or move her in with us.” Giles kindly offered to drive me to Zoey’s in his car. I’m trying to stay calm, but the feeling of riding as fast as we are is unnerving.
“She’s a bit dodgy, so I don’t believe she will move in with us yet. I may end up staying with her and her father for a bit.” I promised Zoey I wouldn’t reveal what she is until she was ready, and I intend to keep that promise, but I also plan on staying near her. I will just have to convince her of the necessity.
“That shouldn’t be awkward at all.” Giles laughs, slapping my shoulder.
“I would love to learn how to drive one of these one day, but for now, I will have to consent to being a passenger.” I have been fascinated by the vehicles of this time and their speed. I’ve watched many videos on the workings of the machines, and they are amazing, especially compared to what we used back in my day.
“I remember when they first came out. Everyone was leery, but I always saw the automobile as a wave of the future.” Giles strokes the steering wheel lovingly. “I learned to drive when everyone else did.”
“It’s awful that we missed so many years, but in return, we get a mate. I would give those years up to have her.” I lean my head back on the seat and smile, remembering the way the sun glittered though her white-blonde hair and how her eyes sparkled. I sit up, squirming in my seat as I also remember the kiss we shared.
“You are lucky. Speaking of luck, has anyone heard from Phillipe and Giselle? They’ve been gone for almost three weeks.” Giles turns the wheel and takes us to the outskirts of the city. The buildings are more rundown, but there are people on the streets even though it is after dark, so there is more of a community feel in the area.
I stare out my window, taking everything in. “André talked with Phillipe yesterday, and they had followed Alastair’s trail back to France. They were hoping to meet with someone last night who had information on him, but I haven’t heard how the meeting went.”
“It’s almost as if he’s avoiding them, but I don’t know why.” Giles glances at me and I nod, having thought the same.
“I wish I could have gone with them. I’ve been known to be very adept in tracking,” I say. Phillipe was never too adept at finding things, so he usually relied on me.
“Maybe when your mate is secured and things settle down, you can meet them if they haven’t found him.” He shrugs a shoulder.
“Yes, that’s a possibility.” I had not thought of this. Maybe Zoey would be interested in some traveling. I do know before she’ll agree to leave the wolves, I must convince her I can protect her. “We need Alastair’s help. Not just in dealing with Minerva but also for information in the upcoming birth. I still find it hard to believe a vampire is pregnant with a child.”
“We all do. Here’s the bar. Let me park, and I’ll go in with you. I want to talk to Kane.” Giles parks the car, and we get out. I sling the bag I packed over my shoulder.
We make our way into the darkened bar. The first thing I notice is there are only wolves present, and Zoey is absent. I sidle up next to Kane. “What is going on, and where’s Zoey?”
Kane nods in the general direction of the room. “We’re having a meeting about Minerva, so the bar’s closed, and Zoey is at home, I guess.”
“Why is he talking?” I sidle up next to Kane, tilting my head in the direction of the big wolf talking. “You’re the alpha here.”
“These are mostly half-breeds, and there is no alpha. We’re not a recognized pack.” Kane may deny he’s alpha, but it rolls off him in waves. I’ve been around packs in the past. I know what I sense. I don’t know who the guy speaking is, but I see the way everyone keeps glancing at Kane as if asking his permission to agree. He stands beside me with his arms crossed over his chest and gives a subtle nod. With it, everyone turns back toward the speaker.
“But you act like one.”
Kane gives me a stern look and shakes his head.
“Zeke, we have to do something. Two men came up missing, one last week and one this week. Do you believe it’s the vampire Kane was telling us about, and is she creating another army?” A man stands in the back, looking around the room for agreement.
Zeke, the speaker, motions for Kane to come forward. “Kane, do you want to speak?”
Kane walks to the front of the room, rubbing the back of his neck. “First off, she can only control four vamps at a time, but that’s four lives that have been taken, so I’m not trying to downplay this.” He paces in front of everyone. “I want you all to get this straight. The vampires I know are trying to find her, but she’s not feral, so they have to capture her and then wait on her creator to kill her or they risk going feral too. We don’t have those constraints, but she’s very dangerous. She’s old and not stupid. She’s also working with a witch who has given her a spell that disguises her scent. I’ve been up close and personal with her and couldn’t pull any scent from her. We all need to be extra careful.”
I’m beginning to admire Kane. He may deny his alpha status, but he has the best interest of his men in mind. He knows someone will die if they try to take her on by themselves. Minerva is very dangerous.
“What does she want?” a young man asks from the back.
I step forward to speak. “There are several things Minerva could want.”
“Who are you?” Zeke narrows his gaze, standing straighter behind the bar.
“I am Tristan and part of the famille of vampires trying to hunt her down.” I look around the room at all the men. Their attention is completely focused on me. “I know you all think you can take her, but remember she’s very dangerous. I would hate for one of your community to lose your life over foolishness.” I really hope they will take heed of my words.
“So tell us what is she after,” the same young man says.
I tilt my head in his direction. “She targeted one of my brothers, Jean Pierre. He escaped her clutches years ago and was the one who got away.”
; “So she is doing this over a grudge against her ex?” Zeke sounds as if he doesn’t believe me. It might sound like a weak excuse, but I can’t come up with another. To be honest, we don’t know what truly motivated Minerva.
“Some of it is about that, but she also craves the attention of her maker. I believe she is trying to get him to come out of hiding and face her.” My famille and I have been trying for years to figure her out, but this is the best we can come up with.
Giles steps up beside me, offering his insight. “The bitch has daddy issues and is an attention whore.”
“So what do you think we should do?” another man asks from the corner.
“Watch the neighborhood, and don’t patrol alone. I would say go in pairs, but threes may be more feasible. Don’t engage but call out an alert if you see any sign of her. I have a feeling Tristan is going to be staying close, and I may see if we can get someone else so we’ll have two vamps to help us.” Kane walks to my side and grips my shoulder in a sign of acceptance. I’m relieved he’s not going to fight me on staying close to Zoey.
“I’ll stay around too. Everyone else has mates to care for, and I would hate for anything to happen to any of them,” Giles says, and everyone nods in agreement.
Kane walks back to the bar. “We’ll get Giles’s and Tristan’s information distributed to everyone, and if you come across any sign of her or ferals, you can call them.”
The men disperse, and I make my way toward Kane. “Thanks for volunteering me to be your neighborhood security.”
Kane laughs, slapping my back. “You’re going to be here anyway. Might as well put you to good use.”
“Hi, I’m Zeke, and I’m glad to have you on board.” Zeke holds out his hand, and I shake it. “The last person to disappear was only a few blocks away.”
“Why didn’t we know about this?” I turn to face Kane, wondering why he would keep this information from us.
“I went over and investigated, but it was the same night you woke up, so y’all were busy. We haven’t had any more reports, but it’s still too close for comfort,” Kane explains.
