Hanging my head, I picked at my cuticles. “Yes,” I admitted, my shoulders slumping forward. “Not the same way I love you, though. Not even close.”
But when I lifted my head, he was gone, the bedroom door wide open.
Stifling a sob, I slapped my hand over my mouth. My heart shattered into millions of pieces, and I clutched my chest, but nothing would stop the pain that sliced through me. A second later, Whitney was by my side, her arm around my shoulders.
I turned into her and sobbed. “He left,” I cried.
“I know.” She stroked my hair. “He needs time, but he’ll come back.”
She let me cry until I was positive I didn’t have any tears left. Trent lived here, so of course he’d come back eventually, but I highly doubted he’d come back to me.
There was no forgiving what I’d done. I’d kissed his brother, let him feed on me, fallen in love with him, and then I’d kept what was happening a secret. I couldn’t even forgive myself. How would Trent ever be able to?
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” Whitney asked.
I shrugged. “I thought it would go away, that I could just ignore it. But obviously, I couldn’t. And now I’ve messed everything up.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Yes, I have.” I stood, anger burning a hole in what was left of my heart. “Trent’s gone. Jax thinks… God only knows what he thinks, but I never wanted to lead him on.”
My stomach knotted at what this was doing to Jax. I knew how he felt about me, what he hoped would happen—that I’d leave Trent to be with him—and after tonight, he probably thought he had a chance of that happening.
“I know,” she said, her tone full of compassion. “Sean is good at blocking me out of his mind, but I’m guessing he knows what’s going on, and if anyone can figure this out, it’s him.”
“That’s all well and good, but it won’t fix what I’ve done.” I stood in the middle of the room, shivering. I hugged myself, but there was no getting rid of the chill that had settled deep within my bones.
“Trent loves you, Chloe. It’s a love unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. You two will get past this. I know you will.” She stood and rubbed her hands up and down my arms. “It will take a while for him to come to terms with what’s happened, but I know he’ll do it for you.”
“But he’ll never truly forgive me, will he?” My words were barely a whisper as a fresh wave of pain crashed over me.
“Believe it or not, vampires do know how to forgive,” she said with a small laugh.
I cracked a smile, but I was positive it looked more like a grimace. “Jax told me it’s impossible to get over a betrayal like this. That it cuts deeper and lasts longer.”
“Maybe for some, but if Trent wants to forgive you for this, he will.”
“Do you think he wants to?” I asked, staring into her big, brown eyes, hoping against hope that she’d heard something in Trent’s thoughts before he’d left. If not, then I hoped she was a better liar than me.
“I—”
“Get out, Whitney.”
I spun around at the sound of Trent’s voice.
“Fine, jeez. You could have just asked, you know.” She held up her hands in a show of surrender and left the room, closing the door behind her.
I honestly hadn’t expected Trent to return at all, but he now stood before me. Shirt littered with leaves and dirt. Hair messy. Had he been rolling around on the ground? My eyes widened… He and Jax hadn’t been fighting, had they? I didn’t see any bruises or blood anywhere on Trent.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything sooner. I didn’t want to upset you, and I thought—”
He closed the distance between us in three long strides, and then he had my face in his hands. His lips were on mine a moment later in a kiss that set off explosions in my brain.
Whimpering, I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him, terrified he’d leave again. Emotions whipped through me with the force of a category ten hurricane—guilt, regret, love, disappointment, betrayal, heartbreak, indecision—his feelings and mine mixing in a strong cocktail.
Trent flattened his hands on my back, pressing me so close it felt like he was trying to make us become one. And then I saw what he’d seen.
Me sitting on the counter. Jax standing between my legs. Me holding onto him as he kissed my neck. Seething anger whipped through me followed by disappointment so thick it clogged my throat, which eventually morphed into the deepest, darkest pit of despair and heartache.
With a gasp, I broke away from his lips. My chest heaved with the effort of trying to inhale enough air. “Trent…” My bottom lip trembled, and tears pooled in my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I never meant—”
“I know.” He rested his forehead to mine, his eyes closed. “Sean doesn’t think this is your fault.”
“He doesn’t?”
Trent shook his head. “No, but he won’t tell me why, just that he has a friend coming to visit that will be able to explain everything.”
“When?” I asked, hope filling my chest.
Maybe there really was something physically or mentally wrong with me. Maybe whatever it was, there was a cure or a way to stop all of it.
“He’ll be here within the hour.” Trent adjusted his hold on me, tugging me a tad closer. “Whatever happens, swear to me you won’t keep anything like this from me ever again.”
“I swear. I thought it was Isach messing with my mind, but it’s not. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I whispered, hanging my head.
“Hey.” He put his finger under my chin and tilted my head. “We’re going to figure this out, okay?”
I nodded, though I didn’t have a good feeling about any of this. “Do you know this person Sean called?”
Trent released me, and I immediately missed the feel of his arms around me. “His name is Macaih Valentine. He’s one of the oldest living vampires.”
“Oh.” That name sounded familiar… “Macaih. That’s the vampire who changed Wyatt,” I said, suddenly remembering the story Whitney had told me.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. He won’t harm you. We wouldn’t let him even if he tried.” Trent rubbed the back of his neck and paced. “Just… answer whatever questions he asks you, okay? Hopefully, we’ll be able to figure this out tonight.”
“Okay.”
“I called Wyatt and told him to keep Abby out longer.”
I’d completely forgotten that Abby was supposed to be spending the night here, too. She did not need to be here for any of this, especially with a super old vampire showing up.
“So, now what?” I asked.
“Now, we wait for Macaih.”
“No, I meant, now what for us?”
“I don’t know, Chloe.”
And with those four little words, he shattered my reality even more.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:
Eternal Bond
“C’MON. HE’S HERE.” TRENT HELD THE door open, and I stepped into the hallway.
My limbs felt like I had lead weights attached to them, and my body was numb. I had no idea who this Macaih vampire was, but he was the last person I wanted to deal with tonight. Honestly, I just wanted to go to sleep and then wake up in the morning to realize all of this was a horrible nightmare.
I rounded the corner into the living room. Jax and Whitney were on the couch, and Sean was near the front door speaking to a guy who couldn’t be more than twenty-five in human years.
He wore leather pants and a purple silk shirt with the top few buttons undone. His spiky hair was dyed silver, the tops a shade of purple that matched his shirt. A long black corded necklace hung from his neck.
“Ah, there she is.” Sean smiled at me, then waved me over. “Macaih, this is young lady I called you about. Chloe Madison.”
Hesitantly, I took a few steps toward Sean. Macaih turned toward me, and I gasped. His face was boyish, younger looking than Trent, and he had deep brown eyes that seemed to see everythi
ng all at once. Nerves gnawed at my stomach.
“Chloe,” he said, bowing. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“Hi.” My voice cracked, and I glanced back at Trent.
He was within arm’s length, and that made me slightly less nervous, but I would have felt better if he’d been right next to me, holding my hand, reassuring me everything was going to be okay.
“Let us sit and talk.” Macaih smiled and held his arm out toward the couch.
I sat next to Whitney, who beamed a smile that Macaih generously returned. Trent wedged himself on my other side, causing Jax to move to sit on the arm of the couch. Sean pulled up another couch; he sat on one, and Macaih sat on the other.
Macaih steepled his fingers under his chin, his gaze like a ping pong ball between me, Trent, and Jax. “So, you have been bitten?” His gaze finally settled on me.
I shifted uncomfortably. “Yes,” I said.
Trent had advised me to answer Macaih’s questions truthfully, and I would, but I wasn’t going to give him any more information than he asked for.
“How long ago?”
“Almost three weeks,” Jax answered.
“You are the one who fed from her?” Macaih asked, a hint of surprise in his tone. Hadn’t Sean told him that?
“Yes,” I said, fighting to keep my voice level but firm. “We were held prisoners by a coven of witches. They were starving him, and I refused to let him die. So, he fed on me.”
“Witches. So dramatic.” Macaih waved his hand dismissively.
Jax chuckled, and I cracked a smile despite the situation. Jax had said the same thing while we’d been held captive.
“But it is this one”—Macaih nodded at Trent—“who you want to give yourself to, yes?”
I nodded, and Trent took my hand, whether to comfort me or stake his claim in front of Jax I didn’t know. And I didn’t care.
“Interesting.” Macaih tilted his head, studying me through narrowed eyes. “Tell me what has happened since the bite. Leave out no details,” he said, almost gleefully, and leaned forward.
Trent’s grasp on my hand tightened.
I didn’t want to explain this again, but mostly, I didn’t want Trent to have to hear it again. I knew how hard this was for him, and it wasn’t fair he had to suffer any more than he already had.
“Would you prefer to speak to me alone?” Macaih asked.
“No,” Trent said. “Whatever she needs to say can be said right here, in front of all of us.”
I momentarily closed my eyes, praying for the courage to make it through this. Blowing out a breath, I opened my eyes and focused my gaze on Macaih. Maybe if I focused on him, I could do what needed to be done.
“At first, not much happened. Whenever I touched the mark, I’d get this warm feeling, and I’d think about Jax. Nothing bad, but I’d relive the moment he bit me.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But as time went on, I began to have these… episodes. I’d be doing something normal, like walking down the hall or sitting in class, and it was like I’d zone out. One minute, I was doing whatever, and the next minute, I was with Jax. Kissing him.” My voice dropped to a whisper.
“Go on,” Macaih urged, clearly enjoying this.
I wanted to punch him in the throat. “Eventually, I started having dreams,” I continued. “Really intense, vivid dreams. I’d wake up in a cold sweat, and it would take me several moments to figure out I’d been dreaming.”
“And these dreams…?” he encouraged as if he wanted a play-by-play.
I risked a glance at Trent. He was staring down at our clasped hands. “They were very…” I hesitated, not wanting to say this part aloud. “Sexual. I wanted Jax in the worst way. I wanted him to bite me again.”
Trent dropped my hand, leaned forward, and lowered his head, his elbows on his knees.
I resisted the urge to touch him, to beg him to let me explain—but there was no explanation; at least, not yet anyway.
“Hmm.” Macaih leaned back and crossed his legs. “Do you have these same feelings when you are not sleeping or… what did you call it? Zoning out?”
My stomach knotted, and I nodded, unable to speak my answer. From the corner of my eye, I saw Trent’s head lower again. He’d seen me nod. Bile rose thick in the back of my throat, and the room suddenly started to spin.
“Is it stronger when he is around you?” Macaih asked.
“Yes.” I peeked over at Jax, and he was watching me intently, exactly like he had so many times when we’d been Ivy’s prisoners.
“Does it weaken when he is not around?”
“Sometimes.” I sighed, but I wished I could say yes. If it was a matter of simply not being around Jax, I’d do it, no questions asked.
“Do you feel physically sick when you are apart from Jax?”
Who was this guy—some sort of vampire doctor? What was with all the strange questions?
“Sometimes,” I admitted.
“And you have feelings for him, do you not? Feelings that are pure?” Macaih asked.
I had no idea what he meant by pure, and I wasn’t going to ask for fear of what his next question would be. There was no way I was going to admit that my feelings for Jax started to develop before he bit me.
“I do,” I said.
Trent stood abruptly, and my heart sank even farther into my stomach.
“You.” Macaih motioned at Jax, then at me. “Sit.”
“Don’t you dare,” Trent snapped, his eyes black. “Stay away from her, Jaxon.”
Macaih laughed, the sound light and melodic. He thought this was funny? The urge to punch him returned with a vengeance.
“Ah, yes. This must be very difficult for you, Trenton. My apologies.” Macaih inclined his head as if that would somehow make this all better. He angled his body toward Jax. “Did you share blood with her?”
“No. She never drank from me,” Jax said, and I couldn’t be positive, but I swore there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
“That is not what I asked you, Jaxon.” Macaih’s tone went from friendly to menacing. “I asked you if you shared blood with her.”
Jax was silent a moment, and then he stiffened. “We kissed right after…”
Macaih grinned, his bright white teeth shining like a beacon in his mouth. “So, you drank from her, and then you kissed her.”
Suddenly, his question made perfect sense. “He had my blood in his mouth,” I said, stunned.
“Correct. While you did not drink from him, you did share your blood with him, in the form of a kiss.”
My heart thudded painfully in my chest. I’d been so caught up in the moment I hadn’t stopped to think I was tasting my own blood on his lips.
“So… what does that mean?” I asked, though I was pretty sure I didn’t want the answer.
“May I see the mark?” Macaih once again leaned forward, his eyes glowing with delight.
Gathering my hair in my hands, I held it away from my neck and turned my head so he could see. Trent stood near the fireplace, torment fighting a war across his face. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I blinked, but I couldn’t keep a few from spilling down my cheeks.
“And you say this happened three weeks ago?” Macaih was so close I could feel his breath on my neck.
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing he’d hurry up and tell me what was wrong, hoping he could do that and tell me how to fix it. And I was praying it wasn’t too late, that Trent and I could work through whatever this was.
“Yes,” Jax said.
“Well, my dear.” Macaih patted my leg, and I jumped at the unexpected touch. “You have been marked.”
“What?” Trent asked, teeth clenched, hands curled into tight fists. “What do you mean she’s been marked?”
“It is rare, that is for sure. In all my centuries, I’ve only seen this a handful of times.” Macaih stood and stretched, reminding me of a cat who’d just woken from a nap, ready to raise hell.
“Seen what?” Sean asked.
&nb
sp; I’d almost forgotten he was here; he’d been so quiet through all of Macaih’s questions.
“The eternal bond.” Macaih wandered around the living room. “See, when we bite a human for pleasure, or feed without draining them, we leave a mark behind. Most of the time, it goes away, and the human goes about their life none the wiser. But.” He stopped pacing and held up a finger. “There are times when a deeper mark is created. A bond between vampire and human.”
Dragging my hands through my hair, I hung my head between my legs. “I’m gonna be sick,” I muttered.
Whitney rubbed my back, her touch soothing.
“This eternal bond creates a longing in the human, an insatiable desire to be with their vampire, to please them. I’ve known many vampires who have lured humans, bitten them, tried to create such a bond. It is the ultimate love. The vampire gets the human’s devoted love and attention, and fresh blood whenever needed, and the human… well, they get the privilege of belonging to a vampire. It really is quite spectacular.” Macaih stopped talking, and the room was deathly silent.
I lifted my head, tears streaking down my face. Trent and Jax were staring at each other, but not with the same animosity as before. A look of some long buried fear and understanding passed between them. What was that all about?
All I’d wanted to do was save Jax’s life, and now I was bonded to him? What did that mean? Did I now belong to him? Would he be able to control me?
“How did this happen?” I asked.
“That is the ultimate question, isn’t it? No one, not even I, really knows what causes an eternal bond. Some legends say it happens when two souls are meant for one another. Others say it is a result of a vampire’s deepest desires.” Macaih’s gaze traveled over to Jax, who sat stiffly on the arm of the couch.
I didn’t for one second believe Jax was my soulmate, or that we were meant to be together. But I could—and did—believe that it was Jax’s deepest desire to be with me, to have me to himself.
Not to mention, I was Trent’s soulmate. There was no way I could be Jax’s, too. That was impossible, wasn’t it? Of course, I hadn’t let Trent claim me, which, according to Jax, meant I was fair game.
Eternal Bond : (The Cursed Series, Book 3) Page 21
