by River Ramsey
“My condition?” I scoff, taking a seat at the counter. As he begins to pull ingredients out of the refrigerator, nostalgia overcomes me. It’s like old times, with the two of us sharing his apartment with Aspen.
Sometimes, in spite of myself, I miss those days. Never thought I’d say that, certainly not back then.
“You’re a pregnant omega. Headstrong, yes, but you need rest all the same,” he answers, putting a sandwich in front of me. “Eat.”
I grudgingly take a bite, and I have to admit, it’s good. I see his talent for cooking hasn’t changed. “You’ve been scarce lately.”
“I am a traitor,” he says flatly. “Seems wise.”
“You saved my life,” I murmur.
“So I did.”
“And yet, you’re still loyal to Aedan.”
He doesn’t answer, but the solemn look he gives me is proof enough. I sigh. I suppose I can’t fault him for being honest in his own way.
“You need to get some sleep,” he says once I’m finished eating. “The staff can see to the remainder of the preparations.”
He must know I’m about to argue, because he adds, “Doctor’s orders.”
Twenty-One
The day of the wedding arrives, and I feel like it’s my own. There’s a hint of melancholy there, too, as I realize that when my own finally does arrive, there’s not going to be a chance it’s James waiting for me at the altar.
It’s not that the prospect of marrying Rowan doesn’t excite me as well. I just know he doesn’t view it the same way as James does, being half-vampire. To a wolf, the moment an alpha and omega mate, there’s an everlasting bond that forms. I already belong to Rowan, just as I belong to Christopher and I know he doesn’t doubt it.
James… as long as I’m bound to one of the others in a different way, I know he’ll view it as a separation. Distance that I never wanted there to be between us.
For the time being, they’re all by my side. Even Mace. I suspect he was only invited to keep an eye on him, but he’s here and dressed in a dapper royal tuxedo all the same.
I can’t help but notice how handsome he looks. Almost like his old self. He’s being polite and greeting the people who gawk at him, but there has to be a limit to his good behavior. I wish he would just be honest with me, even if it isn’t what I want to hear.
I push those thoughts away and carry on as the royal announcer introduces us.
“Princess Victoria and her escorts, Lord James, Lord Rowan, Lord Christopher and... Mace.”
I purse my lips, trying not to laugh at the announcer’s bewildered expression as we walk down the aisle to take our seats. There are no bridesmaids and groomsmen at a royal wedding, but I know Albien knows I’m up there with him in spirit as we take our seats in the front row.
The wedding hall is gorgeously decorated and fresh white blooms hang down from the rafters. There are candles everywhere, and the carpet leading up to the altar is a deep, blood red hue.
A string quartet playing at the front of the room fills the hall with their elegant symphony and the doors finally open as the trumpets sound to announce the arrival of the King—and his Queen-to-be.
My heart thumps excitedly in my chest and I grip the hands of the two nearest to me, freezing when I realize one is Mace. To my surprise, he squeezes back and the gesture fills my heart with the strangest warmth.
As Albien and Jenna walk down the aisle, I realize I like this form so much more. Rather than coming to take her, he’s walking arm-in-arm with her toward their destination, on equal footing.
It’s fitting, considering that’s always the way it’s been between them.
He looks handsome as ever in a resplendent gold-and-white waistcoat with matching trousers. Her pristine white gown is simple and elegant, just the way it looked when I was helping her try it on. Her hair falls in loose waves down her shoulders and the long train in back of the gown is the only part of it that’s not understated.
They look like the perfect pair when they finally make it to the aisle, before the royal priest. Even the Pentarch seems less moody than usual in their seats at the front of the room across from us. Everyone except for Raoul, that is, but that’s to be expected. If he wasn’t sulking, I’d think he was plotting something.
“Dearly beloved,” the priest begins. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of our King and his beloved Lady Jenna, to be known henceforth as Queen Jennifer.”
If I’m not mistaken, I can see Jenna cringe a bit at the mention of her full name, but if I have to be Victoria, she’ll live. At least I’ll have someone to commiserate with.
My heart swells as I watch them exchange their vows. Jenna has already sworn her fealty to him, but there’s something far more intimate in the promises she’s making today.
Albien places the ring on her finger and she does the same. With a joyous smile, the priest announces them man and wife, and Albien wastes no time pulling her in for a kiss.
I’m the first to jump up and cheer, and Rowan is close behind me. As much controversy as their union has stirred around the kingdom, the room is filled with celebration and joy.
All I can do is hope that it lasts through the reception.
Halfway through the reception, I’ve danced with three out of my four escorts and while I’m in no hurry to leave Rowan’s arms, I can’t help but wonder if Mace is ever going to ask.
His hair is down today, partially covering the scars on his left side. To me, those scars are just a reminder of what he sacrificed to protect me and Albien. The reason I can’t ever give up on him, even if he’s already given up on himself.
“Something wrong?” Rowan asks.
I look up at him with an apologetic smile. “No, nothing at all. Just thinking how lovely things came together.”
“Thanks to you,” he scoffs.
By the time I glance back, Mace is gone. I suppose I should be used to that by now.
When I feel someone tap me on the shoulder, I freeze. At first, I’m afraid to hope, but when I turn around, Mace is there, giving us both a knowing look. “Mind if I cut in?”
Rowan grunts, but he releases me. “I’ll be nearby if you need anything. Watching,” he says pointedly, shoving into Mace on his way past.
“I take it he’s still miffed,” Mace says flatly, taking me into his arms. He’s as good of a dancer as I remember him being. At least this time, I know he can’t run off.
“Are you kidding? As far as Rowan goes, that’s friendly behavior.”
Mace chuckles, leading me along to the music. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. No more blackouts,” I assure him.
“That’s good, but you should rest all the same.”
“I have a very diligent doctor looking after me,” I taunt. “Unless he has plans of disappearing.”
He sighs. “Dani—”
Suddenly, with no warning beyond the sharp cry of a patron who must’ve seen something coming, the enormous stained-glass windows surrounding the banquet hall shatter inward and the room floods with men in hooded black cloaks that reek of old blood.
Vampires.
I can only look on in horror as chaos surges through the crowd and we get caught up in a stampede. Mace pulls me close, his arms wrapped around me, and tries to go for the doors where everyone else is pressing together, trying to get into the hallway—the only means of escape.
“Stop!” I cry, pushing him away. “I have to get to my brother!”
He grabs my arm before I can get anywhere. “No,” he says through his teeth. “It’s too dangerous.”
Rowan and Christopher shove through the throng of terrified partygoers, their eyes wild with anger. “Get her out of here,” Christopher says to Rowan, like it’s his job to determine who’s going to control me. I fire him an angry look as I try to shake Mace off my arm.
“Go get my brother,” I say to them. “Or I will.”
Rowan takes my free arm, much to my fury—I feel like a toy being fou
ght over by two dogs—and stares Mace down. “I’ll take it from here,” he says stiffly to Mace, his voice barely audible over the screams of the crowd. “Protect the King and our new Queen along with Christopher. That’s if you’re truly on our side now.”
Mace has no chance to respond before the crowd goes silent and everyone stares in awestruck terror at the tall, withered vampire coming toward all of us from the northernmost window, flanked by henchmen.
It feels like my heart stops when I realize the vampire is none other than Aedan, and he’s dressed to the nines in a tailored suit as if he was invited to the reception himself. He's even wearing a sword on his belt, like he's part of the royal guard.
He stops in the middle of the ballroom and looks around, his dry, cracked lips stretched into an unpleasant smile.
"What is all the fuss for? Can I not get an invitation to this most momentous of occasions?" he asks, gesturing at us. "We are here for your King and your Princess. No harm will come to the rest of you, provided you don't interfere. You can even keep your new Queen."
I can’t believe he’s here. In person. He must’ve found another sacrifice to give him the energy it took to show up for personal revenge.
I shrink back between the three men surrounding me, praying he doesn't see me even though he must already know I'm here. All the nightmares I've had about the night I was nearly sacrificed are replaying all at once in my mind's eye and I'm sure I'm about to pass out.
It's only now that the crowd is parting around us to get away from Aedan and his henchmen that I see Albien and Jenna all the way on the other side of the ballroom, flanked by guards who look just as terrified as I am.
Rowan steps forward with a bold growl. "Get the fuck out of here," he snarls.
Christopher steps forward, too, joining Rowan's side.
Aedan glances at his minions, who are all looking to him like he's the only thing in the room that matters. I know all it'll take for them to attack—to wipe us out—is a word from their master. Even Mace looks shaken as he stares at his former overlord. Now, he knows the truth. That Aedan is very much alive.
Soon, I’ll find out what Mace’s truth is.
Then Aedan's glance lands on me and his smile intensifies until his eyes glimmer with deadly light. I swallow hard as our gazes lock. "You are going to have your mongrels in just a few short months, aren't you?" he asks. "I will take good care of them.”
Rowan lets out an enraged roar as he explodes into his wolf form and charges Aedan.
"Rowan, no!" I cry, reaching for him in a vain attempt to stop him only to be held back again by Mace.
Aedan draws his sword and in one fell swoop plunges it between Rowan's shoulders like a bullfighter, pinning him to the floor. Rowan's wolf snarls in enraged pain, but he can no longer move.
Aedan's gaze hardens as he looks back at us, but his menacing smile doesn't fade. "Does anyone else want to intervene?" he asks coolly. "What about you, Mace?"
Mace lets a breath hiss out through his teeth, but he says nothing. His grip on my arm tightens until it hurts.
"Well?" says Aedan, making a beckoning gesture in the air.
Mace releases me and takes a few steps forward, his eyes glazed. When he's standing directly in front of his former master, Aedan gently places his clawed fingertips on the man's forehead. Light emanates from Mace's eyes, then fades, leaving them jet black—as if they’ve been injected with ink.
No! Rowan yells, still pinned to the floor.
Aedan smirks at the injured wolf before returning his attention to Mace. "Your job is to secure the Princess," says Aedan. "The King is mine."
Mace turns to face me and it's only then that I notice the shadow on the rafters high above us. A shadow with strong muscles and gleaming eyes, like a cat's. I don't need to make out his face to know it's James.
Aedan notices him at the same time, but it's too late for him to get out of the way. The shadow leaps at the speed of light and tackles him to the ground. The two vampires roll across the ballroom in a roaring frenzy, and when they split apart to stagger to their feet, Aedan is clearly the more badly injured of the two. Blood pours from his head and chest where James slashed him with a knife. The only mark on my man is a thin river of blood trickling from his nose, which he swipes away with the back of his hand.
"If it isn't the hybrid," Aedan pants, his smile finally wiped off his face. "I must confess, I did not see that coming. When you failed to recklessly attack me right out of the gate, I assumed you had been exiled. That would have been the smarter thing for the dogs to do. Tell me—why are you on their side when they hate you?"
James doesn't respond, and I don't think he has a response for that. He just braces himself with his fists raised, ready to fend off whatever Aedan throws at him. That's when I notice Mace creeping up behind him.
"James, watch out!" I yell.
He whirls around just in time to sock Mace in the face as the man leaps at him, fully under Aedan’s spell. Mace goes flying and slides across the floor, but while Mace's attempted attack is ineffective, it's enough to distract my lover. Enough for Aedan to pounce and drive a stake into his back. It must miss his heart by mere inches because James doesn't drop right away. Instead, he reaches back over his shoulders, grabs Aedan's arms, and throws the frail-looking vampire to the floor. The stone shatters around Aedan, and for a moment, the vampire doesn’t move. But I know it's only temporary.
James tears the stake out of his back, but he has no chance to use it on Aedan before the vampire's henchmen swarm him. One attempts to stab him with a knife, but James grabs the vampire's wrist and tears off his hand with little effort. The howling vampire retreats and the others back off, too, momentarily frightened by the hybrid's strength.
Mace peels himself off the floor with a growl and James glances his way. I can tell James doesn't want to fight him, but what choice does he have?
"Mace, please," I beg from the sidelines. "You can fight this."
Mace glances at me, then at James, and another guttural sound rumbles in his throat.
"Don't you dare," Aedan hisses at Mace as he comes back into consciousness. He holds up a hand and snaps his fingers. Mace's attention goes right back to his former master, and he doesn't look away as the vampire gets back to his feet. "Men, seize the Princess. Slay her protector."
Christopher gently pushes me back, getting between us as the throng of vampires begins to approach. "Any closer and you'll all lose more than a hand," Christopher snaps, shifting into his wolf form. The vampires hesitate, but only until they see the rage in Aedan's eyes at their defiance.
But before the vampires can attack, Mace's eyes clear. He shakes his head like he's shaking water out of his hair and staggers.
Aedan snaps his fingers again, but this time, it has no effect. The look on his face is priceless.
Mace sets his jaw and kicks the stake at his feet across the floor to James. James catches it with his foot and grabs it before anyone else can move. "Face me head-on like a man," he bellows at Aedan. "Or are you going to show everyone what a coward you are?"
Aedan holds up his hand to stop his vampires. "I hoped I would not have to finish you off," he sighs. "You would make a fine soldier."
"Fuck you," James spits.
Aedan walks up to Rowan and pulls his sword free. The wolf lets out a shrill, hoarse yelp that makes my heart clench and collapses, no fight left in him.
"As you wish," says the vampire, circling James with his sword ready. "Winner takes all." It's not a stake, but I have no doubt he could easily behead my lover with a well-placed blow. That would be just as devastating. And James will have to get close to land a hit. Too close.
James flies at him with a bone-shaking roar and Aedan leaps, too, silent and catlike. The sword comes down on James' shoulder, narrowly missing his neck, but James is faster if only by a moment. The hybrid buries the stake in Aedan's chest and time seems to stand still.
Then Aedan's skin begins to turn gray. The dead col
oration spreads out from his chest, down his arms and across his face until there's nothing left of his original skin tone. A hiss escapes him as he turns to ash and crumbles, the grains pouring down James' arms and gathering on the floor.
A blue haze lifts from the ash and forms a swirling, twisting rope that stretches upward until it makes contact with James' chest. He staggers back, dropping the stake and holding his arms out as he absorbs the light until there's nothing left. It leaves him pale and panting, and he seems barely able to stand up. For a moment, I'm terrified the vampires will seize the opportunity to launch an attack on him, but they're frozen in place, looks of terror on their shadowed faces. It’s not long before one flees, then another, and another, until they’re all gone just as quickly as they’d appeared.
"He must have been your father," Mace says weakly, leaning forward with his hands on his knees for support. "When a vampire parent dies, their energy—their power—is passed onto their children."
“Father?” James rasps, staring down at his hands as the energy fades and settles in. There’s hatred in the word. Hatred and disgust.
I know James’ mother never told him much about his father, but what little he does know is as heinous as the reality Aedan lived up to. My heart aches for him, but there’s nothing I can say that will make him feel better in this moment.
Mace finally drags himself to his feet, and I flinch, but it soon becomes clear he’s back in control. “You’ve inherited his power,” he says quietly.
“I feel it…” James says through gritted teeth. “His memories…”
Whatever he’s seeing through Aedan’s lingering mind, I can tell it’s awful because of the pained look on his face. I wish I could take it away from him. Do something to ease his pain.
“He was working with the King,” James finally says. His thoughts are disjointed, like he’s having trouble keeping track of them. At first, his words make no sense. I assume he’s talking about Albien, but Mace clears things up.
“The King of the vampires?” he asks somberly.
