by G. Bailey
“Yes!” I say and wave over at Alex on the other side, her jaw is dropped open. I wait for Alex to make it over. She does, but I cringe when she nearly misses the third net. I help her up the last part, and she collapses on the floor.
“Kill me now, I mean it. Find a stake,” she breathes out.
“That was fun,” I say and smile down at her.
“There is something seriously wrong with you. Stop being such a bubbly pain in my ass,” she says as she dramatically sighs.
“Come on before army brat finds us,” I say and offer her a hand. The next part is to the left and looks like a puzzle of small wooden pieces. They look just big enough to walk on.
“There isn’t anything to hold on to,” Alex says.
“I guess balance is a vampire thing,”
“Fuck me,” Alex pants out. She doesn’t like heights. I put a hand on her shoulder before going first. The wooden strips are thick and just big enough to put your one foot on. I figure I’m going to have to move quickly, one foot after another. I make the first few steps no problem until I look down. There’s a big pool under the bars that you can’t see until you’re walking across it. One minute I’m walking, and then I’m falling.
“Ahhh,” I scream as I hit the cold, murky water. It’s deep enough that I have to swim up to the top. When I get out, I hear another splash and turn to see Alex’s red hair just before she comes up.
“Ten minutes, and you fell. You two are going to be training for a long, fucking time,” Leigha says as she stands at the edge of the pool. Drake stands next to her with his hands on his hips, both of them looking scary as hell.
“They both seem to like the serious jackass look,” Alex says to me, and I laugh as I nod.
“Apparently you both like the drowned rat look,” Leigha replies and just stares at us. She doesn’t give a crap.
“Did you just call me a rat?” Alex asks.
“Yes, a drowned one,” she replies.
Alex looks at me, apparently agreeing we do look bad and then says, “Fair enough, then army brat.”
Chapter Eleven
Wyatt
“Please, I didn’t kill,” the middle-aged, half-turned woman pled in front of the council and me. I can’t help her, and I doubt she killed the vampire, she is accused of. She’s lucky she’s even in front of the council and wasn’t killed straight away. The only reason she isn’t dead already is that she’s beautiful and half-turned. The sun shines through the red glass and makes the woman seem like she’s glowing red. The whole morning has been filled with petty things like this, I wonder how my father can just sit here and do nothing like I am. The vampires have become selfish and cared only about things that don’t matter instead of things that do, like a human’s life. The last vampire in here was accusing her next-door-neighbour of stealing a necklace made of diamonds. I'll have to get Atti to check out Jewel’s hiding places for it before the two vampires try to murder each other.
“Don’t listen to her, you were caught with the sword in your room. Humans are not allowed to kill vampires, you know the rules and the punishment,” Talen says, an evil gleam in his eyes. I bet the fucker put the sword in her room, the vampire that was killed was one of Talen’s cousins, yet he apparently doesn’t feel sorrow for his loss. No, this is all a game, and he will kill that woman. I’m sure he’s wanted an excuse to kill her for a while. If I knew about this meeting before now, I could have made Atti take her to the human world, she doesn’t deserve to have the death she will have. No one does.
“Take her to my suite. I’ll deal with the punishment and her death,” he says, and the rest of the council nods their heads. Disgust fills me when I see the two guards drag the poor, screaming woman away. I turn to stare at the empty, golden throne. The weight of the responsibility I will one day have is crushing. Winter was right when she called my kind heartless monsters because that is what most have become. They stay in this castle, separated from the human world and feeding off the humans that are born and bred here. They don’t treat them any better than dogs.
“Your mate fits in well with the vampire life, must be a difficult transition for a human who knew nothing of us,” Harold says as he comes to stand next to me. The rest of the council are walking out.
“It is. Winter deals well with changes,” I remark. That’s a little understatement, Winter has fit into my world like she always belonged in it. Maybe she always has.
“Have you spoken to the king?” he asks once the throne room is empty. The words echo around the room, a room that has only ever given me pain as I grew up. I look at the cold, wooden floor in front of the throne. Demi’s ruined body is still fresh in my mind, as the last time I saw her was on that floor. Talen had removed her heart and drained her of all her blood. I doubt he made her death natural. I never did get to bury her, I just took her body back to Jaxson’s pack and stayed near until a guard found her. “No, his defenders say he is busy,” I reply. I’ve been working with the council for the last two weeks, and I only get to see Winter for a few hours a day. It’s not ideal, but with my father refusing to come to the meetings, I have to be there.
“He isn’t here,” Harold says.
“Where is he then?” I ask. I didn’t know he had left, not that he would tell me.
“With the witches and the dark queen,” Harold says, and I know it’s a risk for him to tell me. I trust Harold, out of all the council and most vampires, he is more human. Harold is who I get my blood bags from because he and his family don’t use the servants. I know his family half live here and in the human world.
“What does he want? I know he visited the angel council and the light queen,” I say, remembering my previous conversations with Atti and Dabriel.
“I’m unsure, but it doesn’t bode well for us. I respect your father, but I believe in the goddess,” he says and bows at me. I watch as he walks out the room. It’s a risk for anyone to hear him say that, no one talks of the goddess in the castle. I didn’t know he believed in her, I thought my mother was the last one who did in this place. They all thought she was crazy when she spoke of the goddess and a time of change coming. At least from the way people talk about the last queen.
I walk out the throne room and search the castle for Winter. I find her training with Leigha and Alex. At least she hasn’t fallen in the water pond today, she must have figured out how to balance. It was a little funny to see her coming back for the first week looking like she’d been swimming in her clothes. Winter’s long hair is up in a ponytail, but it’s so long that it hits her lower back. The tight yoga trousers and vest top are showing her more toned body. Winter is more toned since becoming a vampire, but the training is making her curves look more seductive than I’m used to. She’s always been a temptation, but now it’s impossible to resist her. Drake is leaning against the wall by the door when I come in.
“Prince Wyatt, are you done with the council meeting already?” Drake asks, pulling my gaze away from my mate. I never wanted to force a mating with her, not the way it happened. I remember holding her body in my arms as I gave her my blood, pleading with the goddess to let it work. I couldn’t lose her. She came back wearing my mark. The mark looks so sexy on her lower back, I only get to see it when she wears those small shorts and a vest top in bed.
“Yes. How is she doing?” I ask. I watch as Winter jumps over a medium- sized wall. I wonder if she can jump the highest yet, I jumped it when I was ten after one year of training in here.
“Better. Leigha is good for her, doesn’t give in to any whining that she can’t do this. She’s training Alex as well, although I don’t believe it is helping them bond,” Drake says.
“Leigha has said no to every vampire the council has suggested, it’s now twelve she has refused,” I tell Drake.
“I don’t believe she needs a mate,” he says.
“The king hasn’t heard what she’s doing yet, I can’t defend her for long. Talen has never taken a mate, and I’ve seen how he talks about her,�
� I say.
“He is not touching my sister,” Drake warns.
“I won’t let him, but taking one mate would save us a lot of trouble. Not all the guys are bad. Easton, for example, is from an influential family, and is a good man.” I say referring to one of Harold’s children, a good guy but a little-laid back.
“She would eat him alive,” Drake laughs. Winter stops to chat with Alex before the massive wall.
“Yes, she would,” I chuckle.
I listen in on Alex and Winter's conversation because I don’t want to interrupt their training.
“Do you miss Jaxson?” Alex asks. I know she does.
“Yes, and Freddy. God, I miss Freddy, I love him, and it’s difficult that I can’t tell Wyatt about him,” Winter says with a sigh. Who the fuck is Freddy? I know our relationship is based on sharing, but not with another guy I don’t know. Why would she have hidden a massive secret like she is in love with someone else, from me? She hasn’t told me she loves me, but I feel it in our bond. I don’t know if she can feel my emotions yet, it might not happen until we finish the mating because of how different she is. The warmth she feels when she talks about this Freddy is hard to believe.
“It’s hard not to be honest with him, I don’t like keeping secrets from my mate.”
“You should tell Wyatt soon, but I agree it’s difficult. Its weird hearing you call Wyatt your mate,” Alex replies, and I turn to walk out the door before I hear the response.
I don’t know who Freddy is, but I won’t share Winter with anyone other than my brothers. I just can’t.
Chapter Twelve
Winter
“Hey, mum,” I say when she answers my call. I’ve gone to call her five times this week and changed my mind. I’m not sure what’s stopping me, maybe it’s finding out any answers I don’t want. I don’t think my mum would have lied to me my whole life. She isn’t that kind of person, my mum is sweet and kind. The type of person that spends her last money of the week on buying food for the homeless outside her church.
“A call a month? Is that all I’m getting now. I miss you Winter, and I’m worried,” she says, sounding upset as she talks. It hurts to know I’ve upset her. I never meant to.
“I’m fine, mum, I just needed an escape for a while, just like Alex said,” I reply.
“You think I believe that crap, Winter Masters? This is your mother you are speaking to,” she says, making me feel like shrinking in my seat. Why do mothers become the scariest people on earth when they’re upset?
“Mum, what was my dad like?” I ask her, changing the subject.
“What exactly do you want to know?” she asks. She isn’t saying no, so that’s a start.
“When did you meet? You never told me,” I ask her.
“Oh, well. I first met your father in university, we were just friends for a year, but I always liked him as more. He was studying to be a doctor, and I was just finishing my art course. He was two years younger than me,” she says. I hear her moving around in the background.
“So, how did you get together in the end?” I ask her.
“He moved onto my street around five years later. I took him a toffee cake over to say hello, and then we got together,” she says.
“Why weren’t there many pictures of him around? I can only remember seeing one of him at his graduation,” I ask her because that’s the only photo I’ve seen of him older. There are several of him as a young boy, but she has none of them together.
“He didn’t like the camera, honey,” she says tensely, a little too protective for me to believe her. I hate thinking she would lie to me.
“Mum, you wouldn’t keep anything from me, right?” I ask her, my voice betraying me as I try to sound strong.
“I could ask you the same question. But, I don’t hide anything from you unless I think it will cause you pain,” she says the end part in a whisper. I know she doesn’t want to tell me something, I can just hear it.
“What if I needed to know, mum?” I ask her.
“Are you okay? All these questions are worrying me more than I am already,” she asks.
“I’m good, just been thinking about things,” I reply. I hear someone come into the room and ask for her help.
“I have to go, Winter, I’m at work. I hope you enjoy the rest of your break and come home soon. When you need to,” she says.
“I will, mum. I love you,” I reply, feeling more than disheartened.
“Bye honey, I love you more,” she says and puts the phone down. Why do I feel like that conversation gave me more questions than answers? I know she is hiding something. Mum always avoided any questions about my dad. The dream with Elissa has been stuck in my mind this last month in the castle. We can’t leave because the king is insisting Wyatt stay to help him with council decisions. Wyatt says they are just idiots. Last night, Wyatt told me we could leave in a month, after the royal ball the king is throwing in celebration of me. I run my hand over my hair, it’s braided down my back, the braid hitting the top of my bum. My hair grows impossibly fast, and yet, the rest of me rarely need shaving. I’ve only shaved once in a month and my legs are still smooth. Alex said it’s the same for her. Training with Leigha is getting better but nowhere near her high standards. I can make it through nearly all of the course in ten minutes now, but I can’t jump the huge, metal wall. It’s impossible. What’s worse is when training is over, I’m nearly always alone. Drake takes Alex away, and Leigha watches me but doesn’t talk much. I usually stay in my room like now or go to the library. The library is slowly becoming useless, half the books are in Latin or French, and the ones in English are so poorly written, so it takes ages to read a few sentences. Nothing is coming up on the goddess that we can use to help me.
“Why do you look so down?” Atti asks as he appears next to me, making me jump out my skin. I don’t want to admit that things are difficult here. I don’t get to see Wyatt much, and all I do is train until I can’t stand up. I miss Jaxson, Atti, and Dabriel. I miss Freddy, too.
“I miss some people,” I say, choosing to look out the window again. I feel Atti move close to my side as I sit on the window seat. Three library books sit in front of me as I try to read them. One of them is purely French, so I’ve given up on that one.
“Like me?” he says, his voice holding a teasing quality.
“Maybe,” I say with a small smile.
“Everyone misses me when I’m not around, don’t worry it’s natural,” he says, and I roll my eyes, but the smile on my face stays there. I didn’t know I needed Atti until he was here, and he can always make me feel better.
“Dabriel and I want some time alone with you. You’ve been all work and no play for too long, Love,” Atti says and offers me a hand. I look down at my jeans with holes in them and my Batman top. It will do. Atti is wearing jeans and a tight, grey shirt that clashes with his eyes. I look at his hand before slipping mine inside it, and he pulls me to his chest.
“Smile, Love,” he says, and I feel his magic flowing around me. It’s only a second before my feet hit the ground. I open my eyes as Atti lets me go and standing a few steps away is Dabriel. His arms are crossed against his tight, white shirt. He looks normal in jeans and a backward cap covering his white hair. Dabriel’s purple eyes seem to draw me in as I walk over to him, and he greets me with a little kiss. His hands are sliding down my back slowly as he pulls away.
“I missed you, Dab,” I say, and he grins. I look over his shoulder in shock when I see the Disney castle behind him.
“Disneyland?” I turn, asking Atti who nods. He doesn’t seem jealous that I kissed Dabriel, but then Atti has never tried to take our relationship further than friends.
“Where else would a princess go to chill out?” he says, and I laugh.
“I’ve always wanted to come here,” I tell him.
“Then your dreams have come true. Please, I want to find that Thunder Mountain ride,” he winks at me.
“Let’s go,” I say and take At
ti’s hand. Dabriel takes my other hand and we walk down the path, out of the small corner Atti brought us too. It feels weird holding both their hands in public and a few people stare. I think it has more to do with how hot Atti and Dabriel are. I wonder if humans can tell there is something different about them. I guess there’s something else about me now, too.
We go on several rides on the way to the mountain ride. Atti pulls out fast track passes for us all, so we don’t have to wait. When we get to the mountain ride, Atti sits next to me in the front cart, and Dab takes the seat behind us. I guess his wings need the extra space. I know he has some kind of glamour on, so the humans don’t see them, but I can. Dab looks hot with his angel wings. The ride starts inside the mountain, and as it turns, I slide into Atti. When we are just coming out of the mountain, I turn to look at Atti, and he kisses me. His arm is tightly wrapped around my waist as the cart swerves around the track but all I can focus on are his sweet lips. Atti tastes like the sweetest thing in the world, and when he pulls away, his glowing grey eyes tell me that he felt affected by the kiss as much as me. I slide to the left of the cart, when it turns, and I catch a glance of Dabriel’s face. I expected jealousy or anger, but instead, there is just a happy, warm look in his eyes as they meet mine.
For once, I can see this working for us all, the happiness Dabriel told me about once. The rest of the day we go on the rides, except when Dabriel and Atti have a competition in one of the shooting gun booths. I had to distract Atti when he lost, and he looked close to killing Dab who was grinning. Silly alpha males.
“The fireworks start in a minute, Minnie,” Atti says next to me as we move through the crowd outside the castle. I grin at him with my Minnie mouse ears headband on that Dabriel brought me. Dab jumps over a small bar to a bit of grass no one is standing on. I follow and stand next to Dab. Atti comes behind me and rubs my arms.
