Slade nodded. “I haven’t yet, but I will. We all need to come clean with our lies. Including Lucian.”
This time I grabbed his wrist. “If you still love me, Slade, help us. Help us win Aiden over.”
His face darkened. “Why? So he can invest in a program that has the potential to blow up in all of our faces?”
“I don’t believe that it will. I really don’t.”
He shook his head and sighed. “Why is the project so important to you?”
I thought back to one of the happiest times of my life - when I’d been a teacher. I’d adored the children in my class and had always imagined having some of my own. Becoming a vampire had robbed me of that chance. “You may not understand this, but I am in it for different reasons.”
His eyes bore into mine. “Enlighten me.”
“I want a child.”
He looked confused.
“It’s simple, really,” I said, imagining myself surrounded by smiles and gales of laughter. Even now my heart ached, just to be in a child’s presence, without having to fight my own inner demons. The ones that hungered for their blood. “If we succeed, Lucian said that I could raise the first baby as my own.”
His green eyes softened. “You’re really in it for that?”
“You knew how much children meant to me,” I said, my eyes welling up with tears. “And… even after all of these years, I miss being around them. If you help us, I can have what I’ve always wanted, Slade. My own baby.”
“What about the child’s biological mother? Don’t you think she might object to you raising her infant?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But that’s part of the agreement with the egg donors. They relinquish the child. At least the first one that is born successfully.” Lucian had told me they’d agreed, at least. I hadn’t seen any paperwork, myself.
He was quiet for a few seconds. “You’re romanticizing this thing, Vanessa. The truth of the matter is, it’s still too dangerous. We can’t have lab-created hybrid monsters running around.”
“So, you’re not willing to help us?” I asked icily.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. No.”
I took a step back. “And you’re going to Aiden with all of this information?”
“Unless you tell him yourself.”
“Fine,” I replied, sniffing. “Can it wait until this evening? Lucian and I were going to enjoy a day of sightseeing.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Please?” I said, forcing a smile. “I mean what harm is there in waiting until tonight? You said he already knew most of this anyway.”
“True. Yeah, fine. Enjoy yourself with Lucian,” he said, sounding as if the name were poison is his mouth.
Relieved, I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked, looking surprised.
For allowing me more time to seduce Aiden, I thought. As far as I was concerned, the plans weren’t going to change. They were just going to be a little harder to implement. “For understanding.”
“I really don’t, but I’m going to give you what you need.”
“Why?”
“Because no matter what has happened between us, part of me will always love you, Vanessa.”
I wondered if he’d still feel that way after tonight.
ALTHOUGH, I ADMITTEDLY loved Vanessa, it wasn’t until I stepped out of the bedroom and headed down the staircase that I realized who I was in love with.
Chelsey.
She was standing with Aiden, Liam, and Melody, her chestnut hair pulled away from her face and wearing a radiant smile.
“Is there anything going on between you and Slade?” Aiden asked her.
“We’ve become very good friends,” I answered for her. I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t sure how to answer his question.
Chelsey looked up at me and as usual, her beauty took my breath away. Then I glanced at Aiden and was reminded of his earlier warnings. If he found out that I’d taken her virginity, he’d kill me.
Could you blame him? I asked myself.
The truth of the matter was, she was just an eighteen-year old girl and I was an ageless vampire. As much as she now owned a piece of me, there was no real future for us, unless I made her into a vampire. As it stood right now, I couldn’t marry her and I certainly couldn’t give her children. Just seeing how distraught Vanessa had been about being barren was also a reminder that I could never take that away from Chelsey. She was also too young to make that kind of decision herself. If she did it, just to be with me, there might come a day when she regretted it all. By then it would be too late.
I sighed.
What I was about to do would hurt her, but it wouldn’t be anything compared to the kind of heartache my world could present.
“WE’VE BECOME VERY good friends,” said Slade, appearing at the top of the stairs and looking very good in his faded blue jeans and black leather jacket. He walked down toward us, a stern expression on his face. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you Aiden?”
Aiden grinned. “No. Of course not.”
“Where’ve you been?” asked Liam.
“I flew back home to change and look through my mail. So, are you two ready to do some shopping?” he asked, looking over at Melody and me.
“Hell, yeah,” said Melody.
I nodded. “Yeah, it should be fun.”
“Good, then we should get started,” he replied with a tight smile.
“Did you really fly all the way home just to take a shower? Where do you live? Romania?” asked Melody.
He nodded.
“How long does it take you to get there and fly back?” I asked, impressed myself.
“It’s about an hour, if I’m taking my time and enjoying the scenery. I was in a hurry this morning, however, so I cut that time in half.”
“Oh. Cool,” I replied.
“You should take Chelsey flying,” said Liam, his eyes glittering in amusement. “See if she enjoys it as much as she does being on a plane.”
“No,” I answered quickly. “I think everyone knows by now how I feel about heights.”
“Oh, come on now. Slade wouldn’t let you fall,” replied Liam.
“I don’t know. He might drop me after I start screaming,” I replied, smiling at Slade.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’d really like to put that to the test,” answered Slade.
Liam’s cell phone went off. He pulled it out of his jacket and checked the caller ID.
“Is that your date?” asked Melody.
“As a matter of fact, it is,” said Liam, smiling. “I’ve got to take this. You girls have fun shopping with Slade. Remember, he has a limitless credit card.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” said Melody, frowning as he walked away.
“Melody, you really don’t want to see my mattress, do you?” asked Aiden, watching her closely.
She turned to him and smiled. “No. You’re right, I don’t. But, thanks anyway.”
Sighing, he held his arm out. “Come and take a walk with me.”
“Why?” she asked, her smile slipping.
“I think that it’s time you and I had a private conversation regarding my brother.”
“About Liam?” she asked, looking surprised.
He smirked. “Yes.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, slipping her arm through his.
“We’ll be back,” said Aiden, walking away with her.
“Okay, we’ll be waiting,” said Slade, staring down at me.
“So…” I said, smiling nervously.
He didn’t say anything.
Well, this was awkward.
I looked down at my Capris and picked off a piece of lint. I wasn’t sure why things were weird between us. But, they were.
“How did you sleep, Chelsey?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“I slept great,” I replied, relieved that he was asking me something. Anything. “What about
you?”
“Me? I didn’t sleep.”
My eyes widened. “Why not?”
He shrugged. “I’m nocturnal and like I said before, I don’t really need to.”
“Oh.”
We stared at each other, another uncomfortable silence hanging between us. I waited for him to say something, about last night, but he just took his phone out and started scrolling through it.
Really? I thought. This was how it was going to be?
Frustrated, I cleared my throat. I was new at all of this but it was more than obvious that he was acting weird. It made me wonder if he now regretted our night together. “Look, if you don’t have time to take us shopping, you really don’t have to,” I said stiffly.
He looked up from his phone. “You both need clothes.”
“We can wait, especially if you’re really busy,” I said, nodding toward his phone.
“I’m getting together with someone later, but I have time right now,” he replied, putting his phone away.
“Oh?” I asked, dying to find out who he was getting together with. “You have plans later?”
He nodded. “Later. Anyway, I’ll go find us a ride while you wait for Melody. I’ll be out in front with a car, in about fifteen minutes or so.”
“Okay.”
He turned around and I watched him walk toward the entrance to the castle, feeling dejected. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from Slade, but it was more than what he’d shown.
Not even a hug or a peck on the cheek?
Sighing, I turned around to look for Melody when I found myself staring up into a pair of pale, blue eyes.
“Hello,” said the blonde stranger, smiling at me. “My name is Lucian. And you are…?”
I could tell from his complexion, and the candy scent that he was emitting, that Lucian was a vampire. “My name is Chelsey,” I told him.
His grin widened. “Oh, you’re Slade’s fiancée?”
I nodded, taking a step back. He was standing close enough to make me uncomfortable and the look in his eyes didn’t help. He seemed far too happy to see me and Aiden’s warning was still at the back of my mind.
Lucian looked around. “Where is he?”
“He’s bringing the car around. We’re going shopping.”
When he turned back to look at me, his eyes held mine and a calmness washed over me. “You have nothing to fear from me,” he whispered. “You and I are friends. In fact, you trust me more than you trust anyone else in the castle.”
I nodded and smiled at him.
“Think of me as a puppy. One that you enjoy having around. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Although we’d just met, it was as if we’d been friends for a very long time. I felt safe and at peace in his presence.
“Lucian,” called Aiden, walking down the corridor with Melody. “I see you’ve met Slade’s fiancée, Chelsey.”
“Indeed I have,” he said, looking at me again. “She’s very lovely. He’s a lucky man.”
I grinned widely. “Thank you.”
“And speaking of lovely, who is this exquisite girl?” he asked, now staring at Melody.
Melody smiled. “I’m Chelsey’s cousin.”
“And are you engaged, too?”
She laughed. “No.”
“Excellent,” said Lucian. “Then I won’t have to fight anyone off if I try sitting next to you at dinner, will I?”
She giggled. “No, you definitely won’t. So, is that the plan?” she asked, looking at Aiden. “Will we be having dinner in that big dining room again?”
Aiden nodded. “I usually take my meals alone and in my office, but since I have so many guests, why not? Let me talk to the chef and have him prepare something special. Lucian, will you be joining us, too? You and Dr. Shephard?”
“Yes. Our plane doesn’t take off until tomorrow. You’re stuck with us, I’m afraid.”
“No worries,” replied Aiden. “Dinner will be at eight, then.”
“And will that dinner cover all appetites?” asked Lucian with a small smile.
“You’re on your own with that,” answered Aiden. “Just make sure that your menu doesn’t include any of my guests.”
Melody’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “Are you a vampire?”
“Of course I am. Thus the pale skin, perfectly sculpted features, and charming disposition,” he teased, striking a pose. “How can I be anything but?”
I had to admit, he was very good looking, but not nearly as handsome as Slade.
Aiden smirked. “Speaking of vampires, where did your fiancé, Slade, disappear to?”
“He went in search of a car, to bring us into town,” I said. “We should probably go and wait for him out front. Are you ready, Mel?”
She nodded.
“Have fun, ladies,” said Aiden.
“Yes, enjoy your day,” added Lucian. Who knows, we might run into each other, later. Talia is giving me a tour of the city.”
“Oh, we’ll have to look for you! It was really nice meeting you, Lucian,” I said, meaning it.
“Yes,” said Melody. “See you later.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” said Lucian, smiling as we walked away.
Glancing back over my shoulder, I noticed the way Aiden was staring at Lucian. From his expression, it was obvious that he didn’t care too much for the guy, which I thought was odd, since he was so likeable.
“WHAT DID AIDEN talk to you about?” I asked as we approached the doorway.
“Oh, he was just trying to warn me about his brother, Liam. He warmed me about him being a man-whore and said that I should stay away.”
“Like we didn’t know that already. So, how did you respond to that?” I asked, curious.
“I told him that Liam just might not have found the right girl yet.”
“What did he say?”
“He laughed and said that even if Liam found the right girl, he wouldn’t know what to do with her.”
“He’s probably right.”
“Exactly, so hopefully I’m the right girl because I’d love to show him what he can do with me,” she said, grinning wickedly.
I snorted.
We stood outside of the castle and waited around for Slade. After about ten minutes, he pulled up in a sporty, silver BMW.
“What do you think?” he asked, as we got in.
“I think that this is one sexy car,” purred Melody as she climbed into the backseat. “What is it?”
“An M8,” answered Slade, who was now sporting a pair of dark sunglasses. “Better put your seat belts on, because we’re going for a ride.”
“Whose is it?” I asked, sitting next to him. I buckled my seatbelt.
He ran a hand through the top of his dark hair. “Liam’s.”
“Does he know that we’re borrowing his car?” asked Melody, as we pulled away from the entrance and started moving.
He grinned.
I raised my eyebrow. “Slade?”
“Let’s just say that what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” he answered.
Melody’s eyes widened. “Yeah, but, what if he sees us driving around in this thing?”
The front gate opened up and Slade waived to the security guard, who waved back. “Don’t worry, even if he does, he’ll never catch us.”
The next thing I knew, we were flying away from the castle, the needle on the speedometer moving forward rapidly.
“Oh my God!” squealed Melody. “Sweet!”
“Well, it certainly handles nice,” I added, holding onto my seat with white knuckles.
He laughed.
AFTER MY CONVERSATION with Slade, I took a few minutes to compose myself and then searched the castle for Lucian, who was no longer in his room. When I finally found him, he was outside by the stables, petting a powerful looking horse near the fence. It was mostly white with some patches of gray.
“Isn’t this stallion beautiful?” he said, running his hand along the side of its neck.
“I had to charm him to get this close, obviously.” He smiled sadly. “I mentioned that I used to ride, didn’t I?”
I nodded. From what he’d told me, his father had owned several horses and Lucian spent most of his childhood around the stables. Unfortunately, they had a keen sense of vampires and would usually become agitated when we were near. It was always upsetting for Lucian,whom I knew had many fond memories of riding them.
I looked nervously toward the castle. “We need to talk.”
“What is it?” he asked, now noticing my grim expression.
“Slade knows everything.”
His face turned dark and he stepped away from the horse, who turned and then galloped away. “What do you mean, he knows everything?” he asked sharply.
“He confronted me earlier. He knows that I’m really Vanessa and that you’re last name is Tepes. He also knows that I’m only working here to help you and Dr. Shephard talk Aiden into funding the project.”
Lucian swore. “Does Aiden know about all of this, too?”
“I think he knows some, but I’m really not sure how much.”
“How in God’s name did Slade find out?”
“He was eavesdropping on the conversation that I had with you, last night.”
“That doesn’t explain how he knows my real identity,” snapped Lucian, running a hand through his blonde hair. “Dammit.”
“I don’t know why that really matters. I’m the one who’s deceived Aiden from the very beginning. Who cares what your last name is?” I mumbled.
“I have a reputation among the Lycan,” he answered, looking back toward the castle. “And not a very good one. If he knows who I really am, that means he’s been playing us all along.”
“What kind of reputation?”
“Let’s just say they know where I stand with their kind.”
“I wasn’t aware that you had much dealings with the Lycan,” I replied, although I knew he loathed them.
Toxic (Venom Series) Book Three Page 4
