Unafraid

by Cat Miller

  She just hoped Griffin would make the decision to be open and honest with her if he didn’t have her at his beck and call every night when he got home. He still had the insane notion that she belonged to him. It was probably true, but she would never admit it unless he changed his ways. Slowly crawling out of bed, Tessa began to search for her things. Griffin had bought her some lovely new clothes and shoes along with a nice winter coat but she wasn’t taking any of that with her. She would leave in what she had on when she arrived and get back to her life.

  She loved Griffin with all of her heart, but she couldn’t be one of his possessions. That was how he made her feel, like a toy he could keep on a shelf until he was ready to play. Tessa had had enough. She found her clothes in Griffin’s huge closet and dressed before she could change her mind. All she had to do was grab her purse and jacket from the entry closet.

  * * *

  Mason Deidrick sat on the exceedingly comfortable sofa at his best friend’s love nest. It had been a simple matter to enthrall the guard in the lobby and get the spare key for Griffin’s new condo. It was odd that he had purchased a place in a human owned and operated building, but it made it much easier for Mason to gain entry. A lingering vanilla scent he was sure was human floated through the air when he entered. It seemed Griffin must also have hired some human help to cook and clean. Normally his kind employed other lower class vampires, especially to work in their homes, but Griffin had been doing many odd things lately.

  It had taken a little time but he’d uncovered Griffin’s hiding place. The call from his private investigator came late the night before and Mason decided it would be best to catch Griffin off guard and check out the situation before confronting his friend. The P.I. was able to confirm that Griffin had purchased a condo and he had a lady staying in the home with him. It was easy to get Griffin out of the condo with a fabricated story about his mother calling in the Enclave warriors to find her missing son.

  The vamp had gone completely off of the grid recently and Mason knew a female was involved. Many females had attempted to lure in Griffin and Mason to further their own standing. It was a blessing and a curse to be at the top of the social food chain. They had all the female attention they could handle but the females were more like groupies than dates or real girlfriends. One of these lovely little debutantes had obviously turned Griffin’s head.

  Griffin went missing every night and he never visited anymore. At first, Mason blamed Griffin’s absence on his mother’s incessant demands that he pick a date for his arranged bonding to sweet, innocent Sarah. It was also easy to imagine hanging out at the new home Mason had built for the family he planned to have with his new mate would quickly get old. Debbie had become the center of Mason’s life. Just the thought of his little brunette mate with her soft, hazel eyes and that toned body had him stiffening.

  He and Debbie were too busy building a strong bond to be very good hosts. Mason hadn’t gone out with Griffin to hunt or do anything else in months. The realization made him feel like an ass for abandoning his friend, but his mate had to be his number one priority. Debbie wanted a family and they decided to start trying for kids as soon as the house was done. It was an exciting time in Mason’s life, but his best friend seemed to be floundering. Griffin wanted nothing to do with bonding at such a young age and planned to put it off for as long as possible.

  Now Mason believed Griffin had been roped by a female he wouldn’t be able to keep, so he was hiding away with his new love. He doubted Griffin would have confessed his unavailability if he were infatuated enough to hide his lover from the rest of society. It was Mason’s duty to inform the female, who he was sure was nothing more than a social climber, that Griffin was not going to advance her position in the Vampire Nation. He was sure Griffin’s new obsession would scurry off and find another male to cling to once she learned of Griffin’s impending blood bond.

  The longer Mason sat there, the stronger the scent of vanilla grew and it had his fangs throbbing. He couldn’t imagine how Griffin could live with such a tasty smelling human roaming around his home. Finally the sound of approaching footsteps drew his attention to the arched entryway that led back to the bedrooms. Mason hoped it would be Griffin’s lady but he should have known it was too early for one of the debutante sort to rise from her bed.

  The female that walked into the living room and froze at the sight of him lounging on the sofa was human, the source of the aromatic vanilla in the air. The beautiful little honey blond with stunning ice-blue eyes must be the help. Her tattered jeans and shoes certainly paled next to the tidy uniforms generally worn by the help in the homes of his parents and the rest of the Council members. She blinked rapidly and thawed enough to begin edging her way toward the door.

  “Good morning. I’m sorry to have startled you.” He smiled reassuringly, “I let myself in.” Mason held up the key so she would believe he wasn’t an intruder. Even though in a sense he supposed he was exactly that, an intruder in his friend’s secret love nest. The female blinked and continued creeping slowly toward the foyer.

  “Could you be a dear and go fetch the lady of the house for me? Tell her Mason Deidrick is here to speak with her on an important matter regarding Griffin.” That had the female’s attention. She arched a confused brow at him. Damn the little thing was cute. That was another reason having her around would be tough for an unmated male. She had curves that could jackknife an unmated male.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m the only one here. Can I take a message for Griffin?” she asked sharply. The fear had faded to annoyance. Mason gracefully rose from his seat and pulled out his wallet. He retrieved a business card and extended it to her as he got closer.

  “Give this to the lady when she returns and tell her to be sure and call me as soon as possible. The matter can’t wait.” The female stepped back refusing to take the card. She shook her head.

  “I don’t know who you’re looking for, but Griffin is the only person who lives here. I’ve been staying with him and you’re the first to visit.” She glared at him. Was it possible he could be wrong? Had the P.I. misinformed him? Why would Griffin suddenly and very covertly buy a new home if he had nothing to hide?

  “Are you saying that Griffin doesn’t have a girlfriend that visits him here or stays over regularly?” The frown lines on her forehead deepened.

  “Like I said, I’ve been staying here. I am Griffin’s girlfriend. He told me he didn’t have anyone else. I appreciate you informing me otherwise.” She was angry but hurt slowly settled over her expression. Her statement knocked Mason for a loop. He stared disbelievingly at the pretty little human.

  “I guess I should have known. He’s always leaving suddenly or hiding in his study to take phone calls, if he answers them at all.” She cleared her throat and blinked back tears. The pale blue of her eyes seemed to darken ever so slightly with pain. “I’ll be going now. When you speak to Griffin tell him not to bother contacting me again. Please lock up on your way out.” She brushed past him but she didn’t make it far. Mason grabbed her arm. He was ripped from his stunned silence by Griffin’s scent on the little human. He hadn’t picked it up before due to her scent clouding the room.

  “But you’re a…” he couldn’t finish the sentence. Things were beginning to click into place in his brain and Mason was horrified.

  “Yes, I know. I’m just a lowly human. I’ll go now and that will no longer be an issue. He can have his vampire slut!” She glared at his hand on her arm.

  This situation had just gone from really bad to nuclear shit storm. She knew about the existence of vampires. The repercussions of such a thing made Mason’s head spin. Griffin had totally lost his mind. Mason had two choices here. He could report Griffin to the Council for endangering the Nation or he could wipe the human’s memories before Griffin returned and send her on her way. No harm, no foul. No one would ever have to know about his friend’s sins and the girl could go on living a normal, vampire ignorant life.

  Mason qui
ckly attempted to enter her mind. It was for the best. Griffin would thank him for this one day because his judgment was clearly compromised at the moment.

  “Please get comfortable on the sofa,” he instructed her with an unrelenting compulsion. She began to obey but jerked around before taking two steps.

  “Did you just try that vampire whammy bullshit on me? Well you can kiss my ass! I don’t take orders.” She stomped across the room and yanked open a closet in the foyer, retrieving a well-used coat and a big denim purse he was sure had never been in fashion.

  How the hell had she thrown off his mental suggestion? Again, he tried to penetrate her consciousness. All he had to do was take a little time from her memory and the problem would be solved. A brick wall greeted him where the girl’s thoughts and memories should have been. There were cracks in the wall, but he would need a very strong telepath to knock it down. He knew she’d felt the mental push because she paused while sliding on her coat to spear him with her tear filled eyes, but she said nothing.

  He had to stop her. They had to talk about what she knew. It was entirely possible Griffin was hiding her because he couldn’t erase her memories of their time together. It was clear that she genuinely cared for Griffin. Mason would use that to his advantage.

  “Please sit and speak with me,” he implored. “Griffin is my best friend. I meant you no offense. I was just trying to protect him.” She ignored him and reached for the door.

  “Do you understand that he could be executed for this?” She stopped but didn’t turn around. “You could both be killed because of your knowledge. I don’t want to see that happen. I love him.” Mason’s voice actually cracked at the end. It was true that he could lose his friend. It wasn’t likely because of his family, but he would surely be denied his future on the Council and that would be a tragedy. Mason needed to understand how Griffin got into this mess. If the girl really cared for Griffin, she would let him go. Mason would be sure she fully understood the consequences of her relationship with Griffin for his people, his family, and future. “Let’s talk. I came here because he’s in trouble. Help me save him.”

  * * *

  Tessa curled herself into a ball on her thin mattress and tried not to think of the many hours she’d spent loving Griffin on that bed. That was all over now. Mason had made the impossibility of her relationship with Griffin very clear.

  She knew from the beginning that Griffin wasn’t your average vampire, if there was such a thing as an average vampire, but she never would have imagined exactly how extraordinary he would be. The concept of a Ruling Council, led by people born into the position, was mind boggling. Griffin was born to be a leader among his people. It wasn’t just a Nation as Mason had called it, but an entire species. It was a species that would never accept her as his mate.

  Her omniscient dreams had led her astray, because this would never work out. She would never be Griffin’s mate, whether he loved her or not, and that was the part that hurt her the most. He had hidden her away like a dirty secret and used her. She knew now why he never shared anything about his life with her. He had no intention of sharing that life with her. She felt betrayed by his words of love. You wouldn’t do this to someone you really loved.

  She sobbed great hiccupping sobs in the darkness of her one room home and mourned the loss of a love that had never been real, at least not for Griffin. It was very real for Tessa. Useless tears soaked her pillow. The pain in her chest was like a living thing clawing at her heart. It burned her like acid and froze her like the bitter winter wind rattling her old windows. Nothing had ever hurt her so deeply. Not even the loss of her parents or the rejection of her family had made Tessa want to curl up and die.

  She wished she would die. Then she wouldn’t have to figure out how to live without the heart that would forever belong to Griffin. He was right. She did belong to him and she would never belong to anyone else. Eventually exhaustion took hold and Tessa drifted into a restless sleep.

  * * *

  Griffin’s urgent call from his best friend, Mason, warning of his mother’s insane missing person call to the Enclave had turned out to be nothing. He didn’t know where Mason was getting his information, but his parent’s home was calm and peaceful until he arrived early that morning. His unexpected presence gave his mother, the impeccable even at 6:30am Adele Vaughn, an excuse to ride him about shirking his responsibilities. Sarah’s parents were beginning to pressure her and his father to get a time frame for their bonding. It was a less than exemplary way to start his day and he hadn’t been able to reach Mason all day to explain the frantic early morning call.

  After a full morning of Council duties, his own business needed Griffin’s attention. When he got home he was frustrated and ready to work off some steam with his little love. Tessa had become the center of his universe. On the elevator ride up to his condo Griffin fondled the long jewelry box in his breast pocket. On his way home from the Council Hall where the leaders of the vampire Nation met, Griffin stopped to pick out a gift for Tessa. He couldn’t wait to see her wearing it and nothing else.

  As soon as the door to his condo opened, he breathed in deeply, needing to fill himself with the delicious scent that soothed him and brought out the beast in him all at once. It was there but it wasn’t right. It was faint as if she hadn’t been there for a long time. He called her name while shrugging out of his coat but got no answer. The beast that needed to possess her body and soul roared in his head. He searched every room but she was gone, along with her old clothes, coat and purse.

  Griffin was pissed. She dared to disobey him after he instructed her to stay home. She only had one place to go. What reason could she possibly have to return to that shit hole of an apartment? The beast in him hated her being in a place that was provided by another male. He still wanted to kill that bastard Sebastian for trying to win over his female. He jerked his coat back on and headed across town.

  He fumed the whole way to her place. Didn’t she understand who she was dealing with? He was Griffin Vaughn for God’s sake! Nobody openly disobeyed him, ever! Then he remembered. No, she didn’t know who she was dealing with, because never told her. Maybe it was time to instruct her on the proper conduct when dealing with a high member of the House of Vaughn.

  When he reached her door, Griffin knew she was home. Her vanilla aroma crept from under the door and he tried to calm his ire. He wanted to kick the door in and throw her over his shoulder. He wanted to spank that lusciously round ass all the way back to his place, but he would play it cool until he got her home. There was no need to cause a scene. He would punish her later. He would punish her and she would love every minute of it. Griffin grinned. Maybe that was her game. Maybe she had disobeyed him just to get a spanking.

  He pounded on the door but she didn’t answer. He could hear her moving around inside but she didn’t answer the door. He waited a long frustrating moment before pounding on the damn door. The place was as big as a shoe box! It wasn’t like she didn’t hear him the first time he knocked. The door was yanked open and a frazzled, tear-stained Tessa stood blocking the door. She was refusing him entrance. The primitive nut-job in his head growled and sniffed for the presence of another male. She’d stood that way when she refused Sebastian entrance as well.

  “What do you want, Griffin?” she asked tonelessly.

  “What do I want?” he snapped. “I want to find you in the place I left you! I told you to stay at home.”

  She shook her head and took a shaky breath. “That isn’t my home and I am not a member of the mighty Vampire Nation. I am not your subject to command, your highness. Is that what they call your Council members or do you prefer ‘your majesty?’” she asked. Griffin struggled to keep his mouth from falling open. His astonishment must have shown because she continued.

  “Oh, I know you didn’t intend for me to ever have such intimate knowledge of your people, but your buddy, Mason, felt only a complete picture would help me understand what an absolute fool I’ve been.�
� Her voice shook and her eyes filled.

  “Mason?” How had she found Mason? Then the day all came together with a grinding crash in his head. Mason must have figured him out and lured him away to investigate. He honestly thought of killing his best friend. “What did Mason have to say?”

  “Nothing until after he attempted to erase my memory of everything to do with you and your people. It didn’t work. His only course of action was to either tell me everything in hopes I would just go away, sparing your family the shame of watching you be executed for the crime of lowering yourself to my level, or he could turn you in for endangering your Nation and watch us both die.”

  Griffin’s heart banged around in his chest. His Tessa was not the woman standing before him. She was completely absent. This Tessa spoke calmly and without emotion as if she were reading from the newspaper. She spoke as if she completely believed she were beneath him. He reached out needing to touch her, but she flinched away from his hand.

  “Mason told me about Sarah. He explained that I was likely just a diversion for you. He also theorized that you were keeping me in your secret ivory tower because you were trying to find a way to crack my memory without getting me killed by the Council. I tend to believe that scenario. I mean, why kill the cow while it’s still giving milk, right?” Griffin was going to beat Mason within an inch of his life and wait for him to heal so he could beat him again.

  “Mason has no idea what is between us, baby. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Let’s go home and talk this out.” He reached for her again but she backed away. Griffin was dangerously close to fulfilling his need to act like a caveman and drag Tessa off over his shoulder.

  “It was only a game for you, Griffin. I was just your little vacation away from the responsibility of leading your people until the day of your bonding. Were you even going to tell me when it was over, or did you plan to sell the condo and walk away?” She sobbed now. The pain in her voice was echoed in her beautiful pale eyes.