by Maya DeLeina
“Rhys, Steffan, and I got the same story from M.J. We fabricated nothing. I don’t know what’s going on here, but Ryan is obviously doing this for some kind of attention or something.”
“Not exactly,” Anya said softly.
The men looked intently at Anya as she sat up on the sofa.
Their eyes traveled to Steffan’s in unison.
“What was it of Ryan’s that you touched? You never told me what the object was that made you feel our connection,” Anya said.
“It was a stone he was clutching just after the accident. Red jasper, I believe,” Steffan responded.
“And you turned Ryan because of an accident?”
Steffan nodded as he told Anya of the ordeal. “He was driving up to the house—the house you inherited from your sister. It was the night of the first snowstorm last year. I don’t know what caused the accident, but the Mercedes fell from a cliff on the mountain pass. That is when I found him. He was dying of his injuries, and he told me he couldn’t live without her. I had no clue who her was at the time, but I didn’t have the heart to take him permanently from his true love. I thought I was giving him something that I never had a chance for myself. Anya, this is the only reason why I turned him.”
Anya wept. “I gave him that stone that very morning. It was a gift…for my husband.”
“Anya, no! You are Ryan’s wife?” Steffan screamed, clutching Anya by the shoulders.
“Fuck man! How did this never get discussed during your claim? Steffan, you’re in a real bad place. This is Ryan’s mate you just claimed,” Rhys said. The shakiness in his voice frightened Anya.
“You’re married? All this time, you were a married woman?” Steffan stood from the sofa and looked at Anya. His eyes began to well, his voice trembling full of hurt and distress.
“No, I was married to him. I was granted a divorce before I even met you, Steffan. Ryan left me. He left me for my sister! He took all of our money and left me with nothing.”
“Why did you lie? You made me believe that your husband died!”
“It wasn’t a lie. My first husband, Ravi, died of a brain aneurysm. I just skipped over Ryan. I couldn’t tell you that the man before you left me for someone else. He left me for my twin sister of all things! I was in love with you. I wasn’t sure how you were going to react. How could I have told you that?” Anya wept hysterically.
Steffan embraced Anya and held her close to his chest. “My god, Anya, do you honestly think that would’ve mattered to me?” Steffan kissed her head. “Calm down, love, it will be all right. Everything will be all right.”
“Steffan, it’s not all right. She is in fact Ryan’s wife. She was off-limits to the claim according to our laws,” Rhys said in a panicked voice.
“But I divorced him! I was no longer his wife. Is no one considering my feeling and wishes in all of this? I’m not an object of ownership to anyone!” Anya said in protest.
“Divorce doesn’t exist for vampires. The council won’t give two shits about that! The fact is Steffan claimed another vampire’s human mate. That is against our laws. He didn’t follow his own rules!” Rhys said coldly to Anya.
“Wait a damn minute, Rhys, I did follow my own governing rules for the family, and you’re forgetting a couple of things here that the law doesn’t account for. Ryan never recalled Anya. Nothing in the law accounts for this. I mean, we never considered it. If they were true mates, there’s no reason why he couldn’t recall her. I did the right thing and went to M.J. to confirm the background on him since he couldn’t remember.”
Eilian jumped to Steffan’s defense. “And the other point here is that Ryan broke their emotional and physical bond before he even became a vampire. Anya ended any of the remaining legal binding with the divorce. We may not believe in divorce, but it does exist in the human world. Humans don’t have the ability to identify mate connections within each other, so they go off of judgment. Divorce for them is like a means to erase a wrong decision, as if it never happened. The council will have to take divorce into consideration in this case.”
“Rhys, please, you were human once.” Anya pleaded.
She didn’t know where Rhys fit in with the hierarchy of the family, but there was no doubt that he was a formidable presence. He stood as tall as Steffan and Eilian, but his build was much more defined, more demanding, and completely captivating. She couldn’t help but notice he had a way with his eyes as well, pivoting from an object of fear to a romantic trance. For her, his eyes were something to get lost in, mesmerizing against his jet-black hair and thick eyebrows that framed his photogenic face.
Rhys was downright gorgeous.
Then there was Eilian, equally as handsome with his light-brown hair and green eyes, but with an air of intellectual sexiness surrounding him.
In fact, running through the images of all the men of the Ambrose Heights family was like flipping through the most delicious calendar she had ever laid eyes on. Of course, Steffan would be the month of June, dead center of the calendar, demanding of a centerfold, capturing all of him.
For her, Steffan still outshined them all.
Rhys kneeled down before Anya, softening his speech, his hands gently caressing hers.
“Anya, I’m sorry if I’m scaring you. But you must understand. Rules and laws are very important to me. When Steffan found me in Nepal, he planned on destroying me. I wasn’t trying to hurt Steffan at all, he and his brotherhood just happened upon my territory. Truth is, they were exactly what I was looking for. I was turned long before Steffan. I lived like a rogue because that was the way of the world for vampires back then. After some time, I longed to be human again. I wanted to be part of life, part of a society again. I didn’t want to live in solitude, lurking in shadows like a monster. I heard about the new breed of vampires that was coming about. They were taking up brotherhoods, searching for their mates to start families and lairs. I had never come across any of them in all of my years, until I saw Steffan and his brothers in 1936. Anyway, Steffan was able to hear me out, take me in, and spare my life. Our creeds, our laws are so important to me because it’s what separates us from being rogues—what we were bred to be. I just hope that Eilian is right and we can convince the council.”
“Rhys. I had no clue that you were once a rogue! I would’ve never guessed it. Are you not on the governing council as well, to help us?” Anya asked in desperation.
“No. They won’t allow vamps that were once rogue to pass judgments,” Rhys said softly. Swiftly, he changed the subject and paced the room. “You know, I still don’t get it. If Anise was fooling around with Ryan, why was the house in her name, and why did she leave it to you? I don’t understand.”
“Actually, I was beneficiary to everything Anise owned. After she passed away, I was going through all of the paperwork that was given to me and I realized Ryan was slowly funneling our money to Anise. I think he was planning on hiding all of his assets so he would show nothing when he would file for divorce. I don’t think he realized she had a will naming me a beneficiary to her estate.” Anya suddenly gasped. “Does he even know that someone torched her in a well?”
The three men shot glances back and forth at each other.
“Anya? What are you talking about? Anise died in a car accident,” Steffan said with a look of confusion.
“No. The detectives told me they found her burned in an abandoned well on a cattle ranch.”
“Detectives? What detectives, exactly?” probed Steffan.
“Well, one detective. Doyle was her name. The other was Sergeant…”
“Stemper?” Steffan responded, breaking Anya in midsentence.
“Yeah, that’s right!”
“And when did you meet them?”
“A couple weeks after Ryan left. She called me at home. I had to come down to the station. She questioned me about Ryan, Anise, everything.”
Steffan took a deep breath and ran his fingers angrily through his hair. “Fuck! She knew! She knew all the time, Ei
lian! And she has mate-sensing abilities. I’d already touched the stone and started the connection with Anya by that time. She knew that Anya and I were a match. Gwrach!”
“Who is she? What are you talking about?” Anya screamed, looking for answers.
“M.J.!” Eilian said feverishly.
“I don’t know who M.J. is that you guys keep talking about! I’m talking about Detective Doyle, Madeline Doyle.”
“M.J. is Madeleine-Jane Doyle!” Steffan explained.
“Oh, my god!” Anya exclaimed.
“She told me her team was off the case and the humans took it over. But from what Anya is saying, it looks like she and Alex were handling the case. This means Anise was one of us!” Eilian concluded.
Anya shook her head at everything that was slowly unraveling. “She was a vampire? It all makes sense now! I could never understand why someone would burn her. It was exposure to the sun that did it. So if she was one of us, how come you didn’t know who she was?”
Steffan adjusted on the chaise to face Anya. “When did you last see Anise, when you could for sure say she was human?”
“Probably over a year ago. That’s when we kicked her out of our home and after that, I never heard from her again. I didn’t even know she was still here in town.”
“But we would’ve known if someone in the family had turned her,” Eilian said.
“Think about it. Who disappeared around the same time?” Steffan probed.
“Dominic,” Rhys said coldly. He remained standing, crouched over, his forearms resting on the back of the leather club chair.
Steffan shook his head and sat next to Anya. “Shit. Something inside of me told me not to entrust M.J. with this big of a responsibility, regardless of her telling abilities.”
“But we had Alex in there with her. He would’ve sensed something right away,” Rhys said.
“I know. We will have to find him.”
“What are telling abilities?” Anya asked Steffan.
“She has the ability to entice the truth out of vampires and humans. That is why we selected her as one of our primary contacts in the law enforcement sector.”
“Steffan, does Anya know about M.J.?” Eilian asked softly as he motioned in her direction.
“Not exactly,” Steffan answered with regret.
“What is it, Steffan?”
Steffan placed his hand on Anya’s lap. “You remember when I told you I had relationships with other vampires but never a mate connection?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I had a brief relationship with M.J., Madeleine. When I broke it off, she went ballistic at first. I hurt her deeply. No one but Alex and us here in this room knows about this relationship. I was intrigued with her mate-sensing abilities. I was desperate to find my mate, and I was using her just to see if I could harness her power.”
“Why was she entrusted with so much power in this family if you said she went ballistic when you broke it off?” Anya said with tinge of jealousy in her voice.
“I thought she got over it. It was never an issue in the past. And I guess a part of me felt bad for using her. I couldn’t take away her position in the family on top of that.”
Anya ran her fingers through her hair. “Is she on the governing council?”
“No. But…” Steffan trailed off.
“But what?” Anya asked.
“Eilian, you will need to retrieve all of the Submission injections from the Nemesis and hide them. Just in case. She’s the only one with access other than us,” Steffan said, his voice escalating, his breath racing. “Rhys, we need to find Alex and present this to the council. Alex can back up our theory.”
* * * *
Secluded in the comfort of their bed, Anya and Steffan made love.
“He cannot have you, Anya. You are my mate.”
Steffan fisted Anya’s hair in his hands as held her eyes captive to his. He thrust himself inside her with a passionate force.
“Steffan, I don’t want him. My heart and my body belong to only you.”
“Anya, I love you!”
Steffan pumped fast, moaning louder with every movement. He exploded deep inside her, claiming her repeatedly as his.
“I love you, Steffan. I will always love you,” Anya whispered, clutching Steffan as he collapsed on top of her.
Steffan lifted from her body. “Anya, you must stay near me for the next few days until this gets sorted out with the council. I don’t know what he’s thinking, and I’m not quite sure what he’s capable of at this moment. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m not leaving your side.”
Steffan repositioned himself on the bed, lying down on his stomach. He reached for the pillow and tucked it under his head. He tapped the other end of the pillow for Anya to join him. She sank down on the bed and gently rested her head next to Steffan. She lay on her stomach, lost in Steffan’s gaze.
Anya, am I a better lover than Ryan? Steffan asked her inwardly.
How could you even ask that, Steffan? You’re in bed with me. Do you not see and hear what you do to me?
“Sorry. I never cared to know about your past lovers, it didn’t matter to me. But with Ryan, for some reason, I feel jealously and paranoia,” Steffan admitted.
“Ryan can’t hold a candle to you, Steffan.”
“Thank you, love.” A deep smiled etched Steffan’s face.
“Think about it. You should have already seen how Ryan is. He’s very self-centered. Imagine having sex with someone of that mentality. I mean, it is a very one-sided deal, if you get what I am saying.”
“I get it. But I hope you don’t mind me asking you this. If you knew how he was, why did you marry him?”
“I keep asking myself that. I think I lost myself, my self-esteem, my self-worth after losing my parents and Ravi. I was so lonely, so desperate to feel loved and a part of someone’s life again. Then there was the constant pressure of being compared to Anise. Anise was always the prettier one, the party girl, the life of the party, the outgoing one. I was the one who was reserved, just focusing on my music. When Ryan came along, I was taken with his obvious looks, and he showered me with attention. But most of all, he got me because he was the first man who didn’t pay much attention to Anise. That turned out great, huh?”
Steffan shook his head in response.
“Then, he sealed the deal.”
“How?”
“He had lost his parents in a disaster as well, an airplane crash. He was still in high school when it happened. I don’t know, once I found about that, there was this flood of emotion that connected us. Well, connected me, for sure.”
“What about the marriage. How was everything?”
“I liked the feeling of belonging that he gave me, and in the beginning, it was great, but I think it was just because it was still new. It all eventually faded, but I honestly thought that was just one of those things with marriage. I never knew that he had so many affairs. It just never crossed my mind that he would be capable of doing that.”
“The accident that night, who do you think he was referring to? He seemed so genuine and heartfelt at the time.”
“Honestly, it was Anise. But not for the reason you’re thinking. He hid all the money under Anise’s name so I wouldn’t get anything from the divorce. He made himself look destitute financially. When he bought the house, he even titled it under Anise’s name. And guess what I found among the attorney’s paperwork that made me figure this all out.”
“What?”
“A deed of transfer from Anise to Ryan! It was already complete. All it needed was Anise’s signature to be executed with the land court. I don’t think the attorney intended for me to see that, I don’t know how it even got into the probate paperwork we were working on.”
“How strange.”
“Steffan, all Ryan was referring to was his need for Anise in order to have access to what he truly cared about. Money.”
“The attorney, what was his n
ame?”
“Alan White.”
“That’s the same attorney who drafted the offer to purchase the house for Ryan. Did he mention anything about Anise, or did he act like he didn’t remember her?”
“You know, he had to read his notes and documents just to recall his dealings with Anise. He even admitted not being able to remember much on her case. And the thing is, Anise would’ve never thought of doing a will on her own. She completed the will just shortly before her death. I still can’t make sense of all of that.”
“It sounds like she enthralled the attorney. Anya, she must’ve done this for a specific reason.”
“I know, but I haven’t figured…” Anya stopped in midsentence and immediately sat up in bed. She reached for the covers and pulled them over her naked body.
“What is it, Anya? Did you hear something?”
“No. I feel something. I think Ryan is in the house!”
“I would’ve sensed him! Besides, the guys are supposed to be watching him.” Steffan shook his head.
“Well, he is here. And he is shielding. I can feel it.”
“Damnit! His shielding is stronger than I originally thought! Fuck! Where is he?”
“He is making his way up the staircase.” Anya scrambled off the bed. “He is headed our way, Steffan!”
“Get dressed!” Steffan jumped off the bed and searched for his jeans and shirt. “Anya, does he have any weapons? Is anyone else with him?”
“No. He’s alone. He has something in his hand. I can’t make it out. But it doesn’t appear to be a weapon.” Anya paused, frowning in concentration. “Oh, my god. He is coming!” Anya concentrated on the door and moved all the locking mechanisms in place with her mind.
“Lock yourself in the master bath. Don’t come out until I get you, no matter what you hear,” Steffan said as he pulled on a pair of jeans.
“But, Steffan, I have kinesis. I can try to move something, do something to help you.”
“Not right now. I don’t want him to even see you. And if you see him, you might not be able to control your instinct again. It’s too dangerous. Go!” Steffan commanded.
